Celebrity Talkspot

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Band will play a 'Dark of the Moon'-themed outdoor concert on June 23.
By Eric Ditzian

Linkin Park's Chester Bennington
Photo: John Shearer/ Wireimage.com

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" promises to dive deeply into the franchise's mythology, reaching back to America's 1960s-era space race with the Soviets to expand upon humanity's contact with the alien robots. The new film will also stay true to the musical roots it laid down in 2007, when Linkin Park contributed the opening song to the film's soundtrack, as the band will not only contribute again to the soundtrack but, in a newly announced move, will perform in Moscow for the flick's premiere.

Linkin Park will perform in an outdoor concert at Vasilyevsky Spusk of the Red Square, with the Kremlin and St. Basil's Basilica looming in the background, on June 23, Paramount said in a press release. The concert coincides with the world premiere of "Dark of the Moon" at the Moscow International Film Festival.

During the show, LP is set to play "Iridescent," a remix of their Thousand Suns tune that is the end title song for "Dark of the Moon." Earlier this year, MTV News visited the set of the band's music video for the track.

"When Michael Bay called us about putting a song in the new 'Transformers' movie, the one that came immediately to mind was 'Iridescent' because it's been a fan favorite at the shows," vocalist Mike Shinoda told us. "It's definitely a less in-your-face song. There's a somber tone to it and a hopeful tone to it. ... Michael actually loved pairing it with the movie because there's something that he feels it speaks to about the story line."

The collaboration marks the third straight time the band has been involved with the franchise. LP's "What I've Done," a double-platinum single off and their multiplatinum Minutes to Midnight, was featured on the first film's soundtrack. And the second film, "Revenge of the Fallen," included "New Divide," a tune that has been downloaded more than 3 million times and spent three months at the top of the Billboard rock chart.

LP's Moscow concert falls in the midst of their European summer tour, which kicks off in Austria on June 11 and continues through Germany, Italy, France and other locales before wrapping up in London on July 4. The 3-D "Dark of the Moon," meanwhile, hits U.S. theaters on June 29 — two days earlier than originally planned.

Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664427/linkin-park-transformers-dark-of-the-moon-moscow.jhtml

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Run The World (Girls)

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Label: Columbia
Director: Francis Lawrence

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236911&vid=654804

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Clip for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' soundtrack song matches franchise's otherworldly vibe.
By Kara Warner

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on the set of their "Iridescent" video
Photo: MTV News

Keeping up with what seems to have become a great movie/music partnership, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" director Michael Bay has once again enlisted Linkin Park to contribute a song to the film's soundtrack, a remix of their song "Iridescent," from their A Thousand Suns LP. On Friday (June 3), the "Iridescent" video premiered on MTV.com.

Fitting in with the thunderous, world-is-ending, intense, high-action vibe that revolves around the world of the "Transformers" films, the clip for "Iridescent" has an otherworldly, post-apocalyptic vibe.

The video, which is entirely in black-and-white, seems to take place on another planet, in another world entirely, with a sense of weightlessness, combined with shadowy, translucent images of either a futuristic or lost civilization. There is also a bit of religious imagery, with a shot of the band in a "Last Supper"-like scenario at one point. Naturally, there are scenes from "Dark of the Moon" interspersed throughout, but there aren't so many robots that they distract from the song or the band.

"The 'Transformers' collaboration has been really fun for us. I mean, we grew up playing with the toys," LP's Mike Shinoda told MTV News when we visited the "Iridescent" set in April. "When we first got approached on the first one, we said yes based on the idea of taking that thing that we loved so much and bringing it to life in a modern way. As it's gone on, that's still a big part of it for us."

When asked why they chose "Iridescent" for "Dark of the Moon," Shinoda said the song felt like a good fit.

"We put out the record in the late part of last year, and even though it's never been a single up until this point, [when we played it live] you could really hear the singing pick up momentum during that song," he said. "It was just something that seemed a natural fit."

"Iridescent" marks the third pairing of Linkin Park and the "Transformers" franchise. The original "Transformers" soundtrack led off with Park's track "What I've Done," and the companion CD to sequel "Revenge of the Fallen" also gave LP the pole position with the tune "New Divide."

What do you think of Linkin Park's latest video? Share your reviews in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665088/linkin-park-iridescent-video.jhtml

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Leak comes same day as Andre 3000 collabo, 'Party,' hit the Internet.
By Gil Kaufman

Photo: Getty

Beyoncé fans were psyched on Tuesday when her collabo with Andre 3000, "Party," leaked weeks before her new album is due. But they must have been flipping later in the day when all of 4 popped up online, three weeks before its official release date of June 28.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a short time after the Kanye West and Consequence-produced "Party" slipped out, another song, "Countdown," which samples the Boyz II Men tune "Uhh Ahh," also surfaced, followed by the entire album. The paper reported that while B's label has been frantically rushing to rip the 12-track album off sites that have posted it, a number of music blogs have removed "Party" and "Countdown" after getting cease-and-desist letters from the singer's lawyers.

