Who knows if it will persuade the D.A., but a surveillance video at least partially backs up Lindsay Lohan’s account of her infamous, alleged jewel thievery. The accused felon was in no hurry to bolt Kamofie & Company the day she allegedly ganked the thing, blabbing with the owner for a bit before peacing out. According to sources who have watched the tape, Lohan wore the $2,500 necklace she’s accused of stealing almost the entire time she was in the store. What goes on in the mind of Lindsay Lohan? [Photo: Pacific Coast News] Video clearly shows Lindsay trying on the necklace, checking herself out in the mirror, and appearing to ask her friend and the owner for their opinion. There is no audio on the tape. Reports say Lindsay took off her own necklace to try on the store’s necklace, which she never took off in 45 minutes. According to sources, before walking out of the store, Lindsay put her own necklace back on, but not in a way that obstructed the store’s necklace. Even better for the train wreck, with the store’s necklace still in plain view, Lindsay is seen talking to the owner for a couple of minutes before leaving. Doesn’t sound like the actions of someone that tried to steal a necklace, right? Or is she just that calculating to make it look like a misunderstanding? In rejecting a plea bargain last week, Lindsay indicated confidence that she will be vindicated by the legal system. Perhaps this is a big reason why. Of course, a probation violation could land her in jail regardless. This is what happens when you’re a total mess and constantly run afoul of the law. What do you think of her story in light of this report?
‘I am on a drug, it’s called Charlie Sheen,’ troubled actor says in bizarre interview. By Gil Kaufman Charlie Sheen on “Good Morning America” Photo: ABC The Charlie Sheen media blitz continues. On Monday (February 28) the troubled “Two and a Half Men” actor followed up his rabid radio interviews from last week with a pair of morning talk-show rants that pulled no punches when it came to his belief that Charlie knows what’s best for Charlie. From his claims that he’s cured himself of addiction to threats to sue his show’s producers for hundreds of millions of dollars in lost wages, Sheen answered all questions in his signature raw, honest manner. After criticizing his bosses at the top-rated sitcom — which shut down production for the season last week in retaliation for Sheen’s tirades — and lashing out at show creator Chuck Lorre, Sheen told NBC’s “Today” show that he’ll gladly return whenever they want him: for a 50 percent raise. Looking haggard, with his hair swept up in a pompadour on the top of his head and trimmed closely on the sides, Sheen demanded that his salary, already the highest on TV, be raised to $3 million per episode while telling network CBS that they owe him an apology. “A big one. While licking my feet,” he said. Production on the ninth season of the sitcom was halted last week, but Sheen denied that the action was a result of his comments. “I’m not angry, I’m passionate,” he explained to reporter Jeff Rossen in an interview conducted at Sheen’s Los Angeles home on Sunday, where the star was accompanied by a pair of friends he referred to as “the goddesses” as well as his twin sons. Sheen said he never showed up to the set drunk or stoned, perhaps a bit “sideways” at times after a hard night. He said that he may have missed some rehearsals, but “practice is for amateurs.” He made it clear that his recent lashing out is not a result of his being upset by the network’s actions. “Everybody thinks I should be begging for my job back, and I’m just going to forewarn them that it’s everybody else that’s going to be begging me for their job back,” he said. “I am a man of my word, so I will finish the TV show. I’ll even do season 10, but at this point, [because of] psychological distress, oh my God, it’s 3 mil an episode. … Take it or leave it.” Asked to confirm he was asking for a major raise, Sheen nodded, “Yeah, look what they put me through.” Already reportedly the highest-paid actor in television at $2 million an episode, Sheen said he felt underpaid given what CBS is making on the program. “I’m tired of pretending like I’m not special,” Sheen said, shifting nervously in his chair, his eyes wide