Katie Holmes, 35, debuted a choppy, layered, shoulder-length hairstyle while visiting Disney World in Orlando, Fla., last weekend — complete with bangs! Why the sweeping change#x003f; Hairstylist John Barrett of the John Barrett Salon in NYC tells Us Weekly exclusively how he achieved the look. “The cut is versatile and super s-xy,” Barrett tells Us. “We layered the hair to give her lots of styling alternatives for working on film and TV.” #x0028;Holmes has many projects currently in the works
Conrad Barrett was arrested Thursday and charged under federal hate crimes law, which defines a hate crime as “motivated by enmity or animus against a protected class.” The FBI also lists anti-white crimes as hate crimes, but the fact that he was charged for playing the “knockout game” and assaulting a black man has sparked controversy. Conrad Alvin Barrett Arrested For Knockout Game The knockout game , in which an assailant tries to knock out a random bystander with a single punch, has garnered national attention in recent months. It is unclear whether the “game” has become more popular or whether the Internet has simply allowed for isolated incidents to be broadcast more widely. The majority of the reported knockout game incidents, however, have involved black men targeting white victims and none triggered federal involvement. The fact that the Justice Department elected to step in now, when a black man was the victim, has critics saying the government is using the hate-crime statute unevenly. Donald Green, a political scientist at Columbia University in New York, says: “The reason why you have black perpetrators and white victims being prosecuted asymmetrically hinges on what evidence there is about why they’re doing what they’re doing.” “If suspects call the victim racial names, and one of the other witnesses testifies to that effect, it would be prosecutable as a hate crime.” That last part could be the key here. According to the federal affidavit, the government appears to be preparing a case along those lines in Texas. Federal prosecutors say Barrett planned the November 24 attack, which he filmed with his cellphone. He approached “G.C.”, an elderly black man. “How’s it going, man?” Barrett said, then punched the stunned victim so brutally hard that G.C.’s jaw was broken in two places and he lost three teeth. Barrett then allegedly cried “knockout!” and ran. He was caught after he told the tale at a bar, where an off-duty cop was present. Federal prosecutors argue that the attack was motivated by racial animus. Police found videos in which Barrett allegedly used racial epithets and at one point said that black people “haven’t fully experienced the blessing of evolution.” In another video from the day of the assault uncovered in the investigation, Barrett says, “If I were to hit a black person, would this be nationally televised?” A single hate crime charge carries a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Still, some conservative bloggers see racial hypocrisy at work. “This case shows how warped law enforcement has gotten as a result of hate crime legislation,” writes Rick Moran on the American Thinker blog. “No matter who is in charge, the law will always be selectively enforced. It makes a mockery of the notion of equal justice under the law.” Hate crime charges have been brought by New York State this year against one black suspect accused of playing the knockout game (a Jewish man was hurt). For his part, Jack Levin, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston, is not convinced that knockout game attacks are growing. Or that it’s even a game. He argues in an upcoming journal article that racially fueled knockout attacks are in the news is because they’ve actually become rarer than in the past. Knockout Game Video Knockout Game Therefore, they’re more notable than in the 1990s, when far more reports of so-called “ thrill hate crimes ” – think white teenagers beating up homeless men – were reported. “These knockout attacks are usually interracial, but not every interracial crime is a hate crime,” Levin says, drawing what he feels is an important distinction. “This is a thrill hate crime because typically young people who go out looking for someone to bash or assault, the act doesn’t necessarily require some triggering episode in wider society.” According to FBI hate crime statistics, 22 percent of the 3,297 reported racially motivated hate crimes in 2012 were anti-white, while 66 percent were anti-black. The Justice Department insisted on Thursday in response to the controversy that it does not discriminate in how it makes decisions on hate crime charges.
Jon Gosselin and Ellen Ross have split up after nearly two years together. It’s unclear exactly why the ex-husband of Kate Gosselin split with his lady friend, but reports say Ellen’s distaste for the media was the final straw. “Ellen didn’t like the media attention and other things that came with the relationship,” a source said. “That’s one of the main reasons they broke up.” Wait … we still pay attention to Jon Gosselin ? Besides right now? Who knew! According to an insider, the twosome broke up more than a week ago, but it wasn’t until Friday that Jon Gosselin confirmed the breakup on Twitter: “Recently, after much thought and discussion, Ellen and I have decided to end our relationship. It was a mutual decision and we are both happy.” “We will remain best friends. We both plan to move forward and focus on our separate lives. We ask that you please respect our privacy at this time.” So far, no word from Ellen Ross personally, except a denial earlier this week that was debunked when Jon spilled the beans on Twitter. Whoops.
Camille Grammer out? Vanessa Bryant and Lisa Gastineau in? With rumors of one cast member not being invited back for season three of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills , we can now report on the rumors going around of who might replace her; namely, a pair of real former athlete wives. According to The Huffington Post , producers are wooing Bryant, who recently split from some shooting guard on the Los Angeles Lakers; and Lisa, who divorced NFL linebacker Mark Gastineau in 1991 and starred alongside her daughter on E!’s Gastineau Girls a few years ago. Said one insider of Bryant: “She is now single and free and doesn’t ever have to worry about earning another dollar in her life, so she can focus on what makes the show so much fun: herself,” while the same sources added of Lisa: “She is the example of how not to get divorces. She has a wonderful life but works very hard to pay her bills and would love to find love again.” Bravo may need to compete with another cable network for Vanessa’s services, however: VH1 is courting her for Basketball Wives .
