WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Newark House Fire Kills 6, Including Mother and Son

    A New Jersey woman lost her grandson and his mother Sunday in a deadly house fire that left six dead in Newark, New Jersey.

    Iris Sydney told The Associated Press that her 15-year-old grandson was to meet her Sunday morning at a Father’s Day church service to remember his father, who was killed in a bicycle accident two years ago.

    The woman said her grandson never showed up at the church and learned from an Essex County sheriff’s deputy about the fire when she went to his mother’s house to find out why he never made it to church.

    She said she and her grandson were visiting from Georgia and staying with the boys mother, Noreen Johnson, at the family home when it caught fire.

    Authorities said a fast-moving fire ripped through a single-family home early Sunday, killing six people.

    According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s office, the fire broke out at the three-story residence at around 4 a.m. and soon spread to another residence.

    Both homes were destroyed, but residents in the second home managed to escape safely, said Thomas Fennelly, chief assistant prosecutor.

    While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it doesn’t look suspicious, said Fennelly.

    Carol Valentine said her fiancé would have been caught in the blaze had he been home at the time of the fire. Instead, he was out of town and returned early Sunday to his home while it was still burning.

    “He’d been delayed on planes for two days. He had gone to a graduation,” said Valentine. “Had he not been delayed, he would have been sleeping, and he probably wouldn’t be alive.”

    The Rev. Thomas Ellis, who lives in the neighborhood, paid his respects and offered support to the victims’ families.

    “For the city of Newark, this is a sad and tragic day,” he said. “The community is hurting.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Star Wars: Harrison Ford May Need Surgery on Ankle

    Harrison Ford, who was airlifted from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII June 12 after an on-set accident, may need extensive surgery for an ankle break.

    According to Access Hollywood, the 71-year-old actor’s ankle injury may need a plate and screws to assure complete healing.

    Ford‘s son, Ben Ford, told the publication that his dad will possibly need the surgery.

    The younger Ford also said that filming of the movie could be altered slightly to accommodate the injury. This may include shooting the actor from the waist up for a short time until he recovers.

    Disney/Lucasfilm released a statement following the actor’s injury last week after a hydraulic door fell on him on the set at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

    “Harrison Ford sustained an ankle injury during filming today on the set of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’” the statement read. “He was taken to a local hospital and is receiving care. Shooting will continue as planned while he recuperates.”

    Ford, who plays Hans Solo, was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for treatment following the accident.

    “We were called just after 5 p.m. to reports of a 71-year-old man being injured in an incident believed to involve a garage door,” said a spokesman for Thames Valley police.

    Meanwhile, Ford’s wife, Calista Flockhart, rushed to her husband’s side when she learned of the accident. The Ally McBeal star confirmed that she was “en route” to see her husband.

    Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to open worldwide on December 18, 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Keith Urban, Nicole Kidman Marriage ‘Strained’

    Perhaps distance does not make the heart grow fonder. There have been a slew of celebrity couples blaming marital woes on distance.

    Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are the latest couple whose marriage is reportedly under strain because of distance.

    Sources say the stars barely get to see each other at the moment, which has made it difficult to work on their relationship.

    “Tensions are reaching boiling point within their marriage. It’s no secret that they’re spending increasing periods apart, and Keith’s close friendship with J-Lo won’t have helped, especially as both Jen and Keith are returning to American Idol next season,” an insider told British magazine Grazia.

    Urban has been very busy with his American Idol gig and the Australia actress is struggling to keep her career on track.

    Kidman took a blow recently after Grace of Monaco received a poor response from critics, causing a bit of a scandal in France during the Cannes Film Festival.

    “Nicole’s had a lot on her plate with the panning that Grace of Monaco got, and it won’t be helping if she no longer feels she can lean on Keith,” said the insider.

    “It’s fair to say communication doesn’t seem great between them, to the extent that they’re decreasingly talking face-to-face. Friends are wondering whether their eighth wedding anniversary will be their last.”

    Although the friend says the marriage is strained, Kidman has said she would give up acting for love.

    “I have never had to; I would, absolutely. I wouldn’t even think twice about it because I would hope there is something else I can do, and I would find something else to do. I think love is the core emotion, and I have certainly existed without that in my life, and it’s a very empty life,” she told the Australian magazine Women’s Weekly.

