WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Star Wars Episode 7: Original Cast Sightings in UK

    Could it be coincidence that original Star Wars cast members Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher have been spotted in London just as shooting on Star Wars: Episode VII is set to begin there?

    Hmmmmm?? Interesting.

    There have also been some clues that the threesome may be in London for reasons other than just a nice little trip to London-town.

    Entertainment Weekly, in particular, presented some pretty strong clues that the trio are in town to work on director J.J. Abrams highly anticipated sequel to the iconic movie franchise.

    The magazine noted that Ford was seen on April 24 at London’s Hakkasan restaurant, and on Saturday, he was snapped chatting with the pilots of London’s air ambulance in Grosvernor Square.

    Then, Fisher tweeted:

    And actor Peter Serafinowicz, who lent his voice to Darth Maul in Episode I, posted a picture of himself with Hamill:

    And then,

    According to Mike Fleming Jr., writing for Deadline, Harrison Ford will have a sizable role in the film.

    “The new cast members will join returning Star Wars alums Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. The big surprise, I’m told, is that Ford has a gigantic role in the first of the next three films,” said Fleming. “Disney hasn’t been commenting on any of this, and today’s no different. Stay tuned.”

    Very, VERY interesting indeed.

    Meanwhile, Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.

    Image via YouTube

  • Shelly Sterling Blasts, Then Defends Husband

    The estranged wife of L.A. Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling can’t seem to make up her mind about racial comments her husband made in an audio recording his 31-year-old girlfriend released over the weekend.

    Rochelle Sterling, who attended the Clippers game Sunday, told TMZ her family was devastated by the comments and they would support the team.

    “Our family is devastated by the racist comments made by my estranged husband,” she said. “My children and I do not share these despicable views or prejudices. We will not let one man’s small mindedness poison the spirit of the fans and accomplishments of the team in the city we love. We are doing everything in our power to stand by and support our Clippers team.”

    However within hours, she was defending her husband, saying he was not a racist.

    A photographer asked Sterling if he was a racist as he was leaving Fleming’s steakhouse in Downtown L.A. Sunday night with Shelly.

    Donald was silent, but 80-year-old Shelly screamed at the photographer, “OF COURSE NOT.”

    Her oscillating opinions come after the release of the infamous audio tape in which Sterling berates his girlfriend for posting a picture of herself with former NBA star Magic Johnson on Instagram and tells her not to bring black people to the games.

    The NBA is currently considering what action to take against Sterling after players including LeBron James and Michael Jordan said there was no place for him in the league.

    Meanwhile, it looks like Shelly will continue to take a stand-by-her-man stance. Insiders say she has no intention of divorcing Sterling.

    “Shelly has no immediate plans to divorce Donald,” an insider told Radar. “They remain the best of friends, and have been separated for years.” In fact, she was spotted out with him last night in Los Angeles.

    “One of the reasons Shelly has no plans to file is purely financial,” the insider said. “It would just cost them too much money — both are extremely cheap. Shelly is actively involved in the family real estate business and is a co-owner of almost all of the apartment buildings Donald owns in Southern California. They are the single largest owner of apartment building in Los Angeles County. For them to divorce, it would entail having all of those properties appraised, calculate rental income for each unit. It would be extremely costly and time consuming.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Al Sharpton: Remove Sterling or ‘We March’

    Al Sharpton: Remove Sterling or ‘We March’

    Reverend Al Sharpton is threatening to protest the NBA if L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is not dealt with immediately for his racist comments.

    “No one should be allowed to own a team if they have in fact engaged in this kind of racial language,” said the civil rights activist to TMZ Sports.

    Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, is calling for the league to make an investigation into Sterling immediately and said, “We are prepared at National Action Network to rally in front of the NBA headquarters if this matter is not immediately dealt with.”

    Sterling is under heavy fire after berating his girlfriend for hanging out with black people in public and telling her not to bring black people to his games after she posted a photo of herself with Magic Johnson on her Instagram. The comments came in a recording taped by his girlfriend.

    “I’m totally outraged that they are stalling on this,” Sharpton said in a telephone interview to Bloomberg. “It does not take an investigation. Either he is the man on the tape or not. And he has not said unequivocally that he is not.”

    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that everyone should be allowed due process.

