THE HOTLIST - THURSDAY, MAY 5TH

MAGIC MIKE IS HEADING TO VEGAS:



Channing Tatum knows what women want and that's a live stage performance of Magic Mike.

The hunky actor has teamed up with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to produce a re-imagined live show based on the Magic Mike movies. The show, which is expected to open next spring, will recreate a 360-degree strip club. Tatum says, "Magic Mike has been a special and very personal project for me, and this show is a natural extension of that. So while I won’t be on stage as Mike, Magic Mike Live Las Vegas is my vision and I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time in Las Vegas creating something that will give women what they really want."

RUSSELL CROWE JOINING MUMMY RE-BOOT:

Russell Crowe is in talks to join Tom Cruise in The Mummy reboot, according to Variety. He'd play a "Dr. Jekyll-type role." The Mummy opens June 9th, 2017.

EDDIE MURPHY: NEW BABY

 

Eddie Murphy and his girlfriend Paige Butcher welcomed baby girl Izzy Oona Murphy on Tuesday morning. She weighed just under 8 pounds and is 19 inches long. Both mother and baby are resting comfortably. This is the ninth child for Murphy and the first for Butcher.

JANET JACKSON: EXPECTING FIRST CHILD



Just a few weeks back Janet Jackson postponed her "Unbreakable" tour to start "planning her family" but didn't give any other indication as to what that meant. Well now it is official. She and husband Wissam Al Mana are expecting their first child. Jackson will turn 50 on May 16.

DAVID ORTIZ: BIG PAPI HITS HOMER FOR SICK KID

Last Friday, David Ortiz paid a visit to a Boston hospital to visit a 5 year old boy named Maverick who was born with a heart defect. He promised the youngster that he would hit a home run for him in the game they played later that night against the New York Yankees. And just like it was ripped straight out of a Disney movie, Ortiz didn't disappoint...

TWANG TOWN LOWDOWN - WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH

ALABAMA: SET TO GET A STAR ON WALK OF FAME:



Alabama will be the latest country group inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville. They'll get their star on May 26th, along with "Soul Man" Sam Moore.

Recent inductees on the Walk include Miranda Lambert, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

BLAKE SHELTON: WILL DUET WITH GWEN ON THE VOICE:

 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will put their romance in full view when they sing their new duet, "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," on The Voice on Monday night.

Blake tells People, "I love this song! This song's important to us, and the fact that we wrote it together is so important to both of us."

The song is on his new album, If I'm Honest, which comes out on May 20th. The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. [CST.]

MAREN & GARY: RECOVERING FROM SURGERY

 

After a busy weekend of singing, Maren Morris checked into Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center Monday for a tonsillectomy.

After a bit of rest, she'll be ready to play the Grand Ole Opry on May 21st, then hit the road opening on Keith Urban's Ripcord tour on June 2nd. Her debut album, Hero, will be released on June 3rd.


 

Gary Allan is recovering from surgery on his left arm. He had the operation last week after suffering for more than six months. He reports on Facebook that he's on the mend and should be back on the road soon.

LOCASH: NEW ALBUM NEXT MONTH

LoCash will release their new album, The Fighters, on June 17th.

Preston and Chris are hitting the road pretty hard this spring and summer, with a full schedule of fair and festival dates. Preston Brust says it's been a long road to finding success as artists. He says, "We couldn't be more proud of this project and our road to getting here. The title track says it all. This one is for you. This one is for The Fighters.”

 

THE D.A. OF THE DAY - WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH

KF.....SEE YOU IN JAIL SUCKA...



A Florida woman proved chickens really can fly -- by tossing deep-fried hunks of the bird at a KFC employee who tried to stop her from taking two all-you-can-eat meals for the price of one.

Michelle Aiello ruffled a lot of feathers at the eatery by paying the buffet fee, then taking her son onto the chow-line to join her in downing the deep-fried delights. When a manager confronted her and demanded she pay for the second meal, she got extra crispy and began winging pieces of chicken at him, then poured her beverage over his head.

An officer who responded to the scene said that Aiello, who admitted to knocking back some white wine before visiting the Colonel, smelled strongly of alcohol and appeared "very intoxicated."

RUN FOR THE BORDER LEADS TO A RUN TO DENTIST..

An Alaska man is suing Taco Bell because, he claims, he broke his tooth while eating a chalupa.

Jahmeal Levy of Anchorage chomped down on his meal and discovered that the beef, cheese and lettuce were being held together by a metal bolt -- which probably wasn't supposed to be there. The hard object cracked his tooth and injured his gum. He spoke to the restaurant's manager, who took a picture of the object and told him to go to the hospital.

The fast food chain had offered the man a cash settlement, which he rejected. He's now suing for $100,000 to cover the cost of dental work that he needs.

ESCAPE BY THE OCEAN:

A Florida man accused of exposing himself in Miami Beach tried to run from police -- by jumping into the ocean and swimming to freedom.

The man, who has been identified as Adacia Howard Douglas, was seen exposing himself to adults and children, and someone called the police. When officers arrived, Douglas got the bright idea to escape by swimming across the Atlantic Ocean. Clearly, he didn't think his plan out very well, because the Atlantic Ocean is a pretty big body of water. Police say he was able to swim about the length of 11 blocks before he was finally captured.

He now faces charges of loitering, prowling and battery on a law enforcement officer.

THE HOTLIST - WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH

KIMMEL IS READY FOR RIPA:

 

Jimmy Kimmel will be the first guest host on Live! after Michael Strahan departs on Friday, May 13th. Jimmy will be sitting next to Kelly Ripa on May 16th.

RUMER WILLIS: BULLIED BY VANITY FAIR?

Rumer Willis blasted Vanity Fair for photoshopping an image the magazine took of her and sisters Tallulah and Scout.

Demi Moore's daughter says the photographers altered the pic to make her jaw smaller without her knowledge. She called the move a "form of bullying."

Rumer posted the photo on Instagram and wrote, "Any friends of fans of mine who posted this I would appreciate if you took it down... I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically." The pic wasn't published in the magazine or on its website.

The photography team responsible for the photo defended the retouching, saying it "was only done to resolve some distortion with using a wide angle lens for a group shot, and not to alter or modify anyone's face."

Rumer added, "I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful."

SEAN PENN: SETTLES $10 MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT:

Sean Penn has settled his defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels.

In September the Empire creator accused Penn of domestic violence while defending Terrence Howard in an interview. Daniels said theEmpire star “ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some...demon. That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America.”

Sean sued for $10 million, denying the allegations and getting Madonna to submit a sworn declaration saying her ex-husband never hit her.

As part of the settlement, Daniels has issued a public apology and agreed to donate an undisclosed amount to Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization

The apology statement reads:

"I am so sorry that I have hurt you, Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you. How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian.

"I too have been the subject of false attacks by others, like those made here. My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as fact, as I did here. That can be very damaging and hurtful domestic violence is a very serious issue. My comments were cavalier; it was not my intention to diminish the severity of the issue, but rather to express a view regarding the disparate treatment of men of color in our national conversation. I apologize again for the distress that this has caused you and your family."
In a statement, Penn says, “I accept Lee’s heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered. I also accept and appreciate his generous donation to J/P HRO, which will have a transformative effect on the lives of those we serve in Haiti.”

BERT AND ERNIE: USED IN STD AD

Sesame Street isn't happy with a company suggesting that Bert and Ernie are gay lovers.

Mately, which makes at-home HIV/STD testing kits, used the roommates in a new ad, with Bert saying, "See Ernie, you've got nothing to worry about, everything is positive!"

A spokesperson for the Sesame Workshop tells TMZ, "The Mately ad is an unauthorized, unlicensed use of our characters. We will be contacting Mately and the appropriate parties with a cease and desist letter instructing them to take this down."

Apparently they sent the letter, because Mately removed the Bert and Ernie images from its website and said there was no intent to "tarnish the Sesame Street brand."

A few years ago Sesame Street denied that Bert and Ernie are gay, explaining they're puppets that don't have a sexual orientation.

MELISSA MCCARTHY: DEFENDS GHOSTBUSTER REBOOT:

Melissa McCarthy is defending the new Ghostbusters movie after its trailer became the most disliked in YouTube history.

In a radio interview, the star explained that the movie has nothing to do with the original. “It’s a reboot, not a remake,” she said. “In the movie, it’s like the first one didn’t happen.” She admitted that the trailer was misleading by claiming the events of the new movie take place “30 years later,” which is not the case. Melissa said, “Believe me, the question was asked. I said, ‘I think it’s very confusing.’ But then everyone said, ‘We don’t care what you think.'”

Ghostbusters, which also stars Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, hits theaters on July 15th.

TWANG TOWN LOWDOWN - TUESDAY, MAY 3RD

MIRANDA LAMBERT: LAUNCHES FITNESS BRAND



Move over, Carrie Underwood. Your pal Miranda Lambert has her own line of fitness clothes -- sort of.

Miranda posted a picture on Facebook of her and Gwen Sebastian decked out in workout clothes from Miranda's Pink Pistol boutique in Texas. The line is called Fit by Pink Pistol.

The line features tanks with messages like, "I Sweat Glitter" and "Suck It Up, Buttercup," as well as workout pants.

LOCASH: NEW ALBUM COMING NEXT MONTH:

LoCash will release their new album, The Fighters, on June 17th.

Preston and Chris are hitting the road pretty hard this spring and summer, with a full schedule of fair and festival dates. Preston Brust says it's been a long road to finding success as artists. He says, "We couldn't be more proud of this project and our road to getting here. The title track says it all. This one is for you. This one is for The Fighters.”

KEITH URBAN: NO FEAR OF MISSING OUT

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman admit they are not party people.

While others have FOMO -- Fear of Missing Out -- she and Keith have LOSI, short for Love of Staying In. Nicole tells USA Today, "When we don't have work, we love staying home."

Keith won't be at home much in the weeks ahead. He launches releases his album Ripcord on Friday and has a series of performances scheduled to promote it.

THE D.A. OF THE DAY - TUESDAY, MAY 3RD

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR...BUSTING.



A Florida woman got a little too big for her boots during a substance-fueled rampage in which she beat up an elderly driver and attacked a cop -- while wearing nothing but a pair of cowboy boots.

Kelly Marie Carpenter was causing a scene in the middle of the street on Saturday evening, cursing and approaching vehicles while buck naked, except her footwear. When a 90-year-old driver came to a stop at a red light, Carpenter ran up to his car and began punching him through the open driver's side window -- forcing him to call 911 for help.

An officer arrived on the scene moments later and found the 51-year-old Carpenter still standing there, surrounded by a variety of household items. She threw a spray bottle in his direction and then rushed at him, hitting him with a squeegee and demanding, "Arrest me -- I'm naked!"

The cop did just that, taking her to jail, where she was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on a person over the age of 65 and indecent exposure.

NEVER BRING A KNIFE TO A DOG FIGHT:

A disagreement between two people over dog poop came to an abrupt end when one of the combatants pulled out a large machete.

Police in Marin County, California say the incident took place in an unincorporated community ironically called Dogtown. A 31-year-old man from Alabama was with friends inside a car when he let his 80-pound dog out to relieve itself on the side of the road. A resident witnessed the dirty deed and approached the dog's owner. The two started arguing over the poop, and the owner went back to the car and pulled out a large two-foot knife. He then started swinging it, and the resident wisely walked away and called police.

Cops were able to catch up to the doggy-doo dope at a nearby beach and arrested him.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ARRESTED FOR....

An Arizona high school football player has been arrested after authorities learned that he'd deliberately exposed himself in the team photo.

19-year-old Hunter Osborn admits that he did it on a dare from a teammate and never expected it to turn into such a big deal. The photo was printed in the school yearbook, which was going to be distributed to 3400 students at Red Mountain High School. But after about 250 of them had been handed out, students noticed the exposed member and the school was notified.

School officials notified police, who arrested Osborn last weekend on 69 counts of indecent exposure and one count of furnishing harmful items to minors. The school is trying to collect all of the yearbooks that were distributed and is editing all of the copies before handing them out to students.

HUFF N' STUFF

A Florida man got really huffy when cops interrupted his roadside snooze last week -- upon opening his eyes, before saying a word, he immediately tried to huff fumes from an aerosol can.

Christopher Anthony Carstafhnur was passed out cold when officers responded to a 911 call about his oddly parked car blocking an intersection. The deputies finally roused the 34-year-old, who reached over for a can of Ultra Duster and began sucking down the contents.

Carstafhnur resisted police attempts to confiscate the can and refused to exit his vehicle. Cops searched the car and found a cigarette pack filled with cocaine.

THE HOTLIST - TUESDAY, MAY 3RD

AMY SCHUMER: SELFIE SEEKER SAYS HER FANS ARE THREATENING HIM

The fan who snapped a photo and took video of an annoyed Amy Schumer while she was out for a jog in South Carolina says he's been receiving death threats from her fans after she spread his photo all over social media.

Leslie Brewer tells TMZ that he's being harassed and threatened with racist taunts and death threats against him and his family. He says he hasn't gone to the police yest but wants Schumer to ask her fans to leave him alone. Schumer posted his photo on Instagram and said, "This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the [poop] out of me. Put a camera in my face. I asked him to stop and he said, 'No, it's America and we paid for you' this was in front of his daughter." At first she said she would never take a selfie with anyone again, but later changed her mind and said she would if the person is nice and "it's a good time for that."

WEDDING BELLS FOR KATE UPTON:

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander are getting married!
The supermodel debuted her huge engagement on the red carpet at the Met Gala Monday night. She tells E! News, "I'm really excited, he asked me right before season started so we've been keeping it on the down low for quite a while. So I'm excited to finally be able to share it with the world!"

Kate began dating the Detroit Tigers pitcher three years ago.

HULK HOGAN: SUING GAWKER...AGAIN.

Hulk Hogan isn't done with Gawker. On the heels of his $140 million legal win against the media company, the wrestling legend is suing Gawker again.

This time it's over his racist rant. In the recording, the Hulkster is heard complaining about his daughter Brooke’s black boyfriend and using the N-word. As a consequence, the WWE fired him.

In the new lawsuit, he claims Gawker leaked the transcript to the National Enquirer, which then published the racist remarks. At the time, the transcript was filed under seal in connection with his sex tape lawsuit.

In a statement Gawker denied the leak and called the suit "ridiculous." They're also appealing the $140 million verdict Hulk won in his sex-tape case.

KERRY WASHINGTON: PREGNANT WITH SECOND CHILD

Kerry Washington is adding to her family.

The Scandal star is expecting her second child with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, E! News confirms. Kerry debuted her baby bump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner over the weekend.

The couple's daughter, Isabelle Amarachi, turned two last month.

The Twang Town Lowdown: Monday, April 25th

 

MORE DETAILS ON STRAIT TO VEGAS SHOWS:



George Strait kicked off his Strait to Vegas concert series over the weekend with two shows at Sin City's new T-Mobile Arena. 

During opening night on Friday (4/22), King George performed for over two hours, entertaining a record-setting crowd of more than 19,000 fans. Strait couldn't be more thrilled about his return to the stage, telling the crowd, "I've missed you guys and I'm looking forward to being here a few more nights this year." 

George still has 4 shows scheduled at the T-Mobile Arena in September and December as well as two concerts in February of 2017.

Aside from playing some of his biggest hits, Strait also took a moment to pay tribute to the late Merle Haggard, who was not only a country legend to Strait but also a friend. 

"We'll never get to hear Merle play live again, but his music will live on forever," George said before launching into a medley consisting of "Mama Tried," "Fightin' Side of Me," and "My Life's Been Grand."

CHASE RICE GOES BACK TO HIS COLLEGE:



Chase Rice recently returned to his alma mater, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, to perform a show on his "Back to College Tour." 

Rice's return to UNC marked his first concert at the school as a headlining artist and was a homecoming he'll never forget. He says, "Carolina will always have my heart. I will always be a Tar Heel, and that makes this particular show really special to me."

Chase says the lessons he learned at the school weren't just about being a student or a football player, but also about getting injured and losing his dad during his senior year. Rice shares, "Those experiences changed my life forever. Ultimately, they brought me to music and so it's really cool to bring it all back to where it started."
Chase's return to UNC Chapel Hill was featured in a new episode of CMT Hot 20 Countdown that premiered over the weekend.
Rice's next stop on the "Back to College Tour" will be this Friday (4/29) at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, Georgia. 

BLAKE SHELTON SHARES DUET DETAILS



Blake Shelton is opening up about his new duet with girlfriend Gwen Stefani titled "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," which appears on Shelton's new album, If I'm Honest. Blake tells Entertainment Tonight, "(The song) is very personal for us both because, you know, we obviously have this bond that is remarkable together." And the fact that they even wrote the song together is a rarity, says Shelton. He shares, "I don't co-write that much because I'm very insecure about it I guess and (Gwen's) kind of got her circle of people that she writes with. But for us to reach out to each other as writers, it may never happen again, who knows."

But rare or not, Shelton's very proud of how their collaboration turned out. He says, "I hesitate to brag on it too much but I really think that it's as good of a song as I've ever written in my life."

Gwen nearly broke the internet last week when she tweeted a picture of the back of Blake's new record, revealing their duet.

RAISING MONEY FOR HOMETOWN HOSPITAL – JASON ALDEAN


Jason Aldean returned to his hometown of Macon, Georgia, on Thursday night (4/21) for an intimate concert to benefit a good cause. Aldean took the stage at the at the city's historic downtown Grand Opera House and treated his hometown crowd to intimate stripped-down performance. The sold-out concert raised more than $500,000 for Children's Hospital, Navicent Health, which is a pediatric facility in central Georgia that enhances the lives of children through patient care, research and education.

Aldean was overwhelmed by the amount of money raised by the community on Thursday night, and he couldn't more proud to call Macon his hometown. Jason shares, "Every single penny helps an organization that means a lot to me and I can’t thank everyone enough for helping these kids. Emotions were running high seeing all those faces familiar faces come out to support."

The D.A. Of The Day - Monday, April 25th

  

Half Baked:


  

A Florida man was arrested last week for possessing marijuana with the intent to sell, and judging by his epic mugshot, he's not going to be able to deny the charge.

58-year-old Kevin Gibson was collared just a day before 4-20, which he was probably really looking forward to. His arrest is hardly newsworthy, but his mugshot is one of the greatest ever. Gibson is sporting the seldom seen half-beard, indicating that he was likely high when he last shaved.
Wasp Killer Nearly Burns Down The House:



Never bring a blowtorch to a wasp fight.

A New Zealand man tried to get rid of a wasp nest from his home by using a blowtorch instead of his brain.

The nest inside a wall of his house, so he cut a hole in the wall and tried to use a torch to smoke the little stingers out. Unfortunately, he set fire to the wall and would have lost his house if firefighters hadn't responded in time. They doused the blaze and told the man to leave the wasp killing to the professionals.

Uranium is MY-ranium

An elderly woman in Washington state called the fire department on Thursday to ask if they would come over and remove some uranium she had laying around.

The woman was cleaning out her late husband's belongings when she came upon a piece of the radioactive element, which she believes had been in the house for 35 years. Her husband worked as a miner in Idaho and likely found the uranium and brought it home.

Over the phone, the fire marshal told the woman it was hazardous and that she should evacuate. She left to go quilting and left the uranium on her front porch in a peanut butter jar.

Hazmat crews closed down two blocks around her house as they worked to safely remove the material. A fire department spokesperson said, "She must have thought 'today's the day I'm going to figure out how to get rid of this stuff and now I'm going to go quilt.' That was the thought process."

A High STEAKS Chase:

Texas cops are getting ready to grill a guy who stole an armload of steaks from a Walmart -- and then led them on a 100-mile-per-hour chase, tossing the cow chunks at patrol cars the whole time.

The cattle-part rustler, whose name was not released, sped along for a long while, crossing two county lines while driving erratically and bouncing his beefy bounty off the hood and windshield of the deputies in pursuit. The chase went on for well over an hour, and only ended when the suspect realized he was about to "meat" his match via spike strips designed to disable his vehicle.

East Mountain police Sgt. Marc Nichols said, "It appeared that there [was] steaks and meats of some sort flying out the windows, and one of them bounced off my patrol car. That's not something you think of people stealing, especially running from the police in the process. Today was a new one."

Workers get bonus in Meth:

Workers at an auto body shop in Minnesota did such a good job that their boss decided to give them all bonuses -- in the form of methamphetamine.

Police say that workers at Clear Choice Auto Body Repair in Mankato were called in to a meeting and told they were all getting bonuses. They were then handed one-half-gram baggies of meth instead of cash. Police executed a search warrant of the shop and found used syringes and other drug paraphernalia. The shop's owner, Jesse Michael Seifert, and his girlfriend, Nancy Jean Loehlein, have been arrested and an investigation is still ongoing.

The HOTLIST - Monday, April 25th

  

Cesar Millan: Dog Whisperer Engaged:



Television dog trainer Cesar Millan has gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Jahira Dar after six years together.

The former Dog Whisperer star who now hosts Cesar 911 on the Nat Geo Wild channel, announced, "After six amazing years together, I am so happy I asked her to be my wife. Thankfully, she said 'yes'! My pack is complete!" He added on Instagram, "I always knew that I wanted someone to share my life with who was sweet, adventurous, honest, and loving, but I got more than that! She is beautiful inside and out, extremely supportive of my entire family and me… AND SHE LOVES DOGS!" This will be the 46-year-old's second marriage.

Jared Fogle: Wins Lawsuit Against Former Employee:

Jared Fogle may be sitting in prison for 15 years, but he just won a lawsuit that will pay him more than $180,000.

The disgraced Subway pitchman, and convicted child molester, sued his former employee Russell Taylor for failing to pay back the money he loaned him in 2014 to buy a house. Taylor, who is currently serving 27 years for child porn and child exploitation, stopped paying Fogle when he was convicted last year. Fogle has won his lawsuit and can now sell Taylor's house to get his money back.

Hollywood Buzz:

 

Michelle McNamara, a crime writer and wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, has died. She was 46. Michelle, who founded the site True Crime Diary, reportedly died in her sleep Thursday. A cause of death was not immediately given. Patton's rep said her passing "was a complete shock to her family and friends, who loved her dearly."

 

Pearl Mackie has been announced as Doctor Who's new companion for the next season of the BBC series. She replaces Jenna Coleman, whose character left the show last year.

 

Warner Bros. says it will release the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s It on September 18th, 2017.