Veteran television actress Valerie Harper has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The "Mary Tyler Moore Show" star, 73, who played Rhoda Morgenstern in the hit series and its spin-off "Rhoda," underwent a series of tests which showed she has leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a condition that occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain. Harper received the devastating news in January and has been told by doctors she has as little as three months to live. Opening up about the diagnosis to People magazine, Harper says, "I don't think of dying. I think of being here now." Harper previously battled lung cancer in 2009. Harper received the devastating news in January and has been told by doctors she has as little as three months to live.

 

Venezuela's 'Comandante' Hugo Chavez dies
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the charismatic leftist who dominated his country with sweeping political change and flamboyant speeches, died Tuesday at age 58, after a long battle with cancer that was shrouded in mystery and prevented him from being inaugurated for a fourth term. Adored or reviled for his self-styled populist revolution, Chavez held sway over Venezuela through a cult of personality, government reforms that championed the downtrodden, and an endless stream of rhetoric denouncing capitalism, imperialism and the United States. The "Chavistas" praised El Comandante for reducing extreme poverty and expanding access to health care and education. Critics blamed him for high inflation, food shortages, escalating crime and mismanagement of the country’s oil industry. Human rights groups lambasted him for politicizing the judicial branch, and undermining the democratic system of checks and balances. To many he was a charming populist who sang and danced on his weekly television show and gave the impoverished a voice; others saw him as an autocrat who plastered his portrait all over the country and failed to deliver on the promises of what he called the "Bolivarian revolution." "He will be remembered as someone who generated over 14 years an international presence and impact way beyond his country's size or wealth and beyond his own talent and personal charisma," said Jorge Castenada, the former Mexico foreign minister. The last two years of his presidency were overshadowed by his health struggles. After declaring himself free of an unspecified cancer, he fended off a tough challenge to win re-election in 2012 — even giving an epic nine-hour speech during the campaign. He soon relapsed and was rushed to Cuba for surgery. He was deemed too sick to be sworn into office in early January, and was still gravely ill when he made a surprise return to Venezuela in mid-February, heralded on a Twitter account with 4 million followers. His deputies insisted he was still in control, signing documents and holding meetings in a Caracas hospital room even if a tube in his throat had silenced his well-known voice. But by this week, the end seemed imminent with reports of a new respiratory infection. In an address to the nation Tuesday afternoon, Vice President Nicholas Maduro said Chavez was facing his "most difficult hours" and claimed the cancer was an "attack" by his enemies. A few hours later, he announced Chavez's death at 4:25 p.m.
 Twins Tia & Tamera and their sons Cree Taylor and Aden John Tanner.


Demi Moore to File Divorce Response to Ashton Kutcher
After months of trying to negotiate a confidential and amicable settlement with Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore is expected to file a divorce response, putting their case on course for a possible trial. The couple, who married in September 2005 in a Kabbalah ceremony at their Beverly Hills home, split in 2011. Kutcher, 35, filed for divorce in December 2012, but negotiations on a settlement stalled, reportedly over finances.  Kutcher (who last year reportedly earned $24 million year from the CBS hit Two and a Half Men) was "very difficult during the talks. You could even say he has been hostile."
 Holly Madison has some bunny new to love! The former Girls Next Door star and her boyfriend Pasquale Rotella welcomed a daughter on Tuesday, March 5 in Las Vegas.

Steven Tyler Act passes in Hawaii state Senate

The state Senate of Hawaii has passed the "Steven Tyler Act," a bill that hopes to protect celebrities from paparazzi photographers by creating a civil violation for people who take unwanted photos or videos of others when they are in private and sells or publishes said photos or video. The name of the bill comes from Aerosmith frontman Tyler asking Sen. Kalani English to sponsor the legislation after photographs were taken of Tyler and his girlfriend last December when they were vacationing in Maui. The bill was passed by 23 of Hawaii's 25 Senators, with only Sen. Sam Slom and Sen. Les Ihara opposing the bill. Slom says Hawaii has proficient privacy laws and that this bill is an attack on First Amendment rights. Tyler testified in Hawaii last month in favor of the bill. He said in a statement at the time, "As a person in the public eye, I know the paparazzi are there and we have to accept that. But when they intrude into our private space, disregard our safety and the safety of others, that crosses a serious line that shouldn't be ignored."

