Live at American Idol: Was That Ryan and Simon Fight for Real?

Zuma Press

First these two were bickering frenemies, then behind-the-scenes besties...but tonight, Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell were back at it again on the American Idol stage.
So what's the real deal?
We had a front-row seat for all the action, including the spat and its aftermath. Here's what really went down:
Simon and Ryan are indeed good pals. Cross our hearts, it's the whole truth and nothing but.
During their brief on-air tiff about the judges giving mixed messages to the Idol contestants, the two traded barbs once again for the cameras.
But then Ryan walked right up to Simon to settle the whole thing. Apparently, the audience was just too loud and our E! pal couldn't hear the Brit-wit Simon was dishing out. Thus, miscommunication ensued.
Face it, folks, these two are pals, amigos, compadres, and no matter what you see on your TV screens, there are always tons of hugs behind the scenes.
Some other fun notes:
• Simon's ex, Terri Seymour, arrived just after the first commercial break with Ellen DeGeneres' wifey, Portia de Rossi. Hmmm, isn't he kinda engaged?! (We kid! These two have remained close pals.)
• Ellen and Simon locked eyes with Katie Stevens, who was the first of the bottom three saved. Ellen raised her eyebrows in shock, and Simon rolled his eyes.
• That contestants corner would be a total dullsville without the fun times had by buddies Andrew Garcia and Michael Lynche. Those two danced the night away during each of tonight's performances—including Diddy's. After the rap icon rocked the show, Andrew and Mike ran over to meet him, then returned to their bench and squealed like bubbly little schoolgirls (or very enthusiastic grown-ups, anyway).
• Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, Shioban Magnus and Lee Dewyze didn't even try to hide their shock and sadness over Didi Benami's elimination.
Are you buying what Ryan and Simon are selling onscreen, or are you on board with the besties theory? Did Didi deserve to go home? Let us know in the comments below.

*Exclusive* Bald-Headed Bunda Carrying A Gut Full Of Yeezy???

Looks like Amber Rose is gonna have to cover up those cakes and put the Newports down. According to sources close to Amber, she is about 8 weeks pregnant with Kanye West’s baby.
We wonder if Dr. Donda West would approve of this one.
Pop it for the details….

American Idol's Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard Reunited!

Rena Durham-KPA/KEYSTONE Pictures

American Idol fans, get ready to party like it's 2003!
Season-two finalists Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard—does it even matter anymore which one was crowned the winner?—are heading out on a 17-city North American tour. And they're calling it "Timeless" because, well, it totally is.
The two begin reliving their glory days July 23 in Asheville, N.C., and are plotting numerous duets and covers of classics from the past five decades.
"I couldn't ask for a better tour mate," Clay says in a statement. "To be able to share the stage with him again is so exciting...He inspires me daily and I think that respect and admiration will truly be reflected in our show."
"It is truly a blessing and an honor to be on the stage with my friend," Ruben says.
Awww. For the full list of cities and ticketing information, Claymates and Rubenites alike should visit their respective websites.

Howard Stern Sends Warning To Jamie Foxx

The apparent beef between Howard Stern and Jamie Foxx has gone one step further. The two satellite radio hosts have had a rift over Stern’s accusations that Precious star Gabourey Sidibe is too overweight to have a legitimate career in Hollywood.
And though Jamie himself really hasn’t attacked Howard, jocks a part of his Foxxhole radio show have.
They’ve since repeatedly clowned Stern and his co-host, Robin Quivers – branding her a “house Negro.”
On his show, Stern sent a warning to Foxx to lay off of him or be exposed.
He said:
“I don’t really care about Jamie Foxx. He says we’re friends but we’re not friends. He’s been on my show a couple of times. I don’t consider him a friend anymore. He seems to want to start in with me, wants to say that I’m irrelevant and he’s taking pokes and jabs at me and then says he loves me. I’m not feeling the love. The crew started in with me and I’m not some pu**y who’s gonna sit here and take it and listen to some bulls*it. And quite frankly, I’m mad now because, you know, I got a s*itload of stuff on Jamie Foxx, which isn’t a lot of fun and if he wants to start in with me…you know, even the name Jamie Foxx it’s interesting he chose that name. I could get into the whole [deal].

