Tuesday, May 31, 2011

"I Never Wanted to Be the American Idol," Says Eliminee Stefano Langone

Say what?! Who goes on American Idol not wanting to win? Well,�Stefano Langone does just that?or so he claims, after the fact.

The morning after being booted off the Idol stage, he isn't wondering what he could have done differently to stay. Instead, he's thinking about his future and making sure his self-proclaimed "brother," James Durbin, is doing all right after last night's emotional meltdown. So what's Stefano's next move now that he's off the No. 1 show in America....and how did he console James after the cameras stopped rolling?

We reported last night that James was an emotional mess after Stefano's elimination. When he stormed offstage in tears and obvious discontent, we saw a new side of James. But while James took the elimination hard, Stefano himself says it was never his intention to make it all the way.

"When I came out for American Idol I never wanted to be the American Idol," he said, "It was getting my foot in the door of the music industry and taking a step forward in that way. I am so happy about my experience, so thankful for all of this and blessed.

"What I came out here to do, I did it. I succeeded. I got to lucky No. 7, and it doesn't really reflect on who I am as a musician or a performer at all. It's a show. That's one thing you've got to remember, it's a show, and now it's time for me to really move forward. There's a wide open crowd and market out there right now, and I'm ready to pounce on it."

As for James' postshow meltdown, Stefano says he was able to talk him down by reassuring him that everything was going to work out the way it's supposed to.�

"I told him not to worry about me," Stefano told us. "I did everything I set out to do on this show and it's going to pay off and I'm going to do great. I told him, 'Just keep focusing on the show and what you gotta do to keep succeeding and I'll be back in a couple weeks.' I talked him down a little bit. He's a big crybaby."

The pair have been close buddies and roommates since Hollywood Week, making it extra hard to say goodbye, but James guarantees Stefano will be an intricate part of one of the most important days of his life. �

"He's a brother to me, and I'm going to be his best man in his wedding," Stefano said.�

As for Stefano's future in music, well, he's pretty confident he'll have a career as successful as established stars�John Legend and Stevie Wonder.

"I have the range of Stevie Wonder," he said. "I have that range and I have that soul, especially when I get on the piano. People haven't seen that John Legend feel. I have a lot of stuff in the bag that I haven't really shown yet. I haven't gone and done my original stuff, I haven't gotten behind the piano and shown vocally what I am capable of. I am really going to show the world not just what I can do on American Idol but in the music industry the kind of impact I can make."

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Stefano is nothing but excited.

"I cannot wait to start this long and successful journey."

Do you think Stefano has the talent of Stevie Wonder? Do you believe he didn't want to win Idol? Does James emotional meltdown make you love him more? Let us know in the comments!

READ MORE:�Live at�American Idol: Why Did James Durbin Storm Offstage After the Show?

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Will Ferrell at a Loss About 'Anchorman 2' Delay: 'I Don't Understand'

'Everything Must Go,' opening in limited release today tells the story of Nick Halsey, a man struggling with a drinking problem who in the same day gets fired and comes home to discover his wife has left and dumped all his possessions on the front yard. It's a small, heartfelt movie and the actor who plays Nick? Will Ferrell. That's right, the same goofy man-boy comedian who's made us howl with laughter in 'Step Brothers,' 'Elf,' and 'Talladega Nights.' It's a wonderfully understated and deeply moving performance. Ferrell is one of the nicest celebs PopEater has spoken to and he more than opened up about his latest movie, his magical relationship with "comedy wife" John C. Reilly, and he tries to make sense of Paramount's apparent reluctance to an 'Anchorman' sequel.

"Yeah, I don't understand how they conduct their business. It's funny I think they ... actually I don't know what they think," he said of the studio that released the hugely popular 'Anchorman.' "Once again, they don't comment either way but it's not like it's coming from us unsolicited ... We try to explain there's so much interest in a sequel, we're not making this up!"


What attracted you to 'Everything Must Go'? Because it's sort of a departure for you.
First off, I just loved the script. The thing that attracted me the most was the premise. I felt like I hadn't seen that story before where someone who kind of loses everything and chooses to live his life on the front lawn of his house and basically live in front of everyone, exposed to the world. I just loved it.

Did it inspire you to clean out your closets?
I'm a selective pack rat. There's some things I have no problem getting rid of and others I hold onto dearly so no it did not. It's tough for me to get rid of clothes. I grew up in a household with a limited budget and we really had to make our nice clothes last and so now I'll get free pairs of shoes and this, that and the other and I'll be like, 'Oh great!' even though it stresses me out that I don't have enough room to put them, I can't throw them away. I have a rule where my wife can throw anything away as long as I don't see it, so it has to happen under the cover of darkness.

Have you and your writing partner Adam McKay managed to shame Paramount into greenlighting 'Anchorman 2'?
No! Despite all my comments to the media which after I saw ... it's one of the those things where you say something and go, 'Oh I don't remember saying that,' oh I guess I did. No, it has had no effect. (Laughs).

That's so weird. The movie made so much money.
Yeah, I don't understand how they conduct their business. It's funny I think they... actually I don't know what they think. Once again they don't comment either way but it's not like it's coming from us unsolicited. We just keep getting asked so many times about it that we have to comment. We try to explain there's so much interest in a sequel, we're not making this up! So I don't know.

Have you ever bumped into the head of Paramount at a Lakers game?
No but I relish that day. (Laughs)

Would it be super uncomfortable if you sat next to him?
It would be terribly uncomfortable for him.

Fantastic. You should set that up. It's like an episode of 'The Office.' I love uncomfortable situations.
So do I!

I loved you as Deangelo on 'The Office,' by the way. Did you come up with the Southwest obsession?
I'm probably way too honest of a person but the brilliant writing staff just came up with all that. There was a bunch of other stuff that was cut out like I used to weigh in excess of 300 pounds and I lost all this weight.

Is 'Step Brothers' also with Paramount?
No, that's Sony who we've had a wonderful working relationship with. We might do it. We're talking about trying to potentially do it.

You have a magic chemistry with John C. Reilly.
We're just kind of two kindred souls. We were probably brothers in a past life. We just kind of click with our comedic sensibility. It really comes down to the basic thing of thinking the same thing is funny and we totally do. It's the most unique kind of relationship I have with anyone in a way.

More than your wife I'm sure.
Exactly. He's the comedic version of a wife.

Do you feel because 'Anchorman 2' didn't work out it's freed you to do smaller movies like 'Never Let Me Go?'
'Anchorman' wasn't imminent. It didn't even get off the tarmac but last year there were some things that maybe were going to happen and then they fell back into development but it did present me an opportunity to do 'Everything Must Go' and 'Casa de Mi Padre' which is a Spanish language movie. We scrambled and got that together, like two five million dollar movies with short but intense shoots, working with great people and they were two of the best experiences I've ever had. Yeah it opened up this side to do things outside of the studio system that I loved and that now I'm even more open to doing.

