Kirk Cameron defends himself after anti-gay remarks

This post has been corrected, as indicated below.

Kirk Cameron, who has drawn gales of criticism for comments against homosexuality made to Piers Morgan on CNN on Friday, spoke his mind again Tuesday, calling on those demanding tolerance from him to exhibit tolerance of their own.

"I should be able to express moral views on social issues," he told ABC News via email, "especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years — without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach 'tolerance' that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I'm in the public square."

He called for learning how to debate such issues "with greater love and respect."

In addition to homosexuality in general, the former "Growing Pains" actor had expressed his views against gay marriage and abortion. Of homosexuality, he'd said, "I think that it's unnatural, I think that it's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

Piers Morgan, speaking with TMZ, said Cameron was "pretty brave to say what he said. ... It's, many would argue, an antiquated view about many of these issues.

"I felt that he was honest to what he believed, and I don't think he was expecting the furor that it created."

Celebs coming to Cameron's defense have been few and far between, though fellow evangelical Stephen Baldwin on Saturday tweeted, "GREAT JOB Kirk !!! Let's pray one day Piers Morgan finds true Salvation, God Bless!"

Even Elizabeth Hasselbeck, conservative voice on "The View," noted that "I don't agree with him there at all" before adding, "I do believe that the beauty of this nation is that he can, upon being asked, or of his free will, stand up and say what he believes." Co-host Joy Behar finally agreed that Cameron had a right to free speech, but said she thought he should "just shut up."

Cameron's rep told ABCNews.com Monday that the actor was "thankful for thousands of emails and comments that he's received from those who value the freedom to express one's beliefs."

On the other side of the argument, former co-star Tracey Gold, sister Carol Seaver to Cameron's Mike Seaver, was plain about where she stands, tweeting: "I am a strong supporter of the #LGBT Community, and I believe in equal rights for all. #NOH8 #LOVE"

"Growing Pains" dad Alan Thicke and openly gay actors Neil Patrick Harris and Jesse Tyler Ferguson expressed their views with a touch of humor.

Thicke made it a family affair: "Survey says: Seaver opinions represent 100% of Americans, differences included. Just like a real family. But of course, 'Father Knows Best!'"

"The only unnatural thing about me being gay," Ferguson said, "is that I had a crush on Kirk Cameron until about 24 hours ago."

Said Harris? "That Kirk Cameron is hilarious!"

[For the record, 10:50 p.m. March 6: This post originally misspelled Stephen Baldwin's first name as Steven.]

 

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville
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Photo: Kirk Cameron in February. Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images

 

Davy Jones dead at 66; celebrities react on Twitter

With news that Davy Jones of the Monkees was dead at 66 after suffering a heart attack Wednesday morning at his home in Florida, the tone of celebrity reactions on Twitter was nothing if not a bit wistful.

"Davy Jones of the Monkees is dead," wrote Al Roker of the "Today" show. "He was 66 years old. A little bit of my youth just died."

Said Neil Diamond, who wrote "I'm a Believer": "I'm sad to hear about Davy Jones. The Monkees were such a sensation that it was a thrill for me to have them record some of my early songs."

PHOTOS: Davy Jones | 1945 - 2012

"Eternal rest for Davy Jones who leaves a great legacy of music, fun and all the colors of the rainbow," wrote Nancy Sinatra.

"Sad news - RIP Davy Jones. My wife's childhood crush...," said Ralph Macchio, a teen idol himself.

Alyssa Milano, Michelle Branch and Will Smith tweeted rest in peace, with Smith adding, "Retweet for respect."

"Sad to hear of the passing of Davy Jones! Met him just last year, was very kind to me. Monkees should have been in R 'n R HOF years ago," said Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, referring to the Rock and  Roll Hall of Fame.  Julian Lennon said, "RIP Davy… You did some Great work! Condolences to The Jones Family."