open and his legs moving restlessly. “I’m tired of pretending like I’m not bitching, a total fricking rock star from Mars, and people can’t figure me out; they can’t process me. I don’t expect them to. You can’t process me with a normal brain.” Sheen told Rossen that such friends as Colin Farrell, Mel Gibson and Sean Penn have offered their support, while accusing “Men” creator Chuck Lorre of “trying to destroy my family.” He claimed to be clean and sober during the interview, saying “drug tests don’t lie,” but when asked about the last time he got high, he said hurriedly, “Don’t remember, don’t care.” Sheen claimed to have cured himself of addiction by closing his eyes and “making it so” with the power of his mind, slamming the wisdom of Alcoholics Anonymous. The actor said he turned to drugs and alcohol out of boredom and a desire to see things differently, explaining that he founded his own unlicensed in-home rehab dubbed “Sober Valley Lodge,” where the principles of A.A. are not tolerated. “I will not believe that if I do something then I have to follow a certain path because it was written nice,” he said, claiming to have achieved “radical success” with his program. “[A.A.] was written for normal people, people that aren’t special. People that don’t have tiger blood, you know, Adonis DNA.” After widely reported incidents in which he allegedly held a knife to the throat of his ex-wife and trashed a New York hotel room, Sheen denied being a violent person and said those tales were told by people who don’t know him or what really happened. “It’s all just judgment and opinion and the gibberish of fools,” he said. He claimed he is now “at war” with CBS. “Defeat is not an option. They picked a fight with a warlock,” he said, accusing them of trying to take money from his family by shutting down the show. His plan for winning that war? “With zeal and focus, violent hatred. … You either love or you hate. You live in the middle, you get nothing.” Speaking directly to Lorre, Sheen read a group of questions to the show runner. “Why is it when I was ready to return to work you told me there are no scripts ready to shoot?” he read from an index card, following with a question about what would have been shot “had you not ordered the suits into my home to shut down my party?” Sheen was equally unapologetic in an interview that aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday, a perceived coup that was trumped when NBC ran with its segment earlier in the morning. In that talk, Sheen, smoking a cigarette on camera, denied being bipolar or mentally disturbed. “Wow, and then what? What’s the cure? Medicine. Make me like them, not gonna happen,” he said dismissively. “I’m bi-winning. I win here and I win there; now what?” Pressed to remember the last time he took drugs, Sheen again declined to give a specific date, but described the episode: “I probably took more than anybody could survive. … I was bangin’ seven-gram rocks and finishing them because that’s how I roll, because I have one speed, one gear.” Asked how he survives such epic drug use, Sheen said assuredly, “Because I’m me. I’m different. I have a different constitution, I have a different brain, I have a different heart. I got tiger blood, man. Dying’s for fools, dying’s for amateurs.” Calling his life “perfect” at the moment, Sheen said he was focused and excited about life and answering to a “higher calling.” Saying he blinked and cured his brain, Sheen said he had no worries about relapsing, but at the same time he admitted to loving to party. “What’s not to love?” he said. “Especially when you see how I party. It was epic. The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards all of them look like droopy-eyed armless children. … I am on a drug, it’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available because if you try it once you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.” In another part of the interview, Sheen said he was tired of being kicked around for his lifestyle and that he planned to sue “Men” producers for $300 million. “They’re in radical breach [of contract]. … Sorry guys, you screwed up,” he said, explaining that he would file a suit for “tons.” “They will actually put it on a scale … and they are gonna lose in a courtroom,” he promised.
