W/C August 29, 2005

Happy birthday Michael Jackson who turned 47 on August 29 th.

Halle Berry is working on a new biopic of ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti, Berry will produce and star in the project. She says, "She was the first female pharaoh, a warrior whose story is not as well told as Cleopatra’s, so we can put light on a dark place in history."

Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" tops the latest Billboard Hot 100 for a 14th nonconsecutive week. Additionally, the diva's "Shake It Off" hurdles to No. 2, which makes her the first woman and sixth artist to occupy the chart's two highest slots simultaneously.

Moguls Diddy and Jay-Z have joined forces to donate $1 million dollars to the American Red Cross to assist in relief efforts in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Meanwhile, tennis star Serena Williams has vowed to help the hurricane by donating $100 for every ace she hits through the end of the year.

Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen have signed on to star in the film “Awake”. The psychological hospital thriller centers on a man (Hayden) who is awake and cognizant during surgery performed on him, but unable to use his limbs. Jessica plays his wife, who has some serious issues of her own. Filming in New York is slated for October.

Usher, Alicia Keys, Ludacris and David Banner are among the artists scheduled to perform on a Hurricane Katrina relief special Sept. 10. The program will air live on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, VH1 Classic and CMT, as well as the online outlets MTV Overdrive and VSpot. Viewers will be urged to make call-in donations to the www.redcross.org

Keanu Reeves is reportedly dating Diane Keaton, who is 19 years his senior. The 40-year-old star and Keaton, 59, are rumored to have become an "item" in recent weeks, according to the New York Post.

50 Cent was a bit of a hog on his recent tour in Iceland. The rapper bedded so many local lasses at his suite in the Nordica hotel that he had to skip his own after-party. Beautiful blond babes stormed 50's rooms and a line rapidly formed for his carnal attentions. He told his G-Unit posse he was too busy between the sheets to attend the event and insisted they leave him behind. The randy rapper included boxes of condoms in his list of backstage amenities at the VMA ceremony.

Suge Knight was shot in the leg inside of a Miami night Club during a Kanye West-sponsored party for MTV's Video Music Awards. Police theorize he may have shot himself, which would violate his probation by carrying a concealed weapon.

A BBC television show in which wives train their husbands as they would dogs has drawn heavy viewer criticism and a network apology. "Bring Your Husband to Heel" based on the premise that men share 85 percent of their DNA with dogs uses hidden cameras to record the training sessions. The men believe they are taking part in a documentary about relationship roles. The network issued an apologetic statement Wednesday in response to more than 200 complaints, saying "There was never an intention to cause offense."

Lil' Jon and R. Kelly were named Songwriters of the Year with four "Most Performed Song" awards at the 2005 BMI Urban Awards. The song, "Yeah" was also named Song of the Year. The rapper/producer also won the first Urban Ringtone Award for Petey Pablo's hit "Freek-A-Leek."

A poster promoting Jerry Hall’s reality show “Kept” has been banned from the London Underground railway system after complaints it is sexually demeaning. Hall is pictured leading 12 naked men on leashes in the publicity shot for the VH1 show, in which 12 younger men compete to become her toyboy and win a six-figure cash prize. “Kept” has already aired in the US and will launch on British TV soon.

Nine years after the impact of their 1996 classic, “The Score”, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras are preparing their third studio album. According to Jean, the first single, “Take It Easy,” will be released in mid-September.

Faith Evans, En Vogue, Fat Joe, T.I., the Roots, Biz Markie and others have been added to the performance lineup for the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors celebration in New York on Sept. 22. Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson and Ludacris also will make appearances at the event. VH1 will air the special Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET.

Jamie Foxx is elated he has managed to lure veteran actor Sidney Poitier out of retirement to appear in the video for his new song Extravaganza. The video for the track, which features Kanye West, follows Foxx partying to a point where he ends up having a one-night stand after one drink too many.

Sexy Irish singer Samantha Mumba has signed up to replace Rachel Hunter as the spokesmodel for lingerie giants Ultimo. The curvy star will appear in adverts for the new Per Amore range ahead of its launch later this month.