    “All members of the NBA family should be afforded due process and a fair opportunity to present their side of any controversy. The core of the investigation is understanding whether the tape is authentic, interviewing Mr. Sterling and interviewing the woman as well and understanding the context in which it was recorded,” said Silver in the statement.

    An outpouring of disgust over Sterling’s comments is rampant on social media.

    Image via YouTube

  • Adam Levine, Keira Knightley Leave Comfort Zones

    Maroon Five singer Adam Levine and actress Keira Knightley star in the upcoming movie Begin Again. To make the film, each had to step out of their comfort zones into a very different trade – Levine left the comfort of music to tackle acting and Knightly became a musician for her role – something she said terrified her.

    “I kept telling her she was great and she wouldn’t believe me, and she told me that I wasn’t bad at acting either but I didn’t believe her, so it was perfect,” said The Voice coach.

    “I was completely terrified,” Knightley said. “I didn’t anticipate being as frightened as I was. I said yes to doing it and I was, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be fine, it’s gonna be fine,’ and then suddenly I found myself in a studio with real people who did it for a living and I was like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m pretending.’”

    Levine said he loved his leap into the unknown.

    “My experience was so much fun,” he said. “It made me kind of start to like it a little bit, but I don’t know. I don’t think you can really make those bold declarations, but we’ll see.”

    The film, which also stars Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld and Catherine Keener, was screened Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival and opens in the U.S. in July.

    Levine, 35, showed up at the screening with fiancé Behati Prinsloo, a Victoria’s Secret model, with whom he started dating in 2012.

    The couple announced their engagement in July 2013.

    “She makes me the best person I can be,” Levine said Sunday. “She’s the best in the world.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Valerie Harper Sued for Cancer Non-Disclosure

    Valerie Harper has had a roller coaster year. Diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer last year and given a fatal diagnosis, the Rhoda star has since received the miraculous news that she is on the mend.

    The producer of Valerie Harper’s former Broadway show Looped is now suing her for $2 million for not revealing that the terminal illness had returned and another $1.5 million in punitive damages.

    According to TMZ, Matthew Lombardo has filed a lawsuit claiming Harper failed to notify them that the cancer had returned, forcing them to have to find a last minute replacement.

    The actress received the diagnosis that she only had months to live in 2012 after she began forgetting lines and slurring words while in rehearsals for the national production of the play.

    When she understandably pulled out of the play, Lombardo had to find a suitable replacement, costing him a reported $500,000.

    The talented actress recently revealed her prognosis has seen a remarkable improvement.

    In a recent Closer Weekly cover, the magazine claimed she was cancer free after being told a year ago she had only months to live.

    A day after the magazine hit the stands, Rhoda star was asked to explain what she meant.

    “I want to thank Closer Weekly for giving me a chance to clarify my story and, more importantly, to address the headline which states that I am cancer free. I am not cancer free,” the actress said.

    “As I have stated on many occasions, I have Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis (Lepto), lung cancer that has traveled to the meninges around my brain,” she said.

    “While speaking to the reporter for Closer Weekly, I was relaying a story where my doctor had told me that in his 30-year practice, I was the only Lepto patient he has seen without other cancers already present,” she said. “I had just had my yearly full-body scan to determine if this sneaky cancer had migrated to other parts of my body. Therefore, in completing that part of the story, I told the reporter with excitement that I was cancer-free, but what I meant to say was that my full body scan revealed that I was still thankfully cancer free.”

    “What all parties want to be made clear now is that while the Lepto has not spread, I am still not cured. I am a cancer patient, and I continue to fight with the hope that a cure may be just around the corner,” she said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lillo Brancato Jr. Discusses Struggle With Addiction

    Former Sopranos actor Lillo Brancato Jr. has lived a hard life. But after spending eight years in prison, he wants to give back by helping young people avoid the pitfalls and dangers of drug abuse.

    “Here I am, I get the opportunity, I get the shot and then squander it, and do what I did, and get addicted to drugs and just make horrible decisions,” Brancato said in an interview broadcast Sunday on WNYM-AM.

    The 26-year-old – who got his break in the 1993 film A Bronx Tale with Robert De Niro – was convicted in 2005 after a Bronx break-in left an off-duty police officer dead. He was paroled in December.

    Brancato, who admitted the last time he got high was in prison in 2006, said he wants to share his experiences of uncontrollable addiction with young people.

