W.E.N.N.

Amanda Bynes Threatens Legal Action Over Party Snaps

2013-05-23T07:55:04Z

Amanda Bynes has threatened to sue editors of a tabloid for printing pictures purportedly taken during a debauched party at her home.
The embattled Hairspray actress has come under growing scrutiny in recent months due to her bizarre antics, a series of traffic violations and odd messages and pictures posted on her social networking pages.
Her lifestyle came under the microscope again in a recent issue of In Touch, which published photos allegedly taken during a party at Bynes’ New York apartment.
The article suggests the property was sparsely furnished and dirty, while Bynes was said to have been behaving erratically and smoking weed.
After the story hit newsstands, Bynes took to Twitter.com on Wednesday to deny she is the blonde in the snaps, accusing editors of doctoring the images.
In a rambling post on the site, the star writes, “That’s not my bed! Those aren’t my toes! My toes are pedicured! I just did an exclusive interview with intouch last week, now they bought fake altered photos by obviously that ugly black man in the photo or someone who knows him! They used an old shot of me on the cover with a bad angle of my old nose before I had surgery to reshape my profile and to remove the webbing from my eyes. I have to sue because that’s not my apartment, those aren’t my clothes! They morphed photos of my face onto someone’s body to ruin my life! I have to make a big deal of this and sue because that’s not me! I care about my appearance so I have to defend myself! I look so much prettier now that I had surgery that I only want new post surgery photos of me on the cover of tabloids and real magazines that I don’t need to sue! The photos in this issue are fake and mocked up!”
Bynes recently revealed she underwent surgery on her nose to remove “webbing” around her eyes and improve her self-esteem.

Mark Hamill To Be Presented With Legacy Award

2013-05-23T07:55:04Z

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill will be honoured with a special award in honour of his impressive Hollywood career.
The star, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of films, will be handed the Don LaFontaine Legacy Award at the PromaxBDA’s 2013 conference in Los Angeles next month.
The award is in honour of his acting, writing and producing career, as well as his voiceover work on projects such as the Batman cartoon.
Jonathan Block-Verk, president and CEO of PromaxBDA, says, “Mark Hamill is one of the most iconic names in Hollywood. Breaking on to the film scene as Luke Skywalker and going on to produce, direct and write, he has successfully established himself as one of the leading voice actors through numerous and memorable roles, most notably as the Joker in the many incarnations of the Batman franchise.”

Carole King Makes History With Gershwin Prize

2013-05-23T07:55:04Z

President Barack Obama was on hand to honour the career achievements of Carole King at the White House on Wednesday when she became the first ever woman to receive the prestigious Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
The You’ve Got a Friend hitmaker made history by collecting the Library of Congress award, in recognition of her five decades in music, before a star-studded crowd in Washington, D.C.
President Obama referenced the Oklahoma tornado tragedy, which left 24 people dead on Monday, but insisted the power of song helps lift the spirits of those in need.
He said, “Eventually, life will go on and new memories will be made. New laughter will come. New songs will be sung. And that’s often why we turn to music during trying times, for comfort and for inspiration, and sometimes just for a good diversion.”
After being presented with the award, King added, “I’m honoured to be recognised by the Library of Congress as the fifth recipient and first woman as has been stated. I can’t say it enough. I am so excited.”
Stars including Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sande, and James Taylor all performed in King’s honour. She follows in the footsteps of previous recipients Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.

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.