Ike Turner’s death on December 12th of last year has been ruled “a cocaine overdose,” according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office. “We are listing that he abused cocaine, and that’s what resulted in the cocaine toxicity,” said Paul Parker, the office’s chief investigator. Hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema are also being listed as “significant and contributing factors” to Turner’s death.
Earlier this week, a rumor started circulating that Chris Brown and Bow Wow got into a scuffle and it allegedly ended in Bow Wow spitting on Chris. The reason? “Technical difficulties” … as usual. Now, if you remember correctly, not too long ago, Bow Wow threw a temper tantrum that landed him in the hospital because he hurt his hand. That actually turned out to be true, as confirmed by the mini-rapper himself. But according to the first half of “Bowmarion,” this latest rumor holds no truth. This is what he told MTV.com:
“Man, listen,” Bow said via phone while visiting a mall in Tampa, Florida, where he and Brown performed Monday night. “I just got off the phone with Chris. My mom called me and told me about the rumor. I called him and told him, and he started laughing. We was dying [with laughter]. Anybody who knows me or anybody who’s been around me knows I’m not that kind of person,” he continued. “I [felt bad] for New York [reality-TV star Tiffany Pollard] when she got spit on during ‘Flavor of Love.’ A wise man once taught me, the most vicious thing you can do is spit on somebody. It’s just a rumor. It’s a big rumor. I would never do that. That’s not being a man, that’s a sissy act.”
A sissy act, eh? I’m just gonna leave that alone… Lol
PEOPLE, the same site who released the first official photos of Eddie and Tracey’s “wedding,” are now reporting that the couple has split. After only 2 weeks, Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds have called it quits. The two participated in a spiritual ceremony New Year’s Day in Bora Bora, and were due to make their relationship as husband and wife official over here in the U.S.A. But it looks like that won’t be happening!
“After much consideration and discussion, we have jointly decided that we will forego having a legal ceremony as it is not necessary to define our relationship further,” Murphy and Edmonds tell PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “While the recent symbolic union in Bora Bora was representative of our deep love, friendship and respect that we have for one another on a spiritual level, we have decided to remain friends.”
I don’t like it. I think they should have done a beauty shot or a full body shot (becos she’s tall, this obviously butchers her beautiful figure). And why name the album ‘That Chick’? Nothing about this project phases me. I don’t know…
According to All Hip Hop, daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey has teamed with Discovery Communications to launch a new multi-platform media venture named The Oprah Winfrey Network [OWN].
Winfrey, who has criticized some Hip-Hop music, as well as various media outlets for their portrayal of African-American men and women, will serve as chairman of OWN. She will have full editorial over OWN’s content and will be responsible for the programming, branding and creative vision of the network. OWN is slated to debut in 2009 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. “Fifteen years ago, I wrote in my journal that one day I would create a television network, as I always felt my show was just the beginning of what the future could hold,” Oprah Winfrey said in a statement. “For me, the launch of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Network’ is the evolution of the work I’ve been doing on television all these years and a natural extension of my show.”
The network will target women, men and their families, encouraging them to “live their best lives, and by doing so, lift the lives of those around them in ever-widening circles.” OWN is currently seeking a CEO to oversee the day-to-day operations of the venture immediately. Various rappers have criticized Winfrey, claiming that her Oprah Winfrey television show tends to cast Hip-Hop music in a negative light. Rappers like Ludacris, 50 Cent, Ice Cube and others have named checked Winfrey in songs and interviews. “I listen to some Hip-Hop. I’ve been accused of not liking Hip-Hop and that’s just not true,” Winfrey said. “I got a little 50 [Cent] in my iPod. I really do. I like ‘In Da Club.’ Have you heard the beat to ‘In Da Club’? Love that, love Jay-Z, love Kanye, love Mary J. Mary J. is one of my friends.”
Vivica A. Fox is not letting it go down like that! The actress talked to PEOPLE Saturday night at the BET Honors and said: “Vivica [1] does not have a sex tape. If I did, I would be making my own money off of it.” Reports of the alleged tape, which shows a woman who resembles Fox, made its rounds across the internet over the past month, but Fox says, “As a 43-year-old woman, I would never allow a man to put me in that position. If you see me having a love scene, it’s going to be choreographed in a movie, and be fabulous.”
[1] I’m mad she referred to herself in the third person!
A rep for New York also spoke with PEOPLE recently about her alleged sex tape as well. The reality tv star’s rep said in a statement: “Tiffany Pollard 100% did not participate in any sex tape of any kind.” Tiffany is apparently upset that the grainy tape is making its rounds across the internet, says a source close to the “I Love New York” front-woman. “If she had a sex tape, she would admit to it,” says the source. “That’s her personality. She has nothing to hide. For someone to make a sex tape and say it’s her — when it’s not — is just not right.”
In addition to returning all 5 of the medals she won in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Marion Jones was sentenced to 6 months in prison for lying to federal investigators about her steroid use and check-fraud scheme, according to a report published by People last week.
“I absolutely realize the gravity of the offenses I’ve committed. I want to apologize,” Jones told the court as she began to cry, according to ABC News. “I plead with you,” she said, to not separate “me from my boys even for a short while.”
Her lawyers asked for leniency, according to the Associated Press, but U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, N.Y., sentenced the 31-year-old to the prison term as well as two years of supervised release, during which she will be required to perform 800 hours of community service. In sentencing, the judge said he gave her the maximum under her plea deal to send a message to athletes who have abused drugs and overlooked the values of “hard work, dedication, teamwork and sportsmanship.”
Jones, who used steroids distributed by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative – the same lab that supplied steroids to New York Yankees star Jason Giambi and San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds – is the first professional sports figure to get prison time. Jones is also now said to be in financial ruin.
The 6-month prison sentence seem a bit harsh, don’t you think?
Janet Jackson is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Billboard magazine. Looks like she’s really shooting for a successful album! If you remember correctly, Janet’s last album tanked horribly due to lack of promotion on MTV. But luckily for Janet, this time around MTV is actually considering the fact that she exists! They premiered her new video, “Feedback,” on TRL the other day.
Rapper DMX has been forced to pay out $1.5 million to the mother of his child, after he failed to turn up to a Maryland court on Friday to defend himself against allegations of defamation. The MC, real name Earl Simmons, was sued by Monique Wayne for defamation of character in 2006 after the star claimed he was raped by the woman during a hotel stay in Baltimore in 2003.
He told the magazine Sister 2 Sister, “She raped me. DNA says it is (my child). I don’t know. If I did (have sex with her), I would remember. It ain’t like she’s a pretty girl.” Wayne responded to the comments by filing a $6 million lawsuit against Simmons in Prince George’s County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro, Md., in October 2006. Judge Thomas Smith ruled in Wayne’s favor on Friday when Simmons skipped the scheduled court hearing, ordering the rapper to pay her $518,400 in compensation, plus a further $1 million in punitive penalties, reports the New York Post.
Following the ruling, Wayne told the newspaper, “It’s not so much the price, it’s the point I wanted to get across. Let him think about what he’s going to say before he says it.”
Does he even have $1,500,000 ???
JANET JACKSON // DISCIPLINE ALBUM COVER (VIA ONTD)Hmm … Hmmm! That’s all I have to say, for the first time ever, I’m totally speechless about this one. On another note, Janet’s PR squad revealed four new tracks from Janet’s album Discipline (in stores February 26th). They are: ‘Can’t be good’, ‘Discipline’ written and produced by Ne-Yo, ‘Roller Coaster’ produced by Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins and ‘Letchu go’ produced by hubby Jermaine Dupri (via Toya’s World). Sounds interesting …
I got emails threatening to post this song! OK, I’m exaggerating … One reader was really anxious to hear the high quality though. They even suggested that I contact Ashanti’s label immediately for them to send me this song (gave me the contact information and everything). Sadly I had my doubts from that low quality version, which the individual also included in the email for me. Foolish me, I love this song, the passionate lyrics, Ashanti’s belting vocals, the drowning melodies — love it! A definite step-up from “Hey Baby”. Ashanti’s bringing the heat this time!
Ashanti – The Way That I Love You – page link // direct link
And here we thought steroids were just for athletes! Some of music’s biggest names like Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean came up in connection with an Albany, New York based steroid investigation, The Times Union of Albany reported. They even named playwright/director Tyler Perry!
Citing unidentified sources, the report alleged that the above-mentioned music stars, along with award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry, may have received or used performance-enhancing drugs. Grammy-winning singer Blige blasted the report when reached for comment by the New York Daily News. “Mary J. Blige has never taken any performance-enhancing illegal steroids,” the singer’s spokeswoman Karynne Tencer told the News. Ken Sunshine, a spokesman for Perry, declined to comment to the Associated Press.
Law-enforcement officials have said evidence does not indicate the celebrities broke the law. For now, at least, officials are focusing on the doctors, pharmacists and clinics providing the drugs. Albany District Attorney David Soares launched his investigation into steroid trafficking last year. Soares has declined to comment on or confirm the identities of the stars who came up in the probe. His multistate investigation has focused on Signature Pharmacy of Orlando, Fla. So far, 10 defendants have pleaded guilty and some professional athletes have been linked to the probe in news reports.
Records shared with the Times Union and information from several cooperating witnesses on Long Island indicate the celebrities received prescribed human growth hormone or steroids. In some cases, aliases were used for their delivery. Former Sen. George Mitchell released his report last month on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Hearings are set to begin this month in Congress on the Mitchell report.
Well … I’ll be damned! The outcome of this will be quite interesting.
LIONEL RICHIE’S A GRAND-DAD! » Nicole Richie gave birth Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to a daughter named Harlow Winter Kate Madden, People magazine reported on its website. The father is Richie’s 28-year-old boyfriend, Joel Madden, of the rock group Good Charlotte. “We are very blessed she’s healthy and beautiful and so good already,” Madden told People on Saturday. “We are very happy.”
Richie, the socialite daughter of singer Lionel Richie, is perhaps best known for costarring with Paris Hilton in the reality show “The Simple Life.” Last year, she spent 82 minutes in jail after being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs. She was arrested in December 2006 after witnesses reported seeing her Mercedes-Benz SUV headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank. I’m just mad at that ugly ass name! “Harlow Winter?” Come on man…
Here are some brand new photos of Lil Mama, Chris Brown, T-Pain clowning around (and working, of course) on the set of Lil Mama’s latest video for her new single, “Shawty Get Loose,” which features the aforementioned. The video was shot in Miami, FL by director R. Malcom Jones. Be on the lookout for Lil Mama’s debut album, “Voice of the Young People,” when it hits stores Spring ’08. Check out more exclusive photos from the set after the cut!
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