January 15, 2011

Brenda Strong and Tom Henri, the man she has been married to since 1989, are going their separate ways. The actress, who plays deceased Mary Alice Young and narrates "Desperate Housewives" from beyond the grave, filed the legal documents at the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Radar Online reported the 50-year-old actress cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for the split but kept the details in private. She has one son with her husband of 22 years and now is seeking joint physical and legal custody for the teenager named John Zakery Henri.

Owen Wilson is officially a first time dad. His girlfriend Jade Duell gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Friday, January 14 in Hawaii, a representative of him confirmed to People. According to Radar Online, the baby was born at 10:47 A.M. local time after 18 hours of labor via water birth which was set up at the actor's $8 million oceanfront home in Maui.

The baby weighs 6lbs, 13oz (3.09kg) but his name is yet to be revealed. "Owen and Jade are thrilled!" an insider said. "Owen has been doing a celebratory hula dance all afternoon! It's a beautiful boy and everyone is incredibly happy!" His rep told reporters to pass along the good news, saying both the mother and baby are "doing well".

Striking while the iron is hot, "Saturday Night Live" has tapped Jesse Eisenberg to host its last episode in January. The "The Social Network" star will do his first job as a host four days after the 83rd Annual Academy Awards nominees are announced on February 25 and few months before his next movie, "30 Minutes or Less" hits theaters.

Eisenberg would be accompanied by Nicki Minaj who is also making her debut appearance on the variety show. The rapper's debut album "Pink Friday" is experiencing a success on the Billboard Hot 200 by debuting at number two. She is in the middle of promoting the third single "Moment 4 Life" in which she collaborates with Drake.

After getting a visit from "Glee" and "Modern Family" cast, Funny Or Die will soon welcome "The Vampire Diaries" actors. Nina Dobrev and the other crew have filmed footage for the Will Ferrell's comedy video site when they were stuck in Georgia during a snowy day.

"When we were snowed in, in Georgia, we were twiddling our thumbs. We didn't know what to do. So we got a camera and we shot a couple things," she told E! Online. Who is exactly coming to join the fun? "A bunch of us. Myself and other cast members. If it's funny, you just might see it!" she gushed.

While the prequel of "Alien" is not getting significant progress in the last two years, Fox moves on to developing a new project which still involves Ridley Scott as the director and Noomi Rapace as the possible lead actress. A new and original movie which is given the title "Prometheus" is set to be released on March 9, 2012.

"While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place," said Scott in a statement. In getting the new project up and running, Scott is helped by Damon Lindelof in the script writing. The draft was originally written by Jon Spaihts based on Scott's idea.

One of the biggest mysteries on "How I Met Your Mother" would be revealed in an upcoming episode. The producers have cast an actor, a prominent one, to play Barney's father who has gone MIA for most of Barney's life.

John Lithgow, who won Golden Globe through his role on "Dexter", is nearing a deal to play Neil Patrick Harris' on-screen pop, Jerome Whitaker. The case of Barney's father has been brought as an issue since the first season when he was led to believe by his mother that "The Price Is Right" host Bob Barker was his old man.

Just hours after getting a snippet, Jennifer Lopez's brand new song called "On the Floor" hits the web in full. The club-ready track reportedly samples Kaoma's 1989 song "Lambada" and features Cuban rapper Pitbull.

Produced by certified music maker RedOne, "On the Floor" is expected to appear in J.Lo's next studio installment "Love?". The song was supposed to make its debut next week. Ryan Seacrest tweeted, "JLo just sent me the full & final version of her new song "On The Floor" - it's HOT. World premiere early next week!"

John Mayer's hectic work schedule has forced him to delay plans for his own variety show, but the programme is still "in development", according to a TV chief. The rocker announced plans to enter the TV industry in 2009 after landing a deal with America's CBS network.

New updates about the show have been few and far between, prompting fans to assume it had been axed. But CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler insists Mayer is still committed to the project, which has been described as a "music/variety sketch show" - and is coming up with ideas in between working on his next album.

Eighties pop singer Debbie Gibson has warned Justin Bieber to slow down on his rise to superstardom, because he will "lose his sanity" if he fails to stay grounded. Gibson became a teen sensation after the release of her single "Shake Your Love" in the 1980s and she credits her mother's guidance with helping her to avoid the pitfalls of fame.

But she worries Bieber, 16, is taking on "too much too soon" - and fears his hectic schedule will cause him to crash and burn when he's older. She tells Eonline.com, "People have to remember even though a kid can be wise beyond their years professionally and can handle showbiz, emotionally you're not developed. Somebody has got to remember that Justin is 16. (If he doesn't stay grounded, he will) lose his sanity (later)."

Two people were arrested in California on Thursday, January 13 after allegedly setting up actor Gary Busey for a drink driving bust and taking pictures of the encounter. Police officers stopped the "Lethal Weapon" star in Malibu after receiving a tip-off by people claiming to be concerned witnesses.

Cops determined Busey "was perfectly sober" and allowed him to go on his way - before noticing Patrice Karst and Mark Abel taking pictures of the scene. Deputies tell TMZ.com Karst and Abel identified themselves as members of the press and refused to stop taking photos despite their requests.

Indian film "My Name Is Khan" was the toast of Bollywood on Friday, January 14 as it took the top prizes at the Zee Cine Awards. The ceremony, held in Singapore this year, drew the Indian Hindi film industry's top stars, who flew in for the 13th annual event at the Marina Bay Sands resort.

Drama "My Name Is Khan", about an autistic Muslim man who travels to the U.S., picked up the best director prize for Karan Johar and best actor title for Shahrukh Khan. "I'm very honoured, I'm very thrilled," said Khan. "I promise everyone here that I will work very, very hard and make sure that... at the end of my life and at the end of my career, I am deserving of all that you have given me."

B.o.B raps about his beloved Atlanta Falcons facing off the Green Bay Packers in this weekend's National Football League playoffs in a promo ad brought to you by Pepsi. The football-themed song is based around Big Boi's song "Night Night" from his "Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty".

The revamped track was supposed to be recorded by the OutKast star himself, but he couldn't go to the studio due to bad weather. "There's still ice all over Atlanta," Big Boi said. "I've been in my house since Sunday, so B.o.B. went in and did my song."

TV network executives behind Charlie Sheen's hit comedy "Two and a Half Men" have a "high level of concern" about the actor's personal troubles - but continue to stand by the star because he is always "a professional" at work. Sheen has been in and out of the headlines since his 2009 Christmas arrest in Aspen, Colorado following a heated altercation with his now-estranged wife Brooke Mueller.

He hit the headlines again in October when police were called to his suite at a New York hotel during a night of passion with actress/model Capri Anderson, after he allegedly lost his temper and trashed the room. The incident is currently under investigation by cops and Anderson has lodged a second-degree harassment complaint against the actor.

Ailing actress Zsa Zsa Gabor underwent surgery to amputate half of her right leg after a serious gangrene infection spread to her bone. Gabor was admitted to Los Angeles' UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center on January 2 after medics told the star's husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, that immediate action was required to treat the infection.

They prescribed the 93-year-old TV star a course of strong antibiotics as an alternative to severing the limb, but the medicine was ineffective and von Anhalt gave doctors permission to go ahead with the operation last week. Surgeons tried to hold off the amputation by attempting to remove a blood clot from Gabor's leg as a last-ditch attempt, but the gangrene has now penetrated the bone, leaving medics with no other choice.

Tennis ace Serena Williams has dismissed reports she's planning a wedding with rapper Common, insisting he's yet to propose. The couple, which began dating in 2007, reunited late last year after a brief split and recent reports suggested the relationship had taken a serious turn.

