Anita Baker: The Arrest Warrant Is a Sinister Plot Against Me

Anita Baker says she's the victim of a sinister plot which caused cops to get a warrant for her arrest.

A Detroit judge issued the warrant after the Grammy-winning singer failed to show up in court over a dispute with a home contractor.

Anita tells sources... she hired Ray Smith Painting and Decorating in 2009 to repair the outside of her home which was damaged by a storm. The cost of the job was $75,000 ... she paid $60K up front.

Anita says the guy didn't even finish the job and what he did do sucked so bad ... she got up on a ladder and did the spackling herself.

The singer says the contractor had the nerve to file suit for the $15K balance ... problem was, she says she was in the dark because she never got served with legal papers.

When Anita was a no-show in court, the judge entered a default judgment.  She says still had no idea a case had even been filed.

Kaley Cuoco Lists Los Angeles Home For $2.8 Million

 

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After purchasing Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian's former Tarzana home last month for $5.5 million, Kaley Cuoco has put her former Sherman Oaks pad on the market for $2.79 million.

The actress purchased the 5,233-square-foot home for $2.4 million in 2010, and a year later she was hit with a $500,000 loss on her starter home, which she purchased in 2005. But seeing as she makes $350,000 an episode on The Big Bang Theory (and the show has been renewed for another three seasons!) it looks like that was just a drop in the bucket.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Cover The April Issue of Vogue Magazine

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Kanye West has reportedly been trying to get Wintour to do a cover featuring Kim Kardashian for years now, and it looks like his persistence has paid off, because the duo are on the front of the April 2014 issue. Unless this is an early April Fools' Day joke courtesy of Vogue.com, this is 100% real.

Last November West met with Wintour in Beverly Hills, and according to Page Six, "He was talking nonstop. She did not get a word in edgewise.” The year before that, West brought Kardashian as his date to the Met Gala in New York City, and he made a point of introducing his fiance to the notoriously cold editor-in-chief. Wintour organizes the event, and Kardashian still has yet to receive an invite -- 2013 marked the first time she ever attended.

During his initial campaign to land the former sex tape star the cover of the fashion glossy, West told Ryan Seacrest, "There's no way [Kim] shouldn't be on the cover of Vogue. She's like the most intriguing woman right now. She's got Barbara Walters calling her like everyday ... Michelle Obama cannot Instagram a [bikini] pic like what my girl Instagrammed the other day."

Chris Brown: Jail Is Terrible, I Feel Like a Caged Animal

Chris Brown says he's finally been scared straight -- because he learned pretty quickly ... jail sucks.

You'd think the photos of Rihanna's battered face would have left an impression ... on him. But apparently it took a few days in solitary to shake Chris to the core.

One source -- who recently spoke with Brown on the phone says, Chris feels like "a caged animal," calling it "the worst experience of my life."

We're told Chris has been spending his time behind bars working out and writing music. He's telling people on the phone, "I'll never f*** up again."

Not particularly convincing.

Lucky for Chris ... he's rich enough to buy his way out of jail -- he's currently negotiating to pay off his alleged assault victim in D.C. so the case goes away and the judge in the Rihanna case lets him loose ... to roam freely again.

Madonna Doesn't Believe In Razors

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Madonna continued her campaign to remain relevant by posting a disgusting photo of her unshaven armpit on Instagram.

The photo was captioned: "Long hair...... Don't Care!!!!!! #artforfreedom #rebelheart #revolutionoflove"

Chris Hemsworth and Wife Elsa Pataky Welcome Twins

Chris Hemsworth and his wife gave birth to twins at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, sources have confirmed.

Chris and his wife Elsa Pataky already have one baby -- India Rose Hemsworth who is now 22 months old. She's about to have a couple new siblings.

Chris and Elsa were married in 2010.

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux "Want To Get Married This Spring In Mexico"

Jennifer Aniston and fiance Justin Theroux are reportedly keen to ditch their plans for a lavish wedding and escape south of the border to Mexico for a more low key affair, Us Weekly reports.

"Jen and Justin might be eloping!" a source told the magazine.

Not only that, but the Friends star doesn't want to waste any more time to tie the knot!

"She would love for the big day to be this spring," the source added.

The A-list actress already did over-the-top nuptials with first husband Brad Pitt, so it doesn't surprise us that she would want less hoopla this time around.

"Jen would love to fly people out, someplace warm. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, is a possibility. She loves it there," an insider revealed.

We can't for America's sweetheart to walk down the aisle and finally get her happy ending!

Apple Replaces iPad 2 With iPad 4, Launches Cheaper iPhone 5C

Apple Inc. said it would offer an iPad 4 tablet in place of the mid-range iPad 2 at the same price and the company launched a cheaper, lower capacity version of its plastic-backed iPhone 5C in Australia, China and some European countries.

The iPad 4 is available at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $529 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + cellular model at the four major U.S. carriers - AT&T Inc, Sprint Corp, T-Mobile US Inc and Verizon Communications Inc.

The fourth-generation iPad, which has a 9.7-inch Retina display and supports 4G carriers worldwide, was launched in 2012, while the iPad 2 was launched in 2011.

Apple discontinued the iPad 4 last year when it launched its current flagship tablet, the iPad Air. The company had cut the price of iPad 2 to $399 in 2012.

 

George Clooney Steps Out In Public With New Girlfriend Amal Alamuddin

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George Clooney has met his match with what appears to be his new girlfriend ... and if he doesn't marry this one, it ain't happening, period.

George and Amal Alamuddin were leaving the ritzy Carlyle Hotel in NYC Tuesday night when a photog snapped this pic.

This chick has credentials. She's a lawyer (schooled at Oxford and NYU School of Law) who specializes in international law and has represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She is fluent in French and Arabic and co-wrote a book entitled, "The Law and Practice of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."

Objects Possibly Related To Missing Plane Found

 

Australia's prime minister said Thursday that two objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have been spotted on satellite imagery in the Indian Ocean and an air force aircraft was diverted to the area to try to locate them.

The Orion aircraft was expected to arrive in the area Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament in Canberra. Three additional aircraft are expected to follow for a more intensive search, he said.

Abbott called it "credible information," adding that after "specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified."

But Abbott cautioned that locating the objects could be extremely difficult and "it may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370."

He did not say where the objects were. Military planes from Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand were covering a search region over the southern Indian Ocean that was narrowed down on Wednesday from 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) to 305,000 square kilometers (117,000 square miles).

The hunt for the Boeing 777 has been punctuated by several false leads since it disappeared March 8 above the Gulf of Thailand.

Kate Winslet on 'Titanic' Fame: It Was 'Really Hard'

 

"I was only 20… I wasn't prepared," Kate Winslet recalled of the torrent of interest that stampeded her way from the runaway success of "Titanic" in 1997. It remains the second-highest grossing film in the U.S., behind "Avatar."

With its success powered by packs of teenage girls who consumed the tale of Jack and Rose over and over again, it is widely credited as having brought that demographic to the moviegoing power, igniting a wave that would give us the "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" films, as well as the newest entrant to the category, "Divergent," which opens this weekend, starring none other than Winslet herself as the controlling, dystopian government leader Jeanine Matthews.

Looking back on the waves' birth, the actress, and new mother of her third child named Bear Blaze, opened the floodgates. She spoke with sources by phone this week about being thrust into world renown nearly two decades ago because of her role as Rose, a rebel among high society aboard a doomed ocean vessel.

"It was a really hard time," said Winslet, now 38. "I felt quite alone in how to understand what was happening to me. It becomes very intense when you're thrust into the media spotlight… I had to learn self protection quite quickly."

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen SELLING Newly Built Mega Mansion

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This is really shocking ... the incredible European country estate Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen spent 4 years and $40 million building is on the market ... less than a year after it was completed.

Real estate sources say ... the couple wants out of L.A. permanently and will be living full-time in Boston, where they're building another ridiculously big estate -- a 14,300 square-foot house on 5 acres. The estate is listed for a cool $50 MILLION!

Gwyneth Paltrow And Chris Martin Buy $14 Million Malibu Estate

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Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin threw down $14 million for this Malibu property in February, but it looks like this is merely a vacation home for the superstar couple!

It was revealed last month that Gwyn and Chris are planning on selling their 33-room London mansion for $11.5 million, but their $10 million mansion in Los Angeles' Mandeville Canyon neighborhood will remain their primary home. But hey, nothing wrong with picking up a seriously swanky estate in the 'Bu right before summer!

The Garwood Residence was built by John Lautner in 1972, and according to listing info, the property was "inspired by the award winning luxury brand, Aman Resorts." Still, the home is likely going to look dramatically different when Gwynnie is done with it, as she's hired Windsor Smith to re-do the interiors.

Charlie Sheen: I'm Cutting Denise Off Child Support

Charlie Sheen is going at it again with Denise Richards. He is cutting off her child support and kicking her out of her house, sources are saying.

Denise was getting $55K a month in court-ordered support for their 2 kids -- Lola and Sam. We're told he only forked over half that amount for January and hasn't paid a dime in Feb or March.

As for the house, Sheen bought it for Richards back in 2011 so she and the kids would be close to him. But we're told Charlie has told Denise he's selling the house and wants her out STAT.

Charlie is not hiding his contempt for Denise or the fact that this is retaliation. Charlie believes Denise is keeping Sam and Lola from him. Sources close to Denise say, she can't just race to give Charlie the kids when he feels like having them on a whim. She also wants to be present when he has the children.

Denise is getting her legal ducks in a row to go after Charlie in court. Fact is ... when there's court-ordered child support, there's no such thing as a good excuse for not paying.

Former Laker And 3-Time NBA Champ Byron Scott Files For Divorce

 

Former Laker and 3-time NBA champ Byron Scott has filed for divorce ... seeking to end his 27-year marriage to his college sweetheart Anita Scott ... sources are confirming.

According to court documents,  the former Lakers player (and coach) filed the papers on March 13.

Byron and Anita met at a nightclub in Los Angeles when Byron was still a student at Arizona State ... and according to Anita, he courted her with flowers, love letters and poetry.

Anita once told sources, "Once we started dating, [Byron] was the knight in shining armor. He was the perfect sweetheart. It was a whirlwind."

The couple has three adult children together.

Disney Makes It Official: 'The Incredibles' Is Getting a Sequel

 

It is the day fans have been asking for since 2004, and for many years, it was a day that I was sure would never happen.

In the decade since the first film was released, Brad Bird has probably answered the question about whether or not there would be an "Incredibles" sequel a hundred times, and each time, he's been very blunt. The problem was always coming up with a story that was worth telling again with those characters. It would be easy to crank out a dozen movies where we just spend time with Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet, and the deeply freaky Jack Jack, and I'm sure audiences would have been happy to watch those films.

But Brad Bird is not a guy who had a lot of patience for business as usual. Before "The Iron Giant," I knew Brad primarily from his work on "Family Dog" and as a screenwriter, and I got to know him as a film fan because he was a regular at Dave's Video. Talking to him about the business twenty years ago, he already had a fairly healthy sense of disgust towards the calculated business side of things, and it was obvious that for him, story and character are everything. He wants to tell good stories. He wants to make things that connect with people on some real level. He is not the guy you go to if you want someone to churn out indifferent product to satisfy the stockholders.

'Star Wars: Episode VII' Takes Place 30 Years After 'Return of the Jedi'

A new Star Wars film is getting closer by the day, and Lucasfilm and Disney have just announced some new information on the status of the production. Episode VII — co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams -- is set to begin shooting this May at Pinewood Studios in London. For the first time, however, the team is giving an indication of what fans can expect to see when the film hits theaters in 2015. 

According to today's release, it will take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi, which capped off the original Star Wars trilogy, and "will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces."

The latter reference is no doubt a nod to what has been rumored for months: that Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill could return to the franchise to reprise their roles as Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. Jedi came out in 1983, just over 30 years ago, which would bring the ages of the older actors and their characters right into alignment. As for that new trio of leads, casting rumors have been running rampant, with Adam Driver (Girls) recently named as a likely candidate to play the villain. None of the casting information has been confirmed just yet, but with May the 4th -- unofficially known as "Star Wars day" — and San Diego Comic-Con coming up, we wouldn't be surprised to see some very big announcements made before the end of summer.

'Spider-Man' Director Marc Webb Will Leave After 'Amazing Spider-Man 3'

Sony's aggressive expansion of their rebooted 'Amazing Spider-Man' franchise began last summer with the announcement of release dates for Amazing 3 and 4 in 2016 and 2018, respectively -- meaning that the 2010's will be the first decade in human history with one Spider-Man movie every two years, so take that 2000s! However, not everyone will stick around for the full quadrilogy:

Director Marc Webb will take himself and his contextually perfect surname away from the director’s chair after Amazing 3.

“I want to help and contribute, but I think three movies…honestly, that’s it for me,” Webb tells EW. “I want to try other things.

U.S. TV Pitchman Kevin Trudeau Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

U.S. TV pitchman Kevin Trudeau, who was convicted last year of criminal contempt for exaggerating the contents of his weight-loss book in infomercials, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison.

Trudeau, 51, who has been held in federal custody since his conviction in November, will also have five years of supervised release after serving his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Guzman said.

"He is deceitful to the very core, and that type of conduct simply cannot stand," Guzman said, noting that Trudeau had been cited repeatedly for violating court orders over several years.

Trudeau was found guilty last November of violating a 2004 federal court settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that barred him from misrepresenting the contents of his books in advertisements.

A jury found he violated the agreement while marketing his book, "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You To Know About," in infomercials made in 2006 and 2007 that aired about 32,000 times.

Trudeau told viewers in the infomercials that the "cure" to obesity was not a diet and did not require exercise, but the book instructed readers to walk an hour each day and to limit intake to 500 calories. Prosecutors, who said Trudeau's actions resulted in over $37 million in losses to consumers, had sought at least a 10-year sentence, saying in court papers he was motivated by simple greed and had bilked consumers and defied court orders.

Former ‘Two and a Half Men’ Star: ‘I Was a Paid Hypocrite’

Former “Two and a Half Men” star Angus T. Jones has addressed his former show once again, saying that he was “a paid hypocrite” for the CBS comedy.

During an interview with Houston television station KHOU, Jones — who played Jake Harper on the series — took himself to task, admitting that he went along with the series even though it didn't fit with his Christian beliefs.

“[The show] was making light of topics in our world that are really problems for a lot of people, and I was a paid hypocrite, because I wasn't OK with it but I was still doing it,” Jones said.

Though Jones is now a student in Colorado and recently spent time with Houston's World Harvest Outreach Church, the 20-year-old added that he would consider acting again, if the gig was in alignment with his religious convictions.

“There's a few different productions that do kind of Bible-based stories and stuff like that,” Jones noted.

Watch the video below....

Chris Brown Jailed For a Month

Chris Brown will stay in jail until April 23 ... he was SHUT DOWN in court Monday afternoon in his bid to win release.

Chris was arrested after getting booted from rehab Friday.  The judge had ordered him to stay in rehab while he decided whether Brown violated his probation in the Rihanna case. The judge had Chris arrested almost immediately after the rehab facility kicked him out.

The judge said Chris had an "inability to stay out of trouble." Hizzoner was especially concerned at a statement Chris made at the rehab joint, "I am good at using guns and knives."

So Chris will sit in jail until April 23. The judge wants Chris in the slammer until a D.C. jury decides if Chris committed criminal assault in an unrelated case.  That trial is set for April 17 and should only last a few days.  It's unclear if the judge will let Chris back to attend the trial.

Zac Efron Lists His Hollywood Hills Starter Home For $2.85 Million

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Zac Efron has put his Hollywood Hills starter home on the market for $2.849 million.

The home was originally designed for the Case Study Program by Rodney Walker, and it has two bedrooms, two and a half baths and 2,424 square feet of living space. It was built in 1947, but clearly there have been some modern updates, including heated concrete floors, a fully loaded kitchen and an infinity pool.

Zac purchased the home in 2008 for $2.35 million, and last fall he bought another modern Hollywood Hills home for $3.995 million.

Mick Jagger's Girlfriend L'Wren Scott Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

L'Wren Scott was found dead on Monday in her New York City apartment.

The fashion designer, who has been dating Mick Jagger since 2001, was found hanged to death. She was 49.

According to authorities, the body of L'Wren Scott was discovered hanging from a scarf on a doorknob by her assistant around 10 a.m. in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Preliminary reports suggest a suicide and foul play is not suspected; however, the medical examiner will determine a cause of death. Police sources tell the New York Daily News that Scott texted her assistant around 8:30 a.m. asking her to come over.

L'Wren has dressed the likes of Angelina Jolie, Michelle Obama, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Scott started her career as a model, working with designers such as Chanel and Thierry Mugler, among others. She then began working as a stylist, collaborating with the likes of Liz Taylor and Karl Lagerfeld. She launched her first collection, Little Black Dress, in 2006.

Scott canceled her scheduled London Fashion Week show on Feb. 16 following production delays. Her last red carpet appearance was at the British Fashion Awards 2013 at London Coliseum on Dec. 2.

Jagger, 70, is currently on tour with the Rolling Stones in Australia. A spokesperson for the singer says he is "completely shocked and devastated."

Earthquake Strongly Felt Across Los Angeles

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 occurred this morning 9km NNW of Westwood, California at 6:25am.

It was felt across the city. No immediate reports of damage was reported.

Chris Pine Pleads Guilty To DUI In New Zealand

Chris Pine pled guilty to driving under the influence on Monday in a New Zealand court.

The actor paid a small fee (equivalent to $79) and had his New Zealand driver's license revoked for six months.

The Star Trek star was pulled over on March 1 following a wrap party for his film Z for Zachariah. His blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent -- above New Zealand's and the U.S.' legal limit of 0.08 percent.

According to Fairfax Media, his lawyer Marilyn Gilchrist told the judge that Chris is fully aware that he made the wrong decision to drive that night and that he's suffered emotionally and professionally. She noted that negative publicity has put his acting jobs in jeopardy.

‘Single Moms Club’ Bomb Is Tyler Perry's Worst As Director

Maybe Madea would have helped?

“Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club,” the mogul's swan song with distributor Lionsgate Entertainment, hit a sour note at the box office this weekend.

The $8.3 million it opened with marks the worst opening of the prolific directing career of Perry, who is getting out of the movie biz for now to focus on his TV work with Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network.

The soft debut is a surprise, given Perry's success over the years. The 14 movies he's directed previously, most with budgets in the $20 million range, have grossed nearly $750 million. On average, their opening weekends brought in $21 million, and netted a domestic gross of $50 million.

“Single Moms Club” — which didn't feature Perry's drag alter ego Madea — didn't come close to those numbers, despite being in a healthy 1,896 theaters nationwide. His previous worst opening was the $11.2 million launch of “Daddy's Little Girls” back in February of 2007.

Box Office: ‘Mr. Peabody’ Blows Past ‘Need for Speed’ For First Place

Animation trumped action at the weekend box office, as the family comedy “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” surged past “Need for Speed” and two other testosterone-fueled movies to pull off an upset with a $21.2 million second week.

Moviegoers chose DreamWorks Animation's tale of a professorial pooch and his young charge over the 3D big screen adaptation of the popular video game, which opened with an underwhelming $17.8 million despite the presence of star Aaron Paul, from TV's “Breaking Bad.”