Will Smith’s Family Time at “Hancock” Premiere
Will Smith’s Family Time at “Hancock” Premiere
At last night’s Hollywood premiere of “Hancock”, Will Smith made a strong statement about his priorities by bringing his wife and kids along to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
The “I Am Legend” hunk posed proudly with his family, sporting a black and white checked three-piece suit with a white button-up shirt and a black tie. Wife Jada Pinkett-Smith looked gorgeous in a sleeveless floor-length green evening gown. And their three kids Trey, Jaden, and Willow looked thrilled to be there.
In related news, the private school funded by the Pinkett-Smiths is getting all kinds of media attention as of late. Over the weekend, the LA Times published an article about the New Village Academy, discussing everything from its inclusion of Scientology principles in the curriculum to the global education policy.
FOX News reports, “According to the school’s mission statement, students ‘recycle plastic bottles at 10 cents per bottle. Once we have $100 (1,000 bottles) we have enough money to buy a goat for a village in Africa, which can ensure the survival of this village.’”
However, critics of this policy are arguing that rather than goats, rural Africans need schools, and the $100 per goat would be better spent on school supplies as well as shoes, electricity, irrigation, and medical supplies.
Will and Jada Fund a New Elementary School
They may not be Scientologists, but Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith show a lot of support for the controversial religion.
The Hollywood power couple are two of the big-name founders of a new private elementary school near Los Angeles that will incorporate a teaching method developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and employ some teachers who are church members.
The nondenominational New Village Academy in Calabasas will open Sept. 3 and welcome children of all religious backgrounds. It grew out of a home school designed for the Smith’s youngest kids Jaden, 9, and Willow, 7, who appears in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.
“About 10 years ago, Jada and I started dreaming about the possibility of creating an ideal educational environment, where children could feel happy, positive and excited about learning,” said the Hancock star who recently defended his Scientologist friend Tom Cruise.
He added, “New Village Academy was born of a simple question: Is it possible to create an educational environment in which children have fun learning? Jada and I believe the answer is yes.”
A Hubbard-influenced teaching method called “study technology” will be applied. It focuses on hands-on experience, mastering a subject before moving on and not reading past words students don’t understand.
Among the reading, writing and ’rithmatic classes, the curriculum includes living skills, robotics, yoga, etiquette and technology. The school also has a no-sugar policy and encourages parents to limit their children’s television time.
Winehouse Plays for Full House at Mandela Gig
Nelson Mandela’s not just a moral authority, he’s a miracle worker.
Tens of thousands of punters and a slew of A-list stars and musical acts gathered in London’s Hyde Park Friday for a special concert honoring the South African leader’s 90th birthday party. The biggest surprise of the evening came courtesy of a healthy-looking Amy Winehouse, who, despite speculation and a track record to the contrary, actually turned up as planned and delivered a hitch-free performance during the four-hour event.
Will Smith hosted the megaconcert (with ample help from wife Jada Pinkett Smith), which also counted Josh Groban, Leona Lewis, Queen, Annie Lennox, Stephen Fry, Quincy Jones, Lewis Hamilton, Simple Minds, Geri Halliwell, Razorlight and U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown among its stage-gracing guests.
Winehouse made her triumphant appearance roughly two hours into the show, first taking the stage with the rest of the performers to sing “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor. Per usual, her trademark “Blake” heart brooch was ensconced firmly in her beehive.
Donning a short black-and-white dress, she took the stage again roughly a half-hour later to perform a solo set.
After a short struggle to adjust her microphone, Winehouse kicked off the set with “Rehab.” The song’s lack of slurred lyrics and nonshortness of breath combined with particularly effusive backup dancers resulted in major crowd love for the singer, who curtsied and twirled for the fans before next launching straight into “Valerie,” a cover of the Zutons hit she performed on Mark Ronson’s Version.
Remarkably, she left the stage after the two tunes without incident.
She then returned to the stage for the concert’s finale to lead the rest of the artists in attendance in an updated version of the Specials’ 1984 anthem “Free Nelson Mandela.”
While Winehouse was one of the final performers added to the lineup last month, her appearance was iffy at best in recent weeksshe went from being hospitalized to having emphysema to not really having emphysema to having it, maybe, just a bit.
Pretaped messages abounded during the packed-house event, including a beamed-in Bono and The Edge joining in the “Happy Birthday” song and shout-outs from Susan Sarandon, Morgan Freeman, Gordon Ramsay, David Beckham (who garnered the loudest cheers of the montage) and wife Victoria (who garnered the loudest boos).
In addition to marking Mandela’s entrée into the world of nonagenarians, the concert also raised funds for his HIV/AIDS charity, 46664, so named for his prison number.
In keeping with the theme, 46,664 people attended the concert in Hyde Park, which actually comes a few weeks before Mandela’s real birthday, July 18.
Famous Friends (and Naomi Campbell) Fete Mandela
Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday bash isn’t until Friday, but celebs are already flocking to London to fete the former South African president.
Will Smith (who’s emceeing Friday’s event) and Jada Pinkett Smith were just two boldfaced names in attendance at a prebirthday dinner party held in Hyde Park. Also on the list: Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman, Forest Whitaker, Kim Cattrall and Denzel Washington.
And yes, Naomi Campbell will be in the house on Friday.
Despite reports that the birthday boy had banned the supermodel from introducing some of the performers after her airport arrest, her rep says that was never the plan.
“To my knowledge, she has always just been a guest,” he told News.
One trainwreck who is allowed on stage at the soiree? Amy Winehouse. The troubled singer is slated to sing, as well as Leona Lewis, Queen and Annie Lennox.
It will be Amy’s first performance since her hospitalization last week.