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MARY J. BLIGE has stepped in to help save a performing arts school in New York from closure - the R&B singer has led donations and promised to hel p raise more cash for the project.
The Harlem School of the Arts shut its doors on 3 April (10) after a sh ortfall in funds, but when Blige heard the news she immediately champione d the cause and helped bring in donations.
The school has now received a $1 million (=C2=A3666,667) boost from var ious benefactors and is set to reopen at the weekend (24-25Apr10).
Madeline Nelson-Small, executive director of Blige’s charity, the Found ation for the Advancement of Women Now, admits the star devoted herself t o saving the school as soon as she heard it was in trouble.
She tells the New York Post, "We were at a dinner party and (Blige) sto od up, got on her cell phone and started calling people."

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KELLY CLARKSON has won her battle to stop a cigarette company sponsoring her upcoming concert in Indonesia - the promotion has been scrapped after the singer condemned the "damaging" deal.
The Since U Been Gone singer has been under pressure to cancel her 29 A pril (10) show in Jakarta after it emerged that cigarette company Diarum had splashed their L.A. Lights brand logo all over posters advertising th e concert.
Clarkson refused to axe the gig, insisting her fans should not be penal ised for the oversight, and claimed she was furious that such a deal had been done without her knowledge.
Now bosses at the tobacco company have agreed to scrap the sponsorship ahead of the concert.
Gig promoter Adrie Subono has confirmed his company Java Musikindo has reached a "final agreement" with Diarum executives and the sponsorship ha s been cancelled. The Clarkson posters featuring the cigarette brand will be taken down over the next few days, and television adverts have been p ulled.
Subono tells The Associated Press, "There will be no (L.A. Lights) medi a promotion at the Kelly Clarkson concert."

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Punk pioneer MALCOLM MCLAREN was given a fitting send-off on Thursday (22 Apr10) - his funeral paid tribute to his anarchic lifestyle.
The former Sex Pistols manager died aged 64 at a clinic in Switzerland earlier this month (Apr10) after a battle with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer often linked to asbestos exposure.
He was laid to rest following a church service in north London on Thurs day - and dozens of friends, colleagues, and fans turned out to pay their respects.
McLaren’s body was taken to the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage and his coffin was emblazoned with the words "Too fast to live, Too young to die" - the original name of his 1970s clothes shop where the Sex Pistols formed.
A double-decker bus with "Nowhere" as its destination - in imitation of the Sex Pistols’ tour bus - was parked outside the venue, and many fans wore t-shirts printed with one of McLaren’s favourite slogans, "Cash from Chaos".
Mourners included the punk mogul’s former partner Dame Vivienne Westwoo d and their son Joseph Corre, Bob Geldof, 1980s singer Adam Ant, and arti sts Tracey Emin and Dinos Chapman.

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RICKY GERVAIS is teaming up with his EXTRAS co-star WARWICK DAVIS for a n ew sitcom about the everyday life of a dwarf.
The BBC has commissioned The Office funnyman to write and oversee a pil ot episode of observant comedy Life’s Too Short, which will give an insig ht into Davis’ world.
British actor Davis, who was born with dwarfism, is most famous for sta rring in 1980s fantasy film Willow and his recurring role as Professor Fl itwick in the Harry Potter movie series.
Gervais, who makes a cameo appearance in Life’s Too Short, insists the programme will be a quirky hit.
He says, ‘’It’s a cross between Extras and Curb your Enthusiasm and (Br itish TV comedy) One Foot in the Grave, but with a dwarf. That is out and out funny.
‘’We’re having so much fun working with Warwick. Pound for pound he is one of the funniest men I know.'’ Davis appeared in a 2005 episode of Gervias’ TV hit Extras opposite his Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe.

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Reality TV-turned-country music star JULIANNE HOUGH has dismissed reports she’s dating RYAN SEACREST - insisting she’s only ever met the AMERICAN IDOL host in a professional capacity.
The Dancing with the Stars beauty has been linked to a string of suitor s since her year-long relationship with country singer Chad Wicks ended i n November (09), including Kings of Leon rocker Jared Followill and comic Dane Cook.
Hough was recently rumoured to be romancing Seacrest after the pair was spotted enjoying a dinner date.
But she has laughed off the speculation - revealing they were joined by her manager during their mealtime meeting.
She tells OK! magazine, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s so crazy! I keep hearing these rumours, but I don’t know (Seacrest). I know him from interviews. W e’ve had lunch together with people - my manager, and stuff like that." (

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TRUE BLOOD star ALEXANDER SKARSGARD hated his status as a teen idol when he shot to fame in his native Sweden, insisting he felt "uncomfortable" b ecause was "different".
The 33 year old made his movie debut at the age of eight, and went on t o star in a string of films and TV shows - making him a household name in Sweden.
But Skarsgard admits he didn’t enjoy his early years in the spotlight - because fame made his teenage years even more difficult.
He tells VMANN magazine, "I was suddenly different from my best friends and I didn’t like the feeling. Thirteen is already a weird age. Puberty, your body, all that… If we would go out and play (soccer) and a girl w ould watch my friend, he would think it’s exciting… but to me it starte d being like, ‘Oh s**t she is staring ’cause she watched that silly movie ..’" And his formative years as a child star also made Skarsgard wary of bec oming a high-profile name in Hollywood.
He adds, "I have a fear of the whole American celebrity thing. I’m not sure if I could act in an interesting way if I became too swept up in tha t."

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JENNIFER LOPEZ cringes when she looks back at photos of herself following the birth of her twins - because she looked so "fat".
The actress/singer gave birth to twins Max and Emme in 2008, her first children with husband Marc Anthony, and admits the pregnancy took its tol l on her famous curves.
She tells UsWeekly, "I remember my flabby belly hanging out right after I gave birth. I kind of laughed and said to Marc, ‘Look, baby! Isn’t thi s crazy?’ I just didn’t care." But the star reveals her relaxed attitude to her newly round frame didn ‘t last - she felt compelled to return to the gym once she saw snaps of h er fuller figure.
She adds, "I look back at pictures from that time, and I’m like ‘Oh, Go d, I was fat. I was still heavy eight months out!’" "You get to the point where you’re like, Where am I? What happened to m e? I got to get myself together for my kids, you know? They need to know what I really look like."

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MORGAN FREEMAN is fronting a U.S. campaign to raise awareness of hurrican es.
The actor is co-founder and spokesperson for The Great Hurricane Blowou t, which aims to encourage American and Caribbean citizens to prepare for hurricane season - traditionally from June to November.
And he’s urging them to take on tips from the new Ready, Set, PLAN!T ap peal on how best to survive the devastating winds.
He says, "Hurricanes have the power to destroy, but we have the power t o prepare. The Great Hurricane Blowout will provide your family with the tools to be ready in the face of an emergency."

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Basketball superstar KOBE BRYANT and his wife VANESSA have settled a wron gful discharge case with their former housekeeper out of court.
Maria Jimenez filed suit against the Bryants in March, 2009, alleging s he was verbally abused by the sportsman’s wife throughout her employment.
She claimed Vanessa constantly "badgered, harassed and humiliated" her by "yelling and screaming" at her in front of other people in their house hold, and sued the couple for wrongful discharge, invasion of privacy, em otional distress and unpaid wages.
The Bryants denied the accusations, with their lawyers branding the sui t "outrageous" and "totally unfounded".
However, the two parties have now reached a settlement and the case has been closed, reports TMZ.com.

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Wrestling icon HULK HOGAN is taking legal action against his insurance co mpany after accusing staff of failing to properly advise him about his po licy needs prior to his son’s near-fatal car crash.
The grappler’s teenage son Nick Bollea served time in prison in 2008 af ter pleading no contest to reckless driving for his part in a high-speed collision in Clearwater, Florida in 2007, which left passenger John Grazi ano with permanent brain damage.
Hogan’s car insurance firm, Wells Fargo Southeast, paid out $250,000 (=C2 =A3156,250) to the Graziano family as a result of the crash - but the spo rtsman was left to pick up the bill after he was sued by the victim’s rel atives for negligence.
Graziano’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Nick, his dad Hogan - r eal name Terry Bollea - his mother Linda Bollea and friend Daniel Jacob i n March 2009, alleging they were negligent in their actions, which led to Graziano’s injuries.
The legal dispute was settled in February (10), but the cost of the sui t to Hogan remained private.
Now the wrestler is blaming Wells Fargo bosses for not alerting him to take up a more expensive insurance policy to cover teenagers driving his vehicles, as they pose a greater financial risk, reports TMZ.com.
Hogan claims the $250,000 limit on his policy put his $30 million (=C2=A3 18.75 million) personal fortune at risk to settle the case.
He is suing Wells Fargo Southeast for unspecified damages. (MT/WNWCZM/Z

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JAMES CAMERON battled to keep AVATAR focused on environmental issues - be cause movie bosses wanted him to cut the "tree-hugging" elements out of t he film.
The hugely successful blockbuster tells the story of an alien planet wh ich is threatened by a human mining project.
But when the director first pitched the idea to a Hollywood studio, the executives asked him to leave out the underlying eco-friendly storyline.
He tells the New York Daily News, "I certainly feel a personal sense of responsibility (over environmental issues) because I made a movie on the se issues. Why? Because they were personally important to me. It’s not li ke the studio said, ‘Jim we want you to make a movie about the environmen t.’ No. They said, ‘We really like the big epic science fiction story, bu t is there any way we can get this tree-hugging c**p out of it?’" (LR/NYD

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A former nanny for STEVEN SEAGAL’s children has defended the actor over h is ongoing sexual harassment case - insisting the star was "always very n ice and respectful" during her time as an employee.
Earlier this month (Apr10), Kayden Nguyen targeted the Under Seige hard man in a $1 million (=C2=A3666,000) lawsuit, claiming she was used as Sea gal’s "sex toy" and was expected to pleasure him upon landing a job as hi s executive assistant.
The suit was apparently strengthened by sworn declarations from two fem ale former employees, who both quit after Seagal allegedly made inappropr iate sexual advances.
Now, Sonam Choezom, who was hired as a nanny by the star in 1996, has d efended the embattled actor - insisting he never behaved inappropriately towards her.
According to TMZ.com, Choezom claims Seagal offered her a job in the U.
S. so that she could pay her ill father’s healthcare in her native Tibet.
Choezom tells the website the news of the allegations came as a shock, because the actor had always treated her with respect.
She says, "I was very surprised."

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Rockers GREEN DAY broke down in tears when they saw their AMERICAN IDIOT musical on Broadway for the first time - because they were overwhelmed to see their work on the famous New York stage.
The production, which is based around the group’s 2004 album of the sam e name, debuted in California in September (09) and opened in the Big App le on Tuesday night (20Apr10).
The show has received mixed reviews from critics - but the group is del ighted with the musical.
Bassist Mike Dirnt says, "We were all in tears because you don’t get to see Green Day play if you’re in Green Day.
"To hear those voices and the way all the cast were singing, you just a bandon hope of a tissue and let them (tears) stream." Musical director Michael Mayer adds, "I was watching the actors and I c atch the eye of one of the singers, and he just gives me a little thumbs- up sign, and so that gave me the courage to look over at the band.
"And there were tears in their eyes. I saw what we were doing was conne cting to them on a heart-and-soul level, it wasn’t about commerce or busi ness."

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PETE DOHERTY left two of his BABYSHAMBLES bandmates baffled on Tuesday ni ght (20Apr10) - by playing a gig without them.
The British rocker was rumoured to have parted ways with his group earl ier this month (Apr10) after reforming his former band The Libertines for two summer gigs (10).
A representative for Babyshambles strenuously denied reports of a split , insisting the singer will return to front the band once his stint with The Libertines comes to an end.
But speculation about a line-up change has refused to go away, with rum ours drummer Adam Ficek and bassist Drew McConnell have been kicked out o f the band.
And Doherty fuelled the gossip by playing a gig in London on Tuesday, a ppearing on stage without Ficek and McConnell. He reportedly told the cro wd to welcome the new Babyshambles line-up, while the audience began chan ting their support for the missing musicians, according to NME.com.
Ficek has subsequently admitted he’s "perplexed" by the move.
In a series of posts on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Cheers for th e support all, am as confused as all??? Was looking forward to gigs/newre cordz (sic). Headache! Perplexed. Such an odd time. Really chuffed at all your FicekMcConnell love. Welcome warmth on a frosty morn." (LR/WNWCNM/Z

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A representative for COURTNEY LOVE has confirmed the rocker is not changi ng her name - insisting the star was speaking "metaphorically" when she a nnounced plans to reinvent herself as COURTNEY MICHELLE.
The Hole frontwoman was born Courtney Michelle Harrison, but adopted Lo ve as her last name when she launched her music career in the 1980s.
During a recent interview with Britain’s NME magazine, Love spoke about dropping her famous moniker because she feels "oppressed" by her stage n ame.
She said, "We’ve all decided we don’t like her (Courtney Love) any more .. (Call me) Courtney Michelle. The name Courtney Love is a way to oppress me." But a spokesperson for the star is adamant she’s not changing her name.
The rep tells GossipCop.com, "Not at all. She said it metaphorically." (

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WHITNEY HOUSTON made one young fan’s dream come true during a concert in Ireland earlier this week (20Apr10), inviting the little girl onstage to perform a duet.
The I Have Nothing hitmaker staged a string of shows on her Nothing But Love tour at the O2 Arena in Dublin - and the singer gave an extra-speci al performance on Tuesday.
Houston invited a youngster from the audience to sing with her on hit t rack The Greatest Love Of All, to rapturous applause from the crowd.
The star defied Europe’s travel chaos to reach Ireland for the gigs - s he took a ferry to the country from Britain after Iceland’s volcanic erup tion last week (ends18Apr10) grounded flights across northern Europe. (CL

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s father JOE is baffled by a decision to dedicate a Cirqu e du Soleil show to his late son - insisting he will refuse to watch the production.
The late star’s estate has signed a deal with the theatrical troupe to produce a stage spectacular featuring the Thriller hitmaker’s songs.
It will tour the U.S. in 2011, followed by a residency in Las Vegas, an d the star’s mother Katherine has backed the venture, insisting the Jacks on clan is supporting the plans.
She says in a statement, "Our family is thrilled that Cirque du Soleil will pay tribute to my son in such an important way." But patriarch Joe is not happy with the idea, telling Popeater.com, "Th at’s something else, isn’t it? I won’t see it."

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MACY GRAY is facing legal action from executives at a public relations fi rm over allegations she’s failed to settle a $43,000 (=C2=A328,667) bill.
The I Try singer is accused of entering into a $2,000 (=C2=A31,333)-a m onth contract with the unnamed publicity firm back in 2005, and racking u p a massive bill, which she has yet to pay.
Documents filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court reveal bosses at a debt collection agency, working on behalf of the PR company, are taking legal action in a bid to recoup the money, according to TMZ.com. (LR/WNWC

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