It's like an Oprah moment.
Absolutely. I'll wait for the studios to figure out what they're going to do and I'll go off and do these things. They're great because they're getting a lot of attention and I just love being able to step outside of what I normally do and mix it up.

Are you fluent in Spanish?
I'm not but my Spanish is excellent in the movie. I worked with a translator. The joke wasn't for me to speak Spanish poorly. The joke is literally that I'm just another Latino actor. It's ('Casa de mi Padre') kind of a cross between Telemundo and a bad Mexican movie where the continuity is off and things like that.

Your wife is Swedish. Do your kids speak Swedish?
They do. It's pretty great. That was something I was kind of adamant about with my wife like, 'You've got to speak Swedish with them.' I know enough and I keep saying to them, 'My Swedish is really good right?' and they're like, 'No! It's terrible, are you crazy?'

More Q&As From Nicki Gostin: John Waters, Keira Knightley, Jerry Seinfeld and Jesse James


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Ricky Martin to perform in Newark and Atlantic City

Ricky Martin dances like a man whose burden has been lifted.

After years of innuendo and rumors, the international pop star said it: He?s gay and he?s proud. Now Martin is wondering why it took him so long.

?It?s been amazing,? says Martin, 39. ?Ever since I came out, life has been so much easier and smoother. I?ve gotten thousands of tweets and e-mail messages thanking me. If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have come out years ago.?

Like many public figures, Martin had worried about how longtime fans would take his revelation.

Would he be ostracized by the same listeners who attended his concerts in droves, and sent 11 of his singles to the top of the U.S. Latin charts? What about all the great work he?d done ? earthquake and hurricane relief, and summer camps for children ? through the Ricky Martin Foundation? If his star dimmed, even a bit, would any of that be undone?

Then there were the other, subtler impediments ? ones that will be familiar to any gay person struggling toward self-acceptance.

?There was constant fear, years of fear,? says Martin. ?I had to fight with my own demons and disconnect from those weird thoughts that society had instilled in me. To detach from old thoughts about myself that were powerful and painful was difficult.?

It was the birth of Martin?s twin sons that prompted him to come clean with listeners who hungered to know everything they could about the Puerto Rican pop star. (Martin?s sons were born by artificial insemination; the woman who carried the twins to term has chosen to stay anonymous.)

?Once I decided to become a father, I stopped fighting my nature,? says Martin, whose latest album ?M�sica + Alma + Sexo? has charted on three continents. ?I thought to myself, ?How am I going to talk to my children about honesty if I can?t be completely honest?????

For an artist whose music is often so candid and earnest, Martin is disinclined to talk about himself.

Ask him about Puerto Rico, and he?s happy to be an ambassador to the island. Ask him about his charitable endeavors, and he?ll gladly direct your attention to a world?s worth of good causes. Even his frank autobiography ?Me? ? which was a New York Times bestseller last year ? was almost nothing of the sort.

?When I sat down in front of the computer to write,? says Martin, ?I thought the book would be about my philanthropic work, and maybe my spirituality. I realized there was a lot missing. You open the box and start remembering things.?

He?d written plenty of candid songs, but this was different. Writing prose ? a solitary process ? proved to be an unexpected emotional challenge.

?The vulnerability was more intense. I was allowing myself ? forcing myself ? to feel things I hadn?t felt in a long time. Luckily, I was working with an amazing editor who encouraged me to make the book more personal. I realized, ?Hey, my life has actually been pretty interesting.????

Indeed it has. Martin began his career as a recording artist in Menudo, a wildly popular teen singing act that cycled through members like a college basketball team. Before Martin joined the group, Menudo was already one of the biggest concert attractions in Latin America; afterward, Menudo became a worldwide phenomenon. Fervor for the group approached the intensity of Beatlemania.

But Menudo wasn?t meant to be a lifetime commitment. The group could not, and would not, accommodate older singers; members of Menudo were expected to go solo. Martin has become the most successful Menudo alumnus, but when he found himself too old to continue with the act, his future was by no means certain.

?I took a moment to disconnect completely from pop when I left the band. I went to New York City and did nothing at all for awhile. Then I went to Mexico City and did theatre, which was amazing. Theatre was an education for me. When I went into television as an actor, I did so as a musical character, which felt very natural, and very organic.?

In 1994, Martin starred on the soap opera ?General Hospital.? He played a successful solo Latin pop singer. A year later, he was no longer acting the part ? he was living it. ?A Medio Vivir,? which means ?half-living,? became his first international hit album under his own name, and it established his approach: romantic, energetic, brassy, indebted to salsa and American synth-pop in equal measure.

Ten of the 12 tracks were released as singles; the synth-driven ?Mar�a? ? with its infectious ?un, dos, tres? count-off ? became a blockbuster.

In a sign of things to come, ?A Medio Vivir? went gold in the United States. In 1999, Martin released the single that has come to define him for the American mainstream audience: ?Livin? la Vida Loca,? a salsa-inflected party tune about a life gone thrillingly out of control.

Other hits followed: the similar ?She Bangs? and ?Shake Your Bon-Bon,? the lovelorn ?She?s All I Ever Had,? the Christina Aguilera duet ?Nobody Wants to Be Lonely.?

He?ll surely sing them all when he takes the stage Friday night in Atlantic City and Saturday night in Newark.

?I?ve been telling everybody to wear casual clothes to this show. The last 30 to 40 minutes is literally music to dance to. I?ll sing in English, and in Spanish. It?ll be spiritual, it?ll be musical, and it?ll be sexual, too.

?With class and good taste, of course.?


Ricky Martin
Where and when: Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, Friday at 9 p.m.; Prudential Center, 168 Mulberry St., Newark, Saturday at 8 p.m.
How much: $66 to $76 for Borgata, $33 to $128 for Prudential Center; call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.

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They Play Teens, But They Aren't Teens

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Israeli PM's meeting with Bieber called off

By IAN DEITCH, AP
Wed Apr 13, 12:07 PM EDT

JERUSALEM ? Justin Beiber's trip to Israel is off to a rocky start ? tentative plans to meet the prime minister have fallen through under contentious circumstances, and the teen heartthrob says he has holed himself up in his hotel to escape the country's notoriously aggressive paparazzi.

Bieber, adored by young fans worldwide for hits like "Baby," arrived in Israel on Monday and was planning to spend the week sightseeing ahead of an outdoor concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

The 17-year-old Canadian artist has set off a wave of excitement, with young females camped outside his hotel and photographers aggressively following him at every stop.

Even 61-year-old Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have been caught up in the hype. Officials in his office said the Israeli leader had hoped to meet the singer, but hinted that Mideast politics had scuttled the visit.

