In 2002, Jennifer Lopez titled her 2002 album 'This Is Me ... Then.' Well, make no mistake, in 2005 this is she ... NOW!
Welcome to the next phase in La Lo Life, which embrasses music, film, perfume, fashion. The new Epic album, Rebirth, arrived today, March 1.
According to MTV, the music world just wouldn't be the same without the soulful, stylish and seductive J. Lo. This March the star of Song, Style and--some would say--Hollywood also, returns to musical performance with Rebirth, her fourth album in 5 years.
The airwaves and the streets are already pulsing to sounds of her frenetic first single 'Get Right' and the club-rocking remix featuring Fabolous. Besides being an accomplished actress, budding fashion designer, and businesswoman, this dynamo from the South Bronx is one of pop music's premier artists, selling over 35 million albums worldwide.
On Rebirth she gives a glimpse into the life of a diva with guest shots from Fat Joe and production from Rich Harrison. And best of all?
Ms. Lo has permitted MTV.com a 'Leak' http://www.sirsearch.com/pages/search_frame.aspx?searchUrl=http" title="http://www.sirsearch.com/pages/search_frame.aspx?searchUrl=http" target="_blank"http://www.sirsearch.com/page...%3a%2f%2fwww.sirsearch.com%2findex.cfm%3fst%3d1%26source%3ds irsearch%26action%3dsearc h%26surl%3d%26pc%3dssd%26 arg%3d%26version%3d%26uid %3d%26l_page%3dpages%252f default_sirsearch.aspx%26hit_code%3d1%26key words%3dj%2blo%2brebirth% 26tab%3dweb%26near%3d0%26 r_page%3dpages%252fresult %252fresult_ss_120904_us.aspx&clickUrl=click.cfm%3frurl%3dhttp%253a%25 2f%252fwww.shotsdaily.com%252f2005%252f02%252fj _los_rebirth.php%26ct%3dalgo%26l_page% 3dpages%2fdefault_sirsear ch.aspx%26r_page%3dpages%2fr esult%2fresult_ss_120904_ us.aspx peek into the new album, which includes:
1 - Get Right 2 - Step Into My World 3 - Hold You Down (Featuring Fat Joe) 4 - Whatever You Wanna Do 5 - Cherry Pie 6 - I Got U 7 - Still Around 8 - Ryde or Die 9 - I, Love 10 - He'll Be Back 11 - (Can't Belive) This is Me 12 - Get Right (Featuring Fablous)
Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman Among Winners for Million Dollar Baby
He's an Academy Award nominee and one of the truly great actors of his generation. Morgan Freeman is also someone who doesn't suffer folks gladly, is outspoken if need be and manages to effortlessly glide from mainstream Hollywood to its Indie world.
Here's an earlier interview with the celebrated actor:
The esteemed actor will play cold renegade soldier whose obsession with hunting aliens is imminently self-destructive in the Steven King's Dreamcatcher, which opens this week. While in Levity, which opened this year's Sundance Film Festival, he plays a mysterious priest who stumbles into the life of an ex-con who returns home. Add to that Freeman's recent Hollywood star of fame and talk of war, and Morgan Freeman is never short of an interesting word as Paul Fischer discovered when he spent some time with the actor earlier this year during chilly Sundance, and discussed both films and other topics in between.
Paul Fischer: Because you do so many studio movies and big films, where do you fit in the time to do a little film like Levity, and how do they come to you?
Morgan Freeman: Well you know you never get time for anything; you MAKE time. So, if a nice little project comes along - I shouldn't even say a little project because every role has its own size and importance and some times it's the smaller independent films that give you the most work to do.
P.F: Does doing a movie like that kind of re-energize you in some ways as an actor?
M. F: I'm not sure, I know what you mean, but I'm not sure that re-energizing is what is going on, but it does offer you better work. The work that you're going to do is going to be more in your line of work you know, because there are those of us actors who function better in action situations and don't have to do too much transitional work. And, then there are actors who really enjoy the transitional work, which I do, and that's what I eat up.
P.F: The older you get is it easier or harder to find the really good roles?
P.F: Probably the older you get the harder it is because most of the writers are young writers, trained on television and writing for a young audience, so...
P.F: And yet you're never out of work?
P.F: I am, it just doesn't seem that way.
P.F: I mean do you get bored or frustrated when you're not working?
P.F: No I have enough toys and things to keep me busy.
P.F: Your boat and ...
P.F: My boat, my plane, my horses. Between those three I'm fine. You never know when you career is over until after it's over. If the phone doesn't ring for three months, you start thinking. And, after six months you know, well let's look at your retirement plan -----
P.F: Well what would you do if you couldn't act anymore?
P.F: If I couldn't act anymore I'd probably be a paraplegic or something so...
P.F: Really?
P.F: Yeah.
P.F: It still gives you that sense of being?
P.F: Yeah, I mean that's all I've ever been. I guess if I was still mobile, I would produce and become a full time producer.
P.F: You do attach yourself to films as a producer?
P.F: Yes I do because I have a film company and we've got a lot of projects in the pipeline.
P.F: That you're going to be in or just produce?
P.F: We'll yeah; I'll be in some of them, not all of them.
P.F: You have this I guess onscreen reputation of being the master of sedate or do you like to use gravitas?
P.F: Love gravitas oh boy.
P.F: Because it's a word that comes up often when we talk to you at press junkets.
P.F: Yes.
P.F: Are you tired of it?
P.F: Well yeah, I guess I'm tired of the aura of it. At the same time I choose my own films so that's not you know....
P.F: So you partly have yourself to blame.
P.F: Yeah. I have only myself to blame but I don't know why it is but it just seems like the best stories that I read appeal to me.
P.F: What about the character in Levity?
P.F: I wouldn't see gravitas in this guy, I saw...well, let me go back because maybe that is what defines yeah, too, gravitas. You can get away from the idea of it, you know. The actuality of it, the actual presence of it...whatever it is that comes and, obviously, it has to do with the gravitas' character.
P.F: Right.
P.F: And so, I think that probably...because maybe it tests too much...
P.F: Did you always feel acting to be a realistic profession to embark upon?
P.F: Yes.
P.F: Is it something you need to do?
P.F: Yes, absolutely.
P.F: Why?
P.F: Because that's who I am. I was always able to pretend full out and nothing else that I even contemplated interested me for more then, you know, a couple months at a time.
P.F: What was the worse thing you had to do while you were struggling as an actor?
P.F: Um, work as a counter man at Lee's which was like working at McDonalds. The worse thing I ever did because...I guess it was because it didn't pay at all and they wouldn't let you get tips.
P.F: Really?
P.F: Yeah. And I got the job after I had done my first real card carrying professional job as a dancer, and that show closed and I couldn't get anything else, so I had to wind up going to work at Lee's and I remember one night, one of the dancers that I had worked with, a guy named Bob, who came in and got a hot dog and saw me behind the counter and said what are you doing here?
P.F: Well, that must have been hard for you.
P.F: Sort of.
P.F: So do you bring in your life experiences to your work now as you look back on those days?
P.F: I always look back. I always remember where I came from and I'm always amazed at where I am.
P.F: Why does that amaze you?
P.F: You have to know where I came from.
P.F: Yeah, but you didn't have it easy?
P.F: It was a small town in Mississippi. And then at the same time, that gave me this perspective. If you know what you want, you can obtain it. For those of us who don't know what we want, we have trouble getting there.
P.F: You now live in that same small town in which you grew up, right?
P.F: Yeah. I moved back there.
P.F: Why was that important to you, at this time in your life, to move back there?
P.F: I moved back about 12 years ago and I did it because I live in Mississippi and having travelled around the country, the world, particularly the country, I have discovered that there was no place to go to hide from racism. If it's a problem for you, it's a problem for you. You just find it wherever you are. And I was really sick of the urban scene being packed in with eight million other people, living in a box, you know, remembering that my parents had it. And they moved back to Mississippi four years before and I'd go back and sit and realize how absolutely beautiful and peaceful it was. That's how I grew up, just kind of sitting, you know, taking my fishing cane and going down to the creek and catching fish and sitting in the China berry tree and dreaming.
