Entertainment News, Celebrity News Online

African-American author E. Lynn Harris, best known for introducing the concept of ‘on the down-low” to the wider community has died in Los Angeles at the age of 54.

Originally a salesman for IBM, Harris was unable to find a publisher for his first novel, 1991’s Invisible Life, and instead took to selling the book directly from his car to saloons and African-American bookstores. The book became an underground hit and went on to find a formal publisher in 1994, the begging of Harris’ successful career.

Harris went on to write a further 10 books, with four million copies of his work being sold. Five of his books became New York Times best sellers, and his writing also appeared in a variety of publications, including Essence, the Washington Post Sunday Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.

Harris was found unconscious at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles shortly thereafter. His cause of death is not known, but he was believed to have been ill recently.

Dethroned Miss California, Carrie Prejean, can scratch becoming a singer off her list of potential career choices after belting out a tone-deaf rendition of Bing Crosby’s “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” at Del Mar Racetrack’s 70th anniversary celebration in San Diego.

After being handed the microphone, Prejean fake-smiled through the yells of hecklers before drowning them out with her ’singing.’

Del Mar is a pretty prestigious spot and even though it’s in her home town, I’m still surprised they let her get up on stage. Even more surprising is the fact that she actually showed up for the event at all since she has a history of not fulfilling her duties at her previous employment.

At any rate, here’s a video clip of Prejean singing at Del Mar. Warning: Turn your volume down. Just sayin’.

Lindsay Lohan stopped by Millions Of MilkShakes in L.A. last night and created her own signature shake in front of dozens of fans and paparazzi.

In what’s becomming somewhat of a tradition at a milkshake shop in L.A., Lindsay followed in the footsteps of Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, and Kim Kardashian when she created her favorite shake. She posed for photos and played with a Hollywood.tv photographer’s baby before strapping on an apron (which covered more of her than the dress she was wearing, without a bra - watch the video below) and whipped up her own shake, consisting of Vanilla, Chocolate Swirl and Oreos.

She’s clearly not experienced in preparing food for the public since she wore those plastic gloves they wear in fast food joints and kept running her hands through her hair with them on, but as long as someone else preps the shake for me, I’d definitely go for one.

Here’s the video of Lindsay Lohan making her Milkshake at Millions Of MilkShakes:

This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance!

Jay-Z (Brooklyn, stand up!) dropped a new track at 9:11 AM today- titled Run This Town and featuring Hov’s protege Rihanna and frequent Jay-Z collaborator Kanye West. Run This Town is the first proper track off Blueprint 3 and follows Jay-Z’s last single Death of Autotune.

I generally dig all of Jay-Z’s efforts, but I have to give this one a few more listens until I decide whether it will be up there with The Black Album in my most played tracks ever. Some of the stand-outiest lyrics come from Kanyeezy on the track, such as this one:

“This is a fast life, we are on a crash course, what do you think I rap for, to push a f*cking RAV4?”

Give Run This Town a spin below- what do you think?

24-year-old former Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson – who is expecting her first child with her American football star husband Hank Baskett – can’t wait for the book to hit stores next year.

She said in a statement released by publishers Simon Spotlight Entertainment: “I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have a husband I adore, a baby on the way, and now my memoir is going to be published!”

The tome is expected to be available next summer.

It will cover Kendra’s childhood as well as the period she spent living at the Playboy Mansion when she was dating 83-year-old magazine mogul Hugh Hefner.

It will also look at her TV career, which includes reality shows ‘The Girls Next Door’ and her new series ‘Kendra’.

The statement added: “The memoir will be a humorous, relatable, fish-out-of-water tale that captures the spirit of one of the most beloved Playboy cover models in history.”

Simon Spotlight Entertainment’s Jennifer Bergstrom said: “Kendra is so genuine and funny that her memoir is sure to be unique, refreshing, and a reflection of the woman so many people have fallen in love with.”

Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray allegedly made 12-year-old Prince Michael I watch his attempts to resuscitate him after he suffered a suspected cardiac arrest as he wanted a witness.

However, the Jackson family believe Michael had already been dead for at least two hours and Murray’s actions left Prince “understandably traumatised”.

Dr. Hoefflin, a family friend speaking on behalf of Michael’s mother Katherine, told Britain’s The Sun newspaper: “I have been told by the family and from talking to the children that on the day Michael died, Dr. Murray actually got one of the Jackson children - it was Prince Michael I - to personally come into the bedroom to watch him perform CPR on his father.

“The family have told me Dr. Murray ensured Prince Michael understood the CPR procedure and that he was doing it correctly. It is the family’s belief that this was intended to show a member of Michael’s family that he was trying to bring Michael back to life.

“In my opinion Dr Murray should have known Michael was already dead and I believe that is the reason he didn’t move him from the bed to the harder surface of the floor to perform CPR.”

While Prince still struggles to come to terms with his father’s death his 11-year-old sister Paris is dealing with her grief by sleeping with a teddy bear her dad gave her.

Michael’s brother Jermaine said: “Paris sleeps with a teddy bear with Michael’s scent on – it’s so cute. It’s a little doll that he gave her and she sleeps holding it every night.”

Prince and Paris are also helping their younger brother, seven-year-old Prince Michael II, known as ‘Blanket’, come to terms with the loss of their beloved father.

Jermaine added: “I think ‘Blanket’ understands his dad has passed because of the ceremony we had. Prince and Paris are very bright and they have tried to explain it to him. And there is therapist with them to get through this time as well.”

