On last Thursday’s X Factor results show, Astro was voted into the bottom two – and then nearly got himself eliminated by initially refusing to sing for the judges’ vote. It was a disgraceful show of poor sportsmanship . But it also came from a young rapper who is only 15 years old, as Astro took to Facebook over the weekend and apologized for acting like a spoiled brat. Astro Sings for Survival “What I do, I do for the love of Hip-Hop and my fans, and I would never doing anything to hurt either,” he wrote. “I believed I was being mistreated… My guards are always up, and maybe I took the situation too heavy. I seriously apologize to my fans, what I said and my emotions weren’t directed toward you. I’m 15 and I think I know everything, but the truth is, I don’t, and I handled the situation wrong! Win or lose next week, I will make you all proud!” Astro added that he wants to be the “new ambassador” for hip hop, while Simon Cowell said he’s met with Astro and his father and everything is “much calmer now.” If true, that’s too bad. The X Factor was just getting exciting!
Kris Bumphries is about to start getting some endorsement checks: After weeks in hiding following the shocking end of his 72-day marriage, Humphries resurfaced in New York Thursday to announce a Kardashianesque endorsement partnership with Sector brand watches. Apparently, he didn’t utter a word about his soon-to-be-ex-wife Kim Kardashian, but he seems to have a found a great new relationship with his Italian watchmaking friends at Sector. “I’m really excited. It’s a perfect fit. Everything fits. It was such a natural fit,” he said during his solo press conference. Good for him! There is life after Kimmy Cakes after all for Kris. SMH. Source
In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that has roiled Penn State, two Syracuse University ball boys say they were molested by the school’s associate head basketball coach, Bernie Fine, in the late 1970s and continuing into the 1990s. Police in Syracuse said they have opened an investigation. In a statement Thursday night, Syracuse said it has placed Fine on administrative leave. One of the alleged victims, Bobby Davis, told ESPN that Bernine Fine molested him starting in 1984, shortly before Davis entered the seventh grade. Davis, the team’s ball boy for six years beginning in 1984, said the abuse occurred at Fine’s home, at Syracuse basketball facilities, and on road trips. The second alleged victim, Mike Lang, now 45, is Davis’ stepbrother and was also a ball boy for several years. He said Fine molested him at a similar age. Davis said Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim saw him in Fine’s hotel room on several of those road trips, but never told Boeheim about the alleged abuse. Police stressed that they are in the early stages of the investigation. Thursday evening, police planned to interview both men who made the allegations. Both men spoke in video interviews with ESPN Thursday night, describing the alleged acts by Fine – reaching into their shorts and rubbed their genitals. Fine is in his 35th season as an assistant to Boeheim, who came to his defense. “I know this kid, but I never saw him in any rooms or anything,” Boeheim said. “It is a bunch of a thousand lies that he has told,” the head coach said. “You don’t think it is a little funny that his cousin (relative) is coming forward?” “He supplied four names to the university that would corroborate his story. None of them did … there is only one side to this story. He is lying.” The university has just responded publicly as well. Kevin Quinn, Syracuse’s Senior V.P. for public affairs, issued a statement on behalf of the school: “In 2005, Syracuse University was contacted by an adult male who told us that he had reported to the Syracuse City Police that he had been subjected to inappropriate contact by an associate men’s basketball coach. The alleged activity took place in the 1980’s and 1990’s. We were informed by the complainant that the Syracuse City Police had declined to pursue the matter because the statute of limitations had expired. “On hearing of the allegations in 2005, the University immediately launched its own comprehensive investigation through its legal counsel. That nearly four-month long investigation included a number of interviews with people the complainant said would support his claims. All of those identified by the complainant denied any knowledge of wrongful conduct by the associate coach. The associate coach also vehemently denied the allegations. “Syracuse University takes any allegation of this sort extremely seriously and has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. If any evidence or corroboration of the allegations had surfaced, we would have terminated the associated coach and reported it to the police immediately. We understand that the Syracuse City Police has now reopened the case, and Syracuse University will cooperate fully. We are steadfastly committed ensuring that SU remains a safe place for every member of our campus community.” The Penn State scandal, exposed after former defensive coordinator Sandusky was charged with 40 criminal counts of molesting at least eight boys over a 15-year span, got Joe Paterno fired and became the talk of the nation. Is Syracuse basketball, another storied collegiate sports institution, now headed down a similar path, or will this set of accusations prove false? More details to follow as the story develops …
