newsmakers

newsmakers

George Michael gets 8 weeks in jail

LONDON

A British judge has sentenced George Michael to eight weeks in jail for driving while under the influence of drugs after the singer crashed his car into a London photo shop. The singer pleaded guilty last month to driving under the influence and possession of cannabis after a July 4 collision of his Range Rover into a Snappy Snaps store.

Michael, 47, was sentenced Tuesday at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, which also fined him $1,930. He is likely to serve half the time before being considered for parole.

FCC asked to block new cartoon series

NEW YORK

An advocacy group is asking the Federal Communications Commission to block a soon-to-debut TV cartoon show starring characters first created to market Skechers footwear to children. The group says the show, if allowed to air, could pave the way for Ronald McDonald, Tony the Tiger and other cartoon pitchmen to become stars of their own series — potentially flooding children’s television with what amounted to full-length commercials.

The complaint was filed Tuesday with the FCC by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. It targets a series called “Zevo-3” that’s scheduled to premiere Oct. 11 on the cable network Nicktoons. The show’s three teenage, super-powered heroes previously have appeared in comic books and TV ads promoting the Skechers line of children’s shoes.

Character actor Harold Gould dies

LOS ANGELES

Veteran character actor Harold Gould, who played Valerie Harper’s father on television’s “Rhoda” and the con man Kid Twist in the 1973 movie “The Sting,” has died. He was 86. Gould’s daughter-in-law, Leah Gould, told the Los Angeles Times that he died Saturday of prostate cancer.

Gould had a prolific career on the big and small screens. He appeared in such films as “Harper,” “Love and Death,” “Freaky Friday” and “Patch Adams.” On television, he played Betty White’s boyfriend on “The Golden Girls” and made guest appearances on “Soap,” “Perry Mason” and “Nip/Tuck.”

Penelope Cruz expecting a baby

MADRID

A Spanish agency that represents Penelope Cruz says the Oscar-winning Spanish actress is pregnant. The agency Kuranda says that 36-year-old Cruz is 41/2 months pregnant. She married Spanish actor Javier Bardem, 41, in the Bahamas in July.

Vindicator wire services

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