NBA coach Walton sued for sexual assault of woman reporter: report

LOS ANGELES - NBA head coach Luke Walton is being sued by a woman who alleges he forced himself on her at a Santa Monica, California hotel, according to US media reports Monday.

Celebrity news outlet TMZ reported Walton had invited the woman, a sports reporter, to meet him at his hotel to discuss a book she was writing.

Citing court documents, it said the woman alleged Walton, with whom she had a previous business relationship, convinced her to go to his room and forced himself on her.

There, according to the lawsuit, he allegedly pinned her to the bed, kissed and groped her while she resisted, TMZ said.

It added the lawsuit says he eventually stopped and let her go but, as she walked away, grabbed her from behind and pulled her close -- before eventually allowing her to leave.

TMZ reported the incident took place before Walton became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now coach of the Sacramento Kings, Walton was let go by the Lakers last week after coaching them for several seasons.

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NBA: Durant fined $25k for harsh words to heckler

NEW YORK - Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for an obscenity-laced response to a heckler during a loss Saturday at Dallas.

The violation, technically, for directing inappropriate language toward a fan, took place with 61 seconds remaining in the first quarter of the Mavericks' 112-109 victory over the reigning NBA champions.

A cell phone video of the confrontation obtained by TMZ Sports showed Durant walking to the spectator's courtside seat behind a basket and say: "Watch the ... game and shut the ... up."

The move came after Durant had been taunted with the word "cupcake" from the start of the contest.

The term has been thrown at Durant as an insult since he departed Oklahoma City for Golden State in 2016 and an ex-Thunder teammate posted on social media a photo of cupcakes.

Durant won his first two NBA titles with the Warriors in the past two seasons, combining with fellow stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to form a powerful lineup.

But the Warriors have struggled so far this season, losing three games in a row to fall to 12-6, out of the Western Conference lead behind Memphis, Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Markle's father says heart procedure puts him out of British royal wedding

He was due to walk his daughter down the aisle
Has had heart problems
"Deeply personal moment for Ms Markle" -Palace 

LONDON - The father of American actress Meghan Markle said on Tuesday he could not attend his daughter's wedding to Britain's Prince Harry on Saturday because he needed a heart procedure.

Thomas Markle, who lives in Mexico, was quoted as telling Los Angeles-based celebrity website TMZ.com that he was scheduled to undergo a heart repair and blockage clearance procedure early on Wednesday morning.

Markle, 73, was due to walk his daughter down the aisle in front of 600 guests including all the senior British royals and a smattering of celebrities. Markle threw the wedding plans into confusion earlier this week when he said he would not attend the May 19 nuptials because he did not want to embarrass his daughter or the royal family after reports he had staged pictures with a paparazzi photographer for a fee. He also said he had been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack a week ago.

Harry, 33, Queen Elizabeth's grandson and the sixth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, will marry on Saturday at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

On Tuesday, Markle told TMZ that he hated "the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle."

But he later said doctors had scheduled surgery on Wednesday morning. "They (doctors) will go in and clear blockage, repair damage and put a stent where it is needed," Markle told the website.

Kensington Palace, Harry's office, could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.

But in a statement issued on Monday it said called Thomas Markle's comments "a deeply personal moment for Ms Markle."

"She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr Markle in this difficult situation," Kensington Palace said.

The bride-to-be's parents are divorced and while Harry has been pictured with her mother Doria Ragland, 61, there had been speculation about how Thomas Markle, a former lighting director for TV soaps and sitcoms, would feature.

However, Harry's communications secretary told reporters last week he would have an important role and would give away his daughter on the couple's big day. He had also been expected to meet the queen, her husband and the other senior members of the Windsor family this week.

Thousands of journalists from across the world are descending on the genteel town of Windsor for the wedding, and Thomas Markle told TMZ earlier this week that the media attention had taken its toll. He said he had been offered up to $100,000 for interviews and been ambushed by paparazzi whose snaps had shown him buying beer and looking dishevelled.

TMZ said he had agreed to the staged pictures, which showed him looking at images of the couple on a computer and being sized up for a suit, because he hoped they would improve his image.

Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William have both made clear in the past their dislike of the press, fuelled by the death of their mother Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997 as her limousine sped away from chasing paparazzi.

Kensington Palace has limited press access to the ceremony itself and strictly controlled the release of details about the wedding to the media.

