Jackie Chan's China comments prompt backlash

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2009 file photo, Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan speaks to media during an event to promote the International Film Festival in Hong Kong. Legislators in Chinese-speaking regions that enjoy free elections on Sunday, April 19, 2009, lashed out at Jackie Chan after the 'Rush Hour' star questioned if freedom was a good thing for China, accusing him of insulting his own race. The 55-year-old action star said at a business forum in the southern Chinese island province Hainan on Saturday that a free society may not be beneficial for authoritarian mainland China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)Associated Press

HONG KONG - Action star Jackie Chan 's comments wondering whether Chinese people "need to be controlled" have drawn sharp rebuke in his native Hong Kong and in Taiwan.

Chan told a business forum in the southern Chinese province of Hainan that a free society may not be beneficial for China's authoritarian mainland.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said Saturday. "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

He went on to say that freedoms in Hong Kong and Taiwan made those societies "chaotic."

Chan's comments drew applause from a predominantly Chinese audience of business leaders, but did not sit well with lawmakers in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"He's insulted the Chinese people. Chinese people aren't pets," Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Leung Kwok-hung told The Associated Press. "Chinese society needs a democratic system to protect human rights and rule of law."

Another lawmaker, Albert Ho, called the comments "racist," adding: "People around the world are running their own countries. Why can't Chinese do the same?"

Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys Western-style civil liberties and some democratic elections under Chinese rule. Half of its 60-member legislature is elected, with the other half picked by special interest groups. But Hong Kong's leader is chosen by a panel stacked with Beijing loyalists.

In democratically self-ruled Taiwan, which split from mainland China during a civil war in 1949, legislator Huang Wei-che said Chan himself "has enjoyed freedom and democracy and has reaped the economic benefits of capitalism. But he has yet to grasp the true meaning of freedom and democracy."

Chan's comments were reported by news outlets in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but were ignored by the mainland Chinese press.

Although Chan was a fierce critic of the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in June 1989, which killed at least hundreds, he has not publicly criticized China's government in recent years and is immensely popular on the mainland.

He performed during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and took part in the Olympic torch relay.

Chan also is vice chairman of the China Film Association, a key industry group.

Suri Cruise's Birthday Party Interrupted By Paparazzi Helicopter

Suri Cruise, November 2008

Getty ImagesAccess Hollywood

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Suri Cruise's third birthday was interrupted by a helicopter carrying paparazzi on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Beverly Hills Police Department told Access Hollywood.

The Cruise family's people proceeded to contact the BHPD, who asked the LAPD to send a chopper of their own. According to the spokesperson, the LAPD said they would try and also contacted the FAA, which has responsibility for the airspace.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Happy 3rd Birthday Suri Cruise!

The LAPD were unavailable for comment when reached by Access on Sunday.

The Cruises were celebrating at their Beverly Hills home. According to People, the famous birthday girl was thrown another, princess-themed party on Thursday with a small group of friends and family.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Dads

"They just wanted to keep it small," a source told the mag, "And make it fun for Suri and her friends."

'Housewives' cast gathers to bid Sheridan adieu

The cast of 'Desperate Housewives' arrive at The Paley Center for Media's Paleyfest 09 in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2009. From left are : Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, and Marc Cherry (AP Photo/Katy Winn)Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - For the cast and crew of "Desperate Housewives," it was a Saturday afternoon of warm hellos and bittersweet goodbyes, as they greeted an auditorium filled with cheering fans but also bid adieu to one of the show's leading original cast members.

Nicollette Sheridan , who plays Wisteria Lane's saucy "Edie," makes her final appearance as a series regular on the episode airing Sunday.

Co-star Teri Hatcher , whose sweet "Susan" was often at odds with Edie, got misty-eyed when recalling the filming of Sheridan's final episode.

"I made a scrapbook as my sort of parting gift, and it reminded me of how great those two characters were together," she said.

Excepting Sheridan, most of the "Housewives" principals participated in a panel discussion on the show as part of the two-week PaleyFest, an annual festival celebrating television held by The Paley Center for Media.

Sheridan's relationship with "Housewives" creator Marc Cherry has been described by some as contentious. Sheridan was recently quoted in "TV Guide" as saying she felt "Housewives'" writers were unjustly ignoring Edie.

But cast mates Saturday said Sheridan's last days on the set were amiable and professional.

"Her attitude made them completely bearable," noted actor James Denton, whose plumber "Mike" was the longtime object of Edie's affections. "It could have been tough and sad, but she was so great.

Denton noted that Sheridan made a point to thank the show's writers and cast, who were gathered at the table-read of the script for the first episode that she will not be in.

"She said, 'While you're all together, I'm here to say thank you for everything. You guys are great. You guys are awesome,'" Denton related. "She walked out of the room and Felicity (Huffman) looked at me and said, 'classy,' and it sure was."

Veteran character actor Kathryn Joosten, a two-time Emmy winner for her portrayal of nosey neighbor "Mrs. McCluskey," said she would miss Sheridan.

"She was my playmate. We got to throw barbs at each other," Joosten said. "I won't have anybody to fight with."

Brenda Strong (narrator "Mary Alice") said she would miss Sheridan for personal reasons.

"There's a huge space in my heart for Nicollette, because she absolutely adores my son, and is so generous with him. I'm honored to have her in my life," Strong said.

Actor Neal McDonough (villain "Dave Williams") said that he would miss Sheridan probably more than anyone, although he's only been on the show for one season.

"Nic was like my sister," he said. "She was so close to my wife and my kids, and we had so many scenes together this year. That last scene we did was really tough, really emotional."

Hatcher said she thought that Sheridan seemed ready to leave to show.

"I think that character will be missed on the show, and I don't believe that character is replaceable," Hatcher said. "But I do believe there are some kind of arenas, like a neighborhood, where, as great as they are, people can come and go, and there can be something new and exciting that you didn't expect."

"Desperate Housewives," Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m. EST/PST on ABC.

Report: Mel Gibson's Russian Love Interest Revealed?

Mel Gibson, December 10, 2008

Getty ImagesAccess Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Mel Gibson and his wife, Robyn, filed for divorce last week after being separated for almost three years. However, immediately following the filing, reports surfaced that Mel was involved with a new woman - a Russian beauty named Oksana.

Over the last several days, the media has linked the actor to several different women named Oksana, but it appears the mystery over which one is allegedly involved with Mel may have been solved.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Mel Gibson

According to People, the woman in question may be Oksana Grigorieva, who formerly dated, and has a child with, "James Bond" star Timothy Dalton.

The mag reported on Saturday that Grigorieva, a Russian actress and composer, has been living in a house owned by a trust administered by the CFO of the actor's production company, Icon.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Surprising Former Couples

And Radar Online, which first reported the romance, reported on Saturday that she has now gone into hiding following her identification.

Mel was photographed on a beach in Costa Rica near his estate home in March embracing a mystery brunette who bears a strong resemblance to Grigorieva.

However, other reports have named other Oksanas as Mel's alleged Russian love interest.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Top 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces

Oksana Pochepa, a Russian pop singer, told UK tabloid The Sun that she was dating the star, telling the paper that their relationship was "serious."

"I hope that our union will be real and strong and long-lasting," Pochepa was quoted as saying.

And another woman considered was Oksana Kolesnikova, a musician who performs at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge. She denied the romance reports to People.

"I have nothing to do with [Gibson]," she told the mag. "The only contact I had with him was when he came in to dine at the Polo Lounge. He seemed like a gentleman."

Finally, the Latin American Herald Tribune linked him to Oksana Lovoushka, reportedly a blonde singer working with Icon who filmed music videos with Gibson in January.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Mel's wife, Robyn, filed for divorce from the actor last Monday. Mel's filing came a few hours later.

"Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so," the Gibsons said in a joint statement released to Access on Monday.

Kim Kardashian: I Want "a Six Pack by Summer"

Kim Kardashian on August 5, 2008.Us Magazine

Kim Kardashian is getting her body ready for a bikini.

"I have been going sooo hard in the gym, and I really feel it's paying off!" she blogs. "My tummy is soo toned. Why is it that the top part gets ripped first and the lower part is sooo hard to tone up!? I am determined to have a six pack by summer! In a feminine way, of course."

Can you guess whose abs these are?

The 5-foot-2, 118-pound Kardashian, 28, recently opened up to Us Weekly about how she whittled her size-6 physique down to a size 2.

Her routine involves "an upbeat warm-up, then upper-body cardio using 5-pound weights, a lower-body workout with squats and lunges," she told Us. She finishes it off "with an abs series and stretching."

Check out Kim and beau Reggie Bush's most romantic moments!

Despite all the working out, she tells Us, "I love my curves and have to work out to maintain them. Actually, keeping my shape takes a lot more work than just doing nothing or being super-skinny. So this was about toning up, getting fit."

See Us' Weight Winners of 2008

Kardashian recently found herself at the center of a weight scandal.

After it was revealed that Complex magazine retouched her photos to slim her down, she blogged: "So what: I have a little cellulite. What curvy girl doesn't!?"

Andy Roddick Marries Swimsuit Model Brooklyn Decker In Austin

Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick attend the Lacoste Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent in Bryant Park on September 6, 2008

Getty ImagesAccess Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Andy Roddick is a married man.

The tennis star, 26, married his fiancee, swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker , 21, in Austin, Texas, on Friday evening, People reported.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Latest Star Sightings

"They are absolutely perfect for each other," a friend of the family told the mag. "I think they knew that from the moment they met that they were perfect for each other."

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi were in attendance at the nuptials. Also stopping by was Andy's pal Sir Elton John , who performed, the mag reported.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Love Connection: Celebs & Athletes

Both the bride and groom are Sports Illustrated alumni - Andy has appeared in the magazine for his tennis skills, while Brooklyn has appeared in their annual swimsuit issue.

Andy reportedly asked his agent to get Brooklyn's number after spotting her in the magazine.

The two were engaged for just over a year before marrying.

Sanjaya Signs On For 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here

Sanjaya shows off his scruffy new look in New York

WireImageAccess Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Time for some hair-raising news -- former "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar has joined the cast of NBC's "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!," Access Hollywood has learned.

Sanjaya joins previously reported contestants Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of "The Hills" and former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. According to OK!, Janice Dickinson - who competed on the UK version of the show - Geraldo Rivera and Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman will also fill out the cast.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Former 'American Idols'

The reality competition kicks off June 1 and will run for four weeks as the star contestants face off in the jungles of Costa Rica. It is presently unknown what hairdo the well-coiffed star will choose to battle the jungle moisture.

Sanjaya has kept busy since his "Idol" days, releasing his memoirs and an album, both titled "Dancing to the Music In My Head," earlier this year.

Kathy Griffin & Ellen DeGeneres Top 2009 GLAAD Awards

Kathy Griffin shows off her bikini body while accepting the Vanguard Award at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in LA

Getty ImagesAccess Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Kathy Griffin may have been a big winner at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards last night, but she accepted the ceremony's Vanguard Award in one very mini-outfit.

The "Life on the D-List" comedienne took to the stage at Los Angeles' Nokia Live Theatre in a bikini to accept her award from "Grey's Anatomy" star T.R. Knight .

VIEW THE PHOTOS: GLAAD Media Awards 2009

No less flashy, but a lot more covered at the award show, was talk show host Ellen DeGeneres , who looked ready to start a rock band in sneakers and a black skinny tie. Her chat program was awarded with Outstanding Talk Show Episode for "Ellen & Portia's Wedding Day." The longtime couple wed in August 2008, while same-sex marriages were briefly legal in California before the November passing of Prop. 8.

Among the other winner at last night's event? Showtime's "The L Word" in the Special Recognition category, which was joined in the category by FunnyorDie.com viral video "Prop 8: The Musical"; "Milk" for Outstanding Film - Wide Release; ABC's "Desperate Housewives" for Outstanding Comedy Series; ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" for Outstanding Drama Series and "Unidentified Funk," an episode of CBS' "The New Adventures of Old Christine," for Outstanding Individual Episode.

"Empire of the Sun" author J.G. Ballard dies at 78

LONDON (Reuters) -
British author J.G. Ballard, whose novel "Empire of the Sun" vividly portrayed his childhood imprisonment in wartime Shanghai and was adapted into a Hollywood film, died on Sunday, his agent said. He was 78.

His agent Margaret Hanbury described Ballard, who had been suffering from prostate cancer, as a "giant on the world literary scene." He died at the riverside home west of London where he had lived since the 1960s.

"His acute and visionary observation of contemporary life was distilled into a number of brilliant, powerful novels which have been published all over the world," Hanbury said.

"Empire of the Sun" was based on Ballard's privileged childhood with his expatriate parents in China and their subsequent detention in a prison camp after the Japanese invasion during World War Two.

He recalled how his parents' rich friends lost their chauffeur-driven cars and ended up "scrambling for a piece of sweet potato."

Director Steven Spielberg adapted the book for the big screen and it was nominated for six Oscars. Ballard would later write in his memoirs that his early, often violent, experiences shaped all his later work.

"In many ways my entire fiction is the dissection of a deep pathology that I had witnessed in Shanghai and later in the postwar world," Ballard wrote. "I remember a lot of the casual brutality and beatings-up that went on, but at the same time we children were playing a hundred and one games."

Born in Shanghai in 1930, Ballard enjoyed a comfortable life with his parents -- his father ran a successful textiles company -- before their world was turned upside down by the war.

After more than two years in the detention camp, the family returned to Britain where Ballard resumed his education.

He went on to study medicine at Cambridge University, which he described as an "academic theme park where I was a reluctant extra," before deciding to pursue a career as a writer.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, Ballard gained cult status around the world for a series of dystopian science fiction novels such as "The Drowned World."

One of his most controversial works was "Crash," a novel about people who are sexually aroused by car accidents that was later turned into a film directed by David Cronenberg.

His wife Mary died from pneumonia in 1964 and Ballard raised their three children alone.

The author would fend off critics' suggestions that his writing was often excessively bleak.

"There is nothing inhuman about my fiction," he told one interviewer. "It is just, I think, that I am chasing a different hare around the track."

Hollywood's Elite Comes Out For Kate Hudson's 30th Birthday Bash

Kate Hudson smiles at Milan Fashion Week

Getty ImagesAccess Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Kate Hudson turned 30 with some help from Hollywood this weekend.

The star, whose birthday is April 19, began celebrating on Friday night with the company of some of the biggest stars in showbiz, according to People.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood Blondes

Kate's "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days," and "Fool's Gold" co-star, Matthew McConaughey , as well as pals Tobey Maguire , Justin Timberlake , Gwen Stefani , Evan Mendes, Adam Sandler , Zach Braff and Cher all reportedly made the event, which was held at the Pacific Palisades home of Kate's mom, Goldie Hawn, and her partner, Kurt Russell. Also in attendance were celeb couples Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba and Cash Warren, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin,

"Kate was elated, dancing all night, having the time of her life - and she looked amazing in a very sexy little dress and [Christian] Louboutin heels," a source told the mag. "She gave a very touching speech and spoke about how important her family is to her."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Justin Timberlake: From The Stage To The Red Carpet!

The source added that it was showman Justin who got the party going.

" Justin Timberlake was the life of the party," the source said. "He was dancing, drinking tequila, and he had everyone doing the 'electric slide' on the dance floor."

However, the party may have been too out of hand for some - according to X-17 Online, police arrived on the property late Friday night in response to a noise complaint.

Madonna injured in fall from horse in Hamptons

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 file photo, Madonna arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar party , in West Hollywood, Calif. Madonna has taken a tumble while horseback riding in New York's Hamptons and has suffered 'minor injuries' and bruises. A spokeswoman says the pop star fell Saturday afternoon when the horse was startled by paparazzi who 'jumped out of the bushes' to photograph her. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)Associated Press

NEW YORK - Madonna is under the care of doctors after falling off a horse over the weekend an accident she is blaming on the paparazzi.

A representative for the superstar said Madonna suffered "minor injuries" after she fell while horseback riding in the Hamptons, a playground for the rich and famous on the eastern end of Long Island, N.Y.

"The accident occurred when the horse Madonna was riding was startled by paparazzi who jumped out of the bushes to photograph the singer, who was visiting friends," Liz Rosenberg said in a statement Saturday evening.

The 50-year-old singer was treated at a Southampton hospital and released, and is being monitored by doctors, Rosenberg said. No other information was released and a request for additional comment was not immediately returned Sunday morning.

It was unclear whether the incident happened on private property and whether photographers were trespassing in the incident; Southampton police did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Sunday morning.

This is not the first time Madonna has been injured riding a horse. She was thrown from a horse in England in the summer of 2005, cracking three ribs and breaking her collarbone and a hand in that accident.

She saddled up again a couple of months later, when she was a guest the "Late Show with David Letterman " on CBS. She and the talk show's host rode their horses outside his Manhattan studio. She said it was the first time since her fall that she had been back in the saddle.

"I have a bit of excitement tainted with fear," she said then before climbing on.

She also said she hadn't been back on a horse since that fall "because my record company is not very keen on the idea of me injuring myself."

This is latest setback for Madonna. Earlier this month, a judge in Malawi denied her request to adopt a 3-year-old girl from the southern African country. Madonna, who adopted son David there, has said she will appeal the ruling.

Ellen Pompeo Is Pregnant!

Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery attend the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC, Feb. 2008.Us Magazine

Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and her music producer husband, Chris Ivery, are expecting their first child together, Usmagazine.com has confirmed.

"[Ellen and Chris] are thrilled," Pompeo's rep tells Us.

Pompeo, 39, and Ivery, 41, quietly wed in November 2007 in a low-key ceremony at New York's City Hall.

See stunning celebrity wedding photos!

Less than a year later, the actress -- who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC hit -- already had babies on the brain.

Revisit the love lives of other Grey's Anatomy stars.

"It's a huge lifestyle change, and I take that very seriously," she told Allure magazine of motherhood.

"We enjoy our life so much," Pompeo said in the October 2008 issue. "We go to Europe and sleep in. So when I have the baby, I won't feel like we've missed any fun, reckless times together, like staying up all night drinking champagne and having sex until five in the morning and not having to get up until two in the afternoon. But I've got to get on it, because the clock is ticking."


More news from Usmagazine.com