NEWS MAKERS

NEWS MAKERS

Jon Stewart gashes wrist in Weiner skit

NEW YORK

The story about U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s use of Twitter to send a lewd photo to a woman has been awkward for comic Jon Stewart, a friend of the congressman’s. On Tuesday, it proved painful.

Stewart broke a glass and gashed his wrist while taping a Weiner skit on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” The taping was briefly stopped so a bleeding Stewart could get medical attention, then resumed after he was bandaged up. Network spokesman Steve Albani said the accident was left in Tuesday’s show.

Stewart and Weiner briefly roomed together when they were younger, a point “The Daily Show” host noted over the past week. That hasn’t stopped Stewart from making fun of his friend, who admitted Monday to inappropriate online contact with women he met on social networks.

LaBelle, Harvey get BET Awards honors

LOS ANGELES

Patti LaBelle will be recognized for her five decades in music and Steve Harvey will be honored for his philanthropic contributions at this year’s BET Awards. BET says LaBelle will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Harvey will accept the Humanitarian Award at the annual ceremony, which honors actors, athletes, musicians, movies and videos.

This year’s top nominee is Chris Brown, who is up for six awards and is set to perform on the live show. Jill Scott and Alicia Keys are also slated to perform. The BET Awards ’11 will air live June 26 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on BET.

‘The Cat Who’ series author dies at 97

LANDRUM, S.C.

The author who wrote 29 books in the “The Cat Who ...” mystery series has died at a hospice center in South Carolina. Lilian Jackson Braun was 97. Braun’s publisher said she died Saturday at Smith Player Hospice House in Landrum. She had lived in Tryon, N.C., for the past 23 years with her husband, Earl Bettinger.

Braun wrote 31 books, including two short story collections, and worked 30 years at The Detroit Free Press until her retirement in 1984.

Hudson working on weight loss book

NEW YORK

Jennifer Hudson is working on a memoir, mostly about food. The Academy Award-winning actress and singer has a deal with Dutton for a memoir about her struggles with weight and how she dropped 80 pounds.

Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), announced Tuesday that Hudson’s book will come out in January. The memoir is currently untitled.

The 29-year-old Hudson is known for the film “Dreamgirls,” for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. Her latest album, “I Remember Me,” came out this year.

Associated Press