The Justin Files, 10/3 Weekly Wrap Up

A Hollywood legend passes
The big story this week was the death of Hollywood icon Paul Newman of cancer at 83 years old. An elder statesman of Hollywood, Newman's iconic roles included Coolhand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and more recently his Oscar winning turn in Road to Perdition. He used his fame and fortune to become a selfless philanthropist by supporting a number of charities through his Newman's Own Foundation. Over the years, the foundation has given over $250 million to charity. Even in the absence of it's founder, the foundation will continue to operate and give to worthy causes.

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Heath's daughter inherits his estate
As expected, Heath Ledger's father announced that the late star's 2 year old daughter, Matilda, will inherit his entire estate. However, an insurance company is fighting the 8 digit payout on his life insurance policy, arguing that his death may have been a suicide.

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"Movie star car for auction, may need some body work"
Movie memorabilia has become a big business. Just ask the guy who shelled out over a third of a million dollars for an Aston Martin from the upcoming James Bond movie. The only catch? You won't see the buyer tooling around in the super-spy's ride anytime soon. The vehicle was wrecked during production.

By the way, the $350,000 price tag for the totaled sedan is about $120,000 more than a shiny new Aston Martin would cost.

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Quick Hits
* Britney Spears apparently didn't learn any lessons from Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson, specifically not to have video cameras around during intimate moments. Her former boyfriend, paparazzo Adnan Galib, is apparently peddling a sex tape featuring him and Britney to the highest bidder.

* It looks like we'll be getting at least two more Spider-Man movies. Star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi have signed on for two more installments, and Kirsten Dunst has confirmed her involvement in at least one more. Production on parts 4 and 5 starts next Fall.

* Music news roundup - A rumor from a couple weeks ago has been confirmed, Bruce Springsteen will be playing the Superbowl halftime show on Feb 1st. Also, David Archuleta will be trying his hand at acting. This week he filmed a guest spot on Nickelodeon kiddie series iCarly, set to air in the Spring.

* Heather Locklear had a bad weekend, on Saturday she was arrested for driving under the influence of a prescription drug when a 911 caller allegedly spotted the star driving erratically.

The Justin Files, 9/26 Weekly Wrap Up

Some interesting Emmy night notes
There weren't any huge surprises or giant upsets this year at the Emmys, but there were some things of note:

* AMC's Mad Men became the first basic cable show to win one of the major awards, Best Drama Series.

* 30 Rock cleaned up with four wins, including trophies for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin.

* Jeremy Piven got the hat trick with his 3rd consecutive award for Entourage.

* Other repeats went to The Daily Show and The Amazing Race, both winning their 6th awards in a row.

* The inaugural best reality show host Emmy went to Survivor's Jeff Probst.

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Come out come out wherever you are
We had two persistent celebrity rumors confirmed this week. Rumors that could more be looked at as "open secrets", but they're not secrets any longer. Lindsay Lohan confirmed her romantic relationship with LA based club DJ Samantha Ronson. The same day, the cover of the new issue of People was leaked, which featured Clay Aiken with his newborn son and the headline, "yes, I'm gay". In the article, Clay explained his reasoning for choosing now to come out publicly, "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things".

Speaking of the Clay exclusive, remember how Brad and Angie got around $10 million for the exclusive pictures of their twins just over the summer? Apparently economic woes have hit the tabloid industry too. Clay reportedly only got $500,000 for his pix.

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Fertility problems? Go swimming!
Apparently the reason that Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise never had any biological children was due to her fertility difficulties. So how to explain her giving birth to a healthy baby girl with Keith Urban? She claims that while filming a movie in her native Australia, she would go swimming at an Outback waterfall every day. She was joined by half a dozen other women on a regular basis. After the filming was over, apparently all the swimmers ended up pregnant. So Nicole is giving credit to the Australian Outback's "fertility waters".

I wonder what that will do for tourism.

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Quick Hits
* The new season of Dancing with the Stars premiered this week. The first two castoffs were comedian Jeffrey Ross and actor Ted McGinley.

* Happy 10 year anniversary to Harry Potter. It's hard to believe that there was actually a time when nobody had ever heard of a British boy who would go on to attend wizard school and fight the forces of evil.

* In a bit of a break from tradition, for the first time in 22 movies, the new James Bond flick won't include the lines, "Bond, James Bond" or "shaken, not stirred". Quantum of Solace hits theaters in November.

The Justin Files, 9/19 Weekly Wrap Up

The start of the lists
As we're getting closer to the end of the year, the annual "best of" lists are starting to come out. People came out with their 10 Best Dressed Women of 2008. On the list were a pair of Point artists, Rihanna and Fergie made the cut. Also among the fashion gifted, Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Michelle Obama, among others.

A day later, Forbes came out with their list of the richest Americans. A number of entertainment industry insiders made the list, including Steven Speilberg, George Lucas and, of course, Oprah. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is sitting comfortably at #8 on the list. And the richest American? Act surprised...Bill Gates, who's worth $57 Billion. Believe it or not, that's actually down from last year!

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Famous New Jerseyans honored
Some famous Garden State natives are being honored by being nominated for the New Jersey Hall of Fame this year. Listed for possible inclusion are Jon Bon Jovi, Jack Nicholson, and Shaquille O'Neal among others. While there's no physical NJ HoF, you can visit their virtual location at www.njhalloffame.org

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Britney rides the wave
After the Democratic and Republican conventions, the candidates usually get a "bump" in the polls. Britney Spears is hoping the same is true following her successful MTV Video Music Awards haul. A few days later her record company announced the release date of her upcoming album, Circus is due out on her 27th birthday, December 2nd.

An appropriate name considering what her life's been like the past year or so.

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Quick Hits
* It looks like the duel of the Davids could enter round two this fall. David Cook has already announced November 18th as the release date for his debut CD. Now, David Archuleta has announced that his CD will hit store shelves in November, insiders are suggesting that he could also pick the 18th.

* Miley Cyrus apparently has a new beau. Last weekend the 15 year old entertainment mogul was spotted at an LA mall shopping and holding hands with a 20 year old underwear model. Don't get me wrong, 5 years isn't a big difference in the big picture, but can you at least wait till she's old enough to vote?

The Justin Files, 8/29 Weekly Wrap Up

Randy and Simon who?
Remember when we were wondering who this "Randy Jackson" and that "Simon Cowell" guys were, and now they're household names? Just keep that in mind when the new season of American Idol starts and Kara DioGuardi is introduced as the fourth judge. It'll now be two guys and two girls on the panel. For a little background, Kara DioGuardi is a grammy-nominated songwriter, she's written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Santana, Miley Cyrus, and many others.

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When Kid Rock speaks, people pay attention
Well, not normally, but the rocker actually had something pretty intelligent to say this week. When asked about his choice for president, he responded, "I truly believe people like myself. . .should keep their mouths shut on politics. . .at the end of the day let me tell you what I'm good at: I'm good at writing songs and singing - what I'm not educated in is the field of political science". John Voight, Jane Fonda, are you listening?

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Just kidding, guys!
Remember the other week when I told you about Tori Spelling dropping out of the new 90210 series because she found out that Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth would be making more than her? Apparently she's swallowed her pride and has quietly entered into talks with the producers on a new deal. I'm guessing reality set in when she got home and didn't find any voicemails offering great career opportunities.

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Quick Hits
* Mackenzie Phillips had a bad day at LAX this week. She was pulled aside after setting off a metal detector and apparently became uncooperative. It was at that point that baggies and balloons allegedly filled with heroin and cocaine fell out of her waistband. Officials also apparently found nearly three dozen syringes on her.

* I already reported the rumor that Johnny Depp could be playing The Riddler in the next Batman installment. This week another Batman casting rumor came out, and it's an interesting one. How would you feel about Cher as Catwoman?

* X-Files and Californication star David Duchovny has entered rehab. But it's not for drugs or alcohol, his reps confirm that he has entered treatment for sex addiction. The star released a statement asking for, "respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family".

The Justin Files, 8/22 Weekly Wrap Up

At least we don't have to suffer through corny nicknames anymore
Ever since Ben Afflek and Jennifer Lopez became a couple and were dubbed "Bennifer" oh those many years ago, we've had to deal with "Brangelina" and, most recently with John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston, "Janiston" (a bit of a stretch?). But no more, last week we had the rumors of their breakup, this week those rumors were confirmed. By who, you may ask. An anonymous "source", or worse, Perez Hilton? Surprisingly it was John himself who said, "I ended the relationship. . .because I don't want to waste somebody's time if something's not right" he went on to say that she is, "one of the most lovely people I've ever met".

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Hollywood people aren't all bad
Here's a touching story, you may recall that when Heath Ledger died he was in the middle of shooting a new movie. A trio of A-list stars stepped in to complete his role; Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell have all decided to donate their paychecks from the job to Heath's young daughter, Matilda. When the actor died he had apparently left behind an old will that did not include Matilda. The trio of actors felt that the money should rightfully go towards taking care of her. The director of the movie, Terry Gilliam, called the move, "extraordinary".

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Who's gonna be hoofing it next?
A source is claiming to have compiled a full list of the "stars" (and I use the term loosely with some of these people) who will be prancing on the next season of Dancing with the Stars. The list, allegedly, looks like this: Kim Kardashian, Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Brooke Burke, Susan Lucci, Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley, actor Ted McGinley, Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath, 82 year old Cloris Leachman, Comedian Jeff Ross, of course you have to have a football player so they have apparently enlisted Warren Sapp, and they've gotten into the Olympic spirit with sprinter Maurice Green and newly minted gold medalist Misty May-Treanor.

Take the list with a grain of salt, but I'll be happy to say I told ya so if it's true when the actual contestants are announced on Monday.

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"Oh hey, about that movie..."
One of the bigger stories last week was the fact that Warner Brothers has decided to push the next installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from it's planned November release to next July (conspicuously to the same weekend that The Dark Knight, another WB property, opened this Summer and made enough money to support a medium sized country). There's only one problem, the studio didn't bother to give the heads-up to Entertainment Weekly, which just happens to be a sister-division of parent company Time Warner, Inc. So EW went ahead and released their annual fall movie preview with the boy-wizard gracing the cover. Maybe the ole' company email was down that day.

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Quick Hits
* Phil Collins has set a new record in his homeland. It's not going to be one he'll brag about though, a British court has ordered he pay an unprecedented $46.76 million to his most recent ex-wife. That's $2 million more than Paul McCartney recently had to cough up to Heather Mills.

* Congrats to Point artists Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, they welcomed a new baby boy to the family this morning. Giving Apple Martin and Coco Arquette a run for their money, the new bully target has reportedly been dubbed Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale.

* For the Sopranos fan in your family, check this out - The Sopranos: The Complete Series will feature all 86 episodes on 28 discs, two discs of bonus material, two soundtrack CDs, and a 56 page album. The whole thing weighs in at 10 pounds and will set you back $400. It'll be out, naturally, just in time for the holidays, on November 11th.

The Justin Files, 8/15 Weekly Wrap Up

A sad weekend
It was a shocking weekend for many when news of the untimely deaths of comedian Bernie Mac and music legend Isaac Hayes came out. Mac had been in the hospital fighting pneumonia for a little while. His people had said that he was getting better and was looking forward to going home. Hayes was found unresponsive next to his still-running treadmill. His doctor said that he had apparently suffered a fatal stroke. He had also suffered a stroke back in 2006.

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About to get kicked out? Turn to Trump!
How's this for a weird twist to Ed McMahon's home foreclosure woes...apparently Donald Trump has offered to buy the home and lease it to the former Carson sidekick, effectively making him Ed's landlord. The strange part, the two men don't even know each other. Trump said that when he had heard the story he thought "it would be an honor" to help. My guess is that the honor to Trump is the publicity he's drumming up.

(full disclosure - I was a student at the Ed McMahon School of Mass Communications at Quinnipiac University, Ed and I go way back)

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No 90210 for Tori
It looks like there won't be a homecoming party for Donna Martin in the upcoming Beverly Hills 90210 update on The CW Network after all. Tori Spelling was reportedly upset about the fact that her pay, $10,000 - $20,000 per episode, was dwarfed by the alleged compensation for fellow returnees Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth, reported to be between $35,000 and $50,000 per episode. Tori apparently demanded equal pay, the network said no, Tori walked.

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Quick Hits
* It looks like wedding bells will be ringing for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi this weekend. According to US Weekly, the two will marry in a "small, intimate ceremony" in California.

* Blogs are buzzing about the rumored breakup of John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston. The two haven't been photographed together in weeks, John is on vacay in Mexico while Jen is back in LA working, and a "source" says that she is already seeing someone new. Well, with that evidence it must be true.

* Dark Knight star Christian Bale is off the hook. He will not face charges in the alleged assault involving his mother and sister. Officials say there was simply not enough evidence.

The Justin Files, 8/8 Weekly Wrap Up

Thankfully Miss Daisy wasn't in the car
Ok, ok, so the joke may be tasteless but Morgan Freeman is fine after his late night weekend car accident, so I can get away with it.

Apparently the Dark Knight actor was driving close to midnight last Sunday when he fell asleep at the wheel, drifted off the road, and flipped into a ditch. Rescuers had to use the jaws of life to remove the Hollywood icon from the wreck. He was in the hospital for a couple days, underwent surgery for injuries suffered in the crash, and was released.

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The Mary-Kate mystery
At the start of the week word started going around that Mary-Kate Olsen was demanding immunity before cooperating with federal investigators who were looking into Heath Ledger's death. You may remember that the former Full House star was the first person called when the actor's body was found. So the big question was, why would she need immunity? Well, we may never know, by Thursday the feds had abruptly closed the case.

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How rich is really, really, really rich?
Well we can ask these TV stars. TV Guide has come out with it's list of the highest paid television stars. Here are just a few - David Letterman brings in $32 million a year. Simon Cowell's bad behavior is rewarded to the tune of $50 million a year. And the richest? No surprise, Oprah apparently rakes in $385 million a year. I did a little quick math, that's roughly $732.50 every minute of every day. Eating, sleeping, etc.

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Quick Hits
* It seems like everyone's having twins these days! Brad and Angie, J. Lo, Rebecca Romijn is expecting, and now word that Lisa Marie Presley is pregnant with twins. Her mother, Priscilla, says that twins run in the family. She has younger twin brothers, and Elvis had a twin brother who died at birth.

* Speaking of Elvis, his favorite performance costume has become the most expensive piece of Elvis memorabilia ever sold at auction. Pre-sale estimates had the peacock print jumpsuit going for between $275,000 and $325,000. It fell right in the middle and sold for $300,000....this despite the bacon grease stains and faint peanut butter odor.

* Finally, it seems that Britney Spears will not star as a killer stripper in a Quentin Tarantino remake of Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!. Her rep said that she is, "concentrating on recording her next album".