A spokesman for Netanyahu said Bieber's representatives had initiated the meeting, and the prime minister thought it would be a good idea. He said Netanyahu hoped to bring children from Israel's embattled south, which has absorbed dozens of Palestinian rocket attacks in recent weeks, and give them a "happy experience."

"Unfortunately it has not proved feasible," said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. He refused to elaborate, but Israel's Channel 2 TV said Bieber had told Netanyahu's office he did not want to make the visit political.

The Yediot Ahronot tabloid headlined its coverage "Bibi vs. Bieber," using the prime minister's nickname. "Furious Bieber," wrote the Maariv daily.

Ronit Arbel, an Israeli spokeswoman for Bieber, denied the reports. She said there were never any plans ? or even discussions ? about a meeting with the prime minister.

But in a Twitter post ? one of many offered by the singer in recent days ? Bieber acknowledged the difficulties of Israeli photographers and the country's diplomatic minefield.

"I want to see this country and all the places ive dreamed of and whether its the paps or being pulled into politics its been frustrating," he said.

Israeli leaders have an informal tradition of meeting with visiting celebrities. Netanyahu hosted Madonna for a traditional Friday night Sabbath dinner two years ago. More recently, he met the Chilean miners who were rescued after two months underground when they visited the Holy Land earlier this year.

Celebrities ranging from Elton John to Sarah Palin to Leonardo DiCaprio have also had a long history of trouble with Israeli paparazzi.

A practicing Christian, Bieber complained on his Twitter page that paparazzi were pursuing him everywhere, even at sensitive holy sites.

"You would think paparazzi would have some respect in holy places. All I wanted was the chance to walk where jesus did here in isreal," he wrote, misspelling the name of the country and failing to capitalize Jesus' name.

Israeli media showed footage of what it said was the young star trying to escape photographers on a scooter. One of them later lodged a complaint with police saying Beiber had tried to run him over, media reported.

In another post, Bieber wrote Tuesday that he wouldn't go outside anymore: "`Staying in the hotel for the rest of the week u happy?'"

But he later implied a change of mind: "im just excited at this pt to get on stage and perform. gonna take a little break from twitter and enjoy this time with my family until then."

View Next Article: Jennifer Lopez named People's most beautiful woman

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Evangeline Lilly expecting first baby

The Baby Bump Police must have been have on a donut run. Evangeline Lilly, who has been flying under the radar since ?Lost? wrapped last year, is very well into her pregnancy, judging from photographs snapped in Hawaii this week.

Her boyfriend is Norman Kali, who worked as a production assistant on ?Lost,? Usmagazine.com reports. Lilly split from fellow ?Lost? star Dominic Monaghan in 2009.

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Monday, May 30, 2011

Charlie Sheen Mocks Decision to Hire Ashton Kutcher as His Replacement on 'Two and a Half Men'

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

That was the message Charlie Sheen had for Ashton Kutcher after CBS confirmed the former "70's Show" star would replace Sheen on "Two and a Half Men."

"Kutcher is a sweetheart and a brilliant comedic performer ... Oh wait, so am I!!" he said in a statement to TMZ. "Enjoy the show America.�Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."��

Sheen was making a reference to the ratings he thinks the show will lose without him on it.

"Enjoy planet Chuck, Ashton.�There is no air, laughter, loyalty, or love there,"�he said, referring to the show's Executive Producer Chuck Lorre, with whom he has been feuding since he was ousted from his job in February.

Ashton Kutcher, who is married to actress Demi Moore and got his start in showbiz on ?That 70?s Show,? inked his deal to replace Sheen on Friday.�

Sources told TMZ that Kutcher is getting a ?huge payday,? but nowhere near Sheen's haul.

Sheen made a base pay of �$1.25 million an episode, Kutcher will be getting somewhere between $625,000 and $800,000.

Sheen received upwards of $2 million once profit participation was factored in. Kutcher won't be getting a slice of that pie.

The news comes just after Hugh Grant reportedly ended discussions about joining the show, citing creative differences.�

Other Hollywood stars like Rob Lowe, John Stamos and Jeremy Piven were also reportedly considered to assume the lead role.

Sheen was fired from ?Men? in March after a series of booze and drug benders and tirades against CBS executives and Chuck Lorre, the show?s creator.

NewsCore contributed to this report.

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Is Bethenny Frankel Worth More Than the Kardashians?!

This is one savvy Skinnygirl.

Kim Kardashian may have the bigger booty, but reality star/mom/mogul/margarita mix master�Bethenny Frankel's got the�bigger bank account. This reality star trumps the Kardashian clan?who have pocked millions from best-sellers, numerous E! shows and even paid tweets?all with a cocktail and a dream.

So how did Bethenny do it?

Well, not from Bravo, that's for sure.

Rather than earning megaprofits from the former reality shows, the former Real Housewives of New York City castmember uses them to gain fans and plug her brand, reports The Hollywood Reporter, who sat down with the star right after she signed that massive liquor deal. Topping off all the TV exposure, Frankel's always been extremely savvy when it comes to using Twitter, Facebook and her website to promote her books, workout tips and recipes?amassing over 500,000 followers combined from the sites.

All of her outside moneymaking and branding ventures fall under her personal business umbrella, called Bethenny Frankel.

Running the now extremely successful business, which she began as a modest startup while living with her dog Cookie in her small Manhattan apartment, has worked out quite well for Frankel. Besides tying the knot with hubby Jason Hoppy and giving birth to daughter Bryn, the entrepreneur has managed to do the following after kicking off filming on the first season of RHONY with just $8,000 in her bank account:

? Lucrative Endorsement Deals: Frankel has starred in ads and commercials for Pepperidge Farm Cookies, Bluefly and Hanes.

? Three Published Books: Her first tome, Naturally Thin, was purchased in a "very lucrative" deal by publishing house Simon & Schuster, was on the New York Times best-seller list for 18 weeks. Just nine months later, she released her second book, The Skinnygirl Dish, full of recipes on what exactly she's putting in her skinny bod. She's now released a third book, A Place of Yes, after rewriting her entire first draft. Fun fact: She does most of her writing on planes or in bed wearing pajamas.

? RHONYC/Bethenny Ever After: This is where Frankel built her enormous fan following, who will buy basically anything she slaps the Skinnygirl title on. RHONY debuted in October 2008 and she did the next three seasons, outwitting and outplugging everyone and parlaying that fame into her own show, now titled Bethenny Ever After, which shows a softer side of the now married mom.

? Workout DVD: In Body by Bethenny, the personable Frankel makes yoga look fun while joking with her yoga partner and, of course, plugging her Skinnygirl brand on her shirt.

? Skinnygirl Extensions: The Skinnygirl "lifestyle" includes a shapewear line, diet cleanse and weight-loss supplements. Of her "lazy lingerie" Frankel says, "I don't like to wear lingerie, but my husband loves it. So I created lazy lingerie. You wear it under a blazer or sweater during the day, but when you pull it off, you have on lingerie. It solves a problem."

