Oscar winner Morgan Freeman has reached an out-of-court settlement with a woman who was his passenger in a car crash and later sued him, court documents showed on Thursday.
Details of Freeman's settlement with Demaris Meyer, the passenger in the August 2008 crash, were not made public in court records, and a spokesman for the actor said that no further details would be disclosed.
But as a result of the settlement, Chief Judge Michael Mills of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi, dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday.
Meyer sued Freeman, 72, star of "The Bucket List" and "Bruce Almighty," in February, accusing him of negligence for failing to properly operate the car. She was represented by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred.
In a statement, Allred said Meyer "is pleased that the matter is resolved and the case is settled."
Meyer, who was an executive assistant before the crash, said when she filed the lawsuit that she met Freeman at a country club where they dined with mutual friends, and that she allowed him to drive her to his ranch home.
The crash happened near a home Freeman keeps in Charleston Mississippi, and neither he nor Meyer were hospitalized afterward.
Seeking to dispel speculation she and Freeman were in a relationship, Meyer has said she and Freeman were going to his ranch because it was close to her work and that she expected to have her own house on the ranch that night.
Freeman was separated from his longtime wife at the time and was in the middle of a divorce.
Freeman won an Oscar in 2005 for his supporting role in Clint Eastwood's boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby."
The celebration at Yankee Stadium lasted into Thursday morning. Champagne was joyously sprayed throughout the clubhouse. And the architect of the World Series victory that prompted this party, general manager Brian Cashman, was softly chatting in front of the New York Yankees dugout.
Already talking about next year.
The Yankees will celebrate their 27th World Series championship with a parade today in lower Manhattan. But before the first pieces of confetti fall from the towering buildings, Cashman will be knee-deep into plans to assure that this becomes an annual ritual.
The Yankees, who went nine years without a World Series title, crave another dynasty. Since winning their first championship in 1923, they have only once won a World Series in isolation (1932), with every other title coming within two years of another.
"What we did was remarkable," Cashman said. "But there will be a new mission now. We'll celebrate, but the business side kicks in."
The Yankees do not intend to hold a spending spree like last year's $423.5 million for first baseman Mark Teixeira and starting pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
But they need more pitching after using only three starters in the playoffs.
They need setup relievers to ease the burden on closer Mariano Rivera, who will turn 40 at the end of this month.
And they need to make decisions on free agents Hideki Matsui, the Series MVP, left fielder Johnny Damon and left-hander Andy Pettitte.
"We spent money before, but they got it right (last offseason)," Rivera said. "It made our team complete."
On two separate occasions on Sunday night, Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul engaged in some less-than-friendly conversations on the court, with eyes of spectators and the lenses of TV cameras focused on them.
As it turned out, there was nearly a third encounter -- one which could the fans couldn't see and one which could have been costly.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Paul headed toward the Celtics' locker room after the game, shortly after he and Rondo got into their second shouting match of the evening. Several coaches prevented Paul from teaching Rondo to "respect [him] as a man," according to the report.
Part of the argument began when, sources tell Yahoo, Rondo told Paul, "I've got a ring, and you're never gonna win one."
Rondo also reportedly said that Paul's "frustration dripped with envy."
Paul's frustrations may have carried over into the next game, as the point guard -- widely considered the best in the game -- had another incident on Monday night against the Knicks. Paul dove for a loose ball and made contact with Al Harrington, and the league could review what exactly took place. The league is also reviewing the events of Sunday night.
Of course, both Paul and Rondo have at times let their "fire" or "competitiveness" spill over a bit on the court. Paul, while playing for Wake Forest, once punched an NC State player in the crotch, while Rondo has nearly squared off with Rafer Alston and Kirk Hinrich in the middle of games.
Part of Paul's issue may be the fact that Rondo and the Celtics have now defeated the Hornets in four straight contests, dating back to March 28, 2008. Rondo always elevates his game when playing against elite opponents, so when the Celtics travel to New Orleans on Feb. 10, the next chapter in the Rondo-Paul feud will undoubtedly be must-watch entertainment.
Grammy award winning singer and songwriter Alicia Keys will release her highly anticipated fourth album, The Element of Freedom, on December 15th. To promote the set, Alicia recently took part in a special performance at New York University and during the performance, she performed her second single off her new album, Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart, for the first time live. The performance was recorded for Yahoo Music’s Pepsi Smash series.
Alicia also visits her past hits such as Fallin’, If I Ain’t Got You, and You Don’t Know My Name, and performs her current hits Empire State of Mind and Doesn’t Mean Anything.
Alicia Keys is going to perform at the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 5. The singer who will release a new album called "The Element of Freedom" on December 15 is confirmed to make a duet with Alejandro Sanz at the annual event.
Joining Alicia and Alejandro in the performers ensemble are Daniela Mercury, Ruben Blades, Wisin & Yandel and Laura Pausini. Ruben will do a musical number with Cirque du Soleil and Calle 13. Laura will perform a Las Vegas acrobatic show dubbed "La Reve", and Calle 13 will return to the stage once again for a duet with Orishas.
2009 Latin Grammy Awards will be held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and broadcast live by Univision. Its presenters include actresses Charytin, Marlene Favela and Eva Longoria, actor Aaron Diaz, Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez, Latin Grammy winner Alejandra Guzman, songstress Dulce Maria and singer/songwriter Rosana.
Days before she begins her blessed award-season run with an appearance at next week's Country Music Assn. Awards, country darling Taylor Swift will make a stop in New York to host "Saturday Night Live." NBC has posted Swift's teasers for the show, which come complete with the requisite Kanye West joke.
Here's hoping that means it's out of everyone's system. Swift will pulling a double shift on this weekend's "Saturday Night Live," playing host and musical guest.
Next Wednesday, Swift will compete for entertainer of the year at the CMA Awards. The prize has gone to Kenny Chesney four of the past five years, but Swift is the undisputed country star of 2008-2009, and Pop & Hiss wouldn't bet against her. She set a Billboard record this week, scoring eight cuts on the single's chart, the most ever in a single week by a female artist.
Taylor Swift is still breaking records with her self-titled debut album. But her latest album Fearless — which she just re-released last week — is also still resonating with audiences. It's been incredibly successful and launched Swift into the mainstream pop-music stratosphere. Swift appreciates all the success and attributes it to the honesty she shows in her songwriting.
"I think with Fearless and with my first album, I've just written songs about what I go through. I was a teenager in the music industry and so you have a lot of people pitching you songs that are kind of older than what you've been through," she explained to MTV News. "But I always kind of insisted on writing my own songs and writing songs about the period of time I was actually going through in life."
She explains that for her, it's not about looking ahead for material — it's about seeing what's going on right there in front of you. "I write in real time. I try not to go too far ahead of myself," she said. "I guess 'cause my songs were so personal, people were able to relate to them."
Many fan favorites are found on the album, but she has included new songs, such as the bright "Jump Then Fall." "It's really bouncy and happy and lovey," she said. "It's got this really cool banjo part that's, like, bouncy and ... I don't know, it just has a really good feel-good vibe to me."
In 1981, Tom Cruise gained his first film role: a small part in Endless Love, which starred Brooke Shields. He also had a larger part alongside Sean Penn in Taps, also released in 1981. Two years later, Cruise was cast in The Outsiders, a Francis Ford Coppola film that also starred Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe. Also in 1983, Cruise appeared in Losin' It, with Shelly Long and Risky Business, which is widely credited as the film that brought Cruise to the public eye. His fourth film of the year was All the Right Moves.
After featuring in Ridley Scott's fantasy picture, Legend, Cruise was cast by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson to appear in Top Gun. It has been reported that Cruise initially turned down the offer but helped to alter the script and eventually took the part. The film opened in 1986 and was the highest grossing film of the year, making over $350 million worldwide. The same year, Cruise starred in The Color of Money, for which co-star Paul Newman won an Oscar.
Two years later, Cruise starred in another two highly successful films. The first was Cocktail, a light-hearted tale in which he played a bartender. The second was Rain Man, which also starred Dustin Hoffman. Rain Man won four of the eight Academy Awards for which it was nominated. This success was continued when Tom Cruise received more Academy Award nominations, this time for his role in Born on the Fourth of July.
Tom then went on to star in Days of Thunder and Far and Away, two films in which he co-starred with his future wife, Nicole Kidman. These were followed with his role in A Few Good Men, with Demi Moore and Jack Nicholson. He then gained a role alongside Gene Hackman in The Firm, based on John Grisham's best-selling novel.
In 1994, Cruise featured in Interview With The Vampire, based on Anne Rice's novel. Brad Pitt and Christian Slater also starred in the film, but Anne Rice was overtly critical of the decision to cast Cruise in the film.
Two years later, Cruise produced and starred in Mission: Impossible, a remake of the 1960s TV series. The film was the third best-selling movie of the year, grossing over $456 million. He then earned another Academy Award for his role in Jerry Maguire, which featured his infamous line "Show Me the Money!"
view image>>> In 1999, Cruise starred alongside Nicole Kidman (to whom he was still married) in Eyes Wide Shut. The film was Stanley Kubrick's last venture before he died and took two years to complete. Magnolia was released in the same year and Cruise earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award Nomination for his role in the film. The next year, Cruise reprised his role in Mission: Impossible in the sequel, directed by John Woo. This was followed by Vanilla Sky, Steven Spielberg's Minority Report and the Last Samurai.
2004 saw Cruise deviate from his usual good-guy role, in Michael Mann's Collateral, in which he played a hitman. He worked again with Spielberg, in War of the Worlds, the third highest-selling film of 2005. The next year, he starred in the third installment of the Mission: Impossible trilogy. In 2007, he starred in the drama, Lions for Lambs with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.
Tom Cruise: Personal Life
Tom Cruise's first marriage was in 1987, to Mimi Rogers. They divorced in 1990. It is believed that it was Rogers who introduced Cruise to Scientology, the religious sect of which he is now a figurehead.
In 1990, Cruise remarried, to his previous co-star, Nicole Kidman. The pair adopted two children, Isabella and Connor. Kidman later became pregnant with their first child, but the couple separated months before their 10th anniversary and Kidman suffered a miscarriage shortly after the split.
In 2006, Cruise married the actress Katie Holmes. They have a daughter, Suri together.
Mariah Carey posted a message on her Twitter, denying rumor that the male stalker she plays in upcoming "Obsessed" music video is a portrayal of Eminem. "I am NOT at any point in the video playing a specific person. I'm dressed as a 'stalker' in 3 different ensembles," so she wrote.
In another post, Mariah explained about the male character she portrays, "It was fun playing 'JoJo'(the stalker/doorman/photographer's asst) The photographer is played by the world famous, legendary...(Guess who!)." Minutes later, she gave another clue, "Hint: he is mentioned several times in one of my favorite movies 'The Devil Wears Prada'.."
Prior to Mariah's denial, her husband Nick Cannon has debunked speculation suggesting she wanted to fire back at the Slim Shady who previously mocked her in a song titled "Bagpipes in Baghdad".
He told MTV, "People keep saying ['Obsessed'] was directed at certain people. To be completely honest, she did the record 'cause she's a huge fan of this movie 'Mean Girls' and there's a line in the movie where one of the girls is like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?' She says that at the beginning of the song, and that's where the concept came from. But you know, art imitates life."
"Obsessed" is one of the songs set to be listed in Mariah's upcoming new album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" which is slated for August 25 U.S. release. Its music video is directed by Brett Ratner, and will be debuted in "America's Got Talent" on July 15.
Beside filming the video for the song's original version, Mariah Carey also shot a video for its remix version. The singer revealed, "So, there are 2 videos for 'Obsessed' the original, and the remix feat. Gucci Mane. Both have a storyline where I play several parts." On what to expect from this video, a source close to the video production shared, "There is definitely new hotness in the Remix that is not in the original."
Ever wonder if stars think about their onstage costumes differently than their red carpet fashion? Carrie Underwood certainly does. “I feel like I can wear anything when I’m onstage,” the December cover girl tells Lucky.
And that doesn’t just include clothes. Carrie admits, “I love playing around with makeup–it’s trial and error, mostly error.” So where does this fearless fashion philosophy come from?
Perhaps from Carrie’s country style icon Dolly Parton. “I would never attempt to pull off Dolly’s wardrobe, but her confidence is enviable. She always makes it work!” But she does like to bring her love of country into her wardrobe, explaining “I like pairing cowboy boots with unexpected things, like cute dresses.
You can be ‘country’ and still be stylish–I would wear them regardless of what kind of music I sang.” And while Carrie loves the glitz and the glam onstage, “in my downtime, nothing beats a great pair of sweats.”
Her sweats of choice? “Sweatpants from Victoria’s Secret Pink are my main closet staple–they’re affordable, and they make nine-hour bus rides bearable.” To read more on Carrie’s fashion philosophy and shop her wardrobe must-haves, pick up the December issue of Lucky, on newsstands November 4, and visit luckymag.com.
Brad Pitt says he is in the market for a new motorcycle.
The actor, in Tokyo to promote his latest movie, Inglourious Basterds, said he trashed his favorite bike recently while trying to escape overzealous photographers.
"I had a little mishap," he said. "No injuries, except my ego. I was trying to get away from some paparazzi and instead gave them a good story. It was my favorite bike, so that is really sad."
Pitt, a well-known motorcycle buff, was involved in a minor accident in Los Angeles last month after a paparazzo reportedly cut him off in traffic. He said that while he is in Tokyo he will be looking for a replacement.
"I will definitely be looking at motorcycles," he said. "You've got some of the best builders right here."
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Inglourious Basterds, directed by Quentin Tarantino, premiered in Tokyo on Wednesday. As a promotion gimmick, Japanese movie viewers will be given a money-back offer if they are bored after watching the first 60 minutes of the revisionist World War II swashbuckler.
Pitt said he felt lucky to be chosen as the movie's leading man — Tarantino had initially planned to cast himself in that part.
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"We had heard about this script for about eight years before it came my way, so it had taken on a mythical dimension," he said. "I was doubly flattered because Quentin originally wrote the part for himself."
Inglourious Basterds follows a band of Jewish American soldiers, led by Tennessean Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt), who hunt Nazis with the goal of not just killing them but scalping them and sometimes carving swastikas into their foreheads.
"What made me want to make the film is simply that I like war movies," said Tarantino, who joined Pitt and other cast members at a news conference. "The initial idea sometimes is really as simple as wanting to make a war movie or a car chase movie. The rest goes from there."
