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TATYANA ALI SUES OVER WEB SERIES
June
TMZ.com is reporting that actress Tatyana Ali and her sister Anastasia are suing a company over using their $45,000 investment money to start a Web series, then bailing on the project. Ali, who played Ashley Banks on the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," filed suit in L.A. County Superior Court claiming she and her sister were promised partial rights to the pilot and screenplay for "Buppies," but were left completely empty handed when the company abandoned the project, taking the $45,000 with them. The siblings are suing for the return of their money, plus other damages, according to TMZ.
ADAM JAMAL CRAIG JOINS 'NCIS: LOS ANGELES'
June
Up and coming actor Adam Jamal Craig will join LL Cool J in CBS's "NCIS" spinoff "NCIS: Los Angeles," according to the Hollywood Reporter. LL and Chris O'Donnell star as agents in the new series set at the Office of Special Projects, a division of NCIS that's charged with apprehending dangerous criminals. Craig will play new young agent, Dominic Vaile. The actor drew the attention of the CBS casting executives this past pilot season with his performance on another CBS/CBS Studios drama pilot, "Washington Field." After the pilot didn't go, they recommended Craig to "NCIS: L.A." creator and "NCIS" showrunner Shane Brennan.
KIMORA, DJIMON HAVE A SON
June
Followers of Kimora Simmons on Twitter found out around 10 p.m. Saturday that she gave birth to a baby boy with actor-boyfriend Djimon Hounsou. Way before the baby's arrival, Simmons started tweeting around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, alerting followers that she had just arrived at the hospital. "It's time !! No turning back! At hospital in labor right now!!" said a 1:10 a.m. message. It was followed up at 2:42 a.m. with a picture of her in the hospital bed. Several minutes later, she told her tweeps, "Having contractions now! Ooo- wee! It's like WHOA!" Then around 10 p.m., the 34-year-old announced, "It's a boy! Thanks to everyone out there for all your well wishes! More to come. Thank God. And God Bless! Kimora + Djimon. The new addition joins Ming Lee, 9, and Aoki Lee, 6, Kimora's daughters with Russell Simmons. The newborn is the first child for Hounsou, 45.
WILL SMITH MOST BANKABLE ACTOR
May
Will Smith tops the 2009 Actors Hot List of most bankable actors, as revealed by entertainment database company The Ulmer Scale. Only two actors - Smith and Johnny Depp - managed to climb onto The Ulmer Scale's "A+ list," scoring 96 and 95 points, respectively, out of a possible 100 in studio high-budget movies. Former No. 1 star Tom Cruise saw his ranking plummet to 11th place with 80 points, down 18 points from his 2007 tally. Rounding out the top 10: Brad Pitt 88, Tom Hanks 87, George Clooney 86, Will Ferrell 85, Reese Witherspoon 85, Nicolas Cage 84, Leonardo DiCaprio 81 and Russell Crowe 81.
FEUDING MLK KIDS THREATEN BIOPIC
May
DreamWorks' recently-announced plan to film a Martin Luther King Jr. biopic may be stalled if the civil rights icon's children can't work out their differences. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III are threatening legal action against their brother Dexter, the overseer of their father's estate, for signing off on the DreamWorks deal without their involvement in the negotiations. The studio said Wednesday it still wants to make a movie about Martin Luther King Jr. "provided that there is unity" among his kids. "The purpose of making a movie about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to tell a great story which could bridge distances and bring people together," read the statement provided to The Associated Press by DreamWorks spokesman Chip Sullivan. "We remain committed to pursuing a film chronicling Martin Luther King's life provided that there is unity in the family so we can make a film about unity in our nation. We believe this is what Dr. King would have wanted."
ONE TREE HILL' STAR IN FAKE ID SCAM
April
Antwon Tanner, star of the CW's "One Tree Hill," has pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court to participating in a Social Security scam, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. The actor was caught in a sting operation and charged with selling 16 Social Security numbers and three counterfeit cards to a middleman between December 2005 and last July, reports E! Online. The U.S. Attorney’s office says Tanner “knowingly and intentionally” transferred Social Security cards last year “with intent to defraud.” The actor turned himself in to federal prosecutors on Thursday (April 16) and entered his plea in Brooklyn Federal Court. He was released after posting $250,000 bail and faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The 34-year-old California native allegedly supplied the fake social security numbers and cards to an unidentified contact who in turn sold them to an undercover agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). According to a two-count indictment, Tanner used made-up Social Security numbers as well as those swiped from the living and the dead, and he passed them along without ever having a face-to-face meeting with the dealer. All the cards were allegedly sent through the mail. The feds say Tanner earned thousands of dollars over a two-and-a-half-year period.
ALLEGED TYRA STALKER BEGINS TRIAL
April
The 39-year-old man charged with stalking former supermodel Tyra Banks has started his trial, with prosecutors claiming he terrified the talk show host by sending her packages and making threats against her assistant. In March of 2008, police arrested Brady Green after he appeared twice at the Manhattan studio where Banks films her daytime talk show. Green repeatedly contacted "The Tyra Banks Show," sent the host flowers with the note "When I see you, I love you," and threatened to slit the throat of her assistant, causing Banks to "fear for her physical health and safety," prosecutor Shawn McMahon said in opening arguments in New York State Supreme Court. "His actions made him a stalker -- not a fan, but a stalker," McMahon said. But Green's defense attorney, Sydney O'Hagen, argued that her client was "an inspired fan, not a deranged fan, not a stalker," adding that he only wanted to attend a taping of the show and perhaps meet Banks. O'Hagen also argued that Banks courted admirers by giving them multiple ways of reaching out to her and cultivating an image of approachability. "She invites fans who are inspired by her shows to reach out to her," O'Hagen said. "She repeatedly presented herself as someone her fans can relate to." Green has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor stalking and harassment charges. He faces a maximum of 90 days in jail if convicted in the trial, which resumes in Manhattan on April 27. Banks, who also hosts "America's Next Top Model," is expected to be called as a witness.
"THIS IS THE LIFE" AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY
March
by Samantha Ofole-Prince
“This Is the Life” doesn’t require you to know anything about poetry, the early 1990s, freestyling or hip-hop music for it supplies a lot of information about that period and genre. A riveting documentary which explores the story of 50 young African-American artists who, in 1989, resisted immense peer pressure to become "gangster rappers," it blends rare archival footage and in-depth interviews with fans, followers and fellow emcees. Winner of the Audience Awards in Los Angeles, Toronto and Seattle, it chronicles the hip-hop scene that flourished in Los Angeles and features alternative hip hop’s biggest stars such as Cut Chemist, Abstract Rude and Medusa. A lively, absorbing and often deeply moving account of the underground urban music which began as a weekly gathering at a small health food store in South Central LA, this feature length documentary showcases an unusual family of artists whose mission was to cultivate a progressive and artistic community. Directed and produced by Ava Duvernay “This Is the Life” lays out a fascinating story of those who had a lasting impact on the hip-hop genre that remains today and is currently out on DVD.
MARIO VAN PEEBLES SUED OVER CONDO
March
A woman is suing Mario Van Peebles claiming the condo that she sold him for $1.375 million came with a faulty floor that was not disclosed during the sale. According to TMZ.com, Adel Bebaway filed suit in L.A. County Superior Court alleging the actor and his realtor lied about the Playa del Rey beach property having a sloping floor when she was purchasing the home in 2007. In the suit, Bebaway also claims the actor/director failed to mention that the bathroom has significant mold. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
TYRESE TO PAY ESTRANGED WIFE
March
A judge has ordered Tyrese Gibson to pay $65,000 to his estranged wife of 10 months Norma Gibson, reports TMZ.com. The singer-actor will also have to pay $6,230 per month in child support for their daughter Shayla, pay Norma's monthly rent of $2,730 and make her $800 car payments. Norma, who had accused Tyrese of being an absentee dad, is reportedly contesting their prenup, TMZ reported.
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