Hot Celebrity News | Sports Update

Watch Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles LIVE via FREE ONLINE STREAMING

2009-04-26T09:20:00.003-07:00

Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles GAME DETAILS

League: MLB

Match: Texas Rangers vs Baltimore Orioles

Date: April 26, 2009

Time: 1:35 PM ET

Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

Watch MLB Games Online

Watch Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds LIVE via FREE ONLINE STREAMING

2009-04-26T09:20:00.001-07:00

Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds GAME DETAILS

League: MLB

Match: Atlanta Braves vs Cincinnati Reds

Date: April 26, 2009

Time: 1:10 PM ET

Venue: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

Watch MLB Games Online

Watch Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat LIVE ONLINE STREAMING

2009-04-25T08:46:00.001-07:00

Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat GAME DETAILS

League: NBA

Match: Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat

Date: April 25, 2009

Time: 6:30 PM EDT

Venue: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL

Watch NBA Games Online

Watch LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz LIVE ONLINE STREAMING

2009-04-25T08:33:00.001-07:00

LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz GAME DETAILS

League: NBA

Match: LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz

Date: April 25, 2009

Time: 9:00 PM EDT

Venue: Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT

Watch NBA Games Online

Watch Portland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets NBA Playoff Game ONLINE

2009-04-24T01:57:00.001-07:00

GAME DETAILS

League: NBA

Match: Portland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets

Date: April 24, 2009

Time: 9:30 PM EDT

Venue: Toyota Center in Houston, TX

Watch NBA Games Online

Watch Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers NBA Playoff Game ONLINE

2009-04-24T01:54:00.001-07:00

GAME DETAILS

League: NBA

Match: Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers

Date: April 24, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM EDT

Venue: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA

Watch NBA Games Online

Watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons NBA Playoff Game ONLINE

2009-04-24T01:48:00.001-07:00

GAME DETAILS

League: NBA

Match: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons

Date: April 24, 2009

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Venue: Palace of Auburn Hills, MI

Watch NBA Games Online

Ryan Reynolds and Scarlette Johansson Wedding

2008-09-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Actor Ryan Reynolds and actress Scarlette Johansson are now married. Ryan and Scarlette wed in a secret, intimate ceremony outside Vancouver, British Columbia in Reynold's Native, Canada last Saturday, September 27, 2008.

The couple began dating in February 2007 and announced their engagement in May 2008. Us Magazine had reported that on May 5, Johansson was spotted at the Met Costume Ball gala flashing a three-carat diamond ring estimated to be worth $30,000.

Paris Hilton Portrait

2008-09-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton portrait shown in New York City is made of porn. A well-known British artist who has made collage portraits of President George W. Bush and Paris Hilton out of porn magazine images is exhibiting the pictures at a gallery in New York City.

The portrait is entitled "Paris, 2008" and posters of it will be sold for $20 each at the gallery.

Cristina Applegate returs to Samantha Who?

2008-09-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Cristina Applegate says that she's now a cancer free after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She has returned to work. Cristina Applegate returns to filming on her ABC comedy Samantha Who?

View her sexy photos:

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Gina Carano sexy photos at Maxim

2008-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Gina Carano is a hot female Muay Thai Boxer in MMA, also known as "Crush" on the American Gladiators sports competition show.

Gina will appear in Maxim Magazine this month. View her sexy photos at Maxim.

Want more photos? Here...

VH1 crowns "Fight the Power" as Best Hip-Hop song

2008-09-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

VH1 crowns "Fight the Power" as Best Hip-Hop song. VH1 has compiled its list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs, and Public Enemy's black power anthem "Fight the Power" tops the list.

The cable channel will count down its list in series of shows starting Monday. At No. 2 is the Sugar Hill Gang's groundbreaking song, "Rapper's Delight," followed by Dr. Dre's "Nuthin but a 'G' Thang" at No. 3. Run-D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message" round out the top five.

Salt 'N Pepa was the only female act in the top 10, with their early hit "Push It." Two of rap's biggest names — Jay-Z and Eminem — didn't make the top 10, though they are in the top 20.

Other acts on the list include the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Biz Markie, Black Sheep and J.J. Fad.

The list comes as VH1 prepares to honor the pioneers in rap once again as part of its annual Hip-Hop Honors show, which this year celebrates Slick Rick, De La Soul, Cypress Hill, Naughty by Nature and Too Short. That show airs Oct. 6.

Read More!

Eva Longoria: FHM Cover girl October 2008 issue

2008-09-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewife" is the cover girl of FHM October 2008 issue. If you don’t know the name, you don’t read enough heat! She’s breathtakingly lovely, world famous, and the only reason okes are able to survive TV nights in when their lady’s driving the remote control! A-list celebs for A-list readers – that’s how we roll! While you're at it, we found this hot clip of the seductive Ms Longoria from her hit show.

More photos?

Natasha Bedingfield latest update

2008-09-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

Based in Book St., London, Natasha Bedingfield, an English pop singer and songwriter debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bedingfield recorded rock and gospel songs for the Hillsong London Church, while Daniel Bedingfield went on to enjoy success with hits “Gotta Get Thru This” and “If You're Not The One”.

Natasha and Daniel share the Guinness World Record for being the only siblings to have had solo number-ones in UK chart history. Similarly, they have each cracked the Top 10 in Australia, United States, Canada and Europe.

Bedingfield recorded her first album Unwritten in 2004. The album contained primarily uptempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music;[2] it enjoyed international success with over 2.5 million sold worldwide.[3] In 2007, she received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Unwritten".[4] Bedingfield's second album N.B. (2007) yielded the singles "I Wanna Have Your Babies" which was written and produced by Natasha Bedingfield, Wayne Wilkins, Andrew Frampton, and Steve Kipner, "Soulmate" and "Say It Again". Bedingfield has achieved 5 top ten singles in the United Kingdom to date and as of April 2008, she has sold over 10 million singles and albums worldwide.

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Keira Knightley - second highest paid actress in Hollywood

2008-09-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Keira Knightley is the second highest paid actress in Hollywood as of 2008, having reportedly earned $32M in 2007, making her the only non-American person on the list of highest paid actors or actresses.

More photos: click here

Britney Spears painting for sale

2008-09-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears painting for sale! Britney and her family have put an autographed painting of the 26 year-old singer on eBay for charity.

All proceeds of the 5-by-4 oil painting will go to the Promises Foundation which provides behavioral health services to low-income women and their children.

The painting was done by California artist Daniel Maltzman and is titled Mixed Media Painting of Britney Spears. The auction started of at $10,000 and is currently at $13,600.

Along with winning the painting, winners will receive a letter from Maltzman and signed ownership from Britney’s father Jamie Spears.

Bidding will be stopped next Saturday (September 20)

Kanye West arrested in airport

2008-09-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

Kanye West arrested in airport dustup with paps. Kanye West's notoriously fickle temper boiled over Thursday, resulting in his arrest for apparently helping smash a paparazzo's camera on the floor at Los Angeles International Airport.

Police arrested the music superstar shortly before 8 a.m. He and his manager, Don Crowley, were booked for investigation of felony vandalism, although prosecutors will determine what charges they might face.

West was released from police custody by Thursday afternoon. Blair Berk, who was retained as his attorney, said she couldn't comment on the incident.

Clips of the video shot by the celebrity gossip site TMZ shows West and Crowley grabbing the camera from a photographer, who is yelling "Police! Police!" and "Help me!" After they wrest it away, it appears that the manager smashes the camera to the ground, and the rapper follows by slamming down a flash.

Crowley is then seen accosting the TMZ videographer who's shooting the footage. The video camera was broken in the scuffle before security intervened, the Web site reported.

The video starts mid-confrontation, and doesn't show how it began or what might have caused it to escalate.

Los Angeles International Airport spokesman Marshall Lowe said West and Crowley were scheduled to board a flight to Honolulu, Hawaii on Thursday morning. They had not yet reached a security screening checkpoint when the altercation began.

The airport is a popular spot for the paparazzi, who frequently catch shots of Britney Spears and other celebrities arriving and leaving Los Angeles.

Charles Davis, who solicits charity donations at the airport, said he witnessed the incident, and that West was "attacked" by paparazzi, and the rapper "just defended himself."

"I talk to him all the time," Davis said. "He's a very nice gentleman. Very nice. He gives good donations to help children. He's got a good, kind heart. I've gotten his autograph several times. I just don't see why he was arrested. The man just put the camera too close to his face. I don't blame him."

Davis said he didn't think the camera was destroyed.

"It was just knocked out of the man's hand," he said.

Lowe said police at the airport interviewed witnesses and that West and Crowley were then sent to a nearby Los Angeles Police Department station for booking. West left that police station in a black Chevrolet Suburban by midafternoon, shielded by umbrellas so that photographers couldn't get a shot. He did not give a statement to reporters.

West, who rocketed to stardom in 2004 with his album "The College Dropout" and follow-ups "Late Registration" and "Graduation," has become well-known for his temper tantrums, skewering everyone from MTV to President Bush while the cameras rolled.

But before the Thursday incident at LAX's Terminal 4, his many blowups had always been verbal — making headlines rather than police blotter.

West appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, which was held at the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood. His performance of a new song concluded the show and represented a reconciliation with the network after a high-profile tiff last year.

After not winning any awards at the VMAs in 2007 despite several nominations, West declared to reporters that he would never return to MTV. The year before, he crashed the stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards and unleashed an expletive-filed tirade after his video "Touch The Sky" failed to win an award.

In 2005, West famously chastised President George W. Bush during a national telethon to raise funds after Hurricane Katrina struck by saying, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." - AP

Carla Gugino latest update

2008-09-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

A talented actress and thespian, Carla Gugino was born August 29, 1971 to an English mom and an Italian-Irish dad. She was discovered by a modeling agency at the tender age of fifteen but due to height issues, she returned from New York City back to California and pursued an acting career instead.

Her film debut was the 1989 "Troop Beverly Hills" and was followed by other movie projects such as "The Buccaneers," "Red Hot," "Miami Rhapsody," "The War at Home," and "Jaded." Aside from her stunning portrayal as "Ingrid Cortez" in the "Spy Kids" movie trilogy which has gained considerable attention, Carla has also performed in several theater productions such as"After the Fall" and "Suddenly Last Summer." She has also appeared in several TV series such as "Spin City" and "Threshold." Her recent movies include"Snake Eyes" along with Nicolas Cage,"Sin City,""Judas Kiss," and "Night At The Museum" opposite actor Ben Stiller.

Watch Quantum of Solace full trailer

2008-09-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Watch Quantum of Solace full trailer, the new James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig.

100 Most Beautiful Pinays for 2008

2008-09-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

They are most admired not just beause of physical appearance but inner beauty as well. They are voted as the fairest women of the country.

We bring you the final results of our fearless and exclusive poll - 100 Most Beautiful Pinays for 2008!

TOP 10
Rank Name of Celebrity Prelims Semis Finals Total
1 Angel Locsin 1680 1451 1932 5063
2 Marian Rivera 1968 1169 1903 5040
3 Sarah Geronimo 1872 843 676 3391
4 Anne Curtis 1611 91 189 1891
5 KC Concepcion 1232 171 321 1724
6 Kim Chiu 1094 116 577 1787
7 Heart Evangelista 695 536 170 1401
8 Maja Salvador 947 239 85 1271
9 Katrina Halili 710 152 114 976
10 Bea Alonzo 631 98 113 842

11. Toni Gonzaga
12. Iza Calzado
13. Claudine Barretto
14. Judy Ann Santos
15. Valerie Concepcion
16. Nikki Gil
17. Roxanne Guinoo
18. Jennylyn Mercado
19. Iya Villania
20. Gaby dela Merced
21. Ruffa Guttierez
22. Angelica Panganiban
23. Shaina Magdayao
24. Mariel Rodriguez
25. Kristine Hermosa
26. Bianca Gonzalez
27. Ehra Madrigal
28. Nadine Samonte
29. Iwa Moto
30. Regine Angeles
31. Jewel Mische
32. Kyla
33. Riza Santos
34. Lucy Torres-Gomez
35. Camille Prats
36. Precious Lara Quigaman
37. Regine Velasquez
38. Diana Zubiri
39. Alessandra de Rossi
40. Melissa Ricks
41. Cristine Reyes
42. Rhian Ramos
43. Bianca King
44. Mirriam Quiambao
45. Kris Bernal
46. Yasmien Kurdi
47. Gretchen Barretto
48. Carmina Villaroel
49. Glaiza de Castro
50. Pauleen Luna
51. Sheena Halili
52. Michelle Madrigal
53. Rufa Mae Quinto
54. Jennica Garcia
55. Maggie Wilson
56. Yeng Constantino
57. Angelika dela Cruz
58. Dawn Zulueta
59. Erich Gonzalez
60. Kris Aquino
61. Empress Schuck
62. Dimples Romana
63. Rachelle Ann Go
64. Maxene Magalona
65. Sunshine Dizon
66. Bubbles Paraiso
67. Wendy Valdez
68. Donita Rose
69. Alex Gonzaga
70. Georgina Wilson
71. Isabel Oli
72. Jackie Rice
73. Amanda Griffin
74. Bangs Garcia
75. Beatriz Saw
76. Charlene Gonzalez
77. Megan Young
78. Ryza Cenon
79. Kitchie Nadal
80. Pia Guanio
81. Francine Prieto
82. Cindy Kurleto
83. Ara Mina
84. Jean Garcia
85. Bunny Malunda
86. Lea Salonga
87. Jayann Bautista
88. Jodi Sta. Maria
89. Tanya Garcia
90. Carlene Aguilar
91. Nicole Uysiuseng
92. Phoemela Barranda
93. Janina San Miguel
94. Rochelle Panganiban
95. Cris Pastro
96. Angel Aquino
97. Jolina Magdangal
98. Precious Adona
99. Rica Peralejo
100. Krista Ranillo
-via starmometer.com

Dinara Safina Update

2008-09-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dinara Safina is a Russian professional tennis player. She has won one Grand Slam title, the women's double title at the 2007 U.S. Open with her partner Nathalie Dechy and reached one Grand Slam singles final at the 2008 French Open. She is also an Olympic Silver Medalist at the 2008 games in Beijing. As of August 18, 2008, she is ranked World No. 7 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

Watch Dinara Safina in action:

Carmen Soo Sexy Photos

2008-09-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Carmen Soo Wai Mun is a Chinese Malaysian fashion model and actress. View the sexy photos of Carmen Soo...

More sexy photos...

Tuuli Shipster Update

2008-08-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tuuli Shipster is the new James Bond book covergirl - Devil May Care, has now been released around the world and has given the model Tuuli Shipster lots of publicity as part of launch.

Here are some photos:

Holly Valance sexy photos at FHM Magazine September 2008 issue

2008-08-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

Holly Valance is the covergirl of FHM Magazine UK September 2008 issue. Holly hasn't done an FHM photoshoot for nearly 60 issues but the sexy Australian actress is back with the cover of September 2008 edition.

Enjoy the sexy photos of Holly Valance at FHM Magazine September 2008 issue.

Priyamani Sexy Photos

2008-08-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Priyamani is a South Indian sexy actress. She won the prestigious National film Award for Best Actress for her successful role "Muthazughu" in film Paruthiveeran. She has the power in her eyes to capture people and not to mention she has a gorgeous smile to light the screen.

Enjoy the sexy photos of Priyamani...

Please click here to view more...

Anna Kournikova sexy photos at Maxim Magazine

2008-08-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Anna Kournikova is really hot in her sexy bikini photos at Maxim Magazine September 2008 issue. The retired Russian tennis player was named one of People's 50 most beautiful People in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003. She was voted "hottest female athlete" and "hottest couple" (with Iglesias) on ESPN.com. In 2002, she also placed first in FHM's 100 sexiest women in the world in U.S. and U.K. edition.

Enjoy the sexy photos of Anna Kournikova in Maxim Magazine Sept. 2008 issue..

German Olympic Models pose nude for Playboy Magazine

2008-08-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Four German Olympic Models pose nude for Playboy Magazine. Topless photos of hockey player Katharina Scholz, sailor Petra Niemann, judo competitor Romy Tarangul and canoeist Nicole Reinhardt.

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony Live Coverage

2008-08-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony Online Coverage

It is anticipated that 1.5Billion people around the world will watch the 2008 Beijing Olympic Closing Ceremony on August 24, 2008 8:00PM China Standard Time (UTC + to take place at the Beijing National Stadium.

About 7,000 people will perform in the Olympics Closing Ceremony and the Beijing finale will be directed by the Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who also directed the grandest, amazing Opening Ceremony.

Complete article of the 2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony.

Lerin Franco sexy photos in 2008 Beijing Olympics

2008-08-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Leryn Franco of Paraguay is an Olympian of the 2008 Beijing Olympics who finished second to the last in the Javelin throw event.

But she's not just an ordinary Olympian or Javelin thrower, she is such a beauty despite that she is now a sensation. She is the Miss Olympic 2008, she's the hottest, sexiest, and most beautiful Olympian ever.

She participated the Miss Bikini Pageant in Paraguay and also has her own calendar which was shot in 2007 by Martin Crespo.

Here are some sexy photos of Lerin Franco.

Matt Damon's wife Luciana gave birth to a baby girl

2008-08-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Matt Damon's wife Luciana gave birth to a baby girl Wednesday, his spokeswoman said. The baby's name is Gia Zavala Damon, spokeswoman Jennifer Allen told The Associated Press, adding: "Everyone is great and she is a healthy, beautiful baby girl."

She wouldn't give any further details.

Damon, 37, met wife Luciana, 32, in 2003 while she was working as a bartender in Florida and he was filming "Stuck on You." They tied the knot in December 2005 in New York during a private ceremony attended by the bride's daughter, Alexa, now 10, from a previous marriage.

They later welcomed a daughter, Isabella, who was born in June 2006.

John Mayer ended his relationship with Jennifer Aniston

2008-08-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

John Mayer ended his relationship with Jennifer Aniston because they had "different chemistry," he told reporters Saturday after working out at an Equinox Gym in New York's SoHo neighborhood.

"People are different, people have different chemistry," said Mayer. "I ended a relationship to be alone, because I don't want to waste somebody's time if something's not right."

And before the rumors begin, Mayer said firmly: "There's no lying, there's no cheating, there's no nothing."

He also offered praise for his ex.

"Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I have ever met."

The "Friends" actress, 39, divorced Brad Pitt four years ago; Mayer, 30, was previously linked to Jessica Simpson.

Aniston's rep recently denied Star magazine's report that the actress is pregnant.

WWE Summerslam 2008

2008-08-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Watch the WWE Summerslam 2008

Main Event The Undertaker vs Edge, in which the returning Undertaker defeated Edge in a Hell in a Cell match - a type of professional wrestling match seen in World Wrestling Entertainment(WWE) in which the ring and ringside area are surrounded by a roofed steel cell which stands 30 feet (8 meters), or, more recently, 36 feet (9 meters), off the ground.

Learn more about the WWE Summerslam 2008 Results...

Britney Spears garners third MTV award nomination

2008-08-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

A year after her calamitous comeback performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears has garnered a third MTV award nomination for this year's show, but it remained unclear whether she would dare a repeat appearance.

MTV, which has been rolling out nominations for various categories in recent weeks, named Spears on Friday as one of five candidates in the running for its coveted Video of the Year award, for the clip to her single "Piece of Me."

The same title already has earned her nominations for best female video and best pop video.

In the category for Video of the Year, she is competing against the Jonas Brothers' "Burnin Up," Chris Brown's "Forever," Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up" and the Ting Tings' "Shut Up and Let Me Go."

The nominees for best rock video, also named on Friday, are Paramore for "CrushCrushCrush," Slipknot's "Psychosocial," Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day," Foo Fighters' "The Pretender" and Fall Out Boy's cover of the Michael Jackson hit "Beat It."

But Spears' nominations remain particularly tantalizing because of mounting speculation about whether she will take a chance at returning to the MTV Video Music Awards with memories still fresh from her much-derided appearance last year.

Spears herself added to the hype by recently filming a series of promotional spots for the upcoming awards show with a real-life, 9,000-pound elephant literally in the room with her.

Coming off two marriages, two children and two stints in rehab, Spears sought to launch a career comeback on last year's show with a performance of the song "Gimme More" that proved a publicity bomb for Spears but a ratings boon for MTV.

She ended up drawing a torrent of ridicule for lumbering around on stage in an ill-fitting black bikini as she lip-synced her way through the dance number.

With Spears said to be back in the recording studio this summer working on her next album, MTV has made the most of the suspense surrounding a possible return to the VMAs by the 26-year-old pop icon, refusing to say whether she might appear as either a presenter or performer.

Spears has yet to ever win an MTV Video Music Award.

The 25th annual edition of the VMAs, long considered a looser, hipper version of the Grammys, will be broadcast live on MTV on September 7, returning to Los Angeles for the first time in a decade.

The show will be hosted by British comedian Russell Brand from the recent film "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

Rihanna and Chris Brown enjoy water sports

2008-08-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Rihanna and Chris Brown enjoy water sports while vacationing in Barbados.

Madonna poses at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards

2008-08-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Wearing her then-trademark 'Boy Toy' belt, Madonna poses at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 14, 1984, in New York's Radio City Music Hall. Her white-wedding-gown performance of 'Like a Virgin' caused a commotion at the show, solidifying her reputation as a controversial risk taker. Madonna celebrates her 50th birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2008.

Paris Hilton Update

2008-08-13T04:19:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton didn't do enough pledging for a 2006 sorority comedy, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - Paris Hilton Update. Worldwide Entertainment Group Inc. filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Miami, alleging the 27-year-old model-actress-heiress owes $75,000 in damages for not fulfilling promotional obligations.

Paris Hilton entered into an agreement in 2004 for the production and distribution of the movie "National Lampoon's Pledge This!," according to the lawsuit. Hilton starred in the film and received credit as an executive producer.

The Miami-based concern said it paid Hilton and her company, Paris Hilton Entertainment Inc., $1 million for "Hilton's acting services" and for "reasonable promotion and publicity" for the movie, which was released in 2006 and featured Hilton as the president of an exclusive sorority.

While most famous for her tabloid exploits and reality TV series "The Simple Life," Hilton has appeared in the films "Bottoms Up," "The Hottie & the Nottie" and "House of Wax."

