Hollywood headlines: Week in review
Ja Rule took another step Tuesday toward life as a free man when he was released from a federal prison in upstate New York and headed home to begin home confinement for the balance of his sentence. The rapper, real name Jeffrey Atkins, was picked up around 10 a.m. by his wife, who drove him straight home, a source told TMZ. According to the federal Bureau of Prisons, his release date remains July 28. The 37-year-old will serve out his federal time in federally monitored home confinement, his rep told MTV in a statement.
Full story: Ja Rule leaves federal prison for home confinement | PHOTOS: Celebrity mug shots (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
Beyonce talks having more kids, Justin Bieber is attacked by a fan in Dubai, and Anne Hathaway goes blond in this week’s Hollywood headlines.
Rob Kardashian, charged last Friday with misdemeanor battery and petty theft, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the charges stemming from a scuffle with a photographer in March. While prosecutors had asked that bail be set at $21,000, L.A. Now reported, Judge Marsha Revel (one of the many judges Lindsay Lohan appeared before) let Kardashian go on his own recognizance. Now maybe the weight-challenged reality star can get back to working out, which is kind of what got all this started in the first place: Kardashian, who’s been working to drop the pounds, wasn’t cool with surprise photos being taken of him shirtless in the parking garage of a West Hollywood gym.
Full story: Rob Kardashian charged with battery, theft; pleads not guilty | PHOTOS: Meet the Kardashians and their extended family (JB Lacroix / Getty Images)
Anne Hathaway debuted her platinum blond hair wearing a seriously sheer gown at the annual Met Gala in New York on Monday. She was among a number of stars who took on dramatic ‘dos for the occasion. The Oscar-winning “Les Miserables” star went all in for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala. It’s the yearly ball in which celebs and fashionista amp up the volume and wear some opulently dramatic looks, All the Rage reports. Hathaway went all in for this year’s punk theme “Punk: From Chaos to Couture” in a black vintage Valentino gown with sheer black panels that left little to the imagination. Had one of them gone rogue and shifted, the dress would have revealed even more than it did. Guess she didn’t learn her lesson from Nipplegate at the Oscars.
Full story: Anne Hathaway goes blond for Met Gala (plus other star hairdos) | PHOTOS: Met Ball fashion highlights (Larry Busacca / Getty Images)
Jennifer Lopez’s Florida beach day was interrupted by the nearby sound of gunshots Sunday, according to reports. The sound of three gunshots erupted while the singer and former “American Idol” judge was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., shooting a music video for her upcoming single “Live It Up” with rapper Pitbull, set for release Wednesday. Lopez had been photographed earlier in the day dressed in a black bikini and green printed caftan on the upbeat set with boyfriend Casper Smart. “BREAKING: Gunshots fired on Fort Lauderdale Beach DURING my JLo interview. No kidding. Security scrambled her away,” tweeted “Entertainment Tonight’s” Rob Marciano, who was on the set interviewing the singer at the time.
Full story: Jennifer Lopez set: Gunshots fired near music video filming in Florida (Jemal Countess / Getty Images)
Jeanne Cooper, best known as matriarch Katherine Chancellor on CBS’ daytime drama “The Young and the Restless,” has died. She was 84. “My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep,” son and fellow actor Corbin Bernsen said Wednesday on Facebook. The network also confirmed her passing. “I was going to visit this afternoon, thought I had time,” he wrote. “Reminder to self -- time is a precious thing. I too am at peace, however. I said my goodbyes several times over during the last few weeks. I’ll go one last time now for a gentle kiss, a final farewell for this lifetime. “She has been a blaze her entire life, that beacon, that boxer I spoke of earlier. She went the full twelve rounds and by unanimous decision ... won!”
Full story: Jeanne Cooper of ‘Young and the Restless’ dies at 84 (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)
Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in federal prison Monday for failing to pay taxes on an estimated $1.8 million in income. U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Cox Arleo handed down the sentence in Newark, N.J., ruling that the Grammy-winning singer would have to complete an additional three months under house arrest followed by nine months of supervised release and ordering her to pay a $60,000 fine, according to TMZ, the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal. The sentence will begin the July 8, though it is unclear where she’ll serve her time, TMZ said.
Full story: Lauryn Hill sentenced to 3 months in prison in tax evasion case (Mel Evans / Associated Press)
Beyonce appeared on “Good Morning America” on Monday to set the record straight about her trip to Cuba and open up about expanding her family. Bey, who is in the middle of the European leg of her world tour, the Mrs. Carter Show, spoke with Amy Robach in London about her eyebrow-raising fifth anniversary trip to Cuba with husband Jay-Z in April. Lawmakers questioned the validity of the trip and sought clarification on why two of the U.S.’ biggest stars were visiting the communist island-nation, which is under an embargo for routine tourism. “You know, it was such a beautiful trip,” the singer said. “I met some incredible children. I visited some incredible entrepreneurs. And it was really, it was really educational for me. I learned so much about so many people and the country, and it was actually quite shocking.”
Full story: Beyonce discusses Cuba trip on ‘GMA,’ says she wants more kids | PHOTOS: Beyonce and Jay-Z through the years (Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
Justin Bieber was attacked on stage Sunday in Dubai, but the only casualty of the event was a black piano that toppled over when security jumped the young fan who’d rushed the artist. While Bieber was singing “Believe,” seated at the piano, the young man rushed up behind the 19-year-old pop star as if to hug or tackle him. He wound up being the one tackled, as security quickly responded, knocking over the piano in the process. The Biebs scooted over to the side of the stage and kept performing. “Dubai. Nothing stops the show. 2 more to go. #BELIEVEtour,” Bieber tweeted late Sunday, Pacific time. (Dubai is 11 hours ahead of Los Angeles during daylight saving time.)
Full story: Justin Bieber attacked by a fan in Dubai; show goes on (Ali Haider / EPA)
Randy Jackson, the only judge who has been on “American Idol” since the beginning, has left the singing competition series to focus on his own projects.
“After 12 years of judging on ‘American Idol’ I have decided it is time to leave after this season,” Jackson said in a statement to the press. “I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It’s been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures.”
News of Jackson’s departure came a day after a report surfaced saying all four “Idol” judges would be let go before the next season. The once-mighty singing competition series has been on the wane in recent years, with this season bringing the second straight year of double-digit declines in audience.
MORE: Randy Jackson out at ‘American Idol’ (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
The “Biggest Loser” wedding that looked on track to yield a “Biggest Loser” baby has reportedly taken an unfortunate turn -- toward the first “Biggest Loser” divorce. Sam Poueu and Stephanie Anderson, who married in May 2012 after meeting while taping the ninth season of the weight-loss competition, have separated and will file for divorce, her rep told Us Weekly on Wednesday. “It is with great sadness that my marriage to Sam Poueu is ending,” Anderson told the mag. Making things even more sad: Anderson is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child, a baby boy due in July.
Full story: ‘Biggest Loser’ divorce: Sam Poueu, Stephanie Anderson split up (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)
