Rebound continues for Ellen DeGeneres
Rebound continuesfor Ellen DeGeneres
NEW YORK -- Ellen DeGeneres actually thought her career was over. She became a hero to gays in 1997, after the most highly publicized coming out in modern history. But she soon lost her NBC sitcom "Ellen," and her girlfriend, actress Anne Heche. A second sitcom, "The Ellen Show" came and went in 2001.
But since the September premiere of her syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," on NBC, DeGeneres has become a hot commodity and the show's ratings continue to climb.
"Now it seems like everything is so flattering and positive. I'm savoring this," DeGeneres told The New York Times in Sunday's editions.
Busy star gets his rolesmixed up on Nickelodeon
SAN FRANCISCO -- Nick Cannon is so busy these days he sometimes has a hard time keeping his roles straight.
The 23-year-old star of "Love Don't Cost a Thing" has his own Nickelodeon show, has just released a self-titled album featuring the single "Gigolo," and has a role in the upcoming "Garfield" movie based on the comic strip cat. He also is executive producer of the action-adventure film, "Underclassman."
"Last time I was on Nickelodeon I was performing live, and usually when I perform I take off my shirt and throw my clothes out into the audience," Cannon told the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday.
"I guess I kind of forgot I was doing a show for kids, and the fire marshall jumped onstage in the middle of the show and told me I couldn't be throwing stuff in the audience because they might get hurt."
Jackson says police'manhandled' him
NEW YORK -- Michael Jackson says he is still in pain from being put in police handcuffs last month and tells CBS's "60 Minutes" that authorities "manhandled" him.
The pop star said he suffered a dislocated shoulder from the way he was cuffed and handled during his arrest on child molestation charges.
"It's hurting me very badly," Jackson said in an interview broadcast Sunday. "I'm in pain all the time."
Representatives of the Santa Barbara County sheriff's department did not return a call seeking comment Sunday. District Attorney Thomas Sneddon has said Jackson was treated fairly while in custody.
Jackson,45, denied the molestation charges against him in a partial transcript of the interview released Friday, and said he still believes it's acceptable to have children sleep in his bed. On Sunday, CBS released the full transcript of Jackson's Christmas night interview with Ed Bradley.
Notable deaths
UVestal Goodman, a pioneering gospel music singer who performed for half a century, including a stint on "The PTL Club" with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, died Saturday. She was 74.
UAlan Bates, who first gained fame on the London stage and went on to star in a string of successful 1960s movies including "Zorba the Greek," died of cancer in a London hospital Saturday night, said his agent Rosalind Chatto. He was 69.
UChinese actor Ying Ruocheng, who appeared in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1987 film "The Last Emperor," died Saturday of liver disease, Chinese state press reports said. He was 74.
UJuan Garcia Ponce, a renowned art critic, translator and prize-winning novelist, died Saturday of complications from multiple sclerosis. He was 71.
Today's birthdays
Singer-musician Bo Diddley is 75. Singer Skeeter Davis is 72. Actor Russ Tamblyn is 69. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Sandy Koufax is 68. Actor Fred Ward is 61. Singer-musician Michael Nesmith is 61. Singer Davy Jones is 58. Singer Patti Smith is 57. Rock musician Jeff Lynne is 56. TV host Meredith Vieira is 50. Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph is 48. Country singer Suzy Bogguss is 47. NBC newscaster Matt Lauer is 46. Actress Tracey Ullman is 44. Runner Ben Johnson is 42. Singer Jay Kay (Jamiroquai) is 34. Actress Maureen Flannigan is 31. Actor Jason Behr is 30. Golfer Tiger Woods is 28. Actress Meredith Monroe is 27. Singer Tyrese is 25. Actress Eliza Dushku is 23. Actress Kristin Kreuk is 21.