Following is a summary of current entertainment news
briefs.
Mel Gibson fires back at anti-Semitism claim
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Mel Gibson fired back Thursday at
screenwriter Joe Eszterhas for accusing the ”Braveheart” star
of anti-Semitism, calling the writer’s comments ”utter
fabrications” and saying he was angry over a rejected film
script. Gibson, who has been dogged by similar criticism since
making an anti-Semitic statement in 2006 to police in a drunken
rant, had been working with the ”Basic Instinct” screenwriter
on a movie about the ancient Jewish hero Judah Maccabee.
Music fans gear up for Coachella two-weekend event
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Coachella Valley Music and Arts
Festival returns to the California desert on Friday with a new,
double dose of music that some fans have said might dilute its
impact but others think could give an even bigger break to
up-and-coming bands. For the first time since it began in 1999,
organizers have scheduled the three-day festival for two
consecutive weekends with identical lineups, highlighting its
growing popularity.
”The Bloggess” brings zany style to memoir
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A taxidermist, a donkey named Jasper,
and Teddy Roosevelt all walked into a bar in Texas. For anyone
but award-winning blogger Jenny Lawson, this would sound like
the beginning of a joke, but for her, it’s just another
incident from her life. In her debut novel, ”Let’s Pretend This
Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir),” Lawson, a.k.a. ”The
Bloggess,” shares hilarious anecdotes about her unusual
childhood in rural Texas, the idiosyncrasies of her marriage,
and her own propensity for blurting out comically inappropriate
thoughts at awkward times.
Police say Houston death not criminal, case closed
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Beverly Hills police said on
Wednesday they had closed their investigation into the death of
singer Whitney Houston in a hotel room bathtub two months ago
after concluding no crime was committed. ”Based on the findings
of our investigation and our review of the coroner’s report, we
have determined that this is not a criminal matter,” the
Beverly Hills police department said in a statement. ”The BHPD
investigation has been officially closed.”
Girlfriend of Clarke Gable’s son found dead in Malibu
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Authorities on Thursday were
investigating the death of the girlfriend of Clark Gable’s son
after she was found dead one day earlier in the Malibu,
California home the couple shared. The Los Angeles County
Coroner’s office said no foul play was suspected in the death
Christiane Candice Lange, 41.
Marc Anthony files for divorce from Jennifer Lopez
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Latin pop singer Marc Anthony has
filed for divorce from singer and actress Jennifer Lopez,
ending their seven-year marriage. Anthony filed the petition
under his real name Marco Muniz on Monday in Los Angeles
Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple
announced in July that they were splitting up.
Axl Rose has no appetite for Rock Hall of Fame
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Axl Rose, the mercurial front man
for rockers Guns N’ Roses, has declined his induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week saying he does not feel
wanted or respected at the ceremony. In an open letter made
available on Wednesday by Rose’s spokeswoman, he said other
members of the L.A. band were welcome to attend and be honored
at Saturday’s event, but not the lead singer of the band that
gained fame in the late 1980s with smash hit album ”Appetite
for Destruction.”
