Visa Appeals Exhausted, Boy George Buries U.S. Tour
Yes, the U.S. government really did want to hurt him. And yes, the plan apparently worked.
Boy George announced today he has been forced to called off his planned U.S. summer tour, which was to include a song-filled pit stop for his former colleagues at the New York Department of Sanitation, after his appeal for a visa was denied.
“I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved and that some kind soul at the U.S. Visa Office would realize that if the police in the U.K. placed no restrictions on my movements, that should have been good enough for them,” George says in a statement.
“I am very sorry that I will not see all my American fans this year, but I wish them a happy and healthy Fourth of July. I include the Visa Office in those good wishes and realize they are doing a very difficult job and I just got unlucky.”
Well, unlucky and illegal.
The State Department has declined to issue an official statement on the ’80s icon’s public rebuff, but when pressed on the matter at a daily briefing last week, a spokesman said it was not unusual for those with criminal pasts to be denied entry to the States.
The 47-year-old singer, whose real name is George O’Dowd, is awaiting trial on false imprisonment and assault charges, allegations made by a male escort who claims he was chained to a radiator in the pop star’s London home.
George, meanwhile, will continue as planned with the South American leg of his tour, which kicks off in September, to be followed by a 25-date tour in the U.K. in October.
He’ll try his hand at returning to the U.S. after his November trial in winter 2009, when he will attempt to reschedule the scuttled North American shows.
J.Lo Flight Attendant Bites Back
One flight attendant isn’t after the hair of the dog that bit hershe’s after its owner.
Lisa Wilson has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez, alleging that the entertainer’s German shepherd guard dog made the skies particularly unfriendly during a 2006 private flight by “attacking [Wilson] and biting her pant leg.”
The suit, filed Thursday in Brooklyn Federal Court and obtained by News, alleges the attack caused her to fall and suffer back injuries that have prevented her from obtaining further work. (View the allegations and full complaint.)
Per the suit, on July 3, 2006, the private company NetJet provided a flight for Lopez & Co. from Long Island to Burbank. Wilson was employed as a flight attendant for NetJet.
At the outset, Wilson says in her suit, Floyd, the German shepherd, appeared to be “a well behaved guard dog,” but that Lopez insisted on giving Wilson warnings about how to behave around the animal in flight.
Cut to 90 minutes later, when Wilson walked down the cabin aisle and Floyd “lunged” at her. Wilson “twisted and fell” as a result, “injuring her lower back” in the process, per court docs.
Wilson began treatment within days for back pain and in April of 2007 underwent surgery. Per the suit, she remains in treatment and has been unable to resume her work as a flight attendant, resulting inwhat else?”substantial economic loss.”
In her suit, she claims La Lopez “knew or should have known that the animal had vicious propensities” and as a result is liable for the seven-figure damages not only from the actress, but from her Los Angeles-based company, Nuyorican Productions.
Lopez has yet to comment on the suit. Doggone it.
Rings Suit Needs Rounding Out
The lawyers need to shore up their offense or this lawsuit could be headed for the fires of Mordor.
A Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday that certain parts of the suit filed on behalf of J.R.R. Tolkien’s charitable trust against New Line Cinema overwhat else?a royalties dispute must be revised with further details before the case can move forward.
As is, the allegations “support nothing more than a breach of contract” and have not made a case for fraud or breach of fiduciary duty, L.A. Superior Court Judge Ann I. Jones wrote in her decision.
The plaintiffs allege in their complaint that New Line, which produced the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, cheated Tolkien’s trust out of at least $150 million. According to attorneys representing the trust, a contract the late British author inked in 1969 with the studio that originally owned the rights to his classic series stated that his estate was to receive 7.5 percent of gross receipts from any films and related merchandise.
The trilogy, which kicked off in 2001 with LOTR: The Fellowship of the Rings, took in nearly $3 billion at the box office worldwide.
Tolkien’s legal fellowship is asking for both compensatory and punitive damages for its troubles.
Jennifer Aniston: I’m No Hater
Jennifer Aniston: I’m No Hater
She’s been rarely spotted without her current boy toy John Mayer as of late, but yesterday Jennifer Aniston had other faithful companions to keep her company- her pooches.
The “Break-Up” cutie was seen out in Hollywood, California yesterday with her dogs, enjoying the great weather and getting a little exercise. Jen looked cute in a floral printed strapless minidress with a pair of aviator sunglasses and flip flops.
While there have been recent allegations that Aniston and her “He’s Just Not That Into You” costar Jennifer Connelly haven’t been getting along, the former “Friends” star’s rep says nothing could be farther from the truth.
It all went down when Marie Claire magazine wanted to do a cover for the film, and Jen’s people suggested doing a group shot with a few stars from the movie.
“Marie Claire wanted Jennifer alone. It was our idea to make it a group cover. The magazine only wanted to put three of them (actresses) on the cover, and definitely wanted Drew Barrymore. We recommended Ginnifer Goodwin because she is basically the lead role in the film. … Jennifer got along great with Jennifer Connelly.”