And the thing is I don’t dislike the guy, he’s a very talented guy [and] and I’m not going to take that away from him. He seems to be into some bizarre thing where he wants to start in with me so that he get some attention for his channel the Foxxhole, which is an interesting name, too about the hole. I wonder which hole they’re referring to.”
…and you can tell where Howard went with that. He added that he likes the guy and that they’re whole playing for the same team so he won’t let this escalate. But he did invite Foxx to come to the show and say all of these things to his face.
I predict a make up session in 5, 4, 3, 2…

Financial Freedom

Sam Adeyemi

2Kings 4:1-7

Real money is value. If we define real money as value then nobody should be poor because we all have value. For money to flow in your direction you must have a product or service of value to exchange for tangible money. But, the type of mindset we have can either attract or repel wealth. Your environment contributes to forming your mindset. Nigerians, for instance, are prone to mental structure that guarantees poverty because of the culture. The good news, however, is that we can change our thinking through information and discipline. Knowledge is the power needed to form the inner man; and with discipline we can change your thought pattern and stick to new habits. Armed with these, we can aspire for financial freedom.

Investment is the key to financial freedom. We can make investments physically and spiritually. So, financially freedom can be viewed in two dimensions. First, you must invest and save money over a long period of time. You are financially free when the returns on your investments can pay your bills. Take advantage of compound interest and let your money work for you. Compound interest will grow your money at a geometric rate. Learn to save some of your money. Its foolishness to squander all your money PROV 21:20. Also invests some of your savings. Be careful to avoid risky investments, setting for long term and low risk investments.

Secondly, invest in the spiritual world. The other dimension to financial freedom is exchanging material wealth for intangible wealth. In Genesis Abraham met with Melchizedek who gave him bread and wine, symbols of the covenant, and Abraham gave Him a tithe of all it was an exchange. Remember the spiritual will always control the physical, so, let's apply wisdom and invest in the spiritual.

Be aware that when we ask God to bless us financially, we expose ourselves to attacks from the devil. All sorts of negative spirits move with money greed, lust, temptations, etc. We must develop the capacity to triumph over these influences. How? Give, give, and give. Gain mastery over money by giving, bearing in mind that God is more interested in proportions rather than the amount.

Gospel and Blues Artist Marva Wright Dies at 62

New Orleans blues and gospel singer Marva Wright died Tuesday at age 62, her former manager said.

New Orleans blues singer Marva Wright, right, gets a kiss from Paul Shaffer, music director of Late Night with David Letterman, at the Jazz Festival in New Orleans. New Orleans blues and gospel singer Marva Wright has died at age 62. Her former manager, Adam Shipley, confirmed that Wright died Tuesday morning, March 23, 2010 morning of complications from a stroke she suffered last year.

Adam Shipley confirmed that Wright died of complications from a stroke she suffered last year.
She sang traditional jazz and gospel standards but was better known for sultry, sometimes bawdy blues songs. Among her best known songs were "Heartbreakin' Woman" and "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean."
She released a series of albums on local and international record labels, and frequently performed in Europe and at blues festivals around the country. With her band, the BMWs, she drew large crowds for performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
As a child, Wright listened to her mother sing and play piano at church. Among her childhood memories were visits to Chicago, the adopted home of New Orleans gospel great Mahalia Jackson, who had grown up with Wright's mother.
"My mother would go to the national Baptist convention," Ms. Wright once said, according to an account in The Times-Picayune newspaper. "When it convened in Chicago, Mahalia would say, 'Girl, you don't need to get no hotel. Stay with me.' That's what my mother would do. I met Mahalia when I was 9 years old, but I never realized she was that popular until I got older."
But Wright didn't start singing professionally until she was almost 40, according to a biography on her Web site.
Wright was hospitalized last June after suffering a serious stroke following a gig at the CoCo Club on Bourbon Street. Relatives said then that she had just recovered from an earlier, less serious stroke.

Erykah Badu May Face Indecent Exposure Charge for "Window Seat" Clip

The gossip bloggers aren’t the only ones buzzing about Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” video.

Dallas authorities are considering charging Badu with indecent exposure for taking her clothes off in public to film the video. The singer recently spoke to BET.com about the controversial clip.  Though critics have deemed Badu’s bold statement a form of art and freedom of expression, the police is calling the move a crime.
Dallas KXAS is reporting that though authorities were not on hand during the shoot, if one witness comes forward and confirms that Badu was naked in public, the singer could be charged with indecent exposure.
The clip, which was filmed in Dallas, TX at the Delaney Plaza, the same spot where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, shows Badu getting out of a park car and removing articles of clothing during her walk through the park. 
The singer strips completely naked and falls to the ground after being hit by a gun shot. If convicted, Badu could face up to one year in jail and face a $4,000 fine. 