Wil Wheaton expressed some shock -- "Oh my god Davy Jones died at 66. That's way too young" -- while Kevin Smith had a tiny bit of fun, invoking  touchstones from Jones' career -- "A Daydream ends ... His life was a big barrel of win (& Monkees). Marcia Brady will be inconsolable…"

Bravo's Andy Cohen also mentioned Jones' made-for-TV love: "RIP Davy Jones. Marcia had good taste."

Even Gilbert Gottfried, known for his harsh humor, was respectful: "True...David Bowie's real name is David Jones. That's why he had to change it to Bowie. R.I.P. Davy Jones."

For a trip back in time, watch Jones' adorable screen test, below; his bit starts around the six-minute mark, and don't worry, the sound does kick in.

 

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

Photo: Davy Jones on stage in 2011. Credit: Mike Gray / EPA

Happy birthday, Harry Styles. Who are you?

Harry Styles, One Direction heartthrob, is turning 18 today, and our hats are off to the young man with the apparently healthy libido.

One Direction is a British-Irish boy band that came in third place in the U.K. "X Factor" series in 2010. To the jaundiced -- aged -- eye, the group's members might all look a little like Justin Bieber, but Styles is the one with the curls ... and the one who just broke up with his 32-year-old girlfriend. 

Last week (Styles was still 17 at that point), he tweeted that he had not dumped Caroline Flack, but that breaking it off was a "mutual decision." We can assume it didn't have anything to do with the fact that 32 minus 17 is 15.

Flack is an English TV presenter who is host for, most recently, the interestingly named "Survivor"-type show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here Now!" and the interestingly named "The Xtra Factor."

Styles & Co. (not including Flack, of course) are making themselves known in the U.S. They will play themselves in an episode of "iCarly." MTV reported last week that they would appear during the fifth season of the show and had this synopsis:

Carly returns home sick after a trip and discovers that One Direction has accepted an invitation to perform on their web show. Not long after arriving, bandmate Harry becomes sick and we see Carly doting over him.

Styles, newly single and 18, might just make an impression on U.S. girls. And some thirtysomethings.

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Photo: Harry Styles of One Direction performs at the BBC Teen Awards at London's Wembley Arena in October 2011. Credit: Dave Hogan / Getty Images

Kristy McNichol of 'Family,' 'Empty Nest' comes out as a lesbian

As Kristy McNichol looks at turning 50 this year, the Emmy-winning "Family" actress has come out publicly as a lesbian, in support of kids who are being bullied.

McNichol, who has been living with partner Martie Allen for 20 years, decided to share a picture of the two of them with People magazine.

"She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support," her publicist told the mag. "She would like to help others who feel different."

The "Empty Nest" costar -- who as a teen won Emmy Awards in 1977 and 1979 for supporting actress in a drama, for her work as "Buddy," the youngest child on "Family" --  has since left acting entirely. She told People in a 1989 interview that while working on a movie in 1982, she faced: "Nonstop crying. Nonstop anxiety. I was always shaking like a leaf. Freaking out, crying, confused."

Though rumors had swirled about drug abuse or bipolar disorder -- then called manic depression -- she said in 1989 that it was simply an emotional breakdown, a delayed reaction to life as a child star. "From the time I was very young," she said at the time, "I was a professional, making money and assuming responsibilities. I didn't live the life of a child. I was living the life of a 30-year-old."

In 1992, McNichol was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and left "Empty Nest" to attend to her health, according to Biography.

She decided to come out about her sexuality now because she was "very sad" about kids being bullied, and wanted to be open about who she is, she told People. Meredith Baxter, who played her older sister Nancy on "Family," came out as a lesbian in December 2009.

McNichol, her rep said, is healthy and enjoys living a very private life. She turns 50 in September.

 

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-- Christie D'Zurilla
twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photos: Kristy McNichol on "Family" in 1976, top right, on "Empty Nest" in 1989, bottom right, and celebrating a good play with Kari Michaelson in a 1995 celebrity softball game. Credits: ABC, top right; NBC, bottom right; Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times, left

Sara Gilbert puts it out there: She's a lesbian

Jeff Conaway's death ruled accidental with multiple causes

Jeff Conaway’s autopsy results are back and the Los Angeles County coroner is ruling his death accidental. The findings also reveal that multiple causes, including internal infection, are to blame for his tragic end.

The “Grease” star, 60, was found unconscious at his L.A. home back on May 10 and rushed to an Encino hospital, where he remained in a coma until he passed away May 27.

Coroner Craig Harvey says that opiates and other drugs were found in Conaway’s system when he entered the hospital, but his office did not perform a toxicology test as part of their four-month investigation. With the actor’s extended hospital stay prior to his death, tests would have come back clean anyway.

Now, TMZ reports that septic emboli, aortic valve endocarditis, coronary artery disease, pneumonia and encephalopathy were among the key factors contributing to his death.

Dr. Drew Pinksy, who worked with Conaway on “Celerity Rehab,” told the public early on that despite Conaway's trouble with prescription drugs, he believed “aspiration with overwhelming pneumonia and sepsis,” caused his friend's deteriorating health, not an overdose.

Conaway is best known for playing John Travolta’s best friend Kenicke in “Grease” as well as the struggling actor Bobby Wheeler on "Taxi."

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Jeff Conaway in 1985. Credit: Associated Press.

 

Justin Bieber covers Lil Wayne's 'How to Love' [Video]

Justin Bieber could have given Lil' Wayne a number of things for his birthday -- some vintage YSL gear, signed autographs for his family, the diamond planet -- but instead the teen idol presented to Weezy a cover of the rapper's song "How to Love."

Posting to his Twitter account in the wee hours Wednesday, Bieber hinted at insomnia but still wished Wayne well and included a link. One click over to YouTube and the acoustic cover was found, lurking behind a picture of the two artists at MTV's Video Music Awards in August.

"Trying to sleep. until then happy birthday @LilTunechi - #remix," Bieber wrote.

The resulting sound is a sweet, medium-produced tribute that shows off some of Bieber's higher vocal registers and, most obviously, his fandom of the gruff rapper. Wayne, by the by, turned 29 and landed some other impressive gifts.

"My daughter bought me a ukulele & my girl bought me a vintage gumball machine!! 2 of the best gifts ever! Party time!" he tweeted.

Watch Bieber's version of "How to Love" below, then tell us what you think, in comments.

 

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Photo: Justin Bieber arrives, left, and Lil' Wayne performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in August. Credits: Getty Images.

Jennifer Grey gives her support to Kenny Ortega's 'Dirty Dancing'

The "Dirty Dancing" remake has found itself a fan -- perhaps only one, but it's a big one -- in Jennifer Grey.

"I love @Kennyortega and trust that he will do something special #DirtyDancingRemake," Grey tweeted.

Grey played Baby -- she of "You don't put Baby in the corner" -- in the original 1987 film starring the late Patrick Swayze that grossed $214 million worldwide. The musical love story follows a 1963 summer romance that develops between a rebellious and smoldering dance instructor (Swayze) and a teenager (Grey) vacationing in the Catskills with her conservative family.

The 51-year-old actress professed her love for Ortega, the original movie's choreographer, who was signed by Lionsgate to direct the reboot, which promises to portray "the emotional excitement of first love, the thrills and complexity of sexual awakening ... and the soul-stirring power of dance."

"I'm so excited about this news, and I think there's nobody better to do this than my beloved Kenny Ortega, who is as responsible as anyone for the success of the first one. I can't wait to see what he's going to do with it," she said through her publicist.

News of the reboot was greeted coldly by naysayers who hold the original in high regard and are mindful of the franchise's failed sequel. But that didn't seem to shake Ortega.

