newsmakers

newsmakers

Tyler Perry to rebuild home of woman, 88

ATLANTA

Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry is offering to rebuild the home of an 88-year-old great-grandmother who lost all her belongings in a fire.

Rosa Lee Ransby and her 4-year-old great-granddaughter escaped the fire Tuesday that destroyed her home of 40 years in Coweta County, southwest of Atlanta. Coweta County firefighters began soliciting donations, and calls flooded in.

The Atlanta-based filmmaker visited Ransby’s neighborhood Thursday and pledged to rent her a house for a year, pay for her utilities, buy her furniture and then build her a new home.

Coweta Fire Chief Todd Moore said Perry’s decision “made my Christmas.”

‘Law & Order’ star swindled off screen

NEW YORK

A star of the TV series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is getting her own taste of law and order — in real life.

New York City prosecutors say Tamara Tunie was swindled of more than $1 million by her business manager. Tunie plays medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC show.

According to court papers, Joseph Cilibrasi and his accounting firm started stealing from Tunie in 2002, listing himself as her husband to secure a credit card tied to her account. He is also accused of writing checks to himself.

The 50-year-old Manhattan man pleaded not guilty earlier this week and is being held on $100,000 bail. Cilibrasi’s attorney says Tunie was “fully aware” of the transactions and he’ll fight the charges.

He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Broadway’s Spider-Man recovering well, dad says

NEW YORK

The stunt actor who fell 30 feet while playing Spider-Man on Broadway is walking again, and his father said Saturday that he can’t wait to return to the role despite injuries that have him confined to the intensive care unit.

Christopher Tierney walked Friday for the first time since his fall during Monday’s performance of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” and is spending Christmas with his mother and brother in the hospital while recovering from back surgery, Tim Tierney said.

Julie Taymor, the director and co-writer of the $65 million production, visited the injured actor in the hospital on Christmas Eve.