Posted Nov 20th 2008 4:30AM by TMZ Staff
Tom Hanks is being dragged into the middle of a legal war over The Beatles.
Tom's wife, Rita Wilson, just had to have a 1962 vintage Beatles poster priced at $75,000 as a gift for Hanks.
According to legal papers filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Wilson agreed to ante up -- provided the seller, Melissa Pearl, coughed up a certificate of authenticity. When Pearl came up dry, Wilson said she would bail on the deal.
That's when Pearl, "became belligerent" demanding not only the $75k but an additional $300,000 "for what Pearl absurdly characterized as her time and trouble to obtain the evidence requested by Wilson that the poster was authentic."
Wilson wants a judge to declare she can legally walk from the deal. P.S. -- according to the suit, Wilson was overpaying in the first place ... it's good to be rich.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Nov 20th 2008 4:00AM by TMZ Staff
Everything Barack Obama touches turns to sold -- including a bar-room pool table the president-elect played on last May.
John Mawyer, the owner of Schultzie's Billiards in West Virginia, is 86ing the Obama pool table on Ebay. Starting price -- $500,000. Some of the proceeds will go to charity.
John told us Barack lost the game of 8-ball after accidentally hitting the little black ball in. Guess he can't win 'em all.
Filed under: Barack Obama
Posted Nov 20th 2008 3:45AM by TMZ Staff
The people at Britney's record label are treating her new album like the frickin' Shroud of Turin -- putting legitimate music critics through a virtual gauntlet just to get a peek.
Even though the album has already leaked online, we're told the rules of the review sessions for "Circus" have been insanely strict: No recorders, no computers, and only one person at a time hearing the album. We're also told reviewers haven't even been allowed to fast forward or rewind "Circus" themselves.
And if the lockdown preview sessions weren't bad enough, more than one person has told us the album was played for the critics at "crazy" loud volume levels -- but we're not really sure who that benefits.
Filed under: Britney Spears
Posted Nov 20th 2008 3:40AM by TMZ Staff
If you were promised a party with the cast of "Twilight", would you be happy hanging out with anyone but Robert Pattinson?!
A flier for a "Twilight" event advertised the movie's "cast" would be at PRIVE in Vegas this past weekend and featured a photo of the two leads, Pattinson and Kristin Stewart. Unfortunately, they were never scheduled to appear and didn't show up.
Instead clubbers got to hang with D-list ancillary cast members like Jennie Garth's husband (Peter Facinelli) and some actors named Billy Burke, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene. That's like going to a "Titanic" party in '97 and doing shots with Suzy Amis and Danny Nucci. Google them.
Reps for the nightclub say they were given the art for the flyer by the film company and clearly listed who would attend ... in fine print.
Filed under: Movies, Hot Vegas
Posted Nov 20th 2008 3:30AM by TMZ Staff
Not since Jennifer Grey has a celeb rendered themselves almost completely unrecognizable with the adjustment of one feature.
With one fell swoop of his man-bangs, Chace Crawford morphed from "Gossip Girl" hottie into any other nerdy unidentifiable Upper East Side prepster.
Will the real Nate Archibald please report to the St. Jude's School for Boys principal's office now?!
Filed under: TV, Beauty
Posted Nov 20th 2008 3:15AM by TMZ Staff
A frightened female we believe to be actress Bonnie Somerville can be heard pleading with a 911 dispatcher for an ambulance -- just moments after her friend was shot in the back after a Hollywood party last month.
Somerville's injured companion, Walter Stewart, was taken to a local hospital and eventually released -- the suspect fled the scene and has yet to be caught.
Posted Nov 20th 2008 3:00AM by TMZ Staff
The robot from "Lost in Space" has lost his place!
Bob May, who played the robot from "Lost in Space", lost his home and everything in it during the recent fires in Southern California. A rep for the fixed-income actor says, "Along with his home, he lost all of his memorabilia and is now living with family to recover from this tragic event. He hopes to have all his fans thoughts and prayers while dealing with this unfortunate turn of events."
If only there was someone or something to warn him before the tragedy. Danger!
Filed under: TV, Natural Disasters
Posted Nov 20th 2008 2:30AM by TMZ Staff
Here's "Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia (left) -- and eccentric fashion designer John Galliano (right) at an event in NYC on Monday.
One of them didn't shave their mustache.
We're just sayin'.
Filed under: We're Just Sayin'
Posted Nov 20th 2008 2:15AM by TMZ Staff
The Madonna-Guy Ritchie divorce might already be settled, with Guy telling Madonna she can keep her Kabbalah coin all to herself.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Madge won't pay out a penny or a pound of her $500 mil fortune to Guy, but their sons (David and Rocco) will split their time between London and New York. An announcement on the settlement could come by the end of the month, says a source.
We've been told Guy could still do pretty well in the divorce -- since Brit divorce law says he's due half.
Filed under: Madonna, Dirty Divorces
Posted Nov 20th 2008 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
You didn't seriously think Paris Hilton would stay with that guy?
She's not: After nine months of seemingly enforced emo-tude, Paris and Benji Madden have split. "They're just too different and they wanted different things in life," a source tells People. The latest sign of trouble: Hiltie getting cozy with Stavros Niarchos in Miami.
Another source tells Us, "Benji was overprotective and controlling."
Filed under: Break-Ups, Paris Hilton
Posted Nov 20th 2008 1:59AM by TMZ Staff
Michael Lohan can't even do right by charity.
Lindsay's dad got the hook for that charity boxing match next week, because he's still on parole for assault from 2004. "We do not feel that participating in a violent activity, such as celebrity boxing," says a parole rep, "is appropriate for his rehabilitation."
They did not mention him actually being hit as inappropriate.
Filed under: Lindsay Lohan
Posted Nov 19th 2008 7:24PM by TMZ Staff
There have been so many injuries on "Dancing with the Stars," the staff has started to take 911 operators for granted. Check out the call a staffer made after Jeffrey Ross' partner poked his eye. Who puts 911 on hold to take another call?!!
Filed under: Wacky & Weird
Posted Nov 19th 2008 7:23PM by TMZ Staff
Rod Stewart's son Sean -- who we think is 130 pounds soaking wet -- is being sued by his personal trainer.
Xavier Dezlie claims he trained Sean Stewart daily and hasn't been paid $3,857 for four months of work.
Take a look at Sean, and you'll understand why the suit was filed in Small Claims.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Nov 19th 2008 6:00PM by TMZ Staff
Now it's time for a little Six Degrees of .... Wait, what the eff is that?! No, seriously.
Filed under: Wacky & Weird
Posted Nov 19th 2008 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
In the '80s and '90s, Randall Mario Poffo became famous for wearing ridiculous outfits as wrestling sensation "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Guess what he looks like now!
Filed under: TV, Beauty, 'Memba Them?!
