Tommy Lee
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

A helicopter carrying Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was forced to land at Van Nuys Airport on Sunday after it flew too close to a Los Angeles Police Department chopper.

Once it was on the ground, though, things got even stranger.

According to TMZ.com, at around 10:45 a.m. Sunday, the LAPD ordered pilot David Martz to land his copter after they observed him flying erratically. Los Angeles' KTLA would later report that Martz flew beneath an LAPD helicopter that was observing a structural fire. Police intended to give Martz a field sobriety test, but when they arrived at the airport, both he and Lee were not present.

After searching for Martz for approximately 10 minutes, they found him at a nearby hotel, drinking vodka. Martz told officers that he and Lee had a "celebration drink" after landing the chopper, and that he had continued drinking afterwards.

Martz was then taken to the LAPD's Van Nuys station and given a blood alcohol test, which proved "inconclusive." Martz would later tell TMZ that he had blown a .01 and a .02 on two separate tests, and provided the Web site with a copy of his breathalyzer receipt as proof. Police also located and questioned Lee, though he was quickly released since he was just a passenger in the helicopter.

While the LAPD did not have sufficient evidence to charge Martz, a spokesperson told KTLA that they were forwarding the results of their investigation to the Federal Aviation Administration, who will decide if any further action will be taken against the pilot.

The incident on Sunday isn't the first time Martz and Lee have flown afoul of the law. According to TMZ, Martz was charged with reckless operation of an aircraft in 2006 after he landed his helicopter in a residential neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills. He had reportedly picked up Lee and two other passengers to fly them to a Nine Inch Nails concert in Orange County.

• Tommy Lee

Tommy Lee (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

We saw round one of the fight between Tommy Lee and Kid Rock at the VMAs, but what if they really got in the ring? Boxing promoter Bob Arum is hoping to get a legitimate fight off the ground between the two rockers in Las Vegas, according to TMZ. And to sweeten the pot, a $5 million purse will go to the winner. "I will make sure this fight happens no matter what the cost," Arum said. ...

On Thursday in Philadelphia, Bono will be presented with the Liberty Medal by former president George H.W. Bush in recognition of his work to combat poverty and disease in Africa. The medal — and the accompanying $100,000 prize — is being presented by the National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the ideas and values of the U.S. Constitution. The ceremony, being held at the National Constitution Center in Philly, will be webcast live starting at 7 p.m. ET at LibertyMedal.org. ...

Ahh, the celebrity life. After Jennifer Lopez's husband Marc Anthony confessed his love for KFC to "Access Hollywood" ("I can't eat anything else after a concert"), the fast-food chain offered up its services to the star couple. "We would like to offer you, your entourage and a few VIP guests an 'all access' pass to the KFC location of your choice," KFC President Gregg Dedrick wrote in an open letter to the pair, according to People magazine. The couple, whose North American tour kicks off September 29 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, didn't immediately respond to the offer. ... What do you buy your pop-star girlfriend who has everything? A Mercedes, of course. Hilary Duff's hockey-player boyfriend, Mike Comrie, surprised the singer/actress with an early present for her 20th birthday. "I opened the garage, and I was just like shocked, just standing there," Duff told People. The New York Islanders player decided on a Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV for Duff. "I've driven it tons," she said of her birthday present. "When I called him I was like, 'You're crazy! It's perfect!' " ...

Apparently, former CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, who died last month, was reportedly worth $3.7 million, according to a story in the Village Voice, and his family members, who thought he was broke, are allegedly at odds over the fortune. The story claims that Kristal's son, Dana, is upset about the way his sister, Lisa Kristal Burgman, allegedly encouraged his mother, Kristal's ex-wife Karen, to sign away her rights to the CBGB corporation in 2005 at a time when she was showing signs of senility and may not have realized what she was signing. Dana was left $100,000 in a trust and Lisa was named co-executor of the will and left all of Kristal's property, the paper reported. ...

Jurors in the Phil Spector trial got back to work Friday (September 21) with a new set of instructions. The judge offered the panel new scenarios Thursday of how Spector might have killed actress Lana Clarkson — including one where the music producer forced Clarkson to put the gun in her own mouth. The defense argued against the new instructions, which came after jurors were deadlocked 7-5. ... Alicia Silverstone's revealing new People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals TV ad has been pulled in Houston, Texas. The vegetarian actress is nearly naked in the commercial, in which she urges people to consider a meatless diet. The spot was directed by Dave Meyers, who has directed more than 180 music videos, including Missy Elliott's "Work It" and "Control Yourself." ...

Seal wrote the song "Wedding Day" for his supermodel wife, Heidi Klum, and now she's returning the favor — by contributing vocals to the song on Seal's new album, System, the singer's rep confirmed to People. The LP is due October 30. ... Gucci Mane will release his third album, Trap-A-Thon, on Tuesday, which includes the original version and remix of the Atlanta rapper's 2006 "Freaky Gurl" and an bonus DVD called "The Glockumentary," which chronicles his 2006 murder trial and beef with Young Jeezy. ...

As if buying tickets to your favorite concerts weren't expensive enough, now it appears some fans are resorting to buying pass codes to fan clubs so they can get in on presale ticket opportunities offered to fan club members, according to the Wall Street Journal. The practice, which includes fan-club members selling the pass codes on eBay and Craigslist for anything from $4 to $20, has angered the people who run the fan clubs, who say it undercuts their attempts to make sure fans have first dibs on tickets.

09.20.07

Snoop Dogg struck a plea deal on Thursday (September 20) in his weapon-possession case stemming from an arrest at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, in September 2006, The Associated Press reports. The rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) was sentenced to 160 hours of community service and three years' probation, and ordered to make a $10,000 charitable donation. In the September incident, Snoop was found carrying a collapsible baton — while he claimed it was for a video shoot, authorities considered it to be a dangerous weapon. If he doesn't violate the law again, his felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor after one year. "We are very pleased with the outcome," his attorney Donald Etra told AP. "He wants to get on with his life." ...

