January 11, 2010

A spokesperson for Madonna has dismissed reports the singer is rekindling her romance with Sean Penn after the former couple was spotted together in New York. The "Material Girl" was rumored to have revived her relationship with Penn, who she married in 1985, after they were seen chatting over a meal at Adour restaurant in the Big Apple on Thursday, January 7.

But the pop star's publicist Liz Rosenberg insists it was a chance meeting between former lovers - and not a date. Rosenberg explains, "Madonna was at the St. Regis having dinner with friends. Sean stopped by the table to say hello. He sat for ten minutes and then left. Madonna continued with her dinner. That's all it was." Madonna and Penn divorced in 1989.

Britney Spears doubts she'll ever be content with her body image because she is never happy with her figure. The 28-year-old mum-of-two regularly tops lists of Hollywood's most beautiful women but she insists her perfectionist nature means she's rarely satisfied with what she sees in the mirror.

Spears tells Look magazine, "I'm such a perfectionist, which means I'm never satisfied. I always strive for things to be better. I think you can be happy with the person on the inside but on the outside you're always striving for more." "But that's how you end up driving yourself crazy."

Irish actor Stuart Townsend has quit superhero blockbuster "Thor" just days before the movie was set to start shooting. It's the second time the "Queen of the Damned" star has missed out on a potentially major film franchise - he was replaced by Viggo Mortensen in the "Lord of The Rings" trilogy.

Fandral, Townsend's role in "Thor", will now go to little-known actor Joshua Dallas. Full details about the actor's departure have not been released, but internet reports suggest he left the Marvel Comics movie adaptation, directed by Kenneth Branagh, over creative differences.

When performing at the Tower Theater, Nick Jonas delivered his rendition of Taylor Swift's hit single "You Belong with Me". Before singing, he gave the country music singer a shoutout, "This girl has had an amazing year and I just wanna congratulate her!"

In addition to covering Taylor Swift's song, the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers also played Owl City, Kings of Leon, Demi Lovato and Stevie Wonder's tracks. Along with his side project The Administration, he rocked Philadelphia on Saturday night, January 9.

Less than a week before "The Book of Eli" hits theaters, Warner Bros. Pictures has teased audience by dropping some new clips. Sharing different scenes, most of the videos feature lead actor Denzel Washington who stars as the major character, Eli.

In this post-apocalyptic drama film, Eli is described as lone warrior who is destined to save humanity. He guards a mysterious book which provides knowledge that could redeem society. Making his way across the desolate wasteland of near-future America, he faces challenge as the despot of a small makeshift town is determined to take possession of the book.

Losing weight in a fun way, "Dance Your Ass Off" will be back with a new face. Instead of welcoming back Marissa Jaret Winokur, the program by Oxygen Network has found a new host in Melanie Brown. The ex member of Spice Girls will be running the show effective immediately in second season.

Executive Producer Dan Cutforth said some people do not feel connection with Winokur although the show received great feedback. "We didn't produce the first season of 'Dance Your A** Off,'" he said. "Oxygen considered it a huge success. They looked at some things they wanted to change."

Actress Nicole Kidman continued her crusade against domestic violence by speaking at the opening of a new anti-abuse centre on Friday, January 8. The "Moulin Rouge" star, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, was on hand at the launch of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's New International Center in San Francisco, California. The centre will give assistance to women who have suffered sexual or physical abuse.

Kidman says, "There is no doubt that ending violence against women remains an urgent issue and belongs on centre stage. Solutions require action and investment, and strong partnerships like the one we're announcing today between UNIFEM and Family Violence Prevention Fund."

Socialite Casey Johnson was laid to rest on Sunday, January 10 at a service attended by her childhood friends Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. The Johnson & Johnson heiress was buried at a private ceremony hosted by her dad, Robert Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets American football team. Her fiancee, reality star Tila Tequila, was not present among the mourners, reports RadarOnline.com.

Johnson was found dead at her Los Angeles home on January 4at the age of 30. An autopsy showed there were no signs of trauma, but the cause of death has been deferred, pending toxicology tests.

