Russell Brand arrested for damage done in iPhone snatch-and-hurl

Russell Brand was spending a chunk of his Thursday with police in New Orleans, having turned himself in on an arrest warrant related to his alleged snatching of an iPhone from a photographer on Monday night.

The paparazzo involved said the comedian and actor got ticked off when the pap started taking pics of Brand with the phone, which was then wrestled away from its owner and hurled through the window of a nearby law firm, according to TMZ, which had pictures of an apparent exchange involving Brand, an iPhone and a guy in a car. Oh, yeah, and a broken window.

People from Brand's camp reportedly contacted the guy who was inside the office when the window was broken, saying the "Arthur" star would pay to replace the window.

Katy Perry's ex justified the incident in his own way: "Since Steve Jobs died I cannot bear to see anyone use an iphone irreverently," he said Wednesday on Twitter, "what I did was a tribute to his memory."

New Orleans police saw it differently and issued the warrant Thursday. The charge? Simple criminal damage to property, valued at $700.

Brand, who is in New Orleans filming a movie, turned himself in later on Thursday, TMZ said.

It's not the first paparazzi-related arrest for Brand, who was nabbed in September 2010 on a battery charge after tangling with a photographer who allegedly tried to take an upskirt photo of then-fiancée Perry.

Chris Brown was accused in a similar situation last month in Miami, though an amateur photographer was involved: According to a police report, the singer grabbed an iPhone 4S from a female fan who'd taken a picture of him sitting in a Bentley right after he'd left a club.

Brown allegedly rolled up the car window and drove off with the phone. No warrants were issued at the time, though police said they were investigating further.

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— Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville
Christie D'Zurilla on Google+

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Russell Brand on stage during Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball at New York City's Radio City Music Hall on March 4. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

 

Katy Perry, Russell Brand make nice with divorce settlement

"Russell Brand to Katy Perry: I don't need your stinking millions!!!" That's the headline that really wasn't, as Brand and Perry have reached a property agreement in their divorce so amicable that Katy signed the papers with a heart and a smiley face on the dotted line.

He really didn't want the money he would have been entitled to under California's community property laws -- which would have included half of the $44 million she reportedly earned while they were Mr. and Mrs., according to TMZ. (Brand would have had to split his multimillion-dollar haul as well, of course, but she was the big breadwinner during the marriage.)

"This divorce is as amicable as it gets, and Russell was a mensch," a source told the website.

The couple, who split up late last year, "have entered into a comprehensive written settlement of all issues, including, without limitation, with respect to the property to be confirmed or assigned to each party," said to court papers filed Tuesday in Los Angeles.

In the document obtained by TMZ, Katy's response to Russell's Dec. 30 divorce filing, the idea of spousal support is nixed, the property resolution is declared and Ms. Perry indicates a desire to go back to her maiden name, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. Now it's just a matter of time until the divorce is made final.

So really, the headline should be something more like, "Russell Brand and Katy Perry: We don't need your stinking divorce court!!!"

Refreshing.

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Photo: Russell Brand and Katy Perry at the "Arthur" premiere in London on April 19. Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images

Katy Perry: No one speaks for her (but here's what they're saying)

Katy Perry and Russell Brand are keeping busy, just trying to stay apart. Oh, and it seems her parents couldn't be happier.

But first a heads-up: Perry said Saturday on Twitter that "[c]oncerning the gossip, I want to be clear that NO ONE speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, 'close sources' or my family," so you might want to stop reading right now -- or keep going, to find out what all Katy might be referring to.

So! For those who've chosen to continue, it looks as if Brand has moved out of the couple's $6.5-million Hollywood Hills home, and that Perry will get to keep the house. But, will Katy have to cut her ex-hubby a check for the mansion? It is likely, if she plans to stay long term, TMZ reported.

It looks as if Brand will lose some of the spotlight too, with Perry strutting the red carpet for the upcoming award shows including the People's Choice Awards and the Grammys. This week rumors were swirling that Brand was actually uninvited to the People's Choice ceremony, but E! Online said he in fact declined the invitation.

And to top it off, Perry's parents took the already-public divorce to a whole new level, using their daughter's name to help spread the good word, Britain's Sun reported.

Russell Brand-Katy Perry: A celebrity breakup to make us go 'aww'

Among this year's celebrity breakups, the Katy Perry-Russell Brand split could be the most "aww"-inducing, with the kooky couple seeking a divorce after a romantic whirlwind courtship and only 14 months of marriage. But how did Russell wind up being the "bad guy" who actually filed the court papers?

Could be that he did it for her sake.

Perry's parents are evangelical Christians, according to TMZ, which heard from sources connected to the two that Katy was raised to believe divorce is wrong, and didn't want to upset her folks. So after trying to work things out and agreeing "it just wasn't there," Brand allegedly took one for the team.

PHOTOS: Celebrity breakups of 2011

"Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage," Brand said in Friday a statement. "I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."

It doesn't appear as if religion was the reason for the split, though we can't imagine bits like his "I Am Jesus" music video , featuring lyrics such as "I wear a funny crown / I live in honey town / Somebody cut me down," going over great with evangelical in-laws. (That's one of five music videos Brand did in character as Aldous Snow for "Get Him to the Greek.") And there's always the reality that in-laws and family traditions are among married couples' top fights.

"I come from a very non-accepting family, but I'm very accepting," Perry told Vanity Fair regarding her religious beliefs as an adult, after a strict upbringing by evangelical ministers. “Russell is into Hinduism, and I'm not [really] involved in it."

Though Russell has had his way with religion and believers in his stand-up material and film work (here's a sample; watch out for the profanity at the end), he expanded a bit on his religious beliefs and defended the existence of God, writing for the New Statesman in April of this year:

"Through Transcendental Meditation, twice daily I feel the bliss of the divine. Through the mental repetition of a mantra, eventually my chattering monkey mind recedes, gently banishing concerns of the past and drawing the inner eye away from speculation and want. I connect to a boundless consciousness that has no pal­pable relationship with my thoughts, fears or desires."

Perry and Brand were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony Oct. 23, 2010, at a resort in Ranthambhore National Park in northwestern India. At the beginning of this month, Brand told Ellen DeGeneres that he was "really happily married" and that the Internet was "a wicked little liar."

How will Katy be as a single lady once again? Check out the video below, from a few years back, and tell us what you think.

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— Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photo: Katy Perry and Russell Brand at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in L.A. on Feb. 13. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Russell Brand files for divorce from Katy Perry

Katy Perry and Russell Brand's missing wedding rings did mean something: Brand on Friday filed for divorce from Perry.

"Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage," Brand said in a statement. "I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."

Brand filed in L.A., TMZ reported, posting documents that reveal the traditional California divorce dilemma, "irreconcilable differences."

PHOTOS: Celebrity splits of 2011

Those differences were evidenced just before Christmas in an allegedly "massive" fight that, according to Us Weekly, might have been about Russell and his feelings about Perry's parents and their beliefs. The two spent the holidays apart, Russell in London and Katy in Kauai.

The two married in October 2010 with an elaborate ceremony in India, fending off a swarm of media attention ahead of the event. Reports at the time indicated they have no prenup. In recent TV interviews, both parties had downplayed talk of problems.

So much for poppin' out those babies. Sigh.

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— Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Katy Perry and Russell Brand on Dec. 3 in L.A. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand: A bleeping blue Christmas?

Katy Perry and Russell Brand were exchanging four-letter words rather than hugs and snuggles at the holiday -- maybe. Unidentified troublemakers are insinuating that a huge, nasty argument occurred.

What seems sure is that Perry was in Hawaii and Brand was in England on Christmas Day. Multiple media outlets were reporting the separate holiday vacations Wednesday, although People had reported Monday that an "onlooker"  saw Perry and Brand getting off a private plane in Kauai.

By beach time on Christmas, however, the two were thousands of miles apart. And neither was in hiding. Perry was swimming and showing a great deal of cleavage, as she is wont to do. She also reportedly wasn't wearing her wedding ring. Brand was on a beach in England, where he posed next to a different, not-unimpressive bosom, as shown in the Daily Mail.

Why, why, why?

No clue, so far.  Us Weekly cited a couple of unnamed sources in its scoop -- first there were plans to take Perry's relatives to Brand's London hometown for the holiday. Then, supposedly, came the "massive" fight, with scuttlebutt about Russell and his feelings about Perry's parents and their beliefs. 

The pair married just over a year ago, and arguing over in-laws ranks right up there with money and having kids as common fodder for newlywed fights.

Katy and Russell, here is some sage advice from About.com: "You might have different traditions or different ways of doing things. You might see your parents too little or too often. It takes a while to figure out what kind of relationship you should all have."

That's good advice for all of us, yes?

Still, the rumors could have one good outcome: They might prompt Brand to appear again on "Ellen," as he did earlier this month. The British comedian was hilarious on the talk show as he riffed on topics including divorce speculation, which popped up not long after the couple's one-year anniversary. (They wed Oct. 23, 2010). Heck, there was even a rumor in February that they were seeking couples counseling -- a notion whose plausibility Gossip Cop gave its "zero" rating.

"There are always rumors, aren't there," Brand told DeGeneres.

The host asked whether he wanted to have a family. "I really would like one," he said. "I love those little babies at the beginning. They're so lovely at that bit."

It was just in November that Perry visited DeGeneres and talked happily about "poppin' out" babies with Brand and even having more than one, "If it doesn't hurt the first time."

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Photo: Katy Perry and Russell Brand at a charity event at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Dec. 3. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Katy Perry plans to deliver a free concert and, one day, babies

Katy Perry wants babies. Little Katy and Russell babies. Unless the first one hurts too much, in which case there will be just the one little Katy or Russell.

"If it doesn't hurt the first time," a bouncy Perry told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show Friday, "I'll keep poppin' em out!"

DeGeneres broke sad news to Mrs. Russell Brand: "Word around town is, it hurts."

"I'm not sure it's yet" time to start poppin', the pop star said, adding that having a family was a big point of getting married and that she thought Russell would be a good partner in that undertaking.

To mark the occasion, Ellen gave the couple a semi-traditional firs -anniversary gift: a cupcake-covered clock in the rainbow hues Perry is known for. It was also a cuckoo clock — with Brand's mug where the cuckoo should be.

"Oh, it's Russell!" Perry chirped when she saw the custom addition. "That is a beautiful gift, and he's perfect to be the cuckoo."

Gee, ya think?

Perry had a gift of her own to deliver Friday, via Twitter, for fans who can make it to L.A. later this month: A free concert Nov. 23 at Staples Center, tagged on the end of her California Dreams World Tour.

There's a code involved to get up to four tickets to the "Katy Perry Gives Back" show; info is available on her Facebook page.

 

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photo: Katy Perry, center, performs in concert during the Pepsi Music festival in Buenos Aires in September. Photo credit: Victor R. Caivano, Associated Press.

 

 

VMA parties: Britney Spears, Jason Trawick chill; Adele goes gay

After a dizzying 2011 MTV Video Music Awards telecast, music stars and celebs kept their after-partying low key in Los Angeles.

Pop video winner Britney Spears stepped out with boyfriend Jason Trawick, hitting up Esquire magazine and House of Hype's after party at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Camped out at a table, Spears stuck close to her man and two female pals.

Only a few seats away and both in good spirits, Katy Perry and Russell Brand celebrated her score in the video of the year category. "Glee" guy Mark Salling held court between the superstars, welcoming Chord Overstreet and Emma Roberts to his table, in addition to Sam Trammel and Evan Ross of "True Blood."

Other revelers included Malin Akerman, Elise Neal, Flo Rida, Rose McGowan, Kelly Rowland, "The Nail Files" star Katie Cazorla and Sasha Grey, who got a shout-out on HBO as well Sunday as one of "Entourage" character Vincent Chase's ex-girlfriends.

Up the hill from the SLS, crossover sensation Adele bucked tradition and avoided the party circuit. The "Rolling in the Deep" singer went with friends to mainstay gay bar the Abbey -- one of Elizabeth Taylor's fave joints -- sipping Oxley gin and tonics and dancing into the night.

In Hollywood, some hip-hop heavyweights celebrated G.O.O.D. Music's new artist Big Sean. A private dinner and cocktail party was held at the Redbury hotel's library and outdoor patio, drawing Kanye West, Swizz Beatz and Estelle for chow and Grey Goose drinks.

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Photo: Jason Trawick and Britney Spears arrive at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in L.A. on Aug. 28. Credit: Frederic J. Brown / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images

Russell Brand remembers Amy Winehouse: friend, genius, addict

Russell Brand is among those mourning the weekend death of Amy Winehouse, but from a somewhat unique position: Brand met Winehouse when he was newly sober at 27 and when the "jazz singer," as he put it, had yet to cross paths with global fame. And her story might well have been his.

"I was myself at that time barely out of rehab and was thirstily seeking less complicated women so I barely reflected on the now glaringly obvious fact that Winehouse and I shared an affliction, the disease of addiction," Brand, 36, wrote Sunday on his blog.

He saw her "oddly dainty presence" on stage only once, he said, and that experience changed his perception of her from "some twit in a pink satin jacket shuffling round bars with mutual friends" in London's Camden district to a genius with a voice filled with "power and pain."

"Shallow fool that I am I now regarded her in a different light, the light that blazed down from heaven when she sang. That lit her up now and a new phase in our friendship began."

Brand got sober in 2002 after years of arrests and debauchery, with his career growing to include film and TV work as well as the stand-up stage. Winehouse won five Grammys in 2008 for the album "Back to Black," released in Britain in 2006 and the U.S. in 2007, but her addiction-related antics came to overshadow her talent as a third album never materialized and a comeback tour was canceled after a Belgrade, Serbia, performance that the British press dubbed "shambolic."

Brand and Katy Perry were married in India in last October. Winehouse was found dead in her North London home on Saturday.

"Not all addicts have Amy's incredible talent," Brand wrote. "Or Kurt's or Jimi's or Janis's, some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill."

Not everyone knows a "Winehouse," as he called her, but he noted that most do know drunks and junkies in need of help that is out there for them.

"All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call."

Thoughts on Brand's final words for Amy?

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Photos: Russell Brand with Amy Winehouse in 2006, left; fans gather outside her home after her death. Credits: Dave Hogan / Getty Images, left; Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press, right.

Tom Cruise tweets shirtless 'Rock of Ages' photo

Tom Cruise treated fans to a sneak peek of his latest character, Stacee Jaxx in "Rock of Ages," via Twitter on Friday. The shirtless pic proves he’s still got it, even at 48.

With his long flowing hair, bad boy tats, leather boots and seriously toned arms, he could be the envy of every '80s rocker. Better yet, he gets to cover "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi.

But can he sing? The answer is yes, according to his wife, Katie Holmes. Tom “is such an amazing performer,” she tells Access Hollywood. “The voice is incredible.”

Of course, Cruise did his research and took in a live performance of the show at the Pantages Theatre in February, before officially signing on. The Broadway musical and the film both follow a small-town girl and a boy from south Detroit who move to L.A. in 1987 to follow their rock 'n' roll dreams.

Adam Shankman is directing the A-list film cast, which also includes Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary J. Blige. The movie is set to open June 1, 2012.

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Photo: Tom Cruise on the set of "Rock of Ages." Credit: Adam Shankman / Lockerz.com