Top Story: Schwarzenegger Plays Real-Life Hero
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took his movie hero status seriously when he rescued a cramp-stricken swimmer Wednesday in Hawaii, The Associated Press reports. On a break from his gubernatorial duties, Schwarzenegger, who was vacationing with wife Maria Shriver and their four children, spotted a man in trouble while swimming off the coast of Maui. “He saw a man in distress in the water and brought him back to the shore,” an aide to Schwarzenegger told AP. “The man was hanging onto a boogie board and the governor knew there was something wrong and asked the guy if he was OK. The swimmer said he had cramps all over and couldn’t swim back to shore, so the governor told him to hang on and swam him 100 yards (meters) back to the beach,” the source said. The swimmer is reportedly well and thanked his unlikely rescuer before both resumed their holidays.
Yankovic’s Parents Found Dead
Tragedy struck on Good Friday for parody musician “Weird Al” Yankovic, when his elderly parents were found dead of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in their home, the county medical examiner’s office told Reuters. Nick Yankovic, 86, and his 81-year-old wife, Mary, were discovered on Friday by family members at their Fallbrook, California, residence. It was unclear how long they had been dead. A fire was still burning in the fireplace and authorities said that the home had filled with toxic fumes because the chimney flue was closed, Reuters reports.
Rebecca and John Call It Quits
Another Hollywood couple bites the dust. A spokesman for Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and John Stamos confirmed to New York’s Daily News that the couple are separating after five years of marriage. “It’s very amicable,” says spokesman Lewis Kay. “There’s no third party. There’s no real reason except they’ve decided to go in separate directions.” They married in 1998. “About a year ago we went through a difficult time, because we were apart too much,” Stamos told People last December. “So we made a pact to spend more time together.” But their schedules seemed to have gotten even busier since then. Stamos has been shooting a pilot for an ABC comedy, while Romijn-Stamos has two movies, The Punisher and Godsend, opening within the next few weeks.
Hilton’s Ex Drops Suit
Paris Hilton‘s former boyfriend, Richard Salomon, who appeared with the hotel heiress in the now-infamous sex video that made the rounds on the Internet a few months ago, has dropped his $10 million slander lawsuit against Hilton and her parents, AP reports. Salomon filed suit last November, alleging Hilton was an “active participant” in making the video, but she and her family have waged a “cold, calculated and malicious campaign to portray Salomon as a rapist” to protect her image. In court papers filed Tuesday, attorneys for Richard Salomon asked to dismiss claims against the Hiltons. No reason was given for the request, AP reports.
Victoria’s Secret Special Canceled
Lingerie company Victoria’s Secret has canceled its yearly televised runway show, which has aired on CBS network for the last two years, due to a crackdown by regulators on indecency, the Wall Street Journal reports. The decision not to go forward with the program was made after one of Janet Jackson’s breast’s was exposed during the Super Bowl half-time show, Ed Razek, chief marketing officer for Victoria’s Secret, told the Journal.
Beckham Affair Intensifies
Just as the media frenzy around allegations David Beckham had an affair with a former assistant hit a fever pitch, the British tabloids reported Sunday that a second woman has claimed she had an affair with the soccer star, Reuters reports. The News of the World printed that 29-year-old Sarah Marbeck, who met Beckham in Singapore during a Manchester United pre-season tour of the Asia-Pacific region, had an affair with him in 2001. Beckham, as well as his famous wife of five years and former Spice Girl, Victoria, have vehemently denied the allegations, saying their relationship is stronger than ever.
Actress Snodgress Dies
Actress Carrie Snodgress, best known for her Oscar-nominated turn as a cheating housewife in the 1970 Diary of a Mad Housewife but who dropped out of the limelight to raise a child with rocker Neil Young, died last week in Los Angeles of heart failure, Reuters reports. She was 57.
Sportscaster Summerall Gets Liver Transplant
Legendary sports broadcaster Pat Summerall, 73, received a liver transplant Saturday in Florida, Reuters reports, which, his family stated, was necessitated by the effects of alcohol abuse. There were no complications, the hospital said in a statement, and he was recovering in intensive care after the surgery.
Role Call: Keaton’s Mad Over Money, Bogdanovich Hustles
Diane Keaton has signed on to do Mad Money for MGM, directed by writer/director Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise; Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood). Described as a low-tech version of Ocean’s Eleven, the story–a remake of a British TV movie and based on a true story–focuses on three female janitors who rob the Federal Reserve…Veteran filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) is sliding into first to direct an ESPN cable TV biopic on baseball player Pete Rose. The film will focus on Rose’s career as well as his gambling-related downfall. It’s set to air Sept. 25.