Cops Slam Diddy for Crossing the Line

Diddy had a Hollywood-style run-in with cops early Friday morning -- after officials say the mogul broke the law right in the middle of Sunset Blvd.

According to law enforcement sources, Diddy was cited around 1:30 AM for pulling an illegal U-ey right in the middle of the strip -- a major no-no around that part of town.

We're told the rap mogul was "cooperative" when the L.A. County Sheriff's deputy approached Diddy's 2009 Cadillac Escalade -- and after the cop wrote him up, Diddy was sent along his merry way.

The incident marks Diddy's second run-in with cops in the same exact place in less than two years -- but this time cops didn't bother to draw guns.

The April Bieber-Justin Bieber Connection

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

To begin with, no, April Bieber is not Justin Bieber's sister. For all we know, she's not anybody's sister.

But, sadly, the story of April Bieber is no hoax, either.
To explain today's mysterious Twitter topic, let's start at the beginning, with Monday morning's tragic death of a 15-year-old Ohio girl named Sodany Phann. Full name: Sodany April Phann.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Phann, struck and killed by a school bus, was an honor student who planned on attending Bieber's concert tour stop in Cincinnati in June.
By Monday night, word of Phann's death apparently reached Bieber, as he tweeted, "life is a blessing and appreciation for our time here with eachother is important." The message was marked: "#ripaprilbieber."
Now, we don't know if Bieber invented that particular hashtag, or if he was following others who'd used it to pay tribute to Phann, but it looks as if shortly after he invoked it, a lot of folks got confused—or, rather, confused a hashtag for a person. ("Anyone know who April Bieber is?," went one question.)
So, end of mystery.
There are a few other things known about the late Phann: One, she is currently the subject of an online petition that asks Bieber to "write/dedicate a song to her." (We sent an email to Bieber's record label seeing if the teen star plans to abide. No response yet.)
Two, she would have turned 16 on Thursday. And, three, she apparently maintained a Twitter account: BieberDollBabe.

American Idol R&B Night Ushers in a New Favorite

Michael Becker / FOX

Usher had his work cut out for him this week.
With the remaining American Idol finalists coming off one of the roughest themed performance shows ever, fans were looking to R&B night for that much-needed spark to get them excited—finally—about this season's top 10.
In case you hadn't noticed, however, only a few members of this year's group are particularly versatile, so we were already prepared for a real mixed bag with only sporadic signs of greatness by the time the first contestant stepped into the spotlight.
Sure enough, the Moments were indeed sporadic. The surprising part was where they came from...
Siobhan Magnus: It seemed as if Siobhan was back in business with Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," until a few horrible notes torched the whole thing. At times the tone of her voice was just lovely, but more often than not, she was shrieking. (Which is not to be confused with her signature scream— regrettably, there was plenty of that, too.) "By far your weakest performance so far," Simon Cowell redundantly judged it, and Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres couldn't do much more than agree. On a bright note, she didn't kill the song. "I'm going to call it manslaughter," Simon said.
Casey James: It was already music to our ears when Ryan Seacrest said Casey was singing a song never before done on the Idol stage. Hats off to that! And then, to top it off, he did a great job with Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'." More like, "Watch out, other contestants. Casey's coming." And he's bringing saxophones, stubble and an electric guitar with him! "I'm really, really impressed with you this week," Simon said. Randy thought it was hot. So wouldn’t you know, Kara and Ellen still want to see more range from the 27-year-old. "They do mean musically," Ryan reminded him.

Drake Finally Sets A Release Date For Thank Me Later

Took him long enough…..According to Rap-Up.com, Drizzy Drake has FINALLY set a release date for his highly anticipated debut project, Thank Me Later.
The Young Money prince is scheduled to drop his project on May 25th via Young Money/Universal Motown with features from Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and many more. “Over,” which is currently climbing the Billboard 100, is the first offering from the project.
The Toronto native also recently shot a visual for the clip in Los Angeles which was directed by Anthony Mandler (director for Jay-Z’s “DOA” and “Run This Town”). Drake told Rap-Up.com of his debut project, “This is my first album and it takes a lot for me to commit to a song and be like, ‘I like this enough that I’m gonna put it on the album,’” he told Rap-Up.com. “It’s gotta be something that I feel is timeless and is better than anything that I’ve ever done.”
Are you guys ready for Drake’s Thank Me Later?????
Sincerely

Is Chris Brown Having Trouble Locating A Birthday Party Venue?

