Lakers Owners Jerry Buss Dies
Jerry Buss had been a chemist and a mathematician long before he bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. The self-made millionaire with a head for business and an impresario's heart assailed the NBA with every skill he acquired along the way. With his personal alchemy and charisma, he blended two generations of marquee basketball stars and big-name coaches into 10 championship teams. His financial wizardry allowed him to pay top dollar to get the best players and keep them together without a huge personal fortune. Buss built a glittering life for himself and the Lakers, playing a huge role in the NBA's move from a second-tier pro sport into can't-miss Hollywood entertainment while polishing his oddly nicknamed franchise into a glamorous global brand. Magic, Kareem and Big Game James. Kobe, Shaq and Pau. They were the stars, but Buss created Showtime. The applause still hasn't died down. Buss, who shepherded the Lakers from their 1980s dynasty through the current Kobe Bryant era while becoming one of the most important and successful owners in pro sports, died Monday. He was 80. ''Jerry Buss was more than just an owner. He was one of the great innovators that any sport has ever encountered,'' said Pat Riley, who coached four of Buss' 10 title teams. ''He was a true visionary, and it was obvious with the Lakers in the `80s that `Showtime' was more than just Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was really the vision of a man who saw something that connected with a community.'' With his condition worsening in recent months, several prominent former Lakers visited Buss to say goodbye. Even rivals such as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Clippers owner Donald Sterling hailed the passion and bonhomie of the poor kid from Wyoming who lived his own Hollywood dream. ''Dr. Buss was a visionary and an incredible business man with a serious passion for numbers,'' Johnson tweeted. ''I will always remember Dr. Buss' big smile, his love for the (at) Lakers, for poker & billiards, for the City of LA and for beautiful women.'' After a rough-and-tumble childhood that included stints as a ditch-digger and a bellhop in the frigid Wyoming winters, Buss earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from USC at 24, and had careers in aerospace and real estate development before getting into sports. With money from his real-estate ventures and a good bit of creative accounting, Buss bought the then-struggling Lakers, the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and both clubs' arena, the Forum, from Jack Kent Cooke in a $67.5 million deal that was the largest sports transaction in history at the time. Last month, Forbes estimated the Lakers were worth $1 billion, second most in the NBA. Buss' children have pledged to continue his commitment to the Lakers' distinctive success, although their efforts haven't been rewarded in the past three years while Jerry Buss ceded many decision-making responsibilities to Jim Buss, the Lakers' executive vice president of player personnel and the second-oldest child. While daughter Jeanie runs the franchise's business side, Jim Buss now has the final say on basketball decisions. ''I am blessed with a wonderful family who have helped me and guided me every step of the way,'' Buss said in 2010 at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony. ''This support is the best anybody could ever have.'' Buss is survived by his six children: sons Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse, and daughters Jeanie Buss and Janie Drexel. He had eight grandchildren.
 There's another pea joining the pod. Fergie and Josh Duhamel are expecting a baby, the singer confirmed on Twitter Monday. "Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!!" she Tweeted. This will be the first child for the couple, who wed in January 2009 in Malibu. Both Fergie, 37, and Duhamel, 40, have been clear about their desire for children – but kept the timeline open.

Anchor Rob Morrison accused of choking wife Ashley Morrison

New York news anchor fought with his wife and allegedly choked her at their Darien home, threatening her even after the police arrived, say officers. The local police received a call early Sunday (Feb. 17) from WCBS-TV anchor Rob Morrison's mother-in-law about a fight happening at the Morrison home. Police say Morrison had been arguing with his wife, CBS financial news anchor Ashley Morrison, getting belligerent toward her and eventually wrapping his hands around her neck, leaving red marks. The arresting officers report they heard Morrison threatening to do further harm to his wife while they were processing him. Morrison's mugshot (above) shows a bloody cut on his nose and a swollen bottom lip. He posted a $100,000 bond and is due in court Tuesday (Feb. 19), facing charges of strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct. Attorney for the Morrisons says in a statement, "The Morrisons are confident that a full review of this matter will show that the allegations have been greatly exaggerated." Rob Morrison anchors WCBS-TV's programs "This Morning" and "News at Noon," while his wife Ashley works for "CBS MoneyWatch."

Bucs DE Bowers arrested at airport

Authorities say an NFL player has been arrested at a New York airport after police found a handgun in his luggage. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers was arraigned Monday on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and posted $10,000 bond. Bowers was arrested at LaGuardia Airport as he was about to board a US Airways flight to Raleigh, N.C. Authorities say the .40-caliber weapon was found during a search of his carry-on bag. Efforts to reach his attorney were unsuccessful. The Buccaneers say they are gathering information on the situation. Bowers played college football for Clemson University and was chosen by the Buccaneers in the 2011 NFL draft. Former Giants star Plaxico Burress was arrested on the same charge after he accidentally shot himself in a nightclub in 2008.

Alec Baldwin & New York Post Photographer File Harassment Complaints Against Each Other

New York City police are investigating harassment complaints made by actor Alec Baldwin and a New York Post photographer after an altercation. Photographer G.N. Miller says the former “30 Rock” star yelled racial epithets and other insults when he was trying to take pictures of the actor outside his Manhattan apartment. Baldwin maintains he hollered at the photographer, but never said anything racist. He called the allegations “outrageous.” Baldwin called police and filed a harassment complaint Monday after the incident. The photographer later filed a cross-complaint. The police department’s Hate Crimes Task force was looking into the allegations.

Clive Davis comes out as bisexual in new memoir, 'The Soundtrack of My Life'

Music industry veteran Clive Davis discusses many things in his new memoir "The Soundtrack of My Life," but it's his confirmation of his bisexual sexual orientation that will probably attract the most attention. Davis reserves the revelation for a "candid five-page section toward the end of the book." Apparently, Davis' first same-sex experience was in the '70s "era of Studio 54" but it wasn't until he separated from his second wife in 1985 that he began a serious relationship with a man -- while simultaneously dating two other women. From 1990 to 2004, Davis had a monogamous relationship with an unnamed male doctor. He is currently involved in another committed relationship with a man, but continues to consider himself bisexual. The 80-year-old record executive also discusses his famed professional relationship with Whitney Houston and his concerns over her lifestyle, and the battles he had with "American Idol" champ Kelly Clarkson over her deeply personal third album, "My December." "The Soundtrack of My Life" goes on sale today (Feb. 19).
 Michael Jackson's son, Prince Michael, stepped into a world his late father knew well, becoming a special correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. Mentored by the show's Brooke Anderson, the 16-year-old interviewed actors James Franco, Zach Braff and director Sam Raimi for their new film Oz the Great and Powerful for shows airing this week. "We have a mutual connection, and I have been working to do something with him for a while," Anderson says. "I thought interviewing the cast of Oz the Great and Powerful would be the perfect opportunity, because he's a fan of The Wizard of Oz, his dad was in The Wiz and he wants to get into directing, producing and acting one day." So how were his reporting chops? "He showed me up big time," Anderson says. "Ultimately, he didn't really need too much guidance. I gave him pointers, but he was a natural."


TV NEWS
Up All Night may be 100-percent down for the count. The problem-magnet sophomore — which during its prolonged hiatus was being rejiggered as a multi-cam sitcom, only to see series creator Emily Spivey and lead Christina Applegate abruptly exit stage left — now isn’t even moving forward with the one “test” episode (downgraded from five) they wanted to shoot in front of a studio audience. Will Arnett is said to be fielding multiple pilot offers and is leaning toward a Greg Garcia project, while Maya Rudolph is being courted to join NBC’s Sean Hayes comedy Happiness.


Fox’s The X Factor apparently has already held its first elimination round of Season 3, kutting Khloe Kardashian as a kohost. “They are asking Mario [Lopez] to come back, but not Khloe,” a source says. British singer Cheryl Cole, who was unceremoniously excised from Season 1′s judging panel, is being asked back, to join Simon Cowell and two other panelists.


As announced during this past weekend’s Saturday Night Live telecast, comedian Kevin Hart (currently of BET’s Real Househusbands of Hollywood) will host the NBC show on March 2, with musical guest Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.