Celebrity Dish, Part II

[Steeltrap]

Wednesday October 24 5:47 PM ET

O.J. Simpson Cleared of All Charges
By CATHERINE WILSON, Associated Press Writer

MIAMI (AP) - O.J. Simpson was acquitted Wednesday of grabbing another driver's glasses and scratching the man's face in a road-rage argument the former football star insisted was started by the other guy.

After the verdict, Simpson put his hand to his chest and mouthed, ``Thank you'' as he nodded toward the jury. He then hugged his lawyers.

``I'm a little bit angry and a little bit happy - a lot happy,'' Simpson said as he left the courthouse.

The 54-year-old Simpson faced up to 16 years in jail had he been convicted of auto burglary and battery for last year's dispute with Jeffrey Pattinson in their suburban Miami neighborhood. The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes.

Pattinson was not in the courtroom. He did not immediately return a telephone message.

The two men offered vastly different accounts of what happened. Pattinson said Simpson ran a stop sign, then acted like ``a madman'' after Pattinson got him to pull over by flashing his lights and honking his horn.

Simpson accused the other man of ``sitting on his horn.'' He said he thought Pattinson was seeking an autograph or was trying to tell him about a problem with his car, which was also carrying Simpson's two young children.

He denied reaching inside Pattinson's car to take the glasses and said the two men confronted each other outside their vehicles.

Simpson said Pattinson lied about staying in his car, which prompted the prosecutor to ask whether Simpson would ever lie. Simpson responded, ``I've never been put in that position to have to lie with my life on the line.''

Simpson offered no explanation for the scratch on Pattinson's face but explained his thumbprint on the glasses by saying it must have happened when he brushed them away as he broke off the 30-second, profanity-laced confrontation.

During closing arguments, prosecutor Abbe Rifkin did everything but call Simpson a liar, saying the actor came out in him as he testified.

``He is a figment of his own imagination. He's a legend in his own mind,'' she said. ``Mr. Simpson's story changes and evolves with time.''

Defense attorney Yale Galanter said Pattinson chased down Simpson to provoke a confrontation after Simpson turned in front of him at a stop sign.

``Pattinson became a vigilante,'' Galanter said. ``He wants to play cop instead of calling a cop.''

Simpson was cleared of criminal charges in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, but a civil jury later ordered him to pay $33.5 million for their deaths. He moved to Florida last year.

Simpson said he called his children after the verdict to tell them the news. He said Sydney, 15, and Justin, 12, already knew.

``They were happy,'' he said. ``They're kids. They're trusting. I think as you get older, you get a little more cynical.''

[Steeltrap]

Latifah Heads to 'Chicago'"
M'max rounding out cast of bigscreen version of B'Way play

by Charles Lyons
Variety, October 25, 2001

Queen Latifah will join the cast of "Chicago," the film version of
the Broadway musical alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and
Renee Zellweger. Latifah will play matron Mama Morton.

Miramax is releasing the Bill Condon-penned adaptation, with Rob
Marshall helming. Producers are Marty Richards and Harvey Weinstein,
with Craig Zadan and Neil Meron exec producing.

Richards produced the Bob Fosse tuner, which won two Tony Awards in
its original, 1977 staging.

Latifah last appeared in the Walt Disney Co.'s "The Country Bears,"
to be released next year. Outside her talker, "The Queen Latifah
Show," she has starred in "Set It Off" and appeared in such pics
as "Bringing Out the Dead."


Songbirds subscriber profiles:
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[kiml122]

What in the world

Why was I listening to the radio this morning and it was reported that Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes adopted an 8 yr old girl. Apparently she met the childs mother while in rehab and adopted the child. I'm not saying she can't adopt a child in need, but she ain't that stable herself. Did anyone else hear about this.

[pretty3grl]

Lisa "Lefteye" Lopes adopted an 8 yr old girl.

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by pretty3grl

My word, Lisa "Burning Down Andre's House" Lopes becomes a parent. Whew... First, she was going to remarry Rison. Now this.
I feel sorry for the child, sort of like Bobbi Kristina Brown, who has to suffer with cracked-out mommy and crusty-a$# "Original King of R&B" daddy.

[AKAtude]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
I feel sorry for the child, sort of like Bobbi Kristina Brown, who has to suffer with cracked-out mommy and crusty-a$# "Original King of R&B" daddy.

RMAOTFL!

[kiml122]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
I feel sorry for the child, sort of like Bobbi Kristina Brown, who has to suffer with cracked-out mommy and crusty-a$# "Original King of R&B" daddy.

Oh that is classic!!!

[AKAtude]

Just when I think my opinion of him couldn't get any lower...


***I found this article on Charlotte.com***

Rodman rubbed dice on dealers body, court fines former NBA bad-boy $80,000 for "humiliation"

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Dennis Rodman was just doing what any bad-boy millionaire athlete might do in Las Vegas: losing tens of thousands of dollars shooting dice.

But it wasn't crapping out that relieved Rodman of $80,000 -- it was the act of rubbing the dice on the dealer's chest, bald head and crotch.

A civil court jury awarded the money Friday to a casino dealer who said Rodman humiliated him by rubbing dice on him for good luck while playing craps in 1997.

Rodman wasn't required to appear in court. Former Mirage craps dealer James Brasich had sought $300,000 in damages for emotional distress.

Rodman's lawyers didn't deny their client rubbed Brasich with the dice, and other dealers who were at Rodman's table had testified for the defense that Rodman's behavior -- which he stopped when asked -- didn't offend them.

[Steeltrap]

Soror, your post was very unsurprising.
Matter of fact, I just interviewed Dennis Rodman for an article I did for my newspaper.
Wurmy told us (this was a phone interview) that he was "butt naked" in his bed, as was his infant son, "no diaper or nothing."

TMI.

[AKAtude]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
Soror, your post was very unsurprising.
Matter of fact, I just interviewed Dennis Rodman for an article I did for my newspaper.
Wurmy told us (this was a phone interview) that he was "butt naked" in his bed, as was his infant son, "no diaper or nothing."

TMI.

I know he has a daughter, but another child?!

[Steeltrap]

He has three kids, and possibly a fourth on the way.
He has a 4-year-old son as well as the baby I described.

[AKAtude]

***Courtesy of eurweb.com***

November 8, 2001
Jill Scott Ties The Knot … Moesha Homeboy Wants More … SOURCE Magazine Drama … Ma$e Is In “SANE” for Jesus, and More.
by Karu F. Daniels (New York, NY)

Jill Scott
(Nov. 8, 2001) SCOTT’S TAKEN…AND TAKING OFF: Grammy-nominated neo-soul singer-songwriter Jill Scott has gotten hitched. The Ru Report has learned that the Philadelphia-bred musical wunderkind has married her best friend and lover of the past seven years, Lyzel Williams, in a private ceremony in Hawaii.
While her rep is remaining tightlipped about the actual details of the nuptials, she did offer that the couple wed within the last two weeks, while Scott was on vacation. Williams, who is a much sought-after graphic artist and DJ, is also hands-on in Scott’s career management, along with her bodyguard Bill Brown.

Yours truly will get a chance to catch up to Scott while she’s in the big apple to promote the release of her forthcoming live album, Experience: Jill Scott (826 Plus), which is due in stores on November 20th. Scott will host a private luncheon at a swank Harlem haunt next Wednesday where all of her friends and supporters in the entertainment industry will be invited.

Now that her time off is over with, Scott is getting knee deep in the marketing of the 2 CD set, which features live tracks and new music. This weekend, Scott will tape a special segment of Bravo’s Broadway’s Best program, in which she collaborates with music legend George Benson for a performance of “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess. The Bravo special is scheduled to air during February sweeps. She’s also slated to appear on LIVE with Regis & Kelly, Sesame Street, The Ananda Lewis Show, BET Tonight wit Ed Gordon and the VH-1 special The New Soul Generation, in the coming weeks.

And while the 29-year old media darling is currently gracing the cover of Honey magazine and will be on the cover of the January issue of Essence, Scott will also perform a song from the set, “Gotta Get Up,” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 26th.

[littlelady]

Originally posted by AKAtude
***Courtesy of eurweb.com***

November 8, 2001
Jill Scott Ties The Knot … Moesha Homeboy Wants More … SOURCE Magazine Drama … Ma$e Is In “SANE” for Jesus, and More.
by Karu F. Daniels (New York, NY)

Jill Scott
(Nov. 8, 2001) SCOTT’S TAKEN…AND TAKING OFF: Grammy-nominated neo-soul singer-songwriter Jill Scott has gotten hitched. The Ru Report has learned that the Philadelphia-bred musical wunderkind has married her best friend and lover of the past seven years, Lyzel Williams, in a private ceremony in Hawaii.

Ohhh, I am so happy for her!! I hope they will have pictures of it in Jet or Ebony. Did you hear that Tichina Arnold(Pam from Martin) is with...MC Lyte! I had no idea that she, well either of them for that matter went that way.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by littlelady


Ohhh, I am so happy for her!! I hope they will have pictures of it in Jet or Ebony. Did you hear that Tichina Arnold(Pam from Martin) is with...MC Lyte! I had no idea that she, well either of them for that matter went that way.

Now, I didn't know about Tichina, but I'm not surprised about MC Lyte.

Did yall know that Angela Bassett has a movie coming out on Showtime? Ruby's Box of Blood or something like that. It's about her and this married white man and their love triangle. Looks like it will be pretty good. December 1st.

[lovelyivy84]

Showtime certainly makes an effort with their programming to be inclusive of all kinds of people - a much better job than HBO I think (where the only time you are likely to see a black man is on Oz).

I have to give that channel major props!