Salon.com > Celebrity

Kanye West performs new music, claims he is not a celebrity

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Adult toddler and occasional hit music maker Kanye West threw another tantrum at his performance at the Roseland Ballroom Wednesday night, reports Complex.

The rapper, who will help end the last episode of "Saturday Night Live's" 38th season this weekend, insists that he's not a celebrity:

"One thing about me. I'm the worst kinda, worst kinda, worst kinda celebrity...because all I do is make real music. All I do is sit in the studio and make real, real shit. and that's it. That's motherfucking it. That's motherfucking it. So I don't want nobody trying to run up on me with no cameras, trying to sell pictures and shit to magazines, asking me no dumbass questions. throwing me off of my focus and shit. Harassing you all motherfucking day. I ain't no motherfucking celebrity..."

Reese Witherspoon’s arrest video released

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:48:00 +0000

Celebrity gossip site TMZ has released the full video of Reese Witherspoon's now-notorious arrest in Atlanta on April 19, and it is as embarrassing for Witherspoon as she claims.

In it, she accuses a police officer of "harassing me as an American citizen" and challenging his authority in a minute-long tirade.

Witherspoon, who was charged with disorderly conduct, acted out when police pulled over her husband James Toth and on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Update: TMZ has obtained another video from law enforcement, this one featuring a sound byte of Witherspoon and her husband in the backseat of the police car.

Reese Witherspoon on arrest: “I literally panicked”

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:41:00 +0000

America's sweetheart Reese Witherspoon tainted her image two weeks ago when she and husband Jim Toth were pulled over for drunken driving in Atlanta. Toth was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain the lane while Witherspoon, outraged, was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Although Witherspoon has offered a public apology, the star emphasized how embarrassed she is on today's "Good Morning America." “I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked,” she said. “I told him I was pregnant. I’m not pregnant. I said all kinds of crazy things.”

Witherspoon, who also told an officer, “Do you know my name?”and “You’re about to find out who I am,” said: "I think we made a mistake and it was something that will absolutely never happen again.”

Reese Witherspoon and husband arrested

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:42:00 +0000

In a rare misstep for girl-next-door Reese Witherspoon, the actress and her husband, CAA agent Jim Toth, were arrested on suspicion of DUI in Atlanta Friday morning.

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Toth, who was driving erratically and whose blood alcohol level was reported to be .139, was charged with DUI and not staying in the lane.

According to TMZ, Witherspoon was also taken into custody after allegedly becoming upset and getting out of the car twice. She reportedly said "Do you know my name?" and when the police officer said no, she answered: "You're about to find out who I am. ... You are going to be on national news."

The two were released shortly after arrest, and a "deeply embarrassed" Witherspoon released the following statement on Sunday:

Celebrities condemn Senate for blocking gun control bill

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

It's been an especially bad week in America. Adding insult to injury, the Senate failed to pass a gun control measure expanding background checks -- a bill that's been highly anticipated since the Newtown massacre.

Celebrities took to Twitter to condemn the senators and NRA lobbyists who worked to shut down the bill.

Aaron Paul retweeted "Breaking Bad" cast member Bryan Cranston:

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Actress Elizabeth Banks tweeted a link to an article that shared the Twitter handles of the senators who voted to block the bill:

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And many other celebs vocalized disappointment and anger and ridicule:

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Alec Baldwin reportedly in talks with NBC for late night spot

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:52:00 +0000

Alec Baldwin has been busy after his 7-season run as Jack Donaghy in NBC's "30 Rock." Nowadays, you'll find him on the Broadway stage, but soon, you might see Baldwin back on NBC--as a late night television show host.

From the New York Times:

The Emmy-winning actor is in the mix for a spot in NBC’s late-night lineup, one executive involved in the network’s program planning said. The executive asked not to be identified because the talks were still in initial stages.

The most likely landing place for a show hosted by Mr. Baldwin would be in the latest of NBC’s entries, the show now called “Last Call.” That half-hour interview program currently stars Carson Daly.

The news comes in the midst of an industry-wide late night show reshuffling, as Jimmy Fallon was recently tapped as Jay Leno's replacement on "Tonight," Leno is rumored to go to Fox, and Seth Myers is speculated to take Fallon's spot on "Late Night."