If her father does not come, British newspapers suggested that Markle's mother, with whom she is spending the night before the ceremony at a nearby luxury hotel, would walk her daughter down the aisle. 

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Cardi B, fast-rising woman of rap, reveals pregnancy

NEW YORK - A day after releasing one of the most eagerly awaited rap debut albums in recent years, rapper Cardi B made another splash -- revealing she is pregnant.

The fast-rising 25-year-old star showed off an unambiguous baby bump as she appeared on weekly comedy show "Saturday Night Live," becoming a top trending item on social media.

In a teasing confirmation to persistent pregnancy rumors, Cardi B took the stage twice on "Saturday Night Live," first concealing her body with a fulsome feather boa as she performed her breakout single "Bodak Yellow."

When she returned to rap "Be Careful," a track off her debut album "Invasion of Privacy" that came out Friday, Cardi B donned a body-hugging white dress and smiled knowingly as the lights shone on her protruding belly.

Cardi B is engaged to Offset of rap trio Migos, who shortly after his fiancee's television appearance confirmed the pregnancy on Instagram, writing, "We feel so blessed."

Cardi B, a Bronx native whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, has quickly found stardom with her hard-driving rhymes that unsentimentally tell a story of a rough life that included a stint as a stripper.

"Bodak Yellow," released less than a year ago, made her one of the most watched names in rap -- a genre dominated by men and, often, by machismo.

She raked in top prizes including single of the year at last year's BET Hip Hop Awards, leading to high anticipation for her debut album -- and she is not letting the pregnancy slow her down. 

The rapper is due to perform next weekend at Coachella, the premier US music festival -- whose top headliner Beyonce pushed back her appearance by one year as she gave birth to twins in 2017.

The gossip site TMZ earlier reported that Cardi B is due to give birth in early July.

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US rapper Nelly arrested over tour-bus rape allegations

LOS ANGELES - Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly was arrested Saturday after a woman accused him of raping her in his tour bus, police in the northwestern state of Washington said.

Just before 4:00 am local time (1100 GMT) a woman called the emergency 911 line "to report that she was sexually assaulted by a male, who is known as the rapper 'Nelly,'" police in Auburn, Washington said.


After police investigated the incident, "at 4:37 AM Nelly was taken into custody and booked" at the local jail, the police statement read.

The alleged assault reportedly took place on the tour bus hours after Nelly had performed at the White River Amphitheater just east of Auburn.

A lawyer for Nelly vehemently denied the charges.

Nelly -- born Cornell Haynes Jr. -- "is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation," his attorney Scott Rosenblum told AFP in a statement.

"Our initial investigation clearly establishes this allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness.

"I am confident, once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges," he added.

According to TMZ, Nelly, whose schedule has him performing Saturday evening with country duo Florida Georgia Line in the city of Ridgefield, a two-hour drive to the south of Auburn, was booked on a charge of second-degree rape.

The 42-year-old has received 12 Grammy nominations and won three Grammy awards, including for best rap solo performance in 2003.

A native of Austin, Texas, he grew up in St Louis, Missouri. His first three albums, released between 2000 and 2004, were all US number ones.

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Khloe Kardashian reported to be pregnant with first child

LOS ANGELES - Reality star Khloe Kardashian, the younger sister of Kim Kardashian, is pregnant, multiple publications reported on Tuesday, days after Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the celebrity family, was reported to be expecting her first child.

Celebrity news publications TMZ.com, Us Weekly and People Magazine, all citing unnamed sources, said Khloe Kardashian, 33, who is dating Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Tristan Thompson, is three months pregnant with her first child.

A representative for Kardashian did not respond to requests for comment.

Kardashian made no mention of her reported pregnancy on social media on Tuesday. Her most recent Instagram post was a photograph of herself baring her flat midriff three days ago. Thompson also did not mention the news on his social media platforms.

The news comes just days after 20-year-old social media star Kylie Jenner was reported to be expecting a baby with her boyfriend of six months, rapper Travis Scott. She and her family have yet to confirm the pregnancy.

Kim Kardashian and her husband, rapper Kanye West, are also reported to be expecting their third child via a surrogate, due to be born next year, People Magazine reported earlier this month.

The pregnancy announcements coincide with the 10th anniversary of E! Network’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” show, which propelled the Kardashian and Jenner clan into the zeitgeist and made them one of America’s most successful reality franchises.

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Social media star Kylie Jenner reported pregnant

LOS ANGELES - Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the celebrity Kardashian family, was reported on Friday to be pregnant.

Celebrity news website TMZ, People magazine and Buzzfeed all quoted sources as saying that Jenner, 20, the half-sister of Kim Kardashian, is expecting a baby with her boyfriend, the rapper Travis Scott.

Jenner's representatives could not be reached for comment.

Jenner, who has parlayed her family's reality TV show and a 97 million Instagram following into a lucrative cosmetics line, later posted a Snapchat photo in which she appeared to have a baby bump under an oversized black T-shirt.

People magazine, quoting unidentified sources, said the baby was due in February.

"The family has known for quite some time. She is really excited and so is Travis!" the magazine quoted one source as saying.

Another source said to be close to the family told People: "It is an unexpected, but completely amazing turn of events that she could not be more excited or thrilled about."

Jenner and Scott, 25, have been dating since April.

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Bieber says he's 'never going to be perfect' after tour cancellation

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Justin Bieber offered a mea culpa to his fans saying he was "never going to be perfect" but hoped to learn from his mistakes, after a tumultuous week in which he abruptly canceled the rest of his world tour and accidentally hit a photographer with his truck.

The 23-year-old singer, who pulled out of the remaining 14 dates of his "Purpose" world tour on July 24 and injured the photographer after a Beverly Hills church service two days later, said he had let his "broken relationships dictate the way I acted toward people."

"i let bitterness, jealousy and fear run my life.!!!!," the singer said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

"Im VERY aware I'm never gonna be perfect, and I'm gonna keep making mistakes but what I'm not gonna do is let my past dictate my future," he added.

The Canadian pop star said the tour had taught him "so much about myself," in what he called a "very grammatically incorrect but its from the heart" Instagram post.

He did not mention the incident with the photographer, who suffered non-life threatening injuries and thanked Bieber in an Instagram video last week for staying with him until emergency services came after the accident.

After playing more than 150 shows, Bieber pulled out of his tour, citing only "unforeseen circumstances" at the time, which frustrated and worried his fans. It also brought support, including from singer-songwriter John Mayer, who gave Bieber credit for looking after his mental health.

A day after canceling his tour, Bieber told celebrity news outlet TMZ.com that he was looking forward to "just resting and getting some relaxation" after two years on the road.

Since he broke out as a young fresh-faced teen pop singer, Bieber has amassed a devoted fan base of mostly young girls. He has faced an intense public spotlight, including a high-profile on-and-off relationship with singer-actress Selena Gomez that ended in 2012, and several run-ins with the law.

Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Richard Chang

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Actor John Heard, the 'Home Alone' dad, dead at 72

Actor John Heard, best known for playing the father in the hit 90s-era "Home Alone" films, has died, according to US media. He was 72.

Entertainment website TMZ said the actor was found dead in a Palo Alto, California hotel where he was recuperating following back surgery.

Heard's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The veteran actor rose to fame after playing Peter McCallister -- the father of mischievous Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin -- in the family comedy "Home Alone" and its sequel "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."

Born in Washington DC on March 7, 1945, Heard worked in theater prior to transitioning to the silver screen. Though most people knew him as the "Home Alone Dad," Heard also acted in films including "Between the Lines," " Heart Beat," "Cutter's Way" and "Big."

In 1999 he scored an Emmy nomination for playing a corrupt detective on the acclaimed mafia drama series "The Sopranos." His other television appearances included "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Modern Family" and "Entourage."

Actor Jeff Bridges took to Twitter to honor his former co-star: "John Heard- what a wonderful actor. We were in the movie Cutter's Way together & I got to experience his artistry and dedication first hand."

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Linkin Park lead singer dead in apparent suicide: coroner

Chester Bennington, the lead singer of rock band Linkin Park, was found dead on Thursday at his southern California home in an apparent suicide, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said.

Coroner's office spokesman Brian Elias said his office had been notified by law enforcement of the death of Bennington, 41, on Thursday morning. Elias said the death was being handled as an apparent suicide.

Celebrity website TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, said Bennington had hung himself at his Palos Verdes home near Los Angeles.

Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda tweeted "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one."

Bennington had a history of alcohol and drug abuse. He had spoken openly in the past about his struggles to overcome his demons when Linkin Park first found success in 2000 with the album "Hybrid Theory." But in 2011 he said he had been sober for six years.

The band's latest studio album, "One More Light," was released in May, and Linkin Park embarked on a world tour.

Bennington's death came a week before the band was due to kick off the U.S. leg of its tour on July 27 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Bennington, who was twice married and had six children, was a close friend of Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell, who committed suicide in Detroit in May.

Fans noted on Thursday that Bennington had apparently taken his own life on what would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday.

Bennington posted an emotional note on his social media accounts after Cornell's death. "I'm still weeping, with sadness, as well as gratitude for having shared some very special moments with you and your family," he wrote.

Linkin Park's debut album "Hybrid Theory" included hits such as "In the End," "One Step Closer" and "Crawling," which won a Grammy award in 2002 for best hard rock performance. The band experimented with rock, metal and rap, most notably collaborating with Jay-Z in 2004 on the "Collision Course" album. The album, a mash-up of the rapper's hits with Linkin Park songs, included "Numb/Encore," which won a Grammy award in 2006 for best rap/sung collaboration.

The band has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.

Editor's note:

A group in the Philippines is dedicated to addressing those who have suicidal tendencies.

The crisis hotlines of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation aim to make these individuals feel that someone is ready to listen to them.

These are their hotline numbers:

Information and Crisis Intervention Center
(02) 804-HOPE (4673)
0917-558-HOPE (4673) or (632) 211-4550
0917-852-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-6876
0917-842-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-4084

In Touch Crisis Lines:
0917-572-HOPE or (632) 211-1305
(02) 893-7606 (24/7)
(02) 893-7603 (Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm)
Globe (63917) 800.1123 or (632) 506.7314
Sun (63922) 893.8944 or (632) 346.8776

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Kim Kardashian said to have hired surrogate for third baby

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's family may be growing, according to reports on Wednesday that the celebrity couple have hired a surrogate to carry their third child after a doctor advised the reality star against another high-risk pregnancy.

People Magazine and E! News, citing unidentified sources, said the couple had hired a surrogate, and TMZ.com said they had agreed to pay the surrogate more than $113,000 to carry a child.

It was not clear whether the surrogate was already pregnant. Kardashian's representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Kardashian, 36, has two children with rapper West and has spoken openly about her medical struggles during her pregnancies with daughter North, born in 2013, and son Saint, born in 2015, on her E! reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

In a recent episode, Kardashian spoke about considering surrogacy for future children with West.

The reality star has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labors, and the TV show has followed her various surgeries and doctor consultations in a bid to resolve them.

"I think I always knew that surrogacy was an option, but I didn't think it was that realistic of an option, and now I feel like that's my reality," Kardashian said in an April episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

The surrogacy reports come after a difficult year for the couple.

Kardashian was the victim of a robbery in Paris last October, in which millions of dollars' worth of jewelry was stolen from her. That led her to boost security measures and to take a temporary pause from public engagements and prolific social media postings.

Late last year, West canceled a December tour and was hospitalized after an apparent mental health breakdown.

The couple have embraced a more modest social media presence over the past few months, with Kardashian occasionally posting glimpses into their family life.

On Wednesday, the reality star launched her own solo make-up line, which sold out within hours.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bernadette Baum)

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'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher has mid-air heart attack

Hollywood star Carrie Fisher was fighting for her life Friday after suffering a massive heart attack on a flight, emergency workers and witnesses said.

The 60-year-old "Star Wars" actress was flying from London to Los Angeles when she suffered cardiac arrest, and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation by an emergency responder on board.

Fisher collapsed 15 minutes before the plane landed at LAX, according to celebrity news website TMZ, and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center on a ventilator.

TMZ, citing witnesses, said the actress's eyes were closed and she appeared unconscious as she was rushed through the terminal, where paramedics worked for 15 minutes before they could get a pulse.

The Los Angeles Times said her condition was critical, quoting an unnamed source who said the actress was "in a lot of distress on the flight."

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) did not refer to the actress by name but confirmed it had responded to an alert just after midday over "a patient on an inbound flight in cardiac arrest."

"LAFD firefighter paramedics were standing by and provided immediate advanced life support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital," spokesman Erik Scott told AFP.

United Airlines said medical personnel met Flight 935 from London upon arrival after the crew reported that a passenger was unresponsive.

Fisher was catapulted to worldwide stardom as the rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, which has been a cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983.

