January 23, 2010

Rock band Kings of Leon is placing its music career in new hands, after quitting record label Columbia and signing a new deal with rivals Warner Brothers. As a condition of the new contract, the band will contribute half of its recording costs, in return for a greater control of spending, and a bigger share of the profits.

A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Kings of Leon are one of the few bands on the planet who have enough heft to negotiate such a favorable deal. It is virtually unheard of but it shows how keen Warner Brothers were (sic) to have them on their books."

Eagle-eyed The Flaming Lips fans have spotted the band's frontman Wayne Coyne on Google's online street map. The flamboyant singer can be seen sitting in a bath on the lawn of his Oklahoma home, in the odd image.

After he was recognized, Coyne revealed he was taking part in a Hallowe'en display, dubbed The Blob in the Bath, reports XFM.co.uk. Coyne's not the first celebrity sighting on the hi-tech streetview feature, but previous spottings of Liam Gallagher and Michael Jackson in London turned out to be hoaxes.

A new sneak peek to Universal Pictures' upcoming movie "4.3.2.1" has been shared through an unofficial teaser trailer. Making its way out via 4.3.2.1 The Movie Facebook page, this uncensored video offers a glimpse of girl-on-girl make out scenes.

The snippet additionally gives a look at the movie's major characters, which are four young girls Joanne, Cassandra, Shannon and Kerrys. Though so, this more than three and a half minutes snippet fails to explain the storyline.

Lancome's new figurehead Julia Roberts is stunned she's still spokesmodel material now she's a 42-year-old mother of three. The Oscar winner is making her debut as the cosmetic giant's global ambassador at Paris Fashion Week in France. And she's thrilled she's still considered an icon.

Roberts tells Women's Wear Daily, "It's kind of like every girl's dream, really. To be 42 and have three kids and be a working mom, it's a great moment to be asked to do this and to be able to do it. I think it says a lot about Lancome and what they stand for."

Actor Jerry O'Connell has enrolled at a California university to study law. O'Connell, 35, studied film at New York University in the 90s and is keen to further his educational achievements.

Now he's taking courses at Southwestern University in Los Angeles. But O'Connell admits his studies are proving to be a bigger challenge than he thought. He says, "I went to Southwestern Law thinking, here I am, I'm older, I'm going back to school, I played a lawyer, I have life experiences - I'm going to be at the top of the class!"

Actor Stephen Baldwin has been booted off British reality TV show "Celebrity Big Brother". The "Usual Suspects" star lost a public vote after lining up against Donald Trump's ex-wife Ivana Trump and rapper Sisqo on Friday night, January 22. Sisqo was evicted shortly after.

Speaking after leaving the house, born-again Christian Baldwin said, "I learned a lot about myself, I learned a lot about my faith through interacting with these people." Stars still on the show include Trump, actor Vinnie Jones and actress Stephanie Beacham.

A short snippet of Christina Aguilera's new song recently hit the web, featuring catchy tune with her signature powerful voice. The yet-to-be-titled song is crafted for forthcoming movie "Burlesque" where the "Genie in a Bottle" hitmaker plays the lead character.

In addition to scoring music for "Burlesque", Christina is also preparing to release her next studio installment "Bionic" which teaser has been embraced by music fans since earlier this month. She is expected to release the album in March and its lead single "Glam" sometime soon.

Jude Law and Sienna Miller's renewed romance is getting serious - the actress is hinting she's ready to start a family with her former fiance. The couple split in 2006, after a British newspaper exposed Law's affair with his children's nanny.

Law and Miller reunited late last year while both starring on the New York stage, and enjoyed a festive vacation in Barbados together. Neither have confirmed a reconciliation, but Miller admits she's thinking about starting a family.

British singer Lily Allen has sparked rumors she plans to try for a baby during her upcoming hiatus - after telling fans she is feeling broody. The "Smile" hitmaker told the audience during a performance in Sydney, Australia on Thursday, January 21, that she's desperate to have kids with boyfriend Sam Cooper.

Last year, the pop star announced she will take a break from touring and recording after her final shows in London in March 2010 so she can pursue her dream of running her own record label. Now she has sparked speculation she also plans to use her time away from the stage to start a family.

Jazz musician Jamie Cullum and his model wife Sophie Dahl deliberately shun the showbiz lifestyle - because they are "geeks" who prefer to stay at home. The couple, who wed in early January, enjoy attending low-key concerts and socializing in quiet British pubs with old pals, and they try to turn down invitations to star-studded Hollywood parties.

The pint-sized pianist tells Britain's The Sun, "I live an extremely unglamorous lifestyle. I choose to hang out with my friends who aren't in that (showbiz) world and I choose to go to concerts and to the pub and play soccer."

Fans might have to wait a little longer before they can watch "The Hobbit". Despite Peter Jackson's persistence that the film is still on the track for its 2011 release schedule, Variety has hinted that the movie will possibly not come out until the end of 2012. "[Warner Bros. Pictures topper Alan] Horn won't predict when the first of the two 'Hobbit' films will be out, but says the most probable scenario would be a release in the fourth quarter of 2012," so read a line written on the site's recent article.

Back in December, there was rumor that the release dates for "The Hobbit" as well as "The Hobbit 2" would be pushed back following Jackson's announcement that the production of the films will be delayed from the original estimate of March 2010 to the middle of 2010. However, the producer insisted that the shooting delay will not affect the release date for the two movies.

Kim Kardashian has filed for a temporary restraining order against a man she's accusing of stalking and harassing her since September 2009. Kardashian is seeking legal protection from Dennis Shaun Bowman, amid concerns he believes he is romantically involved with the star.

According to court documents, Bowman began Tweeting Kardashian in September 2009 and proceeded to move from Georgia to a neighborhood near her Calabasas, California home. Kardashian claims Bowman began showing up at her appearances in the Los Angeles area acting bizarrely.

Robert Downey Jr. and Beyonce Knowles are tipped to take the lead roles in a new remake of 1930s movie classic "A Star Is Born". First released in 1937, the musical has been reworked twice in the past, with Judy Garland and James Mason in 1957 and Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976.

Actor-turned-director Nick Cassavettes is behind the latest version and has signed a deal with Warner Bros ahead of a 2012 release, reports Deadline Hollywood Daily. Downey Jr. and Beyonce are the favorites for the lead roles, playing Normal Maine and Esther Victoria Blodgett, aka Vicki Lester - with "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, Alicia Keys and Rihanna linked as back-up stars.

Rumor has it, Robert Pattinson has been approached by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell to ink a major record deal. It is also reported that Simon is not the only person who is interested to sign the "Twilight" actor as there are other recording companies which pursue him.

A bidding war reportedly has taken place with the Edward Cullen depicter being reluctant to seal a deal with Simon. "He is a bit wary of signing up with Cowell who is, of course, associated with 'The X Factor' and pop," a source said as quoted by The Sun.

"The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" lowered its curtain on Friday, January 22 with a gratitude from Conan O'Brien to NBC, his staff and his fans. The host opened the show with, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have exactly one hour to steal every single item in this studio." As for what he'll do next, Conan joked, "I will do nudity. HBO, when you make the movie, I would like to be played by Academy Award winner actress Tilda Swinton".

Tom Hanks and unannounced guest Steve Carell showed up as his last interviews. "I don't want to get into a whole 'Coco, we hardly knew ye' thing. But honestly, in our house, you will always be the host of The Tonight Show," Tom said.

Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke has been discharged from hospital nearly two weeks after he was seriously injured in hit-and-run accident on his motorcycle. The musician was out riding his through Sherman Oaks, California on January 10 when a car turned in front of him, sending him smashing into the side of the vehicle. The other driver allegedly failed to stop after the accident.

He suffered three broken bones in his left foot/ankle and a broken bone in his right foot, and underwent surgery last week, January 11, to fix his shattered limbs. And the rocker has taken to his blog to keep fans informed of his progress.

Former Bros star Matt Goss has ended his 10 years relationship with model-turned-actress Daisy Fuentes. Goss and Fuentes shared a home together in the Hollywood Hills and were engaged in 2003. The break-up follows rumors Fuentes rekindled her relationship with Latin singer Luis Miguel. The pair dated for three years before breaking up in 1998.

Singer Goss confirmed the split, telling RadarOnline.com, "We had a long and loving relationship. This came as a shock especially when you think you really know someone. I wish her all the best and hope she finds whatever it is that she's searching for."

3OH!3 have debuted their brand new song called "Follow Me Down". Featuring Neon Hitch on the hook, the track is recorded for the upcoming movie "Alice in Wonderland" which will be released in U.S. theaters on March 5.

