HOLLYWOOD - Top Story: Barrino Takes Idol Title
The vivacious, gospel-trained Fantasia Barrino became the third American Idol winner Wednesday, claiming the victory for her 2-year-old daughter. "I fought so that my child can have the best," said the 19-year-old single mother from High Point, N.C., who had a 1.3 million-vote edge over rival Diana DeGarmo, The Associated Press reports. When asked backstage about those who might be critical of her single parenthood, Barrino replied: "I feel like a good mom. I'm a strong woman now. ... Don't look down on me. Pray for me because I'm trying." The usually acid-tongued judge and music producer Simon Cowell had only glowing things to say about Barrino, telling America they got it "100 percent right." He also added after the ceremony, "There aren't many other artists in America right now that I'd prefer to have on my label." Runner-up DeGarmo said backstage, "I'm definitely recording an album," adding with a smile, "And Fantasia, you better watch out because I'm coming with one." The top 10 performers from the show's third season, including Barrino, DeGarmo, George Huff, La Toya London, Jasmine Trias, Amy Adams, Jennifer Hudson, Jon Peter Lewis, John Stevens and Camile Velasco, will hit the road for a national summer tour.
Jackson's Lawyers Want Evidence Turned Over
Lawyers for Michael Jackson claim the prosecution in the child molestation case still needs to turn over some 300 items that were seized in sheriff's raids at the pop star's Los Olivos home and other locations last November, the AP reports. In a May 13 motion made public Tuesday, prosecutors indicated they had turned over more than 1,100 pages of documents, including police reports and summaries of witness interviews, 51 audiotapes and two videotapes since January, but added that some items are not available because they are still undergoing forensic examination. Jackson's lawyers are requesting the judge set a deadline for prosecutors to turn over the materials and warned the volume of evidence they want to examine could force a delay in the trial, which the judge has said he wants to begin this year.
MTV Nixes Super Size Me Ads
Music cabler MTV refused to air advertisements for Super Size Me, a documentary that takes a critical look at the health impact of a fast-food-only diet, Reuters reports. According to a statement released by film's distributors, Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films, MTV called the ads "disparaging to fast-food restaurants." But an MTV spokeswoman disputed the claim, saying the network was willing to run the commercial but the distributors turned it down. She did not, however, provide details of the negotiations. Super Size Me has been a hit at box offices by documentary standards, grossing $2.9 million in ticket sales and earning filmmaker Morgan Spurlock the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary director at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
NAACP Honors Haysbert, Smiley
PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley and actor Dennis Haysbert, best known for his role as the president of the United States on Fox's political drama 24, were among those honored at an annual awards dinner held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Tuesday night, AP reports. The dinner was in honor of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Brown v. Board of Education," the historic ruling that heralded the official end of segregation in education, housing and work.
Missing Last Samurai Novelist Found
The Last Samurai novelist Helen DeWitt was found in good condition Wednesday by Niagara Falls, N.Y., police--the same day she was reported missing by New York City's police department. DeWitt had been missing since Tuesday morning when she was last seen near her Staten Island home, prompting police to ask for help in finding her. Later on Wednesday, New York City police said the 46-year-old author was found in good condition by the Niagara Falls Police Department and taken to a hospital for evaluation, the AP reports. No other details were immediately available. Her critically acclaimed debut novel The Last Samurai (unrelated to Tom Cruise's latest movie of the same name) tells the story of a single mother and her 4-year-old son, who obsessively watches the classic Japanese film Seven Samurai.
Judge Dismisses Attempt to Evict Bianca Jagger
Judge Anthony Fiorella Wednesday dismissed a New York landlord's attempt to evict Bianca Jagger, who is suing her landlord, Katz Park Avenue Corp., over mold she says was making her four-room Park Avenue pad uninhabitable, Reuters reports. Jagger, the former wife of Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, was served with an eviction notice earlier this month while pursuing the $20 million lawsuit. She claims she has been living out of suitcases at friends' homes for almost three years because of a mold infestation in the apartment. The judge dismissed the eviction proceeding and also indicated it would be inappropriate for the landlord to refile an eviction proceeding against her, at least until Jagger's lease expires next February.
Sarah Jessica Parker To Star in Gap Ads
Sarah Jessica Parker, who played columnist Carrie Bradshaw on the hit HBO comedy Sex and the City, will appear in a marketing campaign for Gap set to debut in August, the AP reports. The choice isn't a surprising one, considering women nationwide imitated the TV fashionista's eclectic sense of style and over-the-top sexy ensembles. "Gap has always been about individual style, and no one represents this philosophy better than Sarah Jessica Parker," Gary Muto, president of Gap, said in a statement Wednesday. "She looks as amazing in jeans as she does in couture." The company said this is the first time it will be working with a celebrity on a broader scale than a one-time appearance in a print or TV ad campaign.
Role Call: Cattrall Turns Down Sex Movie, Paltrow in Dietrich Film
Kim Cattrall , meanwhile, said no thanks to a feature film based on the hit HBO comedy Sex and the City, prompting the cabler to drop the project. According to Variety, some of the sticking points in the negotiations were that Cattrall wanted script approval, which her co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis were denied. The trade newspaper also reported Cattrall wanted the same fee as Parker--the show's central character--and was rejected ... Gwyneth Paltrow will produce and star in a feature film based on the biography Marlene Dietrich, written by the German screen siren's daughter, Maria Riva. There is no start date yet for the project, whic