She's slated to next appear in the movie musical "Repo! The Genetic Opera" and the tentatively titled MTV reality series "Paris Hilton's My New BFF."

Phone calls and e-mails to Hilton's manager, Jason Moore, were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Mary-Louise Parker will star Roundabout Theatre Company

2008-08-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Actress Mary-Louise Parker will star in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival opening Jan. 25, artistic director Todd Haimes said Monday. Preview performances begin Jan. 6 at the American Airlines Theatre.

The production, in a new adaptation by Christopher Shinn, will be directed by Ian Rickson, former artistic director of London's Royal Court Theatre. Additional casting will be announced.

The play was last seen on Broadway in 2001 with Kate Burton in the title role.

Last season, she was seen off-Broadway in the Playwrights Horizons production of "Dead Man's Cell Phone" by Sarah Ruhl.

Parker, a best-actress Tony winner for her role in "Proof," is nominated this year for a best-actress Emmy Award for her role of Nancy Botwin, a widowed suburban mother who starts selling marijuana to support her family in the Showtime offbeat comedy series.

The actress won an Emmy for "Angels in America." She's won two Golden Globe Awards, one for "Angels in America," the other for "Weeds," and had a recurring role on NBC's "The West Wing." Her screen credits include "Fried Green Tomatoes," "Boys on the Side" and "The Client."

Watch 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

2008-08-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

You missed the live streaming of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony? No worries, here is the replay - Watch The Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also includes High resolution images of the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony

Watch the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

Jackie Chan's The Spy Next Door

2008-08-07T01:49:00.000-07:00

Jackie Chan's next Hollywood project is an action comedy about a Chinese spy working undercover in the US. "The Spy Next Door" will start shooting in mid-October, producer Robert Simonds told The Associated Press.

Simonds said no one else had been cast.

In an e-mail message, he described the film as a cross between "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "Big Daddy."

Jackie Chan plays a Chinese agent working undercover while on loan to the US government. His cover is blown when he looks after the children of his neighbor, a beautiful single mother, and one of them accidentally downloads secret codes off his computer.

Solon So, the chief executive of Chan's company JC Group, confirmed the project on Tuesday but declined to give details. He said the movie may be delayed if the Screen Actors Guild fails to reach a new contract with Hollywood studios and goes on strike. Chan is a SAG member.

Chan usually juggles Hollywood and Chinese-language projects. His last film was the American kung fu movie "The Forbidden Kingdom," which marked his first on-screen collaboration with action star Jet Li.

He will next be seen in the Chinese-language "Shinjuku Incident," reportedly about Chinese immigrants living in Tokyo's Shinjuku shopping and entertainment district.

Simonds' producer credits include "The Pink Panther," ''Big Daddy," ''The Wedding Singer" and "The Waterboy."

cnn.com daily top 10 - Malware Virus spreading via inbox

2008-08-06T12:16:00.001-07:00

I received bunch of emails entitled “CNN.com Daily Top 10” from Daily Top 10, Top 10 as shown below. Don’t click the link if you received the CNN.com Daily Top 10. Because behind these links awaits the web page that will asked / insist you to install malware via flash video codec update which is actually a trojan.

Please read full article about this phishing email >> cnn.com daily top 10.

Christina Applegate treated for breast cancer

2008-08-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

Christina Applegate is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but the disease was caught early and the actress is expected to fully recover.
The Emmy winner's cancer was detected through an MRI ordered by a doctor and is not life-threatening, publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement Saturday.

Applegate is scheduled to appear on a one-hour television special, "Stand Up To Cancer," to be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on Sept. 5 to raise funds for cancer research.

The 36-year-old actress has been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the show "Samantha Who?", in which she plays a woman who wakes from a coma with no memory of who she is.

The show, which debuted last October, marked a return to series television for Applegate, who helped establish the Fox network in 1987 as ditzy teenager Kelly Bundy on "Married ... With Children." The raunchy comedy ran 11 seasons and has been airing in syndication since.

"I'm really grateful that acting is the job that was chosen for me," Applegate told The Associated Press in April. "I get really lost when I'm not working. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself. Thank God for dance class and the New York Times crossword puzzle and 'American Idol.' But acting is what I really have to do."

Applegate won an Emmy as outstanding guest actress in a comedy series in 2003 for her role as one of Jennifer Aniston's younger sisters in "Friends." She was nominated for a Tony in 2005 for the Broadway musical "Sweet Charity."

Applegate began acting in films and television as a child and has appeared in such shows as "Quincy," "Family Ties," "21 Jump Street," "Charles in Charge" and Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories."

Soon after "Married ... With Children," she starred in "Jesse," playing a single mother raising a young son. The show lasted two seasons.

Her films include "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," "Wild Bill, "Wonderland" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy."

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-07-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor that follows The Mummy | The Mummy Returns is an upcoming American Adventure film.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is directed by Rob Cohen, starring Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, Isabella Leong and Russel Wong.

It is slated for release on August 1, 2008 in the U.S.

"The Dark Knight" sets new record for reaching $300M

2008-07-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

"The Dark Knight" sets new record for reaching $300M mark in just 10 days.

Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said Sunday that the epic Batman saga grossed $75.6 million in its second weekend in theaters, pushing its domestic total to $314,245,000.
That surpasses the record set in 2006 by "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which took 16 days to make $300 million.

The latest Batman installment had already broken records for best opening weekend at $158.4 million and best single-day with $66.4 million.

Taylor Swift got her diploma in the mail

2008-07-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

While most of her peers donned caps and gowns to receive their high school diplomas, country star Taylor Swift was strumming a guitar and performing for thousands of fans.

So Taylor Swift got her diploma in the mail.
"Education has always been at the forefront of my priorities, so I'm really glad to have my diploma," the 18-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Friday.

Taylor Swift attended public school for 9th and 10th grade. But when her career began heating up, she needed more flexibility and switched to Aaron Academy, a private Christian school that offers home schooling.

"I never expected that my senior year would go the way it has," she said. "There's something really exciting about getting to live your dream and continue your education at the same time."

Swift's self-titled debut album has sold more than 3 million copies and produced hits including "Our Song," "Picture to Burn" and "Teardrops on My Guitar."

Taylor Swift, who is on tour with Rascal Flatts, is expected to release a new album this fall.

Amy Winehouse's husband sentenced to prison term

2008-07-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse's husband sentenced to prison term and was ordered to serve about 4 1/2 more months in prison on Monday after he pleaded guilty to attacking a pub owner in 2006 and then trying to cover it up.
Blake Fielder-Civil, 26, sat with three co-defendants before judge David Radford at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London as the sentences were read out.

"I read that you, Blake Fielder-Civil, were affected by drink and cocaine and that in that drunken and drugged state took part in this attack out of a mistaken sense of loyalty to your friend Michael Brown," Radford said.

He added that Fielder-Civil, who married Winehouse in Miami in 2007, "behaved in a gratuitous, cowardly and disgraceful way," and sentenced the former video assistant to 27 months in prison, of which he will only have to serve half.

Fielder-Civil's lawyer, Jeremy Dein, explained afterward that the sentence effectively meant his client had another 4 1/2 months to serve, having been behind bars already for about nine months.

Winehouse, 24, was not in court for Monday's proceedings. The Grammy-winning star has referred frequently to Fielder-Civil and the case during recent stage performances.

Brown, 40, who also pleaded guilty to the attack and conspiring to obstruct justice, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, while Anthony Kelly, described in court as the architect of the cover-up attempt, got 20 months.

The fourth defendant, James Kennedy, 20, was handed a suspended sentence.

WWE Summerslam 2008 Results

2008-07-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

Watch the WWE Summerslam 2008

Learn more about the WWE Summerslam 2008 Results...

Andy Dick was arrested

2008-07-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Andy Dick was arrested early Wednesday for investigation of drug use and sexual battery after the comedian allegedly pulled down a teenager's top, police said.

The former co-star of the TV sitcom "NewsRadio" was released from a detention center after posting $5,000 bail. Calls to his representatives seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Police were called to the Buffalo Wild Wings in Murrieta at about 1:13 a.m. to investigate a report of "an intoxicated male" urinating outside the bar and causing a disturbance, according to a police statement.

When they arrived, a 17-year-old girl told police that she was outside when Dick left the bar, walked up, "grabbed her tank top and bra and pulled them down and exposed her breasts," the statement said.

Friends escorted Dick to a truck, which officers stopped at a nearby Sam's Club, police said.

Dick was identified by the teenager and a witness, police said.

Marijuana and the drug Xanax were found his pants pockets during a search and he appeared "extremely intoxicated," police said.

Dick, 42, was booked at Southwest Detention Center in French Valley on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor sexual battery and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Dick has a reputation for crude behavior. He has been reported to have exposed himself to audiences at least twice. He was forcibly removed from the set of the show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last year after he repeatedly touched guest Ivanka Trump without her permission.

Also last year, Dick was cited in Columbus, Ohio, for urinating on the sidewalk. A comedy club owner in the city said the actor also made inappropriate comments while onstage, groped patrons, took women into the men's room and urinated on the floor and on at least one person.

In 1999, Andy Dick was arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana after driving his car into a telephone pole in Hollywood. He pleaded guilty but the charges were dismissed after he went into a diversion program.

Watch Silva vs. Irvin Fight Video

2008-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here is where you can watch free Silva vs Irvin video. The main event of the UFC Fight Night 14 is the Silva vs Irvin Fight (non-title light heavyweight match). You can also read the main card and under card match @ UFC Fight Night Free Video post.

Miss Venezuela wins Miss Universe

2008-07-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

Miss Venezuela wins Miss Universe. Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe 2008 during the 2008 Miss Universe pageant, hosted by Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown and Jerry Springer, in Nha Trang, Vietnam over the weekend.

Congratulations!!!!

Miss Universe 2008 Update

2008-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Eighty of the world's most beautiful women have converged on a stretch of the Vietnamese coast better known for war than glamour.

They were preparing for the 57th annual Miss Universe competition, which will be broadcast by NBC to millions of viewers across the globe on Sunday night.

Like her 84 million compatriots, Vietnam's 20-year-old contestant is hoping the show will let the world know about the new Vietnam, where commerce and fashion are thriving and war has become a fading memory.

"I want to introduce my country and my culture and our history to everybody," said Nguyen Thuy Lam, whose traditional costume is a Vietnamese ao dai, a colorful silk pantsuit. "I feel very confident when I wear the ao dai. I wish everyone would wear it and feel confident too."

The contest will be held in Nha Trang, a seaside city located next to a major American airbase during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.

Given the history of hostilities between the two nations, Miss USA Crystle Stewart has been impressed by the warmth of her Vietnamese hosts.

"The USA and Vietnam are working together, in cooperation and peace," said Stewart, a Texan who is writing a motivational book. "Hopefully we'll be role models for other countries."

The show will be co-hosted by British pop singer Mel B, known as "Scary Spice" during her days with the Spice Girls. She will be joined by American television personality Jerry Springer, host of "America's Got Talent" and a long-running tabloid talk show that often climaxes with angry guests cussing and brawling with one another.

Springer is clearly enjoying his new Miss Universe job.

