July 2011 Archives

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong says domestic abuse is the culprit behind the demise of her marriage. The Real Housewives divorce comes after a five-year marriage to her husband, Russell Armstrong, a venture capitalist.

Armstrong, 40, filed for divorce just a few weeks ago, according to The Daily Mail.

She recently revealed the allegations of abuse in an interview with People magazine.

Oscar-winning actor and frequent gangster-portrayer Joe Pesci has sued the makers of the new "Gotti" movie. The lawsuit claims that the company behind the new mobster biopic, Fiore Films, is reneging on an original $3 million deal with him to play Angelo Ruggiero, an advisor for John Gotti, Sr.

The lawsuit says that the producers have now offered him a reduced $1 million-dollar role in the film, the AP reports.

Pesci is not pleased, especially because he says that he gained 30 pounds in order to play Angelo Ruggiero, according to the AP.

For some reason, the media appears to be surprised that ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has been left out of Amy Winehouse's will, which is set to disseminate a fortune estimated to be between $15 and $30 million.

The pair was divorced in 2009 after a two-year marriage that was often riddled with violence, drugs, co-dependence, and criminal charges.

In fact, Fielder-Civil is currently serving a 32 month sentence for burglary and possession of an imitation firearm.

Upper East Side princess Blair Waldorf would never beat someone with a bottle! Would the actress who portrays her do something so uncouth? According to a new lawsuit, Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester beat her mom last December. This allegation comes after Leighton's mom has countersued against her famous daughter, who recently filed a lawsuit against her mother.

Leighton's initial suit claimed that her mother, Constance Meester, was misusing $7,500 a month in funds she was sending to help her brother with his medical issues, reports The Daily Mail.

Leighton's mom was allegedly using these funds not on her brother's care but on Botox, plastic surgery, and hair extensions. Leighton filed suit, and her mother has countersued - with some shocking allegations.

Maybe portraying a villain brings out the volatile and violent side of any man. "The Amazing Spider-Man" actor Rhys Ifans was arrested over the weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego. The Comic-Con arrest followed an incident involving Ifans, a member of his entourage, and a security guard at the San Diego event.

Ifans plays the role of The Lizard, a supervillain in the upcoming "Spider-Man" movie.

A member of his entourage was denied access to a presentation, and Ifans became upset. Eventually, he ended up shoving a security guard, reports USA Today.

It's a family drama fit for the Upper East Side: Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester has sued her mom, ex-convict Constance Meester.

Meester, famous for playing prickly Queen Bee Blair Waldorf on the hit CW series, is alleging that her mother used payments she sent to her for her brother's medical care on herself, reports the New York Daily News.

Meester sends about $7,500 a month. Her mother apparently used these funds on plastic surgery, Botox and hair extensions. And, the drama doesn't end there, as her mother plans to sue Meester right back, the New York Daily News reports.

Is reality TV just another breeding ground for lawsuits and brawls? The new Basketball Wives lawsuit centers on stars Tami Roman and Meeka Claxton.

According to Claxton, Roman beat her up when they were at some nightclub in Italy, according to TMZ.

Claxton is so upset about the alleged beat-down that she has filed a lawsuit New York, asking for damages - including punitive damages.

Fernando Flores, once employed as Britney Spears' bodyguard, may have sued the erratic pop singer back in September 2010, but with newly released court documents, the events leading up to the sexual harassment accusations have come to light.

Accusing Spears of summoning him to her room for the sole purpose of showing off her naked body, Flores' complaint goes on to call his former boss "mentally unstable" with a long list of "obnoxious personal habits."

Because you're probably most interested in Britney Spears' personal habits, here's what she's been accused of doing:

Don't confuse Simon Cowell with Simon Fuller. Simon Cowell is intent on bringing the "X Factor" talent show, similar to "American Idol," stateside. On the other hand, Simon Fuller has sued over the U.S. version of the "X Factor." The "X Factor" lawsuit is about what nearly everything in Hollywood tends to boil down to - contracts.

Before we get down to the exciting world of contract disputes and contract clauses, a brief introduction and lesson in the differences between Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller may be necessary.

Do you know your Simons? Both are British. Both are heavyweights in the entertainment industry. Most Americans tend to recognize Simon Cowell as the surly judge on "American Idol." But, the other Simon - Simon Fuller - is the one who created "Idol."

Kim Kardashian and Old Navy aren't exactly BFF these days. Not after Old Navy launched an advertisement which allegedly uses a model that looks strikingly similar to Kim. Kardashian has now sued the clothing company, alleging $20 million in damages.