? Speaking Engagements: With an agent, a booker, manager and PR rep, Frankel earns cash speaking about everything from business to dating and love to food.

? Skating With the Stars:�Frankel cross-promoted this one, as it's currently living on in behind-the-scenes moments on Bethenny Ever After. She managed to squeeze in practice and a trip to Los Angeles with her hubby and 11-month old babyin tow and finished in second place?winning over even more fans in the process.�

? Liquor Deal: This is Frankel's bread and butter, creating the Skinnygirl margarita after looking for a way to down her favorite drink without all that sugar. After developing the idea for the mix, she began shopping it around to liquor distributors, but no one would take her seriously in a male-dominated market. Finally, after six months of back-and-forth with Beam, who showed interest, she struck a deal (estimated at around $120 million) with the company to produce her formula worldwide. "I created a sub-category that never existed. I wasn't an expert, I was just another person bothered by a 700-calorie margarita," she said.

Frankel's been so successful in her endeavors that network heads are now even rethinking the way their reality stars have been using the networks for personal gain. Some have even begun to include clauses in new talent contracts that would award the network a portion of the money made from the result of a talent's time on a show.

Looks like Frankel's changed the game. And beaten everybody to the punch.�

MORE: Bethenny doesn't care if you see her naked!

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Evangeline Lilly expecting first baby

The Baby Bump Police must have been have on a donut run. Evangeline Lilly, who has been flying under the radar since ?Lost? wrapped last year, is very well into her pregnancy, judging from photographs snapped in Hawaii this week.

Her boyfriend is Norman Kali, who worked as a production assistant on ?Lost,? Usmagazine.com reports. Lilly split from fellow ?Lost? star Dominic Monaghan in 2009.

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Couric returns to 'Today' for interview with Lauer

By DAVID BAUDER, AP
Wed Apr 13, 10:15 AM EDT

NEW YORK ? Katie Couric returned to the "Today" show Wednesday for an on-air reunion with Matt Lauer, but didn't give him an exclusive about her future.

"I'll call you," she said with a wide smile, her hand mimicking a telephone. The current "CBS Evening News" anchor, whose contract expires in June, said she expected to make a decision about her future in a few weeks.

It was her second time back on the morning show where she was host from 1991 to 2006 (the other was to promote an anti-cancer initiative). She's currently on a tour touting her new book, "The Best Advice I Ever Got," a collection of essays with words of wisdom for young people.

She insisted she hadn't made a decision on what to do next, after Lauer suggested that she knew but just hasn't told anyone yet.

Several companies are seeking to have her host a daytime talk show, including both CBS and NBC. That's considered an area of opportunity with the imminent end of daytime leader Oprah Winfrey's show.

Asked by Lauer what appealed to her about that idea, Couric mentioned the creative freedom to choose subjects and have intelligent discussions about them. Medical, health, social issues and politics were subject areas she said she'd like to address.

"It might be nice to have a little more wiggle room for me to show a little more personality," said Couric, who has sought other avenues of expression beyond the tightly-formatted, half-hour evening newscast.

Left unspoken on the air were a handful of published reports speculating she could team up again with Lauer on a talk show when his "Today" contract ends at the end of 2012. Such an idea is considered highly unlikely.

Even though she and Lauer worked side-by-side as anchors from 1997 to 2006, Couric showed loyalty to her current employer: she talked about her book Tuesday on CBS' "The Early Show," and also appeared on "The View."

She said she had no regrets about moving to CBS and loves working at the evening news.

___

Online:

NBC's "Today" show: http://on.msnbc.com/dMI26z

View Next Article: PBS head: Public broadcasting funding intact

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Lindsay Lohan's Latest Casual Courtroom Attire: What's the Verdict?

Our judgment: Lindsay Lohan is guilty of underdressing for court?again.

The starlet strolled into her probation hearing this morning in wide-leg Lanvin sailor pants, Lanvin platform peep-toes, black Wolford bodysuit accessorized with sunglasses, cream scarf and a Fendi bag, her hair loosely pulled back.

PHOTOS: Court Appearances

It's a perfectly good ensemble for a business lunch or a meeting, but definitely not formal?and, more important, remorseful looking?enough for court.

On the bright side, it's better than her white mini and skintight nude dress.

So what's your judgment on LiLo's latest court getup? Weigh in below.

WATCH: LiLo's got Gotti?

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New Old Dad Rod Stewart Takes on Vegas, Changes Diapers at Same Time

Rock legend Rod Stewart sure has some "legs."

The hard rocker turned classics crooner is now heading to Las Vegas for a two-year gig at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.��

Stewart says he didn?t need any advice from former residents Celine Dion, Cher, or Elton John about his latest career curve.

?I?ve been doing this all my life so I don't need advice,?�Stewart told FOX411.com in a sit-down interview.�?I spoke to someone last night who had appeared in Vegas and found it to be very intimidating that the audience was so close because the stage is only this high, and the audience is really close.�I love it, some people don't."

The husky voiced rocker kicks off "Rod Stewart: The Hits" on August 24th. Stewart is also working on a blues album, with eight tracks already recorded.� He looks forward to playing those songs live along with his hits.

"This is something I've always wanted to do", Stewart said.� And after playing eight shows at the Colosseum for a test run last fall, he said he foind out he has to work harder for the Sin City crowd.�"You have to work them a bit more especially the mid-week crowd. Friday and Saturday night you are fine because they're usually all drunk anyway?

Being a new dad at 66-years old is another challenge Stewart is happily facing.�

"I?m still not good at changing nappies, but I do do it," he admitted. "But I don't get up in the middle of the night to do it. I do the daytime s**ts. It is what it is guys!?

Stewart said he's making up for lost time with his other children. ?Thirty years ago it was all work, work, work, carving out a career for myself and you know. I didn't see a great deal of my two oldest Sean and Kimberly. But we're making up for it now."

And by the time Stewart starts his Vegas residency, daughter Kimberly, who is having a baby with actor Benicio del Toro, will be about ready to pop.

Which means even from nappies for Grandpa Stewart to change.

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Statue of Liberty stamp error: Las Vegas replica honored instead

Talk about screw ups. The Statue of Liberty pictured on a new U.S. stamp is not the neoclassical icon on Liberty Island in New York Harbor but the replica at the New York New York Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While the popular magazine Linn's Stamp News caught the error, the suits at the Postal Service seem very nonchalant about the situation. "We still love the stamp design and would have selected this photograph anyway," said United State Postal Service spokesman Roy Betts. So how was the image even chosen? The USPS picked the image from a photo service.

The big difference between the lovely lady in the harbor and her Sin City counterpart is namely size. The Vegas replica stands at only half of the original's 151 feet. What's more, the New York New York Lady Liberty has different hair and better-defined eyes.