"Whoa!" Springer said during an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday, as dozens of contestants strutted across the stage during a rehearsal. "This is a plum assignment."

The 80 contestants have been in Vietnam for nearly four weeks now, receiving intense coverage from the Vietnamese media as they met with local dignitaries, frolicked in their bikinis and participated in various charity events.

They were hard at work Saturday preparing for the show.

Miss Serbia, 21-year-old Bojana Boric, is eager to compete in the swimsuit competition.

"It's a very good feeling," said Boric, who enjoys modeling, cooking and extreme sports. "It's your moment. It's the moment when everyone will see your face, and everyone will remember."

Beauty pageants have been derided by many as exploitative of women, celebrating superficiality over substance. Sweden 2007 contestant dropped out after coming under pressure from pageant critics in her homeland, and the country is not sending a delegate this year.

But beauty contests are extremely popular in Vietnam, which is also hoping to host the 2010 Miss World competition.

After years of war and poverty, the country has been booming economically, and high-end cosmetics and fashion stores have sprouted up in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, the country's southern business hub.

"It's great to have Miss Universe competition here in Vietnam," said 18-year-old high school student Nguyen Thi Kieu My. "It will help to promote Vietnam's image in the world and bring in more tourists." Stay tune for the latest Miss Universe 2008 Update.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long end relationship

2008-07-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Justin Long and Drew Barrymore have ended their romance, the actor's publicist said Tuesday.

"I just wanted to confirm that, yes, they did break up," Carrie Gordon told The Associated Press in a phone interview, adding that the couple remain friends. Gordon didn't give further details.

Barrymore, 33, and Long, 30, co-star in the movie adaptation of the self-help best-seller "He's Just Not That Into You," slated for release next February.

The split comes as a surprise, given their public displays of affection since they began dating last year.

Long's big-screen credits include "Accepted" and "Dodgeball," and he's also the "Mac guy" in Apple's TV commercials. Barrymore's screen credits include "Fever Pitch," "50 First Dates" and "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial."

The lanky actor seemed smitten with the actress-producer, escorting her to red-carpet events including Madonna and Gucci's "A Night to Benefit Raising Malawi and UNICEF" party in New York City in February.

He was in the audience during Barrymore's recent appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. Beaming, Long gushed: "She's the most compassionate person I've ever met."

"This relationship is great," Barrymore told Winfrey. "It's healthy, it's productive, and it's supportive. It's full of humor and a lot of fun."

Will Smith | Hancock

2008-07-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Will Smith, the closest thing to a sure bet in Hollywood these days, flew to the top of the worldwide box office with his critically mauled superhero saga "Hancock," distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday

The comedy-drama, in which Smith plays a drunken crime-fighter with an image problem, sold an estimated $185 million worth of tickets, the Sony Corp-owned studio said.

Moviegoers in the United States and Canada contributed $107.3 million in the six days since the film opened on Tuesday evening, and the film racked up an additional $78 million in 50 territories. Columbia said the film opened at No. 1 in 47 of those 50 markets, including Britain, Germany, Australia, Brazil and South Korea.

The North American tally includes sales of $66 million for the U.S. Independence Day holiday weekend, beginning Friday. "Hancock" ranks as Smith's eighth consecutive chart-topper, and his 12th overall, Columbia said.

"Audiences love Will Smith and the characters he plays," said Rory Bruer, Columbia's president of domestic theatrical distribution. "People want to share in the things he's doing."

CRITICS VEXED

Smith, 39, a one-time rapper famed for his gung-ho performances, ventures into darker territory with "Hancock." His slovenly character's messy crime-busting efforts cause more problems than they solve, and he enlists a public-relations man, played by Jason Bateman, to help restore his reputation among the displeased citizenry of Los Angeles.

Critics were intrigued by the basic premise, but were vexed by a dramatic sub-plot involving Charlize Theron, who plays Bateman's wife. Peter Berg ("The Kingdom") directed the $150 million film, which was notably brief at just over 90 minutes.

Smith has ruled the July 4 holiday weekend five times, beginning with 1996's "Independence Day," the biggest movie of his career. Adjusted for ticket-price inflation, the "Hancock" opening ranks at No. 3 among those offerings, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

Last weekend's champion, Walt Disney Co's robot love story "WALL-E," slipped to No. 2 with $33.4 million for the three-day period, taking its 10-day total to $128.1 million.

The Angelina Jolie thriller "Wanted" fell one place to No. 3 with $20.6 million, also in its second weekend. Its 10-day total rose to $90.8 million. The violent comic book adaptation was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.

The only other debut in the top 10 was "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl," which jumped 15 places to No. 8 with a modest $3.6 million after two weekends of limited release. The kid-friendly film, based on the wholesome American Girl doll-and-book series, coincidentally features Smith's 7-year-old daughter, Willow.

"Kit Kittredge" was distributed by art-house studio Picturehouse, which parent company Time Warner Inc will shut down in the fall to cut costs.

Despite the "Hancock" boost, overall ticket sales ended a five-weekend winning streak, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers. The top 12 films grossed $158.7 million for the three days, down 4 percent from the year-ago period. Year-to-date sales are flat, while the number of tickets sold is down 3 percent, Media By Numbers said.

Angelina Jolie goes into hospital in France for twins's birth

2008-07-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie has checked into a hospital

in the south of France where she is expected to give birth to her twins, a hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Nadine Bauer, a spokeswoman for the Lenval Hospital in Nice, said Jolie was fine and everything was going well. She said the actress' admittance to the hospital's maternity wing had been planned for some time.

Jolie will almost certainly remain in the hospital until she gives birth, Bauer said. She says Jolie was admitted so she could be kept under normal surveillance — and is not expected to give birth immediately.

Bauer said Jolie was admitted recently but would not say exactly when.

"There's no urgency. It's been planned for a long time," she said. "She's very well. Everything is fine."

Jolie has said the babies are due in August. She and actor Brad Pitt have four children: Maddox, 6; Pax, 4; Zahara, 3; and Shiloh, 2.

The Brangelina clan has been settling into a new home in the south of France. They recently moved into the Miraval Estate villa in the French hamlet of Correns, in the Provence region. -AP

Alicia Keys to retire music industry

2008-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

According to contactmusic.com, the one and only talented R&B singer Alicia Keys has decided she wants to retire by the age of 30 from music industry. The 27-year-old Celebrity plans to spend the rest of her life travelling the world and enjoying her time. As a recall, Alicia Keys back in 2006, exasperated by the pressures of fame, she took a break from music and traveled to Egypt to recuperate discovering the power of the nature.

"I am working hard now so I have the choice to retire when I want. I would like to travel the world and stay in places instead of having to move on like I do now. I want to experience difference cultures." - says Alicia Keys

In other Celebrity reports, Alicia Keys joins the ranks of Carrie Underwood and 50 Cent as the latest celebrity to endorse Vitaminwater, with her own limited-edition label for Vitaminwater Multi-V Lemonade, which will reportedly debut in stores later this Summer.

Uma Thurman gets engaged

2008-06-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

The one-year Celebrity couple Uma Thurman and Arpad “Arki” Busson are engaged and soon to be married. The actress reportedly received a big diamond ring, actually it’s so big that “she can’t fit it through the sleeve of her coat”, if that counts for something. Uma Thurman reportedly wore it to a recent Elton John AIDS benefit. Family sources reveal that the engagement it’s a done deal and they’re already planning their wedding.

Miss Universe 2008 swimsuit photos

2008-06-25T08:24:00.001-07:00

Miss Universe 2008 pageant in swimsuit photos at the swimming pool of the New World Hotel in HCM City, Vietnam.

Britney Spears' return to LA begins with scuffle

2008-06-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears is back in Los Angeles, and it didn't take long for trouble to find her.

Within moments of arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening, Spears' entourage was involved in a scuffle with a paparazzo.

Between 30 and 35 photographers swarmed her vehicle outside the terminal before a bodyguard pushed a camera into a photographer's face, Los Angeles World Airport Police Sgt. Jim Holcomb said.

Holcomb said the paparazzo complained that the shove left a slight mark on the cheek, but cooler heads prevailed and no charges were filed.

The 26-year-old pop star was unscathed, and Holcomb said officers ensured she was able to leave the airport safely.

'The Incredible Hulk' smashes box office

2008-06-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

A bigger, better "Incredible Hulk" crushed the North American weekend box office with a $54.5 million take, according to studio estimates.

The action-oriented film revival starring the hulking green superhero is the second self-financed production from Marvel Studios, which paid General Electric Co's Universal Pictures a fee to market and distribute the film.

Marvel and Universal brought the first "Hulk" to theaters in 2003, but that more introspective film failed to follow through on its muscular debut after disappointing comic book fans.

The new film stars Edward Norton as former scientist Bruce Banner, who morphs into the green beast when his attempts at anger management fail. Banner's love interest is played by Liv Tyler, while actors William Hurt and Tim Roth take turns as villains.

Marvel Studios had creative control over "The Incredible Hulk," and the film won positive reviews, but critics did question why Marvel was returning to the green monster so soon.

"It seems like 'Hulk' has smashed those questions to pieces," said David Maisel, chairman of Marvel Entertainment division Marvel Studios.

Maisel added that the film was the second-strongest Father's Day weekend open.

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," also starring Marvel superheroes, rode the wave to No. 1 on Father's Day weekend 2007 with box office of $58.1 million, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers.

"Iron Man," Marvel's first self-financed film, came in at No. 7 after hammering home weekend sales of $5.1 million. The film has been in theaters for seven weeks and has pulled in domestic sales totaling $297.4 million.

Kelly cleared over child sex tape

2008-06-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

A Chicago jury has acquitted US singer R Kelly of all 14 charges of child pornography against him.

He was found not guilty of making an explicit sex video that prosecutors had said showed him having sex with a girl as young as 13.

Both Mr Kelly and the alleged victim, now 23, denied they were the people shown on the tape, which the jury saw.

If found guilty, he had faced up to 15 years in prison. His hits include She's Got That Vibe and I Believe I Can Fly.

The Grammy award-winning singer, 41, was arrested in 2002 after the video was leaked to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.

The tape, 26-minutes long, showed a man having sex with an underage girl.

Conflicting testimony

The prosecution's chief witness was a woman who said she had had three-way sex with Mr Kelly and the alleged victim from the video, Associated Press news agency reported.

The defence attempted to discredit the witness, saying she had tried to extort money from Mr Kelly.

The defence argued that the man in the tape did not have a large mole on his back as does Mr Kelly, and that the tape could have been doctored.

An FBI expert told the court the tape was not faked but that it was a copy which had been duplicated several times.

During the trial, some relatives of the alleged victim testified that the girl on the tape was not their family member. Other relatives said they recognised the girl.

Alanis Morissette continues channeling her anger

2008-06-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - Alanis Morissette is not the person Rob Thomas thought she was.

Matchbox Twenty and its lead singer once saw her as a Zenlike soul, Morissette told Newsweek for its issue hitting newsstands Monday.

"He kept saying that whenever I wasn't with him, his imagining was that I was levitating somewhere, meditating," the Canadian singer said.

But then, "we had the most debaucherous, entertaining, hysterical time together, so they were the first to say that their perception of me was a little off," she told the magazine. She did not elaborate on the debaucherous details.

Morissette is in the process of releasing her latest album "Flavors of Entanglement" and writing her first book, a compilation of essays, photographs and mood-boosting exercises.

She uses writing as an outlet for her anger, which she said is not directed toward ex-boyfriend Ryan Reynolds. The actor recently became engaged to actress Scarlett Johansson.

"I'm really happy for him," she said. - AP

Ashanti makes a comeback

2008-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Ashanti was one of music's hottest stars, with two multiplatinum albums and a Grammy under her belt, until her third disc, 2004's "Concrete Rose," landed like a brick on the music charts.

The album came out while the head of her music label, The Inc.'s Irv Gotti, was under investigation by the federal government (he was later charged with money laundering but acquitted of the charges). Ashanti blames the cloud surrounding the label for creating a climate that made it difficult for "Concrete Rose" to bloom.

Ashanti spent the next four years away from the music scene, but she wasn't completely out of the spotlight: She appeared in movies and was often seen on the arm of her beau, rapper Nelly.

This month, however, marks Ashanti's musical return — and she's doing it with "The Declaration." The CD already has a hit on its hands with the dramatic woman-scorned ballad "The Way That I Love You."

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ashanti talked about her yearslong absence from the charts, how heartbreak informs her music and why she has no hard feelings against Gotti, who was acquitted.

AP: You say your first single, "The Way That I Love You" was inspired by the television show, "Snapped" (which is about women who are pushed to their breaking points).

Ashanti: I was watching it and feeling the passion in the lyrics of the record. I was like, "Oh my gosh. This is perfect for a woman who has snapped." I wanted to do something to inspire the video and blow it out. We wanted to do something more cinematic as opposed to a regular music video since I have been gone for four years since my last album. It just made perfect sense to make that marriage between the record and the visual.

AP: Is heartache the best source of inspiration?

Ashanti: Definitely. As I said, it is almost like a double-edged sword. You take your pros and cons with it. Me as a writer, any experience is good because it allows people to relate to you. When you write about stuff that is sincere and it really happens to you that is what kind of gets people like, "Wow, she is writing about my situation right now."

AP: You have been away for a while. Were you worried about recapturing your fan base?

Ashanti: I don't think that I went through thinking there is not going to be room. I think it is really important, me as a person and me as an artist that you have to bring your own flavor to the table. Being that I write all my own records, that is my niche. I am never going to have a problem writing. I think that separates me from a lot of the females that are out. It is all about trying something different. Being that it has been four years it was really important to try something out of the box just to see. You have to keep the people interested and intrigued.

AP: A few blogs recently made fun of you, commenting on your weight. How do you deal with the criticism in this Internet/tabloid age?

Ashanti: Again, it is one of those things that is a double-edged sword. If there is something great and it is positive it is all good and with the click of a button, millions of people could know about it and chime in and give you your praises. On the other hand it could be something that is horrible and detrimental and someone could be exploiting you with a rumor or a lie or whatever they do with your picture. It comes with the territory. You have to take the good with the bad.

AP: Did Nelly help you with this album?

Ashanti: He definitely helped. He is a very passionate person when it comes to being in the studio. He likes to have fun, but he is so passionate about what he does and making things perfect and trying it. Just putting everything out there. Musically we come from very, very different places. I actually did learn a lot from him just about trying different things and being willing to do something different.

AP: Why did you decide to take total control of your record this time around?

Ashanti: I would say, if you are on a ship with people and someone picks you up and throws you out of the ship with people, you are either going to sink, or you are going to swim. I decided to swim. That sums up what happened.

AP: What is your relationship with Irv Gotti?

Ashanti: The situation is what it is. I am working on my project. Ja is working on his project. Lloyd is working on his project. I think it has been such a long time that everyone is working on their individuality. The trial took a toll on everyone personally and everyone's careers. This time around it is like focusing on the individual self, the projects and getting that music back out. No beef. I am really in a happier space right now. I have grown up so much and learned so much.

AP: Did you appreciate the break or were you yearning to be back on the music scene?

Ashanti: At times I looked at it like maybe this is a good thing. I got a chance to do "John Tucker Must Die." I got a chance to do "Resident Evil." At times I looked at it as I just want to get into the studio. I have this melody and idea and I think this would be hot. Again, you have to take the good with the bad. It is not like I decided to stop. Everything was yanked from me. When people say, "Did you appreciate it and you had your four-year break?" It wasn't really like that. It was more of (taken away). Now what?

AP: At a time when a lot of people are exploring and discovering their independence, you seem to be doing the opposite. Your mother is you manager. Is it difficult being 27 and having your mother always around?

Ashanti: My family, we are different. It is very close-knit. I can say things in front of my dad and my mom and I don't feel uncomfortable. There are certain things that I won't say. You have to live your life. I happen to have an amazing relationship with both of my parents so it is cool and I am comfortable. Do I tell them every single thing? No. - AP

Sex Sells: Women give Carrie and Co. $55.7M debut

2008-06-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES — Sarah Jessica Parker and her gal pals have not lost their sex appeal. The big-screen " Sex and the City " — reuniting Parker and TV co-stars Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — strutted to a $55.7 million opening weekend, far exceeding Hollywood's box office expectations.

That was nearly twice the forecast by distributor Warner Bros., whose head of distribution, Dan Fellman, said he had hoped the movie might deliver a $30 million debut.

"Women power," Fellman said. "It was outstanding this weekend."

Analysts had figured Paramount's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" might stay atop the box office heap, but it slipped to second place with $46 million in its second weekend. "Indiana Jones" raised its 11-day domestic total to $216.9 million.

"Sex and the City" put up numbers never before seen for a movie aimed mainly at women, who do not tend to rush out in huge numbers for opening weekends the way males do.

"Sex and the City," released under Warner's New Line Cinema banner, had the best debut ever for an R-rated comedy, topping the $45.1 million opening of "American Pie 2."

The movie landed at No. 5 on the all-time list among R-rated films, behind "The Matrix Reloaded" ($91.8 million), "The Passion of the Christ" ($83.8 million), "300" ($70.9 million) and "Hannibal" ($58 million).

"This is a blockbuster for women. This was to women what `Indiana Jones' and `Star Wars,' let's say, are to men," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

The movie picks up four years after the series finale, in which Parker's Carrie Bradshaw and her Manhattan buddies left behind their randy ways to settle into monogamous relationships. In the film, they deal with family and commitment issues while still flaunting their bawdy humor and trendy sense of style.

Hollywood skeptics had doubted the commercial prospects for a movie adaptation of "Sex and the City," which ended its six-year run in 2004. Originally airing on premium cable channel HBO, the show had a loyal but limited fan base and held little appeal for young males, the backbone of the box office.

However, "Sex and the City" mania grew as the movie's release approached, with many women organizing girls-night-out parties to see it with friends on opening day Friday.

"That's why Friday was quite a frenzy," Fellman said. "There were women that came in and bought out entire theaters in advance and invited all their friends."

Women made up 85 percent of the audience on Friday, Fellman said.

The movie pulled in $26.9 million on Friday. On Saturday, however, it took a steep drop with ticket sales dwindling to $17.7 million. Most big films take in more money on Saturday than Friday, so the decline was a sign that the audience for "Sex and the City" could dry up quickly.

Still, the film was on its way to becoming a $100 million hit that could spawn more sequels.

The weekend's other new wide release, Universal's fright flick "The Strangers," debuted solidly at No. 3 with $20.7 million. It stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple terrorized by masked invaders at their vacation home.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Sex and the City," $55.7 million.

2. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $46 million.

3. "The Strangers," $20.7 million.

4. "Iron Man," $14 million.

5. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," $13 million.

6. "What Happens in Vegas," $6.9 million.

7. "Baby Mama," $2.2 million.

8. "Speed Racer," $2.1 million.

9. "Made of Honor," $2 million.

10. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," $1 million.

A Pinoy plays Bruce Lee at Broadway

2008-05-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

History just might repeat itself.

Two decades ago, Cameron Mackintosh and company searched the world over for a girl who would play Kim in Miss Saigon, only to end up finding in the Philippines not just the Kim in the person of Lea Salonga but the other actors in the musical which turned out to be a megahit not just at the Royale Drury Lane in London’s West End where it opened in 1989 but in other parts of the world.

Don’t look now but a Filipino martial artist who sings just might bag the role in the Bruce Lee musical to be mounted in 2010.

“Who knows?,” said Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (news editor of the New York-based The Filipino Reporter) who filed the following exclusive:

Asian actors in Broadway, Filipinos especially, are exhilarated over the recent announcement by Elephant Eye Theatrical of the staging of Bruce Lee: Journey to the West, a new musical slated for New York sometime during the 2010-11season.

It’s not often that Broadway produces musicals or plays that utilize many Asian talents. Most of the time, you’ll be lucky to find one or two Asians in the cast.

Musicals like Miss Saigon, South Pacific or Flower Drum Song that employ mostly Asian performers come once in a blue moon. That’s why the coming of the Bruce Lee musical will give Asian talents another chance to shine on stage.

And like in Miss Saigon and Flower Drum Song, Filipino actors˜known for their generic Asian features and amazing singing and acting prowess˜ could also dominate the Bruce Lee cast. The likes of Paolo Montalban or Jose Llana may not land the title role but they can definitely grab a major role, ditto with the likes of Pinay Broadway stars Joan Almedilla, Rona Figueroa, Leila Florentino or maybe even Broadway royalty Lea Salonga.

There’s no casting yet for the role of Bruce Lee who died in 1973 at the age of 32, but it’s certain that the show will be directed by Bartlett Sher who is winning acclaim this season for his direction of the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of South Pacific.

Bruce Lee: Journey to the West will be based on the book by David Henry Hwang, author of M. Butterfly, and a score by David Yazbeck who wrote the music and lyrics for The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The choreography will be by Dou Dou Huang, artistic director of the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble.

Besides martial arts, the musical will feature Chinese opera, pop music and more as it traces Lee’s journey to film stardom.

It is interesting to note that the search for Miss Saigon prompted producers to travel across the world to find their Kim, a Vietnamese young mother, only to find her in Manila in the person of Lea Salonga and her understudy, Monique Wilson, so it’s not impossible that this could happen again — you know, Filipino talents in Chinese roles. I’m sure a lot of Filipino and Asian actors in New York will audition. Of course, aside from having those abs and muscles and “Ramon Zamora” looks, the candidate must also know how to sing while doing the flying kick or fighting with his chako.

Bruce is generally considered to be the most famous martial artist of the last century. His physical dexterity and mastery of martial arts propelled him to cinematic fame. He starred in only five feature films but his impact on society is regarded as having sparked interest in Chinese martial arts in the US.

Bruce is the father of Jun Fan Gung Fu, a martial art he developed. Jun Fan Gung Fu means “Bruce Lee’s Way of the Intercepting Fist.” Jun Fan Gung Fu heavily borrows from a myriad of martial arts styles and is meant to be a dynamic form allowing room for the student to adapt to their particular fighting style. This form of martial art is still being taught today.

While Bruce’s death is shrouded in controversy and conspiracy theories, his legacy is beyond dispute. Millions of fans have enjoyed his films, life and teachings. Bruce introduced the world to a new genre of action films and sparked widespread interest in martial arts among hundreds of thousands of young people.

James Bond returns in a new novel 'Devil May Care'

2008-05-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

LONDON - A catsuited model in stiletto heels strode the deck of a British warship with Royal Navy helicopters roaring overhead. It was not a bout of naval hijinks, but the year's most-hyped literary event — the publication of a new adventure for super-spy James Bond.

The larger-than-life launch Tuesday of the novel "Devil May Care" proves that 100 years after the birth of 007 creator Ian Fleming, the Bond brand is stronger than ever.

A large crowd of journalists and onlookers gathered to watch model Tuuli Shipster, whose silhouette adorns the cover of the book's British edition, bring the first published copies up the River Thames in a military speedboat before unpacking them aboard HMS Exeter, a destroyer moored near Tower Bridge.

"I can remember Uncle Ian's books being delivered wrapped in brown paper and string by a postman on a bicycle," niece Lucy Fleming said as she stood on the destroyer's gunmetal-gray deck. "The Royal Navy has upped the ante a little."

Britain's military appears happy to play up its ties to the fictional spy, who held the rank of Royal Navy commander before going to work for MI6. The navy loaned the Exeter and its 250-strong crew for an elaborate photo opportunity for "Devil May Care," written by Sebastian Faulks and published to mark Fleming's 100th birthday on Wednesday.

The choice of Faulks — a respected literary novelist whose books include the World War I novel "Birdsong" and the French Resistance saga "Charlotte Gray" — has brought the book serious literary attention, while the promise of sex, spying and exotic locales should help it become a best-seller. The hardcover print run in Britain and the United States is reported to be 400,000 copies.

Fleming, a journalist and wartime intelligence officer who died in 1964, wrote 14 James Bond books. Other writers, including Kingsley Amis and John Gardner, continued the series into the 21st century, with mixed results. But Faulks' license to thrill, which coincides with actor Daniel Craig's reinvigoration of the Bond film franchise, has generated a renewed sense of excitement.

"We didn't want a thriller writer," said Lucy Fleming, part of a family group that controls the author's estate. "We wanted someone who would read Ian's books and see how he did it." Faulks, she said, "has thought himself into Ian's mind."

Faulks said he even adopted Fleming's writing pace, churning out 2,000 words a day for six weeks. He says the resulting novel is about 80 percent Fleming in style.

The book's publishers — Penguin in Britain, Doubleday in the United States — are keeping its contents under wraps until it hits stores Wednesday. This much is known: the book has a 1960s Cold War setting; there are locations in Paris, Rome and the Middle East; there is torture and there is romance.

Bond aficionados were optimistic the result would be classic 007.

"Sebastian Faulks is the Daniel Craig of Bond authors," said Ajay Chowdhury, editor of the Bond fan magazine Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. "It's about quality."

Chowdhury was pleased to see a renewed focus on the books, which he said "show a deeper side of Bond."

"The Bond films are high school; the Bond books are university," he said.

This is a big year for Bond. In addition to the Fleming centenary, the latest 007 movie, "Quantum of Solace," is due for release in the fall.

Neither Faulks nor Fleming would speculate on whether "Devil May Care" would itself be filmed.

Faulks said, however, he would not be writing another Bond book.

"One tribute, one centenary, one book," he said. - AP

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's new $70M house in France

2008-05-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Celebrity Couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are currently in France where they plan to receive their unborn twins and purchased a brand new $70 million house in South France. The 1,000-acre estate has 35 bedrooms should be enough for the growing family.

Brad and Angelina intend to complete their move in the Chateau Miraval (and have their privacy) over the next three months; the house can be found in a village called Brignol also comes with a vineyard, lake, forest, fountains and moat!

David Cook is the new American Idol!

2008-05-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

The grown-up rocker triumphed over the smooth-voiced kid as David Cook claimed the "American Idol" title Wednesday, and it wasn't as much of a surprise as it seemed.

While the judges all but crowned 17-year-old David Archuleta the night before, the voters decided otherwise — and in a huge and unexpected way. Host Ryan Seacrest said before the results that that the margin was 12 million votes, and it turns out they broke in the favor of the 25-year-old from Blue Springs, Mo.

Cook was overcome by emotion, bending toward the stage after his name was announced. When he stood up, his eyes were filled with tears, the second time in as many nights that the scruffy, grainy-voiced belter had broken down.

"This is amazing," he said. "This is all your fault," he added, addressing his brother. The story goes that Cook was only tagging along with his sibling to the "Idol" auditions to lend support, and wound up getting on the show.

Cook immediately took the microphone and began to sing "Time of my Life" by Nashville singer/songwriter Regie Hamm, winner of the annual "Idol" songwriting competition, to close out season seven.

Cook refused to bow to the conventional during his three-song set Tuesday, with Collective Soul's "The World I Know" as his pick for a closing performance. He also sang U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and the power ballad "Dream Big," his choice from the songwriting competition's non-winning finalists.

"If I had to choose between playing a song that not a whole lot of people know that I could get behind, or the opposite, I'll choose the lesser-known every time," Cook told The Associated Press backstage Tuesday.

Judge Simon Cowell said at the time that the song choices sunk him, and told Archuleta that he'd scored a "knockout" in the boxing-themed performance finale.

Cook was unshaken, and now his choices are vindicated.

While "Idol" ratings were down all season, the final contest provoked a frenzy with a record 97.5 million audience votes cast by phone and text. Last year's total vote count was 74 million.

Early in the show, host Ryan Seacrest played it coy, announcing that the split between the two contestants was 56 percent for one David, 44 percent for the other. Of course he left in question who got the lion's share; that detail wouldn't come until the closing moments of season seven.

While Archuleta was showered with praise by the judges all season, online bookies and observers kept the faith with Cook. One Web site, which tracks busy signals on the separate phone lines dedicated to each contestant, projected him the winner correctly Wednesday morning.

By strict "Idol" standards, being rebellious turned out to be worth the gamble for Cook, whose hip and scruffy style and ability to work the camera with a soulful gaze also proved to have overwhelming appeal.

Cowell, who seemed to dismiss Cook and his chances of winning Tuesday, offered an apology in the moments before the winner was announced, saying he was too harsh and that it "wasn't quite so clear cut as we called it." Cowell even let on that, for the first time, he felt either finalist would have been a worthy winner.

Archuleta, of Murray, Utah, was the prodigy who consistently dazzled the show's judges and thrilled screaming young fans. He would have been the youngest-"Idol" ever if he'd won, beating last year's winner Jordin Sparks by mere days.

The teenager seemed to find the attention the show brought him overwhelming, often appearing to be speechless in the face of praise, but he was consistently professional onstage, with dulcet tones and poise that belied his shyness and tender age. He also became the focus of controversy when his father, Jeff, was reportedly getting too heavily involved in his son's rehearsals and asked by the show's producers to back off.

Archuleta made the most of his smooth voice Tuesday with Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," the inspirational ballad "In This Moment" and a reprise from earlier in the season of John Lennon's "Imagine."

Judge Randy Jackson exclaimed to Archuleta, "Dude, you are so good tonight. You are exactly what this show is about." And Cowell told the teenager: "You came out here tonight to win, and what we have witnessed is a knockout."

"I felt I had a disadvantage getting so much attention in the beginning. But winning isn't the big concern. It's always doing your best. ... That's what's important," he told The Associated Press backstage Tuesday.

During the show, viewers got songs from runners-up including Syesha Mercado, who dueted with Seal on his song "Waiting for You," and a solo on "Hallelujah" by dreadlocked Jason Castro.

Other "Idol" contestant and name-brand pairings: Cook with ZZ Top, Archuleta with OneRepublic, Bryan Adams with the top six male singers and Brooke White with Graham Nash.

"Brooke looks so much better than Crosby," Nash quipped backstage, referring to bandmate David Crosby.

The Jonas Brothers got the stage to themselves for a performance.

"American Idol" also celebrated the awfulness that is part of the show, usually confined to the early auditions, with a performance by failed contestant Reynaldo Lapuz that threw in University of Southern California cheerleaders and marching band members.

In Utah, Archuleta fans gathered to watch the finale took the loss like a collective kick. Mouths dropped, eyes widened and several teenage girls hugged and cried at a live viewing party at EnergySolutions arena in Salt Lake City.

"Did you feel that?" said Skippy Jessop, 30, his homemade sign now headed for the trash bin. "It felt like a punch in the gut. We all just stood there with our mouths hanging open."

But fans say this won't be the last note from Utah's newest favorite son.

"He's still a winner for sure," said Cecily Estrada, 19, who attended Murray High School with Archuleta. "He's gonna be big no matter what."

He's already scored one big endorsement: Toward the end of the live, two-hour broadcast, Archuleta was featured in a "Guitar Hero" commercial in which he reprised Tom Cruise's lip-sync routine from the movie "Risky Business." Instead of an air guitar, Archuleta played the small, plastic replica instrument from the popular video game.

But on Wednesday, it was the real guitarist who struck the biggest power chord.

Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie in 1920s lost child drama

2008-05-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Clint Eastwood directs Angelina Jolie in a gripping 1920s drama based on the true story of a woman whose search for her missing son forced her to confront the Los Angeles police and a serial child killer.

There was confusion on Tuesday over the name of the movie, one of 22 entries in the main competition at the Cannes film festival this year. It was originally titled "The Changeling" but production notes re-named it "The Exchange".

Based on archives from Los Angeles City Hall that were about to be destroyed until screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski rescued them after a tip off, the story is about working class mother Christine Collins whose nine-year-old son goes missing.

A police force in desperate need of positive publicity says they have found the boy, but when Collins insists the child is not hers she is subjected to a smear campaign and sent to a psychiatric ward for five days.

With the help of a charismatic pastor, played by John Malkovich, Collins goes in search of the truth, exposing corruption and incompetence in the police force along the way.

Separately, a serial child killer is caught, and the two storylines begin to emerge.

"This woman, through her tenacious attitude, brought down the whole police department and the whole political structure -- the mayor was not re-elected," Eastwood said after a press screening, where "The Exchange" was applauded loudly.

"It's a great study on human characteristics, this one mother fighting against the whole city," added the 77-year-old.

Jolie, a mother who is also pregnant with twins, said it was a difficult role to play. The actress, 32, started working with Eastwood shortly after making "A Mighty Heart" in which she portrayed the pregnant wife of slain reporter Daniel Pearl.

"Certainly so much of it is being a mother and imagining, if this was happening to me, my pain and my frustration," she said.

"I lost my mother a few months before the film and to me she (Collins) is very much like my mother. My mother was very passive in many ways and very, very sweet but when it came to her children she was a lion."

MYSTIC RIVER, DIRTY HARRY

Comparisons were drawn during the press conference between "The Exchange" and Eastwood's "Mystic River", which stars Sean Penn who is also president of the jury deciding the awards in Cannes this year.

Eastwood even saw parallels with his role as a tough cop in "Dirty Harry", released 37 years ago.

"It also showed a tenacious police officer who wanted to fight against political bureaucracy all for the defense of the victim," he said.

Asked why he did not have an acting role in his latest movie, Eastwood replied:

"I'm too young to play one of the boys. There was just no role for me and I'm gradually, as you've probably noticed, working my way around to spending more time behind the camera than in front. That's something that is an inevitability."

