celebrity

VENICE (Reuters) - British actress Keira Knightley has had enough of the media's fixation with her looks, weight and figure, and urged people to focus on her films instead.

In Venice to promote her latest movie "Atonement," the 22-year-old star of the hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise had to field questions about her curves during a news conference this week.

"It's really frustrating, and particularly when you come to Venice film festival with a film that is an intelligent film," she told Reuters in an interview. "It's a thought-provoking film you can have a really good discussion about.

"I think it was just a shame that that had to be brought up then, and the fact that we all knew that it was going to be brought up," she added, referring to the cast and crew of "Atonement" with her at the conference.

"We actually had a bet going. I was like 'Come on, how many times either anorexia or something about my body, are going to come up."'

Knightley is the subject of constant tabloid press coverage of whether she is anorexic, what example she sets girls and young women and who she is linked with romantically.

"I think what I want to keep it about is the work, that's all I'm interested in, and when you've got a project like this I think it's a shame to take it away from that."

The actress, nominated for an Oscar in the 2005 film "Pride and Prejudice," has won early critical praise for her portrayal of Cecilia Tallis in "Atonement," a film directed by Joe Wright and based on Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel.

Knightley said she was "really proud" of "Atonement," her second collaboration with Wright after "Pride and Prejudice."

But she said she is highly critical of her own work and finds it difficult watching herself on the big screen.

"I'm my worst critic," she said. "If you really want me to cut my part to pieces, I absolutely can and I don't want to get to a day when I can't."

She said that one of the attractions of playing Cecilia was Wright's decision to use speech patterns and acting styles similar to those in the 1930s and 1940s, the period in which most of the narrative is set.

"I think the 30s and 40s, (it is a) speech pattern that we've pretty much lost now.

"It sort of reached the pinnacle of 'stiff-upper-lip-ness', and people very rarely do it in these films, people are very frightened of it."

Labels: Keira Knightley

Posted by fathima at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

In a story that is sure to have guys all over the world dancing in the streets, 24 hottie Elisha Cuthbert and hockey player Sean Avery have said goodbye to their two year relationship together.

According to a source close to the couple, it was the Old School hottie that initiated the breakup. But Sean isn’t crying in his beer over it. Reports say that Avery was back on the market this past weekend hitting on Elisha’s good friend Paris Hilton at a Malibu beach party.

A witness of Sean’s bold flirting with the former jailbird told press, “When you asked Sean where Elisha was he shrugged his shoulders and said they had broken up.”

Friends of Elisha are confused over the split. And they’re holding out hope that maybe a little break is all this pair needs before getting back together. And if not, there’s always the myriad of drooling guys that are eager to help Cuthbert get over her ex.

Labels: Elisha Cuthbert

Posted by fathima at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

How surprised would you be if you were out to a lovely elegant dinner and all of a sudden Jessica Simpson showed up crooning her little heart out? Well, diners at Shreveport, Louisiana’s Olive Street Bistro were surprised as heck!

The former Newlywed star chose the restaurant to celebrate her BFF/hairstylist Ken Pave’s birthday, and decided to give him an impromptu concert for the occasion.

Marshall Collier, a dishwasher at the Bistro, sat down at the piano to play for the restaurant’s guests when Miss Simpson approached him to choose some selections to sing. And everyone was thrilled to hear the “Sweetest Sin” singer belt out old standards like “Desperado” and “Midnight Train To Georgia.”

Even restaurant owner Fernando Maldonado was all smiles over the performance. He was so thrilled, he offered Simpson a regular gig at his restaurant. “It was so fantastic. Jessica is welcome back here any time.”

Posted by fathima at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

Angelina Jolie visited Iraq on Tuesday to meet with refugees and U.S. troops in the country.

Jolie, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made the visit during a two-day trip to the region, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday.

The statement said the 32-year-old actress met with displaced Iraqis in neighboring Syria on Monday before crossing into Iraq for a few hours Tuesday "to see firsthand the plight of hundreds of thousands of families uprooted by the ongoing conflict."

"I have come to Syria and Iraq to help draw attention to this humanitarian crisis and to urge governments to increase their support for UNHCR and its partners," Jolie was quoted as saying by the Geneva-based agency.

The U.N. refugee agency estimates that more than 4.2 million Iraqis have left their homes — some before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein. Of these, about 2 million have fled to neighboring countries including Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.

Labels: Angelina Jolie

Posted by fathima at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Prince Charles's wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, said Sunday she will not attend this week's memorial service marking the 10th anniversary of princess Diana's death.

She said her presence "could divert attention from the purpose of the occasion" despite having been asked to attend by the late princess's sons, William and Harry.

Camilla and Charles married in 2005 after a romance dating back to the early 1970s which was revived following his wedding to Diana.

Their affair prompted Diana to say in a 1995, the year before her divorce from Charles: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

The former Camilla Parker Bowles is still a deeply divisive figure for many of Diana's friends and admirers and her planned attendance, which Charles reportedly pushed hard for, attracted widespread criticism.

"I'm very touched to have been invited by Prince William and Prince Harry to attend the thanksgiving service for their mother Diana, Princess of Wales," Camilla said in a statement.

"I accepted and wanted to support them, however, on reflection I believe my attendance could divert attention from the purpose of the occasion which is to focus on the life and service of Diana.

"I'm grateful to my husband, William and Harry for supporting my decision."

Prince Charles's aides staged a careful publicity campaign to win public acceptance for Camilla in the years after Diana's death on August 31, 1997.

She kept a low profile in the months following the crash before being gradually led into the spotlight.

It was not until 1999 that Charles and Camilla made their first staged, public appearance together as they left a London hotel after a birthday party for Camilla's sister.

The couple did not marry for another six years and even then Camilla did not take the title of princess of Wales to which she was entitled because of its close associations with Diana.

In another apparent concession to public opinion, she will not be referred to as queen if Charles takes the throne.

The Diana memorial service will take place Friday at the Guards Chapel in London, 10 years to the day after Diana was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris alongside her lover, Dodi Fayed.

Princes William and Harry will give readings and Queen Elizabeth II and Charles are among the senior royals who will also attend.

Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, who criticised the royal family in his address at her funeral, has also been invited to the service.

The head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Doctor Rowan Williams, has written two prayers for the hour-long service.

One of Diana's closest friends, Rosa Monckton, wrote in the Mail on Sunday that the late princess would have been "astonished" at Camilla being invited to the service.

"I know such occasions should be an occasion for forgiveness, but I can't help feeling Camilla's attendance is deeply inappropriate," she wrote.

"There seems to have been a certain element of score-settling in the compilation of the guest-list."

Earlier this month, an ICM poll published in the Daily Mail suggested that 54 percent of Britons thought Camilla's attendance at the service would be inappropriate.

Posted by fathima at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Prince Charles' wife announced Sunday that she will not attend Princess Diana's memorial service this week after criticism that her presence would be inappropriate.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had accepted an invitation from Charles and his sons, Princes William and Harry, to accompany them to the service Friday at the Guards' Chapel in London's Wellington Barracks. Some criticized the decision, since Camilla had an affair with Charles when he was still married to Diana.