Ryan Seacrest previewed soon-to-be ‘Gleek anthem’ ‘Loser Like Me’ and ‘Get It Right’ on his radio show. By Aly Semigran The cast of “Glee” Photo: FOX During the February 15 episode of “Glee” (titled ” Silly Love Songs “), Lea Michele’s character, Rachel, not-so-subtly foreshadowed the arrival of original songs on the show. But while new tunes “Loser Like Me” and “Get It Right” won’t appear on the hit series until March 15, Gleeks got a first listen on Friday morning (February 25). The two new original “Glee” tracks debuted on “On Air With Ryan Seacrest.” Ryan also tweeted out the information, posting on his page, “Attn Gleeks! Here’s the world premiere of #Glee’s first ever original songs ‘Loser Like Me’ & ‘Get It Right’: http://bit.ly/i5pNJv.” “Loser” features all of the New Directions members, led by Michele and Cory Monteith. The peppy pop ditty features lyrics keeping in tune with the themes of the show. After the opening guitar riffs, Michele croons, “Yeah, you may think that I’m a zero/ But hey, everyone you wanna be/ Probably started off like me/ You may say that I’m a freak show/ But hey, give it just a little time/ I bet you’re gonna change your mind.” Monteith later comes in with similar “we’ll show you” lyrics: “Pushed me up against the locker/ But hey, all I do is shake it off/ I’ll get you back when I’m your boss.” The rest of their castmates join them for the chorus, singing, “You wanna be/ You wanna be/ A loser like me.” Earlier this week, “Glee” music producer Adam Anders — the pair penned the numbers along with pop music powerhouse Max Martin — described “Loser” to Entertainment Weekly as a “Gleek anthem. It’s a very uptempo, kind-of-summery hit.” The Michele solo “Get It Right” was inspired by “Lea’s story line,” Anders told EW. In its opening moments, the Michele ballad sounds reminiscent of the Britney Spears hit “Everytime” thanks to its fluttering piano and breathy vocals, but comes into its own as it builds. The Golden Globe-nominated star cries in the chorus, “What can you do/ When your good isn’t good enough/ And all that you touch tumbles down/ ‘Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things/ I just want to fix it somehow/ But how many times will it take for me to get it right?” Both “Loser Like Me” and “Get It Right” will appear on the album “Glee: The Music, Volume 5,” which will also feature season-two covers like Michele’s take on Katy Perry’s “Firework” and guest star Gwyneth Paltrow’s rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” The fifth installment is due on March 8. What do you think of the “Glee” originals, “Loser Like Me” and “Get It Right”? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos Musical ‘Glee-Caps’ Of Season Two
Shout It Out ‘s message is ‘Get out there and let loose,’ Taylor Hanson says. By Jocelyn Vena Hanson Photo: MTV News The Hanson brothers released their latest music video, for their single “Give a Little,” on Tuesday (February 22). The sparse performance video for the Shout It Out track seamlessly includes dancers of all backgrounds showing off their skills. It’s a far cry from last year’s over-the-top clip for “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’,” an homage to the Blues Brothers. Crediting much of the success of “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’ ” to the video itself, Taylor Hanson said the guys have a new mission with this video. “With the ‘Give A Little’ video, we’re more thinking, ‘Hey this is about creating a template, a backdrop that just makes you love the song more,’ ” he explained to MTV News. “The difference with this song and the video is that it’s much simpler and much more about getting the song ingrained in your mind, thus was a very different thing.” The video is, in fact, pretty simple: It features cardboard cutouts, ballerinas, dancing couples, some paint splatter and even hip-hop dancers. The guys get in the action during a big dance break, playing instruments while surrounded by the clip’s various performers. “When we made the video, it was kind of the release after the high production of ‘Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’, ” Taylor explained. “With the ‘Give a Little’ video, it’s almost back to the blank slate. We invited all these dancers. We just set up a room, cranked up the music and threw a party and let people dance. The attitude is not about everyone doing the same moves; it’s about putting a unique twist.” The video’s dance theme makes tons of sense, given the song’s lyrics, including “Let your body lose control” and “You know she just wants to dance.” The guys explained that while they aren’t known for their killer moves, they enjoy the vibe that a song like this puts into the world. “There’s this energy to it,” Taylor said. “Strangely, there’s this dance theme. We’re not known for our dancing, but dancing is this metaphor that’s in the record. Kind of, ‘Get out there and let loose.’ “Spring will be here before we know it, and the song is upbeat and hopefully engaging.” Give us your review of the ‘Give a Little’ video in the comments section below! Related Artists Hanson