While her band The Pussycat Dolls is on the verge of splitting up, Nicole Scherzinger's romance with Lewis Hamilton has met its end. "We can confirm we have decided to go our separate ways," so Nicole and the Formula 1 driver said in a joint statement quoted by The Mirror.

"The two of us will focus on our careers at the present time and will remain close friends," they continued. Nicole indeed has been busy finishing her solo debut album "Her Name Is Nicole" and another PCD's record, while Lewis is struggling to win back his F1 crown from current world champion Jenson Button.

"Brothers & Sisters" next week will be full with Sarah's smile. For the first time since her divorce, Sarah has a new romantic interest who understands her all too well. Sarah Walker previously had a short-lived romantic relationship with French guy Luc who was portrayed by guest star Gilles Marini.

Also in the episode called "Run Baby Run", Kevin and Scotty await the outcome of their first try at surrogacy. Meanwhile, Kitty and Robert are once again at an impasse over politics when Kitty's friend, Buffy (guest starring Cheryl Hines), steps in where she doesn't belong.

Channing Tatum and Antonio Banderas are reported to take part in the latest film from Steven Soderbergh, "Knockout". They soon will be on casting and join the film together with Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Dennis Quaid, and Michael Douglas.

"Knockout" is a new Soderbergh's action-revenge spy thriller which will put Gina Carano, an actress who is also a martial art champion, as the lead role of a black ops spy betrayed by her team. It is one of Soderbergh's project lined up for 2010 after he announced that he may be retiring from filmmaking last summer.

Swedish singer Basshunter sealed his romance with Ronnie Wood's ex-girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova by sharing a steamy smooch on a U.K. reality show. The hitmaker - real name Jonas Erik Altberg - and the former cocktail waitress are both competing in "Celebrity Big Brother", which kicked off earlier January, and have been caught on camera flirting and sharing a bed together.

Ivanova, who split from The Rolling Stones rocker last month, December 2009, admitted she had a boyfriend when she entered the TV contest - but that relationship didn't keep her from kissing Altberg during a broadcast on Sunday, January 10. The couple was seen kissing on the lips, before Ivanova pulled away, giggling nervously.

Veteran entertainer Liza Minnelli is set to undergo knee replacement surgery in New York this week. A representative for the singer/actress reveals Minnelli has canceled plans to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 31, 2010 because she will still be recovering from the operation.

But the spokesperson insists the surgery is routine and is a result of years of dancing. The rep tells People.com, "Minnelli, who has been dancing on stage since she was a teenager, is 63. She is expected to make a full recovery."

Sade are ready to make a comeback this year. They have made public a music video promoting their new single "Soldier of Love". Debuted on Amazon, the newly-outed video comes from the direction hands of Sophie Muller and captures the spirit of the song.

"Soldier of Love" is Sade's first release after 8-year hiatus. The song serves as the lead single from their upcoming album of the same title, "Soldier of Love" which is slated to arrive in U.S. stores on February 8.

Jerry Bruckheimer has provided some updates on the progress of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides". Being met during a group interview in Pasadena, California on Saturday, January 10, when he was promoting his new TV show "Miami Medical", the producer informed that the film will start shooting in June with Johnny Depp attached to the project.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Jerry said, trying to assure that the film is indeed being worked on. "We're moving forward. We hope to start in June, and Rob Marshall's set [to direct]. We're moving forward." Additionally, the filmmaker confirmed Johnny is on board for the film, saying "No deals have been made yet, other than Johnny's. We'll make those decisions later and let you know."

British supermodel Naomi Campbell has turned down the chance to front a reality TV modeling competition after failing to agree on the terms of her contract, according to reports. The runway beauty was offered a role hosting the U.K. version of "America's Next Top Model", which is presented by model-turned-TV star Tyra Banks.

Campbell was in talks with TV bosses over her pay and the amount of time she would be expected to be available for the project, but negotiations fell through at the last minute, according to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. A source says, "What was missing (in the British version) was a real diva supermodel, a British equivalent to U.S. host Tyra Banks."

