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Day in Pop Report for 08/27/2012


Katy Perry Turned Down $20 Million American Idol Deal
(TMZ) "American Idol" desperately wanted Katy Perry to fill one of its vacant judge's seats, so much so, they offered her $20 MILLION ... but she she still turned it down ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... "Idol" pursued Perry relentlessly for weeks, eager to get her to sign on the dotted line. According to our sources, they started the offer at $18 million, but threw even more cash on the table ... $20 MILLION for a one year contract!!!

We're told Katy made it clear ... she was NOT interested and money wasn't the issue.

Sources tell us ... aside from the fact that Katy's schedule made it impossible to do the show ... she just didn't think it was right career choice for her. more on this story

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Randy Travis Hospitalized Following Church Fight
(TMZ) More trouble for Randy Travis ... TMZ has learned the embattled singer was involved in a FIGHT in a church parking lot in Texas early Friday morning.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops responded to the church around 1 AM after receiving a tip about two men fighting in the parking lot.

Once officers arrived to the scene ... both men were taken to the hospital. One source tells us Randy appeared to be "extremely intoxicated." We're told the fight was over a girl.

Travis has had serious problems with alcohol -- he was arrested for DUI earlier this month after cops say they found the singer naked at the scene of a car crash.

And Travis was busted for public intoxication back in February after cops say he was hammered in a different church parking lot. more on this story

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Usher Wins Custody War
(TMZ) Usher's ex-wife Tameka Raymond just lost in the former couple's bitter custody battle -- TMZ has learned, a judge has awarded Usher primary custody of their two sons.

It's a shocking development -- considering both sides were trying to strip each other of custody. Tameka felt the singer was an absentee father who was too absorbed in his career to be a good dad. She also accused him of using drugs in front of the kids. Usher argued Tameka was inattentive and irresponsible.

The ruling marks the end of an emotional custody trial -- involving wild accusations and name-calling ... Usher even broke down at one point on the witness stand.

But on Friday, we're told a judge sided with the singer -- awarding Usher primary custody of the ex-couple's two sons, which means the children will be spending the majority of the time with their father.

Tameka still retains some custodial rights -- but the extent to which Tameka will be able to see her kids is unclear. more on this story

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Tony Scott Gave No Motive In Suicide Note
(TMZ) Tony Scott did not explain why he decided to take his own life in the suicide note he left for loved ones ... but did offer a final emotional farewell ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the investigation tell TMZ ... the note was "short and sweet." Tony said in the note he loved his wife and his 2 kids -- Max and Frank.

We're told Scott's wife has not told investigators about anything that might have triggered a suicide, although as we first reported she did tell investigators Scott did NOT have brain cancer or any other significant medical problem. more on this story

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Stephen Baldwin Arrested
(TMZ) Stephen Baldwin was arrested in New York City last Thursday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Baldwin was initially pulled over at 5:14 PM after cops say he made an illegal U-turn in Harlem.

During the stop, we're told cops noticed Baldwin was driving with a suspended license ... so they arrested the actor and hauled him to a nearby jail where he was booked for aggravated unlicensed operator [of a motor vehicle].

Baldwin is scheduled to appear in court in October to be arraigned.

We reached out to Baldwin's people for comment -- so far, no word back. more on this story

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Snooki Give Birth
Jersey Shore star Snooki is now a mother having given birth to her son Sunday morning in New Jersey.

A rep for Polizzi told MTV, "The world just got another Guido!!! Lorenzo Dominic LaValle has entered the world weighing 6lbs, 5oz. Nicole, Jionni & Enzo are doing great!"

Snooki posted a message on Twitter early Sunday morning that read, "I am SO IN LOIVE with my son Lorenzo Dominic! I had my little man last night, healthy at 6lbs! HE'S MY World" Read the MTV report here.

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Lil Wayne Producers Sue Over Royalties
(TMZ) Lil Wayne's record label allegedly stiffed a couple music producers out of their cut of the royalties from some of rap's biggest albums ... this according to two separate lawsuits.

Two different producers -- Andrews "Drew" Correa and Marcos "Infamous" Rodriguez -- filed federal lawsuits this week against Wayne's label, Young Money Entertainment.

In lawsuit #1 ... Correa says he inked a deal with YME in 2008 to produce music for a YME artist. He claims that music ended up on mega albums like "Carter III," "Re-Birth," "I'm Not a Human Being" and "Priceless."

Correa says he was paid some royalties by YME, but the payments stopped coming out of the blue.

In lawsuit #2 ... Rodriguez claims he signed on in 2007 to produce music for YME and claims his compositions were used on the albums "Carter III," "Re-Birth," "We Are Young Money," "Carter IV" and "Priceless."

He claims YME stopped making royalty payments and refuses to cough up any more cash.

