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THE HANGOVER star BRADLEY COOPER is in mourning following the death of his stockbroker father.
Charles Cooper passed away after a long illness on Saturday (15Jan11), according to People.com. He was 71.
The actor’s girlfriend Renee Zellweger pulled out of an appearance at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday (16Jan11) to comfort him.

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Rap superstar KANYE WEST has hit out at the media for turning a light-hearted joke he made about BRITNEY SPEARS on Twitter.com into a war of words, insisting his comments were made in "good fun".
The Stronger hitmaker took to the internet on Friday (14Jan11) after learning his collaboration with Jay-Z, H.A.M., had been beaten to the number one spot on the iTunes download chart by Spears’ new single, Hold It Against Me.
In a post on his Twitter page, in which West also lampooned his notorious Taylor Swift stage invasion at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, he wrote, "Yo Britney, I’m really happy for you and I’mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z’s single is one of the best songs of all time (sic)! LOL (laugh out loud)." He later added, "On a serious note I’m truly happy for… @BritneySpears…… No hate in 2011!" But West was horrified to find himself at the centre of fresh controversy after his friendly tweet was mistaken by some critics as jealousy and arrogance, suggesting he was trying to engage Spears in a Twitter.com war.
In a series of updates on the site, West insists he meant no harm by his comments and takes aim at the press for twisting his words.
He writes, "I thought LOL signified a joke… I didn’t get the 2011 LOL doesn’t signify a joke anymore memo…
"Just saw that (news website) MSNBC said I tried to start a twitter war with Brittany (sic). This s**t takes the air out my lungs sometimes from blogs to news reports… enough already!!! All I do is focus on my work… There’s a new lie everyday… a new media spin…
"When I said the comment about Brittney (sic) I was giving her props for being #1 not dissing her at all! …But stop making it seem that my aim is to hurt or down people! That’s just not my style!"

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Pop star NICOLE SCHERZINGER is teaming up with British rapper/singer PLAN B for an unlikely collaboration.
The Pussycat Dolls beauty is concentrating on a new solo project and she’s recruited the She Said hitmaker to work on a new "edgy" sound.
Plan B tells U.K. tabloid The Sun, "I don’t know what kind of direction she is going for with her new album. But anything that I do with her would be quite edgy and not straightforward pop."

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Hip-hop veteran LUTHER ‘LUKE’ CAMPBELL is preparing to swap rap for politics - he’s "seriously" considering running for office as a mayor in Miami, Florida.
The former 2 Live Crew member admits he is unsatisfied with the current Miami-Dade mayor, Carlos Alvarez, who has come under fire by local residents for handing out salary increases to his employees while faced with a troubled economy, and is contemplating entering the 2011 race to bring about more "transparency" to local politics.
He says, "If Carlos Alvarez gets recalled, I will seriously think about running for Miami-Dade County mayor." But Campbell is well aware of the hurdles he will face if he does decide to step up as a mayoral candidate - because the sexual nature of his group’s hits in the late 1980s and early ’90s is sure to be a topic of contention.
The Me So Horny star adds, "If I decide I will get into politics, I have no problem addressing the many controversies that have been a part of my life. I will have no problem answering questions about the negative side of my life. I look forward to my opponents digging up every wrong thing I have done.â�� Campbell isn’t the only rapper to pursue political aspirations - Wyclef Jean attempted to run for president of Haiti last year (10) and Rhymefest is currently bidding to become a councilman in his native Chicago, Illinois.

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Singer MELISSA ETHERIDGE has bounced back following her split from longterm partner TAMMY LYNN MICHAELS last year (10) - she’s reportedly found love with TV writer LINDA WALLEM.
The Come To My Window hitmaker ended her nine-year relationship with Michaels in April 2010, and the break-up turned messy last summer (10) as they battled over finances and custody of their four-year-old twins, Johnnie Rose and Miller.
But the lesbian star has refused to let the bitter split impact her search for lasting love and she’s since settled down with her best friend Wallem, creator of medical drama Nurse Jackie Ironically, Wallem served as Etheridge’s ‘best man’ when the singer wed Michaels in 2003.
A source tells People.com, "Melissa and Linda have been best friends for over 10 years. They got together three months after Melissa and Tammy broke up.
"(They) are in a committed relationship. They’re happy." And the insider insists relations between Etheridge and her ex are also improving: "Everybody really is in a better place now."

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Four men have been arrested and charged over the murder of LAURYN HILL’s former bassist, a year after he was found dead in his car in Oakland, California.
Dewey Tucker was discovered slumped behind the wheel of his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his head on 12 January, 2010.
Police believe the 24-year-old bassist had been on his way to a practice session when he was shot and killed in what authorities have described as a "horrendous case of mistaken identity".
Cops arrested four suspects last Wednesday (12Jan11), on the first anniversary of Tucker’s death, and they were hauled into court on Thursday (13Jan11).
Raul Vega, 19, Hector Barragan, 28, Christopher Mancinas, 29, and Javier Lopez, 20, face a number of charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, murder for the benefit of a gang, and use of a firearm that resulted in death. They have all pleaded not guilty to the counts.
It is thought the four men mistook Tucker for a rival gang member and began following him before shooting him on a highway.
After Thursday’s (13Jan11) arraignment hearing, Tucker’s grieving fiancee, Breana Whitney, said, "Today is filled with a lot of sorrow but a little bit of relief that these people are off the streets and canâ��t harm anyone elseâ��s family."

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Actress MARISSA JARET WINOKUR has been dropped from the star-studded line-up on U.S. TV chat show THE TALK.
Winokur, who starred in Broadway’s Hairspray, provided twice-weekly segments for the new daytime talk show, hosted by newswoman Julie Chen, rock matriarch Sharon Osbourne, and actresses Leah Remini, Holly Robinson Peete and Sara Gilbert.
But CBS bosses have parted ways with the star, three months after the show’s October (10) premiere.
The Talk executive producer Brad Bessey tells People.com, "We think the world of Marissa as a creative talent, on-air personality and super mum. This is a mutual decision based on time, not talent." Winokur explains, "As the show evolved, there really wasn’t room for my segments."

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JERRY LEWIS’ slapstick humour is heading back to the big screen - the funnyman has signed a deal to remake his most successful comedies.
Artificial Intelligence Entertainment and Social Capital Films have acquired the remake rights from Lewis to develop his 1960s films The Bellboy, Cinderfella and The Family Jewels with a modern twist.
The comedian, 84, will serve as co-executive producer on the films.
Producers Christopher Tuffin, John Baca and George Paige aim to develop each revamp as a franchise for a major comedy star.
Tuffin tells Daily Variety, "What we’re aiming to do is combine the spirit of the originals with a modern sensibility." Casting had yet to begin as WENN went to press.

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NATALIE PORTMAN has no problem with her public perception as a Hollywood "good girl", because her reputation has allowed her to enjoy the benefits of her successful career while remaining "pretty anonymous".
The actress made her movie debut in 1994’s Leon and shot to superstardom after landing the role of Queen Amidala in 1999’s Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
However, she remained largely out of the public eye throughout the early 2000s as she studied for a psychology degree at the prestigious Harvard University in Massachusetts.
She has since returned to the limelight with high profile parts in films such as The Other Boleyn Girl and V for Vendetta, but Portman insists she can still go shopping and visit movie theatres without being "harassed" by fans - and that’s how she likes it.
She tells Britain’s Telegraph magazine, "I’m not exactly a bad girl… it’s not important that strangers know who I really am.
"I go to the mall at Christmas time. I go to the movie theatre on Friday nights. I’m pretty anonymous. I sometimes get recognised, but not harassed. So I feel very left alone because of that good-girl image. Maybe people get bored by it - and that’s great!" Portman is expecting her first baby later this year (10) with fiance Benjamin Millepied, who she met on the set of new movie Black Swan.

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TWILIGHT star KRISTEN STEWART is putting the millions she’s earned from the hit vampire franchise to good use - she wants to set up a number of halfway houses.
The actress was reportedly paid $25 million (£16.7 million) to star in the vampire saga, and she has been trying to figure out how best to help those less fortunate with the money she’s made.
She tells America’s Vogue magazine, "It’s funny when you are endowed not only with public recognition on a f**king seriously vast level, but also money. Like, funds.
"Anytime I hear that somebody’s really rich, the first question is, ‘Do you do anything with it? Or do you, like, chill? You just sit on it?’" Stewart reveals she has big plans for her own cash and wants to use the money to aid the recovery of those struggling to get back on their feet after overcoming personal troubles.
She says, "That would be amazing. Right now it’s the thing I feel most connected to."

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The organisers of Germany’s Berlin Film Festival will turn the spotlight on the plight of jailed Iranian director JAFAR PANAHI by honouring him at the 2011 event in protest of his six-year sentence.
The filmmaker, an outspoken supporter of Iran’s opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi, received the punishment in December (10) after he was convicted of campaigning against the country’s government and shooting without permission.
He was also banned from writing or making films for 20 years, according to his lawyers.
Panahi’s legal troubles have caught the attention of Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese, Harvey Weinstein, Sean Penn and Paul Haggis, who have all backed an Amnesty International campaign to free him and his co-defendant, Mohammad Rasoulof, who was also ordered to serve six years behind bars.
And now Berlin Film Festival bosses are doing what they can to put pressure on the Iranian government to release the pair, particularly as Panahi was due to serve as a jury member at next month’s (Feb11) festival.
In a statement, Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick says, "We are going to use every opportunity to protest against this drastic verdict." The Berlin Film Festival will take place from 10 to 20 February (11).

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Hollywood father and son MARTIN SHEEN and EMILIO ESTEVEZ are putting pen to paper for a family memoir.
The actors have signed a deal with publishers at Simon & Shuster imprint Free Press to write Along the Way in time for America’s Father’s Day next year (17Jun12).
A statement from Estevez reads, "I’m so happy to be working on this unique project with my father. We’re both fathers of sons, we’re neighbours and activists, and we hope that our story will communicate an essential message for our times: Film is an illusion. Fame is ephemeral. Faith and family are what endure." The book shares the title of their upcoming movie Along the Way, in which Estevez directs his father.

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CHARLIE SHEEN thrilled fans in Las Vegas over the weekend (15-16Jan11) by making a surprise appearance on stage with comedian DREW CAREY.
The Two and a Half Men star spent the weekend in Sin City and during his trip, he called into the Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand resort to catch Carey’s stand-up show.
Telling fans all about his starry encounter in a series of posts on Twitter.com, Carey writes, "Charlie Sheen… got on stage with us during our improv (sic) show at MGM in Vegas. Hilarious!… There were only about a thousand hooker jokes w (with) Charlie Sheen at our GSN (Game Show Network) improv show at MGM. And yes it was taped… " But Carey insists rumours the actor was drinking heavily are untrue.
He adds, "For the record, I only saw him drinking bottled water backstage n (and) he seemed perfectly sober. And he was funny."

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CHARLIE SHEEN and his estranged wife BROOKE MUELLER are attempting to put their differences aside and reconcile for the sake of their young sons, according to the actor’s mother-in-law.
The couple’s relationship unravelled after a Christmas Day bust-up in 2009 which left the Two And A Half Men star facing criminal charges.
They subsequently split, and Sheen filed for divorce in November (10).
But Mueller’s mother, Moira Fiore, reveals they want to give their marriage another chance.
She tells The Palm Beach Post, "They’re talking about it constantly, and Brooke has been saying she and Charlie are trying to get back together.
"She (Mueller ) seems ready to give it another try. Charlie’s been telling her that things have not gone well for him (and it) is because they broke up. I think he’s making her feel guilty and he wants to be with Brooke." The estranged couple is parents to twin boys, Max and Bob, born in March, 2009.

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SIR ELTON JOHN and his partner DAVID FURNISH are putting together a scrapbook of their surrogacy journey so they can tell their son all about it as soon as he is old enough to understand.
The pair welcomed baby Zachary at Christmas (25Dec10) after a long process to find a surrogate mother to carry their child.
Furnish insists they will be completely honest with the youngster about how he came into the world, and they have been collecting mementos for the tot.
He tells Britain’s OK! magazine, "We’ve taken advice from counsellors on this and we’ve already started a scrapbook with pictures of us meeting the surrogate, the first scans, letters and emails, hospital bracelets…
"We want him to understand how much love and care went into his birth. We’ve already got a couple of great children’s books on how families come in many shapes and sizes." Sir Elton also reveals they have chosen to stay in touch with the surrogate mum, who has chosen to remain out of the public eye, because they want Zachary to get to know her, too.
He adds, "We want the surrogate mum to be a part of our lives, and we want him to get to know her, because she’s a great woman. He will always be told the truth."

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Funnyman RICKY GERVAIS has dismissed accusations he offended TIM ALLEN and TOM HANKS with his risque jokes at the Golden Globes on Sunday (16Jan11) - he enjoyed a drink with the Hollywood actors after the ceremony.
The actor/comedian has come under fire for his humour at the event, with a number of stars, including Claire Danes, subsequently taking aim at him for making jokes at the expense of celebrity guests. Phillip Berk, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group behind the Globes, called Gervais’ jibes "totally unacceptable".
However, the Brit has defended his jokes, insisting he had "better gags" than when he hosted the show last year (10), and revealing two of the stars he poked fun at, Hanks and Allen, weren’t offended by his comedy.
In a post on his blog, he writes, "I enjoyed the Globes more this year. I think I had better gags. More along the lines of the Mel Gibson one last year.
"All the same conspiracy theories as last year too… ‘So and so was offended’… ‘Hasn’t been invited back yet’… Exactly the same as last time. ‘Paul McCartney was furious’… No, he wasn’t. And nor was Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. I was drinking with them after.
"Why do people have to embellish? They’re allowed to say they hated it. They’re allowed to say they didn’t find it funny, that it was tasteless, over the top, or whatever. But why do they speculate and make stuff up? Don’t worry, I know the answer. Because it’s more interesting than ‘It went fine and some people won some awards and then went to a party’. But that’s all that happened." Gervais has also denied reports he was taken off stage for an hour during the prizegiving, revealing he was allowed to choose the sections he hosted: "Obviously the rumour that the organisers stopped me going out on stage for an hour is rubbish. I did every link I was scheduled to do. The reason why the gaps were uneven is because when I got the rundown I was allowed to choose who I presented to. I obviously chose the spots that I had the best gags for. They couldn’t move around the order but I could move around however I wanted."

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Shock rocker MARILYN MANSON is set to mentor wannabe singers on Austrian reality TV show HELDEN VON MORGEN.
The Beautiful People hitmaker has signed up to help the hopefuls on the programme, which translates as Tomorrow’s Heroes, and will appear tutoring the stars in an episode to be aired later this month (21Jan11).
Manson follows in the footsteps of Kim Wilde and Robert ‘Kool’ Bell of Kool & The Gang, who have previously coached contestants on the talent show.

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LINDSAY LOHAN’s father is convinced his daughter has emerged from rehab a "changed" woman, insisting the actress is back "at her best".
The Mean Girls star endured a troubled 2010, which saw her in and out of jail and rehab, before she was ordered to complete a three-month treatment program for breaching her probation stemming from a 2007 DUI arrest.
She completed her court-ordered stay earlier this month (Jan11) and Michael Lohan reveals she has been keeping her addictions at bay by attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.
And he’s convinced the actress has successfully turned her life around.
He tells Hollyscoop.com, "We went to an AA meeting last night then went home and had a quiet night. She changed back to the girl she used to be. When she was at her best - literally. She’s done a 180 and I’m very proud of her."

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