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".

The Justin Files, 8/1 Weekly Wrap Up

A little movie you may have heard of
The Dark Knight continues to dominate the box office three weeks after it's initial release. It destroyed the competition after the first weekend, taking in $155 million, compared to Mamma Mia! (the #2 movie) and it's haul of $27.5 million. Batman was still going strong by the second weekend, bringing in an additional $75.6 million. As of today, it's the highest grossing movie of the year so far, with a take of $342.6 million. To put it in perspective, Titanic, the highest grossing movie of all time, was only at $112.5 million at this point in it's release. In other words, The Dark Knight is out pacing Titanic by more than 3 to 1.

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Shia in trouble again
Indiana Jones co-star Shia LaBeouf is in trouble again, and this time it's a little more serious than lighting up in a no smoking area. He was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of DUI, and taken to the hospital where he underwent, "extensive hand surgery". It turns out that the accident wasn't his fault, the other driver had run a red light while Shia was waiting to make a legal left turn, but obviously the DUI charge will stand.

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Miley is in the news this week too
Miley Cyrus made some waves this week when she speculated that this may be the last season for Hannah Montana, her super-successful Disney Channel kiddie-comedy. Disney execs didn't comment beyond stating that the show is still currently on their schedule.

Miley also made waves on the auction circuit when a Connecticut dad shelled out nearly $17,000 so his 11 year old daughter could meet the teen star at a movie premiere. The same auction also saw a t-shirt she wore in a video go for $3,500 and autographed pictures - personalized of course - went for around $1,000 each.

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Quick Hits
* Jon Bon Jovi is a happy camper, his Philadelphia Soul won the Arena Football League Championship over the weekend. A victory rally was held in Philly on Thursday, and Jon promises a victory concert in the not too distant future.

* It looks like People Magazine has won the bidding war for the exclusive first pictures of Brad and Angelina's twins. Reports put the price tag between $10-$15 million. The couple will reportedly donate the proceeds to charity.

* Finally, we'll take this one with a grain of salt for now. Some gossip rags are reporting that another Batman movie is already in the works, and that it'll feature Johnny Depp as The Riddler. Considering the success of The Dark Knight there's little doubt that there'll be another sequel, but there aren't any reliable sources on this story. I'm just reporting it so I can say that you heard it hear first if it's true.

The Justin Files, 6/27 Weekly Wrap Up

The Winehouse Watch continues
The Amy Winehouse drama continued into this week as more information trickled out about her condition after being taken to the hospital at the beginning of last week. On Monday, her father publicly announced that she has been diagnosed with emphysema, caused by years of smoking crack and cigarettes. The next day was spent backpedaling, as Daddy dearest revised his statement, saying that she has been diagnosed with traces of emphysema.

The photo above was taken as she was leaving the hospital.

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Madonna Marriage Madness
Rumors of marital unrest have plagued Madonna for a couple years now, but they've gotten more insistent this week. It all started when word hit the street that she has apparently hired the same divorce lawyer that Paul McCartney used in his recent legal proceedings (does she know how much Paul ended up having to pay Heather??). Then, just today, an "anonymous source" (naturally) revealed that Madonna had told Guy Ritchie in person that she thought a divorce was in order...apparently he agreed with her.

Her spokesperson continues to issue "no comment" statements. Which, let's be honest, is basically confirmation.

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A comedy legend passes
We started the week with the sad news of the passing of trail blazing comedian George Carlin. He had a history of heart problems, including a couple open heart surgeries. He died after checking into a hospital on Sunday night with chest pains. He was due to be awarded The Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy in the Fall at Lincoln Center. The ceremony will go on as scheduled but will become a tribute instead. Saturday Night Live will honor him this weekend when they air the very first episode of the show, which he hosted.

On a personal note, I'll never forget one of the funniest yet most awkward moments in my young life, when I saw Carlin perform at The State Theater in New Brunswick with my father, step-mother, and aunt. For a 13 year old, it was both hilarious and mortifying at the same time.

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Quick Hits
* For the first time, Miley Cyrus is speaking publicly about her controversial Vanity Fair photos. She told Billboard, "I was embarrassed. . . sometimes my decisions are wrong. . . it still hurts when I think about it".

* What would you do if you had to move halfway across the country, far away from our beloved boardwalk pizza? If you're Drew Carey, you order it anyway. That's what he did for the season finale of The Price is Right. He ordered 45 pies from his favorite pizza joint in Cleveland, for delivery to LA. The dinner cost a cool $450. No word on delivery charges, but I have a feeling they waived the 30 minute guarantee. Hopefully he gave the kid a good tip.

* Another former Idol has bitten the dust. Joining the ranks of Reuben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, and Katherine McPhee, last year's runner up, Blake Lewis, has been dropped by his record label.

* Speaking of Idol, even though it feels like last season just ended, auditions for next season are ramping up. Simon, Randy, and Paula will hit the road starting July 17th in San Francisco. We'll get our shot on August 19th when the trio invade The Meadowlands.

The Justin Files, 6/20 Weekly Wrap Up

More Amy Winehouse drama
Amy Winehouse is back in the news for her off stage drama. She reportedly collapsed at her home in London on Monday and was taken to the hospital. She was held there for observation and tests. It appeared that it would only be an overnight situation but as of today, Friday, she is still in the hospital and is apparently undergoing a battery of additional tests and scans. Stay tuned for updates.

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Idol Gives Back keeps giving
The Idol Gives Back telethon may be long over, but the campaign continues. With contestant Brooke White as the spokesperson, kids between 5 and 14 are being urged to use their Summer vacation to do good on a large scale. The child who raises the most for Malaria No More will get a pair of tickets to next year's Idol finale. You can get more information at www.savetheworldsummer.org

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Some stars remember the fans
I love hearing stories of big stars doing nice things for their fans. I have a pair of cool stories for you:

Johnny Depp was recently shooting a gangster movie in Oshkosh, WI when a 12 year old fan asked the star if he could have Johnny's period fedora. Johnny told the kid, "when I'm done with it, it's yours". Flash forward to a couple weeks later when a package showed up on the kid's doorstep with a bunch of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promo goodies and the hat that Johnny had promised.

We know that Jennifer Lopez likes to think of herself as Jenny from the Block, and she proved it this week when she showed up at a graduation in Staten Island. A group of 10 and 11 year olds at the school for autistic children had been studying one of Jennifer's videos, practicing and memorizing the lyrics and dance moves. They wrote to the superstar hoping for an autograph in return. Instead, she showed up and gave a surprise performance at their ceremony.

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Quick Hits
* There's a new mother in the Spears family. Britney's 17 year old sister, Jamie Lynn, gave birth to a girl, Maddie Briann this week.

* How much would you pay for a kiss from James Bond? Barbara Broccoli could probably get one for free since she's one of the producers of the franchise, but she paid nearly $40,000 at a charity auction for some lip service from star Daniel Craig as well as actors Hugh Grant and Robbie Coltrane.

* A Grey's Anatomy insider is shooting back at Katherine Heigl's comments from last week. The anonymous worker said, "the show bent over backwards to accommodate her film schedule and then she criticizes the show for lack of material? It's an ungrateful slap in the face to the very writers responsible for her Emmy win in the first place".

* On the eve of the release of their new CD, Point stars Coldplay have announced a delay of two weeks for their US tour. The release chalked up the tardiness to "production delays". They were scheduled to kick off in LA on June 29th, they'll now embark on July 14th.