Carey lands $1 million New Year gig
Mariah Carey rang in the New Year with style - she reportedly scooped a whopping $1 million to perform just four songs at a private gig.
The Hero hitmaker was paid the staggering sum to play an intimate show for the son of Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi at a lavish party on New Year's eve (31stDec08), according to U.K. newspaper The Sun.
Carey took time out of her Caribbean holiday with husband Nick Cannon in St Barts to sing a set of four classic tracks at the island's Nikki Beach Club bash.
The singer was joined by superproducer Timbaland and rapper Jay-Z, who also allegedly performed sets at the event.
Rihanna spends Christmas with Brown's family
Rihanna celebrated her first Christmas away from Barbados - spending the festive season at rumored boyfriend Chris Brown's family home.
The 20-year-old Bajan beauty usually returns to the tropical island for a warm winter - but she broke with tradition to spend Christmas at Brown's family property in Goochland, Virginia.
The Umbrella hitmaker took some of her own family along for the trip, and a series of personal photographs from the holiday have surfaced on the Internet.
The pictures show the star relaxing in a striped knitted dress and hugging Brown, as well as happily posing for numerous family shots.
Travolta 'begged son to live'
John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston desperately begged their son Jett to stay alive as paramedics battled to save the teenager.
The Pulp Fiction star and Preston travelled with their son in an ambulance as it rushed Jett to hospital following his seizure on vacation in the Bahamas.
The tearful couple urged Jett to "come around" as an emergency crew frantically tried to revive the unconscious 16-year-old.
But the youngster was pronounced dead at the hospital on Friday (02Jan09) - and Travolta's lawyer believes Jett might even had died in the actor's arms.
Travolta has told how he desperately tried to save his son's life after a carer found him collapsed in a bathroom.
He says, "I tried the kiss of life for about 20 minutes. I wouldn't give up. I did everything I could to keep Jett alive. The paramedics took over from me when they arrived."
And a medic has revealed the heartbreaking scene in the back of the ambulance as Jett was rushed to hospital.
Marcus Garvey tells Radaronline.com both Travolta and Preston tried to urge their son back to consciousness - with Travolta pleading, "Jett, come on, Jett, come on, come around."
Garvey adds Preston was in tears as she asked, "Is he breathing? Are you helping him? Are you getting him back? Is he coming back?" before grabbing her son's hand and urging, "Come on baby, come on, Jett!"
The emergency worker also reveals Travolta thanked the crew for their efforts to save Jett's life: "He tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Good job, good job'."
But despite the efforts to revive Jett, Travolta's lawyer and close friend, Michael McDermott, believes the teenager may have died in the actor's arms even before medics arrived on the scene.
He says, "I like to believe John had a chance to say goodbye. Jett may have died in his dad's arms."
It has also emerged the family had a system of alarms in place to alert them if Jett - who suffered from "frequent and extremely serious" seizures - fell ill.
Travolta made sure two nannies were always on hand, including Jeff Kathrein who discovered the teenager in a bathroom at the holiday home.
McDermott says, "John and Kelly had everything possible set up for an emergency in Jett's life. Jeff slept eight feet from Jett. There was a baby monitor right next to him in his bed. And a chimer attached to the bathroom door announced when Jett was going in. All of this was because he was prone to seizures. Jeff got to him within minutes of his fall, we believe. He tried to revive him while John was alerted."
A local coroner is expected to determine the exact cause of death on Monday (05Jan08).
Madonna planning 'high-energy routine' for Spears tour
Madonna and Britney Spears are planning an explosive dance routine to ensure her forthcoming comeback world tour kicks off with a bang.
The Queen of Pop is expected to appear as a surprise guest on Spears' upcoming Circus tour later this year (09).
The Toxic hitmaker joined her mentor Madonna on-stage in Los Angeles in November (08) during her Sticky & Sweet tour, and the Material Girl is reportedly desperate to return the favor.
Spears has reportedly hired Jamie King, the choreographer of Madonna's last three tours, to create a high-energy routine the duo can perform together.
A source tells Britain's Daily Mail, "When Britney joined Madonna on stage for her Sticky & Sweet tour it was very sedate.
"This is going to be a high-energy dance routine - getting back to what they are both good at: Performing."
Madonna and Spears shocked fans when they puckered up for an on-stage kiss during their performance at the MTV VMAs in 2003. They also teamed up on a track, Me Against the Music, the same year.