    According to prosecutors, Brancato was drinking at a Bronx strip club with a Genovese crime family associate, Steven Armento, when they decided to break into a nearby basement apartment and steal Valium.

    Off-duty Officer Daniel Enchautegui, who lived in the neighborhood, was awakened by the sound of shattering glass awoke and came to the rescue. According to prosecutors, he confronted the men and a gunbattle erupted, with Armento firing first.

    As Enchautegui lay dying, he managed to shoot Brancato and Armento. The wounded actor was arrested as he tried to get into his car, authorities said.

    Armento was convicted of murder in the officer’s death when they determined the fatal shot came from his gun. Brancato was acquitted of murder but convicted of attempted burglary.

    In the interview with WNYM-AM, he said he realizes some of the actors who’ve worked with him in the past may not be willing to do so again.

    “At least, see the person that I am today, see the person that I’ve grown up into,” he said. “I definitely had to learn the hard way, but I am no longer that person who was present that night.”

    The most important thing he learned in prison, Brancato said, “is how to get through tough times” — without drugs.

    Image via YouTube

  • Prince George Photo May Have Been Airbrushed

    Prince George, the son Prince William and Kate Middleton, is featured on the May 5 cover of Us Weekly in a photo taken during an Apr. 20 visit to the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia.

    According to The New York Post’s Page Six, it looks like the weekly magazine may have airbrushed the 9-month-old’s appearance.

    “They enhanced gorgeous George with emerald green eyes, rosier cheeks and stronger strawberry-blond-tinged hair and brows,” editor Emily Smith said Thursday. “The already adorable prince appears in multiple photos inside with darker brown eyes and paler cheeks.”

    Us Weekly responded that it was merely making the photo ready for printing.

    “The original image used for the Prince George cover was dark and bluish in tone and needed to be given an overall color shift for printing purposes,” a rep for the magazine told E! News in a statement. “By no means did we go in and alter the color of his eyes or cheeks in this process.”

    The little, future King of England probably could’ve care less about airbrushing or paparazzi on his visit to the zoo. All he wanted to do was play with the animals – the real animals that is. He was offered a stuffed marsupial by the park’s director, but that was quickly tossed aside.

    “He’s trying to grab his ear!” his momma said as the little prince played with the real thing.

    As Prince William soothed George with a kiss on the forehead, he quipped, “If he gets it, he’ll never let go!”

    Can we ever get enough pictures of the cutest little British tyke and his gorgeous mother?

    Image via YouTube

  • NATO Helicopter Crash Leaves 5 Dead in Afghanistan

    A British helicopter crashed Saturday in southern Afghanistan killing five British NATO troops.

    Maj. Gen. Richard Felton, commander of the Joint Helicopter Command, said the crash was likely “a tragic accident.”

    “We can confirm that a UK helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan today,” said the British Ministry of Defense in a statement. “The incident is under investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further until families have been notified.”

    The helicopter was carrying soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and crashed due to technical problems, an Afghan official said.

    “‘ISAF is still in the process of reviewing the circumstances to determine more facts,’ ISAF said. It did not provide details of their nationalities.”

    Zia Durrani, a Kandahar provincial police spokesman, said the helicopter crashed in the Takhta Pul district in the southeast, about 31 miles from the Pakistani border.

    A Taliban spokesman claimed in a text message to journalists that the insurgents shot down the aircraft. However authorities said there were no reports of enemy activity in the area.

    “Today, the mujahedeen hit the foreign forces’ helicopter with a rocket, and 12 soldiers on board were killed,” spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said. The insurgents frequently exaggerate death tolls in their attacks and falsely have claimed responsibility for incidents before.

    Saturday’s helicopter crash was the single deadliest incident this year for foreign forces and brings the death toll to seven this month.

    The last deadliest day for coalition forces was Dec. 17, 2013, when a helicopter crash killed six U.S. service members.

    According to an Associated Press count, 23 have been killed this year, a much lower number than in previous years.

    NATO forces are preparing to withdraw troops from Afghanistan at the end of this year, 13 years after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the Taliban provided shelter for Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders.

    Image via YouTube

  • Christiano Ronaldo on TIME’s ‘Most Influential’ List

    FIFA soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is featured this year in TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and joins other influentials like Pope Francis, Barack Obama and pop icon Beyoncé on this year’s list.