Catch a glimpse of Ke$ha’s “Crazy Beautiful Life”

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:53:00 +0000

The home video/documentary series that tweens everywhere are anticipating, Ke$ha's "Crazy Beautiful Life," is almost here. Predictably, there is lots of glitter--though there is no urine.

New Tumblr: Actresses without teeth

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:22:00 +0000

There are some Tumblrs that are exactly what they sound like. Then, there are Tumblrs that are exactly what they sound like, but that doesn't mean you're prepared for what you are about to see.

"Actresses without teeth" is one such blog ... and it is terrifying. (Don't say we didn't warn you).

h/t Bobby Finger

Watch Woody Allen stammer in every Woody Allen movie ever made

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Watch a supercut that, when pieced together from every Woody Allen movie, becomes the quintessential Woody Allen movie in a sense: A collection of all of the director's characteristic stutters, taken from his films. It adds up to a whopping 45 minutes.

Jason Bateman: “Arrested Development” will be a “choose your own adventure”

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:10:00 +0000

The fourth season of "Arrested Development" is not the fourth season of "Arrested Development," Jason Bateman tells GQ, of the show's upcoming Netflix release. "It got misbranded or mislabeled way, way, way back when and was never corrected for one reason or another," he said. "There are different agendas at work there, but it is not season four."

We already know that producer Ron Howard's vision for the next installment of "Arrested Development" is character-driven, with each episode focused on a specific Bluth character; it will “look very different,” like a “very, very complex puzzle," according to Howard.

Bateman elaborates on the vision, explaining that they are like acts in a play or a movie:

Ryan Gosling to take a break from acting

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:26:00 +0000

America is going to have to want Ryan Gosling as an internet meme for a while, it seems. The actor recently told AP's Jack Coyle that he's taking a break from acting, saying "I've been doing it too much." He explained:

"I've lost perspective on what I'm doing. I think it's good for me to take a break and reassess why I'm doing it and how I'm doing it. And I think this is probably a good way to learn about that. I need a break from myself as much as I imagine the audience does."

But don't worry, Gosling is weening America off slowly-- he stars in "The Place Beyond the Pines," to be released this spring, will soon begin filming his directorial debut with "How To Catch A Monster," and has two other projects in various stages of production.

If James Franco’s “Spring Breakers” was “Oz”

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Rolling Stone describes James Franco's character, Alien, in "Spring Breakers" as "a gun-crazy Florida drug dealer with tats, beaded cornrows and a grill any rapper would envy."

You'd think that's a far cry from James Franco's character in Disney's "Oz: The Great and Powerful," but this trailer would prove you wrong:

Lil Wayne reportedly released from hospital

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:22:00 +0000

After spending nearly a week in the Intensive Care Unit of Cedar-Sinai Hospital, a source close to rapper Lil Wayne says he has been released and is in recovery at home.

Sources told the AP that the rapper was treated for seizures, a condition for which he has been hospitalized in the past. TMZ speculated that the recent episode was induced by a drug overdose, and reported that his condition was so critical that the rapper's mother was called upon to make life support decisions.

However, Lil Wayne's friend and collaborator Mack Maine tweeted to followers late Monday night:

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A source verified Lil Wayne's release to TMZ as well; the outlet reported that "Wayne is feeling weak but he's a lot better. He plans on laying low until he makes a full recovery."

Friends of Lana Clarkson protest HBO film “Phil Spector”

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:23:00 +0000

On February 3, 2003, fashion model and sci-fi movie actress Lana Clarkson was fatally shot in the mansion of famed music producer Phil Spector, who at his prime was connected to acts like The Beatles and Tina Turner. Clarkson was 40 years old.

During the first trial, in 2007, Spector argued that Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide," saying that she "kissed the gun." However, a jury found Spector guilty of murder in 2009 and he was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Director David Mamet, who in 2011 suggested that Spector might be innocent, has taken the tragic story to television in an HBO film, "Phil Spector," set to debut on Sunday, March 24. CBS describes the TV movie, which stars Al Pacino and Helen Mirren, as "one of the more memorable TV events of the year."

