Thursday, December 18, 2025
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Paris Jackson Ironic Tweet of Beatles Song: She Owns It

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Paris Jackson‘s tragic suicide attempt was punctuated by her many Tweets. Ironically, the last one she sent out before all hell broke loose was a quote from the Beatles song “Yesterday.” And the irony is, Paris owns the song. She inherited with her two brothers ownership of the Beatles catalog famously owned by her late father Michael Jackson and fought over for the last twenty years.

It was Michael Jackson’s purchase of the publishing rights of 251 songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1985 for $47.5 million. Jackson was able to buy the song catalog from the stunning amount of money he’d earned from “Thriller.” In what is now an historic conversation, McCartney had mentioned to Jackson while they were recording together that the song catalog was for sale. McCartney and Yoko Ono couldn’t come to terms on a price. Jackson’s lawyer, John Branca, swept in and bought the publishing company called ATV Music.

McCartney never spoke to Jackson again. In 1995, Jackson and Branca merged ATV with Sony Music’s moribund publishing company, forming Sony ATV Music. Jackson received $90 million in cash as well. From then on, Jackson used his ownership stake in Sony ATV as a piggy bank to finance his outsize spending and larger than life lifestyle. In the process, he racked up over $300 million in loan debts that were only brought under control after his death.

Paris’s final pre-suicide attempt Tweet was a quote from “Yesterday,” the jewel in the Sony ATV crown. She wrote “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they’re here to stay.” Paris always chooses song lyrics to express her feelings on Twitter– like a lot of teens. But most teens don’t also own the copyright to the song they’re quoting.

It was a shrewd move. For years “Yesterday” has held the record of most played song in the world. My guess is more radio stations are playing the song today– and sending royalties to the Jackson estate.

Smokey, Dionne, Valerie Say Goodbye to Friend

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I’m so sorry to report the death– belatedly– of Helen Cash Jackson. The wife of R&B great Chuck Jackson died on May 27th in Harlem. She was 70. Helen was an ethereal beauty, a beautiful intellect. She was a director at the New York State Council on the Arts for about 30 years. Last night she was mourned at Benta’s in a memorial service attended by Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, and Valerie Simpson, who, I am told, performed and brought the house down. Helen’s sister was the great actress Rosalind Cash, who was a fixture on TV and in theater before her own death from cancer. Chuck– whose hits include “Any Day Now” and “I Keep Forgetting”– and Helen have been long time supporters of the Apollo Theater for many many years as well. Helen was one of those people you just always looked forward to seeing. Condolences to Chuck and to all of her family and friends.

Tom Hanks Will Goose Tony Awards Ratings– Will They Give Him One?

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Tom Hanks has been announced as a presenter on Sunday night’s Tony Awards? But will they give him one for his excellent performance as late reporter Mike McAlary in “Lucky Guy”? I sure hope so. The Tony voters this year have been very anti-Hollywood, snubbing Bette Midler, Sigourney Weaver and a raft of movie stars who boosted Broadway’s bottom line this year.

Hanks was the exception. He made what had to be the easiest transition ever from Hollywood to the stage in Nora Ephron’s play. And while it does seem like Christopher Durang’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” will win Best Play, Hanks should be shoo in for Best Actor.  Either way, he’ll be on the Tony show, hosted again by Neil Patrick Harris.

Hanks joins a lot of stars on this year’s Tonys including Cyndi Lauper, whose “Kinky Boots” we’re betting on for Best Musical, plus Weaver, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, Zachary Quinto,  Sally Field, Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Megan Hilty, Andrew Rannells, Jane Krakowski, Matthew Morrison, Laura Benanti, Steven Van Zandt, Hal Prince, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Barrett Foa as well as Scarlett Johansson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jesse Eisenberg, Jon Cryer and Martha Plimpton.

Did I mention Mike Tyson? Yes, indeed. Mike Tyson, for some reason, is going to be on the Tony Awards. The show begins at 8pm Sunday on CBS.

Mariah Carey New Album Release Date

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UPDATE What’s the name of this album? No one knows yet. According to my sources, Mariah “is still choosing between two titles.” We should know by the end of the week…EARLIER Mariah Carey is releasing her new album on July 23rd. More details to come. It won’t include Almost Home, her song from “Oz.” But of course it will have “#Beautiful,” with Miguel, which has turned into a hit. More news coming…keep refreshing…

John Travolta Wedding Crasher Story Full of Holes, Leaves Questions

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You may have read this quickly publicized story about John Travolta popping up in photos from a wedding in Georgia. A poster to forum site Reddit put it up, but didn’t identify himself, the wedding couple, the exact location other than Georgia, or anything else. Nevertheless, so called news sites jumped on the story like it was the biggest news they ever heard.

One crazy explanation for Travolta being in Georgia: that he was renewing his pilot’s license.

No one bothered to check this part of the story.

Guess what? Pilot’s licenses are not renewed.

Indeed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, pilots over 40 renew their medical certificates every two or three years. Travolta renewed his in July 2011. He’s also a California licensed pilot who lives in Florida. So why would he be in Georgia? What is going on here?

Nothing about this story makes sense if you take it at face value. If Travolta needed a new medical certification, he could have gotten it easily in nearby Tampa.

And this raises MANY unanswered questions:We still don’t know the name of the couple, or the wedding, or where it was, or where they were? Atlanta? Augusta> Sea Island?

One part of the story was that the couple met Travolta in a bar the night before the wedding. Really? What were they doing in a bar the night before the wedding?Most brides to be are home getting ready for the big day.

And: If Travolta needed a medical cert, what was he doing in a bar?And where where is wife, daughter, and baby son? Who was traveling with the Hollywood star, because you know, these people are never ever alone. And again, why the big state of Georgia? He was not making a film there.

And why hasn’t the bar used to the story to promote itself?

One interesting coincidence: when it comes to Travolta and wedding photographs, there’s past info. The “manny” who was with Travolta when his son Jett died in 2009 in the Bahamas was actually a wedding photographer.

Jeff Kathrein is a wedding photographer in Tampa who himself has been photographed, notoriously, with Travolta in the past. Kathrein was for some reason responsible for Jett, Travolta said, when the 16 year old had his tragic fall. And Kathrein’s name is on a list of Scientologists who went through that cult’s drug program.

Of course, the saddest part of this story is that everyone in the world reprinted the wedding crasher story and the photo, and not one news service questioned any part of it.

https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/

Exclusive on Paris Jackson: “Depressed, Willful, Cuts Herself”

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Exclusive from inside the Jackson house in Calabasas: this isn’t the first time Paris Jackson has tried to hurt herself. Inside the house it’s known that she’s a cutter (TMZ has some photos that indicate that). She tried to cut her wrists this time.

“She’s a handful for the Jacksons,” says my source, “They dont know what to do. Paris suffers from depression. She’s lonely, she thinks no one loves her. Or is listening to her. This wasn’t about not going to a Marilyn Manson concert. She doesn’t want to be controlled or told what to do.”

My sources say Paris has also asked to be emancipated. But a lot of these things are typical for 15 year old girls who are smart and rebellious. Add to that all her other pressures and Paris has some big issues. One of them will be whether Debbie Rowe now tries to gain legal custody and take her daughter out of the Jackson home.

Meantime the sheriffs department in Calabasas has confirmed transporting a patient to the hospital after a medical emergency.

Paris Jackson Possible Suicide Attempt Tipped in Tweets

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Very upsetting news that Paris Jackson, the 15 year old daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, may have attempted suicide. ET says Rowe confirmed for them that Paris is hospitalized after the attempt. (Rowe is very close with an ET producer.) She is most likely in West Hills Hospital near Calabasas, California.

But Paris, who seems like a gifted, verbal child, was sending out some odd Tweets on Twitter in the last few days about not sleeping and not being able to study.

Of course, she’s under pressure about making a new relationship with Rowe, and with the crazy trial going on in Los Angeles about her father’s death. None of that is easy. But this may have been catalyzed by something to do with a boy. She wrote on May 28th:

UPDATE: Katie Holmes Movie “Mania Days” Money Hedges its Funds

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Exclusive: Since Katie Holmes was cast in “Mania Days,” a very minor movie, the production has gotten a lot of press. Now the p.r. geniuses behind “Mania Days” promoting the idea of a romance between Katie and the movie’s little known male star, Luke Kirby, in real life — whatever that is.

But I’ve told you the story about “Mania Days” quite a a while ago. It’s directed and written by Paul Dalio, the son of hedge fund king Ray Dalio. Ray Dalio owns Bridgewater Associates of Connecticut. He presides, presumably, over $80 billion or so of investments.

Since Paul Dalio has no actual credits, but has managed to attract Spike Lee as an executive producer and actors like Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne and Bruce Davidson in secondary roles, the talk is that Ray Dalio is underwriting this project for his son.

Paul Dalio’s only other credits are making videos for the Maharishi University and the David Lynch Foundation. This isn’t a surprise since Ray Dalio is a big big financial backer of Lynch and of Transcendental Meditation, which is the whole purpose of Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa. Basically Katie has traded Scientology and auditing for TM and mantras.

Ray Dalio obviously has his own interest in celebrity and Hollywood. He has also been the major financial backer of Jennifer Lopez’s charitable foundation, formerly called Maribel. He gave the foundation $450,000 in 2009 and $75,000 in 2010 according to Federal Tax Filings.

How did Spike Lee get involved? You’ll notice in the press about the so called Katie-Luke Kirby romance the movie has been reduced to “a Spike Lee production.” It takes money to run Spike’s 40 Acres and a Mule. And frankly, though he’s a great director, Spike hasn’t had a financial hit of his own in a long, long time. Getting him to executive produce a movie financed by the biggest hedge fund creator in the U.S. (if not the world) couldn’t have been hard– there’s a big fee involved.

And what will “Mania Days” be like after all this money and press have been thrown around? No one knows for sure. But last week I spotted Paul Dalio (or his doppelganger) walking around in the West Village during the afternoon, far away from his film set. Maybe he was meditating.

Exclusive: Secret Screening of “The Butler” Draws Oscar Talk

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Exclusive: Are you getting ready for the Oscars? Lee Daniels is. The director of “Precious” screened “The Butler” two nights ago in New York for family and friends–this was the final cut he told them. Among those in the audience: cast members Forest Whitaker, who saw his film for the first time, singer-actor Lenny Kravitz, and Cuba Gooding Jr. I am told that the screening at Technicolor editing was a huge success. Whitaker was “thrilled.” Actually “he was crying,” said a source.

Audience members cited Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo (who plays their son), and Gooding. I was also told that Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda as Ronald and Nancy Reagan are “iconic” and make indelible impressions. “The Butler” is released on August 12th, same day as “The Help,” with an eye toward multiple Oscar nominations. From the descriptions I got, this won’t be an issue.

“The Butler” is one of two big big big movies from The Weinstein Company this summer and fall pitched for the Oscars– the other is “August: Osage County” starring Meryl Streep. They have others but these are the two biggies we can expect to see along with things like Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine,” Joel Coen’s “Inside Llewyn Davis,” Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska,” maybe Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf  of Wall Street” and so on.

Pictures from the screening, all COPYRIGHT C 2013 Showbiz411.com

 

 

Sharon Jones: Get Well Wishes for Modern R&B Star

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Just heard that Sharon Jones is taking time off because she has stage one bile duct cancer. Everybody, please send Sharon good vibes, prayers, and best wishes. She and her group the Dap Kings were “discovered” only a short time ago. Sharon is a spunky, fun, soulful bundle of energy, a real doll who worked and worked. She was just born in the wrong era, because if she’d been around in 1973, Sharon Jones would be in every Hall of Fame. The first time I heard her sing was at Harvey Weinstein’s wedding to Georgina Chapman (Harvey the former concert promoter has great ears). A couple of years ago Sharon and the DapKings sold out two nights over New Years at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square. I hope it takes a lot shorter than 100 days, 100 nights for Sharon to make a full recovery!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx_aapKTv8U