March 12, 2011

Jay Baruchel accepted a Genie award for his work in "The Trotsky" on Thursday night, March 10 and surprised many when he thanked his fiancee in his acceptance speech. The Toronto Star reported that after the awards show, he confirmed to have proposed to "Milk" actress Alison Pill over the holidays in Montreal.

Recalling how he asked her hand in marriage, the 28-year-old said, "I bought her 180-year-old Victorian wedding band and I was going to give it as a nice kind of gift for Christmas." He continued on, "I decided in that moment I might was well call a spade a space and I'm pretty sure my words were 'f*** it; do you want to marry me?' to which she said, 'yes, of course.' "

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin has laughed off reports she underwent gastric bypass surgery in December 2010, insisting the rumors about her mystery operation are "crazy". The Queen of Soul has refused to divulge details about the health crisis which saw her hospitalized in 2010, forcing her to axe a series of concerts.

She denied claims she was being treated for pancreatic cancer, and now Franklin has dismissed the latest speculation surrounding her welfare after shedding 85 pounds of body fat. In an interview with U.S. news show Access Hollywood, due to air on March 14, Franklin scoffs at the suggestion, saying, "Definitely not, and would not. I heard that [rumor]. I said, 'That is crazy.' "

Lauryn Hill has decided to extend her "Moving Target" playdate series with a number of new dates. The former frontwoman of The Fugees will kick off the second leg next week on March 16 at House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, and wrap it up on May 7 at New Orleans' Jazz and Heritage Festival.

She will hold the concerts only in small venues because she wants to give her fans more intimate experience. She said, "One of the benefits of playing venues smaller than the ones I'm used to allows me the opportunity to not only reconnect with my supporters but to expose them to a portion of the musical journey I've been on which the world for the most part has not had access to."

Singer/songwriter Ne-Yo is venturing into TV after landing a deal with Cartoon Network for his own animated show. The "So Sick" hitmaker, who makes his acting debut in new film "Battle: Los Angeles", is taking his writing skills to the small screen for "I Heart Tuesdays", a program he created for his sister.

"[The show is about] a 16-year-old girl that inherits the curse of her bloodline and she's forced to save the world from the unknown evil every Tuesday for the rest of her life," he tells the Associated Press.

Troubled U.S. reality TV star Richard Hatch has been sentenced to a further nine months in prison after violating the terms of his probation for tax evasion. Hatch was convicted in 2006 of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won after appearing on the first season of America's "Survivor".

He walked free from a Massachusetts prison in October 2009, after completing a three-year federal sentence for the crime, and was ordered to refile and pay the owed fees on show winnings and other income. But Hatch did not refile his 2000 and 2001 tax returns - prompting Rhode Island's U.S. District Court Judge William Smith to send him back behind bars on Friday, March 11.

Gloria Estefan is urging girls across America to donate their unwanted ball gowns to help disadvantaged youngsters dress up for their high school prom. The singer's daughter Emily runs a charitable Key Club group at her school in Florida and she has organized a scheme to collect unwanted frocks and distribute them to teenagers who can't afford to buy prom dresses. Estefan is backing Emily's appeal and is urging the public to help.

In a message posted on Cocoperez.com, she writes, "I seldom like to ask for donations or things like that but since this is to help Emily's Key Club help others then I shall ask. The Miami Country Day High School Key Club (Emily is the chairperson of the club project) is requesting prom dresses or dresses that could be worn at a high school prom to be donated so they can distribute them to high school girls in underprivileged schools that do not have the money to buy their own prom dresses. Proms are usually held for 11th and 12th graders so they must be between 15 and 19 year old girls of all different sizes."

Another "The Hangover Part II" picture has just been released, featuring The Wolfpack sans Doug. This marks the umpteenth time Justin Bartha's character is missing from several scenes which have been previewed in pictures and a teaser trailer, raising speculation that Doug is lost again after the first movie.

Addressing the rumor, Bartha claims "Doug isn't lost in this one." He additionally says in an interview with Empire magazine, "There are similar circumstances, but he's a little bit more involved."

R&B star D'Angelo has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from an arrest in New York in 2010. The "Brown Sugar" singer, real name Michael Archer, was taken into custody after allegedly soliciting oral sex from an undercover police officer he mistook for a prostitute.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the crime and vowed to fight the charge, and he can now put the case behind him for good after reaching an agreement with authorities.

