THE FRESH PRINCE OF JERUSALEM: Will Smith ends up crashing a kid’s bar mitzvah while touring the city’s Western Wall. *Will Smith’s tour through Jerusalem Thursday included an unscheduled stop at the bar mitzvah of Atir Cohen, a 13-year-old boy who was reportedly in the midst of his Torah reading when the craziness surrounding the nearby actor interrupted the ceremony. "At first I didn't know who it was," Cohen told the Associated Press, adding that his reading was interrupted by shouting girls who had pushed against the barrier separating men from women at the holy site in an attempt to see the celebrity. To make up for the disruption he caused, Smith shook Cohen’s hand and posed for a picture with him. Surrounded by security, Smith continued his tour. He placed a note in the cracks of the Western Wall, keeping with tradition. He and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith also toured an excavated tunnel alongside the wall, and the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified. The couple’s tour leader Shmuel Rabinovitch, chief rabbi of the holy site, says the Smiths took notes and spent several minutes praying during the visit. "He is a very nice man, he was very excited and showed his emotions," Rabinovitch said of Will Smith. ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR D12’S SWIFT: Rapper misses court date to attend funeral for group member Proof. *An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for a member of the rap group D12 after he missed a court date to attend the funeral of his friend and bandmate, Proof. Swift, whose real name is Ondre Moore, was supposed to appear at a hearing on whether he violated terms of his probation stemming from a drunken driving arrest. Since pleading guilty to the charge in October 2005, Moore has twice tested positive for drugs and alcohol and has spent several days in jail. Judge Brian MacKenzie waited until 4:15 p.m. for Swift to show up before issuing a bench warrant for his arrest. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old rapper was among the thousands of mourners at Fellowship Chapel Wednesday to bid a final farewell to Proof, who was shot to death April 11 at an after-hours club in Detroit. Swift, along with other D12 members and rapper Eminem, also served as an honorary pallbearer. "While I recognize the importance of attending a funeral ... there is a requirement that you make some effort to comply with a court order," the judge said during Wednesday’s hearing. Swift is facing up to 93 days in jail if the judge determines he violated his probation. JERKINS COMPLETES KATRINA BENEFIT CD: All-star single borrows ‘We Are Family’; heads to radio in June, retail in Aug. *Rodney Jerkins has just completed the final mixes on his all-star Katrina benefit CD, which reunites Sister Sledge and puts them with the likes of Patti Labelle, George Clinton, Ciara and others for an update on their biggest hit, "We Are Family." The single will be released to radio the third week of June and to retail on Aug 29, while a full-length CD, to include music recorded by various artists (to be announced), will be distributed by Universal Music Group worldwide this fall. Proceeds will benefit victims of the Hurricane Katrina disaster through project partners, including "Points Of Light Foundation" (
"My ‘family’ in the music business -- my friends -- are excited to be a part of the ‘We Are Family’ CD and DVD to raise funds and awareness for the displaced families still affected by Hurricane Katrina," says Jerkins in a statement. "I am honored to lend my creative talents to help the volunteers who provide the social and human services needed on a daily basis to help these families make it day-to-day. They are heroes in action."
Also lending vocals to the project are Christina Milian, Chris Brown, Lyfe Jennings, Mary Mary and Ray J.
The benefit single marks the first performance by Sister Sledge in two decades.
EXTREME MAKEOVER – OPRAH EDITION: Santa Barbara renovations detailed; plus, mogul chosen among ‘Time 100’; supports Julia Roberts on Broadway.
*Oprah Winfrey’s 42 acre estate just outside Santa Barbara, Calif.
is reportedly undergoing renovations that total in the millions.
According to TMZ.com, the $50 million Georgian-style 1920's mansion is nicknamed "Oprah’s Hearst Castle" by the crew of workers employed to make improvements inside of the home and on the lush grounds outside.
Among the additions, according to TMZ.com, are the following: a home theater; a custom-built, quarter-of-a-mile driveway made with thousands of handmade Montecito sandstone bricks individually laid by hand; a man-made lake with adjacent ponds filled with rare Oriental fish; and an enormous custom-built closet for Stedman the size of a master bedroom.
