Thursday, February 17, 2005
Lopez cancels on Europe
LONDON -- Days after performing a duet with husband, Marc Anthony, at the Grammy Awards show, Jennifer Lopez canceled a European trip, due to illness. Lopez had been scheduled to attend the British charity premiere of her movie "Shall We Dance?" with co-star Richard Gere on Wednesday. She called off the trip at the last minute, saying she was too ill to travel. "I very much wanted to be in London today but unfortunately I'm not well," she said in a statement released by Buena Vista International, the movie's distributor. "At the advice of my doctors I'm unable to travel. ... Please accept my sincerest apologies as I have to remain in Los Angeles."
Cage, wife are expecting
LOS ANGELES -- Actor Nicolas Cage and his wife, Alice, are expecting their first child, his publicist said Tuesday. "I can definitely confirm that," said spokeswoman Annett Wolf. She declined to provide additional details. The couple married last July. It was the third marriage for Cage, 41, and the first for his new wife, whom he met when he visited a Los Angeles restaurant where she was working as a waitress. Cage, star of the recent hit "National Treasure," won the best actor Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas." He has a son from a previous relationship.
Ashley Olsen suestabloid over drug story
LOS ANGELES -- Ashley Olsen is suing the National Enquirer for $40 million in damages over a story alleging that she was involved in a drug scandal. The lawsuit filed in Superior Court on Monday alleges libel and false light invasion of privacy by the tabloid. The publication and its parent companies, American Media Inc. and National Enquirer Inc., were named as defendants. The lawsuit said that while a story in the National Enquirer's Feb. 21 issue doesn't refer to her using or selling drugs, it implied that Olsen was doing so with a misleading headline and cover picture depicting the actress with her eyes half-shut. "Freedom of the press is a valuable right, but it is not a license for gossipy tabloids to tar and feather innocent celebrities and destroy their reputations and businesses for the rags' profits," the lawsuit said.
Kid Rock faces charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kid Rock was arrested Wednesday by Nashville police on charges that he punched a disc jockey at a strip club. The 34-year-old rapper was released after posting a $3,000 bond on a charge of simple assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. "Everything is wonderful. It was a beautiful night," Kid Rock said as he left the Criminal Justice Center. His arraignment was set for March 30. A few hours earlier, Kid Rock had appeared before Night Court Commissioner Howard Taradash. He chewed gum and laughed and joked with police officers as he stood in the dock -- a small room with a large glass window that separates defendants from the commissioner and observers. Authorities said he was charged after a 2:50 a.m. altercation at Christie's Cabaret near downtown Nashville. Police said 30-year-old Jerry Campos of Cedar Hill, Tenn., was in the DJ booth when he exchanged words with someone in the audience. Believing his friend had been insulted, Kid Rock demanded an apology. Campos refused, and Kid Rock struck him in the face twice, police said.
Couric is on the lookout for men who dress well
NEW YORK -- Katie Couric is going crazy for sharp-dressed men. Esquire is launching a nationwide search for "The Best-Dressed Real Man in America," with the five finalists to appear on the "Today" show, co-hosted by Couric. Beginning March 15, Esquire will sift through contestants in 10 U.S. cities. A panel of editors and "local celebrities" will judge who is a cut above the rest. "In every city in America there are men who express their ambition and their personality in the way they dress every morning," Esquire Editor-in-Chief David Granger said Wednesday. "Right now, men in the U.S. are showing more originality in personal style than ever before." The five finalists will appear on the NBC morning show in September. Viewers will be able to vote for their choice through Esquire's Web site. The contest will be held in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles. Esquire has in the past rated the best-dressed male celebrities. Last year, Andre 3000 of OutKast was chosen for his "soulfully preppy" look.
Today's birthdays
Actor Marc Lawrence is 95. Bandleader Orrin Tucker is 94. Author Margaret Truman Daniel is 81. Actor Hal Holbrook is 80. Singer Bobby Lewis is 72. Country singer-songwriter Johnny Bush is 70. Football Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown is 69. Actress Mary Ann Mobley is 66. Singer Gene Pitney is 64. Actress Brenda Fricker is 60. Actress Rene Russo is 51. Actor Richard Karn is 49. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 43. Basketball player Michael Jordan is 42. Actor-comedian Larry, the Cable Guy is 42. TV personality Rene Syler is 42. Movie director Michael Bay is 41. Singer Chante Moore is 38. Rock musician Timothy J. Mahoney (311) is 35. Rock singer-musician Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) is 33. Actor Jerry O'Connell is 31. Country singer Bryan White is 31. Actor Jason Ritter ("Joan of Arcadia") is 25. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is 24.