Hot Celebrity Gossip

Chris Brown, Rihanna Cast Shadow Over Grammys

2009-02-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

Sunday's Grammy Awards featured an impressive lineup of performances and pairings of some of the world's greatest musicians, including the night's big winners: Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and Jennifer Hudson.

But the real story of the night didn't unfold on stage: R&B star Chris Brown, who was scheduled to perform Sunday night, instead turned himself into Los Angeles police and was charged with felony criminal threats after a reported dispute with a woman earlier in the day.

He was released after posting $50,000 bail. The case will now be sent to the district attorney's office and further charges could be filed.

The woman involved in the incident, which was reported around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, has not yet been named. According to police, Brown and the woman were in a vehicle in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles when, according to the victim, they became involved in an argument.

DA asks police for more investigation of Brown

2009-02-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors said Tuesday they want more evidence from police before determining whether to press charges against Chris Brown, who's accused in a domestic dispute that reportedly involves pop superstar Rihanna.

Police presented a case regarding Brown on Tuesday, but did not release any of its details, Los Angeles County District Attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said. She said the office would have no further comment on the case.

Brown was arrested Sunday night after surrendering to police, who sought the 19-year-old singer when a woman identified him as her attacker during a fight the night before. Numerous media outlets, citing sources and police officials who were not named, have identified the woman as 20-year-old Rihanna, Brown's longtime girlfriend.

Though an initial police news release indicated that they were investigating a battery on a woman who was injured, Brown was booked only on suspicion of making a criminal threat, a felony. Police have said that prosecutors would determine what charges, if any, were warranted.

The district attorney's kicking the case back to police could signal that prosecutors are seeking to build stronger charges against Brown; or it could mean the current evidence is too flimsy or has holes that would drop it to a misdemeanor or make it go away altogether, Loyola University law professor Stan Goldman said.

"Sending it back certainly isn't the death penalty," Goldman said.

"If you're Chris Brown," he added, "it's both bad and good."

A police spokeswoman said the department had no comment about the district attorney's decision.

The department has said it was alerted to the incident in the upscale Hancock Park neighborhood by a 911 call, but have provided few official details beyond the initial report. Brown's attorney and spokesman have not returned multiple calls and e-mails seeking comment since Sunday.

Brown remains free on $50,000 bail.

The allegations have at least momentarily tarnished Brown's squeaky-clean image. At least one major sponsor, Wrigley, has suspended ad campaigns featuring the singer, who has scored with hits such as 2005's "Run It!" and a Grammy-nominated duet with Jordin Sparks, "No Air."

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WAKS-FM, a Cleveland-area radio station has stopped playing Brown's music until the allegations are resolved after outraged listeners called to criticize the singer. Stations in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis also reportedly pulled Brown's music.

Brown has withdrawn from public appearances in Phoenix scheduled for this weekend before the NBA All-Star game. Rihanna on Tuesday postponed a planned concert in Malaysia.

Brown and Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, skipped planned performances at Sunday's Grammy Awards, leaving fellow recording artists to try to make sense of the allegations.

Kanye West, who toured with Rihanna, said on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show Tuesday morning that the reports of abuse were "devastating."

"I feel like, just as a person, I don't care how famous she is or even if she just worked at McDonald's, that should never happen," West said on the show, which is broadcast on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles. "It should never come to that place."

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this story.
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
The Associated Press

Grammys Show Plant, Krauss a Whole Lotta Love

2009-02-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

The 51st annual Grammys was an all-ages affair ultimately dominated by a rock legend who took up with a younger bluegrass singer on a whim.

The unlikely pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss that produced the hit album "Raising Sand" won five Grammys on Sunday including album of the year. The former Led Zeppelin frontman, previously best known for his high-decibel shrieking and rock star theatrics, found more docile Nashville melodies with Krauss.

While accepting the Grammy for album of the year, the 37-year-old Krauss — perhaps wanting to remind the audience that Plant's rock star hadn't entirely matured — said there's "never a dull moment" with the 60-year-old singer.

"Raising Sand," produced by T Bone Burnett, bested fellow nominees Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Coldplay and Radiohead. Their "Please Read the Letter" also won record of the year.

"I'm bewildered," said Plant. "In the old days we would have called this selling out, but I think it's a good way to spend a Sunday."

In a performance-stuffed live broadcast on CBS, the subject of age — and intertwining musical realms — was always close at hand.

Taylor Swift, 19, and Miley Cyrus, 16, sang a duet of Swift's "Fifteen." The 66-year-old Paul McCartney, with 40-year-old Dave Grohl on drums, sang the Beatles classic about a girl who "was just 17."

Stevie Wonder performed with the Jonas Brothers and even a nine-months pregnant woman — the rapper M.I.A. — hobbled out on the stage to join the dapperly dressed Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and T.I. in a "rap summit" performance of T.I.'s "Swagger Like Us."

Before the night's end, Plant and Krauss seemed to be in a three-horse race with Lil Wayne and Coldplay — a trio of acts of wildly different sounds.

