Ashley Dupré: Girl Gone Hollywood?
A little questionable PR doesn’t seem to have scared Ashley Dupré away from the spotlight.
E! News has learned exclusively that the former high-priced prostitute at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal is developing a cable reality series and is considering moving from New York to Los Angeles.
When contacted by E!, a rep for Dupré declined to comment, only saying, “She has no TV deal.” Her rep would not address specifically whether she’s developing a series.
A source tells E!, however, that Dupré, 23, has been developing an unscripted show with production execs at L.A.-based Handprint Entertainment, the same company that has managed the career of reality icon Nicole Richie and Pamela Anderson.
One of the concepts being considered is a dating format.
“They’re talking to MTV about Ashley being the next Tila Tequila,” says a source close to the project. (Handprint execs couldn’t be reached for comment on the project; MTV declined comment).
News of Dupré’s reality TV aspirations comes less than a week after she abandoned her lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis.
According to a statement released to by Dupre’s lawyer Richard C. Wolfe, “Ms. Dupré wants to eliminate all negativity from her life and focus on the positive. She has prospects for many exciting new projects and is looking forward to starting a new chapter.”
As for her involvement in the criminal investigation against Spitzer being conducted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New Yorkshe was granted immunity on March 15, 2008 after agreeing to testify against the former governor.
The U.S. Attorney’s office has temporarily delayed the criminal proceedings while the IRS conducts their own investigation to see if Spitzer misspent public funds (on things like the Emperor’s Club, the call girl service that employed Dupré).
Reporting by Matt Donnelly and Claudia Rosenbaum
Selena Gomez: No Feuding With Miley Cyrus
Selena Gomez wants everyone to know she’s not feuding with Miley Cyrus.
For about the past six weeks, Gomez has been dubbed “the next Miley Cyrus,” with Disney execs hoping to fast-track Gomez into even bigger stardom because they were getting nervous about some of the controversies surrounding the Hannah Montana star.
The 15-year-old Gomez stars in the Disney Channel hit Wizards of Waverly Place.
“It’s a little overwhelming, but I think really, it’s a compliment,” Gomez told me of the Cyrus comparisons. “She’s obviously extremely successful, and I think she’s a wonderful performer…So being compared to her, I was very, very flattered.”
I caught up with Gomez on Saturday over some Crumbs cupcakes at a press day promoting her upcoming fall movie, Another Cinderella Story. (I’ll have more on the flick closer to its September release.)
Gomez and Cyrus have even had a good laugh about their so-called feuding. “We’re literally like, It’s fine. It’s all good,” Gomez recalled. “She’s Miley and I’m Selena.”
No doubt the comparisons will fire up again when Gomez’s first album debuts. However, if it’s up to Gomez, you won’t find her doing it alone. “I’m not going to be a solo artist,” the Texas native insisted. “I want to be in a band with four other guys.”
Gomez is keeping mum on a release date because her record deal isn’t official yet. “Soon, soon, soon,” she said with a laugh. “I can say that for sure.”
Gomez’s rise in Hollywood isn’t the only thing she’s celebrating these days. She’s got a party planned for her Sweet 16 in July.
“I’d like to have a huge, fun and crazy cake,” Gomez said. “I kind of want a Mad Hatter style cake like Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz’s [wedding] cake. I want to have karaoke, and I’m going to have a photo booth. It’s going to be really just strictly family and friends.”
Favreau Totally Blogs, Questions Iron Man II Date
So this is how it works in Hollywood, now? You direct a huge summer blockbuster, you get a greenlight on your sequel and then have to bitch about your bosses…on your MySpace page?
Iron Man director Jon Favreau has been deftly fielding fanboy questions on a MySpace forum this week and has also lobbed open complaints about the ambitious schedule laid out by Marvel execs. The April 2010 release date for Iron Man II doesn’t sit well with him, and here’s what he said:
“Neither Robert [Downey Jr.] nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is,” he writes. “We owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.”
See, after Iron Man’s huge debut this summer, Marvel announced a jam-packed lineup assembling the classic Avengers superhero team, including Thor (2010), Iron Man II (2010), Captain America (2011) and The Avengers (2011). Favreau says he’s keen on directing The Avengers, too, and feels he won’t have time. “It’s been five weeks,” he writes, “since the one and only phone call my reps have gotten from Marvel.”
Other revelations from the thread:
- Favreau has plans for classic baddie/martial-arts master The Mandarin: “[He is] Iron Man’s nemesis and will be incorporated in the sequel.” As will ironclad buddy War Machine.
- While Downey Jr., as Tony Stark, shows up in this week’s The Incredible Hulk, Favreau sees a Hulk cameo in Iron Man II.
- Longtime Iron Man geek Ghostface Killah shot a cameo for the film, and it should surface as an outtake on the DVD.
- Favreau liked the Hulk movie. “I saw it last night,” he writes, “and it was a lot of fun.”
So how will Marvel execs respond? We’re keeping on eye on their Facebook wall to find out…
Britney Spears’ Label Sues Perez Hilton
Britney Spears’ Label Sues Perez Hilton
If controversy is a good thing in the music industry, Britney Spears’ new album just may be set to live a charmed life on the charts.
The “Gimme More” singer’s record label, Jive Records, is suing PerezHilton.com for copyright infringement, according to charges filed yesterday. Apparently the gossip columnist posted unauthorized recordings from the new album, and execs at Jive are none too pleased.
The “Baby One More Time” singer is planning on releasing her new opus in a matter of weeks, with a street date of October 30th here in the States. But apparently that wasn’t soon enough for Hilton.
He is being charged with posting at least 10 completed songs and unfinished demos over the past three months. And that could spell disaster for the VH-1 show host.
His lawyer told press, “It seems to me that when you single out PerezHilton and put out a press release, that maybe what you’re looking for is publicity. He will be vigorously defended in any action that is filed against him.”