*Meanwhile, Time magazine has chosen Winfrey, alongside Jay-Z, Melissa Etheridge, Mel Gibson, the Dalai Lama, Anne Coulter and others, for its annual "Time 100" dinner of movers and shakers, to be held May 8 at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Winfrey, Etheridge and Gibson were chosen as this year’s "Heroes and Icons." Jay-Z was listed under "Builders and Titans." Former Supreme Court Justice O'Connor is in the "Thinkers and Scientists" list. Conservative commentator Anne Coulter is under the "Artists and Entertainers" category.
*On Wednesday night, Winfrey returned to Broadway for the first big play opening since her own production of "The Color Purple" debuted in December. The 52-year-old was supporting her friend Julia Roberts on the opening night of her play, "Three Days of Rain." Winfrey showed up with her best friend Gayle King. Other notables in the audience were Rosie Perez, Tim Robbins and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Despite Roberts' lukewarm reviews –most stating the actress failed to bring her screen charisma to the stage – the show’s 12-week run is almost entirely sold out. The play is a drama about a brother and sister who meet up with a childhood friend for the reading of a will. Roberts plays Nan in the first act and then her mother in the second, which takes place a generation earlier.
COUSIN OF ALLEGED DUKE RAPE VICTIM SPEAKS: Relative tells ‘GMA’ ‘she’s exhausted, emotionally and physically.’
*A cousin of the 27-year-old woman accusing three Duke University lacrosse players of rape appeared on ABC’s "Good Morning America" Thursday morning to talk about her relative’s state of mind in the midst of the scandal.
She’s doing "as well as can be expected," said the accuser’s cousin, who prefers to be called Jackie. "She's exhausted, emotionally and physically, but she's happy that the arrests were made."
As previously reported, lacrosse team members Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann, both sophomores, were charged with first-degree forcible rape, first-degree sexual offense and kidnapping.
The alleged victim says she was attacked on March 13 during a team party, where she was hired as an exotic dancer. Defense attorneys claim they have bank records, cell phone bills, and photographs that prove one of the defendants did not commit the alleged crime.
Jackie, however, says her cousin did not fabricate her story and that it was a "big possibility" that she might have been given a drugged drink at the party. Jackie added that her cousin would never accuse someone of rape just to get a monetary settlement.
"I think she'd rather have her life back than be concerned with money," Jackie said. "They [other people] hear exotic dancer, and they jump to assumptions."
KANYE JUGGLES ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ SCHEDULE: Grammy winner talks about beats for ‘M:i-III’, Common and MiJac projects.
*Kanye West, last seen on MTV’s "Sweet 16" surprising the son of L.A. Reid at his lavish party, is finding it hard to carve out enough time for all of the projects on his plate, including a comeback single for Michael Jackson.
West spoke to MTV.com about his most high-profile gig of late, the theme song for "Mission: Impossible III."
"I didn't have enough time to make it the way I make it," West said about the song, titled "Impossible." The track features West, Twista and the newest signee to Kanye's Good Music imprint, Keyshia Cole.
"If you notice, I don't do as many beats for people because I don't have enough time to make it how I make it," he said. "My beats is a whole new art form now. It's not just a 15-minute joint. It's not that fast-food sh*t. You can tell 'Impossible' took hours."
West said he took a leftover track from Twista’s album to use for "Impossible," which is separate from his reworking of the infamous "Mission: Impossible" theme song.
"It's hard," he said of the latter. "Like some DMX-sounding sh*t. I chopped up the 'bomp, bomp, bomp-bomp,' but I couldn't think of no verse for it, so it's just an instrumental."
West said he’s looking forward to a possible collaboration with the King of Pop, if their busy schedules will ever allow it. The Grammy-winning artist is currently producing Common’s next album, "Finding Forever," which he predicts will win the Grammy for Rap Album of the Year in 2007.