    “I have always said; when I won the Oscar [for The Hours], I went home and I didn’t have that in my life. That was the most intensely lonely period of my life.”

    The couple married in 2006 and have daughters Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret together.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Blake Lively Ready to Be a Mama, Finally

    Blake Lively has got the fever — the baby fever — and it looks like it’s about time.

    Several sources claim the Gossip Girl actress — who has been married to 37-year-old Ryan Reynolds since September 2012 — has developed the urge to become a mother.

    “Her baby hormones are going crazy,” an insider said to OK! magazine. “Blake grew up in a big family, so she wants more than one!”

    “They want to have a baby very soon,” an insider close to the 26-year-old actress told Life and Style in its latest issue. “She and Ryan would love to get pregnant by this year!”

    Lively‘s desire for a large family is well-known as she’s spoken about it in the past.

    “I’ve always wanted a big family. Oh, I’d love 30 [children] if I could,” she told Allure magazine.

    “She wants a big family so she is definitely not just going to stop at one,” said a source. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they have at least three or four.”

    Rumors have circulated for some time that Ryan has been ready to start a family, but is impatiently waiting for his wife to be ready.

    “Ryan is getting quit impatient about it,” an insider told Celebitchy.com.

    “You can’t blame her for wanting to wait, because she’s so young, but he’s hell-bent on changing her mind,” said the source. “He’s wanted to start a family for years.”

    According to the latest report from ShowBizSpy.com, the Green Lantern co-stars “came to blows” in April over a disagreement about when to try for a baby.

    “She says she’s too young and not ready for that step,” one insider said of the alleged argument.

    The couple will likely become parents very soon and they apparently have baby names picked out. They married in South Carolina, at the plantation featured in romantic movie The Notebook. According to the National Enquirer, they have contemplated naming a son Charleston and a daughter Carolina, in honor of their wedding location.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Miranda Lambert: Hubby Blake Shelton Plans Break

    Miranda Lambert has had an incredibly busy, hectic and at times scary week, and it looks like it’s only going to get busier in the weeks to come as she promotes her number one album, Platinum. However, the country singer has something to look forward to — hubby Blake Shelton is preparing a little get-away for his wife.

    Speaking with reporters at a news conference Tuesday while promoting his upcoming summer tour, The Voice star said he’s got a plan in place to offer Lambert a relaxing break when she finally gets to return to Oklahoma sometime next week. Shelton said the pair owns a boat on Lake Texoma and he took some time Sunday making sure it works before returning to Nashville.

    “I’m not a mechanic, but I managed to get this thing running because I know when she gets back she’s going to want to do something like that,” Shelton said. “She’s going to want to just go float around and drink or be pulled on a tube, something like that. So I figured I’d get me some points here and get the boat running. I’m actually proud of myself.”

    Lambert had a scary moment this week when a private jet taking the country music star back to Nashville from New York made an emergency landing in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

    The plane lost pressure and the group was forced to spend about three hours on the ground while the plane was repaired, said Wes Vause, Lambert’s publicist. While on the ground, Lambert hung out with firefighters, trying on their appropriately shiny hazmat (Platinum) suits, listening to country music and posting pictures to Instagram.

    “All in all, it was a pretty good day,” said Vause.

    They really are the sweetest couple.

    Image via YouTube

  • Shailene Woodley Questions her Talent

    Shailene Woodley was all set to play Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 when her role was completely cut from the film after producers decided to take another direction with the plot. The decision left the Fault in Our Stars actress second-guessing her talent and place in Hollywood.

    “For a few hours it was literally like, ‘Oh, my God, was I awful? Why did they cut me? What are people going to think?’” Woodley said in Vanity Fair‘s July 2014 issue.

    “I woke up the next morning and I was like, ‘OK, it makes total sense.’ I’m a pretty spiritual person, so I can just sit back and trust that everything happens for a reason, even if my ego doesn’t like it,” she said.

    The young actress told Vanity Fair she’s beginning to feel the pressure as her career blossoms.

