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RIHANNA’s father has hit out at the international media for portraying him as a homeless man forced to live in his car - accusing the press of attempting to "discredit" the UMBRELLA singer by suggesting she does not support her family.
The pop star returned to her native Barbados last week (begs09Feb09) after she was allegedly assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in the early hours of 8 February (09).
Brown is facing possible jail time after being charged by Los Angeles police with making criminal threats following a heated argument.
Rihanna’s dad, Ronald Fenty, has been speaking to the press to assure fans his daughter is doing well - but TV clips allegedly showing Fenty selling items from the trunk of his car on the Caribbean island have prompted him to defend his own livelihood, following allegations he is homeless.
And while he admits to turning his car into a moving market stall, Fenty insists it’s just "a job I do on the side… to keep me happy".
He says, "It’s an attempt by them (the media) to shift the focus from Chris Brown. I am really upset about the whole incident. They had me all over the TV saying that I was living in a car and was homeless. I have a home in (Barbadian town) Warrens. I don’t live in this car.
"Rihanna has done really well as a person from a small island and I know that she is up against the heavyweights, so they will do anything to discredit her."

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WEEDS writer/producer MATTHEW SALSBERG has landed a seven-figure deal with Lionsgate studios, tying him to the company for the next two years.
Salsberg signed a production and development contract with the studio’s TV division, which will see him promoted to executive producer for season six of the hit drama, starring Mary-Louise Parker.
He will also pen a number of other comedy projects for Lionsgate, reports Variety.com.
And Salsberg - who has also written scripts for Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm - is delighted to be given the opportunity to take Weeds to another level, describing the programme as "the most enjoyable and rewarding experience of my career".
The exact figure of the deal has not been disclosed.

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Bollywood star SHAH RUKH KHAN is undergoing surgery to treat a shoulder injury he sustained while filming in December (08).
The 43-year-old Indian actor was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Monday (16Feb09) after picking up the injury on the set of Dulha Mil Gaya (I Found My Groom).
Khan is expected to be discharged by Sunday (22Feb09) - but he has been warned by doctors to rest his shoulder for several weeks to allow it to fully recover.
A spokeswoman for the Breach Candy hospital confirms, "Shah Rukh is set to undergo surgery later today."

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Cycling champion LANCE ARMSTRONG is offering a reward for the safe return of his one-of-a-kind racing bike after it was stolen at the weekend (14Feb09).
The athlete broke the news on social networking website Twitter on Sunday (15Feb09) morning, explaining how the custom-painted Trek time-trial bicycle was one of four that had been swiped from a truck outside his hotel in Sacramento, California.
Armstrong is in the state competing in the Amgen Tour of California with Team Astana, and had ridden his black and yellow bike just hours before it was taken.
Writing an appeal to fans on the site, he says, "There is only one like it in the world, therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered." The sports star was due to ride the bike on Sunday (15Feb09) afternoon, but he and his three teammates had to make do with replacements.
Armstrong has not specified the amount of the reward.

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Rapper JACKIE-O has silenced rumours she is angry with bosses at her record label for putting out an album she is unhappy with, insisting it couldn’t be further from the truth.
The star is due to release her new disc Little Red Riding Hood later this month (Feb09), and has dismissed allegations she clashed with CGE executives over the songs chosen for the CD.
She tells Hip Hop Weekly, "I’m very pleased with the music. There’s a particular website that’s commenting on me in their rumour section, saying they heard I wasn’t happy with my album that I’m putting out, because some of the music that I put on the album is from my mixtapes.
"The reason why is because a lot of fans have been emailing us on MySpace asking where they could purchase those particular songs, so I decided since people wanted to buy them to put them on there."

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British singer ESTELLE is eyeing a musical collaboration with rocker LENNY KRAVITZ.
The American Boy hitmaker was introduced to Kravitz at a party where she was performing and the pair discovered a mutual appreciation for each other’s work.
And now Estelle is eager to step into the studio with the Fly Away singer.
She says, "He was a big fan of mine and I was a big fan of his, so it was cool to finally meet him. I’m hoping Lenny and I will work together on some tracks in the future."

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Rapper KOOL KEITH is launching his own line of pornography films and lingerie - because he’s sick of the lacy underwear actresses wear in adult movies.
The hip-hop star is the new CEO of KK Fashion and he hopes to inject a new sense of style into the world of adult film.
He says, "I’m doing my clothing line and my porno line. I’m tired of the porn - even in amateur movies and stuff like that - I’m tired of the apparel. It’s time for new apparel. It’s time for other things, and other co-ordinations in fashion." But that’s not all - the MC is also branching out into making explicit movies himself, via his KK Films brand, and is appealing to wannabe porn stars to get in touch.
He adds, "I’m looking for up and coming talent, instead of all the normal talent that you always see out there - talent that we get monotonous with, the same girls all in the same magazines, porn boxes. I’m tryin’ to work on upcoming talent. That’s my thing; I’m gonna scoop some ethnic talent, and take it to another level.
"I want (interested parties) to shoot (send me) an email. Definitely, there are places that a lot of people don’t have an outlet, as far as they’re not in New York City and not in California. I want to touch people who possibly can’t be reached by a person or scout out there. We’re an outlet so that you can be notified and reached."

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Hip-hop mogul MARION ‘SUGE’ KNIGHT is recovering from facial injuries after he was allegedly beaten up in a fight with a member of AKON’s entourage.
The former Death Row Records owner was attending a private party at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona as part of the NBA All-Star weekend (13-15Feb09).
But according to TMZ.com, trouble ensued when two groups of guests in the VIP area clashed - allegedly resulting in Knight being punched twice in the head.
The website claims police were called to the venue at about 3.30am, where Taser guns were used to break up the fight.
Robert Carnes Jr. was arrested and charged with one count of felony aggravated assault - reportedly due to "the severity of the victim’s injuries".
Another suspect - only referred to as Anderson - was taken into custody and charged with one count of misdemeanour disorderly conduct. They are both being held in custody at Scottsdale City Jail.
A Scottsdale police report of the incident states, "Officers arrived and watched a group of about 6-8 guests exiting the VIP area. They saw one person, later identified as Robert Carnes Jr., punch the victim in the head two times. Officers deployed Tasers to quell the fight that erupted.
"Officers arrested Carnes Jr. and Anderson for assault and disorderly conduct. The victim was transported to SHC-Osborn hospital where he was treated for facial injuries. Carnes Jr. reported to officers that he is employed as the business manager for singer ‘Akon’." Akon was not present during the fight. His publicist Jaime Cassavechia tells WENN, "Akon had already left the party and was in his hotel room at The W, when the incident occurred." The rep also denied that Carnes, Jr. handles the singer’s business, although she confirms he is a member of the star’s camp.
It’s the second time in a year that Knight has been beaten up - he was knocked out for three minutes and had to be taken to hospital last May (08) following an altercation outside a Hollywood nightclub.

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Actress ELLEN BARKIN has slammed allegations she auctioned $20.3 million (£14.2 million)-worth of jewellery from her ex-husband, billionaire RONALD PERELMAN, for revenge - insisting it was a "practical decision".
The 54-year-old Ocean’s 13 star ended her marriage to the business tycoon in 2006, claiming Perelman wouldn’t allow her to pursue her acting career while they were together.
And Barkin was so worried film bosses would be reluctant to hire her after taking the prolonged hiatus, she decided to sell her expensive jewels to help support her family.
She tells the New York Daily News, "Everyone thought it was a big f**k-you (to Perelman). That’s bulls**t. It was a purely practical decision. I sold them so I - and my children and my mother - would be taken care of. I sold the jewellery because I’d been out of the movie business for seven years. I was 52. There was a good chance I would never get my spot back again."