This kid just can’t catch a break…..According to the NY Post, R&B heartthrob Chris Brown isn’t having the best of luck in 2010. First Breezy sent out a message pleading with his fans to call up their local radio stations to request more of his music since he feels he wasn’t getting the love he deserved on his latest project, Graffiti. Perez Hilton also thought it would be fun to poke at Chris’ misery. Brown easily turned the other cheek.

Now, the Virginia native is having trouble finding a venue to house his May 5 birthday celebration. Chris initially wanted to host his 21st birthday celebration in a lavish nightspot in either NYC, Miami or Las Vegas, but club promoters are making the task a bit difficult for the crooner.
A source said of the issue, “They don’t want to mess up their relationship, or their potential relationship, with Rihanna.”

Sheeesh, some 21st birthday party. Chris is now looking at private estates and different restaurants in NYC to hold the celebration in.

At least he’s getting high praise for his community service, right?

Is Chris still feeling the heat from his domestic dispute with Rihanna????

Low “Cheer up, Chris” Key

Rep Confirms: Lost's Yunjin Kim Just Got Married

John Sciulli/Getty Images

"Yes, it's true. She did get married this weekend."
This is what a rep for Yunjin Kim tells us of rumors circling that the Lost actress got married in Hawaii yesterday to her boyfriend, Jeong Hyeok Park. The two have known each other since 2002, when he became her manager.
Turns out this wedding is interesting timing, given what's happening with Lost right now:
"She always said she wanted to get married when Lost ended," a source close to Lost tells me, adding that Yunjin was shooting some of her final scenes ever for the series in Oahu, Hawaii, on Saturday, the day before her wedding. (Talk about a memorable wrap party!)
Yunjin's rep said no other wedding details will be given at this time.
It's a big week for Yunjin onscreen, too: Tomorrow night's episode of Lost will center on her character, Sun, and her love interest, Jin (Daniel Dae Kim). And Spoiler Alert! There is a surprise ending that will have fans talking on Wednesday morning. So make sure you don't miss it.
Congrats to the happy couple!
Also, I'll be interviewing Daniel Dae Kim right after Tuesday night's episode, so if you have any Lost questions for him, comment below...

Jennifer Aniston Slips Into Neutral

Florian Seefried/Getty Images

That's so much better.
A day after stepping out in a salmon-hued Christian Lacroix dress, Jennifer Aniston bounced back at the Berlin premiere of The Bounty Hunter in a skin-tight, neutral-toned Valentino.
And doesn't she look fabulous?
This dress doesn't upstage the attractive star while it highlights her toned physique and shows off her legs.
Plus, it's not salmon colored.
Do you agree? Put your fashion sense to the test in the comments, people.



So who gave her costar Gerard Butler two major thumbs up on the same red carpet?

Five Things You Need to Know About Ricky Martin

Pablo Alfaro

Bravo, Ricky Martin!
As you may have already heard, the Puerto Rican pop star came out of the closet today as a gay man. However, there's a lot more to this guy than just his sexuality and his infectious hits "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "She Bangs."
Here, we give you the five things you need to know about the 38-year-old father of two…
Music Man: Martin first rose to fame as a member of the Latin American boy band Menudo. He went on to launch a solo career with a couple of Spanish language albums before his self-titled English album in 1999. To date, he has reportedly sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.
Acting Chops: He appeared in the telenovela Alcanzar Una Estrella II in the early '90s, followed by a stint on General Hospital as bartender/signer Miguel Morez. He also starred on Broadway as Marius, the young man in love in Les Misérables.
Latin Lover: Martin reportedly had a long-term, but on-and-off, relationship with Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba. However, the gay rumors really took off during the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca." While he said he was gay-friendly, he denied on more than one occasion that he was of the same-sex lovin' kind.
Rock the Vote: Although he performed at the 2001 Inaugural Ball for President George W. Bush, he later showed his disappointment in the president during a concert in Puerto Rico by raising his middle finger in the air while singing the lyric "photo with Bush" in the song "Asignatura Pendiente." In 2008, Martin publicly supported Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in the Democratic primary.
Parenthood: In the summer of 2008, Martin became the father of twin baby boys, Matteo and Valentino, via gestational surrogacy. A few weeks after their birth, his rep announced that Martin would be "spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children."

