Entertainment News Headlines - Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - An unseasonal gust of wind greets Alicia Keys as she steps out of a doorway behind a Beverly Hills hotel on a late October afternoon. Decked out in a black leather vest and black leggings brightly accented by turquoise suede knee-high boo a hint of matching eyeliner, the Grammy Award-winning singer is surprised by the chilly blast before she ducks into a waiting black sport utility vehicle. Commenting on the wind's force, she laughs when it's suggested the quick dust-up is a forecast of the whirlwind activity cranking up on behalf of her latest studio album, "The Element of Freedom."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Joe Jackson, the elderly father of late pop star Michael Jackson, on Friday filed a court petition seeking an allowance from the singer's estate, saying his son had supported him for many years.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cable television network A&E on Friday unveiled plans for a new reality TV show starring four brothers of late pop star Michael Jackson depicting them dealing with his death and rehearsing for an upcoming concert.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - No one knows better than Yoko Ono how far celebrity activism has come in the last 40 years.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar organizers on Tuesday named an unlikely pair of hosts for March's Academy Awards, comedian Steve Martin and "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin, a past loser at the world's top film awards.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kirstie Alley is to parlay her lengthy weight-loss battle into a U.S. TV series for what the actress called in a Tuesday Twitter message a "very funny docu about me losing weight, raising unpretentious kids, and biz."

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "Looking for Palladin," from Polish-born writer-director Andrzej Krakowski ("Triumph of the Spirit"), pits 1960s movie star Jack Palladin (Ben Gazzara), who fled the high life and personal problems for anonymity in Antigua, Guatemala, against eager-beaver Hollywood agent Josh (David Moscow), charged with luring him back home for a million-dollar-cameo payday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The bankrupt company that owns the rights to the "Terminator" movie franchise is preparing to auction the rights next year and is already seeing strong interest, an advisor to the company said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Rapper 50 Cent says former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland "never received the superstar treatment" that Beyonce got in the girl group. And he's doing his bit to fix that.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles man arrested with a knife at the workplace of "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest pleaded not guilty to a stalking charge on Tuesday, and was ordered to stay away from Seacrest.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Flight of the Conchords" star Jemaine Clement has said his offbeat HBO comedy series may not continue for a third season because it requires so much work, but a final decision will be made within a month.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Take a classic Christmas tale, a dollop of Jim Carrey and a sprinkling of innovative movie technology.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Rihanna was named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine on Tuesday after an attack at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown that she said changed her life overnight.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet accepted libel damages of 25,000 pounds ($41,000) on Tuesday over allegations she publicly lied about her exercise regime.

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown has been arrested in London on suspicion of assaulting his Mexican wife, model and actress Fabiola Quiroz.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin hosts the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday, where German pop rock band Tokio Hotel will perform alongside U.S. rapper Jay-Z and Latin pop star Shakira.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and talent agent Bryan Lourd were among big Hollywood names named on Monday as members of U.S. President Barack Obama's Committee on Arts and the Humanities.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Foodies, get ready for a culinary "American Idol."

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Another track from Rihanna's upcoming "Rated R" album, a song titled "Wait Your Turn (The Wait Is Ova)," has leaked on the Internet days before she gives her first public interview since the February altercation involving ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - New Zealand comedian Jemaine Clement is best known as one-half of musical duo Flight of the Conchords, but in the movie "Gentlemen Broncos" he takes wing on his own playing an ego-driven science fiction author.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A second attempt to sell a crypt on top of Marilyn Monroe's final resting place has failed, with not a single bid received for the burial spot in a celebrity-filled Los Angeles cemetery.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Carly Simon rarely performs concerts, due to a toxic combination of stage fright and fear of flying.

COLOGNE, Germany (Hollywood Reporter) - "30 Rock" scored a 0.0 rating in its debut on German television Sunday night, meaning fewer than 5,000 viewers tuned in for the Emmy-winning comedy.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jay Leno has shrugged off low ratings for his new prime-time nightly TV talk show, saying NBC is making money with his switch from late night to earlier and he enjoys being an underdog in the race to get viewers.

DOHA (Reuters) - Wealthy Arab funds, eager to buy up distressed film assets abroad, should spend their money closer to home where filmmakers are struggling to find funding and distribution channels, according to industry experts.

LONDON (Reuters) - Elton John is recovering in hospital from a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza that forced him to cancel a string of concerts, but he hoped to return to the stage soon, a spokesman said on Monday.

TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood is dominating the Canadian box office at the expense of homegrown films, according to a government report.

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Just in case you've been in a sight-, sound- and Twitter-deprivation tank for the past two years, here's the lowdown on the "Twilight" franchise: It's a series of four books written by Stephenie Meyer about Bella, a human girl who hearts Edward, a vampire boy. This is awkward, due to Edward's predilection for snacking on platelets, but also because high school relationships are invariably angsty and messy.