Early critical reaction suggests Eastwood could be a strong contender for the coveted Palme d'Or for best film in Cannes.

"If you are going to come to a film festival that has a competition, you might as well be in the competition," he said.

"Whether you win something or not is not the point of it. A lot of good films have won and a lot of not-so-good films have won. That's the same with any awards ...like the Academy Award ... and what happens happens."

Jessica Alba quietly marries Cash Warren

2008-05-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry, guys. Jessica Alba's "taken" status is legal. The 27-year-old actress quietly wed producer Cash Warren on Monday, her publicist, Brad Cafarelli, said Tuesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Cafarelli didn't give further details.

The pair became engaged in late December following Alba's announcement that she's expecting a baby with Warren, 31. They met on the set of the 2005 film "The Fantastic Four," which costarred Alba and employed Warren as a director's assistant.

Her wedding, first reported Monday by People.com, was such a quiet affair that even her brother, Josh Alba, was apparently caught off-guard. When reached by Us Weekly magazine with the news, he responded: "My sister!? I'm going to have to call her!"

When asked if Warren was good husband material, Alba said: "Well, he's my brother-in-law now!"

Alba's recently appeared in "Awake," "Good Luck Chuck" and "The Ten." The sex symbol first gained fame as an action star on TV's "Dark Angel," then in films including "Fantastic Four" and "Sin City."

Besides a baby, Alba is also expecting two films this summer: "Meet Bill," in which she plays a lingerie saleswoman who helps turn life around for a loser, and "The Love Guru" with Mike Myers as a self-help weirdo trying to patch things up between a hockey star and his wife.

Alba charts high in men's magazines' lists of the "sexiest" women in the world. She was No. 1 to FHM readers last year, and dropped to No. 3 this year (with "Transformers" star Megan Fox claiming the top spot). Alba sued Playboy in 2006 for putting her picture on its cover without her consent, but dropped the action the following month when Playboy donated to two charities Alba supports and Hugh Hefner wrote a letter of apology.

Mike Tyson basks in Cannes glory

2008-05-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been cheered at the Cannes film festival after the red-carpet premiere of a moving documentary on his turbulent life.

Tyson, dressed in an elegant dark grey suit with a white pocket handkerchief, mounted the stage late on Friday after the screening at the world's biggest cinema showcase, flanked by director James Toback.

"Jim, he just elicited all this stuff out of me, I don't know how he did it," a visibly moved Tyson said as Toback fought back tears.

The retired fighter, who has put on weight in recent years, flew to the French Riviera from his suburban Las Vegas home with a major entourage for the premiere of "Tyson", which combines more than 30 hours of interviews with highlights of his boxing career.

Toback, best-known for his 1978 drama "Fingers" which was remade into a hit French movie in 2005, said before the screening that he believed he had succeeded in presenting Tyson as a "complex and iconic and noble human being".

Festival chief Thierry Fremaux, who introduced the picture, described "Tyson" as "a very special film that conveys the memory of a man and the memory of a sport."

The picture takes Tyson, who turns 42 next month, from his humble beginnings on the mean streets of Brooklyn to his phenomenal rise as a boxing champion, through his epic fall marked by addiction, humiliation in the ring and a rape conviction.

Told entirely from Tyson's point of view, the portrayal is flattering, showing the gentle giant with the high-pitched voice and a lisp taking the long view of his rocky past and extraordinary career.

Tyson left the cinema before the film began, shaking hands and posing for pictures with fans.

The documentary is screening in the festival's "Un Certain Regard" sidebar section. The Cannes film festival runs to May 25.

Shania Twain splits from husband

2008-05-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES - Canadian country star Shania Twain has separated from her husband of 14 years, reclusive record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, People magazine reported on Thursday.

It quoted a spokesman as saying, "This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time." Twain, 42, and Lange, who is in his late 50s, have a a 6-year-old son named Eja.

The marriage between the sexy singer and the secretive Svengali famed for his work with such metal acts as AC/DC and Def Leppard, was an unlikely -- but highly lucrative -- partnership.

Lange produced Twain's three blockbuster albums, which have each sold more than 10 million copies in the United States. The glossy efforts, complemented by steamy video clips, crushed the barrier separating country and pop.

Like many men, Lange was entranced by one of Twain's videos, the first of many in which she showed off her famed belly button. He called her persistently, and they agreed to collaborate professionally. Six months after they eventually met, they married in December 1993.

Unlike many superstar producers, Lange has not given an interview in decades and is rarely photographed. He did not even appear in the official wedding photo Twain distributed to the media.

But his fingerprints were all over Twain's huge trilogy of albums, 1995's "The Woman in Me," 1997's "Come on Over," and 2002's "Up!" More arena rock than traditional country, the albums were packed with catchy hooks and lyrics celebrating female empowerment.

The couple avoided the spotlight by dividing their time between a chateau near Geneva and a luxury farmhouse in New Zealand.

Angelina Jolie stays cool at Cannes

2008-05-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

CANNES, France - Angelina Jolie, pregnant with twins, has some secrets for staying serene at the Cannes Film Festival: get her partner, Brad Pitt, to baby-sit, and wear comfy shoes on the red carpet.

Jolie was at the festival Thursday to promote DreamWorks' animated "Kung Fu Panda." She'll be busy at Cannes, as she also stars in Clint Eastwood's "Changeling," which is also been shown.

But the mother of four — soon to be six — swears she's not working too hard.

"I'm sitting and talking a lot, and everybody's being very nice to me," Jolie told reporters. "If I was feeling too pregnant everybody said I didn't have to come."

The 32-year-old actress also confirmed that she's thinking about giving birth in France.

"I actually haven't completely decided, but we are certainly thinking of France," Jolie said. "It's a second language in our house. I'm still learning so I'm not going to attempt it here today, my rusty French. But our children are starting to speak French, so being here is very good for them for their language."

She also revealed a red carpet beauty tip.

"I'm going to do a shoe ad right now — Cole Haan makes a shoe with a Nike sole, so I have a low heel with a Nike sole," she said.

While Jolie was being swarmed by photographers, Pitt was taking care of their children. He was joining her later for the "Kung Fu Panda" premiere.

"He's with our kids right now, but he'll get his suit on at the last minute, I'm sure," she said.

Jolie is the voice of an assertive tigress and martial arts maestro in "Kung Fu Panda," which also features the voices of Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman. The actress says she's not a fierce feline at home.

"I think I have a very even partner right now, and I think we're very balanced at home with our power-sharing," she said. "But I think every woman in some way is a tigress or would like to be."

The end.

Stars at Sex and the City lunch

2008-05-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of screaming fans have greeted the stars of the Sex and the City movie at its world premiere in London.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon all got a noisy reception as they arrived on the red carpet in Leicester Square.

"This is a miraculous and simply unforgettable night for all of us," Parker told the BBC.

Fans have waited four years to see the big screen version of the hugely popular TV series.

Sarah Jessica Parker arrives at the Sex and the City premiere

The film will be released in cinemas on 28 May.

Cristina Aguilera in Stephen Webster Jewellery Ad Campaign

2008-05-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

The newest Celebrity mother Christina Aguilera, got back to work and showed up in the new ad campaign for jewellery designer Stephen Webster. The pop singer - Christina Aguilera - was the inspiration for the recent London based designer’s sterling silver range of designs, which includes two lines entitled Shattered and Superstud. You can guess how honored is Christina to be a part of this campaign.

She was a real coup for us. She’s our longest-term regular client and the right age for the brand. We think she’s in the most glamorous period of her life right now, and she is the main source of inspiration behind the collection.
- said Webster -

Tom Cruise "Mission" not imposible: Movie Exec

2008-05-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

EOUL (Reuters) - Sumner Redstone, the executive chairman of cable network and movie studio owner Viacom Inc, will not oppose the casting of Tom Cruise in the next installment of the "Mission: Impossible" movie franchise.

"That's really up to Brad Grey, who runs Paramount, he will make the decision," Redstone said on the sidelines of Seoul Digital Forum on Tuesday.

"What I can say is, I consider Tom Cruise a great actor and a good friend, and if Paramount decides to go ahead with him, I will not object."

Viacom is Paramount's parent company.

Redstone in 2006 told the Wall Street Journal that the studio was not renewing a 14-year relationship with Cruise's production company, saying "his recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."

The separation came in the wake of widely reported public relations setbacks that the star suffered at the time. His publicity faux pas ranged from his manic, couch-hopping profession of love for actress Katie Holmes on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to his strident denunciations of psychiatry.

Redstone's words at the time signaled the end of one of the most lucrative production deals commanded by an A-list Hollywood star and followed other signs that Cruise's stature had been damaged by his conduct during that year.

But recent media reports have speculated that Cruise would be back starring as agent Ethan Hunt for another "Mission: Impossible" movie.

Nick Canon gives Mariah Carey a $2.5 Million wedding ring

2008-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

It seems that various source have confirmed the engagement and other sources the wedding between the Grammy Award-winning songbird Mariah Carey and actor/rapper Nick Cannon. I, for one, believe it’s just a major publicity stunt! Mariah has some romance experiences and she wouldn’t jump into marriage after one month of dating. Anyway, continuing with the reports, Jacob & Co.

Jewelers have confirmed that they designed the $2.5 million engagement ring actor/rapper Nick which represents a special gift to his lady love Mariah Carey. Nick opted for the 10-carat platinum and pink diamond engagement ring which features fifty-eight pink diamonds and two half-moon diamonds on each side.

Gisele Bundchen - World's Top-Earning Model 2008

2008-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

According to recent news, former Victoria’s Secret star Gisele Bundchen has topped Forbes Magazine’s list of the World’s Top-Earning Models for the second year in a row. The 27-year-old model - well known from fronting promotional campaigns for Pantene, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors - reportedly earned an estimated $35 million in 2007 being followed by Heidi Klum - $14 million, Kate Moss - $7.5 million, Adriana Lima - $7 million, and Doutzen Kroes - $6 million.

Fergie's Sex and the City Soundtrack

2008-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Celebrity singer Fergie has signed up to do a little work for for the “Sex and the City: The Movie” soundtrack. The Black Eyed Peas feminine side, Fergie is contributing with “Labels or Love,” a pop song for the television show’s classic theme music - which is being used in its beginning and end.

Paris Hilton to host a pet TV show

2008-04-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

British media reports that 27-year-old socialite Paris Hilton will host a satellite TV show about pet grooming. “The animal loving” reportedly signed a deal with Britain’s Living TV television channel to star in ‘Paris’ Pooches’. The series would chronicle Paris’ experiences running an LA-style salon for dogs on Bond Street in London according to Britain’s Sunday Star newspaper.

James Bond film car plunges into northern Italy lake

2008-04-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

ROME - The car being used in the latest James Bond film plunged into a lake in northern Italy while being driven to the set.

Producers say the driver of the Aston Martin was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. They say James Bond's iconic car was being delivered to the filming unit in heavy rain on Saturday morning when it went off the road and plunged into Lake Garda.

Italian state TV has shown footage of the smashed, black car being hoisted out of the water.

"Quantum of Solace" is the newest film in the 007 series. It stars Daniel Craig and is due for release later this year.

