The Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr., released a statement today, revealing his struggle with prostate cancer. According to the statement, Gossett decided to go public with his illness “to set an example for the large number of African-American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively low emphasis in our community on preventative examinations and early treatment.”
Gossett’s cancer is in its early stages, and the actor has begun treatment.
Rumor has it Snooki & Co., will be partying in South Beach, Fla., for season two of Jersey Shore. According to Movieline, MTV has committed to the location in for the second season of the series, and the stars of the show are said to be moving into a property off Lincoln Road.
Yet MTV is still staying mum — A spokesperson for the network tells EW, “We haven’t confirmed the location yet.”
Image Credit: Kelsey McNeal/BravoChicago chef Tony Mantuano, New York’s David Burke, and Los Angeles’ Susan Feniger are among the 22 renowned chefs set to compete on the upcoming second season of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters. The lineup also includes six returning chefs from season 1: Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, Ludo Lefebvre, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, and Jonathan Waxman.
Top Chef‘s Gail Simmons will serve as a regular judge along with returning TCM judges Gael Greene, James Oseland, and Jay Rayner, and Kelly Choi (pictured) will return as host. Season 2 guest stars and judges will include Mekhi Phifer, Matt Groening, Hank Azaria, Andrew Zimmerman, Jason Lezak, Lynne Curtin, Alexis Bellino, Tamra Barney, and the cast of Modern Family.
The second season of Top Chef Masters premieres April 7 at 11 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular slot at 10 p.m. on April 14.
The complete list of Top Chef Masters season 2′s 22 competing chefs: READ FULL STORY »
20th Century Fox has joined forces with producer Kate Edelman Johnson to release a film based on The Big Valley, a 1960s series created by Johnson’s father, Louis F. Edelman. Susan Sarandon is in talks to star in Barbara Stanwyck’s role, which won the late actress an Emmy in 1966. Filming is expected to begin in early summer.
Lil Wayne’s scheduled sentencing on a weapons conviction was postponed in a New York City courtroom today so the rapper can undergo dental surgery, the Associated Press reports. The judge named March 2 as the new date for the sentencing. Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession last October in a case resulting from a July 2007 arrest; he is expected to receive a one-year sentence in accordance with the terms of his plea bargain.
Big-screen luminaries Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, and Keira Knightley have all earned a shot at stage glory, as each has been nominated for the U.K.’s 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards. The Oscar-winning Weisz scored a best actress nod for her performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, pitting her against the likes of The X-Files‘ Gillian Anderson (A Doll’s House) and Imelda Staunton (Entertaining Mr. Sloane). Meanwhile, the Sherlock Holmes sidekick nabbed a best actor spot for his turn as Hamlet; fellow heavyweight contenders include James Earl Jones, for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Three Days of Rain‘s James McAvoy. Pirates of the Caribbean star — and West End newbie — Keira Knightley was nominated for best supporting actress, for The Misanthrope, while onetime girl-powerhouse Melanie C. added Spice to the best-musical-actress field. Corporate-meltdown drama Enron snatched up six noms, including best new play. and Spring Awakening squared off against Priscilla Queen of the Desert for best new musical. The theatrical trophies will be handed out March 21, in a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor Square Hotel.
Nancy Kerrigan’s father’s death will be treated as a homicide, the Middlesex, Mass. District Attorney confirms to People. A statement from the DA’s office read in part: “The Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was cardiac dysrhytmia following a physical altercation with neck compression causing injury to the neck in the form of a cartilage fracture to the larynx area, in a person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular heart disease.”
Daniel Kerrigan, 70, was pronounced dead on Jan. 24, after having a violent altercation with his son, 45-year-old Mark Kerrigan. Mark Kerrigan was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on an elderly person and causing serious bodily injury. The DA’s statement today also noted: “As a result of these conclusions of the Medical Examiner, the investigation into Daniel Kerrigan’s death, and whether any charges in connection with his death are appropriate, remains ongoing.”
The AP is reporting that Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, has secured an option to buy a 138-acre parcel of land near the Hollywood sign, a deal that would protect the area from development. A Chicago consortium currently owns the property and at one point had planned several luxury homes for the area. If the deal goes through, Trust for Public Land will purchase the area for $12 million, after which it plans to transfer the land to the city of Los Angeles, so it can be incorporated into Griffith Park.