A spokesman for MGM Resorts (who owns New York New York) tells Time that they are "honored" by the stamp.

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Tom Wopat Thinks 'Hazzard' Movie Was a Bust

EXCLUSIVE: 'Dukes of Hazzard' star Tom Wopat is back doing what he loves best, performing live on Broadway in the hit musical, 'Catch Me If You Can,' and admits he doesn't regret never seeing Jessica Simpson put on those Daisy Dukes in the big screen remake.

"I did not" see it, Tom confesses. "It would be like watching someone go on a date with your ex-wife. The film made a lot of noise but wasn't that big. Otherwise you'd have 2 and 3 out already."



Tom admits that back in his Duke days he would pop open a beer around 5 while they were still working, but doesn't do that anymore. "That'll get you fired now," says Tom who is still friends with co-star John Schneider. "We just did a jazz-country-pop show. We were there for two nights and it was a lot of fun."

Tom concedes that John was the cuter of the two, but tells me he is definitely the better singer. He says they've both done quite well because of the show. "Well it's not like with 'Seinfeld' but we did okay," Tom says.

Returning to performing live and recording music is his passion now and he doesn't mind not getting recognized that much anymore on the street. "No, I don't do the celebrity thing," says Tom.

For my entire interview with Tom, that included his fond memories of ladies in denim, tune into 'Naughty But Nice with Rob' this Saturday at 1 PM and 7 PM only on HDNet.


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Charlie Sheen Mocks Decision to Hire Ashton Kutcher as His Replacement on 'Two and a Half Men'

See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!

That was the message Charlie Sheen had for Ashton Kutcher after CBS confirmed the former "70's Show" star would replace Sheen on "Two and a Half Men."

"Kutcher is a sweetheart and a brilliant comedic performer ... Oh wait, so am I!!" he said in a statement to TMZ. "Enjoy the show America.�Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."��

Sheen was making a reference to the ratings he thinks the show will lose without him on it.

"Enjoy planet Chuck, Ashton.�There is no air, laughter, loyalty, or love there,"�he said, referring to the show's Executive Producer Chuck Lorre, with whom he has been feuding since he was ousted from his job in February.

Ashton Kutcher, who is married to actress Demi Moore and got his start in showbiz on ?That 70?s Show,? inked his deal to replace Sheen on Friday.�

Sources told TMZ that Kutcher is getting a ?huge payday,? but nowhere near Sheen's haul.

Sheen made a base pay of �$1.25 million an episode, Kutcher will be getting somewhere between $625,000 and $800,000.

Sheen received upwards of $2 million once profit participation was factored in. Kutcher won't be getting a slice of that pie.

The news comes just after Hugh Grant reportedly ended discussions about joining the show, citing creative differences.�

Other Hollywood stars like Rob Lowe, John Stamos and Jeremy Piven were also reportedly considered to assume the lead role.

Sheen was fired from ?Men? in March after a series of booze and drug benders and tirades against CBS executives and Chuck Lorre, the show?s creator.

NewsCore contributed to this report.

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Lindsay Lohan's Latest Casual Courtroom Attire: What's the Verdict?

Our judgment: Lindsay Lohan is guilty of underdressing for court?again.

The starlet strolled into her probation hearing this morning in wide-leg Lanvin sailor pants, Lanvin platform peep-toes, black Wolford bodysuit accessorized with sunglasses, cream scarf and a Fendi bag, her hair loosely pulled back.

PHOTOS: Court Appearances

It's a perfectly good ensemble for a business lunch or a meeting, but definitely not formal?and, more important, remorseful looking?enough for court.

On the bright side, it's better than her white mini and skintight nude dress.

So what's your judgment on LiLo's latest court getup? Weigh in below.

WATCH: LiLo's got Gotti?

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'So Beautiful or So What,' 'See My Friends,' 'Tchaikovsky and Shakespeare' CD reviews

So Beautiful or So What
Paul Simon (Hear Music)

Paul Simon has been calling "So Beautiful or So What" his best work in two decades. He's being too hard on himself. The moody, poetic "Surprise," his 2006 collaboration with Brian Eno, was a masterpiece. "You're the One" (2000) felt wounded and pessimistic, but that's what made it so compelling. Even the maligned "Capeman" contained its share of musical delights. "So Beautiful" will be more commercially successful than any of those projects because Simon is at his most identifiable, singing about divine mysteries and assuaging common human anxieties in the angelic voice that has been his moneymaker since the '60s. On "Surprise," the narrator asked, "If the answer is infinite light/Why do we sleep in the dark?" On "So Beautiful," we're assured that "love is eternal sacred light" with less irony than Simon has mobilized in many years. God doesn't always show up, and Simon's idea of the Pearly Gates resembles the DMV, but there's a newfound sense that he is at peace with the universe. "You know, most folks, they don't get when I'm joking," he sings in the pitch-shifted voice of the Almighty. "Well, maybe someday they will."

? Tris McCall

See My Friends
Ray Davies (Decca)

Most artists don't get a tribute album until they're retired or dead, but Ray Davies is an impatient sort. For "See My Friends," he has recruited 15 famous musicians to cut new versions of some of his best-known songs. Bruce Springsteen growls through "Better Things." Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora turn "Celluloid Heroes" into an arena rock anthem. James Hetfield of Metallica whacks at "You Really Got Me" like he's trying to kill a roach. Jackson Browne contributes a detached, glassy-eyed version of "Waterloo Sunset." Not content to stand on the sidelines while his stories are getting reinterpreted, Davies shares lead vocals on all tracks. The result is a Kinks-sized version of those old Sinatra duets albums that ran on curiosity rather than chemistry.

"See My Friends" helps explain why the Kinks aren't covered as frequently as the Who or the Stones: Davies can handle levels of irony that would be toxic for a normal human. His collaborators are game, but their readings of his songs lack nuance. Still, if this CD introduces fans of the Boss, Bon Jovi and others to Davies' catalog, it will have done its job.

? Tris McCall

Tchaikovsky and Shakespeare
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Sim�n Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Deutsche Grammaphon)

Hearing Gustavo Dudamel lead an orchestra, one feels a palpable sense of excitement. This sense has often translated to his recordings, including those with the Sim�n Bol�var Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, a youth orchestra. But here, when he performs Tchaikovsky's Fantasy Overtures to three of the bard's plays, the spark is less apparent.

In a sluggish "Romeo and Juliet," one can feel the drama only ? rather than most intensely ? at its climactic moment. "Hamlet" is less popular, with haphazard shifts between violence, militancy and stoicism. The performance is fine, but "The Tempest" is more successful, with notes of foreboding, lyricism and sprightliness. The tightness of the ensemble is impressive as violins swirl, timpani pound and brass instruments blare. The winds and strings play off each other enchantingly in the lovers' music. Still, the work loses steam at times, and the direction of its more subdued passages is not always clear.

