November 29, 2012

Zoe Saldana and Colin Farrell were among artists, who took their time to record a series of videos to ask their fans to participate in a war against AIDS. The videos were released on Tuesday, November 27 by ONE, a global-anti-poverty organization co-founded by U2's frontman Bono, to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1.

In her homemade video, Zoe said, "It is very important that we unite and try to make a difference... whether through education or action." She went on, "It is imperative that us as a human race come together to aid those in need and those family and children and women and men who are being affected today by this disease."

Lisa Edelstein has been booked for a visit to "House of Lies". The 46-year-old actress, who is best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lisa Cuddy on medical drama "House M.D.", lands a guest-starring role in season 2 of the comedy series.

Edelstein will appear in two episodes of the Showtime raunchy comedy as Brynn, who is described as "a smart and sexy political consultant." Don Cheadle's Marty meets her on one of his assignments.

Britney Spears and former second husband Kevin Federline might soon be facing each other again as they handle a tax case filed by the California Franchise Tax Board. According to tax documents obtained by TMZ, the pop-dance diva and her ex-back up dancer owe $37,712.71 in back taxes from 2004. The lien was filed on Tuesday, November 27.

Spears and K-Fed tied the knot in the same year, 2004. That was also the year when the "Scream and Shout" singer supposedly made loads of cash from a highly successful year in music and greatest hits album release. She also had a world tour to support the greatest hits album. The two split in 2006 with the divorce finalized in 2008.

Forbes Magazine has just released its list of 2012's highest paid musicians and it shows an international cast of pop stars, hip-hop giants, and rock icons. Rap mogul Dr. Dre leads the pack of this year's top earners, followed by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, The Rocketman Elton John, rock legendary group U2, and British boy band Take That. The list also shows that most of the artists' earnings came from their rigorous touring and live shows.

Dr. Dre did not have a new album released this year, but that did not stop the super producer from collecting dollars from his past records, concert productions, and of course his music accessory biz, headphones. Forbes reports that Dre took in $110 million from his Beats headphone line.

The Primetime Emmy Awards has passed a couple of months ago, but some shows are still able to add more trophies to their shelves this year. Producers Guild of America has just announced the nomination list of its 24th annual award show, unveiling cable channels' domination in the drama category.

"Game of Thrones" (HBO), "Downton Abbey" (PBS), "Homeland" (Showtime), "Mad Men" (AMC) and "Breaking Bad" (AMC) are all up for The Norman Felton Award. Missing from the list is another acclaimed series "Boardwalk Empire", preventing HBO from taking two noms in the category.

After being long-awaited by thousands of fans in New Zealand, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" finally threw its world premiere in the country on Wednesday, November 28. Held by big exhibitors in Wellington, the special screening event took place at the Embassy Theater, the same venue where "The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" was premiered nine years ago. A 1,600-foot red carpet rolled out on the streets to welcome the film's starry cast members to the special occasion.

Stealing the show at the event were Evangeline Lilly and Cate Blanchett. The two leading ladies stepped out in contrast choice of outfits for the special screening. Lilly opted to glam up in a champagne-colored sequined dress that bared her legs. She paired the sexy number with nude-colored platform heels. Blanchett, on the other hand, kept it simple in a long black skirt that she paired with a white top and a pink bolero.

Kate Middleton visited Cambridge, her and Prince William's namesake city, on Wednesday, November 28. It was the first official visit to the city for the duchess, who has just debuted a new hairdo. Her husband Prince William also joined the trip.

The brunette beauty wore Max Mara Belli cream overcoat featuring decorative stitching and a high collar to protect her body from the cold and windy weather. Meanwhile, Prince William donned a dark blue suit and red tie.

Apparently Bryan Singer wants to bring more of the original "X-Men" stars to his upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past" project. Shortly after it was confirmed that Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart were set to return as Magneto and Professor X respectively, it is now reported that Hugh Jackman is poised to reprise his iconic role as Wolverine.

It is The Hollywood Reporter that shares the words about Jackman's possible casting in the sequel of "X-Men: First Class". The Australian actor, who's recently been busy working on an X-Men-related project "The Wolverine", is said to be in negotiations to return as the alter ego of Logan.

Not even a super hurricane can stop singer Alicia Keys from bringing hope this year to a lot of deserving children. The "Girl on Fire" artist and proud mom announced on Wednesday, November 27 that her Black Ball REDUX gala, originally planned for November 1, would now take place on December 6 at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Superstorm Sandy hit New York early this month causing the event's rescheduling.

