Roger Ebert Hospitalized With Fractured Hip

Famed Chicago movie critic Roger Ebert has been hospitalized with a hip fracture. His wife, Chaz Ebert, told The Associated Press on Thursday that her husband was doing much better and “doctors are making assessments” about when he could leave the hospital. She posted on Twitter earlier in the day that her Pulitzer Prize-winning husband was doing well and “asking for computer, will probably tweet.” Roger Ebert is a prolific Twitter user and last posted Tuesday afternoon.  In her tweet, Chaz Ebert jokingly attributed the fracture to “tricky disco dance moves.” The 70-year-old Chicago Sun-Times film critic has had health problems over the last several years. He has battled cancer in his thyroid and salivary glands and lost his ability to speak and eat after cancer surgeries.
 Tom Brady and supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen welcomed their second child, a girl named Vivian, to the world Wednesday night. It's the third child for Brady. Along with son 2-year-old son Benjamin, the New England Patriots QB also has a 5-year-old son, John, with actress Bridget Moynahan. Brady is expected to lead the first-place Pats (9-3) against the AFC-leading Houston Texans (11-1) on Monday night. Both teams are on six-game winning streaks and have clinched playoff spots.


Software guru McAfee has two heart attacks
Software guru John McAfee, who is fighting deportation to Belize, was rushed to the hospital in Guatemala on Thursday after his lawyer said he suffered two mild heart attacks earlier in the day, Reuters witnesses said. McAfee was carried out on a stretcher from an immigration service cottage where he was detained after crossing illegally into Guatemala from neighboring Belize. Police in Belize want to question McAfee in connection with his neighbor's murder. The fugitive software mogul was blogging from his cell in Guatemala as he awaited deportation. He is wanted in connection to a shooting death in early November. "I am in jail in Guatemala.  Vastly superior to Belize jails.  I asked for a computer and one magically appeared.  The coffee is also excellent," McAfee posted on his blog Whoismcafee.com. McAfee's lawyer, Telesforo Guerra, says McAfee has been denied political asylum in Guatemala, paving the way for the deportation to Belize, where he is a "person of interest" in the killing of fellow expatriate American Gregory Faull. "We are going to go to the human rights prosecutor to lodge a complaint and file an injunction against the foreign minister for detaining him without studying his asylum request," Guerra told local radio. "He entered the country illegally and we are going to seek his expulsion for this crime," Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla told Reuters. In a series of blog posts, McAfee says a stay order has been issued so a higher judge can review his case. Since refusing to turn himself in to authorities in Belize, the 67-year-old had been in hiding, blogging his movements and calling reporters, until reappearing in Guatemala to claim asylum. He has not said how he crossed the border into Guatemala.  He said he fears he will be killed if he turns himself in for questioning in Belize. "Belize does not have a good track record of providing safety when they ask to question you," he said. McAfee, creator of the McAfee antivirus program, has led an eccentric life since he sold his stake in the anti-virus software company in the early 1990s. He moved to Belize about three years ago to lower his taxes. He told The New York Times in 2009 that he had lost all but $4 million of his $100 million fortune in the U.S. financial crisis. However, a story on the Gizmodo website quoted him as calling that claim "not very accurate at all." He has dabbled in yoga, ultra-light aircraft and producing herbal medications.

Brooke Burke Undergoes Successful Thyroid Cancer Surgery

Confirming her thyroid cancer diagnosis in November, the "Dancing With the Stars" co-host underwent a successful thyroidectomy on Thursday, Dec. 6. "Thank God it's over. I'm clean, surgery went well and I can talk. Losing my voice was my biggest fear," Burke-Charvet, 41, tweeted after her procedure. "Thanks for all your prayers and light." Prior to going under the knife, the star posted a candid snapshot of herself in a hospital gown on her WhoSay page, to provide "last looks at her neck." Though she was in good spirits leading up to her procedure, Burke-Charvet confirmed she was emotionally and physically drained afterward. "Feels like I got hit by a car," she tweeted.

 Perhaps it's not totally over between Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman after all. The pair, married for 30 years and one of Hollywood's most enduring couples, separated this fall. But DeVito, 67, now says it's not that simple. Asked how he's adjusting to single life, DeVito replied: "It's not something you adjust to. Rhea and I are really close. Actually, still together – just separate, but together."  DeVito married Perlman, best know for her role on Cheers, in 1982. They have a son and two daughters, all in their 20s.  "We're working on it," the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor says of his marriage.