Lil Wayne — who led the field with eight nominations — won three awards, including best rap album for "Tha Carter III," for which he literally hopped on stage to receive. (His tally came to four Grammys if you count his inclusion on "Swagger Like Us," which won best rap performance by a duo or group.)

By JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer

Who Will Take Home the Oscar? 2009 Academy Award Predictions

2009-02-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

It is time to predict who will actually take home Oscar, and while the general nominations are relatively easy to call, the actual winners are often harder to predict. In a backwards way, I wish there was one year when my predicting many categories is really moot because that would mean I am not second-guessing political factors and other trends and the vote is based solely on artistic quality.

Of course, politics and artistic quality are not necessarily mutually exclusive but the former should be minimized as much as possible so that we can have some pleasant and truly deserving surprise wins. Anyway, enough of my rambling... here are my predictions for who will win the Oscars as well as my preferences for who should win.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire, of course. It has the PGA and DGA on its side and, after the last few years’ Best Picture winners such as Million Dollar Baby, Crash, The Departed, and No Country for Old Men have been so downbeat, the Academy will feel that this is their opportunity to honor an uplifting film. The fact that it is set in India is also a gigantic boost, as the Oscars are really enthusiastic over the theme of globalization these days and this is the friendliest one they can pick.

In fact, it is the only particularly memorable movie in this category’s lineup, although it is getting ever clearer that the Academy tends to ignore films that really distend the realm of cinema. There are good movies here such as Milk, Frost/Nixon or The Reader but how many people will actually remember these movies after the next few years? And does The Curious Case of Benjamin Button really tell a story that exploits the possibilities of its wild premise beyond its slick technical and visual surface? Well, at least they will end up (hopefully) picking the one movie that stands out the most.

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire

Preference: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director: The Best Picture front runner will also carry the torch here for the director, Danny Boyle. He has been an ambitious director, immersing himself in almost any genre and most, including the DGA that has honored him, would agree that immersing himself so well in a foreign culture this time has allowed him to direct one of his best films yet. If there is a dark horse, I do not think it will be David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, as many people believe, but Gus Van Sant, as there might be votes of sympathy for him after not winning for Good Will Hunting and making a slew of films that are strictly personal and outside the mainstream (although, of course, the Academy would choose to pick him for a more commercial movie like Milk rather than a more unconventional, ambitious film like Paranoid Park). Ron Howard is already a past recent winner and Stephen Daldry should be happy just with his nomination here, although he may start to get restless after losing with all three nominations.

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Jennifer fires back at Angie

2008-11-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Aniston is notoriously quiet about her relationships, but in the new issue of Vogue, the former 'Friends' star opens up about her love life, past and present.
In response to an interview Angelina Jolie gave about falling in love with her ex-husband Brad Pitt while they were still married, Jen defends herself, Usmagazine.com reports.
"There was stuff printed there that was definitely from a time when I was unaware that it was happening. I felt those details were a little inappropriate to discuss," she tells Vogue.

"That stuff about how she couldn't wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool," she adds.
Aniston reveals, however, that she and Pitt "had an amicable split" and she and the actor have shared "a few very kind hellos ... and congratulations on your babies."
Aniston even talks about her on-again, off-again romance with John Mayer.
"People need to mind their own business! Did you ever think Claudia Schiffer and David Copperfield made sense? Love just shows up," she claims.
One thing is for certain. You won't see Mayer bragging about dumping her anymore.
"Trust me, you'll never see that happen again from that man."

Hilary Duff's New Song Sounds Suspiciously Like Depeche Mode

2008-10-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hilary Duff's new single 'Reach Out' borrows liberally from the '80s pop song 'Personal Jesus' by Depeche Mode - yet none of its three songwriters has any connection to the British band. How much can a new song lift from an old classic before it becomes less homage... and more theft?

Russell Brand Ticks Off Great Britain

2008-10-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

LONDON (Oct. 29) - The BBC indefinitely suspended two of its most popular broadcasters, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, on Wednesday for leaving a series of lewd phone messages on an actor's answering machine.
The prank calls to 78-year-old Andrew Sachs, played on state-funded BBC radio, have sparked condemnation in Parliament and an investigation by Britain's media regulator.
The calls were broadcast Oct. 18 on Brand's national radio show and have drawn more than 18,000 complaints. In the messages Ross jokingly claimed Brand had slept with the granddaughter of Sachs, best known for playing Spanish waiter Manuel in 1970s sitcom "Fawlty Towers."
Brand and Ross have apologized, but even Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among those who said the calls were unacceptable.
On Wednesday, the BBC's director general said the pair would be suspended until an investigation was complete.
BBC chief Mark Thompson said he was making a "personal and unreserved apology" for the "completely unacceptable broadcast."
"BBC audiences accept that, in comedy, performers attempt to push the line of taste. However, this is not a marginal case," he said.
"I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned."
Ross, 47, and Brand, 33, also have apologized for the calls. But several politicians have called on the BBC to fire the pair, who are among the network's most popular broadcasters.
Brand has a burgeoning U.S. profile thanks to film appearances and a job hosting last month's MTV Video Music Awards. He offended some viewers of the awards show by mocking clean-cut pop act the Jonas Brothers and referring to President George W. Bush as "that retarded cowboy fellow."
Ross hosts a TV talk show, a movie-review program and a weekend radio program. He is one of the BBC's highest-paid personalities. Last year he signed multi-year-multimillion-pound (-dollar) deal with the broadcaster.
Brown said the BBC and regulators had to decide what action to take. "This is clearly inappropriate and unacceptable behavior," the prime minister said Tuesday.
Telecommunications regulator Ofcom said it would investigate whether the calls breached the broadcasting code, which sets standards for fairness and privacy.

