"The Voice" Gets Ratings Boost for Final Performance Show

Posted today at 4:44am

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Ratings for The Voice are on the rise for its finale week.

The final performance show of the season for the NBC competition pulled in an estimated 12.3 million viewers on Monday night, according to Variety. That's an improvement of about 500,000 viewers from last week's performance show, but a smaller total than what The Voice enjoyed during the first half of the season.

The Voice crowned its fourth-season winner on Tuesday night.

The top-rated primetime programs for the week that ended Sunday were the third, fourth, and fifth games of the NBA Finals, televised by ABC. The fifth game between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, played on Sunday night, drew an audience of 16.27 million viewers. The sixth game was held Tuesday night.

ABC won the network ratings race for the week, followed by NBC, CBS, Univision, Fox, Telemundo, ION Television and the CW.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of June 10-16, according to the Nielsen Company:

1. NBA Finals: San Antonio vs. Miami (Sunday), ABC, 16.27 million
2. NBA Finals: San Antonio vs. Miami (Thursday), ABC, 16.23 million
3. NBA Finals: San Antonio vs. Miami (Tuesday), ABC, 14.05 million
4. The Voice (Monday), NBC, 11.85 million
5. America's Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 11.52 million
6. The Voice (Tuesday), NBC, 10.66 million
7. NCIS, CBS, 8.67 million
8. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8.62 million
9. NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS, 7.43 million
10. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 7.14 million

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Video Pays Tribute to Channing Tatum's Sexiness

Posted today at 4:41am

Stuart Wilson/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- During Jimmy Kimmel Live!'s "Game Night" primetime special on Tuesday, Kimmel unveiled the video for "(I Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatums," the sexually charged but nonsensical tribute to the sexiness of Channing Tatum.

The video features Jamie Foxx (using the musical moniker 4 Chainz) and Tatum himself singing and rapping while a bevy of stars -- including a midriff-bearing Miley Cyrus, Olivia Munn, Gabourey Sidibe, Matt Damon and Kimmel himself -- extoll the virtues of Tatum in song.

Cyrus' scene has her being rescued by Kimmel from a toppled vending machine from which they both steal packs of Skittles with "Channing" written on them.

Foxx and Tatum co-star in the upcoming big screen drama White House Down. It opens nationwide on June 28.

Universal, Red Granite Pick Up "Dumb and Dumber" Sequel

Posted today at 4:37am

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The Dumb and Dumber sequel has found a new home.

Warner Bros., the parent company of the original film's studio New Line, cut ties with the project recently, but it's been picked up by Universal Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.

The announcement was made Tuesday by Dumb and Dumber directors, the Farrelly brothers.

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels will reprise their roles of Lloyd and Harry in Dumb and Dumber To.

"Anchorman 2" Trailer Released

Posted today at 4:35am

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Paramount has released its first trailer to Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Unlike the previous two teasers, the snippet gives a bigger peek of the movie's plot, when Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy and the rest of his Channel 4 news team head into the 1980s and the 24/7 world of cable news.

Anchorman 2, which also stars Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner -- as well as series newcomers Kristen Wiig and James Marsden -- opens Dec. 20.

Johnny Depp Admits He Thinks of Retiring 'Every Day'

Posted today at 4:32am

ABC/RICHARD CARTWRIGHT(LOS ANGELES) -- Johnny Depp has been hot in Hollywood for years, nabbing blockbuster films like Pirates of the Carribean, Alice in Wonderland and now Lone Ranger, out July 3. Still, the 50-year-old actor recently admitted that he thinks of retiring a lot.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Depp said although he thinks of calling it quits "every day," he's not slowing down just yet.

"I think while I've got the opportunity and the desire and the creative spark to do the things that I can do right now, I should do them," he continued. "And then, at a certain point, just take it down to the bare minimum and concentrate on, I guess, living life; really living life and going somewhere where you don't have to be on the run, or sneak in through the kitchen or the underground labyrinth of the hotel."

In the revealing article, Depp also finally shared his thoughts on his split with Vanessa Paradis after 14 years. The pair, who never married but had two children, Lily-Rose, 14, and Jack, 11, split in June 2012.

"The last couple years have been a bit bumpy," Depp said. "At times, certainly unpleasant, but that's the nature of breakups, I guess, especially when there are kiddies involved."

