Tag Archives: child

Report: Witness in Mel Gibson Case Dies

Mel Gibson’s babysitter , who may have been a key witness in the domestic abuse case involving his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, has lost her battle with cancer. The sitter, whom he crassly labeled a “wetback” in one of his now-infamous rants , and who claims she witnessed the actor’s rage, passed away over the weekend. According to Oksana, the babysitter witnessed Mel storming around the house, slamming doors and screaming on the phone, “I want to [expletive] destroy you.” The woman never provided a statement direct to law enforcement investigators before she died, and says she didn’t come forward sooner because of her cancer. She apparently left the actor’s Malibu mansion before his alleged January 6 rampage, during which Oksana claims Mel punched her while she held their daughter. What the babysitter actually witnessed, we may never know. However, her testimony could have been critical in at least establishing that Mel was very much out of sorts that day. It’s all a moot, tragic point now, however. In one recording, Gibson is allegedly heard referring to the babysitter, saying, “I will fire (name omitted) if she’s at your house. I will make it known and fire her.” The deeply disturbed individual then throws in this dig at her: “I’ll report her to the (expletive) people that take (expletive) money from the wetbacks, okay?” Grigorieva is hoping to strip the actor of custody of their daughter, Lucia, now nine months. Her attorneys say the audio tapes prove he’s a danger to the child. The recordings may not be viable in a criminal probe as they were made without Gibson’s consent, though she claims she did so because she feared for her life .

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Report: Witness in Mel Gibson Case Dies

Rooney Mara Lands Lead In ‘Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’

The new Lisbeth Salander also stars in David Fincher’s upcoming ‘Social Network.’ By Eric Ditzian Rooney Mara Photo: Merrick Morton The search for Lisbeth Salander is over. Rooney Mara (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) has been cast as the motorcycle-driving computer hacker in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” David Fincher’s upcoming adaptation of the best-selling Swedish crime thriller, according to a Sony press release. Mara nabbed the highly sought-after role following an exhaustive search said to include names like Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, Carey Mulligan, Ellen Page and Mia Wasikowska. Late last month, Mara, who stars in Fincher’s “Social Network,” was reportedly contending with four other actresses for the part. Now, Salander officially belongs to Mara. She’ll be joined by Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist , the disgraced journalist who is hired to investigate a decades-old missing-persons case and convinces Salander to assist the search. Based on the first of Salander Larsson’s three “Millennium” novels, the film will reportedly co-star Robin Wright as Erika Berger (Blomkvist’s business partner and occasional lover) and Stellan Skarsg

Beyonce Says She’s ‘A Feminist, In A Way’

Singer also talks about retiring alter ego Sasha Fierce and starting a family, in You magazine. By James Dinh Beyonc

Stephanie Pratt, Kelly Rowland, Enrique Iglesias Look Back, On ‘When I Was 17’

The stars recall smashing cars, getting dumped and going to clubs on this week’s episode. By Mawuse Ziegbe Stephanie Pratt appears on “When I was 17” Photo: MTV News When Kelly Rowland was 17, she had a lot going for her. As a member of the budding girl group Destiny’s Child, she had a single on the charts and toured the world. She was living the life that few teens get to experience but she did struggle with one thing that many young people can relate to: learning how to drive. “I was a really, really bad driver,” Rowland admitted on the latest episode of “When I Was 17.” “As a matter of fact, I wrecked about three cars before I finally got the whole driving thing down.” Her friend Angie agreed that Rowland was a driving disaster. “Terrible, terrible,” her pal described the Destiny’s Child diva’s sup-par skills. “Did I say terrible? Terrible driver.” Rowland may have been a nightmare on the road but Enrique Iglesias lived through the type of bad dream that would have destroyed many teens: getting dumped before prom. “I had no luck with the ladies,” Iglesias recalled in the episode. “I was going to prom with this girl that I really liked and she said that she had decided that she wasn’t gonna go with me. It was devastating. When you’re in high school and a few weeks before prom the girl you’re going with says no, it’s awful. At the time, my whole world came crumbling down.” Iglesias eventually hit the prom with a bunch of friends and had a blast. Unlike the Latin singer, reality TV starlet Stephanie Pratt never lacked confidence when it came to a major party. The “Hills” ‘s castmember remembered expertly talking her way into nightclubs as a teen. “When I was 17, all of my friends were 21 and going out to clubs on school nights, and I obviously wanted to go with them. So, I’d get to clubs, and I had such a baby face at 17, and [the bouncers would] be like, ‘There’s no way you’re 27,’ ” Pratt said. “I had ‘borrowed’ my mom’s cocktail ring and I used to wear it on my wedding finger and say to the doorman, ‘You are just such an angel, I’m actually married!’ ” Pratt explained. “And they’d be like, ‘Oh, well. In that case, come right in.’ ” “When I Was 17” airs Saturdays at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Videos When I Was 17 | Ep. 15 | Enrique Iglesias, Kelly Rowland, Stephanie Pratt Related Photos When I Was 17 | Kelly Rowland When I Was 17 | Ep. 15 | Celebrity Photo Flashback When I Was 17 | Stephanie Pratt When I Was 17 | Enrique Iglesias

