Category: Who Gives A Rat’s Ass

New Kids on the Block to Reunite
BOSTON – They may be pushing 40, but the New Kids are returning to the block. The Boston boy band New Kids on the Block, which sold 70 million albums in the 1980s and early 1990s, has reunited and plans to release a new album and go on tour. The reunion comes 20 years after the release of the group’s multi-platinum album, “Hanging Tough.”
The group released a new photo Wednesday and reportedly will appear on the Today show Friday morning ó the same time an unmarked countdown clock on http://www.nkotb.com ends.
“The fan response to this has been incredible,” band member Donnie Wahlberg told the Boston Herald.
Wahlberg said he was convinced to get back together with his former bandmates ó Joey McIntyre, brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood ó when they decided to record new music. Wahlberg said he wrote 80 percent of the new material with McIntyre and Jordan Knight.
“I had no interest going out on a nostalgia tour and singing the same material,” said Wahlberg, 38.
But he added, “We absolutely will do the old songs for sure.”
Producer Maurice Starr formed the group in Boston in the 1980s, hoping to recreate the success he had with another teen group from the city, New Edition.
At the height of their popularity, New Kids sold out world tours, marketed millions of dollars in merchandise and spawned a Saturday morning cartoon.
The group disbanded in 1994. Wahlberg has acted on television and in movies, while Jordan Knight, McIntyre and Wood released solo albums. Jonathan Knight became a real estate developer.

New Kids: Back on the Block?
Los Angeles (E! Online) – They may no longer be new. They may no longer be kids. But NKOTB are out to prove they still have the right stuff.
The New Kids on the Block, the prototypical boy band of the 1980s and early ’90s that preceded the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync on the pop charts and in the pages of Tiger Beat, are reportedly on track to reunite.
The band’s official Website, www.nkotb.com, is, after a long period of dormancy, once again up and running and imploring fans to keep hanging tough for a forthcoming announcement. That announcement, per People, is that Jordan Knight, Joey McIntire, Donnie Wahlberg, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood will be making like the Spice Girls and relaunching their once chart-dominating act.
There’s no word yet, however, on whether the group’s resurrection will include a tour, a greatest hits album or the release of any new material.
Their site simply teases that an undoubtedly earth-shattering development is in the works, with a fuzzy television set flickering on and off on different photos of the group in their heyday.
“They rose from the streets of Boston,” the site touts. “To become the biggest band in the world. They influenced a generation. They sold over 70 million albums and grossed more than one billion dollars. Five multiplatinum albums, 10 Top 10 singles, five number one singles. Then they walked away from it all. Millions of fans around the world await their return. Are you ready?”
The group eventually called it quits in 1994, after logging megasuccess with hits like “Hangin’ Tough,” “Step by Step,” “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and the ever-lampooned “You Got It (The Right Stuff).”
Despite attempts by MTV to reunite the group in the past decade, the move has consistently been vetoed by one or more members of the quintet.
As it is, the “boy band” has almost certainly aged out of the High School Musical demographic t and will likely rely on the support of their former, now grown, fanbase (and their kids) to power the second coming of NKOTB.
Since splitting more than a decade ago, each member of the fivesome has achieved some degree of solo success, both inside and outside the world of entertainment.
The youngest and possibly most recognizable member of NKOTB, the perpetually fresh-faced Joey McIntyre, is now 35 years old and is best known these days for appearing on Dancing with the Stars as well as a brief stint in 2003 on Boston Public.
Donnie “brother of Mark” Wahlberg is 38 and has arguably been the most successful in Hollywood since the split, starring in HBO’s Emmy-winning Band of Brothers and NBC’s now defunct Boomtown and appearing in films such as The Sixth Sense and Saws II and IV.
Onetime frontman Jordan Knight, 37, continues to record solo, most notably the minor 1999 hit, “Give It To You,” which was, briefly, a staple in the MTV rotation. His brother Jonathan, the oldest New Kid at nearly 40, is a real estate developer, while Donny Wood, 38, has bided his time as a music producer.