"You will be happy with ‘Finding Forever,’" he said. "We're halfway done. We're going to be dropping in September, and the first single is going to be called 'The Glory.' I'm just excited. I want to scream it from the top of the mountaintop."
STEFFANS RESPONDS TO RELEASE OF OLD PORN FOOTAGE: Author says company’s attempt to capitalize on her fame is ‘despicable.’
*Karrine Steffans, the author who told all about her sexual exploits with celebrities in her best-selling memoir "Confessions of a Video Vixen,"
is firing back at the adult video company she says is taking advantage of her sudden increased notoriety.
Nearly two weeks after discussing her book on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Vivid Entertainment is releasing a new film that features clips of Steffans during a porn shoot several years ago.
"The company exploiting me by releasing this video is using footage that is more than six years old," Steffans says in a statement released to AOL Black Voices. "More so, the footage has been circulating online for free for more than two years. For this company to attempt to capitalize off of my recent appearance on 'Oprah' by repackaging this footage is both dishonest and despicable."
The video, "Superhead," gets its title from Steffans’ nickname during her more sexually adventurous days. She appears in the film with adult movie star Mr. Marcus, who approached the author after the release of "Confessions" and asked if she’d like to help plug his repackaging of the video.
When she declined, Steffans says he began bootlegging the video on his Web site, according to AOL Black Voice’s Karu Daniels. Her lawyers stepped in to successfully stop the selling of the video. In retaliation, she alleges, Mr. Marcus struck a deal to re-release the footage.
"I would like this unfortunate incident to stand as proof that decisions made when young, in despair and under the influence of drugs and alcohol can and most likely will come back to haunt you," she says. "I have worked extremely hard to rectify my wrongs and redeem each negative deed of my past. Despite much scrutiny and backlash, I’ve allowed my pitfalls in life to be public in an effort to deter those who seek the lifestyle I once lived from facing the same troubles."
MUSIC BITS: Bubba overseas and on ‘Call’; Prince’s ‘3121’ aids Vivendi; Keke Palmer signs with Atlantic.
*Bubba Sparxxx and Master P. will support American troops stationed abroad as part of the latest USO tour. Sparxxx will promote his new album "The Charm" on May 11 at Kaiserslautern, Germany's Rhine Ordnance Barracks, while Master P will appear with country singer Lee Ann Womack on June 14 at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. The shows are part of a group of scheduled concerts featuring American artists, according to Stars and Stripes' European edition. The series kicks off May 3 with a performance from 70s rock/funk band War at Sullivan Barracks in Mannheim, Germany to welcome home the 5th Signal Command. Meanwhile, Sparxxx and the Ying Yang Twins will perform their current single "Ms. New Booty" Wednesday (April 26) on NBC’s "Last Call with Carson Daly."
*The company Vivendi, which owns the world's biggest record company, Universal Music Group, is crediting Prince with contributing to its strong first-quarter sales performance, which rose 5.7 percent from last year. The French conglomerate generated revenues of $5.88 billion in the first three months of 2006, reports Reuters. The No. 1 debut of Prince’s "3121" was cited as a plus, along with the successful debut release of Ne-Yo’s LP "In My Own Words," which replaced Prince at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. Vivendi says its online role-playing game World of Warcraft was also a big seller during the first quarter of 2006.
*Keke Palmer, the 12-year-old actress starring in the new drama "Akeelah and the Bee," has signed a deal with Atlantic Records and is currently working on her first album, reports AOL’s Black Voices. She got her feet wet on the "Akeelah" soundtrack via "All My Girlz," a song written by her sister Loreal Palmer. The Chicago native just shot the video for the single. Due in theaters next Friday, "Akeelah and the Bee" stars Palmer as an inner city girl who competes in the National Spelling Bee.
FILM/TV BITS: Fishburne’s ‘Prey’; PGA honors Berry; Stacie J’s bling; Pitt’s N.O. project; Clarke’s ‘Bootleggers’; NAMIC awards.