Steeped in Hollywood excess from an early age, she was the product of the four-year marriage of movie star Debbie Reynolds, best-known for her role in "Singin' In The Rain," and singer Eddie Fisher.

The relationship, and the happy home in Beverly Hills, came to an end when Fisher left Reynolds for her close friend, the actress Elizabeth Taylor.

- Searingly honest -

Fisher's co-stars led tributes as Hollywood reacted with shock to news of her collapse.

"As if 2016 couldn't get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher" tweeted Mark Hamill, who plays her on-screen twin Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" saga.

The American actress has talked and written frequently about her years of drug addiction and mental illness.

Fisher is known for her searingly honest semi-autobiographical novels, including her best-selling debut "Postcards from the Edge" which she turned into a film of the same name in 1990.

She has given various interviews over the years about her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and addiction to prescription drugs and cocaine, which she admitted using on the set of "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980).

She has also discussed being treated with electroconvulsive therapy, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, to trigger brief seizures.

Writer and actress Anna Akana, who said she was on board Fisher's flight, described the mid-air drama in a series of tweets, voicing her "shock and sadness."

"Don't know how else to process this but Carrie Fisher stopped breathing on the flight home. Hope she's gonna be OK," she said.

"So many thanks to the United flight crew who jumped into action, and the awesome doctor and nurse passengers who helped. Feel weird even tweeting about it but I JUST finished her book and was fangirling out over seeing her dog Gary in person."

Fisher's famous "Star Wars" character features as part of the storyline to spin-off "Rogue One," which is currently riding high in box offices around the globe, although the actress is understood not to have been involved in the production.

"The whole world is sending you so much love! Sending you the universe's most powerful Force," tweeted English actress Gwendoline Christie, who played the warrior Brienne of Tarth in HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Captain Phasma in Fisher's most recent "Star Wars" episode, "The Force Awakens."

ft/acb

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Chris Brown arrested after standoff at LA home

LOS ANGELES -- Pop star Chris Brown was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on Tuesday after a daylong standoff and search at his Los Angeles home that began when a woman called 911 in the predawn hours, police said.

Brown, 27, denied any wrongdoing in posts on Instagram before he was taken into custody and said he had woken up to find police outside the property in the Tarzana neighborhood in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

"He is being transported to robbery homicide, where he will be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon," Lieutenant Chris Ramirez of the Los Angeles Police Department told reporters at an impromptu media conference outside Brown's home.

Ramirez declined to elaborate on the charges against Brown, saying an investigation was still under way. Earlier TMZ.com and the Los Angeles Times reported that the singer had pointed a gun at the woman, who later left the property.

Police who responded to the 911 emergency call at around 3 a.m. spent hours surrounding the home before obtaining a search warrant and beginning a search of the sprawling premises in the early afternoon.

During that search, TMZ posted a photo of Brown standing on the front porch with a police officer and his attorney, Mark Geragos. Geragos could not be reached by Reuters for comment.

"I don't sleep half the damn night I just wake up to all these ... helicopters, choppers is around, police out there at the gate," Brown said in a video he posted on Instagram as police were stationed outside his house.

"What I do care about is you are defacing my name and my character and integrity," he added, saying he had done nothing wrong and criticizing police actions.

"I don't care y'all going to stay playing with me like I'm the villain out here, like I'm going crazy ... good luck when you get the warrant or whatever you need to do. You're going to walk right up in here and you're going to see nothing you idiots," he added.

In 2009, Brown assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, and in 2015 finished a lengthy term of probation, community service and domestic violence classes.

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U.S. singer Prince found dead at home: reports

U.S. pop star Prince, 57, was found unresponsive on Thursday at his Minnesota home and was later declared dead, U.S. media reports said.

A local sheriff's office official would not confirm the identity of a dead person found at Prince's property, and Reuters was not able to confirm the report.

Celebrity website TMZ, citing sources close to the star, was first to report Prince's death at the property in Paisley Park, Minnesota. The Associated Press later cited his publicist as confirming the report.

Representatives for the singer did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The local medical examiner declined to comment.

Prince an innovative singer and songwriter whose music combined jazz, funk and disco is best known for hit songs like "Purple Rain," "Kiss" and "Raspberry Beret."

He first found fame in the late 1970s and over the next three decades became known as one of the most inventive and eccentric forces in American pop music.

Prince, an intensely private person, won multiple Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Prince hospitalized after mid-air health scare: reports

LOS ANGELES, United States - Pop icon Prince was treated in hospital on Friday after a bout of flu worsened in mid-air, prompting his private jet to make an unscheduled landing, reports said.

The 57-year-old, one of the most influential but elusive figures in music, had been fighting the flu and had cancelled two shows last week, entertainment news website TMZ and American weekly magazine People reported, both citing a representative.

He insisted on performing in Atlanta on Thursday despite being unwell, and began to deteriorate shortly after boarding a plane, forcing the aircraft to land in Moline, Illinois, in the early hours of the morning, TMZ said.

AFP contacted Prince's publicist, who declined to provide details of the incident.

A few hours after the scare, the artist's official Twitter account posted the enigmatic message "I am #transformed," before linking to favorable reviews of the Atlanta show and tweeting that he was listening to "Controversy," the title track to his 1981 album.

Fans flooded his Instagram page to wish him a speedy recovery.

"I don't know you personally... but I hope you're okay. I have lots of love for you, like if you were part of my family," one fan said.

Prince became an international sensation in the 1980s, when he popularized the Minneapolis sound of danceable funk. His 1984 album "Purple Rain" is often described as one of the greatest of all time.

The artist, who was born as Prince Nelson, continues to live in the outskirts of Minneapolis, where he throws parties and preserves master vaults at his Paisley Park studio.

Best known as a guitarist, singer and dancer, Prince has recently been on a tour in which he performs alone with a piano, after saying he wanted a new artistic challenge.

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Miss Colombia offered $1 million to do porn

MANILA - Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez has been offered up to $1 million to do porn movies for Vivid Entertainment, celebrity gossip website TMZ reported.

In a letter published by the website, Steven Hirsch, founder and co-CEO of Vivid Entertainment Inc., wrote to Gutierrez through the Miss Universe Organization to formally make his pitch for a porn movie.

"I have followed closely the debacle which you unfortunately were part of," Hirsch said in his introduction.

Gutierrez was involved in an announcement mix-up in the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday (Monday, Manila time), where she was mistakenly proclaimed as the winner.

The mix-up caused Gutierrez to be de-crowned in favor of the true winner, Pia Wurtzbach from the Philippines.



Hirsch said he is offering a way for Gutierrez to benefit from her experience financially, as well as increasing her "fame way past that of the new Miss Universe."

Simply, Hirsch wants Gutierrez to do porn with Vivid Entertainment.

"I will pay you up to $1-million to both make movies for and represent Vivid Entertainment," Hirsch wrote to Gutierrez.

On top of that, Gutierrez will be made to choose her own partner in the sex tape.

"You will pick your partners, the type of sex you want to have and how many movies you ultimately appear in," Hirsch added.

Hirsch is also willing to replace the Miss Universe crown Gutierrez lost to Wurtzbach.

"In addition, we will commission the making of the first Vivid Girl crown for you and we believe it will be grander than anything Miss Philippines will ever wear," he said.

Hirsch made his pitch more convincing by citing Vanessa Williams, who, while stripped of her crown due to old nude photos, became extremely famous after the pageant.

"Today Vanessa is an accomplished actress, singer and author,” Hirsch wrote. “She has even admitted that the incident with Penthouse helped rather than hurt her career."

Hirsch promised that his offer will "more than make up for any fame and fortune (Miss Colombia) might get as Miss Universe."

Vivid Entertainment describes itself as a "world leader in adult entertainment." It was the company behind the distribution of sex tapes of celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, Kendra Wilkinson, Pamela Anderson and many others.

 Read Hirsch's letter to Miss Colombia.

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Few signs of improvement for NBA star Odom after collapse

LAS VEGAS - Pro basketball and reality TV star Lamar Odom spent a third day hospitalized on Thursday, reportedly on life support following a series of strokes, after collapsing at a Nevada house of prostitution where authorities said he had been using cocaine.

With family and friends at his bedside and fans praying for his recovery, the estranged husband of Khloe Kardashian was reported to be comatose and in critical condition after he was found unresponsive at the Love Ranch brothel on Tuesday.

Celebrity news outlets TMZ.com and "Entertainment Tonight" reported on Thursday that Odom's kidneys were failing and he has been placed on dialysis. Other outlets have said he had suffered several strokes, was breathing with the assistance of a ventilator and had only a 50-50 chance of recovery.

Brothel staff told authorities Odom had used cocaine and as many as 10 tablets of a sexual performance-enhancing supplement during his four-day stay there, the Nye County Sheriff said.


The 6-foot, 10-inch-tall (2 metre) forward has long been rumored to have struggled with substance abuse, and he was suspended during the 2000-2001 season for violating the National Basketball Association's anti-drug policy.

"Entertainment Tonight" said Odom had briefly fluttered open his eyes on Wednesday night and may have squeezed the hand of Khloe Kardashian's sister, Kim Kardashian, who was among those at the hospital.

The Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, where Odom, 35, was being treated, has declined to comment on his condition, citing patient confidentiality.

Odom's estranged father, Joe Odom, the athlete's two children from a previous relationship, and his ex-girlfriend were also photographed entering the hospital.

Odom split with Kardashian, 31, in 2013 after a whirlwind romance and marriage that was captured on the television show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its spinoff series "Khloe & Lamar."

Although the couple signed divorce papers in July, a Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman said the divorce has yet to be finalized and they remain legally married.

People magazine, citing a source close to the family, said on Thursday that Khloe Kardashian was given the task of making medical decisions about Odom's treatment but was "overwhelmed" by the unexpected responsibility.

"She had been thinking of him as an ex, so to find out that, 'No, you have to do this,' well that's really hard for her," the magazine quoted the source as saying.

Despite Odom's 14 seasons with the NBA, including two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, U.S. media have largely focused this week on his brief membership in the most famous family on reality television.

ESPN sportscaster Scott Van Pelt took issue with the celebrity-skewed coverage, noting Odom's accomplishments as a multiple NBA champion and beloved teammate.

"I understand not everyone watches sports, but 'Kardashian reality star?' His name is Lamar Odom, and we knew it, long before he got married on a TV show we don't watch," Van Pelt said on his "SportsCenter" show on Wednesday.

Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, posted a photo of Odom in his Lakers uniform on her Instagram account, asking fans to "please pray for Lamar #ourfighter."

Currently a free agent, Odom last played for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2012-2013 season and is no longer attached to any NBA team. (Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles and Jill Serjeant in New York; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Andrew Hay, Grant McCool)

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Brothel workers said stricken Odom had been using coke -sheriff

LAS VEGAS - Basketball and reality TV star Lamar Odom was reportedly fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital on Wednesday after he was found unresponsive at a legal brothel, where employees said he used cocaine and a sexual performance-enhancing supplement, a sheriff said.

The 35-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers standout and ex-husband of Khloe Kardashian was stricken on Tuesday at the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada and was taken to the hospital, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office.

The Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, where Odom was taken, declined to comment on Odom's condition on Wednesday, citing patient confidentiality.

But celebrity website TMZ.com cited unidentified sources as saying Odom was in a coma and that some of his organs were failing. Another celebrity news outlet, E! - also citing unnamed sources - reported that Odom had suffered brain damage and at least one stroke, and was on a ventilator after taking multiple
drugs.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said authorities received an emergency call from panicked brothel staff on Tuesday afternoon, saying that a man, identified as Odom, was unconscious, with blood and a white substance coming from his nose and mouth.

"During that call, the reporting parties informed the Nye County Sheriff's Office dispatch the male had been using cocaine," Wehrly said. "They confirmed his usage on Saturday but were unsure if it had continued" after that.

The callers also said Odom had taken as many as 10 tablets of a herbal sexual enhancement supplement, Wehrly said.

Love Ranch owner Dennis Hof said earlier that, during his three-day stay, Odom had been taking large amounts of "herbal Viagra", a non-prescription product which can dramatically lower blood pressure and interact with other medications.

The sheriff's department obtained a search warrant so that it could test Odom's blood, Wehrly said. The sheriff said he could face drug charges if the investigation determines he was using cocaine.

Khloe Kardashian, whose whirlwind romance with Odom was captured in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and its spin-off, "Khloe and Lamar", was at his bedside, TMZ and Us Weekly reported.

The couple split in 2013 after four years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in July, though she has remained close to him.

Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, posted a photo on her Instagram account late Wednesday of Odom in his Lakers uniform, asking fans to "please pray for Lamar #ourfighter".

Khloe's half-sister, model Kendall Jenner, posted a tweet on Wednesday saying "please don't go," that was believed to referto Odom.

"Family and friends are extremely concerned for Lamar," Odom's publicist, Eve Sarkisyan, said in a statement.

His hospitalization was the latest episode in a roller-coaster personal and professional life. It came after a
downturn in a 14-season career with National Basketball Association teams, including the Lakers from 2004-2011.

On top of the pressures faced by a top NBA player, Odom, whose mother died when he was 12, had to deal with being a reality TV star after marrying Kardashian.

The 6-foot, 10-inch-tall (2-metre) athlete had long been reported to have had issues with cocaine abuse, although this had never been publicly confirmed. He has admitted only to using marijuana.

During the 2000-2001 season, Odom was suspended for violating the NBA's antidrug policy. In 2013, he pleaded no contest in Los Angeles to a charge of driving under the influence and was ordered to undergo rehabilitation for alcohol abuse.

Former teammates rallied to his support.

Lakers player Kobe Bryant left following a pre-season game to visit Odom in the hospital. Others took to Twitter.

"I have been praying all morning for my good friend and Laker great, Lamar Odom, that God will bless him to pull through," former Lakers great Earvin "Magic" Johnson, said in a tweet. "What most people don't realize about Lamar Odom is that he's a better person than he is a basketball player."

Odom won two championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. Currently a free agent, he last played for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2012-13 season and is no longer attached to any team.

Prostitution is illegal in most of the United States, but in some parts of Nevada brothels, including Hof's Love Ranch, are legal.

Hof said Odom had arrived on Saturday. "He was polite and reserved, and he told multiple employees that he was there to get some privacy and spend some time relaxing," Hof said.

(Additional by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles, Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif., and Jill Serjeant in New York; Writing by Eric Johnson and Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Bill Trott and Jonathan Oatis)

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Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale to divorce - reports

LOS ANGELES -- Singer Gwen Stefani has filed for divorce from rockstar husband Gavin Rossdale after 13 years of marriage, several news reports said on Monday.

In her divorce petition, Stefani, 45, cited irreconcilable differences and asked for joint custody of the couple's three children, 9-year-old Kingston, 6-year-old Zuma and 1-year-old Apollo, celebrity websites TMZ and People.com said.

Rossdale, 49, filed his response at the same time and also asked for joint custody, TMZ reported.

Neither Stefani nor Rossdale's attorneys immediately responded to emails seeking comment.

The couple has been together for about two decades, meeting when Stefani's band No Doubt toured with Rossdale's band Bush in 1995, People.com reported. They dated for six years before they wed in 2002.

"While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment," the couple told the website in a statement.

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Pacquiao-Floyd ticket costs up to $87K: report

LOS ANGELES -- Tickets for the hotly anticipated Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather showdown are not yet out, but market prices are already generating buzz.

TMZ has reported that an upscale leisure and travel company is selling a few dozen tickets that range from $7,800 for the upper deck to $87,5000 for sixth row ringside.



After a day on the track and 12 rounds of the mitts in the gym, the hefty price tag was enough to give even Pacquiao sticker shock.

"Nahulog ako. Wala pa ako tickets sa family ko," said Pacquiao.

Tickets are expected to be released this week, with prices ranging from $1,500 to $10,000.

One fan, Raul Limbaring, has been to seven Pacquiao fights and has only shelled out a few hundred dollars for them.

"We'll go to Vegas on May 1st, and we'll see. Maybe I'll get a big bargain," said Limbaring, who resides in Orange County. "But I saw seven fights. Those weren't expensive - like, $250, $300, and $600."

The ticket prices are a king's ransom compared to the $50 that Jerome Cortado is paying for tickets to the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. James Kirkland fight in Houston, Texas a week after the Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-fight.

"That's crazy. It's worth it though, but it depends how many average people are going to be there. There's going to be a lot of media and high priced people," said Cortado.

Pacquiao has yet to figure out his family's sitting arrangements for the fight, but his family is sure to watch the NBA game featuring the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Warriors star Stephen Curry sent Pacquiao an autographed jersey last week.

"Thank you, Stephen Curry," said Pacquiao. "I like the guy, I like the way he plays, my kids like him."

"God bless you and your game tomorrow. My kids, they're going to watch. I want to watch, but sorry because I'm training," he added.

When tickets to the Fight of the Century are released, only 1,000 will go on sale to the public.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com