Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (file)
Photo: Paul Hawthorne

While they may be media moguls with a combined net worth of around $300 million, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are not above getting coffee for the boss. As part of their requirements at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the twins have scored some sweet internships as first-year students.

Mary-Kate is working for A-list celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz, regularly published in the glossy pages of Vanity Fair, photographed the sisters as part of an advertising campaign for A&E's "Biography" last year. Mary-Kate's responsibilities are not likely to include handling film or anything potentially disastrous, but rather running errands, filing and other basic chores.

"They're having a chance to explore things that interest them that they never had a chance to do. It's an opportunity for both of them to learn from the best," said their rep.

A source close to the twins confirmed rumors that Ashley is interning with designer Zac Posen. She's probably not sketching out dress designs or cutting patterns, but, like Mary-Kate, is likely doing more standard gofer work — though she is no stranger to the design world. Seated in the front row at some of the top fashion shows, Ashley and her sister already tried their hands at designing, having launched their own line — aptly named mary-kateandashley — in 2001.

While they are earning credits, the NYU program promotes internships. The Gallatin School for Individualized Study's Web site explains the school's focus on practical experience: "The work may relate to the student's intellectual or creative goals or may be based on learning experiences related to the student's professional and career aspirations." Just in time, too. The twins have recently taken over management of Dualstar Entertainment, the company behind their $1 billion business empire. They have been co-presidents of the company since turning 18 last year.

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• Mary-Kate Olsen

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen (file)
Photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are going to be busier than ever — the teen entrepreneurs are taking over management of their Dualstar company, for which they're already co-presidents. "We are very thankful that we are able to enjoy our college experience, run a business, and live our lives," Mary-Kate said in a statement. ...

R. Kelly was due in court on Friday (January 28), when prosecutors in his child-pornography case planned to file a motion asking the judge to reconsider a previous ruling on allowing a forensic pediatric expert's testimony without a separate hearing questioning the expert's validity. But Kelly's lawyer Ed Genson wasn't feeling well, so the hearing was postponed until February 18. ... Chingy is apparently a huge proponent of women in lingerie. Especially when they happen to be playing football. The St. Louis rapper will perform at "Lingerie Bowl 2005," a two-hour pay-per-view event that airs opposite the Super Bowl on February 6. ...

Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Angie Stone were among the performers at BET's Celebration of Gospel on Saturday. The show will air on the network February 24. ... Black Eyed Peas, John Legend and Paul Oakenfold are among the artists slated to perform at the Recording Academy's post-Grammy party February 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. BT, Deborah Cox and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers with Musiq are also on the bill. ...

New York radio station Hot 97's DJ Enuff celebrated his birthday Thursday night in the Big Apple at club Exit. Amerie, Cassidy, Mike Jones and Paul Wall all performed at the party. Meanwhile, not too far from the club at Table 50, Just Blaze played DJ for the night and spun a body-moving Nice & Smooth set. ... Mötley Crüe have added 25 more dates to their Red, White & Crüe reunion tour, but a stop at "Last Call With Carson Daly" won't be on the itinerary. Following singer Vince Neil's dropping of the f-bomb on Jay Leno's live New Year's Eve show, NBC/ Universal president Jeff Zucker said last week that the Crüe are banned from the network. The band's management said it had been booked on Daly's program, but a spokesperson for "Last Call" denied that the appearance was ever confirmed. The new dates run from a March 27 gig in Las Vegas to a May 1 show in Fort Collins, Colorado. The band is expected to announce plans for a major multi-act summer tour on March 3 in New York. ...

My Chemical Romance are asking fans to help them design their next T-shirt, which would be available for purchase with all proceeds going to help fight breast cancer. The band recently released an exclusive design via the Shirts for a Cure Project (http://www.shirtsforacure.com/sample.php?id=11). Send a jpg, gif or psd to info@syrentha.org before February 8 to enter a design. The winner will also get to choose between tickets to the band's upcoming tour or a signed CD or poster. ... Franz Ferdinand, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie and Interpol are among the 30 artists contributing music to a two-disc compilation to raise money for UNICEF's Tsunami Relief Fund. The comp features 26 tracks of unreleased songs, B-sides and exclusive remixes, and will be available in Urban Outfitters stores and on its Web site on February 28. ...

Jim Capaldi, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and drummer for the late '60s/early '70s band Traffic, died on Friday (January 28) from stomach cancer, according to Reuters. The musician, 60, died in his sleep at the London Clinic. Capaldi was diagnosed with terminal cancer just months after being inducted into the Hall of Fame in March 2004. ... Two former Phish members have been added to the lineup for this year's Bonnaroo festival (June 10-12). Guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio will perform a late-night set with his solo band, and bassist Mike Gordon will play with the improvisational Benevento/Russo duo. Mouse on Mars and Old Crow Medicine Show have also been added to the bill, which already includes Modest Mouse, the Dave Matthews Band, Joss Stone and more than 20 other roots, jazz, rock and folk acts. Tickets for the festival go on sale Saturday. ...

P.O.D. are hard at work on the follow-up to 2003's Payable on Death. The band announced on Thursday that it has begun pre-production on its forthcoming album with producer Greg Fidelman (Slipknot, System of a Down). Once P.O.D. hit the studio, their official Web site promises to provide clips of the sessions. ... On March 8, a five-song "bonus disc" will be available as a free download to anyone who's purchased Wilco's A Ghost Is Born. The new songs, which can be found on the band's Web site www.wilcoworld.net, include tracks from the Ghost sessions ("Panthers," "Kicking Television") and three live tracks. Wilco's relentless tour schedule will now include 16 more U.S. dates in February and early March. ... Having recently finished recording their as-yet-untitled second album, tentatively slated for a summer release, Chicago pop-rock outfit OK Go will take off on a monthlong U.S. tour. The trek will kick off on February 18 in Madison, Wisconsin, and end on March 18 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ...

