Drug charges dropped against Jon Bon Jovi's daughter

(Reuters) - Drug charges against the daughter of rock star Jon Bon Jovi were dropped on Thursday, a day after she suffered a suspected heroin overdose, officials in New York said.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara said in a statement that Stephanie Bongiovi could not be charged because New York law prohibits the prosecution of people who had overdosed and were in possession of small amounts of drugs.

Bongiovi, 19, was found unresponsive in a dormitory room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, early on Wednesday and was later booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance (heroin), marijuana possession and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, which were found in the room.

A message left with the singer's representative was not immediately returned.

Heroin and marijuana charges against fellow student Ian S. Grant, 21, in connection with Bongiovi's case were also dropped as a witness or victim to a drug or alcohol overdose cannot be prosecuted in New York.

Bongiovi is the oldest of four children of Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Andre Grenon)

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New Variety owner Jay Penske slashes one-quarter staff

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jay Penske, the new owner of Variety, laid off nearly a quarter of the company's staff on Thursday.

Between 20 and 25 employees from the struggling Hollywood trade's circulation, database and conference departments were laid off. The editorial staff was not affected. Variety had about 120 employees before Thursday's cuts.

"Without a doubt, this is a challenging day, and I particularly wanted to notify and acknowledge those of you who will be saying goodbye to valued colleagues and friends," Penske, the CEO of Penske Media Corporation wrote in a memo obtained by the industry blog Deadline, which he also owns. "As we look ahead, Variety's business holds almost limitless potential and I will remain available to answer any questions you might have regarding today's changes and our future."

Penske bought the paper last month at the fire-sale price of $25 million. In his memo, Penske said that he planned to invest in the editorial and digital departments while trimming the database services and business branch.

The jobs eliminated came from the LA411 and NY411 units - directories for production resources - and its administration and conference units, according to the memo. Deadline said that the cuts totaled 20 to 25 employees.

He also cut circulation staff, in what may presage a move to cut back on the paper's printing schedule. Variety currently prints daily during the week and a weekly edition on Friday.

TheWrap previously reported that Penske planned to maintain the print edition and drop the paywall that blocked non-subscribers from reading Variety's site, placing it in direct competition with competitors like the Hollywood Reporter, TheWrap and its corporate sister Deadline. The paywall has since been torn down.

Neither Penske nor Variety returned calls or emails from TheWrap requesting comment.

Here's the full memo:

Dear Team

For the past six months, we have diligently reviewed every aspect of the Variety business. And in more recent weeks, we have outlined to Variety senior management an exciting and also aggressive trajectory for the brand's resurgence. These steps will include substantial further investment in editorial and digital, but will unfortunately require some immediate eliminations in the following business units: LA411/NY411, Circ, Systems, Conferences, and Admin.

Without a doubt, this is a challenging day, and I particularly wanted to notify and acknowledge those of you who will be saying goodbye to valued colleagues and friends. As we look ahead, Variety's business holds almost limitless potential and I will remain available to answer any questions you might have regarding today's changes and our future. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me, or see Tammy Chase to arrange an appointment.

Sincerely,

Jay Penske

CEO

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Robert Pattinson looks for danger after "Twilight"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Robert Pattinson has set young hearts aflutter as the teen vampire Edward Cullen in the "Twilight Saga" films, but as the sun sets on the franchise that launched his career, the actor is looking for more grown-up and "dangerous" roles.

"Breaking Dawn - Part 2," released this week, is the fifth and final in the series, and Edward's character shifts from brooding, tormented lover to a contented husband and father who must protect his family from an ancient vampire clan.

But Pattinson, 26, still has those rakish good looks that drew a screaming fan base and made him a tabloid fixture. While the avid fan excitement around the "Twilight" series overwhelms him, the British actor hopes his audience will follow him as he moves on.

"It's all about control. Now, I don't feel like I have any control whatsoever," he told Reuters with a laugh.

"They're a very ardent fan base, so to figure out a way to harness that vehement audience, it's definitely an important thing."

Pattinson became a pinup as the angst-ridden Edward, but said he wasn't worried he might be typecast as the perpetual brooding hero. "I'm not particularly brooding in my real life," he said.

The actor has already been laying the ground for a career beyond "Twilight." He played a 19th century French gigolo in "Bel Ami" and a billionaire with an existential crisis in David Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis," although both films fared poorly at the box office earlier this year.

Next up is a drama, "Map to the Stars," again with Cronenberg, and "The Rover," a Western-style action movie set in the Australian desert.

"Everything I've signed up for now is very physical, because I feel like I've done quite a few things where I'm quite still. I'm trying to find people that are doing things that feel dangerous," Pattinson said.

ROMANCE ON AND OFF SCREEN

Away from the series with its apple motif, symbolizing forbidden love, Pattinson's fame has also been fueled by his off-screen romance with "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart, 22, who plays Bella Swan.

Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight in the summer when Stewart publicly admitted she had an affair with her married "Snow White and the Huntsman" director, Rupert Sanders.

The actress apologized in a rare, heartfelt public statement but the affair shocked "Twilight" fans. Pattinson and Stewart have since reconciled, and the paparazzi have spotted them together, but they have stayed mum on their relationship.

"I just try and avoid it," Pattinson said when asked about the scrutiny of his personal life.

"I don't think it's good in terms of a career as an actor. I think being in gossip magazines - I don't like the whole industry, I think it's a lazy industry, and it's a weird media consumer culture," the actor said.

"(Success) is so much based on luck as an actor. No one knew that the audience would connect to the 'Twilight' series the way that they did ... it's just luck, you've got to do the things that interest you."

For now, Pattinson is coming to terms with saying goodbye to the franchise.

"It sounds cheesy, but it's been such a life-changing experience where you share a bond with people, it's weird. I remember hearing about 'Lord of the Rings,' they all got tattoos ... that'd be so funny, maybe we could get a little apple, a 'tramp stamp' with an apple," the actor mused, laughing.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant, Gary Hill)

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Drug charges dropped against Jon Bon Jovi's daughter

(Reuters) - Drug charges against the daughter of rock star Jon Bon Jovi were dropped on Thursday, a day after she suffered a suspected heroin overdose, officials in New York said.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara said in a statement that Stephanie Bongiovi could not be charged because New York law prohibits the prosecution of people who had overdosed and were in possession of small amounts of drugs.

Bongiovi, 19, was found unresponsive in a dormitory room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, early on Wednesday and was later booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance (heroin), marijuana possession and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, which were found in the room.

A message left with the singer's representative was not immediately returned.

Heroin and marijuana charges against fellow student Ian S. Grant, 21, in connection with Bongiovi's case were also dropped as a witness or victim to a drug or alcohol overdose cannot be prosecuted in New York.

Bongiovi is the oldest of four children of Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Andre Grenon)

14.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Variety owner Jay Penske slashes one-quarter staff

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jay Penske, the new owner of Variety, laid off nearly a quarter of the company's staff on Thursday.

Between 20 and 25 employees from the struggling Hollywood trade's circulation, database and conference departments were laid off. The editorial staff was not affected. Variety had about 120 employees before Thursday's cuts.

"Without a doubt, this is a challenging day, and I particularly wanted to notify and acknowledge those of you who will be saying goodbye to valued colleagues and friends," Penske, the CEO of Penske Media Corporation wrote in a memo obtained by the industry blog Deadline, which he also owns. "As we look ahead, Variety's business holds almost limitless potential and I will remain available to answer any questions you might have regarding today's changes and our future."

Penske bought the paper last month at the fire-sale price of $25 million. In his memo, Penske said that he planned to invest in the editorial and digital departments while trimming the database services and business branch.

The jobs eliminated came from the LA411 and NY411 units - directories for production resources - and its administration and conference units, according to the memo. Deadline said that the cuts totaled 20 to 25 employees.

He also cut circulation staff, in what may presage a move to cut back on the paper's printing schedule. Variety currently prints daily during the week and a weekly edition on Friday.

TheWrap previously reported that Penske planned to maintain the print edition and drop the paywall that blocked non-subscribers from reading Variety's site, placing it in direct competition with competitors like the Hollywood Reporter, TheWrap and its corporate sister Deadline. The paywall has since been torn down.

Neither Penske nor Variety returned calls or emails from TheWrap requesting comment.

Here's the full memo:

Dear Team

For the past six months, we have diligently reviewed every aspect of the Variety business. And in more recent weeks, we have outlined to Variety senior management an exciting and also aggressive trajectory for the brand's resurgence. These steps will include substantial further investment in editorial and digital, but will unfortunately require some immediate eliminations in the following business units: LA411/NY411, Circ, Systems, Conferences, and Admin.

Without a doubt, this is a challenging day, and I particularly wanted to notify and acknowledge those of you who will be saying goodbye to valued colleagues and friends. As we look ahead, Variety's business holds almost limitless potential and I will remain available to answer any questions you might have regarding today's changes and our future. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me, or see Tammy Chase to arrange an appointment.

Sincerely,

Jay Penske

CEO

14.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Robert Pattinson looks for danger after "Twilight"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Robert Pattinson has set young hearts aflutter as the teen vampire Edward Cullen in the "Twilight Saga" films, but as the sun sets on the franchise that launched his career, the actor is looking for more grown-up and "dangerous" roles.

"Breaking Dawn - Part 2," released this week, is the fifth and final in the series, and Edward's character shifts from brooding, tormented lover to a contented husband and father who must protect his family from an ancient vampire clan.

But Pattinson, 26, still has those rakish good looks that drew a screaming fan base and made him a tabloid fixture. While the avid fan excitement around the "Twilight" series overwhelms him, the British actor hopes his audience will follow him as he moves on.

"It's all about control. Now, I don't feel like I have any control whatsoever," he told Reuters with a laugh.

"They're a very ardent fan base, so to figure out a way to harness that vehement audience, it's definitely an important thing."

Pattinson became a pinup as the angst-ridden Edward, but said he wasn't worried he might be typecast as the perpetual brooding hero. "I'm not particularly brooding in my real life," he said.

The actor has already been laying the ground for a career beyond "Twilight." He played a 19th century French gigolo in "Bel Ami" and a billionaire with an existential crisis in David Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis," although both films fared poorly at the box office earlier this year.

Next up is a drama, "Map to the Stars," again with Cronenberg, and "The Rover," a Western-style action movie set in the Australian desert.

"Everything I've signed up for now is very physical, because I feel like I've done quite a few things where I'm quite still. I'm trying to find people that are doing things that feel dangerous," Pattinson said.

ROMANCE ON AND OFF SCREEN

Away from the series with its apple motif, symbolizing forbidden love, Pattinson's fame has also been fueled by his off-screen romance with "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart, 22, who plays Bella Swan.

Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight in the summer when Stewart publicly admitted she had an affair with her married "Snow White and the Huntsman" director, Rupert Sanders.

The actress apologized in a rare, heartfelt public statement but the affair shocked "Twilight" fans. Pattinson and Stewart have since reconciled, and the paparazzi have spotted them together, but they have stayed mum on their relationship.

"I just try and avoid it," Pattinson said when asked about the scrutiny of his personal life.

"I don't think it's good in terms of a career as an actor. I think being in gossip magazines - I don't like the whole industry, I think it's a lazy industry, and it's a weird media consumer culture," the actor said.

"(Success) is so much based on luck as an actor. No one knew that the audience would connect to the 'Twilight' series the way that they did ... it's just luck, you've got to do the things that interest you."

For now, Pattinson is coming to terms with saying goodbye to the franchise.

"It sounds cheesy, but it's been such a life-changing experience where you share a bond with people, it's weird. I remember hearing about 'Lord of the Rings,' they all got tattoos ... that'd be so funny, maybe we could get a little apple, a 'tramp stamp' with an apple," the actor mused, laughing.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, Editing by Jill Serjeant, Gary Hill)

14.28 | 0 komentar | Read More

Actor Channing Tatum dubbed People's sexiest man alive

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor Channing Tatum, who set female hearts fluttering in the summer movie hit "Magic Mike", was named the sexiest man alive by People magazine on Wednesday.

"My first thought was, 'Y'all are messing with me," Tatum told the magazine after hearing the news.

The 32-year-old actor, who is married to actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum, is training to play an Olympic athlete in his upcoming film, "Foxcatcher".

The couple, who have been married since 2009, are ready to start a family, according to People.

"The first number that pops into my head is three, but I just want one to be healthy and then we'll see where we go after that," he told the magazine.

Tatum joins a long list of Hollywood heartthrobs who also have also received the "sexiest man" title from the magazine including Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney and Matt Damon.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Maureen Bavdek)

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Judge throws out Justin Bieber paparazzo chase case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Criminal charges filed against a photographer who pursued teen pop star Justin Bieber at high speeds on a Los Angeles freeway in July were thrown out on Wednesday, striking a blow to California's crackdown on overly aggressive paparazzi.

Celebrity photographer Paul Raef was the first person to be prosecuted under the state's 2010 law that criminalizes dangerous driving when taking photos commercially.

Raef was charged in July with two counts of violating the law stemming from a July 6 incident on a freeway in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

Dismissing the charges, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thomas Robinson called the state's anti-paparazzi law "problematic" and "overly inclusive."

The law "sweeps very widely and would increase the penalties for reckless driving" in unintended cases, Robinson said.

Robinson faulted the law's vague definition of commercial photography, saying that it could also apply to a photographer who was speeding to reach an arranged photo shoot with Bieber.

Raef could have faced up to a year in prison and $3,500 in fines, if convicted. His attorney, Brad Kaiserman, said the law is "about protecting celebrities."

A message left with Bieber's publicist requesting comment was not immediately returned.

Raef still faces lesser charges of misdemeanor reckless driving and failing to obey police orders after he allegedly pursued Bieber, 18, at high speeds. He will be tried on those charges at a later date.

Bieber, who was pulled over by police for driving 80 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone, told officers at the time that he was being hounded by paparazzi, and police said they noticed Raef's car following the "Boyfriend" singer.

About 30 minutes after the traffic stop, Bieber called police to report that Raef continued to follow him. Police later found Raef and other paparazzi together in downtown Los Angeles.

The Canadian singer received a speeding ticket at the time.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Sandra Maler)

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Drug charges dropped against Jon Bon Jovi's daughter

(Reuters) - Drug charges against the daughter of rock star Jon Bon Jovi were dropped on Thursday, a day after she suffered a suspected heroin overdose, officials in New York said.

Oneida County District Attorney Scott D. McNamara said in a statement that Stephanie Bongiovi could not be charged because New York law prohibits the prosecution of people who had overdosed and were in possession of small amounts of drugs.

Bongiovi, 19, was found unresponsive in a dormitory room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, early on Wednesday and was later booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance (heroin), marijuana possession and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, which were found in the room.

A message left with the singer's representative was not immediately returned.

Heroin and marijuana charges against fellow student Ian S. Grant, 21, in connection with Bongiovi's case were also dropped as a witness or victim to a drug or alcohol overdose cannot be prosecuted in New York.

Bongiovi is the oldest of four children of Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Andre Grenon)

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Jon Bon Jovi's daughter arrested after suspected drug overdose

(Reuters) - Rock star Jon Bon Jovi's daughter was arrested in New York state on Wednesday on drug possession charges following a suspected heroin overdose, local police said.

Stephanie Bongiovi, 19, was found unresponsive in a dormitory room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York from an alleged overdose and taken to a local medical facility, according to the Town of Kirkland Police Department.

Heroin and marijuana were found in the dorm room during a search, police said.

Bongiovi was later booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance (heroin), marijuana possession and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. She has since been released, police said.

Representatives of the singer declined to comment.

Police said Ian S. Grant, 21, a student who was in the same room as Bongiovi, was also charged with possession of a controlled substance (heroin) and later released. Both Bongiovi and Grant will appear in court at a later date.

Hamilton College declined to comment on the arrests or Bongiovi's health but said it is cooperating with the police investigation.

Bongiovi is the oldest of four children of rocker Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Hurley.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey and Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Kenneth Barry)

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