Whitney Houston to end rocky marriage
LOS ANGELES – The tumultuous marriage of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown ó which withstood drug addiction, Brown’s numerous arrests, the decline of Houston’s once-sparkling image and domestic abuse allegations ó is coming to an end.
A publicist for Houston confirmed to The Associated Press that the Grammy-winning, superstar singer had filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage.
Publicist Nancy Seltzer declined to reveal where or when Houston filed the divorce papers, and said the singer had no statement to make.
“I can just confirm that she has filed for divorce,” Seltzer said Wednesday.
Brown’s lawyer said Houston had filed papers for a legal separation.
Houston and Brown, who had a home in Alpharetta, Ga., have one child, a 13-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.
When they wed in 1992 the union seemed to outsiders to be a mismatch. Houston ó once one of the best-selling singers in history ó was a glamorous, pop superstar with a super-clean, princess-like persona, whereas Brown, who rose to fame as a member of the boy band New Edition before striking out on his own, was a sometimes coarse R&B singer with a more street-wise image.
But as the years wore on, it would become hard to determine which one was more troubled. Brown ó best known for hits like “My Prerogative” and “Every Little Step” ó would be arrested numerous times for drugs and alcohol, while Houston’s own battles with substance abuse sullied her image.
Together, the two were a tabloid editor’s dream. When Brown was released from a stretch in jail a few years ago, an ecstatic Houston greeted him by jumping into his arms and throwing her arms and legs around him before a throng of fans and media.
And in a 2002 ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, an erratic-sounding and wan-looking Houston, with a profusely sweating Brown by her side, admitted dabbling in drugs but denied using crack, then uttered the now famous phrase: “Crack is wack.”
Houston checked into a drug rehabilitation program in 2004 and again in 2005, announcing the second time that she was also using prayer to help overcome her drug problems. Brown said at the time he was doing what he could to help her.
“It takes two to make things work, so I have to be there for her just like she was there for me when I went through my rehab stint,” he told “Access Hollywood”.
The couple did separate for a time a few years ago, but their marriage endured, despite rumors and speculation. Their life was put on display last year with Brown’s reality series, “Being Bobby Brown” on Bravo. The show actually made Brown look like a stable influence, while a jittery Houston was on display; the couple often crudely talked about their marriage and love life.
But earlier this year, the speculation of a possible split intensified. Brown’s sister made headlines when she alleged in a National Enquirer interview that Houston was addicted to crack. She also supplied photos of what she said was Houston’s bathroom, littered with garbage and evidence of drug use.
Phaedra Parks, an entertainment lawyer in Atlanta who represents Brown, said he told her Wednesday that Houston recently filed paperwork in California seeking a separation.
“It is a legal separation. It is not a divorce or a divorce petition,” Parks said.
Parks said she has not seen the documents and didn’t know which court they were filed in.
Asked about speaking with Brown, Parks said, “Bobby’s not speaking with anyone at this time.”
Recently, Houston has made attempts to clean up her public image. On Tuesday night, she attended a public event with cousin Dionne Warwick and mogul and mentor Clive Davis in Beverly Hills. And she is working on an album of new material; she hasn’t released a record since 2002.
Houston, 43, won multiple Grammys in the 1980s and 1990s, including two for the megahit “I Will Always Love You,” from the 1992 film “The Bodyguard,” in which she also starred opposite Kevin Costner.
“I Will Always Love You,” won Grammys for record of the year and best female pop vocal, and “The Bodyguard” soundtrack won album of the year.
Houston also won Grammys in 1985 and 1987 for best female pop vocal for “Saving All my Love for You” and “I Want to Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” She won a Grammy for best female R&B vocal in 1999 for “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”
Her musician husband recently reunited with New Edition for a show at July’s Essence Musical Festival. The show got mixed reviews from the audience when Brown jumped suggestively around the stage and made vulgar remarks about his sex life with Houston.

Coming soon: First photos of Tom Cruise’s baby?
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One of the most elusive figures in Hollywood since the heyday of Howard Hughes may be about to make her debut.
The New York Post reported on Wednesday that Vanity Fair magazine has landed the first photos of Suri Cruise, the baby born to actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes last April 18 and who has never been seen by the public, although family friend Penelope Cruz says she is “beautiful.”
The Post said the pictures were taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz and will be published this fall.
A spokeswoman for Vanity Fair had no comment and a spokesman for Leibovitz’s studio said, “We know nothing about this. The studio is closed for August.” A spokesman for Cruise was not immediately available for comment.
Few recent celebrity subjects have produced as much table-thumping tabloid copy as questions about the existence and well-being of baby Suri.
Suri was born after months of nonstop publicity generated by Cruise and his new lady love including an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” by the actor in which he declared his love for Holmes by jumping over a couch.
Cruise proposed to Holmes at the Eiffel Tower last year and announced the engagement at a press conference. Before the baby was born, the press was filled with stories about the Scientology method of silent birth. Both Cruise and Holmes are adherents of Scientology.
But after the baby was born, Tom and Katie, or TomKat as they are referred to, disappeared from public view, leading to a tabloid outcry as to why the child was not being seen.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt allowed photographs of their daughter, Shiloh, to be taken a mere seven days after her birth and donated the multimillion dollar fee to charity.
The weekly Star went so far as to publish a made-up composite photograph of Suri Cruise last month and Life&Style countered with a composite drawing, calling the child, “the most famous missing baby on the planet.”
As the New York Times in July noted in a 1900-word article on the issue, “The drawing appeared on a poster stamped with one word:, ‘Wanted.”‘
One serious debate in the magazine industry is just how much a photo of Suri Cruise could fetch. People Magazine was reported to have paid $4 million for photos of the Jolie-Pitt baby although the magazine’s editor denied that was an accurate figure.

Romance is over for Penelope Cruz and Matthew McConaughey
LOS ANGELES (AP) ó The “sexiest man alive” is available again.
Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz “have decided to split,” Cruz spokesman Robert Garlock told The Associated Press Friday. McConaughey’s rep, Alan Nierob, confirmed the breakup, first reported by People magazine.
The couple costarred in 2005’s Sahara.
McConaughey, People’s reigning hunk of hunks, appeared in this year’s Failure to Launch.
This fall, Cruz, 32, stars in Pedro Almodovar’s Volver, (Return ), which just made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival.
Cruz and McConaughey, 36, parted ways four weeks ago due to busy work schedules, People reports.

Mischa Barton’s ‘O.C.’ Character Killed
LOS ANGELES – Fox’s “The O.C.” closed its third season Thursday with a deadly twist. Marissa Cooper, played by Mischa Barton, was killed in a car crash.
Barton’s character was central to the show, which follows four wealthy Newport Beach teens through the emotional ups and downs of high-school life.
Barton was already a familiar face when she began starring on “The O.C.” in 2003. She worked as a model and appeared in several films, including “The Sixth Sense,” and TV’s “Once and Again.” She is also a spokesmodel for Neutrogena and the Collection bebe clothing line.
Rumors flew in recent months that she was ready to leave “The O.C.”
Earlier this week, Barton told “Access Hollywood,” “My character has been through so, so much and there’s really nothing more left for her to do.”
Barton, 20, has a film arriving in 2007, “Guilty Pleasures,” and other projects in the works.
Marissa’s death came at the end of an otherwise upbeat episode.
The class of 2006, which includes Marissa, Ryan, Seth and Summer, graduated from Harbor High School. Seth and Summer were accepted by the same college. Ryan was reunited with his mother, who gave him a Land Cruiser as a graduation gift. Marissa’s mom gave her a pearl necklace, while her dad gave her an opportunity to work with him on a yacht set to sail around the Greek islands.
Ryan was taking Marissa to the airport in his new SUV when they were antagonized at high speed by a drunken and vengeful Volchok, who they both had a history with. Volchok swigged from a flask as he chased the pair in his car.
Ryan lost control of the Land Cruiser and crashed, the vehicle rolling off the road. He pulled Marissa from the wreckage just before the vehicle caught fire.
There, on the side of the road, she died in his arms.

Britney Spears Pregnant With Baby No. 2
NEW YORK – The baby bump is for real. Britney Spears told David Letterman on Tuesday that she is pregnant with baby No. 2. “Don’t worry Dave, it’s not yours,” the pop princess quipped on “The Late Show.”
The revelation ended weeks of speculation in entertainment magazines, which have been regularly publishing pictures of Spears’ apparently expanding waistline.
Spears, 24, and her husband, backup dancer-turned-rapper Kevin Federline, 28, were married in 2004 and have an 8-month-old son, Sean Preston.
Federline also has two children, Kori and Kaleb, with his former girlfriend, Shar Jackson.
Child welfare officials and a sheriff’s deputy reportedly visited Spears’ home in April after her son accidentally tumbled from a high chair.
In February, authorities visited the home after photographs showed the singer in a car with her son in her lap, rather than in a car seat as required by law. Spears later apologized, saying she held the boy in her lap because of a “horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi.”
Spears rose to fame at 16 with a naughty schoolgirl image and the multiplatinum album “… Baby One More Time.”

Lohan Misses ‘Regis and Kelly’ Appearance
NEW YORK – Even in absence, Lindsay Lohan makes news. The teen starlet missed a scheduled appearance on “Live with Regis and Kelly” Tuesday morning. Though stars frequently change appointments with TV shows, Lohan’s no-show was unusual because the live program was informed minutes after showtime.
On air, Regis Philbin announced: “Lindsay Lohan is sick. She’s not coming. Well, that’s kind of a blow.”
“She has food poisoning,” Philbin said. “What’d they find out, about (9:05)? … She tried to make it.”
The talk show filled time with an interview and performance by Ashanti.
The 19-year-old actress-pop star did make it to MTV’s “TRL” Tuesday afternoon. In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Lohan acknowledged feeling very tired having only gotten two hours sleep; she arrived in New York early that morning after her plane from Los Angeles was delayed several hours. Later Monday, she was seen at the “King Kong” premiere.
On Wednesday, Lohan told syndicated entertainment show “Access Hollywood” that, “I had some food poisoning, which wasn’t really fun.”
She apologized to Philbin and co-host Kelly Ripa on “Access”: “I know it came across really bad … I’ll make it up to you, I swear!”
Lohan is currently promoting her sophomore album, “A Little More Personal (Raw),” which was released Tuesday.

BACK ON TRACK
Per Variety, New Line Cinema sealing a deal with Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, director Brett Ratner and scribe Jeff Nathanson to make the long-delayed third Rush Hour movie.

Jeff Martin quits The Tea Party
After 15 years as frontman for Canadian rock trio The Tea Party, Jeff Martin has decided to pack it in.
Martin has announced his departure from the band to pursue a solo career, according to a press statement.
The news came as a surprise to bassist Stuart Chatwood, who, stated that he “wasn’t aware that the band had broken up.”
Despite the decision, Martin left the door open for a possible return to the T.O.-based band.
“I am deeply appreciative of all the support Tea Party fans have shown both the band and me over the years,” Martin said. “While I’m not ruling out a return of The Tea Party at some time in the future, I am focused for now on my acoustic solo record, and hope to release the new music this winter and tour in support of it.”
“I am excited to embark on this new musical chapter of my life and wish all the best to my two former bandmates and friends, Jeff Burrows and Stuart Chatwood.”
Formed in Windsor, Ontario in 1990, Martin, Chatwood and drummer Jeff Burrows are best known for their eastern-influenced rock songs, which include “Sister Awake” and “Heaven Coming Down.”
The Juno-nominated band’s final studio album, “Seven Circles,” was released in August of 2004.