M.I.A.
New York Post
Kevin Federline, Britney Spears’ hubby, skipped the first birthday party of son Kaleb, one of his two children with ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson, the New York Post reports.
A spokeswoman for Miss Jackson says little Kaleb’s birthday last Wednesday “came and went without a visit, present or phone call from Kevin or Britney.”
Miss Jackson, who has previously accused Mr. Federline of stiffing her on child-support payments, celebrated Kaleb’s big day with Mr. Federline’s 2-year-old daughter, Kori, and other family members. Her boyfriend, director Quentin Tarantino, was not present.
Mr. Federline’s publicist did not return calls for comment.
Miami nice
Associated Press
Luxury yachts and tricked-out cars. Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Gwen Stefani. And lots and lots of water.
MTV announced yesterday that its Video Music Awards will feature all of those elements next month as it seeks once again to reinvent an awards show that routinely lures big stars and makes racy headlines.
The punk rockers of Green Day lead all musical acts with eight nominations; Miss Stefani and Missy Elliott follow with six and U2 with five. Green Day’s eight nominations include six for the socially conscious song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and two for the song “American Idiot,” which also is the name of the band’s critically acclaimed album.
P. Diddy will host the Aug. 28 awards show, which comes at the height of Miami’s steamy summer and the peak of hurricane season. Besides Green Day, scheduled performers include Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson. Also, for the first-time, the VMAs will be scored with original music, composed by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and hip-hop producer Lil Jon.
Water will be the show’s theme, and MTV has promised to create the most elaborate water effects ever produced in an awards show. The water show will be engineered in the arena by the same production company that erected the fountain in front of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Celebrities once again will pull up to the bayfront arena in gleaming yachts.
They will have competition from other stars who will arrive in souped-up cars for an auto show on the red carpet. As the celebrities arrive, viewers will get tours of those cars from the talents themselves.
Says MTV President Christina Norman: “Every year we have to outdo ourselves, and this year is no exception.”
Ricky to the rescue
Associated Press
On his ongoing mission to save the world, Ricky Martin declared he will try to change negative perceptions of Arab youth in the West.
“I promise I will become a spokesperson, if you allow me to, a spokesperson on your behalf. I will defend you and try to get rid of any stereotypes,” the 33-year-old singer told youngsters from 16 mainly Arab countries at a youth conference yesterday in Amman, Jordan.
“I have been a victim of stereotypes. I come from Latin America, and to some countries, we are considered losers, drug traffickers, and that is not fair because that is generalizing,” said Mr. Martin, who was born in Puerto Rico.
Mr. Martin, who is a United Nations Children’s Fund goodwill ambassador, said he wanted to get to know the youths and their cultures better. He said he plans to do a concert tour of the Middle East and North Africa, including Jordan and the Palestinian territories, tentatively scheduled for May 2006.
The singer, whose hits include “She Bangs,” “Shake Your Bon-Bon” and “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” posed for photos with fans, at one point draping over his shoulders a traditional Arab kaffiyeh head scarf with the slogan “Jerusalem Is Ours” written in Arabic on it.
Mr. Martin attended the silver jubilee of the Arab Children’s Congress, set up 25 years ago by Jordan’s Queen Noor, King Hussein’s widow, to promote creativity, peace, crosscultural understanding and tolerance. He said he would like to promote a similar youth congress for Latin America.
Mr. Martin said he also planned to travel to Thailand yesterday, where his organization, the Ricky Martin Foundation, has built 225 homes to protect children orphaned by the Dec. 26 tsunami that swept through South Asia. He says his foundation also is working to combat child pornography and prostitution worldwide.
“I couldn’t stay at home with my arms crossed,” he says.
Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports.
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