    “Somebody came to me and said, ‘I can’t wait to see what you do next.’ I took that as pressure – that I had to live up to somebody else’s expectations. There were a few months where I was like, ‘I don’t want to act anymore.’ And then I got over it and realized it’s none of my business what other people think of me,” she said.

    George Clooney, with whom she co-starred in The Descendants in 2011, had high praise for Woodley.

    “Shailene can do whatever she wants. If she wants to be a movie star, she has it. If she wants to change the world, she will. Her talent and kindness go hand in hand,” said the recently engaged Clooney. “We’ll be talking about Shailene Woodley 40 years from now. I’ve never seen anyone so young that has so much together.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Paula Deen Launches Digital Cooking Network

    Paula Deen, the celebrity cook who is getting back on her feet after racial slurs nearly ended her career, is set to launch a digital network.

    Paula Deen Ventures announced Wednesday its plans to launch the Paula Deen Network— which will feature daily programming with recipes, episodes, guest appearances and cooking tools — in September. The paid subscription-based network will be available on computers, smartphones and tablets.

    “We’re going to have so much fun being together and cooking up some wonderful new and classic dishes,” Deen said in a press release. “Y’all can get my recipes, tips and cooking anytime you want — this is for you. I can’t wait to crank up the oven and get cooking for the people I love: my family, my friends and my fans!”

    Production is already underway in Savannah and the set — built to accommodate a live audience — is recreated from her first television show, Paula’s Home Cooking.

    Deen is struggling to get her career back on track which began with the announcement in February of a deal with the Najafi Companies, an Arizona-based private investment firm that’s investing millions to revamp her public image.

    “The Paula Deen Network is one more example of Paula doing things her own way and taking control of her brand to connect directly with her ardent fans,” said Jahm Najafi in a statement.

    “You can throw out your TV now, because this is where you can find me,” Deen says, holding up an iPad in a promo for the site.

    It was a nearly a year ago that Deen’s sworn statement admitting she had used racial slurs in the past became public. The Food Network and other corporate sponsors immediately distanced themselves from the southern cook.

    Deen is currently on a nationwide tour with a 90-minute Paula Deen Live! show featuring cooking demonstrations, games with audience members and personal stories.

    Some of the programs slated for the digital network include shows entitled 20-Minute Meals, Paula Cooking Light and One Dish, Three Ways.

    Image via YouTube

  • Star Wars: Filming Standalone in UK is a Win-Win

    The decision to film a new Star Wars standalone movie in the U.K. turns out to be a win-win situation for the country and the studios producing the films.

    George Osborne, U.K.’s chancellor of the exchequer, hailed the decision to film the standalone movie from the mega-hit franchise in the U.K., citing the country’s tax breaks as impetus for the decision.

    The chancellor and U.K. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid visited Pinewood Studios on the set of Star Wars: Episode VII, where the new standalone film will be made. There they met Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director JJ Abrams.

    Under tax breaks introduced by Osborne, studios benefit from a 25% tax relief on the first £20 million (roughly $33.5 million) of qualifying expenditure and 20% after that.

    Because of the tax break, investment in UK-based film production in 2013 was over £1 billion (roughly $1.7 billion) – an increase of 14% over the previous year.

    “Lucasfilm and Disney‘s decision to shoot the Star Wars standalone movie in the UK is testament to the incredible talent in Britain,” said Osborne.

    “This will mean more jobs and more investment. It is great news for people working at Pinewood Studios, from the set designers to the carpenters,” said Osborne.

    “As Chancellor I have been determined that we back our brilliant creative industries which is why we have invested in skills and training as well as providing tax relief for films, high-end TV, animation, video games and regional theatre.

    “The further changes the Government made to the film tax relief at Budget 2014 will support our highly skilled, innovative creative sectors so that they continue to thrive and encourage more films to be made in the UK.”

    Kennedy also hailed the decision and praised the U.K. crew on the Episode VII film, which is currently filming in the U.K.

    “The UK crew that we’re working with on Star Wars: Episode VII is incredible,” she said. “They’re among the most gifted and passionate when it comes to film and storytelling. Star Wars couldn’t be in better hands.”

    “This is great news for the UK and is further proof of the world-leading position of the UK film industry,” said Javid. “We have studios, tax incentives and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, which are amongst the very best in the world. Given Lucasfilm’s decision to film another Star Wars movie in the UK, it is clear that the Force is strong here.”

