Buzz Briefs: T.I., Wesley Snipes, Rihanna
T.I. Lawyers Want Evidence Tossed
T.I. says evidence collected against him and statements he made to authorities in a federal weapons case were illegally obtained.
Attorneys for the 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, filed motions Monday in U.S. District Court seeking to suppress evidence seized from his vehicle and statements he made on the day of his Oct. 13 arrest.
The attorneys allege the vehicle was searched without a warrant, consent or probable cause. They also allege that Harris' detention might not have been proper, statements he made to authorities may not have been voluntary, and agents may have failed to honor his rights.
The motions didn't elaborate on the basis for the legal challenges, but said more details would be filed later. There was no immediate ruling by a judge.
Authorities say Harris tried to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers in midtown Atlanta about an hour before a scheduled performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards. They say he already had three guns in his car, including one that was loaded.
Harris faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each weapons charge.
He is free on bond, but is under house arrest. A pretrial conference was scheduled Wednesday.
The rapper had asked to host a Thanksgiving Day gathering at the home where he's staying, but the court opposed it. His bond conditions require court approval of visitors.
A charity event he is sponsoring to give turkey dinners to the needy will go on Thursday, but Harris won't be there, according to one of his record labels.
Wesley Snipes' Accusations Of Prejudice Slapped Away
In recent court filings, Snipes' attorney called Ocala, where the January trial is set, "a hotbed of (Ku Klux Klan) activity," and suggested that prosecutors chose it to get the best chance at an all-white jury.
An October 2006 federal indictment charges Snipes with fraudulently claiming refunds totaling almost $12 million in 1996 and 1997 for income taxes already paid. The 45-year-old star of the "Blade" trilogy was also charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004.
Fashion Sense Becomes Her
"Well, I love playing with fashion," she said. "I'm very spontaneous - the best outfits from me come from not thinking about it. When I was growing up in Barbados, I actually learned about fashion from reading magazines and tearing out stuff that I thought was hot."
The pop star, who released her third album "Good Girl Gone Bad" this past summer, is featured in Seventeen's December 2007/January 2008 issue.
When getting ready for the red carpet, it's all about having fun for Rihanna.
"I always turn the music on. I just blast it. And it's always fun when my girlfriends are around! You do each other's makeup and each other's hair, and you help each other pick out clothes. That's the fun part. It's more fun getting ready than actually being at the party."
Mary-Kate Olsen Hospitalized
"She's resting comfortably and will be released in the next day or so," Caruso said.
Olsen turned 21 in June and stars in the Showtime series "Weeds." She endured a public battle with anorexia and completed a stint in rehab.
Donda West's Surgeon SpeaksPhotos: Sister Act
Adams suspects one theory in particular but said he wouldn't elaborate until the coroner issues an official cause of death.
"I believe I know exactly what happened to her, but I will not comment on it until I see the final report," he said.
"Suge" Knight Could Be Included In Biggie's Wrongful Death Suit
It has long been rumored that record executive Marion "Suge" Knight and L.A. police had something to do with the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G. Now a federal judge tentatively ruled that Knight, former police officer Rafael Perez and other former and current Los Angeles cops may be included in the wrongful-death lawsuit brought by Biggie's family.
U.S. District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper ruled Friday the lawsuit could be amended because of newly discovered evidence. An earlier lawsuit ended in a mistrial in 2005. Cooper wrote that new evidence shows that Perez was on duty March 9, 1997 - the night Biggie was gunned down in L.A. - and may have been on the scene.
Elizabeth Taylor Gets Writers To Pause Strike
Elizabeth Taylor has persuaded striking TV and film writers to briefly put down their picket signs for a good cause.
The Writers Guild of America has agreed not to picket the Paramount Pictures lot on Dec. 1 when actress and AIDS activist Taylor is slated to give a benefit performance of A.R. Gurney's play "Love Letters" with James Earl Jones.
Taylor said she would not cross picket lines if they were still up around the Paramount lot on Dec. 1, which is World AIDS Day. She said she asked the writers union for a "one night dispensation" so she and her guests could enter the studio with a clear conscience.
Witnesses Recount Efforts To Save Anna Nicole's Son
Medical personnel frantically tried to revive Anna Nicole Smith's son after he collapsed in September 2006 in her hospital room, a doctor testified Monday at the start of a coroner's inquest.
After a "Code Blue" alert was sounded, doctors, nurses and security guards crowded into the room and found Daniel Smith unconscious, not breathing and with no pulse, said Dr. James Iferenta, the emergency room doctor on duty at the time. Iferenta said a woman, whom he later learned was Anna Nicole, was distraught and would not let go of her 20-year-old son.
"There was difficulty getting her out of the room," Iferenta said of Anna Nicole. "She clung to Smith during my time in the room."
Her attorney and partner, Howard K. Stern, who was present when Daniel Smith died, discussed the relationship between son and mother.
"She was very close to Danny and I saw it," he testified. "Almost every time I saw Anna Nicole, she had Danny with her."
Iferenta and Stern were among the first of about 35 witnesses expected to testify before a seven-member jury at an inquest to formally determine the cause death. Daniel Smith died about five months before Anna Nicole herself collapsed and died in Florida.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Sue Showtime
The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Monday sued Showtime Networks over the name of the television series "Californication," which is also the name of the band's 1999 album and a single on it.
The lawsuit alleges unfair competition, dilution of the value of the name and unjust enrichment, claiming the title is "inherently distinctive, famous ... and immediately associated in the mind of the consumer" with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
"Californication is the signature CD, video and song of the band's career, and for some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right," the band's lead singer, Anthony Kiedis, said in a statement.
The television series stars David Duchovny as a novelist suffering from writers' block and a mid-life crisis.
The show features a character named "Dani California," which is also the title of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song released in 2006, the lawsuit noted.