    There were only five other sports dignitaries noted on the magazine’s 2014 list. They were Brooklyn Nets star Jason Collins, Seattle Seahawks SuperBowl champion Richard Sherman, Tennis virtuoso Serena Williams and golf pro Lydia Ko.

    Brazilian soccer legend Pele heralded his fellow ‘futball’ star on the magazine page featuring the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 winner.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most influential athletes in sports today. I greatly respect his competitive mind-set on the field, and it’s no surprise that he is currently considered the best soccer player in the world. He reminds me a bit of my late friend and Portuguese soccer legend Eusebio,” said Pele.

    “I had the opportunity to share his joy onstage at this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich. Cristiano never ceases to give his best for his national team. He reminds me a bit of my late friend and Portuguese soccer legend Eusébio. They have the same elegance and creativity,” said Pele.

    “Back when I played, I would have loved having a teammate like Cristiano to play with up front. I would like to encourage him to keep up the hard work and to continue to fuel the passion for the sport among today’s youth.”

    The Portuguese native is the only Real Madrid player in history to have scored more than 30 goals in four consecutive seasons and the fastest player to have reached 100 goals.

    Image via YouTube

  • Robin Williams Lists Napa Ranch for $29.9 Million

    If anyone is in the market for a 20,000 square-foot, five-bedroom villa set on 640 acres, complete with tennis courts, a vineyard and private horse and hiking trails, then you may want to contact Robin Williams‘ real estate agent.

    The 62-year-old actor listed his Napa Valley ranch on Friday for $29.9 million.

    Williams has said that money concerns after two divorces led him to star in the struggling television series The Crazy Ones. After conferring with family, he decided he must sell the ranch because he just can’t afford it.

    The property – named Villa Sorriso (Villa of Smiles) – is located in the Mayacamas Mountains between Napa and Sonoma, and is a mere 90 minutes by car from San Francisco.

    Williams was hands-on when he built the home in the early 2000s, adding many of his own creative touches.

    The property is listed by Coldwell Banker Previews International agents Cyd Greer and Joyce Rey.

    “As you would expect with an owner who is creative there’s a lot of artistry that went into the design,” said Greer. “It’s almost like walking into a painting.”

    Other features of the property include a 12-seat theater, a caretaker/guest house, a spring-fed pond stocked with bass, a 7-stall horse barn, a 65-foot pool with infinity edges, and a hot tub. There is also a partially-covered “belvedere” providing 360-degree views of the estate and surrounding land.

    “We are targeting buyers in Los Angeles extensively, as well as here,” said Greer. “I’m very optimistic. I would expect it will sell, probably to a local Silicon Valley or Bay Area buyer, or perhaps to an Asian buyer, because it comes with an ultra-premium vineyard. That market is hot now.”

    The Mrs. Doubtfire actor had the home on the market for $35 million in 2012, but has now reduced the price.

    “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the buyer ends up being a CEO from the Silicon Valley. We also are seeing quite a bit of activity from Chinese buyers in our area now,” said Greer. “The Chinese are very attracted to high-end vineyards.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Grumpy Cat Has Earned More Than $1 Million

    Seriously?

    Tardar Sauce – better known as Grumpy Cat – has cashed in on her look to the tune of more than $1 Million.

    Owner Tabatha Bundesen has been quite savvy in keeping her meal ticket pet busy making appearances on a variety of shows, including the MTV Awards and most recently, American Idol. She took a leave of absence from her day job at Red Lobster to manage Grumpy Cat’s schedule.

    Tabatha’s brother, Bryan Bundesen, said with various endorsements, appearances and merchandising, Grumpy Cat was worth around $1 million.

    Grumpy Cat, who owes her grouchy look to feline dwarfism, has more than 5 million “likes” on Facebook and was featured on the front covers of The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker.

    The famous feline made a guest appearance on Wednesday’s American Idol, a sure sign the show is in desperation mode.

    Judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr, Randy Jackson, and host Ryan Seacrest fawned over Grumpy Cat, posed for pictures and took their own selfies.

    Grumpy Cat didn’t seem too impressed with her visit to Idol.

    How much more could this frowning feline make in the future? Considering cats have nine lives, it could be substantial.

    Image via Twitter, The Grumpy Cat

  • Idina Menzel, Others Honored for Charitable Work

    Idina Menzel, Iman, Claire Danes and others were honored Friday by Variety Magazine for charitable work in its “Power of Women: New York” issue.

