This Week: Heartbreak
It wasn't a very pleasant week in celebrity news. Fans, friends and family of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger were stunned by the tragic news of his death Tuesday. Britney Spears once again made it to the courthouse but not to the courtroom where a hearing was taking place in her custody battle. And a video was leaked of a disheveled Amy Winehouse inhaling smoke from a pipe containing an unidentified substance. By the end of the week the pop star said "yes, yes, yes" to rehab.
The tragic news of Heath Ledger's death swept the news on Tuesday. The 28-year-old actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead in his apartment by a housekeeper and a masseuse. An autopsy proved inconclusive and authorities are waiting for additional tests to come back in the coming weeks before determining the cause of death.
The melodrama that is Britney Spears life continued this week, with the pop star making another trip to a courthouse where a hearing in her ongoing custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline was taking place. Spears entered the building, but left within 30 minutes and never made it to the courtroom. The court commissioner in the case decided not to make any changes in his order to suspend Spears' visitation rights to her two children with Federline.
Heath Ledger: 1979-2008
A heartbreaking video of Amy Winehouse inhaling smoke from a pipe containing an unidentified substance was leaked to a British tabloid. U.K. police said they were investigating the video, and by Thursday Winehouse's record label announced that the Grammy-nominated singer had entered a treatment facility for her substance abuse problems.
Photos: Britney Spears
The surgeon who operated on Kanye West's late mother said this week that his practice has been decimated by bad publicity surrounding her death. He has vowed to continue practicing medicine. Although an exact cause of death was never determined, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has said that the surgery itself was not the cause of West's death and that it appeared she had cardiac issues.
Photos: Amy Winehouse
Hollywood was saddened by the death of actress Suzanne Pleshette, best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife on his self-titled 1970s sitcom. The smoky-voiced actress, who had been battling lung cancer, was 70.
Although there were some surprising snubs that may have left a few actors disappointed, the Oscar nominations were fairly predictable - at least based on what films have won other recent awards. Critically-acclaimed films "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" led the nominations with 8 nods apiece. Snubs included no best actress nod for Keira Knightley ("Atonement"), and no best director nods for Tim Burton ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street") or Sean Penn ("Into The Wild.").
Photos: Suzanne Pleshette
One place there wasn't any doom and gloom was at the Recording Academy headquarters, now that the Writers Guild of America has agreed not to picket the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. That means there won't be a problem with members of AFTRA and the musician's union AFM appearing on stage or on the red carpet.
Photos: Oscar Snubs And Surprises
Tune in to The Grammy Awards on CBS Feb. 10, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and don't forget to visit The ShowBuzz before, during and after the show for lots of inside news and hot red carpet photos!