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SHIA LABEOUF is convinced MEGAN FOX was compelled to quit the TRANSFORMERS franchise because she felt "awkward" in such a "sex-driven role".
The actress starred in two of the robot blockbusters before quitting the series last year (10) and she was replaced by lingerie model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who tackles the female lead in the third installment, Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
LaBeouf has now opened up about Fox’s departure, revealing she felt uncomfortable with director Michael Bay’s filming style.
He tells the Los Angeles Times, "Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women.
"Mike films women in a way that appeals to a 16-year-old sexuality. It’s summer. It’s Michael’s style. And I think (Fox) never got comfortable with it. This is a girl who was taken from complete obscurity and placed in a sex-driven role in front of the whole world and told she was the sexiest woman in America. And she had a hard time accepting it.
"When Mike would ask her to do specific things, there was no time for fluffy talk. We’re on the run. And the one thing Mike lacks is tact. There’s no time for ‘I would like you to just arch your back 70 degrees’." LaBeouf is adamant Huntington-Whiteley was better prepared for the sexy role because of her Victoria’s Secret modelling experience, adding, "Rosie comes with this Victoria’s Secret background, and she’s comfortable with it, so she can get down with Mike’s way of working and it makes the whole set vibe very different."

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

Pop star PINK has become a first-time mum after giving birth to a baby girl.
The So What hitmaker sent gossips into a spin on Wednesday (01Jun11) by posting a cryptic message on Twitter.com hinting she’d delivered her baby.
She posted, "New Moon in Gemini today… a good time to start something new…. Also called the Honey Moon." And Pink has now confirmed she and husband Carey Hart are the proud parents to a little girl, named Willow Sage Hart.
In a post on her Twitter.com page on Thursday night (02Jun11), she writes, "We are ecstatic to welcome our new beautiful healthy happy baby girl, Willow Sage Hart. She’s gorgeous, just like her daddy. Beyond blessed."

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

Officials at U.S. cable network BET are refusing to ban RIHANNA’s hard-hitting new promo for MAN DOWN, despite growing criticism about the graphic nature of the video.
The Umbrella hitmaker ‘murders’ a sex attacker in the harrowing video, which premiered on BET on Tuesday (31May11). In the promo the singer shoots a man at a railway station and a series of flashback images then show her grappling with him outside a nightclub as he tries to attack her.
Rihanna, who was famously assaulted in 2009 by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown, came under fire from members of the Parents Television Council for setting a bad example with the promo, and they hit out at TV executives for allowing the video to be shown.
A PTC representative added, "If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop. Rihanna should not get a pass." But BET chiefs are refusing to bow to pressure to pull the video from screens.
A spokesperson tells TMZ.com the network "has a comprehensive set of standards and guidelines that are applied to all of our content. The Rihanna Man Down video complied with these guidelines and was approved for air."

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INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS star MELANIE LAURENT is making a run on the pop charts in Europe after releasing an album of self-penned songs.
The French actress’ ex-boyfriend, Damien Rice, co-produced the album and duets with Laurent on select tracks.
The album is already available in France and songs are for sale on iTunes.com.

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

SWEET HOME ALABAMA star JOSH LUCAS is in talks to play TOM CRUISE’s character in a TV series sequel to hit 1993 film THE FIRM.
According to MovieHole.net, the series picks up 10 years after Cruise’s Mitch McDeere character exposed members of the Mafia in the legal thriller, adapted from John Grisham’s bestseller.
The reputable movie news website says McDeere leaves witness protection only to discover he should have stayed hidden a little longer.
The show plans to shoot in Canada this summer (11).

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

Legendary BEATLES manager BRIAN EPSTEIN’s life is to be turned into a biopic, which will unearth secrets about the gay svengali.
Broadway producer Vivek Tiwary has been developing the project, titled The Fifth Beatle, for years, but now has the financing to officially start work on the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
And, in a first for a film about the Fab Four, Tiwary has secured the rights to use a handful of Beatles songs for the soundtrack.
He tells the publication, "My guess is we’ll use six to 10 Beatles songs. We have the ability to use All You Need is Love, A Day in The Life…, Sgt. Pepper, Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Help and You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.
"It’s definitely possible that You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away is about Brian." Epstein died of a drug overdose in 1967.
No casting has been announced for the Epstein role; David Angus played the manager in 1991’s The Hours & Times and Rory Kinnear portrayed Epstein in last year’s (10) Lennon Naked.

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U2 star BONO was forced to hitch-hike in Canada earlier this week (begs30May11) after he was caught out by a storm.
The rocker and his assistant were walking through West Vancouver on Tuesday (31May11) when the weather turned nasty.
Rather than walk on Bono tried to catch a driver’s attention - and was shocked to discover Edmonton Oilers ice hockey pro Gilbert Brule and his girlfriend Kelsey Nichols in the car.
Nichols tells the Edmonton Journal, "I didn’t want to stop, but they waved and G yelled, ‘That’s Bono!’ I didn’t believe him, so I kept driving." Brule then convinced his partner to turn around to pick up the rock star and his assistant - and he was stunned when Bono offered the couple tickets and backstage passes to U2’s show in Edmonton on Wednesday (01Jun11).
And the rocker gave a special shout-out to Brule during the gig, telling the crowd, "I like ice hockey because people who play ice hockey are the kind of people who pick up hitch-hikers. I’m ever so grateful. I’ve decided that I want to be Gilbert Brule."

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

Rocker SHARLEEN SPITERI once called in police after two men posing as maintenance workers conned their way into her home.
The Texas frontwoman let the two imposters onto her property after they convinced her they were there to carry out a routine check on her gas supply.
Spiteri quickly realised the guys weren’t who they claimed to be and threw them out of her house - and then rang police to alert them to the suspicious men.
She tells Britain’s The One Show, "One time I had the ‘gas men’ ring the doorbell and they weren’t actually gas men. I let them in and they were having a good scout about. I was looking at their shoes and thinking, ‘There’s something really wrong there, so I went, ‘On your bike!’ "I was really lucky. I did call the police afterwards and say there are two guys walking around, described them and everything."

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ROSEANNE BARR is returning to TV comedy - as funny woman CHELSEA HANDLER’s aunt.
Barr has joined Laura Prepon in the TV sitcom adaptation of Handler’s book Are You There Vodka, It’s Me, Chelsea.
Prepon will play Chelsea Hanson - a character based on Handler - in the series.
She’s not the only former That 70’s Show star returning to a starring role on TV; Ashton Kutcher has signed on to replace Charlie Sheen in sitcom Two and a Half Men.

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EVEL KNIEVEL’s hair-raising life is to be turned into a biopic by a former stuntman.
Ric Roman Waugh became a movie set thrill-seeker after worshipping Knievel as a child and now the Felon writer/director has been given the chance to tell his hero’s life story on the big screen.
He’ll adapt Leigh Montville’s book The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel: American Showman, Daredevil and Legend.
Waugh tells The Hollywood Reporter, "This is my Walk The Line (acclaimed Johnny Cash biopic). It’s less about the stunts and more about an exploration of a man who let nothing stand in the way of his quest for fame and glory - including his own mortality." No casting details had been announced as WENN went to press.

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Actor GILLES MARINI has travelled to Italy to show his support for U.S. troops stationed there.
The Sex & The City and Brothers & Sisters hunk teamed up with the United Service Organizations (USO) to meet armed soldiers, boost morale and personally thank them for their continued efforts.
After arriving in the city of Naples, he took to his Twitter.com page to tell fans all about his trip, writing, "First day in Italy (Naples) for @the_USO ! Can’t wait to see the troops and play some basketball with them!"

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Actress ZOE KRAVITZ almost lost out on her role in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS after turning up to auditions in a dowdy outfit, convinced she was going to be rejected.
The daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet stars as flying go-go dancer Angel Salvadore in her first major movie role, but the 22 year old admits she never even expected a call back.
She tells Us Weekly magazine, "I auditioned in a hat and a T-shirt because I didn’t think I even had a shot. They said, ‘Can she come back and sex it up a bit?’ So I returned in form-fitting clothes - and got it!" And Kravitz was so flattered to have scored the superhero part, she threw herself into a strict exercise regime to ensure she was in tip-top shape in her sexy costumes.
She says, "I did a lot of sit-ups and push-ups to build enough muscle to hold myself up (for stunt scenes). I wanted to look good in the tight leather I had to wear!"

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British actor STEPHEN FRY has opened up about his cocaine use, insisting he used the drug to calm him down when he was feeling "hyper".
The TV star, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, took the drug for 15 years to help control his mood swings and reveals that he used to spend hours solving crosswords when he was high.
He tells Sky Arts programme In Confidence, "There were 15 years of pretty chronic cocaine taking. In my most hyper frames of mind, I found it was a wonderful drug to take to calm me down. Most people took it as a stimulant! "I tended towards the end to take it alone at home and play word games, mind spinning. I’d do very difficult crosswords… I would spend hours on those." But he insists he was never truly addicted to the drug, adding, "I found it extremely easy to stop (taking it), but it took me a very long time to get to a position where I was ready to."

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Newly-single actress OLIVIA WILDE has dismissed rumours she’s dating BRADLEY COOPER.
The Tron: Legacy star filed for divorce from Italian prince Tao Ruspoli in March (11), citing irreconcilable differences.
She was linked to Cooper after the movie stars were spotted together at an after-party for The Hangover Part II premiere in New York last month (May11), with a source telling Us Weekly, "They’re definitely hooking up." But Wilde’s representative has since told GossipCop.com the two stars are "friends only", and the actress has taken to her Twitter.com page to further dispel the dating speculation.
She jokes, "I think Us Weekly has the same sources who promised us WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) in Iraq."

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Actor KELSEY GRAMMER has stepped up his legal battle with ex-wife CAMILLE - he wants to go to trial to allow a judge to decide who should gain full custody of their children, according to a U.S. report.
The Frasier actor parted ways with reality TV star Camille last summer (10) and he has since wed Kayte Walsh.
The ex-couple was expected to seek joint custody of son Jude, six, and daughter Mason, nine, but last month (May11) Grammer requested to be recognised as their primary guardian.
Camille has since challenged Grammer’s claim, filing her own legal papers for sole custody.
The actor/producer has now submitted further documents revealing the former couple and their two kids are being analysed by a child custody expert - and he wants the custody battle to head to trial when the evaluation is completed, according to TMZ.com.

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RIHANNA has hit back at critics protesting her hard-hitting video for MAN DOWN, in which the singer guns down a rapist, insisting she is simply showing fans what can happen in the "real world".
The Umbrella singer, who was brutally beaten in 2009 by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, shoots a man at a railway station in the promo. A series of flashback images then show her grappling with the male outside a nightclub as he tries to attack her.
The clip premiered on U.S. TV earlier this week (31May11) and Rihanna immediately came under attack from activists at the Parents Television Council for depicting the graphic murder. They accused her of suggesting a "cold, calculated execution of murder" is an acceptable form of justice.
But Rihanna has blasted the negative feedback, insisting it’s not her job to show kids what’s right and wrong - she’s just using her art to express her own feelings on the subject matter.
In a series of posts on her Twitter.com blog, she writes, "I’m a 23 year old rockstar with NO KIDS! What’s up with everybody wantin (sic) me to be a parent? I’m just a girl, I can only be your/our voice! "Cuz (sic) we all know how difficult/embarrassing it is to communicate touchy subject matters to anyone especially our parents! And this is why!Cuz (sic) we turn the other cheek! U (sic) can’t hide your kids from society,or they’ll never learn how to adapt!This is the REAL WORLD! "The music industry isn’t exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! Its (sic) your job to make sure they dont (sic) turn out like US." And Rihanna has called on her loyal fans not to take out their anger on PTC activists.
She adds, "Guys please stop making threats #NotCool!!! We love it, they don’t…that is all, and the world keeps turning!"

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JESSICA ALBA will be giving Yale University’s Class of 2001 reunion a starry touch this weekend (04Jun11) after revealing she’ll be there to support husband CASH WARREN.
Warren was a 2001 graduate at Yale and he’ll be heading back to school for the 10-year get together - and he’ll have a celebrity guest on his arm.
In a post on her Facebook.com page, the pregnant actress writes, "On way to NYC and Connecticut with the family. Love spending time together although Cash is bothering me already… ha! Yale reunion this weekend. Excited to live vicariously through all those Ivy Leaguers with fancy degrees."

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

Los Angeles probation officials were called to LINDSAY LOHAN’s Venice home earlier this week (31May11) when the actress’ electronic monitoring system alerted them to the fact she may have left the confines of the property.
The Mean Girls star is currently serving a house arrest sentence after her conviction for shoplifting a necklace and she is not allowed to leave her home.
The authorities dropped by unannounced and found the actress watching TV and reading scripts.
It is unclear why the ankle device went off, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Steve Honig, a spokesman for the actress, says, "They (officials) came as part of standard procedure to make sure the monitoring equipment was working properly." The actress was sentenced to serve 120 days behind bars last month (May11), but jail overcrowding issues and the fact she is a non-violent convict prompted officials to allow her to serve a reduced sentence at home.

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