Yesterday, former music executive Steve Stoute let loose a scathing letter to the Grammy committee chastising their use of today’s most popular artists to sell the award show, without properly crediting them with statues for the categories in which they are nominated. Over the course of my 20-year history as an executive in the music business and as the owner of a firm that specializes in in-culture advertising, I have come to the conclusion that the Grammy Awards have clearly lost touch with contemporary popular culture. My being a music fan has left me with an even greater and deeper sense of dismay — so much so that I feel compelled to write this letter. Where I think that the Grammys fail stems from two key sources: (1) over-zealousness to produce a popular show that is at odds with its own system of voting and (2) fundamental disrespect of cultural shifts as being viable and artistic. As an institution that celebrates artistic works of musicians, singers, songwriters, producers and technical specialists, we have come to expect that the Grammys upholds all of the values that reflect the very best in music that is born from our culture. Unfortunately, the awards show has become a series of hypocrisies and contradictions, leaving me to question why any contemporary popular artist would even participate. How is it possible that in 2001 The Marshall Mathers LP — an album by Eminem that ushered in the Bob Dylan of our time — was beaten out by Steely Dan (no disrespect) for Album Of The Year? While we cannot solely utilize album sales as the barometer, this was certainly not the case. Not only is Eminem the best-selling artist of the last decade, but The Marshall Mathers LP was a critical and commercial success that sold over 10 million albums in the United States (19 million worldwide), while Steely Dan sold less than 10% of that amount and came and went as quietly as a church mouse. Or consider even that in 2008 at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, after going into the night as the most-nominated artist, Kanye West’s Graduation was beaten out for Album Of The Year by Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters. (This was the first time in 43 years that a jazz album won this category.) While there is no doubt in my mind of the artistic talents of Steely Dan or Herbie Hancock, we must acknowledge the massive cultural impact of Eminem and Kanye West and how their music is shaping, influencing and defining the voice of a generation. It is this same cultural impact that acknowledged the commercial and critical success of Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 1984. What say you? Do you feel that the Grammy’s are representative of today modern pop culture? Go to HipHopWired to read more of Stoute’s letter
‘I got love for Snooki. I want the world to know that,’ the ‘Just the Way You Are’ singer announces on the red carpet. By Eric Ditzian Bruno Mars at the 2011 Grammy Awards Photo: Jason Merrit/ Getty Images Love was in the air on the pre-Valentine’s Day red carpet at the 53rd Grammy Awards on Sunday night, and MTV News guest correspondent Snooki was at the center of the action. The “Jersey Shore” star asked Drake to serenade her, wondered if Jay Sean would offer to smush her and asked Bruno Mars if they might ever end up in a relationship together. Judging by Mars’ reaction, he just might be down, because when the “Just the Way You Are” singer stopped to chat with Snooki, the two couldn’t quit paying tribute to each other. “I’m very, very excited [by] everything that you’re doing,” she told him. “You’re probably the greatest songwriter I’ve ever seen. And I’m not lying.” Mars then announced to the camera, “I got love for Snooki. I want the world to know that.” The pint-sized party girl responded by saying, “Yay! Can you see us as a couple?” And then the two went into some impromptu fist-pumping, which is almost grounds for legal marriage in Seaside Heights. At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, though, Mars already had enough on his mind. He was up for seven nominations, including Best Rap Song (“Nothin’ on You”), Song of the Year (“F— You”) and Record of the Year (“Nothin’ on You”). By the end of the night, though, he only came out on top in one category: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Just the Way You Are.” But at least for a few minutes, the singer/songwriter was able to wipe away any nervous energy about the impending awards and throw his hand in the air alongside Snooki. “Oh yeah, that’s hot. I love it,” she said. “You look good tonight. Just sayin’.” Snooki then asked Mars what he was doing after the big show, and he responded, “I don’t know. Why don’t you hit me up when the cameras are gone, you know what I’m saying? You could just kick it.” What do you think about a Snooki-Bruno Mars hook-up? Share your opinions in the comments. For more Grammy Awards analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News! Related Videos Snooki And Sway Take Over The Grammy Red Carpet Related Photos Snooki And Sway’s 2011 Grammy Red Carpet Experience 2011 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Related Artists Bruno Mars
‘I got love for Snooki. I want the world to know that,’ the ‘Just the Way You Are’ singer announces on the red carpet. By Eric Ditzian Bruno Mars at the 2011 Grammy Awards Photo: Jason Merrit/ Getty Images Love was in the air on the pre-Valentine’s Day red carpet at the 53rd Grammy Awards on Sunday night, and MTV News guest correspondent Snooki was at the center of the action. The “Jersey Shore” star asked Drake to serenade her, wondered if Jay Sean would offer to smush her and asked Bruno Mars if they might ever end up in a relationship together. Judging by Mars’ reaction, he just might be down, because when the “Just the Way You Are” singer stopped to chat with Snooki, the two couldn’t quit paying tribute to each other. “I’m very, very excited [by] everything that you’re doing,” she told him. “You’re probably the greatest songwriter I’ve ever seen. And I’m not lying.” Mars then announced to the camera, “I got love for Snooki. I want the world to know that.” The pint-sized party girl responded by saying, “Yay! Can you see us as a couple?” And then the two went into some impromptu fist-pumping, which is almost grounds for legal marriage in Seaside Heights. At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, though, Mars already had enough on his mind. He was up for seven nominations, including Best Rap Song (“Nothin’ on You”), Song of the Year (“F— You”) and Record of the Year (“Nothin’ on You”). By the end of the night, though, he only came out on top in one category: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Just the Way You Are.” But at least for a few minutes, the singer/songwriter was able to wipe away any nervous energy about the impending awards and throw his hand in the air alongside Snooki. “Oh yeah, that’s hot. I love it,” she said. “You look good tonight. Just sayin’.” Snooki then asked Mars what he was doing after the big show, and he responded, “I don’t know. Why don’t you hit me up when the cameras are gone, you know what I’m saying? You could just kick it.” What do you think about a Snooki-Bruno Mars hook-up? Share your opinions in the comments. For more Grammy Awards analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News! Related Videos Snooki And Sway Take Over The Grammy Red Carpet Related Photos Snooki And Sway’s 2011 Grammy Red Carpet Experience 2011 Grammy Awards Red Carpet Related Artists Bruno Mars
Duo performed single from Dre’s forthcoming Detox album. By Jayson Rodriguez Dr. Dre and Eminem perform at the Grammys Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Eminem delivered a knockout at the Grammy Awards. The Detroit rapper was emphatic and forceful with his rhymes as he paired with Rihanna and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine for an intense rendition of his Grammy-nominated hit “Love the Way You Lie.” Rihanna opened the performance from afar with Levine flanking her as the duo were placed in the center of the audience. The star crooned the opening lines of her rendition of the hit song from her album Loud . “On the first page of our story, the future seemed so bright,” she sang, as Levine joined in playing piano. “Then this thing turned out so evil/ I don’t know why I’m still surprised/ Even angels have their wicked schemes/ And you take that to new extremes/ But you’ll always be my hero/ Even though you’ve lost your mind.” Eminem then appeared on the stage behind them in a trim leather jacket and matching black shirt and jeans. With flames burning behind him on the LCD screen, he spit a rousing rendition of his powerful song. “I can’t tell you what it really is/ I can only tell you what it feels like,” Em spit. “And right now there’s a steel knife in my windpipe/ I can’t breathe but I still fight while I can fight/ As long as the wrong feels right.” Rihanna, in a dress rivaling Cee Lo’s outfit in extravagance, joined Eminem onstage midway through his rap, after a slow amble through the theater aisles. She punctuated Em’s stirring vocals with the song’s original refrain, bellowing the complex chorus before giving way to “Love the Way You Lie” songwriter Skylar Grey. Grey, signed by “Love the Way You Lie” producer Alex Da Kid, launched into “I Need a Doctor,” the Detox single by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem . “I need a doctor,” she sang over and over. Eminem attacked his first two verses and then was joined by Dre onstage. In a matching leather jacket, T-shirt and jeans (but with bright, white sneakers in contrast to Em’s black ones), Dre arrived and delivered measured rhymes. “Went through friends, some of them I put on, but they just left,” Dre raps. “They said they was riding to the death/ But where the f— are they now, now that I need them?/ I don’t see any of them, all I see is Slim.” The Grammy appearance marked Dre’s first live TV performance in more than a decade. For Grammy Awards winners list, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond. Related Videos 53rd Annual Grammy Awards Performances Related Photos The 2011 Grammy Awards Show Related Artists Eminem
You may remember Toni Basil as the one-hit wonder babe who dressed up like a cheerleader in the early 80s to sing, “Oh Mickey, you’re so fine, you’re so fine, you blow my mind.” But do you remember the song’s veiled reference to backdoor banging (So come on and give it to me anyway you can/ Anyway you want to do it, I’ll take it like a man)? Gimme an A! And if you really want something to cheer about, check out Toni’s appearance in the counterculture classic Easy Rider . She’s not wearing a cheerleader’s uniform, but we can still see her pom-poms and rah-rah-siss-boom-bush. Check out this crystal clear HD find from the Blu-ray edition of the movie. The resolution is so find it’ll blow your mind. I mean load .
