Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Bobbi Kristina Brown; dead at 22

Photo from: Juanita Beckett's Pinterest account

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown died while in a coma in hospice care in Duluth, Georgia on Sunday. Brown had been in a medically induced coma since January 31st, 2015. Medical examiners are now faced with the task of solving how the daughter of the music legends died. 

It will likely be several weeks before the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office can rule on a manner and cause of death for the 22-year-old, the agency said in a statement today. The agency said its initial autopsy showed "no significant injuries" or "previously unknown medical conditions". The next step in finding out how Brown died is to order lab tests and issue subpoenas for documents, which would most likely be Brown's hospital records. 

Any drugs that Brown may have taken would have passed through her bloodstream long ago, even while she was in a coma. Physical injuries would have also healed. Recovering any physical evidence that the police may have overlooked when Brown was hospitalised six months ago may be nearly impossible now. 

Bobbi Kristina Brown was found face down in a bathtub on January 31st, 2015 in her Georgia home, and was hospitalised. This is similar to how Brown's mother, the late Whitney Houston died in 2012.  

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Oprah heading Down Under

Photo from: Michaela Yvette's Pinterest account

Yes! It's true the queen of daytime television is coming back to Australia. Oprah Winfrey was last on our soil in 2010, when she did a recording of her show at the Sydney Opera House. Remember she bought a legion of her fans from the US along with her? 

This time around Winfrey will be doing a talk show tour similar to her Live The Life You Want Weekend tour in America. She will be visiting Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, and Winfrey's Australian tour is entitled An Evening With Oprah. The 61-year-old talk show host will be touring the country from Wednesday, December 2nd to Saturday, December 12th, 2015. She will start off at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and finish the tour at Allphones Arena in Sydney.

Pre-sale tickets are already available to fans with a Visa credit, debit or prepaid card, however if you want to spend an evening with Ms Winfrey it doesn't come cheap. Tickets for the full 'O' VIP Photo + Soundcheck Experience reportedly costs up to $2,600. This means that fans will be seated in rows 4-10, they will get the opportunity to have a personal photo with Winfrey, as well as participate in a 15 minute Q&A session with the talk show megastar. Fans who purchase the VIP package are also invited to a 90 minute pre-show cocktail party, which includes a selection of canapes, fine wines and premium beers, but sadly Winfrey will not be attending the cocktail party. 

The cheapest tickets will set you back about $100. Winfrey's Australian ticket prices are supposedly double that of what a similar audience in the US would pay. I'm not sure how that's fair, and I'd love to know why Winfrey's management or whoever is in charge of that kind of thing expects Australian people to pay so much more than their American counterparts? It's not like she needs to cover the cost of flying here. I'm sure she's being paid for that! I was considering going to the Sydney show, but when I got a look at the prices I was out. I honestly hope you have a good time when you come to Australia, Oprah, but I will not be seeing you live.

I'd really love to know your thoughts on this one! Do you guys think it will be worth it to go at that price? Is anyone planning to go, or have you bought tickets yet? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment box below as always!     

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Neighbours cast at Westfield Penrith

Photo taken by: Kim Ravia

I know this blog post is about a month overdue, and I've been a little MIA for the last few weeks but that will all be explained now. I just started doing some volunteer work a few days a week at the Salvation Army and I've had a lot on my plate recently with getting used to it so STARDUST was in the back of my mind for the past few weeks because I haven't had too much time for blogging. I have time now though and that's what matters. 

This blog entry is a bit of a special one, and hopefully it makes up for me not updating you guys with entertainment news for a while. As some of you may know it's Neighbours 30th anniversary this year and to celebrate that the cast of the show have been doing appearances at Westfields around the country.

On Saturday, the 20th of June some of the Neighbours cast did a meet-and greet in Sydney at Westfield Penrith. Scott McGregor (Mark Brennan), Tavis Burns (Tyler Brennan), Rebekah Elmaloglou (Terese Willis) and the legendary Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson) attended this particular one. As a massive fan of Neighbours I went along of course! It took me two hours to get to Penrith, but it was well worth it in the end.


Photo taken by: Kim Ravia

Unfortunately when I got to Westfield Penrith the line to get autographs, and meet the four of them personally was already at maximum capacity. (I got there an hour earlier than the time the cast was expected to arrive, and there were already close to 200 people waiting in line!) I managed to sneak into a good spot on the side of the stage to get some good photo opportunities though. It was great to go to a Neighbours meet-and-greet, because I actually hadn't been to one of those in such a long time. The cast don't often come up to Sydney since the show is filmed in Melbourne, so the last time I went to a Neighbours meet-and-greet was in 2003, when I was 15!


Photo taken by: Kim Ravia

Scott McGregor, Travis Burns, Rebekah Elmaloglou and Stefan Dennis did a bit of a Q&A with the fans. There were quite a few disabled people in wheelchairs who came out to see the cast, and the four of them got up from their chairs to meet these very special fans. I thought that was so touching. In a nutshell a two hour train trip well spent! 


  Video footage shot and edited by: Kim Ravia

   

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Taylor Swift's Apple letter update

Photo from: Haven Middleton's Pinterest account

Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to Apple on Sunday, which she posted on her Tumblr account. The letter outlined Swift's dissatisfaction with the way Apple Music conducts its free three month trial. Swift's issue is that "any writers, producers or artists involved with the music streamed won't be paid during that time period".

In the letter the pop starlet insists that this is not about her. "This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought the royalties would get them out of debt. Three months is a long time to go unpaid. We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music with no compensation" the 25-year-old wrote.

Swift's words seemed to have worked, because Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue took to Twitter to tell the Shake It Off singer that he understands her issues and that Apple has decided to change the way they pay and compensate artists. "#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customers free trial period" Cue tweeted. Cue personally called Swift to let her know of the changes, so the singer tweeted a celebratory message to her fans and fellow artists "I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us" she tweeted. 

Got any opinions, comments and thoughts on this story? Feel free to leave your comments in the comment box below!    

Saturday, June 6, 2015

STARDUST News Bytes- June 5

Photo from: Jaclyn Kingsbury's Pinterest account
It's Friday, so that means it's time for STARDUST News Bytes! Here are some of the top entertainment news headlines from around the world this week...just in case you missed it!


Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting baby number two. Kim slams twin and surrogacy rumours
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced the arrival of their second child this week. The reality TV star went on a Twitter rant in order to straighten out rumours that she is expecting twins and using a surrogate. "Can't wait til my website is active. I'm gonna do live video streaming so every time someone talks sh*t I can go blast the f**k outta them. People make up so much even people close who u think are legit. Truth time" Kardashian tweeted. 

Sam Smith can speak again
After three weeks of not being able to talk due to vocal chord surgery,  British singer Sam Smith can finally speak again! In April Smith was forced to postpone his Australian tour after being diagnosed with a hemorrhage on his vocal chords. By May things had gotten worse for the 23-year-old, as he had to undergo vocal chord surgery. Smith instagrammed a photo of Ariel from The Little Mermaid getting her voice back, with the caption I CAN SPEAK AGAIN !!!!!!!! Smith also announced the new dates for his Australian tour. "From all the bad news has come some good news!! Not only am I coming back to make up for the cancelled shows but I get to play bloody arenas!!!! So excited to sing for all of you and apologise personally for my bleeding throat xxxx" Smith wrote.

Kim Richards not to return to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Kim Richards will not be returning for the next season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,after her recent return to rehab. The reality television star may make a cameo appearance in an episode or two of season six, but she will not be a regular on the show. Richards entered rehab for a fourth time after being arrested for public intoxication at the Beverly Hills Hotel in April. The 50-year-old was recently let out of rehab to attend her daughter Brooke's wedding in Mexico, but is now back. No other official casting decisions have been announced for the new season.

Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to be president
Arnold Scwarzenegger was in Sydney recently to promote his new film, Terminator Genisys, and he revealed that if he was eligible he would run for president. "Everyone knows that if I was American-born I would probably run for president. I could do a better job than these guys can, trust me" he said. The action star and former governor of California cannot run for the country's top job because of the US constitution's natural-born citizen clause for the offices of president and vice-president. 

Iggy Azalea abruptly cancels US tour
Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea already postponed some of her live dates earlier this year. At the time her team insisted that her act just needed 'more time in development'. On Friday however, all the dates for Azalea's US tour were cancelled. "There will be a new tour planned around Iggy's new record to be released in 2016" ticket holders were told. The 24-year-old was meant to kick off her tour on September 18.

Got any opinions or thoughts on any of this week's news bytes? Feel free to comment in the comment box below! 

Information compiled from: Entertainment Tonight and The Daily Telegraph      

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Introducing Caitlyn Jenner

Photo from: Caitlyn Jenner's Twitter account

Believe it or not I was actually going to entitle this blog post Call me Caitlyn when I first heard the news about July's Vanity Fair cover (this was before I saw it of course), but in the interest of not being sued for copyright I decided to change the title.

It has been a big week of Kardashian news, with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announcing the impending arrival of their second child on Sunday, but what has really taken the world by storm is when Kardashian's step-father formerly known to everyone as Bruce Jenner unveiled 'her' new name and look in July's issue of Vanity Fair, so I'd like to introduce you to...Caitlyn Jenner everyone!

Many well-wishers have congratulated Jenner on the debut, including the White House, and of course the Kardashian clan. "I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me" Jenner tweeted.  On the Vanity Fair cover the 65-year-old former Olympian is wearing a cream-coloured strapless bodysuit and has long brown hair. 

The reality TV star quickly broke President Obama's record of gaining one million Twitter followers in the shortest time, with her new @Caitlyn_Jenner account. "Caitlyn Jenner" and the hashtag #CallMeCaitlyn quickly skyrocketed to the top of Twitter's trending topics in the US and worldwide.

I think I've said it before but I will reiterate again, even though I'm an entertainment news blogger I actually can't stand the Kardashians. I think Caitlyn Jenner is just as attention-seeking as the rest of the family, that being said though I do wish her luck and all the best with this new chapter of life. I just hope that these changes are being done for the right reasons, and it's not some extreme publicity stunt to gain the most Twitter followers, compete with the Kardashian family phenomenon, or some other silly thing. 

I'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts on this one! So feel free to leave your comments in the comment box below!

 



  

Monday, June 1, 2015

Prince Jackson graduates high school

Photo from: La Toya Jackson's Twitter account

Michael Jackson's eldest child, Prince Jackson graduated from Buckley High School in Sherman Oaks, California on Saturday. The happy news was shared on social media by the King Of Pop's sister and Prince's aunt, La Toya Jackson. "So very proud of @princemjjjaxon YOU DID! And you did it with Honors!!! #buckleyclassof2015" Jackson tweeted. 

Of course, Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson was in attendance at her grandson's graduation ceremony, as well as Prince's sister, Paris Jackson and a few other relatives. Those silver tassels on Prince's graduation robes mean that he graduated with honours! So a huge congratulations goes out to Prince Jackson on this very important milestone in his life! The world is his oyster and so many opportunities await him I'm sure. It's just so sad that the King Of Pop couldn't be there himself to witness his son graduating high school, but I'm sure he would've been so proud just as any other parent would. Michael Jackson would have been shining down on his son yesterday for sure!  

Friday, May 29, 2015

STARDUST News Bytes- May 29

Photo from: Francesca Dory Simula's Pinterest account

So, it's that time of the week again! It's time for STARDUST News Bytes! Here are some of the top entertainment news headlines from around the world this week...just in case you missed it!

Big Bang Theory sets up UCLA scholarship
Hit TV comedy, The Big Bang Theory has spent eight seasons making audiences around the world laugh. The show is now making an education in science possible for those who might not be able to afford it. The Big Bang Theory and the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation have joined forces to create The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment at UCLA. The scholarship is aimed at helping financially disadvantaged undergraduates who are looking to major in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 20 students will be selected to receive financial aid from The Big Bang Theory scholarship for the upcoming academic year. The future plan is for five additional students to be selected every year as well. So far the scholarship fund has raised over $4 million (USD), this includes the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation's original donation and additional donations from cast members, producers, crew members and network partners. The Big Bang Theory has roots with UCLA. The show's head science consultant, Dr. David Saltzberg is a professor at the university and Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler earned her Ph.D in neuroscience there.

Mariah Carey slams American Idol
Mariah Carey dissed the reality competition show when she appeared on Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O's radio show yesterday. The music icon was asked if she'd ever return for Idol's final season. "Hell no. Absolutely not. That was the worst experience of my life" Carey responded. The pop star then went on to suggest that her feud with fellow judge, Nicki Minaj was mostly an invention of the show. "I don't think they had any intention for us to have a good experience together doing that show. Pitting two females against each other wasn't cool. It should have been about the contestants instead of some non-existant feud that turned into even more ridiculousness. I would never want to be involved with it again" Carey said.

Janet Jackson prepares for her world tour
Janet Jackson was seen preparing for her much anticipated world tour at her rehearsal studio in Los Angeles yesterday. Earlier this month the 49-year-old singer announced that she'll be debuting new music and embarking on a world tour in 2015. Jackson has been spotted rehearsing in Los Angeles since May 16. Janet dropped the bombshell about her new music and world tour just a day before her 49th birthday. "I promised you'd hear it from my lips and now you will. This year, new music, new world tour, a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going" Jackson said.

Lindsay Lohan is finally off probation
After eight years Lindsay Lohan is finally off probation. On Thursday a judge signed off on the 28-year-old's community service hours, agreeing with Lohan and her lawyer, Shawn Holley, that the actress has completed 125 hours of community service stemming from a 2012 reckless driving case. In February Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Mark Young added 125 extra community service hours onto Lohan's original 240 hours, when the court had issues with what Lohan considered to be community service, such as a meet-and-greet with fans for her London play, Speed-the-Plow. Over the course of this month LiLo has been spotted getting her community service done at both the Duffield Children's Center and the TLC Women's Shelter in New York. Lohan's actually been on probation since her 2007 run-in with the law for drug possession and DUI. Lohan took to social media to express herself. "Hard work pays off. Thank you to all those that allowed me to volunteer while in nyc. God bless you all. Amen. Clean slate, fresh start" LiLo tweeted.

Bob Saget and Lori Loughlin officially in for Fuller House
Less than a day after it was revealed that Lori Loughlin would be rejoining the cast of Full House in her role as Aunt Becky for Netflix's Fuller House John Stamos also revealed that Bob Saget would be returning as well. "Last but not least- best piece of casting yet. The great Bob Saget will be joining our show on Netflix- this completes the perfect reunion!" Stamos wrote on Twitter. This means the entire Full House gang will be back together sans Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Jodie Sweetin, who played the role of middle child, Stephanie Tanner revealed that filming could begin as early as July. "We're going to breathe life into their characters and show people what they're familiar with, but do it as adults and have fun with it" Sweetin said.

Information compiled from: Entertainment Tonight

Got any thoughts and opinions on this week's news bytes? Feel free to comment in the comment box below!  

     

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Kris Jenner to copyright the word 'momager'

Photo from: Shalena Jones's Pinterest account

Reality TV star Kris Jenner has recently filed legal documents to trademark the term 'momager'. For those who are unaware of what the word momager means, it refers to a celebrity's mother who also acts as their manager. If this legal lock is successful it will mean anyone else who wants to use the description will need the Kardashian matriarch's permission or she could sue them. 

It looks like Jenner might win this one, because she has already trademarked the word 'momager' for her personal management services and for use on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. What is it with this family and trademarking words, names etc? Earlier this month Kendall and Kylie Jenner also filed applications to trademark their names. I'd love to know how this would be enforced? If there's any media law experts reading my blog post I'd love you to shed some light on it. How can one keep track of who uses words and names? The whole thing sounds ridiculous to me.

What do you guys think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment box below! 

 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

STARDUST News Bytes - May 23

Photo from: Anne-Marie Mason's Pinterest account

Sorry for the one day delay of STARDUST News Bytes this week guys! I usually do these on Friday,but I have had kind of a hectic week so without further ado, here are some of the top entertainment news headlines from around the world this week...just in case you missed it!

Guy Sebastian gears up for Eurovision
Guy Sebastian will attempt to create history in the early hours of Sunday morning, Australian time. He is Australia's first ever entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. Sebastian will perform his song, Tonight Again, which is already creating a buzz in Eurovision's host city, Vienna this year. The former Australian Idol winner will perform 12th on Eurovision night, just before the interval. "There's been such a huge build-up, numerous run throughs and rehearsals, and as a performer you just build it up and build it up and you just want to get it done so you can breathe a sigh of relief" Sebastian said.

Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis strips down for magazine photo shoot
Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis, who played the role of Neville Longbottom on the successful film franchise caused a stir when a photo surfaced of him on Twitter on the front cover of British gay magazine, Attitude. The 25-year-old actor stripped down to show fans his six pack and more for the photo shoot. Lewis's magazine cover even caught the attention of J.K. Rowling, and she shared her thoughts on social media. "Not as bad as watching Dan in Equus, but close. Warn me next time, for God's sake" Rowling tweeted. Lewis responded to the Harry Potter author's remarks "Well this is awkward. Sorry Jo" he tweeted back.

Olsen twins not returning for Full House reboot
Former Full House stars, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who both shared the role of the youngest Tanner child, Michelle have confirmed that they will not be taking part in Netflix's revival of the successful ABC sitcom. The Olsen twins participation in the new series has been in question ever since Netflix announced that it was reviving the beloved comedy in April. "We just found out about it today. I guess we're going to talk to the creators and see what's happening. I'm shocked I haven't heard from John Stamos" Mary-Kate said in an interview last month. This prompted the Olsen twins co-star, John Stamos, who played the role of Uncle Jesse on the show to call bluff on the Olsen's claim that they knew nothing about the revival. "I call bulls***" he tweeted, which has now been deleted. Stamos took to Twitter again on Friday to comment on the Olsen twins decision not to return. "#heartbroken. I understand they're in a different place now and I wish them the best" he tweeted.

Gigi Hadid turns heads at Cannes film festival
American model, Gigi Hadid caught the attention of many people at the amfAR Cinema Against Aids Gala in Cannes this week. The 20-year-old showed up in a boob-bearing white Tom Ford gown. The dress was complete with a thigh high slit. Hadid arrived to the event solo and seemed more than happy to spend it with her good friend, Kendall Jenner. The Cannes film festival was attended by quite a few Hollywood stars, including Sienna Miller, Dita Von Teese, Paris Hilton and Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal rejected for film role for being too old
Maggie Gyllenhaal recently struggled to land the role of a lover to an older man in a film because she's in her late 30s. The actress didn't reveal the name of the movie she wasn't chosen for, but she did admit being denied the part made her feel a range of emotions. "There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood all the time. I'm 37 and I was recently told I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry and then it made me laugh. I don't feel despairing at all, and I'm more looking with hope for something fascinating" Gyllenhaal told TheWrap Magazine.

Information compiled from: The Daily Telegraph and Entertainment Tonight

Got any thoughts and opinions on this week's news bytes? Feel free to comment in the comment box below!