Showing posts with label celebrities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrities. Show all posts
6/13/2009
Malawi judges reverse court order to allow Madonna to adopt Mercy
U.S. pop star Madonna has won her bid to adopt a 4-year-old girl from Malawi, the appeals court in the southern African state has ruled.
"I am extremely grateful for the Supreme Court's ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James," the pop superstar said in a statement. "I am ecstatic. My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."
Madonna’s application to adopt Chifundo was initially rejected by a lower court in April because the singer is not resident in Malawi, and because a judge decided that the young girl would fare perfectly well in the orphanage where she has lived.
The lower court had also pointed out that the residency rule had already been bent when Madonna adopted her son David, now 3, from Malawi last year.
But at Malawi’s Supreme Court of Appeal Friday a panel of three judges said that the singer’s commitment to helping disadvantaged children should have been taken into account. The singer has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, which helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's one million-plus orphans.
"In our view, Chifundo James is better taken care of by being adopted by foreign parents who will give her love and affection," said Supreme court Chief Justice Lovemore Munro.
"In this global village a man can have more than one place at which he resides," Munlo said in the ruling. "The matter of residence should be determined at the time of application of the adoption. In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by intention. She is looking after several orphans whose welfare depends on her. She can therefore not be described as a sojourner."
"Madonna has shown that she is bold and compassionate enough to come forward to adopt Chifundo [Mercy] James," he said.
Madonna phoned Mercy from New York in floods of tears after hearing the court’s verdict at 4am.
She read her a “letter of motherly devotion” written with daughter Lourdes, 12. The Material Girl told Mercy, four: “Today is your new birthday, my darling daughter, as it is the day you came to me.
“It is a new beginning for us all. The world is ours to change together now. I promise I will love, protect and guide you with my every breath.
“I can’t wait to welcome you to your new home, my beautiful child. You are part of us now — of me, Lola, Rocco and David. You are so loved.”
Madonna, 50, had stayed up all night praying in her New York home. A close source said: “I’ve never seen her so emotional or so happy. She was giddy.”
Her lawyers are now preparing immigration papers so Mercy can fly to America.
Mercy's father said Madonna should not be allowed to adopt Mercy. "No one wants to listen to me, I have protested this all along ... I want my child back but I don't know what to do now," James Kabewa told Reuters by telephone from his poor township.
He added: “I have not seen my child in a long time since the mother died. When I learnt that Madonna wanted her, I was stopped from seeing her at the orphanage. I have completely been left out in all this and it’s unfair.”
Mr Kabewa blamed his mother-in-law, Lucy Chekichewa, and his daughter’s uncles. “They never consulted me, they hid my child at an orphanage and never allowed me access,” he said.
But one of the infant’s uncles, Peter Benenti, accused Mr Kabewa of abandoning his responsibilities as a father.
Alan Chinula, Madonna’s lawyer, said in an interview that Mr Kabewa’s comments would have little impact. “It’s too late now . . . where was he all this time? His protests cannot legally change anything now, it’s done, it’s over,” Mr Chinula said.
Maxwell Matewere, executive director of a children's rights group called Eye of the Child, said he was disturbed by the court's ruling. There was no evidence that the government had looked for local families who might be willing to adopt Chifundo, and the court had failed to consider this point, he said.
“They should be able to show that adoption is the last resort,” he said. “Exporting these children is not the best solution.”
The court ruling will discourage local families from adopting, while making it easier for foreigners to adopt Malawi's children, Mr. Matewere said. “Orphanages could look at it as a business, and it could encourage child-trafficking. The demand could be very high. There could be a process of auctioneering.”
Undule Mwakasungura, chairman of the Human Rights Consultative Committee, a coalition of Malawian groups that opposed the Madonna adoptions, said he was surprised and disappointed the court allowed Madonna to be considered a resident of Malawi.
“It means that anyone can come here tomorrow and give money to an orphanage and then say that they want two or three children from that orphanage,” he said. “As long as you're supporting some projects in Malawi, even if you're not a resident, you'll be entitled to any child that you want. As long as you have money, you can bypass the rules, and that's what Madonna has done.”
Africa is already one of the fastest-growing sources of international adoptions by Canadians. The latest Madonna saga is likely to stimulate more interest in Africa by prospective parents in Canada, experts say.
“Next week, we will probably get a number of calls from people wondering whether they can do this,” said Roberta Galbraith, executive director of a Manitoba-based adoption agency, Canadian Advocate for the Adoption of Children. Her agency has helped many Canadians adopt children from Ethiopia, where film star Angelina Jolie adopted a daughter in 2005. The latest statistics show that Ethiopia has become the second-biggest foreign source of adoptions by Canadians, behind China.
“There's a celebrity factor associated with Africa, and I don't think that's necessarily good,” Ms. Galbraith said. “Before Angelina Jolie and Madonna, did anyone think of those countries? Some people even have the mentality of going in to ‘rescue' children. We have to be really careful with that. You have to think of the child.”
Because of the AIDS epidemic, an estimated 560,000 children in Malawi have lost at least one of their parents. But many Malawians object to the notion that these children would benefit if they were sent abroad to wealthier parents, far from their home culture. If poverty is the justification for adoption, almost the entire country could be adopted, they say.
"I am extremely grateful for the Supreme Court's ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James," the pop superstar said in a statement. "I am ecstatic. My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."
Madonna’s application to adopt Chifundo was initially rejected by a lower court in April because the singer is not resident in Malawi, and because a judge decided that the young girl would fare perfectly well in the orphanage where she has lived.
The lower court had also pointed out that the residency rule had already been bent when Madonna adopted her son David, now 3, from Malawi last year.
But at Malawi’s Supreme Court of Appeal Friday a panel of three judges said that the singer’s commitment to helping disadvantaged children should have been taken into account. The singer has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, which helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's one million-plus orphans.
"In our view, Chifundo James is better taken care of by being adopted by foreign parents who will give her love and affection," said Supreme court Chief Justice Lovemore Munro.
"In this global village a man can have more than one place at which he resides," Munlo said in the ruling. "The matter of residence should be determined at the time of application of the adoption. In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by intention. She is looking after several orphans whose welfare depends on her. She can therefore not be described as a sojourner."
"Madonna has shown that she is bold and compassionate enough to come forward to adopt Chifundo [Mercy] James," he said.
Madonna phoned Mercy from New York in floods of tears after hearing the court’s verdict at 4am.
She read her a “letter of motherly devotion” written with daughter Lourdes, 12. The Material Girl told Mercy, four: “Today is your new birthday, my darling daughter, as it is the day you came to me.
“It is a new beginning for us all. The world is ours to change together now. I promise I will love, protect and guide you with my every breath.
“I can’t wait to welcome you to your new home, my beautiful child. You are part of us now — of me, Lola, Rocco and David. You are so loved.”
Madonna, 50, had stayed up all night praying in her New York home. A close source said: “I’ve never seen her so emotional or so happy. She was giddy.”
Her lawyers are now preparing immigration papers so Mercy can fly to America.
Mercy's father said Madonna should not be allowed to adopt Mercy. "No one wants to listen to me, I have protested this all along ... I want my child back but I don't know what to do now," James Kabewa told Reuters by telephone from his poor township.
He added: “I have not seen my child in a long time since the mother died. When I learnt that Madonna wanted her, I was stopped from seeing her at the orphanage. I have completely been left out in all this and it’s unfair.”
Mr Kabewa blamed his mother-in-law, Lucy Chekichewa, and his daughter’s uncles. “They never consulted me, they hid my child at an orphanage and never allowed me access,” he said.
But one of the infant’s uncles, Peter Benenti, accused Mr Kabewa of abandoning his responsibilities as a father.
Alan Chinula, Madonna’s lawyer, said in an interview that Mr Kabewa’s comments would have little impact. “It’s too late now . . . where was he all this time? His protests cannot legally change anything now, it’s done, it’s over,” Mr Chinula said.
Maxwell Matewere, executive director of a children's rights group called Eye of the Child, said he was disturbed by the court's ruling. There was no evidence that the government had looked for local families who might be willing to adopt Chifundo, and the court had failed to consider this point, he said.
“They should be able to show that adoption is the last resort,” he said. “Exporting these children is not the best solution.”
The court ruling will discourage local families from adopting, while making it easier for foreigners to adopt Malawi's children, Mr. Matewere said. “Orphanages could look at it as a business, and it could encourage child-trafficking. The demand could be very high. There could be a process of auctioneering.”
Undule Mwakasungura, chairman of the Human Rights Consultative Committee, a coalition of Malawian groups that opposed the Madonna adoptions, said he was surprised and disappointed the court allowed Madonna to be considered a resident of Malawi.
“It means that anyone can come here tomorrow and give money to an orphanage and then say that they want two or three children from that orphanage,” he said. “As long as you're supporting some projects in Malawi, even if you're not a resident, you'll be entitled to any child that you want. As long as you have money, you can bypass the rules, and that's what Madonna has done.”
Africa is already one of the fastest-growing sources of international adoptions by Canadians. The latest Madonna saga is likely to stimulate more interest in Africa by prospective parents in Canada, experts say.
“Next week, we will probably get a number of calls from people wondering whether they can do this,” said Roberta Galbraith, executive director of a Manitoba-based adoption agency, Canadian Advocate for the Adoption of Children. Her agency has helped many Canadians adopt children from Ethiopia, where film star Angelina Jolie adopted a daughter in 2005. The latest statistics show that Ethiopia has become the second-biggest foreign source of adoptions by Canadians, behind China.
“There's a celebrity factor associated with Africa, and I don't think that's necessarily good,” Ms. Galbraith said. “Before Angelina Jolie and Madonna, did anyone think of those countries? Some people even have the mentality of going in to ‘rescue' children. We have to be really careful with that. You have to think of the child.”
Because of the AIDS epidemic, an estimated 560,000 children in Malawi have lost at least one of their parents. But many Malawians object to the notion that these children would benefit if they were sent abroad to wealthier parents, far from their home culture. If poverty is the justification for adoption, almost the entire country could be adopted, they say.
4/04/2009
Madonna loses her second adoption bid in Malawi
Pop star extraordinaire Madonna lost a bid Friday to adopt a second child from Malawi, rejected by a judge who said she would not bend the country's strict residency rules even for a wealthy celebrity.
Noting that Madonna had last visited Malawi in 2008, the judge said the pop star "jetted into the country during the weekend just days prior to the hearing of this application."
"In my opinion, this would completely remove (Madonna) from the definition of `resident,'" the judge said.
Judge Esmie Chombo said in the original hearing that granting an interim adoption and allowing Madonna to take Mercy from the country would set a dangerous precedent. "Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences for the very children that the law seeks to protect," she said.
Malawi requires prospective parents to live in the country for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability — a rule that was bent when Madonna was allowed to take her now 3-year-old son David to London in 2006 before his adoption was finalized two years later. Madonna has two other children, Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, 8.
"It is necessary that we look beyond the petitioner ... and consider the consequences of opening the doors too wide," Chombo said. "By removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts ... could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals."
The judge also made clear she was not questioning Madonna's intentions, and even praised the "noble" work the singer's charity has done to feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost parents to AIDS.
It is "my prayer" that Mercy would benefit from such programs, Chombo said.
She noted the girl was receiving "suitable" care in an orphanage and contrasted that with David's situation in 2006, when the boy was about to be returned to his father, who had been struggling to care for him.
Madonna was not present in the courtroom for the ruling, and there was no immediate comment from her spokeswoman in New York. The pop star's lawyer filed notice he would appeal, but no hearing date was set.
Meanwhile, actress Angelina Jolie said Madonna should never have visited an impoverished African country with the sole intention of choosing an infant.
Her comments follow accusations that Madonna used her fame and money to speed the adoption of one-year- old David Banda late last year.
"Madonna knew the situation in Malawi, where he was born," said Miss Jolie, who has adopted two Third World youngsters of her own. "It's a country where there is no real legal framework for adoption."
"Personally, I prefer to stay on the right side of the law. I would never take a child away from a place where adoption is illegal." Miss Jolie, 31, also made clear she was shocked by Madonna's decision to take David from the country where his father still lives.
Despite her own harsh words, Miss Jolie said she still felt sorry for Madonna, 48, who has been harshly criticised since taking David back to London to live with her husband Guy Ritchie and her own children, Lourdes and Rocco. Asked if the saga would put her off adopting more children of her own, Miss Jolie said: "I have been horrified by the attacks she's been subjected to. All that should count is the happiness of her little David."
In the interview with French magazine Gala, Miss Jolie ruled out marriage to her partner Brad Pitt, the father of her sixmonthold daughter Shiloh. But she said she wanted him to become legal father to their adopted children Maddox, five, and Zahara, almost two.
Asked about Pitt, whom she met on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith while he was still with exwife Jennifer Aniston, she said: "Don't go repeating it whatever you do but, yes I love him. I love him a lot. After I met him my life seemed more harmonious. At 20 I was nervous about the most trifling things. As the mother of a big family I'm not able to have these worries, I have too many responsibilities. Today the good health of my children is all that's important."
Noting that Madonna had last visited Malawi in 2008, the judge said the pop star "jetted into the country during the weekend just days prior to the hearing of this application."
"In my opinion, this would completely remove (Madonna) from the definition of `resident,'" the judge said.
Judge Esmie Chombo said in the original hearing that granting an interim adoption and allowing Madonna to take Mercy from the country would set a dangerous precedent. "Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences for the very children that the law seeks to protect," she said.
Malawi requires prospective parents to live in the country for 18 to 24 months while child welfare authorities assess their suitability — a rule that was bent when Madonna was allowed to take her now 3-year-old son David to London in 2006 before his adoption was finalized two years later. Madonna has two other children, Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, 8.
"It is necessary that we look beyond the petitioner ... and consider the consequences of opening the doors too wide," Chombo said. "By removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts ... could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals."
The judge also made clear she was not questioning Madonna's intentions, and even praised the "noble" work the singer's charity has done to feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost parents to AIDS.
It is "my prayer" that Mercy would benefit from such programs, Chombo said.
She noted the girl was receiving "suitable" care in an orphanage and contrasted that with David's situation in 2006, when the boy was about to be returned to his father, who had been struggling to care for him.
Madonna was not present in the courtroom for the ruling, and there was no immediate comment from her spokeswoman in New York. The pop star's lawyer filed notice he would appeal, but no hearing date was set.
Meanwhile, actress Angelina Jolie said Madonna should never have visited an impoverished African country with the sole intention of choosing an infant.
Her comments follow accusations that Madonna used her fame and money to speed the adoption of one-year- old David Banda late last year.
"Madonna knew the situation in Malawi, where he was born," said Miss Jolie, who has adopted two Third World youngsters of her own. "It's a country where there is no real legal framework for adoption."
"Personally, I prefer to stay on the right side of the law. I would never take a child away from a place where adoption is illegal." Miss Jolie, 31, also made clear she was shocked by Madonna's decision to take David from the country where his father still lives.
Despite her own harsh words, Miss Jolie said she still felt sorry for Madonna, 48, who has been harshly criticised since taking David back to London to live with her husband Guy Ritchie and her own children, Lourdes and Rocco. Asked if the saga would put her off adopting more children of her own, Miss Jolie said: "I have been horrified by the attacks she's been subjected to. All that should count is the happiness of her little David."
In the interview with French magazine Gala, Miss Jolie ruled out marriage to her partner Brad Pitt, the father of her sixmonthold daughter Shiloh. But she said she wanted him to become legal father to their adopted children Maddox, five, and Zahara, almost two.
Asked about Pitt, whom she met on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith while he was still with exwife Jennifer Aniston, she said: "Don't go repeating it whatever you do but, yes I love him. I love him a lot. After I met him my life seemed more harmonious. At 20 I was nervous about the most trifling things. As the mother of a big family I'm not able to have these worries, I have too many responsibilities. Today the good health of my children is all that's important."
3/19/2009
UK banned Angelina Jolie's 'Wanted' ad
A television advert for the Angelina Jolie action film ‘Wanted’ has been banned after the industry watchdog ruled it glamorises violence. The ad showed Jolie kissing co-star James McAvoy during a high-speed car chase, and both firing guns towards the viewer.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the ad for the DVD version of Universal Pictures' 2008 action flick "Wanted" breached ad codes and should not be broadcast.
The authority said the ad - which juxtaposes images of gun violence with Jolie showing off her bare back - "could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorizing the use of guns."
It was unclear what practical effect, if any, the ruling would have. The "Wanted" DVD was released in Britain nearly six months ago.
The advertising authority has no power to enforce its writ, but it can refer advertisers to Britain's Office of Fair Trading for legal action.
Universal Pictures, which released the action flick, denies the ad in inappropriate, stressing that it had not been broadcast at unsuitable times and did not contain any contentious material.
The studio added that other action releases which contained guns had been billed as "the coolest movie of the year" and not prompted any complaints.
Universal feels "some people did not like to see a woman in a strong lead role," rather than concerns about violence.
The ruling underlined Britain's sensitivity to gun crime.
There were 59 firearm-related homicides in England and Wales in 2006-2007, compared to the more than 10,000 gun-related killings reported by the FBI in the United States in 2007.
But public concern was heightened in Britain after the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in 2007. The murder drew national attention and prompted much soul-searching over whether the country's already strict gun control laws were tough enough.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the ad for the DVD version of Universal Pictures' 2008 action flick "Wanted" breached ad codes and should not be broadcast.
The authority said the ad - which juxtaposes images of gun violence with Jolie showing off her bare back - "could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorizing the use of guns."
It was unclear what practical effect, if any, the ruling would have. The "Wanted" DVD was released in Britain nearly six months ago.
The advertising authority has no power to enforce its writ, but it can refer advertisers to Britain's Office of Fair Trading for legal action.
Universal Pictures, which released the action flick, denies the ad in inappropriate, stressing that it had not been broadcast at unsuitable times and did not contain any contentious material.
The studio added that other action releases which contained guns had been billed as "the coolest movie of the year" and not prompted any complaints.
Universal feels "some people did not like to see a woman in a strong lead role," rather than concerns about violence.
The ruling underlined Britain's sensitivity to gun crime.
There were 59 firearm-related homicides in England and Wales in 2006-2007, compared to the more than 10,000 gun-related killings reported by the FBI in the United States in 2007.
But public concern was heightened in Britain after the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in 2007. The murder drew national attention and prompted much soul-searching over whether the country's already strict gun control laws were tough enough.
3/11/2009
Singer Akon said he would be willing to work with Chris Brown
The controversy surrounding Chris Brown following his alleged altercation with girlfriend Rihanna, wouldn't keep Akon from working with the R&B star if given the opportunity.
"Oh, absolutely!" Akon said in a phone interview Monday. "I wouldn't take anybody's personal issues or problem - I won't hold them accountable for that when it comes to work. I think it's two separate things."
Brown allegedly assaulted Rihanna in the early hours of February 8 after the pair got into an argument. Pictures of Rihanna later surfaced on the Internet, showing her bloodied and bruised.
But Akon is optimistic that Brown will learn from the experience, telling the Associated Press:
“He's gonna learn and he's gonna move forward and just hopefully he won't treat the next woman the same way."
Akon has been through legal troubles and public relations disasters of his own. He agreed last December to perform community service and pay a fine for throwing a teen off a stage in 2007. He also apologized for simulating sex with a teen at a Trinidadian concert; he said he did not know the girl was so young.
He also shares Oprah’s opinion that both Brown and Rihanna should seek help following the incident.
"They have problems, they go through issues, and some of them, of course, expand to domestic violence which I don't in any way condone. But, you know, sometimes you really can't control it and some people just need to seek help and figure out ways to deal with their emotions and how they deal with issues and certain things."
"Oh, absolutely!" Akon said in a phone interview Monday. "I wouldn't take anybody's personal issues or problem - I won't hold them accountable for that when it comes to work. I think it's two separate things."
Brown allegedly assaulted Rihanna in the early hours of February 8 after the pair got into an argument. Pictures of Rihanna later surfaced on the Internet, showing her bloodied and bruised.
But Akon is optimistic that Brown will learn from the experience, telling the Associated Press:
“He's gonna learn and he's gonna move forward and just hopefully he won't treat the next woman the same way."
Akon has been through legal troubles and public relations disasters of his own. He agreed last December to perform community service and pay a fine for throwing a teen off a stage in 2007. He also apologized for simulating sex with a teen at a Trinidadian concert; he said he did not know the girl was so young.
He also shares Oprah’s opinion that both Brown and Rihanna should seek help following the incident.
"They have problems, they go through issues, and some of them, of course, expand to domestic violence which I don't in any way condone. But, you know, sometimes you really can't control it and some people just need to seek help and figure out ways to deal with their emotions and how they deal with issues and certain things."
3/06/2009
Singer Chris Brown appeared in court on domestic violence charges
Chris Brown briefly appeared in court Thursday, hours after he was charged with two felonies stemming from what a police detective describes as a brutal argument between the singer and his girlfriend, Rihanna.
Brown, 19, did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was delayed until April 6. But the commissioner issued a protective order against the singer, saying, "Mr. Brown, you are not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone."
Brown, wearing a three-piece gray pinstripe suit with gray tie and cream shirt, clasped his hands behind his back as he walked into the courtroom. He answered a few questions from the commissioner as his mother watched from the front row along with a group of family members.
Rihanna, 21, did not attend the five-minute session, but her lawyer, Donald Etra, was in court. He did not request a more restrictive order that Brown stay away from her. The couple have reconciled since her alleged beating.
Asked on the way out of the courtroom how Rihanna was holding up, Etra said, "She's doing great. She is making sure her rights are being protected at every stage of the proceedings." As for why Rihanna didn't want a stay-away order, he said, "She did not feel a stay-away order was necessary."
The L.A. District Attorney's Office announced earlier Thursday that Brown was being charged with two felonies – assault and making criminal threats – in the alleged beating Rihanna last month.
If convicted, Brown faces anywhere from probation to a maximum four years and eight months in state prison, DA spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.
According to a detective's affidavit, Brown and Rihanna got into a fight early Feb. 8 after she checked her boyfriend's cell phone and found a text message from another woman.
Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was still wearing her seatbelt, Los Angeles police Detective De Shon Andrews wrote. Brown pushed Rihanna's head against the window, punched her with his right hand, and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit states. He also bit his girlfriend on the ear, the affidavit states.
The affidavit was filed as part of a search warrant request for the phone records of Brown, Rihanna and her assistant.
Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a phone message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.
Andrews described Brown's blows as causing Rihanna's mouth to fill with blood. He also writes that Brown tried to choke Rihanna after she took the keys to his car away. Andrews wrote that Rihanna nearly lost consciousness but also tried to fight back while in the car, at one point trying to gouge at Brown's eyes.
Brown was arrested hours later and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats. Her identity has been an open secret since the alleged attack; police have never publicly released her name, but numerous news outlets have reported her identity based on anonymous sources.
Brown issued a statement a week after the incident saying that he was "sorry and saddened" about the incident. Rihanna also later issued a statement, saying she wouldn't comment on the alleged beating at the request of authorities. She thanked fans for their support.
Etra said he was present in court to protect Rihanna's rights in the criminal case. He stood alongside Brown's attorney during the hearing.
He said after the hearing Rihanna appreciates the "overwhelming support" the singer has received from fans worldwide.
He brushed aside questions seeking details about the fight, telling reporters, "The facts of the case will come out over time."
Brown, 19, did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was delayed until April 6. But the commissioner issued a protective order against the singer, saying, "Mr. Brown, you are not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone."
Brown, wearing a three-piece gray pinstripe suit with gray tie and cream shirt, clasped his hands behind his back as he walked into the courtroom. He answered a few questions from the commissioner as his mother watched from the front row along with a group of family members.
Rihanna, 21, did not attend the five-minute session, but her lawyer, Donald Etra, was in court. He did not request a more restrictive order that Brown stay away from her. The couple have reconciled since her alleged beating.
Asked on the way out of the courtroom how Rihanna was holding up, Etra said, "She's doing great. She is making sure her rights are being protected at every stage of the proceedings." As for why Rihanna didn't want a stay-away order, he said, "She did not feel a stay-away order was necessary."
The L.A. District Attorney's Office announced earlier Thursday that Brown was being charged with two felonies – assault and making criminal threats – in the alleged beating Rihanna last month.
If convicted, Brown faces anywhere from probation to a maximum four years and eight months in state prison, DA spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.
According to a detective's affidavit, Brown and Rihanna got into a fight early Feb. 8 after she checked her boyfriend's cell phone and found a text message from another woman.
Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was still wearing her seatbelt, Los Angeles police Detective De Shon Andrews wrote. Brown pushed Rihanna's head against the window, punched her with his right hand, and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit states. He also bit his girlfriend on the ear, the affidavit states.
The affidavit was filed as part of a search warrant request for the phone records of Brown, Rihanna and her assistant.
Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a phone message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.
Andrews described Brown's blows as causing Rihanna's mouth to fill with blood. He also writes that Brown tried to choke Rihanna after she took the keys to his car away. Andrews wrote that Rihanna nearly lost consciousness but also tried to fight back while in the car, at one point trying to gouge at Brown's eyes.
Brown was arrested hours later and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats. Her identity has been an open secret since the alleged attack; police have never publicly released her name, but numerous news outlets have reported her identity based on anonymous sources.
Brown issued a statement a week after the incident saying that he was "sorry and saddened" about the incident. Rihanna also later issued a statement, saying she wouldn't comment on the alleged beating at the request of authorities. She thanked fans for their support.
Etra said he was present in court to protect Rihanna's rights in the criminal case. He stood alongside Brown's attorney during the hearing.
He said after the hearing Rihanna appreciates the "overwhelming support" the singer has received from fans worldwide.
He brushed aside questions seeking details about the fight, telling reporters, "The facts of the case will come out over time."
3/02/2009
Obama honor Stevie Wonder at White House concert
Since the presidency changed hands less than six weeks ago, a burst of entertaining has taken hold of the iconic, white-columned home of America's head of state. Much of it comes on Wednesdays.
The stately East Room, where portraits of George and Martha Washington adorn the walls, was transformed into a concert hall as President Barack Obama presented Stevie Wonder with the nation's highest award for pop music on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama thanked Stevie Wonder for creating "a style that's uniquely American" as he presented the singer-songwriter the nation's highest award for pop music.
"As Stevie knows, I'm a huge fan. And he has been a great supporter," Obama said before presenting the award-winning, singer-songwriter with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
Obama, who called Wonder the soundtrack of his youth, gave the star the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an East Room tribute Wednesday that featured Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and Wonder himself. The president joked that the group was "the most accomplished Stevie Wonder cover band in history."
Obama presented the medal to Wonder, then wrapped the singer in a bear hug. As the media were led out of the room, Wonder struck up "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," which was a staple of Obama's campaign rallies.
Wonder was emotional at times, thanking Obama for the award and reflecting on what his election as the first black president means to the United States.
"What is truly exciting for me today is that we truly have lived to see a time and a space where America has a chance to again live up to the greatness that it deserves to be seen and known as, through the love and caring and the commitment of a president as in our president, Barack Obama," he said.
Wonder cited Martin Luther King Jr., his faith and his mother during an acceptance speech that flowed into a set of Obama's favorite songs. The Grammy-winning musician he has 25 of the awards joked that he looked forward to writing more love songs perhaps a soundtrack for "you know, maybe I'll be a part of creating some more of those babies."
Obama praised Wonder's decades-long career and a style that has blended pop and funk, R&B and gospel.
"Stevie has always drawn on the incredible range of traditions in his music and, from that, he's created a style that's at once uniquely American, uniquely his own, and yet somehow universal," Obama said. "Indeed, this could be called the American tradition artists demonstrating the courage, the talent to find new harmonies in the rich and dissonant sounds of the American experience."
The stately East Room, where portraits of George and Martha Washington adorn the walls, was transformed into a concert hall as President Barack Obama presented Stevie Wonder with the nation's highest award for pop music on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama thanked Stevie Wonder for creating "a style that's uniquely American" as he presented the singer-songwriter the nation's highest award for pop music.
"As Stevie knows, I'm a huge fan. And he has been a great supporter," Obama said before presenting the award-winning, singer-songwriter with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress.
Obama, who called Wonder the soundtrack of his youth, gave the star the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during an East Room tribute Wednesday that featured Tony Bennett, Martina McBride and Wonder himself. The president joked that the group was "the most accomplished Stevie Wonder cover band in history."
Obama presented the medal to Wonder, then wrapped the singer in a bear hug. As the media were led out of the room, Wonder struck up "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," which was a staple of Obama's campaign rallies.
Wonder was emotional at times, thanking Obama for the award and reflecting on what his election as the first black president means to the United States.
"What is truly exciting for me today is that we truly have lived to see a time and a space where America has a chance to again live up to the greatness that it deserves to be seen and known as, through the love and caring and the commitment of a president as in our president, Barack Obama," he said.
Wonder cited Martin Luther King Jr., his faith and his mother during an acceptance speech that flowed into a set of Obama's favorite songs. The Grammy-winning musician he has 25 of the awards joked that he looked forward to writing more love songs perhaps a soundtrack for "you know, maybe I'll be a part of creating some more of those babies."
Obama praised Wonder's decades-long career and a style that has blended pop and funk, R&B and gospel.
"Stevie has always drawn on the incredible range of traditions in his music and, from that, he's created a style that's at once uniquely American, uniquely his own, and yet somehow universal," Obama said. "Indeed, this could be called the American tradition artists demonstrating the courage, the talent to find new harmonies in the rich and dissonant sounds of the American experience."
2/10/2009
Chris Brown and Rihanna scandal
Rihanna has been officially named as Chris Brown's assault victim. At this point, Chris Brown would have been better off getting caught with a bong. At least then, the scandal enveloping his white-hot career could have been dismissed by some as a youthful indiscretion.
On a night in which Brown was supposed to deliver a prime-time Grammy performance, he was instead being processed in a Los Angeles police station on a charge connected to an alleged assault on a woman reports have identified as Rihanna, the 20-year-old pop princess. Brown was booked on a suspicion of making a criminal threat after he and a woman had an argument that escalated into a fight in a ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood, according to police; Rihanna and Brown pulled out of the Grammys hours before the Sunday telecast.
Brown was released after posting $50,000 bail. Both he and Rihanna had backed out of their scheduled performances at the Grammy Awards, where producers scrambled to fill their slots.
According to TMZ.com, cops took photos of Rihanna's injuries when they arrived on the scene and described them as "horrific." The pics reportedly show major contusions on both sides of the singer's face, with serious swelling and bruising. She suffered a split lip and a bloody nose, and there were bite marks on one of her arms and on several fingers. Rihanna claims Brown struck her with his fists and that's what did the damage. There was no object used in the alleged attack.
It was previously reported that Rihanna called 911 herself, but now it has been revealed that some in the area, who heard Ri scream, called for help.
has opted to postpone a sold-out concert scheduled for Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a spokesman for show organizer Pineapple Concerts confirms to E! News.
"In light of recent events involving Rihanna, [William Morris Agency] will confirm within two weeks from now on a replacement date to be mutually agreed" upon by the organizer and the singer's camp, Pineapple managing director Razman Razali said in a statement.
"We sincerely regret this unavoidable shift in schedule and apologize to the fans for any inconvenience caused."
In the meantime, Rihanna has been discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, having been escorted out a back exit of the hospital some time during the night. "They used a decoy to throw off the media," a source close to the investigation into what went down between Rihanna and Chris Brown early Sunday morning tells E! News.
On a night in which Brown was supposed to deliver a prime-time Grammy performance, he was instead being processed in a Los Angeles police station on a charge connected to an alleged assault on a woman reports have identified as Rihanna, the 20-year-old pop princess. Brown was booked on a suspicion of making a criminal threat after he and a woman had an argument that escalated into a fight in a ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood, according to police; Rihanna and Brown pulled out of the Grammys hours before the Sunday telecast.
Brown was released after posting $50,000 bail. Both he and Rihanna had backed out of their scheduled performances at the Grammy Awards, where producers scrambled to fill their slots.
According to TMZ.com, cops took photos of Rihanna's injuries when they arrived on the scene and described them as "horrific." The pics reportedly show major contusions on both sides of the singer's face, with serious swelling and bruising. She suffered a split lip and a bloody nose, and there were bite marks on one of her arms and on several fingers. Rihanna claims Brown struck her with his fists and that's what did the damage. There was no object used in the alleged attack.
It was previously reported that Rihanna called 911 herself, but now it has been revealed that some in the area, who heard Ri scream, called for help.
has opted to postpone a sold-out concert scheduled for Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a spokesman for show organizer Pineapple Concerts confirms to E! News.
"In light of recent events involving Rihanna, [William Morris Agency] will confirm within two weeks from now on a replacement date to be mutually agreed" upon by the organizer and the singer's camp, Pineapple managing director Razman Razali said in a statement.
"We sincerely regret this unavoidable shift in schedule and apologize to the fans for any inconvenience caused."
In the meantime, Rihanna has been discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, having been escorted out a back exit of the hospital some time during the night. "They used a decoy to throw off the media," a source close to the investigation into what went down between Rihanna and Chris Brown early Sunday morning tells E! News.
2/06/2009
Angelina Jolie voices support for Myanmar refugees in Thailand
Hollywood star and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency Angelina Jolie has called on the Thai government to respect the human rights of Myanmar's Rohinyga boat people whom Thai authorities have pushed out to sea in recent weeks, a U.N. spokeswoman said Friday.
Jolie and her partner, Brad Pitt, are on a visit to Thailand, where on Wednesday they toured one of several camps along the Thai-Myanmar border sheltering refugees from Myanmar's military regime.
Ms. Jolie spent yesterday listening to refugees in northern Thailand telling of the difficulties they have faced over two decades living in closed camps.
“I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp,” the actress said after her visit to Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly Karenni refugees.
The Rohingya, denied citizenship in their native land, have been trying to land in Thailand after treacherous sea journeys only to be towed back to sea and cast adrift by the Thai Navy. Indian officials, who rescued some, believe hundreds perished.
"She was extremely touched by the plight of the Rohingya people. She expressed the hope that the human rights of the Rohingya people will be respected just as the human rights of everyone in the world should be respected," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Kitt McKinsey said.
The Rohingya, from western Myanmar, represent just a part of Myanmar's refugee exodus.
For decades, hundreds of thousands of others — most from other ethnic minorities — have fled by land across the country's eastern border to Thailand.
Most are civilians caught up in fighting between Myanmar government troops and ethnic insurgents. Many flee to Thai refugee camps, where they remain for years with little chance of resettlement in third countries.
On Wednesday, Jolie slapped a bright blue U.N. baseball cap on her head and toured the bamboo huts of the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly ethnic Karenni refugees, just two miles (three kilometers) from the Myanmar border, near the northern Thai town of Mae Hong Son.
There are between 116,000 and 135,000 refugees at camps along the border.
Jolie, 33, sat down in a two-room house on stilts and talked with a female refugee, according to an account of the visit given Thursday in a press release by the U.N. refugee agency.
Jolie asked one 26-year-old woman, Pan Sein, whether she was afraid when she made her perilous journey last year from her home village in Myanmar's Kayah State.
"Yes, I was scared," Pan Sein replied. "It was dangerous to flee, but even more dangerous to stay in my village."
This was Jolie's third visit to Thailand to meet with refugees and her mission has taken her to more than 20 countries to comfort the unwanted.
"I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp," Jolie said.
At a boarding school for orphans and children separated from their parents, Ms. Jolie told two teenage girls who feared returning across the border to finish their education that “I hope we can work with the Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to go back to Burma if danger remains.”
Local authorities have yet to process some 5,000 people who fled to northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province between 2006 and 2007, the last time there was significant fighting in Kayah State just across the border in Myanmar.
And throughout last year, there was a steady trickle of refugees from Myanmar into Ban Mai Nai Soi and three other camps in the province, mostly fleeing forced labour and other human rights abuses.
Thailand recognizes most at the border camps as refugees with legitimate fear of returning to their homeland, but does not accord the Muslim Rohingyas the same status, and seeks to send them away.
"Visiting Ban Mai Nai Soi and seeing how hospitable Thailand has been to 111,000 mostly Karen and Karenni refugees over the years makes me hope that Thailand will be just as generous to the Rohingya refugees who are now arriving on their shores," Jolie said.
“I also hope the Rohingya situation stabilizes and their life in Myanmar improves so the people do not feel the desperate need to flee, especially considering how dangerous their journey has become,” she added.
Jolie and her partner, Brad Pitt, are on a visit to Thailand, where on Wednesday they toured one of several camps along the Thai-Myanmar border sheltering refugees from Myanmar's military regime.
Ms. Jolie spent yesterday listening to refugees in northern Thailand telling of the difficulties they have faced over two decades living in closed camps.
“I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp,” the actress said after her visit to Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly Karenni refugees.
The Rohingya, denied citizenship in their native land, have been trying to land in Thailand after treacherous sea journeys only to be towed back to sea and cast adrift by the Thai Navy. Indian officials, who rescued some, believe hundreds perished.
"She was extremely touched by the plight of the Rohingya people. She expressed the hope that the human rights of the Rohingya people will be respected just as the human rights of everyone in the world should be respected," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Kitt McKinsey said.
The Rohingya, from western Myanmar, represent just a part of Myanmar's refugee exodus.
For decades, hundreds of thousands of others — most from other ethnic minorities — have fled by land across the country's eastern border to Thailand.
Most are civilians caught up in fighting between Myanmar government troops and ethnic insurgents. Many flee to Thai refugee camps, where they remain for years with little chance of resettlement in third countries.
On Wednesday, Jolie slapped a bright blue U.N. baseball cap on her head and toured the bamboo huts of the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, home to 18,111 mainly ethnic Karenni refugees, just two miles (three kilometers) from the Myanmar border, near the northern Thai town of Mae Hong Son.
There are between 116,000 and 135,000 refugees at camps along the border.
Jolie, 33, sat down in a two-room house on stilts and talked with a female refugee, according to an account of the visit given Thursday in a press release by the U.N. refugee agency.
Jolie asked one 26-year-old woman, Pan Sein, whether she was afraid when she made her perilous journey last year from her home village in Myanmar's Kayah State.
"Yes, I was scared," Pan Sein replied. "It was dangerous to flee, but even more dangerous to stay in my village."
This was Jolie's third visit to Thailand to meet with refugees and her mission has taken her to more than 20 countries to comfort the unwanted.
"I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp," Jolie said.
At a boarding school for orphans and children separated from their parents, Ms. Jolie told two teenage girls who feared returning across the border to finish their education that “I hope we can work with the Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to go back to Burma if danger remains.”
Local authorities have yet to process some 5,000 people who fled to northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province between 2006 and 2007, the last time there was significant fighting in Kayah State just across the border in Myanmar.
And throughout last year, there was a steady trickle of refugees from Myanmar into Ban Mai Nai Soi and three other camps in the province, mostly fleeing forced labour and other human rights abuses.
Thailand recognizes most at the border camps as refugees with legitimate fear of returning to their homeland, but does not accord the Muslim Rohingyas the same status, and seeks to send them away.
"Visiting Ban Mai Nai Soi and seeing how hospitable Thailand has been to 111,000 mostly Karen and Karenni refugees over the years makes me hope that Thailand will be just as generous to the Rohingya refugees who are now arriving on their shores," Jolie said.
“I also hope the Rohingya situation stabilizes and their life in Myanmar improves so the people do not feel the desperate need to flee, especially considering how dangerous their journey has become,” she added.
11/24/2008
Madonna feels sad about her personal life, yet lucky and blessed professionally
Madonna has broken her silence about her split from Guy Ritchie - revealing her gruelling tour schedule is helping her through her personal troubles.
In an interview with the Associated Press, she says her intense schedule "provides a distraction that keeps me going", adding, "I'm sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life. It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do."
In addition to wrapping up her worldwide Sticky & Sweet tour, the star is currently promoting her documentary I Am Because We Are, about the poverty stricken African nation of Malawi.
Madonna and Ritchie were rumored to have split as early as this summer, but have kept quiet about details of their divorce despite relentless media attention.
They have agreed to share custody of son Rocco, eight, and adopted David, three, while Madonna's 12-year-old daughter Lourdes, from a previous relationship, will live with her mother.
In an interview with the Associated Press, she says her intense schedule "provides a distraction that keeps me going", adding, "I'm sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life. It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do."
In addition to wrapping up her worldwide Sticky & Sweet tour, the star is currently promoting her documentary I Am Because We Are, about the poverty stricken African nation of Malawi.
Madonna and Ritchie were rumored to have split as early as this summer, but have kept quiet about details of their divorce despite relentless media attention.
They have agreed to share custody of son Rocco, eight, and adopted David, three, while Madonna's 12-year-old daughter Lourdes, from a previous relationship, will live with her mother.
11/20/2008
Britney's mystery man
Britney Spears apparently wasn't exaggerating when she groused in her new documentary that her carefully controlled life lacks "passion" and "excitement." The popster looked beyond bored Monday night as she arrived at a Los Angeles eatery in a Porsche driven by a well-chiseled male model-type reportedly named Marco, an entrance that touched off a paparazzi frenzy that required police assistance. But it seems her subdued mood (and wardrobe, courtesy of a blah brown turtleneck) wasn't due to her date -- because it wasn't a date. E! News identifies Brit's tall, dark and handsome companion as the general manager of the salon owned by stylist Kim Vo, who tends to her problem tresses. Vo downplays that the two are just "good friends" and that there are no romantic overtones. Besides, dinner also included Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, along with her assistant and several other members of her inner circle. Still, Star is convinced there's something more than friendship and hair-care gab sessions afoot. "It is a fresh relationship, but Marco thinks the world of Britney and Britney really trusts him -- the two have been officially dating for just a few weeks," asserts a source. "It is going really well and both are really happy with one another."
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