Brokeback Mountain Actor Heath Ledger, Dead at 28

Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has died in NY.

He was found dead in his bed in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 PM ET today. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they believe it was not a crime, adding that prescription pills were found near his body.

According to NYPD a masseuse arrived at Ledger's apartment and was let in by a housekeeper. When Ledger didn't answer his bedroom door, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened it and found him unconscious. They attempted to wake him; when they couldn't, they called 911.

We're told when paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

he 28-year-old actor has a two year old daughter with former fiancee Michelle Williams -- they separated in September, 2007. He plays The Joker in the upcoming Batman film, "The Dark Knight" and is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking role as Ennis in "Brokeback Mountain."

We're told Heath had dinner last night with his model girlfriend Gemma Ward.

“There was no indication of a disturbance,” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul J. Browne said. He said officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications it in the bathroom. He said that there was no sign that Mr. Ledger had been drinking and that no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city’s chief medical examiner, said that investigators were on the scene on Tuesday afternoon and that an autopsy would be performed on Wednesday to determine the cause of death. His body was removed from the apartment at 6:30 p.m.

Julie McIntosh, a stylist in a neighboring salon, said she saw Mr. Ledger once or twice a week and thought had been living in the apartment for about six months.

“I think it’s really sad,” she said. “He’s a really nice guy. He seemed happy.”

A native of Perth, Australia, Mr. Ledger, known for his wry grin and uncontrolled blondish hair, defied typecasting throughout his career. Mr. Ledger, who was born on April 4, 1979, gained roles in children’s television after he first appeared in a play for a local theater company. He decided to pursue acting as a career, appearing in Australian soap operas before moving to Hollywood in pursuit of a girlfriend.

The relationship did not last, but the move led to his first major role, opposite Julia Stiles in the teenage romance “10 Things I Hate About You,” and Mr. Ledger seemed poised for a future as a heartthrob. But Mr. Ledger defied that expectation and, although he still appeared in light romantic roles in such films as “A Knight’s Tale,” he sought out darker, more substantive work, appearing as a prison guard in “Monster’s Ball,” and a heroin addict spiraling out of control in “Candy.”

“People always feel compelled to sum you up, to presume that they have you and describe you,” Mr. Ledger told The New York Times in an interview last year. “But there are many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note.”

Mr. Ledger’s more recent films were also his most notable. His appearances as a reluctantly gay cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain” and as Bob Dylan in “I’m Not There” were both received with critical acclaim. The films were also important personally. Mr. Ledger met the actress Michelle Williams during the filming of “Brokeback Mountain.” The couple have a daughter, Matilda. Although they have since separated, they appeared together in “I’m Not There” and Mr. Ledger praised Ms. Williams’s performance in the film.

Elliott Puckett, an artist who lives near Ms. Williams’s apartment in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, said she saw the couple walking in the neighborhood.

“I used to see them with their dry cleaning and their baby,” she said.

Mr. Ledger told The Times last November that his favorite thing to do was hang out at home with his daughter. Leaving her for work, he said, was “kind of like your body has a lump in his throat.”

SOURCES: TMZ & NY Times

Spice 1 Shot and Wounded In Driveway

HAYWARD — The 37-year-old Hayward man shot Monday while sleeping in his car has been identified as Bay Area rapper Spice 1, whose real name is Robert Green.

Green was seriously wounded in the shooting and is recovering at a local hospital, Hayward Police Lt. Reid Lindblom said.

Lindblom said that Green has been interviewed at the hospital by detectives but did not have additional details.

"He said he dozed off in his car," Lindblom said. "He guessed he had been in his car for about 30 minutes."

Green apparently had been been sleeping in his car in the driveway of a house on the 26000 block of Chiplay Avenue when, at about 12:30 a.m., he became aware that someone was standing next to the vehicle. A shot was fired through the car window, and Green was hit in the chest, according to Lindblom.

Green then went into his house and family members called 9-1-1, he said.

Nothing was stolen from the victim or taken from the vehicle. The shooter was described as a white or Hispanic male about 5 feet 7 inches tall and dressed all in black.

Lindblom said investigators do not have a suspect or a motive for the shooting. Investigators are processing his vehicle for evidence, he said.