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Picked up for Two More Seasons

    Pretty Little Liars fans can breathe a sigh of relief — ABC Family has picked up the show for an additional two seasons.

    “Pretty Little Liars has taken its place in the zeitgeist and reigns supreme in pop culture,” said ABC Family president Tom Ascheim. “I am glad to bring another two seasons to our audience because ‘A’ has a lot in store for our Liars.”

    The announcement came Tuesday — the same day as the fifth season premiere.

    The show continues to hold the record as the most-tweeted scripted-series telecast of all time and is the No. 1 series in the history of ABC Family.

    The season five premiere is called “EscApe From New York” and rejoins the drama with Aria and the Liars reeling from Ezra’s shooting at the hands of “A.”

    Ali’s return added even more drama to Ezra and Aria’s love story and there are speculations that a love triangle might bring even more plot twists.

    “There’s also a chance for another love triangle that some fans have been talking about and that’s Alison, Emily and Paige,” said show creator Marlene King.

    King hinted that Caleb and Hanna might get it on again since Caleb is returning to the show.

    The new season is expected to focus on Ali and the mystery of her disappearance. Some fans suspect that the real Ali is actually dead and it is her twin Courtney who is the real ‘A’, creating mayhem in the other liar’s life.

    “Next season, it really is all about Ali coming back,” said King. “Has she changed? Can we trust her? How does her being back affect the liars, and affect their friendship, their dynamic and their relationships with boys and girls so it’s going to be fun.”

    The sixth season is set to debut in mid-2015, while the seventh season is expected to bow in mid-2016.

    Image via YouTube

  • Scott Caan, Girlfriend Expecting First Child

    Scott Caan and girlfriend Kacy Byxbee are expecting their first child together, his rep confirmed to Us Weekly.

    “They haven’t been keeping it private really, she’s just been working on her business with her family so she hasn’t been around,” a source told Us. “She’s expecting very soon.”

    Family, friends and her sisters feted the coming baby by offering Byxbee a baby shower last weekend in L.A., said the source.

    The Hawaii Five-O star talked about his relationship with Byxbee during an appearance on Chelsea Lately in January 2013.

    “She should get the purple heart because I’m a complete disaster,” he said.

    The couple live together in Hawaii so Caan can shoot Hawaii Five-O. However, the 37-year-old hottie said the “relaxed” nature and lack of “hustle” in Hawaii — where the couple first met — isn’t exactly his idea of paradise.

    “Everything’s very slow-motion. I pick up the cup and they slowly pick of the cup,” he joked.

    This will be the first child for the couple who have been together for a “couple of years.”

    Scott’s father, James Caan, is said to be very excited to become a grandfather.

    “His dad James is really close with him,” the insider told Us. “He is very excited.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Troutdale Shooting: One Student, Shooter Dead

    A gunman shot and killed a student at an Oregon high school Tuesday and was later found dead in a bathroom stall.

    Authorities have identified the victim as 14-year-old high school freshman Emilio Hoffman.

    This is the third violent outbreak in a high school or college campus in less than three weeks and brings the total number of school shootings to 74 since the Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012.

    This means, on average, a school shooting occurs every 7.33 days since the tragedy in Newtown — a statistic that troubles President Barack Obama.

    “We’re the only developed country on Earth where this happens,” Obama said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session on Tumblr. “And it happens now once a week. And it’s a one-day story. There’s no place else like this.”

    Reynolds High School — in Troutdale, a suburb of Portland — was immediately locked down and evacuated room by room following the shooting.

    “A gunman entered the high school this morning, shot one student. Unfortunately, that student has died,” Troutdale Police Chief Scott Anderson said at a news conference. “The gunman was located and the gunman is also deceased.”

    Todd Rispler, a Reynolds HS gym teacher and track coach, was grazed by a bullet but was able to make his way to the school’s office to initiate the lockdown, Anderson said.

    Although no official statement has been made concerning the shooter, USA Today cited a police spokesman as saying the shooter was a teenager who shot himself to death in a bathroom stall following the attack.

    President Barack Obama spoke of his fear and frustration Tuesday at the lack of gun control and rash of violence in schools.

    “The country has to do some soul searching about this. This is becoming the norm and we take it for granted in ways that, as a parent, are terrifying to me,” Obama said.

    “Today, Oregon hurts as we try to make sense of a senseless act of violence,” said Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber.

    Image via YouTube

  • Dave Chappelle Talks ‘Comedy Central’ With Letterman

    Dave Chappelle made his first appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in ten years and talked about his stint on Comedy Central, including walking away from a reported $55 million deal.

    “Of course I would like to have that money,” Chappelle said. “Sometimes I listen to a Jay Z record, and it starts making me feel bad about some of the choices I’ve made. This guy has had more fun on two songs than I’ve had over the last 11 years.”

    Chappelle said friends have tried to console him about the lost deal by citing his integrity, but he said there are still some who think his decision to walk away from the Chappelle Show in 2005 was crazy.

    “I go home and make my kids some integrity sandwiches,” said the father of three. “There are other things in my life that I do not purchase with money that are very valuable.”

    The comedian acknowledged that, at times, he misses the lucrative payoff of his Comedy Central contract.

    “The only difference between having $10 million and $50 million is an astounding $40 million,” he said.

    Chappelle said he took off for South Africa after making the decision and was unaware of all the coverage of his “mysterious disappearance.”

    The comic joked with Letterman that he techically never quit his show. “I’m seven years late for work,” he said.

    He told Letterman his departure from the show was equivalent to a divorce in the 1950s.

    “People didn’t go to Divorce Court. They’d look at their wife like, ‘baby I am going to go get a pack of cigarettes I will be right back,” Chappelle said. “They just leave with the clothes on their back and make a go of it.”

    Chappelle made his appearance on Letterman‘s show to promote his upcoming performances at Radio Music Hall in New York from June 18-26.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jessica Simpson, Fiancé Have Joint Bachelor Party

    Seems like the new trend in pre-marital bachelor/bachelorette parties is to combine the two — more of a co-ed pre-wedding party.

    Jessica Simpson and hubby-to-be Eric Johnson, 34, followed that trend when they joined forces to celebrate their impending marriage with good food and a little dancing with their dearest friends.

    “Everyone had so much fun celebrating Jessica and Eric,” a source told ABC News. “Dinner was great, there were a bunch of touching toasts and then everyone went dancing!”

    The betrothed couple hosted a party for around 40 people at The Warwick in Los Angeles over the weekend, with Jessica’s mom, Tina, and their bridesmaids and groomsmen in attendance.

    “It wasn’t about being naughty,” a friend said to People. “They just wanted a great night out with their friends and family.”

    “They didn’t want a traditional bachelor-bachelorette where they go off and do their own thing, because our group of friends is so close we just wanted to all be together,” said Stephanie Terblanche, Jessica’s best friend and bridesmaid.

    The former NFL player also invited his football teammates to party with the couple.

    “This is what we would do anyway. We would all go out, and I think that this speaks for the group. If we are not going to be at someone’s house hanging out playing beer pong, this is the closest thing to it,” said Terblanche.

    There were no strippers or other shenanigans on hand and 33-year-old Jessica looked stunning with her sexy figure in a revealing black dress with a plunging neckline.

    “[They] were just excited to have some fun and celebrate with the people they love,” the friend said.

    Simpson, who has been with her betrothed for four years seems more ready than ever to finally get hitched to Johnson. There is speculation that their wedding may take place over the Fourth of July weekend.

    The couple are parents to 2-year-old Maxwell and 11-month-old Ace.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lamborghini Crash: Suspect Found and Charged

    After an expensive Lamborghini sports car was left to burn near the George Washington Bridge after a crash early Monday, Police have located and charged its owner and driver in the incident.

    Deankarte E. Ditchfield-Agboh was issued summonses for abandoning a vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident, said Joe Pentangelo, a Port Authority police spokesman.

    Pentangelo said the 33-year-old Palisades Park resident was interrogated by Port Authority police and will appear in Fort Lee Municipal Court on Aug. 6.

