In the wake of his Las Vegas arrest this past weekend, HBO has decided to cut ties with its Chairman and CEO, Chris Albrecht.
In a statement obtained by TMZ, parent company Time Warner Chairman and CEO Richard D. Parsons said:
“Jeff Bewkes (President and COO of Time Warner) and I believe that this is the right decision for the company. We thank Chris Albrecht for all of his contributions to Home Box Office over the years.”
Albrecht, who had been with HBO for 22 years, look a leave of absence as of yesterday, saying he “agreed to step down … recognizing that I cannot allow my personal circumstances to distract them from the business.”
HBO Chief Operating Officer Bill Nelson will temporarily take over Chris Albrecht’s duties until a new CEO is appointed.
Albrecht was arrested over the weekend for allegedly beating his girlfriend up outside the MGM Grand Casino after the prizefight between Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Wonder what Rich Eisen had to say about that on SportsCenter.
Yesterday, Albrecht sent a letter to the HBO staff, which stated that he was “deeply sorry” for the Vegas incident, and revealed that he is a recovering alcoholic who had slipped.
Mel Gibson knows the feeling. So does Naomi Campbell… although she would likely beat Albrecht’s ass if he tried that crap with her.
Welsh actor Matthew Rhys enjoyed an extremely warm welcome in the hillside while filming scenes for a new movie with two of the sexiest stars of British cinema.
As our revealing pictures prove, the 32-year-old looks like he s comfortably getting to grips with his new role as poet and fellow countryman Dylan Thomas, alongside Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller.
Shall we dance? Sienna wraps a leg around Matthew’s waist while filimng a steamy scene for the film.
That looks like wheelie good fun: Sienna gives her co-star a lift.
Sienna and Kiera share a joke as they relax while filming the biopic about Dylan Thomas.
Sienna replaced Lindsay Lohan in the role of Thomas’s wife after the troubled American withdrew from the movie, called The Best Time of Our Lives.
And the couple certainly stayed true to the film s title while acting out a raunchy dance scene that puts Heather Mills s tame moves firmly in the shade.
And in another steamy scene, Keira reportedly joins the pair for a hot and heavy threesome between the sheets.
A source said: “Everyone was gutted when Lohan quit. We knew love scenes between her and Keira would pull in the punters. But when Sienna said she wanted the role our fears were laid to rest. The sex scenes will go down in movie history.”
The film is sure to be a box office hit when it goes on general release next year - as long as lucky old Rhys has enough energy to make it through to the end of filming.
Jessica Simpson attended the MET Costume Institute Benefit Gala earlier this week, and as she was leaving her hotel for the event she got into the wrong car. And not only does she not realize it, she even tries to defend herself by saying that’s the car that’s been driving her around all day. How does she even function? I wouldn’t be surprised if all the furniture in her home has mouth-sized holes in them because Jessica Simpson can’t figure out what food is.
Genius musician Prince, who recently announced he will perform 21 concerts in London before taking time off to study the Bible, has also revealed that he will release his own brand of perfume in July. The Purple Rain star is naming his fragrance 3121 — the same title as his last album. No word on the exact scent, but it already reeks of a sellout.
“Shut up and Drive” is going to be the next single off of Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” album. This song is a blend of different types of music including Rock, Pop, a bit of Hip Hop and her own little flare. It’s…interesting. I don’t know if this one is going to catch on as much as “Umbrella” and it will probably be played on pop stations for a bit before they switch to something else. I could be wrong…I mean I did say that Umbrella was going to be a flop and not only is that song hot right now but I listen to it about 50 times a day.
Jennifer Lopez has hired a whole slew of new security people since receiving letters from an animal rights activist, threatening to “kill her in public, just like the slaughtered animals whose fur she wears.”
Okay, everybody just calm down.
Apparently Jen wasn’t that upset by the letters that have been showing up in her mailbox for the last month or so, but her hubby, Marc Anthony, is not so comfortable.
“He has hired two off-duty police officers, in addition to her usual security team, to watch over Lopez whenever she makes public appearances,” says a Lopez/Anthony friend.
PETA gave this statement to The Daily News:
“All violence is wrong. But J.Lo needs to stop the real violence she promotes and subsidizes rather than give herself extra protection she doesn’t need.”
Jen’s rep denies she’s beefed up security.
Whether or not you think La Lopez should rock the furs, isn’t there enough violence in the world? And if you’re all about animal life rights, why would you threaten to kill someone?
While Tori Spelling’s Oxygen reality show “Tori & Dean: Inn Love” makes it seem as if Tori Spelling sunk her entire meek $800k inheritance into the bed and breakfast she runs with her husband that’s not the case at all. Tori didn’t buy the Inn, she’s just leasing it. The luxurious bed and breakfast is still registered with the current owners, who have been trying to sell it for almost a year.
What’s more is that Tori and Dean are hardly there when cameras aren’t around, claim sources quoted in The Enquirer:
Tori has led viewers to believe that she pucked down her paltry $800,000 inheritance from her late father, legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, to buy the Chateau La Rue in the sleepy town of Fallbrook, CA.
But that’s far from the truth.
“Tori and Dean are leasing the inn,” explained the actresses publicist.
According to legal documents, the property belongs to Christopher and Patricia King, who have owned it for years.
In fact, records indicate the four-bedroom inn has been on the market for more than 300 days and remains active on a multiple listing service. The asking price… has been reduced form the original $3.4 million to $2.6 million.
During the “Inn Love” premiere… Tori conducted a highly publicized estate sale at her Hollywood home, hawking all her worldly possessions to raise money to supposedly buy the 4,000 square-foot inn.
And in episodes filmed before she gave birth to Liam on March 13, a heavily pregnant Tori interacted with guests at the inn for the TV cameras.
“But these days Tori and Dean are nowhere to be found on the grounds,” according to an insider.
“And it’s so odd at the inn. When you finally manage to reach a live person at the desk, they don’t even answer the phone like it’s a normal business. I had to ask if I’d reached the Chateau.”
[From National Enquirer print edition, May 14, 2007]
I haven’t seen this show, but fellow gossip blog Seriously? OMG! WTF? speaks highly of it and says it’s sweet and that Tori and Dean are fun to watch.
If they make it out like Tori bought the Inn and she’s really just leasing it that’s more than misleading. Still, it’s reality TV so they’re bound to embellish.
The show’s first season chronicled Spelling and McDermott’s to invest most of their savings in a bed-and-breakfast in Fallbrook, Calif., northeast of San Diego. The new episodes will follow the couple as they try to make the business a success while getting used to being parents. Spelling gave birth to the couple’s son, Liam, in March.
In the wake of his Las Vegas arrest this past weekend, HBO has decided to cut ties with its Chairman and CEO, Chris Albrecht.
Genius musician Prince, who recently announced he will perform 21 concerts in London before taking time off to study the Bible, has also revealed that he will release his own brand of perfume in July. The Purple Rain star is naming his fragrance 3121 — the same title as his last album. No word on the exact scent, but it already reeks of a sellout.
Jennifer Lopez has hired a whole slew of new security people since 
Tori has led viewers to believe that she pucked down her paltry $800,000 inheritance from her late father, legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, to buy the Chateau La Rue in the sleepy town of Fallbrook, CA.
