Michael Jackson has reportedly sold his Neverland ranch for 19.5 million pounds to pay off his increasing legal costs.
The King of Pop is expected to reveal the name of the anonymous buyer of the 2,700 acre estate on July 13, the date he anticipates his child molestation trial will end.
Michael, who had paid 1.95 million pounds for the sprawling ranch in 1988, is currently on trial accused of molesting Gavin Arvizo.
'When Michael first bought the property, it was all about Finding Neverland. Now, he won't be sorry to see the back of it,' News of the World quoted an insider as saying.
'He has always said that after the sheriff raided his bedroom, he felt his personal space had been invaded and tainted, and that he would never return there,' he added.
Kylie's birthday bash
Kylie Minogue's family is throwing a huge party on May 28, her 37th birthday.
According to the Sun, the singer's parents Ron and Carol, brother Brendon and sister Dannii want to celebrate the success of her cancer surgery on her birthday.
Sources inform that Kylie's family members want to give her a birthday she will remember for years.
Meanwhile, the Australian singer's representatives have denied reports that she is to marry her French actor boyfriend Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful).
According to news.com, a spokesperson for Kylie's manager Terry Blamey dismissed claims that Martinez had proposed to the star just hours after she underwent surgery for breast cancer.
Martinez has said that Kylie's cancer treatment may force the couple to postpone their plans to have a baby.
'We were going to start working on it after the (Showgirl) tour was over. Now it will be put off, not forever -- we pray and hope
-- but for the time being,' the report quoted Martinez as saying to New Idea.
Spielberg in the eye of a storm
Hotshot Hollywood director Steven Spielberg has been accused of glorifying Nazism in his movies.
A prominent UK historian, Antony Beevor, has described Spielberg's Schindler's List and other films depicting Hitler's regime as 'cinematic pornography', which basically glamourises Nazism.
'Although filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg believe that they're making anti-Nazi films, what they produce is a type of cinematic pornography: the image of power of the Nazis, the colourful marches of their troops in the streets, end up being attractive to some young males in societies in which the social structure or order is disintegrating,' femalefirst.co.uk quoted Beevor as saying.
Usher to turn fashion mogul!
R&B singer Usher is expanding his business by launching his own clothing line.
'You know what, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm really a suit man, if it's not Prada, it's Gucci or Roberto Cavalli. I'm
really into Italian designers as well as American designers, as a matter of fact I'm heading in that direction,' femalefirst.co.uk quoted him as saying.
Usher does not have a fixed date for the release of the line but has confirmed it will be out by 2006.
'Look at the capabilities of Martha Stewart or Russell Simmons or Sean 'P Diddy' Combs or even 50 Cent with G-Unit. Look at what they did with their licensing. This is my opportunity to do the same. Clothing and shoes are kind of the standard nowadays, so I'm trying to figure out how I can come at it from a different angle. Watches, clothes, perfume, cologne, facial and acne products. There are so many possibilities,' he added.
R2-D2 almost dumped Star Wars
Star Wars actor Kenny Baker almost declined the offer to play the loveable robot R2-D2 in the legendary franchise, until the filmmakers asked him to name his own salary.
The actor earlier wanted to become a television personality following work on the talent show Opportunity Knocks but changed his ambitions to become a film actor after receiving the Star Wars role.
'I was doing a regular cabaret act, TV commercials and bits of films. Star Wars came in and I turned it down because we were doing Opportunity Knocks. I thought at the time I'd rather be a TV personality than inside a robot. But they came back to me and said you can name your price -- I missed out there,' femalefirst.co.uk quoted him as saying.
'I asked for $800 a week, which is what I was getting doing cabaret. If I'd asked for a percentage of the film's takings I'd be a multi-millionaire now!' he added.