P.F: Sounds very idyllic.
P.F: Well it was, but you have to put it into perspective to realize it.
P.F: So when you make a movie and shoot in cities around the world, do you enjoy getting back there as quickly as possible?
P.F: Yes. I almost never hesitate. I never stay in a place beyond, gosh I, you know...if I go someplace I'm only going to be a couple of days and the company gives me a couple more days just to sight see and I'll, I'll take that, but if I'm working three months in a place or even three weeks, most of the time I want to go home.
P.F.: Ironic since your next film is going to be shot in Paris.
P.F: Yeah. I, I agree with you, but the...the story is engaging, very engaging.
P.F: What's the name of the film?
P.F: It's called Danny the Dog.
P.F: And who is Danny the Dog?
P.F: Me. The human pit bull.
P.F: And you play the gravitas in this movie?
P.F: Very serious gravitas.
.P. F: Have you ever worked with Luc Besson before?
P.F: No, I haven't.
P.F: Odd Frenchman.
P.F: Yeah, I know he is. That's what I like about him.
P.F: Really?
M.F: Yeah. I like the things he's been attached to.
P.F: What kind of character do you play ?
M.F: I'm going to play a piano tuner. A widow piano tuner of a teenaged daughter.
P.F: Now I know you hate the cold so from that perspective was Dreamcatcher a tough shoot for you?
M.F: No. It really wasn't and the reason it wasn't was that they spent a fortune on arctic clothing for it. You know, we had these boots that kept us that far off the snow. Everywhere you went they put on heat at you.
P.F: Was that an interesting experience, generally, making the film?
M.F: Yeah. It was a very interesting experience working with Larry Kasdan.
P.F: Did you relish being the kind of villain in the piece?
M. F: He's not a bad guy. Only in that people who are entrusted with a mission who get messianic about it, he's gotten really dedicated to this and he's just on his way around the bend. His young protégé can see it and doesn't quite know what to do about it until somebody gives him some insight.
P.F.: How about dealing with special effects which are plentiful?
M.F: That's good moviemaking. He's not depending on the effects to make the movie. If the characters hold you and you're not just waiting for the next CGI, that's good.
P.F.: What's the appeal of Stephen King do you think?
M.F: I think the appeal is there because Stephen is not just a prolific writer but a really good writer, an excellent writer. If you look at the things that were made into movies, they were made into movies because they were really well drawn character studies. In the scary ones, the ones outside of things like Shawshank, what do you want for visuals? Carrie for instance. That was a character.
P.F: What about Bruce Almighty?
M. F: Full blown comedy. It's a situation where I just go on vacation for a while. He says to me at one point, 'You're God, you can't go on vacation.' And my answer is, 'Did you ever hear of the dark ages?' I don't make jokes, but he has a sense of humor.
P.F: Now you've talked about politics in the past and stuff like that...
M.F: I try not too actually. I got no business talking about politics.
P.F: Are you generally optimistic about what's going on in the world. Are you concerned? Are you worried?
M.F: Oh, I'm very worried about what's going on in the world at the moment because we have this Napoleonic president, by Napoleonic I mean he's a man who just seems to need to search himself. It doesn't make sense. I don't have any love loss on Saddam Hussein. If he needs to be removed from office, fine. You have to find the right way to do it, but going to war, nah, with the people. To do what. What is the real reason? Because he's harbouring weapons of mass destruction?
P.F: So, it is with North Korea?
M.F: So, it is with North Korea...
P.F: Right.
M.F: Why are we acting to acquiesce to this? We do not need the Iraqi oil. We have Kuwait oil...It's the same pool. That's why Kuwait's there. That's why Kuwait was set up. You think that country could exist there without somebody backing it?
P.F: Yeah. Absolutely.
M.F: We're talking about a piece of Iraq. So, we keep this. That's my noise. I am terribly upset about the whole thing. Name: Morgan Freeman D.O.B: June 1, 1937 Place of Birth: Memphis, TN, USA Spouse:Myrna Colley-Lee Jeanette Adair Broadshaw(ex-wife) Children:Alfonso, Saifoulaye, Deena, Morgana Fan Mail: C/O William Morris Agency 151 El Camino Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA
Oscar Winner, Best Suporting Actor, "Million Dollar Baby"
String Cheese Incident to Put Soundboard Recording of Shows Online
Soundboard recordings from shows along the Spring Ski Incidents tour will be made available just days after each show at www.livecheese.com.
This spring, The String Cheese Incident plans to take advantage of this season’s record snowfall along the western slopes. They hope you’ll join them along this epic run of music and skiing, including outdoor shows at the base of the slopes in Park City and Whistler B.C!
LiveCheese
Soundboard recordings from shows along the Spring Ski Incidents tour will be made available just days after each show at www.livecheese.com. These shows will be available for purchase via download, as well as in CD packaging. Visit www.livecheese.com for information/orders.
The spring tour will begin with three nights at Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium and, in the tradition of SCI’s Winter Carnival, will feature very special guests: New Orleans legend Dr. John, innovative rocker Perry Ferrell (aka DJ Peretz), and bluegrass bandits RonnieMcCoury, Rob McCoury and Jason Carter. Keep a look out for after-show parties each night!
After a day of rest the band will head west, armed with boards and instruments, to play on some favorite ski destinations. Highlights of the run are sure to include a two day stop in Park City where after a full day tackling Utah’s powder, SCI will play one long afternoon set on Sunday April 3 at the base of the mountain. You won’t need a ticket to enjoy the show… but buy your deeply discounted ski lift tickets at SCI Ticketing and save money! Discounted lift tickets go on sale February 1st while supplies last.
After hitting Jackson, Bozeman and Spokane the tour will wrap up in beautiful British Columbia. This will include another afternoon show - this time at the base of majestic Whistler & Blackcomb Mountain. The show will kick off the 10th anniversary of the annual TELUS World Ski & Snowboarding Festival – North America’s largest snowsport and music event.
Foxy Brown has literally been living in studio; Owes Chun King 10s of thou$and$
Foxy Brown, who's been stuck in musical purgatory since her 2001 album Broken Silence, stumbled again last night when she was kicked out of Chung King Studios in New York. The rapper had been recording a new album for Def Jam at the studio, but some kind of dispute erupted and the police were called to remove her from the premises. A source told the New York Daily News that Brown has been living in the studio, literally, but owes the facility "tens of thousands of dollars." Neither Chung King or Def Jam shed any light on the incident in comments made to the Daily News.
Houston, Whitney: Pop Diva Falls ill on Flight to Paris
"I will be giving little updates on my dogs (Lacy, Lucky & Bit Bit) and posting photo's of them. Hope you enjoy it!"
Britney Spears has added a new 'Dog's Crib' to her official website, to discuss her dogs Lacy, Lucky, and Bit Bit. Spears said in her first crib entry on Wednesday: "I hope none of you really took my comments seriously when I was talking about Bit Bit and [Paris Hilton's Chihuahua] Tinkerbell. I was just being silly and of course I think that Tinkerbell is very cute. Who knows? Maybe they will have a little play date together!"
Jack Osbourne, a co-star of MTV's "The Osbournes," was recently jacked to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars while enroute to Europe, when thieves made off his watches, jewels and more. Jack spoke top reporters about the theft and who might be behind it.
"Everything was gone," Jack said. "I had a lot of jewelry in there. A Rolex, a Harry Winston watch, a Franck Muller, a lot of cufflinks, a necklace my dad gave me."
The young Osbourne said that on February 11th, he was on his way from Los Angeles to London when the stash was lifted -- about $400,000 worth. Did somebody identify Jack as the son of rocker Ozzie and decide to go for the gold? Jack said he's pretty certain it was airport security that stole the valuables from his suitcase before it was moved into the cargo hold.
