Oct 22 2009John Travolta extortion case declared a mistrial
After John Travolta deliveried an emotional testimony in court to convict a Bahamian senator and ambulance driver of attempting to extort $25 million in the days following his son Jett's death, the judge in the case declared a mistrial when it was announced on the news the senator was acquitted before the jury delivered its verdict. People reports:
"John [Travolta] was upset," Ossi says. "He wants to know more."
It's believed one of the jurors called a politician in Freeport and told him Bridgewater had been acquitted, Ossi said. That call would have taken place at the same time the jury was deliberating.
A mistrial came as no surprise to some court observers who predicted politics played a role throughout the trial. Bridgewater had been a rising star within the PLP when she was arrested in January. One of the prosecution's main witnesses, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, is a PLP senator and Travolta's Bahamian attorney. Gibson's involvement in the case caused a great rift in the party.
Prominent members of the PLP came out in force to support Bridgewater during the trial.
With corruption so deep not even the courts are safe, this leaves John Travolta with no other recourse but to bust out his Xenu Rays and wipe the Bahamas off the map. "PEW PEW PEW! Like holy gee, Mr. Kottah! PEW PEW! These guns handle like Tom Cruise's penis! PEW PEW!"*
*Dramatic reenactment.
Sep 29 2009DJ AM overdosed (In case there were doubts.)
DJ AM's death has been ruled an accidental drug overdose by the New York medical examiner's office, according to the AP:
The toxicology report showed the 36-year-old had in his system cocaine, OxyContin, Hydrocodone or Vicodin, antianxiety drugs Xanax and Ativan, Klonopin which also controls anger, Benadryl, and Levamisole, a drug apparently used to cut cocaine.
The cause of death was acute intoxication due to the combined effects the drugs, the medical examiner's office said. The dosage of each drug was not released.
He was found Aug. 28 in his apartment in New York City's trendy SoHo neighborhood after a friend called 911. Paramedics had to break down the door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweat pants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m.
Six pills were found in his stomach and a pill in his throat when he was found dead in his apartment. The pill in his throat appeared to be OxyContin. A crack pipe and prescription pill bottles were discovered there.
No one's saying if it was a suicide, but I don't really know what a person expects to happen after shoving that many drugs in their face. For example, if I went out back and chugged a can of Raid, that's not so much accidental as a purposeful act of self-inflicted dumb. So if somebody could maybe change that on the death certificate...
Sep 14 2009Patrick Swayze dies at 57
Iconic actor Patrick Swayze lost his two year battle with pancreatic cancer today, according to the AP:
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," said a statement released Monday evening by his publicist, Annett Wolf. No other details were given.
Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer.
When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was "considerably more optimistic" than that.
"I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it."
Because Patrick was such a rare breed of hard-working talent who made characters such as Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing and Bodhi in Point Break staples of a generation - my generation - may he find the ultimate rush on the other side.
You'll be sorely missed, Patrick. Rest in Peace.
Sep 2 2009DJ AM ate way too much OxyContin
DJ AM's death is starting to look more like a drug-fueled suicide. Reports are coming in that he had a stomach full of OxyContin, according to People:
Authorities investigating the death of DJ AM have found that he had eight undigested OxyContin pills in his stomach and a ninth in his mouth, a law enforcement source tells PEOPLE.
The finding suggests that DJ AM - real name Adam Goldstein - swallowed the powerful painkillers quickly. "He wanted to die," says the source, who says the suicide theory is supported by the pills and other evidence. "He was going unconscious when he took the last one. He didn't even swallow it."
In addition to the OxyContin, the source says, authorities who entered Goldstein's New York apartment Aug. 28 found a Valentine's Day card in the next room from Haley Wood. The pair had recently split. Dated Feb. 14, 2009, the card read, "Thank God you're in my life. I love you." Next to the card were six or seven photos of Wood and Goldstein.
"The card was lying on top of his laptops on the coffee table in the living room," the source says.
All this would make sense except Haley Wood informed Us Weekly that she never broke up with DJ AM and the two were still together:
"Any indication that this horribly tragic accident happened because of a rumored breakup is not only untrue but disgusting. We were very much together at the time of his passing, and I love him very much."
Well, if she didn't break up with DJ AM then why did he kill hims- oh, wait. Dammit, Olsen twins...
Aug 30 2009DJ AM had crack on him
With the autopsy report coming back as inconclusive pending a toxicology report, the police reportedly found crack in DJ AM's pocket after finding him dead along with a pipe near his body, according to RadarOnline:
Police first entered the 36-year-old's $2 million SoHo apartment at 5:23 PM Friday after worried friends had tried unsuccessfully to reach him. Police and emergency medical workers discovered his lifeless body on top of his bed. A glass crack pipe was found nearby.