But the Hollywood Reporter reports that Clarkson's friends, including publicist Edward Lozzi, are protesting the film. Lozzi picketed the screening with a sign that read "HBO’s ‘Phil Spector’ murders the truth. No Emmy for the film that hurts people alive today." THR reports:

Jeopardy joins in on dissing Taylor Swift

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +0000

Taylor Swift made some enemies last week when she attacked Golden Globe hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, implying that they'd "burn in hell" for taking a shot at the actress and her tendency to use failed relationships into confessional, tell-all songs.

As the Internet chastised Swift for not being able to take a joke, and she seemed more fragile when she admitted in a InStyle U.K. interview that she's afraid of "being awful and intolerable. Alone. Laying in a marble bathtub by myself, like sad, with a glass of wine just complaining that my life ended up alone because I pushed everyone away because I thought I was too good to hang out with anybody."

But any sympathy extended towards Swift was short-lived when it was discovered that she her much-adorned fan mail is in a Nashville dumpster; now the punchline that is Swift's love life is too good for even the characteristically dry game show Jeopardy to pass up.

Vladimir Putin calls on Steven Seagal to promote fitness in Russia

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Vladimir Putin, a wannabe action hero, recently called upon real life action hero Steven Seagal to usher in a ~~new~~ Soviet-era fitness initiative to Russia, the Guardian reports.

At a martial arts school outside of Moscow, he said, "I think it would be quite appropriate to recall the positive experience of past decades when the so-called GTO, Ready for Labour and Defence, was in use in our country," referring to a program from the 1930s, founded under Joseph Stalin. "The revival of this system – in a new, modern format – could bring major benefits."

The Guardian reports on Seagal's role at the event:

"Seagal's action films are popular in Russia and he has met the president several times. In what seemed to be a choreographed incident, Seagal rushed into a crowd of children trying to pose with Putin and pulled him out, as if acting as his bodyguard."

Neither Putin, who has a black belt in Judo, nor Seagal sparred -- instead, they watched from the sidelines.

Must-see morning clip: Nick Offerman on his cute, mischievious childhood

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:14:00 +0000

"I was cute for quite some time, and then I had to turn to comedy," says "Parks and Recreation" actor Nick Offerman about his childhood. When he discovered acting, "I thought I was amazing," he said. "I said, 'I'm here, I'm your Hamlet!' and they said, 'You are our plumber.' "

"That was quite upsetting," he told Leno.

World Bank gives $8.75 million to Sean Penn’s Haiti charity

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:32:00 +0000

Around 14,000 Haitians who currently live in tarps in mud in the Petionville Club golf course, displaced by the 2010 earthquake, are about to get new homes. The World Bank has announced plans to give $8.75 million to actor Sean Penn's Haitian charity, the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which will subsidize rents and build new housing in a nearby neighborhood throughout 2014.

The actor serves as an ambassador-at-large for the impoverished nation, which years later is still struggling to recover from the natural disaster. Although at its highest, 1.5 million people were displaced, International Organization for Migration reports that more than 347,000 Haitians are still without homes.

Penn's spokeswoman told the New York Post that the charity will “support the residents of Delmas 32 to demonstrate that something fundamentally different can come from a ‘slum’ in one of the poorest cities in the world."

Russian hackers release sensitive information on stars including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Biden and Clinton

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:46:00 +0000

A growing list of celebrities have been hacked (TMZ first reported 12, then 14, but the recent count is 17), including Michelle Obama, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Unlike many other high-profile celebrity hacking incidents in recent memory, which include the release of George W. Bush's emails and photos of paintings, the Russian hackers doxxed the stars, meaning that they outed the stars by publishing personally identifiable information available on public record. But the hackers also published sensitive information, including social security numbers, bank statements and more.

The full list of victims, according to the hacker's Web site:

Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, Joe Biden, Robert Mueller (FBI Director), Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder (U.S. Attorney General), Charlie Beck (LAPD Chief), Mel Gibson, Ashton Kutcher, Jay Z, Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears,Sarah Palin, Hulk Hogan, Donald Trump, Arnold Schwarzenegger

Must-see morning clip: Justin Timberlake talks about his weekend “SNL” appearance

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:19:00 +0000

Justin Timberlake stopped by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to talk about his fifth time hosting "Saturday Night Live" last weekend, which brought in the show's highest ratings since January 2012 and star cameos from Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks and others.