01.27.2005

Original Nickelback drummer Ryan Vikedal is parting ways with the Canadian rock band, according to a statement released Wednesday. No replacement has been named. The group, currently in Vancouver, British Columbia, is gearing up to start recording its next album, the follow-up to 2003's The Long Road. ...

The list of bands hitching a ride on this summer's Warped Tour continues to grow. Warped founder Kevin Lyman said that more than 40 acts have now been confirmed, including just-named additions the All-American Rejects, Millencolin and Something Corporate on the tour's main stages, and Motion City Soundtrack, Reggie and the Full Effect and Strike Anywhere on the various second stages. The 2005 edition of Warped kicks off June 18 in Columbus, Ohio. ... Mariah Carey has pushed back her forthcoming album, which was due out March 22. The Emancipation of Mimi will now be in stores on April 12. ...

The week before the Grammys, the House of Blues in Los Angeles will host a four-night series of jam sessions, starting with Kanye West on February 9. Kid Rock, Alanis Morissette, Black Eyed Peas and John Legend will play throughout the week with additional surprise guests. Net proceeds will be donated to VH1's Save the Music Foundation. ... The Artist Empowerment Coalition will honor Kanye West, the late Ray Charles, Tyra Banks and actor Danny Glover at the third annual AEC Artist Celebration and Pre-Grammy Brunch at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on February 12. Hosted by "Access Hollywood" co-anchor Shaun Robinson, the event is a celebration of the arts and the diverse cultures from which they are born, and recognizes those who continue the mission of "giving back." Anthony Hamilton, who received his recording deal after performing at the first AEC event in 2003, will also be recognized. ...

Beyoncé Knowles and her mother have just signed a licensee agreement with Tarrant Apparel Group for their clothing line, House of Dereon (named after the singer's grandmother). The line is now expected to hit specialty stores by the holiday 2005 season, and will feature ready-to-wear, casual sportswear and denim. "It is such a rewarding feeling to be part of something that both my mother and I really believe in," Beyoncé said in a statement. "I hope that everybody loves the clothing as much as we do. We have really put our hearts into developing these fashions." ... The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana recently affirmed a 2003 ruling that sided with former Cash Money Records rapper Juvenile in a case that debated who owned the phrase "back that ass up." New Orleans artist DJ Jubilee filed a copyright-infringement suit against Juvenile arguing that his 1997 hit single "Back That Azz Up" was similar to a song Jubilee recorded that same year called "Back That Ass Up." The court's ruling on January 13 denied Jubilee's argument that the songs were similar. ...

Chris Carrabba is planning to reunite with his former band Further Seems Forever for one night only. The emocore quintet will play songs from its debut record, The Moon Is Down, with its original lineup — which includes the Dashboard Confessional singer — at the Bamboozle festival April 30 at the Convention Hall complex in Asbury Park, New Jersey. ... This year's Roskilde Festival will get a little more metal this year as Black Sabbath confirmed their appearance at the three-day event. Green Day and the Dears will also play the festival, which takes place in Roskilde, Denmark, from June 30-July 3. ...

Dick Clark is currently recuperating at home after suffering a stroke and spending more than seven weeks in a hospital. Clark, 75, who was unable to host "New Year's Rockin' Eve" for the first time in 32 years, was released on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. There is no word on the severity of Clark's stroke or how long it will take him to recover. ... Ludacris, Talib Kweli and the Roots' ?uestlove and Black Thought are among the artists scheduled to join Spike Lee in commemorating the 40th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X on February 7 at New York's Schomburg Center. The event will also include an advance screening of "By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Malcolm X," a documentary chronicling the making of the 1992 Spike Lee film about the life of the civil-rights leader. The documentary was created for the two-disc special-edition DVD of "Malcolm X" being released on February 8. ...

LL Cool J will next be seen on TV with two sexy women on his arm, thanks to a TV spot he's just shot for, of all things, Caress Body Wash. In the commercial, which will hit the air in early February, two women with glowing skin arrive at a New York club and are disappointed by the long line at the velvet ropes, but when they spot a stretch limo arriving at the front of the club, they jump in — and discover it belongs to the rapper. On LL's arm, they bypass the crowds and head straight through the VIP entrance, but once inside, they take off, leaving the stunned rapper behind. "These ladies knew what they wanted and went after it," LL Cool J said in a statement. "Making this spot was really cool: the club setting, the energy, and of course, the gorgeous women showing off their sexy skin." ... Nicole Richie has signed on to be the spokesperson for Bongo, for the brand's spring campaign, which will be advertised in March issues of fashion, entertainment and lifestyle magazines. "Bongo is a fun, young line and I think I am a good person to represent the brand," Richie said in a statement. "So when they approached me, I was really excited to do it." Richie shot the ads after a Bongo denim doghouse was built for her two puppies, Foxy Cleopatra and Honey Child. ...

The 2005 Noise Pop festival, set to run from February 22-27 in San Francisco, will feature performances from the Hot Hot Heat, the Walkmen, the Polyphonic Spree, Mission of Burma, Nada Surf, Amon Tobin, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Les Georges Leningrad, Louis XIV and a host of other underground artists of every stripe. ... Just three years after they broke up, Los Angeles hard rockers Buckcherry are prepping a reunion. Well, singer Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson, are, anyway. The band's songwriting core has reunited and is recording its third album with a new rhythm section and second guitarist. The as-yet-untitled album is due out later this year. ...