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Pop star LILY ALLEN regrets behaving like a wild-child during the early days of her career - because she had no idea how to handle the excesses she was presented with on nights out.
The Smile hitmaker was just 21 years old when she hit the big time and was bombarded with invites to attend parties and events - which came with the lure of free alcohol and drugs.
The now 23-year-old found it hard to resist temptation, and as a result has regularly been pictured falling out of clubs in the early hours of the morning.
She says, "If you’d come to my place six months ago or two years ago, I wouldn’t probably be up by now (11am). There would have been empty vodka bottles everywhere, drugs, whatever. If you think, when all this happened I was 21. Becoming famous is all a bit scary and weird and I had no idea how to handle it…
"So you go out and you get off your head (drunk). You get invited to parties and there’s free drink and drugs. Well you do, don’t you? What other 21-year-old wouldn’t do that?" But Allen is adamant she has put her wild days behind her - and she refuses to allow any sort of hard partying at her London home.
She adds, "I don’t want people crashed out here all hours of the morning. I don’t want any drugs in this flat (apartment)."

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TOM CRUISE proved there were no hard feelings towards ex NICOLE KIDMAN’s new husband KEITH URBAN, by applauding a performance the country singer gave at a race car convention at the weekend (15Feb09).
Urban played a set before the kick-off of the Daytona 500 car race in Florida on Sunday (15Feb09).
And among the faces cheering on the star in the crowd was Cruise, along with his adopted son Connor, 14.
An onlooker says, "Tom and Connor had a great day out and really enjoyed listening to Keith as he performed." Cruise was married to Kidman for 11 years and they adopted the teen and daughter Isabella, 16, before divorcing in 2001.
He went on to wed actress Katie Holmes in 2006 and the couple has a daughter, Suri, two.
Kidman married Urban the same year and they have a seven month old tot named Sunday Rose.

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British singer ESTELLE was left stunned by a surprise Christmas present - a praising phone call from MARY J. BLIGE.
The American Boy hitmaker has long looked up to the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul and was moved to tears after a previous meeting with her.
But it was a phone call from Blige over the festive season that left the Brit overwhelmed - the star had nothing but kind words to lavish on her.
Estelle says, "The only time I’ve ever been starstruck was when I met Mary J Blige. I cried. She’s a huge hero of mine. I told her I loved her three or four times.
"She called me over the Christmas holidays and said, ‘I want to give you encouragement, keep doing what you’re doing and you have enough talent, so do not give up.’ I was like ‘Ohmygod!’ "That was the best Christmas present ever, I didn’t stop smiling for three days."

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Supermodel-turned-TV host HEIDI KLUM has slammed a German fashion designer who dubbed her "too heavy" to model.
The 35-year-old mum of three, who rose to fame modelling lingerie for Victoria’s Secret, was criticised by designer Wolfgang Joop last week (begs09Feb09).
He told editors at German website Bild.com that Klum had become too fat to walk the catwalk.
But the German stunner, now an Emmy Award-nominated host of Project Runway and Germany’s Next Top Model, insists her fashion career is moving forward.
A spokesperson for Klum tells the New York Post, "Wolfgang is obviously trying to revive his sagging career and get press for himself by riding Heidi’s coattails." And Klum’s Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn has also rushed to her defence, blasting Joop’s allegations as hurtful and absurd.
He tells the New York Daily News, "It’s totally ridiculous! (Heidi) is a sensitive soul, and it’s very troubling to her. If she’s fat, other women should throw themselves off a train. I can wrap my hand around her bicep."

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LINDSAY LOHAN has brushed off fresh rumours she’s split from girlfriend SAMANTHA RONSON, after the couple pulled out of hosting duties at a St. Valentine’s Day (14Feb09) party in Florida.
The Mean Girls actress and her DJ partner were due to appear at Passions, a nightclub in Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday.
They were forced to cancel after reportedly falling ill - with Ronson claiming she had been given doctor’s orders not to fly from New York to Florida that day.
The last-minute cancellation sparked new claims the pair had clashed, with online blogs alleging the couple scrapped the bash following a heated argument on Friday (13Feb09) night.
But Lohan insists Ronson really is ill and has now been allowed to travel to Los Angeles to recuperate from an ear infection.
The actress tells OK! magazine, "She’s sick. She’s in L.A. Everything is fine. I just sent her food from Jerry’s Deli, but she slept through the guys banging on the door. So I was texting her saying, ‘I’m going to an event, there’s food outside the door.’"

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JACKIE CHAN’s new movie will not be released in China - because its director DEREK YEE has deemed it "too violent" for the country’s cinema-goers.
The action man appears in Shinjuku Incident, a Chinese-language film which stars Chan as a refugee who escapes to Japan and gets embroiled in the local gang culture.
The $25 million (£17 million) movie features several gruesome scenes, including one character getting his hand chopped off and being stabbed with knives.
And while Yee believes the picture would pass China’s strict censorship laws, he fears the violence would be too shocking for local audiences in a country that has no age restriction for movie releases.
He says, "We tried to cut the violent scenes to meet the requirements of the Chinese market, but producers I invited to watch that version thought it was incomplete. For us, the problem was just the violence." Yee adds that Chan, who has invested some of his own money in the movie, agreed with his decision.
Shinjuku Incident will be released in Chan’s native Hong Kong and southeast Asia in April (09), and in Japan in May (09).

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DANNY BOYLE’s Oscar-nominated movie SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has bagged another clutch of prizes - scooping top honours at separate awards dinners on Sunday (15Feb09).
Slumdog editor Chris Dickens was handed the best-edited feature film prize at the 59th annual American Cinema Editors (ACE) awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
On the same night, Slumdog cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle was honoured in the cinematic feature category at the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) awards, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in L.A.
The Dark Knight director Chris Nolan was also a winner at the ASC awards - he was presented with the ASC Board of Governors Award in recognition of his contribution to the filmmaking industry.
Screen legend Clint Eastwood was on hand to present the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award to his longtime collaborator Jack Green, while Donald McAlpine was the recipient of The ASC International Achievement Award. Robert Liu was given the Career Achievement in Television Award.
At the ACE Awards, Arthur Schmidt and Sidney Katz were awarded the Career Achievement prize, while Wall-E made history by becoming the first animated feature film to win an ACE award. The movie’s editor Stephen Schaffer also won best edited feature comedy or musical.
Jinx Godfrey was presented with the best edited documentary award for Man on Wire, while Meg Reticker, Lynne Willingham, Michael Ruscio, Andy Keir and Scott Powell were honoured in the television categories.

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Fears for the safety of veteran singer GERRY RAFFERTY are growing after it emerged he has been missing for six months since vanishing from a hospital in London.
The Baker Street hitmaker disappeared from St Thomas’ Hospital in south London in August last year (08) after receiving treatment for liver failure.
It has now emerged Scots-born Rafferty has been missing ever since - sparking fears he could be dead.
And, despite reported sightings of the singer in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, North Korea, and Brussels, Belgium, there is no official record of his whereabouts.
Tony Williams - who appeared alongside Rafferty in Stealers Wheel and had a huge hit in the 1970s with Stuck in the Middle - says, "It’s absolutely tragic. If he has liver failure he obviously needs someone to look after him. If he is still alive, somebody must be caring for him." A spokesman for London police Scotland Yard confirmed there is no missing persons report filed on Rafferty.

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Pioneering salsa band leader JOE CUBA has died, aged 78.
The Puerto Rican musician passed away on Sunday (15Feb09) at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, New York after suffering from a persistent bacterial infection.
The ‘Father of Latin Boogaloo’ is widely acknowledged as one of the key architects behind the emerging Latin Boogaloo sound, which became popular in the 1960s.
His band, Joe Cuba Sextet, had a string of hits in the 60s, including Bang Bang and El Pito. He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
No further details were available as WENN went to press.

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