Britney’s doing it one more time for love
Britney Spears said her recent engagement to dancer Kevin Federline is the real thing, The Associated Press reports. In an interview with People magazine for their July 12 issue, Spears said, “Marrying Kevin was the last thing I was thinking about doing. But then I said, ‘You know what? This is my life and I don’t care what people think. I’m going to get married. I’m in love with him.'” Spears, 22, and Federline, 26, began dating a few months ago, after her quickie Las Vegas wedding to childhood friend Jason Alexander in January, which was just as quickly annulled soon after. “I kissed a bunch of frogs and finally found my prince,” says Spears. “I feel like I’ve found my happily ever after.” Federline, who performed as a backup dancer for Spears‘ former boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, previously was involved with Moesha actress Shar Jackson, who is currently pregnant with his baby and with whom he has a 2-year-old daughter. In an interview set to air Wednesday, Jackson told syndicated entertainment show Access Hollywood that “after I meet her (Britney) and everything’s cool, we can be one big happy family” and feels no animosity toward Spears. “You should never blame the other woman, never,” Jackson said. Spears says she plans to meet Federline’s daughter and wants children of her own someday. “I’m not pregnant. (But) I definitely want to have some kids. I see myself with four or five.”
Joan and Melissa dump E! for TV Guide Channel
Joan and Melissa Rivers, who have been hosting red-carpet specials for E! Entertainment Television since 1996, are taking their fashion counseling skills to the TV Guide Channel. The mother and daughter duo interview celebrities as they arrive for awards shows such as the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes and Grammys, asking the now-infamous question, “who are you wearing?”. The TV Guide Channel reportedly offered Joan Rivers, 71, between $6 million and $8 million in a three-year pact that would easily exceed the value of her current E! deal, making the Rivers team the highest profile on-air talent for the TV Guide Channel, which has a circulation of 75 million homes, short of the 84 million cable and satellite homes that receive E! Their new posts will expand beyond the red carpet to include original specials and series, including a nightly show, What’s On, the AP reports.
Teen pirate caught with camcorder at Spider-Man 2
A 16-year-old boy was caught videotaping a Spider-Man 2 showing Wednesday at a Los Angeles theater, Reuters reports. The teen, who was not identified because he is a minor, was spotted by a projectionist scanning the audience with night vision goggles and was arrested on suspicion of violating a California law that went into affect in January, barring the videotaping of movies in commercial theaters. The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents the interests of the major Hollywood studios, said the projectionists and other employees at the Chatsworth, Calif., theater may be eligible for awards of up to $500 under a new program that seeks to enlist theater employees and owners in the fight against digital piracy.
Howard Stern returns to axed radio markets
Howard Stern‘s daily morning radio show is expanding to nine new markets, including four that had been yanked by Clear Channel Communications in February over indecency concerns, Variety reports. The Howard Stern Show will be carried on parent producer Infinity Broadcasting’s radio stations starting July 19. Stern, who announced his show’s expansion at a news conference aired live on his show Wednesday, blamed the Federal Communications Commission scrutiny and his removal from the Clear Channel chain on his anti-Bush stance. “This is a big show of confidence for me,” said Stern, thanking Infinity and parent company Viacom. “But when the government wants you out, you’re out. This is only a temporary victory.” Clear Channel defended its decision to dump Stern, saying it feared continued association with the shock jock and his show might lead to losing their station licenses.
CBS could pay hefty fine for Jackson stunt
CBS could face a fine of $550,000 for airing Janet Jackson‘s breast-baring performance during the Super Bowl Feb. 1, a source who spoke only on condition of anonymity told AP. Apparently, a staff recommendation to the Federal Communications Commission suggests each of the 20 CBS-owned affiliate stations should be fined the maximum indecency penalty of $27,500 for the incident. Produced by MTV, the Super Bowl halftime show featured Jackson and singer Justin Timberlake performing a duet, where at the end, Timberlake ripped off a piece of Jackson‘s black leather top, exposing her right breast to a TV audience of some 90 million. The commission was flooded with more than 500,000 complaints at the time. The commissioners now must decide whether to accept the recommendation, and a decision is expected in the next few weeks.
Time Warner throws in bid for MGM
Time Warner Inc. is putting together its own nearly $5 billion bid to acquire MGM, a cash and stock proposal which would rival Sony Corp.’s bid, Reuters reports. In part of the deal being considered, Time Warner would offer MGM’s 74-percent stockholder Kirk Kerkorian about $11.50 a share in Time Warner stock and other MGM shareholders about $13 a share in cash, this source said. Sony Corp., which has been negotiating to acquire MGM since late April for roughly $5 billion, is still very much in the running, sources close to the negotiations told Reuters, as it has offered a higher price and is far along in doing due diligence on MGM’s finances and its coveted 4,000-title film library that include the James Bond series.
Eminem’s ex sentenced to jail
Eminem‘s ex-wife, Kimberly Mathers, was sentenced Wednesday to at least four months in a Macomb County, Mich., jail by for leaving a court-ordered drug treatment program without permission, the AP reports. Mathers’ troubles began in 2003 when she was placed on probation after pleading guilty to charges of possessing 25 grams or less of cocaine and failing to give adequate space to an emergency vehicle. She has since twice has dropped out of a court-ordered drug treatment program and served some jail time earlier this year after dropping out the first time. A warrant for Mathers had been issued in April and she was arrested in an Ann Arbor hotel room June 15. She was sentenced yesterday to a year in jail, but will only have to serve 140 days. Mathers and Eminem, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers III, have a 8-year-old daughter, Hailie Jade.
Tony Bennett auction disappoints fan
Tony Bennett is demanding concert organizers refund a man who bid $15,000 in a charity auction, expecting to eat dinner with the singer, the AP reports. Gary Pusateri, 52, placed the winning bid on a package that was said to include “dinner with Tony Bennett” after a concert last weekend in Baltimore, which raised money for ALS research at Johns Hopkins Hospital. But instead of eating alongside Bennett, Pusateri and a hundred others got to shake the singer’s hand and eat on the second floor of a downtown Italian eatery while the singer dined with his guests on the first floor. Danny Bennett, the singer’s son and manager, said in a statement “the decision to auction off a post-show dinner with the singer was made without Mr. Bennett’s approval or knowledge.” A spokesman for Hopkins said the confusion was due to improper wording on the script given to the auctioneer and said hospital officials hoped to resolve the issue shortly.
Guylaine Cadorette contributed to this report.