Movie executives behind Angelina Jolie's new spy thriller "Salt" have dismissed reports the film needed heavy re-editing after a dispute between director Phillip Noyce and producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. Di Bonaventura is alleged to have been unhappy with the final version of the movie, forcing Noyce to bring Jolie back to New York to reshoot several key scenes in recent weeks.

An onset source tells the New York Post's gossip column Page Six, "The reshoots had to be done because the completed version just didn't look good. There were at least two scenes which were bad, including the climax, so some changes had to be made pretty quickly." But a spokesman for Sony Pictures has denied the claims, insisting executives are more than satisfied with the finished project.

In a series of announcements released during Winter TCA Press Tour, NBC unveiled the guest stars who come on board its midseason line-up. Among the newly-heard are Katharine McPhee going to "Community" and Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates making a cameo on "The Office".

McPhee will play Chevy Chase's step daughter and potential love interest for Jeff in an episode airing immediately after the Winter Olympics coverage. Back in late 2009, it was already announced that comedian Jack Black will also visit the show. NBC said he would be a young man who is interested in joining the study group and must convince them to gain admittance. Black's episode is on Thursday, January 14.

In a live concert at the Milwaukee on January 6, Kid Cudi told the crowd that he has changed the title of his new album. "It's called 'Cudder and The Revolution of Evolution'," so the protege of Kanye West announced.

After opening up the new title, Cudi kicked off verses from a new song he recently recorded with Snoop Dogg. The rapper, who has also tagged Travis Barker for the album, will next be seen performing at Agora Theater, Cleveland on January 15 and Irving Plaza, New York on January 22.

Starting February 12, "The Jay Leno Show" will no longer be part of the primetime. NBC University Entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed at Winter TCA Press Tour on Sunday, January 10 that the talk show has been yanked out of it's 10 P.M. hour. However, it's "not a done deal" yet whether it will move to 11:35 P.M.

NBC plan to slide the timeslot of its three late night talk shows by approximately an hour later. With Jay Leno taking the 11 P.M. slot, Conan O'Brien will get the 12:05 P.M. while Jimmy Fallon will take the next hour.

Mick Jagger's daughter Georgia May is the 2010 face of fashion house Versace. The British blonde has shot a new campaign for Versace's spring collection with photographer Mario Testino.

And Donatella Versace is thrilled to have landed the girl who was named Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards last year 2009. She says, "She's smart, a strong personality, beautiful, full of energy... I adore her! She's a real Versace girl."

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" will arrive this year, Shock Till You Drop has learned. After the release date for the film was moved back to January 14, 2011, it has been reported having new 2010 release date. This fourth installment of the sci-fi flick allegedly will not be back on its original September 24 slot, but is slated for September 10 release.

Back in December 2009, Screen Gems announced that they have postponed the release for the film to give Paul W.S. Anderson more time to complete the movie in post-production. To adjust to the change, the studio even moved up vampire thriller "Priest" from its original release date on October 1, 2010 to August 20 the same year.

A music video in companion to Omarion's new single called "Speeding" has made its way out. In addition to featuring him speeding on the highway, it also captures the singer rocking a leather jacket and showing off some moves while his band are providing the tune behind him.

"Speeding" is one of the ballad tracks set to appear in Omarion's third solo studio album "Ollusion". He recently told Rap-Up, "The concept of the song is that I'm racing to get to my girl because I love her and I care about her. It has so many meanings too, not just racing time. We're racing like whether or not we're gonna be together."

R&B singer Sisqo has been ordered to pay monthly support for a child he had with a 14 year old fan, according to Swiss reports. The "Thong" Song hitmaker reportedly had sex with the young fan following a show with his band Dru Hill in Zurich in 1999.

The girl fell pregnant and welcomed a son, named Ian, who she claims was fathered by Sisqo. The unnamed female, now 25, filed papers in a Swiss court last year 2009 seeking financial help from the singer. Describing their alleged encounter in court documents, the woman said, "After the concert Sisqo was standing with his band at the bar. We went over and talked to them. Then everything went very fast.

Australian pop star Dannii Minogue is taking legal action against bosses at a British tabloid after they falsely reported she is pregnant. Reports the singer was expecting her first child with her rugby player boyfriend Kris Smith sparked after the couple was spotted leaving a hospital in Melbourne, Australia on Friday, January 8.

Britain's Daily Mail newspaper alleged Minogue was there to have a medical exam which identifies health risks in unborn babies, such as Down's syndrome. But Minogue's agent Melissa Le Gear insists the speculation is "completely inaccurate", adding, "Reports that said she was seen in hospital having a particular type of test are absolutely untrue."

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri is a big "Mary Poppins" fan - she has already seen both New York and Los Angeles productions of the family musical. Holmes took the three year old to see the show on Broadway in 2008 and on Wednesday, January 6, husband Tom joined his girls at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for the spectacular.

The family turned their theater trip into a magical night for show stars Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee by posing with the pair backstage. "Mary Poppins" appears to be the show all the stars want to see - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took kids Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh to a performance on January 3, while David Beckham and his sons, Amy Adams, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett all checked the spectacular out during the holiday season.

Dubbed as one of the best new bands in 2008, Vampire Weekend are going to release their second studio album "Contra" across United States on January 12. The four-piece band will celebrate the album release with a special intimate show at Los Angeles' Henry Fonda Theater. They will make an in-store performance in London the next day.

Already being made available for free stream on their official website, "Contra" is aimed to follow up their Gold-certified eponymous effort "Vampire Weekend" which has been in stores since 2008. It is led by single "Cousins" which peaked at No. 33 on Billboard Modern Rock Track chart.

"Law & Order" is not stopping at having two spin-offs. The original criminal drama has just been picked up for four additional episodes that would bring the 20th season to a total of 20 episodes and along with the announcement, NBC's Primetime Entertainment President Angela Bromstad revealed there would be a Los Angeles edition.

During Winter TCA Press Tour, Bromstad emphasized "Law & Order: Los Angeles" is still in very early stages. "We're talking about writers," she said about the franchise. "We officially call that LOLA," Jeff Gaspin, NBC Television Entertainment Chairman chimed in.

Rihanna has lashed out at vicious Internet gossip which suggested ex-boyfriend Chris Brown beat her after she contracted a cold sore on her lip - angrily insisting the blemish is a scar.

Nasty online reports circulated following Brown's attack on the Umbrella beauty in February last year, alleging the Kiss Kiss singer lashed out at his then lover after spotting a cold sore on her lip - a sign that can indicate the sufferer has sexually transmitted virus herpes.

Following the leak of the first trailer for "The A-Team", The 20th Century Fox has finally shared the official version. Offering the same footage featured in the bootleg trailer, the newly released video shares some action scenes from the adventure movie.

Based on television series of the same title, the film will follow a group of Iraq veterans who is sentenced to prison for a crime they did not commit. After managing to escape from a maximum security facility a year before, they are still wanted by the U.S. military. Now, they will embark on adventures which combine helping the innocent while running from the law.

Canadian police officials have apologized to travelers after an officer allowed Halle Berry and her family to cut the queues at Montreal airport and check-in ahead of their fellow flyers. The "Monster's Ball" star was awaiting to go through security checks with her partner Gabriel Aubry and their 22-month-old daughter Nahla, when the male model asked a cop to help speed up the process.

The pair was swept past customers and hurried through security, much to the annoyance of travelers who had been waiting in the line for over an hour. Now, Montreal police inspector Jimmy Cacchione - who is in charge of the airport's police - has chastised the officer in question for giving Berry special treatment and has vowed never to let it happen again.

Country star Kenny Chesney has become Tennessee's latest palace owner after buying a Franklin-area five-bedroom home for $9.2 million. The singer's new bachelor pad sits on 30 acres in the upscale Grasswoods suburb, according to RealEstalker.com.

The Tuscan-style villa was designed by local architect Brad Norris. The state now boasts Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow and Taylor Swift, who recently paid $1.9 million on a property in Nashville, among the superstars who call Tennessee home.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is pleased she's married to Michael Douglas, 15 years her senior - because "selfish" younger men "never had a chance" with her. The 40-year-old Welsh beauty married Douglas, 65, in 2000 and the pair has two children together.