‘I’m glad it’s got people talking,’ songstress tells MTV News of same-sex romance in anti-bullying clip. By Mawuse Ziegbe, with reporting by Rebecca Thomas Marsha Ambrosius Photo: MTV News Marsha Ambrosius ‘ video for “Far Away” portrays the ill-fated romance between two passionate lovers — a well-worn arc that has powered narratives from Shakespearean literature to sunny rom-coms. Yet Ambrosius’ visual is distinctly of the moment because it touches on an array of hot-button topics, including bullying, suicide and gay rights. In the clip, which premiered in January, Ambrosius hangs out with a handsome guy who can charm kids and grown men alike. But when the same guy openly holds hands in the park with his male lover, the kids’ mom won’t let her children go near him, and the once jovial fellas in the park advance on him. Ambrosius’ formerly carefree and happy pal ends up swallowing a bottle of pills after the deluge of taunts. While Ambrosius readily puts the spotlight on headline-making issues, for her, the clip wasn’t just about adding her voice to the public conversation, but also sharing the consequences of anti-gay bullying that she’s witnessed firsthand. “The concept for ‘Far Away’ definitely wasn’t unexpected for me as it was a personal experience that I’d had in writing the song. It came from a personal experience I was going through ’round about the time I wrote it, which is 2008, [when] a friend of mine attempted to commit suicide,” she recently told MTV News. “Being a friend of someone that is in such a dark place, you can’t be there for them as a friend because it’s one of the most heart-wrenching things you can go through, not being able to help someone.” For the former Floetry songstress, crafting “Far Away,” from her forthcoming solo debut, Late Nights & Early Mornings, was a chance to empower people like her friend who are struggling with abusive situations related to their sexuality. “So a couple years later I get to do ‘Far Away’ for my album, and it felt only right to portray the story as it was in such an honest form. And I think many people that go through the same circumstance don’t get to tell their story. And I think that’s where, I guess, people are getting with the shock value; that I’m attacking a subject matter that’s often shunned upon and overlooked. But it’s happening to real people — it happened to a friend of mine — and I wanted to give that to those that don’t have that voice,” she said. Ambrosius’ video also unambiguously features an affectionate, healthy same-sex relationship — including a loving lip-lock — which isn’t a typical music-video story line. The songstress conceded that she’s received a range of feedback (mostly positive) about the visual, but was more amped that her work has sparked a dialogue instead of just landing a blanket stamp of approval. “Overall, I’m glad it’s got people talking, and the overwhelming positive response definitely outweighs anything negative that had been said. Anything negative is always summed up with, ‘I still understand where you’re coming from, but it’s just not my thing.’ But the overall message isn’t overlooked, so overall … it’s opened a floor for people that weren’t speaking before. It’s getting people talking to one another that wouldn’t have said ‘Hello’ in the street. So it’s getting true feelings out there on the table as honest and open as you can be,” she said. “So I’m kind of glad that regardless if you disagree or agree, I’m not here to change your mind, I’m here to show what’s happening to real people.” What do you think of Marsha Ambrosius’ “Far Away” video? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Artists Marsha Ambrosius