L.A. County Sherriff’s Office investigators’ decision to reopen the Natalie Wood case after three decades has raised suspicions of her husband, Robert Wagner. The captain of the boat that Wood, a major movie star at the time, mysteriously vanished from in 1981 is now blaming veteran actor Wagner for her death. The Tinseltown starlet died off of Santa Catalina Island in California after partying on a yacht one night with hubby Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. At the time, police said Wood, 43, accidentally fell overboard and drowned. Now the boat’s captain, Dennis Davern, is telling something of a different story. On Today, Davern said Robert Wagner, now 81, asked him not to take steps to find his wife. It was a matter of “We’re not going to look too hard,” he said. “We’re not going to turn on the search light, we’re not going to notify anybody right at the moment,” said Davern , who admitted that he lied at the time. “I made some terrible decisions and mistakes,” he said. “I did lie on a report years ago. I made mistakes by not telling the honest truth in a police report.” Asked if Wagner was “responsible” for Wood’s death, Davern said, “Yes I would say so.” Lana Wood, Natalie Wood’s sister, also spoke out about the case: Lana says she never believed Robert Wagner’s version of the events that led to Natalie’s death, and believes Robert wasn’t honest with investigators. She says she’s not buying the original story that Natalie was trying to secure a dinghy and fell overboard because she was deathly afraid of water. Natalie wouldn’t even go in her own pool, according to her sister. Natalie Wood Interview Lana Wood says Sheriff’s detectives interviewed her and specifically wanted to know if the relationship between Natalie and Robert was “volatile.” And, Lana says, if Wagner or anyone else is found to be responsible for Natalie’s death, they should be punished, despite the fact it’s 30 years later. Wood (1938-1981) and Wagner were married in 1957, divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. They have one daughter, Courtney, born in 1974. Despite the accusations of the captain, it is not known specifically what caused officials to reopen the case, and Wagner has never been a suspect. Wagner’s publicist, Alan Nierob, issued a statement saying the actor’s family “fully support the efforts of the LA County Sheriff’s Department.” The actor, who has a recurring role on NCIS , “trusts they will evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid.” Nierob said no authorities have contacted Wagner about the case.
Oklahoma State head women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna, one of his assistant coaches, have died in a plane crash along with two others. Their tragic deaths happened just 10 months after the school marked the 10th anniversary of a crash that killed 10 men associated with the men’s program. The plane went down Thursday night in Perry County, Ark., killing the pilot and another individual not affiliated with the university, Oklahoma State said. No one survived the crash. Kurt Budke, 50, had opened his seventh season as the Cowgirls’ coach on Sunday with a 96-60 win over Rice in a home game in Stillwater, Oklahoma. “The entire Oklahoma State family is devastated by this tragedy,” University President Burns Hargis said Friday in a statement. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims.” “Kurt Budke was an incredibly positive influence on his players and a tremendous coach. He quickly turned our program around and put Cowgirl basketball on the map.” Associate head coach Jim Littell will take over as interim head coach, though the school canceled the team’s games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. The Cowboys’ college football team, currently ranked second in the nation, plays Friday night at Iowa State. That game will be played as scheduled. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of the deceased.
The NBA labor dispute is slowly, yet surely, amputating the 2011-12 basketball schedule of games. After the player’s union rejected the latest proposal offered by Commissioner David Stern and NBA owners earlier this week, all involved are left wondering what happens next. There is no end in sight. Games are cancelled through mid-December, and the possibility of any games being played this season is shaky at best. Considering the lifestyles many ballers are known to lead, along with reputations for being negligent in terms of managing finances, many players are definitely going to need a side hustle to keep those checks coming in. Here’s a short list of interim gigs for some of the NBA’s unemployed: Kris Humphries , Relationship Counselor : Don’t let the number fool you. In those 72 days as a married man, Kris Humphries gained more experience than some people who’ve been married twice as long, if not longer. Having communications problems in your relationship? Go see Kris. Trust issues? Kris is your man that can help. Now that he’s been released of his Kardashian lap dog duties, who better to give advice on what not to do? Who else could lend a more sympathetic ear and help the two of you work through the ups and downs that all couples face? The one thing many seek in counseling is an empathetic voice of reason, and at this point, I don’t think anyone else in the world could feel your pain more than Kris Humphries. Dwayne Wade, Celebrity Manicurist/Pedicurist : D. Wade has the hot celebrity girlfriend in Gabrielle Union and has transitioned his style repertoire to that of elite status among fellow athletes. This was recently exemplified in the spread that he shot for the November issue of GQ . Upon reading the article, though, Wade caught the public’s attention in revealing a surprise foot fetish of sorts. He actually stated that he once painted his toenails black. Make no confusion: there’s nothing wrong with male grooming in the form of mani/pedis. However, unless you are Lenny Kravitz, cease and desist on the black toenails—or any other color—immediately. Travel Tips: The Three Outfits Every Man Must Have Wade certainly raised more than a few eyebrows with this admission of sampling the latest hues of OPI products. But it also seems that somehow stumbled into a new professional calling to weather the lockout. If all else fails, Dwayne Wade can become a licensed nail technician. South Beach is bound to offer a limitless market of clients, especially among his many celebrity friends. If Serena could get her license and work on Oprah’s feet, then why not Dwayne? CLICK HERE TO READ MORE G.O.A.T: Athletes Who Changed Our Lives Top Male Athlete Commercials Of 2011 [VIDEO]
Céline Sciamma’s film is titled Tomboy , but the gender issues it delves into are more complex than any supposedly unfeminine preferences for sports and pants-wearing and other associations that linger around that antiquated term.