Designer Jean Paul Gaultier paid homage to Amy Winehouse’s unique style at his Paris runway show earlier this week. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Wrong, if you’re the late singer’s father, Mitch Winehouse. “We don’t support the Jean Paul Galtier [sic] collection. It is in poor taste,” the elder Winehouse tweeted, incensed at his daughter’s image being used to sell clothes. “The family was upset to see those pictures. They were a total shock,” he told The Sun . “We’re still grieving, and we’ve had a difficult week with the six-month anniversary of Amy’s death.” Mitch said Gaultier’s show portrayed “a view of Amy when she was not at her best, [glamorizing] some of the more upsetting times in her life.” Mitch felt it inappropriate to try and cash in on his daughter’s legacy. “To see her image lifted wholesale to sell clothes was a wrench we were not expecting or consulted on. We’re proud of her influence on fashion but find black veils on models, smoking cigarettes with a barbershop quartet singing her music in bad taste.” He wasn’t the only harsh critic of the celebrity fashion designer. Kelly Osbourne, a close friend of Amy Winehouse , also Tweeted in response: “Although @JPGaultier was paying homage to my friend and icon to the world, I found it to be lucratively selfish and distasteful. Exploitation=evil.” [Photo: WENN.com]
Adam Lambert is in full-on album promotional mode. A few days after releasing the cover art for “Trespassing,” the former American Idol favorite is taking fans behind the scenes of his upcoming music video for the first single off that CD, “Better Than I Know Myself.” “Sometimes you screw up or you say something to hurt your partner’s feelings, or you haven’t been supportive,” Adam says below. “This song basically owns that, says, ‘Look, I’m sorry. Sometimes I’m not perfect but without you I don’t know what I would do with myself. I need you because you are the only person that knows me better than I know myself.” Adam Lambert Video Teaser: Behind the Scenes of “Better Than I Know Myself”
Adam Lambert is in full-on album promotional mode. A few days after releasing the cover art for “Trespassing,” the former American Idol favorite is taking fans behind the scenes of his upcoming music video for the first single off that CD, “Better Than I Know Myself.” “Sometimes you screw up or you say something to hurt your partner’s feelings, or you haven’t been supportive,” Adam says below. “This song basically owns that, says, ‘Look, I’m sorry. Sometimes I’m not perfect but without you I don’t know what I would do with myself. I need you because you are the only person that knows me better than I know myself.” Adam Lambert Video Teaser: Behind the Scenes of “Better Than I Know Myself”
Former So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Alex Da Silva has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a former dance student, reports say. Da Silva was arrested back in 2009 for a whole host of felonies. The 43-year-old was charged with sexually assaulting four women, all former dance students of his between the ages of 20 and 26 at the time. Sick. Alex Da Silva on So You Think You Can Dance Da Silva was convicted of one count of rape and one count of assault with intent to rape. The jury deadlocked on the other charges, which were dismissed. Da Silva appeared on Seasons 1-4 of SYTYCD (above, mentoring now- DWTS pro Chelsie Hightower). He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Fellow one-time SYTYCD mainstay Shane Sparks was also charged with a sex offense recently, pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor.
Former So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Alex Da Silva has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a former dance student, reports say. Da Silva was arrested back in 2009 for a whole host of felonies. The 43-year-old was charged with sexually assaulting four women, all former dance students of his between the ages of 20 and 26 at the time. Sick. Alex Da Silva on So You Think You Can Dance Da Silva was convicted of one count of rape and one count of assault with intent to rape. The jury deadlocked on the other charges, which were dismissed. Da Silva appeared on Seasons 1-4 of SYTYCD (above, mentoring now- DWTS pro Chelsie Hightower). He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Fellow one-time SYTYCD mainstay Shane Sparks was also charged with a sex offense recently, pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor.
Sigh. The mom of young Isabella Barrett of Toddlers & Tiaras fame is suing the MEDIA for over-sexualizing her daughter … by reporting on Isabella’s “Sexy And I Know It” cover . Susanna Barrett claims media outlets, in reporting that event, portrayed her five-year-old daughter in an “overly sexualized manner.” Right. All the media’s fault. In court papers, Susanna claims Isabella “did not act or portray herself sexually, erotically or provocatively” and that coverage of her performance was unfair.’ Isabella Barrett Sings “Sexy and I Know It” “She was not ‘gyrating’ at a ‘nightclub’ or singing ‘about her sex appeal,” the elder Barrett claims incredulously. “On the contrary, it is the defendants who, through their articles … thrust these false and vulgar characteristics on to Isabella.” Yes, this is a real story. The delusional mother seems to see nothing wrong with having her daughter sing a sexually-themed LMFAO song. The media talking about it though? Shame. Thanks to TMZ, The Huffington Post, The Daily Mail and other celebrity news sources, “Isabella is now perceived sexually, erotically and pornographically.” Suing for $30 million, Barrett adds, “[The articles] place Isabella in physical danger, attracting the attention of others who would seek to sexualize a child.” Well, on those grounds, can someone sue her for $30 million too then?