Both producers hired Singh, Singh and Trauben to sue YME for the missing pay days. more on this story

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Britney Spears And Christina Aguilera To Appear At Madonna Concert
(popmusiclife) Madonna's MDNA World Tour has wrapped up its European dates and now gears up for its North American launch on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

As part of the trek, the pop icon will play two shows in several major cities across the continent, including Los Angeles, where she'll play the Staples Center in October.

According to Madonna's official MDNA Tour twitter account, the singer will be joined by two special guests in L.A. on opening night, October 10 � Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. more on this story

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Quincy Jones A Witness In Alleged Murder Plot Case?
(TMZ) Quincy Jones -- one of the most important people in the history of music and TV -- has been dragged into the center of an alleged murder plot involving two tycoons ... TMZ has learned.

Quincy has been called to testify in a nasty war between "Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis and Vegas mogul Steve Wynn.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Francis claims Wynn threatened to kill him and have him buried in the desert over a debt Joe owed to his casino. Francis insists Quincy actually saw an email from Wynn detailing the murder plot.

But Wynn is calling full BS on Joe ... claiming no such email exists ... and now he's calling on Quincy to testify in court to set the record straight once and for all.

The trial is scheduled to begin this week -- and according to the court docs, Quincy is all set to take the stand as a witness for Wynn. more on this story

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Lindsay Lohan Person of Interest in House Burglary That Never Happened?
(TMZ) Lindsay Lohan is more than just a witness to an alleged burglary that went down in the Hollywood Hills last Sunday ... law enforcement sources tell us she is a "person of interest," but the case may now be over.

Law enforcement sources tell us they are not ready to call Lindsay a suspect, but they are suspicious of her actions at a house party where 2 watches and an expensive pair of sunglasses -- total value $100,000 -- supposedly went missing. We're told Lindsay let 2 friends into the house and cops think when they left they took the goods ... and she may have been in on it.

But now there's a twist in Lindsay's favor. We're told the owner of the house has recanted his story and written a letter to cops saying nothing was stolen. Of course, it flies in the face of his actions last Sunday night when he called the cops and made the theft report.

Michael Lohan tells TMZ, "After personally speaking with the homeowner, there was NOTHING stolen from his home. Lindsay has no involvement and the owner has told the cops that."

We're told as of now the matter is still under investigation, but if the "victim" recants, it's unlikely the case will proceed. more on this story

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One Direction Shooting New Video
(popmusiclife) Last week, One Direction announced that they will release their new single, "Live While We're Young," on October 1. The track will appear on the group's new album, due in November.

One Direction have confirmed that they've now completed shooting a video for the song.

"Great day shooting for the music video for 'Live While We're Young' bit nippy.." Poor Hazza was cold!" tweeted Harry Styles, later adding, "Day two finished, and that's the video for 'Live While We're Young' done. Amazing crew, amazing people involved. Thanks again .x." more on this story

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Lady Gaga's Fame In No 1
(popmusiclife) Lady Gaga has yet another smash hit on her hands with her new fragrance topping the charts.

The pop superstar shared the news with fans over the weekend, writing, "Im so excited!! I just found out "Fame" is the #1 Fragrance at Macy's across the country!"

Gaga later added, "FAME is the number 1 fragrance in the United States! My fashion dreams are coming true. Thank you so much everyday." more on this story

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Anna Nicole Smith Movie Casting Call
(TMZ) Anna Nicole Smith's life was surrounded by a huge cast of characters ... and now Lifetime is actually trying to cast those characters for an upcoming movie ... and TMZ has obtained the casting call sheet.

First off, Anna is described as "a pretty, but plain girl growing up in small town Texas" who "transformed herself though sheer willpower" into the famous Playmate she became.

They call Howard K. Stern a "lawyer-guy-friend-weirdo" ... "whose middling law firm is on the way out, so he devotes his entire business career to representing Anna Nicole."

Anna's late son Danny is described as a "wry, very cute and intelligent teenager" ... who "dislikes Howard K. Stern, whom he considers a slow-acting poison." They add, "Danny seems to have picked up his mother's pill popping habit" and "cuts his young life short."

J. Howard Marshall -- Anna's 80-something, billionaire husband -- is listed as "skin going gray, head gone bald and liver spots everywhere" ... a "pointlessness" dulls "the glint that used to be in his eyes." Um, yeah.

They paint Howard's son E. Pierce as Anna's greatest nemesis ... he "makes it his decision to DESTORY Anna" and "he viciously vows to dedicate all thirteen of his attorneys to making sure Anna never receives a dime."

Finally, Anna's mother Virgie is said to be "a plain-looking deputy living in a hardscrabble Texas town" but according to them, "Virgie claims that men ruined her life" so she she is determined they won't do the same to Anna.

For whatever reason, there was no listing for everyone's favorite baby daddy, Larry Birkhead.

No word on when this masterpiece in the making will air. more on this story

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Octomom Rejected By Multiple Home Owners
(TMZ) Octomom is PERSONA NON GRATA in the world of house rentals ... because no home owner is willing to rent their digs to the infamous mom and now she fears becoming homeless ... TMZ has learned.

As TMZ first reported, Octo needs a new house to stash her 14-kid brood because her old house is being foreclosed.

Sources close to Octo tell us she recently found a house in Orange County to rent for $2,700 a month, but the owner rejected her application out-right ... even though she sweetened the pot and offered to pay seven months rent upfront.

We're told Octo's agent asked why the homeowners weren't down with Octo occupying their crib -- and their real estate agent replied on their behalf saying, "They do not want to subject the neighbors to the media involved with the client."

Our sources say this is the third house Octo has been rejected from, all for the same reason.

It's bad news for O-mom ... we're told renting is her only option right now because she doesn't have the dough needed to buy a house. She scared that if the bias continues, she'll have nowhere to live. more on this story

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Michael Strahan Receives Live! With Kelly Gig While In Jamaica
(TMZ) Forget the champagne, when Michael Strahan found out he was the new host of "Live! With Kelly" it was all about the Red Stripe ... because he was vacationing in Jamaica like a champ and TMZ got the photo.

The former NFL star was actually chillin in the Caribbean with his smokin' hot fianc�e, Nicole Murphy, when he got the phone call of the decade ... that he was chosen to join Kelly Ripa as her new co-host.

Sources tell us, Strahan was through the roof excited when he found out the stellar news and it made his Jamaican get-away that much better.

We're told he and his fianc�e celebrated the gig by simply relaxing on the beach and taking in the amazing sites. more on this story

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Kris Humphries Parents Settled Divorce Before Filing
(TMZ) Kris Humphries could learn a thing or two from his parents in his messy divorce from Kim Kardashian -- because Kris' p-units settled THEIR divorce before his mom ever filed papers.

TMZ broke the story ... Kris' mom Debra filed for divorce from his dad earlier this month in Minnesota, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" in their marriage. They were married in 1982.

Now, TMZ has learned, Debra and Kris' dad William settled their affairs long before Debra filed papers -- because when she filed the divorce docs, she included a settlement agreement already signed by both parties.

According to the agreement, neither party will be awarded spousal support. William gets the couple's Chaska, MN home as well as the BMW, the boat, the grand piano ... and whole lot of credit card debt.

Both parties will go their separate ways with their own cash, checking, and savings accounts. William will pay all attorneys' fees. No mess, no fuss.

It's an infinitely cleaner divorce than their son's -- which has been dragging out since Kim filed for divorce nearly a year ago ... last October. more on this story

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16 & Pregnant Star Regain Custody of Daughter
(TMZ) After a year-long crash course on good parenting skills, "16 & Pregnant" stars Ebony and Joshua Rendon were finally granted full custody of their three-year-old daughter again, TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... The Department of Human Services stripped the MTV stars of custody of their daughter Jocelyn last year, after police found deplorable living conditions in their home like feces covered walls, maggots and flies.

But all that's behind them now. TMZ spoke to Josh, who says he and Ebony enrolled in a rigorous program of counseling and parenting classes to learn how to care for their child and were officially granted full custody again.

Josh says, "Our family is finally back together and we are doing great. We got the help we needed and did what we needed to do. We will never make the same mistakes again."

Josh tells us, there are no restrictions placed on the custody agreement, but over the last year they were subjected to random home inspections by the DHS.

In case you forgot, the couple is also expecting a second child and Josh tells us ... it's a girl. Mazel Tov. more on this story

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Singled Out: Janet LaBelle
Today Janet LaBelle tells us about her brand new single "Just A Little Rain." Here is the story:

The melody had been haunting my mind for a few weeks before I realized that it was trying to escape. It finally revealed itself on a rainy day in April around my birthday. I had just bought a new guitar and was experimenting with the different sounds that I could get out of it. My fingers began playing a chord progression that was instantly followed by a melody that I knew I had heard before. I had a flashback to a few moments that had occurred over the previous few weeks. That same melody had popped into my head once in the shower, once while making breakfast, and one night before falling asleep. These moments were so fleeting that I had never jumped to write the melody down. Now that it was out, I needed the lyrics, which didn't come as easily to me.

I wanted the song to reflect a difficult time that I was going through with assessing the things I had wanted from my life. Maybe these feelings were brought on by my turning another year older, as birthdays tend to do. I felt that I was at a crossroads between deciding to pursue what I love or to take a safer route. I didn't feel alone, however. Many of my friends were experiencing a similar dilemma. The night that I wrote the song, the lyrics came out fragmented and scattered. My thoughts were not all there. The line that was clear to me was the chorus: "You're okay and you know it. It's just a little rain."

It may have been something about that night. The rain felt comforting and was just breaking over the clouds. I felt that I would be okay with my decisions and I knew that my friends would be okay with their choices too. I wanted the song to be a mantra of sorts�for others and for me to sing or think about when feeling discouraged from taking chances that may lead to the places in life where we want to be.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself as you check out the video right here!

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