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Archive: December 2010 (81-90 of 92)

Dec 6 2010 12:58 PM ET

Don Meredith of 'Monday Night Football' dies

Categories: In Memoriam, Music, Television

Don-Meredith Image Credit: Steve Fenn/ABC/Getty ImagesDon Meredith, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback who became even more famous as a member of ABC’s Monday Night Football broadcast team, died on Sunday after suffering a brain hemorrhage, according to ESPN. He was 72. Beginning with the show’s premiere in 1970, Meredith was the irreverent good ol’ boy who provoked Howard Cosell, gabbed with fellow jock Frank Gifford, and became known for singing Willie Nelson’s “The Party’s Over” during the fourth quarter, when he concluded the game was no longer in doubt.

Dec 6 2010 09:35 AM ET

Suicide gun doesn't match Ronni Chasen murder weapon

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: In Memoriam, Movie Biz

Police authorities ruled that the suicide weapon used by Harold Smith, the “person of interest” in the Ronni Chasen murder investigation who shot himself when police approached him for questioning, did not match the ballistics of the gun used to kill Chasen on Nov. 16, according to KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.

Dec 3 2010 03:59 PM ET

Elaine Kaufman dies

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: In Memoriam

Elaine Kaufman, the owner of the famous Upper East Side restaurant that bore her name, died Friday from complications related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and pulmonary hypertension. She was 81. Kaufman purchased the cozy restaurant on the corner of 88th Street and Second Avenue in 1963, and her strong but tender personality and unfailing loyalty helped make Elaine’s an oasis for literary types and celebrities, like Norman Mailer and Woody Allen.

More on Elaine Kaufman from EW:
Elaine Kaufman: An appreciation

Dec 2 2010 09:07 PM ET

Aretha Franklin in recovery from surgery

by Adam B. Vary

Categories: Music

People reports that, according to a statement from Aretha Franklin, the 68-year-old music diva is in recovery from surgery at a Detroit area hospital. “The surgery was highly successful,” said Franklin. “God is still in control. I had superb doctors and nurses whom were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country. God bless you all for your prayers!” The reason for the surgery was undisclosed.

Dec 2 2010 08:57 PM ET

Britney Spears says her new album will drop in March

by Adam B. Vary

Categories: Music, Music Biz

Britney Spears took to her Twitter feed on her 29th birthday today to announce that her new album will be released this March. Over two posts, the pop star wrote: “My fans mean the world to me & waking up to all of your wishes really made me smile, so here’s something that I hope will make you smile… I’m almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March.” Oh, also, she is “IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!”

Dec 2 2010 06:45 AM ET

Ronni Chasen: 'Person of interest' in publicist's murder kills self

by Mike Bruno

Categories:

A man police describe as a “person of interest” in the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen killed himself on Wednesday night, according to Beverly Hills police. The man, who has not yet been identified, pulled out a gun and fatally shot himself as Beverly Hills detectives tried to question him at a low-rent Hollywood hotel lobby. Police would not reveal what role the man is suspected of having in Chasen’s death and would not go as far as to call him a suspect. “This was not a guy we were going to arrest, we only wanted to question him,” Lt. Tony Lee of the Beverly Hills Police Department told People.

Chasen, 64, was shot to death in her car on Nov. 16 in Beverly Hills after leaving the premiere of Burlesque. Police have said they believe someone fired at least four shots into her Mercedes-Benz from another vehicle as she was making a turn off Sunset Boulevard. An investigation is ongoing. Chasen was a veteran publicist who represented Oscar-winning composers like Hans Zimmer and John Williams, and filmmakers like Jim Sheridan and Richard D. Zanuck.

More Ronni Chasen:
Ronni Chasen, longtime Hollywood publicist, shot to death in Beverly Hills
Ronni Chasen: Remembering a beloved Hollywood institution
Ronni Chasen laid to rest

Dec 1 2010 04:59 PM ET

Wesley Snipes ordered to federal prison for tax evasion

by Adam B. Vary

Categories:

Actor Wesley Snipes was ordered today to report to a federal prison in Pennsylvania by noon on Dec. 9 to begin serving his three-year sentence for tax evasion, according to the Associated Press. Snipes had attempted to remain free on bail while appealing the 2008 conviction.

Dec 1 2010 04:52 PM ET

Heather Locklear hospitalized for bacterial infection

by Kate Ward

Categories:

Heather Locklear’s rep confirmed with People that the actress has checked into a California hospital to undergo treatment for a bacterial infection. Locklear is currently taking antibiotics, and is expected to be released Wednesday.

Dec 1 2010 03:15 PM ET

'Pretty Wild' star Alexis Neiers arrested for heroin, violating parole

by Jeff Labrecque

Categories: Lawsuits, Television

Alexis Neiers, the 19-year-old woman who served 180 days in prison for breaking into Orlando Bloom’s Hollywood Hills home and then turned her wild life into an E! reality show, was arrested for violating her probation. According to the Los Angeles Times, authorities found a fake driver’s license and black-tar heroin in her purse. The violation could result in three more years in prison. Neiers had been part of the so-called “Bling Ring,” a gang of teenagers who targeted the homes of several young celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

Dec 1 2010 12:56 PM ET

Neve Campbell files for divorce from John Light

by Kate Ward

Categories:

Neve Campbell filed for divorce from her husband John Light, People reports. The court documents, which were quietly filed five months ago, cite irreconcilable differences as the cause for the split. The pair had been married for three years; it was the second marriage for the Scream star, who divorced actor Jeff Colt in 1997.