W.E.N.N.

Paris Hilton Signs To Lil Wayne’s Record Label

2013-05-23T03:51:10Z

Socialite Paris Hilton is set to have a second chance at chart success after signing a new deal with Lil Wayne’s record label.
The reality TV star released her debut eponymous album in 2006 to mixed reviews, and now she has reportedly signed a contract with the rapper’s Cash Money Records to work on a house-themed follow-up.
Taking to Twitter to announce the news, Lil Wayne’s rap mentor and Cash Money co-founder Bryan ‘Birdman’ Williams writes, “Welcome @ParisHilton to tha Family. RichgangRichgirl.”

Amanda Bynes’ Lifestyle Exposed By Tabloid

2013-05-23T03:48:40Z

Embattled star Amanda Bynes’ lifestyle and living conditions have been exposed by editors at a tabloid, thanks to two sneaky snappers who attended one of the Hairspray star’s recent all-night parties.
The actress’ mental health has become a talking point in recent months following a series of traffic violations in Los Angeles and some bizarre behavior on the streets of New York, where Bynes has been photographed wandering around with a shirt over her head.
She has also hit the headlines for tweeting odd messages about her romantic feelings for rapper Drake and she even posted ‘selfie’ pictures of herself topless on Twitter.
Bynes has constantly defended herself from media attacks and rumors suggesting she is taking drugs, but the latest pictorial evidence in America’s In Touch appears to suggest she’s spiralling out of control.
A photographer the publication, identified only as Joe, attended a party at Bynes’ New York apartment and found the place to be sparsely furnished and filthy in places.
He and another snapper, Giovanni Arnold, took shots of Bynes, who appeared to be happy to pose for them. Sporting her peroxide blonde hair, cheek piercings and dark sunglasses, the actress was snapped smoking what looked like a joint in bed and Arnold tells In Touch, “Weed was everywhere. On the bed, all over the floor.”
And Joe reveals the party hostess’ behavior was odd – when she wasn’t updating her Twitter account, she was behaving irrationally.
He explains, “One minute she’s cool and down-to-earth. The next, she’s totally different – indecisive, and she can’t hold a conversation.”
The exclusive photos also include shots of Bynes posing on a mattress and applying make-up in the bathroom that features in many of her Twitpic snapshots.
The actress recently told the same publication that she doesn’t have a mental disorder or drink or get high, insisting, “I don’t smoke pot, I smoke tobacco”, but the snappers beg to differ, insisting the evidence in their photos suggests otherwise.

Aretha Franklin Scraps Three More Shows

2013-05-23T00:46:03Z

Aretha Franklin has axed another trio of concerts on medical grounds.
The Queen of Soul has already scrapped two upcoming shows this week on the advice of her doctor, and she has now cancelled another three – one in her native Michigan and two in Canada.
Details of what ails Franklin have not been disclosed, but Catherine O’Grady, the director of the Ottawa Jazz Festival – where the star was set to perform, says, “It’s doctor’s orders. She’s really not well.”
Her spokesman David Brokaw adds, “She’s going to resume her schedule in July.”
It’s not the first time she has scrapped gigs due to poor health – she called off a series of shows in 2010 and refused to divulge details about her medical issues for two years, until revealing in early 2012 that she had undergone surgery to remove a tumour.
The 71 year old has also battled health problems with her legs and feet, which forced her to pull out of performing at Whitney Houston’s funeral last year.
Franklin ignored doctors’ orders last week to perform on the American Idol finale via satellite. She sang her hits (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and Respect with the all-female finalists.

Robert Plant Obtains Three-year Restraining Order Against Fan

2013-05-22T21:55:03Z

Former Led Zeppelin rocker Robert Plant has obtained a restraining order against an overzealous fan.
Alysson Billings has been accused of harassing the Stairway to Heaven hitmaker over the last three years by constantly sending him flowers and random packages and appearing at his concerts all over the world, even recently making threatening comments about his girlfriend, Patty Griffin.
Plant received a temporary order of protection against Billings earlier this month after claiming he feared for his safety, and on Wednesday a U.S. judge extended the ban, ordering the woman to stay at least 100 yards away from the singer until 2016, according to TMZ.com.