*Laurence Fishburne has been cast in the upcoming psychological thriller, "Prey," reports Variety. The story follows a man who sets out on a solo hunting expedition in the middle of winter and severely injures his leg. He is rescued by a mysterious trapper with secretly sinister intentions. Sobini Films is producing the project, which is due to start filming in the fall. Fishburne will next be seen in Lionsgate’s "Akeelah and the Bee," due in theaters next weekend.
*Halle Berry is among the honorees chosen by the Producers Guild of America for its Celebration of Diversity gala, to be held May 9 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Other honorees include Los Lobos; Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, who will receive the President's Citation; TV producer Charles Floyd Johnson ("NCIS," "Magnum, P.I."); "American Idol"; and prima ballerina Maria Tallchief. "Our industry would be incalculably poorer without the contributions of these honorees, and it's important that our industry stand up to support and celebrate their achievements," said PGA executive director Vance Van Petten. Proceeds from the Celebration of Diversity will fund five PGA Diversity Scholarships.
*"The Apprentice: Season 3" star Stacie J. is launching her own line of jewelry and accessories to be carried in 200 Icing by Claire’s stores beginning next month, reports AOL Black Voices. The "Stacie J" line will feature rings, belly chains, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, sunglasses, handbags and belts. "I wanted something that reflected my style," said Stacie. "I love accessories. A wardrobe isn’t complete without them." Prices for the pieces range from $7.50 to $30.
*Brad Pitt is spearheading an effort to build environmentally-friendly structures in areas of New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina. "This competition asks the question, can this catastrophe be turned into opportunity? Can we create for these neighborhoods and its families something even better than they had before? We encourage anyone with an idea to get involved," the actor said Thursday in a statement. The actor, currently in Namibia with Angelina Jolie awaiting the birth of their child, will work on the project with Global Green USA, a national environmental organization. Pitt will lead a jury of architects and local leaders to choose designs by six finalists who will then work with local neighborhoods on more detailed proposals. Designs are to be submitted in June and the finalists will be chosen in July.
*Miami filmmaker Kevin Clarke’s new movie "Bootleggers" unlocks the secrets of bootlegging by reenacting the true story of a hustler who acquires a felony case from bootlegging CDs and DVDs, but ironically has to continue bootlegging to pay for lawyer expenses to avoid serious jail time.
"In Miami, bootlegging has replaced drug selling," Clark says in a statement. "Bootlegging is great for the community, but bad for the industry. The crime rate should be lower now, because bootlegging has given millions of young males with criminal records an alternative source of income." Clark said he was inspired to film "Bootleggers" because his first movie, "2 Sides of Life," was a victim of the illegal practice. On May 2, Miami Films will release "Bootleggers" on DVD. Log on to www.miamifilms.net to view theatrical trailer, cast clips and outtakes.
*A record number of cable networks were victorious at the 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards held Tuesday. Presented by NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications), the black-tie gala was hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley in Beverly Hills, CA. HBO’s original movie, "Lackawanna Blues," written by actor-writer-producer Ruben Santiago-Hudson, won for Best Drama, while Best Dramatic Performance honors went to Irene Bedard for her role in the TNT epic, "Into The West." Steve Harvey picked up Best Comedic Performance for his hosting duties at the "2005 BET Comedy Awards," and the Disney Channel’s "That’s So Raven" earned a Best Children’s Show award. Actor Jimmy Smits presented the North Star Award to Santiago-Hudson, recognized for his long-term commitment to advancing the cause of diversity. Motivational speaker, author and media personality, Iyanla Vanzant, presented the Legacy Award to writer-producer, Kyle Bowser, co-founder of the NAMIC Vision Awards. For more information on NAMIC or the NAMIC Vision Awards, log onto www.namic.com.
SPORTS BITS: Woods takes time off; former Viking Williams found guilty; Jackie Robinson Foundation hosts Gala; MTV joins Snoop’s Gaming League.
*Tiger Woods announced Thursday that he’s taking a break form the PGA Tour to be with his father, Earl, who suffers from cancer. While in New Zealand attending the wedding of his caddie Steve Williams, Woods said he may not play in another tournament until the U.S. Open in June. "It's kind of up in the air with the situation back home, so I don't know what's going to happen," said Woods. "I'm taking time off. I'm here for this event and for Steve, and to enjoy time off and be with my father, so I won't play for a while."
*Former Minnesota Vikings running back Moe Williams was found guilty of disorderly conduct Thursday on a charge stemming from the infamous boat-party sex scandal. A jury found him not guilty of two other misdemeanors, indecent conduct and lewd or lascivious behavior. He was fined $300 and sentenced to do 30 hours of community service working with women or children. The athlete was accused of fondling the breasts of a dancer during the cruise on Lake Minnetonka that also included several other Vikings players. After the verdict was read, Williams told the judge, "I never intended to do anything that would basically make anybody feel uncomfortable."
*The Jackie Robinson Foundation will host its second annual Celebrating Excellence Gala at The Beverly Hilton on Thursday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. The event is being co-chaired by acclaimed actress Jasmine Guy and NASDAQ executive John Vitale. The evening will pay tribute to Don Newcombe and Suzanne de Passe, whose commitment to improving the human condition mirror the spirit of Jackie Robinson, while raising funds for The Jackie Robinson Foundation's Education and Leadership Development Program. Brian McKnight will perform during the event, which also serves as the kick-off for the second round of the Foundation's Stars Pitch for Education auction live at http://www.ebay.com/jackierobinsonfrom May 8 to May 28. Prizes include separate Spike Lee and Sean "Diddy" Combs signed replica Mitchell & Ness Jackie Robinson jerseys and a stunning museum quality ring from Bvlgari. Tickets to the Celebrating Excellence Gala are available for $500, with table prices ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. To purchase a ticket or a table, please contact Blue Room Events at (310) 491-1401 or email amy@blueroomevents.com. For additional information on The Jackie Robinson Foundation, its programs and events, please visit http://www.jackierobinson.org
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EUR FEEDBACK (MYfeedback@eurweb.com)
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"Master P (04-20-06 EUR) is an idiot! I think his desperate attempt for attention is getting a little bit overwhelming and old. First, 'Dancing with the Stars' and now this.
What kind of parent encourages his son to fight another person?? And on Pay-per-view at that! He must really need some money! Second, WHEN did Romeo come from the streets?? As far as I know, by the time he was born and could remember anything, Master P had made his mark with No Limit Records and moved his family OUT OF the hood. He needs to stop promoting that BS!
Bow Wow has sold millions of records and is a platinum recording artist whereas Romeo has yet to even go GOLD. There is really no comparison. I heard about the comment Bow Wow made towards Will Smith, but I didn't hear about those other comments and I thought he and Omarion were friends(??). I know he had a problem with Mario.
Well anyway ... Master P needs to grow up and stay out of his son's beefs. Why is he doing a interview talking about a beef between two little boys? He needs to get himself together and worry about his own affairs, because it looks like No Limit has REACHED its LIMIT.
*Love Linda Fay, Mountain House,
Dear Nnegest (04-20-06 EUR): In support of your movie 'Phat Girlz,' I want to say that I attended last week and to my surprise there were 5 people in the theater and yes I was shocked and at the same time disappointed for the lack of support. By the way all the rest of audience was Caucasian.
I want you to know that I embraced the movie whole heartedly. I loved it, Black love as it is. I applaud all of the actors. I applaud the moral of the story. What it did for me is give me hope that our cultural of people really, really, care but society begs to differ. I am a voluptuous women in every sense of the word and I did not go to see the movie because I am voluptuous; I went to see the movie because in my heart I knew it was going to be a great love story. And guess what, it is.
I laughed, I cried and I love me even more when I get up in the morning. I see beauty and love all around me. And I believe in my heart that there are so many men who dig women like me and sincerely, I truly believe that.
I have a brother who's is deadbeat gorgeous, but his preference is large women. He tells me they are really true to themselves. I encourage every one of every race to go see the movie. Keep doing what you're doing it was a great storyline. And please let it not get you down. I claim you to be prosperous with this movie and may God Bless."