Michael Jackson Lets Neverland Fly Away
The fairy tale is really over now.
Michael Jackson has turned the deed to his financially plagued Neverland Ranch over to a company that he has a partial stake in, effectively ending his reign as the King of the House That Pop Built.
Then again, one could wonder what took so long. Jackson hasn't spent any time at the Los Olivos, Calif., estate he bought in 1988 since being acquitted of child-molestation charges in 2005—crimes he was accused of committing on his 2,500-acre property, which in its heyday featured a working petting zoo, amusement park and various other kid-friendly attractions.
According to paperwork filed Monday with the Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder's Office, Neverland's new owner is the Sycamore Valley Ranch Co., LLC.
Economic Woes Wipe U2 From Dublin's Skyline
Count U2 among the list of global economic casualties.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority in the band's native Ireland has suspended construction on the U2 Tower, a $250 million skyscraper boasting an egg-shaped recording studio at its peak.
"The objective is to see this landmark project completed," the DDDA said in a statement Friday. "However, given the current unfavorable economic environment, more time is needed at this juncture."
Somehow we feel that, despite the inevitable civic disappointment, people in recession-ravaged Ireland will understand.
The proposed tower, an ecofriendly structure designed by British architect Norman Foster, was to measure nearly 400 feet, making it Dublin's tallest building, and include million-dollar luxury apartments, a viewing platform for the public, solar paneling, wind turbines and a tunnel to allow riverside traffic to drive through the base of the building.
Update
Nolte House Fire: What the Hell Happened?
Nick Nolte is down and out in the Malibu hills. Or is he?
There are conflicting reports about what actually happened at the actor's beach-adjacent homestead this morning around 11:30.
"When they [emergency responders] arrived, the house was fully involved," Lt. Scott Chew of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff Station tells E! News. "The occupant of the house, actor Nick Nolte, received a small cut on his right hand when he broke a window to escape the fire."
Crew said the house was a total loss. As for Nolte, who attempted to douse the flames with a garden hose, officials say paramedics treated him at the scene for cuts and minor smoke inhalation and that the 67-year-old Prince of Tides star is expected to be just fine.
But a rep for Nolte offered a different take on the events. "No one was injured and there was no structural damage to the house," says publicist Arnold Robinson.
Britney Goes to Market to Sell Her House
Britney Spears is closing the door on the Summit.
The 26-year-old pop star has put her estate in the gated Beverly Hills community, the same residence over which helicopters circled to better chronicle her meltdown in January, on the market for $7.9 million, E! News confirmed Tuesday.
Spears bought the house in December 2007 for about $7 million. She had quietly been shopping the property since June but there were no takers, according to a source, prompting her decision to publicly list the home with Sotheby's International Realty.
The Mediterranean-style mansion measures 7,500 square feet, comprising six bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms, as well as a library, media room and maid’s quarters. A second-floor balcony overlooks an open living room and kitchen with an adjacent screening room. There are also a pool and hot tub in the backyard, according to the Los Angeles Times' Hot Property blog, which first reported the real estate shakeup.
Renters of Heath's Flat to Pay $4G Death Premium
Sadly, death pays in show business. And now it also costs extra.
That's what would-be renters of the three-bedroom SoHo loft where Health Ledger died are discovering. Instead of the already pricey $22,000 per month Ledger was losing to his landlord, the new tenant will have to fork over $26,000.
They've gotta be joking, right?
Trump Misses Out on McMahon's Money Pit
The Donald couldn't corner the market on this one.
Ed McMahon has finally unloaded his Beverly Hills home for an undisclosed amount—but, his rep confirms to E! News, the buyer was not Donald Trump, who had expressed interest in taking the multimillion-dollar estate off of McMahon's financially strapped hands.
Trump Not the Only One After McMahon's House
Hey-ooo! Ed McMahon isn't ready to be indebted to Donald Trump just yet.
It turns out that the uniquely coiffed real estate developer isn't the only potential buyer when it comes to the soon-to-be-foreclosed-upon McMahonsion.
The former Tonight Show sidekick's listing agent, who flew to New York to pitch the deal to Trump in person, now tells the Los Angeles Times' real estate blog that there is a "multiple-offer situation."
Ed McMahon's New Landlord: Donald Trump!
Ed McMahon's Beverly Hills home is about to become one of the best houses in the world.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Donald Trump, he of the gold-plated everything, has agreed to buy McMahon's mansion so that the financially strapped TV icon can avoid foreclosure and continue to live there.
And they aren't even golf buddies!
"I don't know the man, but I grew up watching him on TV," Trump said Thursday. Helping him would "be an honor."
Hoff Family Home on the Market
When it comes to the current real estate market, David Hasselhoff has the law on his side.
A Los Angeles judge, apparently falling on the side of expedience, has listed the actor's 10,000-square-foot Encino manse for $5.95 million—more than the Hoff wanted as an asking price but far less than the nearly $8 million his ex-wife, Pamela Bach, was willing to try for.
Rockstar Roost on the Market From Wentz It Came
After marrying Ashlee Simpson-Wentz in May, Pete Wentz is finally ready to sell his sweet Hollywood Hills bachelor pad. E! News has learned that Wentz put his three-bedroom, three-bath house on the market this week. The rocker purchased the house in 2006 for $1,625,000 and is trying to sell it now for $1,799,000.
Texas Has the Jonas Brothers Feeling Neighborly
The Jonas Brothers apparently figured that they literally needed an area the size of Texas to accommodate their massive fan base.
Local news outlets are awash with reports that the dreamy tween-friendly trio have corralled themselves a six-bedroom house in Vaquero, a gated community in the northern Texas town of Westlake.
Tarrant County records show that the Jonas sibs inked papers June 12 giving their mother, Denise Jonas, power of attorney to close the deal, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The real estate agent who listed the residence for more than $2.8 million would only confirm that the house had been sold.
The band's rep has refused to comment on their new living arrangements, but even the rumors—not to mention the recent Joe/Nick/Kevin sightings in the area—are generating plenty of excitement.
Judge Won't Pin Hulk in Jail
This round goes to Hulk Hogan.
A Florida judge has helped the wrestling star pin his estranged wife between a rock and a hard place, ruling that, at this point, he cannot send Hogan to jail for failing to shell out $4.2 million for a Las Vegas condo as he agreed to buy in 2005.
"It should be obvious to everyone by now that Terry Bollea was never going to be held in contempt for challenging an irresponsible transaction," Hogan attorney David Houston said Friday, using his client's legal name.
"Those who bought into the spin from Linda Bollea's attorneys that this was even a remote possibility should think twice the next time they try to work them."
















