After a 9-year courtship, the couple took things to the altar

Looks like arguably entertainment’s most powerful couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have succeeded in getting the world to look away from their special day after all. An unnamed spokesperson for the couple, both frontline actors who have made the bold transition into producing their own films, told the Associated Press on Thursday that the couple are now legally married.

 The source said Pitt and Jolie, who met on the set of the all-action film, Mr and Mrs Smith in 2005, got married last Saturday in France in a very private ceremony that evaded the expectant public.

Now popularly referred to as Brangelina, the couple has three biological children together named Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne as well as three adopted children named Maddox, Pax and Zahara.

They became engaged on April 13, 2012 and have been falsely reported to be separating a number of times in the past. Pitt was once engaged to fellow actress, Gwyneth Paltrow, another co-star in a 1995 film titled Seven but nothing came out of the relationship regarding marriage. In 1998, he started dating actress, Jennifer Aniston with whom he got married in 2000 but separated in early 2005 before finalising their divorce proceedings October of the same year. On her part, Angelina Jolie has been married twice. First to British actor, Jonny Lee Miller and then to Billy Bob Thornton, in 2000 before finalising their divorce on May 27, 2003....

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Robin Williams' suicide has inspired Henry Rollins to pen a 997-word missive for L.A. Weekly in which he highlights the selfishness of the act. Although he called Williams "a good man" and praised his performances for the USO, he said that he lost respect for Williams when he learned that the actor had killed himself, primarily citing the fact that Williams was a father. (Update: Rollins has apologized for his column in a long note posted to his website.)

"How in the hell could you possibly do that to your children?" Rollins wrote. "I don't care how well-adjusted your kid might be – choosing to kill yourself, rather than to be there for that child, is every shade of awful, traumatic and confusing. I think as soon as you have children, you waive your right to take your own life. No matter what mistakes you make in life, it should be your utmost goal not to traumatize your kids. So, you don't kill yourself."

Rollins did not discount Williams' despair in his post. "Depression is so personal and so unique to each of us that when you're in its teeth, you think you invented it," he wrote. "You can understand your own, but that's it."

But mostly, Rollins' essay served as a warning for people to consider the bigger picture of their actions. The former Black Flag and Rollins Band frontman explained that, to him, the act of suicide makes him reassess the person.

"When someone negates their existence, they cancel themselves out in my mind," he wrote. "I have many records, books and films featuring people who have taken their own lives, and I regard them all with a bit of distain [sic]. When someone commits this act, he or she is out of my analog world. I know they existed, yet they have nullified their existence because they willfully removed themselves from life. They were real but now they are not.

"I no longer take this person seriously," he continued. "I may be able to appreciate what he or she did artistically but it's impossible to feel bad for them. Their life wasn't cut short – it was purposely abandoned. It's hard to feel bad when the person did what they wanted to."

Rollins cited a statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 40,000 people a year kill themselves. "In my opinion, that is 40,000 people who blew it," he wrote.

Ultimately, he summed up his position in two words: "Fuck suicide."

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Singer's lawyers have called Michael Egan's legal action "malicious" Continue reading the main story

A man who claims he was sexually abused by director Bryan Singer is seeking to have his legal action dismissed due to problems securing legal representation.

In court documents filed in Honolulu, Michael Egan III said he wanted to have the case dismissed without prejudice, allowing him to refile at a later date.

Mr Egan's former lawyers asked to be removed from the case in July.

Bryan Singer is seeking to have the case dismissed with prejudice, with costs and fees imposed against Mr Egan.

"By allowing Egan to walk away from this lawsuit now... would be inherently prejudicial to Singer," his lawyers said in court papers.

Mr Egan, a former child model who is now 31, has accused the X-Men director of abusing him at the age of 17 in Hawaii.

His lawyers called the legal action "malicious" and said Singer must be given the opportunity to clear his name.

"The bottom line is this: Egan recognised he's going to lose this case," said lawyer Marty Singer, who is not related to his film-maker client.

"The real question is does the case get dismissed without prejudice or does the case gets dismissed on the merits?"

It was reported last month that his lawyers dropped him as a client after Mr Egan rejected a $100,000 (£60,285) deal to settle the case.

Mr Egan previously filed three similar legal actions against other Hollywood figures, all of which have been dismissed.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Paul McCartney is on a roll this week.

A day after performing at a New York City high school, the ex-Beatle surprised fans Thursday with an impromptu concert in Times Square.

McCartney announced the concert on Twitter and then arrived by taxi at the "Crossroads of the World" an hour later.

Despite the short notice, thousands of fans flocked to the busy midtown-Manhattan intersection for the lunchtime concert.

The 71-year-old rocker sang four songs from his latest album "New" from a trailer parked on West 46th Street and Broadway.

He joked: "Let's do this the same time tomorrow."

On Wednesday, McCartney performed and took questions from students at the Frank Sinatra High School in Queens. He was celebrating his second wedding anniversary with Nancy Shevell.

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Harrison Ford

It has long been assumed that Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Han Solo in J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII," but you know what they say about assumptions. In an interview with Graham Norton, Ford said he had "not quite made the choice" to play Solo again.

