MTV News |
| Britney Spears' 'Circus' Video Taken To Task By PETA, But Trainers Insist Animals Were Treated Well Posted: 09 Dec 2008 01:23 AM PST Kari Johnson tells MTV News that everyone on set was 'respectful of the elephants' needs and comfort.'
On Monday, People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a press release condemning Britney Spears for featuring "cruelly trained lions and elephants" in her just-released "Circus" video and demanded that the pop star "stop using exotic animals in her videos and concerts once and for all." "Britney may think her life is a circus, but for the animals who are whipped, chained and beaten to perform under the real big top, the cruelty is very real," PETA director Debbie Leahy said in the release. "She may be headed for a comeback, but when it comes to animals, she still can't get her act together."
In the press release, PETA says it contacted Spears prior to the filming of her "Circus" video and "explained in graphic detail how trainers shock, whip and beat exotic animals into performing." The release also singles out the trainers of the elephants in the video — Gari and Kari Johnson, owners of California-based Have Trunk Will Travel — as having "long histories of exploiting animals." "In order to force elephants to perform silly tricks like those in the music video, trainers shock the animals with electric prods or gouge sharp, steel-tipped bull hooks into the most sensitive parts of the elephants' bodies," PETA's press release reads. "Gary and Kari Johnson ... have gone so far as to defend the use of cruel electric prods on elephants." On Tuesday, the Johnsons responded to MTV News' request for comment on PETA's charges, saying they have never condoned the use of electric training prods and that the animal-rights organization is using something they had said out of context. "My husband, Gary, and I do indeed have a long history with elephants. Our love of and infatuation with elephants started for both of us in our teens, 37 years ago. To say we care about elephant welfare is an understatement," Kari Johnson wrote in a statement to MTV News. "Have Trunk Will Travel has never issued a written endorsement, nor does it condone using electrical devices to discipline and control elephants except in situations where elephant or human safety is at risk. PETA very conveniently used a sentence out of context from a USDA request for public comments regarding policies on elephants in 2000." Johnson went on to write that the elephants used in Spears' "Circus" video were supervised by a representative from the American Humane Association the entire time they were on set and that the elephants were treated kindly. "The American Humane Association monitors animal action in film and television. A representative was on the set of the Britney Spears 'Circus' video with our elephants, Tai and Kitty, to ensure their safety and welfare," Johnson wrote. "Britney, the director, producers and the entire crew were respectful of the elephants' needs and comfort and a pleasure to work with." This is not the first time Spears has drawn the ire of PETA. In 2001, the organization scrapped plans to feature her on an anti-fur billboard after she used an albino python and a caged tiger in her performance at the Video Music Awards. And in subsequent years, they've targeted Spears for everything from wearing fur to buying a caged parakeet from a Petco in Hollywood. A spokesperson for Spears could not be reached for comment on the situation surrounding the "Circus" video. Related Artists |
| T.I. Looks Back On His 'Outstanding' 2008, Despite Legal Woes Posted: 09 Dec 2008 04:54 AM PST 'In the beginning of this year ... it wasn't easy to assume I would have reached this level this fast,' rapper tells MTV News.
NEW YORK — "It was great — way better than last year," T.I. smiled last week when talking about his Thanksgiving. When it was his turn to tell the family what he was thankful for this year, how much do you want to bet he had the most to say? Just look at what he did professionally: Four Grammy nominations, two hit singles, a historic street banger with three top MCs, a buried rivalry and his highest-selling album ever. T.I.'s 2008 is that much bigger when you consider he started the year off with a cloud of uncertainty over his head because of his felony gun charges. No matter what the odds, Tip can't be deterred.
