Former ‘James At 15’ Star Sentenced

Former child star Lance Kerwin has been placed on five years’ probation after pleading guilty to a theft charge in Kauai, Hawaii. Kerwin, who played the title role in “James at 15” in the late ‘70s, was given credit during last Thursday’s sentencing for 90 days served and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service for the second-degree theft charge. Prosecutors say Kerwin was caught falsifying documents in order to get state medical assistance and food stamps. His defense lawyer says Kerwin omitted in the benefits application that he owned three properties on the mainland. Kerwin, a pastor at Calvary Chapel in Kapaa and a U-Turn for Christ program leader, says he’s paid about $22,000 in restitution.

 

‘Glee’ Guys Helping Host Teen Choice Awards

Katy Perry will have some help when she hosts the Teen Choice Awards. “Glee” stars Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Cory Monteith and Mark Salling will join her as co-hosts. The cast of “Glee” has 13 Teen Choice Award nominations. The awards will be taped August 8th and air August 9th on FOX.

Rycroft Strickland Pregnant

Reality television personality Melissa Rycroft Strickland announced she is pregnant on yesterday’s “Good Morning America.” Rycroft Strickland – a “GMA” correspondent who competed on “The Bachelor” and “Dancing with the Stars” – married insurance agent Tye Strickland last December. Their first child is expected to be born in February.

More Mel Gibson Tapes Leaked

RadarOnline has released more purported audio of Mel Gibson ranting at ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. This time, the audio is said to come from a series of eight voice mail messages he left on Grigorieva’s answering machine. Like the previous seven recordings released by Radar, yesterday’s release features a man identified as Gibson insulting and cursing at his ex. Gibson reportedly called Grigorieva up to 30 times the night she ended their relationship. According to RadarOnline, the series of phone calls spanned 10 hours, allegedly starting at 8 p.m. on February 18th.

Roasting The Hoff

David Hasselhoff is starring in a spoof commercial to promote an upcoming Comedy Central “Roast Of David Hasselhoff.” The Hoff has appeared in a series of hilarious promos that spoof his public troubles, including the infamous drunken burger eating episode. He is also spoofed for being “Germany’s most beloved singer” and is seen posing with the “Knight Rider” car. The roast tapes on Sunday and airs August 15th. Jerry Springer, George Hamilton, Jeffrey Ross and others are joining Hasselhoff’s “Baywatch” costar Pamela Anderson as official roasters. Seth MacFarlane has signed on as emcee for the event.

 

Brinkley Puts NY House On Market

Christie Brinkley has put one of her properties on New York’s Long Island up for sale for $15.75 million. The five-bedroom house is on 4 1/2 acres in Sag Harbor on the island’s eastern end. Brinkley bought the house in 2004 for $7.15 million. She owns other properties in the area as well.

 

Next ‘Survivor’ Pits Youth Against Age

CBS says the upcoming edition of the “Survivor: Nicaragua” will divide contestants into two tribes, young vs. old – with “old” defined as starting at 40 for the so-called Espada Tribe. The La Flor Tribe will be made up of people 30 and younger. “Survivor: Nicaragua” will debut September 15th.

Chris Tucker Owes BIG Money To The Tax Man

The IRS is after Chris Tucker for $11 million he owes in back taxes, dating back to 2001. That amount is added on to the $3.5 million he owes California in state taxes for the same period. The IRS says Chris owes $4 million for 2001, $5 million for 2002, $55,000 for 2004, $660,000 for 2005 and $1.8 million for 2006. In addition to his tax problems, Tucker is also taking a bath on his mansion in Florida. The actor is trying to sell the home for $2 million, even though he paid $6 million for it three years ago. The house includes 5 bedrooms, a wine cellar, a pirate ship-themed home theater and a library with a secret room. It is located in Montverde, a suburb of Orlando. Tucker also owns multiple properties in California, but it's not clear if he's looking to unload any of those as well.

No ‘Dancing’ For Kate

All of the celebrities for Season 10 of “Dancing With the Stars” are planning to reunite in about three weeks in Los Angeles – except for Kate Gosselin, who was not invited. “Her invite must have gotten lost in the mail,” one “Dancing” insider told Popeater.com. “Of course she was not invited! We all became close during and after the show except Kate, who hasn’t returned anyone’s calls or e-mails. You know it’s bad when even creepy bachelor, Jake Pavelka, gets invited but she doesn’t.” Season 10 participants like Pamela Anderson, Erin Andrews, Niecy Nash, winner Nicole Scherzinger and even Shannon Doherty plan to gather together to reminisce.

Wyclef Jean’s Uncle Running For President

Wyclef Jean’s uncle, who is Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, says he will run for president of Haiti this autumn. Ambassador Raymond Joseph says that he will formally announce his candidacy next week, hinting he would be campaigning alongside his popular nephew, the hip hop singer.

 

‘America’s Got Talent’ Results

The “America’s Got Talent” results show last night revealed four more contestants making it to the semi-finals. Robotic dancer Haspop, dance crew Studio One Young Beast Society, singer Debra Romer and bicycle acrobat Jeremy Vanschoonhoven all made it through. South Philly Vikings, CJ Dippa, Chipps Cooney, Paulina Volchek, Strange Familiar, Luigi, Harmonica Pierre and belly dancers Kaya and Sadie were sent packing.

‘Idol’ Reject Sues For $300 Million

“American Idol” reject Ian Benardo, who infamously rushed the stage during the talent search’s 2010 finale, claims producers encouraged the stunt and then discriminated against him. He’s seeking $300 million in a complaint filed with the New York State Human Rights Division that alleges the “Idol” set “was permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, insults and hostile and offensive comments.” Benardo, who is openly gay, auditioned for the show in 2007 and became a sensation after he flipped out on Simon Cowell. He claims producers invited him back for last season’s finale – then pelted him with anti-gay epithets and asked him inappropriate questions about his sexuality. He also says producers gave him the go-ahead to grab the mike from Dane Cook during the May 26th finale. Since the finale, Benardo said he has suffered panic attacks and can’t live a normal life.

Oprah Winfrey Taps Celebrity Friends For Documentary Series

Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Goldie Hawn, Mariel Hemingway and Gabriel Byrne have signed deals with Oprah Winfrey to develop documentaries for her new network. The celebs will produce documentaries for Winfrey’s new OWN TV network, set to launch next year. The shows will be part of a monthly Documentary Film Club.

Investigators Interview Mel Gibson

Los Angeles sheriff’s investigators interviewed Mel Gibson on Sunday – but they didn’t grill him about allegations he punched his ex-lover. “We did talk to Mel Gibson on Sunday. It had nothing to do with the domestic violence investigation. It only concerned the allegations of extortion,” a sheriff’s spokesman said yesterday. Gibson claims Oksana Grigorieva tried to shake him down over a series of damaging phone recordings. The actor turned over e-mails and text messages as evidence. He reportedly declined to discuss the alleged assault, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Detectives have opened a criminal probe into Grigorieva’s claim that Gibson punched her in the left temple and mouth as she held their infant daughter, Lucia, at his Malibu home January 6th. Gibson’s camp denies the actor ever hurt Grigorieva or the baby.

Actor Maury Chaykin Dies

New York-born actor Maury Chaykin died in his adopted home of Toronto yesterday, which was his 61st birthday. Chaykin, who played the sleuth in A&E’s “A Nero Wolfe Mystery” series, had been battling a kidney ailment and died in a Toronto hospital surrounded by loved ones. Chaykin appeared in more than 150 movies and TV shows since he began his career in the 1970s.

 

Jack Hanna Repels Bear With Pepper Spray

Animal expert Jack Hanna used pepper spray to fend off a charging grizzly bear on a Montana hiking trail. Hanna was hiking late Saturday with his wife, on a narrow cliff trail in Glacier National Park with three other hikers close by when they noticed a mother grizzly and her two cubs walking toward them in the opposite direction. The bears started toward Hanna, his wife, and three other nearby hikers, and that’s when Hanna says one of the yearlings started charging. Hanna acted fast, unloading his pepper spray three times, hitting the bear in the face on the third spray. He said the animal ran away. Hanna said he has carried pepper spray while hiking for 15 years but this was the first time he used it.

 

Oliver Stone Apologizes For Anti-Semitic Remarks

Director Oliver Stone has apologized for remarks he made in a recent interview with Britain’s Sunday Times to promote his upcoming “Secret History of America” TV series. Stone talked about the Holocaust saying, “Hitler was a Frankenstein, but there was also a Dr. Frankenstein – German industrialists, the Americans and the British. He had a lot of support  … Hitler did far more damage to the Russians than the Jewish people.” Stone also referred to “Jewish domination of the media.” After Jewish groups took offense to his remarks, Stone said, “In trying to make a broader historical point about the range of atrocities the Germans committed against many people, I made a clumsy association about the Holocaust, for which I am sorry and I regret. Jews obviously do not control media or any other industry.”

 

Rainn Wilson Countersues Over Website

“The Office” star Rainn Wilson had countersued a Portland company in a website development dispute. Wilson is seeking at least $400,000 in damages from Think Brilliant, accusing the company in a recent federal court filing of fraud and breach of trust. Think Brilliant sued Wilson earlier this month, seeking $11.3 million, alleging the actor failed to properly compensate the company for website development work. Think Brilliant also claims Wilson hacked into its database and accessed confidential materials. Think Brilliant helped develop Wilson’s whimsical website, SoulPancake.com.

Nigel Lythgoe May Return To ‘Idol’

“So You Think You Can Dance” judge Nigel Lythgoe is in talks to come back to “American Idol” next season in the producing role he left two years ago. Fox declined comment on Lythgoe’s possible return or whether his judging role on “So You Think You Can Dance” would be affected. Lythgoe is also co-creator and an executive producer of “SYTYCD.” Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake joins Elton John, Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr. on the list of possible and rumored replacements for Simon Cowell on “Idol.” The new judge would join current judges Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi – unless Lythgoe has his way. He said he would replace all four judges to refocus the show on the performers. Lythgoe also noted that he would select three judges rather than four, and that he would choose Paula Abdul, Elton John and Usher as the show’s ideal judges.

Carell Leaving ‘The Office’ Next Season

Steve Carell is definitely leaving “The Office” after this coming season. Despite Carell’s departure, the show will continue. Carell has said in interviews that he plans to leave the series to better balance his work and family life.