    Other honorees Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon and A&E President and CEO Nancy Dubac, were honored at a luncheon hosted by designer Zac Posen at Cipriani in Manhattan.

    Katie Couric, Gayle King, Josh Groban and others paid tribute at the ceremony sponsored by HTC One and FYIslo, A&E’s new television network.

    Menzel was honored for her own foundation, A BroaderWay, which assists underprivileged young girls from urban communities. She read a heart-wrenching essay by one of her students, but also made the audience laugh after her introduction by long-time friend Groban.

    “He got my name right!” she joked, referring to John Travolta‘s mispronunciation of her name at the Academy Awards this year.

    Iman shared her experiences with the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation which helps provide medical attention, clean water and other basic necessities for people in need in her native Somalia, from which she fled decades ago.

    “It’s amazing to me what has happened to my country. … It was once peaceful, progressive, an admirable country,” said the supermodel. “There was nothing that women could not do. Today, they are not even allowed to drive a car.”

    Sarandon was presented an award for her support of the group Hope North, which provides educational opportunities for Ugandan children of war.

    “The fact that we’re here means we are really lucky … so why do this?” said Sarandon. “It feels really good to know you have done something.”

    Danes was cited for her work with Afghan Hands, a literacy program for Afghani women, and Dubac was honored for her work with Project Rubicon/The Mission Continues, which aids military veterans.

    Finally, Sarah Jessica Parker was noted for her advocacy for the New York City Ballet.

    Image via YouTube

  • Lebowski Fest: Jeff Bridges, Fans Celebrate Film

    Trekkies have nothing on the Dude-ers.

    Hundreds packed the Wiltern Theater in midtown Los Angeles Friday to pay homage to Joel and Ethan Coen‘s 1998 cult film The Big Lebowski.

    Even the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, performed with his band.

    The theater was decked out with inflatable bowling pins and the drink menu featured white Russians “made with Ralphs half-and -half,” in honor of the film’s opening scene when the Dude writes a check for 69 cents to buy half-and-half from a Ralphs supermarket to make his favorite drink.

    This is the13th year of the annual two-day festival that celebrates the Dude, bowling, white bathrobes and White Russians.

    Fan Steve Lewis has never missed a Lebowski Fest.

    “It’s the people here that are so awesome,” said Lewis, who says he has seen the film more than 100 times. “It’s a community.”

    The 37-year-old went so far as to make his own Army dog tags to recreate one of John Goodman’s costumes from the film. Lewis has been to 11 festivals and has traveled to festivals in New York and Louisville with his friend J.D. Lloyd, who searched eBay to find the exact sweater Bridges wears in the film.

    “That’s a real Pendleton,” Lewis said. “That was expensive.”

    Connor Linnerooth, 20, who traveled from North Dakota to celebrate his birthday at the fest, wore a red bodysuit and carried oversized scissors like the character that terrorizes the Dude in his dreams.

    “Lebowski, he is a very cool guy,” he said, speaking in character. “I love the movie and I’m a big fan of it, and I really wanted to be around other people who are also big fans of the movie.”

    Matt Goforth tended bar in costume and said he’s been looking forward to the event for months.

    “First of all, I knew it was going to be a good crowd. Second of all, it’s a fantastic movie. Thirdly, Jeff Bridges’ band is amazing,” Goforth said. “It’s fun. I’ve had my picture taken maybe 35 times. It’s just a great atmosphere.”

    Friday night ended with a screening of the film, peppered with fans yelling out lines and cheering for favorite scenes.

    Saturday’s event featured a costumed bowling party.

    Mike Sullivan, a four-time festival-goer who says he’s memorized the movie, has a theory about the fest’s success.

    “What you got here,” he said, “is a bunch of pot-smoking hippies having a good time.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • George Clooney is Engaged to Amal Alamuddin

    Hollywood has been waiting for this day for a long, long time!

    George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin are engaged. What??

    Yep, PEOPLE reports that a source confirmed to the magazine that Clooney asked Alamuddin to be his wife.

    “George and Amal are trying to keep things very low-key but they also aren’t really trying to hide this, it doesn’t seem,” said the source. “I think it’s like they want the people they love to know that this is real, that they plan on being together forever.”

    According to the source, the engagement happened “not that long ago, I think.”