Ariel Winter's Mother Tried to Leak Nude Photos of Her Other Daughter

Publicist Jonathan Hay has come forward, alleging that Chrystal Workman, the mother of "Modern Family" star Ariel Winter (left), asked him for help in leaking nude photos of Winter's older sister, 34-year-old Shanelle Workman, who is also an actress. Workman approached him last week with the images, which are reportedly eight or nine years old. After allegations that Workman was emotionally and physically abusing 14-year-old Ariel, a court awarded guardianship of Winter to her mother. Winter's case returns to court Dec. 10.
 The Duchess of Cambridge has left a London hospital where she was being treated for acute morning sickness related to her pregnancy. The former Kate Middleton smiled as she left King Edward VII Hospital on Thursday alongside her husband, Prince William. She was holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Neither she nor William spoke to waiting reporters before being driven way. Kate, who married the second-in-line to the throne in April 2011, has been suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which causes severe nausea and vomiting and requires supplementary hydration and nutrients. The couple's office said she would head to Kensington Palace in London for a period of rest. Royal officials have said Kate is less than 12 weeks pregnant with her first child.

Dennis Rodman Must Pay $500K In Child Support

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been found in contempt of court and ordered to pay $500,000 in overdue child support to his ex-wife. An attorney for Rodman’s ex-wife Michelle said Thursday that the flamboyant basketball player was also sentenced to informal probation. City News Service reports that Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Barry Michaelson warned Rodman he could face jail time if he didn’t pay the child support. Rodman and his ex-wife still must work out custody arrangements.  A trial is set for Jan. 24, but both sides hope to resolve the custody dispute before that. Rodman was ordered to perform 104 hours of community service in May for failure to pay child support.


Prosecutor Says Stephen Baldwin Owes $350K In NY State Taxes
Actor Stephen Baldwin was charged Thursday with failing to pay New York state taxes for three years, amassing a $350,000 debt. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Baldwin, of Upper Grandview, skipped his taxes in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The youngest of the four acting Baldwin brothers pleaded not guilty at an arraignment and was freed without bail. His lawyer, Russell Yankwitt, said Baldwin should not have been charged. “Mr. Baldwin did not commit any crimes, and he’s working with the district attorney’s office and the New York State Tax Department to resolve any differences,” Yankwitt said. The district attorney said Baldwin could face up to four years in prison if convicted. The actor is due back in court on Feb. 5. Zugibe said Baldwin owes more than $350,000 in tax and penalties.  “We cannot afford to allow wealthy residents to break the law by cheating on their taxes,” the district attorney said. “The defendant’s repetitive failure to file returns and pay taxes over a period of several years contributes to the sweeping cutbacks and closures in local government and in our schools.” Thomas Mattox, the state tax commissioner, said, “It is rare and unfortunate for a personal income tax case to require such strong enforcement measures.” Baldwin, 46, starred in 1995’s “The Usual Suspects” and appeared in 1989’s “Born on the Fourth of July.” He is scheduled to appear in March on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.” His brothers Alec, William and Daniel are also actors. A bankruptcy filing in 2009 said Stephen Baldwin owed $1.2 million on two mortgages, $1 million in taxes and $70,000 on credit cards.
 Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum's wedding was picture perfect. In an exclusive shot from the couple's weekend nuptials, the newlyweds – who met on season 7 of The Bachelorette and got engaged on the season finale – beam with joy. Hebert, 28, and Rosenbaum, 35, say that even though their wedding was filmed for TV (it will air Dec. 16 as a two-hour special on ABC) their love is as genuine as it comes. "The ceremony was simple, sweet and personal," Hebert says. Adds Rosenbaum, "We didn't want it to be a circus."

Ludacris reportedly fires back at trademark lawsuit

Hip-hop star Ludacris has reportedly filed a countersuit in his ongoing legal battle over the name of his Disturbing tha Peace record label.  Demetri Brown and Donna Evans-Brown sued the rapper in October, accusing him of trying to dupe lawmakers into believing they had renamed their audio/visual company Disturb the Peace after he had created and trademarked his record label, Disturbing tha Peace. Brown and Evans-Brown, who claim they came up with the name for their enterprise in 1988, demanded an injunction and a cease-and-desist order to prevent the rapper from using the phrase, but now Ludacris is firing back. the rapper insists he has owned the trademark for Disturbing tha Peace since 2003, and he wants the couple to be banned from using their company name to avoid any potential confusion with consumers. Ludacris, real name Christopher Bridges, also declares the pair's continued use of the phrase could damage his label's top-quality reputation. The rapper is seeking damages and court fees.

