NBA Hall of Fame member Scottie Pippen has been cleared in the incident this summer in which he got into a fight with an overzealous fan in Malibu. Scottie Pippen Knocks Out Fan The 47-year-old Pippen mixed it up with autograph seeker who authorities say was drunk and exaggerated his injuries including faking seizures. Thus, the L.A. County district attorney’s office said there was insufficient evidence to bring assault charges against Pippen for the altercation. Camran Shafighi approached him at Nobu, a sushi restaurant and celebrity hangout on the beach in Malibu, back on June 24, reports indicate. Pippen obliged to have a photo taken with Shafighi, but the man followed the basketball great to the parking lot badgering him for an autograph as well. Pippen said no, at which point told Shafighi became irate, “grabbing at him, cursing him and then spit in his face,” according to a report by the D.A. Shafighi, 49, claimed Pippen punched him in the mouth and kicked him several times, causing him to lose consciousness with a kick to the face. Pippen admitted spitting at Shafighi and pushing him away, but prosecutors said it was unclear if Pippen was the aggressor or acted in self-defense. Shafighi, who has also filed a $4 million lawsuit against Pippen, was taken to a hospital with a concussion … he claims. That is highly debatable. All tests showed there wasn’t any internal trauma, but Shafighi went to the hospital later and said he had been diagnosed with fractured ribs and ankle. The only visible physical injuries were a small bruise on Shafighi’s chin and a cut to his lip, and then there’s the fact that the guy was WASTED. Shafighi, whose blood sample turned up positive for opiates and a 0.18 percent blood-alcohol level, also feigned having seizures to prove his “case.” The seizures ended when the doctor ordered him to stop them.
Score another legal victory for Chris Brown, who is off the hook for his alleged assault on a female club-goer in Orange County earlier this summer. Deanna Gines, 24, claimed he violently shoved her down at Heat Ultra Lounge, causing ligament damage to her knee that would require surgery. Her injuries were suspicious from the start, however, and the club owner denied that Chris was involved in any wrongdoing (as did the star himself). The nail in the proverbial coffin was Gines walking around on her “injured” leg after the alleged incident, as the Anaheim City Attorney tossed the case. Deanna is still threatening to sue Chris for her so-called suffering, which will clearly not result in him losing, but may well rile the singer up on Twitter. Speaking of Chris Brown Twitter rants , he went off on an EPIC one after being sentenced to 1,000 hours of community labor (below), but that’s okay. At least this case and his hit-and-run charges, which could have landed him in jail for violating probation, were dismissed. Two out of three ain’t bad? Chris Brown Twitter Rant
They may have have won Best Song of the Summer at the MTV Video Music Awards, but the celebration was short-lived for One Direction last night. The British boy band was actually booed on stage. But at least the insulting reception from the crowd in Brooklyn resulted in a cool backstage meeting for Harry Style (who was himself told to STFU up by Taylor Swift ) and company, as Lady Gaga actually made a point to seek them out and offer her support. “I just want to tell you that you deserve every bit of success that you have,” Gaga tells One Direction in the following video. It’s pretty cool. Watch now to hear the entire exchange: Lady Gaga Comforts One Direction
JetBlue might wanna lawyer up… Hindu Man Denied Travel On JetBlue Because He Was Thought To Be Hindu Via VillageVoice Air travel has become such a nightmare that it’s hard to muster any surprise about the hassles and indignities travelers face on a regular basis. Excruciatingly long lines, invasive pat downs, awkward luggage inspections, delays, cancelations–and, oh yeah, racial profiling–are all pretty much accepted as par for the course. Aditya Mukerjee, who lives and works in New York and happens to be Hindu, not Muslim, wrote about a particularly awful experience he had at JFK recently in blog post titled “Don’t Fly During Ramadan.” Mukerjee was scheduled to fly out of JFK to meet his family in Los Angeles earlier this summer. The whole ordeal started, he writes, when he declined to go through the airport’s millimeter wave detectors. According to Mukerjee, he was ultimately detained for about four hours and questioned by the TSA, NYPD, FBI and Homeland Security. Incredibly though, in the end it was the airline itself, JetBlue, that would not allow him to board the flight he had a ticket for, or any other flight to Los Angeles that day. From the questions he was asked, Mukerjee (who, again, is Hindu, not Muslim) got the impression he was being profiled because he was flying during the Muslim holiday Ramadan. He passed the TSA AND NYPD and STILL can’t fly?? Aditya is about to get PAID! Flip it to read his personal account of how JetBlue ishtted on him.
