newsmakers

April 21, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

newsmakers

Suleman objects to ‘Octomom’ nickname

CHICAGO

Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman says being known as “Octomom” makes her feel like a “carnival attraction.”

Appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on Tuesday, the mother of 14 children told Winfrey that she will never do a reality television show and that “a parent must provide for their kids, not the other way around.”

Last June, Suleman’s lawyer said she had signed a deal to star in a reality TV series to be filmed by a Netherlands-based production company.

Suleman gave birth to six boys and two girls in January 2009. The oldest of her six other children is 8.

The Southern California woman also told Winfrey via satellite that she feels “tremendous guilt” when she holds one or two of her children and can’t be there for the others.

Cirque du Soleil will feature Jackson songs

LOS ANGELES

First the Beatles and Elvis, now Michael Jackson.

The acrobatic troupe Cirque du Soleil announced Tuesday that it will put on a live touring show featuring the songs of the King of Pop starting late next year.

That will be followed by a permanent production in Las Vegas in 2012 at a property owned by casino operator MGM Mirage.

The casino company did not say which venue will host the show.

Cirque and Jackson’s estate will each own 50 percent of the project and share equally in the cost of putting it on. The estate also will receive royalties from the use of Jackson’s music and other property.

Extortion charges filed in Stamos case

MARQUETTE, Mich.

Federal prosecutors in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula have filed a fresh criminal charge against two people accused of trying to extort money from actor John Stamos.

Scott Sippola and Allison Coss are charged with using interstate commerce to make the threat. It was filed Monday as a “felony information,” which means a guilty plea is likely.

Sippola and Coss are accused of threatening to sell photos of Stamos unless he paid them $680,000. They were arrested in December at an airport near Marquette. At the time, Stamos’ spokesman said there was nothing embarrassing about the images.

Stamos met Coss in Florida in 2004 and attended a party where photos were taken.

Messages seeking comment were left with the prosecutor and defense lawyers Tuesday.

Latest Bond film halted indefinitely

LONDON

Producers say work on the next James Bond film has been halted indefinitely because of uncertainty about the future of distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli say development of the movie was suspended after MGM failed to find a buyer. They said late Monday they did not know when work would resume.

MGM put itself up for sale after a slump in DVD sales and a lack of hits left it unable to manage a $3.7 billion debt.

Wilson and Broccoli’s EON Productions has produced 22 Bond thrillers since 1962. The new film, known only as “Bond 23,” had been due for release in 2011 or 2012.

Bond actor Daniel Craig says he has confidence in the producers and looks forward to production resuming.