"I'm very touched to have been invited by Prince William and Prince Harry to attend the thanksgiving service for their mother Diana, Princess of Wales," the duchess said in a statement. "I accepted and wanted to support them. However, on reflection I believe my attendance could divert attention from the purpose of the occasion which is to focus on the life and service of Diana. I'm grateful to my husband, William and Harry for supporting my decision."

Diana, known for her charity work and tabloid celebrity, died in a Paris car crash with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, on Aug. 31, 1997.

Diana married heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles in 1981 in a ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral televised around the world. They had two sons, William and Harry, but divorced in 1996 after admissions of adultery on both sides.

Friday's anniversary will be marked with a nationally televised memorial service and specially commissioned prayers.

Labels: Prince Charles' wife

Posted by fathima at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Gugino will play the female lead, a crime-scene investigator with a dark personal life who enters into a relationship with De Niro's character.

The $60 million movie goes before cameras at month's end. Jon Avnet directs. De Niro and Pacino appeared together in only one other movie, 1995's "Heat."

Gugino recently wrapped production on the indie sports drama "Our Lady of Victory" and next appears opposite Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's Universal release "American Gangster." She played Vince's agent/girlfriend Amanda in Season 3 of "Entourage."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Posted by fathima at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lindsay Lohan escaped felony charges Thursday when prosecutors filed seven misdemeanor counts against her stemming from two drunken-driving arrests.

The district attorney charged the 21-year-old actress with two counts each of driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol level above .08 percent and being under the influence of cocaine and one count of reckless driving.

Police found cocaine on Lohan during the arrests on May 26 in Beverly Hills and July 24 in Santa Monica. In each incident, the amounts tested were below the .05 grams required for felony charges, according to the district attorney's office.

Each of Lohan's arrests were followed by trips to rehab.

Lohan's arraignment was scheduled for Friday but a conference with a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in Beverly Hills was set for later Thursday. A disposition on the charges could be reached during the hearing, according to Deputy District Attorney Danette Meyers.

Lohan's publicist did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment about the charges.

Lohan crashed her Mercedes Benz into a tree on Sunset Boulevard in May and fled the scene to seek medical treatment. Police tests revealed that a white powder found in Lohan's purse was .04 grams of cocaine.

Lohan checked into the posh Promises rehabilitation facility in Malibu after the incident. She left the facility July 13 after six weeks of treatment. She was photographed wearing an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet after her release.

Lohan was arrested again on July 24 following a 911 call by Michelle Peck, the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant. Peck told police she was being chased by an SUV. Police later said Lohan was the driver.

Lohan's blood-alcohol level was between 0.12 and 0.13 percent when police found her, officials said. Police also found a white powder in her pocket that was determined to be .02 grams of cocaine.

After the incident, Lohan said in an e-mail to a host for the celebrity-news show "Access Hollywood" that she was "innocent" and the drugs found in her pocket during a pre-booking search were not hers.

She has reportedly been in a Sundance, Utah, rehab center in recent weeks.

A woman who was a passenger in Michelle Peck's vehicle sued the actress this month for assault and negligence.

Tracie Rice's suit seeks unspecified damages and payment of medical and other expenses related to emotional distress.

Lohan started 2007 in rehab at the Wonderland Center in Los Angeles.

"I was growing up and going out a lot, and I needed to have a balance," she told Elle magazine during an interview in May, just days before her first DUI arrest. "I was glad I went, because I needed to get away from everyone and I didn't know how to do that. And I learned a lot there."

Lohan's latest film, "I Know Who Killed Me," opened in July to lackluster response.

Labels: Lindsay Lohan

Posted by fathima at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jessica Alba’s Ex Moves On

With Jessica Alba’s break-up with Cash Warren still hot news, it appears that Cash has already set his sights on his next conquest.

Cash was caught flirting with Phantom of the Opera star Emmy Rossum at the Beverly Hills hotel Regent Beverly Wilshire this week. This spotting was the first time that Cash had been seen with a woman since the end of his four year old relationship with Miss Alba.

According to insiders, Cash was extremely focused on meeting the actress and “was eyeing up Emmy across the room. He went and introduced himself and got straight to the point, asking if she was single.”

Meanwhile, Jessica has also jumped back onto the celebrity party scene, as she was caught having fun last Monday at the Les Deux club, and the following night at Hyde. Not that she has to look too hard for a new suitor.

And more recently, the Sin City starlet who has been said to be “happy to be single” has been up in Vancouver re-shooting a few scenes from her upcoming movie“The Eye”.

Enjoy the pictures of Jessica filming in Vancouver the past few days (August 13-15).

Posted by fathima at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jay-Z Richest Rap Mogul, Says Forbes.com

Jay-Z wins all around, says Forbes.com. He's got Beyonce on his arm and more millions than 50 Cent and Diddy.

The rap icon, aka Shawn Carter, is No. 1 on the site's list of "Hip-Hop Cash Kings," based solely on 2006 income. He banked an estimated $34 million, Forbes.com said Thursday.

Jay-Z, president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, released his 11th studio album, "Kingdom Come," which sold around 2 million copies. Jay-Z, 37, is also part owner of the New Jersey Nets and has endorsement deals with Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard and General Motors.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson ranks second with an estimated $32 million. The 31-year-old rapper-businessman oversees his G-Unit record label, clothing line, ring tones and other enterprises, and has sold more than 11 million albums. His latest record, "Curtis," is due out Sept. 11.

Diddy (real name: Sean Combs) placed third with an estimated $28 million. A fashion plate, he has a clothing line, Sean John, and heads Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment and its record label. Diddy, 37, is also host of MTV's "Making the Band" series.

Rounding out the top five are Timbaland ($21 million) and Dr. Dre ($20 million). They're followed by Eminem ($18 million); Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Scott Storch (all $17 million); Ludacris and T.I. (both $16 million); Outkast and Lil Jon (both $14 million); Ice Cube ($13 million); Jermaine Dupri and Swizz Beatz (both $12 million); Chamillionaire and The Game (both $11 million); and Young Joc ($10 million).

Jay-Z Tops Hip-Hop Earners List

HOLLYWOOD - Music mogul Jay-Z has topped a list naming the highest earning hip-hop stars.

The Def Jam boss earned $34 million in 2006, beating out competition from rapper 50 Cent to claim the title of Hip-Hop Cash King in Forbes magazine.

50 Cent made $32 million, while Sean 'Diddy' Combs is in third place with earnings of $28 million.

Rounding out the top five are producers Timbaland and Dr. Dre, who raked in $21 million and $20 million, respectively.


50 Cent

The world of rap music—particularly gangsta rap—has been littered with artists rhyming about their lives on the streets without having ever lived such hard times. Every once and a while, however, one has come along who not only lived a rough life, but has exemplified the gangsta lifestyle. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has not only typified the street thug persona, he actually was one—he sold crack, robbed his street corner rivals and was shot nine times in a failed attempt on his life....