"It wasn't easy on her. It wasn't easy on me. It wasn't easy on the kids. So, yeah. The trajectory of that relationship -- you play it out until it goes, one thing leads to another. So for whatever reason that ceases, it doesn't stop the fact that you care for that person, and they're the mother of your kids, and you'll always know each other, and you're always gonna be in each other's lives because of those kids. You might as well make the best of it," he concluded.

The July issue of Rolling Stone hits shelves on July 4.

Kim Kardashian: Motherhood Is 'So Crazy!'

Posted today at 4:28am

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Kim Kardashian has been silent since she gave birth to her baby daughter last weekend. Ryan Seacrest, an executive producer of her E! reality series, did, however, provide a small update on the new mom on his Los Angeles-based radio show on Tuesday.

Seacrest shared that he sent Kardashian an email after the baby's birth that read, "Yay! Congrats my darling, you're a mommy!" He says she replied, "Cant believe it! It's so crazy!"

That's the closest thing to a public statement that Kardashian has made since she and her boyfriend, Kanye West, became parents. There's still no official word on the baby's name, though it is believed that Kardashian and West will choose one that begins with the letter "K."

E! News' Ken Baker joined Seacrest on the show, saying the delivery was "not planned."

He added, “[The baby] is healthy and Kim is doing well. ...There’s a great sense of relief. Everyone is very happy for her and Kim is relieved [because] this was a very stressful time.”

Danielle Bradbery Wins the Fourth Season of "The Voice"

Posted yesterday at 10:22pm

Trae Patton/NBC(LOS ANGELES) -- Danielle Bradbery was named the fourth-season winner of the NBC singing competition The Voice on Tuesday night.

The 16-year-old country artist from Texas, who was coached by Blake Shelton, received more votes than runner-up Michelle Chamuel, the eclectic, bespectacled pop contestant who was a member of Team Usher.

In a brief speech after host Carson Daly made the announcement, Danielle said she was "so thankful" for the experience.

With her victory, Danielle earns a recording contract. She'll also appear on NBC's The Tonight Show on Wednesday night.

This marks the third consecutive season of The Voice in which Blake coached the winning artist.

Danielle was a stand-out in the competition from the moment she auditioned for Blake, Usher, Adam Levine and Shakira. She shocked them all by telling them she'd never had a vocal lesson and had never performed publicly before.

Danielle wasn't the only success story for Blake on The Voice this season. Blake, who turned 37 on Tuesday, also guided Oklahoma country duo The Swon Brothers to a third-place finish.

Daly said at the start of the telecast that the results were determined via what he described as "unprecedented voting."

Michelle and The Swon Brothers did not leave the finals empty-handed. In a prerecorded segment, Daly surprised Danielle, Michelle, and the Swons with new cars from Kia Motors.

Each of the three remaining acts performed multiple times during the two-hour results show. Danielle joined young country star Hunter Hayes for a rendition of his song "I Want Crazy." She also invited eliminated contestants Amber Carrington, Caroline Glaser and Sarah Simmons onto the stage for a cover of Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl."

After she was named the new champ, Danielle reprised her performance of Sara Evans' "Born To Fly" from Monday night.

Michelle teamed up with one of her favorite bands, OneRepublic, for a live version of the group's tune "Counting Stars." She also sang Stevie Wonder's version of the Beatles song "We Can Work It Out," alongside eliminated artists Cathia, Josiah Hawley, and Vedo.

The Swon Brothers shared the spotlight with Bob Seger for Seger's "Night Moves." You may recall the Swons played Seger's "Turn the Page" on the show earlier this month. The brothers were also joined by eliminated artists Amber Carrington, Holly Tucker and Justin Rivers on "Stars Tonight," by Lady Antebellum.

Aside from the aforementioned collaborations, the musical guests included Cher, who performed her new single, "Woman's World"; Bruno Mars, who sang "Treasure"; Pitbull and the soon-to-be-returning Voice coach Christina Aguilera, who duetted on their hit "Feel This Moment"; and Florida Georgia Line and Nelly, who performed "Cruise."

This season of The Voice marked the first for Usher and Shakira, who filled in for Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. Christina and Cee Lo will return to The Voice this fall, though Shakira and Usher will be back for the spring 2014 season.

Lil Wayne: "I Didn't Step on the Flag on Purpose"

Posted yesterday at 4:06pm

Facebook.com/LilWayne(NEW YORK) -- Lil Wayne is responding to outrage over a behind-the-scenes clip that shows him stepping on the American flag, during the making of his "God Bless Amerika" music video.

"I didn't step on the flag on purpose!" Wayne says in a tweet, about a behind-the-scenes clip captured during the film shoot. "It's a scene in a video where the flag drops behind me and after it [drops] it's just there as I perform."

In a Facebook post, Wayne further explains, "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America... The clip that surfaced on the Internet was a camera trick clip that revealed behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America. In the final edit of the video you will see the flag fall to reveal whats behind it but will never see it on the ground," he wrote.

That footage has since been removed from the Young Money website, but the debate over Wayne's actions continue on his Facebook page. Many of the comments come from armed forces veterans, their families and friends, who say the rapper was disrespectful.

In his note, Wayne explains the message behind his song, which includes lyrics like "My country ‘tis of thee/sweet land of kill ‘em all and let ‘em die..." He writes that for many people who were raised in "the Hood," including himself, it's "the only America they know..."

Wayne adds that his talents allowed him to escape the environment that he grew up in, "and see the other beautiful places this country has to offer but most people who are born in that environment don't get that chance. That's their view of their America. That was Dwayne M Carter from Hollygrove New Orleans view of America. That's who I'm speaking for in this song," he says, referring to his given name.

The "God Bless Amerika" video was shot in Wayne's hometown neighborhood of Hollygrove, in New Orleans.

Brad Pitt Responds to Melissa Etheridge's Comments on Angelina

Posted yesterday at 4:03pm

Paul Warner/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge raised some eyebrows with her recent interview in the Washington Blade, in which she stated that Angelina Jolie had made the "most fearful" choice, and not the "brave" choice, by having a double mastectomy. Now, Angelina's partner Brad Pitt has responded to Etheridge's comments. Sort of.

When asked by Us Weekly magazine what he thought about Melissa's comments, Pitt said, "I don't know. Somebody just said that." He added, "Melissa's an old friend of mine. I'm sure we'll talk on the phone. I don't know what it is."

When Pitt says he and Etheridge are old friends, he's not kidding: he invited Melissa to perform at his wedding to Jennifer Aniston, and for a while, he was even rumored to be the biological father of Etheridge's two oldest children with her ex-partner, Julie Cypher.

In the meantime, Etheridge has issued a statement clarifying her remarks. "I don't have any opinion of what she 'should have' done. All are free to choose," she said. "I only objected to the term 'brave' describing it."

Justin Bieber Cleared in Possible Hit-and-Run

Posted yesterday at 10:30am

Kevin Mazur/WireImage via ABC(LOS ANGELES) -- Justin Bieber has been cleared in a possible hit-and-run accident involving a paparazzo Monday night.

Bieber is no longer under investigation for the late-night possible hit-and-run in Hollywood, ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV confirmed with the Los Angeles Police Department.

The incident happened near the Laugh Factory around 11:45 p.m. Monday, police told KABC.

One person was transported from that location to a local hospital, the Los Angeles City Fire Department told KABC. The person’s condition and injuries were unknown.

Bieber, 19, was leaving the Laugh Factory with his friend Lil Twist while several paparazzi photographed the pair, according to TMZ.

As Bieber drove off, one of the photographers was pinned between his Ferrari and a parked car, the website said.

This latest incident comes as Bieber is under fire for speeding through his gated California neighborhood. NFL star Keyshawn Johnson confronted him about that incident, but the Canadian singer has maintained that he was not behind the wheel.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has referred the case to the district attorney’s office and Bieber faces possible misdemeanor reckless driving charges.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Jay-Z & Beyonce Celebrate 10th Anniversary of 40/40 Club

Posted yesterday at 7:53am

Johnny Nunez/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Jay-Z and Beyonce held court Monday night at the 10th anniversary of Jay's 40/40 Club. It's the same club he rapped about on the Black Album's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," throwing in a line in the 2003 song that he was chilling "at the 40/40 Club, ESPN on the screen."

Little had changed Monday night in New York City. Taking a break from her Mrs. World Carter Tour, Beyonce -- wearing a white Roberto Cavalli dress and bone-straight hair -- sat next to her hubby while sipping champagne, laughing with friends and watching the oversized LED screens lighting the luxury sports bar.

Instead of being isolated in Jay's VIP room, the couple sat in the heart of 40/40 as onlookers snapped photos.

Celebs and athletes alike filled the VIP sections surrounding hip-hop's royalty, including T.I., who came with wife Tiny, New York Knicks star Amare Stoudemire, Kylie Minogue, New York Jet Geno Smith, Bethenny Frankel, Busta Rhymes and Fabolous.

“My passion for sports led me to create an environment that was not only conducive to my lifestyle but would appeal to every sports fan that walked through the door,” Jay-Z said in a statement marking the club's anniversary.

He is set to release his new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, on July 4.

"The X-Files" Returns in Comic Book Form

Posted yesterday at 3:59am

Paul Morigi/WireImage(NEW YORK) -- Fans of The X-Files will be thrilled to hear the series is back -- this time, in comic book form.

The New York Post reports IDW Publishing is introducing a new X-Files comic series this week entitled The X-Files: Season 10. The newspaper says the venture has input from series creator Chris Carter and features former FBI agents Mulder and Scully living in anonymity under assumed identities.

The X-Files starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and aired on Fox from 1993 to 2002. The TV series spawned two feature films.

More "Spider-Man" Films in the Works

Posted yesterday at 3:56am

Columbia Pictures(LOS ANGELES) -- Spider-Man will be sticking around in Hollywood for a long while.

According to Deadline.com, Sony Pictures has announced that in addition to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which will be released next May, it will develop a third and fourth film in the superhero series.

The third Spider-Man movie will debut on June 10, 2016, and the fourth Spidey flick will hit theaters on May 4, 2018.

Andrew Garfield is reprising his role of the Marvel superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

"Monsters University" Premiere Held in Hollywood

Posted yesterday at 3:49am

David Livingston/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- The world premiere of the Disney-Pixar film Monsters University was held Monday night in Hollywood.

The prequel tells the story of how Mike and Sulley met as college roommates. Billy Crystal, who voices Mike, was thrilled to reunite with his Monsters, Inc. co-star John Goodman, a.k.a. Sulley, for the project.

Crystal remarked at the premiere, "We worked together and we improvise and we laughed and we get teary-eyed together. You know, there's real emotional moments in this movie that are quite beautiful. And to really act with him is very special."

Noah Johnston voices a younger version of Mike in Monsters University. It was a role that was more challenging than he anticipated.

"I thought you would do the voices as you see the movie, but when I did it, I didn't actually get to see Mike. Yeah, it was pretty hard to actually get the voice without actually seeing the person," he said.

Monsters University opens Friday.

CBS Announces Fall Premiere Dates

Posted yesterday at 3:44am

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The Emmy Awards will help CBS kick off its fall schedule this September.

Nearly all of CBS' most popular series will return in the days following its Sept. 22 telecast of the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. The major exception is Survivor, which will begin its 27th season on Sept. 18.

Sept. 23 marks the start of the final season of How I Met Your Mother, plus the premiere of two new series: the Anna Faris comedy Mom, and the Toni Collette drama Hostages.

TV's top-rated scripted series, NCIS, returns on Sept. 24.

The Robin Williams-Sarah Michelle Gellar comedy The Crazy Ones, as well as the Will Arnett comedy The Millers, will debut on Sept. 26. That's the same day the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory opens its seventh season.

Another comedy, We Are Men, will premiere four days later.

The Josh Holloway-Marg Helgenberger super-agent thriller Intelligence won't make its way onto CBS' schedule until February.

Here are CBS' premiere dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 18
Survivor

Sunday, Sept. 22
The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards

Monday, Sept. 23
How I Met Your Mother
2 Broke Girls
Mom
Hostages

Tuesday, Sept. 24
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
Person Of Interest

Wednesday, Sept. 25
Criminal Minds
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Thursday, Sept. 26
The Big Bang Theory
The Millers
The Crazy Ones
Two And A Half Men
Elementary

Friday, Sept. 27
Undercover Boss
Hawaii Five-0
Blue Bloods

Sunday, Sept. 29
60 Minutes
The Amazing Race
The Good Wife
The Mentalist

Monday, Sept. 30
We Are Men

Monday, Feb. 24
Intelligence