Top Story
Sean Combs premiered his new collection of men’s underwear, pajamas and robes on Wednesday at Bloomingdale’s, Reuters reports. Sean John Loungewear has been available at Bloomingdale’s for less than two weeks and is selling well, the store’s fashion director Kal Ruttenstein said.
Ailing
Singer Stevie Nicks has postponed two concerts at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles to undergo treatment for severe bronchitis, The Associated Press reports. The two shows will be rescheduled at a later date. Nicks expects to return to her “Trouble in Shangri-La Tour” in Las Vegas Saturday if she responds well to medication.
French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo was released from the hospital Wednesday after making what doctors call a remarkable recovery, according to Reuters. Belmondo was admitted to Saint Joseph’s hospital in Paris two weeks ago after suffering from a stroke while vacationing on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Belmondo, 68, starred in Jean-Luc Goddard’s 1960 film Breathless.
In Courts
Raymond E. Scott, the co-owner of Source magazine, was arrested one day after the Source Hip Hop Music Awards in Miami Beach, AP reports. According to police, Scott was arrested Tuesday and charged with reckless driving, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana. Police stopped Scott for speeding and say he became verbally abusive with the officer who ordered him out of the car. Source CEO David Mays reportedly tried to pressure police to drop the charges by threatening to tear up the city and call Jesse Jackson. A spokeswoman for the magazine said a statement would be released Thursday.
Rapper Nate Dogg was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine after pleading no contest to a charge of possessing an unmarked firearm, AP reports. The rapper, whose real name is Nathaniel Dawayne Hale, was arrested on June 18, 2000, for allegedly kidnapping his girlfriend, holding her against her will, assaulting her and setting a car on fire. The charges were later dismissed at a preliminary hearing.
Actor Roy Scheider could face possible jail time if he fails to appear at his next hearing scheduled in a few weeks, according to PageSix.com. Scheider owes his ex-wife Cynthia nearly $1.4 million in payments stipulated by their 1989 divorce agreement. Scheider and his lawyer Samuel Sharp failed to show up for a hearing last Thursday at the Central Islip, Long Island, courthouse. Sharp reportedly called the courthouse minutes before the hearing, claiming he was stuck in traffic. But when Judge Morton I. Willen called the Nassau and Suffolk County highway patrols, he was told that traffic on the Long Island Expressway was running smoothly. The judge warned Sharp that his stall tactics were intolerable and said that the lawyer could face jail time if he failed to show at the next hearing.
State regulators have proposed fines of nearly $59,000 against Sony Pictures for an accident resulting in the death of a welder Tim Holcombe on the set of Spider-Man, Variety reports. Hale died on Mar. 6 after he was struck in the head when a boom extension fell onto the aerial basket in which he was working. The California Division of Occupational Safety & Health said that Sony owned Columbia Pictures failed to use good engineering practices and that the capacity, operation and maintenance instruction plate had not been changed according to specifications. They also allege that Holcombe did not have adequate fall protection, such as a safety harness. The studio has until Sept. 6 to file an appeal.
In General
The British media is having a field day over Mick Jagger‘s appearance Thursday on the cover of Britain’s Saga Magazine, a publication aimed at people over the age of 50, Reuters reports. Jagger is promoting the new film Enigma, which he produced along with Lorne Michaels. The film is set in 1943, the same year that Jagger was born. Saga editor Paul Bach thought it would be a perfect subject for his readers. The Rolling Stones singer, once known as the wild man of rock ‘n’ roll, is reportedly dating 23-year-old model Sophie Dahl.
Michael Crawford is returning to Broadway with Dance of the Vampires, Variety reports. The show, which will open on April 11 at the Minskoff Theater, is based on Roman Polanski’s 1967 movie The Fearless Vampire Killers. The musical premiered in Vienna four years ago and was directed by Polanski, but show organizers were unable to get the director back into the United States to work on the play. Polanski fled the country in 1977 when facing charges of statutory rape. Crawford, who starred in The Phantom of the Opera for 14 years, has committed to the show for one year in New York.
Tony Danza will host the Miss America Pageant, becoming the first solo male to host the event since Bert Parks in 1980, Reuters reports. Parks died in 1992 and hosted the pageant for 25 years. Danza will replace Donny and Marie Osmond, who have been emceeing the event for the past two years. The Miss America Pageant organizers are trying to boost ratings and appeal to viewers by incorporating elements of reality TV shows and have also added a game show segment.
George Michael has returned the piano used by John Lennon to record the song Imagine to the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool, AP reports. Michael bought the 31-year-old piano at an auction last year for $2 million. At the time, the pop star said that the instrument should be seen by people rather than protected in storage somewhere. But Michael first wanted to use the piano to record a song on his next album. Lennon, who bought the piano in 1970, was killed in New York City more than 20 years ago.
Eric McCormack and Debra Messing from NBC’s Will & Grace have been added to the presenters list for the 53rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards, according toVariety. Other presenters include Kelsey Grammer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sela Ward, Martin Sheen, Jessica Alba, Michael Michele and Amy Brenneman.
