Sean Phillips, a 23-year-old Michigan father, has been officially charged with the murder of his baby daughter, two years after “Baby Kate” disappeared. An open murder charge was filed Friday against Phillips. Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips was last seen on June 29, 2011, at the age of four months. Baby Kate remains missing to this day. Sean Phillips Charged in Baby Kate Murder Case The infant’s disappearance riveted western Michigan after Phillips allegedly took off with the girl following an argument with her mother, Ariel Courtland. Phillips was arrested the next day at his parents’ house, but there was no evidence of Baby Kate. Now “new evidence” has been found to support the charge. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette declined to state what that is. Volunteers scoured wooded areas of Michigan’s northern Mason County earlier this summer, the area where Phillips allegedly dumped Baby Kate. Sean Phillips allegedly left Baby Kate in a “peaceful place” according to a letter authorities say he wrote to Ariel Courtland from prison last year. He also claimed at one point that he accidentally killed the baby after violently yanking her infant seat out of his car when he was angry at Courtland. Phillips was convicted in 2012 of unlawful imprisonment in his young daughter’s disappearance, and was already serving 10-15 years in state prison. Open murder is punishable by up to life in prison. “This is a tragic case. It just makes you sick,” Schuette said. “There will be no first birthday party for Baby Kate. No first day of kindergarten. No first Christmas.” Phillips’ probable-cause hearing is set for October 16.
Sean Phillips, a 23-year-old Michigan father, has been officially charged with the murder of his baby daughter, two years after “Baby Kate” disappeared. An open murder charge was filed Friday against Phillips. Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips was last seen on June 29, 2011, at the age of four months. Baby Kate remains missing to this day. Sean Phillips Charged in Baby Kate Murder Case The infant’s disappearance riveted western Michigan after Phillips allegedly took off with the girl following an argument with her mother, Ariel Courtland. Phillips was arrested the next day at his parents’ house, but there was no evidence of Baby Kate. Now “new evidence” has been found to support the charge. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette declined to state what that is. Volunteers scoured wooded areas of Michigan’s northern Mason County earlier this summer, the area where Phillips allegedly dumped Baby Kate. Sean Phillips allegedly left Baby Kate in a “peaceful place” according to a letter authorities say he wrote to Ariel Courtland from prison last year. He also claimed at one point that he accidentally killed the baby after violently yanking her infant seat out of his car when he was angry at Courtland. Phillips was convicted in 2012 of unlawful imprisonment in his young daughter’s disappearance, and was already serving 10-15 years in state prison. Open murder is punishable by up to life in prison. “This is a tragic case. It just makes you sick,” Schuette said. “There will be no first birthday party for Baby Kate. No first day of kindergarten. No first Christmas.” Phillips’ probable-cause hearing is set for October 16.
David Kernell, the former college student who hacked Sarah Palin’s email in 2008 looking for politically damaging information, is FINALLY off probation. Kernell’s prison term ended in November 2011, and a judge has now ended his post-prison probation, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, Tenn., reports. He was scheduled to remain on probation until late 2014, but Judge Thomas Phillips agreed to Kernell’s request to end his probation early. As NBC affiliate WBIR notes, Kernell’s attorney Wade Davis continues to argue, five years later, that his client only committed a youthful prank. When he did hack Palin’s email, the young man was a student at the University of Tennessee. He did complete his degree after he was out of prison. Phillips didn’t want to send Kernell to prison in the first place. In fact, he had ordered the college student to report to a halfway house in Knoxville. However, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons overruled Thomas and instead sent the 22-year-old prankster straight to the slammer for his cyber “crime.”
Bradley Cooper and director Todd Phillips dig in with MTV News about a potential fourth movie. By Kevin P. Sullivan Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms in “Hangover Part III” Photo: Legendary Pictures
Building on the success of his ‘Idol’ coronation song ‘Home,’ Phillips is hard at work on an album that reflects his eclectic tastes. By James Montgomery Phillip Phillips Photo: MTV News
‘American Idol’ season 11 champ tells MTV News upcoming tour is ‘going to be a big learning experience.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Kelly Marino Phillip Phillips Photo: It seems like just yesterday that Phillip Phillips was crowned the winner of “American Idol,” and although season 11 has ended, your favorite Idols are heading out on tour very soon. MTV News recently caught up with the still-humble champ to talk about prepping the big summer tour, as well as his recovery from the recent surgery he underwent to remove a number of large kidney stones . “I’m feeling good,” he assured MTV News. Phillips recently told The Associated Press that he’s “getting better each day, so that’s a good thing. I’m just walking around, getting my strength back together. It was tough, you know, those first few days, but I’m getting to where I can pick the guitar back up and write a little bit.” Speaking about the buzz surrounding the “Idol” tour, the 21-year-old seemed to still be wrapping his head around the extent of the production. “I’m real excited. It’s all of our first time being on a real tour, and it’s going to be a big learning experience. We’re all really excited about it,” Phillips said. “It’s a lot of jamming-out music, and that’s what I do. Hopefully people are feeling the music when I’m feeling it, so it’s going to be fun.” And what about the work on his highly anticipated debut album? “I’m just starting [to work on it], so I’m excited,” Phillips said. “I’ve been writing. I have other songs written, and I’m excited to get it out there.” In addition to his recovery, the “Idol” tour and work on his solo album, Phillips will also be performing at the Fourth of July celebration at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., alongside country singer Josh Turner, “Smash” star Megan Hilty, actor Matthew Broderick and famed composer John Williams. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Nabbing top-10 spot on Billboard chart, winner’s first single lands second-largest digital-sales week ever for an ‘Idol’ contestant. By John Mitchell Phillip Phillips on “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ FOX Despite ongoing health concerns , things just keep getting better on the professional front for “American Idol” season 11 winner Phillip Phillips . The singer’s debut single, “Home,” is making a splash on the Billboard charts, ringing up a series of history-making debuts for the FOX singing competition. With 278,000 digital downloads, “Home” is the highest-debuting song on this week’s Digital Songs chart, bowing at an impressive #2 behind Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” That number is also large enough to give Phillips the second-best digital-sales week ever for an “Idol” contestant. Only the original “American Idol,” Kelly Clarkson, can boast a bigger digital sales week: Her smash “My Life Would Suck Without You” debuted with 280,000 downloads in January 2009. Propelled by such strong sales, Phillips enters the Billboard Hot 100 at #10, making him the first “Idol” in four years to see his victory single reach the top 10. The last was David Cook, whose 2008 “Idol” single “The Time of My Life” entered the chart at #3. The rock-solid debut of “Home” also gives Phillips the biggest sales week of any coronation song since 2003, the year SoundScan began tracking digital-download sales. Billboard notes that two other “Idols” — season two victor Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken — have actually enjoyed larger opening frames than Phillips, though their numbers came outside the digital format. Aiken’s 2003 season-finale single “This is the Night” moved 393,000 units as a CD single in its debut frame, while Studdard’s “Flying Without Wings” shifted 286,000 discs. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Highlights Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Show ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet
We’re sorry to say it, ladies, but: Phillip Phillips has a girlfriend. And he’s head over heels for the unnamed brunette. “She is so excited for me,” the 21-year old told reporters in a conference call yesterday. “She supported me throughout all of this, and I love her to death.” Phillip added that his gal pal has helped him immensely through his kidney ailment – it came out this week that Phillips underwent EIGHT surgeries during season 11 and is due for one in the near future – and if female voters out there have a problem with his heart being taken, well… … too bad! “If a girl [voted] for me because I’m cute, and then gets mad that I have a girlfriend, then she doesn’t really like the music,” he said. “I’m not some cute guy who is trying to be successful off that. I really want the music to come first.” So, why did YOU vote Phillip Phillips for American Idol winner?
When his tears fell during Wednesday’s ‘American Idol’ finale, Phillips instantly became the most relatable champ in the show’s history. By James Montgomery Phillip Phillips Photo: Michael Tran/ FilmMagic I think I’m finally coming around on Phillip Phillips. Yes, I’m aware that I’ve spent the past 19 weeks making fun of his grouting delivery (that’s “growl/shouting,” for the uninitiated), criticizing his every performance and referring to him as “Kris Allen 2.0,” but none of that comes into play here. Because what changed my opinion of Phillips had nothing to do with his singing — in fact, the moment of reconsideration actually occurred when he wasn’t singing. It happened when he was crying. See, when Phillips broke down in tears during his performance of “Home” on Wednesday night’s “American Idol” finale, it wasn’t just the show’s most touching moment in years, it was the most personal he’s gotten all season. It taught me more about him than any hometown-visit piece or expertly edited contestant-confessional vignette ever could. For the entire season, he’s been an enigma, a slightly scruffy oddball who never really seemed to be that interested in actually winning (or taking Tommy Hilfiger’s fashion advice ). Early on, he built a wall around himself, and he never let viewers get a glimpse at what lay inside — until he finally allowed himself to get lost in the moment of triumph , as the confetti fell and the audience cheered. That’s when the wall came down and the tears began to flow. And that’s when I realized that everything I knew about him was probably wrong. Because Phillips isn’t some aloof, obstinate singer/songwriter dude who’s been to a ton of DMB shows. He doesn’t possess the supreme ego required to believe that his words are poetry and his songs can save the world. He is just a regular kid from Leesburg, Georgia, one who says stuff like “Music’s fun, dude,” and one who was overcome with the emotions of the moment and the sheer magnitude of his “Idol” win, to the point where singing his coronation song became secondary and all he wanted to do was share his triumph with his family. And that’s exactly what he