'American History X' actor Edward Furlong sentenced to jail

A judge has sentenced Edward Furlong to six months in jail for violating his probation in a 2010 case. The “Terminator 2″ star was accused of disobeying the terms of his sentence in a domestic violence case in which he was convicted of violating a restraining order. The 35-year-old actor has been the subject of restraining orders filed by both his ex-wife and an ex-girlfriend. Furlong was charged in January with battery on his ex-girlfriend in a case that remains pending.
 Two years after getting engaged following a rather profane marriage proposal, Canadian actors Alison Pill and Jay Baruchel have called it quits. The two had originally planned to marry this past September. Pill has most recently starred as Maggie Jordan on The Newsroom. She also had film roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Midnight in Paris.

Carrie Fisher to reprise role of Princess Leia in new 'Star Wars'

Not long after Luke Skywalker himself (Mark Hamill) revealed that he was in talks to join the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII" cast, Carrie Fisher has confirmed she will indeed dust off the gold bikini, so to speak, and reprise her role as Princess Leia.

Sam Mendes turns down 'Skyfall' follow-up

Sam Mendes has ruled himself out of directing the next James Bond movie following the runaway success of last year's "Skyfall" in order to concentrate on his theater commitments. The 23rd 007 adventure, starring Daniel Craig as the iconic superspy, grossed $1.1 billion at the box office and won a slew of honors during the 2012-13 awards season, including two Oscars. However, Mendes will not be re-teaming with producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for the 24th Bond installment as he wants to focus on overseeing the upcoming London stage production of Roald Dahl tale "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory," as well as his other projects. "It has been a very difficult decision not to accept Michael and Barbara's very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie," he said. "Directing Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theater and other commitments, including productions of 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' and 'King Lear,' that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond. I feel very honored to have been part of the Bond family, and very much hope I have a chance to work with them again sometime in the future."

Sexual Healing
After years of stumbling blocks and competing projects, Julien Temple's Marvin Gaye biopic "Sexual Healing" is finally going ahead. The story focuses on the time Gaye spent in Europe in the early 1980s, when the soul singer attempted to get his addictions under control and career back on track with the help of British music promoter Freddy Cousaert. Jesse L. Martin ("Rent," "Law & Order") is set to play the Motown legend. Martin was originally attached several years ago, but dropped out. Lenny Kravitz was then set for the role last year, triggering objections from Gaye’s son. Martin is now back in the part, while Brendan Gleason is set to play Cousaert.

 
Solace
Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Watchmen," "Magic City") will join Anthony Hopkins and Colin Farrell in Afonso Poyart's supernatural thriller "Solace" for FlynnPictureCo and Silver Reel. Hopkins plays a former doctor with psychic abilities who is drawn into a serial-killer case, only to find that the killer (Farrell) is a psychic as well -- so the two men can detect each other's moves. Morgan is playing a veteran FBI agent heading the investigation of a series of grisly murders. He recruits Hopkins' character to help catch the killer.

Let's Be Cops
20th Century Fox has set "Happy Endings" star Damon Wayans Jr. and "New Girl" actor Jake Johnson to star in Luke Greenfield's buddy cop comedy "Let’s Be Cops". The film is about two best friends looking for a little more out of life. They impersonate cops for kicks, but when they unknowingly mess with a real mobster, the game gets real.

 
Rick Ross Biopic
Nick Cannon will portray former drug kingpin 'Freeway' Rick Ross in a Nick Cassavetes-penned biopic about Ross. Ross gained notoriety as a cocaine trafficker in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

 
Taylor Swift has some harsh words for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler
Good ol’ Taylor Swift graces the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair, and the 23-year-old “22″ singer had a lot of things to get off her chest. One of those things was Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s Golden Globes jokes. If you recall, the pair made a crack about Swift’s dating history, with Fey telling the singer to “stay away from Michael J. Fox’s son.” Here’s what Swift had to say about all that: ”You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people because she said to me she had heard a quote that she loved, that said, ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’” Amy Poehler responded to Swift’s comments thusly: “Aw, I feel bad if she was upset. I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff.” 


