LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Beyonce is letting fans into her charmed life, introducing daughter Blue Ivy to the world and talking about motherhood, marriage and miscarriage in a new documentary.
The 31-year-old pop singer and her rapper husband, Jay-Z, 43, one of music's most influential couples, have been guarded about their private life.
But in 'Life is But a Dream,' airing on Saturday on cable channel HBO, Beyonce gives fans a glimpse of her working life and even a peek at baby Blue Ivy, who has been fiercely shielded from paparazzi since her birth in January 2012.
The 'Crazy in Love' singer addresses the widely reported claim from 2011 that she was faking her pregnancy, calling it 'the most ridiculous rumor I've ever heard of me.'
'To think that I'd be that vain ... especially after losing a child. The pain and trauma from that just makes it mean so much more to get an opportunity to bring life into the world,' she says in the documentary.
The Grammy-winning singer shows footage of a sonogram, her growing bump and grainy video of herself posing nude as she neared her due date.
The HBO film, which Beyonce co-directed, is part of a return to performing by the singer, who took a year off after her first child was born.
The arrival last year of Blue Ivy Carter gained worldwide media attention and prompted Beyonce to share more with her fans, launching a Tumblr page with snapshots that showed glimpses of her family life, including the baby.
Her miscarriage had been kept secret from the public until Jay-Z referred to it in his song 'Glory,' that he released following the birth of Blue Ivy.
In the documentary, Beyonce touched on the topic briefly, saying, 'It was the saddest thing I've ever been through.'
'My life is a journey. ... I had to go through my miscarriage, I believe I had to go through owning my company and managing myself ... ultimately your independence comes from knowing who you are and you being happy with yourself,' she said.
'Life is But a Dream' serves as a coming-of-age for the star as she entered motherhood.
She gives audiences a peek into her four-year marriage to Jay-Z, showing footage of the couple singing Coldplay's 'Yellow' to each other.
'This baby has made me love him more than I ever thought I could love another human being,' she says.
The documentary shows Beyonce putting herself and her team through grueling choreography rehearsals in 2011 and planning every second of her performances at big awards shows that year.
Beyonce began her comeback with a controversial lip-synched performance of the national anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration in January, followed by a live performance at the Super Bowl halftime show that wowed critics.
She has also announced a new album for this year. 'The Mrs Carter Show World Tour' - Jay-Z's real name is Sean Carter - will kick off in April with more than 40 performances in Europe and North America.
'Life is But a Dream' airs on HBO on Saturday, the same day as Beyonce's interview with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN cable channel.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Doina Chiacu)
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Kate Upton says body shut down after Antarctic bikini shoot
(Reuters) - Swimsuit model Kate Upton said on Tuesday her body shut down after she posed in a skimpy bikini in Antarctica for Sports Illustrated magazine.
Upton, wearing only a white bikini bottom and an unzipped white parka, was picked as the cover girl for the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, unveiled on Monday, for the second consecutive year.
'It was freezing,' Upton, 20, told NBC's morning TV show 'Today' on Tuesday. 'I'm from Florida, so it wasn't easy for me.
'When I came back, I was losing my hearing and eyesight. My body was shutting down because it was working so hard to keep me warm.'
Upton joins celebrity models including Elle Macpherson, Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks to appear more than once on the swimsuit issue's cover.
M.J. Day, a senior editor for Sports Illustrated, told Reuters that Upton braved temperatures as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 Celsius) and wind chills as low as -20 Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius).
'We should name a passageway after her down there,' said Day, who accompanied Upton on the frigid shoot. 'She braved six days in a bikini while we were head-to-toe in jackets ... No one will ever accuse her of being a whiny model, ever.'
This year's 17 models were part of photo shoots that stretched across all seven continents.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
Upton, wearing only a white bikini bottom and an unzipped white parka, was picked as the cover girl for the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, unveiled on Monday, for the second consecutive year.
'It was freezing,' Upton, 20, told NBC's morning TV show 'Today' on Tuesday. 'I'm from Florida, so it wasn't easy for me.
'When I came back, I was losing my hearing and eyesight. My body was shutting down because it was working so hard to keep me warm.'
Upton joins celebrity models including Elle Macpherson, Christie Brinkley and Tyra Banks to appear more than once on the swimsuit issue's cover.
M.J. Day, a senior editor for Sports Illustrated, told Reuters that Upton braved temperatures as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 Celsius) and wind chills as low as -20 Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius).
'We should name a passageway after her down there,' said Day, who accompanied Upton on the frigid shoot. 'She braved six days in a bikini while we were head-to-toe in jackets ... No one will ever accuse her of being a whiny model, ever.'
This year's 17 models were part of photo shoots that stretched across all seven continents.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
This article is sponsored by real estate news.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Lady Gaga suffering from joint inflammation, postpones shows
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Lady Gaga said on Tuesday she was suffering from a severe inflammation of the joints that left her temporarily unable to walk, forcing her to postpone a handful of upcoming shows on the North American leg of her world tour.
'I am completely devastated and heartsick. I've been hiding this injury and pain from my staff for a month, praying it would heal, but after last night's performance, I could not walk,' the singer said in a statement.
Her condition is called synovitis, an inflammation that sometimes follows a sprain, strain or injury.
Gaga posted a similar message in a series of tweets to her 34 million Twitter followers.
'I will hopefully heal as soon as possible and be at 500 percent again, which is what you deserve,' she said.
'The Edge of Glory' singer postponed shows in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, in Detroit on Saturday and in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
Lady Gaga, 26, has been on the road for two years on her 'Born This Way Ball' world tour. Her website showed tour dates through March 20.
The 200-plus date tour has taken the singer across six continents and was ranked as the sixth top-grossing tour of 2012 by Billboard magazine.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)
This article is sponsored by free dating site.
'I am completely devastated and heartsick. I've been hiding this injury and pain from my staff for a month, praying it would heal, but after last night's performance, I could not walk,' the singer said in a statement.
Her condition is called synovitis, an inflammation that sometimes follows a sprain, strain or injury.
Gaga posted a similar message in a series of tweets to her 34 million Twitter followers.
'I will hopefully heal as soon as possible and be at 500 percent again, which is what you deserve,' she said.
'The Edge of Glory' singer postponed shows in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, in Detroit on Saturday and in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
Lady Gaga, 26, has been on the road for two years on her 'Born This Way Ball' world tour. Her website showed tour dates through March 20.
The 200-plus date tour has taken the singer across six continents and was ranked as the sixth top-grossing tour of 2012 by Billboard magazine.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)
This article is sponsored by free dating site.
"30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin expecting child with new wife
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Alec Baldwin and his new wife Hilaria Thomas Baldwin are expecting their first child together, a representative for the '30 Rock' star said on Tuesday.
Baldwin, 54, married the yoga teacher, who is 26 years his junior, in a July 2012 wedding in New York.
The child is expected in the summer, the spokesman said, but gave no other details.
The award-winning actor most recently played egotistical television executive Jack Donaghy on the NBC comedy '30 Rock,' which broadcast its last episode in January.
Baldwin was married to actress Kim Basinger from 1993-2002. The couple has one daughter, Ireland, who was born in 1995.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Todd Eastham)
This article is sponsored by technology.
Baldwin, 54, married the yoga teacher, who is 26 years his junior, in a July 2012 wedding in New York.
The child is expected in the summer, the spokesman said, but gave no other details.
The award-winning actor most recently played egotistical television executive Jack Donaghy on the NBC comedy '30 Rock,' which broadcast its last episode in January.
Baldwin was married to actress Kim Basinger from 1993-2002. The couple has one daughter, Ireland, who was born in 1995.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Todd Eastham)
This article is sponsored by technology.
Dave Clark Five bassist Rick Huxley dies aged 72
(Reuters) - Rick Huxley, the bassist for the 1960s British Invasion pop-rock group the Dave Clark Five, has died, the band's leader said on Tuesday. He was 72.
Huxley died unexpectedly at his home in the English countryside on Monday, Dave Clark told Reuters.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
'Glad All Over' holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while 'Over and Over' topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been 'sprightly and in good shape' despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
'I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits,' Clark said in a telephone call. 'He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated.'
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
'He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely,' Clark said. 'He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend.'
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
Huxley died unexpectedly at his home in the English countryside on Monday, Dave Clark told Reuters.
The band scored No. 1 hits on both sides of the Atlantic during its decade-long run from 1960-1970.
'Glad All Over' holds the honor of knocking the Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' out of the top spot on the UK chart in 1964, while 'Over and Over' topped the U.S. chart in 1965.
The cause of death was not immediately known, said Clark, who added that Huxley had been 'sprightly and in good shape' despite suffering from emphysema for several years.
'I spoke to him on Friday and he was in great spirits,' Clark said in a telephone call. 'He went through a recent doctor's check and had a good, clean bill of health. This came totally out of the blue, and I'm just devastated.'
Clark remembered Huxley for his modest demeanor and humor.
'He always made me smile and I'll miss that immensely,' Clark said. 'He was never arrogant and flashy. He was a gentleman and very low key. He was a very, very talented musician and a great friend.'
The Dave Clark Five was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
Huxley was born in Dartford, England, east of London, the same town that is home to the Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.
Huxley is survived by two sons and a daughter.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Trump may have trouble collecting on $5 million orangutan bet
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A comedian, a millionaire and an orangutan. It may sound like the beginning of a screwball joke, but Donald Trump isn't laughing.
The famously outspoken real estate magnate has sued famously outspoken television host Bill Maher, demanding the $5 million Maher offered to give to charity if Trump could prove his father is not an orangutan.
But legal experts say Trump is unlikely to get a dime from Maher, the host of the HBO series Real Time With Bill Maher, because his offer was clearly made in jest.
'It's parody,' said Bryan Sullivan, a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer. 'You know Bill Maher is a comedian and a satirist. The offer is so ridiculous.'
Trump, however, has taken the comic at his word.
'Attached hereto is a copy of Mr. Trump's birth certificate, demonstrating that he is the son of Fred Trump, not an orangutan,' Trump's lawyer, Scott Balber, wrote to Maher last month.
When Maher did not respond, Trump filed a breach of contract lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.
A Maher spokeswoman referred to his show Friday, in which he ridiculed Trump's lawsuit.
'It's never a joke when someone reneges on a commitment that benefits worthy charities,' said Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump, in response. 'The tone of Mr. Maher's diatribe on Friday evening suggests he is far more concerned with the lawsuit than he wants the public to believe.'
Last year, during the presidential campaign, Trump offered to give $5 million to charity if President Barack Obama would release his college records. Trump, who flirted with a possible White House run, previously questioned Obama's citizenship and boasted that he prompted Obama to release his birth certificate.
As a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show last month, Maher offered to give $5 million to charity if Trump could prove he was not the son of an orangutan, since the ape's orange fur matches the color of Trump's trademark gravity-defying coiffure.
'He can donate to a charity of his choice,' Maher said. 'Hair Club for Men; the Institute for Incorrigible Douchebaggery. Whatever charity.'
Under contract law, a verbal offer can create a contractual obligation. But courts make exceptions for obviously satirical offers.
In a New York federal case, Leonard vs. Pepsico, a man sued the soft drink maker after it refused to honor a TV advertisement 'offer' of a fighter jet for redeemable Pepsi Points.
District Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan said an offer made 'evidently in jest' is not a contract and noted the commercial featured a teenager using the jet to get to school.
'This fantasy is, of course, extremely unrealistic,' Wood wrote.
Trump's lawsuit alleges that Maher's show is political commentary, not comedy. In a Fox News appearance last week, Trump said he was certain Maher's offer was not a joke.
'That was venom,' Trump said. 'That wasn't a joke.'
(Reporting by Joseph Ax. Editing by Andre Grenon)
The famously outspoken real estate magnate has sued famously outspoken television host Bill Maher, demanding the $5 million Maher offered to give to charity if Trump could prove his father is not an orangutan.
But legal experts say Trump is unlikely to get a dime from Maher, the host of the HBO series Real Time With Bill Maher, because his offer was clearly made in jest.
'It's parody,' said Bryan Sullivan, a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer. 'You know Bill Maher is a comedian and a satirist. The offer is so ridiculous.'
Trump, however, has taken the comic at his word.
'Attached hereto is a copy of Mr. Trump's birth certificate, demonstrating that he is the son of Fred Trump, not an orangutan,' Trump's lawyer, Scott Balber, wrote to Maher last month.
When Maher did not respond, Trump filed a breach of contract lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.
A Maher spokeswoman referred to his show Friday, in which he ridiculed Trump's lawsuit.
'It's never a joke when someone reneges on a commitment that benefits worthy charities,' said Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump, in response. 'The tone of Mr. Maher's diatribe on Friday evening suggests he is far more concerned with the lawsuit than he wants the public to believe.'
Last year, during the presidential campaign, Trump offered to give $5 million to charity if President Barack Obama would release his college records. Trump, who flirted with a possible White House run, previously questioned Obama's citizenship and boasted that he prompted Obama to release his birth certificate.
As a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show last month, Maher offered to give $5 million to charity if Trump could prove he was not the son of an orangutan, since the ape's orange fur matches the color of Trump's trademark gravity-defying coiffure.
'He can donate to a charity of his choice,' Maher said. 'Hair Club for Men; the Institute for Incorrigible Douchebaggery. Whatever charity.'
Under contract law, a verbal offer can create a contractual obligation. But courts make exceptions for obviously satirical offers.
In a New York federal case, Leonard vs. Pepsico, a man sued the soft drink maker after it refused to honor a TV advertisement 'offer' of a fighter jet for redeemable Pepsi Points.
District Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan said an offer made 'evidently in jest' is not a contract and noted the commercial featured a teenager using the jet to get to school.
'This fantasy is, of course, extremely unrealistic,' Wood wrote.
Trump's lawsuit alleges that Maher's show is political commentary, not comedy. In a Fox News appearance last week, Trump said he was certain Maher's offer was not a joke.
'That was venom,' Trump said. 'That wasn't a joke.'
(Reporting by Joseph Ax. Editing by Andre Grenon)
Actor Steven Seagal trains Arizona posse on school security
FOUNTAIN HILLS, Arizona (Reuters) - Action film star Steven Seagal, who racks up big body counts in his on-screen battles with bad guys, took on a new role on Saturday, training posse volunteers for controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio in how to use guns to protect schools in shooting incidents.
Arpaio, who styles himself as 'America's Toughest Sheriff,' enlisted Seagal to train his Maricopa County posse members at a school in Fountain Hills, a suburb northeast of Phoenix, with children used as stand-ins for scared students.
Seagal, a burly martial arts expert turned actor, guided 48 volunteers through various aspects of responding to a shooting, including room-to-room searches, and critiqued their work.
'I am here to try to teach the posse firearms and martial arts to try to help them learn how to respond quicker and help protect our children,' Seagal said.
Arpaio, whose tough stances on crime and illegal immigration have made him a national figure, has dispatched the volunteer posse to patrol schools in response to the shooting rampage that killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut school in December.
Those killings touched off a renewed debate over gun violence in the United States. President Barack Obama proposed a sweeping package of gun-control measures, including a ban on assault weapons.
The National Rifle Association, which opposes the gun-control proposal, has advocated placing armed security guards in schools.
Arpaio's volunteers, some trained and qualified to carry the same guns as deputies, can intervene if there is an imminent threat to life. To add realism to the training event, guns firing non-lethal rounds that leave a color mark were used.
'It's important to help protect our children and our schools and we need to do that with whatever means we have,' said Rick Velotta, a posse member and retired General Electric manager who attended the training.
About a dozen people protested the event.
'No gun should ever be in a school,' said protester Cynthia Wharton, a Fountain Hills resident.
Arpaio's 3,450-strong posse of unpaid men and women has for years helped the sheriff target drunken drivers and illegal immigrants, and chase down fathers who are behind on child support.
Last year, Arpaio sent posse members to Hawaii to investigate the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate at the request of local Tea Party activists, a key Arpaio constituency.
A sometime resident of the Phoenix Valley and member of Arpaio's posse, Seagal, 60, starred in big-budget films in the 1980s and early 1990s, earning a reputation as an action star in movies like 'Above the Law' and 'Under Siege.'
He more recently played a corrupt Mexican drug lord in the 2010 film 'Machete.'
Seagal also has been sworn in as a sheriff's deputy in a Texas county along the border with Mexico and appeared in a reality TV show detailing his work as a reserve deputy in New Orleans.
(Reporting by Aron Ranen; Writing by Tim Gaynor and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by David Bailey and Eric Beech)
Arpaio, who styles himself as 'America's Toughest Sheriff,' enlisted Seagal to train his Maricopa County posse members at a school in Fountain Hills, a suburb northeast of Phoenix, with children used as stand-ins for scared students.
Seagal, a burly martial arts expert turned actor, guided 48 volunteers through various aspects of responding to a shooting, including room-to-room searches, and critiqued their work.
'I am here to try to teach the posse firearms and martial arts to try to help them learn how to respond quicker and help protect our children,' Seagal said.
Arpaio, whose tough stances on crime and illegal immigration have made him a national figure, has dispatched the volunteer posse to patrol schools in response to the shooting rampage that killed 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut school in December.
Those killings touched off a renewed debate over gun violence in the United States. President Barack Obama proposed a sweeping package of gun-control measures, including a ban on assault weapons.
The National Rifle Association, which opposes the gun-control proposal, has advocated placing armed security guards in schools.
Arpaio's volunteers, some trained and qualified to carry the same guns as deputies, can intervene if there is an imminent threat to life. To add realism to the training event, guns firing non-lethal rounds that leave a color mark were used.
'It's important to help protect our children and our schools and we need to do that with whatever means we have,' said Rick Velotta, a posse member and retired General Electric manager who attended the training.
About a dozen people protested the event.
'No gun should ever be in a school,' said protester Cynthia Wharton, a Fountain Hills resident.
Arpaio's 3,450-strong posse of unpaid men and women has for years helped the sheriff target drunken drivers and illegal immigrants, and chase down fathers who are behind on child support.
Last year, Arpaio sent posse members to Hawaii to investigate the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate at the request of local Tea Party activists, a key Arpaio constituency.
A sometime resident of the Phoenix Valley and member of Arpaio's posse, Seagal, 60, starred in big-budget films in the 1980s and early 1990s, earning a reputation as an action star in movies like 'Above the Law' and 'Under Siege.'
He more recently played a corrupt Mexican drug lord in the 2010 film 'Machete.'
Seagal also has been sworn in as a sheriff's deputy in a Texas county along the border with Mexico and appeared in a reality TV show detailing his work as a reserve deputy in New Orleans.
(Reporting by Aron Ranen; Writing by Tim Gaynor and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by David Bailey and Eric Beech)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)