Full Biography

The world of rap music—particularly gangsta rap—has been littered with artists rhyming about their lives on the streets without having ever lived such hard times. Every once and a while, however, one has come along who not only lived a rough life, but has exemplified the gangsta lifestyle. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has not only typified the street thug persona, he actually was one—he sold crack, robbed his street corner rivals and was shot nine times in a failed attempt on his life. But without his checkered past, which he has routinely mined for lyrics and self-promotion, Jackson might not have become a top-selling artist and most likely would have been just another wannabe gangsta.
Jackson grew up in a rough part of Jamaica, Queens, New York. His mom sold crack and his dad left home when he was 8-years-old. Around the same age, his mom was drugged and murdered in their home, forcing young Jackson to live with his grandmother. At 12-years-old, Jackson followed his mom’s trade and began selling crack in the neighborhood, earning around $5,000 a day, but was careful not to let his grandma find out. Jackson was also careful not to fall into the trap of sampling the merchandise—a hindrance to other proprietors who consumed their stash instead of selling it. In tenth grade, he had his first run-in with the law for dealing and was given juvenile probation. When he hit 18, Jackson was running a profitable neighborhood crack house, earning $150,000 a month, but legal trouble struck again when he was popped for possession of heroin, crack and a starter pistol, and was sentenced to three to nine years in prison.

While inside prison, Jackson earned his GED and was eventually released in 1995. Upon his release, Jackson began rapping as an alternative to selling drugs, though he continued to hustle while launching his music career. Jackson soon began an apprenticeship with Jay Master Jay of Run DMC fame, who signed the fledgling rapper to his tiny JMJ Records label. From Jam Master Jay, Jackson learned the rudiments of music theory—counting beats, song structure—but never achieved any success as an artist under the DJ’s tutelage. Eventually Jackson signed with Trackmasters, a successful production team responsible for Jay Z and Foxy Brown, among others. In 1999, Jackson landed a deal with Columbia Records and cut the tracks for what was to be his debut album, Power of the Dollar, but his continued run-ins with the law gave the label pause.

In March 2000, Jackson was stabbed at a Manhattan recording studio, presumably by a rival East Coast rapper, but no one was officially held accountable. Then on May 24, 2000, right before Columbia was to release his album, Jackson was shot nine times while waiting inside a car outside his grandmother’s house in Queens. One of the bullets went through his cheek, knocking out a tooth and causing a permanent hiss in his speech, and another took out the knuckle on one of his hands, with the rest landing in his arms and thighs. Despite the notoriety Jackson gained from nearly losing his life, Columbia shelved the album, canceled filming his first video and dumped the rapper before his career had the chance to begin. He spent his recovery in a small studio with friends cutting new tracks about his violent encounters and tried peddling the new songs to music executives, but failed to capture interest in his new material—perhaps the execs were frightened off by him showing up to meetings in a bulletproof vest and surrounded by a security detail.

Undeterred by his failure to find another record deal, Jackson instead released the songs independently on mix tapes distributed by bootleggers to underground clubs. Paul Rosenberg, manager for Eminem, got hold of a tape and handed it off to his client, who was so impressed that he immediately declared Jackson to be his favorite artist. After Eminem passed the tape onto Doctor Dre, who also loved the music, Jackson was flown out to Los Angeles for a meet and greet. Though a deal was proposed, Jackson shopped around, but ultimately agreed to a seven-figure contract with Eminem’s Shady Records, Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal. Jackson’s much-hyped debut album, Get Rich or Die Trying, sold over 800,000 copies its first week and went on to reach number one on several charts, including the Billboard 200, and ultimately reached multi-platinum success. Eminem even featured the first single, Wanksta, in “8 Mile” (2002), the rags-to-riches story loosely based on the Detroit rapper’s life.

While making an explosive entrance into the pop music arena, Jackson managed to retain his penchant for getting into trouble with the law. In October 2002, Jackson was suspected of being involved in the murder of his former mentor, Jam Master Jay. Then on New Year’s Eve that same year, he was arrested and thrown in prison for gun possession. But nothing deterred the rapper from becoming one of the top-selling artists in the nation. Jackson’s second album, The Massacre, fared as well as his first, reaching number one on all relevant charts and helping to push his total album sales close to the 20 million mark to date. Meanwhile, Jackson began to diversify his celebrity by appearing in features and on television. He appeared as himself in “Beef” (2003), a documentary about the social, political and economic ramifications of rap and its increasingly controversial nature.

After voicing himself on an episode of “The Simpsons” (Fox, 1990- ), Jackson played his first fictional role in the straight-to-video gansta thriller, “Full Clip” (2004). Then in 2005, Jackson had his first starring role in the more dramatic “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” in which he played a fictionalized version of himself. Directed by an unlikely Jim Sheridan (“In The Name of the Father”, “In America”), who felt a sort of kinship with the rapper because of a similar upbringing in a rough part of Dublin (though it’s believed Sheridan never sold crack to make his way), the film took events from Jackson’s life almost verbatim—a murdered mother, dealing crack and becoming a rapper—and lumped them together into a typical rags-to-riches narrative. The familiar story was panned by most critics, who felt the story was boring and derivative, and Jackson’s acting skills inept.




Sean Combs (Diddy)

A talented producer who has brought out the best in artists including Mariah Carey, LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez as well as the Bad Boy roster's own Lil' Kim, Mase and Notorious B.I.G., Sean 'Puffy' Combs did his best work behind the scenes but began landing acting roles in 2001 that could prove a talent before the camera that outweighed his somewhat questionable skills at the microphone. Born into a middle-class Harlem household, Combs lost his father to drug-related violence at the age of three....

Full Biography

A talented producer who has brought out the best in artists including Mariah Carey, LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez as well as the Bad Boy roster's own Lil' Kim, Mase and Notorious B.I.G., Sean 'Puffy' Combs did his best work behind the scenes but began landing acting roles in 2001 that could prove a talent before the camera that outweighed his somewhat questionable skills at the microphone. Born into a middle-class Harlem household, Combs lost his father to drug-related violence at the age of three. Relocating with his mother and sister to Mount Vernon at age twelve the youngster had a relatively privileged lifestyle thanks to his mother's long hours and numerous jobs. After attending elementary school in Harlem, Combs went to the private Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx before getting into prestigious Howard University in Washington, DC and leaving after a year to pursue a career in the music business.
Combs proved a sharp businessman even in his early years, coming up with ways to make a profit off of the paper delivery business by taking over an older boy's easy apartment building route and offering him a percentage of profits. His keen business sense and unrelenting drive led him to make the most of his friendship with Mount Vernon hip-hop celebrity Heavy D. In 1987, Combs' alliance with Heavy D landed him a meeting with Uptown Records executive Andrew Harrell, who offered the ambitious young man an intern position at his company. Impressed with the self-starting young man's work ethic and his closeness to the urban youth culture, Harrell began giving the eager Combs more responsibilities and artistic freedom. In 1989, Combs was the youngest executive in the industry, named vice president of A&R for Uptown. Harrell's faith in the young man would pay off, as Combs' work in shaping the image and sound of artists including Jodeci and Mary J. Blige would move millions of units and jumpstart major careers. Internal power struggles led to Combs getting axed from Uptown in late 1992, but Harrell assisted the young man in forming his own company, Bad Boy Entertainment.

