July 21, 2005

STUDDARD FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST EX-MANAGER: Singer alleges forgery and identity theft

"American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard has filed a complaint with the Birmingham police department accusing his ex-manager of identity theft and forgery. Ronald W. Edwards forged paperwork between Aug. 1, 2003, and Nov. 30, 2004, and gave himself power of attorney over Studdard, according to the complaint filed Monday. Edwards is also said to have used Studdard’s credit cards to take $105,000 and had written checks for $150,000. The report says $22,000 in checks were stolen and deposited in Edwards' account. Studdard’s Monday filing follows his February lawsuit against Edwards and his marketing company, SEZ Inc., claiming Edwards misused more than $246,000 of his money. Edwards denied the allegations and has indicated Studdard owes him money. Edwards filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 17, prompting a stay in the lawsuit. Vic Hayslip, an attorney for Studdard, said the bankruptcy was an effort to avoid giving a deposition in the lawsuit. Edwards' attorney, Glennon Threatt, called the contention inaccurate.



BEING BOBBY BROWN: Means Being Disgusting

"In the second episode, he speaks of removing excrement from his wife's derriere?"

We haven't seen "Being Bobby Brown," but writer Barry Garon of the Hollywood Reporter has and put it mildly his bottom line thoughts boiled down to one word: "disgusting." He's what he wrote ..."What gives 'Bobby' that dismal distinction? Is it the lionizing of a lowlife convicted of failing to pay child support for his out-of-wedlock kids, drunk driving and a cocaine-related parole violation? (And let's not forget his spousal 'slap-boxing' arrest.) Is it his insufferable ego (he calls his son, Bobby Jr., 'special to me because he carries my name')? Is it his constant crude comments (he tells wife Whitney Houston to 'bring that ass in quick. I'm going to show you what I'm going to do with it.')? Or is it just his disgusting persona as, in the second episode, he speaks of removing excrement from his wife's derriere? (No, I'm not going to quote him.)"

Hmmm, after reading this, we're not sure ... in fact, we KNOW this one reality we don't want to witness. But hey, if you're a fan of Whitney's "King of Stage," you can be with Bobby Brown tonight at 10 E/P on the Bravo cable network.



PAULA VS. NAIL SALON FUNGUS: Ms. Abdul goes to Sacramento to push for cleaner facilities

Conspiracy theorists would love to know how “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul and the former contestant who accused her of having an affair both ended up making national news in Sacramento just days apart. While Clark picked up a misdemeanor battery charge Saturday morning for engaging in a food fight at a hotel in the state Capitol, Abdul was fighting for the right to get your nails did in California without having to worry about catching a funky bacterial infection. The former urged California legislators Monday to pass a new bill that would force nail salons to maintain a certain degree of cleanliness. Abdul took up the cause after an April 2004 trip to a Studio City salon led to a severely infected thumb and numerous trips to the hospital. "Being a professional dancer, I'm no stranger to pain, but this time the pain was so excruciating that even my hair touching my thumb caused me to scream," Abdul told the California Senate Business and Professions Committee. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman Leland Yee, would establish safety standards for manicure and pedicure equipment and rewrite state regulations mandating that nail shops follow sanitary practices. Abdul’s germ-riddled manicure – done with tools that were not properly sanitized between customers – left her with a nasty bacterial infection and at the mercy of late night comedians, who clowned her for the big-ass bandage worn around her thumb during live “American Idol” telecasts. "I was publicly humiliated," Abdul said in her closing statement. "That is why with an open heart and a selfless agenda, I implore you to pass this bill." The bill was expected to pass in committee, reports AP. If that occurs, it would likely come before the full Senate sometime in the next two weeks.



MARQUES HOUSTON TO STRIP FOR PLAYGIRL: Singer agreed after offer went from $1 million to $2 million

To promote his latest album “Naked,” 23-year-old singer Marques Houston will take it all off for Playgirl magazine, his reps announced. “The “You Got Served” actor has decided to serve himself up for the skin mag after the publication reportedly upped its offer from $1 million to $2 million. The shoot is scheduled to take place in late August. Houston also went completely nude for the “Naked” video, which is set to begin airing in July following massive edits to clear it for broadcast. "I was completely ass-naked,” he told MTV of the video shoot. “At first I was a little uncomfortable. I'm not used to doing that. The only time I get naked is when I'm about to get down, or when I'm in the privacy of my own room, taking a bath or shower or something." As previously reported, Houston is part of this summer’s Scream IV Tour with Bow Wow, Bobby Valentino and his half brother Omarion.


BOOTYLICIOUS BARBIE: Destiny’s Child dolls due by summer’s end; plus trio gets emotional about breakup

The tears welled up in Beyonce as she and her Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams spoke about their impending professional split during an appearance on MTV’s “Total Request Live.” "This is not cool because we're very emotional," Kelly said, noting Beyonce’s tears. Avoiding the term “breaking up” to describe their situation, Kelly added: "We call it the end of a chapter, which is still a beautiful thing because there's more chapters to come individually. We still haven't had kids yet; we're not married. We're not breaking up. We're growing up." "'Destiny Fulfilled' ... is not a coincidence," Beyonce said later to AP Radio. "This was something that we thought about. And it was really important for us to end this chapter when we were successful." Beyonce, 23, further explained that their parting of ways is "not because one person wants to go solo. Or not because we don't like each other. Or because we're not selling records anymore. But because it has to end at a certain point." But all is not gone for good; the group members will be immortalized forever by Mattel. On June 5, the toy manufacturer announced a forthcoming line of Barbie dolls patterned after each singer. The likenesses will cost $20 and are scheduled to arrive in stores later this summer.



HALLE BERRY USED IN BRAIN CELL STUDY: Photos of actress used to research how brain stores memories

Using multiple photographs of actress Halle Berry in a new study, scientists have discovered that the same brain cell reacts to various pictures of a particular individual, which sheds new light on how the brain stores memories. In one case, a single cell was activated by different photos of Berry, including some in her "Catwoman" costume, a drawing of her and even the written words, "Halle Berry." The findings surface in a part of the brain that transforms what people perceive into what they'll eventually remember, said Dr. Itzhak Fried, a senior investigator on the project. The findings do not mean that a particular person or object is recognized and remembered by only one brain cell, Fried said. In other words, there is not only one cell that codes for Halle Berry, according to Fried. “That would be impossible.” What the study does suggest, Fried and colleagues say in today’s issue of the journal Nature, is that the brain appears to use relatively few cells to record something it sees. The study also included photographs of Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow, co-stars on the NBC sitcom "Friends." In one participant, one brain cell responded to both actresses, suggesting that neurons represent concepts – like membership in the cast of “Friends.” These findings “could lead to much more extensive studies of how conceptual information is organized in human memory," said the study's other senior investigator, Christof Koch of the California Institute of Technology. "It's much more specific than people used to think."