March 19, 2011

Actress Rose McGowan is feeling a special connection to the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan, her stunt double has lost family members in the tragedies. The "Planet Terror" star admits she's doing what she can to comfort her pal, but feels utterly helpless.

She tells news show "Entertainment Tonight", "My stand-in on the movie I'm doing right now, she's half Japanese, her whole family's from Sendai and four of them are missing. It's brutal to watch her go through it."

Elizabeth Hurley has sparked gossip she's heading for TV's Wisteria Lane after dining with Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 16. The two actresses were spotted enjoying a business meal at exclusive restaurant Little Door, where they were joined by Hurley's lover, Aussie cricket star Shane Warne.

The exact purpose of the meeting is unknown but fellow diners claim the two women appeared to be deep in conversation throughout the meal. One onlooker tells WENN, "Either they were talking about Desperate Housewives or sharing tips about how to play opposite TV superheroes."

Singer Solange Knowles is planning to take her son on a summer vacation to Kenya to see how funds raised from her new charity single are used to provide locals with access to clean water. The star has teamed up with with rocker Chris Taylor and musician Twin Shadow for the "donate to download" track "Kenya", with all proceeds benefiting the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN).

Bosses at The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, the organization behind the campaign, are aiming to raise $10,000 for clean water projects across the continent, and Knowles wants to witness the progress first-hand and turn it into a learning experience for her six-year-old child Julez.

Wiz Khalifa was one of the artists who performed at the recent Atlantic Records showcase during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The Pittsburgh rapper delighted concertgoers by rapping a number of his songs before stopping the music near the end of his set to pay tribute to Nate Dogg.

The "Roll Up" MC, who won mtvU Woodie Awards' top honor at the music fest, called the late rapper one of his biggest heroes. He then made an impromptu tribute performance, leading his Taylor Gang to sing some of Nate's most memorable verses, including "Hey hey hey hey/ Smoke weed every day" from Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode." Wiz said, "Rest in peace, Nate Dogg."

A domestic trailer for IFC Films' "Wrecked" has arrived via Apple ahead of its U.S. release on April 1. It focuses on Adrien Brody's character who awakens in a mangled car-wreck at the bottom of a steep cliff. He's injured, his legs are trapped, and he has no memory of who he is or how he got there.

His only company are a crackling radio broadcast of a violent bank robbery gone wrong, and a corpse in the back seat with a wallet identifying him as one of the perpetrators. As the man ventures beyond the wreckage, he must rely on his primal instincts, using anything he can find in the surrounding wilderness to increase his chances of survival.

Actor Jason London can finally move forward with plans to marry his fiance now that his divorce from estranged wife Charlie Spradling has been finalized. The "Dazed and Confused" star split from Spradling way back in 2002 but the L.A. Superior Court has just now granted the official divorce documents, reports TMZ.

Spradling, who filed the final paperwork on Thursday, March 17, will maintain sole custody of the couple's 15-year-old daughter, Cooper.

Singer Selena Gomez is taking a leaf out of pal Taylor Swift's songbook and writing tunes about friends who have broken her heart on her upcoming album. Gomez, who is currently dating pop star Justin Bieber, insists her next album will be full of deeply personal songs.

And that could mean former boyfriend Nick Jonas will be in the line of fire - just like brother Joe Jonas was in Swift's hit "Forever & Always". Gomez tells MTV News, "There's one song that I co-wrote... It's kind of like a compliment song-slash-dig. It's really fun. It's basically saying, 'I had a few people who weren't treating me right, but now I have wonderful people.' So it's like I'm thanking my friends while saying goodbye to the other people. It's very therapeutic."

Miley Cyrus and Bret Michaels' version of Poison hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is finally to be released as a single. Cyrus and Michaels teamed up rework his classic anthem but the song's release was stalled after infidelity rumors between Michaels and Cyrus' mom, Tish, hit the tabloids - and reportedly broke up her marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus.

Now the Cyruses have halted divorce proceedings and reconciled, the track is back on the slate for Miley and Bret. The song was supposed to be the Disney star's second single released from her album "Cant' Be Tamed".

Billy Bob Thornton is set to don the Santa suit again for a "Bad Santa" sequel. The movie star is in negotiations with Miramax-Weinstein film executives to reprise his boozy, foul-mouthed character Willie from the hit 2003 comedy.

"We feel that it's a Christmas perennial for the R-rated crowd," a spokesman for The Weinstein Company tells TheWrap. "Everyone loves the character and Billy Bob's excited to be in talks with us."

