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The director of the 1984 Pepsi commercial in which MICHAEL JACKSON’s hair accidentally caught ablaze is fuming after he was blamed for the accident by a Los Angeles fire department chief.
Captain Don Donester, who was working as a fire safety inspector on the set, alleged on Thursday (16Jul09) that director Bob Giraldi urged Jackson to remain under the sparks for longer than recommended.
Donester alleges he overheard the director say, "Stand there longer (under the sparks). You’ll look more majestic." But Giraldi has hit back at the accusations, insisting a set of fireworks malfunctioned to produce the sparks, which were never intended to go off.
And the director insists Donester should have warned him about the dangerous stunt in the first place.
Addressing Donester’s claims the accident was his fault, Giraldi tells TMZ.com, "That’s not true."

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JANET JACKSON has offered to help raise her brother MICHAEL’s young children, who look to their aunt as a "mother figure", according to new reports.
Janet, 43, is said to have been helping her mother Katherine look after Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II aka Blanket, since the sudden death of their father last month (Jun09).
And the pop star has allegedly offered to take in the youngsters if their elderly grandmother, 79, is unable to do so.
A source tells Britain’s The Sun, "Janet has said, ‘I love them and I’ll step forward and raise them if this is what they want.’ She tells everyone she loves them as if they were her own.
"The children have chosen her as their confidante and mother figure, and Janet feels her place is at their side. She’s completely bonded with those children in the last two weeks.
"It’s clear to everyone that they are looking to her for comfort and guidance. Janet is blossoming as a woman with tremendous maternal instincts." Katherine Jackson was awarded temporary guardianship of the children pending a custody hearing later this month (Jul09) that the two older children’s biological mother, Debbie Rowe, is expected to attend.
Jackson’s will, which was filed in 2002, stipulates he wanted his mother to have custody of the children in the event of his death, and names singer Diana Ross as his second-choice guardian.

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SACHA BARON COHEN is preparing to hang up his hot pants - he is waving goodbye to his BRUNO character once he has finished promoting the movie.
Cohen’s outrageous new big screen outing sees him play a gay Austrian fashionista, and the comedy star has stayed in character for almost all public appearances and interviews promoting the movie.
The Borat star confesses he is sad that his time as Bruno is coming to an end, but he knows he can no longer trick people with the character now the film has been released.
He says, "It’s wonderful that the films are successful, but every new person who sees the movie is one less person I can be Borat or Bruno with again, so finishing a movie means having to say goodbye. Admitting that you’re never going to play the character again is like saying goodbye to a loved one. And that’s hard."

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U2 frontman BONO and guitarist THE EDGE insist the formula for the band’s success is simple - all four members have an enormous ego.
The Irish rockers have been together for 31 years without splitting up to pursue solo projects.
And The Edge has shed light on the reason for their apparent loyalty - each member thinks U2 is his band.
He says, "(Drummer) Larry (Mullen, Jr.) started the band, so Larry reckons it’s his band. But (bassist) Adam (Clayton) was the first manager so he sees it as his band. It goes without saying that Bono sees it as his band. The actual truth is, and I’m far too modest to say this, but it’s my band." Bono adds the group’s joint enthusiasm for perfection rules out any discrepancy over who takes credit for their success.
He says, "The thing about four egos, which I guess you must have if you want to be in a band, is that in this case the band’s ego is bigger than that of the individual members.
"We share the songwriting, it’s sort of a hippy communal idea and has been since we were 17 or 18, so people don’t seem to care who’s idea that was or who wrote that song, as long as it’s the best idea."

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Rap superstar JAY-Z will hand deliver his new album to bosses at ATLANTIC RECORDS in London - as he is terrified of the unheard material being leaked on the internet.
The hip-hop legend’s highly-anticipated new disc, Blueprint 3, is set for release on 11 September (09).
But the Big Pimpin’ hitmaker doesn’t want to end up like stars such as Leona Lewis and Guns N’ Roses, who have found their unreleased songs leaked online.
A source tells Britain’s Daily Star that Jay-Z decided the best way to stop this happening was to take the album to London himself.
The source says, "Every time a big artist has new music ready these days someone somewhere is always keen to pinch it and whack it on the internet. Jay is very protective and smart and doesn’t want fans to hear tracks which aren’t quite right. He wants to give the record to the label in the U.K. and see which songs go down best to give him ideas about single releases." Jay-Z arrives in London next week (beg20Jul09).

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KINGS OF LEON and MAXIMO PARK cancelled their slots at Benicassim Festival in Spain after the area was hit by heavy thunderstorms.
Both bands were due to play the outdoor event on Friday (17Jul09) but their sets were scrapped at the last minute after the town was hit with severe weather conditions.
Organisers hoped to appease angry fans by rescheduling the Kings Of Leon’s headlining act and the British group’s show for 18 July but plans had not been confirmed as WENN went to press.
The double cancellation came on the same day U.K. rockers Foals were forced to axe their appearances at Benicassim after singer Yannis Philippakis and keyboardist Edwin Congreave came down with an "unspecified illness".

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PETER ASHER has hailed GORDON WALLER as the "heart and soul" of their singing duo PETER & GORDON in a touching tribute to his late bandmate.
Waller, 64, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in a hospital near his Connecticut home on Friday (17Jul09).
Asher, who co-founded the group with Waller after they met at school, is among the first people to honour the singer, insisting he will struggle to cope with life without his "best friend".
He says, "Gordon played such a significant role in my life that losing him is hard to comprehend - let alone to tolerate.
"Without Gordon I would never have begun my career in the music business in the first place. Our professional years together in the sixties constitute a major part of my life and I have always treasured them.
"We remained good friends (unusual for a duo!) even while we were pursuing entirely separate professional paths and I was so delighted that after a hiatus of almost forty years we ended up singing and performing together again more recently for the sheer exhilarating fun of it. We had a terrific time doing so.
"Gordon remains one of my very favourite singers of all time and I am still so proud of the work that we did together. I am just a harmony guy and Gordon was the heart and soul of our duo.
"I shall miss him in so many different ways. The idea that I shall never get to sing those songs with him again, that I shall never again be able to get annoyed when he interrupts me on stage or to laugh at his unpredictable sense of humour or even to admire his newest model train or his latest gardening effort is an unthinkable change in my life with which I have not even begun to come to terms." Peter & Gordon rose to fame in the 1960s with the hit A World Without Love, which was written by Paul McCartney, the then-boyfriend of Asher’s little sister Jane.
The duo disbanded in 1968 before reuniting to play a tribute concert for Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five in 2005.

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NE-YO has spoken out about his recent onstage breakdown, which forced the sobbing star to flee in the middle of a concert.
The singer attempted to play through the pain after telling fans he wasn’t feeling well at the start of his show at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England on Thursday (16Jul09).
Fans watched in horror as the sweat-drenched star struggled to move and was forced to prop himself up on a table before exiting the stage for a break.
Ne-Yo then re-appeared in floods of tears, telling the audience, "I’ve never not completed a show, I’ve never done this before." Now the So Sick hitmaker has apologised in an online blog entry, clarifying his reasons for walking off stage.
Addressing reports about the show on GlobalGrind.com, Ne-Yo writes, "Basically, I have an issue with not knowing when to say enough is enough, so last night in Manchester, my body said it for me.
"I got on stage energized and ready to go, even tho for the last 5 days I’ve been dealing with a sinus infection. I paid it no real mind, and kept on going, like I always do. My voice couldn’t take it. From the first song I knew something was wrong. I shoulda stopped there, but I come from a school where no matter what, the show must go on. It wasn’t until about 4 songs in that I came to the painful realization that my voice was done, literally nothing left, and that I would have to stop the show.
"I’ve never had to stop a show, never dreamed I’d ever have to. So when I had to walk out on that stage and tell 12,000 of the people responsible for making me who I am that I could not perform for them, it literally broke my heart. I cried harder than I have in a very long time with no shame whatsoever." And the star used the opportunity to defend himself to his critics, adding: "To anyone out there that would like to question my manhood because of this I’ll say this to you: If the one thing you cared about more than anything else in the world was threatened or even taken from you, if you knew that the people you cared for the most you had to disappoint and it was your fault… and this didn’t spark some kind of emotional outbreak within you… then with no shame I’ll say you are truly a stronger man than I. Thanks to the fans for the love and concern. And to the bloggers… go to hell."

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1960s singer GORDON WALLER has died after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 64.
The star, one half of the singing duo Peter & Gordon, passed away in a hospital near his Connecticut home on Friday (17Jul09).
Waller rose to fame after forming the band in the 1960s with Peter Asher, the older brother of Paul McCartney’s then-girlfriend Jane Asher.
The singers used that connection to land unrecorded songs written by McCartney and his Beatles bandmate John Lennon, including the 1964 track A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon’s first and biggest hit.
Waller embarked upon a solo career after the duo disbanded in 1968 - but later returned to his roots by reuniting with Asher to play a tribute concert for Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five in 2005.
He is survived by his wife Jen, his first wife Gay and their two daughters Phillipa and Natalie, as well as two younger sisters.

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JACKIE CHAN has heaped praise on JADEN SMITH’s martial arts skills, insisting the youngster is better at kung fu than his own son.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s 11-year-old son has been taking lessons from the action man’s stunt co-ordinator for his role in Kung Fu Kid, the forthcoming remake of the 1984 hit The Karate Kid.
And Chan has been left wowed by Jaden’s dedication, after he studied Mandarin to speak with his teachers and learned the Chinese phrases for various kung fu moves.
Chan writes on his official webpage, "When he was thirsty, he gave the traditional hand gesture, putting one fist into the palm of the other, bowed and asked permission to drink some water." And the Hong Kong star was amazed after Smith took it upon himself to learn the routine Chan showed off in his 1978 film Drunken Master.
Chan adds, "He put my son to shame! I provided my son with the best martial artists in the world, and he could not be persuaded to try it. In just two months, Jaden had learned so much. He is truly a talented boy.
"Training in martial arts is hard work. It takes years to perfect even one punch or kick. Jaden’s father is a famous celebrity, and Jaden probably knows he could get away without having to work very hard. If I couldn’t get my own son to train in martial arts, how could anybody else succeed?"

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Actor DAVID ARQUETTE has apologised to the Latin community after branding its women "nuts".
The Scream star came under fire after making the comment while appearing on U.S. TV network Fox News, where he was giving his opinion of Puerto Rican Supreme court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
He said in the segment, "I think Latina women are, I mean, it depends on the woman, but I think they are very… They have great judgment, but there are some that are just nuts. I’m just saying." Now Arquette is hoping to make amends for the remark, which he maintains was a joke.
He says, "I would like to issue an apology for the comments I made on Fox and Friends. My intent was to be humorous and not offensive.
"I have nothing but love and respect for Latina women and women in general of all cultural backgrounds." And he hopes the ensuing controversy will not overshadow the charity he was trying to highlight during the TV appearance.
He adds, "What saddens me most is that it took away from the issue of Hunger in America, for which I was on the show to begin with.
"I work in a pantry in Venice, California with a Hispanic woman named Delpia (who has been feeding people at St. Joseph’s Center for 29 years) and she is my personal hero. Having been raised in Los Angeles I have grown up with a deep and profound love for the Latino culture."

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Revered U.S. news anchor WALTER CRONKITE has died after a long illness. He was 92.
The legendary broadcaster passed away at his New York home on Friday (17Jul09) with his family at his bedside.
Cronkite fronted the evening news for American TV network CBS from 1962 to 1981, reporting on major events such as the moon landing, the infamous Watergate scandal during Richard Nixon’s White House administration, and the assassination of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
The CBS bulletin became the most watched news show in the country during Cronkite’s tenure, prompting viewers to vote him "the most trusted in America" in a 1972 poll.
President Barack Obama has paid tribute to Cronkite, calling him "a voice of certainty in an uncertain world".
Obama says, "He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down. This country has lost an icon and a dear friend, and he will be truly missed." Cronkite is survived by his three children, Nancy, Kathy and Walter III, and several grandchildren.

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Actress AMY ADAMS was left shaken on the set of upcoming boxing movie THE FIGHTER after catching an intruder peeking into her trailer.
Security has been tightened on location in Lowell, Massachusetts as a result of the incident, which occurred after the day’s shooting wrapped on Thursday night (16Jul09).
The star was preparing to head home when she was startled by the sight of a man, said to be in his late teens or early twenties, peering into her trailer.
A source tells RadarOnline.com, "Amy was getting ready to leave the set when the guy climbed the steps right outside her trailer and said: ‘I’m looking for my cousin.’ "Amy, who was fully dressed and was with a production worker, yelled out: ‘What the hell are you doing?’ and the guy quickly climbed down the stairs before running off.
"She was totally unharmed and a number plate was passed on to the police from a car which we think he escaped in." Filming is expected to proceed as scheduled over the weekend (18-19Jul09).

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s brothers MARLON, RANDY and TITO are set to stage a JACKSON 5 reunion for a Jamaican music festival as a tribute to the late King of Pop, according to online reports.
The three brothers will perform a mix of Jackson 5 songs and solo hits at the Reggae Sumfest, which runs on the island from 19 to 25 July (09), reports TMZ.com.
Eldest brother Jackie Jackson is reportedly in negotiations to join the group, which will be flown to Montego Bay next week where they will have a meet-and-greet with fans.
This year’s festival has been dedicated to the Thriller hitmaker, who died on 25 June (09) after suffering a cardiac arrest.

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ROBERT RODRIGUEZ has reportedly assembled an all-star cast for his new GRINDHOUSE spin-off, including ROBERT DE NIRO, JONAH HILL, and MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ.
The movie is based on a fake trailer that appeared before Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 Grindhouse double-bill.
Two years on, the filmmaker has decided to turn it into a full-length film.
Danny Trejo will reprise his role as Machete, a madman hellbent on revenge, and De Niro will play a senator who double-crosses him, a tipster tells movie website Bloody-Disgusting.com.
Shooting on the spin-off is scheduled to begin on 29 July (09).

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JANET JACKSON has split with her longterm boyfriend JERMAINE DUPRI - according to U.S. tabloid reports.
Dupri was noticeably absent from Michael Jackson’s public memorial earlier this month (Jul09) prompting gossips to speculate about the state of his relationship with the King of Pop’s sister.
Now friends of the couple have confirmed to Us Weekly magazine the seven-year romance is over.
A source tells Us, "His friends are telling people it’s over." Another adds,"They have been moving in different directions for a while." It’s not the first time the pair have been subject to split reports - she was rumoured to have blamed him after her last album, which he produced, underperformed.
The insider adds, "You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Janet felt their lives were too crossed and they should have kept things sepa­rate."

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A court hearing to decide the future of MICHAEL JACKSON’s three children has been postponed until next month (Aug09).
The star’s mother Katherine was due to learn if she would retain custody of Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II in a California court on Monday (20Jul09) - but the hearing will now take place on 3 August.
It’s the third time authorities have agreed to delay the court date, following Jackson’s sudden death last month (25Jun09).
No reasons have been given for the postponement, but sources tell TMZ.com it’s because Katherine is close to agreeing a settlement with Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of Jackson’s two eldest kids.

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BLUR rocker ALEX JAMES has won a lucrative deal to supply cheese for PRINCE CHARLES’ luxury food brand.
The guitarist bought a farm in the English countryside and started making his own cheese back in 2003, while the band was on hiatus.
And he’s such a good cheesemaker, the Prince of Wales has snapped up his product to sell under his Duchy Originals label.
James reveals, "It will be the poshest cheese in the world but it’s only going to cost £3. I think everyone should be able to afford royal cheese." A spokesperson for Prince Charles’ company adds, "Duchy Originals is delighted to be working with Alex James, one of Britain’s most exciting and passionate new cheesemakers, to produce a cheese using the milk from the herd of Ayrshire cows on the Duchy Home Farm."

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