Marc Anthony joins wife in doggie lawsuit; American Cancer Society vs. Michael Jordan; Diddy’s Sarah Palin outrage September 3, 2008

Marc Anthony has been dragged into a personal injury lawsuit filed against his wife, Jennifer Lopez, for the actions of her guard dog – who allegedly attacked a flight attendant while she was traveling on a private jet. The June 2007 suit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court had originally targeted J.Lo alone, but Anthony was added as a defendant after her lawyer revealed him as the owner of the German Shepherd. The alleged victim, flight attendant Lisa Wilson, is seeking $5 million in damages from Lopez and her company, Nuyorican Productions.

      *The American Cancer Society is responding to TMZ.com photos of Michael Jordan playing baseball while smoking a huge cigar. Former president Cary Presant MD, responded: “When high profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior. According to the American Cancer Society tobacco use in this country is responsible for 1/3 of all cancers and remains the most preventable cause of death in our society. 8.6 million Americans suffer from chronic smoking-related disease. Since 1964 smoking has cause more than 12 million premature deaths in the U.S.”

       *Diddy’s latest video blog questions Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. “Alaska? Come on, man. I don’t’ even know if there’s any black people in Alaska,” said Diddy, who also goes by the moniker “Ciroc Obama.” He continued: “If you really think we gonna let you win the election with these crazy decisions that you’re making, you’re bugging.” View entire clip below:

CLOONEY HOSTS OBAMA FUNDRAISER IN GENEVA: Exclusive sold-out event raised hundreds of thousands for campaign war chest September 3, 2008

Oscar winner George Clooney, who announced his endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama during the early part of the primaries, continued supporting the candidate as host of a Tuesday evening fundraiser in Geneva.

 

      About 170 contributors paid $1,000 a head to attend a cocktail party with Clooney at a museum in Geneva’s Old Town on Tuesday evening, reports Reuters. Some 75 wealthy supporters spent $10,000 each to attend “an intimate seated dinner” with the 47-year-old actor which follows at the organizer’s nearby apartment, according to the American lawyer who organized the twin “private” events.

 

       “It is fully subscribed,” organizer Charles Adams said on local morning radio. “Actually most of our guests for dinner are coming from elsewhere — people are flying in from Los Angeles, Prague, London, Zurich and so on.”

 

      Clooney, approached several months ago through a mutual friend, responded “quickly and positively” to the idea of holding an overseas event, according to Adams, who serves on Obama’s National Finance Committee.

 

       “I personally assured George Clooney that Geneva is a city where reserve is a way of life, that he won’t be attacked by fans trying to tear off his shirt,” he told the daily Le Temps.

 

       The two events could infuse $900,000 into the Democratic war chest ahead of the Nov. 4 election, which pits the Illinois senator against Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona.

      

ANOTHER CUB ON THE WAY FOR TIGER: Golfer says he and wifey are expecting second child in winter September 3, 2008

Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he and his wife are about to welcome another little one to the family.

 

      “Elin and I are proud to announce that we are expecting our second child in late winter,” the golf star wrote on his official Web site Tuesday.      

       “This has been a year of contrasts,” Woods, 32, began. “I had a solid start to the season, won the U.S. Open in an exciting playoff, and then unfortunately had to shut it down after successful knee surgery.”       

       “And now, I have some wonderful news to report. Sam is going to be a big sister.”      

       The couple’s first child, Sam Alexis Woods, was born in June 2007.

 

DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR SNOOP’S AUSTRALIA TOUR: Visa ban lifted, allowing rapper to travel Down Under with Ice Cube and Bone Thugs September 3, 2008

Now that Snoop Dogg has officially been approved to enter Australia, promoters have released the itinerary for his upcoming tour in the region with Ice Cube and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

 

      The trek kicks off Oct. 27 at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington and will hit such cities as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

 

      The Long Beach MC, born Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., was originally banned from entering the country in August 2007 due to recent run-ins with the law and his past criminal record.

 

       He was approved for a visa last week, but local organizations expressed outrage, leading immigration officials to mount another character assessment before ultimately deciding to accept his visa.

      Tour dates are listed below:

Oct. 27, Wellington, TSB Arena
Oct. 29, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
Oct. 31, Sydney, Acer Arena
Nov. 2, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
Nov. 5, Adelaide, Entertainment Centre
Nov. 7, Perth, Burswood Dome

BOBBY BROWN FINALLY ADMITS DATING HIS MANAGER: Singer tells Sister 2 Sister he will make the relationship work September 3, 2008

In a new interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine, Bobby Brown not only cops to dating his manager, Alicia Etheredge, but suggests that she may someday be his new wife.

 

      “That one (relationship) is gonna work ’cause I’m gonna make it work,” said Brown.

 

       Etheredge has always maintained she and Brown are longtime friends and business partners, but she hopes to be the one when Brown chooses to settle down again.      

       In an interview last year, she said, “I think that Bobby is a big romantic and really does believe in love. His parents are still married after all these years and I think that he will find that again.”

PETA TARGETS DMX…AGAIN: Animal rights group gives suggestions to prosecutor in pit bull case September 3, 2008

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are furious with DMX for his animal cruelty charges in Arizona and are hoping to ensure that the county prosecutes him to the full extent of the law.

 

      The rapper, born Earl Simmons, is accused of neglecting 12 pit bulls housed on his Cave Creek property north of Phoenix. Authorities also found three dead dogs, buried on his property back in 2007.

 

      In its letter to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew P. Thomas, PETA writes:

 

       As Simmons’ alleged conduct might well demonstrate, repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers, so we implore your office to take every measure necessary to ensure that Simmons, if convicted, is barred from owning or harboring animals for as long as possible. We also ask that, if convicted, Simmons serve a meaningful period of incarceration and be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling at his own expense. The safety of the community might depend on it. Thank you in advance for your diligence in this matter and for your time and consideration.

OBAMA AT 50 % THRESHOLD IN GALLUP POLL: He now leads McCain 50 percent to 42 percent September 3, 2008

It’s happened. Barack Obama has met the 50 percent threshold for the first time. It was revealed Tuesday in the Gallup daily tracking poll. It’s a symbolic hurdle that until now had eluded the Democratic nominee, reports politico.com.

      Here’s what it means: The Gallup daily tracking poll has found that since the conclusion of the Democratic convention, Obama has risen 5 percentage points in the polls and now leads John McCain 50 percent to 42 percent.

      That represents a positive turn for Obama, after a couple of days in which he appeared to have peaked at the 49 percent mark while McCain was showing slight improvements.

      It may be smaller than several of the sizable bounces of recent decades, but the new polling suggests that perhaps the Democratic convention bounce has yet to subside.

      For MORE, go here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13094.html

Related story: MCCAIN CANCELS APPEARANCE ON ‘LARRY KING LIVE’: Camp angry over grilling of campaign spokesman about Sarah Palin.

NE-YO GETS HIS R.KELLY TOUR MONEY: Judge orders $700,000 settlement against promoter September 3, 2008

A concert promoter has been ordered by the court to pay  Ne-Yo almost a million dollars stemming from A lawsuit filed earlier this year.

      If you recall, the singer/songwriter/producer was let go from the R. Kelly tour last year after only two shows. He claimed he was dropped because he had upstaged Kelly, an allegation the Chicago based performer vehemently denied.

      Ne-Yo instead sued the tour’s promoter, Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc., which, interestingly, never answered the lawsuit.

      However, the company did post a statement on its website, after the lawsuit’s filing, that said that it couldn’t obtain a “final, fully executed contract” from Ne-Yo’s agent.

      Apparently, it didn’t matter because last week Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey ordered the company to pay Ne-Yo (real name: Shaffer Smith)  and his touring company $700,320.

      NeYo’s new CD “Year of the Gentleman” is scheduled for release on September 16.

OPRAH POURS A MILLI INTO STEDMAN’S HOMETOWN: TV mogul donates to an educational scholarship fund for youth September 3, 2008

Oprah Winfrey has pledged $1 million to an educational scholarship fund for the youth of Whitesboro, New Jersey, the hometown of her longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham.

 

      On Saturday, the couple attended Whitesboro’s 20th Reunion Festival, where Winfrey served as the keynote speaker. 

 

      “I’m committed to help him help this community,” Winfrey told the crowd, as Graham stood next to her. “Today I’m contributing $220,000 as my first installment in a $1 million plan for the educational scholarship fund of Whitesboro. Keep dreaming ladies and gentlemen, keep dreaming.”      

       During her speech, Winfrey spoke of how Graham reminisced about his hometown of Whitesboro when they began dating and how he wanted the town to be all it could be. She said he worked to get sidewalks, street lights, a baseball field and a community center built in the town.

 

FANTASIA SAYS SURGERY ENDED ‘PURPLE’ RUN: ‘American Idol’ champ says throat tumor was behind reason to quit show September 3, 2008

Fantasia Barrino has come clean about why she left The Color Purple before its official end on Broadway.  The actress said she developed a tumor on her throat that left her feeling drained and too exhausted to keep up her nightly schedule.      

       “I couldn’t get enough sleep and sometimes onstage, I could taste blood … every now and then,” she tells Sister 2 Sister magazine. “They (producers) would send me to the hospitals and they would say, ‘Well, she’s dehydrated; that’s what’s making her tired.’ They would put IVs in me. But it just wasn’t enough.”      

       Eventually, Barrino sensed that something was seriously wrong and visited a top throat doctor in Los Angeles. With the use of a small camera, the physician discovered what he thought was a cyst. The singer recalls, “I went into surgery and he came out and told my mother it was a tumor.”      

Fantasia as Celie in The Color Purple

       Barrino is now healthy following surgery, but the entertainer says she is still “hurt” by some of the negative publicity that surrounded her missed shows. At the time, there were rumors that she had gotten pregnant.            

       “It really hurt my feelings. … I told my manager, ‘Please, somebody protect me,’ because I’ve never missed a show. … I like to perform,” said Barrino. “I felt like, after I had my surgery, nobody knew about it. ‘The Color Purple’ didn’t know about it, my record company didn’t know about it, and I was very hurt by that. … I wasn’t receiving any flowers, any balloons.”