Friday, August 29, 2008

Rapper DMX Pleads Guilty

On Wednesday, the rapper DMX has pleaded guilty to attempted marijuana and cocaine possession and was sentenced to time served. He is now awaiting extradition to face more charges in Arizona. He is still in custody while waiting for Arizona authorities to pick him up on drug and animal cruelty charges there.

DMX decided to plead guilty after he was denied bail earlier this week due to an outstanding Arizona warrant. If he hadn’t pleaded guilty, then he would have had to stay in jail in Miami until an October trial date.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Suge Knight Gets Bailed Out of Jail

Marion “Suge” Knight, founder of Death Row Records, was put in jail on Wednesday on assault and drug charges after being accused of beating his girlfriend while brandishing a knife near the Las Vegas Strip. He post $19,000 bail and was scheduled to be released from jail on later in the day on Wednesday with a promise to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on September 26th.

“Suge” Knight was arrested at 6:40 A.M. in the morning after police was at the scene of a minor traffic accident and found Knight hitting a woman in a parking lot off of a busy thoroughfare. He was on top of her and in the act of violently beating her when police arrived. An officer drew a Taser stun gun as they approached him and he dropped the folding knife that he had. The woman was not stabbed but she was treated at a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. Knight was arrested and booked into the Clark County jail on felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor charges of possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription, and domestic violence. He had Ecstasy and hydrocodone in his possession when he was arrested. It is not certain whether he or the woman had used drugs or alcohol before the arrest.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Rapper Snoop Dogg Has Visa Assessed by Australia

The immigration department has said that it is conduction a character assessment of the rapper Snoop Dogg, which would include his criminal history, in considering whether he will he will be granted a visa to go to Australia for a concert that is scheduled for later this year. Snoop Dogg applied for a visa in July and the immigration department did a preliminary assessment. The department has decided to do a full character assessment of him. The concert is scheduled for October.

Snoop Dogg has already visited Australia three times in the past in 1998, 2006, and 2007 without any incidents happening, even though he overstayed his visit by two days on his last visit. He withdrew his application for a visa to Australia last year after he didn’t pass the character requirements when he pleaded no contest to gun and drug charges in the United States.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Dr. Dre’s Son Found Dead

The rapper Dr. Dre’s 20 year old son was found dead on Saturday morning by his mother at their home in Woodland Hills. It is reported that he was out partying the night before until 5:30 AM in the morning and his mother found him deceased around 10 AM. An autopsy was performed on Monday, but the cause of his death won’t be known for another eight weeks while toxicology tests are done. Police do not expect any foul play as to the cause of death.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Cop Pulls Gun on Rapper Puff Daddy

At about 3:00 AM in the morning, Puff Daddy, also known as Diddy and Sean “Puffy” Combs, was being driven by an entourage on the Sunset Strip. One of the cars didn't have proper tags and deputies from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department pulled the vehicle over. The other three cars in the entourage pulled over also. It is the policy of the Sheriff Department to call for backup when other cars linger around during a traffic stop.

Backup was called and the driver of the second car had to be detained for being uncooperative with the police. At that time, Diddy and the other five or six members left of the entourage got out of their cars and started walking towards the detained member of their group. One deputy drew his weapon not knowing what they were going to do and not knowing that Diddy was part of the group. Eventually things ended well and the detained man was let go. The vehicle that was pulled over wasn't ticketed because it was a rental car.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Rapper Da Brat Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

The rapper Da Brat was sentenced on Friday to three years in prison for hitting a hostess in the head with a bottle of rum during an altercation at an Atlanta nightclub last fall. She pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in DeKalb County. She was also sentenced to serve seven years on probation and 200 hours of community service and have substance abuse treatment, mental evaluation, and anger management classes.

The altercation started at a private Halloween party at Studio 72 last fall when Da Brat got into an argument with the hostess named Shayla Stevens, who was also an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, after the two bumped into each other. Stevens walked away after the argument and soon after was hit in the face with the rum bottle. She had gotten a deep cut in her cheek, some swelling on her forehead, and a permanent scar on her face.

Singer Gwen Stefani Gives Birth to Baby

The singer Gwen Stefani has given birth to a baby boy on Thursday. He was named Zuma Nesta Rock and weighed 8 pounds and 5 ounces at birth. This is the second child for Stefani. She and her husband, rock star Gavin Rossdale, already have a little boy named Kingston. Rossdale also has a teenage daughter with designer Pearl Lowe.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Singer Ricky Martin Becomes Father

The singer Ricky Martin has become the father of twin boys through a surrogate mother. The babies were born a few weeks ago and are already under Martin's full-time care. Recently, the multiplatinum Latin singer has been actively participating in charities, including one that supports the prevention of sexual exploitation of children.