A new clip for the August 30 documentary shows off a goofier side of the boy band, who are up for Best Song of the Summer at this year’s VMAs. By Emily Blake
Sorry ladies. You’re just not his type. Wentworth Miller Announces He Is Gay According to TMZ “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller has just revealed he’s a gay man … in a statement that reads as a giant “F YOU” to Russia. The 41-year-old actor fired off a letter to the director of the St. Petersburg International Film Festival — rejecting its invitation for him to travel to the Motherland for the event … and in the letter, WM went public about his sexuality for the first time. “Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline.” Miller continues … “I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.” “The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.” He added, “If circumstances improve, I’ll be free to make a different choice.” We know some people aren’t surprised that he likes the man meat. It takes courage to come out the closet…congratz to him.
We’re glad to hear this . Paris Jackson Recovering At Boarding School According to Radar Online With freshly-dyed red hair and a beaming smile, Paris Jackson looks like an entirely different girl from the dark, troubled teen who attempted to take her own life earlier this summer. Indeed, just 77 days after the teen’s overwhelming depression became too much to bear and she slit her wrists with a meat cleaver, Michael Jackson‘s daughter is clearly well on her way to making a courageous comeback. These exclusive photos obtained by RadarOnline.com show a happier and healthier Paris, who is benefitting from her time at a private therapeutic boarding school in Utah, where she has been living since mid-July under the pseudonym “Frankie.” The first images of the teen since her troubling June 5 suicide attempt will also provide relief to fans who have been left to wonder about Paris’ mental state since she was hospitalized unconscious after succumbing to the demons she’s been battlingsince her dad’s fatal 2009 overdose. Paris was snapped on July 18 at the school’s graduation ceremony – surrounded by newfound friends who have shared similar struggles, as they bid farewell some of the school’s alumni. “Paris was high in spirits,” an onlooker told RadarOnline.com, revealing that she wore bracelets to cover the scars from where she slashed her wrists. The occasion marked the first time she has been seen in public since the suicide bid, when she had cropped brown hair and a distinct gothic look. But it’s not just her hairstyle that’s changed: At the luxurious and rural school (which RadarOnline.com has chosen not to name to protect her privacy), Paris has decided to live under a nom de plume, in a bid to make an unremarkable return to a more normal life. “Paris wanted to come into the school without fanfare, so she decided to change her name, to Frankie,” a source revealed. “She also dyed her hair. Some students still know who she is, but overall, most don’t. She’s just another girl from Los Angeles named Frankie. In many ways, it’s a new life for Paris.” Paris’ new home bills itself as a residential treatment facilities for troubled teen girls with various problems. Surrounded by breathtaking mountain views and soaring plains, it’s a far cry from Paris’ hectic life under the microscope in Los Angeles. Her tuition, which can cost up to $14,000 per month, includes lodging in a home with up to 10 other girls who are overseen by a house parent. Those real-life interactions are the extent of her social life these days. On campus, Paris is largely being shielded from the internet and social media, as her grandmother Katherine has been convinced that Paris will have a relapse if she continues to read cruel taunts directed at her and her late pop superstar dad Michael. And the school agrees. “There are three levels of privileges at the school,” the source explained. “Because Paris has only been there for a brief period, she is still on ‘daily’, meaning that she has to earn her privileges through a point count system for such things as good behavior, doing your homework, punctuality. “Those privileges are television time, internet, access to the phone, socializing with girls from the other homes on campus. As a result, Paris’ access to social media is limited.” “Like every school, this venue has a curriculum that students undertake,” the insider said. “The students also undergo group therapy and one-on-one sessions with therapists each day.” Added the source: “She has been doing very well. She is very high in spirits.” “She hasn’t sailed through this crisis but she is doing much better and with the help of those around her at the school, she’s on the mend. “Paris is relieved she survived the suicide attempt. She really did cheat death.” Nice to know she is smiling. Hopefully, she continues on this path. Twitter/Splash News
Elmore Leonard, the beloved writer behind numerous books and short stories that have been turned into Hollywood fare, passed away today at his home in Detroit. He was 87 years old. The author suffered a stroke three weeks ago and his death was confirmed this morning by his researcher via the following Facebook message: “The post I dreaded to write, and you dreaded to read. Elmore passed away at 7:15 this morning from complications from his stroke.” “He was at home surrounded by his loving family.” Among Elmore Leonard’s writings that have been turned into television shows or movies are: Out of Sight , Be Cool , 3:10 to Yuma and Justified . Leonard was born in New Orleans but has resided in Detroit for the past 34 years. We send our condolences to his friends and family members.