? Ronni Reich

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Evangeline Lilly expecting first baby

The Baby Bump Police must have been have on a donut run. Evangeline Lilly, who has been flying under the radar since ?Lost? wrapped last year, is very well into her pregnancy, judging from photographs snapped in Hawaii this week.

Her boyfriend is Norman Kali, who worked as a production assistant on ?Lost,? Usmagazine.com reports. Lilly split from fellow ?Lost? star Dominic Monaghan in 2009.

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

They Play Teens, But They Aren't Teens

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Is Bachelor Brad Really Broken Up With Emily?

Brad Womack destined to bachelorhood forever?

The reality stud?who has admitted that his TV-created romance with Emily Maynard has been "no fairy tale" since the love competition ended?has faced renewed scrutiny this week as Life & Style proclaimed their relationship dunzo.

But that's not exactly what Emily's own mom is saying...

"They have not officially broken up," Susan Maynard told People. "It's still kind of on and off."

Maynard's mom told the mag it's difficult to listen to all the rumors surrounding her 25-year-old daughter and her reality fianc�, adding they're "still just trying to get to know each other."

Emily and her daughter, Ricki, have yet to pull the trigger on a move to Austin, Texas, to officially move in with Womack, near where he owns a bar. But Susan says that it's unlikely it'll happen any time soon because there are "no plans to take Ricki out of school."

"I don't think there is any rush to move," Susan said.

Things don't appear to be going so smooth for the couple at the moment, since Womack will remain in Austin with his family for Easter weekend while Emily will bring her daughter to her parents home in West Virginia.

Of the separate weekends, Susan says she "can't say one way or another" what exactly is going on with the duo's future.

"I think they both have good intentions," she said.

Former Bachelor star Vienna Girardi also weighed in to E! News with her own take on the duo's relationship.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they broke up," she told us. "They were already not really together at the reunion show just a couple months later. I know Brad loves Emily, but I don't know her...I think they have extra baggage.

"My advice to them if they both want it they should go on a two-week cruise together to get away from everything."

Sure, a boat trip should solve it.

Or maybe not, according to Womack ex Laurel Kagay. She told E! News last month that her former boyfriend's "pattern has started" and warned Maynard that she better get out as fast as she can.

Now, regarding the Life & Style report of Brad and Emily's breakup, Kagay has more to say.

"It's sad how true and identical this sounds to how our relationship was," she tells us.

"I don't know what it will take to make Brad realize there is some work that needs to be done for him to move forward with a healthy, successful relationship. In the meantime, I think Brad is pushing away some incredible women who want to love him. Everyone deserves happiness and I hope somewhere, somehow Brad can find what he is looking for. He just needs to realize nobody is perfect."

?Additional reporting by Katie Rhames and Ken Baker

PHOTOS: Big Celebrity Splits!

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Lindsay Lohan vs. Gravity: Is Actress Jeopardizing Comeback With Bra-Free Lifestyle?

Lindsay Lohan may be making inroads to repair her broken brand, but even if she can stage a comeback with her upcoming Gotti movie project, more damage control could await the young starlet.

No stranger to self destruction, Lohan has unwittingly been doing a number on her breasts by consistently refusing to wear a bra, despite her ample assets, experts say. And her free and easy lifestyle could impact her career.

Bra experts we talked to estimate that Lohan has around a 34-D cup size, making her a prime candidate for a serious underwire bra. But as a way of garnering attention the hard-partying 24 year old actress consistently shows up on red carpets sans brassiere. Her most recent offense to her breasts, and the good citizens of downtown Los Angeles, was when she decided undergarments were optional during orientation for her court mandated community service at the Los Angeles Downtown Women's Center.

Because feeding the homeless is really the time to make a fashion statement in a see-through top.

Lohan has even attended court proceedings, where she faced an angry judge and the real possibility of going to jail for an extended period of time, without any support.

HOT SHOTS: Lindsay Lohan.

Going commando might fly when you're 18-years old but gravity is a vengeful mistress and soon enough Lindsay's ladies will be sinking to the floor. Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Walden says the damage to Lindsay?s breasts has likely already been done from her refusal to wear a bra.

?The effect on large breasts, whether or not they are augmented with implants, is tissue stretch,? Walden tells Fox411. ?The distance between the nipple and the crease below the breast becomes longer and stretched looking rather unnatural.?

Walden says Lohan will likely be a candidate for a breast lift in the near future. Neglecting her body in her early twenties just means that Lindsay will need to go under the knife to fix the damage before her 30th birthday.

?I don?t care how perky they are, they won?t be for long,? says bra-fitting expert and owner of Linda?s Bra Salon in New York City Linda Becker. ?They all get saggy when the tissues under the breasts break and Lindsay is going to end up looking like a WaTuTu warrior.?

Because Lindsay has a larger than average bosom, Becker recommends visiting the actress visit a professional bra fitter. ?Maybe she doesn?t wear a bra because she?s uncomfortable,? Becker speculates. ?She just needs the right size with an underwire.?

Lohan's predicament could have serious repercussions on her career. In 2008 she famously posed nude in a series of photos for New York magazine where the famed photographer Burt Fields posed Lohan in shots reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe?s last sitting. The most recent movie project she was contracted for (and subsequently dropped from) was the biopic of porn star Linda Lovelace.

And as Lohan waits for her movie career to reignite, one of her main sources of income has been posing in various states of undress for magazine after magazine.

?Most of the projects Lindsay is going to get going forward will probably involve some nudity, that?s just where she is at right now in her career,? a Hollywood casting agent explained to Fox411. ?If she keeps doing damage to her body even those roles are going to dry up.?

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PBS head: Public broadcasting funding intact

By DAVID BAUDER, AP
Wed Apr 13, 4:14 PM EDT

NEW YORK ? Despite efforts to strip government funding for public broadcasting, PBS chief Paula Kerger said the federal budget deal retains most of the money that President Barack Obama had set aside for public television and radio stations.

The deal allocates nearly $430 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a 0.2 percent cut from what the president had proposed. PBS is also due to receive $6 million to help public TV stations make the transition to digital services, less than it had hoped for, and another amount for an education initiative with the funding to be determined by the Department of Education, she said.

If passed by Congress and signed into law, this would make for another year where there was much talk about defunding public broadcasting, but no action.

Kerger, president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service, said the response of viewers and listeners was key. The advocacy group Association of Public Television Stations coordinated a lobbying effort that had a half-million people send emails to congressional offices and more to make phone calls on behalf of public broadcasting.

"That changed everything," Kerger said. "As eloquent as we hope we can be to articulate the case for public broadcasting, at the end of the day it's really the American people that count."