Old Navy's ad campaign actually uses a model named Melissa Molinaro. And, it seems that not only do Molinaro and Kardashian have a similar "look," but they also share a similar dating history: Molinaro has reportedly dated Kardashian's ex, Reggie Bush.

Kardashian's Old Navy lawsuit doesn't name Molinaro, however. She is more concerned about the use of her image and likeness in the Super C-U-T-E Old Navy ads, reports E! Online.

Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie, indicted in June 2010 on charges of smuggling illegal substances into Dixon Correctional Institute, has been indicted yet again; but this time he's accused of conspiring to smuggle Sizzurp into the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Currently serving time on drugs and weapons charges, and awaiting trial on charges of first degree murder, Lil Boosie may face more time behind bars as a result of these new allegations.

Hiding out in Vancouver with his wife Evi, Santa Barbara prosecutors have wanted Randy Quaid extradited back to the United States so that they could prosecute the couple on felony vandalism charges.

But it appears as though their alleged crimes aren't serious enough for the U.S. Department of Justice, which has formally declined the Santa Barbara District Attorney's request.

Does the National Lampoon star now get to take permanent Canadian vacation?

The sordid details of Tiger Woods' affair with Rachel Uchitel may be hitting the newsstands sometime soon, as the home wrecker turned reality star has reportedly been forced to give back a hefty chunk of the $10 million sum she was paid to keep quiet.

But that's not all. Uchitel's donation to Tiger's reportedly dwindling bank account was allegedly marred by lawyer misconduct and greed, with none other than Gloria Allred accused of raking in the big bucks on the back of her client.

Rapper Ja Rule's tax evasion has landed him 28 months in prison. Ja Rule was sentenced in federal court in New Jersey.

They say that nothing is certain in life besides death and taxes. And, as the IRS' crackdown on Jas Rule for tax evasion illustrates, even celebrities can't dodge paying taxes. 

Unless they want to serve time.

Ja Rule admitted that he had not filed taxes for five years, reports CNN.

Remember Barron Hilton's DUI crash? Well, Barron Hilton's lawsuit has come to an end and Paris Hilton's little brother has been ordered to pay $4.9 million to the gas station employee he crashed into in Malibu, California.

In 2008, Hilton was driving his Mercedes-Benz down the scenic Pacific Coast Highway - in the wrong direction, reports the Los Angeles Times.

He then pulled into a gas station where he hit an employee, Fernando Tellez, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Unmoved by her testimony, a jury in Los Angeles handed Sharon Stone a verdict on Thursday, and the actress isn't happy.

Finding that she was negligent in the upkeep of her property, a group of her less famous peers ordered Stone to pay $232,000 to Peter Krause, a worker who injured himself while installing outdoor wiring at her home in 2008.

Eh, she probably got away easy.

A Harry Potter font lawsuit is the last thing anyone expected to see just days before the series' final installment hits the theaters, but just that has happened.

P22 Type Foundry, the creator of the typeface Cezanne Regular, has filed a lawsuit against NBC Universal, arguing that the company infringed upon its copyright by using the font on Potter merchandise connected to a new ride at Orlando's Universal Studios.

Wait, since when are fonts copyrightable?

A "Sister Wives" lawsuit is expected to be filed today by the family featured on the hit TLC reality show. The polygamy lawsuit is challenging the Utah law that makes polygamy a crime.

Kody Brown is the head of the family. He has four wives and 16 children and stepchildren. The Browns are members of the Apostolic United Brethren Church, which is a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon Church.

The Mormon Church gave up polygamy in the 1890s when Utah sought statehood, reports The New York Times.

Rapper Foxy Brown's mooning charges have been dismissed because the mooning victim has decided not to testify - and she didn't even have to whip out the tried-and-true "underwear defense."

Brown's mooning of her neighbor, Arlene Raymond, had allegedly violated an order of protection, reports the New York Daily News.

How did this all begin? It all began with a simple feud. Raymond and Brown reside in the same Prospect Heights building. One time, Brown blasted a car radio outside the building, which likely irritated Raymond to no end.

He was supposed to be out on July 13th, but it looks like rapper DMX's release from Yuma State Prison in Arizona has been pushed back at least another week.

Turns out that metal bars and an orange jumpsuit yet again didn't do anything for the rap artist, whose prison record includes disorderly conduct, disrespect to staff, and unauthorized smoking.

Oh, and then there's the drug possession.

How'd he get those?

Who owns the "Pawn Stars" trademark - Frank Bishop, pawnbroker and owner of Pawn Star, or A&E Television Network, the television station that broadcasts the reality TV show, "Pawn Stars"?

A&E certainly thinks they own the rights to the "Pawn Stars" moniker.

Bishop filed papers for his business' name, located in Florida, in February of 2006. The show started using it on July 2009, reports The Tampa Tribune.

Netflix down? Those two words can strike a chord of fear in every online streaming movie and TV show lover. And unfortunately for Netflix, Sony movies getting pulled off their "instant view" might only be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to contracts with big studios.

Viewers who are all-too used to instant gratification via the Netflix website, or their PS3, Xbox 360, or Netflix-ready players, were sad to find many recent releases by Sony no longer available to be readily watched online last weekend, reports CNet.

The reason? There's a good old-fashioned contract dispute between Netflix, Starz, and Sony.

Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes' son was arrested for shoplifting in Georgia. Leakes' son, Bryson Bryant, allegedly tried to pilfer two razors from Walmart on Thursday, reports The Daily Mail.

His haul? Around $14 for each razor, The Daily Mail reports.

Bryant, 21, was also in violation of his probation when he arrested from a prior marijuana possession charge.

Rock band Coheed and Cambria's bassist, Michael Todd, was arrested for robbing a pharmacy in Massachusetts.

The robbery occurred just a few hours before Coheed and Cambria was set to open for Soundgarden.

Todd allegedly went into the Walgreens store and gave the pharmacists a note that said he had a bomb. He demanded around 6 bottles of prescription painkillers (OxyContin), reports The New York Times.

"The Situation" has gotten himself into a situation. Sued by his ex managers for $1 million, the new "The Situation" lawsuit claims that the Jersey Shore star wrongfully fired them.

The Situation, also known as Mike Sorrentino, was represented by Gotham NYC Entertainment, reports The Star-Ledger.

Gotham had represented the Situation since December 2009, but their manager/agent relationship ended in May of this year due to "lack of performance," The Star-Ledger reports.

Surprise, surprise. Another sampling copyright suit has been filed, and this time the defendant is no other than The Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah.

Sued by Jack Urbont, the creator of the Iron Man Theme from the 1960's The Marvel Super Heroes, Killah is accused of using the song in two tracks on his second album, which was released in 2000.

Will the artist's love of Iron Man deplete his bank account?

Was Chris Hansen cheating? Apparently so, and the evidence includes scenes of reporter Kristyn Caddell and Chris Hansen on video.

Most people recognize Hansen as the guy who surprises pedophiles and men trying to get with underage girls on Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" reports.

In "To Catch a Predator," Hansen surprises the men, who are being secretly recorded by hidden cameras. He then proceeds to interview the men who were just caught red-handed.

Can't you just see all of Hansen's previous "Predator" victims smiling right about now?

It's not surprising to hear that comedian Katt Williams has been caught up in some doggy drama, given the fact that he was behind a $575,000 dog-bites-dog attack last year. But, this time, it's Katt Williams' bodyguard who caused the problem.

In a very bizarre story out of Arizona, TMZ is reporting that Williams' bodyguard shot a former police dog in a fast food parking lot, which was then replaced with William's very own puppy.

Willie Nelson's pot plea has been rejected by a Texas judge. The plea stems from Willie Nelson's pot possession charge last November.

The country legend was arrested in Texas last year when a Border Patrol agent smelled something suspicious in his tour bus. A search revealed some marijuana, though the amount was not enough for a felony, reports Reuters.

Nelson was charged with a misdemeanor, according to Reuters. And, a creative pot plea agreement was hashed out.

What's up for Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D? A lawsuit. Pauly D is being sued by DJ Paulie, a less prominent DJ.

DJ Paulie is suing Pauly D for ruining his business and his reputation. Apparently, he's also gotten death threats from jealous boyfriends, probably meant for Pauly D.

Say what? A cast member of Jersey Shore is ruining your reputation? Say it isn't so!

Nathan Lee Parada, the Paris Hilton burglar, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Parada had tried to break into Hilton's home in Los Angeles last August, reports Popeater.

In fact, Parada had tried to break into Hilton's house wielding two knives. Parada had come to Hollywood from the Redlands. He bought a "star map" to find out where Hilton's house was, reports Popeater.

Apparently, when you mess with the Zohan, you lose in court.

Last week, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision to toss the Zohan lawsuit, which accused Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Sony Pictures, and Happy Madison of copyright infringement in relation to the 2008 film, You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

Strangely, the entire case was about the use of a blow dryer as a weapon.