‘I’ll tell you, I never met anyone with more talent than that lady,’ legendary crooner tells MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Jim Cantiello Lady Gaga Photo: Getty Images Lady Gaga isn’t afraid to go jazzy, as fans that saw her version of “Yo
Following two shows slated for September and the release of her album Unbroken, Lovato says a bigger tour may be in the works. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images When fans heard that Demi Lovato would be playing two intimate shows in mid-September, they promptly bought up the tickets. Lovato’s concerts , slated for the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on September 17 and Club Nokia in Los Angeles on September 23, sold out in minutes — 30 minutes, to be exact. When MTV News caught up with Lovato last week in Los Angeles, the singer explained that the gigs are meant to serve as a “thank-you” to her fans, who have been so supportive of her and her new music, including the chart-topping “Skyscraper.” “It definitely is [a preview]. I wanted to say thank you to my fans,” she said. “I wanted to show them how thankful I am for the support they gave me for ‘Skyscraper.’ At this point, ‘Skyscraper’ has done so well because of them, and I want to show them how thankful I am. “And hopefully when I perform the concerts, Unbroken will be coming out. I’ll be really nervous to get back onstage for the first time since then, but I’ll be really excited,” Lovato said of her new album, which drops September 20. Does this mean that Lovato is planning a bigger tour for her Lovatics? “It could be a tease for a bigger tour. I don’t know,” she said. In addition to “Skyscraper,” Unbroken will feature songs with Iyaz, Missy Elliott and Timbaland , Jason Der
Creative director of Simon Cowell’s upcoming competition series tells MTV News it will be ‘like the VMAs every week.’ By Jocelyn Vena Brian Friedman Photo: MTV News Fans have been wondering for months now what to expect when Simon Cowell’s Stateside interpretation of “The X Factor” starts up on September 21. According to the Fox show’s creative director, Brian Friedman, it’s going to be … big. “Basically ‘The X Factor’ in the U.S. is every reality show you’ve [ever] seen on steroids,” he told MTV News when we caught up with him on the 2011 VMA black carpet. “It is like the VMAs every week.” Friedman — a veteran choreographer who has worked with a number of pop stars, most notably Britney Spears — has a history with “The X Factor” franchise. He not only hosted the British version for some time, but he also served as its creative director. The Fox show will step up its game week after week to ensure that it’s all about going big or going home, Friedman promised. “The performances that we do on there are boundless; there are no boundaries,” he continued. “We don’t stand inside a box. There is no right or wrong. Every rule you could possibly break in TV, [we do]. So expect to be wowed every week.” Friedman joins host Steve Jones , as well as the judges: Cowell and his former “American Idol” co-star Paula Abdul , record executive L.A. Reid and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger “American Idol” has always had scratch-your-head-type contestants, and earlier this year Cowell confessed that he hoped to keep that spirit alive on his new show. “I love unusual people. I always say, you’ve got to embrace the madness,” Cowell laughed. “I like that we’re going to be very open-minded. I think we’re going to have good enough people on this panel that we’re not gonna miss out on anyone who’s got potential.” Will you be watching “The X Factor” when it premieres this month? Tell us in the comments!
A-list actor’s son Trey takes to Twitter to clear up rumors, as couple tells MTV News their ‘marriage is intact.’ By Jocelyn Vena Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage After tabloid reports surfaced claiming that Will Smith and were splitting after 13 years of marriage, the A-list actor’s son Trey took to Twitter to let the world know the rumors are not true. ” Did #WillandJada split? No they did NOT split ! False information ..its not true RETWEET!!!” Will’s 18-year-old son from a previous relationship wrote on Tuesday afternoon (August 23), as the rumor continued to pick up steam across the Internet with no official comment yet from either Will or Jada’s camps. He continued, “Will and Jada getting a DIVORCE ..NOT TRUE AT ALL !! RETWEET. Everyone can think what they want ..even if its not true #Lame.” The couple, who married on New Year’s Eve in 1997, in Baltimore, have two now-famous children together, Willow , 10, and Jaden , 13. MTV News reached out for comment later this afternoon, and the couple responded in a joint statement. “Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact,” the pair said. Jada’s rep also recently shut down talk that the actress had an affair with her “Hawthorne” co-star Marc Anthony, who has split from wife Jennifer Lopez. “All the rumors regarding Marc Anthony and Jada are false. Completely untrue,” the rep told People.com .
Poor performance of ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ may have influenced studio. By Eric Ditzian Johnny Depp Photo: WireImage As cinematic collaborators go, there are few in Hollywood who can match the storytelling cred and box-office clout of Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski. The duo has delivered a trifecta of “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, taking the property from hokey amusement-park ride to multibillion-dollar franchise juggernaut. Last fall, well before their kooky, captivating animated adventure “Rango” opened to $38.1 million domestically, Depp and Verbinski announced their next live-action collaboration would be “The Lone Ranger,” a project Depp and Disney had been trying to get off the ground for years. Now, quite surprisingly, Disney has shut down the production amidst concerns about a Western-themed film with a budget north of $200 million. Deadline reported the development on Friday, and the Los Angeles Times followed up on Monday (August 15) with further details about the stoppage. The Times reports the “Lone Ranger” budget could have ballooned to $250 million at a time when studios are looking to keep costs under control, even as a heavily reliance on CG effects drives those costs up. “It’s our intention to take a very careful look at what films cost,” Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, according to the Times. “And if we can’t get them to a level that we’re comfortable with, we think that we’re better off actually reducing the size of our slate than making films that are bigger and increasingly more risky.” But there’s also little doubt that Disney was influenced by the performance of “Cowboys & Aliens,” a Western that faltered at the box office this summer despite A-list talent in front of and behind the camera. After the expensive, Harrison Ford-starring action flick opened to just $36.2 million during its first weekend, industry insiders fully anticipated that studios would shy away from the genre. “There is no getting around the fact that the Western-sci-fi genre mashup has been a terrible failure in Hollywood,” Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, told MTV News at the time. “Expect studios to stay far away from this genre in the near future.” Not even Depp and Verbinski — and their long-standing relationship with Disney — were immune to Hollywood’s growing understanding that big-budget Westerns just aren’t resonating with moviegoers. The move means that unless a new approach (and a new budget) can be worked out, Depp won’t get to bring Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s dutiful sidekick, to the screen, despite years of involvement with the project. Armie Hammer, of “Social Network” fame , was set to play the Lone Ranger himself. “This is the origin of Lone Ranger,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told MTV News in March 2010, “so you’re gonna see how the Lone Ranger became the Lone Ranger. He was a Texas Ranger, and how he became the Lone Ranger.” Are the chances that audiences get to see that origin story in theaters totally dead? The Times floats an optimistic note, citing other projects shut down because of high costs, like Denzel Washington’s “Unstoppable,” that were resurrected at the last minute. For now, though, it seems more likely Depp would reprise his “Pirates” role of Jack Sparrow than step into Tonto’s boots — though even a fifth seafaring adventure is uncertain at this point. “It boils down to story, script and filmmaker,” Depp said earlier this year about “Pirates 5.” “It’s not something where I would say, ‘Let’s shoot it next month to get it out by Christmas 2012.’ We should hold off for a bit. They should be special, just like they are special to me.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘Gaga’s Workshop’ will appear in the Madison Ave. store in mid-November. By Jocelyn Vena Artwork for “Gaga’s Workshop” Photo: Barneys Lady Gaga ‘s latest creative endeavor, a partnership with Barneys New York, can’t be surprising to anyone who knows about her love for fashion, but its focus might be a bit out of left field. Gaga and the department store are teaming up for a holiday campaign called “Gaga’s Workshop.” With the creative assistance of Eli Sudbrack and Christophe Hamaide Pierson of Assume Vivid Astro Focus, and Mugler creative director and Lady Gaga fashion director Nicola Formichetti, Barneys will re-imagine Santa’s workshop through the lens of Lady Gaga. Beginning