Former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson is reportedly in discussions to join the show as a judge for its 13th season, according to multiple sources who say the Grammy and Oscar-winning superstar has already been offered a contract. If Hudson, who finished in seventh place in season three, does return to the show, she would be the first AI alum to join the judge’s panel, though there is speculation season one winner Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert are also being considered.
Talk about being in some pretty good company. Hip hop power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce landed at No. 3 on Forbes magazine’s list of the World’s Most Powerful Couples. According to Forbes, only President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and Bill and Melinda Gates wield more clout than Mr. and Mrs. Carter. Colombian-born global superstar Shakira and her Spanish soccer star partner Gerard Pique came in at No. 9 on the list.
Pop star Katy Perry is apparently a pill freak, though her addiction is completely legal. The 28-year old singer recently tweeted a photograph of the mass quantity and variety of vitamins she takes on a daily basis, with the caption: “I’m all about that supplement & vitamin LYFE.” The singer once said she supplements her supplements taking with a healthy diet of protein and fiber-filled food and lots of jump roping for exercise.
A Psy impersonator made quite an impression on attendees of the Cannes Film Festival in France who were sure they were seeing the real South Korean rapper. Photographers, celebrities and tourists alike were fooled by the unidentified man, who walked around the festival surrounded by an army of bodyguards. But the prankster got smoked out when the real Psy tweeted: “Seems like there’s another ME at cannes…say Hi to him. LOL.”
There has finally been a Richie Sambora sighting of sorts, the guitarist sitting down for an interview with UK’s Daily Mail in which he said he has no “major problems in life right now,” but did admit he had a problem with some of what Jon Bon Jovi said in a recent interview with the London Evening Standard. The Bon Jovi frontman seemed to address Sambora directly, saying, “You have a choice. You either figure it out, go and grow, not only survive but thrive – or you say, ‘I hate my brother and I’m gonna quit the band.’” In his interview with the Daily Mail, Sambora shot back, saying, “My opinion is Jon wants to see if he can pull off stadiums by himself. He is making it very difficult for me to come back. Enough with the trash talking! Jon needs to stop talking about me publicly.”
AS I LAY DYING FRONTMAN’S LAWYER SAYS SINGER ON STEROIDS
It appears ‘roid rage will be the defense attorneys will try to use to help keep As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis out of jail for trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife. Thomas Warwick, the rocker’s lawyer, told the court last week his client began using steroids when he got into body building, adding, “His thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use.” Lambesis was arrested earlier this month when he attempted to pay an undercover police officer $1,000 to kill his wife.
HOMME TALKS NEW ALBUM, NEW BAND MEMBERS, NEW FRIEND IN JOHN
In a new interview with the UK edition of GQ, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme tackled several subjects, including the June 4 release of the band’s album …Like Clockwork, on which he claims to be “honest” and “real” about being “a total cad” as well as a “family man.” As for being the lone original member of the band, he said “people believe I’m some kind of evil dictator” but he chocks it up to having to make “a lot of hard decisions.” Finally, Homme has high praise for rock legend Elton John, who appears on the song “Fairweather Friends.” He said “the underrated feature of the Elton John ride: he’s an absolute monster as a musician.”
MOVIE TRAILER SURFACES FOR 3D METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER
The first official movie trailer for the upcoming Metallica 3D film Metallica - Through the Never has landed online. The hybrid concert film/fictional feature co-stars the band members and actor Dane DeHaan as a roadie, and will make its IMAX 3D debut September 27 before it opens nationwide October 4.
NEWSTED ‘NERVOUSLY EXCITED’ ABOUT FRONTING NAMESAKE BAND
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted says he had no plans to return to music until he jumped onstage with his former band in late 2011 and realized “people were so happy to see me, I was overwhelmed.” His Newsted band released the four-song Metal EP in January, and he tells Billboard his group will have a full-length album out sometime this summer. Newsted explains, “I want to make sure everybody knows what this is. With my name on it, there’s no confusion; this is metal, heavy metal music. People know what they’re going to get.”
IOMMI’S DIAGNOSIS HELPED PUT END TO WARD NEGOTIATIONS
In a new interview with Guitar World, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi reveals negotiations to get original drummer Bill Ward to come onboard for the band’s reunion album and tour ended the minute he was diagnosed with cancer. Iommi said, “Once I heard ‘cancerous lymphoma,’ I thought, ‘That’s it. I’ve had it.’ We waited a long time for Bill and we wanted to sort it out. But at the end of the day, especially after I was diagnosed, I thought, ‘F***ing hell – that’s it, we’ve got to get a move on. I might pop off next year.’”
SIR PAUL PENS LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR JAILED RUSSIAN PUNK ROCKER
One day after imprisoned Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina began a hunger strike to protest having been denied the right to attend her own parole hearing, Paul McCartney wrote a letter to Russian authorities asking she be granted parole. The former Beatle wrote: “In the great tradition of fair-mindedness which the Russian people (many of whom are my friends) are famous for, I believe that you granting this request would send a very positive message to all the people who have followed this case.” Alyokhina is serving a two-year sentence after being convicted of hooliganism for performing a “punk prayer” in a Moscow cathedral.
FAN-FUELED BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND I FILM DUE OUT JULY 22
Director Ridley Scott’s fancentric Bruce Springsteen film, Bruce Springsteen and I, will hit theaters nationwide on July 22. A just-released trailer encapsulates “the relationship between a recording artist and the impact he has on those who connect so profoundly with his music,” according to Scott. Springsteen and I is a visual mosaic of mini movies made by fans of the Boss, with the full support and approval of Springsteen himself, and features a plethora of powerful performances by Springsteen and the E Street Band.
FOGERTY’S WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE RECEIVES 5-STAR REVIEW
Critics clamoring to be the first to get to their keyboards to sing the praises of John Fogerty’s new album, Wrote a Song For Everyone (out Tuesday, May 28), will have to stand in line behind David Fricke of Rolling Stone, who gave the 12 cut collection a rare five stars review. In lauding Fogerty’s reworking of some of his finest Creedence Clearwater Revival classics, Fricke wrote: “The result is some of the best new music Fogerty has made since, well, Creedence.” Fogerty’s birthday bash/album release party from the El Rey in Los Angeles will be on live at 8:30p Pacific this Tuesday.
ORIGINAL MEMBER OF THE BABYS CRYING OVER REUNION PLANS
Two original member of The Babys – drummer Tony Brock and guitarist Wally Stocker – have decided to get the band back together (sort of) with two new members, guitarist J.P. Cervoni and bassist/singer John Bisaha. But the news doesn’t sit well with original keyboardist/guitarist Michael Corby, who’s still steamed about getting fired from the band in 1978, only to be replaced by keyboardist Jonathan Cain and bassist Ricky Phillips. While Corby continues to cry over spilled milk, Bisaha says the 2013 Babys have a new single on the way, adding, “The Babys left too early. The Babys were very relevant, and we’re trying to be part of the package to make them relevant again.” Finally, former Babys frontman John Waite wrote on his Facebook page: “Lets (sic) all wish the new line up of The Baby’s (sic) a load of sucsses!!! (sic)”
AMANDA BYNES ARRESTED
Amanda Bynes was arrested in New York last night for marijuana possession, reckless endangerment and a felony count of tampering with evidence. TMZ reports that someone in her building called the cops Thursday night after they saw her smoking a joint in the lobby. When police arrived she let them in but when they saw her bong, she threw it out the window. Luckily no one was hurt, but cops immediately placed her under arrest. Bynes then went ballistic screaming, “Do you know who I am?” She was briefly taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and then taken to the station for booking.
BYNES BOOTED OFF PRIVATE JET
Amanda Bynes’ strange behavior continues. TMZ reports that on Sunday she tried to board a private jet to Los Angeles, but was turned away because she didn’t have proper identification. Since Amanda’s drivers’ license has been suspended, she doesn’t have an official government ID and when she was informed that TSA regulations wouldn’t allow her to fly without it, she flipped out and told the pilot to Google her to prove her identity. She then screamed, “I am Amanda Bynes.” The pilot contacted a representative from the airline to see if they could make an exception but was told she couldn’t get special treatment.
BYNES THREATENS TO SUE OVER APARTMENT PICS
Meanwhile, In Touch’s latest issue features pictures of what is reportedly Amanda Bynes’ apartment, which is littered with trash and weed. Two photographers somehow got invited to a party at the actress’ pad. They say she was so out of it, all she did was smoke weed, dance, and put makeup on in her mirror. But Amanda is adamant the pictures are not of her apartment. “That's not my bed! Those aren't my toes! My toes are pedicured!,” she tweeted. “I just did an exclusive interview with intouch last week, now they bought fake altered photos.” She added, “I have to sue because that's not my apartment, those aren't my clothes! They morphed photos of my face onto someone's body to ruin my life! I have to make a big deal of this and sue because that's not me! I care about my appearance so I have to defend myself!”
Brad Pitt believes he suffers from something called face blindness because he has a terrible problem remembering people’s faces. He tells Esquire that even if he’s had a “real conversation” with someone he forgets what they look like as soon as they walk away. At one point he tried “copping” to the problem and outright asked people where they had met before, but that didn’t help. “People were more offended," he says. "You get this thing, like, 'You're being egotistical. You're being conceited.' But it's a mystery to me, man. I can't grasp a face, and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view." Pitt says he wants to get tested to see if he has the condition, known as prosopagnosia, but for now he’d rather just stay home. But Brad didn’t stay home on Wednesday. In fact, he surprised an audience in Hoboken, NJ, who were on hand to see a preview of his new zombie flick World War Z. Sources say the crowd went wild. World War Z opens June 21st.
MAN WITH THE PEARL PENIS
Demi Moore’s alleged new boyfriend has a pearl in his penis, according to the New York Daily News. 30-year-old Will Hanigan, who has been dating the 50-year-old Demi for about a month, is a third generation pearl diver, and reportedly had the gem inserted in his privates when he was a teen. “It is pearl farming tradition and he would always joke about it in Australia,” claims a source. “He’d boast it’d give girls extra stimulation in the bedroom.”
GOSLING FILM BOOED AT CANNES
Sounds like Ryan Gosling may have a stinker on his hands. The actor’s new movie Only God Forgives premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Wednesday, and was booed by the audience. Reviews of the thriller, in which Gosling plays a drug smuggler pressured by his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) to avenge his brother’s death, received unanimously poor reviews. According to Vulture, after one “painfully long torture sequence…the audience revolted.” The site adds, “Gosling doesn’t have much to say in this movie, but the auditorium sure did.”
LONGORIA EARNS MASTER’S DEGREE
Eva Longoria has apparently been a busy girl these past three years. In addition to her acting duties, the Desperate Housewives star has been working on a Master’s degree, which she finally received Wednesday. The 38-year-old was on hand to pick up her degree in Chicano Studies at California State University in Northridge, and shook hands with professors as she accepted her diploma. The excited actress tweeted the good news, and added, “you’re never too old or too busy to continue your education.”
MILEY & LIAM BACK ON
Things seem to be getting better for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Despite rumors their engagement was off, Miley was recently spotted wearing her ring again, and sources say they seemed closer than ever at a party at Miley’s L.A. home. “She was kissing him," a witness told Us Weekly. "They were definitely back on." But some friends don’t think this new reunion will last. “They break up, get back together, repeat," says one pal. "They will eventually burn out."
DUNHAM UPSET OVER XXX GIRLS PARODY
Lena Dunham is not happy that someone has made a porn parody of her HBO hit Girls. In the video, This Ain’t Girls XXX, Dunham’s character Hannah leaves her boyfriend and becomes a lesbian. “I wish I had a better attitude about the Girls porn parody,” she Tweeted. “I really can never predict what will trouble me and it’s simply exhausting.”
OBAMAS TOP MOST POWERFUL COUPLE LIST
Forbes magazine has come out with their list of 2013’s World’s Most Powerful Couples, and President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama came out on top. But it’s not the president who helped them land at number one, it was his wife. "With 67 percent of Americans viewing First Lady Michelle Obama favorably, she's more popular than her husband," Forbes states. Celebs making this year’s list include: Beyonce and Jay-Z; Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi and Shakira and soccer star Gerard Pique.
Forbes Most Powerful Couples
1. President Barack & First Lady Michelle Obama
2. Bill & Melinda Gates
3. Jay-Z & Beyonce
4. Chinese President Xi Jinping & wife Peng Liyuan
5. Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt
6. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi
7. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer & husband Zachary Bogue
8. Bill & Hillary Clinton
9. Shakira & soccer star Gerard Pique
10. Fashion designer Miuccia Prada & her husband Patrizio Bertelli
TV TIDBITS
● Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter will star in and executive produce a new reality show alongside his fiancée Lauren Kitt. The half-hour series will chronicle the singer’s life as he tries to make up for his past and prepare for his upcoming nuptials. So far no network has picked up the show.
● Emma Roberts has joined the cast of the third season of American Horror Story, titled American Horror Story: Coven. She’ll play a self-obsessed party girl named Madison. Roberts’ real-life boyfriend Evan Peters has starred in AHS since season one.
● Homeland has added eight new guest stars, which gives fans a little glimpse into the upcoming season. Among them: Law & Order SVU’s Joanna Merlin will play Jessica Brody’s (Morena Baccarin) mother; How I Met Your Mother’s Nazanin Boniadi will play an analyst; Louie’s Gary Wilmes has been cast as Dana’s (Morgan Saylor) psychiatrist; Sam Underwood, who is Dana’s new friend with a troubled past; Prison Break’s Tracy Letts, who’ll star as Senator Andrew Lockart, a powerful committee chairman; The Good Wife’s Pedro Pascal will play a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; The Big C’s Lawrence Clayton, as The President’s National Security Advisor, and Boss’ Amy Morton, who’ll play Carrie’s (Claire Danes) CIA appointed attorney. Season three of Homeland premieres Sunday, September 29th on Showtime.
● CBS has added one more show to next season’s lineup. The network has picked up the comedy Bad Teacher, based on the 2011 Cameron Diaz film. The TV version stars Fringe’s Ari Graynor as a foul-mouthed divorcee who becomes a teacher to find her next husband. So far there’s no word on where the show will be added to the schedule.
● Billy Crystal will star in a new comedy pilot for FX. The Comedians, from Seinfeld creator Larry David, stars Crystal as a superstar veteran comedian who is reluctantly paired with a younger comedian for a late night sketch show.
●Glee’s Lea Michele is writing a book. Brunette Ambition, due out next spring, is described as part memoir, part how-to and part style guide.
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
● Universal Pictures is developing a reboot of the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme flick Timecop. The original was set in 2004, where time travel exists and the government uses timecops to regulate it.
