Food & Fun at 'The Taste' This Weekend

Labor Day weekend the L.A. Times, in partnership with Food & Wine magazine, invite you to enjoy unlimited food, wine, beer and spirits at its inaugural "The Taste" celebration.

The event takes place in three different locations, Beverly Hills, Downtown, and Hollywood, over the course of four days, with creations from 40 of L.A.'s best restaurants.

Tickets to the event are all-inclusive and offer unlimited tastings from some of  SoCal's top wineries and breweries, live music and panel discussions from celebrity chefs.

"The Taste" begins on Friday, September 2^nd and lasts through Labor Day. You can purchase tickets by visiting here.  Check out the website for a complete schedule.

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Drum Downtown on Saturday for free

Saturday everyone can learn how to bang out a beat when Drum Downtown comes to the Music Center Plaza.

The event is free to the public of all ages to bring along any type of household item to make music with. We're talking wooden spoons, chopsticks, even empty coffee cans! Anything and everything that can double as a makeshift drum will suffice, just as long as they're not sharp and dangerous, like knives.

Drum Downtown will take place this Saturday, September 3^rd from 10am to 11:30am at the Music Center Plaza.

Admission is free and will be on a first come, first serve basis. No experience is necessary! More info.

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Rihanna Sues Over Beverly Hills Mansion

Rihanna has filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, claiming she bought a 2-story home in Bev Hills in 2009 for $6.9 mil ... after the seller claimed she was not aware of any major defects with the property.

But Rihanna claims the woman was lying -- and knew about problems with the home ... including numerous waterproofing defects, evidence of water intrusion and other construction defects.

According to the docs, Rihanna's home was hit by a "moderate rainstorm" in January 2010 ... but because of the defects, water leaked into multiple rooms ... causing some serious damage.

Rihanna claims the actual value of the property at the time of purchase, taking into consideration the extensive construction defects ... was millions of dollars less" than the price she paid for it.

She is now suing the former owner ... along with the inspector, the real estate agents involved with the sale, and engineers who worked on the house.

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Javaris Crittenton Appears In Court

Former Laker Javaris Crittenton made his first court appearance this morning.

It was a quick hearing. Crittenton waived his right to an extradition hearing and now heads back to Atlanta to face murder charges.

The judge said Crittenton will be returned to Atlanta between Sept. 15 and Sept. 30.

The FBI arrested Crittenton at John Wayne Airport in Orange County on Monday about 8 p.m. after checking in for a flight to Atlanta. He was booked at LAPD headquarters.

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Jerry Lewis Gone From Telethon After 45 Years

No one would sniff at all the dollars Jerry Lewis raised for muscular dystrophy: a couple of billion during his 45-year reign as host of the MDA Telethon. Jerry put on a show like no other.

Labor Day this year promises to be bland by comparison, with the 85-year-old Lewis now banished from the annual rite he built from scratch and molded in his image.

As if deflated by the absence of its larger-than-life host, "The 46th Annual MDA Labor Day Telethon" will fill just six hours on Sunday from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Celebrities will include Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Antebellum, Richie Sambora and Jordan Sparks.

On Aug. 3, when, with no elaboration, MDA announced that Lewis had "completed his run" as national chairman, and that he would not be appearing on the telethon, as promised earlier.

The telethon will be on again this Labor Day weekend, in some faint version of what Lewis wrought. But for those who watch, and remember it with Jerry, it is likely to feel like a lonely affair.

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Courtney Thorne-Smith Returning to 'Men'

Having lined up an ex for Ashton Kutcher's character on the upcoming season of "Two and a Half Men," the show's producers have now made sure that Jon Cryer's character will have his own former flame to torment him.

Courtney Thorne-Smith will return to "Men" for the series' upcoming ninth season, reprising her recurring role as Alan Harper's ex-girlfriend, Lyndsey Makelroy.

The actress last appeared on the show in January -- at about the time when CBS and Warner Bros. TV pulled the plug on production for the show's eighth season, due to since-ousted star Charlie Sheen's increasingly erratic behavior.

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Ed Helms' Stunt Double Sues

The man who was Ed Helms' stunt double in "The Hangover 2" is suing Warner Bros -- claiming he was badly injured during a high speed stunt-gone-wrong for the movie last year in Bangkok, Thailand.

The stunt man -- Scott McLean -- filed a lawsuit in California federal court on Tuesday ... claiming he was participating in a stunt where he had to lean out of the window of a moving truck ... when something went terribly wrong.

According to McLean, another car involved in the stunt skidded out and crashed -- resulting in a major collision. McLean claims the stunt required "precision and timing" -- but after the stunt was underway, the stunt coordinator changed the timing ... which screwed up everything.

McLean's reps told The Hollywood Reporter he suffered, "likely permanent brain and physical injuries," including ongoing seizures, speech impediments, physical impediments, and brain trauma.

A rep for Warner Bros. tells TMZ, "We were shocked and saddened by this accident and have been working closely with Scott and his family throughout his treatment and recovery."
"We have offered continual support since the accident occurred and we are working together to try and resolve any outstanding issues."

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'Real Housewives of BH' Will Not Be Pushed Back

Bravo has announced that the second season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will premiere as planned on Monday, Sept. 5.

“Bravo will proceed with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” the producers of the show taped a brief interview this week with several of the cast members to introduce the premiere. Re-editing of the episodes is still underway."

While Bravo did not announce addressing Russell Armstrong’s suicide, the network “has partnered with the Entertainment Industries Council Inc. to raise awareness about suicide prevention.” The network will air public service announcements during the show.

A source said that show producers met with cast members to discuss the fate of the series. Some close to production encouraged Bravo to nix the season altogether, considering some of Taylor Armstrong’s storylines.

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Charlie Sheen Arbitrator Denies Gag Order

THR -- Charlie Sheen’s legal battle over his firing from Two and a Half Men might end up a little more public than Warner Bros. and Chuck Lorre would have liked.

The arbitrator overseeing the $100 million legal proceeding between Sheen, Men co-creator Lorre and Warners has denied a request for a broad gag order in the case.

The media still won’t be invited, and confidential details relating to facts deemed “sensitive and proprietary” will remain private, but the parties and the lawyers will be free to discuss the case with the press.

The arbitration now moves to the discovery phase, with all sides collecting docs and deposition testimony to help prove their cases. Sheen says Warners and Lorre conspired to unlawfully terminate him after he criticized Lorre in the press. Warners and Lorre, argue that Sheen was unfit to perform.

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Magic Johnson Announces Grandson on Twitter

Earvin Johnson — the only politically connected L.A. businessman/TV commentator with his statue outside Staples Center — took to Twitter last night to introduce Avery Johnson.

With photo. He's actually Magic's second grandchild.

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Man Arrested After Climbing KTLA Tower

KTLA had its own drama on the studio lot Tuesday night after a man climbed the Channel 5 tower and refused to come down.

The LAPD and LA City Fire were on scene, trying to talk the man down.

Eventually, the man agreed to come down and climbed back to the ground by 9:20 p.m.

He was taken into custody by police and was set to undergo a mental evaluation.

Authorities believe this is the same man who was arrested Monday after he pitched a tent under the tower and started yelling at people passing by.

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Ed O'Neill Gets Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Modern Family patriarch Ed O’Neill finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday.

O’Neill’s family, friends and co-stars from both his current ABC series and Fox’s Married… with Children joined him at the unveiling ceremony, including Christina Applegate, Katey Sagal, Sofia Vergara, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Ariel Winter, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce awarded O'Neill the star honoring his career spanning more than 40 years.

O’Neill is nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy this year.

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LA TV News Update

FOX11's new 5 p.m. news kicks off September 12 and it appears that a team has been selected and is already in place -- according to FOX11's Lisa Breckenridge.

"Exciting afternoon shooting promos for a new 5pm show on @myfoxla w @LizHabib @jeffmichael11 &@eddielaskosfox."

---

ABC7 -- Bri Winkler, a meteorologist at KAMR in Amarillo, is jumping 129 markets to join ABC7 as a meteorologist.

She received her degree in Marine and Atmospheric Science from the University of Miami.

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Ex-Laker Javaris Crittenton Arrested in SoCal

Former NBA guard Javaris Crittenton, who is wanted in connection with the murder of an Atlanta woman, was arrested Monday night in Southern California.

Crittenton, 23, of Fayetteville, Georgia, was taken into custody around 8:30pm Monday at John Wayne Airport. FBI officials say he had checked in for a flight to Atlanta.

The basketball player faces murder charges from the August 19 shooting of 22-year-old Julian Jones in Atlanta.
Crittenton, who played for Georgia Tech before going pro, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007 and then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

He was picked up by the Washington Wizards in December 2008 but was suspended and later released by the NBA in 2010 after a gun-related incident involving teammate Gilbert Arenas.

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Jon Cryer Must Pay Child Support

Jon Cryer's efforts to get out of paying child support to his ex-wife -- who no longer has custody of their kid -- have been stymied after an appeals court ruled the actor MUST shell out $8,000 per month.

The "Two and a Half Men" actor had been waging the battle for years -- claiming he shouldn't have to fork over a single cent to Sarah Trigger Cryer because she only looks after their young son 4% of the time.

The two divorced back in 2004 -- and since then, the courts have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced Sarah's parental rights because a family court does not believe she's a fit parent.

But the California Court of Appeal believes lowering Jon's child support obligation could have a negative effect on the child -- and yesterday, it rejected Jon's appeal.

The court explained, "Although, understandably, Jon may have found the situation unfair, the primary focus must remain on the child's well-being, not the parents' feelings."

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MJ Tribute Concert Wants Peace With Fans

The organizers for the upcoming Michael Jackson tribute concert want to make peace with the fans who say the concert is "doomed to fail" and have sworn to boycott the event ... by inviting them all to join in on a conference call to air out their grievances.

They're inviting the leaders of several prominent fan groups to join them Wednesday for "an informative call to address some of the misinformation about the upcoming Michael Forever tribute."

Michael Jackson fan groups world wide banded together in anger -- after Jermaine and Randy Jackson claimed it would be "inappropriate" to support a concert "during the criminal trial surrounding Michael's death" -- the confusion of which charity groups are involved and the insensitive choice of a now uninvited artist.

Organizers are hoping the call will put "rumors and incorrect information to rest."

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Learn to Dance the Samba for free

Dance Downtown: Samba Night -- Friday, September 9^th the Music Center Plaza will host a free event from 6:30pm to 10pm that will teach you how to dance the samba like a pro!

Dance instructors will be on hand to teach you all the moves from this iconic style of dance. There will be tons of great music and beginner dance lessons sprinkled throughout the evening, so you don't feel out of place.

Get more info here.

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Clark Gable's Grandson Pleads Not Guilty

The grandson of legendary actor Clark Gable has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he pointed a laser at an LAPD helicopter last month.

Officers say the light briefly obstructed the vision of the two officers inside the helicopter. Ground units were called and the light was tracked to a small red car that LAPD officers pulled over at Franklin and Highland.

Prosecutors declined to file charges against the driver citing insufficient evidence.

Free on $250,000 bail, Gable is due back in court on September 8, when a hearing will be scheduled to determine if there is enough evidence to require that he stand trial.

If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison.

LAMediaWatch.com

Judy Greer Will Play Ashton's Ex on 'Men'

THR -- Judy Greer is falling out of love with Ashton Kutcher. The former Mad Love star has booked a recurring role on CBS’ Two and a Half Men as Bridget, Walden Schmidt’s soon-to-be ex-wife.

Greer will play a key role that brings Kutcher’s Schmidt into the fold with Alan (Jon Cryer) and his son Jake (Angus T. Jones): the Internet billionaire will be so distraught during the divorce process that he buys the home of the late Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) and begs the boys to stay.

The role marks a reunion for Kutcher and Greer, with the two both having worked together on the 2008 comedy Miss/Guided, which Kutcher executive produced for ABC. It also marks Greer’s second stint with Men, having guest starred as a love interest for Charlie in a pair of 2007 episodes.

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'Dancing With the Stars' Cast Announced

Nancy Grace, Kristin Cavallari, Chaz Bono, Ricki Lake, Carson Kressley and David Arquette are among the stars who will be tackling the tango and performing the paso doble on Dancing With the Stars this season.

Others competing on the show's 13th season are Chynna Phillips; Italian TV personality and model Elisabetta Canalis and professional soccer player Hope Solo.  L.A. Laker Ron Artest; Keeping Up With the Kardashians' Rob Kardashian, brother of Kim, Kourtney and Khloe; and J.R. Martinez, Iraq war veteran and All My Children co-star.

Dancing With the Stars returns Sept. 19 with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m.

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Nancy Grace:’Dancing With the Stars’?

HLN host Nancy Grace may have found a new gig on the side.

TMZ is reporting that Grace has signed on to be a contestant on the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Grace will supposedly commute between Atlanta and Los Angeles during the season. “Dancing” is routinely one of the highest-rated shows on television, with last season’s finale drawing over 17 million viewers earlier this year.

The cast of "Dancing with the Stars" Season 13 will be officially announced after Monday's episode of "Bachelor Pad,"

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Matthew Fox Accused of Assaulting Bus Driver

(Reuters) - Matthew Fox was detained over the weekend by police investigating reports he had assaulted the female driver of a party bus. Fox, who is in Cleveland filming a movie, allegedly attempted to board the bus early Sunday morning.

Heather Bormann, 29, was driving the bus and says she "confronted" Fox as he attempted to get on with the other passengers. Fox hit her in the chest and stomach before she hit him back to defend herself.

She said it took three men to pull Fox away from her and that an off-duty police officer detained him until the police came.

Fox was put in a patrol car by police but was eventually released to "a friend" and took a taxi to his hotel, according to the police report.

Bormann plans to file assault charges on Tuesday.

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Dr. Conrad Murray Dealt Blow In Upcoming Trial

Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal defense team has been dealt a crushing blow when the judge presiding over his involuntary manslaughter trial, ruled that Michael Jackson's dermatologist and long time friend, Dr. Arnold Klein won't be allowed to testify.

Dr. Murray wasn't in court for the pre-trial hearing on Monday in Los Angeles.

Judge Michael Pastor agreed with the LA County DA's Office -- which opposed the defense's attempt to call Dr. Klein as a witness in the trial.

Judge Pastor also ruled that no testimony would be allowed regarding past allegations of child abuse and molestation involving Michael Jackson. However, two doctors that gave Michael Jackson Propofol in medical settings will be allowed to testify at the trial. The singer’s former nurse Cherylin Lee will also testify.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 8, with opening arguments most likely to take place the last week in September.

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VMAs Score MTV’s Biggest Audience Ever

Deadline -- Lady Gaga’s male alter ego and Beyonce’s newly revealed baby bump boosted last night’s 2011 Video Music Awards to a record-breaking 12.4 million total viewers, the largest audience ever for MTV.

In the network’s target Person's 12-34 audience, the VMAs delivered a 10.8 rating (8.5 million), making it MTV’s most-watched telecast of all time in the demo. Versus last year’s show, the VMAs were up 8% with P12-34 and 9% with total viewers.

The 2011 VMAs now rank as the #1 cable telecast of 2011 with P12-34 and the #1 non-sports cable telecast of 2011 with total viewers.

This is a throwback to MTV’s old days — before the Jersey Shore gang took over and started shattering ratings records, when the VMAs were the once-music channel’s top attraction.

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An Evening with 'Happy Endings'

Happy Endings, a show about six twenty-something friends living in Chicago.  The Paley Center for the Media will be hosting an event that will give you an opportunity to meet the cast and crew of Happy Endings.

All six cast members will be in attendance, including Elisha Cuthbert and Damon Wayans Jr.

An Evening with Happy Endings takes place at 7pm tonight, August 29^th at The Paley Center for the Media in Beverly Hills.

Tickets are 20 bucks, but you can get in for 15 bucks if you're a member. www.paleycenter.org.

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Charlie Sheen Roast: Tyson, Levin, Sign On

What will Mike Tyson say about Charlie Sheen at his Comedy Central roast? Anything he wants to. Ba-dum.

Look for better jokes than that as the former heavyweight champ joins TMZ's Harvey Levin, "Jackass" Steve-O, and roast veterans Anthony Jeselnik and Jeffrey Ross in roasting Sheen next month. They were announced Monday as the first roasters in the upcoming Sheenanigans.

The roast will be taped Sept. 10 and air Sept. 19, the same night Ashton Kutcher debuts as Sheen's replacement on "Two and a Half Men." "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane was previously announced as the Roast Master.

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Happy Birthday Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson would have celebrated his 53rd birthday today, but instead his children and father visited his home town of Gary, Indiana to commemorate the "King of Pop."

Hundreds of fans celebrated this weekend outside Jackson's small childhood house on Jackson street.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009 of acute propofol intoxication after suffering cardiac arrest.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

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Jon Cryer Talks New 'Men' Storyline

Jon Cryer spills more details about the new season, giving some rough season-long plot points and shedding light on Ashton Kutcher's enormous trailer.

Though there will be a big funeral for Charlie Harper, the show won't be sappy and overly sentimental about the death.

Kutcher's character will buy the house, letting Alan and son stay there. And while Sheen's character was the ladies' man with Cryer playing the geek, the tables will turn -- at least a little bit.

"I can only say my character ends up being the more romantically experienced one of the two of them. So Alan becomes sort of a mentor character to Ashton's character" -- I'm a terrible mentor. And that's where a lot of the fun of the show comes from."

As for his relationship with Kutcher off-screen, Cryer raved about the new star -- and his trailer, "I have been in what I refer to as the U.S.S. Yorktown." He has an open-door policy with a club upstairs -- yeah, that's right, I said upstairs. He pipes music out before and after the shows and everybody hangs out. It creates a great vibe."

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Kreayshawn Victim Of Hack Attack

Rapper Kreayshawn -- the 21-year-old behind that "Gucci Gucci" song -- claims someone hacked her Twitter account and leaked nude pics that she posed for when she was underage.

Kreayshawn went online this morning and explained the situation -- saying, "My twitter got hacked today by some anti-hollywood extremists."

"They sent out wack ass tweets and promoted their odd message of anti-jew stuff and deleted my twitter.. Oh and they leaked out private photos of me while I was underage."

Kreayshawn was nominated for Best New Artist at the MTV VMAs. Tyler, the Creator took the award.

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LA TV Update

KTLA Morning News was awarded the Daily News' Readers' Choice award as "Best Morning Show" for the 14th consecutive year.

ABC 7's Phillip Palmer welcomes a new addition to his family. Daughter Sydney Madison was born on Aug. 20. She weighed in at 9 lbs., 4 ozs.

ABC 7 and weekend anchor Lisa Hernandez have parted ways.  Sources report her contract was not renewed.

CBS 2's Paul Magers' brother, Ron, also a news anchor, is celebrating 30 years in Chicagoland. Ron co-anchors ABC 7's (WLS) 5 and 10 p.m. news, the latter is Chicago's most watched newscast.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a TV archive has been created which features a variety of stations and networks and their coverage of that day and the days that followed

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Lady Gaga Foul-Mouthed Drag King Act

THR --Through the show and then in the pressroom, it was all Jo, all the time for the VMA winner

Her name for the night was “Jo Calderone” and from what we can gather, the alter ego is Gaga’s boyfriend who agreed to come to the show for her.

Back in the pressroom, we weren’t sure what to expect and whom we would be speaking to. Were we supposed to prepare questions for Gaga or “Jo”? We got our answer right away.

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VMAs: Katy Perry Tops Award Winners

THR -- Katy Perry won her first Moonmen at Sunday night's VMAs, taking home video of the year for "Firework."The singer also took home the trophy for best collaboration and best special effects for her single "E.T.," featuring Kanye West. (A complete list of winners can be found here.)

Going into Sunday night's show, Perry led all nominees with a total of nine noms, followed by Adele and West with seven apiece.

Beyonce announced that she was pregnant with her first child with husband Jay-Z. At the end of her performance, she hugged her stomach, confirming the news.

Justin Bieber won best male video for his single "U Smile." Britney Spears won for best pop video for her song "Till the World Ends." Nicki Minaj also won her first VMA, for best hip-hop video for "Super Bass." Meanwhile, Foo Fighters won best rock video for "Walk."

The awards show at Nokia Theatre, kicked off with a performance by Lady Gaga. Gaga also won the award for best video with a message and best female video for "Born This Way." 

Russell Brand introduced a tribute to Amy Winehouse.

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Casey Anthony's Parents Open Up To Dr. Phil

Casey Anthony's parents are finally opening up about what REALLY happened to their granddaughter -- revealing NEW information that could have changed the outcome of the case ... at least that's what Dr. Phil wants you to believe.

The good doc has released his first promo for his tell-all interview with George and Cindy Anthony -- and though neither one of them utters a word during the 30 second spot ... Phil seems pretty excited about some new "information" that he claims America has never heard before.

During the interview -- set to air on Sept. 12 -- Phil asks, "You know the truth, don't you?"

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Chaz Bono On "Dancing With The Stars"

Chaz Bono will be hitting the hardwood on the new season of "Dancing with the Stars," according to TMZ.

Multiple sources connected with the show are reporting Chaz has signed on and will be partnered with a female professional.

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Taylor Armstrong Meets With Coroner

TMZ is reporting the L.A. County Coroner has paid a visit to Taylor Armstrong to find out what she knows about Russell Armstrong's suicide, and the trip was necessary because Taylor has not made herself available for more than a week.

L.A. County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter met with Taylor at home for a half hour and discussed, among other things, Russell's state of mind in the weeks leading up to his death, his drug use and whether he was under a doctor's care.

Sources say Taylor told Winter ... Russell was not under any regimen of drugs and she had absolutely no idea he would commit suicide.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers Raise $1M for Silverlake Conservatory

LAist -- Wednesday night the Red Hot Chili Peppers played Club Nokia at L.A. Live and raised $1 million for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music.

The goal of the Conservatory, which opened in 2001, offers affordable private lessons, and for kids in need they offer scholarships and access to instruments at no charge.

Wednesday's fundraiser concert was sold-out, and fully sponsored by Goldenvoice and the STAPLES Center Foundation. The band rocked a 2-hour set. Pics at via losanjealous.

All proceeds go back to the school to fund operational costs and the scholarship program.

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Kristin Cavallari Accepts Invite To Marine Ball

Kristin Cavallari has accepted an invitation to attend a Marine Corps Ball in San Diego in November after a Devil Dog named Jonathan Burkett extended an invitation via Twitter yesterday, according to TMZ.

The message read, "Wanted to know if you want to go the the Marine Corps Ball with me in San Diego?! Would make a video but still deployed!"

Cavallari promptly replied,"Would love to! When is it?" ...  her people are working out the details to make it happen.

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Derek Jeter & Minka Kelly Call It Quits

Minka Kelly, the Friday Night Lights beauty and New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter have called it quits after a 3-year relationship, according to JustJared.com, who broke the news early Friday.

"They care about each other and it was amicable," a source told People. "They're still friends."

The split didn't seem to impact Jeter's play during the Yankees' 22-9 rout over the Oakland A's on Thursday, as he went 3-6 to bring his batting average up to a healthy .299.

As for Kelly, she’ll be featured on ABC's upcoming Charlie's Angels remake, which premieres Thursday, September 22 at 8/7c.

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Austin Powers Actor Convicted of Torture

Joseph Hyungmin Son, who played Random Task in the Austin Powers films, has been convicted of torturing an Orange County woman.

The LA Times reports Son was initially charged with multiple counts of sexual assault stemming from a 1990 Christmas Eve rape. But those charges had to be dropped due to an expired statute of limitations.

Son’s torture conviction stems from the same incident, which occurred a full seven years before Austin Powers came out.

LAMediaWatch.com

World Peace Delayed Until Tickets Are Paid

Ron Artest can't change his name for at least 3 more weeks, because a judge ruled there will be no Metta World Peace until Ron clears up his outstanding traffic ticket warrants.

Ron's name change petition went before a judge this morning, but the judge said he would not grant Ron's request until the traffic warrants are paid.

The new hearing is set for September 16.

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Letterman Sends Regis 80th Birthday Greetings

On Thursday, David Letterman used his Top Ten List to count down the "Ways Regis Philbin Celebrated His 80th Birthday." Given the barbs unleashed, Reege -- who has announced that he is leaving "Live! With Regis and Kelly" in November -- probably would been happier to receive a simple card or even a membership in a fruitcake-of-the-month club.

"Wandered streets in his bathrobe," read one reason.

"Dozed off in his cake," read another.

Sadly, Regis didn't celebrate his birthday by appearing on the "Late Show" in person. Clearly, he had more important things to do, such as the item at number one on Letterman's list: "Posted anti-Dave rant on al-Qaeda website."

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Michael Jackson Crowned King of MTV VMAs Poll

King of Pop Michael Jackson is gone, but he is not forgotten -- not by MTV Video Music Award voters.

Two days before the widely-watched awards show, MTV on Friday released a poll of the top moments chosen by voters in the program's nearly three decades with Jackson singled out for most iconic and best pop performances for a medley of songs he sang in 1995.

Other results of the MTV poll, which also looked at best videos of the 1980s, 90s and 00s, as well as top performances in hip hop and rock, can be found at newsroom.mtv.com.

The VMAs air on Sunday, starting at 9 p.m.

LAMediaWatch.com

Jim Carrey's Emma Stone Video Crashes Website

THR -- Jim Carrey's bizarre tribute to Emma Stone -- in which he proclaimed he'd like to have babies with her -- was streamed so many times it crashed his website.

"#goodmornoonevening world. so much traffic on www.jimcarreytrulife.com that the site has crashed temporarily. Back up soon. ?;^\" Tweeted Carrey on Thursday.

Shortly after, he added, www.jimcarreytrulife is back up! you may once again feast upon my #Boing! ?;^>

Carrey also explained his message to The Help actress: "Yes, my msg to Emma Stone was a comedy routine and the funniest part is that everything i said is tru.

He further confused matters by adding: "People often ask me if i'm being funny or serious. The answer is "YES". ?;^]"

LAMediaWatch.com

Sunset Junction Bands at Echo & Echoplex This Weekend

The Echo and Echoplex are opening their doors this weekend to several bands originally slated to rock the cancelled Sunset Junction Festival.

Butthole Surfers and 400 Blows will take the Echoplex stage on Saturday. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Charles Bradley will perform on Sunday. The Echo also features bands on Saturday: Geotic, The One AM Radio and Dntel.

Additionally, several store-parties have popped up after news of the street fair's cancellation. Neil Schield, owner of Origami Vinyl who is coordinating a handful of bands playing at retail stores in Echo Park that are in close proximity to the venues Echo and Echoplex.

Tickets available through TicketWeb, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to 826LA, a non-profit writing and tutoring center.

LAMediaWatch.com

Lindsay Lohan Blowing Off Pitbull Apology

Pitbull's not getting out of Lindsay Lohan's legal doghouse -- because she's blowing off his apology for using her name in a song ... and rejecting his invitation to the MTV VMAs.

Lohan is suing Pitbull because his song "Give Me Everything" includes a lyric she feels disparages her name.
On Wednesday, Pitbull taped an apology ... claiming he meant no harm, and invited Lindsay to join him at the VMAs this weekend -- where he's scheduled to perform the song.

Sources close to Lindsay tell us she has no interest in going to the VMAs -- and Pitbull's apology has no impact on the lawsuit ... it's moving forward.

LAMediaWatch.com

Charlie Sheen ‘Anger Management’ Getting Ready

Deadline -- After a series of meetings with various veteran comedy showrunners, The Drew Carey Show creator Bruce Helford has emerged as a leading candidate to write Anger Management, the Lionsgate TV-produced TV series starring Charlie Sheen.

No final decision has been made and Helford is expected to have at least another meeting with the producers but he is considered a strong choice to create a starring vehicle for Sheen.

He can also handle the accelerated production schedule required by the Debmar-Mercury model having juggled multiple series at the same time.

The Debmar-Mercury template calls for quick amassing of syndicatable number of episodes.

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Kendall Jenner Shows School Spirit at The Grove

Tending to her duties as a paid spokesperson for Varsity Spirit Corporation, Kendall Jenner was front and center at The Grove in Hollywood, CA on Thursday (August 25).

Clad in a cute little cheerleader's outfit, the E! reality starlet joined a group of pom-pom waving ladies for Varsity's National School Spirit Day.

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'One Million Years B.C.' at the Page on Saturday

Saturday will be your last chance to watch one of the baddest movies of all time when the Page Museum in Hancock Park screens 1966's One Million Years B.C. as part of its of "B-Movies and Bad Science" event.

The film, which stars Raquel Welch as a fur bikini-wearing cavewoman, is known for its campy nature and lack of concern related to history.

The last screening in the Page Museum's "B-Movies and Bad Science" event will take place this Saturday, August 27^th at 8:30pm.

Get more information and tickets here.

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