Vanilla Ice Arrested

2008-04-14T04:16:00.001-07:00

WELLINGTON, Fla.—Vanilla Ice was released from jail Friday following his arrest on a charge of simple battery for allegedly pushing his wife.

The 39-year-old rap performer was arrested Thursday night at the couple's Wellington home in South Florida. Police said his wife called 911, saying he had kicked and hit her during an argument over buying a bedroom set. She later told deputies he had only pushed her.

Police said Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, denied pushing her.

He was freed Friday after appearing in court.

It wasn't immediately known if he had an attorney. His agent, Tommy Quon, said he hadn't heard about the arrest and couldn't comment.

Vanilla Ice spent a night in jail in 2001 after being arrested following a domestic dispute.

He sold 15 million copies of the single "Ice Ice Baby" in 1990..

Toni Braxton hospitalized in Las Vegas

2008-04-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS - A hotel official says Toni Braxton has been hospitalized in Las Vegas. Flamingo Hotel-Casino spokeswoman Deanna Pettit says the 40-year-old singer has an undisclosed ailment that isn't life-threatening. Braxton was taken to a hospital Monday night.

Pettit says she expects Braxton to be released Tuesday afternoon.

Pettit says she doesn't know the nature of Braxton's ailment or where she was when she became ill.

Braxton is performing at the Flamingo hotel.

Pettit says Braxton didn't have a show Monday night and she expects Tuesday's show to be canceled.

Whole Foods California

2008-04-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Just a short post to share you the complete list I found for those who are looking for Whole Foods Store in California.

Now you don't need to scourge the net just to find the direction and map for the various Whole Foods Locations in California. All you have to do is visit Whole Foods California list, CTRL+F and thats it.

Address, phone number, zip and even store hours at the tip of your nose. :)

Here is the Link: >> Whole Foods California

Beyonce and Jay-Z got married

2008-04-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

After years of speculation, singer Beyonce Knowles wed her longtime boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, on Friday, a friend of the couple's tells PEOPLE.

Though there is no official confirmation, the friend says, "It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair – close friends and family."

The ceremony was followed by a lavish party at the rapper's Tribeca apartment that drew Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles, her father/manager Mathew, her sister Solange, her Destiny's Child mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and the couple's friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

The wedding buzz began when the couple went to get a marriage license at a village hall in Scarsdale, N.Y., on Tuesday.

Playboy Magazine - Philippine Edition

2008-04-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

American adult magazine Playboy has launched its first ever Philippine edition, triggering protests from the country's conservative Roman Catholic Church, but promising to avoid full-frontal nudity.

The local issue promises to be tamer than other editions sold across the world and will seek to avoid offending local sensibilities, editor-in-chief Beting Laygo Dolor told AFP.

Madonna is earning millions

2008-04-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

According to reports, Madonna is earning millions from her new album ‘Hard Candy’, even before its release! That’s something! The pop Celebrity has signed contracts with companies including Vodafone, Unilever and Fuji. The brands will is using her music to sell products: hairspray, mobile phones and so on. Thanks to the deals Madonna’s album receives free global publicity following its release.

Jessica Simpson hospitalized for kidney infection

2008-04-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

The pop singer and wanna-be-actress Jessica Simpson was hospitalized over the weekend for a kidney infection, which was the cause for the Jessica’s high temperature. The 27-year-old star’s rep has confirmed that the star checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Friday, where she remained over the weekend for close observation and was later released.

Cameron Diaz

2008-03-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz was among the lucky winners who took home a trophy from this year Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. During the ceremony which was held at the Pauley Pavilion, Ashton Kutcher presented Cameron Diaz the Wannabe Award for being the best role model. Last time when Cameron Diaz picked up a Kids Choice award was in 2001 for her burping skills.

Ramiele Malubay

2008-03-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ramiele Malubay is the Filipina (Pinay) who made it as one of the 24 finalists in
American Idol season 7. She is a native of Miramar, Florida

Alicia Keys Fresh Takes

2008-03-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

RnB Celebrity Alicia Keys is starring in a new micro-television series called ‘Fresh Takes’ which is airing in commercial breaks across four weeks during the return of MTV’s ‘The Hills’. Each episode lasts just three minutes where Alicia Keys is starring as a public relations executive. The new micro-series, created by Dove beauty products and featuring a soundtrack from the singer, centers around the lives of three 20-something girls all living together in New York City. The “Fresh Takes,” which premiered last night during “The Hills” on MTV, celebrates the launch of new Dove go fresh, a fragrance-driven product collection.

Pamela Anderson and Rick Solomon Marriage offically annulled

2008-03-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

According to recent news, Pamela Anderson’s two-month marriage to Rick Salomon was officially annulled Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

TMZ reports that Pamela promised Rick they would have children together and the actress was pregnant at the time the Celebrity couple separated. The two “love birds” (at that time) married in Las Vegas on Oct. 6 during a 90-minute break between the magic shows in which Pamela Anderson was appearing.

In other Celebrity news, Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson were spotted together with their two sons, Brandon and Dylan this Easter Weekend.

The marriage was annulled on grounds of fraud. Initially, when Pam filed legal papers back in December, she was asking for a straight divorce. But on February 22, documents were filed asking for an annulment, citing fraud.
- according to press reports -.

Justin Timberlake buys Jessica Biel $50,000 necklace

2008-03-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

According to recent celebrity news, Justin Timberlake has reportedly bought a $50,000 necklace for actress girlfriend Jessica Biel on Madonna’s recommendation. Justin Timberlake had been working a lot a time with to the pop diva on her forthcoming album Hard Candy, which apparently upset Jessica Biel a little. Anyway their romance are going strong as the pop singer in order to make up for all the time lost between them, gave her a sparkling white gold and emerald chain. Justin Timberlake is said to have bought the a beautiful white gold and emerald chain from exclusive jeweller H Stern and offered her the jewelry at her home in Los Angeles.

FERGIE denies pregnancy rumors

2008-03-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Black Eyed Peas star Fergie, by real name Stacy Ferguson, has denied rumors she is expecting her first child with fiance Josh Duhamel. The Celebrity singer sparked speculation she was pregnant after she was seen with a shapely figure while dining out with her beau at Hana Sushi in Santa Monica earlier this month. Not only Fergie’s representative but also Duhamel’s spokesperson denied the pregnancy reports.

In other Celebrity news, Fergie recently performed at the 2008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo bringing up the world of pop music in Texas in a white t-shirt, brown trousers, oversized belt buckle and a cowboy hat.

Pussycat Dolls in L.A. fashion week

2008-03-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Pussycat Dolls couldn’t miss the chance to show us and offer us the option to buy a piece of some sultry PCD-wear. According to AP/Fox News, the girls were on the scene at the Mercedes Benz 2008 Los Angeles Fashion Week to promote their new line of intimate wear.

The Pussycat Dolls rocked the stage as the audience were being attracted by the idea of having PSD’s new range of lingerie. The models were baring more skin than the band, who performed in their usual mix of racy leather and Nicole was looking really conservative.

The line was presented by creator Robin Antin, the mastermind behind the Pussycat Doll phenomenon, she put the Pussycat Dolls together, succeeding in launching them from cabaret-burlesque act to pop star band.

Sarah Jessica Parker wins ShoWest Award

2008-03-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

According to recent reports, Sex and The City star Sarah Jessica Parker receive the inaugural ShoWest Vanguard Award recently at the ShoWest 2008 Banquet and Awards ceremony which held at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Film and TV star and fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker who wore a simple mini shift dress along with long white pearls.

In other Celebrity news, Sarah Jessica Parker - who plays sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw in the hit US TV show - has revealed that her Sex and the City character is �?fundamentally changed�? in the new movie. The 42-year-old actress says the character is drastically different because Sex and the City: The Movie picks up a few years after where the show left off. Sex and the City: The Movie will be released worldwide at the end of May.

Download Free NDS Games

2008-03-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Remember my post about my new Nintendo DS Crimson Edition? The day when I first encounter the beautiful slim, dual screen handheld Nintendo DS Lite handheld console. The same day, I test run the "New Super Mario Bros" and to be honest I find it really amusing!. Nintendo DS really rocks..
To suffice my addiction here I compiled the Nintendo DS Lite games and posted some quick review to my game blog. You want to know how to get these nds games?

Follow this link to learn more>> Nintendo DS Lite Games for free.

Michael Jackson Neverland Ranch SAVED

2008-03-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson has refinanced Neverland ranch in time to save his famed California spread from a public auction that was scheduled for later this month.

Jackson attorney L. Londell McMillan told the Associated Press on Thursday that the pop star has worked out a "confidential" agreement with Fortress Investment Group, LLC. The deal allows him to retain ownership of the famed property in Los Olivos, California.

A source close to the singer who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said it's not clear whether Jackson will keep Neverland. Jackson has not lived there since his acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005.

2008 Bb. Pilipinas World wants to be a reporter

2008-03-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Pilipinas - world winner Jenina San Miguel is unfazed by intense criticizm of her lousy grammar during the competition's question and answer portion.

A YouTube clip showing her verbal faux pas on national television has already passed the half-million mark in views, and comments about the clip fairly sizzle with scathing remarks ridiculing her. Many of those comments, however, were also written in atrocious grammar as well.

The 17-year-old San Miguel said that she aspires to a career in broadcast journalism, the reason for here taking up a course in mass communication at the University of the East.-via abs-cbn interactive

Jessica Simpson enjoys Kuwait

2008-03-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

The singer and wanna-be-actress Jessica Simpson was yesterday in Kuwait City to support the troops. Jessica will join the Pussycat Dolls, rock act Disturbed and comedian Carlos Mencia in a concert for U.S. troops in Kuwait.

The event will be broadcast live on MySpace.com at 2P.M. ET; you can watch it live at FOXNews.com. Jessica is enjoying her time in Kuwait adding that much of her time has been spent filing the numerous autograph requests.

Catherine Zeta - Jones in Sydney

2008-03-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

Catherine Zeta-Jones showed up in Sydney, Australia this weekend promoting her new movie “Death Defying Acts” along with co-star Guy Pearce. The 38-year-old Hollywood actress has attended the launch of their new film Death Defying Acts at the Sydney Opera House. “The film focuses on the famous Harry Houdini (Pearce), who offers a reward for anyone who can contact his departed mother whose death has haunted him.
Zeta-Jones plays the deceptive psychic, Mary, who along with her young daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan), con Houdini into a dangerous affair.”

Obviously, my career is expanding and I am a mother and so I’m not going to be rip-roaring in corsets playing a 19-year-old because I’m not, I’m 38 years old. I’m actually really lucky and glad these other roles have come along and I can play a mother.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones said -

Matt Damon wins an Empire Award and expect a second baby

2008-03-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

It’s a happy time for Hollywood actor Matt Damon, as he received an Empire Award for Best Film, and also is expecting with his wife their second child. The 2008 Empire Awards ceremony was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London and Matt Damon won Best Film award for The Bourne Ultimatum.

Matt Damon’s wife Luciana, 32, was spotted having a baby bump while walking the red carpet with the actor at the Empire Awards in London recently. The Celebrity couple, who confirmed the pregnancy, are already parents to Isabella, born June 2006, and Alexia, 9, from Luciana’s previous marriage.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Hollywood actor is currently in Morocco filming CIA drama Green Zone.