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• R. Kelly
• Chingy
• Fantasia
• My Chemical Romance

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston (file)
Photo: Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

After seven years together, including four and a half years of marriage, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are separating. "For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any of the speculation reported by the tabloid media," Pitt and Aniston said in a joint statement published on People magazine's Web site Friday (January 7). "This decision is a result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another. We ask in advance for your kindness and sensitivity in the coming months." ... Smells like twin spirit — Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are launching two fragrances, Coast to Coast NY (which will have a citrus scent) and Coast to Coast LA (which will have a more floral, tropical scent). The perfumes will be sold in mass-market drug chains, department stores and Wal-Mart starting in March. ...

Nelly recently donated $50,000 to the Martin Luther King Memorial Project Foundation. According to The St. Louis American, the donation will help build a memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C., in honor of Dr. King. "I think anytime you can be in conjunction with a great man such as Dr. King, it's only right," Nelly told the paper. The memorial will cost almost $100 million to build and maintain, and organizers say they have already raised $65 million. The foundation has until 2006 to collect the additional money. ...

On March 5, Usher will stage a 90-minute live show filmed in HDTV called "One Night One Star Usher Live" from San Juan's Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The concert will air on Showtime, smack in the middle of the channel's free-preview weekend, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. ... This year's Grammy nominees will not only find themselves sweating it out together at the actual ceremony, but they'll also be grouped on a CD compilation. The 21-track Grammy Nominees 2005, due in stores February 1, includes songs by Usher, U2, Alicia Keys, Beastie Boys, Prince, Green Day, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West and Evanescence, and will benefit music-related charities such as the recording academy's MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation. ...

Cuban Link's upcoming Chain Reaction, due March 8, will feature appearances from Jadakiss, the Game and Peedi Crakk. Mya sings on the former Terror Squad rapper's first single, "Sugardaddy." ... Dirtbag Clothing has announced it will move forward with plans to launch Dimebag Hardware, the clothing line inspired by the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. The Dimebag Hardware line will consist of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, shorts and work shirts with "a metal edge," according to a statement released Friday by the company. The line will debut at the NAMM music convention in Anaheim, California, on January 20, and will be available online at dimebaghardware.com and dirtbagclothing.com, as well as at guitar shops and boutiques across the U.S. and Europe. ...

Norah Jones will headline the Air J Jazz and Blues Festival, scheduled for January 27-29 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Other artists on the bill include Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack and Jimmy Cliff. ... Danny Sugerman, former manager of the Doors and co-author of "No One Here Gets Out Alive," the definitive bio of the Jim Morrison-led band, died in Los Angeles on Thursday from lung cancer. Sugarman, 50, started as an assistant to the band when he was 14 and went on to become their manager following Morrison's 1971 death. He also acted as a consultant on Oliver Stone's 1991 movie "The Doors." ...

Five months after "Peace Train" singer Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam) was detained and deported by U.S. authorities, who said he was on a no-fly list, the singer is still barred from entering the country. Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge said Thursday that the singer remains on the list because "the reasons we rejected him several months ago still exist in my mind." Peace activist Islam was barred from the U.S. at the time because of what the government said were his alleged ties to terrorist organizations, a claim the singer has denied. ... Paul McCartney, Sting and the surviving members of Queen are among the artists collaborating on 46664: 1 Year On, an EP to raise money for Nelson Mandela's 46664 organization, which combats the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa (46664 was Mandela's prisoner number when he was incarcerated on South Africa's Robben Island). The EP, which is available for download from the iTunes music store, features collaborations from McCartney and Eurythmics' David A. Stewart, Sting and Jimmy Cliff, and Queen and Mandela himself. ...

Swedish psychedelic garage rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives will follow up their 2002 album, Behind the Music, with Origin Vol. 1, due March 15. The group will kick off a brief club tour January 15 in Boston that ends January 26 in Los Angeles, and will appear at Austin, Texas' South by Southwest Music Conference in March. ... The Slamdance Film Festival, the annual, unofficial fest that coincides with the Sundance Film Festival, will feature performances from former Soul Coughing singer Mike Doughty, producer/rapper Prince Paul and Parliament/ Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell. Also playing at the fest in Park City, Utah — taking place January 21-28 — will be Apex Theory, guitarist Elliott Sharp and Spearhead frontman Michael Franti, whose documentary about his search for humanity in war zones in Iraq and Israel, "I Know I Am Not Alone," will close the event. ...

Thomas Slattery digs iTunes, he just doesn't like the fact that the only device the site works with is Apple's own iPod. So he sued the company in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, on Monday, alleging that the company broke antitrust laws by shutting out its competitors. An Apple spokesperson did not return a call seeking comment. ...

01.06.2005

Pharrell Williams is suing Reebok International for more than $4 million, accusing the manufacturer of his Billionaire Boys Club (BBC) clothing line of breach-of-contract. Williams filed the lawsuit before Christmas, claiming the sportswear giant didn't produce clothing meeting BBC's standards and failed to distribute the clothing line to stores by an agreed-upon deadline. A spokesperson for Reebok said that the suit was unexpected and the company is trying to resolve the issue out of court. ...

A woman who claims she worked as a publicist for James Brown in the late 1980s has filed a federal lawsuit against him, alleging that he caused her to suffer Graves' disease (a basic defect in the immune system) because he raped her at gunpoint in 1988, according to The Associated Press. A lawyer for Brown says Jacque Hollander's charges are "baseless" and "too little, too late." While Hollander's lawyer agrees that the statute of limitation on a rape charge has run out, he says the suit has merit since his client's doctor only recently told her that her ailment, which she was diagnosed with in 2000, was caused by the alleged incident. Hollander is seeking $106 million in damages in a U.S. District Court in Chicago. Brown's reps could not be reached by press time for comment. ...

Do you appear to be between the ages of 18 and 35 and really really like hard rock? If you said yes to either of those questions, the "Battle for Ozzfest" organizers want you to be a member of the audience at the final battle, which will take place on Sunday between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Los Angeles area. Check out www.ozzfest.com for more info. ... Johnny Ramone's wife and friends, including Rob Zombie, will unveil a statue in memory of the late Ramones guitarist at a public ceremony January 14 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The monument, of Johnny playing his guitar, will be located near where Dee Dee Ramone is buried and will include the following quote from Johnny: "If a man can judge success by how many great friends he has, then I have been very successful." ...

Pink is plunging forward with her next album, according to her Web site. She's already started writing and has a few new songs already, the post says, and though it didn't disclose exactly who would be working with Pink this time around, it said she would be teaming up with "some great talent." ... Supermodel Tyra Banks has put her debut album on hold, but insists she has not given up on a singing career. "I have a talk show in the works, so we're trying to figure out the timing of the music and how to blend the two," she explained. "I just did a beautiful song with Wyclef and one with Rodney Jerkins. ...

Slash's Las Vegas New Year's Eve celebration was cut short after the Velvet Revolver guitarist found out his cat had suffered a heart attack back in Los Angeles and had to be rushed to a veterinarian, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Slash reportedly returned to his suite several times throughout the night to get updates on the feline's health. ... Kelly Osbourne recently shot a cameo for "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz," due on the small screen in May. Osbourne plays herself and bumps into Ashanti's Dorothy character in the flick. ...

Love Rocks, a two-disc compilation celebrating love, "regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity," will see release on February 25. Christina Aguilera, Pink, Mandy Moore, Dolly Parton, Melissa Etheridge and others contribute songs to the album, with all proceeds benefiting Human Rights Campaign, an organization promoting gay and lesbian civil rights. ... William Hung's feature-film debut, the Cantonese-language "Where Is Mama's Boy?," hits theaters this weekend in Singapore. The "American Idol" reject, who is in Singapore promoting the film and doing benefits for the tsunami victims, plays a street vendor who befriends a music-club owner, played by Hong Kong starlet Nancy Sit. ...

Jurassic 5 rapper Chali 2na has settled on Fish Out of Water as the title for his solo album, due in February. Some of the material from the LP, which includes a track produced by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, is included on the recently released mixtape Fish Market. J5 are also recording an album for release in 2005. ... 8Ball and MJG are releasing "Forever" with Lloyd as the next single from Living Legends. ...

After facing two liens on her New York apartment in the past year, Courtney Love has decided to solve her money problems by selling the place. She's listed the 4,100-square-foot loft in SoHo as a $6 million property, after paying $2.6 million for the place five years ago. ... Fans of "The O.C." who recognize the music of the Album Leaf, featured in recent episodes of the hit TV show, will now be able to see the band live. Jimmy LaValle (a.k.a. the Album Leaf) takes his pristine, minimalist instrumentals on the road this month with a West Coast jaunt that kicks off January 13 near the O.C., in Costa Mesa, California. ...

To walk this way, or not to walk this way ... that's the question posed at Burbank, California's Falcon Theatre where the show "The Comedy of Aerosmith" is playing throughout the month of January. The "For mature audiences only!" show, a parody of Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" mixed with the music of Aerosmith, is being performed by the Troubadour Theater Company. ... Natalie Imbruglia has finished her new album, which she's calling Counting Down the Days. The first single, "Shiver," is due out in mid-March, while the album is expected March 29. Song titles include "I Won't Be Lost," "On the Run," "Sanctuary," "Satisfied," "Honeycomb Child" and "Come on Home." ...

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• Usher
• Evanescence
• Cuban Link
• Game

Mary-Kate Olsen (file)
Photo: Wireimage

Mary-Kate Olsen was discharged from an undisclosed facility late Friday night after receiving six weeks of treatment for an eating disorder. She reportedly responded well to the treatment and gained about five pounds while at the facility.

The actress had originally signed up for a monthlong treatment when she checked into the clinic a few days before her 18th birthday in mid-June. She extended her stay for two additional weeks after making progress (see "Mary-Kate Olsen Extends Stay In Clinic").

"She is feeling very well and is looking forward to rejoining her family and friends and preparing for her freshman year at New York University," Michael Pagnotta, her rep, said.

Ashley Olsen canceled a trip to Australia to promote their film "New York Minute" so that she could be with her sister during her clinic stay. The sisters' "Got Milk?" advertising campaign was postponed because of Mary-Kate's condition. The ads began running in May and were scheduled to continue until the end of July, but were retracted earlier this month.

Though Mary-Kate's clinic stay is over, her post-treatment care will continue privately "with a great team of people" in both Los Angeles, where she is now, and New York, where she and her sister will have their freshman orientation for NYU in late August (see "Experts Say Mary-Kate Olsen Faces Long Road To Recovery").

"For the time being, she will be leading as normal a life as possible, with family, friends, preparing for school, shopping, dinner, movies, etc.," Pagnotta said. "She won't be hiding."

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen

The first date of the Vans Warped Tour, June 25 in Houston, was postponed due to excessive storms. That show will now take place on Monday, though fans can present their Houston ticket at any show on the tour and gain admission, should they be unable to attend on Monday. ...

Ashley Olsen has canceled a promotional trip to Australia to promote "New York Minute" so that she can be with her sister, Mary-Kate, who is being treated for an eating disorder at an undisclosed clinic. "Ashley Olsen has decided to be with her family at this time," Robert Thorne, CEO of the twins' Dualstar Entertainment Group, said in a statement. "While it is unfortunate that plans have been canceled, Mary-Kate and Ashley appreciate everyone's support and understanding at this time." ... The fallout from T.I.'s unauthorized video project last week at the Fulton County jail has been settled. Three guards have been put on temporary leave in connection with the incident. ...

As the majority of the dozen or so items before the court in the Michael Jackson case were about whether various documents — such as grand-jury transcripts and search warrants — should be kept under seal, the judge in the case ultimately decided on Friday that Jackson's right to a fair trial superseded the public's right to know. "I'm following the law," Judge Rodney Melville said. "I'm being very careful in following the law." The Web site maintained by the Santa Barbara County court system also shows that Melville has been holding private telephone hearings with the parties, but those, too, remain secret. Another hearing was scheduled for July 9. ... P. Diddy's annual "White Party" will be populated by models, actors, musicians, and special guests including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Making a special appearance at Diddy's Fourth of July bash at the PlayStation 2 estate in Bridgehampton, New York, is none other than the Declaration of Independence. The document is an original copy owned by producer Norman Lear, who drives it around the country on his Declaration of Independence Road Trip. On the eve of Diddy's party, a Blue Star helicopter will take Diddy and the document to the mansion after Diddy's performance in "A Raisin in the Sun." ...

Madonna is headed to Israel after all — but not for a concert tour. The artist also now known as Esther had canceled three Israeli stops on her Re-Invention Tour because of violence in the region, but is now in talks to visit the Jewish holy places in October with a group of students studying Kabbala. "If it does happen, it will be completely private," Madonna's spokesperson, Liz Rosenberg, said. "No Whitney-and-Bobby-go-to-the-homeland sort of thing." ... Paris Hilton has two movies that have yet to come out — not those kind of movies, but legitimate roles in the horror films "House of Wax" and "The Hillz" — and she's just snatched up her next part. Hilton will star as the president of a sorority at South Beach University in "National Lampoon's Pledge This!," which has been described as "Animal House" meets "Revenge of the Nerds" meets "American Pie." ...

While plugging away on their next album, AFI have recorded a cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole," though it's not yet known where the track will surface. A release for the follow-up to last year's breakthrough Sing the Sorrow has yet to be scheduled. ... The man who owned serial killer Ted Bundy's Volkswagen has filed a $4 million suit against Jonathan Davis, claiming he had a deal with the Korn singer to display it and other items in what Davis has been calling a "serial killer museum." The problem is Arthur Rosenblatt has never seen any of the $250,000 in funding Davis promised him. ...

"Yankee ... Hotel ... Foxtrot": Those three little words that loop for 90 seconds at the end of Wilco's fourth album of the same name are costing frontman Jeff Tweedy a few thousand dollars. The bit was an unlicensed sample from a 1998 collection of mysterious shortwave radio transmissions. Wilco and the British label that released the discs recently came to an agreement to settle the complaint in a U.K. courtroom. ... Raunchy rapper Peaches — in spite of her tough-girl image — has a soft spot for elephants, especially ones that share her name. She's written to Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo to ask that they allow Peaches the elephant — along with her fellow aging pachyderms Tatima and Wankie — to retire to a sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, since the climate during Chicago's winter gets especially harsh. "At the sanctuary they could rest, recuperate and live the rest of their days in peace and dignity with other African elephants," she wrote. ...

"Rock Star," the reality show that would find a new singer for INXS seven years after the band's original frontman, Michael Hutchence, died, will be broadcast next summer on CBS. The series is being produced by "Survivor" creator Mark Burnett. ... One of Eric Clapton's favorite guitars was auctioned off for $959,500 on Wednesday at a Christie's auction in New York. It was the most money ever paid for a rock instrument at an auction. The sale broke Clapton's previous record of $497,500, which was set in 1999. The guitar sold Wednesday was one of 88 guitars and other musical artifacts that Clapton and other artists donated to raise money for the drug and alcohol treatment facility Crossroads Center Antigua. ...

Rufus Wainwright recorded so much material for his 2003 Want album that he ended up splitting it into two LPs, Want One and the forthcoming Want Two. Four tracks from the latter will be released on Tuesday via iTunes under the name Waiting for a Want. Wainwright describes the EP as "some of the more daunting tracks, the operatic, weird stuff, some heavy numbers that relate to my classical sensibilities." Downloadable artwork for the EP will be available from www.rufuswainwright.com; another installment of songs from Want Two is scheduled for the fall ... The four-CD box set by the Faces, Five Guys Walk Into a Bar, has been bumped to July 20. The set was originally slated for release May 25. ...

06.24.04

Whether or not you're ready for this jelly, Destiny's Child will be returning from their hiatus to perform on Pepsi's "Play for a Billion" game show. The trio will sing the new single from their upcoming album in front of a live audience in Los Angeles in September, the group announced on Thursday (June 24). "We are really looking forward to getting back onstage and performing together as a group," Beyoncé said. ...

Christina Aguilera is still planning to perform at least one show this summer. Despite her tour being canceled due to vocal strain, the singer has signed on to do a private concert at an event called Elements on July 10 in Pittsburgh. ... John Kerry's "A Change Is Going to Come" concert, which was postponed following former president Ronald Reagan's passing, has been rescheduled for July 8. The campaign fund-raising event will take place at New York's Radio City Music Hall and will feature performances by Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Jon Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, John Mellencamp and Whoopi Goldberg, among others. But a lineup like that doesn't come cheap: tickets cost between $250 and $500. ...

On July 3, Jay-Z will host the "S. Carter Fourth of July Tennis" event at an estate taken over for the summer by PlayStation 2 in Bridgehampton, New York, to celebrate the release of his new S. Carter tennis shoe with Reebok. The party is expected to mimic those exclusive soirees held at the Wimbledon Club in England. ... Courtney Love's Web site message board, www.kittyradio.com, has been suspended due to lack of funds. The singer is asking for fans to make donations or buy "Free Courtney" shirts at www.getvexed.com, which will donate all proceeds to help pay the server bill. ...

The Pixies have added a new batch of dates to their fall tour of North America, which starts September 4 in Bend, Oregon. The first new date is November 27 in Montreal and the last scheduled show is December 5 in Camden, New Jersey. The Pixies are currently on tour in Europe. ... Slash and wife Perla Hudson became proud papa and mama to their second son, Cash Anthony Hudson, on Wednesday. Baby Cash was born to the Velvet Revolver guitarist and his ex-model wife at 1:54 p.m. in Los Angeles and weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces, according to a spokesperson for Velvet Revolver. The couple also have a 2-year-old son named London. ...

Tommy Lee's management and the Las Vegas Bellagio's Light nightclub manager have different stories about what caused the ex-Mötley Crüe drummer to end his DJ set abruptly on Sunday. The club said Lee had to be escorted out by security because he was playing inappropriate music and refused to leave. The club's manager also told The Associated Press that Lee ordered $800 bottles of Cristal without paying for them, repeatedly cursed at the crowd and shoved someone. Lee's manager denies the accusations and insists the drummer peacefully left the club with his own security in tow because he was unhappy with the music the club management wanted him to play. ... Former Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age drummer Alfredo Hernandez has joined Mondo Generator, the band fronted by former Queens bassist Nick Oliveri. The band's brief West Coast tour opening for MC5 launches Tuesday in Los Angeles and runs through July 3 in Seattle. ...

Accident Experiment, which features ex-P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel, has been hit with a cease-and-desist order by the American Red Cross, which believes the band's logo is too similar to that of the health and humanitarian organization. Accident Experiment's debut album, United We Fear, comes out this fall. ... Ziggy played guitar, then got hit in the eye with a lollipop, then got a pinched nerve in his shoulder. David Bowie cut a concert in Prague, Czech Republic, short on Wednesday because of a pain in his shoulder, according to The Associated Press. About halfway through the performance he took a 10-minute break, then returned to the stage to perform two more songs. Bowie sang "The Man Who Sold the World" while sitting down, then apologized to the crowd and left the stage, ending the concert. A spokesperson for Bowie said he was suffering from a trapped nerve. On Friday, the singer was hit in the eye by a lollipop thrown by someone in the crowd at a concert in Oslo, Norway. ...

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• T.I.
• Michael Jackson
• AFI

Mary-Kate Olsen (file)
Photo: Wireimage

Though it was Tuesday when news broke that Mary-Kate Olsen was seeking help for an eating disorder, she'd actually entered a treatment program last week, according to a source close to the actress. She's expected to remain there for about a month.

According to experts who specialize in teen girls and eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia are complicated diseases that affect both the mind and body and take a long time to fully recover from. It's not simply a case of girls who are literally dying to be thin, although that can be one of the victim's goals.

"There's more to this than just the hype about the thinness," said Lynn Grefe, CEO of the National Eating Disorder Association. "Society will just tell [an anorexic girl] to eat, like she's doing it on purpose. And she wishes she could eat."

A clinical program could help Olsen re-learn how to eat — possibly via a feeding tube at first, later under the supervision of a nutritionist. This should help her return to her normal weight. Counselors will also try to help her understand why she developed an eating disorder, and doctors may prescribe an anti-depressant.

"This can be about the child's wish not to grow up," said Michelle Ascher Dunn, a New York psychoanalyst. "In getting thinner, you lose your breasts, you lose your period, and you become pre-adolescent. You lose your adult physical status, and you get to turn time backwards."

The seeds of an eating disorder can be sown as early as age 8, Dunn said — as soon as a child realizes their body is changing — but the onset generally occurs in adolescence. Ten million women and 1 million men suffer from eating disorders in the United States, and 15- to 19-year-olds account for 40 percent of identified cases, according to NEDA statistics.

Girls who are high achievers — perfectionists who get great grades, excel in sports and are considered leaders — are most susceptible to eating disorders, Dunn said, because they offer a goal to strive for.

Plus, disorders can be aggravated when the victim is famous and her career depends on how she looks. "One patient told me that her life was so out of control that this was the one thing she felt she could control: her weight," Grefe said. "We hear this a lot."

"Part of the control issue," Dunn said, "is about feeling empty, in a physical sense. Anorexics get to love feeling empty. It makes them feel full of power and self-control. The danger is that they stop feeling hungry, and if girls are just playing at it, if they practice being empty and lose their appetite, they can fall into it and become a functioning anorexic."

The body's under-nourishment affects how the mind works, Grefe said. This can prevent people with eating disorders from visualizing themselves properly. This "dysmorphia" can prevent an anorexic from seeing that they are wasting away. Getting help usually requires an intervention by family or friends, who can see the warning signs: dramatic mood shifts, emotional withdrawal, unnecessary dieting, food avoidance, food rituals and frequent trips to the bathroom after meals.

Denial can also be a warning sign. "That denial is like Novocain," Dunn said. "You're in pain, but you don't know it, you won't let yourself feel it. You don't want to admit it."

"Anorexia is a quiet disease," Grefe said. "They feel ashamed, and so only a third [of them] receive mental treatment. It's got the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. It's no joking matter."

But it is treatable. As with overcoming an addiction, overcoming eating disorders can be a long process — for some, it takes four to seven years. Once Olsen finishes her stint in the treatment facility (see "Mary-Kate Olsen Seeks Treatment For Eating Disorder"), she should expect outpatient therapy to be part of her healing process.

"You can't walk out [of the clinic] and think everything's fine," Grefe said. "You have to be aware, and you have to work at it."

Part of the problem may be the social pressure that's put on women to be thin in order to be fashionable and desirable. "We need more Bridget Jones types," Grefe said. "We need to love our different shapes and sizes, as long as they're in healthy proportions. And we need to wake up, because women are dying."

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen (file)
Photo: Rafy

After much speculation in the tabloids recently that Mary-Kate Olsen has an eating disorder, the teen actress has entered a facility to seek treatment for the problem.

There have also been rumors that Olsen has a drug problem, rumors which her representative categorically denies. "Those rumors are false, damaging and inaccurate," Michael Pagnotta said.

Instead, Pagnotta said that Olsen, who turned 18 on June 13, was seeking professional help for a "health-related issue." Sources tell MTV News that the health-related issue in question is an eating disorder, but they didn't specify whether it's anorexia or bulimia.

Mary-Kate and her twin sister, Ashley, discussed the drug and eating-disorder rumors in the May 3 issue of People. "Being in the public eye, you're labeled that you have an eating disorder," Ashley said. "You have a drug addiction," Mary-Kate said. "We don't have problems! There's nothing to worry about," Ashley said. "If I had a drug addiction, I would be in a thingy — like Promises, the Malibu [rehab] place," Mary-Kate said. "You don't see me there. So, like, come on. It's crazy."

Perhaps more succinctly, Mary-Kate addressed her body-image problems, or lack thereof, in a Teen People story in January. "I don't break myself down into body parts," she said. "You can't go through life thinking like that, or you will always end up comparing yourself to someone else. When I'm feeling good on the inside, I'm usually happy with the way I look."

Pagnotta noted that "getting healthy" was Mary-Kate's priority right now, so that she could go to school with nothing hanging over her in the fall. Both of the sisters are slated to start attending New York University as freshmen in September.

"[Mary-Kate] is thankful for the encouragement and support of her friends and family who are with her every step of the way," Pagnotta said in a statement released Tuesday (June 22).

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen

Happy birthday to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen! The teen twins turned a long-awaited 18 on Sunday, which means they can now do a whole assortment of things with grown-ups without any legal repercussions ... like vote and play Lotto! ...

Usher vs. R. Kelly: It's going down at the 2004 BET Awards on June 29 in Los Angeles. The two are up for Best Male R&B Artist, along with Anthony Hamilton, Ruben Studdard and Luther Vandross. Usher and the R. will also square off in the Viewers Choice category — "Step in the Name of Love" and "Yeah!" are up against Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love," Lil Jon's "Get Low," Kanye West's "All Falls Down" and Outkast's "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move." ... After announcing her plans to develop a perfume in March, Britney Spears is getting closer to releasing her own line via Elizabeth Arden. She's calling the scent Curious, and it has a white floral overtone accented with Louisiana magnolia with an underlying vanilla musk. It'll come in an azure-blue glass bottle with heart-shaped charms. The line, which will hit stores in September, will also include a body soufflé, a shower gel and a perfumed shimmer stick. ...

The Pixies have recorded a new song, "Bam Thwok," their first original track in 13 years. The song is being released exclusively through Apple's iTunes Music Store starting Tuesday at midnight. The song features Kim Deal singing lyrics from a discarded children's art book she found on the street many years ago: "Bosses in offices on automatic drip/ They got the keys to the city/ But we got a lotta shaking in our hips." The Pixies recorded "Bam Thwok" in Los Angeles in March while the band was practicing for its recent reunion tour. ... Nothing says "Happy Father's Day!" like getting your old man a lunch date with Avril Lavigne or Nick Lachey — at least that's the thinking by the folks organizing a charity auction to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Winning bidders on "Because You Love Him," a special eBay auction, can also purchase slightly more appropriate gifts, like an afternoon with golf pro Arnold Palmer, lunch with boxing promoter Don King, and two hours with Magic Johnson. ...

Michael Jackson will not be getting any money back from the court system anytime soon. A California judge ruled on Friday that the singer will not be allowed to reduce his $3 million bail, since he originally posted it "without objection or apparent difficulty." Without evidence to prove financial hardship, the financial incentive to make his court dates remains in place, Judge Rodney Melville wrote in his decision. ... Modest Mouse's longtime drummer Jeremiah Green, who left 14 months ago because of conflicts in the studio, has returned and will tour with the band this summer. Green had been temporarily replaced by Helio Sequence's Benjamin Weikel, who played on the latest Modest Mouse disc, Good News for People Who Love Bad News, and has also toured with the group. ...

P. Diddy was forced to leave the Saturday afternoon performance of the Broadway revival of "A Raisin in the Sun" in the middle of the show. According to his spokesperson, the rapper/actor, who plays Walter Lee Younger in the production, arrived at the theater feeling ill but insisted on going on. By intermission, however, he was so sick that his stage manager instructed him to go home. Diddy's understudy, Billy Eugene Jones, filled in for him for the remainder of the Saturday matinee show, and went on in his place for the Saturday evening and Sunday performances. Diddy will return to the stage on Tuesday. ... Former Saves the Day bassist Sean McGrath lost his two-year battle with intestinal cancer on Friday. He was 28. A veteran of the New York hardcore scene, McGrath played on STD's 1998 debut, Can't Slow Down, as well as in bands Hands Tied, Mouthpiece and the Alps. He was at home with friends and family when he died. ...

DMX has been sued by pet-goods manufacturer Amusing Diversions for breach of contract and fraud because he agreed to promote a line of designer wear for dogs even though he was found guilty of animal cruelty. Amusing Diversions is concerned that the rapper's 2002 conviction for caging and neglecting 13 pit-bull terriers at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, will cause chain stores such as PETCO to boycott his products. The DMX line includes animal bubble jackets, raincoats and jerseys. ... Smokey Robinson, who uses the slogan "The soul is in the bowl" for his Louisiana line of foods, is being sued by a Louisiana chef who claims he trademarked the expression "Soul in Yo Bowl" in 1997, a decade after he started using it. Johnny "Jambalaya" Percle filed suit last week in federal court, claiming Robinson has infringed on his trademark, causing confusion among his customers. ...

Sleepy Brown's upcoming solo album, which he recently re-titled Only for the Grown and Sexy, has been pushed back from June to a fall release. The Outkast affiliate has also changed the first single from the Big Boi-produced "Dooley Wop" to the Pharrell Williams collaboration "Margarita." ... Meanwhile, Outkast have pushed back the shooting of their HBO musical to late summer. "We're trying to finish up some of the songs that we have to shoot scenes for," Big Boi explained. ... Boyz II Men, minus the recently retired Michael McCary, are putting the finishing touches on Throwback, a collection of R&B covers. Due August 24, the album will feature Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do for Love" featuring MC Lyte, which will be the first single. ...

06.11.2004

Good Charlotte fans will have to wait a couple of weeks longer for the group's third album, Chronicles of Life and Death.The follow-up to 2002's The Young and the Hopeless is now due October 5, after previously being slated for September. ... Papa Roach will release their Getting Away With Murder in September. The disc was produced by Howard Benson (P.O.D., Blindside) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Bad Religion, Green Day). The band will play a five-week tour to preview songs from the new disc, starting June 25 in Spokane, Washington. Dates are scheduled through July 17 in Orlando, Florida. ...

The battery trial of Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has been pushed to September 13, following a defense motion. Lifeson and his son were arrested after they got rowdy with police after a New Year's Eve party at a Florida hotel. ... A limited-edition version of Switchfoot's latest album, The Beautiful Letdown, due June 22, will include a bonus DVD that features behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the "Dare You to Move" video, an acoustic version of "On Fire," the previously unreleased "Monday Comes Around" and a live version of "Meant to Live." ...

When tickets for the Curiosa Festival, featuring the Cure, Interpol, the Rapture and Mogwai, go on sale this weekend, fans will be given the option to preorder the Cure's new, self-titled album through ticketmaster.com. The band's 13th album drops June 29. ... Brian Wilson's upcoming Getting in Over My Head, due June 22, will feature a collaboration with Paul McCartney called "A Friend Like You." ... Omaha, Nebraska, electro-rockers the Faint will drop their fourth LP, Wet From Birth, September 14. The album follows 2001'sa breakthrough Danse Macabre, and last year's Danse Macabre Remixes, which featured contributions from Paul Oakenfold and Photek, among others. ...

Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale has recorded 14 songs for his solo debut with Helmet's Page Hamilton as producer. A release date has yet to be set, but the still-untitled LP may be ready before the end of the year. Helmet's Size Matters, meanwhile, is due September 14. A tour is expected to commence the following week. ... Guster singer/guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, have launched Reverb, a nonprofit environmental action group that will spread awareness through music tours. The group will erect an eco-village at venues on the Alanis Morissette/Barenaked Ladies' Au Naturale Tour beginning July 16 in Wantagh, New York. ...

Two years after debuting at the 2002 Bonnaroo festival, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, featuring Primus bassist Les Claypool, Guns N' Roses drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia, Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and former GN'R guitarist Buckethead, are preparing to release their debut album, The Big Eyeball in the Sky, September 7. The group is planning a tour for October. ... 2 Live Crew's Luther "Luke" Campbell will be honored at the Free Speech Coalition's Night of the Stars on July 24. Actress Susan Sarandon and two California legislators (Assemblyman Paul Koretz and Senator John Vasconcellos), are the honorary co-chairpersons for the event. Porn star Jenna Jameson will also be honored. ...

Boston Red Sox players Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo and Lenny DiNardo provided backing vocals to the Dropkick Murphys' version of "Tessie," a 1903 waltz that Red Sox fans used to sing. The song has been absent from Fenway Park since the "Curse of the Bambino" was born when Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees prior to the start of the 1920 season, but legend has it that when it was sung, the Sox were unbeatable in the postseason. ...

• Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
• Usher
• Britney Spears
• The Pixies
• Avril Lavigne

2003 MTV Video Music Award Performers And Presenters

• 50 Cent
• G-Unit
• Good Charlotte
• Diddy
• Kelly Clarkson