No offense to Edward, Jacob and their respective team members, but Breaking Dawn is all about Bella. In the epic Twilight conclusion, Kristen Stewart’s character is seen as a newlywed, a newly-turned vampire and as a pregnant woman. Going through all of those changes with a girl she’s played for so long was not easy for Stewart, who feels like a part of herself will always be entwined with Bella Swan. “I’m pretty wrapped up in her,” Kristen tells Movie Fanatic. “If you’re the type of girl to identify with Bella then you’re just kind of on her. So it’s really hard for me.” “I genuinely had to justify every decision she made the whole way through.” Breaking Dawn Wedding Trailer Among the many milestones crammed into the first part of Breaking Dawn (in theaters this Friday) is Bella’s wedding to Edward, played by Robert Pattinson. “I had a million different things going through my head,” she recalled of walking down the aisle. “What I kept telling myself was, “Stop, stop, stop. Like just do it. Actually have this experience because you’re just about to ruin it.” Of co-stars Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, she says, “I can’t imagine what this film would have been if I didn’t have really, really solid and growing relationships with them.” “When you work with people like that, you give so much, you’re so comfortable and you can do no wrong, and so they’ve got you. I think we all just got along, and it shows.” Visit Movie Fanatic now for their full interview with Kristen Stewart …
Monday night, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky broke his silence on the stunning sexual abuse scandal that has roiled the university. Facing 40 counts of sexual abuse against eight boys over a 15-year span, the former coach granted an exclusive interview with Bob Costas on NBC’s Rock Center . Despite admitting he showered with boys , Sandusky maintained his innocence and rejected the term “pedophile,” amid some intense questioning by Costas: Jerry Sandusky Interview The scandal led to the firing of Joe Paterno and Penn State’s president. But it’s Sandusky at the center of the allegations, and in a word, they are disturbing. Sandusky had to pause and think before answering Costas’ question, “Are you sexually attracted to young boys,” in his first interview since the scandal broke. Costas, who was interviewing Sandusky’s lawyer, Joseph Amendola, before the coach himself got on the phone, proved he’s one of the finest journalists around. Handling the situation with professionalism, but also with brutal honestly, he succinctly asked the accused very tough questions that are on everyone’s mind. Follow the jump for a transcript of one exchange, in which Bob Costas questions Jerry Sandusky’s innocence, citing a conversation with an alleged victim’s parent: Costas: During one of those conversations, you said, “I understand. I was wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness,” speaking now with the mother, “I know I won’t get it from you. I wish I were dead.” A guy falsely accused, or a guy whose actions have been misinterpreted, doesn’t respond that way. Does he? Sandusky: I don’t know. I didn’t say, to my recollection, that “I wish I were dead.” I was hopeful that we could reconcile things. Costas: Shortly after that, in 2000, a janitor said that he saw you performing oral sex on a young boy in the showers in the Penn State locker facility. Did that happen? Sandusky: No. Costas: How could somebody think they saw something as extreme and shocking as that when it hadn’t occurred? And what would possibly be their motivation to fabricate it? Sandusky: You’d have to ask them. Costas: It seems that, if all of these accusations are false, you are the unluckiest and most persecuted man that any of us has ever heard about. Sandusky: [Laughs] I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t think that these have been the best days of my life.