Game (real name: Jayceon Taylor) was given a conditional discharge on Thursday in the case involving the rapper allegedly impersonating a police officer in New York in November, AP reports. Per Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Marc Whiten's order, if Game is not arrested again within six months, the misdemeanor criminal-impersonation charge will be dismissed. Claiming innocence, Game had rejected previous plea deals that would have kept him out of jail in exchange for a guilty plea. He was arrested after allegedly telling a cab driver he was an undercover cop and instructing him to run red lights, but Game denied that claim and instead argued that the driver decided to run the red lights on his own. Game's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, pointed out Game's facial tattoo and said it was doubtful the driver would have believed the rapper to be a police officer. "I've never seen a cop with writing all over his face," Game said. ...

First Dr. Dre makes an appearance at the VMAs, and now he's got an interview in the latest issue of GQ — maybe Detox really is on the way. The notoriously reclusive producer appears in the 50th anniversary issue of the men's magazine and, for the first time, goes on record about the rift between his Aftermath artists 50 Cent and Game. "It was definitely a conscious thing," he said of his decision to not speak up in the past about the feud. "This is something that's between labelmates. I've said, 'When you guys are ready to make some music, let's get down. Let's get in the studio.' All that other stuff, that's not for me. This is something they created, so it's something they have to handle. I don't feel like I have to choose a side." Dre also revealed that, at the behest of Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine, he once asked Game not to dis 50 during a New York show. "I knew that this one wasn't gonna go away," he said. "I know these guys, and I know nobody is gonna back down." ...

Gerard Way had some kind words to say to the University of Maine's campus newspaper, The Maine Campus, about Bon Jovi — his band, My Chemical Romance, will open for the rock legends October 25-26 as part of the christening of Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. "I grew up as a Bon Jovi fan. Whenever you're dealing with Bon Jovi or Springsteen, it's just a great honor and at that point; it doesn't really matter what genre you play. It really just kind of matters that you're all from New Jersey." Way also had a thing or two to say about MCR being labeled "emo," although his words on that subject weren't so kind. "Emo bands were being booked while we were touring with Christian metal bands because no one would book us on tours. I think emo is f---ing garbage, it's bullsh--. I think there's bands that unfortunately we get lumped in with that are considered emo and by default that starts to make us emo. All I can say is anyone actually listening to the records, put the records next to each other and listen to them and there's actually no similarities. I think emo's a pile of sh--." ...

Yung Joc will perform at the 100th anniversary of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's Cornell University chapter, according to the campus' paper, The Cornell Daily Sun. The October 12 concert, to be held at the Zeta Beta Tau house, will serve to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, an alliance of hospitals for children. ... Jennifer Lopez has a new album on the brain — Brave, which drops October 9 — but that hasn't stopped her from hooking up with Carlos Santana for a new slice set to be featured on the rock icon's Ultimate Santana collection, due October 16. Baby Bash also surfaces on "This Boy's Fire," which was partly produced by Sean Garrett. Two more previously unreleased collabos — "Into the Night" with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner — also beef up the best-of disc. ...

Missy Elliott posted a teaser on her Web site announcing that she's back in the lab cooking up a new album that she hopes to release in the spring. No other information was given on the album, which would be her first since 2005's The Cookbook. ... As huge as the Kanye West/ 50 Cent album showdown appeared to be, LP sales are still down 9 percent compared to the same week last year, Billboard reports. ... Tired of seeing Kanye West all over the place? Too bad. The recent Gradu-ee will perform September 29 on "Saturday Night Live." Spoon will play on the show the following week. ...

Sammy Hagar says he wouldn't have toured with the reunited Van Halen without founding bassist Michael Anthony, who has been replaced with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang Van Halen, for the band's reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth. According to the Web site for Internet radio station KNAC, Hagar said, "I wouldn't do it without Mike. ... If Eddie wants to play with his son, fine. I love my son too, but I got him a different job. ... I just think the fans are gonna walk away with a little bit of a disappointment because Mike's a big part of that band." ... In related news, Van Halen have tossed three more California dates onto their much-anticipated reunion tour, which kicks off September 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band will hit Fresno on November 29, Anaheim on December 18 and will now bring the jaunt to a close in Oakland on December 22. ...

The inaugural Girlfrenzy concert scheduled for October 27 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California, has been postponed. Though organizers have not given any reason for the show's cancellation, they said in a post on the show's MySpace page that it will be rescheduled for 2008. The show was to feature Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat. ... After three years, Scratch magazine is calling it a day. The hip-hop mag's final issue features 50 Cent and Timbaland on the cover and is due out at the end of September. No reason was given for the magazine's shuttering. ...

The 10th anniversary edition of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp will get an extra dose of power this year with appearances from Slash, Who singer Roger Daltrey, Vince Neil and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Also on the roster for the event, to be held November 7-11 in Las Vegas, are Cream bassist Jack Bruce, as well as members of Iron Maiden, Yes, Steely Dan, Bad Company, Megadeth and Winger. ... Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will give Asbury Park, New Jersey, fans a sneak preview of their upcoming tour in support of their upcoming album Magic, which is due October 2. The Boss has scheduled a pair of benefit shows for Monday and Tuesday night at the Asbury Park Convention Hall, with the $100 tickets selling out almost immediately when they went on sale Thursday morning (September 20), according to the promoter. ...

Gene Simmons, glam-rocker, reality-TV star, magazine entrepreneur and ... science-fiction author? You read it right — the Kiss frontman has penned the first installment of a planned sci-fi series, "Zipper," for release in November. The heavily illustrated book tells the story of a drone soldier from another planet who "begins to question his purpose and contemplate his autonomy ... he realizes his own capacity for individualism and wishes to explore it further," according to Simmons' Web site. ... Hardcore heroes Snapcase are getting back together for a one-off show to benefit Callum Robbins, the son of Jawbox's J. Robbins who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. The gig will go down at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, on November 24 and also feature 108 and Triple Threat. The show is being organized by 108 member and author Norman Brannon, whose "The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader" — a tome revolving around the defunct fanzine — is due in stores November 6. ...

Gina Gershon can't stop the rock. The "Showgirls" actress, whose 2004 reality show chronicled her attempted crossover into the world of rock and roll, will preview songs from her upcoming album In Search of Cleo during a residency at the New York club the Box every Sunday and Monday night in October. Backed by a five-piece band and three dancers, Gershon will unveil the suite of songs — all of which she wrote or co-wrote — that tell the true story of the search and recovery of her lost cat, Cleo. According to a press release, the 10 songs focus "on the literal and metaphoric experience of the search, not just for Cleo, but for love," using "biting humor, country, blues and jazz-influenced singing and a splash of sexy."

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Adrian Grenier, Nelly, Shia LaBeouf, Britney And More Stars Spotted In Vegas
• Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, More At The Premiere Of "El Cantante"

• Bono
• Tommy Lee
• Kid Rock
• Jennifer Lopez
• Marc Anthony

Pamela Anderson at the VMAs on Sunday
Photo: Associated Press

Pamela Anderson is like the Switzerland of rock and roll exes.

When it comes to Sunday's skirmish between ex-husbands Tommy Lee and Kid Rock during Alicia Keys' performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, she is "staying out of it" (see "Kid Rock, Tommy Lee Battle At VMAs — Watch The Video").

The blond bombshell visited "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Wednesday, according to People magazine, and was asked about the rockers' public punch-fest. She said she isn't choosing sides and wasn't even present for the scrap, which security guards quickly broke up. "As soon as I left, meow!" she said. "They all went after each other."

DeGeneres pointed out that, during Anderson's previous appearance on the program, she had said Lee and Rock didn't get along. "Can ya tell?" Anderson quipped. DeGeneres was also curious about Anderson's seemingly cozy relationship with Lee, with whom she has two children, Brandon, 11, and Dylan, 9. During the VMAs, Anderson was seen playfully sitting on Lee's lap.

"He pulled me on his lap and spanked my butt," she revealed. "What are you going to do? Boys."

Anderson said she wasn't sure what inspired her more recent ex, Kid Rock, to punch her first husband, at which DeGeneres speculated, "Could it have been over me?" Anderson added that she'd like to distance herself from the growing feud and that she has moved on relationship-wise. She said she's dating a professional poker player, although she wouldn't identify him by name. "I fell in love," Anderson cooed. "It's so romantic. It's romance."

Lee has spoken out about the incident (see "Tommy Lee Explains His Side Of The VMA Scuffle, Apologizes To Alicia Keys"), apologizing to Keys for the mishap and referring to Rock as "Kid Pebble." Rock — who ran into Anderson on the red carpet before the show (see "Kid Rock And Pamela Anderson Run Into Each Other On VMA Red Carpet — Awwwk-Ward!") — was cited by Las Vegas police for misdemeanor battery after the incident and will need to return to Vegas for a future court date. If convicted, he faces a $500 fine and up to six months behind bars.

For his part, Rock was interviewed on Los Angeles radio station KROQ on Thursday morning (September 13). "[Lee is] doing what he does best: talk," Rock said. "This was a situation that was unavoidable. This has been a lotta years of very disrespectful things. I'll tell you, the last contact I had with him was when me and Pamela were going through our divorce. He picked up her BlackBerry and started e-mailing me a lot of horrendous things. And I said to him ... 'I will see you again, that's all I have to say.' It had absolutely zero to do with Pam. The best thing I did was file for that divorce. I was in love with her, I went through it, and thank God I got out of it."

In a separate Lee development, the drummer quit Mötley Crüe amid a lawsuit against the band's manager, although he has since said he hopes the bandmembers can work the situation out on their own (see "Tommy Lee Quits Motley Crue Amid Lawsuit Against Band's Manager").

Wait — don't cash out on the VMAs just yet! From Britney's sultry comeback performance to the big winners, you saw it all — well, almost everything! Get yourself even richer with our wall-to-wall show coverage, party reports, videos and loads more at www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• Pamela Anderson
• Tommy Lee
• Kid Rock
• Alicia Keys

Tommy Lee (file)
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

It's been one hell of a week for Tommy Lee.

First, Kid Rock clocks him at Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards (see "Tommy Lee Explains His Side Of The VMA Scuffle, Apologizes To Alicia Keys" and "Kid Rock, Tommy Lee Battle At VMAs — Watch The Video"), and now, it seems, he has left the legendary band he helped form back in 1981 — Mötley Crüe.

It remains unclear when Lee quit, and under what circumstances, but according to legal documents obtained by MTV News, "Lee recently informed [bassist Nikki] Sixx and [guitarist Mick] Mars that he was resigning from the band, and his resignation was accepted." The suit names Sixx and Mars as "shareholders of Mötley Crüe, Inc." Lee's publicist denied MTV News' requests for an interview with the outspoken drummer.

Despite what is contained in the court documents, Lee said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon (September 13) that hopes he can work everything out with the band.

"I am a founding member of Mötley Crüe," he said. "Based on internal band issues aired publicly, my future with the band is uncertain. I have tried to meet with my bandmates repeatedly without success but have informed them that I'm not walking away from my band of 25 years. It troubles me that the current legal issues which were filed by the corporations against my personal manager are separating us and causing more dysfunction. I hope we can work this out amongst ourselves."

The revelation comes in an amended complaint to the band's lawsuit against artist manager Carl Stubner and his three companies: Sanctuary Group Inc., Sanctuary Artist Management Inc. and Carl Stubner Productions Inc. The new document, filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court, contains fresh evidence in the case, including statements from Crüe frontman Vince Neil, Sixx and Mars, as well as 10 sworn statements from members of the band's camp.

The suit claims Stubner breached his fiduciary duties to Mötley Crüe "by orchestrating, devising and implementing a self-serving scheme" in which he "promoted Lee's solo activities to the harm and detriment of the band." Stubner was one of the Crüe 's three managers and also handled Lee's interests outside the band.

According to the suit, Stubner used his position as the band's and Lee's manager to demand higher commissions and even to score free tickets to the band's concerts, which the bandmembers allege he later resold at "scalper" prices for his own benefit.

Sanctuary and Stubner also responded to the suit in a statement issued Thursday. "Despite the overwhelming evidence that both Carl Stubner and Sanctuary were the managers for Tommy Lee and no one else, in an effort to get something that certain members of Mötley Crüe and their representatives want, but are not legally entitled to, they have once again filed a spurious lawsuit which Carl Stubner and Sanctuary will vigorously defend and seek the appropriate relief from these baseless attacks in the press. Tommy Lee stands by Carl Stubner and Sanctuary."

The suit seeks more than $20 million in compensatory damages for lost earnings and profits and requests additional punitive damages because of Stubner's "despicable" actions, which were undertaken "fraudulently, maliciously and oppressively." The filing accuses Stubner of promoting the drummer's career at the expense of the band's. It also claims that the manager advised Lee to participate in NBC's "Tommy Lee Goes to College" (see "Tommy Lee Flaunts His 'Peacock': How His Reality Show Came To Be"), knowing that his appearance on the program would conflict with the dates on the band's 2005 Red, White and Crüe Tour (see "Mötley Crüe In For The Long Haul, Aim To Record 'A Sgt. Pepper' Next Year"). The television show prevented Lee from promoting the band's tour and album, the suit claims.

After "Lee's foray into his solo enterprises and reality television had already turned negative," the suit alleges Stubner informed the band that it would have Lee at its disposal for future touring and recording. The band, at the time, felt Lee had been overexposed, which chipped away at the Mötley Crüe brand as well as the band's reputation. But according to the filing, Stubner advised Lee to continue his outside pursuits and ultimately encouraged the rocker to participate in CBS' "Rock Star: Supernova" series, thus making him even more unavailable for the Crüe's European tour (see "Tommy Lee Picks Lukas Rossi To Front 'Rock Star' Band"). The band ended up scrapping those dates, resulting in ticket and merchandise losses of more than $8 million.

The band also lost money last summer, when it was forced to cancel its Southeast Asian trek because Lee wasn't free to travel with them. The suit further claims Stubner convinced Lee to continue on his solo path, and "to refrain from recording the new album," actions that have "significantly delayed the release of the band's new album." Stubner, the suit contends, continues his refusal "to commit Lee to the 2007 tour dates" they had planned.

[This story was originally published at 2:01 pm E.T. on 09.13.2007]

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Shooting Stars: A Celeb's Eye View Of The VMAs
• Paris Hilton, Diddy, Timbaland, Janet Jackson, More Hit The Vegas Party Scene
• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• Tommy Lee

Tommy Lee at the VMAs on Sunday
Photo: MTV News

While history may never uncover exactly what words were exchanged between Kid Rock and Tommy Lee during their now-infamous scuffle during the the VMAs Sunday night, Lee has given version of events in a post on his Web site, and apologized to Alicia Keys for drawing attention from her performance.

"I apologize sweetie.....I had nothing to do with the timing and disrespect," Lee wrote in a lengthy post on Monday. "Here I am minding my own biz having a great time with my friend Criss Angel [magician and Britney consort] and watching the MTV awards in the front row saying hello to all my friends," Lee wrote about the moments preceding the brawl between the two men who have the distinction of being "Baywatch" babe Pamela Anderson's ex-husbands (see "Kid Rock, Tommy Lee Battle At VMAs — Watch The Video").

"Pamela comes and sits on my lap who I love and adore," said Lee in the grammatically inconsistent post. He had made his presence known earlier in the night by interrupting Anderson's introduction of Kanye West's performance with a series of wolf whistles that prompted her to ask him to pipe down. "And also say hello to my friend Travis Barker and his wife!.....and i get a text from another friend P. Diddy and he says come sit with me.....and he's sitting with Miss HOT Megan FOX so I go over and sit with P!"

Then, not a minute later, after Keys started her "amazing performance," it was back to "stupid-ness," an apparent reference to the ongoing tension between the two men. Lee said he got a tap on the shoulder from the man he affectionately referred to as "Kid Pebble."

"I stand up and embrace him with a semi hug and say 'Hey dude...What up'?? He punches me in the face.....well if ya wanna call it that!?....more like a b---h slap!.......Wuss!!"

Lee said he got up to knock the "jealous country bumpkin" out, but before he could make contact, "security guards... grab me and haul my a-- outta the award show!"

Eyewitnesses told MTV News that Lee was jawing at Rock as the singer made his way to Diddy's table to present the show's final performance, prompting Rock to slap Lee, who was punched in the face by Rock as he tried to fight back.

The two narrowly avoided an altercation on New Year's Eve when an upset Rock — just divorced from Anderson — reportedly tried to track down Lee to have a word about his recent reunion with Anderson. In that incident, Rock allegedly kicked down the door of the hotel room he believed Lee was staying in, only to find a startled family inside.

Lee said he was fine following Sunday's ejection and later spent some time filling out paperwork in his hotel room with the police and Palms owner George Maloof. In addition to Keys, Lee apologized to Maloof and MTV "for the disrespectful bullsh-- caused by ... Kid Pebble!!"

Lee's representatives declined to comment, while Rock's hadn't responded to requests for comment. Rock was cited for misdemeanor battery after the incident and will need to return to Vegas for a future court date. If convicted, he faces a $500 fine and up to six months behind bars.

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• Tommy Lee
• Alicia Keys

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ AP

• Kid Rock
• Tommy Lee

Kid Rock exchanges words with Tommy Lee during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
Photo: MTV News

LAS VEGAS — Unfortunately, this city isn't a place where you can get away from everything.

Former Pamela Anderson flames Kid Rock and Tommy Lee traded words in a heated exchange during Alicia Keys' performance at the Video Music Awards (see "Britney Spears Kicks Off Show, But VMA Night Belongs To Rihanna And Justin Timberlake"), resulting in both rockers being escorted by security out of the Pearl Theater in the Palms Casino Resort.

According to eyewitnesses, Lee — sitting at the same table as Diddy — jawed at Rock as he made his way toward the Bad Boy CEO, with whom he was supposed to present the show's final performance. It wasn't clear exactly what Lee said to Rock, but apparently after his words, Rock slapped the drummer, according to eyewitnesses. Lee, one eyewitness said, attempted to fight back but, before he was able to land a blow, was punched in the face by Rock.

Many inside the venue — including Jermaine Durpi — were oblivious to the fight taking place behind them. Others either tried to get out of the way as security tossed chairs to reach the outbreak or were stunned and didn't quite know what was going on.

Security quickly detained both men, with Lee being immediately removed from the venue. Rock, with his cigar still in his mouth, was held back momentarily until Lee left and calmly walked out alongside security.

"I never hit nobody for nothing before," Rock was overhead saying in the lobby of the casino. "I told him to shut the f--- up."

According to a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police Department, Rock was cited for misdemeanor battery for his assault on Lee. Rock was not detained or taken into police custody but was issued a summons. He'll need to return to Vegas for a future court date, and if convicted, he faces a $500 fine and up to six months behind bars.

The two rockers have on and off histories with Anderson. Rock recently married — and divorced — the former "Baywatch" star, and Lee married her in 1995.

The love triangle's presence in one setting certainly set the stage for an explosive situation that detonated in an ugly fashion. Sunday night, however, wasn't the first time Rock and Lee have scuffled. There must be something about Vegas. On New Year's Eve, less than two months after Anderson filed for divorce from Rock, the "Bawitdaba" scribe reportedly learned that his ex had wandered back into Lee's arms.

An upset Rock allegedly tried to track Lee down, and, with the help of his bodyguards, kicked down what he believed to be the drummer's room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Instead, he happened upon a startled family. Rock reportedly signed autographs for them so they wouldn't press charges and retreated to a nearby strip club.

The dynamic between the three has been rocky ever since Rock and Anderson first hooked up. But it was the divorce filing that really kicked the rivalry into overdrive. Lee reveled in the news, and reportedly called Rock on the phone to taunt him about the failure of his short-lived union.

Before the show started, Rock and Anderson traded a brief pleasantry before each stepped on the red carpet. Anderson only quietly said "hey" to her former beau.

Anderson, however, was much more flirtatious with Lee when she took to the stage as a presenter. Lee whistled at his ex-wife from his seat, causing Anderson to shoot back, "Stop it, Tommy."

Despite the seriousness of what took place, Jamie Foxx attempted to lighten the mood by joking to the audience to "stop the white-on-white crime," while Diddy brought a more sobering message, telling the Pearl Theater crowd to "end the violence."

Wait — don't cash out on the VMAs just yet! From Britney's sultry comeback performance to the big winners, you saw it all — well, almost everything! Get yourself even richer with our wall-to-wall show coverage, party reports, videos and loads more at www.VMA.MTV.com. For reports, photos, video and much, much more from previous VMAs, dive into the VMA archives.

• Kid Rock And Tommy Lee Have It Out!

• Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• Tommy Lee
• Kid Rock

Christina Aguilera on the cover of the October issue of <i>Jane</i>
Photo: Cond&#233; Nast

Christina Aguilera has some advice for fans: "Never believe everything you read or see or hear." The singer shared that pearl of wisdom in Jane magazine's October issue, on newsstands Tuesday — and added, "Which I'm sure you are not going to want to print." They did print it, along with Aguilera's thoughts on documenting her life with Jordan Bratman for television: "My marriage is sacred to me, and I feel that they would exploit it." But while reality TV doesn't appeal to the singer, acting does. "I'm going to read scripts while I'm on the road working this record," she said. "I think so many people who start off as musicians and cross over just end up playing themselves. To me, that's not a challenge whatsoever. I want to quote-unquote act." ...

Last month, Hilary Duff predicted that she'd be done with her forthcoming album by mid-September. But when she was in New York last week to launch her new perfume With Love at Macy's, the singer admitted that she hadn't met her deadline. "Is it mid-September already?" she said. "It's probably going to be a bit longer. We've done a lot — I would say we're a little more than halfway finished, but I'm not done." Though Duff's record label had said the yet-untitled album would still come out November 21 as originally planned, the singer is in fact getting a little more breathing room — the label confirmed Friday (September 22) that it's pushing back Duff's next LP until December 5. ...

As NBC weighs whether to air the mock crucifixion in an upcoming Madonna concert special scheduled for November, the singer spoke out Thursday to defend the controversial element of her Confessions world tour. In a statement, Madonna said that the bit — which has been criticized by the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church — is not "anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous," but a plea for "mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing." She added that the intent of the staged crucifixion — which ends with a quote from the Bible's Book of Matthew about taking care of the hungry and sick — is to bring attention to the plight of impoverished children in Africa. ...

It doesn't seem to be too hard out here these days for Three 6 Mafia. MTV announced this week that it's partnering with the Oscar-winning rappers for "Adventures in Hollywood," a comedic reality series that will follow them as they try to make headway in Tinsel Town. The show will trail remaining members DJ Paul and Juicy J as they relocate from their Memphis hometown to Los Angeles along with their entourage, including artist and protégé Project Pat. ...

Fergie talks health in Shape magazine's October issue, and sings the praises of one food that's dear to her heart: pizza. The Black Eyed Peas singer, who said she hikes with boyfriend Josh Duhamel to stay in shape, has two takes on the cheese-topped treat, naming "pizza dipped in ranch or blue-cheese dressing" as her favorite food splurge and "a bagel with cottage cheese and tomatoes" as her #1 breakfast. "I heat it up, so the cheese melts a bit like a pizza." ... Reports that Michael Jackson plans to open a leprechaun theme park in Ireland are not true, according to the singer's spokesperson. Jackson's camp dismissed the Irish Daily Mirror story, which quoted a source that claimed the singer planned to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in the plan because he "loves the whole idea of leprechauns and the magic and the myths of Ireland," as "erroneous and ridiculous." ...

Perhaps smarting from the commercial beat-down they suffered with this year's Lights and Sounds, Yellowcard have been writing new songs and are preparing to enter the studio this winter to begin work on a new album. According to their label, Capitol Records, there is no word on just who will produce the new album, but Yellowcard hope to have it in stores by mid-2007. ... Tommy Lee makes a cameo in Jack's Mannequin's video for "Dark Blue," directed by Brett Simon (the Killers, New Found Glory). The 1950s-set clip is inspired by the dance-contest movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Lee played drums on the album, the side project from Something Corporate singer Andrew McMahon. ... Dancehall reggae singer Buju Banton is facing his latest ban in the U.S. over violent lyrics about gays and lesbians. The Los Angeles Times reports that e-mail complaints and concerned callers prompted the manager of the Highland nightclub in Hollywood to research Banton's past and cancel the singer's show scheduled for October 2. ...

A seventh-grade teacher in Kentucky's Jefferson County school district will not be arrested for burning two American flags in class, Louisville newspaper The Courier-Journal reports. Still, Dan Holden — who was removed from the classroom after giving his lesson on free speech — will not go back to teaching until the district decides whether or not he violated school rules. He has since been assigned to perform noninstructional duties. The Louisville Fire & Rescue arson squad said in a report that Holden had left the students with the flags ablaze as he went to get water to put out the flames, but authorities said criminal charges are not warranted. ...

Alice Cooper will be joining the Rolling Stones for three guest appearances as part of his annual Halloween Tour, which kicks off Saturday in Halifax, Nova Scotia — where the legendary rockers will be joined by Kanye West and local favorites Sloan. Cooper and the Rolling Stones will also join forces at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, September 29. He will then hit cities including Nashville, Cleveland and New York without the Stones, before joining the band one last time to inaugurate the new Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and close out his tour. ... The Rolling Stones, who launched their tour Wednesday, have added a November 22 show in Honolulu, Hawaii, to their schedule. ... Original Bad Company bassist and King Crimson member Raymond "Boz" Burrell died Thursday at his home in Spain, according to a statement released by Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records, which put out Bad Company's first six studio LPs. The cause of Burrell's death was not given. He was 60 years old. ...

Plenty of artists have used the Old Testament as inspiration for their music, but an upcoming album called 10 Plagues (due November 7) takes a new approach. The 10-track compilation collects songs by a diverse group of artists — including Rufus Wainwright, Brian Eno, Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields), Laurie Anderson, Imogen Heap and Cody Chesnutt — who each take on one of the plagues associated with the Passover story of the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Song titles include "Blood," "The Meaning of Lice," "Flies," "Boils," "Hailstones," "Darkness" and "Katonah (Death of the Firstborn)." ... Joseph Arthur, a singer/songwriter known for using looping techniques in his live solo show, is touring with a band for the first time in his career. Arthur's trek begins Monday in Philadelphia and ends November 3 in Brooklyn, New York. ...

Fresh off a stint opening for Madonna in Europe, electronic-music hero Oakenfold is heading back to the U.S. for a string of club dates in support of his new single, "Sex 'N' Money," which features Pharrell. Oakenfold's run starts Friday in San Diego and winds down October 14 in Miami Beach, Florida. ... Stephanie McKay — a Bronx, New York, singer who has worked with Tricky, Mos Def and Kelis — will release her Stateside debut, a self-titled EP, on Tuesday. Geoff Barrow of Portishead produced her U.K. debut, which was released in 2003. ... British singer Lily Allen will release her debut album, Alright, Still, in the U.S. on January 30. In the meantime, a four-song digital EP that includes the single "Smile" is out Tuesday.

9.21.2006

Beyoncé was the big winner at Wednesday night's 10th annual British Music of Black Origin Awards, taking home three out of four awards she was nominated for, including Best International Female as well as Best Song and Best Video for "Deja Vu." British newcomer Corinne Bailey Rae was close behind with two awards: Best U.K. Female and Best U.K. Newcomer, BBC News reports. The Black Eyed Peas bested Gnarls Barkley, Outkast, Pussycat Dolls and the Streets for the Best Group award, and Jay-Z took Best International Male; neither he nor Beyoncé attended the ceremony. Sean Paul won for Best Reggae Artist and Rihanna took the Best R&B Artist statue. ...

Axl Rose has been sued by an art broker who claims the Guns N' Roses frontman reneged on a $2.36 million deal for a portrait of John Lennon painted by Andy Warhol, The Associated Press reports. The suit, filed on September 11 in Los Angeles by Acquire d'Arte, claims the broker parleyed a deal with a New York art gallery to reduce the asking price for the artwork from $2.65 million, according to The Associated Press. But Axl ponied up just $1.21 million for the painting, and both his manager and attorney informed the broker that he wouldn't be paying the balance, as he didn't have enough money and "the painting was not worth the price he had agreed to pay," according to the suit. Rose's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, told AP that the terms of the deal may have been distorted. "It's my opinion that Axl Rose is the victim of some fraud or misrepresentation here," he said. The broker is seeking $1.5 million in damages. ...

Madonna has squeezed past Cher as the top-grossing female road warrior. According to a press release from tour promoter Live Nation, the singer's Confessions run, which wraps Thursday (September 21) at the Tokyo Dome, is the top-grossing tour ever by a female artist. Though total grosses are not yet tallied, tour producer Arthur Fogel predicted a final take of $193.7 million from 60 shows in front of almost 1.2 million fans — just enough to move past Cher's record of $192.5 million. ... Timbaland wants to work with Fall Out Boy and the All-American Rejects — or so he told Rolling Stone for the newest issue of the magazine, hitting stands Friday. The producer also said in the interview that he's bored with hip-hop. ...

C-Murder has partnered with Vibe and Kensington Publishing to release his first book, "Death Around the Corner," as a part of the magazine's new Street Lit initiative. The manuscript centers around New Orleans' Third Ward community, where the rapper and his brothers, including Master P, grew up. The text was written entirely by hand while the rapper was behind bars for the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy outside a New Orleans nightclub. "Death Around the Corner" also comes on the heels of Miller's next album, Screamin 4 Vengeance, which will be the lead release on the newly relaunched Priority Records. "Death Around the Corner" is scheduled to be excerpted in the January issue of Vibe along with an interview with C-Murder, who is currently under house arrest while waiting to be retried for the 2002 shooting. The book is due in paperback December 26. No date has been set for Miller's album. ...

Kevin Federline has re-upped his deal to be the face of Five Star Vintage. After the company dubbed his debut in their fall campaign an "overwhelming success," K-Fed has been tapped to front the winter 2006 ad campaign as well. The ads, featuring K-Fed in a black "New York"-emblazoned hooded sweater and a signature track jacket — will debut in magazines next month. ... Johnny Knoxville, fashion icon? Stuff magazine names the "Jackass" star Style Man of the Year in the October issue. "It's just the way you carry yourself," Knoxville said of his style philosophy, explaining that when he walks he gets "a nice roll going in my shoulders" ... and thinks about breasts. Other honorees include Chamillionaire, Kevin Federline, Wolfmother, Luke and Owen Wilson, Adrian Grenier and motocross star (and Pink's husband) Carey Hart. ... While touring this fall with Three Days Grace, singer Adam Gontier is playing solo acoustic shows at selected rehabilitation centers across the country and hosting Q&A sessions afterward. "It's my payback to a system that kept me alive," Gontier said in a letter to fans. "Not only is it a payback, but it's my way of getting across a point to many people out there who feel like they're alone and feel like there's no way out. There is." ...

British billionaire Richard Branson, the mogul behind the Virgin brand, said Thursday that he would commit $3 billion to the fight against global warming, AP reports. Branson made the announcement in New York on the second day of the Clinton Global Initiative conference and was joined by Bill Clinton for the announcement. "Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents," Branson said to reporters. "We must not be the generation responsible for irreversibly damaging the environment." Branson said 100 percent of the profits from his transportation and airline companies will fund efforts to find renewable energy sources to take the place of coal and oil. ... DJ AM will judge the "Shaken and Stirred" DJ contest, searching for the best remix of the classic James Bond theme. The promotional contest for the upcoming "Casino Royale" Bond flick will wind up with five finalists flown to New York on November 8 to perform live in front of a celebrity panel of judges including AM. The winner will get an all-expense paid, VIP trip to Las Vegas, a chance to open for AM at a nightclub in Sin City and new DJ equipment. ...

When Tom Green had surgery for testicular cancer, cameras were there to document his journey. And now that he's about to go under the knife again — for an operation on a broken leg — the comedian has more plans to share his pain with the world. Green busted his leg last week while attempting skateboarding tricks for his online talk show "Tom Green Live," and will have surgery Thursday to correct the injury. Green plans to show footage of the procedure on his show, which streams at TomGreen.com. "We will somehow make it funny," he said in a post on his site. ... On Monday night in Toronto, Final Fantasy was presented with the inaugural Polaris Music Prize, a cash award (approximately $18,000) presented to the artist behind the year's best Canadian album — "based on artistic merit" and chosen by a panel of judges. He Poos Clouds, the disc from Fantasy (a.k.a. Owen Pallett), beat out LPs from Broken Social Scene, Cadence Weapon, Sarah Harmer, K'Naan, Malajube, Metric, New Pornographers and Wolf Parade as well as Porcella, the final disc from the now-defunct Deadly Snakes — who played their farewell show in Toronto late last month.

• Christina Aguilera: "Dirrty" Girl To Married Woman

• Christina Aguilera
• Madonna
• Fergie
• Michael Jackson
• Yellowcard

Lukas Rossi performs during Wednesday's "Rock Star: Supernova" finale
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

The band said the competition was tough, but viewers of this summer's "Rock Star: Supernova" could have predicted from the very first episode that the gig was probably going to end up in the lap of goth-glam croaker Lukas Rossi.

The pint-sized, eye-shadow-sporting Canadian growler won out over smack-talking, tattooed stomper Dilana in the finale of the 11-week competition to front the band formed for the show by Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.

The only remaining mystery after Wednesday night's finale was what the band will actually be called when they make their sold-out live concert debut on New Year's Eve. A day before the finale, a judge ordered the producers to come up with a different name for the group when he granted an injunction to a California punk band named Supernova (see "Judge Sides With Original Supernova In 'Rock Star' Suit").

The evening began with the dismissal of bald, somewhat bland Icelandic belter Magni Asgeirsson, who was followed out the door by frontrunning Aussie Toby Rand, who seemed destined to be a top finisher after unveiling his instantly catchy original tune, "Throw It Away," earlier in the competition.

In the end, it was down to Rossi and Dilana Robichaux, a pair host Dave Navarro said looked like a goth wedding waiting to happen as they stood side-by-side awaiting the final decision. Given her stumble several weeks earlier — she was filmed dissing the other rockers during mock interviews with journalists — Dilana seemed unlikely to take the gig, despite her alluring stage presence and exotic, dreadlocked metal priestess look.

So it was Rossi — whose consistently passionate, swaggering performances mixed the falsetto leaps of Radiohead's Thom Yorke with guttural punk/metal barking and a fashion sense that leaned toward fingerless leather gloves, heavy eye makeup and towering spiked hair — who emerged victorious after Lee said the band realized they had to "listen to our fans."

"Lukas, your look, your vocals, the way you move ... everything has been amazing for us," Lee said. "Lukas, you're our boy."

The 29-year-old singer got the most viewer votes in Tuesday night's polling and seemed to seal the deal with a revved-up cover of the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" earlier in the night. Rossi became the second Canadian in a row to win the reality competition, following in the footsteps of Toronto's J.D. Fortune, who became the new lead singer of INXS during last summer's debut of the "Rock Star" show. Before cutting Dilana loose, Clarke pledged to produce her debut, Navarro volunteered to play on the album, and invited her to perform on an upcoming tour featuring the unnamed group and his own new band, the Panic Channel (see "Dave Navarro Juggles TV And Guitar, Shrugs Off Panic Channel Sales").

Looking as if he'd already fronted them for years, Rossi — a former Hooters fry cook — seamlessly jumped into lead-singer mode at show's end to play a pair of originals with Lee, Newsted and Clarke, including the poppy hard rock tune "Be Yourself and Five Other Clichés." Next for Rossi: recording the band's debut with producer Butch Walker (Avril Lavigne). The disc is slated for a November 21 release.

• Tommy Lee
• Mötley Crüe
• Metallica
• Guns N' Roses

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

David has defeated Goliath.

According to a Tuesday (September 12) ruling by San Diego Judge John Houston, the producers of CBS' "Rock Star" are going to have to come up with an alternate name for Supernova, the band made up of Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee, Voivod's Jason Newsted and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.

Last month, the original Supernova — an Orange County, California, punk trio — filed for a preliminary injunction in San Diego's U.S. District Court against CBS Broadcasting, Mark Burnett Productions and Lee, Newsted and Clarke, who are starring in the second season of the reality show. The injunction sought to halt the television-contrived act from performing or recording under the name "Supernova" if the band fails to change or add any words to the moniker.

Lee, Newsted and Clarke were dropped as defendants late last month at the request of the original Supernova's lawyers (see "Supernova File Injunction Against Tommy Lee's 'Rock Star: Supernova' ").

Earlier Tuesday, Houston granted the request from the members of the original Supernova — bassist Art Mitchell, drummer Dave Collins and guitarist Jodey Lawrence — for the preliminary injunction. The injunction keeps the producers of "Rock Star: Supernova" — which concludes Wednesday night — from "performing rock and roll music, or recording, or selling rock and roll music recordings under the same [name], pending a trial of this action on its merits, or until otherwise ordered by the court."

The original Supernova — which formed in 1989 and released four studio LPs — first filed suit against the show's producers in late June (see "Supernova Sue 'Rock Star: Supernova' Producers, Bandmembers"). The filing alleged trademark infringement and sought a jury trial, as well as the eradication of all "labels, signs, prints, packages, wrappers, containers, advertisements, electronic media and other materials bearing the Supernova mark."

Supernova are perhaps best known for their tune "Chewbacca," which appeared on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's 1994 film "Clerks." When the group discovered the show's producers' intentions to use Supernova as the name for their supergroup, the band contacted them; negotiations between both sides followed on the heels of the suit's filing. Those talks hit a wall last month, forcing the band to take additional legal action to protect its rights.

The suit insisted that the "Rock Star" producers willfully ignored the fact that the Supernova moniker was unavailable and that "individuals within defendants' own organizations informed defendants of plaintiff's rights in the Supernova mark." Using the Supernova name would cut into the original band's future earnings, as it would interfere "with plaintiff's business relationships" or cause the band to lose merchandising deals and potential offers to perform, according to the suit. The filing also suggested that some fans of the band might be confused and therefore duped into buying the new Supernova's merchandise and music.

In his ruling, Houston acknowledged that "the marks are identical, the parties operate in very similar or identical markets, the Supernova is distinctive and therefore strong, and there is evidence of actual confusion in the market." Houston further noted that "irreparable harm [to the original Supernova] is presumed" and added that "defendants access to [a] large amount of monetary and promotional resources will effectively diminish, if not eliminate, [the original Supernova's] commercial presence in the marketplace."

The decision, in short, bars the CBS-created rockers from touring, recording and selling merchandise as "Supernova" once the order takes effect. First, the original Supernova must post bond, the amount of which has yet to be determined by the court.

The "Rock Star" band will launch an American tour December 31 in Las Vegas, with dates scheduled through February 27 in Long Beach, California. The Panic Channel, the band featuring "Rock Star: Supernova" co-host and former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, has been tapped to open on all the trek's dates (see "Dave Navarro Juggles TV And Guitar, Shrugs Off Panic Channel Sales").

• Tommy Lee
• Mötley Crüe

Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee's Whirlwind VMA Weekend

• Tommy Lee

Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Winehouse, More At Coachella 2007

• Arctic Monkeys
• The Jesus & Mary Chain
• Stephen Marley
• Satellite Party
• Jane's Addiction

Inspired By Tommy Lee's Tattoos: PL For TL Jeans

• Tommy Lee

• blink-182
• Box Car Racer
• Britney Spears
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Kelly Osbourne

• Tommy Lee