Kennis Music and Kelly Hansome At War.

Kennis Music Vs Kelly H.

Apparently Kelly Hansome’s six year contract has not been terminated by Kennis Music as Kelly Hansome purportedly said in a mail to the  members of his facebook group, a source informed since their lawyers couldn’t reach an agreement.
Yesterday, Kelly Hansome sent another mail where he informed that Kennis Music headed by Kenny Ogungbe was setting the press against him by paying them to run degrading stories on him.
Kelly Hansome claims ‘Right from my last album, Maga Don Pay, Kennis Music has not paid me.’ when they promised to ‘get me a house, car and other necessary things I needed,’ and he had it stated in the contract.
‘When I was with Kennis, 70 per cent of the shows I did were, as I was made to understand free. When I later found out that they have been collecting money from these people, they now assured me that they were going to pay me. They have being collecting money from them and claiming that the shows were all complimentary.
30 per cent of the shows I did for Kennis came through my manager, Pental. Even the show they did for Glo…one laughter whatever, featuring Basket Mouth, they were paid, but nobody gave me a dime. Apart from that, Kennis used to block my shows. People who wanted me to do a show for them were turned down; they were often told that I was not in town, meanwhile, I’ve been in town since December 24 last year. Kennis has been chopping my money; why? What have I done to them? Is it wrong for me to believe their words?‘, Kelly informed in an interview.
Kelly weighed in on Tuface’s deal with Kennis Music: ‘Kennis are businessmen who just want to make money. They were only managing him [Tuface] and trying to make things happen. Kennis has never sourced for event for him; never. And again, most of those who left Kennis did not leave well. Eedris did not leave well, but I hear that he has gone back. Sound Sultan is not happy, Marvellous Benji is equally not happy, and for me, I’ve been trying my best to stay with them, but I can’t just carry on’
what broke the camels back was after he went back to the US where he was based when for six months he didn’t get a cheque from Kennis Music but he was asked to come for the Kennis Music easter Fiesta and he requested for $200,000 to ‘shop for the event‘ and he was asked to write an application which he thought was weird and consequently requested for a termination of his contract which he sent his lawyers to facilitate. “They [kennis music] became angry and in turn sent their lawyer to me.” Kelly informed.
And as regard doing business with Kennis Music, he says: ‘People should do business with them [Kennis Music], but they should be careful. Open your eyes.”
Kenny Ogungbe when contacted would rather have his publicist respond. He informs a statement would be issued in due time.
Kelly Hansome plans to have his new album carry his Maga music imprint.

Conrad Murray - Michael Was Alive at UCLA

We have learned doctors who worked on Michael Jackson at the UCLA Medical Center ran two EKGs on the singer, and at least one doctor who interpreted the results claims there was heart rhythmic activity both times.


Furthermore, sources tell TMZ Dr. Conrad Murray insists he was able to restart Jackson's heart at the singer's home before paramedics arrived and then maintained heart activity in the ambulance.

Dr. Murray's evaluation contradicts paramedics at the scene who wanted to take Jackson to the morgue, not UCLA, because they believed he was dead.

It also contradicts Joe Jackson's lawyer, Brian Oxman, who tells us he believes Jackson was dead even before paramedics arrived at the house. Oxman says the weak pulse detected at UCLA was in reaction to resuscitation efforts.

We're told the criminal case is shaping up as a legal war between medical experts, who will be interpreting medical tests and charts in various ways -- always confusing for a jury.

50 Cent Says He Would Marry Beyonce

50 Cent apparently isn’t done trying to get under Jay-Z’s skin. Always the quote monster, Fif recently told MTV UK who he’d kiss, marry and snub between Beyonce, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
“I would kiss Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Rihanna,” Fif told MTV UK. “I would marry Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Rihanna in Africa. I’d have three wives! And I would avoid wearing condoms and have really big families!”
Fif also took time to give his two cents on Gaga and Bey’s “Telephone” video.
“I think it’s hot [the 'Telephone' video],” he shared. “But there’s a shot in the video in the diner that’s just breasts. And it looks great, but if I shot the same shot in my music video, they would make me edit that immediately.”
“Even if I had someone who was recognizable female talent that was part of the project, they wouldn’t allow that to go,” he continued. “They would think it was you taking advantage of a girl for marketing purposes or whatever.”