In 1994 Bad Boy had its first hit, Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear", turning an unknown rapper into a platinum-selling artist almost overnight. That same year the soon-to-be legendary Notorious B.I.G. released his debut. Helped by their noted success, Bad Boy was able to negotiate a deal with Arista Records the following year by which Bad Boy would have full creative control while Arista sponsored 50% of the company. 1995 also saw Notorious B.I.G. score his first big crossover hit, "Big Poppa", the hit video for which featured Combs flanked by women in a hot tub. Good times like these wouldn't last long in the violent atmosphere of the gang-influenced hip-hop world. On the way back to his hotel from the Los Angeles-held Soul Train Music Awards on March 9, 1997, Combs' best selling artist and closest friend Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.) was gunned down and later died in a nearby hospital. Though the loss was no doubt a great one for Combs and the Bad Boy family, he turned his grief into millions when the tribute song "I'll Be Missing You", a hip-hop remake of The Police's hit "Every Breath You Take" featuring Wallace's widow, singer Faith Evans on vocals. The lead was taken by Combs, who poured out his heart in his lyrics and proved a capable rapper in this his finest effort to date. While critics would argue that the song borrowed too heavily from the 1983 hit song, record buyers came out in force to support the effort, keeping it at Number One for eleven weeks. Later that year Combs released his debut album, "No Way Out" which included "I'll Be Missing You" as well as his follow-up hit "It's All About the Benjamins" which featured extensive cameos by B.I.G. and Lil' Kim. Criticized for relying too much on guest stars and writing and performing little of his own material, Combs' debut and his 1999 sophomore effort "Forever" did play more like compilation albums than a unified record. Though protege B.I.G. sound-alike Shyne hit it big in 2000, Bad Boy wasn't generating the kind of sales it had previously, when even dependable Lil' Kim ended up with disappointing returns. Late 2000 saw a turnaround when Combs' teen pop group Dream hit shelves. A sweet-voiced quartet of girls really in their teens, the group hit it big with the danceable "He Loves Me Not" at the close of 2000 and looked set to continue their success through 2001.

Though music made him millions and secured his place as a top American businessman, Combs was anxious to branch out into other ventures. In 1997 he opened Justin's, a Caribbean and soul food restaurant named after his eldest son. This New York City flagship would be followed by an Atlanta branch in 1998, the same year that he launched his fashion line Sean John and inked a development deal with Dimension, forming Bad Boy Films. While Bad Boy films has yet to produce anything, Combs' big screen endeavors also began in 1998, when he was cast in but subsequently dropped out of Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday", set to play the role instead essayed by Jamie Foxx. Though a highly publicized 1999 shooting in Club New York where he was partying with girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and protege Shyne threatened to derail Combs' career, the seemingly unstoppable force was acquitted of all charges in a 2001 decision that put then 22-year-old Jamal "Shyne" Barrows behind bars for ten years for his role in the tragic fracas.

After announcing that he was a new man and would heretofore be referred to as P. Diddy (a nickname bestowed upon him by B.I.G.) rather than Puff Daddy, Combs finally made his big screen debut when his co-starring part in Jon Favreau's comedy "Made" was released to theaters in the summer of 2001. A film about two wannabe thugs (Favreau, Vince Vaughn) who move to New York hoping to become involved in organized crime, "Made" could likely make or break Combs' hopes for an acting career. Shortly before its release, Combs wrapped work on the prison drama "Monster's Ball" (2001), featured alongside Billy Bob Thornton and fellow hip-hop star Mos Def. In 2002 Combs stepped in as the new executive producer of the MTV reality series "Making the Band" in its second season, giving the show--which took a group of unknowns and attempted to forge a new professional singing group out of them--an increased air of legitmacy; the impressario also appeared on camera, as the Donald Trump-like figurehead doling out advice and tasks to the aspiring musicians.

Combs made his stage debut in the revival of the Lorraine Hansberry drama "A Raisin in the Sun" playing the role of Walter Lee Younger (originated by Sidney Poitier) to largely positive reviews in 1 2004. In 2005, during the media fanfare surrounding his hosting of the popular MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, Combs adopted yet another new monicker, proclaiming himself "Diddy," claiming that he has gone under so many aliases that people don't really know what to call him any more.

In addition to his entertainment industry empire, Combs also founded a highly successful hip men's clothing line called Sean John.

Posted by fathima at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments

"She was very good, very professional. She was quite wonderful." — Ben Kingsley, on locking lips with Mary-Kate Olsen, 21, for a passionate scene in their upcoming movie, "The Wackness."
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" ... I hate reading magazines where the actresses are saying, `Broccoli and fish, broccoli and fish.' You liars. You bulimic liars." — Courtney Love.

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" ... I take responsibility 100 percent for enjoying celebrity a bit too much. I screwed up." — Star Jones.

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"He was a man of innovation and energy who greeted challenges with laughter and determination." — President Bush, on entertainer-turned-millionaire businessman Merv Griffin, who died Sunday at 82.

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"I know there's deep inside (me) some lazy hippie who'd be perfectly happy to lay on the couch, smoke weed and watch `The Simpsons' all day. I'm really afraid of that guy. I don't like him." — Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

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"Obviously I'm in a race to have another (child), but I don't want to do it while on tour. And I want to do another No Doubt record. But I can't wait to get pregnant again. It's so fun and consuming and romantic." — Gwen Stefani, in an interview with InStyle.

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"I still feel like I did when I first left my parents' house. I'm not sure what I can afford. I still call up my accountant if I want to rent a beach house for a weekend. I'll call and ask him, `Can I afford that?'" — Reese Witherspoon, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Posted by fathima at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

She was perhaps one of the least likely to get married among her Mickey Mouse Club-turned-pop star cast mates, but Christina Aguilera says that she loves having a hubby.

And the Dirrty singer tells press that when it comes to wearing the pants in the family, they share the duties. “Nobody wears both legs of the pants - we both take a leg.”

The Genie in a Bottle songstress also reveals what it is about husband Jordan Bratman that keeps her centered. “When I first met Jordan, one of the things I loved was that on my worst days, he’d walk into a room and make me smile. He’s one of those people who is soothing.”

Known for her raw sexual energy, Christina insists that her man encourages her to express herself. “Even when I feel an outfit’s too revealing, Jordan just says, ‘What? You have the body, go ahead!’ He knows it’s all part of my self-expression. I couldn’t really ask for a more supportive husband. My sexuality will never die, just take on a different form. Just because I may be in love or in a one-man relationship does not mean that I would ever tone it down - that would be conforming.”

Posted by fathima at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tom Cruise so loves Victoria Beckham’s British accent and turn of phrase, that he’s now asking her to give him a few lessons.

A source revealed that the actor has started mimicking words that come out of Posh’s mouth every time she says something ‘really English’.

“Tom thinks her words and phrases are brilliant. Whenever he’s round there and she says something really English he starts mimicking her,” the Daily Express quoted the source, as saying.

“She’ll say things like ‘bloody hell’ and ‘blimey’. And she’ll say ‘come on chaps’ to her sons. Tom loves hearing it all and is building up a bit of an English vocabulary himself,” the source added.

The insider also revealed that though Posh was initially very amused by the way Cruise was enthralled with the way she talks, she’s now getting used to it since Will Smith is apparently as keen on her accent.

“Victoria is amused by his enthusiasm over her everyday chatter. But she’s starting to get used to it – because another friend, Will Smith, also likes taking off her accent and phrases,” the insider said.

Posted by fathima at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

A new Bollywood film that focuses on gender inequality in India through women's field hockey and adds a dash of patriotism has pleased critics and scored at the box office as well.

"Chak De India" (Go For It India), which opened last week starring Shahrukh Khan, the most bankable star in the Hindi language film industry, is loosely based on the true story of a 1980s Indian national men's hockey goalkeeper.

Khan plays the Muslim captain of the Indian team who misses a do-or-die penalty shootout against arch rival Pakistan in the final of a world championship, sparking a national outrage and triggering charges of match-fixing, leading to his ouster.

He returns seven years later as the coach of a ragtag women's national team and transforms a bunch of divided girls from far corners of the country into world beaters. "It's a big success, it's a definite earner," said Bollywood trade analyst Komal Nahta.

"Two things are responsible -- one it is a very well written screenplay, and secondly it has got so much patriotism, it has worked."

Bollywood films based on sport are not rare but most of them have revolved around cricket as the country boasts the largest following for the game in the world. Some stories have also been set around boxing.

Field hockey, once India's national sport and one in which the country ruled the world for a large part of the last century, has lost its appeal along with a decline in the national team's fortunes.

"Chak De" was a winner not only because it has managed to make hockey a topic of conversation but also because it peddles patriotism, fights gender bias, rips apart class distinctions and makes a valid criticism of regional chauvinism and minority bashing, critics said.

While Khan, the reigning star of Bollywood, has been praised for his uncharacteristically understated acting -- with some critics saying he may not be able to better this performance -- his team of unknown actors has also drawn widespread appreciation.

Some of the biggest applause in cinema halls showing "Chak De" comes when the women go around breaking Indian stereotypes -- walking out of homes, beating up men who harass them in public and declining marriage proposals -- all for hockey.

"Director Shimit Amin not only manages to make the impossible possible, he does it with a delicate sensitivity and sensibly steers clear of all cliches," critic Nikhat Kazmi wrote in the Times of India.

The opening of the film was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of India's independence from British colonial rule and "Chak De" has the inevitable hint of jingoism so popular with Indian audiences.

One of the players in the film asks Khan's character what he was doing outside in the dead of the night as flags are being raised on the eve of a world championship final his team has entered in Melbourne.

Khan replies: "I am watching a white man raise the Indian national flag for the first time."

Posted by fathima at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

OURE CASSONI REFUGEE CAMP, Chad (Reuters) - Actress Mia Farrow and fellow campaigners have begun an Olympic-style torch relay through countries that have suffered genocide to press China to help end abuses in the Darfur region of its ally Sudan.

Farrow, a goodwill ambassador for U.N. Children's Fund UNICEF and outspoken critic of abuses in western Sudan, lit a torch just across the border in Chad almost exactly a year before the Beijing Olympics are due to open on August 8, 2008.

"This flame represents and honors all those who have been lost, and all those who still suffer," said Farrow as she held the symbolic torch in Oure Cassoni refugee camp, 3 miles from Chad's border with Sudan.

"This flame celebrates the courage of those who survived and represents the hope we all share for an end to the violence, and a safe return home," she said.

During a fierce rain and dust storm which engulfed the camp, the actress then wrapped up the ceremony by symbolically leading away a refugee boy into the distance, still holding the torch high in her other hand, to cheers from fellow activists.

Human rights campaigners accuse Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government of supporting abuses by his armed forces and allied Arab militia known as the "Janjaweed" and accuse China, Sudan's most powerful ally and top oil customer, of shielding Khartoum from international action.

Washington brands Darfur's war genocide. International experts estimate 200,000 people have died in Darfur, though Sudan puts the toll much lower at about 9,000.

OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITY

China hopes the Olympics will showcase its growing industrial and economic might, and campaigners trying to exert pressure on Beijing over alleged human rights abuses by it or its allies have seized on the Games as a publicity opportunity.

Critics who accuse China of widespread human rights violations at home against groups such as outlawed Falun Gong spiritual group began a rival torch relay in Athens, on Friday, the same day Farrow lit the Darfur torch in Chad.

Organizers requested details of the controversial ceremony in Chad be published only after they had left for Rwanda, where an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered in a 1994 genocide.

"The Olympic torch travels the world before the games to represent peace and brotherhood. We are doing this torch ... to also represent peace and brotherhood for the people of Darfur," Jill Savitt, of Organizers Dream for Darfur, told reporters.

Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service, and Ira Newble, an NBA basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also took part in last week's ceremony.

Eastern Chad is home to 230,000 Darfuri refugees as well as 170,000 more Chadian civilians forced from their homes by inter-ethnic attacks similar to those which have plagued neighboring Darfur.

The Dream for Darfur torch is due to continue to visit genocide sites in Rwanda, Armenia, Bosnia, Germany and Cambodia as well as touring nearly two dozen cities across the United States ahead of next year's Olympics.

Posted by fathima at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Queen of Soul is cooling her heels. Aretha Franklin announced she has canceled her hometown concert Sunday night at an outdoor amphitheater in suburban Detroit, citing heat exhaustion.

With temperatures forecast to climb above the 90 degrees, Franklin decided to call off the show at DTE Energy Music Theatre and hopes to reschedule it at a later date.

Franklin, 65, said in a statement Friday that the heat at recent East Coast shows has been "sweltering and all but overwhelming."

"Following the Weather Channel and the daily reports in the news via television and newspaper publications, I see that the temperatures in Detroit have been very similar," she said in the statement. "I am exhausted from the heat and cannot tolerate heat in these extremely high numbers and being in concert simultaneously."

Posted by fathima at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

Merv Griffin, the former talk-show host who became a Hollywood billionaire by investing in real estate and creating the game shows "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," has died of prostate cancer at age 82, a representative said on Sunday.

A routine examination uncovered the recurrence of the cancer, sending Griffin to the hospital in mid-July. Griffin died of the illness, spokeswoman Marcia Newberger said by e-mail.

Even during his peak years as an entertainer, Griffin was a hard-working businessman whose fortune eventually reached an estimated $1 billion as he acquired luxury hotels and casinos and sold his television production company.

His first success came from singing the 1950 novelty hit "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts," and he spent 23 years hosting a talk show that bore his name. For years it was the most successful syndicated television program in the United States.

Capitalizing further on syndication, Griffin created "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," which became long-running fixtures on American television and made stars of their hosts.

Posted by fathima at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES - Christina Applegate is now unmarried ... with no children. The actress and her actor husband, Johnathon Schaech, have officially parted ways a year and a half after he filed for divorce.

The pair's split was finalized in Superior Court on Friday, according to court documents obtained by CelebTV.com.

Applegate, known for her role as ditzy daughter Kelly Bundy on TV's "Married ... With Children," and actor Schaech married in October 2001.

They separated in November 2005, citing irreconcilable differences, according to court papers. Schaech filed for divorce Dec. 5, 2006.

Applegate's publicist, Ame Van Iden, and Schaech's publicist, Cindy Guagenti, both declined to comment Friday.

The judgment awarded Schaech more than $1.5 million in bank accounts dating back to last February, a cement Buddha in Applegate's possession, and a 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500.

Applegate, 35, was awarded two of the ex-couple's Los Angeles residences, a 2006 Lexus and more than $7.5 million in bank accounts dating back to late December 2006, according to court documents.

Applegate has starred in movies including "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," and earned a 2005 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway role in "Sweet Charity."

Schaech's acting credits include 1996's "That Thing You Do!" and 2005's "Sea of Dreams."

Both waived the right to seek spousal support.

The pair did not have children.

Posted by fathima at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - Charlie Sheen claims ex-wife Denise Richards wants him to father a third child.

"There was a request for a donation," Sheen tells syndicated TV show "Entertainment Tonight" in an interview that was to air Tuesday night. "Without getting into it here ... there is a specific document relating to this that I am going to reserve for a court."

When asked if he would ever consider such a possibility, the 41-year-old actor says: "I would sooner, in exactly what I'm wearing, walk on the surface of the moon. Does that answer it?"

A spokeswoman for Richards, 36, wasn't immediately available for comment.

Sheen and Richards divorced last year. They have two daughters, 3-year-old Sam and 2-year-old Lola.

Sheen, who is nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men," is engaged to real estate investor Brooke Mueller, 29. His screen credits include "Platoon" and the "Hot Shots!" movies.

"The thing I'm most excited about is my recent engagement," he says. "She's just easy, and loving, and smart, and if everybody was just as happy to see me when I walk through a door as her, my life would be perfect."

Posted by fathima at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

King Khan's Queens

With Shah Rukh Khan going uncharacteristically heroineless in his upcoming Chak De! India we decided to take a look at some of the superstar's best leading ladies.

Aishwarya Rai
Ash played Khan's ghostly love in Mohabbatein, his sister in Josh, and the melodramatic love of his life in Devdas. But the hottest of the lot was when they did the sexy Ishq Kameena item song in Shakti. Wow.

Juhi Chawla

Right from 1993's Darr, Juhi's been the longstanding object of Shah Rukh's stammering affections. She's been there, chirpy co-star and co-producer while Raju became a Gentleman and their Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa relationship created quite a stir. She also appears in SRK's next films, Om Shanti Om and Bhootnath.

Rani Mukerji

Things sparked off from Karan Johar's bubbly debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai -- after which Rani fast grew to be the industry's reigning queen. No wonder the pairing with the resident superstar. Their chemistry is fiery, their intimacy warm and the dialogue crackling. Takes a truly natural actress to handle SRK thus.

Madhuri Dixit

Indian cinema's most successful leading lady of all time had SRK following in her wake with films like Anjaam and Dil To Pagal Hai. Magic was constantly in the air.

Kajol

The legendary jodi, of course, is with Kajol -- and we couldn't help saving the best for last. Responsible for Bollywood's best romance of the 90s, this pair has managed to do it all, in such amazing, convincing style.

Raj & Simran, Rahul & Anjali: no matter what you call them, the love story's the same. And we love every minute of it.

Posted by fathima at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

Oscar-winning Australian actress Nicole Kidman is to star in a Hollywood remake of Colombian horror film "Al Final Del Espectro," it was reported Wednesday.

The 40-year-old star of "Cold Mountain" and "Moulin Rouge" will play a woman suffering from agoraphobia who moves to a new apartment building after a tragedy and starts seeing ghosts, Daily Variety reported.

Juan Felipe Orozco, who helmed the original film released last year, has been hired by studio chiefs at Universal to direct the remake.

Kidman, who won an Academy Award in 2003 for her portrayal of writer Virginia Woolf in the "The Hours," is soon to appear in science-fiction thriller "The Invasion," which is released in US theatres later this month.

Labels: Nicole Kidman

Posted by fathima at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

As Charlie Sheen sees it, he just wants to clean the air in his ongoing custody spat with Denise Richards.

The Two and a Half Men star resumed the less than amicable dispute with his estranged wife last Friday, filing documents in Los Angeles Superior Court to amend the terms of their shared custody of their two daughters, requesting more visitation rights and less parental interference from Richards.

"What I am doing is pursuing a relationship with my daughters that is unpolluted," the actor told Entertainment Tonight.

Sheen is seeking the ability to select and hire his own nanny when the children are in his custody, rather than relying on the caretaker hired and provided by Richards, as the duo's current arrangement stipulates.

The actor is unable to see his daughters unless they are accompanied by two Richards-approved nannies and only Richards is allowed to select suitable replacements should either become unavailable for a visit.

"It is not necessary, appropriate, or in the best interest of the children that [Richards] select child care providers for my custodial periods," Sheen said in his filing, adding that his fiancée, Brooke Mueller, has a "strong relationship" with the girls and that he and Mueller provide a more than "structured and safe environment" for the children.

"We would like to have that be our decision...whether or not we include help," he told ET. "And when we do, it's somebody that we have chosen, not somebody who at times will go back and talk about the things that happened or didn't happen."

Sheen is also seeking to increase his visitation rights for daughters Sam, 3, and Lola, 2, moving from alternate weekend custody to being able to have his children on the first, third and fifth weekend of the month.

By far his most unusual request is the filing is for a court order barring Richards from calling his home when the children are in his custody, claiming over the past few months the actress "has repeatedly made unnecessary telephone calls to me and to my home. These calls have resulted in disputes between us."

Sheen requested that such calls only be placed when there is a medical emergency involving one of the children. He further implored the court to order goodnight phone calls be placed only to the non-custodial parent by a nanny or caretaker, not by the other parent, to cut down on potential causes of friction between the estranged couple.

"When I'm here with the girls, I don't need to be answering the phone 20 times a day," he told ET. "If there's a problem, I'll call."

Richards, 36, has yet to respond to the filing. The Blonde and Blonder star first filed for divorce from Sheen, 41, in March 2005, when she was six months pregnant with daughter Lola. While a court legally ended their marital status last November, the divorce has yet to be complete, pending custody arrangements and a final division of the assets.

No doubt the still-pending dissolution of marriage is what's kept Sheen from making a date for his next trip down the aisle. The sitcom star announced his engagement to Mueller, a real estate investor, last month.

Posted by fathima at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kate Middleton, Prince William's on-off girlfriend, has pulled out of a charity dragon boat race over security concerns about the media attention she attracts, organisers said Tuesday.

Middleton had been training with a group of women to race across the English Channel from Dover to Calais in a dragon boat later this month. The 25-year-old would have been at the helm of the boat.

A spokeswoman for Middleton's team, the Sisterhood, said: "Kate Middleton has withdrawn from the race due to security issues surrounding the recent media circus."

The Sisterhood women, who will be competing against the all-male Brotherhood crew to break the world record for dragon boat racing, are set to become the first all-female team to cross the Channel in such a boat.

Middleton has been a paparazzi favourite for years because of her relationship with William.

The couple announced their break-up earlier this year but recent reports have suggested they are back together.

Posted by fathima at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

Madonna's adoption of a child from the impoverished nation of Malawi hit a snag after the court-appointed official assigned to the case was denied permission to travel to Britain.

One of Malawi's leading weekly newspapers reported on Sunday that Minister of Women and Child Development Kate Kainja had barred Penstone Kilembe from making his planned trip to assess the suitability of Madonna and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, as the boy's adoptive parents.

The minister was not immediately available for comment, but Kilembe confirmed the minister had stopped him making the trip.

Madonna was given custody of David Banda last October when he was 13 months old after his father, Yohane Banda, had placed him in an orphanage following the death of his wife.

The High Court of Malawi appointed Kilembe to travel to Britain twice and was to have relied on his testimony in ruling whether Madonna's adoption of the child should be formalized in a hearing next year.

The Malawi News newspaper reported that the minister accused Kilembe of obtaining an air ticket and money from Madonna without government approval.

"We have already contacted Madonna that someone else and not Kilembe will come to asses her, because we feel Mr. Kilembe personalized the whole issue when other people can go," the Minister told the newspaper.

Kilembe dismissed suggestions that he personally asked Madonna for an air ticket.

"What this means is that the whole adoption process may crumble and David sent back to his village," he told Reuters.

Justin Dzonzi, a lawyer who led a 65-member human rights group in challenging Madonna's adoption, also said the minister's decision could halt the adoption process.

"The Minister cannot change what the court set by having another person to do the assessment. The court will not listen to anyone else apart from the one it appointed," he said.

Dzonzi filed the case arguing that Malawi laws forbid international adoption and therefore the government broke its own laws by granting Madonna an interim adoption.

Posted by fathima at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

It’s hard to picture the stunning Victoria’s Secret model changing diapers or cleaning up after a messy kids meal, but Heidi Klum tells press that she loves being a mom.

The 34-year-old babe told Good Day LA recently about the joys of having her two children. “Our daughter (Leni), at 3 years old, doesn’t nap anymore. She’s in swimming lessons, she wants to play tennis with me, she wants to jump around, pick flowers. She wants to be occupied all the time. It’s just different!”


Klum also commented on the transition from newborn to toddler, and how she’s coped. “Our house is like Toys R Us - huge playground outside, trampoline, slides, the swings. (Parenthood) definitely has changed our home a lot in the last three years. When you have a newborn it’s different; when they get older they want to be entertained. They want to do things all the time.”

And the queen of the runway said that the price she’s paid with her body to have kids has been one that she doesn’t regret. “People always say your body changes a lot after you have kids - and it does! But it’s worth it for me. The children are more important than myself. But I have not forgotten about myself. I enjoy my life more than ever now that I have this big family that I always wanted.”

Meanwhile, Victoria’s Secret has no problem with Heidi’s new shape. In fact, she just helped launch the lingerie giant’s newest creation - the Body Bra.

Posted by fathima at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

The United States of America seems to be the new hot spot for British celebrities. First, we saw David and Victoria Beckham move stateside last month. And now there are reports that Amy Winehouse and her husband Blake Fielder-Civil will be making their home in Miami.

The Rehab singer began her love affair with the beautiful Florida city back in May, when she was married there. And some claim it goes even further back than that.

Apparently Blake was in Miami when he first realized that he was in love with the singer. Back in 2006, Winehouse and Fileder-Civil took a secret holiday in the Miami sun, while both were seeing other people. Naughty!

A source close to the newlyweds told British press, “They love Miami, it has this draw for them. Amy is romantic - it is a special place for her because that is where they got married. It is ideal. They have the sunshine, the beach and a brilliant nightlife too.”

Maybe a beach house is just what Amy needs to blow off some steam and recoup from her constant exhaustion. Or maybe it’s just another place to party.

Posted by fathima at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

R&B heartthrob Usher wed his pregnant fiancée Tameka Foster in his native Atlanta on Friday, according to reports.

People magazine reports 28-year-old Usher, real name Usher Raymond, married stylist Foster, 37, at the office of the singer's lawyer in Atlanta.

The Chicago Sun-Times claims Usher's mother, Jonetta Patton, was among the guests. Recent reports have suggested Patton was fired as Usher's manager earlier this year when she disagreed with his engagement to Foster.

The Friday nuptials follows last weekend's last-minute cancellation of a star-studded wedding at music mogul Antonio 'L.A.' Reid's Sagaponack, New York, home.

Sources claimed the couple cancelled their New York wedding last month after an argument over the meal at the reception, but Foster said a brief hospitalization caused the postponement.

The couple started dating in November 2005, the same year Foster split from her ex-husband Ryan Glover--father of her three children.

Usher and Foster's baby is due this winter.

Posted by fathima at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

A day after Eddie Murphy confirmed that he is the father of Melanie Brown's baby, the former Spice Girl's lawyer complained that Murphy isn't accepting his parental responsibilities.

"He has not indicated in his statement or to us that he plans to visit the baby," attorney Gloria Allred said Saturday.

Brown's primary concern is that Murphy "see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter," Allred said.

Murphy, 46, "always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father," according to a statement released Friday by his publicist, Arnold Robinson.

"He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel and has paid child support to Ms. Brown, as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy," Robinson said.

Murphy considers the matter private and planned to have no further comment, he said.

Angel Iris Murphy Brown was born April 3. Brown also has an 8-year-old daughter.

Murphy, nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Dreamgirls," has five children from his marriage to Nicole Mitchell Murphy, who filed for divorce in 2005. He got engaged last week to film producer Tracey Edmonds.

Posted by fathima at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jailed Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt was given a medical check-up on Saturday after complaining that he felt a sense of "uneasiness," a Press Trust of India report said.

The star, jailed this week for arms possession in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts, underwent a medical check-up in his prison cell in western India, the report said.

"There is nothing serious about his condition and there was no cause for worry," a prison source told the news agency.

Dutt's illness was attributed to a "change in environment" which is a normal occurrence with all new prisoners, the source said.

The star, who is from a prominent Mumbai entertainment and political family, was sentenced Tuesday to six years "rigorous imprisonment" for possessing illegal weapons received from plotters of the 1993 blasts which killed 257 people.

The "Black Friday" bombings were allegedly staged by Mumbai's Muslim-dominated mafia in retaliation for deadly Hindu-Muslim clashes.

Dutt said he bought the guns to protect his family from Hindu zealots who wanted to wreak revenge for his father's help to Muslim victims of the riots.

He is being held in Yeravada Jail near the Indian city of Pune.

On Friday, his sister, ruling Congress party MP Priya Dutt met party chief Sonia Gandhi to explore what could be done to win the actor's release.

"We are seeing what could be the best legal recourse for him. Our main focus is to see what we can do to get relief for him," Priya told reporters.

Dutt's father was a Congress MP and Indian science minister Kapil Sibal has said the party should stand by the Dutt family at this time of "stress and trouble".

Posted by fathima at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

There will be no revealing costumes at U.S. singer Gwen Stefani's concert in Malaysia this month, a newspaper said on Saturday, after a Muslim student group demanded that the event be cancelled as being too obscene.

Although Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country with sizeable non-Muslim minorities, conservative groups often frown upon departures from strict Koranic injunctions.

Malaysian mobile phone firm Maxis Communications, which is promoting the August 21 show as part of Stefani's "Sweet Escape" tour, promised it would feature no revealing costumes, the Star newspaper said.

"She will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensibilities," it quoted a Maxis statement as saying.

Malaysia's official guide for performers says women must be covered from the top of the bosom to the knees, the Star said.

Jumping, shouting and the throwing of objects are barred, while performers may not hug, kiss or wear clothes with obscene or drug-related pictures or slogans, it added.

On Tuesday, an official of the 10,000-strong National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students said Stefani's video promotion clips were obscene and the event would clash with local Asian and Islamic values.

"We want the organizers to cancel the concert, failing which we will ask the authorities to intervene," said Mohamad Hilmi Ramli, the group's president.

Ethnic Malays, who are by definition Muslims, make up just over half of Malaysia's 26 million people, while ethnic Chinese and Indians, who are mostly Buddhists, Christians or Hindus, account for most of the rest.