Angelina Jolie’s Aunt Has Breast Cancer

2013-05-23T00:00:07Z

Angelina Jolie had extra reason to undergo a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer – her aunt is currently battling the disease.
The Salt star underwent the preventative surgery in February after she tested positive for the “faulty” BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman’s likelihood of contracting breast and ovarian cancer, the latter of which claimed the life of her mother Marcheline Bertrand in 2007.
Jolie recently admitted she completed the procedure out of fear of following in her mum’s footsteps, and now Bertrand’s younger sister, Debra Martin, reveals she too pushed the actress to take action after she was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time.
The 61 year old underwent a lumpectomy following her stage four breast cancer diagnosis in 2004, but that didn’t stop the disease from returning stronger than ever last year.
She is currently seeking out a clinical trial to help improve her chances of survival, and now Martin is applauding her niece for being so proactive about her health.
She tells the National Enquirer, “I believe this was the right thing to do. I think it has reduced her chances of getting breast cancer dramatically. If I had informed myself better before I got breast cancer, I would have made the same decision.”
And Bertrand’s former partner, documentary filmmaker Bill Day, insists he’s glad the Oscar winner has such an amazing role model in Martin. He adds, “Debra is the unsung heroine of this story because she was the first woman in the Bertrand family to attempt preventative surgery. She has been a shining example to Angelina.”

Toby Keith Praises Brave Son-in-law For Rescuing Tornado Survivors

2013-05-22T23:59:49Z

Country star Toby Keith has heaped praise on his son-in-law for risking his own safety to aid in the tornado recovery efforts in his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma.
A massive twister ripped through the town on Monday, leaving behind a wide path of destruction and a death toll of at least 24 people, many of them children, as two elementary schools were levelled in its wake.
Keith, who grew up in the area, just missed the terrible storm as he flew out to Nashville, Tennessee to record new music only hours before tragedy struck, but he returned on Tuesday to assess the damage and comfort family and friends.
The singer gave journalist Matt Lauer of U.S. breakfast show Today a tour of the devastation on Wednesday, even showing viewers his sister Tonni’s badly damaged home, which was covered in debris, before hailing his daughter’s husband a hero for helping search and rescue teams look for survivors.
He said, “My son-in-law heard about it, knew about the school, drove over there, flipped his truck getting in, got out, beat the rescue first responders in, got electrocuted, run (sic) a nail all the way through his foot, and got in the tunnel, had a tunnel collapse on him and got inside and helped pull a couple bodies out.”
The star is now urging members of the public to dig deep and donate to the cause, as thousands of people are left without homes.
And he’s confident the town will recover after the tragedy: “As bad as this looks right now, these people are so resilient… They’ll bounce back, homes will start going up quick and they’ll prepare for the next one (storm).”

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Scores Top Nominations For Teen Choice Awards

2013-05-22T21:55:03Z

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 looks set for one last hurrah after landing seven nominations for the 2013 Teen Choice Awards.
The final film in the vampire franchise is shortlisted for both the Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Romance categories, while Robert Pattinson will go head-to-head with his co-star Taylor Lautner for the Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy title, against Tom Cruise for Oblivion, James Franco for Oz the Great and Powerful and Iron Man 3 star Robert Downey, Jr.
The British hunk will also compete in the Movie Actor: Romance group, with Les Miserables’ Eddie Redmayne, Warm Bodies’ Nicholas Hoult, Josh Duhamel for Safe Haven, and Alden Ehrenreich from Beautiful Creatures.
Kristen Stewart has scored double acting nominations too – she will battle for Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Romance too, with contenders from the two categories including Oz the Great and Powerful’s Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams, Les Miserables’ Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Biel for Playing For Keeps.
Meanwhile, Iron Man 3, The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall, The Bourne Legacy and G.I. Joe: Retaliation are all up for the Best Action Movie accolade; Argo, Les Miserables, The Great Gatsby, The Impossible and The Perks of Being a Wallflower will duke it out for Best Drama, and the top comedy will be picked from Identity Thief, Peeples, Pitch Perfect, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and Warm Bodies.
In the TV categories, Gossip Girl, Nashville and Revenge are in the running for Best Drama, while Glee, Modern Family and New Girl will fight for the Best Comedy award.
Music mentions go to Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Pitbull for Male Artist, while Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Rihanna and Taylor Swift are among the Female Artist nominees. And rival boy bands One Direction and The Wanted will face off for Best Group.
The Teen Choice Awards will be voted for by the public and the winners will be unveiled in a ceremony on 11 August.

