September 18, 2010

Andy Whitfield pulls away from the second season production of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" for health concern. The actor was diagnosed with treatable stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma back in March. The cancer has apparently returned and doctors advised him to take an aggressive treatment which may require a lot of time and energy.

Starz cable network which is home to "Spartacus" had produced "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena", a prequel to the series which doesn't involve Whitfield's character. The prequel is still scheduled for January 2011 premiere but the second season of "Blood and Sand" which is due to premiere in September 2011 is still a question mark.

Some people are looking forward for recent news about Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian. However, one man is having enough with the Kardashians sisters' actions - he's filing a lawsuit against them.

According to TMZ, an inmate at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, named D.J. Goodson, filed the legal papers against Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, claiming he developed "extreme emotional distress due to their outrageousness of actions." D.J. Stated that he suffered the "extreme emotional distress" after forced to watch "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami".

"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm has laughed off speculation he'll be flying into action as Superman in the superhero's next movie - because he's too old to play the Man of Steel. Brandon Routh was the last actor to portray the comic book icon on the big screen in 2006's "Superman Returns".

"The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan has signed on to produce another installment in the blockbuster franchise, and recent rumors suggested Hamm was being courted to take over the role. But the actor insists he hasn't been approached by movie bosses and at 39, he's just too old to play the part.

Shelley Malil's ex-girlfriend will forever be traumatized by the vicious stabbing she endured at the hands of "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" star because she is reminded of the horror whenever she looks in the mirror. Malil was convicted of attempted murder on Thursday, September 16 after a three-week trial, during which he testified he never intended to hurt Kendra Beebe and was acting in self defense in 2008 when he lashed out in the dark, stabbing her more than 20 times.

He told the jury at California's San Diego County Court that he thought he was being attacked from behind following a brawl with Beebe's pal David Maldonado. He was also found guilty on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Rapper Fat Joe is keeping his fingers crossed his former protegee Remy Ma wins her appeal against her eight-year prison sentence for a 2007 shooting, insisting he sympathises with her despite their past war of words. The "Lean Back" hitmaker dropped Remy, real name Reminisce Smith, from his Terror Squad crew in 2007 and the pair went on to throw lyrical shots at one another in subsequent interviews.

Smith found herself behind bars in May 2008 after she was convicted of shooting Makeda Barnes Joseph in the abdomen during an altercation in New York in July 2007. But Fat Joe is adamant Smith doesn't belong in prison for the crime.

A 14-year-old Miley Cyrus fan sparked security concerns in California on Wednesday, September 15 when police found him loitering outside the teen superstar's home. The boy is reported to have taken note of the "Hannah Montana" actress' address in the San Fernando Valley after joining a Hollywood tour of celebrity homes earlier in the day and decided to return to the property that afternoon.

No charges were filed against the Australian tourist and he was escorted back to his hotel, where he was reunited with his parents, reports TMZ.com.

Country music singer Big Kenny is the proud father of a newly-adopted baby boy. The "Big & Rich" singer, real name Kenny Alphin, welcomed son Dakota Jefferson Holiday Alphin with his wife, Christiev, in July.

Dakota, now nine months old, is little brother to the couple's four-and-a-half-year-old son, Lincoln William. Christiev confirmed the news to People.com on Friday, September 17, revealing they decided to adopt after failing to conceive a second child biologically.

A childhood illness saved Martin Scorsese from a life of violent crime in his native New York, according to his longtime cinematographer. The director was raised in Little Italy in the 1940s and 50s, when the Manhattan neighborhood was ruled by the mob.

And he admitted to Michael Ballhaus, his director of photography on movies "Goodfellas", "The Departed" and "Gangs of New York", that he would have turned to crime had a bout of asthma not forced him to stay indoors. Instead, Scorsese spent hours watching television and cultivating his love of film.

Roman Polanski has been feted at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain - his political thriller "The Ghost Writer" was named best picture on Friday, September 17. The "Rosemary's Baby" filmmaker has endured a tough year since he was taken into custody by Swiss officials in September 2009, when he was arrested on a 33-year-old child sex charge.

He was placed under house arrest as authorities considered granting U.S. prosecutors' requests to extradite him to be punished for the crime, but the application was denied and Polanski was freed in July. But his legal problems have not affected his ability to impress critics with his work - "Ghost Writer", starring Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor, was selected by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) as the best release of the year.

Embattled actor Mel Gibson wants nothing to do with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva's singing career - he's relinquished all rights to her music after helping to produce her album. The "Braveheart" star helped to write and produce tracks for the Russian's 2009 album "Beautiful Heartache" after signing her to his Icon Records label.

The couple split earlier this year and is currently locked in a bitter court battle over custody of its baby daughter Lucia. Grigorieva, a classically trained pianist, has also accused Gibson of sabotaging her attempts to release new material and promote her music since the break-up, but TMZ reveals the Hollywood star has given up his rights as executive producer to her work.

Paris Hilton looks set to avoid jail following her arrest for drug possession in Las Vegas in August - she has been offered a plea deal, according to a report. The hotel heiress was taken into custody and charged with the felony after investigators allegedly found cocaine in a purse she was carrying following a traffic stop outside the Wynn resort.

She denied the purse was hers and is due to be arraigned in court on October 27. The felony drug charge carries a maximum four-year jail term but Hilton is unlikely to be locked up for the crime after prosecutors gave her the option of pleading guilty to two misdemeanors instead.

It was reported that "Mission: Impossible IV" could get a new title that does not even make reference to the widely known franchise. Now, Tom Cruise makes a headline as he has possibly revealed the new title. "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 UPDATE: Skydance Productions & Paramount Pictures join forces for 'The Mission!'," so he writes on his Twitter and Facebook pages on Friday, September 17.

Along with the status, Cruise shares a link of an article about the movie. It highlights producer/actor David Ellison whose company Skydance Productions has joined forces with Paramount Pictures to finance the fourth "Mission: Impossible" film.

Michael Grimm has left audience on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in awe. The winner of "America's Got Talent" 's fifth season, got down on one knee to propose to longtime girlfriend Lucy Zolcerova. Lucy, who has dated Michael for three years, couldn't wipe smile off her faces as she answered yes.

"I'm ecstatic right now. Well, he's been saying for three years he was going to propose, so I wasn't taking it so seriously," Lucy told People. "But I had no clue whatsoever. I was sitting there, enjoying the show and then... yeah. I can't imagine myself with anybody else. He's my soul mate, and I love him."

Kate Walsh paid tribute to Lady GaGa's now-famous red meat dress with a fishy fashion choice of her own when she appeared on U.S. TV on Thursday, September 16 - by donning a garment made from sushi and sashimi.

The "Private Practice" star strutted onto Jay Leno's late night show wearing a little black dress covered with raw fish, and shaded her eyes with Gaga-inspired glasses made from Tamago - a Japanese-style omelet. She completed the edible ensemble with a ring made from a sushi roll and prawns strapped to her Louis Vuitton stilettos, telling the comedian, "This is a shout out - an homage - to Lady Gaga."

Lady GaGa has continued her crusade against the U.S. military's anti-gay 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy by calling on former presidential hopeful John McCain to change his stance on the controversial ruling in a new online video.

The "Poker Face" hitmaker has been outspoken in her support for soldiers who have been discharged from the U.S. armed forces for being gay, and turned the spotlight on the issue at last weekend's MTV Video Music Awards by taking fired Air Force members as her dates to the event. She also recently reached out to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, urging him to boost a vote to allow people to serve in the military regardless of their sexuality.

Celebrity illusionist David Blaine is set to experience the magic of fatherhood next year - he's expecting a baby with his fiancee Alizee Guinochet. The endurance expert revealed he is expecting his first child with the French beauty at a recent rooftop cancer benefit hosted by ASmallWorld.com mogul Patrick Liotard-Vogt, according to the New York Post.

And Blaine can't wait to teach the child some of his many tricks, reportedly telling guests, "The baby is probably already practicing the breath hold!"

Miley Cyrus has been struck with a hit-and-run allegation. Mauro Fiore, an attorney for an alleged victim, told TMZ that the 17-year-old star's Mercedes-Benz SUV totaled his client's 1991 Camry which was parked in a Los Angeles restaurant, earlier this week.

According to Mauro, Miley left the scene after hitting the parked car. The Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller of "The Last Song", however, gave her phone number to the parking attendant before speeding off. The attorney also mentioned that the songstress claimed the white Benz she was driving belonged to her boyfriend, but the vehicle is actually registered to her mother.

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are teaming up to tickle moviegoers in "The Dilemma" and their collaboration in the movie has been previewed in the first trailer. The video, making its way out via Apple, sees one of two men who is having a dilemma as he keeps a secret that might hurt his best friend's feeling.

Vaughn's Ronny and James' Nick have been friends since they are students in college and are now working together in an auto design firm. Standing by the sides of the unbeatable partners are Ronny's girlfriend, Beth, and Nick's wife, Geneva.

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is returning to Broadway next year to star in a revival of Tennessee Williams' play "Sweet Bird of Youth". The production, directed by David Cromer and produced by Tony winner Scott Rudin, will open next autumn, a spokesman for the production said on Friday, September 17.

Kidman will portray Alexandra Del Lago, the aging, drunken movie star played by Geraldine Page in the original 1959 production, which co-starred Paul Newman as her character's lover, gigolo Chance Wayne. Newman also starred in a film version of the play and in the last Broadway revival in 1975.

No Doubt members made use of L.A.M.B.'s fashion show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to talk about the progress of their first album in almost a decade. Gwen Stefani, who strutted on the runway earlier that evening in her own design, said they are on a "snail pace" but the album will be worth it when it comes out next year.

Her bandmate Tony Kanal was more elaborate in describing project, telling Wall Street Journal, "It's great. We haven't wrapped it yet. We have about nine ideas and we're just moving along and it feels amazing. Honestly, we're having the best time of our lives." No Doubt took hiatus after the release of 2001's "Rock Steady" when each of them was preoccupied with solo projects.

"Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is set to unleash hell once again in 2012. Sony's Columbia Pictures, via Shock Till You Drop and Superhero Hype, has announced that they plan to release the movie on February 17, five years after the first film hit theaters on February 16, 2007.

Still starring Nicolas Cage as the titular character, "Ghost Rider 2" has started shooting in Bucharest, Romania. "Crank" helmers, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, are working behind the lens for the upcoming action thriller which will be released both in 2-D and 3-D theaters.

Country star LeAnn Rimes has hit back at U.S. talk show host Wendy Williams, insisting comments about her cheating scandal were "out of control". The "Blue" singer hit the headlines last year when she was caught on camera kissing her TV co-star Eddie Cibrian while they were both married.

Rimes and Cibrian subsequently split from their respective partners and made their romance official, prompting a wave of criticism. The singer recently opened up about the scandal, insisting she never meant to hurt her ex Dean Sheremet - but Williams took aim at Rimes, saying "It's all very sloppy".

Lady GaGa, Paul Weller and Green Day are among the big acts who have been nominated for trophies at Britain's Q Awards in October. The "Poker Face" hitmaker is up for best female artist, as well as best live act, which will see her battle it out against Kasabian, Muse and Green Day.

Meanwhile the "American Idiot" hitmakers are also named in the best act in the world today category, alongside Kings of Leon and Arcade Fire. British star Plan B is up for three awards - best male artist, best album and breakthrough artist - and Weller has been shortlisted for best male and best album for "Wake Up the Nation".

In order to emphasize the Mexican theme of "Eastbound & Down" season 2, Danny McBride brought along a donkey to the premiere. Paramount Studios was packed with celebrities on Thursday, September 16 when it hosted the green carpet premiere of the returning HBO series.

While McBride enjoyed the company of the animal, Will Ferrell came to the event with his producing partner Adam McKay. Michael Pena and Ana de la Reguera also made an appearance for they are the new cast members who will play the owner of the Mexican baseball team and Kenny's new love interest respectively.

Prince has headed off legal action from his former lawyer by settling an unpaid bill of $50,000. The "Purple Rain" hitmaker was hit with a lawsuit in August after attorney Ed McPherson claimed the star failed to pay him for his work on two different cases.

But this week, McPherson filed documents to dismiss the case because Prince has now settled the bill, according to TMZ.

Rapper Busta Rhymes is facing a $250,000 lawsuit from a woman who claims he hurled a glass at her during an argument at celebrity hangout Mr Chow. The star was dining with a female friend at the Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills, California when he was allegedly involved in a bust-up with Devin Cooper, who was seated at an adjacent table.

Angry words were exchanged when Rhymes' pal complained that Cooper was sitting too close to them and the rapper joined in, allegedly shouting at Cooper. According to AllHipHop, in papers filed at a court earlier this week, Cooper claims Rhymes then hurled a glass, missing her by "inches".

Former model-turned-reality TV star Janice Dickinson is concerned she's a cougar - because it "bothers" her she's dating a man 22 years her junior. The 55 year old has been in a relationship with a firefighter for the last year, and although she's happy with her love life, Dickinson's still getting used to the age-gap.

She tells Britain's Loose Women, "I've been with a fireman for a year now... or a little over a year, isn't that enough? (The age-gap), that bothers me... it really does. It doesn't bother him. I'm 55, he's 33 now."

John Travolta's wife Kelly Preston is counting down the days until she gives birth to her baby boy because she is "completely ready" for the new family addition. The Hollywood stars confirmed they were expecting their third child in May, just over a year after the tragic death of their 16-year-old son Jett, who died in January 2009 after suffering a seizure.