Black Ball is part of Key's Keep a Child Alive charity organization and is an annual music fundraising event that brings entertainment and philanthropy together to raise funds for HIV/AIDS infected children in Africa and India. This year's gala night will honor two highly respectable women namely media queen Oprah Winfrey and singer/activist Angelique Kidjo for their philanthropic contributions in Africa and worldwide.

Mark Basseley Youssef, the man behind controversial anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims", was sentenced to death in absentia in his native Egypt on Wednesday, November 27. NBC reported that Mark was among the seven Egytian Coptic Christians and a Florida-based pastor who were found guilty of making the low-budgeted film that triggered bloody protests in various Middle Eastern countries this mid year.

"The seven accused persons were convicted of insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam and its prophet," said Judge Saif al-Nasr Soliman of the death sentence.

The official visuals of Britney Spears and will.i.am's new colab "Scream and Shout" premiered on Wednesday, November 28 on the episode of "The X Factor (US)". The clip, which has a fine mix of dance moves and futuristic sets, matches the track's upbeat club tune. It also shows a very glammed-up Spears hitting the dance floor in multiplicity effects.

"Scream and Shout" kicks off with Spears' big, teased up do and figure-hugging dress which certainly erases all doubt about whether she still has that magnetic sex appeal. Black Eyed Peas' rapper will.i.am, on the other hand, is clad in bling-blings to highest level and is seen in shots of golden lights flickering away as he dances to his rap.

Even a dull and gloomy place like Briarcliff doesn't prevent the residents from celebrating Christmas. For an unknown reason, Sister Mary gives a male resident in Briarcliff a Santa Claus costume in the next episode of "American Horror Story: Asylum".

Dressing as a Santa, the insane guy wreaks havoc among other residents and scares Sister Jude. "You left me in that hole to rot. I'm here to open my present!" he tells her while holding a knife, before stabbing someone unseen.

Melbourne singer-songwriter Gotye is apparently very popular among the digital music world's listeners. His hit "Somebody That I Used to Know" was named song of the year on Wednesday, November 27 by the digital music service site Spotify.com. The multi-platinum pop song is the most streamed globally this year and earned Gotye a very surprising accomplishment.

"Somebody That I Used to Know" was released in the US on January 2012 and has become the most streamed track in the country. It also has the most shares globally on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The Aussie-Belgian singer's song has also reached the top spot in 18 countries including the U.K., U.S., and his native Australia.

Wendy Williams supports PETA's campaign by posing naked for its new poster. The poster was unveiled on Wednesday, November 28 in Times Square with the organization's other supporters standing among the crowd.

In the "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" poster, the 48-year-old TV personality lies down on the floor without a single cloth on her body. Her butts are exposed, while her breasts are covered with her strategically-placed long wavy hair.

Getting closer to its 2013 edition, Sundance Film Festival reveals its lineup for U.S. and world competition categories on Wednesday, November 28. A number of movies which star already-famous Hollywood actors are highlighting the U.S. Dramatic Competition lineup, including Daniel Radcliffe's Beat Genereation thriller "Kill Your Darlings" and Kristen Bell's romance film "The Lifeguard".

Also competing in the category, which includes 16 American narrative feature films, are "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" which stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, "Afternoon Delight" which stars Juno Temple and Jane Lynch, "Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes" which stars Jessica Biel, and "Fruitvale" which stars Octavia Spencer and Kevin Durand.

Halle Berry's ex Gabriel Aubry, who insisted he's not the aggressor in the fistfight against her current fiance Olivier Martinez, did look like the victim due to his badly-battered face. A testimony by a nanny employed by Halle suggested otherwise though, resulting him to get arrested.

According to a law enforcement member familiar to the case, the babysitter told the cops that Gabriel initiated the physical altercation by pushing and shoving Olivier. Thus, the 37-year-old male model was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor battery.

Mariah Carey showed her powerful vocals during the annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center on Tuesday, November 27. The pre-taped performance in New York showed Carey's unwavering singing prowess and a lot of her ample cleavage as well. The singer sported two revealing outfits during her set alongside Santa and his elves.

Carey played a nice mix of her classic tunes and a new single while braving the super chilly weather that evening. Her repertoire included the 1994 holiday classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You" followed by her new Christmas track "Christmas Time Is in the Air Again". She also included an a capella version of "We Are Family".

Steven Tyler has offered his apology to Nicki Minaj after criticizing her judging skill on "American Idol". Appearing on Canadian entertainment talk show "eTalk" on Tuesday, November 27, the rocker claimed he wasn't being racist with his comment.

"I apologize if it was taken wrong, Nicki," so the Aerosmith vocalist stated. "But I am the farthest thing from [being a racist] ... I am the last thing on this planet as far as being a racist. I don't know where she got that out of me saying I'm not sure how she would have judged Bob Dylan." He, however, insisted that "if Bob Dylan came on the show, he would've been thrown off."

Yoko Ono can now add fashion designer to her already-long resume as an artist, activist, musician, writer and cultural icon. The widow of John Lennon debuts a collection for menswear that is inspired by sketches she made for the late member of The Beatles as a gift for their wedding anniversary in 1969.

The new garment collection includes blazer, pants, hoodie, footwear and accessories. Some of the pieces have cheeky details that reflect Yoko's eccentric style, such as pants with see-through rear window and handprint-embellished crotches, a bandeau top with nipple headlights, and a hoodie with "butt poster."

Things are slowly coming together for this year's grand music spectacle "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve". Carly Rae Jepsen and Pitbull were just added to the long list of confirmed performers on the much-awaited new year's show. Taylor Swift was previously announced as one of the performers for the star-studded holiday event, which will be hosted by "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

Among other big names who will be entertaining both the live and TV viewers are R'n'B queen Brandy, rapper Flo Rida, rock bands Neon Trees and OneRepublic, and pop duo Karmin. More performers and guests are expected to be announced as the grand holiday spectacle closes in. Jepsen, Neon Trees, Karmin, and Flo Rida were also recently seen providing some awesome performances at the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"Emily Owens, M.D." is not surviving the chopping block on The CW. The network has decided that it will not order more episodes of the freshman drama, meaning that it doesn't get a full-season order and will not return for a second season as well.

Still, The CW plans to air all 13-ordered episodes of the medical dramedy starring Mamie Gummer and "Smallville" alum Justin Hartley. The show is expected to wrap up the production next week.

Ben Affleck has been chosen by Entertainment Weekly to receive the title of 2012 Entertainer of the Year after the magazine considered his outstanding achievement as an actor and director of critically-acclaimed movie "Argo". The 40-year-old actor will also be the cover of the magazine's December issue.

Jess Cagle, the magazine's editor, explained to "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, November 28 why Ben deserved the title, "He's directed a couple of movies before but he really reached the pinnacle of his career this year." The editor continued, "He's going to be right up there as best director with Steven Spielberg and lots of great directors."

Just weeks after being released from jail, Jerramy Stevens is back to prison. According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the husband of Gold medalist Hope Solo is taken into custody for a second time in less than a month on possession of cannabis charge.

The former NFL player was arrested Wednesday, November 28 at 10 A.M. The ex-Seattle Seahawks star is suspected of violating his probation stemming from a previous marijuana possession charge in 2010 when he was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Marvel Studios apparently already moves forward with its "Guardians of the Galaxy" project. The studio reportedly has assembled a short list of actors who will test for the lead role in the big gig. Deadline reports that a number of in-demand actors are in the running to win the part of Peter Quill, the Guardians leader who is an offspring of a human mom and an alien dad.

According to the site, "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)" actor Joel Edgerton is in the mix for the coveted role. He is also competing with "Boardwalk Empire" star Jack Huston, "Cloud Atlas" thesp Jim Sturgess, "Lincoln" star Lee Pace, and "Les Miserables" actor Eddie Redmayne. Those well-known actors are said to be in contention but it is still unknown if the studio's short list is all-inclusive.

There are a lot of shuffling and new entries this week on the Billboard 200 chart as Phillip Phillips and Kid Rock make their impressive debuts in the top five of the countdown. Phillips scores big with his first album, while Rock gets big sales from his first major label album to be sold digitally. This week's chart also sees Rihanna on the top and some artists steadily hanging on their different positions in the tally.

As earlier reported, R'n'B star Rihanna gets her first No.1 album with "Unapologetic". Her seventh studio effort reels in 238,000 copies and adds to her six earlier top 10 sets dating back to her first album in 2005. Before getting the top spot with "Unapologetic", Rihanna was holding the record for an artist with the most No.1 singles on the Hot 100 chart but without a No.1 album.

How Kaiju in "Pacific Rim" will look like has finally been teased in a newly-released viral video for the Guillermo del Toro-directed movie. The footage is presented in a breaking news-like format for a certain TV program. A man is reporting a massive attack in San Francisco by an unidentified gigantic creature. "San Francisco has now become a war zone," so says the reporter.

The city is seen terribly damaged and people are seen running in panic to save themselves from something. Roaring sound of the Kaiju is heard at some points as it wreaks havoc throughout the Northern California city. The monster is also featured destroying the Golden Gate before seen getting captured on what seems to be an aircraft carrier.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries still don't see eye to eye on how to end their short-lived marriage. While the buxom hottie wants a divorce, her estranged husband demands an annulment due to fraud. "We want a trial because that's the only way this will end. There was no fraud," her lawyer Laura Wasser told PEOPLE.

"Ms. Kardashian is now handcuffed to Kris Humphries," the high-profile attorney told an L.A. Superior Court judge Wednesday, November 28. "These delays are forcing her to be married. She wants to dissolve her marriage so she can move on with her life. I don't think [Kris] has a case, it's a fishing expedition."

Angus T. Jones isn't leaving "Two and a Half Men" although he recently made a jaw-dropping complaint about the show. Multiple sources say the young actor will complete the current season of the long-running sitcom after the holiday break.

"Angus expects to report to work after the holiday break in January," one source close to the Jake Harper depicter says. "He intends to honor his contract through the end of the season." The show is taping a new episode next week, but Jones isn't scheduled to show up on the set since his character is not featured in the said outing.

After receiving rave reviews during its recent first screening in New York, Tom Hooper's musical pic "Les Miserables" threw its world premiere in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, November 28. The promotional event was supported by the star-studded film's leading cast members, including Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried.

For the special screening, Hathaway opted for a classy look in a long black dress with cut-off detail on the front. The elegant gown was completed with strap details that exposed the Fantine depicter's sexy back. The short-haired brunette finished off her look with a pair of towering high black stilettos.

FOX will burn off the final episodes of "The Mob Doctor, which gets 13-episode order in its inaugural season. The last four outings of the rookie show starring Jordana Spiro will air December 29, December 31, January 5 and January 7.

The crime drama will air its ninth episode as scheduled on December 3, before going on a hiatus. The following Mondays will be filled with special and holiday programmings as well as "Raising Hope" repeats.

Mike Tyson is gearing up to hit the road. The former boxing champion-turned-actor will take his one-man Broadway show, "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth", on a 10-week tour in more than 36 cities across the States. The tour will kick off February 2013 in Indianapolis, the city where Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992. He will also visit Chicago, Tucson, Los Angeles, Spokane, Kansas City and Atlanta among others.

Tyson made the announcement on Tuesday night, November 27 when stopping by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". He said, "It's going to have five nights in LA," to which host Jimmy Kimmel jokingly asked if he could be part of the show. The star of "The Hangover" agreed to invite Kimmel in one of his L.A. shows and the two entertainers shook hands.

Bobbi Kristina Brown crashed her Chevy Camaro in a frightening single car accident on Wednesday, November 28. The only daughter of Whitney Houston allegedly lost control of her vehicle when attempting to make a left turn out of her apartment block.

In a picture obtained by TMZ, the front bumper and tires of Bobbi's once-shiny car was badly damaged. Luckily, the young reality TV star was left unharmed in the accident. When cops arrived on the scene, she was standing beside her car without any visible injuries.

It is likely that country singer Randy Travis has decided to get his life back on track. Releasing a statement via his lawyer, the 53-year-old crooner said that he is ditching his alcoholic days.

This year alone, Travis has been involved in three alcohol-related troubles. He was arrested by cops in February in Dallas for public intoxication after caught with an open bottle of wine in front of a Baptist church. He had apologized for his action at that time, saying "I apologize for what resulted following an evening of celebrating the Super Bowl."

Deemed as "mutual combat", the physical altercation between Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez may end up in no criminal charges. It is now said to be "highly unlikely" that Aubry, whose face was left battered and bruised, will be facing the charges because they will not be filed after all.

Law enforcement sources connected to the case told TMZ that the case will be sent to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office on Thursday, November 29. However, police "will not make a recommendation as to whether Gabriel should be prosecuted."

Although she has just lost more than 60 pounds of baby weight, Jessica Simpson does not hesitate to get plump again. The singer/actress reportedly is pregnant with her second child, seven months after giving birth to daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson.

Per Us Weekly, a source revealed, "It definitely wasn't planned. But yes, Jessica is pregnant again." The source added, "She really is overjoyed!" This would be her second child with fiance of two years Eric Johnson. A representative for Simpson is yet to respond for confirmation or denial.

Jared Leto is showing total commitment in his first return to movie. The 30 Seconds to Mars frontman underwent a drastic physical transformation for his role as a transsexual with AIDS in "The Dallas Buyer's Club", losing weight and waxing his eyebrows.

Making an appearance at the IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards, Leto drew the attention with the shape of his face and the absence of eyebrows. "I waxed my entire body, including my eyebrows," Leto said. "I've lost a lot of weight because I'm playing a young person with AIDS. It's been challenging but really inspiring, too."