For those who shared the Aussies' outrage over Britney Spears, here's a new TV show for you: The Sing-Off, a competition you can not sync your lips into. Hosted by Nick Lachey, the four-night NBC series premiering Dec. 14 features eight singing groups vying for an Epic Records/Sony Recording contract, and the only instruments allowed will be their own voices. "There is nowhere to hide when you're doing an a cappella song," Lachey, the former member of 98 Degrees (and, he rev... Read Full Story
Nicole Richie has checked out of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after battling pneumonia and is at home resting, says her boyfriend Joel Madden. "So I stepped off the plane after a month out of the country, and basically went straight to the hospital for the week," Madden wrote on his band's Web site on Friday. "But don't worry all is well and we are home with no problems." Richie, 28, had been sick for the last week and a half. "Ok cold, it's been 6 days. Lets part ways graci... Read Full Story
LOS ANGELES – An Illinois insurance executive accused of secretly making nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews posted $100,000 bond on Friday — a much larger amount than previously imposed. U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Turchin increased bond for Michael Barrett during a hearing in Los Angeles after Andrews' attorney said the executive posed a threat to the public. Barrett already was free on $4,500 bond. Barrett, 48, faces one count of interstate stalking and is schedule... Read Full Story
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Adam Lambert -- the man with the outsize personality who delivered an audacious octave-and-a-half sitar-tinged purr of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" on the most-watched TV show in the country, dodged sex toys thrown at him onstage during the "American Idol" tour and did it all without smearing his eyeliner -- is curled in the fetal position. Balled up in a patio chair on the 10th-story balcony at the offices of 19 Entertainment in Los Angeles, Lambert ... Read Full Story
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – A year ago, Kris Allen was attending the University of Central Arkansas, playing gigs at local bars and adjusting to life as a newlywed. Now, thanks to "American Idol," he's enough of a brand name that his major-label debut is self-titled. "Kris Allen" (19 Recordings/Jive) was released November 17, and odds are good that Allen can build off his digital-single sales success from "American Idol." To date, Allen has sold 1.1 million copies of tracks he... Read Full Story
SUFFERN, N.Y. – Cable television newsman Dominic Carter, an influential reporter on New York politics, was convicted Friday of an attempted assault on his wife. The Rockland County district attorney's office issued a one-sentence statement Friday saying Carter, 46, was found guilty of third-degree attempted assault. The maximum sentence is three months in jail. Carter, who was political anchor on NY1 until the station learned of the accusation, had been accused of the more s... Read Full Story
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio – The jury in the trial of an Ohio police chief accused of breaking into the home of a woman who carried twins for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick ended five hours of deliberations Friday without a verdict. The jury in the case of suspended Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter began deliberations about 4:30 p.m. and ended for the day five hours later. Deliberations are expected to resume Monday morning. Carpenter is accused of taking item... Read Full Story
CHICAGO – For more than two decades, Oprah Winfrey has been the inspirational, change-your-life champion who reigned over daytime television much like Johnny Carson once ruled late night. Now she's ready to say goodbye, leaving a huge void for broadcast TV even as she raises the possibility of more Oprah than ever when she starts her own cable network. Winfrey told viewers Friday that she will dim the lights on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" at the close of its 25th season in late 2... Read Full Story