Genie Pants and Sag-a-rific Tops by Katie Holmes

2008-10-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, genie pants. Genie pants as designed by Katie Holmes. Oh, that’s no lie:

KATIE DESIGNED THIS AMBIGUOUS GARBAGE.

Is it a one piece? Whatever. Kind of amazing that we can see the bulging of her underwear — those pants just ask that you stare at her expansive pelvic region, which somehow, it seems baboon-sized. Meanwhile, everything on top is sad. So sad. So sag-a-rific. All that Death Becomes Her black lace, boo-hoo.

But it’s sweet of her to design clothes with a man in mind. Those pants are totes the perfect length for Tom, too.

Leonardo Dicaprio: Body of Lies

2008-10-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

Russell Crowe wasn’t the only one getting jiggy with Leonardo DiCaprio during the “Body of Lies” shoot – his other co-star, Oscar Isaac tried to get cozy with him in the field.

“I guess you could say my character’s maybe secretly in love with Leo’s character, yeah,” Isaac told us. “I think that’s exactly how I played it when I think about it.”

Based on David Ignatius’ 2007 novel, “Body of Lies” features DiCaprio as Roger Ferris, a CIA man in the field in the Middle East trying to lure a car-bombing terrorist out of hiding, and Isaac as Bassam, his translator and ally in Iraq (which was substituted for by shooting in Morocco).

Bassam wins Ferris over by giving him intel, but how did Isaac win over DiCaprio? “That’s easy, he’s a pushover,” Isaac said. “Just play Xbox. Just beat him at some Xbox games.”

Sounds simple, except DiCaprio is pretty much a master gamer – so what are his weaknesses? “I think it depends on the game,” Isaac said. “I’m a good Halo player, and he’s good at all the other ones, so I would say we’re evenly matched.”

“So for the girls,” he advised, “just bone up on your Xbox. It’s a matter of skill. Just mad skill. And then he’s yours.”

Think it’s that easy to score with Leo? Planning to see “Body of Lies”? Or does it look like Ridley Scott’s lost his touch?

Janet Jackson Postpones 4th Show Due To Illness

2008-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Janet Jackson has canceled her fourth show in less than a week because of an undisclosed illness.

A statement from Jackson said she arrived in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to perform there Saturday, but a local doctor advised that she not perform after it became “evident” she was not fully recovered.

Representatives for the 42-year-old singer say she became “suddenly ill” and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show. She also canceled concerts in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Jackson’s publicist did not elaborate Saturday, only saying she was “recuperating.”

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

Copyright 2008 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

John Stamos, Donald Trump & More Turn Out For Howard Stern Wedding

2008-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

A host of stars including John Stamos, Donald Trump and Barbara Walters turned up at the Le Cirque restaraunt in New York City on Friday night for the wedding of Howard Stern and model Beth Ostrosky.

Dressed in a grey suit and on the arm of a pretty brunette, Stamos turned up grinning as he headed into the ceremony. Though they split earlier this summer, former couple Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman walked in together, Access can report.

But it was Howard and his bride Beth who made the biggest entrance. The couple made a very untraditional arrival – turning up together.

“I can’t wait to marry Howard,” Beth told Newsday before the wedding, according to the Associated Press. “I know, everyone laughs!”

Chauffeured in a black limo, Howard exited the vehicle first, while Beth went in a short while later.

The bride wore a white gown designed by Georgina Chapman with a white shawl-like wrap to stave off the New York City cold.

Other stars attending the ceremony included “Live’s” Kelly Ripa, whose husband Mark Consuelos was ordained as a minister specifically to marry Howard and Beth.

Barbara Walters, Billy Joel and his wife Katie Lee Joel, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Artie Lang, Steve Schirippa, and Denise Rich also were spotted attending the event, with Joel reportedly performing his hit “The Stranger.” According to the Associated Press, a total of 180 guests attended the ceremony, dining on tuna tataki, scrambled eggs with white truffles and striped bass with caviar.

Copyright 2008 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lindsay & Samantha Get Cozy on Diddy's Yacht in Cannes By Brian Orloff and David Caplan

2008-09-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Celebrity Vibe

Talk about making a splash: Inseparable duo Lindsay Lohan and deejay BFF Samantha Ronson turned heads Thursday during a party on Diddy's yacht in Cannes.

The pair stuck together all night, holding hands and being affectionate. While the two say they're just friends, they're frequent travel and party companions – with Lohan, 21, joining Ronson for many of her deejay sets.