Meanwhile, lawyers handling Michael’s estate are seeking a court-ordered allowance for his three children and mother Katherine.

A lawyer representing the temporary executors of his estate asked a judge to approve the allowance and the requests will be considered on August 3.

The trailer for the sequel to 80’s movie Tron, now called Tron Legacy has found its way online after it was shown at Comic Con.

The clip looks like it was taken on a mobile phone camera at the event, however until they officially release the Tron Legacy trailer, this will have to do for now. Hard to say on appeal: certainly they’ve tarted up the CGI, but there’s not really any detail on plot.

Tron Legacy starts Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Bruce Boxleitner, Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett, Karl Urban and John Hurt as is due out in 2010. The first Tron Legacy trailer as follows:

Amy Winehouse is accused of attacking Sherene Flash at a charity ball last September when the 30-year-old woman tried to get her photograph taken with Amy.

Speaking at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, Sherene said: “She punched me forcefully in my right eye. I started crying. I was shocked. I couldn’t open my eye for a while.”

She also claims the 25-year-old singer was intoxicated at the Berkeley Square Ball, adding: “Maybe like she was on drugs or something.”

However, Amy – who is on trial for common assault – insists she merely pushed the woman away because she felt “intimidated” when Sherene “lunged” at her for a photograph.

The troubled star said: “She moved her left arm to lean down and tried to pose next to me. Her friend came round in front of us and started taking a picture. I was like, ‘Do I get a choice in this, hello?’ I pushed her up, like away. It was more like an indication of ‘leave me alone, I’m scared of you.’

“I didn’t know what she was going to do. She lunged at me and put her arm around me. She’s a nice girl, she was just drunk.”

Amy – who wore an asymmetric grey suit, waist belt and silk ballet pumps for her appearance – told the courtroom she felt threatened by the dancer, because, at 5ft 7ins tall, she towered above her diminutive frame.

The ‘Back to Black’ singer said: “These are the very shoes I was wearing that night. Look – these don’t even have a sole, they don’t have a heel. I am probably 5ft 2.5ins to 5ft 3ins. And my hair does make a difference!

“She was bigger than me. I pushed my arm upwards. I just wanted to get her away. I was scared.”

Amy used her marital name – Amy Civil – yesterday when giving evidence. The first stage of her divorce from husband Blake Fielder-Civil was granted last week.

The trial continues.

Jude Law lashed out at snapper Harsha Gopal as she tried to take his picture as he left London restaurant Automat in the early hours of yesterday morning (July 23).

Harsha said: “I still can’t believe Jude Law actually hit me. It was deliberate, you could see it in his face. He hit me full in the face. It was a real stinger. I was very sore.”

Harsha – who is seeking legal advice over whether to lodge an assault complaint with police – claims Jude attacked her after all the paparazzi had taken their shots.

She added: “He just came out and I took a couple of pictures. The next thing I know, suddenly this whack. He didn’t apologise and it was completely unprovoked. One of the other photographers shouted out, ’Well done, Jude, you’ve just hit a girl.’”

“He can’t say that he was blinded by flashes because he hit me after we had taken our pictures.”

However, Jude – who had spent the evening with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Michelle Williams – has rubbished Harsha’s claims. His lawyer Graham Shear stated: “This is all nonsense. The incident was an accident.

“Jude was blinded by the camera flashes when he left the restaurant, raised his hand to shield himself and inadvertently struck somebody standing very close. He apologised and left. Pictures of this sort can be misleading.”

Dr. Conrad Murray – who was with the 50-year-old pop icon when he died of a suspected cardiac arrest last month, and tried to revive him with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) – has been named in court papers filed in Houston yesterday (July 23).

It is the first time records have shown Murray is being formally investigated by police, although he has previously been questioned about the events leading up to Jackson’s death.

On Wednesday (July 22), police and officers from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) raided Murray’s Houston offices looking for “items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter”.

According to reports items seized from the storage unit included “two computer hard drives, a Medical Board certificate, letters to a former employee, a list of contacts and papers pertaining to his practice. Among those is a ‘suspension notice from Doctor’s Hospital’ and ‘papers regarding incomplete chart at Doctor’s Hospital’.”

An administrative assistant at Houston’s Doctor’s Hospital confirmed Murray is suspended at the moment, but insisted it was over a routine matter that “probably had something to do with a chart that needs to be signed”.

Other items taken were two drug vials, 27 phentermine – which suppresses appetite – tablets, one pill of muscle relaxant clonazepam, a rolodex, a computer and emails.

The emails are thought to be of high importance in any investigation against Murray.

Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson said: “The emails are key. What did Dr. Murray say to other people after Michael Jackson died? And was it he that ordered the drugs. The paperwork always wins these cases and the emails are critical. By this time next week, we’ll have a better idea.”

It has been claimed the warrant means police are already aware of the findings of the preliminary autopsy report, including which drugs Jackson was taking at the time of his death.

According to reports, police are focusing their investigation on the 50-year-old singer’s use of the anaesthetic Propofol, which is used to put patients to sleep before surgery.

Reports suggest the autopsy results will be released next week, and homicide will be stated as the cause of death.

Gossip website TMZ reports: “We’re told the coroner himself will make the call mid-week, after he gets the final toxicology report from an outside consultant. But based on the draft report as well as what has become ‘clear evidence’ causes other than homicide - natural, accidental, accidental overdose and suicide - have been ruled out.

“We’re told both the coroner and police have significant evidence that Propofol caused Jackson’s heart to stop.”