Jon Stewart to take summer off from 'The Daily Show' to direct a movie
Your topical politics jokes are getting a British twist this summer: Jon Stewart will be taking a hiatus from The Daily Show, and correspondent John Oliver will be filling in as host. Stewart is taking the time off to direct his first feature film, Rosewater. He also wrote the script, based on the book Then They Came For Me: A Family’s Story Of Love, Captivity And Survival, which is BBC journalist Maziar Bahari account of his 118 days in captivity in Iran in 2009.


MTV Movie Awards nominations announcedThe nominees for the 2013 MTV Movie Awards were announced on Tuesday, with Quentin Tarantino's slavery drama "Django Unchained," Seth MacFarlane's teddy-bear comedy "Ted," David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook" and the Batman epic "The Dark Knight Rises" leading the charge. Voting begins March 5 at MovieAwards.MTV.com; the show will air live on April 14 on MTV.
MOVIE OF THE YEAR (Voting stays live throughout the 2013 Movie Awards Telecast)
    "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    "Silver Linings Playbook" (The Weinstein Company)
    "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    "The Avengers" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
   "The Dark Knight Rises" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
    Anne Hathaway -- "Les Misérables" (Universal Pictures)
    Mila Kunis -- "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook" (The Weinstein Company)
    Emma Watson -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (Summit Entertainment)
    Rebel Wilson -- "Pitch Perfect" (Universal Pictures)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
    Ben Affleck -- "Argo" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Bradley Cooper -- "Silver Linings Playbook" (The Weinstein Company)
    Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    Jamie Foxx -- "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    Channing Tatum -- "Magic Mike" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
    Ezra Miller -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (Summit Entertainment)
    Eddie Redmayne -- "Les Misérables" (Universal Pictures)
    Suraj Sharma -- "Life of Pi" (20th Century Fox)
    Quvenzhané Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
    Rebel Wilson -- "Pitch Perfect" (Universal Pictures)
BEST SCARED-AS-S**T PERFORMANCE
    Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty" (Sony Pictures)
    Alexandra Daddario -- "Texas Chainsaw 3D" (Lionsgate)
    Martin Freeman -- "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Jennifer Lawrence -- "House at the End of the Street" (Relativity Media)
    Suraj Sharma -- "Life of Pi" (20th Century Fox)
BEST ON-SCREEN DUO
    Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson -- "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook" (The Weinstein Company)
    Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane as Ted -- "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo -- "The Avengers" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis -- "The Campaign" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEST SHIRTLESS PERFORMANCE
    Christian Bale -- "The Dark Knight Rises" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Daniel Craig -- "Skyfall" (Sony Pictures)
    Taylor Lautner -- "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" (Summit Entertainment)
    Seth MacFarlane as Ted -- "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    Channing Tatum -- "Magic Mike" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEST FIGHT
    Jamie Foxx vs. Candieland Henchmen -- "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    Daniel Craig vs. Ola Rapace -- "Skyfall" (Sony Pictures)
    Mark Wahlberg vs. Seth MacFarlane as Ted -- "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner vs. Tom Hiddleston -- "The Avengers" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    Christian Bale vs. Tom Hardy -- "The Dark Knight Rises" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
BEST KISS
    Kerry Washington and Jamie Foxx -- "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman -- "Moonrise Kingdom" (Focus Features)
    Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper -- "Silver Linings Playbook" (The Weinstein Company)
    Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg -- "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
    Emma Watson and Logan Lerman -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (Summit Entertainment)
BEST WTF MOMENT
    Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson -- "Candieland Gets Smoked" in "Django Unchained"
    (The Weinstein Company)
    Denzel Washington -- "Final Descent" in "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
    Anna Camp -- "Hack-Appella" in "Pitch Perfect" (Universal Pictures)
    Javier Bardem -- "Oops, There Goes His Face" in "Skyfall" (Sony Pictures)
    Seth MacFarlane as Ted -- "Ted Gets Saucy" in "Ted" (Universal Pictures)
BEST VILLAIN
    Javier Bardem -- "Skyfall" (Sony Pictures)
    Leonardo DiCaprio -- "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
    Marion Cotillard -- "The Dark Knight Rises" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Tom Hardy-- "The Dark Knight Rises" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Tom Hiddleston -- "The Avengers" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures