Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Melissa Rycroft
But much as we love cheerleaders, that's not how we know her.
Rycroft was a contestant on Season 13 of The Bachelor. She actually earned Jason Mesnick's final rose and enjoyed a few weeks of happiness. Until he dumped her on national TV for another Bachelor suitor, that is. Ouch!
Melissa quickly became a national sensation, though. Her first step after having her heart broken for all to see? Rycroft joined season eight of Dancing with the Stars. She performed very well on it, finishing in third
Battle to control Jackson's fortune begins
It's the opening salvo in a complicated battle for a fortune that includes a lucrative music catalog of the King of Pop's own hits, the rights to songs by the Beatles, and the Neverland ranch that could one day be a tourist attraction.
There's even an elaborate video production, dubbed the "Dome Project," that was overseen by Jackson and finished two weeks before he died.
The high stakes and array of people involved will likely make the fight far more convoluted than recent high-profile squabbles over the estates of singer James Brown and ex-Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith.
"There's no doubt that there's going to be a big battle," said Alexis Martin Neely, a Los Angeles-based estate attorney. "It's going to be very messy and I don't see anything comparing to this."
Complicating matters is that few, if any, people know all the details of the reclusive entertainer's financial affairs. His mother's filing, for example, declares that Jackson died "intestate," or without a will. But that is in dispute. Another person with knowledge of Jackson's business matters told The Associated Press last Friday that there is a will, which would take precedent in court. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material.
Becoming an estate administrator "puts a vast amount of power in one person's hands," said Roy Kozupsky, a lawyer with Smith, Gambrell & Russell. The person would have the power to sell assets, make deals and determine how to pay off creditors, he said.
At stake is Jackson's 50 percent ownership in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a company itself estimated to be worth $2 billion; Jackson's own recordings and songwriting rights, which could be worth more than $150 million; and his joint ownership of the Neverland ranch.
Katherine Jackson said in her filing she intends to use the estate's assets for "the exclusive use of the decedent's (Jackson's) three children." But the filing could also be the first move in contesting the validity of a will, if there is one, Kozupsky said.
Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. The youngest was born to a surrogate mother, while the first two were born to ex-wife Deborah Rowe.
The list of potential parties seeking a piece of Jackson's estate is long, ranging from financial firms to the companies involved in his planned comeback. Among them is AEG Live, the concert promoter that booked Jackson for 50 sold-out performances at London's O2 arena starting next month.
AEG Live reportedly gave Jackson a $20 million advance, which it may seek to recover from the estate. AEG Live declined to comment.
How much AEG can recover will likely depend on the wording of insurance policies it took out and whether they included protection against "medical conditions or another event," said Mary Craig Calkins, a partner at Howrey LLP who handles insurance recovery cases for TV and film productions.
The promoter took out about $18 million in insurance through Lloyd's of London, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.
A big part of determining what the estate is worth and how much it owes in taxes will depend on how much Jackson owed to creditors. Estimates put the tally around $400 million.
The federal government will be able to collect around 45 percent in tax on the value of the estate's assets, minus its debts and administration costs including attorney fees.
It appears that the most valuable assets will likely remain in the estate's control.
The Sony/ATV stake and 100 percent of Mijac, the company that controls Michael Jackson's own music, were held in a trust whose beneficiaries are Jackson's children. That trust is safe from creditors, said Al Malnik, its former trustee and Jackson's business adviser from 2002 to 2005.
"The assets were protected through the trust against creditors," Malnik said Monday.
Jackson used those assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America in 2001. He then refinanced several times. Malnik said the loan total reached $275 million by the time he quit as trustee in 2005. Fortress Investment Group LLC, which took control in 2005, sold the loans off entirely "over a year ago," said company spokeswoman Lilly Donohue.
It is unclear who holds the loans now, but one candidate is Colony Capital LLC, a Los Angeles real estate firm owned by billionaire Thomas Barrack, which also set up a joint venture with Jackson to own Neverland, the 2,500-acre property in Santa Barbara County that once included amusement park rides and zoo animals.
Barrack had lunch with Jackson brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Tito on Saturday at Neverland.
Jackson's estate is still growing through record sales and songwriting rights.
So far this year, some 297,000 of his albums have sold in the U.S., and that's not including last week, when sales spiked in the wake of the singer's death. Jackson's existing works will continue to sell well, said Keith Caulfield, senior charts manager for Billboard magazine.
"He's good for at least a half a million albums a year," Caulfield said.
Songwriting rights also keep earning revenue. Jackson wrote many of the songs he recorded including "Beat It," "Bad," and "Black or White."
For the past three years, Jackson has ranked among the top-earning 100 U.S. songwriters for royalty payments collected by Broadcast Music Inc.
"Michael Jackson is the number one international songwriter in the world for BMI. He is it," BMI chief executive Del Bryant said, adding that use of the singer's songs outside of the U.S. earn more than $1 million dollars annually just for Jackson's share of the royalties.
Warner-Chappell Music, a division of Warner Music Group Corp., is Jackson's music publisher, meaning it promotes use of his songs and lyrics in commercials and TV shows. Jackson's own works, plus scores of song rights he purchased, gross several million dollars per year.
Jackson also owns the master recordings of his own albums such as "Thriller" and "Bad" and had a distribution deal with Sony, according to a person familiar with his finances, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material.
The surge in interest in his music could inflate the value of assets held by his estate, and the tax bill owed to the U.S. government.
"Unfortunately due to his demise, the value of these entities has increased substantially," Malnik said,
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/battle-to-control-jacksons-fortune-begins/24584?nc
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Karissa and Kristina Shannon Pose for Playboy
Hugh Hefner can't tell them apart. Will Playboy readers be able to?
Indeed, Karissa and Kristina Shannon are featured in the latest issue of the men's magazine. No shock there.
Somehow, though, the twins are clothed in the two photos that have been released.
n the new issue, Karissa and Kristina sport matching sailor hats and jean shorts, continuing their tradition of dressing alike and doing everything together. 
Including Hef, of course.
“We feel as if we’re one. In each other we always have a best friend,” the twins said, failing to mention that in one another, they also have an old, wrinkled penis.
Cynthia Hampton Pictures: Lover to John Ensign, US Senator Admits to Love Affair with Staffers Wife
The woman said to have had a love affair with US Senator John Ensign has been identified as Cynthia Hampton.
Sen. John Ensign, a Republican party Senator from Nevada, told a press conference with a brief statement that he indeed had an extramarital affair with a woman a year ago. The Senator did not confirm his relationship was with former staffers wife, Cynthia Hampton, but reports suggest it was indeed her.
46-year-old Cynthia Hampton was a wife of a former senior staffer to Ensign. Cynthia Hampton had worked in various Republican party roles.
Wife of Sen. Ensign, Darlene Engisn.
Former staffer and husband of Cynthia Hampton, Douglas Hampton speaks to Las Vegas news reporter outside Hampton family home.
John Ensign admitted to violating his marriage vows in the statement, but still remains with his wife. He made no mention of his political future over the apparent love affair with Cynthia Hampton.
Doug Hampton, a former top aide to Ensign, is the husband of Cynthia Hampton. Doug and Cynthia Hampton both worked in Washington DC at the time of the love affair.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Hillary Clinton Cancels Appearance With Angelina After Breaking Her Elbow
Hillary Clinton has canceled a meeting Thursday with Angelina Jolie after breaking her elbow.
"On the way to the White House late this afternoon, Secretary Clinton fell and suffered a right elbow fracture," her chief of staff Cheryl Mills said in a statement overnight. "She was treated at The George Washington University Hospital before heading home."
Clinton will have surgery next week.
She was supposed to join Jolie at a World Refugee Day event and present awards at the American Foreign Service Association.
Jolie, who recently finished shooting the spy thriller Salt, is still expected to attend the event. She is also slated to appear on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated $1 million to the U.N. refugee agency providing aid to displaced people in Pakistan.
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Donate $1 Million to Refugees
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to the U.N. refugee agency providing aid to displaced people in Pakistan.
The head of the agency, António Guterres, thanked the Jolie-Pitt Foundation for the generous donation, calling Pakistan's plight "the most challenging humanitarian crisis of the past decade." (More than 2 million people are currently displaced in the country.)
Since becoming a goodwill ambassador for the agency in 2001, Jolie has visited refugees in Pakistan three times. (She took Pitt with her on a 2005 trip.)
Earlier this week, her beau Pitt created the Pediatric Cancer Center, named after his mother, in his hometown of Springfield, Mo.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sarah Jessica Parker’s Surrogate Drama
Getting some fresh air and sunshine, Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted taking a jog in the West Village earlier today (June 17). The “Sex and the City” babe gave herself a boost with an icy cool Starbucks beverage as she listened to her headphones and tried her best to ignore the paparazzi.
Paris Hilton Lands in Dubai
Once again traveling the world, Paris Hilton was spotted waiting to clear immigration as she arrived in the VIP area of Dubai International Airport on Tuesday (June 16).
Keeping busy with her career, the “My New BFF” starlet is in the middle east to film her new reality show, ‘Paris Hilton’s Dubai BFF’.
As for her supposed hookup with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, Miss Hilton told the Daily Mirror, “He’s a very nice guy - and an incredible athlete.”
Recently split from boyfriend Doug Reinhardt, the hotel heiress added, “We’re getting to know each other and I have to leave it at that.”
Britney Getting Married?
Star magazine reports that Britney Spears plans to wed her agent turned new boyfriend, Jason Trawick.
While vacationing in the Bahamas last month, a source reveals that the couple shared a special evening together and Jason popped the question.
The insider reveals: "He didn't exactly get down on one knee, but Brit didn’t care. She said yes, and they opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Jason held Britney for a long time and kissed her cheeks. They talked about their future for hours and didn’t go to sleep until after 3 a.m.! They just wanted to be alone together."
Uh-huh.
Apparently, Brit-Brit does not want to waste any time and plans on a December wedding immediately following the Circus tour. Unhappy with her last two weddings, a friend suggests that Britney wants to make this ceremony a "fairytale."
What? Vegas wasn't romantic the first time? Oh, and we bet K-Fed was super charming as he said "I do" between beer belches.
We're not completely on board with this story, but we'd like to see how it plays out!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Megan Fox Finishes Up Stay in Paris
Finishing up her stay in the City of Lights, Megan Fox was spotted jetting out of Paris, France on Saturday afternoon (June 13).
After hitting a few shops nearby her hotel, the “Transformers” beauty joined up with co-star Shia LaBeouf in boarding a private jet to make the next stop on their “Revenge of the Fallen” promotional tour.
As for what’s next for Miss Fox, rumors that the actress will be starring in a feature film for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” have been denied.
Producer Roy Lee told Perez Hilton, “The rumours of Megan Fox being involved with Buffy are just rumours. As with any film project with a female lead under the age of 30, Megan is the actress that most studios want so it is no surprise her name is mentioned. While I think she would be great for our project, we are still in the early stages of developing the script.”
Jessica Biel’s Dog Day Afternoon
Tending to her pet care-taking duties, Jessica Biel was spotted out with her three dogs in Malibu on Saturday (June 13). Toting a camera around her neck, the former “7th Heaven” star escorted her three pooches around the park before taking a breather at a nearby bench.
Meanwhile, there have been numerous rumors that Miss Biel’s boyfriend Justin Timberlake has been getting it on with Ciara - something the singer says is completely untrue.
“I’m close with Justin and we work together but I’m not interested in him as anything more,” Ciara told News of the World. “I’m single but I wouldn’t move in on somebody’s man. That’s not me.”
Heidi and Spencer Pratt: Costa Rican Beach Bliss
Following their testing time on the reailty show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here”, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt were able to fit in some five star luxury at the Four Seasons resort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The day before returning to Los Angeles (June 12), the “Hills” co-star couple strolled along the sand, with Heidi stopping to pick up some sea shells on the shoreline.
Heidi Pratt is about to give her fans more access
"There is nudity. It's tasteful - she had a lot of fun with it," a source told People, who also reported the news.
AccessHollywood.com first reported news of Heidi's plan to pose for Playboy in May. However, when contacted by Access, a spokesperson for Playboy said they had no comment on reports of a spread from "The Hills" star.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Audrina in a Bikini? Yes, Please!
Say what you will about Audrina Patridge (and we have) -- but the girl proved again this weekend at Tao Beach in Las Vegas that she rocks a bikini as good as anyone.
Britney Spears "Gimme More" Topless Photos: WTF!?
Just about the only thing missing from Britney Spears' staggering fall from grace, then rise from the ashes of 2006-2009 has been a bunch of naked photos.
Well, ask and you shall receive.
TMZ obtained many topless Britney Spears pics, taken in July 2007 during the filming of the music video for her hit single, "Gimme More," from Blackout.
This was pretty much our reaction this morning ...
Follow the jump for more topless Britney Spears photos from the set of this music video. Be forewarned: These photos are much more revealing than the image above, and some are quite adult in nature. Some are also moderately hot.
You may proceed at will ...
source : thehollywoodgossip.com
Single Women
"I've sometimes thought of marrying, and then I've thought again."
- Cass Daley
When women's suffrage really began to take hold in this country, aside from voting, certain other rights were afforded women that had previously been reserved strictly for men. Not only legal rights, but social norms as well began to change rapidly. Women, previously subordinate to men in all aspects of public life, suddenly began to claim a sovereign status.
The roaring '20s saw flappers and the '40s saw women pitching in for the war effort. All of this placed single women on the ascendant. With the pendulum swinging in favor of independence -- as marriage lost its monopoly on determining a woman's availability -- it became more difficult for men to identify who was single and who was a waste of their wooing ability.
The lack of a ring, or a pin on a sweater, is no longer the signal that a woman is interested. Men have to do a great deal more research into the lives of that creature known as the single woman.
Single Women on AM
The dating world has been changing for a long time. Women are independent creatures who want to maintain their femininity. They wish to maintain the civility of the past and combine it with a modern sense of independence and equality. This is powerful camouflage. And this is why AskMen.com is here to help you learn to identify and meet modern single women.Single Women Fact
A man's physical appearance isn't all that important to a single woman; in fact, physical appearance consistently ranks lower than honesty, loyalty, intelligence, since of humor and employment status when surveyed
Miley Cyrus Performs During The 20th Annual Time For Heroes Carnival
Miley Cyrus is a busy girl! After taking the stage with her Hannah Montana co-star and best buddy Mitchel Musso during his recent concert at The Grove in California, it was time for Miley to perform her own gig. She did just that yesterday at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation 20th Annual A Time For Heroes carnival in Los Angeles.
Wearing an adorable tank dress and long black boots, the Disney star performed songs from her latest album Breakout. Take a peek at some flicks and then a video of Milers’ performance shot by the awesome folks at Pop Star magazine
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Demi Lovato’s debut album
If you were super impressed with 16-year-old Disney starlet Demi Lovato’s debut album, Don’t Forget, like we were, then you’re already thrilled that she’ll follow-up the album in only a couple months with Here We Go Again.