Posted by fathima at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

Marc Anthony says he was prepared for the worst when working with his wife, Jennifer Lopez, on their new film, "El Cantante," a biopic of salsa legend Hector Lavoe.

"Oh, I got calls," the 37-year-old actor-singer tells Fashion Rocks magazine. "Just friends, you know, giving me the heads-up about working with your partner."

"I thought, jeez, that's like the fourth call I got this month! What are they preparing me for?" he says. "I thought it was going to be World War III, when, in fact, it was Club Med."

Anthony plays Lavoe, a talented but troubled Puerto Rican singer. Lopez portrays Lavoe's long-suffering wife, Puchi. The 39-year-old actress-singer also produced the movie.

"We have a high standard for each other; I know what he's capable of, and he knows what I'm capable of, even more than we know ourselves," Lopez says of her relationship with Anthony.

"So when you see the light and the shine and all that someone is capable of, you want that person to achieve that. And I think he has the same thing for me."

Lopez, who married Anthony in 2004, starred in "Gigli" and "Jersey Girl" with former fiance Ben Affleck.

"We all knew the guns were pointing," says "El Cantante" director Leon Ichaso. "You know, her and another partner. ... Here we go again."

"El Cantante," a Picturehouse release, opened in theaters Friday.

Lopez is slated to perform at the Fashion Rocks concert Sept. 6 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The concert, part of New York Fashion Week events, will air the following night in a two-hour special on CBS.

Fashion Rocks magazine will accompany the September issue of 16 Conde Nast titles.

Posted by fathima at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

Scary Spice went to court Wednesday to try to scare up some child support from Eddie Murphy.

The 32-year-old singer, whose real name is Melanie Brown, filed a petition in Superior Court that seeks to legally establish Murphy as the father of her 4-month-old daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown.

Brown will also seek sole custody and reasonable child support, attorney Gloria Allred said at a press conference.

"I am here today for one reason and one reason only; her name is Angel," Brown said. "Angel is my baby and Eddie's. She will always know that she was planned and wanted by both of us."

Arnold Robinson, a spokesman for the 46-year-old actor, declined to comment.

Brown said she and Murphy dated for four months in 2006 before mutually deciding to conceive a child.

"The relationship was in full swing right at the beginning of my pregnancy," Brown said, adding that she was shocked when Murphy later said he was not sure he was the baby's father.

Allred said Murphy took a DNA test in June.

The test "established paternity but paternity has not been legally acknowledged," she said in a statement.

Brown, who dated Murphy last year, gave birth to her daughter April 3. She listed Murphy as the father on the birth certificate.

Murphy has five children from his marriage to Nicole Mitchell Murphy, who filed for divorce in 2005.

He got engaged last week to film producer Tracey Edmonds, according to Adris Debarge, Edmonds' executive assistant.

Brown also has an 8-year-old daughter.

The Spice Girls recently reunited for a tour that is scheduled to begin later this year.

Posted by fathima at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears fears that her kids might be kidnapped.

The singer’s divorce from Kevin Federline became official on Monday, July 30, and her lawyer Laura Wasser asked the Los Angeles Superior court judge to seal the child custody portion of the couple’s split.

Wasser, in a declaration to the judge, asked for this because Britney fears that if details of the specific timeshare schedule and transportation matters become public knowledge, it could put her boys Sean Preston and Jayden James at danger.

"Criminals ... might target the minor children for financial gain," TMZ quoted Wasser, as stating in the declaration.

Wasser also states that if made public, the media would have "a greater ability to ascertain the physical whereabouts of the minor children."

"Such information greatly increases the chances that the actions of the media could threaten the safety of the minor children by, for example, causing a traffic accident or by exposing the minor children to criminals who might target the minor children for financial gain," she stated.

The judge granted Wasser's motion to seal the custody documents temporarily, pending a full hearing on Aug. 14. He also agreed to keep the child support provisions under wraps.

Posted by fathima at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears threw a baby bottle and threatened two photographers after they took pictures of her leaving a Las Vegas spa, the photographers said in a statement Tuesday.

Spears yelled "I am going to kill you!" and cursed at Andrew Deetz, a photographer who says he was beaten by Spears' bodyguard on Thursday, according to a statement released by Deetz's lawyers.

Deetz, 24, is preparing to sue, his lawyers said. The other photographer involved was Kyle Henderson, 23. They both work for a celebrity photography company called Flynet Pictures, which sells to such publications as People and US Weekly, according to Daniel Kogan, a spokesman for Deetz's lawyers.

The men were taking pictures of Spears, 25, as she and her children — 22-month-old Sean Preston Federline and 10-month-old Jayden James Federline — left the spa at the Wynn Las Vegas casino-hotel around 11:30 a.m., accompanied by two bodyguards.

One bodyguard, Cesar Julio Camera, 37, pushed Henderson against the wall until Wynn security intervened and asked Henderson to leave, the statement said.

As they were about 30 paces away and walking in the opposite direction, Camera attacked Deetz from behind, threw him on the ground and punched and kicked him until security pulled him off, it said.

Afterward, Spears ran toward Henderson but was stopped by security, and then threw a baby bottle at him, it said.

Then, in front of several other hotel guests and bystanders, Spears threatened to kill Deetz and said he should get a restraining order against her because she was going to kill him or hire someone that would, it said.

Camera also told Deetz on July 23 outside the Lisa Kline boutique in Beverly Hills, "I have unfinished business with you," the statement alleged.

Spears' lawyer Gary Stiffelman declined to comment.

Wynn Las Vegas released a statement confirming that Spears stayed at the hotel and left on Thursday, but also declined to discuss the confrontation.

"We respect the privacy and do our utmost to maintain the anonymity of our guests," it said.

Las Vegas police issued a summons for a charge of battery to Camera, the only person cited. He could face up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.

Stiffelman's office would not relay messages to Camera seeking comment, and The Associated Press was unable to find a phone number for him.

Posted by fathima at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Nicole Richie is talking about her pregnancy and the four-day jail sentence she received after her guilty plea to driving under the influence.

After months of rumors, Richie tells ABC News' Diane Sawyer for an interview to air this week that she is almost four months' pregnant and that her boyfriend, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, is the father.

"Yes I am. We are," she tells ABC, which issued a news release about the interview.

In the latest issue of OK! magazine, on newsstands Wednesday, Richie says she is feeling "healthy and happy" and her life "is clearly going to slow down."

"I will be really happy once I have done my jail time," the 25-year-old star of TV's "The Simple Life" and on-again pal of Paris Hilton says. "I can start fresh."

Richie was sentenced to nearly four days in jail after pleading guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs.

"It was a fair, standard sentence," the daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, tells OK! "I expected that."

She must complete her jail time by Sept. 28.

Her ABC interview was to air on "Good Morning America" on Thursday and Friday and on "20/20" Friday night.

"I have a responsibility and it's something that I did wrong, and if I could personally apologize to every single person that has lost a loved one from drunk driving, I would," Richie says in the ABC interview. "And unfortunately I can't, but this is my way of paying my dues and taking responsibility and being an adult."

The series finale of "The Simple Life" will air Sunday on E! The program, which debuted on Fox in 2003, throws Richie and Hilton into everyday situations.

Posted by fathima at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments