‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ Final Guest Revealed
The secret has been revealed. The final guest on the very last “Oprah Winfrey Show” is… No one. According to sources at the taping in Chicago, Ill, it was neither a celebrity nor a newsmaker who graced the stage alongside the exiting talk show host as she wrapped up her run as daytime’s reigning talk show queen after 25 years. Instead, the show, which airs on Wednesday, May 25, features just Oprah sharing her life lessons and revisiting clips from her quarter-century on the air as “The Oprah Winfrey Show” host. “This is my love letter to you,” Oprah reportedly said. While the talk show host’s eyes were moistened with tears at times during the taping, she never lost her composure, like she did last week as the “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” episodes were filmed, ending up in what she called the “ugly cry.” Although no one joined Oprah as a guest, several celebrity friends were in the audience sources said, including Maria Shriver, Suze Orman, Tyler Perry, trainer Bob Greene, best friend Gayle King and longtime partner Stedman Graham. Also in attendance was one of Oprah’s biggest influences – her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Duncan — whom she has long credited for helping a young Oprah realize her potential. “It was in her class that I really came into myself. After all these years, I could say thank you to a woman who had a powerful impact on my early life,” Oprah previously said.

'Hangover 2' can be released with Tyson tattoo, judge says

A St. Louis judge has ruled that "The Hangover: Part II" can be released as planned despite a tattoo artist's lawsuit over the inclusion of a Mike Tyson-style tattoo on the face of Ed Helms' character. "We are very gratified by the Court's decision which will allow the highly anticipated film, 'The Hangover Part II' to be released on schedule this week around the world. Plaintiff's failed attempt to enjoin the film in order to try and extract a massive settlement payment from Warner Bros. was highly inappropriate and unwarranted," Warner Bros. said in a statement. S. Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist who designed the Maori-inspired tattoo and claims it is copyrighted, sued in Federal District Court in St. Louis to ask the judge to stop Warner Bros. from featuring the tattoo in its advertising or in the movie, which would prevent the film from being released. He also sought damages for "reckless copyright infringement."

Tim McGraw files countersuit against record label
Tim McGraw has filed a countersuit against Curb Record in response to the breach of contract suit Curb filed May 13 relating to McGraw's "Emotional Traffic" album. McGraw's counter breach suit seeks advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, unspecified damages, and a jury trial. The suit also asks that "Traffic" be deemed McGraw's last album due the label and for McGraw to be "free to begin recording for himself or any other party as of July 23, 2011." Curb alleged in the May 13 complaint that McGraw's "Traffic" tracks were recorded too early prior to its delivery "in a transparent tactic to attempt to fulfill his contractual recording commitment to Curb prematurely in breach of the recording agreement." Curb's position in the suit is that McGraw's recordings should be "topical and new" and that the artist had agreed that each new album be recorded "no earlier than 12 months and no later than 18 months" following the delivery of the previous album. The suit alleges McGraw began recording "Emotional Traffic" tracks "in 2008 or before," prior to the allowable period under contract, according to Curb.

Oscar voting to be done online

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is planning to change its voting system to allow members to make their picks electronically, rather than through mailed, paper ballots the way they have for years. The approximately 6,000 members of the Academy received a letter recently, asking that they provide updated email addresses. No exact timetable for the shift is in place, but this is the first step, Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said. The change, which The New York Times first reported, could result in an earlier Oscar ceremony. The show usually takes place in late February.



Lenny Kravitz signs on for key "Hunger Games" role
Lenny Kravitz has joined the cast of "The Hunger Games" in a role that fans of Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy have been anxious to see filled. The actor-musician will play Cinna, the fashion stylist assigned to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as she prepares to take part in the Hunger Games. His stunning and unique designs play an integral role in her performance in the Games. "When I saw Lenny's work in "Precious," I was just knocked out," director Gary Ross said. "It was quiet and strong and understated and open-hearted: all qualities which define this character." Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth also star in the movie, which Lionsgate is set to release March 23. Kravitz was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and an ensemble SAG Award for his role in "Precious." He also has appeared in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "Zoolander." He is set to release his ninth studio album, "Black and White America," on August 30.

'Spider-Man' film crew trapped on New York City rooftop

Crewmembers working on the upcoming "Spider-Man" film were left trapped above New York when a crane broke down. Three production workers were setting up a camera platform on a rooftop in Manhattan to film shots for the next installment in the superhero franchise, "The Amazing Spider-Man," starring Andrew Garfield as the webslinger. The crane used to hoist the crew to the top of the building broke down, leaving the workers stranded six stories above the city streets. Emergency services were called and firefighters performed a rescue with a cherry picker to get the men down.



Chris Meloni Exits Law & Order: SVU
Chris Meloni will not be reporting back for duty when Law & Order: Special Victims Unit launches its 13th season this fall. Protracted talks between the actor — who has played Detective Stabler since the NBC crime drama’s 1999 debut — and studio NBC Universal broke down on Tuesday, says a source. Franchise creator Dick Wolf is said to already be searching for a big name to bring in opposite the series’ female lead, Mariska Hargitay. Hargitay’s own deal to return for Season 13 remains unaffected. Just last week, new NBC boss Robert Greenblatt said he felt the network was in “pretty great shape” as far as Meloni’s prospective deal goes, though he did allow for the possibility of SVU one day moving forward minus its two original leads. In fact, there was very recently talk that Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer) might join the series midway through the coming season to replace Hargitay. “Jennifer Love is somebody we’ve been circling,” Greenblatt told us, “but I don’t know that that is going to happen at all.”


TV NEWS
Hines Ward can add a disco-ball trophy to his Super Bowl shelf. The Steelers wide receiver and former Super Bowl MVP won the "Dancing With the Stars" title Tuesday, besting actresses Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane to become the season 12 champ. The champion was chosen by viewer votes combined with judges' scores. Ward and professional partner Kym Johnson came into the season finale tied for first place with Kane. The couple added another 30 points to their total Tuesday. The 35-year-old Ward is the second professional football player to win the "Dancing" crown. Emmitt Smith won in 2006.



Lauren Alaina, one of the two American Idol finalists, lost her voice hours before the show. Show insiders say that during rehearsal this afternoon, Lauren was supposed to sing three songs. She’s apparently been losing her voice, and while she got through the first song, she struggled with the second and flat out couldn’t perform the third.


Battlestar Galactica vet Edward James Olmos has booked a major role on the upcoming sixth season of Dexter, a Showtime rep confirmed. Olmos will play a brilliant and charismatic professor of religious studies. The actor joins recently announced Season 6 guest stars Colin Hanks and Mos.


Nancy Grace is departing the syndicated legal show Swift Justice after one season. Las Vegas Judge Jackie Glass, who presided over the case that sent O.J. Simpson to jail for his role in an armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2008, will replace her as host for Season 2. Grace said she's leaving the show partly due to the fact that production is relocating from Atlanta to Los Angeles and also to spend more time with her family.



Tennis star Anna Kournikova will take a swing at getting contestants into shape on The Biggest Loser next season. With Jillian Michaels set to leave NBC's hit weight loss show, Kournikova has been confirmed as the new trainer for season 12. The decision to go in a new direction with the show's trainer is part of an overall reboot. "We intentionally tried to not replace Jillian," executive producer Todd Lubin tells the publication. Next season the show will be "getting slightly away from just the tape measure, and getting into overall well being and health," says Lubin. "That's where Loser needs to go."



HBO has picked up On Freddie Roach, a six-episode docu-series about the famed boxing trainer. The Peter Berg-produced project is slated for an early 2012 bow.


Emily Maynard returned the engagement ring Brad Womack gave her when he proposed in the season finale back in November. A show insider says, “It’s completely over now.” In a joint statement last month, the couple said, "It has been a bumpy couple of months for us. Our priority right now is to focus on our relationship."