Stew of News -- Showbiz

OK, so I'm beyond behind today. It's already tomorrow! Still, I don't want to totally blow everything off, so, just as I intended this morning, I'll post the Stew.

Perez Hilton punched by Black Eyed Peas manager

When Perez Hilton was allegedly assaulted on Sunday night by the manager of Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am and didn't get an immediate response from police, the famed celebrity blogger felt he had only one place to turn: the Internet, the LA Times reported Monday.

"When the police are taking their time and not coming, I am freaking out, I took to Twitter," Hilton explained on his website. "Because I was in shock and I felt helpless. That was my very public cry for help."

Oh, brother...so much drama...

Hilton said the dispute started during a dress rehearsal for the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto Saturday when Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie approached the blogger about his recent criticisms of the band's new album The E.N.D. After the ceremony on Sunday, will.i.am confronted Hilton at a nightclub. The altercation led to the band's manager, Liborio "Polo" Molina, allegedly hitting Hilton, the LA Times, EW, AP, TMZ, HLN and everyone else reported.

Above: Perez Hilton sporting a black eye and a tear after his altercation with Molina, on the left.

"I was assaulted by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards," Hilton tweeted at about 1 a.m. PDT Monday. "I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke."

Well, he probably was, though he tends to...you know...kinda, sort of blow things out of proportion.

By the morning, will.i.am had posted a video on his website Dipdive denying the charge and accusing Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, of seeking attention. Hilton posted his own video in response, an 11-minute-plus tirade full of tears and profanity in which he specified that he hadn't been directly assaulted by will.i.am, but by Molina, according to the reports.

Molina, 36, reportedly has been charged with assault and will have his first court hearing on Aug 5. In an interview with the LA Times on Monday, a lawyer for Hilton said the blogger is planning to sue "at least" Molina.

Courtroom drama!

"It's going to become a civil matter as quickly as I can type," attorney Bryan Freedman said. "This is certainly about showing Mr. Molina and will.i.am that violence is not the answer." The attorney said it "seems pretty apparent" will.i.am encouraged the altercation.

Hilton has increasingly become the subject of news lately, most notably when he asked then-Miss California USA Carrie Prejean for her view on same-sex marriage during the Miss USA pageant telecast in April.

Brown avoids jail time for beating Rhianna

R&B singer Chris Brown stroke a plea deal today that will keep him out of jail for the brutal beating of girlfriend Rhianna in February.

The fact that Brown will come out of this without spending a single day in jail is pissing off a lot of people, among them CNN's Nancy Grace, who's never better than when she's outraged about something. Kudos to Nancy.

Brown plead guilty to one count of felony assault in the beating (to a pulp) of Rhianna. He entered his plea right before a preliminary hearing in which Rhianna was scheduled to testify. Oh...

According to the terms of the plea agreement, instead of facing a sentence of up to five years in prison, he got five years probation, 180 hours of community service (a.k.a. taking out the trash), domestic violence counseling, and an order to stay away from Rhianna by at least 50 yards. WTF?

Jon and Kate are separating and heading for divorce--duh

Media outlets seeking ratings are calling it a "bombshell" and "shocking news." Are you fucking kidding me?

That was the "big" announcement about "their lives" that was revealed during tonight's episode of Jon & Kate plus 8, the TLC reality series that follows the Gosselins and their set of twins and sextuplets.

How is that news? News would be that they're reconciling, don't you think? News would be Kate showing up with long, curly, red hair extensions. News would be Jon actually talking...uttering more than one sentence at a time.

Photo: The good old days...

Kate said they're doing it in the name of "peace"; Jon said it's because they can't be "cordial" to each other. Kate claims that Jon is very angry with her and won't even talk to her about the decisions he's making. Jon claims...what did he claim? Did he even say anything?

If they aren't talking, how the heck are they reaching agreements about separation and divorce? Lawyers and agents, I suppose. Who would've thought...

I feel bad for everyone involved, especially the kids. Yet, at least they're a big bunch and they have each other. Perhaps that will compensate for the lack of presence of one parent or the other.

