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Whitney Houston‘s ailing father, John Houston, 82, who is suing his daughter for $100 million, conducted a TV interview from his hospital bed where he pleaded with his daughter to “pay me the money you owe me.” The interview took place Thursday on the syndicated show Celebrity Justice, the day after the pop diva’s own interview on ABC’s Primetime with Diane Sawyer, in which the singer stated her father’s suit was very hurtful and motivated by “someone putting fear in his heart.”
The suit alleges that Houston didn’t pay her father’s company for services rendered, including negotiating her contract with Arista Records. The elder Houston addresses his daughter directly during the Celebrity Justice interview, stating, “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me. If you do that, you haven’t got a lawsuit. … At my age, I haven’t got that long. Now if you think I got that long, you think about it. You step into my shoes. I would like to spend the last years of my life on a boat someplace.”
Celebs
Latin singer Marc Anthony and his wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, have decided to give it another try. Five months after announcing they were splitting up (a legal separation was never filed), the couple now plans to renew their wedding vows in a ceremony Saturday. The couple was married in Las Vegas in 2000 and have a 21-month old son, Cristian.
Michael Jackson failed to show up to court Thursday to continue his testimony in the lawsuit filed against him. The Associated Press reports Jackson‘s lawyer told the court his absence was due to an unspecified medical problem (no doubt he’s still nursing that spider bite). The trial is to resume Friday but it is unclear whether Jackson‘s testimony will continue.
Animator William “Tex” Henson, best known for creating the flying squirrel Rocky and his goofy moose friend Bullwinkle as well as the lovable Chip’n Dale characters, died earlier this week after being hit by a pickup truck in Dallas, Texas. He was 78.
ABC News chairman Roone Arledge, a pioneer in bringing sports to primetime who changed the face of television news and who helped mentor top anchors such as Ted Koppel and Peter Jennings, died Thursday in New York from cancer complications. He was 71.
Movies
Tom Hanks continues his obsession with space exploration. He has partnered with IMAX to create a 3-D documentary called Magnificent Desolation, which will give moviegoers the feeling of actually being on the moon. Hanks‘ production company Playtone Prods. will produce and the actor will narrate.
Tube
Whoopi Goldberg may be heading back to the small screen. Variety reports Goldberg is in negotiations with NBC and Carsey-Werner-Mandabach to star in a half-hour comedy. The comedian was a regular on the syndicated game show Hollywood Squares until last year and also starred in a 1990 short-lived sitcom based on the movie Bagdad Cafe.
Remember the hideous “puffy shirt” Jerry had to wear in one of the classic Seinfeld episodes? FoxNews.com reports the shirt, along with other items from the hit sitcom, are being auctioned off at Sothebys.com. Bidding for the shirt has hit $10,000. The auction ends Saturday night.