    Alamuddin, 36, was spotted with a huge ring on her left hand as she and Clooney, 52, dined at Nobu in Malibu on Thursday night with Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, long-time friends of Clooney.

    Alamuddin is definitely a change from some of the women Clooney has dated in the past. Her resume is incredible – she studied at Oxford and the New York University School of Law, has represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his extradition proceedings with Sweden, speaks three languages — French, Arabic and English — and is currently an adviser to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the special envoy to Syria.

    “He’s with someone who is a very accomplished attorney. She isn’t someone who is pursuing a career in acting or entertainment. She’s on his level,” said a source close to the Gravity actor.

    Clooney and Alamuddin were first photographed together in London in October. The two have since been spotted embarking on several romantic, globe-trotting get-aways.

    Image via YouTube

  • Maren Sanchez Killed after Rejecting Prom Invite?

    Maren Sanchez was just like any other 16-year-old high school junior in the United States, preparing for prom that evening and anticipating the summer break to come.

    However, none of that would become a reality for Sanchez after she was brutally attacked Friday in a school hallway, allegedly by a boy who may have killed the National Honor Society member after she refused an invitation to prom.

    Prom was postponed indefinitely that night and students gathered for a beachside candlelight vigil with counselors on hand for anyone who needed their help. They planned to be on hand Saturday as well, WFSB television station in Hartford reported.

    Family members and friends at the Jonathan Law High School in Milford were devastated by the attack.

    “The unprovoked attack on Maren this morning has unfortunately for our family resulted in the permanent loss of Maren Victoria Sanchez, a bright light full of hopes and dreams with her future at her fingertips,” her cousin, Edward Kovac, said Friday, on behalf of the family.

    More than 200 students turned up for the beach memorial dressed in prom tuxedos and dresses.

    Sanchez was very excited about attending the prom with her boyfriend and posted a photograph of herself on Facebook wearing a blue prom dress.

    Post by Maren Sanchez – In Our Hearts.

    “We were just laughing, talking about what we were going to do when we got there, how many pictures we were going to take,” said friend, Imani Langston, remembering a conversation they had the day before the stabbing.

    Post by Maren Sanchez – In Our Hearts.

    Sanchez, who was involved in drama, was helping to paint the set for a high school production of “Little Shop of Horrors” when she asked to be excused to have her nails done for prom, drama adviser Michael Mele said.

    “So here is this girl with her freshly painted prom nails, painting the set, and just having a great time with her classmates talking about plans for the prom and plans for after prom and going on a double date with another one of the drama kids and her new boyfriend,” Mele said.

    Post by Maren Sanchez – In Our Hearts.

    According to the 16-year-old suspect‘s lawyer, Richard Meehan, the teen was initially charged as a juvenile, but Connecticut law allows the authorities to try minors as adults for murder and other serious crimes.

    State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor said there are several factors that go into making a decision to try a minor as an adult. The only exclusion would be for a minor under the age of 14.

    Meehan told reporters the young man’s family was distraught.

    “They’re devastated not only for him but they’re devastated for Maren Sanchez’s family as well,” he said. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare.”

    Image via Facebook, Maren Sanchez

  • Danica McKellar Breaks Rib During DWTS Rehearsal

    Another one bites the ballroom dance floor dust.

    Danica McKellar tweeted Friday that she’d broken a rib during ballroom practice for Dancing With the Stars with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy.

    It’s unknown at this point whether McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, will be well enough to continue on the show, but it would seem doubtful, considering the pain associated with a rib fracture.

    And it seems that McKellar‘s injury is putting a toll on the dancing duo. Chermokvskiy tweeted that it has been a “very very tough week” so far.

    If the couple needs to pull out of the competition, it will be a shame. They scored a remarkable 36 out of 40 for their cha-cha routine last week and the judges were expecting them to be just as wonderful on Monday’s show.

    It’s not uncommon or surprising to see celebrities suffer from injuries during their stints on DWTS. After all, they don’t do this daily like the pros do and they are using body parts that may get little exercise in their normal lives.

    However, despite the pain of broken toes, concussions and ruptured discs, many celebrities and their partners continue to dance through the pain on the show.

    This isn’t the first time a contestant has suffered a rib injury. Maria Menounos continued to compete with two broken ribs and a fractured foot during her season in 2012.

    And McKellar isn’t the first celebrity to suffer an injury this season.

    Billy Dee Williams, 77, withdrew from the competition in March because of a chronic back injury.