Three-quarters of the main CPB funding is distributed among the 360 public television stations, with the remainder going to 600 public radio stations across the country.

National Public Radio proved to be the focus of criticism, mostly from Republicans. NPR's president and CEO, Vivian Schiller, resigned last month after hidden camera footage from a conservative activist revealed a fellow executive there referring to the tea party movement as racist. NPR had also been criticized for firing analyst Juan Williams over comments he made about Muslims.

The House voted separately to eliminate CPB funding entirely and to eliminate funding for NPR, but those efforts went nowhere in the Senate.

Joyce Slocum, interim chief executive at NPR, said she was gratified that funding will be retained. "It's a recognition that public radio provides an essential public service," she said. In its lobbying, NPR stressed that the money was for local stations, not for NPR itself.

The budget deal also provides the system with hope for the future. The deal promises the CPB some $445 million in funding for the 2013 budget year, on top of $430 million more set aside for next year. It doesn't mean those appropriations can't be revisited, but it would take a specific effort to undo them, said Anne Bentley, Kerger's spokeswoman.

Critics will be back again, said Wesley Denton, spokesman for public broadcasting critic Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican.

It's a financial issue, Denton said: "They don't need it and we don't have it."

For television stations, an average of 15 percent of their funding comes from this CPB appropriation, Kerger said. But this amount varies across the country, with stations in rural areas far more dependent on the federal money, she said.

Kerger said many lawmakers also recognized the influence that PBS stations have on children with programming geared primarily toward pre-school youngsters. Children's viewership this season is up 21 percent over last year, the network said.

The funding threat also helped PBS with its fundraising among viewers, she said. The number of pledges during the system's March fundraising drive was up 17 percent, with 23 percent more money being given.

During meetings with lawmakers, some suggested that the government help PBS go commercial to avoid such threats in the future. But Kerger said some commercial networks that started with the intention of showing programming similar to PBS eventually had to turn to more lightweight fare.

"If you want to ensure that there is public broadcasting all over the country, then government funding is very important," she said.

View Next Article: Montel Williams' drug paraphernalia charge dropped

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"I Never Wanted to Be the American Idol," Says Eliminee Stefano Langone

Say what?! Who goes on American Idol not wanting to win? Well,�Stefano Langone does just that?or so he claims, after the fact.

The morning after being booted off the Idol stage, he isn't wondering what he could have done differently to stay. Instead, he's thinking about his future and making sure his self-proclaimed "brother," James Durbin, is doing all right after last night's emotional meltdown. So what's Stefano's next move now that he's off the No. 1 show in America....and how did he console James after the cameras stopped rolling?

We reported last night that James was an emotional mess after Stefano's elimination. When he stormed offstage in tears and obvious discontent, we saw a new side of James. But while James took the elimination hard, Stefano himself says it was never his intention to make it all the way.

"When I came out for American Idol I never wanted to be the American Idol," he said, "It was getting my foot in the door of the music industry and taking a step forward in that way. I am so happy about my experience, so thankful for all of this and blessed.

"What I came out here to do, I did it. I succeeded. I got to lucky No. 7, and it doesn't really reflect on who I am as a musician or a performer at all. It's a show. That's one thing you've got to remember, it's a show, and now it's time for me to really move forward. There's a wide open crowd and market out there right now, and I'm ready to pounce on it."

As for James' postshow meltdown, Stefano says he was able to talk him down by reassuring him that everything was going to work out the way it's supposed to.�

"I told him not to worry about me," Stefano told us. "I did everything I set out to do on this show and it's going to pay off and I'm going to do great. I told him, 'Just keep focusing on the show and what you gotta do to keep succeeding and I'll be back in a couple weeks.' I talked him down a little bit. He's a big crybaby."

The pair have been close buddies and roommates since Hollywood Week, making it extra hard to say goodbye, but James guarantees Stefano will be an intricate part of one of the most important days of his life. �

"He's a brother to me, and I'm going to be his best man in his wedding," Stefano said.�

As for Stefano's future in music, well, he's pretty confident he'll have a career as successful as established stars�John Legend and Stevie Wonder.

"I have the range of Stevie Wonder," he said. "I have that range and I have that soul, especially when I get on the piano. People haven't seen that John Legend feel. I have a lot of stuff in the bag that I haven't really shown yet. I haven't gone and done my original stuff, I haven't gotten behind the piano and shown vocally what I am capable of. I am really going to show the world not just what I can do on American Idol but in the music industry the kind of impact I can make."

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Stefano is nothing but excited.

"I cannot wait to start this long and successful journey."

Do you think Stefano has the talent of Stevie Wonder? Do you believe he didn't want to win Idol? Does James emotional meltdown make you love him more? Let us know in the comments!

READ MORE:�Live at�American Idol: Why Did James Durbin Storm Offstage After the Show?

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"I Never Wanted to Be the American Idol," Says Eliminee Stefano Langone

Say what?! Who goes on American Idol not wanting to win? Well,�Stefano Langone does just that?or so he claims, after the fact.

The morning after being booted off the Idol stage, he isn't wondering what he could have done differently to stay. Instead, he's thinking about his future and making sure his self-proclaimed "brother," James Durbin, is doing all right after last night's emotional meltdown. So what's Stefano's next move now that he's off the No. 1 show in America....and how did he console James after the cameras stopped rolling?

We reported last night that James was an emotional mess after Stefano's elimination. When he stormed offstage in tears and obvious discontent, we saw a new side of James. But while James took the elimination hard, Stefano himself says it was never his intention to make it all the way.

"When I came out for American Idol I never wanted to be the American Idol," he said, "It was getting my foot in the door of the music industry and taking a step forward in that way. I am so happy about my experience, so thankful for all of this and blessed.

"What I came out here to do, I did it. I succeeded. I got to lucky No. 7, and it doesn't really reflect on who I am as a musician or a performer at all. It's a show. That's one thing you've got to remember, it's a show, and now it's time for me to really move forward. There's a wide open crowd and market out there right now, and I'm ready to pounce on it."

As for James' postshow meltdown, Stefano says he was able to talk him down by reassuring him that everything was going to work out the way it's supposed to.�

"I told him not to worry about me," Stefano told us. "I did everything I set out to do on this show and it's going to pay off and I'm going to do great. I told him, 'Just keep focusing on the show and what you gotta do to keep succeeding and I'll be back in a couple weeks.' I talked him down a little bit. He's a big crybaby."

The pair have been close buddies and roommates since Hollywood Week, making it extra hard to say goodbye, but James guarantees Stefano will be an intricate part of one of the most important days of his life. �

"He's a brother to me, and I'm going to be his best man in his wedding," Stefano said.�

As for Stefano's future in music, well, he's pretty confident he'll have a career as successful as established stars�John Legend and Stevie Wonder.

"I have the range of Stevie Wonder," he said. "I have that range and I have that soul, especially when I get on the piano. People haven't seen that John Legend feel. I have a lot of stuff in the bag that I haven't really shown yet. I haven't gone and done my original stuff, I haven't gotten behind the piano and shown vocally what I am capable of. I am really going to show the world not just what I can do on American Idol but in the music industry the kind of impact I can make."

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Stefano is nothing but excited.

"I cannot wait to start this long and successful journey."

Do you think Stefano has the talent of Stevie Wonder? Do you believe he didn't want to win Idol? Does James emotional meltdown make you love him more? Let us know in the comments!

READ MORE:�Live at�American Idol: Why Did James Durbin Storm Offstage After the Show?

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Friday, May 27, 2011

"I Never Wanted to Be the American Idol," Says Eliminee Stefano Langone

Say what?! Who goes on American Idol not wanting to win? Well,�Stefano Langone does just that?or so he claims, after the fact.

The morning after being booted off the Idol stage, he isn't wondering what he could have done differently to stay. Instead, he's thinking about his future and making sure his self-proclaimed "brother," James Durbin, is doing all right after last night's emotional meltdown. So what's Stefano's next move now that he's off the No. 1 show in America....and how did he console James after the cameras stopped rolling?

We reported last night that James was an emotional mess after Stefano's elimination. When he stormed offstage in tears and obvious discontent, we saw a new side of James. But while James took the elimination hard, Stefano himself says it was never his intention to make it all the way.

"When I came out for American Idol I never wanted to be the American Idol," he said, "It was getting my foot in the door of the music industry and taking a step forward in that way. I am so happy about my experience, so thankful for all of this and blessed.

"What I came out here to do, I did it. I succeeded. I got to lucky No. 7, and it doesn't really reflect on who I am as a musician or a performer at all. It's a show. That's one thing you've got to remember, it's a show, and now it's time for me to really move forward. There's a wide open crowd and market out there right now, and I'm ready to pounce on it."

As for James' postshow meltdown, Stefano says he was able to talk him down by reassuring him that everything was going to work out the way it's supposed to.�

"I told him not to worry about me," Stefano told us. "I did everything I set out to do on this show and it's going to pay off and I'm going to do great. I told him, 'Just keep focusing on the show and what you gotta do to keep succeeding and I'll be back in a couple weeks.' I talked him down a little bit. He's a big crybaby."

The pair have been close buddies and roommates since Hollywood Week, making it extra hard to say goodbye, but James guarantees Stefano will be an intricate part of one of the most important days of his life. �

"He's a brother to me, and I'm going to be his best man in his wedding," Stefano said.�

As for Stefano's future in music, well, he's pretty confident he'll have a career as successful as established stars�John Legend and Stevie Wonder.

"I have the range of Stevie Wonder," he said. "I have that range and I have that soul, especially when I get on the piano. People haven't seen that John Legend feel. I have a lot of stuff in the bag that I haven't really shown yet. I haven't gone and done my original stuff, I haven't gotten behind the piano and shown vocally what I am capable of. I am really going to show the world not just what I can do on American Idol but in the music industry the kind of impact I can make."

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Stefano is nothing but excited.

"I cannot wait to start this long and successful journey."

Do you think Stefano has the talent of Stevie Wonder? Do you believe he didn't want to win Idol? Does James emotional meltdown make you love him more? Let us know in the comments!

READ MORE:�Live at�American Idol: Why Did James Durbin Storm Offstage After the Show?

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Johnny Depp Joins 'Pirates 4' Cast in Cannes

Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France, Johnny Depp joined Penelope Cruz to talk up the premiere of his 3-D sequel 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,' the fourth in the smash hit Disney series.

Depp, 47, said his Captain Jack character is back by popular demand, and he's happy to oblige.

"If the people get tired of it or something, that's when it stops, I think," he told a press conference. "If people want it, I'm there."

Returning to the 'Pirates' family to play Captain Jack's father is Rolling Stones star Keith Richards.

Cruz, new to the franchise, was pregnant on set while playing Blackbeard's beguiling daughter Angelica, a foil to Captain Jack who nevertheless shares his desire to find the Fountain of Youth.

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the 37-year-old actress told the Cannes crowd she's not fixated on youth: "I think birthdays are always something to celebrate," she said. "I'm looking forward to every step of the way. Maybe because I'm from Spain, that's looked at in a different way there than, for example, in a place like Los Angeles."

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Spielberg casts Sally Field as Abe Lincoln's wife

LOS ANGELES ? Sally Field has signed on to play the wife of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's film biography of the 16th president.

The casting announcement Wednesday gives "Lincoln" a pair of two-time Academy Award winners in lead roles.

Daniel Day-Lewis was a best-actor winner for "My Left Foot" and "There Will Be Blood." He will star as Lincoln.

Field is a best-actress recipient for "Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart." She is playing Mary Todd Lincoln.

Spielberg says Field was his first choice to portray the "fragility and complexity" of Lincoln's wife.

The film is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," which examines the president's relationship with key advisers.

Shooting begins this fall, with the film due out in 2012.

View Next Article: Israeli PM's meeting with Bieber called off

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New Old Dad Rod Stewart Takes on Vegas, Changes Diapers at Same Time

Rock legend Rod Stewart sure has some "legs."

The hard rocker turned classics crooner is now heading to Las Vegas for a two-year gig at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.��

Stewart says he didn?t need any advice from former residents Celine Dion, Cher, or Elton John about his latest career curve.

?I?ve been doing this all my life so I don't need advice,?�Stewart told FOX411.com in a sit-down interview.�?I spoke to someone last night who had appeared in Vegas and found it to be very intimidating that the audience was so close because the stage is only this high, and the audience is really close.�I love it, some people don't."

The husky voiced rocker kicks off "Rod Stewart: The Hits" on August 24th. Stewart is also working on a blues album, with eight tracks already recorded.� He looks forward to playing those songs live along with his hits.

"This is something I've always wanted to do", Stewart said.� And after playing eight shows at the Colosseum for a test run last fall, he said he foind out he has to work harder for the Sin City crowd.�"You have to work them a bit more especially the mid-week crowd. Friday and Saturday night you are fine because they're usually all drunk anyway?

Being a new dad at 66-years old is another challenge Stewart is happily facing.�

"I?m still not good at changing nappies, but I do do it," he admitted. "But I don't get up in the middle of the night to do it. I do the daytime s**ts. It is what it is guys!?

Stewart said he's making up for lost time with his other children. ?Thirty years ago it was all work, work, work, carving out a career for myself and you know. I didn't see a great deal of my two oldest Sean and Kimberly. But we're making up for it now."

And by the time Stewart starts his Vegas residency, daughter Kimberly, who is having a baby with actor Benicio del Toro, will be about ready to pop.

Which means even from nappies for Grandpa Stewart to change.

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