in mid-November, he Madison Avenue flagship location’s Men’s Store and legendary window display will be transformed by the project. “Lady Gaga is a rare cultural phenomenon, not only because of her exceptional talents as a singer, songwriter and performer, but also with regard to her support of equality and individuality and status as a fashion icon,” Mark Lee, Barneys New York CEO, said in a statement about the collaboration. “Partnering with her in this unprecedented collaborative way to create the largest and most all-encompassing holiday theme that Barneys has ever mounted is a thrill. As a New York City landmark, we wanted to celebrate Lady Gaga as a fellow New Yorker and amazing talent.” Not enough Gaga for you? Formichetti will also be working with Barneys to create some gifts that can be purchased there, and 25 percent of their sales will go to a charity of Gaga’s choice. The cartoon artwork associated with the holiday event features the singer lying down in a gold-studded red bodysuit, surrounded by her floating turquoise hair. Related Artists Lady Gaga
LP will be released September 20. By Jocelyn Vena Demi Lovato Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images Come September 20, Demi Lovato is declaring she’s Unbroken. The singer took to Twitter and Facebook to formally announce that as her forthcoming album title. On Thursday, Lovato teased her followers with a string of tweets that read, “Do you guys want to know my album title….??!!!? Are you ready because I’m about to announce it………. In…….,” she wrote. She then launched into a tweeted countdown before revealing, “#UNBROKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!” and tweeting a glammed-up photo of herself in a long black skirt and fur jacket, wearing red lipstick. She then started the hashtag “#Unbroken920.” She made a similar announcement on Facebook , adding, “I’m happy to announce the title of my new album: Unbroken!” The title is a reference to her personal strife over the last year. Lovato was released from treatment back in January after seeking help for cutting, eating disorders and bipolar disorder. She launched her comeback single, the equally empowering “Skyscraper,” earlier this summer. The track, she says, hit her on an incredibly emotional level. “I doubled over,” she told Elle of recording the emotional song. “Tears streaming down my face. It was a sight to see.” She’s been spotted in the studio working on tracks with Missy Elliot, Timbaland and production team Rock Mafia (who have also worked with Miley Cyrus). She’s set to perform at the VH1 Do Something Awards later this month for her first public performance since opening up about her personal issues. With so much anticipation for her latest venture, she is now looking to the future. “I’m not going to be perfect, but … if I can make it through the day, that’s all that matters,” Lovato said . “It’s a daily journey, and it’s definitely going to be a struggle that I’ll have to deal with for the rest of my life.” Related Photos The Evolution Of: Demi Lovato Related Artists Demi Lovato
‘iCarly’ star’s driver was the most seriously injured in the ‘life-threatening’ crash. By Jocelyn Vena Miranda Cosgrove Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images After news broke on Thursday that Miranda Cosgrove had been injured in a tour bus accident, new details are emerging about what is being described as a potentially “life-threatening” accident. The “iCarly” star and her fellow passengers, including her mother, were shaken up by the crash, according to multiple reports. On Friday (August 12), Cosgrove, who had yet to comment publicly on the accident, took to Twitter to let her fans know she’s doing fine and appreciates all of their support.”Thank u so much for all your messages,” the teen star tweeted . “They mean so much to me. Yesterday was extremely scary & I’m just so happy everyone’s gonna be okay.” TMZ reported that it was dark out when Cosgrove’s bus came across a semi-truck, en route to Kansas, the next stop on her Dancing Crazy Tour. The singer/actress’ bus driver decided that instead of trying to swerve out of the way of the truck, he would hit the brakes and face the vehicle head on. He was the most seriously injured of the group, and was airlifted to a local hospital, where he received as many as 45 stitches. He is currently in stable condition, according to sources. Photos from the crash show extensive damage to front of the bus and the semi-truck appeared to have overturned onto the side of the road. “Miranda’s mom was on the bus with her and got really beaten up by the crash,” a source told People. “She’s expected to fully recover, but it’s scary because the driver was hurt, too, and he’s in really bad shape.” The source added that the teen star was “really shaken up” by the crash. “A piece from the tractor-trailer went straight through the windshield and the driver’s arm was sliced all the way through,” according to the magazine’s source. Cosgrove had been sleeping on a couch at the front of the bus when the accident occurred. Those sleeping in the bunks farther back were not injured. Leave your well-wishes for Miranda Cosgrove in the comments below! Related Artists Miranda Cosgrove
‘We thought it was a pop-art video,’ singer said of sexy clip featuring model Bobbie Brown. By Jocelyn Vena Warrant’s Jani Lane in 1991 Photo: MTV News In 2011, Warrant ‘s video for “Cherry Pie” hardly seems very controversial. But when it was released in 1990, the kitschy clip, featuring model Bobbie Brown dancing around in super-short cutoffs and a red halter as the bandmembers drool after her, earned them a bit of flak. Following the death of frontman Jani Lane on Thursday, as fans remember Warrant’s biggest hit, MTV News looked back into the archives to find Lane’s defense of the clip and song, whose lyrics aren’t exactly talking about baked goods. “We put out the ‘Cherry Pie video [and] we had a girl in it, she wasn’t completely [naked but] she didn’t have a parka on, so right away we got labeled as a sexist bunch of kids,” he said in 1991. “But we did it because we thought it was a fun video. We thought it was a pop-art video. It was a fun song. Click for photos of the life and career of Jani Lane. “I don’t think all music has to have any political significance or a deep religious meaning,” he noted. “You can have fun rock and roll. That’s the roots of rock and roll. Chuck Berry wrote about cruising around in the car, in the back seat with a girl, so that’s what ‘Cherry Pie’ was, and you can take it for what it’s worth.” Lane and Brown later married and had a daughter together before divorcing in 1993. Lane was found dead in his hotel room in California on Thursday. He was 47. Share your memories of Warrant’s Jani Lane in the comments below. Related Photos Jani Lane: A Life In Photos Related Artists Warrant
Cyrus tweeted a photo of her equal-sign tattoo over the weekend, prompting debate among fans regarding gay rights. By Jocelyn Vena Miley Cyrus’ new equal rights tattoo Photo: Miley Cyrus’ Twitter Miley Cyrus has never shied away from speaking her mind, and over the weekend she posted a photo of her latest body ink on Twitter : an equal-sign tattoo on her middle finger. In addition to sharing with the world her pro-gay rights stance via tat, she tweeted the message, “All LOVE is equal.” However, the photo quickly prompted a debate on her Twitter account when fans began to respond to Miley’s tattoo with mixed feelings. “Where does it say in the bible to judge others? Oh right. It doesn’t,” Miley tweeted to one fan who questioned her belief in God after displaying her support of the gay community. “GOD is the only judge honey. GOD is love.” But when her fans began attacking the fan who questioned her, Miley defended her for sharing her opinion with the world. “Dude everyone lay off … Love u! Everyone is entitled 2 opinions! If u don’t stand 4 something you’ll fall for anything.” Her Twitter profile shares a similar message: “Let your light shine. Be a source of strength & courage. Share your wisdom. RADIATE LOVE.” This isn’t the first time that Miley’s sharing her beliefs on Twitter has sparked debate. In a Parade magazine interview in March 2010, Cyrus said that one of the reasons she had quit Twitter for a time was that she was getting angry tweets from fans who didn’t agree with her support of gay marriage. She returned to Twitter earlier this year. “There has been so much controversy sometimes about what I’ve said or done because I believe there are no mistakes, because God is the only one who can judge us,” Cyrus explained. “That’s the reason I deleted my Twitter account because I said on there that I believed in gay marriage because everyone should have the right to love each other, and I got such hate mail about my being a bad person.” What do you think of Miley’s outspoken support of marriage equality and gay rights? Tell us in the comments. Related Artists Miley Cyrus
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