    From her tweets, it looks like McKellar is going to give it a shot.

    When the going gets tough on DWTS, the tough get dancing.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kate Hudson Heeds Mom’s Advice: ‘Men Come and Go’

    At 35, Kate Hudson seems very comfortable in her own skin and is in no rush to marry long-time fiancé Matthew Bellamy, with whom she shares parenting duties for their 2-year-old son Bing.

    The actress talked about life, love, relationships and fitness in an interview recently for a Self cover story.

    Hudson has been engaged to Muse-frontman Matthew Bellamy since April 2011. Earlier this year, she told Kelly Ripa on Live With Michael and Kelly that she wouldn’t be getting married “anytime soon” because she and her rocker fiance were just “so busy” right now and had no time to plan a wedding.

    However, reports indicate the couple have been in a rough patch of late.

    Hudson is taking the rough patch in stride, remembering advice she once received from her mother Goldie Hawn: “Honor your female friendships, because men can come and go, but when we nurture our relationships with women, they can be forever.”

    “I really believe that,” she said. “My girlfriends are so important to me. They’ve been my rock-solid foundation. You have a choice: Support the woman standing next to you or compete with her. But if you compete, you’re going to be miserable. Stick with what motivates you and makes you happy.”

    After one failed marriage to Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, with whom she has 10-year-old Ryder, the Something Borrowed actress looked to her parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have never been married, but have enjoyed a lasting relationship few in Hollywood ever know.

    “If I look at my parents, who’ve been together thirtysomething years, I’d say no matter what they’ve been through, they share similar values and really like each other,” said Hudson.

    Hudson said she doesn’t believe happiness is based on circumstances, but is a choice.

    “I think happiness is a practice,” she said. “But not the sort you find in self-help books, where you smile and have a vision board. You’re fooling yourself to think that’s how you’re going to find it. I love the idea of a gratitude journal, but there are times when mine turns into a venting journal. Not so grateful, just a big ol’ vent!

    “It sounds simple, but it’s not,” she adds. “I want to be around for a while for my kids.”

    Like most women, Hudson does have some insecurities concerning her looks.

    “I can look at a picture of Gisele [Bündchen] all day long and say, ‘I’ll never have legs that long or lips that big.’ You have to honor who you are,” she said.

    Hudson says the best way to combat insecurities is to take good care of what you have.

    “My workout mantra is ‘break a sweat every day,” she said. “Even if it’s just for 20 minutes.

    “I make sure I eat well without depriving myself of the things that I love,” she said.

    With a love of foods like “cheeseburger and fries, creamy white-truffle pasta, bowls of ice cream,” what is important to Hudson is enjoying everything with a little bit of restraint thrown in.

    “Everything in moderation,” said Hudson, “but I indulge at least three times a week.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Drew Barrymore Gives Birth to Baby Girl Frankie

    Drew Barrymore and husband Will Kopelman welcomed their second daughter on Tuesday.

    The 39-year-old Blended actress told People magazine the family was ecstatic to welcome little Frankie.

    “Happy to announce that today we are the proud parents of our second daughter, Frankie Barrymore Kopelman,” the former child star announced in a statement.

    “Olive has a new little sister, and everyone is healthy and happy!” she said.

    Barrymore’s first daughter, Olive, is now 19 months old and must be thrilled to have a baby sister.

    Barrymore tried to keep her first pregnancy on the down-low, but said people still asked her about it.

    For her second pregnancy, she was far more open about the new addition to the family by revealing the good news last November.

    “She [Olive] definitely gets it,” Barrymore told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “She points to my stomach and goes ‘baby.’ How cool is that?”

    When she revealed that she was having another daughter, the Wedding Singer actress said she was relieved.

    “I’m relieved I’m having another girl. I have everything I need. It’s all about hand-me-downs and room sharing and all that stuff,” she told People in February about being mom to two little girls. “I’m pretty psyched about that!”

    Barrymore spoke to Wonderall a few weeks ago about her second pregnancy, juggling work and her experiences as a mom to daughter Olive.

    “They’re terribly different,” she explained at a Safe Kids Day event. “The first time you’re scared because you don’t know what’s happening. The second time is hard because you’re tired because you have a toddler.”

    Barrymore acknowledged the effort it takes to be a good mother is daunting, but says she would’t change it for the world.

    “It’s all so worth it and important,” said the former child actor.

    Barrymore and Kopelman – Barrymore’s third husband – were married in June 2012.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mariah Carey Buys Out First Class Cabin for $118,000

    Mariah Carey sure likes to travel in style.

    The 44-year-old singer is reported to have spent £70,000 – almost $118,000– to buy out the entire first class section of a British Airways flight to France for the Cannes Film Festival next month.

    With an estimated net worth of $498 million, I suppose it’s like buying a Snickers for the rest of us.

    Her reason for buying out the entire first class section? She said she doesn’t want to be disturbed by fans as she flies from New York to France for eight hours.

    “Over the years Mariah has grown accustomed to travelling in ultimate style so she doesn’t think twice about paying such a crazy amount to ensure her privacy,” a source said.

    The pampered singer – who says she will feature her twins on her next album – plans on taking time on the eight-hour flight to relax.

    “At least she’ll be able to stock up on the missing passengers’ complimentary eye masks and hot towels,” the insider said.

    “Let’s hope she doesn’t demand that British Airways lays out fluffy carpets for her, kits out the upper deck with puppies and paints the interiors cream. To be honest, it would be cheaper for Mariah to just hire her own private jet.”

    It’s no secret that Carey likes to throw her money and her power around as she marches through life, but the singer claims it’s because people just won’t listen.

    “I never had a mental breakdown, I had a diva fit and it was [because] no one wanted to let me have a say. When you start so young in the industry people are used to controlling you and then they realise, ‘Oh this person has an opinion… OK it’s different now,’” she said.

    It looks like she enjoyed time with her kiddos over the Easter weekend, donning bunny ears and coloring Easter eggs.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Keyshawn Johnson Arrested For Domestic Violence

    Former USC and NFL star Keyshawn Johnson was arrested early Monday morning in Calabasas, Calif. on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery.

    According to police, Keyshawn was involved in a fight with his girlfriend of seven years when things allegedly got physical. One source claims the two were arguing about getting married.

    Sources told TMZ the former wide receiver claims he never physically struck his girlfriend, but does admit to grabbing her phone and smashing it on the ground.

    Apparently, it was not Johnson’s girlfriend who called police, but another person who became concerned during the argument.

    Johnson, who is currently an NFL analyst on ESPN, was formally arrested and charged for misdemeanor domestic battery.

    Johnson, 41, was released after posting $20,000 in bail.

    Things seemed to have cooled off. The couple were out and about after the incident at a nearby AT&T store – one would guess it’s to buy a new cell phone.

    After starring at USC, Johnson was the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft by the New York Jets. He played in the NFL for 11 years with the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers.

    Isn’t it ironic that Johnson once called the police when Justin Bieber disturbed the Calabasas neighborhood a few months back?

    He almost came to blows with Bieber’s bodyguards over Bieber’s speeding through the neighborhood while small children were outside playing.

    Johnson tweeted his joy when he heard Bieber was arrested in January for speeding in Miami.

    Image via YouTube

  • Richard Gere ‘Quietly’ Dating Top Chef’s Lakshmi?

    Richard Gere ‘Quietly’ Dating Top Chef’s Lakshmi?

    Looks like Richard Gere is already dating despite the fact his divorce from Carey Lowell isn’t yet finalized.

    Page Six reports the 64-year-old actor is indeed dating Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.

    “It started very recently and quietly,” a source told Us Magazine. “It’s very new. I wouldn’t even go as far as calling them a couple. They are dating. It’s the first time Padma has dated anyone since Teddy [Forstmann], and it’s something she’s been approaching very, very delicately. They just getting to know each other. They’re just having fun.”

    Lowell and Gere, 64, have been married for 11 years and are parents to their 14-year-old son Homer.

    Lakshmi, 43, has a daughter with Adam Dell, the brother of computer genius Michael Dell. She currently lives in New York City with 3-year-old Krishna. She was the wife of Salman Rushdie for three years before divorcing in 2007 and also dated billionaire Teddy Forstmann before he died in 2011.

    Gere was previously married to Cindy Crawford for four years before the couple divorced in 1995.

    Gere and Lowell, 53, who were married in 2002, parted ways in September 2013.

    Gere is currently filming the movie Time Out of Mind, portraying a homeless man trying to reconnect with his daughter Maggie (Jena Malone).

    Image via YouTube