"It's been outstanding," he said of 2008, sitting in Manhattan's S.I.R. Studio. "In the beginning of this year, the position I was in, it wasn't easy to assume I would have reached this level this fast. I gotta say, man, I'm blessed. I'm thankful. I'm looking forward to the future. I'm looking beyond this present situation I'm in." It's no surprise that Paper Trail was his highlight of the year. "Professionally, the release of the album and how well it's been performing on the charts," he answered about what tops his list of accomplishments. "The videos have been highlights. The performances — me and Jay-Z in New York; me and Kanye in L.A.; me and Rihanna in L.A.; me, [ Ludacris,] B.O.B., Jay out in Philly — we done had some pretty outstanding moments throughout this project." He calls the platinum-plus album not only his greatest accomplishment in 2008, but the pre-eminent LP in his six-album catalog. "I think every album is me at my best. Every album, when I begin making it, I intend on doing it better than the last," he explained. "The next album, I wanna do better than this one. Absolutely." As for when that record will drop, he's still unsure, but fans can take solace in the fact that he has started production on it. "I started a little bit," he said of Paper Trail's follow-up. "I can't say [when it's coming out], man. I don't know, man. It's hard to tell. I'm ready whenever." T.I.'s next single from will be "Dead and Gone." Justin Timberlake co-stars in the song and video. Tip is also in talks with Young Jeezy and onetime lyrical rival Ludacris about a joint tour this winter. The King of the South said he would like for it to ramp up at the top of the year. Related Videos Related Artists |
| DMX Arrested By FBI Agents In Florida -- At Scott Storch's House Posted: 09 Dec 2008 02:32 AM PST Rapper is being held in jail until he goes before a judge Wednesday morning.
A day after a $5,000 reward was offered by the Maricopa County Sheriff's office for his capture, fugitive rapper DMX (born Earl Simmons) was arrested in Florida on Tuesday (December 9) on a warrant issued by a Phoenix judge after he failed to appear in court last Friday. Attorney Bradford Cohen told MTV News that the rapper was picked up by FBI agents on Tuesday after patient-confidentiality laws prevented Miami police from confirming whether X was at a local rehab facility. "A call went out earlier this morning in regards to his location, and the regular police went out to that location, which was a recovery clinic, but because of health care laws, the clinic wouldn't confirm whether he was there," Cohen said. "So the cops left, and apparently the sheriff down here didn't like that too much, so he called in the feds." FBI agents then apprehended DMX at the Palm Island mansion of producer Scott Storch. According to TMZ, an unnamed woman in Georgia tipped off the Arizona sheriff's department officials to X's whereabouts when she heard about the $5,000 reward being offered for information leading to his arrest. Cohen said he is not sure what Storch and X's personal relationship is, or if Storch was home at the time of the arrest. The producer had a warrant out for his arrest earlier this year, when he failed to appear in court for a child-support case, and has been working on straightening out his finances after his home was foreclosed in July. X is being held in jail until he goes before a judge in Miami on Wednesday morning. Cohen expects that the judge will not grant bond and that DMX will be extradited to Arizona within 15 days. DMX was due in court last week for a status hearing on his upcoming trial related to charges of drug possession, identity theft and animal cruelty. When he failed to appear, the judge in the case upped his bond to $120,000 cash, and his public defender in Arizona, Charles Kozelka, said he expects the troubled rapper to remain in jail for "a while" as he awaits trial on the charges. Cohen said he thought DMX had checked into a rehab facility around December 1, but he was unsure if the MC had been in that clinic consistently since then. [This story was originally published on 12.9.08 at 4:32 p.m. ET.] Related Artists |
| Jennifer Hudson To Return To Work Posted: 09 Dec 2008 03:49 AM PST Following the October deaths of three relatives, the singer is set to shoot a video for 'If It Isn't Love' next week.
Just days after calling her Grammy nominations "truly a blessing," Jennifer Hudson is heading back to work. The singer and Oscar-winning actress is set to start filming the video for her next single, Yahoo! News reports. A J Records spokesperson said the singer will head to Los Angeles next week to shoot the video for the song "If It Isn't Love," the follow-up to the Grammy-nominated "Spotlight." Hudson was reportedly supposed to film the video around the time her mother, brother and nephew were killed in Chicago in October. The release of her debut album has been overshadowed by the deaths of her three family members. In October, only weeks before the tragedy, Hudson released the LP, which also features her Grammy-nominated duet with fellow "American Idol" alum Fantasia, "I'm His Only Woman." "So many different people come up to me and say, 'I'm a huge fan,' and I say, 'Oh my God, what am I going to have for everyone [on the album]?' " Hudson said then. "That was the biggest challenge, [but] nobody knows my potential the way I do." Last week, Hudson received four Grammy nods, including Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. In a statement, she said, "It's been a childhood dream of mine to release an album, so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing. I'm extremely honored and humbled by the nominations." Related Artists |
| Bobby Brown Dishes On Marriage To Whitney Houston, Compares Himself To Tony Montana In Biography Posted: 09 Dec 2008 03:33 AM PST Brown describes turbulent marriage but says he's no Ike Turner.
"It's tough being Bobby Brown," Jay-Z raps on a remix of Coldplay's "Lost." "To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now." What a life the Boston singer has had. An entertainer since age 11, Brown, now almost 40, brought the 'hood to R&B in the '80s. His greatest work to date, 1988's Don't Be Cruel, was a crossover hit that sold more than 8 million copies. Brown seemed destined to join the ranks of the all-time greats he had idolized as a child, including Michael Jackson and James Brown. Since rising to the top, Brown has experienced heartbreak (Janet Jackson), love (ex-wife Whitney Houston and his children) and trouble with the law. Author Derrick Handspike documents the Brown Bomber in "Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But ... ," which hit shelves Tuesday (December 9). The book, which began with Brown's cooperation but has been published as an unauthorized biography, has been delayed since May. Handspike said that after spending a year with Brown and conducting interviews and co-writing the project, the singer and his camp began "procrastinating" in completing the book. In the spring, the media went crazy after excerpts of Brown's interviews were released. Bobby described a night Usher began choking him at a party (Usher was playing, according to Brown, but cutting off his circulation nonetheless) and offered his take on Houston's possible romantic relationship with Ray J. In the book, Brown tells Handspike that Houston initiated their relationship by flirting with him at the Grammys. A romance ensued, and sexual chemistry wasn't a problem. "I've always been known to be a pretty good lover," Brown said shamelessly. "The word on the street is that I'm well-endowed." With love came confrontation: It's well-documented that Houston called the police on Brown on more than one occasion. "I mean, I'm guilty of getting upset and flying off the handle a little," Brown said of the domestic strife. "I was known to throw a bottle or two at a wall or something. Things that I'd regret, I would be responsible for cleaning up or having the wall repaired. What people fail to realize is that Whitney is no punk. She definitely knows how to handle and defend herself in situations that could have potentially been violent. Some of the stories in the media made me out to be like Ike Turner, when that wasn't my character." There's also a bit in the book in which Brown said his wife would joke about being more white than black because of her overwhelming support from the mainstream public. "I never understood how she felt like this when she was more 'Negro' than I am," Brown said. "Not African-American, but more 'Negro' than I could ever be. That is one of the reasons why I always loved her so much, because she was so real." During his marriage to Houston, Brown began to use cocaine. He claims that marijuana was his only drug of choice during his teen New Edition years, but later coke, crack and heroin came into play. He attributes his crooked jaw to a mild stroke from heroin in 2001. "I had a desk like Scarface's in my room, and I kept [cocaine] piled up on it," Brown told Handspike. "Every time I walked past my desk, I'd make a line of coke from one end to the other. I'd take a straw and snort a line the same way Scarface did it in the movie. You couldn't tell me nothing. I felt like I was Tony Montana! The world was mine! I never had to look for coke; I kept it plentiful. There was times when I went on my binges and would lock myself up in a room for days at a time just getting high." Brown's manager said he and his client have no comment on the book at this time. Although Brown has made no announcements about the follow-up to his hit Bravo reality show "Being Bobby Brown," the singer remains active with spot dates across the country. He's scheduled to perform with New Edition members Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant on February 12 in New York. Related Artists |
| Coldplay Respond To Joe Satriani's Plagiarism Claim, Calling Similarities 'Entirely Coincidental' Posted: 09 Dec 2008 12:40 AM PST 'Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song 'Viva la Vida,' ' online post reads.
With the exception of a joking reference during a recent Nissan Live Set at Yahoo! about plagiarism claims from one "Moe Batriani," Coldplay have remained mum about claims from guitarist Joe Satriani that their song "Viva la Vida" bears a striking resemblance to his 2004 tune "If I Could Fly." But on Tuesday, less than a week after Satriani filed a copyright-infringement suit against the English band over the song, Coldplay posted a response to the suit on their Web site. "With the greatest possible respect to Joe Satriani, we have now unfortunately found it necessary to respond publicly to his allegations," the note reads. "If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him. Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song 'Viva la Vida.' We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this and wish him well with all future endeavours." The response from Coldplay came a day after an interview with Satriani was posted by Music Radar, in which the guitarist said the first time he heard the title track to the band's album, he felt like "a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much. The second I heard it, I knew it was [my own] 'If I Could Fly.' " Satriani told the magazine that his inbox was flooded in June with e-mails from fans who also thought the then-just-released Coldplay single was eerily familiar to his instrumental, recorded in 2003 as a tribute to Satriani's wife, Rubina. Until the comments posted on Tuesday, Coldplay had not officially confronted the controversy. But during the Yahoo! appearance — which was filmed before the suit was filed — singer Chris Martin obliquely referred to the claims by saying, "When we finished the song 'Viva la Vida,' our only hit single, we knew that was good. ... And I will maintain that till my dying day, that it's not that bad. Although we are being sued by about 12 people who say that we stole it, though I promise we didn't. Including ... I probably shouldn't say. [Laughs.] I can't tell you, I can't tell you, but it rhymes with 'Moe Batriani.' " A spokesperson for Coldplay had no comment about whether the band will pursue a countersuit against Satriani or how it will respond to the allegations. Related Artists |
| Taylor Swift Insists -- Yet Again -- That She's 'Moved On' After Joe Jonas Breakup Posted: 09 Dec 2008 12:40 AM PST Fearless singer also lays down some relationship rules: 'You can't ever send two text messages in a row.'
For what feels like the hundredth time since they broke up, Taylor Swift is once again insisting that she's moved on from teen heartthrob Joe Jonas, after she told MTV News last month "that's a chapter in my life that's closed now." "What I've learned is that I've really moved on from it," she said to The Boot.com about her breakup from the middle Jonas Brother. Despite a very public breakup that had Swift blaming Joe's current paramour Camilla Belle for the break-up — and then having all three Jonas brothers weigh in on it, saying that wasn't the case — she said she's now learning to let things go. "You can't stress about what you can't change," she said. "You have to live your life and be happy in spite of whatever doubts you might have or whatever might have happened." But, be advised, Swift and Jonas are expected to cross paths on New Year's Eve, when they're both scheduled to perform on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." Swift also told The Boot.com that she's not ready to jump back into a relationship, and that she's happy being single and working hard to promote her latest album, Fearless. "I'm not typically the girl who dates a lot of guys or is in relationships a lot," Swift, who turns 19 on Saturday, said. "Most of my life, I've been single. If I meet somebody who's great, I'll make an exception. But I'm really happy being alone ... I don't feel a sense of emptiness if I don't have a boyfriend." She did, however, say that she has some key dating rules that she brings to any relationship. "If you're like, 'I need to talk to you' all the time, [or] 'Why didn't you call me back?' ... If you're that girl, then nobody's going to want to date you," she explained. "I have this rule: I don't call a guy first. And you can't ever send two text messages in a row." Swift claims she brings one thing to the table as anyone's girlfriend: her strong sense of self. "It's so important to be confident in who you are," Swift said. "The best thing you can bring to a relationship is a whole person." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Akon Says 'You're Welcome' For Singing-Rapper Trend And Hopes It Continues To Grow Posted: 09 Dec 2008 04:54 AM PST 'As an artist, you should never feel threatened by another artist,' 'Kon declares.
Akon is totally digging the current trend of rappers becoming singers. He told MTV News he thinks it's cool that artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye West are embracing melodies, and he isn't shy about taking some credit for the movement, having crossed back and forth over the singer/rapper divide for years and helped popularize the heavy use of Auto-Tune along with his "Bartender" collaborator T-Pain. "As an artist, depending on who you are, you should never be in a situation where you feel threatened by another artist," he said. "If anything, I embrace the fact that they're doing it. Music changes every year. I'm just happy [about] the fact that people are jumping on what we're already doing. I look at it like a tribute to what we're already doing, and I look at it like a compliment, really. "I say 'you're welcome' every time I hear [rappers singing]," said Akon, who just released his new album, Freedom. "A melody has a way of describing [words], 'cause of the emotions that come with melody. Melody brings it out better than a bland vocal. It's easier to relate." 'Kon also doesn't see the singing-rapper trend dying in 2009. In fact, with so many artists jumping on the bandwagon, he thinks it will get bigger over time. "I definitely think it will continue and grow. Hip-hop grew out of its element; it's literally a lifestyle now." Akon said he appreciates the recent efforts put out by rappers like West. "With Kanye, you never know what to expect. He's not afraid to experiment. He's always had that open mind. That's how you have to be as an artist." In order to push his own musical boundaries, the Senegalese singer has recently been collaborating with Indian composer A.R. Rahman. "When you have two people of two different cultures, it's like making Kool-Aid," he said. "Think of it like the best of both worlds at the end of the day. You never even think certain things can be done like that. It's always juggling back and forth." Meanwhile, he hasn't pinned down a free moment to hook up with another Indian composer, Aadesh Shrivastava, but he promises the two busy artists will make time for each other. "Actually, me and Aadesh have been talking. My schedule is so crazy hectic ... and he's moving heavily too. ... But you can definitely look forward to the collaboration in the future." Akon has also been busy in the studio with American icons Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, and he noted that his collaboration with the latter will "shock a lot of people." "I can't speak too much on Mike's project," he added of his work with Jackson. "Mike is a perfectionist. He's probably the most brilliant person I've sat across from. A humble, cool cat." And working with a legend like Jackson has taught Akon a thing or two. "I'm on a whole 'nother level now," he said. "It's all about the presentation. It has to be big, it has to be right." Related Videos Related Artists |
| Tom Cruise Has Some Marriage Advice For Spencer Pratt And Heidi Montag Posted: 09 Dec 2008 09:35 AM PST After the actor's appearance on 'The Hills: Live After Show,' Stephanie Pratt says the whole family is happy for the couple.
Since eloping last month, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag still have everyone talking about their relationship. And we mean everyone, including Tom Cruise, who took it upon himself to offer some sage marriage advice to the groom.
"If the girl wants the wedding, you gotta do the wedding," Cruise, whose 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes was a lavish Italian affair, advised Spencer during "The Hills: Live After Show" on Monday night. "She's gonna remember it forever. And you gotta make it a special occasion. Spencer, dude, you'll realize this later." Spencer quickly responded to the actor's advice, telling UsMagazine.com, "You all know how I feel about big weddings, but if Tom Cruise says so, it must be true. If Tom's the best man, we'll have a big wedding!" During Monday night's "After Show," Spencer's sister, Stephanie Pratt, also stopped by to talk about her brother's November nuptials. "Well, [my friend] Cameron and I were going to meet my mom at breakfast, and I think my mom read [about the elopement] on Perez Hilton," she explained. "She's on her phone, and she didn't believe it all. She wasn't upset, but I totally believed it. And then she talked to [Spencer], and he said, 'Yeah, we did.' " She also talked about the family's response to Heidi's mother's statement to Us Weekly that the marriage was a mistake. "Actually, when I read it ... it was all the worst day of our lives," Stephanie said. "We were crying. We were so upset." But Stephanie explained that Heidi's mom, Darlene Egelhoff, later called the Pratts to explain her side of the story and clear the air about the interview. "Heidi's mom actually called my mom and was really apologetic and crying," she said. "They took a lot of her things, like her tongue-in-cheek things, out of context. ... It was her first interview." Stephanie reassured the audience that everyone is cool with the marriage now. "The general consensus, with all the family members, is that we're all really happy for them." Related Videos |
| Britney Spears' Mother Says She Feared For Her Daughter's Life Posted: 09 Dec 2008 06:47 AM PST Lynne Spears says she considered calling her book 'It's All My Fault.'
There was a time in the last year when Lynne Spears feared for Britney's life. "Yes, I did worry that that might happen," she said of her worries that her daughter might take her own life during a period when the singer was hospitalized twice this year for mental evaluations. "I couldn't see Britney, and you worry more when you're looking at things from a distance." Mama Spears expressed those fears in an interview in England's Daily Mail to promote her book, "Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World." After Britney lost custody of her two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline, she reached out to her mother for help getting her children back, and that's when Lynne said she could tell Britney was turning a corner. "When I started seeing her again, I felt more reassured," Lynne told the paper. "She told me that, as bad as life can get, she still likes life too much to consider ending it." At one point, Lynne Spears said she considered calling her once-delayed book (which was pushed back from its original release date at the height of Britney's problems and just after the announcement of younger daughter Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy) "It's All My Fault." "I can laugh about it now, but did I feel that way at the time? Yes, I did," Lynne said. "And, if I'm being totally honest, I still do." At the height of her success, Lynne said Britney didn't need her as much, but when things began to spiral downward, "I was out, because other people — dancers, managers — were closer to her, and with her day and night. Being a mother, you can't help but have regrets about what you did and didn't do for your kids, and I'm no different," she said. Spears added that it was especially hard to be "banished" from her daughter's life during the hardest period for Britney, when she lost custody of her sons and was ordered to submit to random drug and alcohol testing. Spears denies being a stage mom or pushing her second child into show business, saying she never got the standard 5 percent cut that most mothers take from their star kids, even when times were tough for the family. "[Britney's father] Jamie and I both said that we never wanted to be her managers; we just wanted to be parents," she said. "I was never in the driver's seat as far as Britney's career goes." Though Britney appears to be on the upswing now — with new album Circus poised to be a hit and a world tour planned for 2009 — Spears echoes some of the comments Britney made in her recent MTV documentary, "Britney: For the Record," in which the singer said things are more calm now and she's happier, but in some ways life is almost too boring. "I think Britney's happy in most ways — very happy with her kids and ecstatic about work," Lynne Spears said. "But there's something missing in her life. ... That gut belief she had in herself when she was so young, that's what's missing, and she's got to get that back. She could set the world on fire in those days, and she knew exactly what she wanted. But the hardships she's been through have made her a little hesitant. She needs one big boost, one plug of energy and she'll be there." Asked if she might do things differently if given the chance, Spears said that it's "unrealistic" to stop your child from pursuing their dreams. "You don't tell your child, 'You can't play football because you might get into steroids one day,' because you just don't foresee those problems," she said. "Even if I had said no to Britney, maybe worse things might have happened because she was frustrated and couldn't fulfill her dreams." Though they divorced six years ago after 27 years of marriage, Spears has nothing but praise for the way her ex-husband, Jamie, has been handling his conservatorship over Britney, saying she admires him for being strong and keeping their daughter on the right track. Asked about another difficult chapter in her family's life, Jamie Lynn's unexpected pregnancy at 16 — whose daughter is now 6 months old — Lynne Spears said she was shocked at first. "With Britney, everything had always been out there in the public domain," she said. "So, even if I wasn't used to the pain, I was still used to those things happening. But with Jamie Lynn, it was so different. I couldn't believe that my studious, perfect little girl had got herself pregnant. I just went into shock. But she's doing great now." And though she said Jamie Lynn and boyfriend Casey Aldridge will eventually get married, Lynne said there's "definitely not" plans for another baby anytime soon. Though she expressed regret that when fame hit hard and "everything started slipping away," she wasn't there to help Britney deal with the pressures of stardom, Lynne said she's delighted with how her daughter has come out of her difficult period. "I'm so proud of Britney. She's been through a tough time and look at her now," she said. "That's my baby, and she's back." Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists |
| You are subscribed to email updates from MTV News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Inbox too full?  Subscribe to the feed version of MTV News in a feed reader. | |
| If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: MTV News, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar