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Day in Pop Report for 09/17/2012


Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj Confirmed As New American Idol Judges
(popmusiclife) American Idol has announced the addition of Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban to the judging panel for Season 12.

The two join Mariah Carey and longtime Idol judge Randy Jackson when the series returns in January.

Host Ryan Seacrest tweeted the news Sunday, posting a photo of the gang (see above) and writing "It's official, your new #IdolJudges are @MariahCarey, @NickiMinaj, @KeithUrban & @Yo_RandyJackson!" more on this story

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Modern Family Star Kicked Out of Dodgers Game
(TMZ) "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet was escorted out his seat at Saturday night's Los Angeles Dodgers game after he allegedly got into a verbal altercation with a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

According to a witness, Stonestreet said something to the Cardinals fan after the guy heckled a Dodgers player. The two exchanged words, but we're told it never escalated to the point where either threatened the other in any way.

In the video, you can see Stonestreet and the fan exchanging words before security eventually came over and asked Stonestreet to leave. The guy who Stonestreet appeared to be arguing with was asked to leave as well.

Stonestreet was later seen in the hallway, talking to security staff. Watch the video.

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Rihanna Vs Taylor Swift For MTV EMA Domination
Rihanna and Taylor Swift lead the nominations for the 2012 MTV EMAs with six and five nods each, respectively. MTV sent over these details and the list of nominees:

Justin Bieber and Katy Perry have each scored four EMA nominations, followed by a slew of buzzworthy acts, including Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Lana Del Rey and newcomers Carly Rae Jepsen and fun., earning three nominations each. The 19th annual MTV EMA will broadcast live on Sunday, 11th November at 9PM CET* from Frankfurt's historic Festhalle on MTV channels around the world.

Rihanna and Taylor Swift will both compete for the Best Female and Best Pop titles, and will vie against other well-known trend-setters in the brand new Best Look category, which highlights the most unique and eye-catching personal styles emanating from the music world. Rihanna is also up for Best Song and Best Video for her smash hit "We Found Love" and Biggest Fans, while Swift received nods for Best Live and Best World Stage. Hot off his wins last year for Best Male and Best Pop, Justin Bieber could repeat in those two categories, and he also landed nods for Best World Stage and Biggest Fans, while two-time EMA host Katy Perry will battle for Best Female, Best Pop, Best Video for "Wide Awake" and Biggest Fans. Also, given the resurgence of electronic music, MTV is reintroducing the Best Electronic category to honor the biggest names in that genre. more on this story

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Police Impound Amanda Bynes' Car
(TMZ) Amanda Bynes' suspended license finally caught up with her on Sunday -- TMZ has learned she was pulled over by police and had her car impounded.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Bynes was pulled over in her black BMW around 9:00 AM in Burbank, CA. We're told when cops ran her license they discovered it was suspended.

According to our sources, cops impounded the vehicle and issued her a misdemeanor ticket for driving on a suspended license.

As TMZ first reported, Bynes was pulled over on September 9 -- but despite having the suspended license, she was given only a verbal warning and let go.

She was not as lucky this time.
more on this story

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Surveillance Video Reportedly Clears Miley Cyrus of Assault Claim
(TMZ) Miley Cyrus did not commit a criminal battery at Beacher's Madhouse in Hollywood last weekend ... and the surveillance video proves it ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources say the video has been turned over to cops, but the investigation continues. In fact, our law enforcement sources tell us ... police have interviewed both Miley and her fiance, Liam Hemsworth, about the incident last Saturday night -- when Miley allegedly punched another clubgoer in the face.

As we reported, the alleged victim filed a police report early Sunday morning, claiming Miley socked him while trying to break up a fight between Liam and him.

Sources tell us, Miley and Liam were interviewed separately ... and both told detectives the fight started after the other guy repeatedly bumped into Liam's chair ... but both insisted Miley never punched him.

Our sources say it's "almost certain" no charges will be filed against Miley. more on this story

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Webbie's Alleged Victim Tells A Different Story
(TMZ) The woman who accused rapper Webbie of kicking her down the stairs and then swiping $340 is changing her tune ... telling TMZ the incident was overblown by the police report and the rapper caused her no harm.

The alleged victim (who wishes to remain anonymous) tells us the so-called fight Thursday at the Chase Suite Hotel -- which led to Webbie's arrest on charges of battery and robbery -- was nothing but a simple "domestic dispute taken out of context."

The woman -- who claims she and Webbie are dating, but it's "rocky" -- says the two of them got into a verbal argument, which turned physical -- but not in the way the police report said.

She says Webbie NEVER kicked her down the stairs -- instead she claims he pushed her out of his hotel room and then she "stumbled" down the stairs, but was not injured.

She also says the rapper didn't rob her ... the $340 he swiped from her purse was his money to begin with (which is what Webbie told us in the first place).

She adds, "I am not mad at Webbie. Both of us are at fault for taking the argument too far. "

TMZ broke the story ... Webbie was arrested for battery and robbery in Baton Rouge but adamantly denied the accusations.

Editor note: We received a statement from Webbie's rep that was issued by his camp and his label Trill Entertainment on Friday. Here is what they had to say: We do understand early morning September 13, 2012 our artist rapper Webster "Webbie" Gradney, Jr was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for battery and robbery allegations. He has now been bonded out and at this present time denies all claims and allegations brought against him.

Today September 14, 2012, Webbie has reached out and spoke to the woman who shall remain nameless and her mother, they expressed to Webbie they know and deny any and all allegations brought against Mr. Gradney.

Webbie would also like to go on record saying he does apologize to his family first and fans for this unfortunate misunderstanding; Thank you for all the support. more on this story

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Former WWE Star Arrested 3 Times in 3 Days
(TMZ) Former WWE Diva Tammy Sytch -- who wrestled under the name Sunny -- was arrested THREE times in THREE days ... each arrest for "crimes related to domestic violence" ... TMZ has learned.

The Branford Police in Connecticut tell us ... 39-year-old Tammy was first arrested for disorderly conduct on September 11 at 8:55 PM ... in an incident involving a man who was living in the house where the altercation took place.

Tammy was released the next day (Sept. 12) on $500 bond ... and enjoyed several hours of freedom before ARREST #2 at 4:49 PM ... when the former wrestler was popped for disorderly conduct and strangulation for an incident involving the same man. She was also charged with violating a restraining order.

Tammy was released the next day (Sept.13) on $25,000 bond ... and enjoyed several hours of freedom before ARREST #3 at 8:00 PM ... when she was popped for once again violating a restraining order. We're told the incident also involved the same man. more on this story

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Usher's Ex-Wife Loses Custody Retrial Request
(TMZ) Usher's ex-wife Tameka Raymond just lost ANOTHER round in her custody battle with the singer ... the judge shot down her request for a retrial ... but Tameka's not giving up.

As TMZ first reported, Tameka filed docs earlier this month demanding a second bite of the apple after Usher was awarded primary custody of the couple's two kids. Tameka claimed the judge is biased because she accepted campaign donations from Usher's lawyer.

But this week, the same judge rejected Tameka's motion -- claiming it's been public knowledge since 2008 that Usher's lawyer donated to her re-election campaign ... and if Tameka cared to look, she would have found out long before her custody trial.

As far as the judge is concerned ... Tameka's just a sore loser.

Sources close to Tameka tell TMZ she plans to appeal. more on this story

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The Voice Finalist in Car Crash
(TMZ) "Voice" finalist Vicci Martinez was thrilled to walk away unscathed this week from a horrific car accident in Delaware ... but she was especially relieved her precious guitars were unscathed.

Martinez was leaving a radio interview to promote a benefit she was playing for a local children's hospital when she was rear-ended at a stop light.

Martinez -- who made the final four on season one of "The Voice" -- tells TMZ she was way more worried about the fate of her guitars than herself -- one of which was sitting precariously in a soft case on the back seat and the other in the trunk.

Amazingly, the guitar in the trunk was unblemished. Ditto the back seat strummer. As for Vicci, she was sore but uninjured.

The guitar went to good use ... the benefit raised $122,000. more on this story

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Adam Ant Launches First U.S. Tour in 17 Years
80s hit maker Adam Ant kicked off his first U.S. tour in 17 years last week in Los Angeles with his The Good, The Mad and The Lovely Posse.

The Blueblack Hussar Tour will be hitting markets across the U.S. before returning to the west coast to wrap up on October 20th in Anaheim, CA.

During the tour kick off Adam perform his biggest hits as well as early classics like "Dog Eat Dog" and also debuted his new song "Vince Taylor" from his upcoming album, "Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" which is scheduled for release in January, 2013. more on this story

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Evander Holyfield Held In Contempt Over Half A Million Support Debt
(TMZ) Evander Holyfield's massive money problems continue -- TMZ has learned the boxing legend was held in contempt of court for failing to pay more than half a mil in back child support.

As TMZ first reported, the GA. Dept. of Human Services went after Holyfield because he owed $372,097.40 in support for his 18-year-old daughter, Emani Holyfield.

But according to court docs filed recently in Georgia, that amount swelled to $563,900.91. Evander was held in contempt and ordered to immediately fork over $2,950 a month to clear the debt. Holyfield got a big head start by cutting a check for $17,700 ... knocking his debt down to a cool $546,200.91.

But the payment plan is just the beginning ... the judge ordered that a percentage of Holyfield's income be earmarked to pay down the debt. more on this story

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MasterChef Graham Elliot Settles Legal Dispute
(TMZ) "MasterChef" Graham Elliot has ended his beef with some bitter ex-waiters ... agreeing to settle the lawsuit they filed against him and now the culinary god has to fork over some cold, hard cash.

According to court docs, both parties came to an agreement earlier this month. The judge signed off on the settlement and terminated the case on the same day.

The docs say Graham will pony up a "fair" amount to his former employees, but it's unclear how much.

If you recall ... Elliot was sued by 14 former waiters from his self-titled Chicago restaurant who claimed he violated federal law by pooling their tips and then redistributing them unfairly to bussers, bartenders, and food runners. more on this story

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Amex Vs Producer Sean Garrett
(TMZ) Hip-pop producer Sean Garrett never leaves home without his American Express card ... but unfortunately, he doesn't always pay his bill ... so says a new lawsuit filed by the credit card company.

According to the lawsuit filed in Fulton County, GA ... Garrett (who has worked with the likes of Beyonce, Usher, and Nicki Minaj) racked up a bil with Amex to the tune of $108,084.62.

A sample of Garrett's bill included in the lawsuit listed his credit limit as $55,000 ... and now he owes almost twice that. Ouch!

It's unclear what Garrett allegedly blew all his credit buying.

But the Amex lawsuit is peanuts compared to his tax problem. As TMZ first reported, the State of Georgia filed a tax lien against Garrett earlier this year, claiming he owes $732,553.57 in back taxes for the years 2006 and 2007. more on this story

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Nas and Kelis Spotted Together at Spa Resort
(TMZ) Nas and Kelis insist they aren't getting back together, but they were out this weekend at the very romantic and luxurious Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, CA with son Knight.

As TMZ first reported, Nas says he and his ex are becoming friends -- following a nuclear divorce -- for the sake of their 3-year-old son.

Our luxurious spies tell us .. Nas and Kelis were having lots of fun ... getting along great ... BUT nothing seemed romantic. more on this story

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T.I.'S Wife Loses Nail Salon To Fire
(TMZ) T.I.'s wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle claims her nail salon was SO RAVAGED by a massive fire ... she's closing up shop for good.

According to her lawyer, the fire that torched Tiny's Nail Bar in Stockbridge, GA earlier this month caused $50,000 in damage ... destroying custom furniture and irreplaceable property.

The salon is located in a strip mall, but thanks to a quick response from firefighters ... the blaze was contained to Tiny's shop.

The salon is a total loss ... but Tiny's on a mission to find a new location for her customers to get their nails did. She hopes to re-open within 30 days. more on this story

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Britney Spears Braves Heat Wave For X Factor
(TMZ) Britney Spears had to endure the brutal Southern California heatwave Friday as the singer-turned-judge taped several scenes for "X-Factor" in Malibu.

We're told Brit was on location in the Bu for two days braving the 100-degree heat that has been beating down on SoCal lately. She taped one-on-one segments with her chosen group of contestants ... where she decided who to keep and who to send home.

She was joined by Will.I.Am -- who she invited to be her celebrity mentor for her team of "X" hopefuls. more on this story

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Carrie Prejean and NFL Husband Take Big Loss On Mansion
(TMZ) Fired Miss USA Carrie Prejean is officially on the move ... she and her former NFL husband Kyle Boller just sold their massive San Diego pad -- but they took a pretty nasty hit.

Kyle -- who quit the NFL this summer, ONE DAY after signing with the Chargers -- purchased the 4,322 square-foot house in 2008 for $2.55 million ... two years before he met Carrie.

Prejean was added to the home's deed when she got engaged to Boller in 2010.

But, after owning the house for several years, the couple decided it was time to go ... and unloaded the 4-bedroom, 4-bath crib last month for $2.35 mil -- way below what Kyle paid.

It's a steal for the new owner -- who gets a cool modern decor ... sick ocean views ... a vanishing edge pool ... and not to mention a whopping 140 palm trees. more on this story

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Octomom Pulls Out Of House Deal
(TMZ) Octomom is still hunting for a place to call home ... because TMZ has learned the mom of 14 will NOT be moving into that Palmdale home after all because she claims the realtors REFUSED to let her see inside before escrow closed.

As TMZ first reported, Octo put eight months worth of rent into an escrow account to rent a 5-bedroom, 3-bath pad. According to our sources, while the dough was clearing escrow, she asked to check out the inside of the house -- since she had only seen pics.

Our sources say the realtor REFUSED and told Octo she wasn't allowed see the house until the deal was closed ... but gave no explanation why. We're told Nadya was furious and told the realtor she needed to see the digs in person before letting THOUSANDS of dollars clear escrow, but the realtor wouldn't cooperate and even kept her from speaking to the landlord.

According to our sources, Octo felt the deal was turning shady fast ... so she pulled the plug on the whole thing. Now she's looking at other available options and we're told two other houses have recently given the green light. more on this story

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Lana Del Rey TV Ad Goes Online
(popmusiclife) In July, Lana Del Rey was announced as the global face and voice of H&M this fall and her new video will be used for TV ads.

The clothing company revealed the singer will star in a print campaign as well as a full-length video of Lana singing a cover of "Blue Velvet," shot by director Johan Renck.

The new Del Rey video will be available on September 19, with edited versions used for a TV advertising campaign. Throughout, Lana will be wearing the H&M's Fall fashion line. Watch it here.

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The Program Star Reunited with Dogs After Charges Dropped
(TMZ) "The Program" star Andrew Bryniarski has finally reunited with his 25 beloved puppies -- after animal cruelty charges against the actor were dropped last week, TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... Santa Monica police arrested Bryniarski last weekend, claiming he had left 25 starving dogs unattended in a mobile home that smelled like urine.

But yesterday, the charges were dropped because the dogs all checked out "healthy and happy" ... as Bryniarski had insisted from the beginning, claiming he was raising the dogs for adoption.

Bryniarski picked up his dogs moments ago at the Santa Monica Animal Shelter, where they had been staying since his arrest, and the emotional reunion was all caught on tape. Check out the footage

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Ronnie Lott's Take On Packers Aaron Rodgers 49ers Bet Loss
(TMZ) Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers needs to "man up" and stop trying to weasel out of the bet he made with Boyz II Men ... this according to NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.

Lott is no stranger to friendly wagers -- the 49ers legend tells us he used to make similar fun bets with Huey Lewis back in his playing days ... and would always HONOR them when he lost.

And since Aaron lost his bet with B2M -- and should have to wear an Alex Smith 49ers jersey -- Lott tells us the QB needs to pay up soon ... or else it could haunt him later in the season.

"I have a feeling it will bother him the next time he plays the Niners. If they meet again this season, it will bother him." SF and GB aren't scheduled to play against each other during the regular season -- but many expect them to face off in the NFC Championship game.

Lott tells us he wouldn't be surprised if Boyz II Men gave Rodgers a shot at a "double-or-nothing" bet later this year to clear his debt.

Still , Lott says, "This is not over ... you know it's not over." more on this story

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Michael Lohan Convinced Dina Was Drunk During Dr. Phil Interview
(TMZ) Michael Lohan is calling FULL B.S. on his ex-wife Dina Lohan ... claiming he's convinced she was drunk during her interview with Dr. Phil.

Michael actually participated in the Dr. Phil interview -- which was taped a few months ago -- and says it was obvious at the time, Dina was intoxicated ... and it was only 10 AM.

"I think when everyone sees the interview, they're gonna know she's not sober," Lohan tells us.

Michael says Dina needs to clean herself up ... if not for herself, for the sake of her children ... including Lindsay.

For her part, Dina claims she was totally sober during the interview ... and thinks the public should withhold judgement until the full interview airs on Monday.

Mike says Dina's condition was also obvious to Dr. Phil -- "You're not gonna pull the wool over that man's eyes ... he's a trained professional." more on this story

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