Always one step ahead of the law, some online rogues have taken to Twitter to put up links to the music, making it harder for the label to track down the music. Fans have already gotten a number of listens at the first album since Beyoncé's 2008 double-disc I Am ... Sasha Fierce, including the uptempo dancehall first single "Run the World (Girls)," the lush ballad "1+1" and the second official single, "Best Thing I Never Had." Another tune, "End of Time," which samples late Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti, has also leaked online.

If it makes Beyoncé feel any better, Lady Gaga's Born This Way leaked a few days before its official release and still went on to sell more than 1.1 million copies.

A spokesperson for Beyoncé's label could not be reached for comment on the leak at press time.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665368/beyonce-4-leaks.jhtml

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The newly minted CMT Music Award winner says he shares his mother's love of the country sound.
By Jocelyn Vena

Photo: The Insider

Before he took home the trophy for Collaborative Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards on Wednesday night, Justin Bieber professed his love for all things country on the red carpet.

"I'm really glad to be here," he told CMT, with the guys of Rascal Flatts by his side. "It's great."

It wasn't just an exciting night for him, but also for Mama Bieber, who happens to be a big country music aficionado. "It's great; it's so many people my mother admires, 'cause she loves country music, and I do too," he continued. "So it's really great to be here with Rascal Flatts."

It was on the set for his winning video, "That Should Be Me," that Bieber first cut his hair. In the end, the sacrifice of his trademark locks seemed worth it.

"Some of the fans liked it; some of the fans didn't. They were just upset he cut it," Bieber joked, nodding to Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox.

The video for "That Should Be Me," a Never Say Never - The Remixes track (which was a reworked version of the song that first appeared on My World 2.0) is a lo-fi, behind-the-scenes, "making of the video" performance clip. But it was good enough to beat out the likes of country music superstars like Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson; Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow; Loretta Lynn, Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow, as well as Aaron Lewis featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels.

"First of all, I just want to say how honored I am to be here ... with Rascal Flatts," Bieber said while accepting his first country award. "How amazing are Rascal Flatts, everybody? I want to thank my mom. I want to thank my family. And I want to thank Rascal Flatts for even jumping on the song with me."

Would you like to see Justin Bieber try out other genres of music? Talk about it in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1665517/justin-bieber-cmt-awards.jhtml

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Parents Television Council and Industry Ears criticize depiction of murder in new clip.
By Gil Kaufman

Rihanna
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ WireImage

Rihanna has more than said her piece about how her 2009 assault at the hands of ex-boyfriend Chris Brown has affected her. But in the new video for her single, "Man Down," the singer is depicted shooting an unarmed man in the head in cold blood at a train station in what viewers later learn is retaliation for a previous sexual assault.

"Mama, I just shot a man dead," Rihanna sings in the video, which debuted on BET on Tuesday.

The Parents Television Council, the Enough Is Enough campaign and the entertainment think tank Industry Ears released a statement on Wednesday condemning the video for what the group said was an apparent enticement to young women to turn to violence.

" 'Man Down' is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song," said Industry Ears co-founder Paul Porter, a former programming director at BET.

The lyrics to the song match the narrative of the video, including such lines as, "I didn't mean to end his life/ I know it wasn't right ... I took his heart when/ I pulled out that gun ... Oh mama, mama, mama/ I just shot a man down/ In central station/ In front of a big ol' crowd."

The PTC lamented that Rihanna had a "golden opportunity" to use her celebrity status to send an important message to young girls and victims of rape and domestic violence with the clip, but had missed the mark. "Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability," said the PTC's Melissa Henson.

Though a spokesperson for Rihanna could not be reached for comment, the singer took to Twitter on Monday to give her fans a preview of the clip's message. She wrote that it had a "very strong underlying message 4 girls like me."

MTV News spoke with director Anthony Mandler last month, when he revealed that Rihanna let him take the visual to the extreme. "We shot the video last month in Jamaica, and it's my favorite song she's ever recorded, so I was really excited to get involved," he said. "And it's just one of those songs that demands a strong narrative and visual, and let's just say, she let me go all the way. So I think you can expect something that's dramatic and shocking and intense and emotional and uplifting and enlightening."

The organizations have called for BET to stop airing the video immediately. A spokesperson for BET could not be reached at press time.

For her part, Rihanna has continued to tout the empowerment message of the clip, tweeting on Wednesday, "Young girls/women all over the world ... we are a lot of things! We're strong innocent fun flirtatious vulnerable, and sometimes our innocence can cause us to be naive! We always think it could NEVER be us, but in reality, it can happen to ANY of us! So ladies be careful and #listentoyomama! I love you and I care!"

