April 2012 Archives

Rapper Wiz Khalifa has been busted for pot possession in Nashville, Tenn.

Khalifa (real name Cameron Jibril Thomaz) was staying with another man, Lonnie Howard, 27, at a Holiday Inn. The front desk had received complaints of marijuana odor coming from Khalifa's room. Staff told police they informed the "Black and Yellow" artist of the issue.

Officers then knocked on Khalifa's door and found a scene straight out of "Benny Hill."

The words "Octomom" and "social worker" seem to go together better than peanut butter and jelly these days. The latest incident in the never-ending Nadya Suleman scandal finds the mother of 14 under investigation by social workers for child neglect.

Police and social workers in Orange County responded to a complaint at Suleman's La Habra, California home. They received reports that the house only had one functioning toilet and Suleman's children appeared unclean, the Los Angeles Times reports.

But the most shocking aspect of this news isn't the alleged neglect, it's how it was uncovered.

NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders' wife Pilar is back in the spotlight, having been arrested on Monday night on suspicion of domestic violence. Sanders tweeted the incident, including a photograph of him filling out a police report.

He claims Pilar and a friend entered their Dallas home and began "kicking, biting, and scratching" him in front of his sons. Though the couple is going through a highly publicized and bitter divorce, they are reportedly still living together.

Probably not for much longer, though.

After illegally killing a bear, Ted Nugent has agreed to sign a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

The incident occurred two years ago while Nugent was filming his Outdoor Channel television show "Spirit of the Wild" in Alaska. Nugent illegally killed and transported a black bear off federal property. The rocker's hunt was captured on camera and later aired on his show. Nugent also injured a second bear.

So what punishments will the musician face as part of the deal?

The term "high fashion" may have a different meaning for Nick Gruber, Calvin Klein's on-again, off-again boyfriend -- who was busted for cocaine possession after a fight Tuesday morning.

Police arrested Gruber, 22, after someone called 911 to say he'd punched another man in the face, according to gossip site TMZ. Officers noted injuries on the alleged victim's face and took Gruber into custody about 5 a.m.

But Gruber, a model and former gay porn star who was romantically linked to 69-year-old Calvin Klein until January, didn't go quietly, police told TMZ.

Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson took the stand on Monday in the murder trial of the man accused of killing her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in 2008. The first witness called by the prosecution, she reportedly broke down in tears while talking about defendant William Balfour, the estranged husband of her sister Julia.

Hudson offered jurors some insight into Balfour's relationship with her sister and the Hudson family. They were not warm to the marriage, and she repeatedly told her sister not to marry him, as she didn't like how he treated her or her son.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has struck back at a $50 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by conservative preacher Bradlee Dean. Maddow and NBC Universal have filed an anti-SLAPP motion that, if successful, would force Dean to pay legal fees and end his suit.

Dean, a former heavy metal drummer (seriously), sued Maddow and company in July. He accused her of twisting his words in order to undermine Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachman.

With the filing of Maddow and NBCU's motion, Dean's case may be coming to an end. But did his defamation lawsuit ever have legs to begin with?

The Mel Gibson recordings just keep on coming. The newest debacle has the "Lethal Weapon" star seriously looking into suing Joe Eszterhas.

Eszterhas recorded Gibson's latest rant while in the star's home in Costa Rica. The actor was angry over Eszterhas' lack of progress with "The Maccabees" script. Among the audio jewels from Gibson this time include him screaming sarcastically at his guests to eat and arbitrarily yelling "hate." And of course, the usual deluge of F-bombs.

Gibson believes he has a "basic human right" not to be recorded, Fox News reports. But is that belief enough for a lawsuit?

Scholars everywhere, stop your endless debates. The secret meaning behind electro pop duo LMFAO's name has finally been revealed in a trademark application.

Theories abound across Internet message boards. Fans have speculated the duo's name stood for everything from the original dirty Internet acronym to "Loving My Friends And Others." LMFAO's Stefan Kendal Gordy (RedFoo) and Skyler Austen Gordy (SkyBlu) have never actually been too clear, until now.

So what does their name really mean?

Right-wing rocker Ted Nugent's comments about President Obama have triggered a Secret Service investigation into a potential threat against the president.

Nugent, 63, is known for his outspoken conservative views, and didn't hold back at a National Rifle Association convention over the weekend.

"I'll tell you this right now: If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year," Nugent told the audience, according to The Washington Post.

But wait -- there's more:

By Maryam Ansari, Esq.

We've reported on how author Greg Mortenson was found to be abusing his charity's funds. Now, the "Three Cups of Tea" author is being sued for allegedly fabricating the stories in his book, reports The Atlantic Wire.