Nicolas Cage’s Mustang From Gone In 60 Seconds Sells For $1 Million

2013-05-22T19:53:05Z

The vintage Ford Mustang driven by Nicolas Cage in action movie remake Gone In 60 Seconds has sold at auction for a stunning $1 million.
The modified 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, nicknamed Eleanor in the 2000 film, was only expected to pull in around $300,000 when it went under the hammer at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic 2013 sale in Indiana last week, but its movie status drew a top bid more than three times the estimate.
The silver vehicle, which was billed as the “Gone in 60 Seconds Hero Car” by auction bosses, had been part of a private collection since appearing on the big screen.

System Of A Down: ‘We Are Not Replacing Serj Tankian’

2013-05-22T18:15:02Z

Heavy rockers System Of A Down have dismissed reports they are seeking to replace frontman Serj Tankian after bassist Shavo Odadjian went public with his frustrations over the singer’s solo career.
The Chop Suey! hitmakers have been on a recording hiatus since the release of 2005′s Mezmerize/Hypnotize album and Tankian has since embarked on a successful solo career, releasing four projects in the past eight years.
It appears bandmate Odadjian is far from happy about the frontman’s alternative career after he sparked rumors of discord in the group on Monday, when he responded to fans’ questions about album plans by claiming that the vocalist was the only one refusing to commit to recording sessions with guitarist Daron Malakian, drummer John Dolmayan and himself.
Taking to his Facebook.com page, he raged, “OK, I’ll come clean. It’s not us. Its Serj, who doesn’t want to do a new album! So please stop harassing us about it!…We are just waiting for Serj.
“Now, he might hate me for exposing the truth but I had to. Sorry folks! We’re trying to get a new album out, it’s just not passing Serj’s rules! Kinda funny, since we started the band and now he’s holding us back!”
Odadjian then stated he was prepared to hire a new frontman to record and perform songs with the other members of the band, because he’s sick of having to “beg” Tankian to stay with the group.
He added, “Just remember, he’s been holding us back for seven years so far. Wanna wait another five years? Or shall we release a record without Serj? You tell us… I’m furious that he let us down like this, but we gotta do something to keep this great band alive! agreed?”
The Facebook post was removed shortly afterwards, and a statement from the whole group was released to address Odadjian’s comments.
The statement reads: “Earlier today, Shavo posted a few statements on his personal Facebook page that do not reflect the sentiments of System Of A Down as a collective band. These were misleading statements that were made during a temporary state of bad judgment on his part alone.
“To be clear, the full band lineup of Serj, Daron, Shavo and John will be performing all scheduled tour dates. With respect to new SOAD music, although we have not agreed on a timetable for a new album, we all believe that having the four of us do it together is the way to be true to the band and our fans.”

Richard Thorp Dead At 81

2013-05-22T18:15:02Z

Veteran British actor Richard Thorp has died at the age of 81.
The star, who appeared in classic World War II movie The Dam Busters and hit U.K. TV series Emmerdale, passed away on Wednesday in Leeds, England.
He began his acting career in 1949 and got his big break as Squadron Leader Henry Maudslay in 1955′s The Dam Busters before going on to enjoy a long-running TV career, starring in British shows including All Aboard, Emergency Ward 10, Crossroads, To The Manor Born, and Strangers.
But he was best known in the U.K. for his role as Alan Turner in Emmerdale, a part he played from 1982 until his death.
Emmerdale producer Kate Oates says, “Richard’s death is a sad loss to Emmerdale, of which he was at the heart for so many wonderful years. Richard had a brilliant sense of humor and he will be missed by every single member of our production whose lives he touched.”