    The 2008 dark gray Lamborghini Murcielago, a model built between 2001 and 2010, was abandoned about 2 a.m. Monday near Bridge Plaza North on the Turnpike westbound. Pentangelo said the car, which was “burned extensively,” would have been leaving New York City.

    Pentangelo said the car “showed evidence of a collision, but it’s unclear where the collision took place.”

    According to The Record, Ditchfield-Agboh could not be located for comment at his home and an employee at his business, East Coast Auto Group in Lodi, said Tuesday afternoon that he was gone for the day.

    Todd Greene, an Elkton, Md., truck driver, said he saw the sports car speed past him when he was on the upper level of the bridge near the New York side heading toward New Jersey.

    “By the time I got to the other side, I was running over car parts in the roadway and I saw the wreck,” he said.

    Greene said that as he drove by the car, he noticed the airbag had been deployed and saw a woman trying to open the driver’s door to get the driver out.

    “It was a pretty nice car,” he said. “It looked like a new one.”

    Greene said he did not see the car on fire when he passed the crashed Lamborghini, which was “pulled over in the shoulder on the right.”

    The model involved in the accident lists for more than $330,000 when new.

    Pentangelo said the burned Lamborghini was returned to Ditchfield-Agboh on Tuesday.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yellowstone Falling Tree Kills Taiwanese Tourist

    A Taiwanese man was killed Monday after being hit by a falling tree while hiking off an established trail in Yellowstone National Park.

    The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of his family, park officials say.

    The tourist was part of a group enjoying a summer hike on the well-known Fairy Falls trail, just north of the Old Faithful area and west of the Grand Loop Road.

    The 36-year-old man left the main trail and was climbing a slope Monday afternoon when a dead lodgepole pine tree that was among a slew of trees killed during the park’s 1988 fires fell and struck the man on the head.

    Others on the hike who witnessed the falling tree at Yellowstone returned to the trailhead and told two park maintenance workers what had happened.

    The workers relayed the information to Yellowstone law enforcement rangers who immediately rushed to the scene.

    The victim was taken by the rangers to the trailhead to meet a helicopter that would transport him to a nearby medical facility. However, attempts to revive the tourist failed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

    Weather conditions at the time of the accident were windy, according to Yellowstone rangers who responded.

    The incident is under investigation by the National Park Service.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith Get Their PDA On

    Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith Get Their PDA On

    Any rumors of marital difficulties between Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith may be dispelled — for the moment.

    The couple — who have been married for 17 years — were spotted on a beach in Hawaii getting all lovey-dovey while on vacation.

    Jada, 42, was snapped holding hands and sneaking smooches with her 45-year-old husband, giggling and twirling about. They seem very happy and in love.

    Of course, one has to wonder if it’s for real or if the knowledge of lurking paparazzi may have caused a little creative staging for the very purpose of dispelling a slew of recent rumors and allegations against the family.

    Those rumors of marital difficulties and another scandal surrounding daughter Willow may be a very good reason for the family to get away for a bit and enjoy time together.

    The Willow scandal broke last month when photos of the 13-year-old lying on a bed with her shirtless friend, Moises Arias, 20, emerged on social media. Many questioned the appropriateness of their relationship considering he is an adult and she is a minor.

    “Here’s the deal,” said Jada after the incident blew up. “There was nothing sexual about that picture or that situation. You guys are projecting your trash onto it. You’re acting like covert pedophiles and that’s not cool.”

    Apparently child protective services are putting the incident behind them as well.

    “There has been no evidence presented that Willow has ever been in any danger around Moises, or that she has ever been physically or emotionally abused,” a source told Radar. “It’s likely the investigation will remain open for the next two weeks out of an abundance of caution, with no findings of reprimand against Will and Jada. Willow is a very well adjusted, smart, and articulate young lady.”

    Jada’s unconventional upbringing has had tongues wagging for years.

    In 2012, Jada addressed another scandal when her parenting was called into question after Willow shaved her head.

    “The question why I would let Willow cut her hair, first the let must be challenged,” Jada wrote on Facebook. “This is a world where women [and] girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves — that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self-determination. I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are her domain.”

    The young teen has also had an unconventional education.