Ian McKellen defends 'The Hobbit' trilogy decision

Ian McKellen has defended filmmaker Peter Jackson's decision to turn J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit" into a movie trilogy, insisting fans will be delighted to see three installments. The director originally intended to make a two-part prequel to his "The Lord of the Rings" series, and came under fire after announcing he would release three epics instead. Critics accused him of trying to make more money by stretching out the classic book, but McKellen, who plays Gandalf the wizard, refutes the suggestion.  He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "Anyone who thinks Peter Jackson would fall for market forces around him rather than artistic integrity doesn't know the guy or the body of his work."  Jackson explains he was able to expand the narrative by drawing from appendices Tolkien included with "The Return of the King," his third and final volume of "The Lord of the Rings." Jackson tells The Hollywood Reporter, "The ('Hobbit') is written in a very brisk pace, so pretty major events in the story are covered in only two or three pages... (We) wanted to do a little bit more character development, plus... we could also adapt the appendices of 'Return of the King,' which is 100-odd pages of material that sort of takes place around the time of 'The Hobbit,' so we wanted to expand the story of 'The Hobbit' a little bit more, as did Tolkien himself. So all those factors combined gave us the material to do it."

 

Lindsay Lohan Attends Jingle Ball Concert in Philadelphia After New York Arrest

Lindsay Lohan is definitely a fan of The Wanted! Following her Nov. 29 arrest in New York, Lohan, 26, made her first appearance at Q102's Jingle Ball concert in Philadelphia on Dec. 5.  The British boy band was present at the club where Lohan's alleged brawl occurred last week. The "Liz & Dick" star was taken into police custody and charged with assault after a woman claimed Lohan had punched her. Prior to the incident, the actress had attended Justin Bieber and the Wanted's show at Madison Square Garden. "It's a bit of a blur actually," the Wanted's Jay McGuiness told MTV News this week. "We actually carried on partying after that. It was reported that [the fight] was about [band mate] Max [George], but I don't think it actually was." The Wanted singer Max George has said he is 100% not dating Lindsay Lohan and no one seems sure of exactly how she got backstage

Justin Bieber's manager slams Grammys over nomination snub

Justin Bieber's manager has accused members of the Grammy Awards board of making a mistake by failing to nominate the teenage pop star for the 2013 award show.  The nominees were announced on Wednesday night, with fun., Frank Ocean and the Black Keys leading the pack. Bieber's protegee, Carly Rae Jepsen, picked up two nominations for her hit song "Call Me Maybe," but Bieber didn't receive a single nomination. After the nominees were announced, Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, took to Twitter to criticize the board for failing to include the 18-year-old star, who previously scored two noms at the 2011 ceremony.  In a series of posts, he writes, "First... congrats to Carly Rae Jepsen. Thought u deserved a Best New Artist nom, but proud Call Me Maybe got u 2 noms. So proud of u. Second... this time there won't be any wise words, no excuses, I just plain DISAGREE. The kid (Bieber) deserved it. Grammy board u blew it on this one. The hardest thing to do is transition, keep the train moving. The kid delivered. Huge successful album, sold out tour, and won people over... this time he deserved to be recognized and I don't really have any kind nice positive things to say about a decision I don't agree with. So to all those nominated... you do deserve it. You worked hard and u earned it. (I) just feel like so did JB." The Grammy Awards will be handed out in Los Angeles on February 10.

Grammy Nominees:
Album of the Year:
Black Keys, El Camino
Fun., Some Nights
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Jack White, Blunderbuss

Song of the Year:
Ed Sheeran, “The A Team”
Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”
Miguel, “Adorn”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
Fun. feat. Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”

Record of the Year:
Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
Fun. feat. Janelle Monae, “We Are Young”
Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Frank Ocean, “Thinkin Bout You”
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

Best New Artist:
Alabama Shakes
Fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Pop Vocal Album:
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
Fun., Some Nights
Maroon 5, Overexposed
P!nk, The Truth About Love

Best Rock Album:
The Black Keys, El Camino
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Muse, The 2nd Law
Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Jack White, Blunderbuss

Best Alternative Music Album:
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel…
Bjork, Biophilia
Gotye, Making Mirrors
M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Tom Waits, Bad as Me

Best Rap Album:
Drake, Take Care
Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1
Nas, Life Is Good
The Roots, Undun
Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don’t
2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story

Best Country Album:
Zac Brown Band, Uncaged
Hunter Hayes, Hunter Hayes
Jamey Johnson, Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran
Miranda Lambert, For the Record
The Time Jumpers, The Time Jumpers

Best Dance/Electronica Album:
Steve Aoki, Wonderland
The Chemical Brothers, Don’t Think
Deadmau5, > Album Title Goes Here <
Kaskade, Fire & Ice
Skrillex, Bangarang

Country Solo Performance:
Dierks Bentley, “Home”
Eric Church, “Springsteen”
Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
Ronnie Dunn, “Cost of Livin’”
Blake Shelton, “Over”
Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away”