The singer and his model wife, Lily Aldridge, are proud first-time parents! Plus, see more stars who welcomed new bundles of joy
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Britney Spears Has Tearful Reunion With Former Duet Partner On 'X Factor'
Britney sang 'I Will Still Love You' with Don Philip on her debut album.
By Gil Kaufman
<P>Months before the revamped <a href="/news/articles/1687014/britney-spears-demi-lovato-x-factor-auditions.jhtml">"X Factor"</a>
 hits the air, we've already come to expect some serious drama from new judge <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a>. But in one of those only-in-reality-TV moments, Spears shed some genuine tears on Sunday during audition rounds in San Francisco when she was confronted with a voice and face from her distant past.</P><P><a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20604974,00.html" target="_blank"><I>People</I></a> magazine reported that Spears got emotional when a male contestant hit the stage at Oracle Arena, telling fellow panelists Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and fellow newbie Demi Lovato, "I know him ... We did a duet together 10 years ago." A source told the magazine that when the man stepped on the stage, "You could see that Britney recognized him straight away ... She got this huge smile on her face and her eyes lit up. It was so sweet."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Britney Spears Explains Why She Wanted To Be A Part Of 'X Factor'" id="vid:769620" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>While <I>People</I> did not reveal the man's identity, Spears superfan Jordan Miller of fan site <a href="http://www.breatheheavy.com/2012/06/don-philip-drama-at-the-x-factor/" target="_blank">Breathe Heavy</a> confirmed that the auditioner was none other than Don Philip. The one-time aspiring new pop revolution singer performed a duet with Britney on the treacly ballad "I Will Still Love You," from her 1999 debut album, <I>...Baby One More Time</I>.</P><P>A spokesperson for the show declined to comment on the singer's identity when asked for comment.</P><P>The blast from her past got more emotional when Phillip revealed to the judges and audience, "I'm gay." He continued, "At the time I didn't think I was worth ... I didn't think you thought it was OK that I am gay." Spears was reportedly quick to voice her support for Phillip, saying, "I think it is fine you are gay."</P><P>The unnamed source told <I>People</I> that when Phillip started crying and said, "he thought he'd never see her again and that he'd had a lot to deal with, Britney was comforting him to calm him." Though she was compassionate and warm with Phillip, the source said that the singer was clearly a bit shaken by the unexpected run-in.</P><P>"She's been through a lot in those 10 years, too, so it must have been a shock for her to see him," the source said. "You could tell she was emotional and she really felt for him especially when he was crying, but she also stayed calm." Even with the drama, Spears reportedly gave a very straightforward critique, though it is unknown if Phillip made the cut.</P><P>Philip, a Miami, Florida, native who tried to ride the same late-'90s teen pop wave that made superstars out of Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, has spent the time since the duet grinding away at a music career that never reached the heights of his former singing partner. The one-time Jive Records star-in-the-making has sung back-up for Gloria Estefan and toured with Spears early in her career, and like "The Voice" singer <a href="/news/articles/1684782/the-voice-christina-aguilera-tony-lucca.jhtml">Tony Lucca</a>
 and Aguilera, maybe he was hoping that a reunion with his former pop pal would provide the boost he's been looking for.</P><P>Apparently, though, the "Factor" audition didn't go as Philip planned. According to a series of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donphilip" target="_blank">Facebook</a> posts, Don was disappointed with how things went and wrote, "Tonight i might have sealed my music career fate according to a certain music mogul. I tryed to just be real and instead it totally got turned around on me," he said. "Perhaps this was not the place for me to reveal my very soul and obstacles of my past. Certainly not the place for a reunion ... I promise I only had good intentions in mind."</P><P>He said his voice "froze" when he began to sing and was never able to recover from what he felt was a "really hardcore interrogation" from what he anonymously described as "two pompous arrogant men."</P><P>He continued, "I guess I am not as tough skinned as I thought ... Wait it gets worse ... when I looked into the very eyes of my old label mate and saw she too was sad. I knew the whole situation was spinning out of control.. my heart broke."</P><P>On Monday, Philip posted another note, wondering if Cowell might give him another shot, explaining that he was "so exhausted and could not sleep [the] night before," because he was so scared to face Spears. He also referred to the "heavy burden" he was carrying, seemingly referring to his coming out, and following four hours of interviews he said his voice was just spent.</P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></p>
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'Taken 2' Trailer: Five Key Scenes
Liam Neeson is back as international badass Bryan Mills in a brand-new trailer for the hotly-awaited 'Taken' sequel.
By Josh Wigler
Liam Neeson in "Taken 2"
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Liam Neeson has a very particular set of skills. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like you — unless you're a fan of ex-CIA operatives who remain unreasonably badass in their golden years. In that case, Neeson is something of a dream come true.
The Oscar nominee remains in perfectly hardcore form in the first official trailer for "Taken 2," the sequel to the 2008 action flick that kick-started a surprising new phase in Neeson's career. Since his turn as former spy Bryan Mills in the Luc Besson-produced thriller, Neeson has become the go-to guy for older-man-kicks-so-much-ass action movies like "The A-Team," "Unknown" and "The Grey." But it's "Taken" that remains the decisive favorite for Neeson fans, and seeing him run around in that particular world once again is the action-movie equivalent of comfort food: a bit familiar, yes, but gloriously so.
Here are five key scenes from the "Taken 2" trailer.
A Job for Boris the Blade
When you need a vaguely Eastern European bad guy to add gravitas to your film, call Rade Serbedzija. With bad-guy credits including "Snatch," "24," "X-Men: First Class" and more, he's the man for the job. In "Taken 2," he'll be the one giving Mills hell, concocting an elaborate scheme to get revenge for his son, who was killed by Mills in the first "Taken" film. "He slaughtered our men," he scowls in the trailer. "Our brothers. Our sons. We will find him. And we will have our revenge."
Family Reunion
Our villain's vengeance will take him and his men to Istanbul, where Bryan's ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) and daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) pay him a surprise visit. Bad timing, considering the spit-storm headed Mills' way. But there's a silver lining: Bryan's relationship with his daughter seems much smoother than ever before, and it even looks like he might have another shot at love with Lenore ... assuming they survive their next ordeal.
Phoning It In
The "Taken 2" trailer is fantastically familiar, even if the tables are somewhat reversed this time: It's not Kim being taken, but Lenore and Mills himself. When he gets on the phone to once again instruct Kim on what to do next, his directions are different, but the tone remains the same. With Mills and Lenore at the mercy of terrorists, it's going to be a whole new ball game in "Taken 2," their lives depending heavily on help from ...
Saving Grace
Traditionally the character who mucks everything up for her surrounding cast (see "Lockout," "Breaking Dawn," "Lost" and so many more), Maggie Grace will finally get her opportunity to shine as a bona fide badass in "Taken 2." She's seen in the trailer jumping from rooftops and facing down guns with (almost) no tears, a marked improvement from the Kim of the last "Taken." But as she told MTV News just a few weeks ago, Kim is "empowered ... [but] she doesn't morph into La Femme Nikita." So temper your expectations just a little bit.
"You'll Just Have To Die"
Frankly, Kim doesn't really need to step up her game. Even if he's captured early on in the film, Neeson's ex-spook won't be sitting on the sidelines throughout the proceedings, as the trailer clearly illustrates. He spends the final few seconds of the trailer breaking necks, shooting thugs and making explicit death threats over cell phones, as he's wont to do. Old dog, same tricks — and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Tell us what you think of the new "Taken 2" trailer in the comments section below!
Related PhotosMichael Jackson Doctor Conrad Murray Files Appeal
Murray will represent himself as he contests involuntary manslaughter conviction for which he faces up to four years in state prison.
By Kara Warner
<P>As expected, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml">Michael Jackson</a>'s former doctor <a href="/news/articles/1673957/conrad-murray-appeal-verdict-michael-jackson.jhtml">Conrad Murray has filed an appeal</a> to challenge his involuntary manslaughter conviction.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Michael Jackson's Former Doctor Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter" id="vid:708788.id:1673923" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>According to <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/02/conrad-murray-files-appeal-involuntary-manslaughter" target="_blank">TMZ</a>, Murray filed the petition in pro per, which means he has decided to forego hiring legal representation and represent himself. He reportedly listed "Men's Central Jail" and his booking number in the space on the appeal document where a lawyer would normally list a firm's name or contact information.</P><P>TMZ also reported that although Murray seems to be without a lawyer, he is still in communication with Nareg Gourjian, one of the attorneys who represented him during his manslaughter trial.</P><P>"This case presents a gold mine of issues for any appellate lawyer," Gourjian told TMZ. "Dr. Murray is confident that the Court of Appeal will vindicate him."</P><P>Following the guilty verdict, Murray's lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff told CNN, "What matters most right now is trying to keep Dr. Murray from taking up a prison cell in this community. That's what we're focusing on right now, and we'll deal with an appeal after that."</P><P><a href="/news/articles/1675062/conrad-murray-sentence.jhtml">Murray was sentenced to four years</a> in jail Tuesday, but due to overcrowding, he's unlikely to serve his full term. </p>
Related Videos Related Artists'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' Cast Share Slo-Mo Acting Tips
'Be willing to look stupid,' Anthony Mackie, who plays Lincoln's best friend in the film, warns.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Benjamin Walker in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"
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Working with a director like Timur Bekmambetov guarantees a few things. You'll probably take part in some insane action sequences. And there will definitely be slow-motion.
When MTV News sat down with Benjamin Walker and Anthony Mackie, from Bekmambetov's latest film, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," they shared some helpful hints about how to properly act in super-slo-mo.
"Don't think about it," Walker said right off the bat. He probably had the most to do at the slow speed as our 16th president and first commander in vampire slaying, Abraham Lincoln.
But it's never that simple, as Mackie was able to attest. "Be willing to look stupid," he warned.
The final sequence of the film finds Abe and his best friend, Will Johnson (Mackie), atop a locomotive, riding along a burning bridge. It required a lot of slow-motion running and jumping. Mackie couldn't help but exaggerate his movement as he leapt from car to car.
"There's that whole sequence where we're jumping from one car to the other when the bridge is burning up, and I literally couldn't stop doing the 'swim' move when I was jumping. So Timur was like, 'Don't do the swim move,' and I was like, 'Sh--,' " he said. "So we're on the train, and he's like, 'Don't think about it,' and I'm like, 'All right, all right, all right.' Action, jump, swim. In order not to do the swim move, I do a shot-put move. Needless to say, I'm glad it looked all right in the movie, because I thought I was going to look like an idiot."
Similarly, during something as simple as a ballroom-dancing scene, Walker couldn't help act out the slo-mo. "When we were shooting the ballroom scene, it was in slow motion," he said. "I knew it in my mind, so I start kind of slowing down. He goes, 'No, stop. We'll slow it down later.' "
But if it came down to it, Mackie had one big piece of advice. "It's all about your face," he said. "They always say, 'Be careful about your face.' "
Check out everything we've got on "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related VideosMeet Harry Potter: Alan Moore's Magical Antichrist
The Boy Who Lived gets a hellacious makeover in the pages of Moore's latest 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' comic book.
By Josh Wigler
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
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"Harry Potter" is not for everyone. Some people do not like fun. Some people do not like magic. Some people do not like fun and magic together. I get it, and I accept it. Harry hate isn't something I'm into, but if that's your position, have a ball. You'll get no killing curses out of me.
But killing curses are flying, it seems, from the wand of Alan Moore.
The critically acclaimed and famously reclusive "Watchmen" writer is drawing a harder line against the boy wizard than even the staunchest "Potter" hater could dream up as the latest installment of Moore's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009," out in stores Wednesday (June 20), features Harry Potter as the Antichrist. Well, almost, at least.
There's an undeniable resemblance between Potter and Moore's Antichrist. How startling are the similarities, you ask? Let's count the ways: Moore's character has a notable scar, a mentor named Riddle (the real last name of Potter's lifelong nemesis, Lord Voldemort) and travels to a magic school by way of a magic train hidden in King's Cross station, just like the Boy Who Lived. There is no mention of the words "Harry" or "Potter," but the result is clear: Moore has cast an analogue of J.K. Rowling's globally renowned hero as his very own Antichrist.
Discuss: Did Alan Moore Say Harry Potter Is the Antichrist?
But don't start shipping Howlers off in Moore's direction just yet, "Potter" heads, at least not until you get the full meaning of what the writer is going for here.
In an early review of the new issue of "Century 2009," the Independent's Laura Sneddon analyzes Moore's choice as follows: "The headlines almost write themselves — 'Alan Moore says Harry Potter is the Antichrist!' — yet they miss the point. When the Antichrist is met, overgrown and high on anti-psychotics, raging at the education system that let him down and sounding peculiarly like Harry Enfield's teenage Kevin, he is surely no stand-in for one particular character but of the current obsession for replacing stories with money-generating franchises. Today, film rights are bought before publication, comics are written as storyboards, and teenage celebrities are given memoirs."
"What better representative of modern pop literature than J K Rowling's boy wizard?" Sneddon continues. "Moore's distaste for modern culture is made obvious, in keeping with his stance on the comics publishers he feels betrayed him."
Indeed, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed that "Potter" is a part of the Warner Bros. family, the very same company backing DC Comics' controversial "Before Watchmen" prequel series against Moore's wishes; turnabout is fair play, after all. Moore's choice of Potter as an Antichrist figure isn't necessarily directed at that character or franchise itself, then — instead, he's using the most famous, most recognizable and most relevant face possible to get his anti-franchise point across the table.
"Before Watchmen" Confirmed: Will More Movies Follow?
Is Potter the best option to make such a point? At first, I didn't think so. Haters are going to hate, but the "Potter" books, if not excellently written, are compelling stories with compelling characters who have introduced new readers the entire world over to the fantastic realm of literature. The films, too, aren't just commercial juggernauts, but critically acclaimed ones boasting top-tier talents such as Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon — the list goes on and on and on. There is strong craftsmanship on display in the "Potter" series on numerous levels. Why target something that's actually good rather than, say, a series that hinges on hollow, vampire-obsessed protagonists? (Hate mail can be sent this way, FYI.)
But in truth, "Potter" doesn't end with the stories. The books are closed, the theaters are empty. (For now.) But there's a whole new wizarding world out there: theme parks, online encyclopedias, unofficial off-Broadway shows and countless other parodies, toys, candy, more. I wouldn't go as far as saying "Potter" replaces story with money-generating greediness, as Moore seems to believe. But there's no denying that "Potter" really is more than just a collection of books and films: It's a lifestyle, not just for fans, but for flesh-and-blood, real-world muggles who keep the Rowling-manufactured train rolling ahead full steam.
If you're looking for an instantly recognizable face to hang your broader anti-franchise sentiments upon, then? Well, I suppose you really don't need to look any further than Hogwarts' finest.
As a "Potter" fan, I don't like seeing Harry used as a symbol of what's wrong in the world today. I'd like to think that there are better examples out there. But if you're looking at what Moore's trying to say here, maybe there really isn't a better example for him to use. Harry isn't just the Boy Who Lived anymore, after all; he is, inarguably, the Boy Who Lived Luxuriously.
How do you feel about Moore's depiction of "Potter" in the latest "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" comic? Give us your reactions in the comments below, or let me know on Twitter @roundhoward!
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