I'm sticking to my theory: it all went south when Jon got more hair and Kate turned up with less. Hair alterations = marriage alterations, if you ask me.

Sources: HLN, LA Times, EW, TMZ, AP, My Twisted Mind
Copyright © 2009

Trump to Miss Calilfornia: You're Fired!

I can just picture him: "You're beautiful, smart, but for now, Carrie, [hits desk, points finger] you're fired."

Yes, beauty queen Carrie Prejean has lost her crown.

Pageant officials said Wednesday the 22-year-old Miss California and Miss USA runner-up was fired because of continued breach of contract issues.

"This was a decision based solely on contract violations including Ms. Prejean's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization," executive director Keith Lewis said in a statement.

"After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship. However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie is unwilling to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together."

Miss USA co-owner Donald Trump--who saved the pro-"opposite sex" marriage, breast-bearing-citing-wardrobe-malfunction evangelical Christian from losing her crown last month after semi-nude photos of her made public--did not step in to save her this time.

"I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so," Trump said in the statement. "Unfortunately it just doesn't look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues her other interests."

Not surprisingly, news of her firing had led to yet more controversy.

She reportedly missed several pageant events, received a warning and eventually promised to be a good girl. Those defending her claim that since "communication" was restored with the organization, she has been doing her job, meeting every obligation and attending every event for which she has been scheduled. Others are saying she publicly blasted the pageant folks during the speaking engagements. And there are those who claim that breach of contract is just an excuse to get rid of what turned out to be a rude and combative representative of the Miss USA organization.

"This is all kind of a big shock," Charles Limandri, Carrie's lawyer, said in a statement. "We've been working with Mr. Trump's office; she's been doing all the speaking engagements she's been asked to do. It is not true that she has not been cooperating....Something is going on," he said. "Truth is not being told. I don't understand where this is coming from, or why."

Miss California runner-up Tami Farrell will immediately take over the crown and Carrie's responsibilities as Miss California, the pageant organization said. The current Miss USA Kristen Dalton and Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza will also lend a hand in making appearances.

Carrie's answer to a question about same-sex marriage asked by celebrity gossip blogger and gay activist Perez Hilton, who served as one of the judges at the April 19 Miss USA pageant, sparked controversy and attracted tons of media coverage in the weeks after the pageant.

Initially, she was criticized for saying she lost the pageant because of her conservative views that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman. Then, just when that controversy was dying down, her nipple made an appearance--and we know how Americans fear The Nipple.

The semi-nude pictures (I know, how original...I'm ready for a serial killer or gender-bending winner to be stripped of her crown) reportedly were shot for an ad campaign, and she claimed the photographer took advantage of her by shooting a few frames when the wind shifted her vest just enough to reveal a nipple.

This reminds me of Janet Jackson's infamous nipple, which made a surprise appearance because of yet another "wardrobe malfunction" (they denied it was planned...of course) during the halftime show of Super Bowl 2004 when she took the stage with singer Justin Timberlake, who at the end of a song ripped a piece of cloth off Jackson's right breast, revealing a partially covered nipple for nine sixteenths of a second. Wardrobe malfunction my ass. There was a public outcry and parents were traumatized because they didn't know what to tell their kids about The Nipple.

Nipplegate led to an immediate crackdownon indecency in broadcasting and to a record $550,000 fine levied by the FCC against CBS as well as an increase of the FCC fine per indecency violation from $27,500 to $325,000.

What I found interesting about Carrie's photos was not the nipple they showed but the underlying hypocrisy they revealed.

Isn't it two-faced to denounce same-sex marriage because of what the bible states about homosexuality but be OK with posing semi-nude for pictures whose only possible purpose is to arouse feelings of lust, which according to the bible is a sin?

The good news is that regardless of the controversy they generated, neither her views on marriage nor her nipple led to her dethroning. And I for one am glad about that.

(Dedicated to my #1--and likely only--fan: Walter. Hi Wally!)

Sources: ABC News, CNN, L.A. Times, TMZ, EW.com
Copyright © 2009