But a representative for Williams insists the stars aren't making plans to walk down the aisle anytime soon. The spokesperson tells the New York Daily News the wedding rumors are "not true at all".

Celebrated tenor Placido Domingo has been honored in his native Spain with a top arts award. The Grammy-winning opera star was presented with the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters during a ceremony in Madrid on Friday, January 14, in recognition of his "extraordinary artistic career as a singer and orchestra conductor".

In a statement, a representative for the Ministry of Culture continues, "(Domingo is) one of the great ambassadors of Spain and of its culture in the world. One of the great tenors in history, (he has enjoyed) a 50-year career that is unparalleled in the history of modern music." The accolade comes days before the singer celebrates his 70th birthday onstage at Madrid's Teatro Real opera house.

Aretha Franklin was baffled to hear the media attribute her recent health crisis to pancreatic cancer, insisting she has no idea where that rumor came from. The Queen of Soul, 68, canceled a string of end-of-year concerts last month on the advice of her doctors after struggling with a mystery illness.

She was subsequently hospitalized and forced to undergo surgery, amid claims she had been diagnosed with the deadly disease, with unidentified family sources appearing to confirm the news. Franklin has since spoken out about her health problems to assure fans she is recovering well from the operation, but she has repeatedly refused to divulge details about what ailed her.

Real estate mogul-turned-reality TV star Donald Trump turned down the opportunity to include Lindsay Lohan as a contestant on the new "The Celebrity Apprentice", because it's "not the right time" for the troubled actress. Lohan has spent the past year in and out of rehab and recently completed a court-ordered stay at the Betty Ford Clinic in California to battle her addiction issues.

The "Mean Girls" star is eager to get back to work and had been in talks with Trump to rebuild her image and feature as part of the line up for the upcoming season of "Celebrity Apprentice", which kicks off in March. But Trump rejected the idea - because he insists Lohan needs more time to sort out her personal life before stepping back into the limelight - although he's not ruling it out for future series.

The winners of the 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards have been fully unveiled at the Friday, January 14 ceremony. Although "Inception" was the movie which walked away with the most nods, it was "The Social Network" which claimed the coveted prize.

The movie starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg won the Best Picture category which was populated by "Inception" as well. The pic also took three other trophies in the categories Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Score for the title track made by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Kanye West has revived his infamous "I'mma let you finish, but ..." comment. After throwing it to Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when she accepted her Best Female Video, now the outspoken rapper directs it to Britney Spears.

"Yo Britney, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z single is one of the best songs of all time," he tweeted on January 14. To this remark, Britney's manager Adam Leber responded, "Thanks for 'letting' us be #1. Much appreciated...."

"Californication" is here to stay. Showtime's entertainment president David Nevins announced at TCA Winter Press Tour that the comedy is renewed for season 5 after only an episode airing. The fourth season debuted with 848,000 viewers which is the series' best premiere ratings ever.

Speaking to E! Online after the renewal, David Duchovny said, "I'd like to go six seasons. I always thought six would be a good number ...72 episodes would be right." But the main star thinks he can't hold up the sex scenes in two years ahead. "That's probably why I should stop after six years!" he said with a laugh. "I don't know if I can hold up my backside for that long!"

A few glimpses from Justin Bieber's movie "Never Say Never" have been compiled in an extended TV spot released by Hollyscoop. These promotional clips emphasize on Bieber before fame, when he was still a kid drumming on a wooden chair and trying to impress Usher with his voice and guitar skill.

"Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" is set to be released by Paramount Studios in 3-D on February 11, 2011. Made in biopic style, the February 11 movie is sprinkled with performances from his concert tour.

Pink's upcoming music video for her single "F**kin' Perfect" has been teased in a snippet. It features a woman on the bed recalling her younger year when she got bullied by her peer. When she tried to stand up for herself, she was caught by her teacher who mistakenly saw her as the bully, not the victim.

Co-produced and co-written by Max Martin, "F**kin' Perfect" is the second single from Pink's latest compilation "Greatest Hits... So Far!!!" which has been released since November 2010. From a party girl, the "Get the Party Started" hitmaker has now evolved to a woman full of motivational spirit.

Natalie Portman is planning to take an extended break from movies after she gives birth to her first child later this year. The actress is expecting a baby with her choreographer fiance Benjamin Millepied, who she met on the set of her critically-acclaimed new film "Black Swan".

Portman has scored a number of high profile awards nominations for her role as a ballerina in the dark thriller, while she is also promoting new romantic comedy "No Strings Attached". But the 29 year old is planning to step out of the spotlight once her work is done, so she can concentrate on being a mother.

Michael Jackson's father is set to launch a fragrance collection dedicated to his late son. Joe Jackson has teamed up with a French perfume company to create the male and female scents, called Jackson's Tribute and Jackson's Legend, which are inspired by plants grown at the late King of Pop's Neverland Ranch.

The family patriarch signed the deal with bosses of the Julian Rouas Paris company last month, and the fragrances have since gone into production ahead of a March 7 release in the U.S. A portion of the proceeds will given to a number of the late singer's favorite charities.

British singer Trish Keenan died on Friday, January 14 after losing her battle with pneumonia. The Broadcast frontwoman picked up a strain of swine flu while touring Australia in December. She was hospitalized on her return to England and spent two weeks in intensive care after she was also diagnosed with pneumonia.

Keenan's sister told fans the rocker was "fighting for her life" on Thursday, and the following morning, the star passed away after suffering complications from the inflammatory lung condition.

"Ally McBeal" creator David E. Kelley is adamant his "Wonder Woman" reboot will be on the air by next year, despite failing to land a TV deal with his new script earlier this month. Kelley has been working on bringing Wonder Woman back to the small screen for the first time since Lynda Carter's popular portrayal of the lasso-hurling heroine in the 1970s.

He met with TV bosses last week but shelved his project after executives at America's NBC Network refused to make room in their schedule for the show. However, Kelley is positive he will see the scantily-clad superhero on TV in 2012.

Michael Douglas received a standing ovation as he collected his lifetime achievement award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Thursday, January 13 night, marking his first public appearance since revealing he has beaten cancer.

The Hollywood legend spent six months receiving treatment for throat cancer following the shock diagnosis in August, and he went public this week with the news that the tumor has been eradicated. He largely avoided work functions while he was undergoing treatment, but he stepped out with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones on Thursday to walk the red carpet at the Californian film event and pick up his Icon Award.

Actress Alicia Silverstone is set to be a first-time mum - she's expecting a baby with her rocker husband Christopher Jarecki later this year. Silverstone, 34, and Jarecki, 40, wed in June 2005 after eight years together.

Her representative confirmed the "Clueless" star's pregnancy to People.com on Friday, January 14. Silverstone hinted she was set to start a family back in April, telling the website, "I've been wanting to have a baby since I was two years old - I'm destined to be a mother."

Lily Allen has demanded British broadcaster Piers Morgan donates $1.5 million to a charity for bereaved parents if he ever wants her as a guest on his U.K. talk show. The "Smile" hitmaker is one of Morgan's dream guests for his British series Piers Morgan's "Life Stories", which has garnered huge ratings thanks to revealing interviews with former U.K. leader Gordon Brown, pop star Cheryl Cole and music mogul Simon Cowell.

But Allen, who miscarried a baby in her sixth month of pregnancy last year, has made it clear she has "no interest" in an in-depth chat unless Morgan persuades bosses at the ITV network to donate the huge sum to SANDS, a U.K. charity which helps parents who have lost children.

R&B star Usher has pulled out of a show in Rotterdam, Holland on Friday night, January 14, just a day after cutting short a concert in Berlin, Germany. The "Yeah!" hitmaker was diagnosed with a sinus infection earlier this week and postponed a planned gig at Berlin's O2 World on Wednesday, January 12.

Usher apologized to fans, saying, "I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show. I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give the show that you all properly deserve."

ABC starts to figure out how it's going to be for "Desperate Housewives". It looks like everybody is on board for another multi-year deal but some of them want a raise first which reportedly could cost the network quite a leg.

Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria are demanding a higher paycheck. Back in August TV Guide listed their salary at $400,000 each per episode. But details are not immediately available for the talks are private. "We are currently in talks and hope to reach agreement soon," Amber Woodward, an assistant to Huffman, told Bloomberg.

Jim Carrey has sparked rumors he's found love again following his split from Jenny McCarthy after he was spotted enjoying a theatre date with a mystery blonde. The funnyman ended his five-year relationship with the actress/model last April, and although McCarthy has been openly dating again, Carrey's love life has remained largely out of the spotlight.

But "The Mask" star is said to be in a relationship again after he was seen watching a performance of New York show "Fuerza Bruta: Look Up" with a mystery date on Wednesday night, January 12.

Kelsey Grammer still plans to walk down the aisle with his fiancee Kayte Walsh next month, despite his estranged wife Camille's refusal to grant him a quick divorce. The "Frasier" actor is keen to marry his British girlfriend, who he began dating after walking out on his reality TV star wife last summer.

Camille asked a judge earlier this week to deny her former partner's request to dissolve his married status while they continue to thrash out a settlement over his estimated $120 million fortune. In court papers she stated that Grammer's request is "solely for the reason that he intends to remarry as soon as possible." A judge will hear the matter on January 26."

Veteran actor Harrison Ford is urging American officials to change the country's gun laws in the wake of a fatal shooting, which left six people dead, in Arizona last weekend. Jared Lee Loughner is alleged to have embarked on a shooting spree at a political event in the state on Saturday, killing six, including a nine-year-old child, as well as seriously injuring congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Ford was stunned to read about the atrocity and he's appealed to U.S. lawmakers to tighten up their rules about who can be licensed to own a gun. He tells Britain's The Times, "I don't think that what we have now is so much politics as it is merchandising. It's a service... and that's what's so discouraging, the lack of willingness to come together and get things done."

The red carpet fiesta in front of Hollywood Palladium saw the attendance of people in movie who were there for the 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. "Black Swan" star Mila Kunis came to the Friday, January 14 evening event in black ensemble. Kunis' movie has a whooping 12 nominations and thus she is expected to get up on the stage a lot.

In contrast, newcomer in the industry, Hailee Steinfeld, came with nude theme, letting her hair loose and wearing thin make-up. The 14-year-old may find herself in similar situation to Kunis. Her movie "True Grit" is nominated in 11 categories, including Best Young Actor/Actress for her. Also coming in bright color is Elle Fanning who opted a gold mini-dress which has transparent sleeves.

It turns out that recently-leaked song titled "Animal" which was speculated to be one of Lady GaGa's songs doesn't belong to the outlandish singer. Her representative quickly reaches out to MTV to clear up the rumor. "The reported leak is not a GaGa record," the rep said.

The racy track was first brought forward by iLeaks in a form of a short snippet with promise to unlock it in full if it reached a certain number of "likes" on Facebook. "I can see the way that you're looking at me," a female singer is heard throwing the lyrics. "Like you're hungry and I'm the only thing that you see/ Can't tame you from the way you're watching me/ Baby I'll keep you up all night/ Gonna tie you up/ I'll hit you right/ Animal, animal."

Kim Kardashian just posted a new sexy picture of herself on Twitter, much to her more-than-five-million followers' delight. The reality TV star flaunts her toned curvy body in a barely-there black bikini as she poses for the camera and places both hands on her waists.

The 30-year-old beauty applies bright-red lipstick and smoky eye make-up, and finishes off her racy look with silver heart necklace and giant hoop earrings. "Jewels and red lips!" so she simply tweeted in an accompanying message of the "2sexy2tweet" picture.