Although "Follow Me Down" is the film's first soundtrack to come out for listening pleasure, it's not the lead single from the theme song compilation. Serving as the lead single is Avril Lavigne's "Alice (Underground)" which is expected to be released on February 4.

British rockers Radiohead nearly parted ways during the recording of their hit 2007 album "In Rainbows" - because the lengthy studio sessions dragged on for several years. The band began working on tracks for the groundbreaking record in 2005 before it was eventually released online using a 'pay-what-you-like' system in late 2007.

And guitarist Ed O'Brien admits the album process was so long and tedious, they weren't sure whether they would continue as a group. He tells Midem, "The recording of the album took three years. Which is a long time by anybody's standards. It pretty much half killed us. Whether the band would continue was very much in the balance."

The Killers have scrapped their upcoming Asian tour due to "unforeseen circumstances." The rockers were due to kick off a series of gigs with a performance in Singapore on January 24, followed by shows in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea.

The "Mr Brightside" hitmakers have now axed all the Asian concerts, but hope to reschedule them for future dates. A statement on the band's website reads, "The Killers have been forced to cancel their appearances in Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo and Seoul due to unforeseen circumstances."

A rep for Amy Winehouse's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has denied allegations he jeopardized his reunion with the singer by romancing a transsexual teenage impersonator of the "Back to Black" star - insisting they "only met once." The couple divorced in 2009 after the Grammy-winner admitted adultery in court papers, but they subsequently revived their relationship and are now said to be planning to re-marry.

On Friday, January 22, Fielder-Civil was rocked by allegations from a 17-year-old transsexual, known only as Mia, who claims to have enjoyed a fling with the recovering drug addict. Fielder-Civil, who was released from prison in 2009 after he was jailed on charges of grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice, is adamant he was never in a "relationship" with Mia - because they only "met once."

Pop star Miley Cyrus has given up her dream of becoming a wedding planner - because she's hopeless at timekeeping. The "Party In The U.S.A." singer wanted to be a planning queen before her music and acting career took off, and she admits she'd still be interested in a career as a wedding wonder when she's older - but first she'll have to buy a watch.

She tells Globe magazine, "My dream job was to become a wedding planner. I like the idea of putting a great event together. But I am terrible with time schedules. I don't even have a watch."

Apparition has released an official teaser poster for biopic "The Runaways". An exclusive courtesy of MTV, the one-sheet does not offer much but presents a picture of a fresh cherry with a trigger. Additionally, the image shows a tag of a line mentioning, "It's 1975 and they're about to explode," which may refer to The Runaways' hit single "Cherry Bomb".

"The Runaways" is based on the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name, which were brought together in late 1975 by impresario Kim Fowley. The film itself will cover the formation of the musical group through to Cherie Currie's departure at the peak of their success. It is also said to highlight the relationship between lead vocalist/keyboardist Cherie and guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett.

Adam Lambert reached out to his Twitter to deny the rumors that he has got back to ex-boyfriend Drake LaBry. The "American Idol" runner-up and the former flame were spotted "getting their cozy" at Hollywood's Avalon club on Tuesday, January 19, prompting rumor that they have rekindled the romance which was ended in November last year.

"Oh jeez. More rumor mill: Drake and I are not back together. We have allowed a great friendship to grow since our split," Adam wrote on Friday, January 22. He added shortly after, "Plus haven't you all heard? Ke$ha is my new love. We are very happy together. It's sparkly."

Rosie O'Donnell is taking her relationship with new girlfriend Tracy Kachtick-Anders to the next level - the couple has made plans to move in together. The actress-turned-radio and TV personality officially split from her wife Kelli Carpenter in 2009, and went public with her romance with mother-of-six Kachtik-Anders in early January.

O'Donnell opened up about her home life with her four children - Parker, 14, Chelsea, 12, Blake, 10, and Vivienne Rose, seven - during a chat with U.S. TV host Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, aired on Friday, January 22, she also confirmed she wants to "blend families" with her new partner. Asked if she plans to live with Kachtik-Anders, O'Donnell replied: "Yes. As soon as we can arrange the kids' thing where she lives in Texas, you know."

Several Disney stars will be reunited once again later this year. According to Twitter talks, the likes of Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Tiffany Thornton will enter recording booth together and make a joint track.

Also, rumor suggests that an upcoming duet between Joe Jonas and Demi which was previously hinted on their Twitters actually is a project for Friends for Change, the Mouse House's social campaign which is aimed to raise awareness to preserve the Earth. They reportedly will hook up in a song called "Make a Wave".

Clive Owen broke down in tears when he read the script for his latest role as a single dad - because the thought of his own children losing their mother devastated him. The Brit actor stars in "The Boys Are Back", playing a sports writer forced to raise his child alone after his wife dies.

But Owen struggled with the role, as it made him lament on how his young daughters, Hannah and Eve, would cope without a parent. He says, "I found it very upsetting when I read it. Every time I read the script I cried. In some scenes I was turning to a young boy and saying, 'Your mother might not be around for much longer.'"

Being pre-empted for "Hope for Haiti" telethon this week, "Smallville" teases the highly-anticipated "Absolute Justice" episode which will now air on February 5. The clip gives a closer look of Hawkman and the rest of Justice Society of America members when Clark discovers the place they used to gather.

A man named Sylvester Pemberton tracks down Chloe and tells her he knows about her team of superheroes and needs their help. However, before he can explain who he is, he is attacked and killed by Icicle (guest star Wesley Wesley MacInnes).

Ben Stiller could spend another night at the museum. Following the achievements of "Night at the Museum" and "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian", Thomas Lennon who wrote the scripts for the first two movies claimed making the third film is really possible. "How could you not? I think it's a really outstanding idea to do 'Night at the Museum 3', in fact," he stated.

Being met on the red carpet of the "Pee-Wee Herman Show" at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, he also hinted that script for third film is being worked on, telling Access Hollywood "I wonder if someone's not even already working on a script for that." Lennon then added, "I cannot confirm that for a fact, but I cannot deny it for a fact either... It might be in the works."

Former Bond girl Gemma Arterton is pleased she decided to return to her theater roots with a role in the West End - because working in movies wasn't challenging enough for her. The British actress, best known for playing agent Strawberry Fields in 007 movie "Quantum of Solace", began her career with an appearance in Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" in London in 2007, just months before she won her first big screen role in "St Trinian's".

The 24 year old recently began a stint in "The Little Dog Laughed", a satire about Hollywood, alongside "The Young Victoria" star Rupert Friend - and Arterton is adamant she made the right move to turn her back on films for a while.

More and more big musicians performed on the stage of "Hope for Haiti" telethon. After witnessing the likes of Madonna and Christina Aguilera's performances, the concert saw the highly-anticipated all-star duet among Rihanna, Jay-Z and Bono.

The three stars joined forces in a new song called "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" which is specifically produced by Swizz Beatz for the relief effort. Before Rihanna came onto the stage with Jay-Z and the U2's vocalist, Beyonce Knowles showed her support along with Chris Martin, who played on the piano. She delivered "Halo" live from London, changing its lyrics to "Haiti I can see your halo."

Leona Lewis immediately agreed to sing on Simon Cowell's charity single for Haiti - because watching news coverage of the earthquake-ravaged nation has left her "heartbroken". The music mogul has been busy lining up celebrities to sing a cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" to raise money for the Haiti aid appeal, following a request from Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

So far, Lewis, Michael Buble and Rod Stewart have all signed up, with Take That, Robbie Williams and Coldplay also rumored to be taking part. And the "Bleeding Love" hitmaker admits she didn't hesitate to offer her help to Cowell, as she's been so saddened by the devastating images from Haiti, which was hit by the massive quake last week, on January 12.

ABC has been extra careful not to leak any new footage of "Lost" even though the premiere date of season six is approaching. However, an easter egg is concluded in a new footage that has just been released this week. Claire, played by Emilie de Ravin, is given the first look of her comeback, holding a rifle ala Danielle Rousseau in the jungle.

The sixth season which will air starting February 2, has invited back some characters including the fallen ones such as Cynthia Watros' Libby and Harold Perrineau's Michael. Libby was shot by Michael when she accidentally witnessed Ana Lucia being killed by him. Meanwhile, Michael died in an explosion on the Kahana while trying to defuse a bomb.

"Give as much as you can" is the message that Robert Pattinson delivered in London to encourage people to donate money for the victims of Haiti earthquake. The "Twilight" star participated in the telethon "Hope for Haiti" which is aired in almost all major networks including HBO Latino, MuchMusic and National Geographic Channel.

Joining Pattinson in the London leg are the likes of Bono, Jay-Z and Rihanna. Bono and The Edge join forces in a track called "Stranded" which will be subtitled "Haiti Mon Amour". Meanwhile, Beyonce Knowles teams up with Coldplay's Chris Martin for a rendition of her "Halo".

After host George Clooney explained the importance of the fund-raising concert, now it was Wyclef Jean who appeared on stage to share his insight about the disaster. He mournfully described the scene he encountered in his homeland following the earthquake.

Then, Shakira took the mic, offering an unplugged version of The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" with The Roots providing the music. John Legend then played the piano for "Motherless Child". His performance was followed by Christina Aguilera who sang "Lift Me Up".

Michael Douglas is grateful he was given a second shot at fatherhood in his later years - because age has made him a better parent to his children with Catherine Zeta-Jones. The actor has one son from his marriage to Diandra Luker - Cameron Douglas, 31, who is currently behind bars on drug possession charges at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.

After his divorce from Luker, Douglas, 65, went on to marry "Welsh" actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000. They have two children together, Dylan, nine, and Carys, six - and Douglas is convinced becoming a dad again later in life has given him the chance to re-evaluate his priorities so he won't make the same mistakes twice.

"Hope for Haiti" benefit concert has been kicked off. Madonna performed from the New York City studio, singing "Like a Prayer" with a choir backing her up, while Taylor Swift strummed her guitar, playing Better Than Ezra's "Breathless".

Prior to their performances, Alicia Keys opened the telecast, sitting behind a grand piano and singing her song "Prelude to a Kiss". George Clooney then appeared, explaining why this benefit is so important while the camera shoots the bank of all-star phone operations.

Actress Vanessa Williams and veteran crooner Barry Manilow have teamed up to support an American Red Cross Haiti campaign. The two stars, along with Los Angeles Lakers players Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant, have filmed a public service announcement for the organization to appeal for aid for the earthquake-ravaged country.

Williams says, "Give a dollar, give whatever you can. Your donations will make a difference," while Manilow adds, "Your contributions can help end the unimaginable suffering." The fundraising mission will help those left injured and homeless following last week's, January 12 massive quake.

Miley Cyrus has teamed up with Joaquin Phoenix to prevent suicide. Appearing in a new PSA for TWLOHA (To Write Love on Her Arms), the Disney star teaches the actor how to use Internet to vote for the organization and express support for its $1 million grant application. Pretending that he does not know Cyrus, Phoenix makes her doing Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" to explain her profession.

Later, the video switches to capture Phoenix and Liv Tyler. When Phoenix fails to explain to his ex-girlfriend about the TWLOHA voting, Cyrus once again shows up and teaches her how to log on to the group's website and help the suicide prevention.

Oprah Winfrey snatches the chance to have the first interview with late night TV host Jay Leno who is embroiled in NBC's scheduling fiasco. Jay has been the villain in the situation whereby Conan O'Brien is forced to quit when Jay wants his old job back. This appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will restore his reputation.

Oprah has the tendency to put her guests in better light. Thus Jay reportedly reaches out to the queen of daytime talk show in order to shed off the image that he is to be blamed for Conan's departure from "The Tonight Show". "Oprah and Jay love each other," said a source. "They talk constantly."

Filmmaker Roman Polanski has lost his fight to avoid extradition to the U.S. - a Los Angeles judge has ruled he must return to be sentenced on 32 year old unlawful sex charges. Polanski pleaded guilty to having sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer back in 1977, but fled America a year later, before he could be sentenced.

Director of upcoming movie "The Ghost Writer" was arrested in Zurich in 2009 and has been under house arrest in Switzerland since, while his lawyers fight to free him and prevent him from being extradited, arguing the Oscar winner should be sentenced in his absence.

It's another baby boy for Bo Bice. The "American Idol" alum's wife, Caroline Fisher, gave birth to the child at 10:30 A.M. Friday, January 22, a week prior to her due date on January 31. The couple name the newborn baby Ean Jacob Bice.

"Welcome To Life My Son, U Make Us Proud," so the singer wrote on Twitter soon after the arrival of the baby. Weighing 8.5 lbs, Ean is Bo Bice's third child with Caroline. He joins brothers 4-year-old Aidan Michael Bice and 17-month-old Caleb James.