    “I never really get to go to school because I am always on tour or with my father,” she said in 2010. “There is a tutor most of the time, but usually I am working so I never get to do the lessons. The worst thing about math is all the kids are ahead of me because they go to school.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Dina Lohan Gets a Scolding From Judge in DUI Case

    Lindsay Lohan’s mom received a scolding from a judge Tuesday before being sentenced for a 2013 drunk-driving charge.

    Judge Andrew Engel was quick to respond when Dina Lohan’s lawyer Mark Heller told the court that the arrest had been an “onerous ordeal” for Lindsay’s irresponsible mom.

    “The only person responsible for this onerous ordeal is Ms. Lohan herself,” said the judge. “Fortunately, you didn’t kill anybody or kill yourself. If there’s a next time, you might not be so lucky.”

    “There won’t be a next time,” Dina said to the judge.

    Mark Jay Heller, Dina’s lawyer, sent a statement to ABC News following the verdict.

    “In spite of the fact that the District Court of Nassau County dispenses the sternest DWI Sentences in America, which traditionally provides for a period of incarceration and three years of Probation, Dina Lohan’s Sentence did not provide for any period of incarceration or Probation, in light of Dina Lohan’s exemplary record with no prior arrest history and in deference to the Nassau County Screening Evaluation of Ms. Lohan which concluded that she has no alcohol or substance abuse issues,” the statement read.

    “Clearly, it was recognized that Dina Lohan has been a life-long resident of Nassau County, a good and loving Parent to four children and the arrest was borne out of an isolated act of indiscretion on the occasion of her 50th Birthday. Dina Lohan is happy to put this unfortunate event behind her,” said Heller in the statement.

    The elder Lohan pleaded guilty after she was arrested in September driving 77 mph in a 55 mph zone, with a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit. Dina lost her license for a year, was ordered to pay over $3,000 in fines, complete a drunk-driving education program and do 100 hours community service.

    “I just want to put this behind me,” she told reporters following the sentencing.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson take ‘Babymoon’

    Hayden Christensen and pregnant girlfriend Rachel Bilson seem to be taking an early “babymoon” together in Barbados.

    The couple were photographed Sunday eating at Cuz’s Fish Shack in Hastings, Barbados, which apparently serves the best fish sandwich (or “fish cutter”) on the island.

    It was just a few weeks ago that Us magazine revealed that the Hart of Dixie actress was expecting the couple’s first child.

    “They’ve both talked about this for awhile and are so excited,” a Bilson insider told Us magazine of the duo’s soon-to-be family. “Everyone is beyond thrilled for them.”

    After their snack of fish sandwiches and orange soda at the fish shack, the future parents went for a sailing lesson.

    The couple have been enjoying their vacation in Barbados since last week. On May 22, the 32-year-old mama-to-be was spotted on the beach baring her baby bump in a cute black bikini.

    Bilson met her Star Wars honey on the set of their 2007 film Jumper, in which they played star-crossed lovers.

    Bilson has said that having a family is a priority for her, so while the pregnancy news wasn’t earth-shattering, it was still great to hear that her dream had become a reality.

    “To start a family would be good, any year in the next few years,” she said in the June issue of Health. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I have always wanted kids. I can just see this little toddler waddling around the house.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Kate Middleton Hires ‘Butt Bodyguard’ After Scandal

    Kate Middleton — upset by the release of an embarrassing photo of her bare butt — is making sure that type of exposure never happens again.

    The Duchess of Cambridge has reportedly hired a female “minder” to protect her from any more embarrassing photos in the future.

    German tabloid Bild published a photograph recently of the 32-year-old princess as her dress blew upwards to expose her bare butt while exiting a helicopter with Prince William in April during the royal tour to Australia.

    British papers refused to print the invasive photo, so it was sold to the “highest bidder,” which turned out to be Bild. The woman who took the photo says she will donate the money she earned from the sale to charity.

    The German tabloid published the photo with the caption: “Photos show our favourite Duchess Kate, 32, in the Australian Blue Mountains. The rotor blades of the royal helicopter swirl the air so that Kate’s summer dress blew up – giving a clear view of her beautiful bum!”

    Although Middleton is aware she lives in the public eye, she believes the tabloid went too far.

    “Kate realizes she has a very public life,” a source told Showbiz Spy. “But she does believe she’s entitled to a certain amount of privacy. She doesn’t expect to see her naked ass splashed across a German tabloid. She’s furious. She and Prince William are once again considering their legal options.”

    “Kate will now be watched all the time. We can’t afford any more embarrassing photos like this,” a source told the Daily Star.

    “The poor girl was snapped topless in France while on holiday and now someone has got a photo of her bottom. She needs more protection to spare her blushes,” said the source.

    In another Middleton photo controversy, the Duke and Duchess took legal action against French magazine Closer after the publication printed pictures of the topless princess while on vacation in September 2012.

    “The incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, and all the more upsetting to the Duke and Duchess for being so. Their Royal Highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house. It is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs, let alone publish them,” Clarence House said at the time.

    Image via YouTube

  • Laetizia Ortiz to Become Queen of Spain

    Laetizia Ortiz to Become Queen of Spain

    A former television journalist and the granddaughter of a taxi driver will soon be crowned the next queen of Spain.

    Laetizia Ortiz married Crown Prince Felipe de Bourbon on May 22, 2004. With the abdication of Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, Filipe is set to ascend the throne, making Laetizia queen.

    The beautiful 41-year-old princess will be the first Spanish-born queen since Maria de las Mercedes de Orleans y Bourbon, the first wife of Felipe’s great-grandfather Alfonso XIII, who died in 1904.

    Before joining the royal family, Ortiz was already a well-known evening news presenter for Spanish national television TVE.

    Ortiz’ middle-class background and a divorce from Alonso Guerrero didn’t go over well with Spaniards. She married the former literature teacher in a civil ceremony in her mid-20s, but the marriage lasted only a few months.

    Like Britain’s Kate Middletown, her down-to-earth attitude and elegant style soon won her over in the hearts of many Spaniards. Her likeablity quotient soared after the suicide of 31-year-old sister, Erica, in February 2007.

    Born on September 15, 1972 in the northern city of Oviedo, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano received a communications degree at Madrid’s Complutense University followed by a masters in broadcast journalism.

    The couple first met at a dinner party, but their romance didn’t blossom until another meeting in November 2002 at an oil spill in Northern Spain. Ortiz was there to cover the story and he was there representing the royal family.

    In 2003, just months after she became anchor of the Spanish national news channel, she quit her job and days later the royal engagement was announced.

    The couple have two children – eight-year-old Leonor and seven-year-old Sofia – and live in a wing of Madrid’s Zarazuela palace.

    Unlike his father, Prince Felipe is known as a loyal husband and father, and far-removed from corruption and scandal.

    However, some say he lacks the magnetic charisma of King Juan Carlos.

    “He’s colder in character, more like his mother,” said Eusebio Val, a correspondent for La Vanguardia.

    “Juan Carlos is very Spanish – he likes to talk, to joke. Felipe is more distant, more Anglo-Saxon. But he is well-prepared for the role – he’s much more professional in giving speeches, for instance. His father didn’t really do that.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Marianne Faithfull Hospitalized with Broken Hip

    Singer and songwriter Marianne Faithfull was on vacation in Greece when she fell and broke her hip Friday. The extent of her injury required hospitalization and surgery on Sunday, according to a surgeon.

    The British native apparently fell on the Eastern Aegean island of Rhodes.

    “Mrs Faithfull fractured her hip as a result of a fall. She underwent a successful surgery. Tomorrow, we will try to help her get up and we assess she needs to stay in hospital for about a week”, Alexandros Pittas, the orthopedic surgeon that operated on the singer told AFP.

    The 67-year-old pop and rock singer — and ex-lover of Rolling Stones‘ frontman, Mick Jagger — became a star in the sixties and seventies with the first song ever written by Jagger and Keith Richards, As Tears Go By. They apparently gave it to Faithfull because in the early days, the Rolling Stones didn’t perform ballads. However, after the success of the song by Faithfull, they recorded their own version.

    Faithfull’s five-decade career in music — as well as some film and stage acting — often took a backseat to stories of drug abuse and a difficult personal life.

    She has also battled various health issues, including breast cancer, Hepatitis C and a broken back she suffered in August 2013, which forced her to cancel several shows.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons