Sideshow: J.Lo's graduation present
Jennifer Lopez, whose twins Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz were born on Feb. 22, delighted a group of 10- and 11-year-old students at an elementary-school graduation for autistic children in Staten Island, N.Y., on Tuesday with a performance of "Let's Get Loud."
Jennifer Lopez
, whose twins
Emme Maribel Muñiz
and
Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz
were born on Feb. 22, delighted a group of 10- and 11-year-old students at an elementary-school graduation for autistic children in Staten Island, N.Y., on Tuesday with a performance of "Let's Get Loud."
It all started when teacher Kathy Amati showed her class the video for the Lopez song. The kids loved it so much they wanted to watch it every day. Eventually, they learned the lyrics and the dance moves from the video. Encouraged by their teacher, the kids wrote to J.Lo, asking for autographs. Instead, the singer asked if she could attend their graduation.
Yesterday, J.Lo was back in business mode, jetting off with husband Marc Anthony and the twins to Antwerp, Belgium, where he was scheduled to perform tonight.
Theatrical Move
Walter Dallas, former artistic director of Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia, has joined the theater faculty of the University of Maryland, in College Park, as a senior artist-in-residence.
Dallas, a graduate of Morehouse College and the Yale School of Drama, is best known in Philadelphia for his productions of Black Nativity, Lazarus, Unstoned, Sparkle, Purlie and Cooley High.
Young Jeezy busted
TMZ.com says hip-hop artist
Young Jeezy
(
Jay Jenkins
) was arrested at 2:30 a.m. yesterday in Atlanta after cops stopped him for driving erratically. YJ was hit with a smorgasbord of charges, including DUI, driving with an open container, speeding, reckless driving and having no tags and no proof of insurance. Mr. Jeezy, who was released on bail, is due in court on July 17.
Miley to host Teen Choice
Miley Cyrus
will host the Teen Choice Awards, to be broadcast live by Fox on Aug. 4.
Musicians vying for prizes include Chris Brown, with nine nominations, and Justin Timberlake - who, though he's won a record-setting 21 Teen Choice Awards since '98, has only three this time.
Spielberg talks with Indian suitor
Will India soon own a piece of American film icon
Steven Spielberg
? The New York Times reports that Reliance Entertainment, one of India's biggest entertainment companies, is flirting with the idea of investing $500 mil in DreamWorks SKG, the film studio Spielberg cofounded with
David Geffen
. Reliance's payment, in exchange for an undisclosed equity stake in DreamWorks, would allow the studio to leave its parent company, Paramount.
Lil star atop the big charts
Rapper
Lil Wayne
rocked the Billboard charts this week with his new CD,
Tha Carter III
, which, according to Nielsen SoundScan, sold just more than one million
copies in its first week - the highest one-week sales figure since 2005. (And they say nobody buys albums anymore.) Meanwhile,
Plies
'
Definition of Real
sold 215,000 to debut at No. 2, and the
Now 28
compilation slipped a rung to No. 3, selling 132,000 copies.
What did docs tell Amy Winehouse?
Is it true that
Amy Winehouse
, who was hospitalized Monday after fainting at home, was told by her docs that if she keeps on with her alleged drug use, "eventually she won't get up again,"
as London tabloid the Sun says?
Amy's rep tells the Daily Mail's Online edition the "quit or die" report is not true.
Katie's price bump
Plan to check out
Katie Holmes
- her generation's most averagest actress - taking on Pulitzer-winning scribe
Arthur Miller
in a new production of
All My Sons
? Then prepare to spend plenty of extra cheddar.
E!Online says Mrs. Tom Cruise's Broadway debut, which will begin previews Sept. 18 and open on Oct. 16 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, will cost more than double regular rates. Instead of the average $100, premium tickets will cost $251. Plan to pay $100 extra during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks.
'American Idol' dream come true
America's most beloved
American Idol
champ,
Carrie Underwood
, will perform at the Liacouras Center at Temple on Oct. 19. Tix ($35 to $55) go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Info: 1-800-298-4200 or
» READ MORE: www.comcasttix.com
.
Spears' home up for sale
Britney Spears
' dad,
Jamie Spears
, who remains the boss of his daughter's financial and legal affairs - at least until a July 31 hearing - is putting Brit's Studio City, Calif., home on sale. So where will the chanteuse go?
Somewhere with pastures and rolling hills. "Having more privacy and wide open spaces for [Brit] to raise her boys has been a goal for some time," an anon source tells People.
Yesterday, Brit flew back to Louisiana to be with her 17-year-old sis, Jamie Lynn Spears, who is due to give birth to her first baby with fiance Casey Aldridge.
Outing Brit's dark secrets?
Journalist
Ian Halperin
claims in a yet-to-be-published book that Brit tried to commit suicide on two occasions.
Halperin, who has previously penned bios of Kurt Cobain and Celine Dion, tells Life & Style mag, "I spoke with her many times and went to her house. . . . I will say the suicide attempts are true. I know all the details about both of them." Brit paper the Daily Mail says an anon Brit insider has confirmed the singer regularly hinted at suicide, especially after the birth of her second son, Jayden James, in September '06.
Brit's people have yet to comment.
Moss riles Turkish art lovers
Kate Moss
surprised Turkish art lovers Tuesday night when she showed up at a gallery in Istanbul wearing a particularly risque frock, reports Britain's the Daily Mail. The supermodel, who was accompanied by bf
Jamie Hince
, sported a revealing sheer polka-dot maxidress. "Kate looked great as always," an anon onlooker said. "Although it was very evident she wasn't wearing any underwear."
Marriage license for Takei
Star Trek
alum
George Takei
, 71, has taken advantage of California's new same-sex-marriage-friendly legal atmosphere to obtain a marriage license from the City of West Hollywood. Takei and his partner of 21 years,
Brad Altman
, 54, plan to wed Sept. 14.
Benji & Paris 4-ever?
Joel Madden
and
Nicole Richie
, who are having fun playing house with their 5-month-old daughter,
Harlow
, have inspired Joel's twin,
Benji
, to consider settling down with his one 'n' only . . .
Paris Hilton
. "I'm so beyond happy," Benji told
Ryan Seacrest
on his KIIS-FM radio show Tuesday. "Nothing worries me in life anymore. When you find that best friend, that love, all your worries kind of go away. Your work gets better and everything you do, you have someone supporting you, and she's that for me."