PR-Inside.com Entertainment News

Incarcerated rapper REMY MA has shot down rumours she had an affair with = singer NICKI MINAJ, insisting she is "not gay".
The 28-year-old hip-hop star - real name Reminisce Smith - married rapp= er Papoose in jail shortly after she was convicted of assault, weapons po= ssession and attempted coercion for shooting Makeda Barnes Joseph in the = abdomen during a fracas in July, 2007.
She has been dogged by persistent rumours of an affair after a video su= rfaced online last year (09) allegedly showing Minaj declaring they had a= relationship.
But Remy Ma is keen to set the record straight, calling a Connecticut r= adio station on Tuesday (23Feb10) to clear up the rumours.
She told the Jenny Boom Boom show, "I’m not gay, how would I have sex (= with) Nicki Minaj? No, I never had sex with Nicki, anybody. I’ve never do= ne girls ever in my life and I never would.
"Actually, that video came out years ago. I was home; actually, when it= first surfaced, and I don’t know who that is. I don’t even know what the= logic was behind that.
"As far as (what) Nicki (is) like as a person, I’m cool with her. Like,= when she was coming up, she used to go to my parties and I used to go to= her parties and we was cool (sic). I’ve never had a problem with her." (=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Bosses at record label EMI have lodged an appeal against a court decision= which ruled Australian rockers MEN AT WORK illegally sampled a popular c= hildren’s tune in their 1980s hit DOWN UNDER.
Bosses at Larrikin music publishers in Sydney filed suit, claiming the = flute solo on the track sampled parts of Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum T= ree, a song written by an Australian music teacher for the Girl Guides in= 1934.
Bosses at EMI and Sony BMG denied the claim but a Federal Court in Sydn= ey ruled against them - ordering the companies to pay compensation, which= could amount to up to 60 per cent of the song’s income.
Now record chiefs are attempting to have the ruling overturned - they f= iled an appeal at the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday (25Feb10).
EMI bosses claim the trial judge failed to sufficiently acknowledge tha= t the alleged similarities between the two songs had gone unnoticed for m= any years, and alleged the copyright had not been properly assigned to th= e Girl Guides Association of Victoria in 1934.
A court date has yet to be fixed for the appeal to be heard. (LR/AAP/ZN=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

FAITH EVANS is facing legal action from filmmakers who allege she failed = to provide footage they purchased of her late husband, rapper THE NOTORIO= US B.I.G..
Bosses at Kaushi Entertainment claim they paid $30,000 (=C2=A318,750) f= or homemade movies featuring the hip-hop star, real name Christopher Wall= ace, in a deal approved by Evans, according to a lawsuit filed at Los Ang= eles County Superior Court on Tuesday (23Feb10).
The clips were to be used in a documentary about the rapper, who was sh= ot dead in 1997.
The production company’s executives insist they never received the tape= s - and now they’re suing Evans as well as Wallace’s estate for $1 millio= n (=C2=A3625,000) and punitive damages for breach of contract. (PAW/WNWCZ=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

KASABIAN’s performance at Wednesday night’s (24Feb10) NME Awards was thro= wn into jeopardy when the band’s drummer broke his hand.
The rockers were preparing for their slot at the annual London event wh= en Ian Matthews fell and injured his arm.
Matthews was tended to by doctors, who discovered the star had broken h= is hand - so the group faced a last minute panic trying to land a replace= ment drummer.
Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno tells Britain’s Daily Mirror, "We had to get = our drum technician Loz in at the last minute. He doesn’t even know the s= ongs, we just told him to go for it." And that wasn’t the only disaster of the night - host Jarvis Cocker alm= ost missed rehearsals due to heavy traffic in London.
A source tells the publication, "The Queen was opening a Tube stop in A= ldgate and Jarvis got stuck in traffic. He was fuming by the time he got = here and rehearsals ran to the wire."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Producer ROB FUSARI was devastated when BEYONCE took credit for composing= BOOTYLICIOUS, alleging it was his idea to use a STEVIE NICKS’ riff in th= e DESTINY’S CHILD hit.
Fusari insists it was a "bittersweet" experience working with the R&B t= rio on the 2001 track - the catchy song went on to top the charts but Bey= once’s dad and manager Mathew allegedly forced him to compromise his idea= s for the project.
And he was further offended after the frontwoman claimed she was respon= sible for sampling Nicks’ 1981 guitar part.
Fusari tells Billboard magazine, "I came up with the idea to build a tr= ack using the guitar riff from Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen.
"I figured I’d put the guitar loop on there temporarily, and later go i= nto the studio with a guitar and replay it, because I’d learned, after sa= mpling Stevie Wonder’s I Wish for Will Smith’s Wild Wild West, that I did= n’t want to lose 50 per cent of the publishing (royalties). I vividly rem= ember telling Mathew Knowles, ‘Mathew, you got to book me into your studi= o and let me replay that riff.’ "He didn’t want to do it. So 50 per cent got cut for one note. That who= le experience was bittersweet for me.
"I remember watching Barbara Walters interview Beyonce about Bootylicio= us, and she told Barbara about how she came up with the idea for the trac= k." Fusari, who went on to help Lady Gaga launch her pop career, insists he= was brushed off when he complained about the interview, adding, "I calle= d Mathew - which was a big mistake; I got emotional, and I apologised aft= er - but I called Mathew and said, ‘Mathew, like, why?’ He explained to m= e, in a nice way, he said, ‘People don’t want to hear about Rob Fusari, p= roducer from Livingston, N.J. No offence, but that’s not what sells recor= ds. What sells records is people believing that the artist is everything.= ‘ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know, Mathew. I understand the game. But come on= , I’m trying too. I’m a squirrel trying to get a nut, too.’" (PAW/WNWCBB/=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

YUNG BERG has assured fans he’s "fine" amid reports he was targeted in a = vicious robbery in Los Angeles on Sunday (21Feb10).
The rapper, real name Christian Ward, was said to have been among a num= ber of guests who were violently beaten and robbed by a gang of armed thi= eves who raided a house party in the city.
The hip-hop star has since recorded a video, uploaded to YouTube.com on= Wednesday (24Feb10), to prove he’s uninjured, insisting he was in Las Ve= gas at the time of the incident.
He says, "What you got to know is I am fine. I am good. There’s nothing= wrong with nobody, I’m still gorgeous! I’m going to just continue doing = what I’m doing, hit the studio up today. We’re in Vegas." And he’s urged his fans not to believe gossip about him: "Stop paying a= ttention to bulls**t - it ain’t (sic) about nothing and it gets you nowhe= re! I ain’t dressed yet - I’m still in bed. My phone blew up (with calls)= so I had to get on here, let you all know I love you all and that I’m st= raight (fine)." Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was forced to deny any involvement in the ord= eal on Wednesday (24Feb10) after it was reported the robbery occurred at = a mansion owned by the rap mogul.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Actress JANE LYNCH is delighted her idol OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN agreed to a c= ameo appearance in GLEE - because her dog is named after the GREASE star.
Lynch’s character, sports teacher Sue Sylvester, will sing hit track Le= t’s Get Physical with Newton-John in an upcoming episode of the musical s= how.
And the 49 year old admits it’s a dream come true to perform with the s= inger/actress.
She says, "Sue Sylvester will be singing Let’s Get Physical with Olivia= Newton-John. I cannot wait to meet her. I met her once at a premiere of = a movie she did but this will be (better). I’ll get to hang out with her.
"I named my dog after her! I was a huge fan of hers and always loved th= e name too, so Olivia Newton-John lives in my dog Olivia."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

KIRSTIE ALLEY is launching a weight loss "elixir" to help overweight Amer= icans slim down - and she has already lost 20 pounds (nine kilograms) in = eight weeks on the program.
The former Cheers star has founded Organic Liaison, a company to suppor= t dieters in the U.S., and developed a series of slimming remedies.
And Alley, who famously lost weight as a spokesmodel for diet firm Jenn= y Craig before piling the pounds back on, is adamant the drink works - as= she’s already boasting a more slimline figure since starting the program= at the beginning of the year (10).
She says, "I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist - I’m a regular person li= ke you who has been struggling with her weight and searching and praying = for a weight loss program to end that forever.
"Now my dream is a reality. I’ve been afforded access to the best produ= cts in the world. I’ve been researching and developing Organic Liaison fo= r the past two years with the help of the greatest scientific minds on th= e planet.
"I can promise you our certified weight loss elixir, Rescue Me, takes o= n excess hunger and cravings. It will support your body and flood your bo= dy with the missing elements that make weight loss an uphill battle.
"Join me on my own weight loss journey - I’ve lost over twenty pounds s= ince January 1st… and I don’t crave or have my usual huge appetite." (C=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

A representative for GEORGE LOPEZ has dismissed reports the funnyman fail= ed to hand over a $21,000 (=C2=A313,125) donation he pledged at a charity= auction, insisting he’s "not a deadbeat".
The Valentine’s Day star is said to have been the highest bidder when p= roperty mogul Donald Trump offered a one-year membership to his exclusive= golf club as part of a fundraising sale in New York in 2008.
The money was to benefit Joe Torre’s Safe at Home Foundation, which hel= ps abused women and children.
Lopez failed to pay at the event, and when he was later contacted by Tr= ump National Golf Club executive president Dan Scavino, he promised to se= nd a cheque - but never did, according to the New York Post.
A source tells the publication, "Several attempts by the foundation hav= e been unsuccessful in getting the money. I think Lopez made that bid jus= t to show off in front of the crowd and to impress Donald Trump." But a spokesperson for Lopez insists there was a misunderstanding over = the fee.
The rep says, "George’s understanding is that it was paid. George is no= t a deadbeat. George is very generous."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Bosses at the U.K.’s biggest cinema chain have reversed a boycott against= TIM BURTON’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND after negotiations with Disney.
Executives at Odeon, which owns 107 cinemas in the U.K. and Ireland, pl= anned the ban after it was announced the 3D movie would be released on DV= D in May (10), just three months after it hits theatres But following extensive talks on Wednesday (24Feb10) with Disney bosses= , the details of which have not been released, Odeon has agreed to screen= the film starring Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in the U.K., Irish Repub= lic and Italy A statement released by Odeon reads, "The Odeon and UCI Cinema Group is= pleased to announce that, following detailed negotiations with the Walt = Disney Company Ltd, an enduring agreement has been reached encompassing a= ll the different aspects of both companies’ commercial relationship.
"As a result of this agreement, Odeon is pleased to confirm that it wil= l be able to continue with its plans for significant investment in new ci= nemas, in digital technology in 3D capability and the other exciting deve= lopments designed for the increased enjoyment of all its customers." (PAW=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Filmmaker KEVIN SMITH has laughed off speculation his wife only married h= im for his money, insisting she’s "insanely frugal" with the couple’s cas= h.
The Clerks director wed Jennifer Schwalbach Smith in 1999 and they shar= e a young daughter, Harley, together.
Smith was left stunned earlier this week (begs22Feb10) when one of his = Twitter.com followers claimed Jennifer married him for his money rather t= han his looks.
The film mogul, who was recently embroiled in scandal after he was boot= ed off a flight because of his size, has now opened up about the family’s= spending habits - insisting his wife rarely makes any lavish purchases.
He says, "There’s what folks would like to believe, and there’s the tru= th. Here’s the truth: Jen doesn’t really spend cash. She’s insanely fruga= l.
"Jen shops off sale racks online, refusing to spend on clothes she’ll n= ever wear, as we never go out - at least not anywhere dressy. I know it’s= easier to believe Jen’s in it for the money, but be realistic: we’re a d= ecade-plus into marriage. With a child. Might be love."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Oscar-winning director JANE CAMPION has clarified reports about her negat= ive experience at an Indian film festival, insisting she hasn’t accused o= ne of the organisers of sexual harassment - but several other women have.
The Piano filmmaker is said to have filed an official complaint about B= haskar Deb, husband of festival director Shyamali Banerjee, accusing him = of making "rude and even lewd advances" towards her at the India Internat= ional Women Film Festival in Delhi in December (09).
But Campion has spoken out about the reports, insisting she hasn’t levi= ed any allegations at Deb - but claims to know of several other women who= have.
She says, "I was not sexually harassed by the festival director’s husba= nd and did not make that allegation. However at least two other delegates= I spoke to and a third I heard about, did have bad experiences with the = festival director’s husband and I hear they went on to make allegations o= f sexual harassment.'’ And Campion admits she’s not happy about the way the festival was run: = "My own experience of the organisers of the film festival was that they m= ade promises to me which they failed to keep: failure to meet me or any o= f the other delegates that I spoke to on arrival at the airport, failure = to pay for my airline tickets, cancelling the premiere of my film Bright = Star at the last moment.
"Never in my entire experience has a film festival been so fraudulently= presented and organised. It’s a shame for the film makers, the audience,= the funding bodies of the countries involved as well as the Indian gover= nment who, it appears from the advertising, sponsored them to some degree= ..'’ Banerjee has slammed the allegations against her husband, calling the c= laims "completely fabricated" and "baseless."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

ANDREW KOENIG’s parents mysteriously walked out of an interview with U.S.= talk show host LARRY KING just minutes before they were due to go on the= air.
The former Growing Pains star hasn’t been seen since 14 February (10). = He disappeared during a trip to Vancouver, Canada and was reported missin= g by a friend after failing to show up for his flight home to Los Angeles= on 16 February (10).
His parents, former Star Trek actor Walter Koenig and his wife Judy, fl= ew to Vancouver this week (beg22Feb10) to take part in a televised press = conference to appeal for their son to come home.
On Wednesday (24Feb10) they headed to a Vancouver TV studio for a link-= up with Larry King Live, just days after their daughter Danielle spoke to= the TV host about her missing brother.
But the Koenigs cancelled the planned interview just two minutes before= they were due on air, according to King, who was left baffled by the cou= ple’s sudden decision to leave.
He told the TV audience, "For some reason unbeknownst to anyone, Walter= Koenig, the father of the missing Andrew Koenig, and Judy Levin-Koenig l= eft the studio in Vancouver. We checked them out, they were prepared to g= o on, I said ‘Hello,’ they said ‘Hello.’ We said we’d be on in two minute= s, they said ‘Fine.’ And they got up and left, for reasons unknown." Police in Vancouver have launched an investigation into Andrew Koenig’s= disappearance, combing the area for the 41 year old after receiving a nu= mber of reported sightings from locals on Vancouver Island. (LR/WNWE&WNWC=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

MADONNA’s on/off model boyfriend JESUS LUZ has signed a record deal with = the singer’s former label Warner Bros., according to a U.K. report.
The 23-year-old Brazilian, who has been dating the superstar since last= year (09), recently began showing off his DJ skills, playing at a number= of exclusive parties.
And now Luz is set to carve out a career as a pop star after negotiatin= g a two-single deal with Warner Bros., the firm Madonna left last year (0= 9).
Luz’s first track, We Came From Light, is reportedly due for release in= May (10).
And the Material Girl is ensuring her toyboy lover makes a mark on the = music industry - by encouraging her longtime collaborator Victor Calderon= e to remix Luz’s tracks, according to Britain’s The Sun.
A source tells the publication, "Madonna really wants Jesus’ career to = take off. She’s been… putting him in contact with as many of her influe= ntial pals as she can. She’s worked with Victor for a very long time and = he understands just what she likes. Having him rejig Jesus’ tracks will g= ive them a cool cachet which is essential to building a clubland buzz." (=

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

Rapper 50 CENT is facing legal action from a woman who alleges he unlawfu= lly released her homemade sex clip on the internet after editing himself = into the video.
Lastonia Leviston of Florida filed a lawsuit in New York on Wednesday (= 24Feb10) accusing the hip-hop star of posting an adult film she recorded = in 2008 on his website last year (09), according to the Associated Press.
Leviston claims 50 Cent, real name Curtis James Jackson III, blurred ou= t her lover’s face and altered the footage to depict himself wearing a cu= rly wig and blue robe, while adding his own narration.
She is suing for unauthorised use of her name or image, as well as emot= ional distress caused by the public release of the clip.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS has taken aim at PARIS HILTON and the current crop of= celebrity socialites, comparing them to soulless "machines".
The Silence of the Lambs actor is fed up with skinny models and stars o= n the red carpet who lack substance - and he’s singled out the heiress fo= r appearing to have nothing "going on up there".
He rants, "We’re living in a pretty strange time. I went into a shop to= buy my wife some clothes and I wanted them gift-wrapped. And they had th= is big plasma screen on with these women on the catwalk. I thought, ‘God = almighty, what have we become?’ These girls - anorexic, walking like mach= ines, no soul.
"You look at fashion magazines and you think, ‘What are we living in?’ = You look at the red carpet, Paris Hilton, you know, these people and you = think, ‘Is there anything going on up there?’ It’s a mass enslavement and= it’s kind of fascism. And it’s the androgyny of it; the androgyny of the= human soul. I don’t think people think any more. But maybe I’m just old.= "

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

KELLY OSBOURNE struggles to understand why she was once subjected to hars= her criticism for her appearance than for her illegal drug-taking.
The wildchild daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne began experimenting with= substances when she was 13 and insists she was a "full-blown addict" by = the time she became a TV star in her family’s hit reality series The Osbo= urnes.
But she is baffled as to why she was berated more for her looks and ful= ler frame than for her substance abuse - and she still can’t comprehend t= he public’s fixation with her figure.
She says, "I took more hell for being fat than I did for being an absol= ute raging drug addict. I will never understand that." Osbourne admits she hated weighing so much, but "never wanted to do any= thing to fix it" - adding: "It’s hard to get out of a hole you’ve dug so = deeply."

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

British rocker PETE DOHERTY’s manager has been jailed for a year for dang= erous driving after he was involved in a car crash which left a man fight= ing for his life last September (09).
Andrew Boyd was accused of running down 42-year-old Chris Corder in Suf= folk, England while behind the wheel of Doherty’s car, before driving awa= y without stopping.
Corder has been in a coma since the accident dangerous driving at a hea= ring at Ipswich Crown Court in January (10). He also pleaded guilty to fo= ur other charges including failing to stop at an accident scene and drivi= ng without a licence or insurance.
At a court hearing on Wednesday (24Feb10), Boyd was sentenced to a year= in jail and told he would be eligible for release on licence in six mont= hs.
Corder’s sister Jennie was disappointed with the sentence, insisting, "= I don’t think that man has any remorse. Six months of somebody’s life is = nothing compared to what my brother is going to have to live through and = what we will have to live through." Boyd was also banned from driving for three years.
Singer Doherty has also been summoned on a charge of permitting the use= of a vehicle without insurance. The case was to be heard on Wednesday bu= t it was adjourned until 10 March (10).

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)