Mom Dina Lohan also recently talked to PEOPLE about Ronson, calling her "a sweetheart."

"She's great – and she's the best spinner around," Lohan tells PEOPLE. And while their daughters are pals, so is Dina and Ronson's mother, writer Ann Dexter-Jones: "I'm friends with her mom," Lohan says. "She's raised some extremely talented kids. It's a talented family."

Justin, Charlize & Mylie Among The Stars At Fashion Rocks

2008-09-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, New York --

Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Charlize Theron were among the celebrities who appeared at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion.

They walked the red carpet Friday night at Radio City Music Hall amid a media circus angling for glamour shots of other stars including Fergie, Rihanna, Chris Brown and the “Gossip Girl” gang.

Brown, the R&B heartthrob, soaked up all the attention with a smile as he showed off his dapper ensemble of a black vest and shirt, gray pants, shiny shoes and diamond stud earrings.

“To be a musician and a great entertainer, you have to be a trendsetter. To be a trendsetter, you have to know fashion — and I have fun with it,” explained the singer, who later changed into khakis and a black shirt and scarf for a performance of his hit song “Forever.”

The event will air Tuesday in a two-hour special on CBS. Proceeds will benefit Stand Up To Cancer, a program established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money for cancer research.

Stand Up To Cancer held a live telethon that aired simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS on Friday night.

Fashion Rocks provided a live feed to the fundraising show of a performance of more than a dozen divas — including Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield, Fergie, Rihanna and Cyrus — who gathered on stage to sing their new charity song, “Just Stand Up.” Theron and fellow Oscar winner Hilary Swank introduced the ladies’ collaboration.

Bedingfield said she lost her grandmother to the disease several years ago, and was thrilled to share the spotlight with the other singers.

“This is the first time we’re all together singing the song,” she said backstage. “It was really special. It was really like a sisterhood, like a bond. … We’re all used to being the stars — the only star in the room — and it was really nice I think that everyone could just come together and really support each other.”

Other performers included Timberlake, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Duffy, the Pussycat Dolls and the Black Eyed Peas.

A highlight was Timberlake and Beyonce’s sizzling duet of “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” which channeled the soulful sound of the classic song’s original singers, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Stars mingled and sipped cocktails backstage in the green room, where Leighton Meester of the CW teen drama “Gossip Girl” and her actor-beau Sebastian Stan hung out before she introduced Duffy’s performance of “Mercy.”

Meester’s “Gossip” co-star Chace Crawford chatted up actress Hayden Panettiere, who embraced her rock-star side in a silver Ferragamo minidress and black heels.

“I usually try to mix class and then really funk it out,” Panettiere said of her personal style. “It’s rock meets class. I try — not always succeed, but I try.”

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jermaine Dupri Party Helps Kick Off MTV ‘VMA’ Bashes

2008-09-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Don’t let the celebrities at a Jermaine Dupri party distract you from partying, or you might get an admonishment from the host himself.

“At Jermaine Dupri parties, (people) don’t stand around taking pictures,” he said, in more colorful language, as some at his MTV “Video Music Awards” kickoff party focused their cameras on stars in the crowd Friday night. “It’s star-studded all around this (place).”

The superproducer and sometime rapper threw the party, along with his Tag Records, to kick off the weekend of parties being held for Sunday’s MTV “VMAs” and to promote the label’s new artist, rapper Q, who performed.

Dupri might have been generous by describing the crowd as “star-studded”: The biggest celebrity sighting was that of actor Taye Diggs and rapper Fabolous. Angela and Vanessa Simmons of MTV’s reality show “Run’s House” also attended.

Still, the celebrity quotient didn’t seem to influence how much fun the crowd had. The dance floor was packed into the early morning as old-school rapper D-Nice worked the turntables, providing a steady stream of hip-hop hits to keep the party jumping.

Dupri’s party was just one of the pre-“VMA” events being held on Friday that lured celebrities. Earlier, the Gibson guitar company hosted a gifting suite that drew stars including reality TV villain Omorosa and “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Justin Chambers, his wife and their children.

Chambers wasn’t sure if he would attend Sunday’s “VMAs,” but said there was one celebrity he was looking forward to seeing on the broadcast.

“I hear Britney Spears is opening up. I don’t know if I’m excited but I would like to see her make a comeback from last year,” referring to the pop queen’s disastrous kickoff performance at the 2007 “VMAs.”

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ellen DeGeneres marries Portia de Rossi

2008-08-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

There was much dancing: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are married, according to reports.

In the biggest celebrity union since California legalized same-sex marriage, DeGeneres, 50, and de Rossi, 35, wed Saturday night in an intimate ceremony at their Beverly Hills home, People and Us Magazine reported.

A publicist for DeGeneres confirmed People’s report and gave no further comment.

After the California Supreme Court’s ruling in May, the talk-show host announced that she and de Rossi would wed after four years together.

The ceremony was attended by 19 guests, including DeGeneres’ mom, Betty, and de Rossi’s mother, Margaret Rogers, who had flown in from Australia, People.com reported Saturday night.