Mortenson will be appearing today in a federal court in Great Falls, Montana.

The lawsuit is brought by four plaintiffs who also bring suit against co-author Oliver Relin, Penguin Group publishers, the Central Asia Institute and MC Consulting, a consulting group owned by Mortenson, according to The Associated Press. The suit alleges that the defendants were all involved in a conspiracy to sell Mortenson's books in a fraudulent scheme.

A new class-action lawsuit against ABC's dating shows "The Bachelorette" and "The Bachelor" for racial discrimination is about to be filed. Fans of the shows should also note the forthcoming suit is perhaps the only actual reality to hit the two series in some time.

The lawsuit will be brought by a group of Nashville residents led by Nashville Storm linebacker Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, a former wide receiver for Tennessee State. They'll be alleging the shows discriminate against minorities because they haven't featured a "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" of color since they first aired.

While this all might sound like some bizarre marketing ploy, the future plaintiffs could actually have a case here.

Is the Fox Mole a criminal?

Gawker and Fox News fans alike are contemplating this question now that associate producer Joe Muto has positively identified himself as the Fox Mole. He has admitted to posting behind the scenes videos of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in hopes of exposing the "seedy underbelly" of the cable news station.

Though undoubtedly enough to earn him a pink slip, can Muto's actions also earn him a conviction?

"Jersey Shore" star Pauly D has been sued by his former talent agency for back due commissions. Among the fun allegations in the lawsuit, the most sickening (if true): Pauly D's salary was $2 million for the show's 5th season. That's just ten kinds of nuts.

It's crazy enough that "Jersey Shore" is a ratings magnet. But paying a guy millions to over-tweeze his eyebrows and trash apartments is mental.

However, the wacky revelations don't end there.

The quiet half of magic and comedy duo Penn & Teller is suing for copyright infringement. Teller's magic trick lawsuit alleges that Dutch magician Gerard Dogge infringed on his magic act "Shadows."

Dogge, stage name Gerard Barkardy, titled his version of the trick "The Rose & Her Shadow." Dogge allegedly posted videos of himself performing the act on YouTube, Reuters reports. At the end, Dogge offers to reveal the trick's secret for $3,050.

So what did Teller do in response?

Manhattan prosecutors in the G. Dep murder trial warned jurors that they would be given two conflicting accounts of the crime. Born Trevell Coleman, G. Dep was once an up and coming rapper signed to Bad Boy Records.

When he tried to relaunch his career in 2010, he decided he needed to do so with a clear conscience. He walked into a local police precinct and confessed to a 1993 murder. But he and his lawyer say that he's been charged with the wrong killing.

Closing arguments happened on Monday and jurors began deliberating on G. Dep's fate, XXL reports. The are set to come back to the jury room Tuesday morning.

Rapper Flo Rida must fork over more than $80,000 to an Australian concert promoter -- crikey! -- or risk having his assets frozen "Down Under."

A judge in the Australian state of New South Wales ordered Flo Rida, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, to pay for damages after he allegedly cancelled a concert with just two hours' notice last fall, the New York Post reports.

Concert promoters had paid Flo Rida an upfront appearance fee of $50,000. And concertgoers -- more than 10,000 of them -- coughed up more than $100 for tickets.

Unfortunately Flo Rida, the Australian concert's headliner, had apparently flipped out.

Sean "Diddy" Combs must be spinning. First he learns he's been fed penis-shaped dumplings, and now he has to deal with a break-in.

Quamine Taylor has been charged with trespassing and petit larceny, having been arrested on April 1 for breaking into Diddy's mansion. He had been staying at the luxurious Hamptons hideaway for nearly 24 hours when a caretaker called police.

While there, he ate Diddy's food. He drank Diddy's liquor. He danced around in Diddy's clothes.

Despite her smooth looks, Kim Kardashian is hairy. She says so herself in a court filing that cites her genetic and ethnic heritage in defense to a hair-removal company's lawsuit.

Kardashian's hairy admission was in response to a lawsuit by Radiant, maker of the No No Hair Removal System, gossip website TMZ reports. Radiant sued Kardashian last fall, claiming she deceived consumers while working as a celebrity spokeswoman for TRIA, a rival company's hair-removal product.

Kardashian's allegedly false statements in her TRIA endorsements place Radiant's No No system at an unfair disadvantage, the company's lawsuit claims, according to TMZ.

Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are officially engaged, an act that the pair’s most important fans — their six children — have apparently been waiting for.

“Yes, it'’ confirmed,” Pitt's manager said, according to USA Today. “It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy.”

The pair known as Brangelina had famously vowed not to marry until same-sex marriage became legal nationwide. “But I don't think we'll be able to hold out,” Pitt told The Hollywood Reporter in January. “It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot.”

So what legal consequences may arise from the couple’s pending marriage?

The new Clint Eastwood lawsuit is a strange one. The surly actor slash director slash producer is suing Evofurniture and website Inmod.com, accusing the two companies of inappropriately using his "name, identity and persona for the purpose of attracting attention to" their furniture.

Yes. Furniture.

Up until well, today, Inmod.com was selling Evofurniture's "Clint" entertainment centers and "Eastwood" chairs and ottomans. The suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages to compensate Eastwood for the egregious use of his name.

Current TV wasted no time in firing back at former "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann's lawsuit, filing a countersuit that uses the disgruntled anchorman's own words against him, Politico reports.

Olbermann, who filed suit against his former bosses at Current on April 5 -- seeking more than $50 million for alleged contract breaches that led to his firing -- went on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" to discuss his predicament April 3.

"I screwed up really big on this," Olbermann said on the show, according to CBS News. "It's my fault that it didn't succeed in the sense that I didn't think the whole thing through."

Those words may be coming back to bite him.

Manhattan police have arrested Alec Baldwin stalker Genevieve Sabourin, a Canadian actress who met the actor on the set of the 2002 film The Adventures of Pluto Nash. It's unclear how long she has been harassing Baldwin, but her behavior reached creepy territory in the past few weeks.

Sabourin reportedly flew down from Montreal to harass Baldwin while he was in the Hamptons. A few days later, when back in the city, she allegedly showed up at an event.

Then on Sunday night, she appeared at his Manhattan home, where police were finally able to track her down.

Things might be looking a little rosier for Nicholas Cage's IRS tax troubles. The "Ghost Rider" star has paid the government $6,257,005 in back income taxes from 2007, ABC News reports.

The multi-million dollar payment got the federal government to remove a lien that was placed on the actor's real estate holdings in 2008.

This all sounds pretty groovy for Cage, but the reality is still pretty grim for the Hollywood star.

Funny girl Amanda Bynes was arrested early Friday morning in West Hollywood on suspicion of driving under the influence. The 26-year-old was attempting to pass a cop car just before being pulled over.

It seems she actually hit the police cruiser.

As of this writing, she's still in jail, being held until someone picks her up and pays her $5,000 bail.

Amanda Bynes' arrest comes as no surprise to fans of the former Nickelodeon star.

In this corner: The Manny Pacquiao Foundation, which allegedly tried to ship used clothes as "relief goods" from the United States to the Philippines... And in the other corner: The shipping company, which claims it never got paid.

Gossip website TMZ reports on a strange lawsuit against the Pacman's California-based foundation, which aims to "foster, support and transform the health, education and overall well-being of disadvantaged communities in the Philippines."

But it seems the Foundation's "relief" shipment of used clothes got stopped by the Philippines authorities. And the Foundation is using that as an excuse to not pay its $35,000 bill, the shipping company's lawsuit asserts.

Keith Olbermann's lawsuit claims his former employers at Current TV are -- to borrow the anchorman's catchphrase -- "the worst persons ... in the world!"

Current TV, a struggling cable channel, fired Olbermann last week after a long-running public dispute between the outspoken anchorman and Current's executives, including attorney Joel Hyatt and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Olbermann threatened legal action, and has now followed up with a lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The suit seeks $50 million to $70 million in damages, and rips into Current TV and its managers.

Tyler Perry's April 1 Facebook post about police pulling him over was no April Fool's joke: The highest-paid man in entertainment is accusing a pair of white Atlanta police officers of racial profiling.

Four days later, Perry's post boasts more than 117,000 "likes," 21,000 comments, and 12,000 shares. Atlanta police have launched an internal investigation, E! News reports.

Perry's predicament began when he admittedly made a left turn from a far-right lane -- a trick his security detail taught him, to make sure he wasn't being followed, Perry explained on Facebook.

"Weird Al" Yankovic's company is gearing up for legal action against Sony Music Group. The Weird Al lawsuit alleges that the music company ripped off the funnyman to the tune of more than $5 million.

Ear Booker Enterprises (Yankovic's company) accuses Sony of contract breach and other unfair business dealings, the Chicago Tribune website reports. Ear Booker filed the suit in the U.S. District Court in New York.

Though Yankovic (born Alfred Matthew Yankovic) is known for his off-beat musical parodies, the singer/actor/comedian's company doesn't appear to be playing around this time.

Will the reasons to send Octomom death threats never end? The latest sting of controversy comes courtesy of the latest Octomom welfare scandal.

Nadya "Octomom" Suleman has applied for and been approved to receive food assistance benefits from the state of California. Her act has drawn the ire of the Internet in the form of mass death threats, the New York Daily News reports.