Buzz Briefs: Temptations, Mel Gibson
The Temptations Bring A Little Sunshine On A Cloudy Day To White House
The Temptations played the White House in celebration of African-American History Month. The Motown group sang eight of their hits including "My Girl" and "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," CBS News Correspondent Mark Knoller tells The ShowBuzz.
President Bush preceded the Temptations with a speech about diversity in America - in which he denounced displays of hanging nooses - as a symbol of intimidation that has no place in America.
Mel Gibson Sued Over "Passion"
Benedict Fitzgerald claimed that when he was asked to write a script about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Gibson told him the movie would cost between $4 million to $7 million, according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court. Fitzgerald also alleged Gibson promised he wouldn't receive any money from the film and any profit would be distributed to people who worked on the movie.
Gibson stated he didn't want "money on the back of what he considered a personal gift to his (Roman Catholic) faith," the lawsuit said.
Fitzgerald, who shared screenwriting credits with Gibson, claimed he agreed to "a salary substantially less than what he would have taken had he known the true budget for the film," which the lawsuit claimed had an estimated budget of $25 million to $50 million. The 2004 movie went on to gross several hundred million dollars.
The lawsuit doesn't specify how much Fitzgerald was paid for his services.
An after-hours call to Gibson's publicist was not immediately returned.
The suit claims fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and seeks unspecified damages. It also names Gibson's Icon Productions company as a defendant.
Buckle Up Hannah Montana!
Photos: Celebrity Circuit
So is her father, country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, the Yonkers-based magazine says.
The movie is the 3-D Disney concert film "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," which is based on Miley Cyrus' TV show and has made more than $50 million in less than two weeks.
The magazine says 65 percent of the 13-to-15-year-olds killed in auto accidents in 2006 were not wearing seat belts.
"It seems to us that Miley, her father and Disney had a perfect opportunity to help influence teens and counteract - rather than encourage - this trend," the blog item says.
Telephone calls and e-mails to Disney and to several of Miley Cyrus' representatives, seeking comment, were not immediately returned Monday.
Isley Brother's Jail Sentence Upheld
Photos: Miley Cyrus
An appellate court has upheld Ronald Isley's 37-month federal prison sentence for tax evasion.
The three-judge panel rejected the 66-year-old R&B singer's argument that his sentence was unreasonable due to his age, poor health and lack of proof that the federal prison system can provide him adequate health care.
In its ruling, the appellate court said the trial judge was correct in sentencing and "best balanced the need to sanction Mr. Isley's 'pathological' tax evasion against the need to accommodate Mr. Isley's poor health."
Isley was sentenced in 2006 after being convicted of five counts of tax evasion and one count of willful failure to file a tax return.
Prosecutors said Isley avoided paying taxes numerous times over a three-year period and declared bankruptcy after the IRS seized his yacht, cars and other property in 1997.
He was discharged from bankruptcy four years later, but then did not file tax returns for the years 1997 to 2001 and in 2002 did not sign his return and failed to pay all taxes due.
Isley suffered a minor stroke in July 2004, but got married one year later and continuously performed concerts at that time. He is incarcerated at the Terre Haute Federal Corrections Institution in Indiana and his projected release date is in April 2010.
Isley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was part of the Isley Brothers, whose hits included "Twist and Shout" and "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)."
The Game Gets 60-Day Jail Sentence
Prosecutors say the 28-year-old entertainer pulled a gun during an argument in a pickup basketball game nearly a year ago.
Two other charges were dismissed Monday against The Game, whose real name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor,
In addition to jail, he was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service and placed on three years of probation.
Siegfried And Roy To Make One-Night Comeback
"Siegfried & Roy" will perform at the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute's Keep Memory Alive fundraiser in Las Vegas at a location yet to be confirmed.
This year, tickets to the charity dinner cost $1,500 and raised more than $12 million.
Publicist Dave Kirvin said the German-born duo was working out plans for the act, and said he would be "very surprised if animals were not part of the performance."
"Siegfried and Roy and white lions and other endangered animals go hand in hand," he said.
63-year-old Roy was critically injured when the white tiger, Montecore, sank its teeth into his neck and dragged him offstage in front of a horrified audience at The Mirage in October 2003, ending one of the most successful casino shows in Las Vegas history.
The pair have said they believed that Montecore sensed Horn was having a mini-stroke and was dragging him to safety, rather than attacking him.
The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is set to open in downtown Las Vegas next year.
Dolly Parton Sidelined By Back Injury
A back problem has forced Dolly Parton to postpone a concert tour she planned in support of her new CD, a spokeswoman said Monday.
Parton had been scheduled to kick off a 13-show tour on Feb. 28 in Minneapolis, two days after release of the CD "Backwoods Barbie," said publicist Marcee Rondan.
Doctors advised Parton to take up to eight weeks off to recover from the unspecified problem.
Rondan said she had no information on the nature of Parton's back condition.
"I know I have been breaking my neck and bending over backwards trying to get my new 'Backwoods Barbie' CD and world tour together, but I didn't mean to hurt myself doing it," Parton said in a statement.
She said doctors told her she will be "good as new in a few weeks, and I can't wait to get back out there."
The tour will be rescheduled for late April through May and tickets will be honored for the new dates.
Sienna Miller Feels Hunted By Paparazzi
Sienna Miller felt hunted by a group of paparazzi as they chased her car across London in an attempt to find out where she lived, the 26-year-old actress told a British court Monday.
Miller was testifying at the trial of her friend Otis Ferry, who was charged with criminal damage after yanking two sets of keys from the ignitions of pursuing photographers' cars.
Miller said she was chased by photographers as she left Boujis, a celebrity hotspot, following an after-party at a London nightclub in February 2007.
"In any situation, if you're a woman and you're running and there are men chasing you, it's a threatening situation," she said.
She said at least five paparazzi then tailed her as she drove to her new home, driving dangerously and overtaking her vehicle in an attempt to locate her new address.
"The reason they were being that reckless is that they wanted to find out where I lived, which makes you feel quite hunted as a woman," she said.
During the pursuit, the "Casanova" actress said she called Ferry, who had been with her at the club, to ask for help. Ferry acknowledged that he twice got out at traffic lights to pull the keys from the ignitions of two of the pursuing cars.
But Ferry was cleared of criminal damage later Monday. District Judge David Simpson called his actions "impetuous," but said they did not legally constitute criminal damage.
Miller, whose on-and-off relationship with ex-fiance Jude Law made her an overnight celebrity, has also appeared in the films "Factory Girl" and "Layer Cake."