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Stephanie Pratt, Kelly Rowland, Enrique Iglesias Look Back, On ‘When I Was 17’

Kelsey Grammer: I’ll Marry My Pregnant GF, But First …

Moments after Kelsey Grammer confirmed that his new GF Kayte Walsh is pregnant with his child, dude told photogs he’s down to marry his future baby mama … as soon as he clears up some “other stuff.” The “other stuff” is Grammer’s wife — Camille… Read more

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Kelsey Grammer: I’ll Marry My Pregnant GF, But First …

Ellen’s Hot Lesbian Tits of the Day

Ok, I probably should have said Ellen’s not so hot lesbian tits, because this is the kind of body that makes lesbianism a horrible fantasy, not that’s lesbianism should ever be a fantasy unless it involves you in the room with the two girls, which automatically makes it not so lesbian, or if you are a rape or molestation victim scared of cock cuz of the pain it caused you, cuz Lebsianism is boring and no matter how hard I try, how does it end. There is no closure, there is no cumshot, and why if they are lesbian, do they use dick shaped things, doesn’t that just mean they want dick inside them, but can’t bring themselves to it, and it all just doesn’t matter, cuz most lesbians look like dudes and aren’t playing the lesbian trophy wife cuz it is good for their career….and yes, I just did a post on Ellen, the woman I don’t know is a women…wearing her child molestor shoes and ruining Covergirl Make-Up’s brand as girls don’t want to look like Ellen and I realize how horrible an idea this was, but it’s too goddamn late now.

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Ellen’s Hot Lesbian Tits of the Day

Time Wrings Hands Over Question, ‘Can a Child Be Tried for Jihadist Crimes?’

With his August 12 post, “Can a Child be Tried for Jihadist Crimes?” , Time magazine’s Tim McGirk hit the Obama administration from the left on the military tribunal prosecution of jihadist Omar Khadr. Khadr was captured on a battlefield in Afghanistan in 2002, when he was just 15 years old. He’s charged with the murder of a U.S. soldier, a crime he’s already confessed to, although he now claims his confession was coerced. Although 15-year-olds in the United States are frequently tried as adults for murder and although Khadr is in 23 years old now, McGirk presented the case as the potential first conviction of a “child” for war crimes since World War II. What’s more, McGirk presented the case as a potential travesty of justice in an ill-conceived war on terror, a term he dismissively used in quote marks: Khadr’s trial got underway just as another military tribunal sentenced Osama Bin Laden’s former chef and driver, Ibrahim a-Qosi, to 14 years in prison. The first prosecution of a Gitmo prisoner since Obama took office promising to close down an offshore prison that had become a symbol of the Bush Administration’s riding roughshod over the rule of law in the course of its “war on terror”. Have we no decency! Putting poor cooks, chauffeurs, and children in prison and throwing away the key! At no point did McGirk indict al Qaeda terrorists, particularly Khadr’s late father Ahmed Said —  “an imposing, grey-bearded patriarch” who was “a close friend” of bin Laden’s — as monsters for allowing teenagers to join in suicidal jihad against the world’s most advanced military, even as he closed with this familiar critique of U.S. anti-terrorism policy (emphasis mine): Jury selection for Khadr’s trial is supposed to end on Wednesday and the trial will begin immediately afterwards. It is expected to run until mid September. But r egardless of its finding, the trial is unlikely to reflect positively on the Obama Administration in the eyes of many of its allies in the fight against al-Qaeda. Photo of Omar Khadr via Time magazine .