"It wasn't until a while later when police actually found the bag of crack," said the NYPD source. "It wasn't discovered until his body was moved for the first time. The bag of crack was in the groin area inside the sweat pants he was wearing." In other new details, the source says police found more than a dozen bottles of prescription pills in the kitchen of his seven-floor Lafayette Street apartment. "Xanax and the painkiller Vicodin were among the pills found," said the source.
The police have also confirmed DJ AM was alive as early as Friday morning and wasn't dead in his apartment for days:
The time of death has not yet been officially announced but RadarOnline.com has also learned that AM was still alive at least into the early hours of Friday morning because they have discovered some IMs sent from him as late as 1 a.m. "He was alive Thursday night and into early Friday morning from the time of these texts," said the source. "He was texting an unidentified individual as late as 1 a.m."
It is unknown at this time if the messages were to his ex-girlfriend.
Reports are coming in that DJ AM was distraught over his girlfriend of a few months breaking up with him which makes no fucking sense. Listen, I don't want to rag on the guy, but after seeing four people you know burn to a crisp as you escape death, OD-ing because some girl doesn't like you is unbelievably weak. Not only that, the dude was rich and could've easily taken a month, or even a year, off to hire a hot therapist who'll also fellate you while you play video games. I could've been molested by a clown as a child, and a week of Dr. BJ would have me high-fiving Ronald McDonald. That's all I'm saying.
Aug 28 2009DJ AM found dead
Less than a year after narrowly surviving a fiery plane crash, DJ AM was found dead this afternoon in his New York apartment. A drug overdose is believed to be the cause. TMZ reports:
Law enforcement sources tell us he was found in his apartment at around 5:20 PM. We're told drug paraphernalia was found at the scene.
We're told DJ AM had not been seen or heard from for a few days -- one of his friends went to check on him, but got no response after knocking on his apartment door.
We're told the friend called the police, who broke down the door and then found DJ AM's body.
Way to make the most of a second chance at life. Well played.
Aug 19 2009Michael Jackson's doctor will be charged with manslaughter
Michael Jackson's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray will be charged with manslaughter in the next two weeks, according to FOX News:
The source initially said Dr. Conrad Murray could be arrested as soon as next Wednesday -- but investigators have decided to execute one more search warrant, likely at a Los Angeles pharmacy, next week in an attempt to gather more evidence against him. The arrest is now expected the following week.
Murray isn't the only doctor who faces criminal charges in connection with Jackson's death on June 25. A law enforcement source told FOXNews.com that Jackson's longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, will be hit with charges related to medical malpractice. Investigators are still building their case against Klein, and he will not be arrested for at least another two weeks, the source said.
The Los Angeles District Attorney's office is currently in talks with investigators about whether they will offer Murray the option of surrendering in Los Angeles, or if he will be arrested in Houston, where he is currently staying.
Investigators initially had hoped to charge Murray with a more serious crime than manslaughter -- a defendant may be charged with second degree murder in California without the presence of a motive -- but prosecutors are concerned that a jury will be unlikely to convict without one, sources said. Unless a "smoking gun" is found in next week's search, Murray will be charged with manslaughter.
Of course, the saddest part of this story is that shortly before his death, Michael had just discovered a way to revert to his former black self and was primed to record Thriller 2: Doo Dat Doom Dat Doo Sha-moan! Except not really, but try telling that to one of his crazed fans. Seriously, I had one tell me at Starbucks Michael could really change into a car. But no mention of a child seat in the back. Cuckoo!
Aug 13 2009Les Paul dies at 94
Les Paul, legendary inventor of the electric guitar, died this morning of pneumonia. He was 94. The AP reports:
According to Gibson Guitar, Paul died at White Plains Hospital. His family and friends were by his side.
As an inventor, Paul also helped bring about the rise of rock 'n' roll with multitrack recording, which enables artists to record different instruments at different times, sing harmony with themselves, and then carefully balance the tracks in the finished recording.
The use of electric guitar gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1940s, and then exploded with the advent of rock in the mid-'50s.
"Suddenly, it was recognized that power was a very important part of music," Paul once said. "To have the dynamics, to have the way of expressing yourself beyond the normal limits of an unamplified instrument, was incredible. Today a guy wouldn't think of singing a song on a stage without a microphone and a sound system."
They say it was pneumonia, but I'll know in my heart it was the existence of Guitar Hero. Thanks for giving us the gift of rock, Les.
Rest in Peace.
