August 25, 2006

Said to have suffered from "stress" and "image issues", model-turned-actress Amber Valletta has reportedly checked into the Meadows rehabilitation center in Arizona.

Per New York Daily News, the beauty also is struggling with a non-substance-related addiction. Furthermore, the publication mentions Valletta entered Meadows last week and will leave Thursday.

Seemingly walks his path smoothly in film industry, Jason Behr has secured one more acting stint to undergo. The striking actor has been chosen to play the lead character in "The Tattooist", the big screen directorial debut of TV series helmer Peter Burger. Here Behr is billed to portray a tattoo artist whose desire to know more about the Samoan tatau tradition turns out to bring him into conflict and danger.

There's no word yet about the other cast members, but it has been revealed that principal photography will begin next month with taking locations around Auckland, New Zealand. In the meantime, Matthew Grainger and Jonathan King are attached to pen the script.

Has been busy preparing his forthcoming album, Clay Aiken is more than ready to have the record, titled "A Thousand Different Ways" released September 19th later this year via RCA Records.

Detailing on his new set, which is his third one, the pop singer reveals it will feature 4 brand new songs by himself and 10 cover versions of well-known songs from the '70s, '80s and '90s, he personally picked for the project.

New rumors surface by the hour that music veteran Bruce Springsteen is divorcing his wife of 20 years, Patti Scialfa.

In somehow a more shocking news the singer reportedly gets close with a redhead 9/11 widow whom he met when he organized September 11th telethon, "America: A Tribute To Heroes."

Following in the tradition of his 1968 cult classic "Night of the Living Dead", veteran horror filmmaker George A. Romero has given his agreement to make one more installment of the "Dead" series. Entitled "George Romero's Diary of the Dead", the project therefore will be the latest in the series the helmer directs after his 2005 work of "Land of the Dead" starring Asia Argento and John Leguizamo.

While both cast and film crew have not yet been revealed, it is confirmed that production of the movie will begin on October 11 in Toronto, Canada to run for about 4 weeks long. The center of the picture's story will be focused on a group of college students who unexpectedly stumble upon real zombies when shooting a horror feature in the woods.

Linda Ronstadt has to, unfortunately, cancel tour dates for the rest of the year as she's recovering from surgery she had this week. The singer's agent, Shelly Schultz, confirmed the news Thursday August 24th.

Sally, however, would not provide details on the surgery her client has undergone Tuesday August 22nd in Tucson, Ariz, but did claim that it wasn't cancer.

Sean Astin is back to football-themed flick after his 1993 film of "Rudy." The 35-year-old actor has been reported to sign a deal for a lead role in "Forever Strong", a production of Go Films which has provided Arielle Kebbel a starring vehicle in "Outlaw Trail." However, unlike his role as a football athlete in "Rudy", here Astin will play a social worker instead.

Featuring other names like Sean Faris and Neal McDonough, pic is entrusted in Ryan Litte's hands to direct with David Pliler penning the script. Little is also seating as the movie's producer alongside Adam Abel. As for the story, the film will take focus on a talented but troubled football player who has to face the team his father coaches at the national championship.

Latin music star Shakira and American rock band OK Go have been added to the star-studded lineup slated to perform at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, which will air live from New York's Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, August 31st at 8:00pm ET/PT.

In the meantime, Axl Rose, Lindsay Lohan, Kanye West, Paris Hilton, P. Diddy, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, The Pussycat Dolls and 50 Cent, have all been added to the presenters list of the award event. In addition, Borat and Sarah Silverman will also make special guest appearances.

Platinum-selling band Panic! At the Disco is about to embark on a tour this fall and will bring along indie-dance favorite, Bloc Party, as the opening act.

Announced its tour plans on Thursday August 24, Panic! will kick off the 26-date trek Nov. 7 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and will make the long trek across the U.S., hitting cities like New York, Chicago, Denver, and Portland before they finish it up Dec. 9 in San Diego.

Well, here is one good news for those who can't wait to get a peek of "Saw III." Lionsgate as the film's distributor has firmly confirmed that the first scene of it will be shown exclusively in conjunction with the wide release of "Crank" on theaters on September 1. The scene presented will showcase the first of Jigsaw's games in the movie.

With this announcement, "Saw III" then will be the first film feature in Lionsgate's history to have an entire scene previewed prior to its release. The horror picture itself is scheduled to come up on cinemas on October 27 with Tobin Bell reprising his role as serial killer Jigsaw.

American rock band Aerosmith keeps rolling on their upcoming fall tour despite the fact that its bass player, Tom Hamilton, has been diagnosed with throat cancer.

Hamilton, who has just completed a seven-week course of radiation treatment, is expected to rejoin his bandmates on the road by mid-October, so a spokeswoman said on Thursday August 24th.

Beyonce Knowles has been all over the news lately as her forthcoming album "B'Day" has sparked a firestorm of controversy and rumors months before its September 5th release date. What is it all about? The official statement released by the singer's father-manager Matthew Knowles will surely explain all to you.

"It is apparent that there is a consistent plan by some to create chaos around Beyonce's B'Day album release on Sept 5 in the US. First, it was a petition against the single, "Deja Vu," then a rumor regarding conflict between Beyonce and Rihanna, seizures caused by the "Ring the Alarm" video, putting out a single to compete with LeToya's album and now to add to all the ridiculous rumors, is my plan to postpone the release of her B'Day album. What will be next? Beyonce's cut off all her hair? Dyed it green? Maybe she's singing the songs in reverse with some hidden subliminal message!"

Being famous has its ups and downs. Taylor Hicks is facing the bad one right now. The American Idol winner has, earlier this week, filed a lawsuit against William Smith and his production companies, William Smith Productions and Baldwin Entertainment, for more than $75,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

What prompted the pop singer to take the legal step actually is an email his lawyer Michael J. Douglas received from Smith. In the July 24th email, the Nashville-based producer stating that he planned to release a song on iTunes that Hicks had laid down in 1997 called "The Fall". In fact, Hicks claimed that Smith doesn't have rights to the music.

What is it about Victoria Adams that's so hot? It is all about nothing but her developing a TV fashion show with her manager Simon Fuller.

"It will be more serious than a reality show but will still be entertaining because Victoria is so funny," Fuller told Broadcast magazine.

KIKIT, a brand of Jordache Enterprises, has recruited actress Kristin Davis as its celebrity representative. Thus, the "Sex and the City" star will appear in ads that launch in September publications, as well as outdoor billboards in New York and Los Angeles and retail events at Macy's.

Why Davis? Because she represents what the company claims as "the woman who can run from a posh party to a kid's playdate."

Previously it was decided that Tokyo's subway authority would censor the advertisement featuring a nude and pregnant Britney Spears, claiming it as "too stimulating" for young people. Just now, officials said they are dropping that earlier plan and would instead allow a station advertisement featuring the related ad.

And thus following such decision, HB Japan Inc., publisher of the Japanese edition of Harper's Bazaar, plans to rent ad space at the posh Omotesando station next week to promote its October issue with Spears posing naked on the cover. "I'm glad the subway officials understood the meaning of the photo," the magazine's deputy chief editor, Kayoko Higashino commented on that matter.