"The Wire" actress Felicia Pearson has been denied bail following her drug bust on Thursday. March 10. The star, who played narcotics dealer Snoop in the hit TV series, was arrested along with 37 other suspects during a raid by police in Baltimore, Maryland on an alleged drug ring.

During a hearing on Friday, March 11, a Baltimore Circuit Court judge ordered she be held without bail on charges of conspiring to sell heroin, in addition to counts of aiding and abetting. Pearson is one of 22 suspects facing state charges following the raid.

Katherine Heigl is no stranger to changing look. Throughout the years, the Holly Berenson of "Life as We Know It" has gone from blond to brunette to a red head. She, however, made an even more drastic change recently as she chopped off her signature long tress and debuted a super-short platinum do.

The former star of "Grey's Anatomy" was first spotted with her new hairstyle on Thursday, March 10. She, at the time, came out to pick up a new puppy her friend dropped outside her Los Angeles home. Later that day, she was seen going out shopping for pet supplies in Calabasas accompanied by her mother.

Actress Brittany Snow has been on high alert after becoming convinced she's been targeted by a stalker who's leaving "creepy" voicemail messages on her phone. The "Hairspray" star reveals she recently received a series of disturbing calls, in which a man appears to order her to get naked.

"This stalker kept leaving me messages on my phone," she says. "I kept getting messages from this person with a really creepy voice. He'd be like, 'And then he walked into the bedroom and said, 'Take off your clothes'.' And then the message would be done. Three days later, I'd get another message and the message would be, 'Take off your lingerie.' And then it would quit."

Actor Ryan Phillippe dreads having his love life splashed across the tabloids, because he faces tough questioning from his sick mother whenever she reads a new rumor. The "Cruel Intentions" star has been linked to Amanda Seyfried in recent months and he admits his mum Susan is always quizzing him for information about the gossip, even when she's ill.

"My mother, who recently had surgery, she's not in the best of health," he tells American TV host Ellen DeGeneres. "She's recovering. She spends all day in front of the computer. Every other day or so, I'll see her name come up on the (phone) caller ID and pre-emptily open my laptop knowing she's going to want to address whatever rumor she has read recently."

Actress Rose McGowan has been granted a three-year restraining order against a man she's accused of threatening her life. The former "Charmed" star won a temporary ban against Louis S. Santos III in February, after alleging he phoned the actress' office and threatened her associates.

McGowan also claimed the Connecticut resident harassed her via text and Twitter, and made reference to his gun, leaving her "severely unnerved".

Nick Lachey has a brand new song, and he's unveiled it on his official website. It's titled "One Last Standing" and chosen as this year's Big East anthem. It will be performed live by him for the very first time during ESPN's broadcast of the 2011 Men's Basketball Championship finals on Saturday night, March 12.

"Each of our 5,500-plus student-athletes at our 16 member institutions embody the message of this song each time they take the court or field," Commissioner John Marinatto said. "It is so appropriate for us to release this song while at the 2011 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Championship. With the potential for 11 conference teams to be selected for the NCAA Tournament this year, the last team standing will have survived the most difficult conference tournament in the country."

Pregnant Jessica Alba helped to throw a baby shower for her expectant cousin this week and even pitched in to create the home-made decorations. The "Fantastic Four" beauty isn't the only one in her family having a baby and she recently joined forces with a group of gal pals to make lanterns, water lilies and flower baskets from colored sheets of paper and recycled items for the event.

Alba shared photos of the preparations with fans on her official Facebook page, revealing they "decided to go the DIY [do it yourself] route" for the decorations to make the party "more personal and fun".

NBC has a slight change of mind about the casting of the lead male on "Playboy". Jeff Hephner was announced to fill the position of Nick Dalton, an attorney who is a "keyholder" at the club, because he did well on the screen tests. However, the actor who has never taken a major role before, could not deliver in the pilot's table read and had to be recast.

The network bosses landed the choice on Eddie Cibrian who was one of many actors testing for the part after Broadway star Patrick Wilson passed. Cibrian, who is infamous for having an affair with "Northern Lights" co-star LeAnn Rimes while he was married, is expected to start immediately as the pilot is slated to begin filming in Chicago on Tuesday, March 15.

Steven Spielberg's latest big screen project is an epic drama "War Horse" which official first pictures have just hit the web. Jeremy Irvine's Albert is seen showing his affection to his horse in one photo and riding it in another shot.

Emily Watson's Rose Narracott and some troops sitting on horses are featured in other photos. A cute scene in which the horse sniffs a girl's feet is also previewed in another shot. Spielberg, meanwhile, is pictured on the set of a green field along with Irvine.

Olivia Wilde is divorcing estranged husband Tao Ruspoli, but is not looking to get spousal support from him. Less than a month after her representative confirmed she has indeed split from the Italian prince after eight years of marriage, the "Tron Legacy" beauty has officially filed for divorce.

The 26-year-old actress filed the papers at a Los Angeles Superior Court on March 3. In it, she cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce. The papers also revealed that she has asked the court to refuse any spousal support for Tao. How she and her estranged husband will share their property rights, however, are still to be determined.

The next episode of "Fringe" would allow viewers to see more people from the alternate world which has been introduced in season one. When the Fringe team investigates an apparent suicide victim, they uncover a second set of fingerprints leading them to a woman with uncanny characteristics that cannot die.

"Stowaway" is the episode which Jasika Nicole teased to PopWrap back in January. She said, "You're going to start seeing alternate people in our universe for the first time. It's going to start happening the other way around pretty soon." It is related to the report that actor Seth Gabel will bring Lincoln in his alternate universe character.

Another sneak peek to Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Live" album is offered in a form of "Strut" video. Holding a cane, the "American Idol" graduate is featured strutting his stuff on stage, and occasionally breaks into a dance number with two girls and one boy.

Like the previous videos from the live CD/DVD, this footage was also shot during Adam's concerts in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clowes Hall on August 31, 2010. It's directed by Doug Spangenberg for the March 22 release which is meant to tide fans over while he's working on his second studio album.

Lady GaGa is facing further accusations of plagiarism over her latest track "Born This Way" from two music producers, who claim there are "similarities" with a song they wrote for a South Korean girl band.

The "Poker Face" hitmaker released the highly-anticipated new single in February and was immediately criticized over allegations the track sounds just like Madonna's "Express Yourself". GaGa has since dismissed the slurs, and even insists Madonna has contacted her to support the record.

Lindsay Lohan has temporarily left her beach pad in Venice, California, it has been claimed. According to TMZ, the "Labor Pains" actress has evacuated her condominium after the tsunami warning was issued for Southern California in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on Friday, March 11.

Words are, the 24-year-old herself was not too worried about her beach area apartment, but decided to listen to sister Ali Lohan, who was pretty much anxious about the warning. Leaving her apartment for higher grounds, the "Freaky Friday" star has reportedly stayed at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

British rockers Iron Maiden have been caught up in the chaos following the devastating earthquake in Japan, their plane was diverted as they traveled to Tokyo for a show. The Asian country was rocked by a massive 8.9-magnitude tremor on Friday, March 11, and it was followed by a terrifying tsunami, which now threatens more than 20 countries and islands around the Pacific.

Iron Maiden were on their way to Tokyo when the tragedy struck, and they were forced to divert their "Ed Force One" jet to Nagoya in the wake of the disaster. They have now canceled a planned concert at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama on Saturday, March 12, but still hope to go ahead with Sunday's, March 13, show there, pending a safety assessment of the venue.

The first official footage from "Conan the Barbarian" has been shared in a teaser trailer. Not giving any clue to the story, the video flashes scenes from the movie in form of wisps of smoke. After several other characters, Conan appears in it and says, 'I live, I love, I slay and I'm content.'

This "Conan" movie remake presents a quest, beginning as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior, which soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds. In the meantime, Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.

"The Wire" creator David Simon has come to the defence of former castmember Felicia Pearson following her arrest in a drugs bust in March urging fans not to judge her too harshly. The star, who played narcotics dealer Snoop in the hit TV series, was detained by cops in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday, March 10, along with 30 other suspects, as officers swooped on an alleged drug ring.

Former police reporter Simon, who created and wrote the popular show, has now spoken out about Pearson's arrest, insisting her tough background is to blame for her problems. He says in a statement, "Felicia's entitled to the presumption of innocence...I'm certainly sad at the news today. This young lady has, from her earliest moments, had one of the hardest lives imaginable."

Charlie Sheen is taking his bizarre antics to the stage and hitting the road for a number of live shows. The "Two and a Half Men" star lost his job on Monday, March 7, when TV bosses fired him from the hit sitcom after months of controversy and headline-grabbing stunts.

The troubled actor has addressed the public in a number of internet TV shows over the last few weeks and now he is set to get up close and personal with his followers in a number of live shows, called "Charlie Sheen Live: My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option". He has announced two dates in April at theaters in Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois and tickets go on sale on Saturday, March 12.

The kids from all-boys Dalton Academy Warblers contributed to more than one tracks in the upcoming episode of "Glee", and their cover songs have flooded the web ahead of the airing. In the shows' "First Listen Friday" treatment, the boys' renditions of Pink's "Raise Your Glass" and Hey Monday's "Candles" were offered.

Their rendition of The Beatles' "Blackbird" has leaked as well. The revamped track is led by Chris Colfer. Meanwhile, the "Raise Your Glass" cover features Darren Criss on the lead. As for the "Candles" remix, it has the Warblers backing up both Darren and Chris.

Charlie Sheen will get his own TV show, but it's not the one he's starring in. TLC snatches the opportunity to gain a large audience by readying "Charlie Sheen: On the Brink," an hour-long documentary about the actor's unraveling.

The cable, which is home to "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and "Sarah Palin's Alaska", is preparing to unravel to public Sheen's career on "Two and a Half Men" which went down the drain as well as his personal life which is marred with drug accusation, bad image and custody battle. It is believed to include news footage from the actor's 24-7 media blitz and original interviews on his rise and fall.

Jewel Kilcher, who is professionally known only as Jewel, has been released from the hospital after being involved in a two-car collision on Friday morning, March 11. It was the "Intuition" singer herself who shared the good news via Twitter. Assuring fans she and her baby are doing fine, she tweeted, "Hey everyone-just got released from the ER & my Dr's office- everything is fine-me & the baby r ok- thanx 4 all your thoughts & prayers."

TMZ was first to report that the singer-songwriter, who is expecting her first child with husband Ty Murray, has narrowly avoided serious injury after a volunteer fire truck hit her car at around 11 A.M. CT in Stephenville, Texas. It was said that the truck smashed into the passenger side of her vehicle.

Rockers Slipknot have brought in original founding member Donnie Steele to replace late bandmate Paul Gray. The rockers are set to return to the stage in 2011's summer for their first performances since Gray suffered a fatal drug overdose last May 2010.

Frontman Corey Taylor cast doubt on whether they would go through with the tour when he admitted in December 2010 that he was "on the fence" over whether the band should continue without Gray. But now they have stepped up plans for their summer shows by hiring Steele, who helped create the group but left in 1996.

Rockers, pop stars, and Hollywood actors have united online in their sympathy for the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Hundreds perished on Friday, March 11, when the southeast Asian country suffered an 8.9-magnitude tremor, the sixth worst earthquake on record, sparking an enormous tidal wave that slammed into the eastern coast.

The disaster unfolded live on TV, shocking the watching world, and dozens of stars took to microblogging website Twitter to express their sympathy for the victims. Rock legend Slash writes, "My thoughts & prayers go out to the people in Japan dealing w/the [with the] earthquake, tsunamis & aftershocks. I hope the worst is over."

Mel Gibson has escaped prison. After being officially charged with misdemeanor battery in his domestic violence case against ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, the "Edge of Darkness" actor has pled no contest when appearing before a judge in a Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County on Friday, March 11.

During the afternoon hearing which was not attended by Oksana, the 55-year-old actor entered what is called a "West Plea". This plea means he is allowed to maintain his innocence. It is not an admission of guilt, but only a consent to be punished as if guilty. His lawyer Blair Berk told told Judge Stephanie Sautner, "He's entering this plea because it was in the best interest of his children."

