Times Square Gossip: GOSSIP

Showing posts with label GOSSIP. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

TITO JACKSON'S DAUGHTER TANAY IS NEW STAR

Tanay Jackson On YouTube

Tanay Jackson, Tito Jackson's daughter and the niece of megastar Michael Jackson, launches a new campaign to show the world just what she's got going for her...and that's a lot. Like her uncle, Jackson combines exciting, evocative songwriting with expressive and energetic stage routines. Reviews say “she looks incredible onstage...a great performer,” and “Tanay obviously takes after her Aunt Janet.” She records in the Pop music genre.

Her most recent music video “Honey” is available for viewing on YouTube; Jackson is the songwriter and director. She is the only daughter of former The Jackson Five/The Jacksons guitarist Tito Jackson and the younger half-sister of Taryll, Tito and TJ Jackson, members of the singing group 3T.

Like the first generation of the Jackson family, Tanay Jackson discovered her natural abilities at a young age. Raised by her mother in Maryland, the gifted songwriter and performer was first recognized by her fourth grade music teacher who insisted on vocal training for the child prodigy. By the age of 12, Jackson began writing poetry and music for fun. She has received writing royalties from JASCAR in Japan for one of her songs; Sony Urban noticed her excellent writing and tried to negotiate a publishing deal with the talented performer.

She has also taught Hip Hop and Modern dance at the Dancers Workshop in Brooklyn, NY. Jackson also managed to land professional work as a dancer. With her electrifying elegance and style, Mr. John Blassingame, founder of Word-up Magazine, chose to enter Jackson in the Hype Hair beauty pageant. Jackson is an advocate for the weight loss community and an enthusiastic supporter of the Fresh Air Fund.

Tanay Jackson received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management in 2006 and is now CEO and President of Roth Entertainment and Lunar Music. She is currently touring the country.

“The Spotlight” and “Honey” are both available online at iTunes.

CELEBRITIES TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST FRACKING

Ed Asner

Today, celebrities and environmental leaders joined the call for the first-ever national mobilization on Fracking July 28th in Washington, DC, “Stop the Frack Attack.” The event will have three demands for Congress: stop dangerous fracking, close 7 legal loopholes that exempt the oil and gas industry from parts of the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air, and Clean Water Acts, and implement a pathway towards 100% clean renewable energy.

Mark Ruffalo, Pete Seeger, Lois Gibbs, Bill McKibben, Ed Begley Jr., Ed Asner, Josh Fox, Gus Speth, Cornel West, Vandana Shiva, Holly Near, James Hansen, Dar Williams, Michael Kieschnick, Joe Uehlein, and Margot Kidder join over 100 organizations and community groups in their call to action.

"Fracking is proof our addiction to fossil fuels has gone too far,” said Margot Kidder, “In the face of this kind of destruction, doing nothing is not an option. I'll be in DC on July 28th because I’m worried about the world my grandchildren will inherit without immediate action. We have to stop the destruction, and we have to do it now."

Fracking is a hot-button issue in swing states including PA, OH, CO, NM, NC, and MT. In New York, the fight against fracking spurred Governor Cuomo to ban the practice in much of the state, but “Fracktivists” continue to fight for a total ban.

“Fracking is a big new part of the biggest thing humans have ever done: destroy our climate,” said Bill McKibben, co-founder and Board President of 350.org.

Congress has exempted the oil and gas industry from 7 laws that usually serve to protect communities surrounding fossil fuel extraction sites. Those laws include the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the have left communities fighting fracking with little to no protection from contamination despite wide spread evidence of dangers.

“When an entire industry is exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act, you know common sense has been thrown out the window,” concludes Jennifer Krill from Earthworks. “This situation is out of control, and we are coming to Washington to demand Congress close these loopholes, stop unsafe fracking, and put us on a path to 100% clean renewable energy.”

Stop the Frack Attack will be a national mobilization on the West Lawn of the Capitol on July 28th, 2012. The mobilization has been endorsed by over 100 community based and national organizations and has an advisory board of fracking-impacted community representatives from 8 states.

Photo By: RD/Kenny/Retna

TV LAND TO HONOR ANDY GRIFFITH ON JULY 4TH

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BELOVED STAR ANDY GRIFFITH

DIES AT 86 YEARS OLD

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Andy Griffith

TV Land will honor the life and work of beloved actor Andy Griffith, who passed away today at the age of 86, with blocks of programming highlighting his most treasured work, “The Andy Griffith Show.” On Wednesday, July 4th from 8am-1pm ET/PT and Saturday and Sunday, July 7th and 8th from 11am to 8pm ET/PT, TV Land will air some of the most memorable episodes in marathons of “The Andy Griffith Show.” The TV Land Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tvland) will also pay tribute to Andy, celebrating some of his best TV moments.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Andy Griffith,” said Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. “His contributions to the entertainment industry and his role as Sheriff Andy Taylor will live forever in the minds and hearts of generations of television viewers past, present and yet to come. The entire TV Land staff will miss him and our thoughts go out to his family.”

“The Andy Griffith Show” has long been a part of TV Land’s history and has been in the network’s line-up for over a decade. In 2003, the network erected a statue in Raleigh, North Carolina, depicting the famous opening sequence featuring Andy Griffith and a young Ron Howard in their roles of Sheriff Andy and Opie Taylor walking hand-in-hand. Then in 2004, the network unveiled a replica of the bronze statue in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Andy Griffith’s birthplace and the town after which Mayberry was modeled. Also in 2004, the cast was honored with the Legend Award at the 2nd Annual “TV Land Awards.” Additionally, the network has produced two retrospective specials on the series, “TV Land’s Top 10: The Andy Griffith Show” and “Inside TV Land: The Andy Griffith Show.”

Andy Griffith, born in 1926 in North Carolina, has been a part of the American TV landscape for nearly 60 years, first appearing on popular programs such as “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Steve Allen Show” in the early 1950s. In 1960, CBS premiered the series that bore his name, “The Andy Griffith Show.” For eight years, he starred as Andy Taylor, the kind-hearted Sheriff of Mayberry, alongside then-child actor Ron Howard (“Happy Days”) as his son Opie and hilarious character actor, Don Knotts (“Three’s Company”), as Deputy Barney Fife. Andy also went on to star in the hit series “Matlock” for nine seasons.

Photo By: Sara De Boer/Retna

Monday, July 2, 2012

INSIDE STORY ON TOM CRUISE & KATIE HOLMES

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The cover story of the new issue of Us Weekly is all about Katie Holmes finally breaking free from her “Rosemary’s Baby” marriage to Tom Cruise.

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Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise

Katie Holmes' Hollywood fairy tale with Tom Cruise definitely did not have a happy ending. When the 33-year-old actress filed for divorce from Cruise, 49, last Thursday -- aggressively moving for sole legal custody of daughter Suri, 6 -- it was the culmination of a year-long attempt to break free of a confining, Scientology-influenced marriage to Cruise, sources tell the new Us Weekly, out now. "Every move she made and everything she did was controlled . . . She felt like she was in Rosemary's Baby," says one insider, referring to the classic 1968 horror film, in which an aspiring young actress (Mia Farrow) unwittingly bears a child for her husband's Satanic cult.

Indeed, her shocking divorce filing, which has blindsided a "furious" Cruise, wasn't simply about the Kennedys star's own personal contentment, a Holmes source says.

"This is about protecting her daughter," the insider explains to Us. "She wants to be in charge of how Suri is being raised and didn't want her to have an exclusively Scientology education."

The first source puts it more bluntly: "She felt she had to get out to save her daughter." For more on the biggest divorce shocker of the year -- inside their rigid marriage, their final blowout fight, how Cruise is "flipping out," how Holmes "got the strength to do it".

Jessica Simpson

JESSICA SIMPSON’S $4 MILLION BODY BATTLE

The scale has spoken — and it doesn’t have good news for Jessica Simpson. A source tells Hot Stuff the new mom learned at her first Weight Watchers weigh-in — a few weeks after the May 1 birth of daughter Maxwell — she had gained 70 pounds. Luckily, the spokesperson, 32, has $4 million worth of motivation to shed them. Her contract requires a 20- to 30-pound loss by the end of August or no payday, says a source. But it won’t be easy. “Jessica has always had issues with junk food,” says a Simpson pal. So the 5-foot-3 fashion mogul has called in reinforcements: She enlisted her mom, Tina, and a few pals to do the program “to help keep herself in check,” says the insider. Simpson, who plans to breast-feed through July, also ditched her beloved high-calorie margaritas, adds the source. “She had a few drinks post pregnancy, but then stopped.”

Kim Kardashian

KANYE’S PRIVATE CELLPHONE FOR KIM

Kim Kardashian is totally dialed in to boyfriend Kanye West. In fact, she’s the only one who has his phone number! West, 35, “doesn’t like to be tied down by technology,” says a source, and didn’t have a cell before falling for Kardashian, 31. “It frustrated Kim,” adds the insider. “She had to call him through a bodyguard.” But West recently caved and got a secret phone. Says a source, “He only uses it for Kim!”

Channing Tatum

CHANNING TATUM: NOT A FAN OF MAGIC COSTAR

The star clashed with Magic Mike protégé Alex Pettyfer

Alex Pettyfer

When Channing Tatum bares his true feelings about Magic Mike costar Alex Pettyfer, it’s not pretty. “He hates Alex,” a source tells Hot Stuff. “They had massive fights on set.” The beefcake to blame, insists another insider, is Pettyfer, 22, who plays a character based on former male revue dancer Tatum, 32. “Alex was a jerk to everyone during filming for no reason,” says the insider. “He thinks he’s the star of the movie, not Channing or Matthew McConaughey.” Tatum, a coproducer of the stripper flick, retaliated by cutting a Pettyfer scene and, according to a source, “went on a rampage about it!” And at Magic’s L.A. premiere June 25, the pair still hadn’t patched things up. The actors barely interacted and posed on opposite ends of the cast line. Says a source, “Channing refuses to do appearances alone with Alex — and he’ll never work with him again.”

Photos By: RD/Hebert/Retna

FOXWORTHY ON AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE

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TIMES SQUARE GOSSIP TELEVISION

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Jeff Foxworthy

GSN announced the premiere date for two original series premiering in August: THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE, an original one-hour game show hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, will premiere on Thursday, August 23 at 8 pm ET/PT and BEAT THE CHEFS, an hour-long cooking competition show with host Matt Rogers, will also premiere on Thursday, August 23 at 9 pm ET/PT.

These new shows represent GSN’s broader programming strategy of game-based series that reflect the core attributes of the brand. THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE and BEAT THE CHEFS on Thursday nights are the first of GSN’s “Shiny Floor Game” category - contemporary studio based game shows that focus on themes prevalent in pop culture.

THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE

Thursdays at 8 pm ET/PT

Comedian and author, Jeff Foxworthy hosts this studio-based game in which contestants compete based on their knowledge of the Bible. Utilizing current as well as historical references, questions will be drawn from the rich, dense narrative found in the world's best-selling book. The contestants will share their compelling back-stories and each team will be playing for a charitable organization. THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE is produced by RelativityREAL for GSN, with RelativityREAL’s Tom Forman (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) and Embassy Row’s Michael Davies ("The Newlywed Game," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") serving as Executive Producers on the project. Nick Stuart and Maura Dunbar of Odyssey Networks are Consulting Producers.

BEAT THE CHEFS

Thursdays at 9 pm ET/PT

An hour-long show in which everyday people who love to cook set out to prove that their family recipes are worth prize money and bragging rights. Each week, the show pits homespun talents against those of professional chefs as they cook the same dish—from firehouse chili to Grandma’s famous chicken and dumplings—but who will do it better? A panel of expert food critics will judge and decide if the amateurs can “beat the chefs.” Hosted by former American Idol finalist Matt Rogers (“Coming Home”), BEAT THE CHEFS is produced by RelativityREAL, with Tom Forman as Executive Producer.

About GSN

GSN is a multimedia entertainment company that offers original and classic game programming and competitive entertainment via its 75-million subscriber television network and online game sites. GSN’s cross-platform content gives game lovers the opportunity to win cash and prizes, whether through GSN’s popular TV game shows or through GSN Digital’s free casual games, mobile and social games, and cash competitions. GSN is distributed throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Canada by all major cable operators, satellite providers and telcos. GSN and its subsidiary, WorldWinner.com, Inc., are owned by DIRECTV and Sony Pictures Entertainment. For further information, please visit www.gsntv.com.

Photo Courtesy Of: GSN

STARS COME OUT FOR THE 2012 BET AWARDS

Spike Lee

John Beasley

Laurieann Gibson

Nadine Ellis

Jessica Reedy

Jessy Wilson

Austin Brown

Swizz Beatz

Melanie Fiona

Rapper A$AP Rocky

Lala Anthony

Jacob Latimore

Pusha T

Boris Kodjoe

Tatyana Ali

Amber Bullock

Yolanda Adams

Porscha Coleman

MC Lyte

Marsha Ambrosius

Tamia

Rapper Astro

Tamar Braxton

Erica Hubbard

Damien Dante Wayans

Michelle Williams And Letoya Luckett

The 2012 BET Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, was a star packed event. Style ruled and fashion was the name of the game. Click read more to see all the stars on the red carpet!