Jennifer Lopez is urging a Los Angeles judge to dismiss a $10 million lawsuit filed against her for allegedly interfering in a movie project the singer insists would damage her reputation and career. Claudia Vazquez claims Lopez has prevented her from making a comedy based on the story of the star's first husband Ojani Noa's life, but the singer insists the movie would parody her marriage and reveal information she'd rather not be made public.

Lopez has already won an injunction to stop Noa and film producer Ed Meyer from moving forward with the film, which reportedly features home video footage, and Vazquez claims the action has hindered her ability to produce and market the project.

Actor Billy Crystal is considering a return to the Oscars stage for a ninth hosting stint after receiving a warm reception as a guest presenter at the Academy Awards last month. The funnyman hasn't hosted the Oscars since 2004 and has turned down subsequent offers to take charge of the ceremony, claiming it's too much work.

Discontent with this year's Academy Awards, hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco, led many of Hollywood's hottest stars to campaign for Crystal's return to the stage as next year's host. And now the 63-year-old "When Harry Met Sally" star admits he's contemplating the idea - if he can switch things up.

Bridgit Mendler's "Somebody" music video from a new Disney TV movie "Lemonade Mouth" has hit the web. The 18-year-old actress is seen jamming with her co-stars and romping around the garage with them.

"Lemonade Mouth" is based on a book of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes. It tells a story of five high school teens who meet in detention and form a band. Olivia, Mo, Charlie, Stella and Wen play music using unusual instruments, including ukulele. The detention buddies try to organize a student-led fight to save the school's one organic frozen-lemonade machine that becomes the mascot of their band.

Ginnifer Goodwin is legalizing her stage name. The "He's Just Not That Into You" actress has allegedly filed documents in Los Angeles County Superior Court to modify her real name on Thursday, March 17.

Born Jennifer Goodwin, the Margene Heffman of "Big Love" used the moniker "Ginnifer" when she started to gain fame. The 32-year-old actress has recently requested the court to legalize her professional name, according to TMZ. Yet, she needs to wait a few months before the request can be made into realization.

Billy Ray Cyrus has backtracked over comments he made slamming TV show "Hannah Montana" for wrecking his family, insisting he "loves" the program. The country star and his wife Tish filed for divorce in October 2010, and Cyrus subsequently launched a bitter rant about the show that made his daughter Miley Cyrus a star, blaming it for ripping his family apart. He said, "The damn show destroyed my family... I hate to say it, but yes, I do (wish the show hadn't happened). I'd take it back in a second."

The Breaky hitmaker called off his divorce this week, March 14, and now he's reversed his comments about Hannah Montana, praising the series. Speaking on U.S. TV show "The View", to be aired on Friday March 18, Cyrus says, "I love Hannah Montana. I love Disney. I love our fans who've been with us throughout this whole show. This has been an incredible journey. I don't think Hannah Montana ruined my family, but to set the record straight, I love Hannah Montana. I love Disney. That didn't tear my family apart. Now fame, fame is a different animal, you've got to be careful with that thing."

Chris Brown has addressed his recent naked picture scandal. The "I Can Transform Ya" singer said in an interview with Washington's Hot 99.5 radio station on Thursday, March 17 he was not embarrassed by the leak, but when stopping by MTV News a day after, he did admit he was disappointed.

"Let me be honest with you. I didn't want to put no pictures out; that's not my intention," explained the 21-year-old. "A lot of people were saying, 'Yo, he leaked the pictures, he was trying to get promotion.' For me, I was always a singer, so unless I'm planning on trying to do porn, I don't think I'd want to just leak my wang out to the world before my album comes out."

Sandra Bullock is back working in front of camera with "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" after taking a hiatus since winning an Oscar in 2010. The actress has been spotted on the set of the upcoming drama on Friday, March 18 in Manhattan, New York City where she appeared with a frumpy hairstyle which is different from her daily do.

She traded her straight brown hair with wavy lighter lock for the filming, while wearing a checked coat paired with black trousers. Wandering around the set with some crew, she brought a bag and some papers which are likely part of the shooting property.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine collapsed backstage at a concert in Russia on Wednesday night, March 16, after suffering from kidney stone pains, but he insisted on playing a half-hour set. The rocker was performing at the Jubileeny Arena in St. Petersburg when he fell ill and was told by doctors to scrap the gig and get himself to a nearby hospital.

But Mustaine insisted on playing six songs for the crowd before he was taken to a medical facility 30 minutes later. He tells Rocknewsdesk.com, "Two hours before the show I started to feel like I had a hernia, or I'd been hit in the groin. I told my tour manager I needed a doctor and it might be in my best interest to cancel the show."

Orlando Bloom is enjoying his new found fatherhood, gushing over the "great" experience of bonding with his baby son. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star and his wife Miranda Kerr welcomed little Flynn into the world in January.

Now Bloom has opened up about life with his family's new addition, revealing he is relishing every moment with his child. He tells British TV host Kate Garraway, "It's so funny because I've been bonding with him quite a lot recently, it's been really good. He's a really nice little man. It's great."

Commenting on Joe Jonas' statement about making an album which will share his side of story in breakups and makeups he's gone through, Claude Kelly said the Jonas Brothers member won't hold anything back. "It's gonna be good, absolutely," the songwriter told MTV.

Talking more about creative process of Joe's album, Claude gushed, "He's like, 'I want to talk about this girl or how hot she is or we're breaking up or we're together.' He'll say it, and he'll put his life in the song, which makes the best songs." He added, "[Joe] really knows what he wants. His vocals are really awesome, range-wise."

Two weeks away from the premiere, Reelz Channel tries to lure audience and perhaps more advertiser to "The Kennedys" with the second trailer. Compared to the first one, the new trailer is faster in pace in order to emphasize on the intrigue that comes with ambitions, and is less in the drama.

The 8-part movie event, which has been controversial since it was completed under History Channel, chronicles joys and tragedies of the most influential family in the world including fraternal rivalries, mob associations, the drugs and the women. It gives hard light on the family's patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr. who is played by Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson.

Punk icon Debbie Harry was inspired to throw herself into charity work after she saw Sir Elton John using his fame to highlight good causes. The Blondie singer performed alongside Richard Ashcroft and Jeff Beck at an all-star gig at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo in January to help U.K. charity Killing Cancer. And she now puts philanthropy at the top of her list of priorities after witnessing Sir Elton's tireless work for HIV and AIDS projects.

Harry tells Britain's The Sun, "These things are important to my life now. I have the privilege of being able to get involved, so I do. I applaud people like Elton John, who have used their position to do so much good. I could really feel his power and see how effective it was in helping to highlight causes like HIV/AIDS and I thought I should get up off my fat a** and do something too."

Horror movie maestro Wes Craven tormented Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts on the set of Scream 4 with a series of spooky pranks. The veteran filmmaker has revived his classic slasher movie franchise and drafted in the two young stars to join Scream regulars David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell.

Roberts admits she was genuinely frightened when acting out scenes involving the film's iconic killer, Ghostface, after Craven ordered Roger Jackson, who voiced the character, never to appear on set. The director was so determined to make Roberts and Panettiere's fear as realistic as possible, he told a crew member to don the eerie Ghostface mask and jump out on the actresses throughout filming.

Robert Pattinson isn't shy of admitting his love of hot girls. The "Twilight Saga" hunk, who has worked with a slew of Hollywood beauties from Kristen Stewart and Emilie de Ravin to Reese Witherspoon and Uma Thurman, jokes he only works with lovely actresses during the live stream of "MTV First: Robert Pattinson".

Asked to talk about his co-stars, the "Bel Ami" actor jokingly replied, "I like hot girls. I like them. I like being in movies with lots of hot girls." On a more serious note, the actor has nothing but praises for them. "They're all pretty different," he said. "They're all very strong, actually. I always end up being in movies with very experienced and passionate people. They're never just flimsy floozies."

The first clip from "Water for Elephants" has been debuted exclusively via MTV Movies Blog. It gives a preview to a fresh scene where Robert Pattinson's Jacob Jankowski is rushed through a speeding train by Reese Witherspoon's Marlena Rosenbluth as she wants to make sure Jacob get out of the train and off to safety.

In a new interview with the site, the lead actor shares how he feels shooting the movie. "It felt like it was kind of magical in many ways, because we were out in the desert shooting," he says. "There was nothing from the modern world around. It was a different experience for me. It wasn't in a studio or anything."

Arnold Schwarzenegger has reportedly signed up for "True Lies" sequel. After speaking about making the sequel over the years, Schwarzenegger's co-star Tom Arnold has now hinted "True Lies 2" could be Schwarzenegger's next movie after he handed over the reign of California government.

"I have read a great True Lies 2 script, and I hope we are able to do it," so the 52-year-old actor claimed to MovieWeb. He continued, "Knock on wood. Arnold Schwarzenegger is excited. I am excited."

A trailer of Katy Perry's upcoming music video for her latest single "E.T." has just arrived. It features an orb-like object flying across the sky. The brief glimpse of what supposed to be a spaceship is followed with announcement of the video's premiere date.

The music video is coming out in full for viewing pleasure on March 31. It is directed by Floria Sigismondi and will feature a cameo from Kanye West. A behind-the-scene picture of the video shoot has gone viral prior to this new teaser, giving a look at Katy as an extraterrestrial creature.

Katherine Heigl has heated up the Miami Beach during a vacation with husband Josh Kelley and friends. The actress, who has recently finished filming "New Year's Eve" in New York City, flaunted her sexy curves as she stripped down to a bikini when hitting the beaches in Miami, Florida on Friday, March 18.

Soaking up the sun, the former "Grey's Anatomy" star sported a black two piece swimsuit with a black and white sarong. She was spotted taking a dip in the ocean, applying sun tan lotion on her husband's shoulder and enjoying some light reading. Her two-year-old adopted daughter Naleigh was nowhere to be seen.

Antonio "L.A." Reid is indeed a judge on the U.S. version of "The X Factor". In fact, he was the first name that popped into Simon Cowell's mind when he was trying to accumulate a formula so that the show would be filled with music experts who know well about the trend in America.

In the announcement, Simon said, "L.A. was my No. 1 one choice to sit alongside me on the show. In my opinion, he is one of the greatest ever music executives and of course a fantastic writer and producer. I am thrilled he has agreed to join the show, and for any artist auditioning, they know they have the chance to meet a true star-maker."

Lupe Fiasco is coming to a city near you in North America starting March 27. The rapper will kick off the traveling show at DUB car show in L.A. Convention Center and follows it up with another show at Duke University in Durham, NC four days later.

Fiasco will stay on the road until May, wrapping it up on date 11 at Bates College - Grey Gym in Lewiston, ME. In his tour stop at Roseland Ballroom in New York, the 29-year-old MC is scheduled to perform a two-night concert on April 24 and 25.

Nicky Hilton has run into some trouble with the law because of cell phone. On Thursday, March 17, the younger sister of Paris Hilton was spotted being pulled over by a police officer in a residential neighborhood in Los Angeles, and the moment she was ticketed has been documented by photographers on the scene.

According to TMZ, the 27-year-old was cited for chatting on her phone while driving her black Range Rover. For the offense, the socialite who dated Kevin Connolly on and off until 2006 could be fined up to $100. In California, drivers are required by law to use a hands-free mobile device while operating a moving vehicle.

British rockers Iron Maiden are selling off limited-edition T-shirts to raise funds for the relief effort in Japan, following last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami. The band was traveling to Tokyo for two shows when the massive 9.0-magnitude tremor struck on Friday, March 11, and they were forced to divert their jet to Nagoya in the wake of the disaster.

Both of their gigs were canceled, but the stars are offering up T-shirts intended for sale at the concerts to benefit the Japanese Red Cross, which is working hard to provide aid for victims of the quake. The garment features their mascot, Eddie, with the band's logo across the front, while the back displays the text "Japan 2011. The Final Frontier".

On Friday, March 18, NBC released a sneak peek of "The Office" called "Proposal". There is indeed a ring, which costs Michael's three-year salary, and Holly Flax before she finds out what Michael is up to. The footage doesn't include the actual proposal but captures the boss showing off the bling to his employees before presenting it to Holly.

The episode, called "Garage Sale", is the first return episode after the sitcom went on a spring break. It airs on Thursday, March 24, only to take another two-week hiatus and come back on April 14 with the beginning of Steve Carell's departure story arc. Will Ferrell would appear for the first time in the April episode and stay until May 5. His character has something to do with Michael Scott leaving the company.

After months of speculation regarding Joseph Gordon-Levitt's possible involvement in "The Dark Knight Rises", Variety has just reported that the actor has sealed his deal to star in the movie. The project will reunite him with "Inception" helmer Christopher Nolan.

The site could not reveal Gordon-Levitt's role as it has been kept under wraps. But it has been widely rumored that he might play either The Riddler or Deadshot - the latter is a member of the villainous League of Shadows.

Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez are backing a campaign to force restaurant owners to charge for tap water to help fund clean drinking fluid around the world. The singers have added their name to UNICEF's Tap Project, which urges eaterie chiefs to ask diners to pay $1 for tap water they would usually receive for free.

And fans who donate money to the cause will then get the chance to win a special drink - a bottle of water filled from taps at the stars' homes. In one of the advertising posters highlighting the scheme, Rihanna poses next to a bottle of her personalized drink with the words, "Rihanna Tap Water. Not your typical tap water, unless of course, you live next door to Rihanna."

Bob Geldof's wildchild daughter Peaches Geldof has lashed out after a series of saucy snaps was published, insisting, "I'm not a debauched whore." Geldof was mired in scandal on Friday, March 18, when British newspaper The Sun carried several racy pictures taken during her time living in Los Angeles with ex-boyfriend Eli Roth in 2010.

The images include a shot of Geldof sprawling naked across the bonnet of a car in broad daylight and another of a man licking her breast. But Geldof has now hit back, taking to her Twitter blog to defend her partying and insist she leads a "boring" lifestyle.

Alice Cooper has spoken out in defense of troubled actor Charlie Sheen after TV bosses fired the star from "Two and a Half Men", the shock rocker insists the actor has not broken his contract.

Sheen was axed from the sitcom earlier in March after weeks of controversy, which included a public feud with the show's creator Chuck Lorre, hospitalizations, rehab and a number of headline-grabbing stunts. The star subsequently filed legal papers seeking more than $100 million in damages for his dismissal.

A porn star who became famous for partying with Charlie Sheen at a wild bash in January has slammed reports she tried to commit suicide earlier this week. Kacey Jordan hit headlines when she attended a party at the former "Two and a Half Men" star's Los Angeles home, which led to Sheen subsequently being taken to hospital to receive treatment for a hernia.

Jordan was taken to hospital on Monday night, March 14, when cops allegedly found her surrounded by pill bottles, broken glass and alcohol in a hotel room in Chicago, Illinois. They were called to the venue following a number of worrying messages on Twitter suggesting she was trying to take her own life.

Director Zack Snyder has confirmed reports Kevin Costner has signed up to star in a reboot of the "Superman" franchise. The "Bodyguard" actor was rumored to be taking on the role of Clark Kent's father opposite new "The Man of Steel", Henry Cavill.

And now Snyder, who is taking on 2012's "Superman: Man of Steel" film, has revealed Costner has agreed to the project. He tells Total Film, "Jonathan Kent is the only father figure Clark has ever had, the man who was there to help Clark understand what he was meant to do in the world as Superman."

Following controversy surrounding her viral single "Fiday", Rebecca Black was invited to "Good Morning America" on Friday morning, March 18. The internet sensation appeared on the ABC morning show, performing an unplugged version of the single.

In its interview, Rebecca talked about Justin Bieber among other things. "I have Bieber fever, I am in love with Justin Bieber," she gushed. "That would just be...oh my gosh, just thinking of it gives me butterflies. ... Justin, if you're watching this right now, would you do a duet with me? That would be unreal, that would just make my life."

Hot on the heels of Joe Jonas and Ashley Greene's break-up, another Hollywood couple have put an end to their romance. Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger, who began dating nearly two years ago and moved in together in the fall of 2010, have called it quits, People Magazine has reported.

News of the couple's split came just four days after the star of "The Hangover" showed his reluctance in discussing his relationship to his "Case 39" co-star in an interview with Howard Stern on his Sirius XM radio show. Still, the 36-year-old actor did insist that he has never proposed to his 41-year-old girlfriend during the chat.

The first teaser trailer for "Conan the Barbarian" has been dropped almost a week ago, but there is not much revealed. Now a new picture from the movie has hit the web via Newsarama, giving the first look at Stephen Lang in full costume and makeup as Khalar Zym, the main villain in the film.

Lang previously said about his character, "I wanted him to be like a knife... I wanted him, in profile, to almost disappear if possible. I actually have some photos that I am forbidden to show right now." He continued, "Truth of the matter is, I kick his [Conan's] ass for almost two hours."

The new "Wonder Woman" is not going to show off her leg while battling crime. Adrianne Palicki has fit into a new costume for the 1970's series reboot, wearing a blue shiny pants and blue boots. The original TV series, starring Lynda Carter, showed the heroine in a leotard-like costume and red boots.

The new design seems to follow the updated comic version last year and more in line to the comic's Greek mythology. In its 600th issue, the "Wonder Woman" comic introduced a new timeline and origin of the character. The titular character sports black leather pants instead of the leotard.