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Time Wrings Hands Over Question, ‘Can a Child Be Tried for Jihadist Crimes?’

Special NB Bonus: Notable Quotables that Couldn’t Fit Into the Regular August 9 Edition

Too much bias, not enough space. Collecting quotes for the latest edition of MRC’s bi-weekly Notable Quotables , I found more outrageous liberal eruptions than could fit into the normal newsletter. So, just for NewsBusters readers, here are a dozen worthy quotes that just couldn’t squeeze into the regular issue: ■ Confusing Tired Liberal Cliches with Economic Strategy “Let’s let the entire slew of Bush tax cuts retire. That would take us back to Clinton-era rates, when the American economy had its strongest growth years in three decades and the budget was balanced for the first time in four decades. If the economy still needs a bit more stimulus, fine, extend unemployment benefits for another year. Give some aid to the states. Those are temporary measures, and the money will get spent. Unemployment benefits work because they go to people who are living from paycheck to paycheck. They spend the money….This massive change actually requires that Congress do nothing. Let the tax cuts expire. A do-nothing Congress will have done something truly important for the country’s future.” — Newsweek international editor Fareed Zakaria hosting CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS , August 1. ■ Fox News: “Whipping Up White Hysteria” “Also for weeks Fox News and its friends have been whipping up white hysteria over allegations that members of the New Black Panther Party, two of them, intimidated voters in Philadelphia two years ago. The Justice Department found insufficient evidence to investigate the case and now all seven Senate Republicans on the U.S. Judiciary committee of the Senate want the Justice Department investigated itself. Is this yet another example of a rightist strategy to stir up racial resentment among whites by portraying whites as victims of black rule in this country?” — MSNBC host Chris Matthews on Hardball , July 27. ■ Ann Hits Joe from the Left: “How Long Can We Pay for This War?” “The House on Tuesday night agreed to fund a surge in Afghanistan — $33 billion for 30,000 additional troops. But, boy, was there some reluctance. We’ve got Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern saying, quote, ‘We’re told we can’t extend unemployment or pay to keep cops on the beat or teachers in the classroom but we’re asked to borrow another $33 billion for nation building in Afghanistan. I think we need to do more nation building here at home.’ How long can we keep paying for this war?” — NBC’s Ann Curry to Vice President Joe Biden on Today , July 29. ■ Don’t Confuse Us MSNBCers With “Journalists With an Agenda” “I am offended the right is using this as a sledgehammer against those of us who don’t practice activist journalism. Journolist was pretty offensive. Those of us who are mainstream journalists got mixed in with journalists with an agenda. Those folks who thought they were improving journalism are destroying the credibility of journalism. This has kept me up nights. I try to be fair. It’s very depressing.” — NBC White House correspondent and MSNBC daytime host Chuck Todd, as quoted by The Politico ’s Roger Simon in a July 28 article . ■ Andrew Breitbart: Just a “Smash-Mouth” “Smear Artist” “Andrew Breitbart was not an unknown. He is a notorious smear artist and practitioner of what’s sometimes called smash-mouth politics. And they [the Obama White House] should’ve realized that any kind of allegation that he made needed to be checked out very carefully before anybody acted upon it.” — Newsweek ’s Jonathan Alter on NPR’s All Things Considered , July 21. ■ Democratic Corruption or Ethics Committee Racism? “Are the ethics police on the Hill color-blind? If so, just how do you explain what’s happening to the Congressional Black Caucus? The latest on the [Charles] Rangel and Maxine Waters investigations….” “Coming up here, are black lawmakers being singled out by the ethics watchdogs on Capitol Hill? New charges of racial bias….” — NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell teasing an upcoming segment on her 1pm ET MSNBC A ndrea Mitchell Reports , August 2. “Some are openly questioning why two high profile African-American House members are coming under such tough scrutiny…..[to Al Sharpton] Do you think that black members are being targeted unfairly by the ethics committee?” — CNN anchor Don Lemon on the 6pm ET Newsroom , August 1. ■ “One Brave Soldier” vs. Obama’s Nazi-esque “War Machine” Host Larry King: “What’s your reaction to the WikiLeaks, the Afghan War documents?” Left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore: “I think that we have this war machine that was built on a lie a number of years ago — incredible lies — that have cost thousands of lives, billions of dollars. And one brave soldier by the name of Bradley Manning decided that the truth had to be told. And he said that he was willing to do it regardless of the consequences — and he essentially followed the Nuremberg principles which is when you see something going on like this, when you see war crimes being committed, when you see lies being told in order to bring a country to war, you have to speak out against it. You can’t just line up and be a good German and do what you’re told to do.” — Exchange on CNN’s Larry King Live , July 27. ■ CNN Host Slams Fox as “Not a News Organization” Host Rick Sanchez: “Well, I understand the Associated Press. I even understand Bloomberg, but don’t have you to be a news organization to get that seat?” White House correspondent Ed Henry: “Oh! Are you saying Fox is not a news organization?” Sanchez: “Yeah. I’m just wondering.” — CNN’s Rick’s List , August 2, discussing the White House Correspondents Association decision to move the Fox News correspondent to the front row of the White House briefing room. ■ Crazy Beck vs. Limbaugh the Faker   “I sort of dig on Glenn Beck. He reminds me of certain people you encounter in big cities. You know, the ones wearing robes, sandals, and signs proclaiming that the world is going to end because American men are eating too much red meat and American women are wearing their pants too tight. He’s crazy but — like those urban nutcakes — he actually seems to believe what he’s saying I can get behind that. Rush Limbaugh, on the other hand, gives me the creeps. He sounds saner than Beck (well, marginally), but there’s absolutely no conviction in that sonorous, slightly flabby voice….He says what his listeners want to hear, but when it comes to actual convictions, I’m always reminded of what Gertrude Stein said about her hometown of Oakland: ‘There isn’t any there there.’” — Novelist Stephen King in his “The Pop of King” column in the August 6 issue of Entertainment Weekly . ■ Expecting “Tough” and “Real” Questions from The View “I would be willing to bet you that he [President Obama] might get tougher questions asked of him on The View than he would at a White House press conference….More real. More where we live….They ask pertinent questions. But I think the questions that will be asked of him on The View might resonate more with the way people live in this country.” — MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle on Morning Joe , July 27. vs . Co-host Joy Behar: “Do you know that Lindsey Lohan is in jail?…Does Mel Gibson need anger management?…Should Snooki run as mayor of Wasilla?” Co-host Sherri Shepherd: “Mr. President, do you Tweet?”… Co-host Whoopi Goldberg: “What’s the first couple of songs on your iPod?”… Co-host Barbara Walters: “Were you invited to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?” — Actual questions posed to Obama on The View , July 29. To see which quotes made the August 9 edition, click here .

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Special NB Bonus: Notable Quotables that Couldn’t Fit Into the Regular August 9 Edition

ABC’s Cokie Roberts Defends Michelle Obama’s Spanish Vacation: ‘What Real Difference Does It Make?’

Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and Cokie Roberts on Monday downplayed the potential bad PR Michelle Obama might suffer for taking a Spanish vacation costing a quarter million dollars during bad economic times. Roberts justified, ” But in the grand scheme of things, what real difference does it make? I would guess that Sasha is probably learning some Spanish. ” Continuing to spin the First Lady’s vacation, she argued, ” We need Spain to be stronger economically than it is in the Euro zone. I mean, you can make the case if you really need to.” Co-host George Stephanopoulos searched for reassurance that the visit wouldn’t have negative ramifications: But you don’t think it’s going to be that big a deal? They just fade the heat and move on.” Yet, when Laura Bush introduced new White House china just prior to leaving the White House in January 2009 , co-host Robin Roberts called it a “brewing brouhaha.” Reporter Ann Compton worried, “So, why is Laura Bush introducing new Bush china two weeks before they move out?” In a segment airing just before the conversation between Roberts and Stephanopoulos, reporter Yunji did hit some tough facts: “The bad PR comes at a time when the White House could use good news. We learned Friday that the economy lost 131,000 jobs last month. The President’s approval rating is at 41 percent, his lowest ever.” She also noted, “This girls’ getaway wasn’t cheap. These hotel rooms run from $400 to nearly $7,000 a night. The White House says the Obamas paid their own way, but their security is covered by American taxpayers.” De Nies’ report on Monday was in contrast to her piece on Friday . For that segment, she lauded the ‘luxurious’ vacation and made no mention of possible controversy. A transcript of the August 9 segment, which aired at 7:17am EDT, follows: STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay. And for more on this, we’re joined by our friend Cokie Roberts in Washington. And, Cokie, thanks for coming in this morning. You heard Yunji saying the White House hopes is hoping this is going to blow over. But, they probably could have seen this criticism coming. COKIE ROBERTS: Sure they could have. And they probably did and decided to go anyway. You know, politically, it was not a smart move. But in the grand scheme of things, what real difference does it make? I would guess that Sasha is probably learning some Spanish. Maybe she learned Spanish on her trip. You know, the fact is, Spain could use help, too. We need Spain to be stronger economically than it is in the Euro zone. I mean, you can make the case if you really need to. STEPHANOPOULOS: But you don’t think it’s going to be that big a deal? They just fade the heat and move on. And it does seem that that sentiment did take hold. ROBERTS: I think that’s exactly right. Look, the President’s in trouble with the voters because of the economy. And whatever the First Lady does is not going to make any difference one way or the other. And, you know, she did go with her child. It was not like a Jackie O trip, you know, where she was sort of wiling away her time on a yacht. STEPHANOPOULOS: Aristotle Onassis’ yacht. That’s exactly right. And it does come- the irony, it comes at a time when the First Lady actually has very high approval ratings in great demand on the campaign trail. The Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Joe Sestak, says “I’d rather have her than the President.” ROBERTS: Well, because she’s not responsible for the economy so she doesn’t take the same heat. And that’s traditionally true for first ladies. She’s very much in the path of other first ladies who have come before her. And people like these women because they do go out and do good. And have causes that everybody can get behind. STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, Congress is out for the summer, but there’s another big primary tomorrow in Colorado, which is kind of interesting because it’s a classic case, and both Republican and Democratic side, establishment candidates facing a real challenge from the outsiders. ROBERTS: Right. Michael Bennet, the sitting senator, one of the several appointed senators in trouble this year in an election bid is backed by the White House. The President calls him a breath of fresh air in Washington, a city full of hot air. But his opponent, Andrew Romanoff, is backed by Bill Clinton. And, so you’ve got a real battle of endorsements going on there. And on the Republican side, you have Ken Buck, who is a Tea Party candidate, against former Lieutenant Governor Jane Norton who has John McCain behind her. And the governor of Arizona, the controversial governor of Arizona, behind her. But, she’s having a lot of trouble from Ken Buck who says, at least he doesn’t wear high-heels. How that goes with voters, I don’t know. STEPHANOPOULOS: Not a bad line. We’ll see if it’s another day for outsiders. Cokie Roberts, thanks very much.

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ABC’s Cokie Roberts Defends Michelle Obama’s Spanish Vacation: ‘What Real Difference Does It Make?’

Bethenny Getting Married Season Finale: Finding a Balance

It’s all about balance. That’s what Bethenny Frankel learned on last night’s season finale of her reality show, as both business and baby beckoned. As usual, a THG intern has reviewed the episode in depth, sharing her snark with readers below. Take it away! I have to say that for a finale episode, this one was quasi-boring.