Green's manager, Scott Bibiano, who goes by the nickname "Six," said Tuesday that the residence belongs to Green's parents. Bibiano said that Green is in critical condition and has been through surgery.

Bibiano added that Green's parents have been with Green and that they are holding up well.

Green has released more than a dozen albums since the early 1990s; his latest, "Thug Association," was released earlier this year.

Bibiano said that he and Green were in Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, over the weekend for performances.

"He is well respected in the rap community," Bibiano said of Green. "He is one of the icons, one of the fathers that started it in the Bay Area."

Green has worked with several high-profile rappers, including East Bay rapper "Too Short," as well as Tupac Shakur, who was shot and killed in 1996.

The Associated Press also reported Tuesday that 33-year-old rapper Chad Butler, known as "Pimp C," was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room on Tuesday. Butler collaborated with Green in the past.

Hayward City Councilwoman Doris Rodriquez lives around the block from where Green was shot. She said she did not know Green, but was unnerved by the shooting.

"It's pretty close to home," she said. "It's always been a fairly quiet neighborhood, but periodically things have happened."

She said neighbors recently formed a Neighborhood Watch due to shootings and a firebombing that occurred in the neighborhood earlier this year.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7000.

Source: insidebayarea.com

Rapper Pimp C Found Dead in Hollywood Hotel

Pimp C, real name Chad Butler -- and one half of the rap duo UGK, was found dead in a hotel room this morning. He was 33.

L.A. County Fire responded to a 911 call at the Mondrian Hotel, located on trendy Sunset Strip in Hollywood. They arrived to his sixth floor hotel room to find him dead in bed.

UGK is best known for appearing on the Jay-Z track "Big Pimpin'" in 2000, and more recently with Outkast on the song "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)." Pimp C had just performed with fellow rapper Too Short at the "House of Blues" in L.A. on Saturday night. Jive Records has issued the following statement regarding Pimp C's death:

"It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad "Pimp C" Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss states: "We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler's father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper's influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960's Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard "Bun B" Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK "helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from OutKast to Lil Wayne."

Source: TMZ

Keeping Up with the Kardashians: All The Info, Kim, Kourtney ....

Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 1 Finale "The Price of Fame" Recap

The best thing about Keeping Up with the Kardashians being an E! reality series is that the season only lasts eight episodes, so tonight brings the season finale. Sadly, it was renewed for a second season, but that's a long way away, so instead, let's revel in the fact that this is the last we'll see of this family for a while (at least in original reality series form).

Kim Kardashian is signing photos of herself at some car show. Everyone wants to know about her personal life, and she's upset about all the rumors of what famous people she's dating. I guess she wishes instead they'd ask her about her opinions on the Iraq War. Kim's publicist is calling to ask about some rumors about her dating Terrence Howard. Apparently sister Kourtney Kardashian got her picture taken with him, and the press confused the two of them. I understand that.

Kim goes online to read about the men she's been linked to, and only four out of 10 are true. Her sisters beg her to ignore it, but get momentarily sidetracked by the fact that their mom's screensaver is of Kim and not her other children. The next day, Kim goes on Ryan Seacrest's radio show to clear up stuff about her relationships. Seacrest in! He runs through a list of male celebrities Kim is rumored to be linked with. The founder of Girls Gone Wild, Joe Francis? Her sister is friends with him, but it's false. Pete Wentz, bassist for Fall Out Boy? She just starred in one of their music videos where she kissed him, but she also kissed a monkey in that video. Ryan claims he's also kissed a monkey, which makes me love Ryan Seacrest so much.

Terrence Howard? No. Football star Reggie Bush? Kim avoids the question, which Ryan immediately picks upon as an admission of guilt. Kim gives a non-answer, saying she's taking a sabbatical from dating because dating her involves dating her whole family. Ryan is horrified at the notion of dating Kim's mom Kris Kardashian. Ha! Seacrest out!

Kim gets a call from a tabloid editor friend who says there's a photographer trying to sell photos of Kim, Kourtney and some guy naked. She doesn't deny it, but Kim says she knows where the pictures came from. Kim cries to her mom, saying she doesn't want to go through this again. Well, stop letting people take naked pictures of yourself.

The photos were from high school, with Kourtney and her boyfriend. Kim stole the photos as a joke, but lost them. OK, so everyone in this family exhibited poor judgment. Kris tells Khloe Kardashian about the situation and asks her to keep Kourtney busy while Kris and Kim deal with it. They call up their lawyer and are told that since the photos are from high school and Kourtney is underage, it's child pornography. So the guy is trying to sell kiddie porn, but in all fairness, couldn't Kourtney also be busted for MAKING kiddie porn?

They track it down to a friend of Kim's ex-husband, Damon Thomas, who stayed at his house and took the photos. The lawyer tells them the FBi is getting involved. Glad to see the FBI's priorities are in order. Finally, they let Kourtney in on what's going on, and Kim is more upset than Kourtney. Kourtney is more willing to accept responsibility, but claims everyone has sex with their boyfriend and takes pictures. Kris shows a glimmer of motherhood by saying not everyone takes pictures.

The FBI guys show up to interview the family. But first, Kris has to explain what happened to husband Bruce Jenner. He takes it as good as can be expected, first thinking it's TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes. Then Kourtney has to tell boyfriend Scott, and he thinks she's mad because the photos are from before her boob job. I LOVE SCOTT! He doesn't understand why she's fixated on the age. Scott says he didn't take naked photos of himself when he was 17, and somehow Kourtney doesn't believe him. He still supports her, for some reason.

Kris tries to explain the situation to the mini Kards, and does that "I'll tell you when you're older" stuff. The next day, they find out the FBI got the photos and the guy, so it's all good. Kris says they all learned a valuable lesson: don't trust anyone. Wow, that could not be further from the real lesson, which is: don't take naked pictures or make sex tapes of yourself. Also, did they not learn this lesson from Kim's sex tape? I guess in the Kardashian family, you need to screw up twice before you recognize it's a problem.

The whole clan gets together, and so ends the first season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. See you this spring, when the family will struggle to manufacture eight more wacky scenarios for them to air.

Source: Buddy TV

"Beauty and The Geek" Viewers Vote for the Winner! Sam Horrigan ?

In a surprise twist on Tuesday night's episode of "Beauty and the Geek," viewers learned that for the first time in the history of the series, they will be able to vote for the winning team of the show's $250,000 grand prize! The season finale of "Beauty and the Geek," in which America's winner is revealed, will air on Tuesday, December 4 (7:00 - 8:00 PM) on KCWI.

In a plea to America, finalists Sam Horrigan and Nicole Morgan viewers say they deserve to win because they were the most unique couple in the house and taught each other how to live and learn. Jasmine and Dave feel they deserve to win because they overcame their first bad impressions of each other to bring out one another's strong points.

As instructed during last night's episode, viewers can text A for Jasmine and Dave or B for Nicole and Sam to 72227 or visit www.cwtv.com to vote for their favorite team. Voting ends at 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, November 30.

"Beauty and the Geek" is from fox21 and is produced by Katalyst Films and 3 Ball Productions with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg ("Guess Who," "Punk'd"), Nick Santora ("Prison Break," "The Sopranos"), J.D. Roth ("The Biggest Loser," "For Love or Money") and Todd A. Nelson ("The Biggest Loser," "For Love or Money").

Source: BuddyTv

Former American Idol Finalist Jessica Sierra Jailed

TAMPA, Fla. - Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers, authorities said.

The arrest comes less than two weeks after she pleaded no contest to charges of battery and possession of cocaine.

Sierra, 22, was charged Saturday with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, felony battery and possession of cocaine, according to the police report. No bond was immediately posted.

Sierra, who was supposed to be completing a drug-rehabilitation program to be televised nationally, was arrested at a bar in Ybor City at 2:10 a.m. Saturday.

"As the defendant was taken into custody, she attempted to push away and flee the scene," the arresting officers wrote.

A message left Saturday for Sierra's attorney John Fitzgibbons was not immediately returned.

On Nov. 19, Circuit Judge Gregory Holder sentenced Sierra to 12 months probation and random drug screening. She was accused of hitting a man on the head with a glass at a Tampa nightspot in April. Officers then found a small amount of cocaine while searching her afterward at the county jail.

A top-10 contestant on the show in 2005, Sierra entered a California rehab facility in July that was to be documented on VH1's reality show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," sometime early next year.

Source: Associated Press