"They're supposed to be on the front lines of national security in America and they're stealing stuff out of people's suitcases," Jack observed. "It's kind of sickening actually, they obviously don't give two ***** about their jobs!"
The escapades of the notorious Osbourne family have been chronicled on their MTV reality show, and real life has seemed to deal the cussin' clan a number of tough blows, from mother Sharon's battle with cancer, to sister Kelly's substance abuse, to poppa Ozzie's near-fatal bike crash. And just a few months ago, the Osbournes were robbed of $2 million worth of jewelry at their English estate.
When Jack told his mom about this latest incident, "She thought I was joking," Jack related. "She said we're on a bad luck streak right now."
But the laid-back Jack seems to take it in stride, telling us, "At the end of the day it's just things."
And Jack told us there will be no reward offered for the jewelry's return. "I think having a reward out for things kind of encourages crime," he explained "Think about it, you do something bad and somebody's going to pay you for it. I think it's the wrong way to approach it."
So did Jack learn anything from this experience? Well, from now on he's bringing his goods onboard when flying -- and he'll listen to his friends since, he said, "A few friends called me stupid."
Meanwhile, reports that Jack wants to become a firefighter are not true, but he will be part of a new British wrestling show. When we asked him if he'll be doing the wrestling he told us, "I do not wrestle whatsoever. I host the ITV2 show. I'm not that desperate yet."
Young Jack has been involved in a rather noble cause recently in Los Angeles. We know he once suffered from his own substance abuse problems but recently he's been on the school circuit promoting drug awareness.
Martha Stewart Returns to Living As Columnist; Star Power Has Grown
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY.Martha Stewart's homecoming party has officially begun. The domestic diva, 63, who is nearing the end of her five-month sentence at a West Virginia prison, will return to Martha Stewart Living as a columnist beginning with the April issue, Living editor Margaret Roach says.
In the March issue (on newsstands now), Roach also reveals that Stewart has spent her time behind bars foraging for wild edible greens such as dandelions, glazing a ceramic Nativity scene for her mom, teaching a nightly yoga class, crocheting toy opossums for her dogs, and reading "voraciously," including Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One. "That's the thing about Martha — she is always Martha and never idle or distracted or down," Roach writes. "She remains ever the can-do optimist, starting letters even from prison with sentences like, 'Today was a pleasant day,' and, after a passage looking ahead to 2005, ending with 'Let the fun begin!' "
Roach's note also was posted on MarthaStewart.com, in a new section titled "News from Martha." The editorial embrace marks a U-turn for her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which distanced itself from Stewart after she was convicted of lying about a stock sale. But since she entered prison, her star power has only grown.
In December, she announced plans to host a daytime show next fall. Earlier this month, NBC revealed a spinoff of The Apprentice with Stewart at the head of the boardroom table. Stewart is set to be released March 6, when she begins five months of house arrest. She will not return to Turkey Hill in Connecticut, her home of 30 years, but to Bedford, N.Y., where she is renovating an estate she bought in 2000, Roach says. And yes, she has already ordered her spring seeds.
Famous for her Sweet Back, J Lo Now Has Attention on Her Sweetface, too.
Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley said: “I loved it. It was fabulous. Everything was relevant because it looked like her.”
Jennifer Lopez presented her collection at the end of New York fashion week.
The Sweetface line, which is based on Lopez’s own public image and personal style, was launched to a cynical audience of fashion editors, retailers and journalists.
The clothes for next autumn included some key trends such as unstructured shapes, metallics, as well as this season’s cropped trousers.
There was also glamour in the sexy baby doll dresses and tops as well as chiffon embellished with crystals and diamond studded denim.
She also showed satin pants and luxurious cashmere sweaters as well as fur on evening dresses and coats. The pop diva and actress sent the models down a runway covered in crystals.
Reaction from some of the established fashion pack was surprising as expectation was quite low to start with. Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley said: “I loved it. It was fabulous. Everything was relevant because it looked like her.”
It seams that Jenny from the block has added another string to her bow and has another hit on her hands.
The 33 pop diva has only been designing for three years and doesn’t regard herself as a fully fledged designer.
She said that the new collection is just the start of her fashion career and she does not regard herself as in the same league as Christian Dior Designer John Galliano.
The line is called Sweetface and the inspiration is Lopez ’s own style and image that the public are familiar with.
The collection will include a range of items including cashmere tops, velvet jackets, fox furs and fedoras. Although the singer added It’s about making a smaller line, with better quality and better fabrics.
Lopez has always had a love of fashion quoting Madonna’s style as an inspiration to her as a young child.
Michae Lohan, Estranged Father of Lindsay Lohan, Demanding Reality... Or Else!
The New York Daily News reports Lindsay Lohan's estranged father Michael recently sent the teen queen's mom, Dina, a letter demanding that she and Lindsay participate in a reality show, 'Living With the Lohans' - or else: "Otherwise we go full-boar [sic] and the lawsuits start, the kids get subpoenaed, forensics are done, witnesses are called in, the press gets involved and people go to jail for fraud," Lohan wrote.
Michael Lohan, who's in trouble again for an alleged drunken driving wreck over the weekend, isn't above threatening his family to make megabucks and stretch his 15 minutes of fame. What's behind Lohan's not-so-veiled threats? Greed, apparently.
"The producers for the show have spoken to networks [that] are all interested," Lohan wrote. "They estimate that we can get $50 million to $100 million for two seasons." Lohan wants to "put the divorce on hold during the time of shooting only" and offers to "split the net back end 5-0/50" with his long-suffering wife.
Father of the Year included his breezy treatment for "Living With the Lohans: Over or Starting Over" (which we've obtained), pitching it as a cross between "The Osbournes" and "War of the Roses." "A new reality TV series ... of the biggest star in Hollywood and her family. ... Behind the scenes with Lindsay on the set, in the recording studio and just being Lindsay!
Follow her mom, Dina, as she visits Lindsay, negotiates deals and assumes her role as mother. ... All while Lindsay's controversial dad, Michael ... deals with legal problems. "Join the Lohans ... as they go through what could be one of the decade's most controversial celebrity divorces. ... Will celebrity and millions of dollars tear them apart? Or will they beat the odds and put their life and family back together?"
Lohan's not hallucinating: New York magazine reports this week that Disney Chairman Dick Cook, former Paramount chief Sherry Lansing and Buena Vista Entertainment President Nina Jacobson have been taking Lohan's calls and have agreed to meet with him about his show. "This way, we'll all make a lot of money," he concluded in the letter to Dina, "and nothing comes out in the press." Except for this.
Eminem won the Life Time Achievement Award from MTV and TRL. Eminem responded to the honor with the premiere of his latest video, Mockingbird, continuing the incredible access he gives to the fans in his life. It was an emotional moment for the artist who combined footage from home videos to lyrics only he could pen. His life, the pain of his climb to the top of his art, still gripping by its honesty. His art must be healing for him. Eminem is planning a tour for this summer 2005. Details to come.
Jessica Simpson: Will John Mayer Replace Nick Lachey ?
Nicole Richie: "It's basically over with her and Nick, right?"
It was wall-to-wall celebs at the pre-Grammy party thrown by industry legend Clive Davis at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 12. But despite the presence of Hollywood heavies like Alicia Keys and Usher at the glitzy affair, all eyes were on singers Jessica Simpson and John Mayer, who, according to an eyewitness, spent most of the night huddled together in deep conversation, thanks to Jessica's dad, Joe. "
Joe was practically throwing them together," says the eyewitness. Joe wants Jessica to record a duet with John, 27, best known for his single "Your Body is a Wonderland" (which he is said to have written about well-endowed then girlfriend Jennifer Love-Hewitt). "John was staring at Jessica's breasts most of the night."
By the next day, the news of the possible Jessica-John pairing had made its rounds in the industry. At the big EMI party after the awards, a gossipy Nicole Richie said that "everyone was talking about" the two. "They were practically hooking up at Clive's party," she told a source, adding, "It's basically over with her and Nick, right?"
HE FLIRTS
Well, not yet, even though it seems Jessica, 24, may be giving Nick a dose of his own medicine. As Star reported last week, Nick was seen flirting up a storm with (and getting phone numbers from) a gaggle of beautiful women at Super Bowl after parties. Just last week, Nick, 31, continued flirting with two young women inside the Star Bar at NYC's Ritz-Carlton Hotel, while Jessica was promoting her new edible cosmetic line, Dessert Beauty.
A witness said Nick and his brother Drew had just arrived at the hotel after a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. They instantly struck up a conversation with two young women -- one blonde and one brunette -- with whom they flirted and ogled for at least 20 minutes that evening. When one of the women got up to go to the bathroom, Nick's eyes followed her.
The singer seemed in great spirits until he heard that Jessica's tour bus had pulled up outside. "Drew went out to the bus, came back and said something to Nick," says the source. "And Nick replied, 'What is she bitching about now? I can't deal with this.'He just looked like he wanted to continue drinking, relaxing, and talking sports."
Christina Aguilera Steals Fashion Spotlight at Roberto Cavalli Opening
Christina Aguilera stole the show at the launch of designer Roberto Cavalli's new Beverly Hills store on Tuesday night, when she showed off her new five-carat engagement ring. The pop superstar was joined by new fiancé Jordan Bratman, who proposed to the singer last week. Aguilera confessed she had no idea she was going to be on the other end of a proposal. She said, "He did a good job. He knew what he was doing. He had me completely and totally fooled. I thought it was a big Valentine's surprise." Other celebrities attending the new store launch included fellow newly-engaged star Nicole Richie, Jack Nicholson, Salma Hayek and Cindy Crawford.
US Magazine scored an exclusive interview with Christina Aguilera this week. The pop star revealed that her fiancee Jordan Bratman presented her with a five-carat diamond ring, which was designed by the same jeweler who made wedding bands for Madonna and Guy Richie. Christina told US that after a romantic Valentine's dinner, Jordan sent her on a scavenger hunt, which included poems as clues. The final clue contained the proposal!
Christina says, "It was unbelievable. Every cute thing he did, I totally thought was just a Valentine's Day surprise - he got me!
"He sent me on a scavenger hunt. My mom used to do scavenger hunts for me when I was a kid, so it had sentimental value. Each clue was a poem - and in the final clue he proposed!"
Bratman, 26, gave Aguilera a 5-carat diamond ring designed by jeweller STEPHEN WEBSTER, who also made wedding bands for MADONNA and GUY RICHIE.
And while Aguilera is thrilled with her engagement, she admits she's yet to decide on when she'll walk down the aisle.
She adds, "I'm finishing my album, so we haven't set a date yet. But it's definitely given me inspiration to make my best record ever."
Jake Nava Directs Destiny's Child Video for 3rd 'Fulfilled' Single
Destiny's Child will be Nude, Tastefully, in Jake Nava Video
In related news, the ladies from Destiny's Child will be showing just how "bootylicious" they are in the music video for "Cater 2 U"--the third single from their double-platinum album Destiny Fulfilled. MTV.com reports that--according to a video treatment--the girls won't have to worry about a big costume budget because they'll be shown--tastefully--wearin g absolutely nothing. Each singer will be shot in her own desert scene, with Beyonce on a diving board, Michelle in a lounge chair and Kelly on a deserted road.
The video will be directed by Jake Nava, who lensed Beyonce's "Naughty Girl" and "Crazy In Love," and more recently Lindsay Lohan's "Over" and "Rumors." During the same week they filmed "Cater 2 U," Destiny's Child shot the video for their song "Girl," with a Sex And The City-inspired theme. The video is directed by Bryan Barber, whose credits include "Hey Ya," "Roses," and "Ghetto Music" for Outkast.
D'Child to Tour Asia, Australia, Europe
Additionally, Destiny's Child will begin the overseas leg of their "Destiny Fulfilled...and Lovin' It" in April with stops in Asia, Australia and Europe. The tour is in support of their triple-platinum album Destiny Fulfilled, which is Number 14 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The first concert will be in Hiroshima, Japan on April 9, and the tour will wind up in Dublin, Ireland on June 9.
Beyonce Ready, but Minnie Driver, Whose Signing Was Dubbed in Phantom, Unable to Perform Due to Schedule.
Beyonce will be singing two more Oscar-nominated songs at the Academy Awards--in addition to her previously announced duet with Josh Groban. Beyonce will perform "Look to Your Path" from Les Choristes, accompanied by the American Boychoir, and "Learn to Be Lonely" from the Phantom Of The Opera at the event on February 27. Billboard.com reports that there was speculation actress Minnie Driver would perform "Learn To Be Lonely," but sources say she was unable to appear due to scheduling conflicts.
Driver appears in the Phantom Of The Opera, but her singing was dubbed for the film. Driver did sing "Look To Your Path" which is played during the film's closing credits.
Beyonce and Groban will sing "Believe" from Polar Express. Carlos Santana and Enrique Iglesias will do the Oscar-nominated song "Al Otro Lado Del Rio," which is from the Motorcycle Diaries.
The 77th annual Academy Awards will be handed out February 27 at The Kodak Theatre in Hollywood and broadcast live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Rape of Paris Hilton 'Sidekick' Puts Eminem, Aguilera ... on Alert
According to The Drudge Report, the FBI is investigating that unlisted and super-secret telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the stars were obtained by hacking Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick, including Eminem, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, Andy Roddick, Ashlee Simpson, Victoria Gotti, Vin Diesel, Anna Kournikova and more. "I gave her my number after we met in Miami, I did not know she fu**ing kept it on her cellphone," one star moaned. Suddenly, I feel violated. I need to go out and get a couple of dozen condoms or my cellphone.
Usher Throws Exclusive Post Grammy Party at The Geisha House
3LW, Alyssa Milano, Destiny's Child star Beyonce Knowles, Camp Freddy's Billy Morrison, Blu Cantrell, Da Brat, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam, Lil' Scrappy, Lil Jon, Mos Def, Nelly, No Doubt, Ray J, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, and Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash were on hand for Usher's Exclusive Post Grammy Party held at The Geisha House in Hollywood, California on Sunday (February 13).
Jordan Bratman Pops Question During Recreation of Romantic Interlude in India
Aguilera Shocked When Romantic Dinner Turns to Bratman's Proposal
NEW YORK — Christ ina Aguilera says she was shocked when a Valentine surprise turned into a marriage proposal. The 24-year-old pop diva says music executive Jordan Bratman, her boyfriend of two years, popped the question at Big Sur, Calif., last Friday after recreating a romantic dinner the two had while touring India in the fall.
"It was unbelievable," Aguilera told Us Weekly magazine. "Every cute thing he did, I totally thought was just a Valentine's Day surprise — he got me!"
"He sent me on a scavenger hunt," she said. "My mom used to do scavenger hunts for me when I was a kid, so it had sentimental value. Each clue was a poem — and in the final clue he proposed!"
The 26-year-old Bratman gave Aguilera a 5-carat diamond ring designed by jeweler Stephen Webster, who also made wedding bands for Madonna and Guy Richie.
"I'm finishing my album, so we haven't set a date yet," Aguilera said. "But it's definitely given me inspiration to make my best record ever."
Her hits include "What a Girl Wants," "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful."
Jordan Bratman and Christina Aguilera Dined Out on Valentine's Day
Jordan Bratman and Christina Aguilera Photo from St. Valentine's Day
Christina Aguilera and fiance Jordan Bratman were photographed arriving at a restaurant for Valentine's Day on Monday (February 14) in Santa Monica, California.
Oh, by the Way.......
Christina Aguilera's mother Shelly Kearns was asked about the numbers hacked from Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick, and responded that the numbers posted on the web are not Aguilera's. Kearns told LiveDaily user tangled_up_in_me: "No, these aren't her numbers. God bless whomever's numbers they really are, because I bet they are getting flooded by people calling & wondering why. I don't know why people do these things, but every so often I'll run across this. I truly appreciate you letting me know, though, just in case. It's always best to check to be on the safe side! Can you please spread the word for me, directly from me that no, these aren't Christina's numbers?"