DeGeneres said after winning her fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy for talk show host in June that a date had not been set, and that she would show “a tiny bit” of the nuptials on her show.

While opponents in California have gathered signatures to put a measure on the November ballot for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, Hollywood was throwing its support behind the newlyweds.

“One of my favorite people of all time is Ms. Ellen DeGeneres,” Katherine Heigl, star of “Grey’s Anatomy,” told Associated Press Television News at a Hollywood charity event on Saturday night. “So I wish all the best, all the happiness, all the joy that comes with that certificate ... just the joy of being able to stand up and say that. In front of everyone you love and care about in front of each other and to walk away legal is huge.”

Tila Tequila, whose dating reality show fame is built somewhat on her affinity for both men and women, passed along her good wishes — with only one small complaint.

“I love Ellen (DeGeneres); I watch her show all the time,” Tequila told APTN. “I just want to say congratulations, and I am really sorry you didn’t invite me to your wedding.”

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Buy $16 Million House in California

2008-08-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are preparing for the birth of their second child by purchasing a $16 million house in the Brentwood neighborhood of L.A., California, Usmagazine.com has learned. The 9,900-square-foot traditional-style home sits on nearly an acre of property and includes 7 bedrooms, 7 baths, 6 fireplaces, a brick wine cellar, a library and a 3-car garage. The master bedroom features his and hers master bathrooms. Affleck's is designed with dark marble; Garner's is with amber tile. The actress, 36, is five months pregnant with the couple's second child. She and Affleck, 35, are parents to 2-year-old daughter Violet The estate which has a large pool, pool house and outdoor fireplace will be completed by the time Garner gives birth. There is also a large lawn, seating area and a deck with a built-in barbecue. The house is designed by Brentwood residents Steve and Brooke Giannetti. The couple's new neighbors will be Ricki Lake and Tobey Maguire. The couple have been basking in the glow of her pregnancy. Affleck's pal, director Kevin Smith told Us last month that the couple were "looking for a bigger house now. "[Ben] came over last week and told me, 'I'm having another baby!'" he said. "He's a good dad, man." Affleck himself said in June: "We're very happy. Things couldn't be better. We're kind of taking it easy and just kind of enjoying a little downtime at home." Last week, they attended a $1,000-per-person reception for Barack Obama. See photos of Barack Obama's celebrity supporters. Tell Us: Would you want Jen & Ben as neighbors? More news from Usmagazine.com

Feds have dropped Heath Ledger death probe

2008-08-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

updated 8:16 p.m. ET Aug. 6, 2008

NEW YORK - Federal prosecutors have decided not to pursue a criminal case into how Heath Ledger obtained the powerful painkillers that contributed to his overdose death this year, a law enforcement official said Wednesday.

Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan had been overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into whether the painkillers found in Ledger’s system were obtained illegally. But the prosecutors have bowed out “because they don’t believe there’s a viable target,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no charges have been filed.

The decision comes after recent reports that actress Mary-Kate Olsen was demanding immunity before answering questions about the startling death of her close friend and his drug use. Authorities say she was the first person called by a masseuse who found the 28-year-old “Dark Knight” actor’s lifeless body in his Manhattan apartment.

The DEA had obtained a subpoena that could have forced Olsen if she continued to hold out. But the subpoena, issued in April, is no longer valid because it was contingent upon prosecutors pursuing the case, the official said Wednesday. The official added that the case could still be revived if evidence of a crime emerges.

Rebekah Carmichael, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said it’s the office’s policy to “neither confirm nor deny the existance of an investigation.” There was no immediate response to a message left for Olsen’s attorney, Michael C. Miller.

DEA investigators suspect the painkillers found in Ledger’s system, oxycodone and hydrocodone, were obtained with phony prescriptions or other illegal means. Oxycodone is sold as OxyContin and hydrocodone as Vicodin.

Miller insisted this week that Olsen, a former child star on the sitcom “Full House,” had already told the government she “does not know the source of the drugs Mr. Ledger consumed.”

Other potential witnesses apparently answered questions voluntarily, including doctors, Ledger’s ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams and people in his apartment around the time of his death.

Other drugs taken by Ledger, including anti-anxiety medication and sleeping pills, were prescribed legally by doctors in California and Texas.

The medical examiner’s office wouldn’t say what concentrations of each drug were found but made clear he was killed by the combination — not an excess of any one drug in particular. It’s common for the DEA to investigate an overdose death with so many different drugs involved, a DEA spokesman said last month.

The masseuse discovered Ledger’s body on Jan. 22. Police say she spent nine minutes making three calls to Olsen before dialing 911 for help, then called the actress a fourth time after paramedics arrived. At some point during the flurry of frantic calls, Olsen, who was in California, summoned her personal security guards to the apartment to help, police said.

Ledger died after filming “The Dark Night,” the latest movie in the “Batman” series, in which he has earned rave reviews for playing a maniacal Joker. The film had taken in more than $400 million domestically as of Monday.

No easy delivery for Jolie-Pitt baby photos

2008-08-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

It’s probably safe to say that no twins on the planet have ever showed their faces in as dramatic a fashion as Vivienne and Knox Jolie-Pitt. The twins, born on July 12 in France, made their American photo debut on People.com on Sunday, but it took weeks of negotiating and a very fat check before that moment finally came.

According to sources close to the photo exclusive, the negotiations were more difficult than those for previous Jolie-Pitt children.

“OK! (Magazine) was in a much better position than ever before to be in the game,” said the source. The source confirms that the $15 million range reported was not off base, figuring, “Price per twin, you’re looking at about $7 million each.”

Another source claims that reports the couple turned down a much higher offer from OK! and accepted less money from People are false. “That’s a lie. Negotiating ended and People won. There was no $20 million offer.”

While People has the North American rights to the twins' photos, Hello magazine was part of the deal, and its cover calls the photos a “world exclusive.” According to the Associated Press, the money received by the actors is being donated to a foundation created by Pitt and Jolie that largely focuses on helping children worldwide.

Any celebrity baby-photo deal has strings attached, and this case is no different. “There wasn’t going to be any big sit-down with the entire family for this one,” says the source. “There were going to be quotes given for use, but no true interview.” When it's pointed out that the People.com text does in fact read like an interview, the source says, “Things can always change at the last minute.”

Reportedly, one condition of the photo deal was that the victorious magazine would have to agree to no longer refer to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as “Brangelina.”

“It’s funny to think they actually took a cue from Jennifer Lopez, who was insisting on (not being called J.Lo),” says the source. “Stranger things have happened.”

By Courtney Hazlett

The Scoop

50 Cent sues Taco Bell for $4M

2008-07-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Don't mess with 50 Cent when it comes to his name and image. The rapper is suing Taco Bell for using his name without his permission in their "Why Pay More?" campaign. The ads were promoting cheap eats for 79, 89 and 99 cents and had asked Fiddy to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent, while also sending a fake letter requesting the name change to various media outlets. 50 Cent is suing the chain restaurant for $4 million in damages. Meanwhile Taco Bell is defending itself, claiming, "We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89, or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice."

Ethan Hawke welcomes a baby girl

2008-07-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Congrats go out to third-time daddy Ethan Hawke. He and wife Ryan Shawhughes welcomed a girl, Clementine Jane Hawke, on Friday in New York. Ethan has two children with his ex-wife, Uma Thurman. Ryan used to be the nanny to their two kids and she and Ethan got married last month in New York.

Paris Never Too Busy to Knock Rumors

2008-07-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton has vowed to address all false rumors about herself on her MySpace blog.

She's also a regular caller to Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM show to denounce these reports, like the one she denied today about crawling over 10 soccer players at Villa just to get close to Cristiano Ronaldo last Wednesday—only to be dissed by the star athlete.

So then why did she feel the need to tell Ryan that she has "learned to not pay attention"?

"[Benji and I have] made it a rule that we don’t even read that stuff anymore," says Paris.

"I have too many important things going on to pay attention to some writer who’s sitting in their office bored and who’s just gonna write mean things."

It's OK, Paris. You don't have to pretend like you're too cool to care. Heck, everyone from L.C. to Kanye logs on to blog about their side of the story. Might as well join the fray.

Batman: Bale arrested and released; denies assault

2008-07-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

LONDON - The darkness around Batman has deepened: While audiences were shattering weekend box-office records in the U.S., Christian Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against the star of "The Dark Knight" that have yet to become clear.

Bale said the allegations were false Tuesday, hours after the Wales-born actor was arrested, questioned by London police and released on bail. The 34-year-old actor spent four hours talking with authorities but was not charged.

British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before attending the European premiere of "The Dark Knight." The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale.

"Christian Bale attended a London police station today on a voluntary basis," read a statement from Bale's lawyer, Simon Smith, of the London-based firm Schillings. "Bale, who denies the allegation, cooperated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police."

A woman thought to be Bale's sister Sharon told reporters "it's a family matter" from her home in Corfe Mullen, 110 miles southwest of London. A man who answered the door at the home of Jenny Bale in nearby Bournemouth said she did not want to comment.

The reports surfaced just days after "The Dark Knight," which co-stars Heath Ledger as Batman's nemesis the Joker, took a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend. Ledger, who took the iconic villain to a deeply disturbed and diabolical place, died earlier this year of an accidental drug overdose in New York — a circumstance that has only added to the movie's brooding mystique.

Asked Tuesday whether Bale had been arrested, a London police spokesman did not refer to him by name but said: "A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault."

The spokesman requested anonymity because he is not authorized to be identified under police policy. British police do not name suspects who have not been formally charged.

The force later said in a statement that the man had been released on bail pending further inquiries and told to return in September. It did not specify the date.

The Sun said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie. The next scheduled stops on the film's European premiere tour were Madrid, Spain, July 23; and Tokyo on July 28.

In the sequel to "Batman Begins," Bale reprises the role of wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman, a brooding vigilante superhero still scarred by the murder of his parents.

In his destructive battle of wits with the Joker, Batman pushes his own ethical boundaries, and ultimately is forced into the shadows. Winding up what may be the darkest — and most critically acclaimed — superhero movie ever, Bale's Batman truly becomes, as coined by Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred: "The Dark Knight."

Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987 and as an adult has made his name with intense screen roles. His earlier films include "American Psycho" and "The Machinist."

Bale is the youngest of four children and is the stepson of Gloria Steinem. Her assistant said Tuesday that the author and feminist leader was at a writing retreat and unavailable for comment.

Bale's current project is playing John Connor in "Terminator Salvation," scheduled for filming this week in New Mexico. The film "will continue to shoot with Mr. Bale when he has completed his International tour for 'The Dark Knight,'" said Lee Anne Muldoon, unit publicist for the movie.

A records check turned up no criminal record for Bale in the Los Angeles area, where he's lived with his wife, Sibi Blazic, and their young daughter.

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer

Batman Bale Arrested for Alleged Assault

2008-07-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today 8:00 AM PDT by Gina Serpe

Maybe they should have called it The Really Dark Knight.

Batman star Christian Bale has been arrested in London after turning himself in to a police station to undergo questioning on allegations that he assaulted his mother and sister.

The incident allegedly took place in the box-office champ's Dorchester Hotel room in London on Sunday, the day before the blockbuster film's European premiere.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson tells E! News that Bale presently faces "no charges, all we are saying at the moment is that a 34-year-old male attended a central London police station this morning, by appointment, and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault.

"He currently remains in custody."

Per standard Scotland Yard procedure, suspects are not named until formally charged, but the age and allegation match up with the Bale reports.

It's unclear what exactly went down, but the Welsh-born Bale's 61-year-old mother, Jenny, and 40-year-old sister, Sharon, reportedly went to a Hampshire police station to make the allegation. The local cops subsequently turned the case over to London's Metropolitan Police.

Although his family lodged the charges prior to Monday night's premiere, police waited until today to question Bale to allow the event to go on without headline-grabbing interruption.

Bale made a promotional appearance on the U.K. morning show GMTV Monday morning, hours after the alleged assault, and he was his typical serious self. A production source tells E! News the actor "seemed fine" during the segment.

(Originally published July 22, 2008 at 6:18 a.m. PT.)

Michelle Williams finds comfort in Heath Ledger’’s best friend

2008-07-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Melbourne, July 21 (ANI): Six months on from Heath Ledgers untimely death, his former fiancee Michelle Williams is finding a supporting shoulder in the late actors best friend Trevor Di Carlo.

Di Carlo, who had grown up in Perth with Ledger, has been spotted dining and taking walks around Brooklyn with Williams and Ledger’’s two-year-old Matilda in tow, the Daily Mail reported.

“I dont see them go out often. When they do go out, I see them at a small pizza restaurant, Daily Telegraph quoted one neighbour as revealing.

“People are very protective of her in the neighbourhood,” the neighbour said.

No romance has been reported between the two, and Di Carlos mother Dianne, clarified their relationship as just being friends.

“Michelle and he are the best of friends, Dianne said.

“It is a very special time for him to be with Matilda,” she revealed.

Di Carlo and Ledger had known one another since the age of three, and they had even moved to Sydney together when Ledger headed east at 16 to try his luck as an actor.

News of the friendship between Di Carlo and Williams comes amid reports that 27-year-old Williams is planning a court action to win a chunk of Ledgers 15 million dollars estate for her daughter.

Ledgers performance as The Joker in new Batman movie The Dark Knight has been tipped to earn him a posthumous Oscar nomination.

But sources at Warner Bros say they fear any legal battle over the will might affect his chances of winning. (ANI)

Angie: One Hot Mama: Her Twins Are "So Cute"

2008-07-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie's twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline are "so cute," her obstetrician, Dr. Michel Sussmann, told The Jewish Journal Tuesday.

"It was not an easy operation – a second cesarean with twins is difficult – but it went perfectly," he says of the cesarean he performed to deliver the two five-pound babies Saturday at the Fondation Lenval hospital in Nice, France.

(See 15 photos of her bump.)

Father Brad Pitt cut the umbilical cord.

"The delivery was very emotional and exceptional as Ms. Jolie is a superstar, but I think that it happened on Shabbat [Saturday] made it that much more moving," Sussmann said.

"Jolie and Pitt were always laughing and having a good time together, even during the birth operation," the doctor added.

Sussmann told the Journal that while is he is the 33-year-old actress' doctor, that doesn't mean he wants to be her friend.

"We had an excellent rapport," he said. "She is so, so nice and never complained about anything. There are negative things sometimes written about her on the Internet, but don't believe them."

Tell Us: Are photos of Angelina's twins worth the reported price of $20 million?

Jennifer Aniston Hopes Pitt-Jolie Twins Are "Beautiful"

2008-07-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Aniston couldn't be happier for her ex Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

"She hopes the twins are beautiful," a pal of the actress, 39, tells Us Weekly in its latest issue, on stands now.

"She'd never want anyone to be unhappy with their kids," the friend adds.

Compare the lives and loves of Jen and Angie here.

Aniston " who would have celebrated her eighth anniversary with Pitt, 40, on July 29 " has been heating up her summer with John Mayer.

See Brad and Angie's most romantic moments.

She has joined him at his shows in London, Toronto and St. Louis.

"You can tell Aniston's his biggest fan," a St. Louis concert staffer told Usmagazine.com on July 4.

She cheered him on from the side of the stage during Mayer's 90-minute set in Rothbury, Mich., July 6.

Aniston was photographed in West Hollywood at a furniture shop on Wednesday, while Mayer put in a surprise appearance at a Billy Joel concert in New York. (Mayer joined Joel on stage, playing guitar on the song "This is the Time.")

Doherty Zips Back to 90210

2008-07-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

The beeyotch is back.

The CW has confirmed that erstwhile Brenda Walsh Shannen Doherty will be reprising her role as one-half of Beverly Hills' best-loved Minnesota twins for a multiple-episode stint when the 90210 spinoff hits small screens this fall.

Doherty's reprisal marks the fourth official return from a Beverly Hills, 90210 regular to the spinoff, joining Tori Spelling, whose Donna Martin is now an upscale boutique owner, Joe E. Tata, whose Nat is still the owner of the Peach Pit, and—cue the maniacal moustache-twirling—Jennie Garth, whose Kelly Taylor is now the guidance counselor at West Beverly High.

It remains to be seen whether she—Taylor or Garth—also reprises her role as a certain brunette's mortal frenemy.

Though murmurs of such a casting coup have been circulating for weeks, with E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos reporting earlier this month that Doherty's appearance was a done deal, the network only made it official this morning, with an announcement at the Television Critics Association conference.

As for Doherty, she will apparently remain the show's resident drama queen.

Since leaving West Bev, Brenda has become a successful theater actress and director who divides her much-sought-after time between the London and New York stages. She is dragged back into the high school fray when her alma mater approaches her to direct a musical production for the students.

For more details on what's in store for the gang come the Sept. 2 premiere, jump over to our TV blog.

The Dark Knight: $155.3 Mil Opening Weekend

2008-07-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

~~Spider-Man~~ Batman forever.

The Dark Knight chased Spider-Man 3 from the record books with a $155.3 opening weekend gross, per Exhibitor Relations Co. estimates today.

The figure capped three days of eye-popping figures for the Christopher Nolan film. Among them:

The Dark Knight made more money in Friday midnight screenings ($18.5 million) than its predecessor, Batman Begins, made in any one day.
The Dark Knight made more money in one day ($66.4 million on Friday) than Batman Begins made in any one weekend.
The Dark Knight made about as much money in its second-biggest day ($48 million on Saturday) as Batman Begins made in its biggest weekend ($48.7 million).

The Dark Knight made more money in its third-biggest day ($39 million on Sunday) than Get Smart and You Don't Mess With the Zohan, to name two recent hits, made in their respective opening weekends.
The Dark Knight made more money in its biggest day than Hancock, WALL-EKung-Fu Panda, to name three recent super-sized hits, made in their respective opening weekends. and
The Dark Knight made more money in its opening weekend than the previous top-three-opening Batman movies (Batman Forever, Batman Begins, Batman Returns) made in their opening weekends—combined.

About the only thing The Dark Knight didn't do was keep up the frenetic pace it set with Friday's $66.4 million blowout, a performance which set new records as Hollywood's biggest-ever opening day and biggest-ever single day.

"Some people probably stayed away [to avoid] the crowds," Exhibitor Relations' Jeff Bock said.

Bock does not think audiences will stay away next weekend. He expects The Dark Knight will become only the second movie this summer, after Iron Man, to hold the No. 1 position at the box office for more than one weekend.

"Spider-Man 3 was savaged by critics, and it fell off pretty quickly," Bock said. "I don't expect anything to happen with The Dark Knight."

Especially not with the Heath Ledger factor at play.

To Bock, The Dark Knight's box office benefited immensely from both curiosity and buzz surrounding Ledger's performance as iconic Batman foe, the Joker. The role was the last completed by the young actor before his death in January.

"This is really unprecedented, an actor in a blockbuster film dying before the release," Bock said.

If one word could sum up this weekend, unprecedented would be it.

Angelina Jolie Leaves Hospital With Her Twins

2008-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

NICE, France -- Angelina Jolie has left the Lenval hospital in Nice, France with her new babies, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline. It has been a week since she gave birth.

"Mrs. Angelina Jolie left the clinic Santa Maria of Foundation Lenval early in the morning, on July 19," the hospital said in a statement to Access Hollywood on Saturday. "The mother and her babies are doing very well."

According to People, Jolie left the hospital at around 4 AM, taking a grey Volkswagon minibus through the courtyard entrance and avoiding a crowd of journalists at the front of the hospital. She'll be rejoining her family at Chateau Miravel, the multimillion-dollar chateau that Jolie and partner Brad Pitt rented in May.

Jolie delivered on July 12 by ceasarean section. After the birth, her doctor, Michel Sussman, said that the delivery went "perfectly."