Gossip, June 6, 2008
Star Trek's 'Sulu' to get married ¿ to a man
WASHINGTON (AP) — George Takei, best known for playing Sulu on "Star Trek," will never forget the first time he saw Brad Altman, the man he plans to marry, more than two decades ago.
They were working out in a running club and he couldn't take his eyes off Altman, who had a "lean, tightly muscled" body, the 71-year-old actor told AP Radio in an interview.
Takei said he asked Altman to help him train for a marathon, they fell in love, and now they've been living together for 21 years.
Altman said he proposed by getting down on one knee in their kitchen while Takei was eating a sandwich after seeing on TV that the California Supreme Court had legalised same-sex marriage. It surprised Takei, who thought he would be the one who popped the question.
They bought each other turquoise and silver wedding rings.
Takei and Altman plan to marry September 14 in the Democracy Forum at the Japanese National Museum in Los Angeles.
Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in "Star Trek," will be the best man and Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, will be the matron of honour.
Castmate Leonard Nimoy will be among the 200 guests, but probably not William Shatner. Takei has said Shatner didn't treat him and most of the cast very well.
Takei, who had a recurring role on NBC's "Heroes" last year, and Altman plan to honeymoon for a month in South America.
As for what they'll wear on their big day, Altman said they'll both walk down the aisle in white tuxedoes, which seemed to catch Takei off-guard.
"Well, now that you've announced it on the air, I guess it's settled," he said.
Keith Olbermann's tax debt is fuel for feud
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — MSNBC pundit Keith Olbermann, who spotlights misbehaviour nightly with his "Worst Person in the World" recognition, owes New York state for unpaid business taxes, according to a tax warrant notice.
And his conservative counterparts and bloggers are making sure the debt is fodder in the ongoing political commentators' feud.
Olbermann, the host of "Countdown," owes New York $2,269.50, according to a tax warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
State Tax and Finance Department spokesman Tom Bergin said the debt recorded against the TV host's Olbermann Broadcasting Empire Inc., based in Los Angeles, is still open.
MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines called it a bookkeeping disagreement between Olbermann's accountants and the state and said it was resolved months ago.
Bergin said the debt could have been resolved recently, but it has not yet been legally "satisfied" and so remains an open case.
The tax debt has been featured on the blog OlbermannWatch.com, which referred to Olbermann as a "deadbeat," and among Page Six items in the New York Post.
The tabloid referred to Olbermann as a "professional angry man" who likes tax-and-spend liberals "but didn't pay his own taxes".
Olbermann has named Fox TV conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly the world's worst person more than a dozen times.
News Corp., headed by CEO Rupert Murdoch, owns the New York Post and Fox News Channel, among other properties.
Ozzy accepts libel damages and apology
LONDON (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne has accepted undisclosed libel damages and an apology over a newspaper claim that he was ill at the Brit Awards.
The 59-year-old rocker sued over a story in the Daily Star that alleged he had toppled over twice just before the televised ceremony and that he was moved around the awards in an electric buggy.
Osbourne's lawyer, John Kelly, told a court in London that none of the allegations were put to Osbourne or his representatives before they were published.
Express Newspapers' lawyer Kate Wilson said the publisher now accepts that the allegations were untrue.
Kelsey Grammer suffers heart attack
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The publicist for Kelsey Grammer says the actor has returned home from the hospital, four days after suffering a mild heart attack.
Stan Rosenfield said the "Cheers" and "Frasier" star is resting comfortably at his home in Kona on Hawaii's big island. He says Grammer thanks those who called and wrote expressing concern.
Grammer was paddleboating with his wife, Camilla, on Saturday when he experienced symptoms and was taken to a Kona hospital. Doctors determined the 53-year-old actor had suffered a heart attack that Rosenfield described as "mild."
Rosenfield says he doesn't know if Grammer has a history of heart trouble.
Man who robbed 'Lost' star sent to prison
HONOLULU (AP) — A man who robbed "Lost" star Josh Holloway and his wife at gunpoint in their Hawaii home has been sentenced to 13 to 30 years in prison for his three-week crime spree.
The sentence was imposed Tuesday against 23-year-old Ruben Royce after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges in February.
Judge Karl Sakamoto said Royce was responsible for "a tidal wave of crime" that terrorised victims in their own homes. The four robberies occurred in the fall of 2005.
Prosecutors say Royce broke into the Holloways' home, threatened the couple at gunpoint, took their wallets and drove off in their Mercedes-Benz.
Holloway plays "Sawyer" on the ABC castaway drama filmed on Oahu.
Production problems on 'Survivor: Gabon'
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Jeff Probst says the upcoming season of "Survivor" has already hit a few snags.
"Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden" has been plagued with several preproduction problems, Probst told The Associated Press at a restaurant opening.
The dilemmas for the 17th season of the CBS reality show, which begins filming in Africa later this month, range from encroaching animals to slow shipments.
"Our shipping has been really delayed," Probst said. "One aspect of 'Survivor' that is different from a lot of shows is that we have to ship throughout the season, and we're about 30 days behind now, which is a major problem.
"We're going to be fine on the show, but the crew housing is not there. We're going to be in tents."
Other than the habitation hindrance, Probst also said a crane had fallen over and a cargo hold containing about $100,000 worth of food had gone missing.
The lumber used for building props and set pieces for challenges and Tribal Council, however, had safely arrived.
Probst said the "Survivor" crew was also having an issue with something that was already present: wildlife.
"We have a danger problem with animals that we're trying to figure out how to handle," the "Survivor" host said. "There's so much truly wild life out there, we're not sure what to do.
"We don't want the animals around for a safety reasons, but we'd love to have a hippo sneak in every so often. I just got a call from our executive producer that we've got hippo tracks at base camp."
"Survivor: Gabon," which will feature 18 castaways living in the wilderness in the West African country, will be filmed in high-definition and is slated to premiere in the fall.
It's the first time the competitive reality series has returned to Africa since its Kenya-set third season. Probst said he doesn't think the snafus will halt production.
"These things for us usually have a way of turning into good things," he said.
Paparazzi accused of stalking Jamie Spears
JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — A celebrity photographer accused of stalking Jamie Lynn Spears and her fiancé in a small Mississippi town has been arrested.
Edwin W. Merino, 30, of Los Angeles, posted bond Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in court next week.
Authorities in Liberty, a small town in southwest Mississippi near the Louisiana border, said Merino wouldn't leave the pregnant Spears and her fiancé, Casey Aldridge, alone.
Merino denied the accusations in a phone interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. He said that he was about 200 feet away from the couple using a long lens when he was arrested at a gas station.
The younger Spears and Aldridge have been the subject of intense attention since she announced her pregnancy in December.
She said then she was 12 weeks along, which would make the 17-year-old due any time.
Merino said he had little luck taking pictures of the couple and was preparing to leave the area.
"I've seen the young man Casey in pictures," Merino said. "I haven't worked on them myself. The first time I got a good look at him was in court."
Spears' family representatives did not immediately return messages Wednesday.
Merino has worked as a celebrity photographer for five years. He was one of the paparazzi who snared pictures of Jamie Lynn Spears' older sister, Britney, without underwear.
Merino said he was the only photographer following Spears during most of his four days in the Liberty area.
"I just think since I was the only one there, it was just easier for them to single me out," Merino said.
Merino's arrest was first reported by the McComb Enterprise-Journal.
Merino said he didn't spend any significant time in jail. A deputy drove him to three automated teller machines and he got the $1,143 he needed to be released.
In the end, Merino said the trip was a waste.
"The one picture I got was kind of by luck," he said. "I got lucky when I saw them at Wal-Mart when I was buying deodorant."