It's not the first time Rihanna has been embroiled in a video controversy. Her sexually-suggestive "S&M" clip was banned in a number of countries earlier this year, and some questioned whether she was glorifying domestic violence around the release of the video for her hit Eminem collaboration, "Love the Way You Lie."

What do you think of Rihanna's video? Is it harmful or empowering? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664974/rihanna-man-down-video-controversy.jhtml

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Rihanna, Shakira, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert At The 2009 American Music Awards Red Carpet

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Anthony Mandler discusses working with the superstar singer, with whom he's collaborated more than a dozen times.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna
Photo: Getty Images

Rihanna showed off her pale-hued softer side in her "California King Bed" video. A sweeping, romantic look at the demise of a relationship is perfectly encapsulated in the Anthony Mandler-directed clip.

Rihanna and Mandler are certainly not strangers when it comes to collaborating, having made more than a dozen clips together, ranging from the fun "Only Girl (In the World)" to the dark "Russian Roulette." When MTV News recently spoke to Mandler, he noted that he and Ri brought out a whole new side to the always-changing singer.

"I think it's something that is so unique about Rihanna whatever she's doing, whatever character she's playing, whatever side of herself she's showing, she's in it 1,000 percent," he explained. "They're all twists and variations on herself, and in each of them, the way she pushes the visual and the way she pushes the styling and the look of it, she really kind of gives them another twist on Rihanna.

"And I think the song and the theme of this song, she wanted to obviously show a softer side, a lighter side, one that's caught in maybe a tumultuous relationship," he continued. "But not let the tumultuous relationship dominate the visual, really counterbalance it with tension-filled chaotic beauty."

Instead of finding a scenic location on which to shoot the video, they built their own set in order to have control over the elements of the video. Rihanna gave Mandler a "basic foundation," and from there, he put his magic on what he describes as a "really pure beauty video with a story line underneath."

Having shot both a softer-edge Rihanna and a harder-edged one, Mandler weighed in on which he prefers. "There's so much variety with her and it's been such a journey with her," he said. "It's hard to say which one I enjoy more than the other. I just enjoy working with her, so whatever that means. ... There are gray shades that are brilliant that I'm constantly discovering."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663878/rihanna-california-king-bed.jhtml

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Justin Bieber Turns 17! What's In Store For Him This Year?

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The iconic sax man for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band (and Lady Gaga) towered over contemporary music for nearly five decades.
By James Montgomery

Clarence Clemons
Photo: Getty Images

Clarence Clemons was affectionately known as "The Big Man," probably because, well, he was a big man. Standing six-feet, four-inches tall -- and nearly just as wide -- he towered over Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band, and whomever else he shared the stage with during his five-decade career, casting a shadow as formidable as it was striking (it's no wonder Bruce decided to lean on him, like some sort of lamppost, on the cover of 1975's Born To Run).

But his physical size only told part of the story. Because Clemons was also a massive talent, a saxophonist as adept at filing an arena with his booming solos as he was providing a rock-solid backbone to Springsteen's churning, yearning rock. He was the Big Man because everything ran through him, because he was capable of both taking the lead (like on "Jungleland") and laying back in the cut (like on "10th Avenue Freeze Out," where his presence definitely shapes the song, but at no point overshadows its other components), and because of the tones he charmed from his sax ... crisp and clear-eyed, grandiose yet gritty, big yet decidedly blue-collar (just like he was), no one played like Clarence did. And when he died on Saturday at the age of 69 after complications from a stroke he suffered last week, not only did we lose a mountain of a man, but an icon as well.

See photos of Clemons throughout his career.

Simply put, Clemons was the most prominent sax player in popular music. And as proof, I'll ask you to name any of his contemporaries. Chances are, you can't; not because they don't exist, but because they couldn't begin to approach his stature. He was the go-to guy when the stars needed a session hand (recording with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Twisted Sister, and performing live with everyone from the Grateful Dead to Ringo Starr,) and, more recently, Lady Gaga tapped him to perform on her Born This Way album -- he appears in her new "The Edge Of Glory" video, a move that no doubt introduced his sublime playing to a whole new generation of fans. Shoot, he even appeared on "The Simpsons," "The Wire" and "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," where he played, fittingly enough, one of the Three Most Important People in the World.

Remember Clemons with us on Facebook.

In passing, he leaves behind a catalog that's nearly as massive as his frame: not only his notable guest appearances, but several solo albums (and records he cut with backing bands like the Temple of Soul and the Red Bank Rockers) and, of course, the myriad of albums he cut with Springsteen and the E Street Band. And it's on those recordings -- starting with 1973's Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and continuing right on through 2009's Working on a Dream and last year's reissue The Promise -- where Clemons not only shone the brightest, but also showcased the reason why he earned his "Big Man" nickname. Sure, he burns on songs like "Badlands" and "Born To Run," but listen to his work on songs like "Prove It All Night" and "Dancing in the Dark" (to name six dozen) ... the times where he proves to be the Bigger Man, letting his fellow bandmates get their share, too.

Rarely has there been a player so soulful and selfless ... one so secure in his own status that he was willing to let others shine. It's why Clarence Clemons will forever be known as "The Big Man," and why, even in death, he still casts a formidable shadow over popular music and popular culture. He was the sax man's sax man. To paraphrase Springsteen on "Freeze Out," not only was the change was made uptown when the Big Man joined the band, but the mould was broken, too.

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Madrid crowd goes crazy for 'Loca' and 'Waka Waka.'
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Dizzee Rascal and Shakira perform at the 2010 EMA on Sunday
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards got off to a crazy start, courtesy of a performance from hip-swiveling superstar Shakira.

The Colombian megastar opened the show with her Sale el Sol single "Loca," rallying the crowd with her signature undulating moves. Flanked by two dancers, Shakira hit the Madrid stage in a silvery bra top and fringed harem pants under neon lights. Then British grime rapper Dizzee Rascal joined the singer for his verse on the English version of the track, rocking a simply sleek black jacket and white T-shirt, and getting the crowd amped.

After "Loca," Dizzee retreated backstage as Shakira launched into her global World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)," a suitable choice for an award show staged in the nation of the world soccer champs. The Spaniards showed their pride throughout the percussion-heavy jam, as mammoth flags rose from various points in the audience, and were waved above the crowd. Swirls of confetti rained on the crowd as Shakira wrapped up her high-energy set.

Her collabo with Dizzee is just one of several brushes with hip-hop the singer has explored in recent years. Shakira told MTV News in 2009 that she was trying to broaden her musical horizons by hooking up with rap artists.

"I'm never going to be a hardcore hip-hop singer," she said. "I come from Colombia, but I think music today ... it's about bringing elements that belong to different universes, even though they're opposed or similar, and making them exist in this big melting pot that the world is today. The world has shrunk, and we're just a big neighborhood, and it's kind of cool."

Shakira's set was the first in a night packed with performances from some of the world's biggest stars. Katy Perry, Linkin Park, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Kings of Leon, B.o.B, Ke$ha, Bon Jovi and more all will grace the EMA stage. The night is hosted by "Desperate Housewives" diva Eva Longoria.

The 2010 EMAs air on MTV2 on Sunday (November 7) at 9 p.m. ET, and an edited, performance-heavy version will be broadcast Friday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.

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As Born This Way rules the charts another week, producer DJ White Shadow says Gaga hasn't changed since they first met.
By Jocelyn Vena

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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

As Lady Gaga holds onto the #1 spot on Billboard, for the second straight week, with her chart-topping album Born This Way, DJ White Shadow is no doubt enjoying the success. When we caught up with the producer recently, he told us how their collaboration started off as a long-distance relationship.

Back in 2009, White Shadow was approached to work on a co-headlining tour for Lady Gaga and Kanye West. After their Fame Kills Tour was canceled, though, Shadow was asked to focus on the next phase in Gaga's career. The producer and the pop star had already built quite a foundation by the time they finally met in person in the summer of 2010. And while Shadow wasn't completely sure what the encounter would be like, he had some clue that they would get along famously.

"We had talked for so long before [we met in person]. We had talked on the phone or talked on iChat, in emails; I think we kind of knew about each other's personalities," he told MTV News. "I mean, obviously, I was excited to meet her. I felt like we were long-distance pen pals."

What he found out is that despite all of the unusual costumes, Gaga is a pretty regular 25-year-old. "She's, like, super cool. I think everybody gets weirded out by 'Oh, she looks so crazy on those 25-inch heels and the hair-bow,' or whatever's going on at the time, but she's just a normal girl. Like, she's funny. She's really funny and super cool."

Shadow worked closely with Gaga and BTW musical director Fernando Garibay to create a pop album that would push the envelope. The DJ/producer worked on heavy-hitting tracks like "Born This Way," "Government Hooker," "Americano" and "Bloody Mary," to name a few.

So, how is Gaga as a boss, we wanted to know. "She's the best boss. She's a great friend," he said. "She's amazing.

"Here's the funny thing about this: People ask that question but I'm telling you, 'cause everyone wants to [know], 'Does she say something to you as her friend or someone you know that she writes music with that she doesn't say to us? Does she talk about New York in a way that she wouldn't have done into a camera?' And the answer is no," he explained. "I've never seen her say something that was disingenuous."

Bottom line: Gaga is always Gaga. "The stories that she tells, the way that she looks on camera and the way that she acts ... that's how she is. That's her character. She is the same."

In fact, like most New Yorkers, Gaga loves to shop for a good bargain. "I was walking down the street in front of the studio one day and she's shopping for $20 shoes. She's New York. We've been to dinner a couple times ... just go to normal restaurants. It's New York, it's her home, right?" he said. "So, I've definitely heard all the stories that she's telling. She's very open."

What's your favorite Born This Way track? Tell us in the comments!

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Anthony Mandler discusses working with the superstar singer, with whom he's collaborated more than a dozen times.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna
Photo: Getty Images

Rihanna showed off her pale-hued softer side in her "California King Bed" video. A sweeping, romantic look at the demise of a relationship is perfectly encapsulated in the Anthony Mandler-directed clip.

Rihanna and Mandler are certainly not strangers when it comes to collaborating, having made more than a dozen clips together, ranging from the fun "Only Girl (In the World)" to the dark "Russian Roulette." When MTV News recently spoke to Mandler, he noted that he and Ri brought out a whole new side to the always-changing singer.

"I think it's something that is so unique about Rihanna whatever she's doing, whatever character she's playing, whatever side of herself she's showing, she's in it 1,000 percent," he explained. "They're all twists and variations on herself, and in each of them, the way she pushes the visual and the way she pushes the styling and the look of it, she really kind of gives them another twist on Rihanna.

"And I think the song and the theme of this song, she wanted to obviously show a softer side, a lighter side, one that's caught in maybe a tumultuous relationship," he continued. "But not let the tumultuous relationship dominate the visual, really counterbalance it with tension-filled chaotic beauty."

Instead of finding a scenic location on which to shoot the video, they built their own set in order to have control over the elements of the video. Rihanna gave Mandler a "basic foundation," and from there, he put his magic on what he describes as a "really pure beauty video with a story line underneath."

Having shot both a softer-edge Rihanna and a harder-edged one, Mandler weighed in on which he prefers. "There's so much variety with her and it's been such a journey with her," he said. "It's hard to say which one I enjoy more than the other. I just enjoy working with her, so whatever that means. ... There are gray shades that are brilliant that I'm constantly discovering."

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Judge pushes start of Conrad Murray's trial back to May.
By Gil Kaufman

Conrad Murray
Photo: AFP/ Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Though Conrad Murray's lawyers had been pressing for a speedy trial, a judge in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson's doctor ruled on Wednesday to delay opening statements in the proceedings until May.

The Associated Press reported that Murray's attorneys consented to the postponement after they discussed the matter with prosecutors and both agreed they could be ready for trial by May 9.

According to a transcript from the closed-door session, though opening statements will not begin for several months, Murray told Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor that he did not want to forfeit his right to a quick trial, but agreed to the delay if screening of prospective jurors begins as scheduled on March 24.

"It is only acceptable to me if this is not strung along over a long period of time," Murray told the justice. "I don't want to lose my constitutional right to speedy trial." Murray — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — reportedly has been in favor of having the proceedings begin as soon as possible because he is facing financial troubles, but he said he understands that the delay is necessary to allow both sides to prepare for the trial.

Pastor consented because he said he didn't want to lose a jury pool, and believed a month-long delay might let potential jurors shuffle their schedules for the case, which could take up to two months to decide. The judge has reportedly clashed with Murray's defense team in recent weeks, pressing them for answers about why they had not turned over more witness notes and other potential evidence to prosecutors in the run-up to the trial.

Cardiologist Murray was hired to be Jackson's personal physician while the King of Pop prepared for his planned 50-date comeback series of shows at London's O2 arena in the summer of 2009. The doctor told police that he provided the then-50-year-old Jackson with sedatives and the surgical anesthetic propofol in order to combat the singer's chronic insomnia. He said he did so on the morning of June 25, 2009, when Jackson died of what a coroner deemed acute propofol poisoning.

Murray's lawyers reportedly plan to argue that Jackson was already in weak health before he died, that it's unfair to blame propofol for his passing and that, if the anesthetic was to blame, the pop superstar may have given himself the fatal dose by drinking the drug in a panic.

A status hearing in the case has been set for this Wednesday.

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Katherine Jackson and family are pursuing a claim against concert promoter.
By Gil Kaufman

Michael Jackson

When he was alive, Michael Jackson was forever embroiled in a series of complex and expensive-sounding lawsuits. But even in death, the late King of Pop is the subject of major legal action. None could potentially be bigger than the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the pop icon's mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert promotion giant AEG Live.

Reuters reported that a Los Angeles judge ruled on Wednesday that the civil lawsuit can go forward. It will proceed in parallel with the criminal case against Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 2009 death from an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray is the only person charged in Jackson's death and he is currently awaiting trial in that matter.

Katherine Jackson's lawsuit — filed in September on behalf of her and Jackson's three young children — accuses AEG of being responsible for the medical decisions made by Murray, whose salary was paid by the touring company behind Jackson's attempted "This Is It" comeback shows in London. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos denied a motion on Wednesday by AEG to dismiss Katherine Jackson's suit, but warned Jackson's attorneys that they would need to show evidence of "fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy" in order to win the case.

The judge has already said she doubts they can prove the latter charge, because the suit does not detail any agreement between Murray and AEG to break the law in providing medical care to Jackson.

"If the object was to get him to rehearsals, I don't see that as a wrongful or illegal act," the judge said. A lawyer for AEG told the judge that the company could not have predicted beforehand that Murray's medical decisions would result in Jackson's death. Court papers also show that AEG "did not choose to hire Murray" and had only participated in negotiations to bring him on as an independent contractor. Michael, who had previously been treated by Murray in Las Vegas, was reportedly the one who suggested the cardiologist serve as his personal, on-call physician during the "This Is It" rehearsals and shows.

Katherine Jackson's attorney recently dropped choreographer Kenny Ortega from the lawsuit based on new information they received about his actions. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 22, just six days before Murray is due back in court for his trial. Jackson's father, Joseph, has twice attempted to file a wrongful death suit in the matter, though his is focused on Murray and the Las Vegas pharmacy that supplied the propofol, not AEG Live.

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Rihanna and her lover get close — and grow apart — in oceanfront clip.
By Rob Markman

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The video for Rihanna's "California King Bed" is as sexy as its title suggests. The sixth single off Rih-Rih's latest album, Loud, features the scarlet-haired Bajan beauty lying between the sheets with a shirtless lover.

In late February, the pop princess took to Twitter to poll her fans, asking them to choose her next single. "QUESTION EXISTING: I'm shootin a new vid in a cpl wks, I just need u to tell me, which song should I shoot? What is my next single?" she tweeted before firing off, "Its hard to go from s+m to SKIN! Don't want to be 2 swiney."

"California King Bed" was announced as Rihanna's next single a few days later.

Rihanna teased fans last week when she tweeted a photo from the shoot, and she dropped the video Monday (May 9).

Filmed in Cali and directed by Anthony Mandler, the video opens with the star laid out in a grass field, wearing a white bandeau and matching shorts, before moving into an open-air bedroom. Though the clip starts with Rihanna's head resting on the chest of her shirtless leading man, distance grows between the two.

Ripe with rich hues and scenes of an oceanfront sunset, Mandler flips the cam from color to a black-and-white lens midway through the clip, during the song's third refrain. The director quickly switches back to color as Rihanna returns to lie in the grass field in which she started.

Give us your review of Rihanna's "California King Bed" video in the comments below!

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Singer left behind more than $400 million in debt.

Michael Jackson
Photo: Time Life Pictures/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty Im

Between album sales, movie profits, licensing arrangements and lucrative deals for Cirque du Soleil shows, the estate of late King of Pop Michael Jackson has raked in more than $300 million since the singer's shocking death in June 2009.

According to TMZ, legal documents released on Thursday reveal that executors of MJ's estate have managed to make a major dent in the more than $400 million in debt that Jackson owed at the time of his death.

The first accounting from the executors shows that they have already spent around $159 million paying back various debts, income taxes and other expenses, which include providing support for the pop star's mother, Katherine Jackson, as well as his three young children.

"Although there remain unresolved creditor claims, pending litigation and additional challenging business, tax and legal issues, and the estate is not yet in a condition to be closed, the executors have made substantial progress in reducing the estate's debt," the documents state, according to a Reuters report. Two of Jackson's longtime confidants, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, were named as administrators in a will sign by the pop icon.

In addition to paying to make "substantial improvements" to the Jackson family's Havenhurst estate in Encino, California, the executors also spent an undetermined amount of money on "last illness and funeral and memorial service expenses." Those costs included a $900,000 payment to the Forest Lawn Memorial cemetery where Jackson is buried and $35,000 on expenses described as "costume for memorial."

TMZ reported that not only did the famously cash-strapped Jackson have more than $400 million in debt, but his estate also owed more than $40 million to concert promoter AEG tied to the scuttled This Is It Tour, for which MJ was rehearsing when he died unexpectedly. They've also paid $27.2 million in taxes and $4 million in mortgage payments on Jackson's properties.

Despite the solid sales of the Michael album and millions of units of the singer's back catalog being sold, as well as the box office of the "This Is It" movie and DVD sales, the estate is not nearly out of the woods. TMZ noted that the administrators have received more than 65 creditors' claims, some of which are subject to "extremely high" interest rates, and there are several outstanding lawsuits against the estate in several countries.

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'I think the commonality between all four of our coaches is their passion for music,' show host Carson Daly says.
By Kara Warner

"The Voice" coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton
Photo: NBC

For die-hard fans of reality TV singing contests who just can't get enough, NBC has a treat for you in the form of "The Voice." Hosted by Carson Daly and featuring superstar mentors Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, the show hopes to discover yet another future pop star.

MTV caught up with the new reality TV cast recently to get some scoop on the music veterans working on the show.

"I'm really excited about 'The Voice,' " Daly said. "I think the commonality between all four of our coaches is their passion for music, and they're all excellent voices, they're all very business savvy."

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine guaranteed that while they are taking the job seriously, there's plenty of lightheartedness too.

"This show is just fun, and throughout the whole thing, we're interacting with each other," he said. "And yeah, it's serious, it's a competition, [and] we want these guys to succeed."

"We've been a little apprehensive about allowing ourselves to be considered or called judges," Green admitted. "At the end of the day, we're doing a bit more mentoring and a little more coaching more than we're judging."

Green has also said that part of the draw of "The Voice" is its unconventional concept.

"At first, I thought it was a very cool and original concept," Green said, speaking of the format in which coaches sit with their backs to contestants to focus on their vocals instead of their looks as they decide whether to mentor them through later rounds. ‪"We're all coming from such different worlds that there's a coexistence," he added. "[But] there's a bit of friendly competition because we're all playing to win."

After getting advice from the professional singers during battle phases — where they can also call in choreographers, stylists and producers to help their charges — the wannabe stars will go on to live performance shows where the TV audience will vote on who advances and wins the $100,000 prize and recording contract.

"The Voice" premieres Tuesday (April 26) at 9 p.m. ET.

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Jamaica-set clip shows pop star locked in a violent confrontation.
By James Dinh

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Rihanna has always repped her island roots, so it was only fitting that the red-haired diva took to Jamaica to film the new video for her reggae-inspired single "Man Down." But, as fans may have guessed from the song title, things take a turn for the worse in the clip when the pop star guns down a man after a late-night struggle.

"Man Down" begins on a dramatic note when Rihanna shoots a man who's making his way through a busy train station. After committing her crime, the songstress flees the scene. But in order to give viewers some backstory, the video travels back in time to the previous day, when the singer is seen riding her bike and socializing on the streets of Jamaica, as well as embracing the island's hotspots. Director Anthony Mandler also cuts back and forth to scenes of the star singing the tune alone inside a bedroom at dusk.

At a nightclub, Rihanna begins to dance alongside another clubgoer. But it's not until after she leaves the venue that fans understand the motive behind her crime. After she leaves the club, the singer's dance-floor partner soon follows the songstress outside and begins to get violent. "Man Down" cuts straight to the scene of a disheveled Rih crying in the street, after what appears to have been a rape. The video concludes with the singer grabbing a gun hidden in a dresser drawer.

Before the video's premiere, the Barbadian beauty released a behind-the-scenes teaser. "I've always wanted to do a video here. 'Man Down' is just a song that you can't do anywhere else. We need to be authentic," she said, adding, "You can't get any realer than Jamaica."

The Rihanna Navy shouldn't be too shocked at the clip's intense story line as they've received a number of hints from both the 23-year-old pop star and video director in recent weeks. Just yesterday, the singer took to Twitter to unveil a bit about the visual's theme, tweeting, "Its #Gritty #GULLY #Emotional #JAMRock Very strong underlying message 4 girls like me! #listentoyomama."

MTV News spoke with Mandler a few weeks ago about the clip, and he revealed that Rihanna let him take the visual to the extreme. "We shot the video last month in Jamaica and it's my favorite song she's ever recorded, so I was really excited to get involved," he said. "And it's just one of those songs that demands a strong narrative and visual, and let's just say, she let me go all the way. So I think you can expect something that's dramatic and shocking and intense and emotional and uplifting and enlightening."

What do you think of Rihanna's "Man Down" video? Share your reviews below!

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Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Shia LaBeouf also among the celebs who will hand out trophies at the June 5 event.
By Jocelyn Vena

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Photo: MTV

Nicki Minaj, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, Cameron Diaz, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy, Shia LaBeouf, Patrick Dempsey and Josh Duhamel are among the stars confirmed to appear at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards on June 5.

This smattering of celebrities will be on hand to present Golden Popcorn statues at the big show. "Eclipse" leads the (wolf)pack of MTV Movie Awards nominees with eight nods, including Best Movie, Best Fight and Best Kiss. Other big flicks in the running for multiple honors include "Inception" (seven nominations) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (six nods).

Also receiving nominations are Justin Bieber, Emma Watson, Natalie Portman, Zac Efron, Tom Hardy and Jesse Eisenberg, to name a few.

Hosted by Jason Sudeikis, the 20th annual MTV Movie Awards will air live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, on Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET. Head to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for a winner in every category until June 4. In addition, voting for Best Movie will stay open throughout the awards show — meaning you'll have a chance to affect the night's biggest prize until the very last minute.

"I'm sincerely flattered that the folks from the Mostly Teenage Viewers network have invited me to host this year, and I look forward to keeping the streak of flawless and critically lauded movie awards show hosting in 2011 alive," "Saturday Night Live" castmember Sudeikis said about the big gig.

"Smart and funny is the new rock and roll for our audience — and that combo pretty much sums up Jason," said Stephen Friedman, president of MTV. "He is a smartass and a gentleman who never goes for the easy or obvious joke. Because of that, he is the ideal Movie Awards host, and we are confident with him anchoring the show, our audience is in store for unexpected and crazy moments with Hollywood's biggest stars and musicians."

Which celebrities are you most excited to see on the 2011 MTV Movie Awards? Tell us in the comments.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 20th annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 5, at 9 p.m. ET.

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Michael Lynche and Casey James join her in the bottom three.
By Gil Kaufman

Siobhan Magnus performs on "American Idol" Wednesday
Photo: FOX

It's getting to that point in season nine of "American Idol" when it gets hard to guess who will go home every week because the competition has gotten so tight. But a night after Simon Cowell compared her tortured screaming to the sound of a woman giving birth, America decided that it wasn't quite ready for an "Idol" champ as quirky as tattooed glassblower Siobhan Magnus.

After charming the judges and voting public with her offbeat style sense, powerhouse vocals and sometimes sassy backtalk to the judges, Magnus' luck ran out after she closed Tuesday's show with an all-over-the-place take on Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine."

Magnus was given the boot on a night that was packed with performances from Rascal Flatts, Shakira and Lady Antebellum, and her exit came after more than 33 million votes were lodged Tuesday.

The results began with host Ryan Seacrest creating three groups of two. The first pairing included Magnus and Lee Dewyze, followed by Casey James and Michael Lynche and then Aaron Kelly and Crystal Bowersox. Cutting the tension immediately, Seacrest walked Magnus across the stage for her first trip to the bottom three, alongside Lynche and James.

The first singer sent back to safety was Lynche, who dodged a bullet for the second time this season. "Tonight is different because everyone did well last night, so there's no shame in the bottom three," he said before being sent back to the couches. With James safe, that left the woman Seacrest called an "independent spirit" standing center stage in her salmon-colored miniskirt-and-tank-top combo.

Saying she tried out for the show for her little sisters, Magnus hoped that she had a big impact on them. "I did my best, and I hope that I was able to show them what we're all capable of," she said, clearly holding back some emotion.

Keeping her composure, Magnus went out with a typically sassy run through Aretha Franklin's "Think," which got the final five and the whole audience on their feet and clapping along. It ended, of course, with one of her signature ear-piercing screams and then some hugs for her family, who told her, "You're still our star."

This being a country-themed week, the show kicked off with a live performance from twangy trio Rascal Flatts, who played their cowboy-pop ditty "Unstoppable." Along with the usual time-killing Ford video and some other promotional shenanigans, the first half of the show also featured season-four "Idol" superstar Carrie Underwood flying in from her national tour just to introduce her current opening act, the little-known brotherly band Sons of Sylvia.

Bringing a harder-edge, new-wave country vibe than they displayed during their winning run last year on "The Next Great America Band," the all-black-clad Clark brothers played their debut single, "Love Left to Lose." The tune mixed straightforward radio rock with country touches, including fiddle, mandolin and rocked-out resonator guitar over a thudding backbeat.

With a whole hour to fill, the next break featured ACM winners Lady Antebellum performing their triple-platinum smash "Need You Now." The Fleetwood Mac-like ballad of romantic longing that has helped propel the album of the same name to the best sales figures of any 2010 release found singers Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott trading off yearning vocals as third member Dave Haywood played along on a grand piano in the background.

The night's final performance was a truly odd combo, as hip-shaker Shakira was joined by Flatts for the spare belly-dance/ boot-scooter "Gypsy," which she opened by showing off her harmonica skills. Joined by two dancers, Shakira worked her flowing red skirt and swiveled her hips as she melded her yodely vocals with the high, lonesome sound of Flatts' Gary LeVox.

Next week's mentor will be Harry Connick Jr., who will lead the finalists through the songbook of Frank Sinatra.

What did you think of tonight's elimination? Did Siobhan deserve to go home? Leave your comments below!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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