Ford has been careful to not confirm his involvement in "Episode VII," but he did tell WGN TV in March that things were getting close. "I think it's almost true," he said of a possible "Star Wars" return, which was first reported back in February. "I'm looking forward to it. It's not in the bag yet, but I think it'll happen."

While Ford contemplates making the Kessel Run once again, the actor told Norton that he is totally onboard for another Indiana Jones film.

"I would do it in a New York minute, yes," Ford said. "I don't think there is any barrier to Indiana Jones being an old fart."

Ford made similar comments to The Telegraph this past summer.

"We've seen the character develop and grow over a period of time and it's perfectly appropriate and okay for him to come back again with a great movie around him where he doesn't necessarily have to kick as much ass," Ford said.

"Star Wars: Episode VII" is set for release in 2015. Conspiracy theorists will note that Ford's "Graham Norton Show" appearance happened opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, another actor who has been connected to this iteration of "Star Wars."

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The first trailer for George Clooney's "Monuments Men" played like an "Ocean's 11" prequel (right down to the swinging music cue). This new trailer for the film replaces that suave whimsy for the kind of gravitas normally associated with important Best Picture nominees. "We have been tasked to find and protect art that the Nazis have stolen," Clooney's character says in the trailer. "They tell us, 'Who cares about art?' But they're wrong. It's the exact reason we're fighting. For a culture. For a way of life." Based on the book by Robert M. Edsel, "Monuments Men" is out in theaters on Dec. 18. Watch the new trailer below.

Click here to watch

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In 2010, 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld made a major name for herself by starring in "True Grit" opposite Jeff Bridges. The performance earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and put Steinfeld on the short list of Hollywood's most sought after young stars.

That buzz is paying off this year, as Steinfeld returns to the big screen with a pair of hyped-up projects. In addition to a part in the upcoming adaptation of "Ender's Game," the now 16-year-old actress takes on the storied role of Shakespeare's Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet," hitting theaters on Friday. Steinfeld stars across Douglas Booth, 21, who plays her Romeo. "You almost want [the love scenes] to be awkward, but in some ways, it's not," Steinfeld said of her scenes with Booth, who has his fare share of high profile films coming soon too, including Darren Aronfosky's "Noah" and the Andy and Lana Wachowski film, "Jupiter Ascending." "As long as the chemistry is there as actors, it's really helpful and it's really good."

The cast of "Romeo and Juliet," which Steinfeld effusively called "so, so, so cool" in a recent interview with HuffPost Entertainment, includes Damian Lewis, Ed Westwick, and Paul Giamatti. "Working with Paul and Damian and Ed and Stellan [Skarsgård] and everybody, it felt right, and they were so incredible and so easy to work off of because they're so good."

We caught up with Steinfeld by phone from Los Angeles, where she was promoting "Romeo & Juliet," to talk casting Booth, preparing to play Juliet, and her take on Leonardo DiCaprio's version.

This is one of your first big films after "True Grit," what made you choose it?
After I finished "True Grit," it took about a year until I started the second film. It wasn't intentional, it wasn't a set time that we were purposely taking off. We were waiting to kind of see what the right thing was, and we wanted to take our time. I was in no rush after that crazy year. When "Romeo and Juliet" came along, I fell in love with the way that it was written and how innocent and vulnerable it was and how different it was from "True Grit." I really liked that.

It's obviously such an iconic role, did that give you pause at all in committing to it?
Yes and no. Of course the initial reaction to hearing about the part or doing the part is always intimidating and daunting and scary, but you kind of have to put that all away and there's plenty of other things to think about other than that. If you think about how you're playing an iconic role or you're doing this classic story, that can kind of, you know, maybe freak you out a bit. Douglas and I and the rest of the cast, we all came together and just created this thing all over again.

Speaking of Douglas, I understand you had a hand in his casting. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
I feel that for the story of "Romeo and Juliet" to be impactful, it has to be believable and there has to be a certain level of chemistry between the two characters. I was so excited that I was able to weigh in on the casting process with Douglas and being a part of finding the right actor, which I think we did.

I read with a few guys; we screen tested in London and Douglas came in and read and it was great.

There was an immediate backlash after your casting about your age, but in the original story, Juliet is 13. How did you take that?
I didn't really think much of the age. Douglas and I were actually playing the closest in age that it's ever been for the story. Other than outside of the story, I never paid much attention or thought much about that. It was interesting being young and exploring that side of your emotions and playing that part.

Did you take inspiration from the older film versions of "Romeo and Juliet," either the 1968 version by Franco Zeffirelli or the 1996 version by Baz Lurhmann?
Absolutely. I think it is definitely helpful to have something to look back on and to use and to be able to have that at your exposure and be able to take advantage of it. I love both of those films for so many different reasons. I think we brought the very sort of traditional feel that the Zeffirelli version has, but the same energy that the Baz Luhrmann version has. So it's kind of the best of both worlds between those two films. I think what's so incredible about not only bringing this to our generation, but sort of being added to the list of these incredible films that have already been done.

What do you see in the story that makes it still relatable for the younger generation?
I think overall the story is very universal and can be told over and over again and not get old because as much as times are changing, there's something about the story that those core themes are still so relevant today. I think people can continue to identify with it.

Reading Shakespeare is a very different experience, how did you prepare for the role?
I had an incredible amount of time to just immerse myself in the text and in the material. By the time I got to Italy, everything really started to come together there and with the wardrobe and the location and all the actors were coming together. I think as much preparation as you do, it doesn't compare to actually doing it because there's so much around you that you can sit in your room for hours and go over your lines or whatever, but being there, it's just spontaneous and it's real.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Dramatic accounts of the Navy SEALs rescuing the captain of an American cargo ship made headlines around the world in 2009. The military said SEAL snipers killed a trio of pirates in a tense standoff. Three shots, three kills. It was the lethal, coordinated precision that has made SEALs famous and feared.

It was an unbelievable story, with a new retelling that hits the big screen Friday with Tom Hanks playing Capt. Richard Phillips. But the official version that unfolded in the Indian Ocean wasn't as tidy as Hollywood's, or the versions in Phillips' own book or in contemporaneous news reports. In fact, many more than three shots were fired, $30,000 went missing and the integrity of the SEALs was questioned.

The unvarnished story begins on April 8, 2009. Four armed Somali pirates scurried up the side of a large cargo ship, Maersk Alabama, and took the crew and Phillips hostage. In a failed attempt to get the pirates to leave, Phillips gave them $30,000 from the ship safe. The pirates eventually abandoned the Maersk, jumping into a lifeboat and taking the cash and Phillips at gunpoint.

The USS Bainbridge, a destroyer that had responded to the hijacking, gave chase as the pirates headed toward the Somali coast. Days later, a team of SEALs parachuted into the Indian Ocean and boarded the Bainbridge. During the crisis, the Navy persuaded the pirates to let the Bainbridge tow the lifeboat and then tricked the fourth pirate into coming aboard the Bainbridge.

As the Bainbridge reeled in the lifeboat for a better shot, the SEALs took up positions on the back of the warship and trained their sights on the three pirates.

On April 12, the SEALs acted. After a gun unexpectedly went off inside the lifeboat, the SEAL snipers opened fire. Seconds later, a SEAL, possibly two of them, descended the tow rope and onto the lifeboat. He quickly shot the pirates — one of whom was still alive. Former SEAL Matt Bissonnette recounted the episode in his memoir "No Easy Day." Bissonnette was deployed aboard the adjacent USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, when the rescue took place.

"Entering the life raft, they quickly and methodically re-engaged each pirate, making sure there was no more threat," Bissonnette recalls. "They found Phillips tied up in the corner unhurt."
In an interview, Phillips said he didn't know if the SEALs fired inside the lifeboat. But after it appeared the shooting had stopped, he said, one of the pirates closest to him was "gasping" and in a "death rattle." The young pirate had two serious chest wounds, he said. He didn't see the other two pirates at the other end of the lifeboat.

Attorney Philip L. Weinstein, who represented the surviving pirate later prosecuted in federal court, said his legal team had an expert examine photographs the government provided of the dead Somalis. The expert estimated about 19 rounds had been fired into the bodies, Weinstein said.

"There were clearly not three shots fired," Weinstein said. "They were riddled with bullets."
 
Under the Geneva Conventions, an enemy combatant who has been injured so severely that he no longer can fight is supposed to be protected and medically treated even as he is taken into custody. Scott L. Silliman, a professor at Duke University Law School and an expert on wartime legal doctrine, said he believes the SEALs did nothing wrong. He said the SEALs had to make the assumption that the Somalis were armed and a continuing threat. In other words, they were still combatants.
"I think it is pretty clear under the military's rules of engagement that if the SEAL believed he still faced a threat against him he was authorized to use lethal force," he said. "I think it was an appropriate use of force under these circumstances."

The $30,000 was never recovered. As part of the investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, SEALs were polygraphed, according to former and current law enforcement and military officials who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk about the case. It's not clear if all the SEALs who responded to the hijacking were polygraphed.

Nobody was exempt from questioning. Investigators interviewed Capt. Frank J. Michael, who was the executive officer of the Boxer and among the highest-ranking Navy personnel to enter the lifeboat after Phillips had been saved, a former U.S. official said.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Courtney L. Hillson declined to discuss SEAL tactics or specifics of the case but said: "The case was ultimately closed without evidence of wrongdoing."

Weinstein said his client, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 34 years, had no idea who took the money, and he didn't think the pirates threw it overboard. Weinstein said there were plenty of people who had access to the lifeboat after the shooting stopped. He said the crime scene was "contaminated." According to Phillips' account of the kidnapping, the money could have easily been concealed in a small bag or someone's pockets.

In his book, Phillips writes that while he was held hostage on the lifeboat, a pirate took the money out of the bag and began dividing up into piles. There were "two stacks of hundreds, one of fifties, then twenties, fives, and tens ... I never saw the money again. Later, when they gave me a sack to lean against, I felt the stacks of money inside, but I never spotted the cash out in the open again."
Kevin Speers, a spokesman for Maersk Line Ltd., said the missing money remains a mystery: "We simply don't know."

In the new film "Captain Phillips," viewers shouldn't look to the movie for the complete story. It doesn't depict the aftermath inside the lifeboat or the criminal investigation that followed.
Director Paul Greengrass said the movie wasn't intended to tackle every twist and turn but hews to the truth.

Greengrass said he was aware of the shooting that took place inside the lifeboat and grappled with how much bloodshed to depict. In the end, he made narrative judgments. The final violence wasn't necessary. The result was the same: Phillips was saved, and the pirates were killed.
What happened to the money didn't concern him.

"Movies are not journalism," Greengrass said. "Movies are not history."

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"Star Trek Into Darkness" soared to No. 1 at the box office this weekend as expected, but its $84.1 million intake fell slightly short of studio expectations. The four-day tally, as reported by Box Office Mojo, failed to snag the $100 million Paramount Pictures hoped to rack up. It also falls just short of the $86.7 million that 2009's "Star Trek" managed to collect during its four-day overture.
J.J. Abrams' sci-fi sequel, with a reported budget of $190 million, earned an additional $40 million overseas, bringing its international total to $164.6 million. The movie's traditional Friday-to-Sunday weekend revenue came in at $70.6 million.

While nowhere near a commercial disappointment, the slight downturn "Star Trek" saw on its first weekend further underscores what a megahit "Iron Man 3" is. Despite seeing a 51.5 percent hit from its previous week in theaters, the Marvel Studios threequel's added $35.2 million catapults it to No. 25 on the list of the highest-grossing domestic films of all time. Its total gross now sits at $337.1 million domestically and more than $1 billion globally.

"The Great Gatsby," in its second weekend in theaters, nabbed $23.4 million, bringing its collective gross to $90.2 million. Still a decided hit, the Baz Luhrmann-directed rendition of the iconic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel has seen a slightly more tepid reaction than expected, given the massive buzz the movie saw in the weeks leading up to its release. "Iron Man 3" prevented the glitzy "Gatsby" from securing the top spot at the box office during the latter film's first weekend in theaters. Perhaps plagued by mixed reviews, "Gatsby" has yet to earn enough revenue to match its reported $105 million budget.

Rounding out the weekend's top five movies are Michael Bay's "Pain and Gain," which is in its fourth week of being one of the top grossers, and "The Croods," which jumped to No. 5 this weekend after falling to No. 7 last weekend. "Gain" took in $3.1 million, bringing its total to $46.6 million. "The Croods" added $2.75 million, upping its gross to $176.8 million.
The weekend's only new release other than "Star Trek Into Darkness" was Noah Baumbach's well-received indie gem "Frances Ha," which opened in only four theaters to a $134,000 profit.

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Get set to dance and cry when Christina Aguilera drops Lotus on November 13.

When it came time to craft new material, the Voice coach, had plenty of experience to draw from, she tells Us Weekly. "I was inspired by all I've been through," the once-divorced single mom, 31, reveals.

Besides sweltering dance grooves and "beautiful ballads," make note of an ultra-funky duet with her Voice costar Cee Lo Green, 37: "The song is pure Cee Lo style!" Aguilera tells Us.

Q: Why title the disc Lotus?

A: It's an unbreakable flower that, even through the harshest weather conditions, remains strong and beautiful. I've been doing this since I was 4!

Q: Besides your tune with Cee Lo, are there any other standout tracks?

A: There are a few that I know people are going to really connect to. Many of my past albums had clear-cut themes and styles, but with this album, I really just put songs on the record that felt good. I can't wait for my fans to hear them!

Q: You're skipping The Voice next season. Any tips for new coaches Usher and Shakira?

A: The blind audition process can be nerve-wracking. But I know they'll have a blast!

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"The Green Mile"

Michael Clarke Duncan was one big, irresistible jumble of contradictions.

His presence was formidable, even intimidating: The former bodyguard had a muscular, 6-foot-4 frame, but it was topped by the brightest of megawatt smiles.

His gravelly baritone was well-suited to everything from animated films to action spectacles, but no matter the role, a warmth and a sweetness was always evident underneath.

The prolific character actor, whose dozens of movies included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in "The Green Mile" and box office hits including "Armageddon," `'Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda," died Monday at age 54. And although he only turned to acting in his 30s, it's clear from the outpouring of prayers and remembrances he received across the Hollywood and sports worlds that his gentle-giant persona made him much-loved during that relatively brief time.

Duncan died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiance, reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, in a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily.

Duncan "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," the statement said. "Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date."

Tom Hanks, star of 1999's "The Green Mile" — the film that earned a then-little-known Duncan a supporting-actor nomination at the Academy Awards — said he was "terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of `The Green Mile.' He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned."

"I will miss my friend, Michael Clarke Duncan," comedian and talk-show host Steve Harvey said on Twitter. "What an incredible soldier in God's Plan." Other sad and shocked reactions came from a diverse field that included Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, actresses Alexa Vega, Niecy Nash and Olivia Munn, and former boxing champion Lennox Lewis.

In the spring of 2012, Duncan had appeared in a video for PETA, the animal rights organization, in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a vegetarian three years earlier.

"I cleared out my refrigerator, about $5,000 worth of meat," he said. "I'm a lot healthier than I was when I was eating meat."

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him accolades and fame. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer with a surprisingly gentle demeanor and extraordinary healing powers.

Duncan's performance caught on with critics and moviegoers and he quickly became a favorite in Hollywood, appearing in several films a year. He owed some of his good fortune to Bruce Willis, who recommended Duncan for "The Green Mile" after the two appeared together in "Armageddon." Duncan would work with Willis again in "Breakfast of Champions," `'The Whole Nine Yards" and "Sin City."

His industrial-sized build was suited for everything from superhero films ("Daredevil") to comedy ("Talladega Nights," `'School for Scoundrels"). He could have made a career out of his voice work alone, with appearances in several animated and family movies, including, "Kung Fu Panda," `'Racing Stripes" and "Brother Bear." Among Duncan's television credits were "The Apprentice," `'Two and a Half Men," "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and a new series, "The Finder."

Born in Chicago in 1957, Duncan was raised by a single mother whose resistance to his playing football led to his deciding he wanted to become an actor. But when his mother became ill, he dropped out of college, Alcorn State University, and worked as a ditch digger and bouncer to support her. By his mid-20s, he was in Los Angeles, where he looked for acting parts and became a bodyguard for Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and other stars. The murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., for whom Duncan had been hired to protect before switching assignments, led him to quit his job and pursue acting full-time.

Early film and television credits, when he was usually cast as a bodyguard or bouncer, included "Bulworth," `'A Night at the Roxbury" and "The Players Club."

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Michael Jackson - Thats it

Michael Jackson's estate settled a copyright dispute with a business partner of the late pop icon's mother Tuesday, just before a trial on the matter was to begin, lawyers said.

A federal judge had already ruled that Howard Mann and several associated companies violated Jackson's copyrights, which are controlled by his estate executors, and the only question for a jury was how much should be paid in damages.

The settlement, which gives the estate $2.5 million from the several companies involved, ends a bitter two-year fight between the estate and Mann, who partnered with Katherine Jackson on the book.

"In light of the court's rulings for the estate on summary judgment, this settlement seems appropriate for all concerned," estate lawyers Howard Weitzman and Zia Modabber said in a statement to CNN Tuesday.

Mann's company published Katherine Jackson's 150-page coffee table book "Never Can Say Goodbye, The Katherine Jackson Story" two years ago and established a website -- MichaelJacksonSecretVault.com -- that the estate argued illegally used Jackson's images and lyrics.

"This was a long, complex and difficult litigation that in the end will likely be equitable for Mrs. Jackson and the other parties involved," Mann said. "This settlement would not have been possible without Perry Sanders (Katherine Jackson's lawyer), who worked to bridge quite a distance."

"My client and all parties involved are served well by getting this wrapped up," said Sanders, who helped mediate the settlement this week.

Mann's involvement with the Jacksons began when he partnered with Henry Vaccaro, who bought a large amount of Jackson memorabilia purchased at an auction after Katherine and Joe Jackson's 1999 bankruptcy. A lien will be placed on those photos and other assets until a portion of the settlement is paid, a lawyer said.

Katherine Jackson was not a defendant, but her name and those of her husband, Joe Jackson, and children Janet, Randy, Tito and Jermaine Jackson were on the defense witness list.

The estate accused Mann of "wholesale misappropriation" of Michael Jackson copyrights and acting with "arrogant disregard" for the estate's rights by using unauthorized images.

While the estate claimed the book sold about 25,000 copies for $1.5 million in the first two days, Mann's lawyers contended "actual sales are very minimal and the defendant's businesses have suffered a major net loss."

The copyright violations also included screen shots from the "This Is It" documentary about the singer's last days and other "misappropriated" images, including Jackson's "Smooth Criminal Lean," which Mann's company used in its corporate logo.

Mann's website, which the judge already ordered to be taken offline, "does absolutely everything in its power to suggest to its visitors that it is the hub for all things Michael Jackson, and that it is sanctioned and supported by the estate, when in fact it is neither," the estate argued.

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Steve Harvey

Watch out Howard Stern, it looks like Steve Harvey is angling for the title of "King of All Media." Both outspoken men have much in common, including being unabashed divorcees, best-selling authors whose books were turned into hit movies ("Private Parts" and "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man," respectively) and hosts of no-holds-barred radio shows heard throughout the nation. But when it comes to TV, Harvey just may have the leg up. e going to have great take-aways about medical and weight, dieting, parenting, relationships. I got a lot to draw on." Harvey, 55, joins a growing list of daytime TV hosts looking to fill the void left by Oprah Winfrey. Katie Couric and Ricki Lake will debut new shows this fall, and mainstays Ellen DeGeneres and Wendy Williams have been ren Stern made his prime time debut this year as a judge on "America's Got Talent;" Harvey hosts "Family Feud" and his daytime talk show, "The Steve Harvey Show," is set to premiere on September 4. "I think it's going to be great," Harvey said about the show, which is currently in production at NBC's Chicago studios. "It's going to be a daytime show with a wonderful comedic spin where people get to laugh out loud during the daytime. At the same time, we'rewed through 2014. Harvey is confident he can stand out from the crowd. "I think the uniqueness of (my show) is the male perspective, which is missing from daytime television," he said. "Steve is like that wise but funny uncle we all have," Dawn Davis, Harvey's publisher at Harper Collins said. "The one with sage advice at graduation, and a healthy but gentle dose of truth-talking at Thanksgiving." That personality goes a long way, said Premiere Networks President Julie Talbott whose company syndicates "The Steve Harvey Show" on radio across the country to 7 million listeners. "Steve Harvey's audience growth and ratings have been consistently impressive," Talbott said. "His passion for entertaining has allowed him to connect with people across multiple platforms. He's truly a renaissance man." As one of "The Original Kings of Comedy," he is used to trying to connect with audiences, but he recently retired from stand-up, claiming, "Comedy isn't what it used to be. There are not the venues available for these young acts to hone their skills and talents, which is really a shame. It's like musicians have become a dying breed; comedians have, too."

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Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera is proud to be bootylicious. While shooting the music video for her song "Your Body" recently, she had on an outrageous getup, which included a pink wig, sky-high stripper stilettos, and enough rings to accessorize you and all your friends. But it was the dress that was most eye-catching. We noted that the mesh-laden mini was "literally bursting at the seams" when we first saw the photos.

As you can tell, the 31-year-old pop star loves her curves — and in a new interview with Lucky magazine she talks about her body, which has evolved from the earlier days in her successful career. (Remember when she used to dress her stick thin frame in chaps and underwear that said "Dirrty" on the bum?) "Actually, the challenge I've always had is being too thin, so I love that now I have a booty, and obviously I love showing my cleavage," she confesses. The singer also encourages fellow curvy girls to flaunt their figures. "Hey, if you can work it and you can own it, that confidence is going to shine through."

Aguilera's eclectic sense of style is definitely on display when she sits in her spinny chair on NBC's reality series "The Voice." "I have always loved dressing up, being theatrical," she says of her over-the-top looks. So what fashion item couldn't she live without? That would be Christian Louboutin heels, which she calls the "sexiest shoes," and notes, "As the years go by, his heels get taller and taller." She also reveals the secret to her perfect red pout: Terry Baume de Rose. "This treatment helps my signature red lip to be smooth and flawless," she shares.

The divorced singer, who is now dating musician Matthew Rutler, is working on a new still-untitled album — her first since 2010's Bionic. She recently said it will reflect, "everything I've experienced up until this point. .. I've been through a lot since the release of my last album, being on ['The Voice'], having had a divorce. This is all sort of a free rebirth for me." She elaborates in Lucky, noting, "If you love 'Fighter,'" which is her 2003 song, "you're going to love my new album. As a [woman in my 30s], I've been uncovering my independence, and it's been really fun to explore in the new songs."

Aguilera, who is mom to 4-year-old Max, is glad that her days as a rising star are behind her because she felt like she was being controlled and a certain image was being forced upon her."When you're young, it's so easy to get bull-dozed," she says. "There were these two ladies who worked at the record label who always wanted to come to fittings and dress me up like a Barbie doll. It was disgusting." Fortunately, releasing her album Stripped — which included "Beautiful," one of her most popular songs of all time, as well as the aforementioned "Dirrty"— changed all that. Talking about the success of that album, she recalls, "I was 21 and fearless. It was a really great turning point for me to be the artist I'd always wanted to be."

And now that Aguilera is the artist she always wanted to be, she enjoys helping aspiring singers on "The Voice," which will return for a second season on September 10. "It's a big responsibility to help someone express themselves as an artist," she says. "I take it seriously."

Listen to Christina Aguilera on iHeartRadio

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Lady Gaga

Pop star Lady Gaga will make her film acting debut in the second installment of the “Machete” film franchise in a casting choice alongside the likes of Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen, Gaga and the film's director Robert Rodriguez said on Twitter.

Rodriguez announced the casting on Thursday on Twitter, saying, “I just finished working with @LadyGaga on @MacheteKills, she kicked SO MUCH ASS! Holy Smokes. Blown away!” and posted a link to a poster featuring the singer.

Gaga, 26, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta and whose concerts and music videos are littered with various flamboyant theatrics, confirmed on Twitter, “Yes it's true, I will be making my debut as an actress in the amazing MACHETE KILLS BY @RODRIGUEZ IM SO EXCITED!!! AH! Filming was insane.”

Little is known about the role, which is likely to be a cameo or smaller film appearance. The character poster featured the pop star dressed in a scantily clad outfit and a wolf wrap with smoke pouring out of a gun alongside the caption, “Lady Gaga as La Chameleon.”

Rodriguez, who posted a tweet in June he had also cast Charlie Sheen playing a fictional U.S. president in the film, directed the first “Machete” film that was released in 2010 with the “Machete” character derived from his “Spy Kids” 2001 film.

“Machete Kills” sees the character of Machete battling his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer, said film website imdb.com. Rodriguez has previously directed “Sin City” and “Desperado.” A

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Johnny Depp made a splash at Comic-Con, and he wasn't even there.

About 6,000 fans at the San Diego Convention Center Thursday got the first look at "The Lone Ranger," which stars Depp as Tonto.

He wears long hair and full-face makeup to portray the Lone Ranger's Native American companion. The brief clip hinted at the character's craftiness, with one scene showing him riding beneath a speeding train. It also offered a peek at Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger and Helena Bonham Carter as a dame of interest, amid a backdrop of trains crossing the Western desert. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing the film.

Disney unveiled the footage at the conclusion of its panel presentation that included glimpses of Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie," Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful" and the video-game romp "Wreck-It Ralph," which features the voices of Sarah Silverman and John C. Reilly.

"The Lone Ranger" is directed by Gore Verbinski, who worked with Depp on the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films and the animated "Rango." It is set for release next summer.

Comic-Con continues through Sunday.

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Drew Barrymore and Will kopelman

Will it be third time lucky for actress Drew Barrymore? The famously unlucky-in-love star is engaged to boyfriend Will Kopelman.

Kopelman, an art consultant, popped the question while the couple vacationed in Sun Valley, Idaho, a source close to the couple told People magazine .

"They are very happy together," the source added.

The 36-year-old actress and Kopelman, whose father is a former CEO of Chanel, began dating last February.

Barrymore, who came to fame in 1982 as a child-star in ET has been married twice before.

Her first marriage to Welsh bar owner Jeremy Thomas lasted from March 20 to April 28, 1994.

She later wed comedian Tom Green on July 7, 2001, but the couple filed for divorce later that year.

Barrymore had also been romantically linked with The Strokes' drummer Fabrizio Moretti and actor Justin Long.

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Along with the entire team of Entertainment Talks, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year, filled with love, light, peace, joy and good health for 2012!

It's a been a tough past year once again for many, but no matter what, you guys are still visitng our blog, and if you haven't visited us yet, we're hoping you want to. That's why we Entertainment Talks will be positing update news in Entertain World. So don't worry: Even if you can't get Entertainment World just yet, we'll keep bringing Entertainment World to you.





I'd also like to take this opportunity to extend a very special thanks to all of our writers, contributors, and partners.


We appreciate the continued support we get from all of our readers and look forward to a great 2012 with you!


With gratitude,


Entertainment Talks Team.



Note: To become one of  our writers, contributors, and partners, kindly send mail to: yomiteng@aol.com.

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Former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher (L) is shown in this 1997 file photo combined with a publicity photo of actress Meryl Streep portraying Thatcher in her new film ''The Iron Lady''

Making a film about an iconic politician like Britain's Margaret Thatcher is akin to walking into a movie minefield, and casting an American -- even one as revered as Meryl Streep -- is asking for more trouble.

Yet the makers of new movie "The Iron Lady," which opens in U.S. theaters on Friday, went one step further.

They chose to depict Thatcher, now 86, as a confused, lonely woman looking back on past glories, and doing so takes the kind of guts once exhibited by the former British prime minister herself.

British director Phyllida Lloyd and screenwriter Abi Morgan said they never set out to make an historical biopic or a film about politics. They wanted to tell the story of a woman of ordinary origins who rose to great power only to fall back again into a normal, elderly life that is much like anyone's.

"It is a Shakespearean story about power and loss, and the cost of a huge life, and letting go," Lloyd told Reuters.

"The Iron Lady" is the first feature film about Thatcher, Britain's only female prime minister who was elected in 1979 and forced, in tears, out of office in 1990 after losing the support of her cabinet.

Thatcher, a Conservative, was revered for uncompromising opposition to the Soviet Union and for putting the "Great" back in Great Britain. But she also was reviled by labor unions and blamed for creating deep divisions in British society.

Lloyd said there has been "astonishingly little backlash" in Britain about casting American Streep to play the British icon. Moreover, the role required portraying a woman in the prime of her life and in decline, and that sort of contrast meant a skilled actress who understood the nuances of both.

"You needed someone of the magnitude of Meryl Streep to take on Margaret Thatcher's size and personality. You needed a superstar to play a superstar," Lloyd said.

The casting appears to have worked. Streep, a master of theatrical manipulation, has received an armful of awards for her performance and is tipped to get her 17th Oscar nomination when Academy Award nominees are announced in January.

MORE THAN A BIOPIC

But Streep and the filmmakers wanted to do more than a movie biography of Thatcher and her politics .

"Meryl said that, for some time, she had been looking for a project that considered the end of things. She didn't see it as a biopic in any way," said Lloyd.

And fitting all the decisions in 11 years of leadership, along with Thatcher's rise from grocer's daughter to the highest echelons of power in a male-dominated world, was "like squeezing a large lady into a too-tight dress," Morgan said.

So Morgan chose to set the movie in the present day, when Thatcher has decided to let go of her dead husband Denis's clothes and is ambushed by selected memories of her past.

That decision meant introducing the fragile mental health of Thatcher, who suffered a series of small strokes after leaving office. In 2008, her daughter Carol revealed that the former titan of British politics suffers from dementia. Thatcher herself has been out of the public eye for 10 years.

"We considered very deeply the morality of discussing this issue about someone who was still alive. But we felt Carol (Thatcher) had given us this cue, that it was something that could be discussed. And we were all confident that Meryl would take care of Lady Thatcher's dignity," said Lloyd.

The filmmakers did not seek the cooperation of Thatcher's family but relied on her published memoirs, input from 1980s politicians, and hours of TV footage and speeches.

Lloyd and Morgan hope their approach will help the movie resonate with people who are less familiar with Thatcher.

"I think international audiences will see it as a very humane study of power and the isolation of power. I don't think they bring the same baggage to the film as British audiences," said Morgan.

With a female director, writer and star, "The Iron Lady" has strong feminist undertones and highlights nuances of the British class system in which Thatcher was viewed as an outsider.

Yet, despite dealing mainly with events 20 years ago, it also has resonance today. "We find ourselves back in a position where there are not many women (in high positions) in parliament," Lloyd said.

"Britain has a government quite dominated by men from very privileged backgrounds. We are in a recession, our government has taken austerity measures, we have riots on the streets and strikes. Does that make Margaret Thatcher just one pendulum swing in history, or the architect of where we are today?"

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Holland Taylor

Holland Taylor offers no apologies for never settling down, getting married or having children.

The 68-year-old Emmy-winning actress, currently starring in her one-woman show "Ann" at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, simply never had the time.

"I always did think I would be married and settled down by now but maybe I ain't ready," she said, sounding a lot like the over-the-top mother of Jon Cryer she portrays in the CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men." "Then again, maybe I won't ever be ready."

Taylor's career blossomed in her mid-30s and the New Yorker with Pennsylvania roots has been on a dizzying pace ever since, starring on the stage, in television and on film.

Having a family just wasn't in the script.

"I'm very, very happy. I just never was the marrying kind," she said. "I am a serial monogamist. I don't have multiple relationships at once.

"I've had a long life and a lot of relationships and not one of them do I wish -- well, I take that back -- there are a couple I could have done without," she added with a chuckle.

Taylor's current love is "Ann," which is based on the life of quick-witted, sharp-tongued former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

Seconds after a recent performance at the Kennedy Center, the audience was on its feet, cheering wildly for the show and its star.

While the applause was quick that night, overall it was a long time coming for Taylor. The actress conceived the show nearly six years ago and has been researching it and writing it ever since. She admits to being captivated about the dynamic Richards, who died in 2006 of esophageal cancer.

"I had a lot of creative feelings about her," Taylor told Reuters. "If I had been a painter, it would have been a painting. If I had been a composer, it would have been a piece of music. I had to do something with my feelings about this loss."

Taylor said the idea of taking Richards' story to the stage "came to me very suddenly."

"I was literally driving to work at my television show one day and I had to pull off the highway onto the service road," she recalled. "I had the idea it should be a play because of her liveliness and her contact with the audience.

"She herself said, 'I was good as a candidate over the years only because I connect with people one on one.' I decided right then a play is how it should be done."

NO LOOKING BACK

Taylor has perfected Richards' Southern drawl and eerily looks like the Texas politician whose energizing keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention elevated her to widespread prominence.

The actress insists she brought Richards' story to the stage not because she could play the role but to celebrate the politician's life.

"She was not a person who looked back. Ever," Taylor said. "She did not revisit things. She was rolling along, like a wheel that goes under and then over. Under and over. But always moving forward.

"If she fell, she fell forward. And that is not the way I am. I get very upset. I can get very waylaid. I get blue. I can become chicken little.

"And now when I do, I think, 'What would Ann Richards think of this behavior?'"

During breaks in the show's pre-Broadway tour -- it is playing now through January 15 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts -- Taylor will continue her role on "Two and a Half Men." She is glad its former star, Charlie Sheen, survived his firing and public meltdown earlier this year and has moved on.

"It was painful for me to see him in pain and he did something very, very dangerous by first of all, obviously doing drugs to that degree is dangerous, but quitting very violently is very dangerous too," she said.

"And he went through really an amazing thing out in public. I just was terrified for him. I think everybody was. But he got through it alive which is all anybody wanted."

Taylor said she would see his daily rants and described them as "very scary."

"There were a few days there where I would open the paper, and I would be so frightened to see that something really terrible happened," she said. "I'm glad he escaped that."

Holland Taylor is in a good spot these days, healthy, happy and with more job offers than she knows what do with. Just don't expect her to slow down anytime soon.

With a laugh, she said she would "commit an ax murder" before attempting to conceal her age.

"It would seem so silly," she said backstage at the Kennedy Center. "I really, truly genuinely struggled quite hard until I was in my mid-30s. "I personally was at sea.

"But that's long gone. I'm doing OK. I'm better than OK."

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