HOLLYWOOD - Top Story: Britney Could be the Next Bond Girl
The syndicated television show Extra reports pop princess Britney Spears met with the producers of the James Bond movies while she was in London, a meeting Spears reportedly requested herself, The Associated Press reports. The singer's only other film appearance has been in the widely panned 2002 Crossroads. Meanwhile, Spears' official Web site says she has signed on to produce and star in an adaptation of author Tobi Tobin's Door to Door, in which she will play a teenager trying to catch her big break in Hollywood. If Britney does happen to join the Bond Girl club (and we think she'd be perfect for the job), she'll be in good company. Other glam gals who have appeared in the franchise include Ursula Andress, Jane Seymour, Denise Richards and Halle Berry.
More Brouhaha Over Super Bowl Antics
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake aren't the only ones getting their hands slapped for inappropriate behavior during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show. Kid Rock has also come under fire from The Veterans of Foreign Wars for performing in a poncho made out of the American flag, AP reports. The VFW is upset media outlets are ignoring this stunt. Kid Rock's outfit was "in poor taste and extremely disrespectful," VFW's commander in chief, Edward Banas Sr., told AP, adding he was appalled that the NFL, MTV and CBS have issued apologies for Timberlake's ripping Jackson's clothes but have said nothing about Kid Rock. CBS faces a Federal Communications Commission investigation into whether the Super Bowl show violated decency laws, with potential fines of up to $27,500. If applied to each CBS station, the fines could reach into the millions, AP reports.
And Still More Super Bowl News…
Due to the uproar of the halftime show, for which America Online paid a reported $7.5 million to sponsor, has canceled plans to stream the show on-demand. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Time Warner, which owns AOL, is also seeking a refund for all or some of that money. The sponsorship fee included several ads for its new TopSpeed service, which went for $2.3 million per 30-second Super Bowl ad.
But Wait, There's More! Grammys Won't Allow a Super Bowl-Type Stunt
CBS and the Recording Academy aren't taking any chances with Sunday's live Grammys broadcast, according to plans announced Wednesday. City News reports the network's five-second delay, typically used to edit "objectionable" audio, will be lengthened in time and include the ability to delay video as well, should there be any "inappropriate and unexpected events,'' a la Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake. The lengthened time has not been determined; in fact, CBS has yet to create the technology to make it happen.
The Academy Examines Actor's Role in Screener Bust
Looks like veteran actor Carmine Caridi--who is responsible for sending out Oscar "screeners" that were later pirated--will likely lose his 22-year Academy membership, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' board of governors met Tuesday night to decide the fate of Caridi, who, like many of the Academy members, signed an agreement before he received the screeners promising "not to allow the screeners to circulate outside [his] residence or office" and agreeing if he violated this agreement, it would be considered "grounds for expulsion." Caridi is also being sued by Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures for copyright infringement.
Shriver Says Goodbye to NBC
As her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, carries on his duties as governor of California, Maria Shriver has officially given up her post as a NBC news journalist to avoid the appearance of a conflict, Reuters reports. Shriver, 48, who briefly returned to her job from a leave of absence in late November following her husband's inauguration, said, "It would be difficult to maintain my journalistic credentials and still be an active first lady" of California. As the decision was a mutual one between Shriver and NBC, Shriver said she looks forward to eventually going back to NBC News "sometime in the future."
Sharon Gets the Axe
Warner Bros. has pulled the plug on the syndicated talk show The Sharon Osbourne Show, Variety reports, due to low ratings and lack of interest from the host herself. Following her husband's ATV accident, Osbourne indicated she wanted out to help him recuperate. The show is expected to continue through May sweeps.
Barrymore Gets a Star
In conjunction with the release of her newest comedy 50 First Dates, in which she stars with Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore joined the hundreds of celebrities whose names are trod upon daily on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame with her own star, AP reports. "I've just been a ball of nerves about this day and now here I am and I can't stop thinking about what everybody kept saying: 'Let this in. Be aware of the moment,'" the giddy actress gushed at Tuesday's ceremony.
Combs Settles Suit With Driver
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs settled a $3 million civil suit Monday in New York with the driver who accused the rap mogul of forcing him to flee police after a 1999 nightclub shooting, MTV News.com reports. In the lawsuit, filed October 6, 2000, Wardel Fenderson claimed he suffered post-traumatic emotional stress from the incident and testified that he didn't pull over Combs' Lincoln Navigator right away because the rapper ordered him not to stop. According to MTV News.com, after the chauffeur was finally pulled over by police, who found a gun in the car, Fenderson claimed Combs offered him $50,000 and a diamond pinky ring to say the weapon was his. The judge accepted the undisclosed settlement and dismissed the case.
Douglas Donates $1M to UCSB
Michael Douglas has given $1 million to his a