W.E.N.N.

Meryl Streep Honors Lois Smith And Frances Sternhagen At Obie Awards

2013-05-21T11:30:04Z

Oscar winner Meryl Streep took to the stage in New York on Monday to honor the careers of fellow actresses Lois Smith and Frances Sternhagen.
The Mamma Mia! star presented Smith and Sternhagen with lifetime achievement prizes at the 58th annual Village Voice Obie Awards, which celebrate Off-Broadway shows.
Actress Eisa Davis was also among the honourees, landing the Sustained Excellence in Performance accolade, while the award for Best New American Play was jointly bestowed upon Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit and Julia Jarcho’s Grimly Handsome.

George Michael Fell From Car At 70 Miles-per-hour

2013-05-21T11:30:04Z

Singer George Michael fell out of a car as it sped along a highway at 70 miles (112 kilometres)-per-hour, according to a new report.
The former Wham! star was airlifted to hospital with cuts and bruises after a horror road accident on the M1 motorway north of London on Thursday.
Police have launched a probe into the incident and details of how George came to be injured have not been revealed, but now an eye-witness has come forward to suggest the Careless Whisper hitmaker fell from an open door of the vehicle as it traveled at high speed.
Motorist Katherine Fox was driving her Mini car along the same stretch of highway when she saw the bloodied and shocked star sprawled in the road.
She tells The Sun newspaper, “There was a nasty cut on his forehead and the back of his head. There was blood all down his face and on his teeth. He was breathing and conscious but in shock… I asked what had gone on and was told he tried to open the car door and shut it again because it wasn’t shut properly and apparently fell out at 70mph.
“I was on the phone to the ambulance and said, ‘You’d better come quick. This doesn’t look good’. George was wearing a black and gold Adidas tracksuit that was ripped all down the arm and shoulder. He had no trainers on… His sunglasses were also in the road… I think George was lucky he didn’t die.”

Sean Penn Urges Dakar Rally Sponsors To Boycott Bolivia

2013-05-21T11:30:04Z

Actor Sean Penn is urging sponsors of the 2014 Dakar Rally to drop Bolivia from the famed race to show support for a businessman imprisoned there.
The Oscar winner has called on the government to put pressure on Bolivian officials to release New York native Jacob Ostreicher, who was detained in 2011 on money laundering allegations but was never charged.
Penn also wants top motoring firms including Michelin and Honda to exclude Bolivia from the off-road rally next year, which he maintains would cost the South American country a fortune in revenue.
Speaking at a hearing into Ostreicher’s case in Washington, D.C. on Monday, he said, “I believe Jacob’s life is in danger… It is still possible for the Dakar Rally to exclude Bolivia. The international pressure could very well be precisely what the Bolivian president needs to be able to finally expel the malignant cancer of corruption that is killing both the Bolivian justice system and the thousands of innocent people like Jacob Ostreicher.”
Ostreicher spent 18 months in prison and has been kept under house arrest since his release in December.

Stars Urge Fans To Donate Cash To Oklahoma Tornado Victims

2013-05-21T11:30:04Z

Katy Perry, Pitbull and Kristen Bell are among the stars who have urged fans to dig deep for the victims of the Oklahoma tornado tragedy.
A giant tornado swept through the suburbs of Oklahoma City on Monday, leaving more than 90 dead and destroying schools and neighbourhoods in a nearby city called Moore, the hardest hit.
Several stars took to Twitter.com and called on their followers to make donations to the American Red Cross, which has opened several shelters and is helping to reconnect loved ones separated in the disaster.
Perry tweeted, “Sending out prayers for the people of Oklahoma tonight. Let’s help, just text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate 10 dollars to those in need,” while Pitbull also told fans he had given to the cause.
Screen stars Ricky Gervais, Ginnifer Goodwin and Kat Dennings also encouraged their Twitter followers to make donations, while Forgetting Sarah Marshall star Bell shared a link to the Oklahoma Tornado Victims Fund, which will benefit those who will now have to rebuild their communities.

Ray Manzarek Tributes Pour In After His Death

2013-05-21T07:55:03Z

John Densmore and SLASH are among the first stars to speak out and pay tribute to The Doors rocker Ray Manzarek after he lost his battle with cancer.
The keyboard player, who co-founded the band with Jim Morrison in 1965, passed away at a clinic in Germany on Monday after a fight with bile duct cancer. He was 74.
Bandmate Robby Krieger released a touching statement in the hours after his death, and now The Doors’ drummer Densmore has added his own thoughts on Manzarek’s passing.
He says, “There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison’s words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother.”
In a post on Twitter.com, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash revealed he was in awe of The Doors’ music when he first moved to the U.S. as a kid, writing, “RIP Ray Manzarek… words cannot express… The Doors represent the LA sound to me. It was the 1st band I remember hearing when I came from England; ‘Light my fire,’ I’ll never forget.”
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry adds, “I am very saddened by loss of Ray Manzarak (sic) now he’s with Jim. They mean as much to me today as they did 40 years ago,” while Jackson 5 star Randy Jackson tweets, “Wow, RIP ray manzarek. One of the greatest artists ever.”
Actor John Stamos also remembered the musician, writing, “RIP Ray Manzarek – if you get a chance check out docu (documentary) When You’re Strange really highlights his brilliance and amazing dexterity.”

Kelly Rowland & Paulina Rubio Confirmed For X Factor

2013-05-21T07:55:03Z

Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio have been confirmed as the new judges on TV talent show The X Factor.
The stars will replace Britney Spears and music mogul Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid, who quit the show in January.
Former Destiny’s Child star Rowland and Latin pop queen Rubio will join returning judge Demi Lovato and show creator Simon Cowell on the panel when The X Factor returns later this year.
Announcing the news in a statement on Monday, Cowell said, “It’s taken more than a decade but I’m delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!).
“Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and, together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”
Production on the third season of the show begins later this week.
Rowland, who previously appeared as a judge on the British version of the show, says, “I am very excited to be reuniting with Simon Cowell and The X Factor family. It feels great to be able to take this journey here at home in the states!”

Rihanna & Slash Pray For Oklahoma Locals After Storm Devastation

2013-05-21T07:55:03Z

Rihanna and SLASH have joined the millions who have turned their prayers to the people of Oklahoma caught up in the state’s latest storm tragedy.
Tornados swept through the suburbs of Oklahoma City on Monday, leaving more than 50 people dead and flattening homes and schools. At least 20 children are among those to have died in the tragedy, many of those students at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, who were killed by falling debris when the storm ripped through the building. At least 145 people are believed to have been hospitalized in the area.
Rihanna and Slash were among those left devastated by the news footage of the powerful storm’s aftermath.
Rihanna took to Twitter.com and posted the simple message “Praying for Oklahoma”, while rocker Slash added, “Horrible what the people in Oklahoma just went thru. The devastation they’re facing now. & the lives they’ve lost.”
Meanwhile, Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood added, “Growing up in tornado alley, you always know what could happen… it doesn’t change how devastating it is when something does happen.”
And fellow country stars Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, who share a home in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, also expressed their concern about the storm tragedy.
Lambert tweeted, “Pray. That’s all we can do. Pray for peace in Oklahoma.”
Her husband was in Los Angeles when the tornados hit but had locals in mind as he posted, “Get somewhere safe!!!”
Ellen DeGeneres, Alyssa Milano, Mia Farrow and Marlee Matlin were also among the celebrities who took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Catherine Zeta-Jones Completes Treatment Program

2013-05-21T07:55:03Z

Catherine Zeta-Jones is preparing to return home after completing treatment for bipolar disorder.
The Oscar-winning actress checked into an undisclosed facility last month in order to “manage her health in an optimum manner”.
After completing her most recent stint in professional care, her husband Michael Douglas has revealed she will check out on Tuesday and head home to her two kids.
He tells People.com, “She comes home tomorrow. She’s doing a really good job of getting balanced. I’m proud of her.”
News of the Chicago star’s mental health issues first emerged in 2011 when she entered a medical center in Connecticut to combat a serious bout of depression and she went public with her bipolar battle last year.

Paris Hilton’s Boyfriend Shoves Grabbing Fan

2013-05-21T00:51:03Z

Paris Hilton’s boyfriend River Viiperi was forced to get physical with an overzealous fan in France on Friday after the woman repeatedly grabbed at the socialite in a bid to get close to the reality TV star.
The hotel heiress, who arrived in Cannes last week, had to fight her way through crowds andmembers of the paparazzi as she made her way to a party with her beau, and one female even took hold of the blonde beauty’s arm in an effort to land a photo with her idol.
Her actions prompted Viiperi to push the woman away twice and shout, “Don’t touch her!”, but she appeared unfazed by his outburst and continued to follow the couple.
Video footage of the incident depicts Hilton struggling to keep security guards from stepping on her dress, while she finally loses her cool with the unruly woman and snarls, “Leave us alone”, before heading into the party venue.

Mike & Molly Finale Scrapped After Tornado Tragedy

2013-05-21T02:10:58Z

TV bosses pulled the tornado-themed season finale of Mike & Molly after a series of storms devastated areas of Oklahoma on Monday.
The last episode of season three featured the storyline of a tornado hitting Chicago, Illinois in the Melissa McCarthy comedy, but it has been cut from schedules.
A statement from CBS reads, “Due to the tragic events this afternoon in Oklahoma, we are pre-empting tonight’s season finale of Mike & Molly, which has a related storyline.”
A repeat will be aired in its place.
A huge twister ripped through a suburb of Oklahoma City on Monday in a second day of storms.
At least 10 people were killed when the powerful tornado blasted the area ripping roofs off buildings and levelling homes and schools and locals have been without power.
Students and teachers at the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma really felt the devastation. They were trapped in debris after the storm hit. Rescuers have rushed to the scene in a bid to keep the casualty count down.
More stormy weather is expected.