FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, August 28, 2001

Tom Cruise lawsuit update, fans mourn Aaliyah, Pearl Harbor comes back, more

By Josh Grossberg Aug 29, 2001 12:15 AMTags
BODYSLAMMED: Chad Slater, the so-called "erotic wrestler" Tom Cruise sued for $100 million for claiming the two had an affair, says he will default on the lawsuit and declare bankruptcy if the actor's lawyers press the case, according to Los Angeles' City News Service.

ILLIN': Janet Jackson postponing her concert in Philly Tuesday night because of the flu. It's the fifth time the singer has canceled a show on her current tour. A publicist says the concert will be made up on Friday.

BUSTED: American Pie 2 star Natasha Lyonne arrested early Tuesday morning in Miama Beach and charged with DUI after crashing into a street sign. She was later freed on $2,000 bond.

HATCHED: The Dixie Chicks suing Sony Music Entertainment, accusing the company of cheating them out of more than $4 million in royalties. The Grammy-winning country-pop trio also wants to terminate a seven-album deal it signed with the corporation back in 1997.

HOMECOMING: The body of Aaliyah has been flown back to New York for burial. Her family says the funeral will be private and no other details were released. The remains of all the victims killed in the Saturday plane crase are expected to returned to the United States for burial by Wednesday.

MOURNING: Meanwhile, fans of Aaliyah gathering Monday near her former high school in Detroit for a candlelight vigil to remember the singer.

YEE-HAW: Sara Evans picking up a field-best seven nods for her Born To Fly album at the Country Music Association Award nominations Tuesday morning.

RETURN ENGAGEMENT: Disney expanding Pearl Harbor this weekend from 116 theaters to 500 to take advantage of the vacuum of competition in late summer. Atlantis will also be expanded by the same number of locations.

CODA: John Nelson, a jazz musician and the father of pop legend Prince, has died at 85. Nelson helped his son write songs on several of his hit albums and was the basis for a character in the movie Purple Rain.

SMOOTH: Santana's version of "Oye Como Va" among the first batch of songs inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame. Other compositions inducted include "Mambo Number 5" by Perez Prado, as well as the original Brazilian version of "Girl from Ipanema."

SPECTRE DEFEATED: A federal appeals court on Monday rejecting the lawsuit of writer Kevin McClory and his company, Spectre Associates, who claimed he was owed more for creating the celluloid image of James Bond than legendary 007 film producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli.

WEDDING BELLS: Actor Kyle MacLachlan, who plays Charlotte's husband on HBO's Sex and the City, planning to marry longtime girlfriend, fashion publicist Desiree Gruber, next April in Miami.

STILL JAMMIN': A California judge refusing to dismiss a lawsuit brought by guitar maker Doug Irwin that disputes the ownership of five of Jerry Garcia's guitars. Irwin says he's the rightful owner and not Grateful Dead Productions since Garcia willed him the guitars.

DOTCONOMY: Whoopi Goldberg becoming the latest celebrity to lose money on a once-promising Internet venture she helped promote. Her online gift currency company, Flooz.com, has announced it will file for bankruptcy.

AMNESIAC: Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke set to appear on the Cartoon Network show Space Ghost Coast to Coast on September 2 at 11:30 p.m. ET.