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Former producers of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical RAGTIME have been convicted for participating in large-scale accounting fraud.
Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb, who founded Toronto, Canada-based theatre company Livent in the 1990s, were convicted on two counts of fraud and one count of forgery on Wednesday (25Mar09).
Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto ruled Drabinsky, 59, and Gottlieb, 65, knowingly overstated their company’s financial position to investors from 1994-1998.
The fraud was revealed in 1998 when Livent filed for bankruptcy - the same year their production of Ragtime won the Tony for Best Original Score, Book, and Orchestrations and Best Featured Actress for Audra McDonald.
The pair was indicted in the U.S. in 1999 on charges that they had misappropriated millions of dollars from American investors; they still face charges in the country.
Canadian authorities charged Drabinsky and Gottlieb in 2002. They face a maximum of 14 years in prison when they are sentenced at a later date.

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WATCHMEN actor JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN has discovered he’s the father of an ex-girlfriend’s four year old son.
The 42-year-old met his child for the first time just weeks ago, after discovering his actress/producer ex Sherrie Rose had given birth in secret.
Rose confirms to Us Weekly magazine, "Yes, I have a four year old son with Jeffrey." And Morgan is ready to make amends for his absence in the boy’s early years, with a source telling the magazine, "He wants to be in the child’s life." Morgan’s representative has yet to respond to the reports.

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Basketball superstar KOBE BRYANT has been dragged into a lawsuit filed by a former housekeeper who accuses his wife VANESSA of verbally abusing her at work.
Maria Jimenez is suing for wrongful discharge, invasion of privacy and emotional distress in a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Orange County, California.
According to TMZ.com, Jimenez’s lawyers claim Vanessa "badgered, harassed and humiliated Maria by yelling and screaming at Maria and criticising her in front of Bryant, the couple’s children, employees and other people in the household".
Jimenez claims she attempted to quit but was persuaded to continue her employment by the Los Angeles Lakers star.
Her resignation came after Vanessa allegedly demanded that she put her hand in a bag of dog faeces to retrieve a price tag from an expensive blouse she’d mistakenly put in the washing machine, when Bryant’s wife allegedly demanded Jimenez "had to work until payday to pay for the $690 (£470) blouse, which she did".
Jimenez is seeking unpaid wages in the suit. No further information regarding the housekeeper’s length of employment with the Bryants was available as WENN went to press.

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Actor STACY KEACH is to return to the stage on Friday (27Mar09) - 10 days after suffering a mild stroke.
The Mike Hammer star was hospitalised last week (17Mar09) and spent six days under observation. He returned home on Monday (23Mar09) and will pick up his role as President Richard Nixon in a tour of hit play Frost/Nixon at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
The 67 year old has missed 11 performances of the show, which was turned into a hit film last year (08), and he can’t wait to get back before an audience.
He tells the Los Angeles Times newspaper, "I canâ��t tell you how grateful I am and relieved. I feel deeply blessed." Recalling the events which led up to his stroke, Keach explains he felt "a little tingling" in his right arm during a performance of the play in Cincinnati, Ohio earlier this month (Mar09) and it returned during the play’s first night in Los Angeles last week.
Keach says, "I quickly tried to focus and refocus." The actor knew he had a big problem when he found himself slurring his speech during a radio interview the following morning: "I realised I wasnâ��t making sense… I knew something wasnâ��t happening properly with my motor response.â�� A doctor gave him a shot of vitamin B12 and Keach figured his health issues had passed as he appeared in five weekend performances and then hosted a cast get-together at his home in Calabasas, California on 16 March (09).
The following morning he awoke with severe pain in his right arm, and his wife called the paramedics, who took him to hospital. After a series of tests he was told he’d suffered a series of minor strokes.
Keach insists the health scare has forced him to take better care of himself - he has vowed to stop smoking and he’ll be taking more rest days on the Frost/Nixon tour. He won’t appear in the upcoming weekend matinees.
The actor, who has been playing Nixon onstage since September (09), hopes to complete the tour, which ends in May (09).

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Tragic actress NATASHA RICHARDSON’s organs were removed for transplant following her death last week, according to reports.
The British stage and screen star died in a New York hospital on Wednesday (18Mar08) from an epidural hematoma - bleeding between the brain and skull - two days after she hit her head in a fall during a skiing lesson at a Canadian resort.
Friends tell People.com the 45-year-old was a strong advocate of the transplant programme and her family insisted her organs were harvested after her life support machine was switched off.
A source says, "She spent so much time fighting the stigma of AIDS; someone like that would naturally donate her organs. At least by donating her organs something good could come out of (the tragedy)." Family insiders, meanwhile, add that Richardson’s widower Liam Neeson and the couple’s two sons Michael, 13, and Daniel, 12, are "doing okay" following the tragedy.
Close friend Blaine Trump says, "It takes a while to absorb this. But he says the family needs to move forward. They will take it one step at a time. With good friends by their side they will get through the tough days ahead." Richardson was laid to rest in New York state on Sunday (22Mar09).

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RYAN O’NEAL and FARRAH FAWCETT’s son REDMOND has pleaded not guilty to drug charges following his arrest last September (08).
The 24-year-old and his actor father were taken into police custody after a raid on the Oscar-nominated star’s Malibu, California home. A search of the property turned up methamphetamines in Ryan’s bedroom as well as on Redmond’s person.
Ryan, 67, was sentenced to 18 months of drug rehabilitation in January (09) after pleading guilty to drug possession.
However, Redmond - who has a history of drug abuse - insists he is innocent.
During a hearing at a Malibu court on Wednesday (25Mar09), he denied a felony count of methamphetamine possession, two misdemeanour counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one misdemeanour count of illegal possession of pepper spray.
The younger O’Neal, who underwent a stint in rehab in 2004, was on probation at the time of the drug bust following his conviction for a misdemeanour driving under the influence (DUI) charge last June (08).
Redmond is due back in court on 14 May (09).

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MICHAEL JACKSON has blasted accusations his representatives threatened an auctioneer with violence in a bid to stop a sale of the pop superstar’s personal memorabilia.
Jackson’s attorneys are embroiled in a legal battle with Julien’s Auction House executives after they announced plans for the sale, which included his concert costumes from the 1980s and the gates to his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, California.
The Thriller hitmaker’s legal team filed suit against the auction house earlier this month (Mar09), alleging bosses are not "entitled to retain possession of Michael Jackson’s personal property".
Company executives hit back, insisting the singer had given them permission to proceed with the 21 April (09) plans.
Julien’s Auction House bosses have since been allowed permission to continue advertising the sale, but only until the case goes before a Los Angeles judge on 3 April (09).
Auction house president Darren Julien claims Jackson’s team has gone to extreme lengths to halt the auction - even threatening to take violent action against him.
In a sworn statement, Julien says, "Michael Jackson wanted to give the message to us, that our lives are at stake and there will be bloodshed." But Jackson’s lawyer has dismissed the claims, branding the statement a "scurrilous attack", reports the New York Post.
If allowed to proceed, the auction is estimated to bring in up to $20 million (£13.7 million).

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CHRIS BROWN’s lawyers have withdrawn their request for a special court hearing prior to his April (09) arraignment on charges relating to the alleged assault of on/off girlfriend RIHANNA.
The Kiss Kiss singer was charged with two felony counts of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats following the incident on 8 February (09), which reportedly left Rihanna battered and bruised.
Brown was scheduled to appear before a judge on 6 April (09) to enter a plea, but his legal team were granted a request for a private court meeting this month (Mar09) - when they were expected to discuss Rihanna’s account of their fight.
The meeting was due to take place on Monday (23Mar09) but was postponed by Los Angeles Superior Court officials due to a scheduling conflict.
However, the extra hearing has now been cancelled altogether, according to E! Online. A reason for the scrapped meeting has not been given.
A court clerk confirms, "The next date (in Brown’s felony case) is April 6 for the arraignment. The hearing is not being rescheduled." If convicted, Brown faces almost five years behind bars.

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Socialite NICOLE RICHIE has laughed off rumours she is expecting twins with her boyfriend JOEL MADDEN.
Madden and Richie, who welcomed daughter Harlow in January 2008, are preparing to become parents for the second time, announcing the pregnancy last month (Feb09).
Richie has since been inundated with rumours that she is carrying twins.
But the star has dismissed the talk, telling reporters at a charity event in Los Angeles on Monday (23Mar09) that she is not expecting two children - joking that she "already has twins", referring to her partner and his twin brother, Benji.

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Officials in Florida are to reexamine the circumstances surrounding ANNA NICOLE SMITH’s death - following the arrest of two doctors and her former lover.
Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, Sandeep Kapoor and Smith’s longtime boyfriend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, have all been charged with conspiring to keep the late model with a steady supply of prescription drugs - despite knowing she was an addict.
Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in a Florida hotel room in 2007 and now prosecutors are reinvestigating the events leading up to the tragedy - with a view to possibly reopening the case.
Ron Ishoy, spokesman for Fort Lauderdale State Attorney Mike Satz, tells E! online, "Our prosecutors have met with representatives of the Los Angeles District Attorney�s Office and the California Department of Justice and discussed the evidence they have turned up in their investigation. We are now investigating that evidence to see where it might lead in relation to Ms. Smith�s death here in Broward County in 2007.� Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich have all denied charges felony conspiracy to furnish drugs to Smith and prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict. They are currently free on bail.

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Animal rights campaigners have urged MICHAEL JACKSON to drop plans to include animals in his live shows - amids rumours he is to feature a variety of exotic creatures onstage during his comeback concerts.
The pop superstar will kick off his This Is It run at London’s O2 Arena this summer (Jul09) and is reportedly working on ideas to make the 50-date tour as memorable as possible.
British newspaper the Daily Mirror reports Jackson is planning a nature theme for the concerts - with live creatures featuring heavily in the shows.
A source tells the publication, "He hopes to make it the most spectacular gig ever. For the jungle section, he wants to ride out on an African elephant with panthers led on gold chains. Parrots and other birds will fly behind him. If it goes to plan it will look incredible.� But the idea has infuriated campaigners at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who are urging the singer to ditch the plans.
In a statement issued to WENN, they say, "These exotic animals belong in Africa, not the O2 Arena among screaming fans, bright lights and stage explosions. These wild animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them when they are forced to perform under stressful conditions. Michael needs to learn to leave exotic animals alone." Jackson has previously come under fire from PETA supporters for the menagerie of animals he kept in his private zoo at his Neverland ranch in California.

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Filmmaker BAZ LUHRMANN is desperate to team BEYONCE KNOWLES and HUGH JACKMAN for a new movie musical after directing the stars for a medley of showtunes at the Oscars.
Knowles and Jackman whizzed through renditions of Lady Marmalade, All That Jazz and Somewhere Over The Rainbow in a performance medley last month (22Feb09) helmed by the Moulin Rouge! filmmaker.
The singer has already enjoyed crossover success with her roles as Etta James in 2008 biopic Cadillac Records and 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls.
And Luhrmann insists Knowles is destined to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood’s greatest leading ladies.
He tells Vogue magazine of his hopes to re-team the pair, saying: "One can only pray. My mind is racing already… I’m sure that there is a dramatic cinematic life for her. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that kind of performer, like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, on the screen." Jackman admits he’d be up for the challenge: "Just watching how she processes everything, she’s so fast… I just found myself going, ‘Oh, my God, I want to do movies with this girl. I want to do a movie musical!’" The X-Men actor insists Knowles has the star quality to make it big in Hollywood too: "I have no doubt she’ll win an Oscar one day. I can see the ambition in her to want to do that, to be in movies and really knock something out of the park. She’s got it. Whatever it is, she’s got it."

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Reformed eighties pop stars SPANDAU BALLET will embark on a world tour to mark their musical comeback.
The Gold hitmakers - Tony Hadley, brothers Gary and Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble - split in 1989 but confirmed their reunion plans in London on Wednesday (25Mar09).
The group will kick off the live dates, their first shows together in 20 years, this autumn (09).
They have so far announced eight concerts across the U.K. and Ireland, starting in Dublin on 13 October (09).
Tickets for the shows will go on general sale on 28 March (09).

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British police are investigating the murder of 1990s reggae star IAN NEWTION after he was found with his throat slit after performing a gig in London.
The 45-year-old - who had a hit with Cash Money, under the name Scoobie Santino - was on his way home from a concert at the Scout Hut on Sunday night (22Mar09) when attackers pounced in an underpass in Greenford, north west London.
A London police spokesperson says, "It is unclear at this stage what time he left but it is believed he was making his way home when he was assaulted and received a severe cut to the neck." Newtion’s brother Cleave tells the BBC, "He was a very kind, mild-mannered, amiable and very amenable person, whose philosophy in life was to try to see the best in everyone. What is difficult is trying to imagine anything so violent happening to someone of Ian’s personality."

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Rapper COREY MILLER has been freed on $1 million (£684,930) bail - just weeks after allegedly breaking the rules of his house arrest relating to his upcoming murder trial.
Miller, formerly known as C-Murder, was thrown in jail earlier this month (Mar09) after he was reportedly caught leaving his grandmother’s home without permission.
He was under house arrest at the Kenner, Louisiana house, awaiting a trial hearing on 20 April (09) when he will face a second-degree murder charge relating to the death of a 16-year-old during a 2002 brawl at a New Orleans-area nightclub.
State District Judge Hans Liljeberg doubled his bail to $1 million during a hearing on 11 March (09), but the troubled star has now come up with the cash and was released from jail on Tuesday (24Mar09), reports local newspaper The Times-Picayune.
Miller has denied violating the terms of his house detention, insisting he was asleep at the time and blaming a faulty monitoring device for the mix-up.

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A male employee of R&B star AKON has been robbed at gunpoint at his California home.
The unnamed worker’s house in Van Nuys was targetted by robbers on Tuesday (24Mar09) night, with thieves taking an estimated $300,000 (£205,480)-worth of items, including recording equipment, a top-of-the-range stereo and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz car.
According to TMZ.com, there were four to five attackers, all described as "black males".
Police have launched an investigation into the crime.

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British actor JEREMY IRONS spent six years slaving over the restoration of his Irish castle - because he was so bored of making movies.
Irons bought the 16th century Kilcoe castle in County Cork, Ireland in 1998 and admits he laboured over the old stone mansion merely to pass the time - as he had lost his passion for acting.
He says, "I did the castle because I was getting very bored with my film work, and I thought it was showing. So I wanted to do something that galvanised me, where there was risk and danger, and so I did the castle. After that, I worked up an appetite to go back to filming." (JMA/VG/LR) WENN - FOURTH - INTERNATIONAL MUSIC NEWS - 25 MAR 2009

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Mexican boxing champion RAUL MACIAS has died, aged 74.
Macias, who competed in the 1952 Helsinki, Finland Olympics, lost his battle with cancer in Mexico City on Monday (23Mar09), according to his son Arturo.
The boxer earned his nickname ‘the Mouse’ thanks to his small physical stature at five foot three-and-a-half inches (1.61 metres).
He won the world bantamweight title in the National Boxing Association - which later became the World Boxing Association - in 1955.
He successfully defended the title twice before losing in 1957. Macias retired from the boxing ring five years later at the age of 28.
The star then began working as a trainer and even turned to acting, landing roles in soap operas - most notably appearing in 1990s series Mi pequeña Soledad.
He remained one of Mexico’s top sporting heroes with a boxing record of 41 wins and just two losses, with 25 wins by knockout.

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