Actor Matt Damon's Wife Gives Birth to New Baby

The Actor Matt Damon's wife Luciana gave birth to a baby girl on Wednesday. The baby was named Gia Zavala Damon. The couple married in December of 2005 in New York and have a daughter named Isabella that was born in June of 2006. Luciana also has a daughter named Alexa from a previous marriage.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Rapper DMX Arrested After Not Showing Up in Court

The rapper DMX has been arrested in Miami on a warrant for not attending a Phoenix, Arizona court hearing. His lawyer says that he checked into a Miami hospital on the day that he was suppose to go court in Phoenix and was planning on entering a rehab facility afterwards. A judge in Phoenix issued the warrant on Tuesday after he didn’t appear for a pretrial conference on his four counts on possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of possession of marijuana.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Officials Report What Singer Isaac Hayes Died From

Officials with the sheriff department say that the singer Isaac Hayes died from a stroke. Hayes died after being found unconscious on the floor beside a treadmill that was still switched on at his Memphis, TN home on Sunday. There wasn’t an autopsy performed but paperwork that was filed by Hayes’ family physician lists the cause of death as a stroke. The physician told investigators that he had been treating Hayes for high blood pressure. A memorial service will he held on Monday at Hope Presbyterian Church in Cordova from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Rapper Yung Berg Arrested for Weapons and Drugs

The rapper Yung Berg was arrested on Saturday morning in New York City after police went to investigate a complaint that was made by a limo driver about a dispute with five passengers. After police investigated the complaint, they busted Yung Berg and some of his friends on many charges. Yung Berg was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of marijuana, and menacing.

Singer Isaac Hayes Dies

The singer Isaac Hayes died on Sunday afternoon after collapsing near a treadmill in his home. He was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. His wife, son, and wife’s cousin had returned home from the grocery store when they found him collapsed in a downstairs bedroom. A sheriff’s deputy gave him CPR until paramedics arrived on the scene.

Read More on this Story: http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20080811/D92FSI9O0.html

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Actor Morgan Freeman Discharged from Hospital

The actor Morgan Freeman was discharged from a hospital in Tennessee on Thursday after being treated for a broken arm, broken elbow, and other injuries that he had gotten in a car accident in Mississippi last weekend. He and his wife of 24 years are also divorcing and the two have been separated since December, but no divorce papers have been filed yet.

Comedian and Actor Bernie Mac Dies

The well known comedian and actor Bernie Mac has died on Saturday at the age of 50 from complications due to pneumonia at a Chicago area hospital. He has suffered from sarccoidosis, which is an inflammatory lung disease that produces small lumps of cells in the body's organs, but the disease went into remission in 2005. He recently had to be hospitalized for pneumonia but it was not related to the sarcoidosis.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Actor Health Ledger’s Drug Inquiry Dropped

Federal prosecutors have chosen not to open a criminal case into how the late actor Heath Ledger was able to get the painkillers that contributed to his death earlier this year. Lately, prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan had been overseeing a Drug Enforcement Administration probe into whether the painkillers found in Ledger’s body were obtained illegally. Prosecutors decided not to open a case because they don’t believe that there is anybody to make responsible for his death. The actress Mary-Kate Olsen was Ledger’s close friend and played a part in this decision because she demanded immunity before answering questions about his death and drug use. A case can still be opened if there is evidence of a crime.

DEA investigators suspect that the painkillers found in Ledger’s body were obtained with false prescriptions and illegally in other ways. The painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone were found in his system. Ledger had also taken anti-anxiety mediation and sleeping pills that were legally prescribed by doctors in California and Texas.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Judge Orders Wesley Snipes to Reimburse Government

Last week, the U.S. District Court Judge William Terrell Hodges ruled for the actor Wesley Snipes to reimburse the government $217,000 in prosecution costs for his recent tax conviction. Wesley Snipes is objecting to the cost. He was convicted in February of three counts of willfully failing to file his income taxes. He has appealed the convictions and a three year prison sentence.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Actor Morgan Freeman Doing Well After Car Accident

The actor Morgan Freeman is doing well after the recent car accident that he was involved in. He had surgery done to reconnect nerves and repair damage to his left arm and hand. The surgery was done on Monday night and lasted four and a half hours, which included recovery. He is reportedly doing well and has visited with family members this morning. He is looking forward to being released from the hospital as soon as possible.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is still investigating the car accident. The accident happened when Freeman was traveling down a rural Mississippi Delta Highway in Tallahatchie County. His vehicle careened off the highway and flipped before landing upright in a ditch. The rescuers had to use a jaws-of-life machine to free him from the damaged vehicle. He was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center where he was treated for a broken arm, broken elbow, and damage to his shoulder.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Actor Morgan Freeman Injured In Car Accident

The actor Morgan Freeman was injured in a a serious car accident at about 11:30 pm on Sunday night in Mississippi. He was airlifted from the scene of the accident to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Freeman's health condition is currently unknown but state troopers said that he was talking on the scene before being taken to the hospital.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Comedian Bernie Mac Hospitalized With Pneumonia

The comedian Bernie Mac is currently in a hospital in Chicago with pneumonia. He is reportedly responding well to the treatment and should be released from the hospital soon. The pneumonia isn't related to the inflammatory lung disease that he has that has been in remission since 2005.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Sell Baby Pictures for $14 Million

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are giving People magazine and a British tabloid joint rights to publish the first pictures of their newborn twins for $14 million. The money will go to a foundation that was created by Jolie and Pitt that focuses on helping children around the world. The issue featuring the twins, named Marcheline and Knox Leon, is set to hit newsstands on Monday.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Snoop Dogg Tour Bus Pulled Over and Two People Arrested

On Thursday, a tour bus that the rapper Snoop Dogg was riding in was pulled over and two people were arrested on marijuana possession charges. Members of a commercial vehicle inspection team pulled the bus over because it had an expired registration sticker. Troopers searched the bus for drugs after they smelled marijuana and they found two ounces of the drug.

Two men, named Ethan Calhoun and Kevin Barkey, were arrested on drug charges and were taken to Navarro County Jail. They could face fines of up to $2,000 and six months in jail if they are convicted. The bond was set at $1,500 for each of them. Snoop Dogg was not arrested and he was on his way to perform at a concert in Dallas, TX when the bus was pulled over.