did, performance be damned. In other words, he acted exactly like you or I would, had we just won an internationally famous singing competition and suddenly become a star. In that instant, I realized that Phillips has never had a day of stage training in his entire life, that, unlike pretty much everyone else who auditions for “Idol,” he hadn’t been dreaming of this moment since he was a talent-competition tyke. He truly never believed he could win, because normal people never would. And so he started crying, real genuine tears, the kind that seize your body and make everything else an afterthought — the kind that professional entertainers rarely get, mostly because they prevent them from entertaining. I’ve never been able to fathom how a person could cry and sing at the same time, and yet, each year on “Idol” (and on stages around the world), I see trained talent do exactly that, shed crocodile tears while still nailing the chorus. It is oddly robotic, not to mention slightly off-putting. I’m glad Phillips didn’t try to do it, and now I know why. I’m not sure if his “Idol” victory is good for the show (probably not), or if he’ll be able to buck the recent trend and actually become a superstar (though “Home” is a nice start), but for one night, I wasn’t concerned with either of those things. Phillips’ emotional outpouring may very well have been the Cry Heard ‘Round the World, serving notice that he’s much more than the realest “American Idol” champ in history: He’s an actual human being. In that moment, he became instantly relatable, even to his staunchest of detractors (like me). And because of that, I’m willing to let my icy heart thaw just a little bit and wish him the best. And even though it goes against my every willfully difficult impulse I’ll close with this: All hail Phillip Phillips, the People’s King. Long may he reign. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Highlights Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Show ‘American Idol’ Season 11 Finale Red Carpet
Frontrunner Phillips beats out 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez for the season 11 crown after a ‘world record’ of 132 million votes. By Adam Graham Phillip Phillips performs on the “American Idol” season 11 finale Photo: Getty Images The lights were dimmed, the votes were counted, and Phillip Phillips became the new “American Idol.” As expected, Phillips beat out Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday’s (May 23) Season 11 “Idol” finale, live at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Phillips topped Sanchez after a reported 132 million votes were cast — “a new world record,” according to host Ryan Seacrest. Phillips teared up while performing his winning song “Home,” while confetti rained down on the stage around him. The Leesburg, Georgia, native has been a cool cucumber all season long, but he broke down in the moment, just as he did during his hometown visit last week. Phillips didn’t finish the song, but strolled off stage and into the arms of his family, who were waiting in the first few rows. As streamers fell and the band played on the stage behind him, Phillips hugged his family members, and later judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Phillips came out of Tuesday’s performance episode the heavy favorite to win it all and was celebrated by the judges for his “Home,” which was tailor made for his laid-back style. On the other hand, Sanchez’s would-be winning song, “Change Nothing,” was sloughed off by the judges and even Sanchez herself, who acknowledged the song wasn’t really in her wheelhouse, and said she’d aim to put more of herself in her future recordings. Heading into this season, the buzz was that a woman would win “Idol,” becoming the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007. Four of this year’s top six contestants were female, but Phillips proved unbeatable in the stretch. Sanchez was an early favorite in the season, stepping out in front with her show-stopping rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” on the March 7 episode. But she hit her stumbling blocks along the way, and was voted out on the April 12 episode, and had to be saved by the judges to stay in the competition. Phillips was steady throughout the season. His name — that name! — made him an instant standout, and he played it cool all season long, never letting much of anything — including the season-long illness he battled — ruffle his fathers. (On Thursday’s show, he joked — he was joking, right? — that he got nine and a half to 10 hours of sleep the night before.) He was often criticized, and fairly so, for his similarities to Dave Matthews, but he came alive in the final two weeks, knocking out Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” and his winning “Idol” song, “Home.” Wednesday’s finale packed the usual array of medleys, group performances and guest appearances. Stars on the roster included Rihanna (who hit the stage to perform “Where Have You Been”), Chaka Kahn (who joined the female finalists on “I’m Every Woman”), Neil Diamond (who did “Sweet Caroline” with the male contestants) and Reba McEntire (who sang “Turn on the Radio” with Skylar Laine). Josha Ledet sang Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” alongside Fantasia Barrino, whom he introduced as “the biggest inspiration in my life” and who hit the stage in a wild, form-fitting catsuit and long hair, while another former “Idol” winner, Jordin Sparks, took the stage with Hollie Cavanagh on “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” John Fogerty teamed up with Phillips on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Bad Moon Rising,” and Jennifer Holliday teamed up with Sanchez on the “Dreamgirls” signature song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” (Earlier, Sanchez hit the stage on her own to reprise her performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”) The “Idol” finalists — minus Phillips and Sanchez, who teamed up on Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes’ “Up Where We Belong” late in the show — opened the show with Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” and the male finalists paid tribute to the late Robin Gibb by running through a handful of Bee Gees classics, including “How Deep is Your Love,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “To Love Somebody.” The “Idol” judges got in on the action as well. Jennifer Lopez performed “Goin’ In” with Flo Rida and Lil Jon and “Follow the Leader” with Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel, while Steven Tyler hit the stage with his Aerosmith cohorts to do their new single “Legendary Child” along with “Walk This Way.” The show also featured “Idol’s” first live wedding proposal, when fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed to third season runner-up Diana DeGarmo while the dramatic “Idol” suspense-building music played in the background. (DeGarmo accepted despite Young’s tacky jewelry store plug mid-proposal.) Phillips and Sanchez were also given new Ford automobiles for their efforts. Next up? After the finalists make the media rounds, the “American Idol” summer tour — featuring the season’s top 10 finalists — kicks off July 6 in Detroit. What did you think of the “Idol” finale? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. 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