And the actress is adamant romancing an older man is better than dating younger models, like Madonna, Demi Moore and Sam Taylor Wood, who all have toy boy lovers. She says, "I know that young men are more unbiased, playful and firmer. There's no question about that, but they are also more selfish and narcissistic. This is why they never had a chance to go out with me."

Rumor has it, Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly have set their wedding date. New York Post reported they have learned that the couple may walk down the aisle on November 5 or two days after the end of 2010 World Series, the competition of which the baseball player's team New York Yankee joins.

Derek and Minka reportedly plan their nuptials at the Oheka Castle in Long Island, where Kevin Jonas wed Danielle Deleasa on December 9, 2009. The site's reporter tried to confirm the date by posing as a prospective bride and meeting with a sales manager of Oheka, Rick Bellando.

Actor John Krasinski has been playing cupid for his "The Office" co-stars B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling after helping to reignite the former couple's romance. Novak and Kaling split in 2008 but sparked rumors they had rekindled their relationship after they were spotted enjoying a night out in Hollywood together just before Christmas, December 2009.

And the reunited couple has Krasinski to thank for bringing them back together after he tricked his pals by recruiting them to help plan his upcoming wedding to Emily Blunt. A source tells the National Enquirer, "(Krasinksi got them together) under the guise of planning his wedding and honeymoon. Before too long, the old spark reignited and the two were dating again."

"America's Got Talent" will get some love from Howie Mandel. Several days after David Hasselhoff announced his departure from the competition show, Howie stepped up as the new judge who replaces him.

"David is leaving... and yes I believe Howie Mandell is replacing [him]," NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said on Sunday, January 10. Howie is the familiar face of "Deal or No Deal" which is not in NBC's immediate schedule. "We are not doing any more 'Deals' for NBC currently," Gaspin stated.

Richard Gere has thrown his support behind a campaign to turn a Buddhist town in India into a vegetarian zone to spread "a message of peace".

The Buddhist "Pretty Woman" actor took part in a five-day training session with Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama, in India's Bodhgaya village last week, January 4, and showed his solidarity when he joined a march to highlight the campaign.

Sugababes were supposed to premiere the full-length music video for their latest single "Wear My Kiss" over the weekend, but they gave fans preview of the video instead. "They had2 finish some last minute bits off," so new member Jade Ewen explained on her Twitter.

Wearing similar outfits, blue-pink-and-red clothes, Jade along with Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah are seen dancing in front of the projection of their computer-generated images. The video is promised to be debuted in full sometime this week.

Lindsay Lohan has been caught up in a police investigation after her driver was accused of running over a paparazzi in the early hours of Sunday, January 10. The unidentified female was behind the wheel of Lohan's BMW when she left The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood shortly after midnight.

According to TMZ.com, she allegedly sped out of the dark alley so quickly, she hit a photographer waiting to get a shot of Lohan, who is believed to have been a passenger in the vehicle. The accident was reported to police and emergency services were called to the scene to treat the snapper for an injured hand. He was not admitted to hospital.

Drama inside The Pussycat Dolls continues. After confirming about the arrival of new faces to the group earlier last month, Kimberly Wyatt explained more about what to come once the new line-up is announced.

Kimberly, who hasn't talked to Nicole Scherzinger, told News of the World she is keen to continue working with the other girls; Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta and Ashley Roberts. She said, "It's not true at all that only one of us can sing. Everyone in the group has a beautiful voice. We just weren't showcased as much."

Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie and Josh Duhamel, the couple who was hit with infidelity rumor awhile back, has proven the public wrong about their marriage situation. They renewed their vow in a ceremony held in Santa Barbara, Calif. on Wednesday, January 6.

Duhamel had them flown from Los Angeles to the resort town with private helicopter. A limo was already waiting for them when they landed and they were taken to Bacara Resort and Spa. Only the two of them and a minister were in attendance of the very private ceremony. A source told Us Weekly, "It was a total surprise for Fergie."

George Harrison's son has dismissed rumors The Beatles' musical offspring are planning to launch their own group to follow in the footsteps of their famous dads. Harrison's songwriter son Dhani, 31, is rumored to be in talks with John Lennon's sons, Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney's boy James and Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey to form a band.

Dhani, who fronts his own rock group Thenewno2, insists he is on good terms with all of the musicians, but he has brushed off claims they will team up to record songs. He says, "We just keep to ourselves. Everyone's constantly trying to suggest that there might be something there but it's not what we want to do at all."

Amy Winehouse will return to St Lucia to remarry her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, according to reports.

The troubled singer escaped to the Caribbean paradise early last year in a bid to rid herself of her drug and drink demons. During her stint on the island, Winehouse was spotted cavorting with several unknown men, which reportedly prompted Fielder-Civil to file for divorce.

Rapper Lloyd Banks has been arrested on suspicion of assault in Canada. The G-Unit star was taken into custody by police in Ontario at the weekend, after allegedly attacking club promoter Chris Hines. Hines booked Banks to perform several tracks at Club N.V. but he arrived late and only played one song before leaving the stage, according to AllHipHop.com.

But trouble ensued when Hines refused to pay Banks for the gig, reportedly prompting a fight between the promoter and the rapper, who had been accompanied by three associates. Hines was admitted to a local hospital and treated for multiple contusions and head trauma.

On its fourth weekend, "Avatar" came out unchallenged on North American Box Office. This James Cameron's sci-fi has managed to secure the top spot with $50.3 million, dropping only 26.6% in ticket sales. So far, the movie has collected $430.8 million domestically.

The number has made "Avatar" the 2009's highest grossing film in the U.S., beating out "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". The Sam Worthington-starring film, moreover, has passed "Spider-Man" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" to become America's seventh-highest grosser all time. By the next weekend, "Avatar" is expected to jump four more spots to become No. 3 on the U.S. all-time list.

Wardens at a jail in Mexico have transferred 300 inmates to other prisons to make way for an upcoming Mel Gibson movie shoot, despite protests from the criminals' relatives. The "Braveheart" star is planning to film his next project at the Ignacio Allende prison in the eastern coastal city of Veracruz.

The state governor, Fidel Herrera Beltran, agreed to accommodate Gibson and relocate prisoners to make room for the actor/director's film crew - a decision which caused controversy with the loved ones of the incarcerated. Hundreds of family members staged a 24-hour demonstration outside the prison last month, December 2009 in a bid to stop the transfers until a new unit could be built to house the prisoners, but their efforts failed and 300 inmates were relocated last week.

Actress Gemma Arterton is in mourning after her grandmother was found dead at her home with a knife wound. The "Quantum of Solace" beauty's grandmother, 70-year-old Helen Sarfas, passed away at her house in Kent, England on Friday (08Jan10).

Police have confirmed the injury caused her death, but are not treating the incident as suspicious after questioning and releasing an unnamed 85-year-old man. A spokesman for Kent Police, says, "The result from the post-mortem showed she died following a stab wound and there are indications that this was self-inflicted."

Again, another celebrity is off the market. One of the Backstreet Boys, A.J. McLean, asked his model girlfriend Rochelle Deanna Karidis to marry him Friday night, January 8 at the Hard Rock Hotel's Wasted Space nightclub.

A.J. came to the venue along with Rochelle to celebrate his 32nd birthday. Just after midnight, he took Rochelle to the stage and presented her with a ring which reportedly was purchased a few hours before the public proposal at hotel's jewelry store, Rocks.

Acting legend Dennis Hopper is losing his battle with prostate cancer after the deadly disease spread to his bones, according to a British report. The "Easy Rider" veteran revealed his struggle with the illness in October 2009, after he was admitted to hospital suffering from "severe flu-like symptoms."

He immediately underwent treatment at the University of Southern California, but doctors admit hopes for the 73 year old are fading after the cancer spread, according to Britain's News of the World newspaper. According to the publication, medics have informed Hopper - who has battled the disease since 2002 - that his cancer is incurable and that he may be facing his final days.