Cruise credits Scientology with fixing his dyslexia
Tom Cruise has credited his Scientology faith with helping him overcome dyslexia - insisting he was illiterate until he followed the teachings of the controversial religion's founder L. Ron Hubbard.
The Hollywood superstar struggled with literacy at school, and resigned to the fact he would struggle with reading and writing after he was diagnosed with the language-based disability aged seven.
And Cruise admits he walked away from school as an illiterate - and blames the school system for failing him.
But the star states it was science-fiction writer Hubbard's methods of learning and the ideas behind Scientology that finally enabled him to get a grasp of his learning difficulties.
He tells Spanish newspaper ABC, "I asked myself if I was normal or an idiot. I would try to concentrate but I felt anxiety, frustration, boredom. When I graduated from high school in 1980 I was functionally illiterate.
"Nobody gave me a solution and I wanted to know why the system had failed. Finally, as an adult I learned to read perfectly through the method of L. Ron Hubbard."
Bon Jovi helps Clinton's debt woes
Jon Bon Jovi has stepped up to help relieve Hillary Clinton's post presidential election campaign financial woes.
The rocker will headline an upcoming fundraiser aimed at raising cash to settle Clinton's debt, as she prepares for a major role in the new government of Barack Obama - the man who beat her to the Democratic Party's nomination.
Reports suggest Clinton's campaign debt stands at $6.3 million.
Tickets for the show on 15 January (09) in Los Angeles are selling for between $75 and $1,000.
Hudson won't sing at Obama's big night
Jennifer Hudson's aides have dismissed reports the grieving star will sing The Star-Spangled Banner at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.
Rumors suggested the Oscar winner would make her first public appearance following the triple murders of her mother, brother and nephew in October (08), at Obama's big party later this month (Jan09), but her rep insists, "There is no truth to this.”
She suggests Hudson became a front-runner to perform simply because she sang the National Anthem the night Obama accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
As it stands, Hudson is still scheduled to make her first public appearance next month (Feb09) when she pays tribute to Neil Diamond at the MusiCares Person of the Year event in Los Angeles - on the eve of the Grammy Awards. She's also expected to attend the Grammys themselves; Hudson was nominated for several Grammys for her self-titled debut album.
Meanwhile, William Balfour - the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, Julia - has been charged with the slayings. He faces three counts of first-degree murder and home invasion charges. He is scheduled to appear in court in the singer/actress' native Chicago, Illinois on 20 January (09) - ironically the same day as Obama's inauguration.
Aniston's dog tale still on top
Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson's pooch tale, Marley & Me, remains top dog at the box office after taking in over $100 million since its release on Christmas Day (25Dec08).
The film made $24 million at the box office over the weekend, keeping Adam Sandler comedy Bedtime Stories and Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, off the top.
Thriller Valkyrie, in which Tom Cruise portrays the leader of a real-life group of German military officers who plotted to kill Adolf Hitler, comes in fourth with a $14 million weekend take, while Jim Carrey's Yes Man rounds out the new top five.
Co-host wants Jackman to dance on TV
Australia star Hugh Jackman has been set a new TV challenge - as a contestant on hit talent show Dancing With The Stars.
Program co-host Samantha Harris has revealed the song-and-dance man is at the top of her wishlist as show producers line up a new bunch of willing dancefloor divas and dudes for a new series.
She says, "He's a Broadway guy and he's got charisma."
And Harris tells People.com she has personally approached the Aussie hunk with her dancing proposal: "He actually twirled and dipped me. I was so excited."
But Jackman's dance card is a little packed for now - he'll host the Oscars in February (09) before starting an exhaustive promotional campaign for his X-Men spin-off movie Wolverine.
Madonna's daughter eyes acting career
Madonna's daughter Lourdes is reportedly pursuing a career in acting.
The 12-year-old has enrolled at a drama school which produced child prodigy Macaulay Culkin, as well as Scarlett Johansson and Sarah Jessica Parker.
A source tells Britain's Mail on Sunday, "Lourdes is desperate to become an actress and has joined Manhattan's Professional Children's School. She is determined to prove herself and plans to throw herself into studying the technique."
Madonna, whose last major movie, 2002's Swept Away, was largely panned by critics, allegedly refused to let her daughter take on a part in the Harry Potter movie franchise in 2007.
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