The days leading to Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale" album release on March 29 were supposed to be filled with short snippets of new songs in the CD. But the "super-short teaser" promo, which she set up since "Hold It Against Me" music video, was broken as three new tracks from the upcoming effort were leaked in full.

The first is called "Inside Out" which is produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Billboard. "Said you're gonna be here in a minute/ Sitting in the mirror getting pretty/ Gotta look my best if we're gonna break up," so Britney kicks in. "I can hear you knocking at the front door And I know exactly what u came for/ Trying to say goodbye but it's hot and heavy.

George Michael has heaped praise on the Spice Girls for changing the music scene by encouraging more British females to break into the industry. Victoria Adams, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Melanie C rose to fame in the 1990s with their pop hits and "Girl Power" mantra.

And Michael insists the group has influenced today's music by inspiring young girls, such as British singers Adele and Jessie J, to become musicians.

Charlie Sheen's former "Two and a Half Men" castmate Jon Cryer has laughed off comments the star made likening him to "a troll" for failing to support him following his sacking. Sheen was fired by TV bosses on Monday, March 7, after months of controversy, which included a public feud with the show's creator, hospitalizations, rehab and a number of headline-grabbing stunts.

"You're with me, or you're with the trolls," the troubled actor ranted while taking aim at Cryer after his dismissal and blasted him for failing to contact him during his public war-of-words with TV chiefs. "Obviously he's [Cryer] with the trolls. Jon has not called me. He's a turncoat, a traitor, a troll. Clearly he's a troll..."

The first full trailer for "Super 8" has finally arrived for sneak peek. It opens with nostalgic scenes while a boy is seen deciding to help his friend to make a movie. While making the super 8 movie, the boy and his friends, living in a small Ohio town in 1979, witness a catastrophic train crash.

Soon the army comes to their town, making the local Deputy suspect there is something unusual with the train crash. Not long after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town and the group of youngsters find out that their super 8 camera taped something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

Actress Katharine Ross has won a restraining order against her daughter over allegations the 26-year-old stabbed her with a pair of scissors during a violent incident at the family home. The star of "The Graduate" filed papers at Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 5, requesting protection from Cleo, her only child with actor husband Sam Elliott.

In the legal documents, Ross alleges Cleo has been physically violent and verbally abusive since she was 12 or 13 years old and she "suddenly lost her temper" at the family home in Malibu, California on March 2, according to TMZ.

Those curious to watch Steven Spielberg's ambitious TV project "Terra Nova" will get a little disappointed once more. FOX has pushed the premiere date from its original May 23 premiere to Fall because they need more time to work on the visual effects. The series actually was set for winter 2010 but FOX announced in August that year that it wouldn't premiere until midseason.

This time, the net's President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly said, "Terra Nova is one of the most ambitious television series ever produced. The cutting-edge visual effects used to create the world of 'Terra Nova', which is of massive scope and scale, require more time to be realized. This aspect of the series is essential, so we are pushing back the special early preview date to give the visual effects team the time needed for their ground-breaking work."

David Beckham and his wife Victoria Adams are expecting a baby girl, so it was confirmed. The soccer player broke the news at an L.A. Galaxy luncheon on Friday, March 11, "Obviously, we're very lucky to be expecting again, and this is the first time I'm going to say it: It's a little girl."

"We're still in shock. Obviously, having three boys, you kind of expect another one, so finding out a little girl is in there is surprising, but, obviously, we are over the moon," David continued. "Our three boys are happy and excited, and Victoria is doing well."

There will be a one-hour program documenting the major earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on Friday, March 11 afternoon. Discovery and its sister network Science Channel are the first to order specials with the reserved title of "Anatomy of a Disaster".

Set to air in early April in both networks, the special will include unprecedented footage of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake, resulting tsunami, the ripple effect which can be found as far away as Oregon and California, the aftermath and response efforts around the world.

The tsunami in the Pacific has affected the production for the last installment of "Twilight" movie series in Canada. On Friday, March 11, Summit Entertainment confirmed that the cast and crew of "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn" were evacuated from the set at Vancouver Island beach area in British Columbia, and the shooting has been suspended for sometime.

"Due to the tsunami advisory, filming of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn has been delayed," the studio said in a statement released via the movie's Facebook page. "All cast and crew were evacuated to base camp. Everyone is safe and sound."