W.E.N.N.

Stars To Celebrate Don Rickles At Friars Club Ceremony

2013-05-21T18:17:03Z

Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese are among the stars who will raise a glass to veteran funnyman Don Rickles as he receives a lifetime achievement award in New York City next month.
The Toy Story star, who got his start in the 1950s, will be celebrated by members of the Friars Club on 24 June for his contributions to the comedy industry.
Producer Irv Welzer tells the New York Daily News, “It’s ironic that Rickles, whose entire comedic career has been based on insults, is going to be toasted by the Friars, which is famous for roasting celebrities.”
Other celebrities to participate in the ceremony include Tony Danza, Kathy Griffin, Bob Newhart and Joan Rivers.

George Michael’s Representative: ‘Singer Is Making Good Progress’

2013-05-21T18:17:03Z

Singer George Michael is making “good progress” five days after suffering minor head injuries in a car accident.
The former Wham! star was airlifted to a medical center with cuts and bruises on 16 May after a horrific road accident on the M1 motorway just north of London. The Father Figure singer reportedly fell from an open door of the vehicle as it traveled at speeds of 70 miles (112 kilometres)-per-hour.
A probe into in the incident is currently ongoing, and now his publicist has spoken out to assure fans Michael is on the mend.
A statement released from the 49 year old’s representative on Tuesday reads, “I can confirm that George remains in hospital but purely as a standard precaution for observation because he suffered some bumps and cuts to his head. But he’s making good progress, he’s fine and he’s really looking forward to getting home.”
This is the latest in a string of car problems for the Careless Whisper hitmaker – he hit headlines in 2007 and 2010 after twice crashing his vehicle while high on cannabis. He was later jailed for eight weeks and hit with a five-year driving ban, which expires in 2015.

Toby Keith’s Mom And Sister Caught Up In Deadly Tornado

2013-05-21T18:17:03Z

Country star Toby Keith’s mother Carolyn and sister Tonni were among those who had to run for cover on Monday when a deadly tornado touched down in his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma.
A massive twister ripped through the community on Monday afternoon, 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 the wake of the storm.
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 others weren’t so lucky.
On Monday night he told CNN.com, “I left today and I knew when we flew out of there (a storm was brewing). I could see it building back in the Southwest and it was just, man… I grew up in those neighbourhoods that got hit… My sister’s house got hit. It’s a mile north of my mother’s house and the farm where I was raised.
“There’s been so many tornadoes come through there, but I don’t ever remember one hitting the elementary school right square on the button like this one did. That’s devastating.”
However, the singer is convinced the damage could have been much worse if not for the talented weather experts, who issued a rare tornado emergency warning to residents minutes before the storm hit: “Oklahoma’s really good – they have great meteorologists, great weather centers. They prepare you for this. The (death toll) numbers could be much, much higher. It’s devastating to see this count, because it usually isn’t this high… but they did the best they could do, I’m sure.”
Country star Bryan White’s mother was also caught up in the deadly tornado – in a series of posts on Twitter.com, he wrote, “My Mom is in the closet again. F5 (grade-five tornado) on the ground in SW (Southwest) OKC (Oklahoma City)…Thx every1 4 your prayers.”

Justin Bieber’s Monkey To Be Adopted By Germany

2013-05-21T18:07:36Z

Justin Bieber’s monkey is set to become the property of Germany after the pop star missed the deadline to claim his pet.
The pop sensation’s carpuchin Mally was seized by customs officials in Munich, Germany, on 28 March after he failed to provide the required entry clearance documents for the primate.
Bieber was given until midnight local time on Friday to produce Mally’s vaccination and import papers, but a spokesperson for Munich’s customs department tells Billboard.com officials received no word from the singer.
As a result, ownership will be transferred to Germany on Tuesday.
The Boyfriend hitmaker has six weeks to appeal against the decision.
Bieber is also facing a huge bill from bosses at the Munich animal sanctuary who have looked after Mally during his tour.

Bradley Cooper: ‘Jane Got A Gun Isn’t Cursed’

2013-05-21T15:18:03Z

Actor Bradley Cooper has explained his reasons for quitting Jane Got A Gun in a bid to dispel rumors the upcoming Western is a “cursed project”.
The film has suffered a string of setbacks after first losing Michael Fassbender and then Jude Law, and The Hangover star since abandoned the lead role, prompting speculation the film is doomed to be shelved.
But Cooper is adamant he only walked away due to scheduling conflicts, and insists he would have loved to have worked with Warrior director Gavin O’Connor, who was called in to replace filmmaker Lynne Ramsay.
He tells The Huffington Post, “That was simply a scheduling thing… (It is) important to make a statement because I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t any bad (feeling) – they’ve already changed directors, you know, you don’t want it to seem like it’s a cursed project…
“So, here’s the reason, because I would be honored to work with (director) Gavin O’Connor. If there were any mistake made, it was of sort of jumping the gun and saying, ‘Yeah, sure’ (and accepting the role) but then realising the logistics were impossible. It would have been a nightmare.”
Cooper is confident his replacement is the right man for the job, adding, “Everything worked out for the best because they got Ewan McGregor. If they could have gotten him at the outset, I would have never gotten offered the role, I’ll tell you that.”

Michael Douglas Breaks Down In Tears At Cannes Film Festival

2013-05-21T15:18:03Z

Michael Douglas was overcome with emotion as he promoted his new movie Behind The Candelabra at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
The actor, who plays flamboyant pianist Liberace in the drama, cried as he discussed his role at a press conference during the seaside event in France.
Douglas told reporters the film is close to his heart as he began shooting “right after my cancer”, referring to his battle with throat cancer in 2010, and thanked director Steven Soderbergh and Matt Damon, who plays Liberace’s gay lover, for their support.
He called the part “a beautiful gift” and told the pair, “I will be eternally grateful,” prompting a round of applause from the crowd.
The Wall Street star also played down reports Hollywood studio bosses snubbed the project due to its gay plotline.
He said, “It’s a difficult time for smaller independent pictures. Things seem to still be led by gambling on very large-budget movies with large marketing budgets. I don’t think the problem they had was with the gay issue, it (is) that they don’t like to be bothered with smaller pictures.”
The film will air on US TV network HBO this weekend.

Hot Shots

2013-05-21T12:54:53Z

Meryl Streep Honors Lois Smith And Frances Sternhagen At Obie Awards

2013-05-21T11:52:57Z

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

2013-05-21T11:52:15Z

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

2013-05-21T18:08:35Z

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.