Tag Archives: Dancing With The Stars
Jennifer Lopez Peaces Out on ‘American Idol’
What happened to American Idol? The once great media darling that trounced all competition and raked huge commercial success for it’s producers is “now” becoming a laughing stock. Just days after rocker Steven Tyler announced he would forgo his post as panel judge for the upcoming 12th season, word just broke that Jennifer ‘from the block” Lopez is also stepping down.
Lopez broke the news to American Idol host Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio show.
“I really was dreading this phone call with you,” she told him. “I honestly feel like the time has come that I have to get back to doing the other things that I do that I’ve put kind of on hold because I love ‘Idol’ so much.”
With Tyler and Lopez out, the only dawg left standing is Randy Jackson. Along with Seacrest, Jackson is by far the bouie that keeps this sinking ship afloat. Can “Idol” go into it’s 12th season with only one host? Or maybe no host at all?
When Tyler broke the news on Thursday, he sited his passion for all things Rock n Roll as the reason behind his departure.
“I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I’m back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I’m kicking the door open with my band,” Tyler said in a statement. Aerosmith are on a nationwide tour with Tyler and have an album due out in the fall. In a phone interview Thursday with The Associated Press as the news about Tyler broke, Lopez had said she was saddened to hear that Tyler was leaving and that his departure would play a role in her decision.
“I can’t even imagine anyone else there right now because I’ve just spent two years sitting next to him,” she said. “I love Steven, and we became close during that time. We were a great support for each other, on an adventure that neither one of us knew what it was going to be. So it’s hard to hear that he won’t be doing it.”
Fox Executives were left scrambling to pick up the pieces.
“We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock ‘n’ roll legend, he would go back to his music,” said Mike Darnell, the network’s president of alternative entertainment.
Speculation about new panelists has swirled around Mariah Carey to former “Idol” runner up Adam Lambert. There’s even rumors that Mr. Tiger Blood himself, Charlie Sheen might take a crack at Judging.
“Idol” still rules among the most-watched talent shows, topping ABC’s ” Dancing With The Stars” and NBC’s “The Voice.” But the show is fighting hard to keep it’s young viewers, with “The Voice” nearly equaling its audience among adults 18 to 49.
FOX, which from the start has protected “Idol” by programming it just once a year, has now diluted its uniqueness with a family competitor, Cowell’s “The X Factor,” which debuted last fall. After a disappointing start, the show underwent its own judging shake-up to add Demi Lovato and Britney Spears.
“American Idol” hasn’t been helped by a run of horrible champions who have failed to achieve commercial success ala Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson or Carrie Underwood.
One things for sure, the show may not have the same appeal but the Judges are using the panel as a catapult to shill their own brands and make out like bandits.
DAVID ARQUETTE: COURTENEY COX AND I WON’T RECONCILE
Although David Arquette and Courteney Cox have yet to file for divorce over a year after separating — and remain on extremely friendly, chummy terms — a marital reconciliation is not in the cards.
That’s what Arquette, 40, insisted during a Tuesday appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.” The actor and recent “Dancing With the Stars” contestant insisted to Stern that he and Cox, 47, who share daughter Coco, 7, are past the point of getting back together.
Arquette is now dating “Entertainment Tonight” reporter Christina McLarty. Stern asked him, “If Courteney said to you, ‘David, I made a mistake. I want to work on our marriage. I want you moving back into the house. I want you to break up with that girl. I know we have to do this for our daughter.’ Would you consider it?”
Replied Arquette, “Uh, I mean, no.”
That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of love between the pair, who were married for 11 years before splitting in October 2010. When he told Cox that he was in love with McLarty, it was very emotional.
“She was sad; we were both sad. We both cried,” he said.
Arquette has famously overshared with Stern about his marital problems — even admitting to a mental breakdown on air — but told Stern he endeavors to have fewer TMI moments going forward.
“I’m trying to keep my personal life personal,” the “Scream 4″ actor said. “It’s very hard for me because I’m a very honest person.”
Elisabetta Canalis dishes on Clooney
At 50 years old, George Clooney is just old enough to be a father to ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis.
And, well, he kind of was!
“He was a very special person for me — like a father,” Canalis, 33, tells Italian broadcaster Bruno Vespa in his new book, “This Love.” The Italian model and TV personality parted ways with actor Clooney over the summer after about two years together. He quickly rebounded with a younger woman, former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler, 32.
“With George, it was more of a father-daughter relationship,” Canalis reveals of the romance. “It was a great love and it was like living a fairy tale. George is a real gentleman even with his private life. I was very well respected as a partner.”
But Canalis shoots down widely held assumptions that they broke up because she was desperate to marry and have children with him.
“We both decided it was time to split up,” she says. “George and I never spoke about marriage or children. I’m not saying that I don’t want them but neither he nor I ever imagined having children together.”
Why did they split, then? “We split up for our own personal reasons not because of marriage,” she says, vaguely, adding that it was love at first sight for her when they met back in 2009. “I threw myself body and soul into my relationship with George. Four days after we met I packed my bags and moved in with him.”
She has absolutely no hard feelings for her ex, despite his quick, very public rebound with Keibler.
“He respected my feminine sensibility and was a marvelous boyfriend and one of the nicest people I have ever met because of his humanity,” Canalis gushed.
“My relationship with George did not damage me. I was with a man who is famous across the world and I will go forward on my own,” says the beauty, who tried her hand as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” before getting eliminated early on. “Here (America) I am living a dream!”
Hope Solo’s team terminated
Women’s Professional Soccer has terminated its South Florida franchise after clashing with the owner all season.
FOX Soccer senior writer Ives Galarcep counts down the top 25 MLS draft prospects in his latest FOX Soccer Big Board.
The 3-year-old league announced Thursday that its Board of Governors had voted two days earlier to terminate magicJack, one of its six teams this past season. The magicJack (10-8-2) featured Abby Wambach, Hope Solo and several members of the US team that played in the World Cup this summer.
In May, the club was docked a point in the standings and a draft pick for not meeting league standards.
In August, after owner Dan Borislow filed suit against the WPS in Florida court, the league released a statement accusing him of violations ranging from ”unprofessional and disparaging treatment of his players to failure to pay his bills.”
The WPS claimed that ”Mr. Borislow’s actions have been calculated to tarnish the reputation of the league and damage the league’s business relationships.”
Nancy Grace’s Wardrobe Mulfunction
Nancy Grace almost quickstepped herself out of her dress on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ this week.
Simba beats out Brad Pitt at the Box Office
If this were a Major League Baseball divisional race, you’d have to hope Sony’s “Moneyball” would qualify for the wild card.
The biopic, which stars Brad Pitt, grossed a strong $20.6 million this weekend, according to studio estimates. That was good enough to beat “Moneyball’s” pre-release projections but came just short of catching the phenomenal $22.1 million weekend No. 2 performance of Disney’s “Lion King” 3D re-release.
Warner/Alcon Entertainment family film “Dolphin Tale” was a close third at $20.3 million, and could end up surpassing “Moneyball” once final revenue tallies are made Monday morning.
Lionsgate’s Taylor Lautner vehicle “Abduction” finished the weekend in fourth place with $11.2 million — within its pre-release projection range.
Open Road thriller “Killer Elite,” meanwhie, missed its mark with only $9.5 million for the weekend.
The domestic market was up 21 percent from the same weekend last year, putting overall revenue for 2011 almost flat with 2010 — a rather remarkable feat for a box office down more than 20 percent after the first quarter.
On the international side, Sony’s “Smurfs” continued its huge run, adding $12.9 million to its foreign total — the animated film has grossed $502.8 million worldwide.
Indeed, Sunday morning was a good one for Sony, with its marketing department able to attract an audience base that was 49 percent female to “Moneyball.”
Based on Michael Lewis’ best-selling 2003 book, “Moneyball” focuses on the front office of the mid-market Oakland A’s, which used new-age player statistics a decade back to produce an unlikely playoff run on a shoestring player payroll of just $41 million (i.e. meal money for Yankees star Derek Jeter).
“With baseball as a backdrop, we really needed to get out the fact that this is that underdog story with incredible performances and a few laughs along the way,” said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide theatrical distribution for Sony.
Starting with the Major League All Star game in July, Sony began running ads targeting men in the usual places you find men on cable television — ESPN, TNT, Comedy Central.
But the ads focused not so much on the baseball but the inspirational underdog themes — Pitt playing maverick A’s general manager Billy Beane, who in one TV spot, has his own daughter telling him that he’s about to be fired.
These ads also ran during “Dancing With the Stars” and “Glee.” Pitt even appeared on “Ellen” last week.
Not only was the audience composition balanced, reception was strong. The film garnered an “A” grade from movie customer-satisfaction ranker Cinemascore. It also received a 94 percent score from Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best reviewed films of the year.
Shot for just over $50 million, the film’s arrival into 2,993 theaters Friday seems almost as unlikely as the A’s making the playoffs nine years ago on a payroll one fourth the size of the New York Yankees.
Steven Soderbergh was all set to direct the movie in 2009, but Sony yanked the plug over creative differences.
The picture was brought back to life with Bennett Miller in the director’s chair and the script in the hands of the fast-talking Aaron Sorkin.
“This is a really solid, solid opening,” Bruer added. “This film is going to be around for a while.”
Like those 2002 Oakland A’s, who eventually succumbed to playoff defeat at the hands of the Yankees and their $125 million payroll, “Moneyball” encountered rather stern opposition from Disney’s “Lion King” in the box office pennant race.
With Disney converting its 17-year-old handrawn classic to 3D for Blu-ray home viewing, and deciding to put it out into 2,330 theaters almost on a whim, the studio has now taken in $61.7 million after two weekends of release.
“Not every film is ‘The Lion King’ — there’s a judiciousness that has to be involved here,” said Disney theatrical distribution chief Dave Hollis, noting that the studio isn’t going to rush all of its hand-drawn classics into 3D conversion.
He did acknoweldge, however, that Disney is “looking for other films in the library that could work.”
Here’s a list of the top 10 flicks at the Box Office.
1. “The Lion King” ($22.1 million)
2. “Moneyball” ($20.6 million)
3. “Dolphin Tale” ($20.3 million)
4. “Abduction” ($11.2 million)
5. “Killer Elite” ($9.5 million)
6. “Contagion” ($8.6 million)
7. “Drive” ($5.8 million)
8. “The Help” ($4.4 million)
9. “Straw Dogs” ($2.1 million)
10. “I Don’t Know How She Does It” ($2.1 million)
Nancy Grace on Dancing With the Stars
When Nancy Grace steps out onto the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom for the first time, she’ll be sporting a look that’s a far cry from the paint suits of her courtroom days. Think lots of sequins, lots of exposed skin.
“I will give you one operative word: sequins. Tons and tons of sequins. Let me say that these outfits are very revealing,” Grace said today on “Good Morning America.”
Grace and her professional partner Tristan MacManus, who are readying to dance the cha cha on Monday night’s season premiere, kept their song choice secret, but dished on her dancing skills.
“I think we get too conflicting stories. According to me, it’s going great, but I’ve got this Irish dance partner and I hear this ringing in my ears every night, ‘No, no!’” Grace joked.
“For me as well it’s going great. I think Nancy just needs to have an argument now and again to keep herself sane,” MacManus said, teasing the HLN host who’s known for her though talk. “Everything’s going great. I’m really happy with how we’re going.”
Grace, 51, has already shed 10 pounds in their hard-core rehearsals. Juggling her daily HLN show, her twins and now rehearsing and appearing on “DWTS” has been challenging for Grace.
“I’m practicing all day long,” Grace said. “For me it’s been very, very difficult. …the hardest part for me to be away from [my twins].”
Grace spent the summer in the spotlight covering the months-long trial of Casey Anthony, who was found not guilty in July of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. While millions of TV viewers know Grace’s name and strong opinions, her partner, who’s from Ireland, didn’t know who Grace was before they were paired up.
“I wasn’t aware of Nancy at all to be honest,” McManus said.
“That’s not true,” Grace interrupted. “I looked at his computer. There were tons of Google, Yahoo searches of Nancy Grace, Nancy Grace. So sad. Obsessed.”
“That was afterwards,” he said. “I’m not too familiar with many people on television here. …but now we’ve gotten to know each other a little bit now and we’re getting along. When I can get a word in.”
Besides Grace, the star-studded celebrity line-up for the show’s 13th season includes Chaz Bono, the son of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher, fashion guru Carson Kressley, NBA champ Ron Artest, model Elisabetta Canalis, reality-TV stars Kristin Cavallari and Rob Kardashian, talk show icon Ricki Lake, war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez, entertainer Chynna Phillips, World Cup soccer star Hope Solo, and actor David Arquette.
Learn more about the full cast of the new season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I had a really bad experience with [Arquette]. I ran into him yesterday and he was soaking wet with sweat, which means he’s been practicing like mad and I did not like that. I like the other contestants to be lounging around,” Grace joked.
‘Dancing With the Stars’
Welcome to the semifinals, where we saw our first perfect 30 of the season – finally! – when Hines and Kym danced their Argentine tango in the first round. Then he and Kym got another 30 with their giddy salsa. Chelsea also scored a perfect 30 for her round-two rumba, which put her two points behind Hines until – drumroll, please – the game-changing third round!
The winner takes all cha-cha is a new wrinkle in this competition. It was clearly designed to prevent high scorers with fewer fans from getting voted off in the semifinals, and perhaps created in response to Brandy’s shocking Semifinals elimination last season. (Tom Bergeron also mentioned Sabrina Bryan as a shoulda-run.)
Chelsea prevailed in this cha-cha challenge and got 15 points added to her score. Will this be enough to get her into the finals? That remains to be seen! Since Kirstie danced extremely well tonight but Ralph struggled, it’s really anyone’s guess who will still be dancing next week.
Here’s a quick rundown of each star’s Semifinals routines:
Ralph Macchio
Ralph and Karina danced a push-and-pull Argentine tango that had the crowd on its feet. Ralph is clearly all the way recovered from his knee injury because his legwork and footwork were both sharp. Len said the routine lacked emotion, but he liked the choreography and praised Ralph’s technique. Bruno and Carrie Ann were also a bit hard on Ralph, and added insult to injury with a pair of eights. Ouch.
Ralph’s “booty” salsa was a lot of fun. The routine was really fresh and more than a little weird. Ralph’s timing seemed a little off, though his spins were killer. Len took issue with Ralph’s rhythm and the overall “wildness” of the routine. Bruno said something unairable to Karina that left me a bit confused. If I had to guess, I’d say he thought the dance was too sexy. Carrie Ann was the only one of the judges who liked the routine.
Although Carrie Ann called Ralph’s cha-cha “much improved,” Ralph and Karina did not prevail against Hines and Kym in the first heat of the cha-cha competition. Our Karate Kid is the underdog at this point, so let’s hope his fans are getting the vote out.
Argentine tango: 25/30
Salsa: 23/30
Total: 48/75
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie and Maks hit a really nice note somewhere between romance and sex with their flowing waltz. Kirstie’s lines were just amazing! In fact, the routine looked so seamless that you’d never guess that Kirstie and Maks were fighting all week. (They were.) Bruno praised her underarm passes and Carrie Ann pointed out how well Kirstie did with her holds. This was a truly memorable performance.
Kirstie’s paso doble was perfectly fierce. I think her genuine anger at Maks got turned into magic onstage. Her lines were strong and her footwork was the best I’ve ever seen from her. Carrie Ann called her “The Queen of the Paso Doble,” and Len praised her for turning in two difficult dances in the same week.
The judges called Kirstie’s and Maks’ cha-cha sensual and praised their efforts, but they lost out to Chelsea and Mark. This was still Kirstie’s best week ever. She danced beautifully and looked great doing it.
Viennese waltz: 27/30
Paso doble: 27/30
Total: 54/75
Chelsea Kane
Chelsea and Mark’s intricate Argentine tango was a hit with the crowd, but split the judges. Carrie Ann took issue with her legwork. Len praised Chelsea’s precision and the lifts in the routine but seemed lukewarm about the whole. Bruno loved the dance. In fact, he pointed at his fellow judges and said, “They didn’t get it, but I got it! And America got it! Wild applause.
Chelsea’s slow, smoldering rumba was a risk that paid off. It was moody and quiet, but the choreography was extremely difficult. Chelsea’s technique was outstanding, and showed just how far she’s come in this competition. She honestly looked like one of the pros. It was a magical dance, and, like magic, netted Chelsea her first perfect 30.
Chelsea’s clean, crisp, technique-driven cha-cha style won the week! She beat out Kirstie in the first round and Hines in the second. The cha-cha victory also put her at the top of the leaderboard.
Argentine tango: 28/30
Rumba: 30/30
Total: 73/75
Hines Ward
Hines and Kym’s Argentine tango was a triumph, and was also an amazing achievement considering the fact that Kym seriously injured her neck during practices this week. It was fierce, moody and precise. The legwork and lifts in this routine were some of the most intricate I’ve ever seen on this show. It was, by far, Hines’s best performance. The technique was nearly perfect and he was completely absorbed in the dance. The crowd loved it and the judges gave Hines and Kym a standing ovation. Len was thrilled with the legwork, which he said was like “something out of the Kama Sutra” and Bruno was equally enthusiastic. Carrie Ann was in tears during her critique.
Hines’ salsa was playful and energetic and featured some stunning spins and legwork. It was such a fun dance, and the contrast between the moody tango and the happy-go-lucky salsa really helped to show Hines’ range as a performer. Len called it “a joyful experience” and Carrie Ann and Bruno were right on board.
Hines and Kym were the unanimous winners in their cha-cha faceoff with Ralph and Karina, but fell to Chelsea and Mark in the final round. I’m sure two perfect 30s make you feel alright about second place, though.
Argentine tango: 30/30
Salsa: 30/30
Total: 60/75
Chris Brown Smashes Window After ‘GMA’ Interview
After successfully completing his court-ordered domestic violence counseling, Chris Brown assumed he was moving forward.
But according to TMZ, Brown stormed off the set of a ‘GMA’ Interview, broke the window in his dressing room and tore his shirt off after reporter Robin Roberts pressed him about his 2009 convicted assault against Rihanna.
“A friend at the show tells me everyone was terrified,” says PopEater’s columnist Rob Shuter. “He is meant to perform on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ but now ABC news employees are putting pressure on the network to cancel him due to concerns over staff safety.”
Just one month ago, Rihanna’s restraining order against Brown was lifted, and Brown was even commended at his hearing for his excellent anti-violence program progress.
TMZ reports that Brown was screaming when he entered his dressing room, which prompted nearby hair and makeup artists to call security.
Shattered glass fell to the sidewalk as Brown reportedly smashed a dressing room window. By the time security arrived, Brown had already left the building, shirtless, peacing out on his scheduled performance.
So what does this new incident mean? How long is long enough before someone can move forward? It’s obvious Chris Brown didn’t help his image here. Maybe he should have had someone there to prevent this outburst from happening. Maybe he should have been prepped to expect the unexpected. Or maybe Robin Roberts did him a favor by shining a light on a character flaw that threatens to derail a fallen star’s feeble attempt at rebuilding his shattered image.
Whatever it is, let’s hope he can figure this out, soon.
Situation Leaving Jersey Shore To Pursue Movie Career
Mike Sorrentino, aka “The Situation” on Jersey Shore, is comparing himself to Michael Jordan who dominated his sport with talent and determination. Like Jordan, Sorrentino has already branched out to extend his dominance to other fields. He penned a self-help book and starred in his own workout DVD.
The Situation, launched his own cologne “The Sitch” and was on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” last season. “There’s only so long you can rule the reality world,” he said. “Maybe another year or so of reality, and then I’m gonna graduate to movies.”
Jersey Shore is currently in its third season with a 4th season scheduled over seas in Italy. Seems like the cast mates are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. So far, Pauly D, Snooki and JWOWW have already started their own MTV spinoff reality shows. We guess all good things must come to an end.