The couple, who also have 10-year-old daughter Ella, will become parents again before the end of the year and Preston is excited about her impending motherhood. She tells People, "It's been very easy and so wonderful."

Zac Efron relished the loving relationship with his onscreen sibling in "Charlie St. Cloud" because he and his real-life brother are too masculine to open up emotionally. The 22-year-old actor gets on well with younger sibling Dylan and thought about their friendship often while he was on set of the emotional drama.

And Efron used the opportunity to be affectionate with his onscreen brother, played by Charlie Tahan, as a substitute to professing his feelings for Dylan. He tells BBC Radio 1, "We're not as lovey dovey as the brothers in the movie. We're pretty competitive and we're dudes."

Morgan Freeman is a single man again after finalizing his divorce from his wife of 26 years. The veteran actor parted ways from Myrna Colley-Lee in late 2007 and secretly filed official documents to end their union the following July.

Their split became public shortly after the 73 year old crashed his car and had to be cut free from the wreckage in Tennessee in August 2008. On Wednesday, September 15, more than two years after the papers were filed, a judge in Jackson, Mississippi finalized their divorce - and Freeman is delighted the split is now official.

Screen Gems has debuted the first trailer for "The Roommate" starring Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester. Debuted by Yahoo! Movies, the video opens with a look at the sweet friendship occurring between the new roommates.

Things get scary for Kelly's Sara when Meester's Rebecca becomes obsessed with her. Claiming to protect her, Rebecca hurts other people close to Sara. She sets a man who likes Sara on fire, and threatens another girl pal who warns Sara about her weird behavior.

While "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" is counting down to its wide release on theaters, Owl City support the promotion by releasing a music video for the soundtrack. "To the Sky" has been picked as the main theme of the movie for it perfectly describes the bird tale with its lyrics such as "So touch your feathers to the breeze/ And leave the ground."

There was actually a music video released for this theme song already but it focused largely on the movie's scenes. This new one captures frontman Adam Young in the screening room, writing the song and recording it. At the end of the video, Young turns to an owl.

Superproducer Mark Ronson is keen to work his musical magic on Culture Club - he is hoping to team with the "Karma Chameleon" legends for a new album. The DJ has remixed the hits of stars including the "Kaiser Chiefs" and "The Zutons" to create new hits for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, and has also worked on a new album with 1980s favorites Duran Duran.

And after working with Boy George for a track on Ronson's latest disc, the pair came up with the idea of reuniting the band to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Ronson tells Britain's Daily Star, "Boy George is going to do some shows with my band so we have talked about collaborating on a new Culture Club record, because in 2012 it's their 30th anniversary. That should be fun, they were a great band."

Vegetarian singer KT Tunstall has leaped to the defense of Lady GaGa for wearing meat-style clothing, insisting it's no different from dressing in leather. The "Poker Face" hitmaker attracted criticism earlier this month when she posed in a bikini made from slabs of beef for the cover of Japan's Hommes Vogue magazine.

She followed up by attending the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, September 12 in a dress apparently fashioned from strips of red meat - and with a steak balanced on her head. But despite refusing to eat meat herself, Tunstall can't understand why animal rights activists would be offended by GaGa's outfit choice.

NBC's "Undercovers" unleashes plenty of clips for viewers to get a first taste of. They recount the scenes from when ex-spies Steven and Samantha Bloom were informed that their colleague had gone missing in action, to them agreeing to get back to their old job, to the launch of the mission itself.

The Blooms are a typical married couple who owns and operates a small catering company in Los Angeles with help from Samantha's easily frazzled, handful of a sister, Lizzy. Secretly, the duo were two of the best spies the CIA had ever known, until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired.

Scottish singer Edwyn Collins is glad he suffered no serious longterm effects from his stroke five years ago - because he would rather die than stop making music. The former Orange Juice star was struck down by two cerebral hemorrhages, and was left with an inability to communicate after falling ill.

He is still recovering from the stroke but has returned to the studio and is working on his next album, which will feature contributions from artists including Johnny Marr and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. And the star is so passionate about making music, he insists he would rather have died from the stroke than be left unable to write and record songs.

Lady GaGa and Kim Kardashian have threatened legal action against a doll-making company, demanding staff stop producing inflatable sex toys based on their looks. Kardashian's attorney Shawn Chapman Holley has fired off a letter to Pipedream Products, Inc., which offers a number of celebrity-styled blow-up dolls.

The lawyer has demanded that company bosses stop production of the Kinky Kim Filthy Love Doll - which is described as a "busty bubble-butt bimbo" - because it violates Kardashian's rights. But a spokesperson for Pipedream Products tells TMZ.com, "The similarity between the Kinky Kim doll and Ms. Kardashian is purely coincidental."

British singer Robbie Williams has been battling a mystery illness for the last four years. The Take That star feared his depression had returned when he was feeling lethargic, but doctors later told him he was suffering from an unnamed condition.

Since being correctly diagnosed earlier this year, the singer has been receiving treatment to battle the illness, which he insists has "changed" his life.

"Glee" actress Jane Lynch forced producers of the hit show to rewrite one of her lines - because she couldn't bear to talk about skinning cats. The animal-loving star, who plays outspoken teacher Sue Sylvester in the series, received a script for one episode in which she was asked to tell Matthew Morrison's character Will Schuester she would torture him.

But Lynch told writers she drew the line at talking about skinning an animal, because she has her own pets at home. She tells U.S. talk show host Larry King, "I had one line, though, that I don't even know how it got past Fox. But I had one line where I said something about how I was going to torture Will and I would skin a cat in front of him. And I said, I can't - I can't say it. And they said, 'Well, we actually put that in there to see if it would raise any flags and it didn't. But we're going to rewrite it anyway.' I couldn't say that..."

Rihanna made the headlines on Friday, September 17 night after her music video of "Who's That Chick" is leaked. True to her mission to wake up from the dark "Rated R" album, the music video reflects her intention to have fun in the new album.

The video captures the singer in a very colorful outfit, dancing with a lot of people in an equally colorful room. She smiles most of the time while singing about "French kissing", "bad enough to take home" and "hard core".

Actor Michael Pitt injured himself so badly on the set of Martin Scorsese's new TV show "Boardwalk Empire" he was left with blood gushing from his hand. But the director refused to give him any sympathy.

The filmmaker turned his attentions to the small screen by bringing 1920s gangland New Jersey to life in the story of America's Prohibition era for the new series. While shooting fight scenes for the HBO show, Pitt accidentally broke a stunt bottle while hitting it over another actor's head and managed to "cut my hand all the way open", reports the New York Daily News.

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has taken it to his Twitter page to explain a battery allegation made against him. On Friday, September 17, Lambert wrote, "Battery? Nope. I attempted to grab a camera, no punches were thrown and no one was on the ground. It was literally harmless. If embarrassment is a crime-thats all I'm guilty of."

The incident itself happened when Lambert was relaxing in a Miami beach on Thursday, September 16. According to police report obtained by TMZ, Lambert grabbed a photographer's backpack "where the camera was placed" and "wrestled (him) to the ground forcefully." The report also mentioned that the alleged victim didn't sustain any "bruises or lacerations."

Trying to protect fiancee Katy Perry has landed Russell Brand into a trouble. The British funnyman has to be taken into custody after allegedly attacking paparazzi, who was blocking their path, at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday afternoon, September 17.

One of the alleged victims made the citizen's arrest and LAX cops facilitated it. According to a police statement, airport police responded to a "report of a battery involving a celebrity and a commercial photographer" and the alleged victim made a "private person's arrest," People reported.

Other info from "Super 8" has shed more light on the J.J. Abrams' highly-secretive project. New York Magazine's Vulture claims to have learned the first two cast members of the movie and they are Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning.

Beside the names of those two actors, there is no other information about the casting and their roles are not known either. However, back in May there was a reported casting notice looking for a 13-14 female with a natural beauty, but not the 'cheerleader' type, and a Midwestern feel, which could be the role of 12-year-old Fanning.

Lindsay Lohan is facing a 30-day jail sentence after failing her latest court-ordered drug test, according to U.S. reports. The "Mean Girls" star is trying to rebuild her reputation after serving time behind bars and in rehab following a probation violation issue earlier this year, stemming from her 2007 DUI arrest.

But the 24 year old, who was treated by addiction specialists for her prescription drug use, could find herself incarcerated once more after a drug test taken "in recent days" came back positive, reports People.com. Sources tell TMZ.com the drug in question was cocaine.

George Michael is resigned to serving out his jail term in full - his lawyers have dropped a planned appeal against his sentence. The former Wham! singer intended to mount a legal challenge to his eight-week prison sentence for possessing cannabis and driving under the influence of drugs.

But his legal team withdrew its application just hours ahead of a scheduled appeal and bail hearing at a court in London on Friday, September 17. A court spokesperson said a letter from criminal defense firm Burton Copeland stated the "Faith" hitmaker was officially "abandoning the appeal".