Fans of the TV show Mad Men will have to rely on DVDs of the show to keep them happy until next year: The new season won't start until 2012, according to the Chicago Tribune. Although the show's network, AMC, has given the green light to a fifth season, negotiations with creator Matthew Weiner on a new deal are ongoing.
One-time rival Christina Aguilera congratulated Britney Spears on releasing Femme Fatale, Billboard.com reported. On Twitter, Aguilera wrote, "Hey @BritneySpears Congrats on Femme Fatale release! "Can't wait to see what you bring in the next video. xo - Xtina." Aguilera will be a singing coach on TV's The Voice; she premieres April 26.
Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren has been immortalized in cement at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, according to Digital Spy. She left prints of her hands and feet March 28; Russell Brand—her co-star in the upcoming remake of the movie Arthur—introduced her as an "empress, deity and God's representative here on earth." Mirren later joked, "Yes, I am a dame of the British Empire, but now I'm very proud to say that I'm one of the many dames on Hollywood Boulevard."
Lady Gaga celebrated her 25th birthday March 28 as only she can. According to Billboard.com, the singer enjoyed a birthday dinner at Los Angeles eatery El Cielito as a mariachi band played its version of her hit "Born This Way" as Gaga joined in the song. Later, during her show at the Staples Center, she was presented with a cake and serenaded by her fans. She thanked the fans for being "the best birthday present you could give me."
Another singer, the legendary Aretha Franklin, also sang at her own recent birthday party, according to a WPLJ.com item. Franklin marked her 69th birthday in New York City at an event attended by Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett, Star Jones and Gayle King. Franklin also blew out the candles on a two-tier, flower-covered birthday cake, and The Temptations' Dennis Edwards serenaded her with a version of the group's "My Girl" before she took the mic herself.
Madonna wants to sue the director of her own foundation, Raising Malawi, even as staff members have filed suit against her for lost wages, according to Fox News. Eight staff members of the Raising Malawi Academy have filed court papers alleging unfair dismissal and nonpayment of benefits, following the announcement that Madonna was dropping plans to build an elite girls' school in the African country. Despite $3.8 million spent by the management team, the project has not broken ground and there is no title to the land. Donors (who include stars such as Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow) may not be able to regain the money they gave to the charity.
Glee star Lea Michele is "fine" after being involved in a car accident, according to MonstersAndCritics.com . Michele, 24, was involved in an accident with another car while driving down Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. She infamously had an auto accident on the way to audition for the show before the series started.
Another Glee star, Matthew Morrison, has said that his busy schedule leaves little time for romance, Digital Spy reported. He said that he wants to make the most of his time on the Fox show, saying, "I'm so involved in what I'm doing. It's so rare that a moment like this happens in a person's career and I'm really trying to ride that wave." He is currently promoting his debut solo album.
Actor Colin Farrell is talking about his friendship with the late icon Elizabeth Taylor, according to MonstersAndCritics.com . Farrell told Access Hollywood, "How did we become friends? You know, the old story of boy meets girl, the boy pesters girl with too many phone calls at inappropriate hours of the night. I was just lucky enough to become her friend in the last year and a half. I adore her... still." He was one of a few non-family members who attended Taylor's funeral after she died of congestive heart failure at 79.
Judge Judy Sheindlin is OK after being rushed to the hospital March 30, according to Digital Spy. Sheindlin went to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering "intestinal discomfort." However, she called TMZ to say that she was "fine," adding, "At my age, I know my body. My body is fine."
In New York, comic figures from the '80s come back to life in "Skeletor Saves: A Charity Art Show," which features He-Man, the Sorceress and "big old lisping queen" Skeletor, according to an Advocate.com item. "His appeal goes beyond sexual orientation boundaries," Brian Moylan, one show's curators, told Out magazine. "Little straight boys just understand him less ironically." Proceeds from the show will benefit the Ali Forney Center, which offers housing for homeless LGBT teens in New York City.
Pop singer Robyn told Frontiers magazine that she appreciates her gay fans and understands why they follow her, according to Advocate.com . The Swedish star said, "I've always felt like an outsider. I think the gay community just gets me, and I'm very lucky to have that audience—it's a very loyal and dedicated audience." She is slated to perform at the White Party in Palm Springs, Calif., which runs April 8-11.
After much speculation about her sexual orientation, rapper Nicki Minaj has said that she is not bisexual, according to Gather.com . She claimed the reason she never clarified that fact before is that she didn't see any need to so. She added, "I guess some people are thrown off by me embracing gay culture. But I don't feel the need to explain that, unless someone asks me a specific question."
Kevin Keller, the first out gay character in the Archie Comics, is getting his own four-issue spin-off, according to LGBTQ Nation. Keller was introduced as a new student at Archie's fictional Riverdale High in Veronica #202. His instant popularity with fans led to that sold-out comic becoming the first in the publisher's history to go into a second printing. Keller is also in the current Veronica, issue #205.
Out gay singer Ricky Martin may marry boyfriend Carlos Gonzalez in Spain, according to On Top Magazine. While appearing on a Spanish program, journalist Miguel Angel Nicolas made the statement about Martin and added that model Esther Canadas has offered to help make the singer a Spanish citizen. Martin cannot marry in his native Puerto Rico because the territory does not recognize same-sex marriage.
The June 5 premiere of the MTV series Teen Wolf will include an openly gay character, according to an On Top Magazine item. The series, based on the 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, stars Tyler Posey as the werewolf. One co-star is Keahu Kahuanui, who will play the character of Danny, an out student who plays on the school's lacrosse team and has a boyfriend.
Writer Stephen King and singer John Mellencamp are collaborating on a musical, ABC News reported. Atlanta's Alliance Theater has announced that it will produce Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, which it calls "a riveting Southern gothic musical." King's story is based on the actual 1957 deaths of two brothers and a young girl; Mellencamp is in charge of the score. Ghost Brothers is slated to run April 4-May 13, 2012.
The ship Norwegian Epic will host a line-up of celebrity lookalikes that includes Elton John, Whitney Houston and Shakira as it sails seven-day western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, Spain, according to AOL News. Other entertainment options on the 4,100-passenger Epic include the Blue Man Group, the comedy troupe Second City and the dueling-pianos show "Howl at the Moon."
Lily Tomlin & Jane Wagner will present Carlie & Doni Help Save the Theatre—a one-hour irreverent musical-comedy extravaganza featuring comedy/music duo Carlie and Doni, and hosted by Tomlin—at the Santa Monica Playhouse, on Friday, April 8, according to Broadway World. Tomlin has won two Tonys, two Peabodys, six Emmys, a Grammy, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Betty White is producing a show on NBC that is basically Punk'd for the senior set, according to an Advocate.com item. White will executive-produce and host Betty White's Off Their Rockers, which is based on the European hit Benidorm Bastards. The show will look at seven seniors who play pranks on unsuspecting younger people.
Actors Jude Law and Kevin Spacey took part in a March 28 protest in London to call for the end of the dictatorship of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who is known for his anti-gay statements, according to Advocate.com . The Daily Mail reported that "Spacey, 51, said he was moved to act and protest about human rights violations in Belarus after watching the Belarus Free Theatre perform in New York last year." Spacey's and Law's movies have now been banned in Belarus because of their participation in the protest.
Lionsgate will make several films with smaller budgets (less than $2 million each) over the coming year, including the comedy Gay Dude, according To Advocate.com . Written by Parks and Recreation's Alan Yang, the film is about two best friends who plan to lose their virginity before high school graduation. However, things change when one of the friends comes out of the closet.
Actor Farley Granger—a '50s screen idol known his role in the Hitchcock thrillers Rope and Strangers on a Train—has died at age 85, according to Reuters. He later performed on Broadway, making his debut in 1959 with First Impressions, a musical version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. In his 2007 memoir, Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway, he told of romantic relationships with men and women.
Actress Lucy Liu has joined the Human Rights Campaign in a new video for the "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality" campaign, according to a press release. In joining the campaign, Liu joins a slew of celebrities, including Fran Drescher, Kenneth Cole, Joan Rivers and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Model Eric Zentner, 30, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in California, according to a Huffington Post item. He was hit in the early morning hours by a light-blue '90s Dodge Caravan; there are currently no suspects in custody. Zentner was best known for his work with Marc Jacobs, Versace and Louis Vuitton, and had a cameo in Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" music video.
Lady Gaga will receive the "Always Next, Forever Now" Award at Logo's NewNowNext Awards, which will premiere April 11 on the network, according to a press release. Past recipients include Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. Given annually, this special award pays homage to a beloved pop icon.
The country version of Lady Gaga's hit "Born This Way" has become such a viral sensation that she has decided to officially issue the track for sale, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), according to a press release. The "Born This Way—Country Road Version," produced by Gaga and Fernando Garibay, was recently recorded while on tour, and features new Gaga vocals with guitar and harmonica. The original version of "Born This Way" spent six consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Hugh Jackson, who is known for being a singer as well as an actor, will perform a two-week stint in San Francisco, according to MercuryNews.com . Jackman will debut his new one-man show, "Hugh Jackman In Performance," at San Francisco's Curran Theatre May 3-15 as part of the SHN/Best of Broadway series. The former Oscars host has a solid Broadway background, winning a Tony in The Boy from Oz and acting alongside Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain.
Sean Hayes—best-known as Jack on the TV series Will & Grace—will portray Larry in the feature-film version of The Three Stooges by Bobby and Peter Farrelly, according to Advocate.com . Hayes will join Will Sasso, who will be Curly; the role of Moe has not yet been cast.
NBC is slated to premiere a fashion-design show hosted by supermodel Elle Macpherson in 2012, according to Advocate.com . The series, called Fashion Star, will be an unscripted prime-time show in which designers compete for a multimillion-dollar contract to create a fashion line for top retail stores. Unlike the show Project Runway, the designers' creations will be available for viewers to purchase each week.
Artists and songwriters from across the EMI family are raising funds to help the Red Cross support people affected by last month's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, according to a press release. The charity auction, which will be managed by eBay, features items from some of the world's biggest stars, including Coldplay, Norah Jones, Katy Perry, Gorillaz, Daft Punk and Keith Urban. The auction will run in two phases through April 21; see http://ebay.com/EMIfamily4Japan.
Mister Cee, 44, a popular DJ on New York City's Hot 97 station, was arrested and charged with public lewdness after being caught having sex in public with a 20-year-old male, according to GaySocialites.com . (Other reports suggest that the younger individual is transgender.) Police said that the younger man was performing oral sex on Cee (real name: Calvin Lebrun), who was an associate producer on Ready to Die, the debut album of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.