Lamont Bently played Hakeem Campbell on sitcom Moesha.
Lamont Bentley, who was a regular in the 1990s sitcom "Moesha" and appeared frequently in television and movies, was killed in a car crash, his manager confirmed Wednesday.
Bentley died Tuesday night when his vehicle plunged off the San Diego Freeway, Susan Ferris told The Associated Press.
"He went off the embankment and was ejected," she said.
He was the only person in the vehicle.
Bentley, 31, played Hakeem Campbell, the longtime friend of Moesha Mitchell in the UPN sitcom "Moesha."
He was returning from a screening for an independent short film entitled "Shards" when he was killed.
"This is a big year for him," Ferris said. "We were very excited because he was coming into his own. It's like a candle being snuffed right out."
Bentley had appeared in a number of films, including "The Wash," "The Breaks" and "Tales From the Hood." He played rap artist Tupac Shakur in "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story."
He also made guest appearances in such TV shows as "The Parkers," "The Proud Family," "NYPD Blue" and "Clueless."
The Milwaukee native and father of two daughters began his career after moving to Los Angeles with his mother, an aspiring singer.
The health of Bernie Mac is no laughing matter. According to Eonline.com, the Chicago comedian and star of The Bernie Mac Show has been living with the rare disease of Sarcoidosis since 1983. Although the disease, which causes inflammation of the body's tissues (most frequently in the lungs), isn't usually life threatening; Mac was hospitalized after taping the “Ocean's Eleven” sequel, which starred Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. The site reports that Mac had double pneumonia, which weakened his lungs and his entire immune system, and the Sarcoidosis symptoms became pronounced. Mac’s illness caused a delay in the taping for his Fox TV sitcom, however he assures "I still walk, play basketball and do normal things...Since Sarcoidosis hasn't slowed me down, then it shouldn't be a concern for others."
What Cause Sarcoidosis? No one yet knows what causes sarcoidosis.
It is thought by most scientists to be a disorder of the immune system, where the body's natural defense system malfunctions.
Some physicians believe that sarcoidosis may result from a respiratory infection caused by a virus. Others suspect that exposure to toxins or allergens in the environment is to blame. Researchers are looking for answers to this and many other questions about sarcoidosis.
Which Organ Are Affected? The disease can attack any organ of the body in any location. The disease is characterized by the presence of granulomas, small areas of inflamed cells. They can be either inside the body or on the body's exterior, appearing as sores on the face or shins. But sarcoidosis is most frequently found in the lungs.
Pulmonary sarcoidosis can cause loss of lung volume (the amount of air the lungs can hold) and abnormal lung stiffness.
Granulomas can appear on the walls of the alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) or on the walls of the bronchioles (breathing tubes in the lungs). They also appear in the lymph nodes in the chest, causing them to enlarge.
How Long Can the Patient Expect to Live? Most people with sarcoidosis can lead a normal life. The sarcoidosis patient should follow his or her doctor's directions. When drugs are prescribed, they should be taken faithfully just as the physician directs.
It is particularly important that sarcoidosis patients do not smoke, and avoid exposure to dust and chemicals that can harm the lungs.
Even after sarcoidosis heals, and symptoms go away, patients should have a check-up and an eye exam every year.
Houston Summer's former manager, Andrew Rowe, says Summers was diagnosed schizophrenic.
Depending on who you talk to, R&B singer Houston's eye injury is the result of either mental illness, spiritual crisis or just an accident, writes Rashaun Hall of MTV.
"Houston is going through spiritual warfare right now," Houston's bodyguard Marco Powell said. It's like good versus evil. He grew up in a Christian family, and since he's signed his record deal he's been subjected to, in his own words, 'sins and devils in the business' like drugs, alcohol and all this stuff that he's not used to. He didn't want to be around that. He just wasn't happy with management — he just wasn't happy. He didn't know which way to turn."
Powell was in London with the 21-year-old singer the night Houston gouged his eye out and insists it was not a suicide attempt.
Blood on the Floor "The night of the incident, we had dinner at the hotel," Powell recalled. "After dinner, he went to his room to read the Bible. He is an avid reader of the Bible. After I finished eating, I went upstairs to check on him and I noticed blood on the floor. Houston usually has really bad nose bleeds. So I asked him, 'Are you OK? Is your nose bleeding?' He said, 'Yeah, my nose is bleeding but I'm cool. I will see you in the morning. I can't wait to get back to L.A. with my family.' He was lying on the bed with a towel over his face, so something told me it was more than [just a nose bleed]. So I walked into the room to talk to him, I pulled the towel off of his face, and that's when I saw that he had gouged his eye out.
Houston Showed No Pain "He showed no pain and he had no remorse," Powell added. "He said he had to do it. He said that that had freed him from everything. He was happy after that. He said he was changed and was ready to go. That symbolic statement basically freed him from all the pain he was in. He feels like he is closer to God now."
Sister Defends Her Brother Billie Summers, Houston's sister, also says the suicide rumors are untrue.
"Houston is a Christian and he does know that if he attempted anything like that he'd be doomed," Summers said. "His managers, Reno Rankin and Andrew Rowe of On Point Productions, are no longer his managers, so they are trying to slander his name. While Houston was on the road, their contract [with him] ended and there were rumors that they were going to try and slander my brother's name. I believe they're the ones calling up the radio stations, MTV and BET and giving false info."
Former Managers Have Their Say However, On Point's Rankin and Rowe offer a different portrait of the singer.
"Houston has a sickness," Rowe said. "There's nothing to hide. He needs to be treated so he doesn't harm himself worse than he did, or someone else."
According to Rankin, he, Rowe and a Capitol Records representative took Houston to a psychiatrist themselves while the family remained in denial. They say the singer was even treated at UCLA Medical Center prior to his trip overseas.
Houston Diagnosed Schizophrenic "In September Houston was hospitalized," Rowe said. "We had to cancel everything from October to the end of the year. He was diagnosed as schizophrenic. He was supposed to be in treatment and on medication, but we had clearance by the family and doctors to work half the time.
"He was out of control, just doing things that were off the wall — things that normal people don't do," Rowe added. "So when he went to London, we were told he blew it on the Choice FM Awards and that he was starting to regress. He was carrying a Bible around and just doing things that just weren't normal."
The On Point duo said Houston's actions made them worried about sending him overseas. "Houston wanted to work like any other artist because there was money on the table," Rowe recalled, "but there was concern, and that's why I requested a doctor's note."
Family Sends Doctor's Note "Capitol was requesting him on the road to do promo over in London," Rankin said. "So Houston's family sent us a doctor's note, stating that Houston was able to work, and we took the note and faxed it over to Capitol."
While Rankin and Rowe are not sure if a lack of medication is what caused the incident, they say things quickly took a turn for the worse. Thing Go Bad in Dubai
"They finally got to Dubai [in the United Arab Emirates], barely, and that's where he got real bad," Rowe said. "[Houston] wanted to hurt himself bad and he was on the brink. When he got back to England was when I finally got the call that he stabbed himself in the eye. He was so off guard that he was trying to kill himself."
Sister Says Injury Was Just An Accident Summers acknowledged that her brother was injured while overseas but called it "an accident." "He is all right and in good spirits," she said. "He's not depressed, on any medications or under any psychiatric care. He was just in surgery and he will be coming home soon, in a day or two. Everything is well."
She said he's in Los Angeles now and that she doesn't know the details of the accident.
"We haven't mentioned anything to Houston, but we're going to talk to him about what exactly happened," Summers said. "Houston would never inflict any harm on himself. He was under a lot of spiritual stress, and a lot of that pressure, I believe, came from the music industry.
"I just want everyone to pray for him. He is going through trying times. ... This is the last thing he needs," she added.
Meanwhile, Rankin and Rowe said they haven't had any direct contact with their former client since he returned to the States.
"We decided that we didn't want to continue," Rowe said. "We feel like our contract could have been extended, but that's not important. The kid needs help more than anything else. His health is our biggest concern."
The two said they're also concerned with how Houston's finances are being managed. Rowe Objects to Way Family Handles Houston's Money "We have a serious problem with the way the family is handling this kid's situation," Rowe said. "There's no reason for this kid to have no money. They passed on a publishing deal that could have helped him out right now. They got involved and we tried everything [we could], but at the end of the day, Houston was loyal to his mom. I don't have a problem with that, but they are not capable of handling a kid like that. The kid was a star. He had a great opportunity laid out, so he should have had proper housing and a nice car."
Houston Still Living in Two-Bedroom Apartment with 4 People "The kid still lives where he lives when we met him — in a two-bedroom apartment with four other people," Rankin said. "They spent all the kid's money."
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: JKO Auction - Kennedy Cache and Camelot Still Charms Us
The stunner on the last day of the Sotheby's auction was the sale of a Chippendale-style secretary to a London gem dealer for $452,800 - 56 times original estimates.
"I think it's something that stands in someone's home as a beautiful piece of furniture," said dealer Glenn Spiro, who purchased the maple secretary on behalf of international collector Iris Smith.
"What is the true value? asked Spiro of the secretary, a combination desk and bookcase with drawers and pigeonholes. "It's something very nice to own."
Other properties from Jackie O's Fifth Ave. pad and homes in Hyannis Port, Martha's Vineyard, Peapack, N.J. and Middleburgh, Va., also commanded improbable prices.
Self-described paranormalist Uri Geller, bidding by telephone from Switzerland, bought two lots - an Indian bronze pull toy and three small brass West African figures - for $3,120.
He planned to attach them to a car he has covered with bent spoons and forks.
"I knew Jackie very well," Geller said. "She was an extraordinary woman."
Sotheby's executives had set a low estimate of $1 million for the entire collection - the second massive Jackie O sale of properties in nine years.
But while expecting higher bids, they were stunned by the auction's final mark of $5,538,040.
"They're magical initials," Hugh Hildesley, executive vice president of Sotheby's, said of the JFK and JKO monograms. "It is the magic of Camelot, the attachment to JFK and Jackie, that brings the high prices."
Highlights of the auction's first two days included Aaron Shikler's portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy with Caroline and John Jr. that went for $216,000; a Kennedy wicker rocking chair, for $96,000; a wool flannel blanket with JFK's initials, for $18,000, and decorated doorstop, for $4,800.
The property was consigned by Caroline Kennedy after items of historical significance were given to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
A 1996 Kennedy sale brought in $34.5 million, including $2.5 million for Jackie's engagement ring from Aristotle Onassis.
David Jeffries: Brief Bio of Houston Summers and Reviews It's Already Written
Besides being a singer who adds a hip-hop edge to R&B, Belize native Houston prides himself on being an expert painter and tailor. When his family moved to Los Angeles, Houston enrolled in the Hamilton High School and Academy of Music, where he got a chance to polish his musical skills. He joined many impromptu street-corner singing groups, where his fellow classmates would rap their scripted and practiced lines. The talented Houston would have none of that. Not only was he freestyling before any of cohorts had the skills, but he was also singing his freestyles instead of rapping them.
Everyone around him was amazed at his performances, and it convinced Houston he had what it took to enter numerous singing contests. A videotape of one of his performances landed at Capitol Records, who were quick to contact and sign the singer. The single I Like That -- with guest raps from Chingy, Nate Dogg, and I-20 -- was shipped to radio in March of 2004 and immediately started climbing the R&B and mainstream charts. McDonald's picked the track for a television commercial that featured an on-screen cameo from Justin Timberlake. The commercial was getting plenty of airtime as Houston's debut full-length, It's Already Written, hit the streets in August of 2004.
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R&B singers with big career kickoff singles never seem to get the opportunity to release defining debuts, do they? True singles -- the kind you can pop down to the store and buy -- have been unavailable or hard as heck to find for quite a while, so how's a record company going to make the money? Besides selling the track to Coke or McDonalds (Houston's "I Like That" is working television ad wonders for the latter), there's only the touring gamble and the rushing-the-album-out option. It's doubtful that the title is intentionally ironic, but with the usual combination of slow jams, interludes, and club tracks, It's Already Written does sound like it could have been written for anybody. Luckily, Houston's R. Kelly-esque croon is strong, his swagger is convincing, and his delivery is right on. He's reserved on pillow talk tracks like "My Promise," while club numbers like the dancehall-flavored "Keep It on the Low" find him lyrically bouncing on the notes. "I Like That" could be a cousin to Usher's sparkling "Yeah," and the man has the confidence to cover Ready for the World's "Love You Down" and add his own spin to it. Houston's been handed a better set of songs than most record-label-rushed crooners get, but after 15 tracks you can't say you know him. A little more personality next time would be beneficial, but for now Houston's just a great singer with a killer single and a handful of decent tracks. Sounds like a good deal, but Houston's emotional range suggests his career-defining moment is going to come when his handlers get deep.
Bill Cosby: Authorities Find ``Insufficient Credible and Admissible Evidence''
Accuser's Attorney, Dolores M. Troiani: "I think this is so disrespectful. We have a law in Pennsylvania that he's supposed to notify crime victims,'' Troiani said, bashing the prosecutor.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Bill Cosby will not face charges stemming from a woman's allegation he fondled her, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Authorities found ``insufficient credible and admissible evidence'' to support the woman's claims, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor said in a statement.
A former Temple University employee, who now lives in her native Ontario, told Canadian authorities last month that Cosby gave her medication that made her feel dizzy, then fondled her at his suburban Philadelphia home after a dinner out with friends in January 2004.
She said she later awoke to find her bra undone and her clothes in disarray. Cosby has denied the allegations. Castor has said that the accuser's yearlong delay in coming forward, and her contact with Cosby in the past year, weighed in the comedian's favor. The prosecutor said he also reviewed claims by other people that Cosby had ``behaved inappropriately'' toward them, but that detectives could find no instance ``where anyone complained to law enforcement of conduct which would constitute a criminal offense.'' The woman's attorney blasted Castor for failing to notify her before announcing his decision. ``I think this is so disrespectful. We have a law in Pennsylvania that he's supposed to notify crime victims,'' lawyer Dolores M. Troiani said. Castor would not elaborate on the reasons for his decision for fear his comments would be used as evidence in any possible civil lawsuit. ``Much exists in this investigation that could be used (by others) to portray persons on both sides of the issue in a less-than-flattering light,'' he said.
CHELTENHAM, Pa., Tuvalu, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- No charges will be filed against entertainer Bill Cosby, who was accused by a woman of drugging and groping her in his home last year.
Prosecutors in Pennsylvania ended their investigation of the allegations Thursday and said no charges would be filed, CNN reported.
Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor began investigating the incident last month. That was after a 31-year-old former Temple University employee met with detectives detailing events she said took place in Cosby's Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, home, CNN said.
Cosby's attorney, Walter M. Phillips Jr., appearing on CNN last month, called the allegations "utterly preposterous" and "plainly bizarre."
Najai Dedicated Everything to His Baby Daughter Anje.
Born and raised in the ghetto, Najai was extremely soft spoken, polite and a very motivated and focused fighter. His mother died when he was 18-years old and Najai was left to raise his younger brother, sister, niece & nephew. He still cared for them even though his grandmother and brothers stepped up to help.
Najai was a hard worker. He did road work in the early morning, worked from 10am - 5pm at a restaurant cleaning seafood, then trained for two hours only to return to the restaurant to work until midnight. Any free time he had he would run to see his baby daughter Anje to whom he dedicated everything.
Just a few months ago, Najai was robbed at gunpoint and lost nine hundred dollars. The next morning he was informed he earned a chance to compete on The Contender. He believed that the news was a sign from God.
On Monday February 14, 2005 people around the world were deeply saddened by the passing of a young boxer, Najai Turpin.
This custom T-shirt is transfer-printed to capture the memory of the tragic hero and boxer Najai Turpin. The print is a black-and-white image of boxing gloves hung on the gym wall. Below it, the life span of the young boxer: December 19, 1981 - St. Valentines Day 2005. Quote from Turpin: I Left Everything in the Ring.
For additional detail please visit the catalog page.
Mark Burnett told The Times: " Nothing changes. I'm not even going to make any edits because it's real."
NBC's upcoming reality boxing show The Contender has been hit with tragedy: Najai " Nitro" Turpin, 23, a middleweight from Philadelphia, committed suicide Monday, The New York Times reports.
NBC executives, speculating that the incident had nothing to do with the show, confirmed to the newspaper that the series will proceed as announced, with a March 7 premiere. No other details were provided.
The Contender, produced by reality mogul Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) and former Rocky star Sylvester Stallone in conjunction with Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks, features boxers competing for a $1 million purse and follows their private lives. The Times says Turpin, a restaurant worker, and his girlfriend had a 2-year-old daughter.
The entire season, with Turpin, has been filmed, though results of the outcome of the final fight – which will decide who wins the prize – are not known.
Burnett told The Times: " Nothing changes. I'm not even going to make any edits because it's real."
The producer did acknowledge that eventually the subject of Turpin's death must be addressed.
Read More: Najai Turpin Suicide Not TV Boxing First--The Contender: Najai Turpin Suicide Appears to Match Sinisa Savija Suicide on Swedish TV Show - Expedition: Robinson, which later became world famous as Mark Burnett's Survivor.
Read More: Did Najai Turpin Die Because of The Contender?--In a previous interview with the Philadelphia Daily News, Najai's sister Launita, 20, said that Najai had been very pleased with his portrayal on TV. "He was so excited. He couldn't wait to see the expressions of people when they saw him on TV. He reached his goal. He got to TV. He was famous. He told me he could do anything. He was rich," she said.
Read More: The Contender, Najai Turpin Suicide, Expedition Robinson, Sinisa Savija Suicide--"He felt degraded as a person and didn't see any meaning in life," Nermina Savija, wife of Sinisa, said shortly after her husband's death. "He was a glad and stable person before he went away, and when he came back he told me, 'They are going to cut away the good things I did and make me look like a fool, to show that I was the worst and that I was the one that had to go.'"
Investigators unsure why 23-year-old fighter, Najai Turpin, took his own life.
David B. Caruso / Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A promising young boxer who got the break of a lifetime when he was selected by NBC's upcoming reality TV program, "The Contender," committed suicide.
Najai Turpin shot himself in the head early Monday while sitting with his girlfriend in a parked car outside the West Philadelphia gym where he trained, police said. Investigators were unsure why the 23-year-old fighter took his life.
"None of us really know what brought this about," Percy "Buster" Custus, a trainer who had worked with Turpin since he was 12, said Tuesday. "You just want to see the boys come out of the neighborhood. From the time they're young kids, you really want to see them make it. And he was right there."
Produced by reality TV mogul Mark Burnett, "The Contender" will follow the lives of 16 boxers competing against each other for a chance at a million-dollar purse. The program, scheduled to debut March 7, will go on as planned, NBC said. The episodes involving Turpin already had been taped.
A tribute to Turpin will be added to the show. Viewers also will be offered a chance to donate money to a trust fund set up to support Turpin's 2-year-old daughter.
Police said they didn't know where Turpin got the gun. He was not licensed to carry a handgun and the weapon was not registered to him.
Custus said the boxer had enjoyed his experiences with the show but seemed troubled in recent weeks. He said Turpin abruptly left a training camp in the Poconos and returned home to Philadelphia, saying he missed his family.
Turpin had a 13-1 record and had won a city Recreation Department title before he was picked for "The Contender." A biography on the show's Web site called him an "extremely soft-spoken" but focused fighter who worked two day jobs to support his family.
"You would never know he was a fighter," Custus said. "He was a tough guy in the ring. He was a vicious fighter. But outside the ring he was a different man."
NBC released a statement from Burnett in which he called Turpin a "great fighter with tremendous heart and courage."
"The episode in which he was most depicted will stand as a wonderful testament to who he was. It will not be changed," Burnett wrote.
NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks declined to say how Turpin had fared in the show, which is to conclude with a live championship bout between two finalists in May. She said, however, that the show will not need to be overhauled because of Turpin's death.
Every contestant was being paid $1,500 per week to stay in training pending the finale.
Turpin worked out at the James Shuler Memorial Gym, a haven for serious fighters from a rough neighborhood. Tybius Flowers, another boxer at the gym, was murdered last year shortly before he was to appear as a key witness in a murder trial.
Matthew Perry Hospitalized with Bad Reaction of Prescription Medicine
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, who has previously been treated for alcohol and prescription drug addiction, is back home after a brief hospital stay due to what his publicist called a bad reaction to prescription medicine.
Perry, 35, was taken to an area hospital last week and stayed overnight for doctor-ordered observation, publicist Lisa Kasteler said Sunday. She didn't provide details.
"He's home. He's fine," she said.
In 1997, Perry voluntarily checked into a treatment center to battle an addiction to prescription painkillers.
Tamara Green Claims Drugged, Fondled by Bill Cosby
Cosby Accusor, Tamara Green, entered a program for lawyers with substance abuse or mental health problems in October.
By MARYCLAIRE DALE. Associated Press Writer. PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bill Cosby, under investigation for possible sexual misconduct, denied claims by a second woman that he drugged and fondled her. The second accusation dates to 30 years ago, and a prosecutor suggested Wednesday such an old claim likely wouldn't be relevant in the current case.
The 67-year-old comedian's lawyer also blasted the Philadelphia Daily News for printing the accusations by Tamara Green, who was described by the newspaper Tuesday as a model-turned-lawyer who worked for Cosby in California at the time of the alleged encounter.
The report was published as prosecutors mulled whether to file charges against Cosby in the complaint by a former Temple University employee. A decision by Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. could come this week.
Green, 57, told the newspaper that Cosby gave her two pills at a restaurant after she felt ill. She said he then drove her home and tried to undress and kiss her.
Green, who allowed her name to be used, said she came forward this week because her experience closely matched one alleged by the former Temple employee who went to police last month to report that Cosby had given her pills and fondled her at his suburban Philadelphia mansion a year ago.
According to the State Bar of California,Green entered a program for lawyers with substance abuse or mental health problems in October. The bar had lodged disciplinary charges against her in March, alleging 12 counts of misconduct involving three clients, spokeswoman Kathleen Beitiks said.
Among the allegations were failure to pay client funds promptly, failure to perform with competence, failure to maintain client funds in a trust account, and failure to refund unearned fees.
Green did not return telephone messages left Wednesday at a Ventura, Calif., number believed to be her home.
First Assistant District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman declined Wednesday to comment on whether the investigation would include Green's complaint. But she said such decades-old allegations can only be used in a very limited number of cases.
"Generally, an accusation from over 30 years ago is not going to be considered admissible in court or relevant to an investigation," Ferman said.
Cosby's attorney, Walter M. Phillips Jr., said Green's allegations were "absolutely false."
"Mr. Cosby does not know the name Tamara Green or Tamara Lucier (her maiden name) and the incident she describes did not happen," Phillips said. "It is irresponsible of the Daily News to publish an uncorroborated story of an incident that is alleged to have happened thirty years ago."
Daily News city editor Kurt Heine said the newspaper stood by its story.
The former Temple employee, who now lives in her native Ontario, Canada, went to Canadian authorities Jan. 13, contending that Cosby gave her some medication that made her feel dizzy, then fondled her at his Cheltenham Township home after a dinner out with friends. She said she later awoke to find her bra undone and her clothes in disarray.
Cosby denies her allegations.
She said she considered Cosby, a Temple alumnus and booster who frequently attends campus events, a friend and mentor. <
Supernatural Detective Constantine Investigates World of Demons and Angeles
Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book Hellblazer and written by Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback and Frank Capello, Constantine tells the story of irreverent supernatural detective John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), who has literally been to hell and back. When Constantine teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister (also played by Weisz), their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldy events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost
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Constantine is based on a character from the DC comic Hellblazer. John Constantine works to keep demonic forces from becoming bigger with the help of a cop. Together, they try to stop Satan from completely taking over the world. The script is written by Frank Cappello, Kevin Brodbin and Mark Bomback. The Donner Co. produces through Warner Bros.
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John Constantine has been to hell and back.
Born with a gift he didn't want, the ability to recognize the half-breed angels and demons that walk the earth in human camouflage, Constantine (Keanu Reeves) was driven to take his own life to escape the tormenting clarity of his vision. But he failed. Resuscitated against his will, he found himself cast back into the land of the living. Now, marked as an attempted suicide with a temporary lease on life, he patrols the earthly border between heaven and hell, hoping in vain to earn his way to salvation by waging war on the earthbound minions of evil.
But Constantine is no saint. Increasingly disillusioned by the world around him and at odds with the one beyond, he's a hard-drinking, hard-living bitter hero who scorns the very idea of heroism. Constantine will fight to save your soul but he doesn't want your admiration or your thanks – and certainly not your sympathy. All he wants is a way out.
When a desperate but skeptical police detective (Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson) enlists his help in solving the mysterious death of her beloved twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldy events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.
LOS ANGELES. Sorry boys, that is the current news floating around in entertainment. Not many people have heard the new news that the pop star Christina Aguilera is now engaged. Apparently she agreed to marry her boyfriend, music exec Jordan Bratman. Can't wait for the "d" on the bling!
No date has been set for the wedding, but one can only speculate that the wedding may take place in the coming months. Lets make it safe and say six months at the moment.
This could turn out to be another Britney Spears incident where they marry for a day and divorce the next. Time will only tell the tale. Stay tune for more news and updates on the issue.
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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Racy pop singer Christina Aguilera is engaged to marry her longtime boyfriend, music executive Jordan Bratman, People magazine said, citing her representative.
The pair was on vacation when Bratman, 26, proposed to Aguilera, 23, on Friday, People said. They had been dating for more than two years.
Bratman bought the blonde singer, whose hits include "Dirrty" and "Genie in a Bottle," a diamond ring designed by London-based jeweler Stephen Webster, People said.
"Christina was very surprised," a close friend of Aguilera's said, according to People. "She's ecstatic."
J Lo Begins Next Phase with Rebirth 
Soundboard recordings from shows along the Spring Ski Incidents tour will be made available just days after each show at www.livecheese.com. 
Jamie Foxx ’s Milestones 
Foxy Brown has literally been living in studio; Owes Chun King 10s of thou$and$
Houston in Spain Working on Top Secret Project
Britney Spears has added a new 'Dog's Crib' to her official website, to discuss her dogs Lacy, Lucky, and Bit Bit. Spears said in her first crib entry on Wednesday: "I hope none of you really took my comments seriously when I was talking about Bit Bit and [Paris Hilton's Chihuahua] Tinkerbell. I was just being silly and of course I think that Tinkerbell is very cute. Who knows? Maybe they will have a little play date together!"
Jack Osbourne, a co-star of MTV's "The Osbournes," was recently jacked to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars while enroute to Europe, when thieves made off his watches, jewels and more. Jack spoke top reporters about the theft and who might be behind it. 
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY.Martha Stewart's homecoming party has officially begun. The domestic diva, 63, who is nearing the end of her five-month sentence at a West Virginia prison, will return to Martha Stewart Living as a columnist beginning with the April issue, Living editor Margaret Roach says. 
Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley said: “I loved it. It was fabulous. Everything was relevant because it looked like her.”
The 33 pop diva has only been designing for three years and doesn’t regard herself as a fully fledged designer. 
The New York Daily News reports Lindsay Lohan's estranged father Michael recently sent the teen queen's mom, Dina, a letter demanding that she and Lindsay participate in a reality show, 'Living With the Lohans' - or else: "Otherwise we go full-boar [sic] and the lawsuits start, the kids get subpoenaed, forensics are done, witnesses are called in, the press gets involved and people go to jail for fraud," Lohan wrote. 
Eminem won the Life Time Achievement Award from MTV and TRL. Eminem responded to the honor with the premiere of his latest video, Mockingbird, continuing the incredible access he gives to the fans in his life. It was an emotional moment for the artist who combined footage from home videos to lyrics only he could pen. His life, the pain of his climb to the top of his art, still gripping by its honesty. His art must be healing for him. Eminem is planning a tour for this summer 2005. Details to come.
It was wall-to-wall celebs at the pre-Grammy party thrown by industry legend Clive Davis at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 12. But despite the presence of Hollywood heavies like Alicia Keys and Usher at the glitzy affair, all eyes were on singers Jessica Simpson and John Mayer, who, according to an eyewitness, spent most of the night huddled together in deep conversation, thanks to Jessica's dad, Joe. "
In related news, the ladies from Destiny's Child will be showing just how "bootylicious" they are in the music video for "Cater 2 U"--the third single from their double-platinum album Destiny Fulfilled. MTV.com reports that--according to a video treatment--the girls won't have to worry about a big costume budget because they'll be shown--tastefully--wearin g absolutely nothing. Each singer will be shot in her own desert scene, with Beyonce on a diving board, Michelle in a lounge chair and Kelly on a deserted road. 
Beyonce Ready, but Minnie Driver, Whose Signing Was Dubbed in Phantom, Unable to Perform Due to Schedule.
According to The Drudge Report, the FBI is investigating that unlisted and super-secret telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the stars were obtained by hacking Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick, including Eminem, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, Andy Roddick, Ashlee Simpson, Victoria Gotti, Vin Diesel, Anna Kournikova and more. "I gave her my number after we met in Miami, I did not know she fu**ing kept it on her cellphone," one star moaned. Suddenly, I feel violated. I need to go out and get a couple of dozen condoms or my cellphone.
3LW, Alyssa Milano, Destiny's Child star Beyonce Knowles, Camp Freddy's Billy Morrison, Blu Cantrell, Da Brat, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam, Lil' Scrappy, Lil Jon, Mos Def, Nelly, No Doubt, Ray J, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, and Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash were on hand for Usher's Exclusive Post Grammy Party held at The Geisha House in Hollywood, California on Sunday (February 13).
NEW YORK — Christ ina Aguilera says she was shocked when a Valentine surprise turned into a marriage proposal. The 24-year-old pop diva says music executive Jordan Bratman, her boyfriend of two years, popped the question at Big Sur, Calif., last Friday after recreating a romantic dinner the two had while touring India in the fall. 
Christina Aguilera and fiance Jordan Bratman were photographed arriving at a restaurant for Valentine's Day on Monday (February 14) in Santa Monica, California.
"The night of the incident, we had dinner at the hotel," Powell recalled. "After dinner, he went to his room to read the Bible. He is an avid reader of the Bible. After I finished eating, I went upstairs to check on him and I noticed blood on the floor. Houston usually has really bad nose bleeds. So I asked him, 'Are you OK? Is your nose bleeding?' He said, 'Yeah, my nose is bleeding but I'm cool. I will see you in the morning. I can't wait to get back to L.A. with my family.' He was lying on the bed with a towel over his face, so something told me it was more than [just a nose bleed]. So I walked into the room to talk to him, I pulled the towel off of his face, and that's when I saw that he had gouged his eye out.
Period furniture, artwork and bric-a-brac from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' five homes brought in $5.5 million yesterday after three days of feverish bidding. To browse Auction Results, click here: 
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Bill Cosby will not face charges stemming from a woman's allegation he fondled her, a prosecutor said Thursday. 
By MARYCLAIRE DALE. Associated Press Writer. PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Bill Cosby, under investigation for possible sexual misconduct, denied claims by a second woman that he drugged and fondled her. The second accusation dates to 30 years ago, and a prosecutor suggested Wednesday such an old claim likely wouldn't be relevant in the current case.