"The opportunity to direct 'Dirty Dancing' is like returning home for me," said Ortega, who has Michael Jackson's "This Is It" and juggernaut "High School Musical" under his belt.

"I believe everywhere you look there is evidence that the talent is out there and I can't wait to begin the process of discovering the next breakout triple-threats."

We hope Ryan Gosling'S "Crazy, Stupid, Love" stunt with Emma Stone shoots him to the top of that list.

Who do you think should be cast in the remake? What role would you want Jennifer Grey to play if she came back? Tell us in comments.

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Photo: Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in 1987's "Dirty Dancing." Credit: Vestron Pictures

Drew Barrymore directs Chloe Moretz in 'Our Deal' music video

Drew Barrymore gave herself a lesson in modern teen idols as the former child star recently directed a music video starring Chloe Moretz, Miranda Cosgrove, Donald Glover and Tyler Posey of "Teen Wolf."

Best Coast's song "Our Deal" got the video treatment from Barrymore, who combined elements of "Romeo & Juliet" and "West Side Story" for the video, produced with MTV and Mean's Supervideo.

Moretz, of "Kick-Ass" and "Let Me In" fame, plays a pompadoured member of the gang Night Creepers who falls for Posey, a member of the Day Trippers. The star-crossed lovers meet for twilight bonding, but soon confront their fate as born enemies (watch the video below). 

Not to spoil anything, but those who stayed awake in freshman English class know it doesn't end well for Romeo and Juliet. Barrymore, however, pulls off a solid effort with some of the teen set's biggest names. 

The video serves as an appetizer for Barrymore's next directing gig: helming the feature "How to Be Single," a decade's worth of stories about solo New Yorkers. Her first time behind the camera was in 2009, for the roller-derby flick "Whip It!"

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Photo: Drew Barrymore at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Credit: Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

 

Jeff Conaway dies at 60; costars remember 'Grease' and 'Taxi' actor

Jeff Conaway, the "Grease" actor who played Kenickie and appeared on "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," died Friday. He was 60.

The actor had been in a medically induced coma before doctors took him off life support Friday. The coma was a result of pneumonia and his unconscious arrival to Encino Medical Center May 10 because of "too many prescribed drugs," his sister Carla Shreve said.

"Jeff was taken off life support [Thursday] afternoon," his manager, Phil Brock, told People. "His family chose to take him off of life support based on advice from physicians. They thought for several days that the situation was hopeless."

Conaway died at 10:30 a.m. and his sisters, nieces and nephews were with him, he added.

Conaway did not die from an overdose, Dr. Drew Pinsky told TMZ.

"This was aspiration with overwhelming pneumonia and sepsis," he said, a result of numerous years on prescription medications that wore out his body.

The Manhattan-born actor launched his career at age 10 by tagging along to an audition for the Broadway show "All the Way Home" with his mother. He soon became a stage actor and went on to play Kenickie, a high school bad boy in the Broadway musical "Grease."

He shot to fame in the movie adaptation of the show in 1978, costarring with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

Conaway was a "wonderful and decent man and we will miss him," Travolta said in a statement Friday. "My heartfelt thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this very difficult time."

After "Grease," Conaway went on to become Bobby Wheeler, a struggling actor-turned-cab driver on "Taxi."

"Taxi" costar Marilu Henner described him as a "talented, handsome, loving" friend.

"Jeff was like a brother to me," she said in a statement.

"Tony Danza and I visited Jeff in the hospital almost daily over the past two weeks. We saw how much love surrounded him, along with his sisters, Michelle and Carla, his wife, Kerri, his ex-wife, Rona, and his friend, Lance. Jeff looked the healthiest I'd seen him in a long time and I really thought that he was going to come out of this." 

After subsequent stints on soap operas and television shows, the actor appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club," but left soon after to go to rehab in 2006.

He returned to the network for stints on "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew." His speech was so slurred that he required subtitles.

Conaway developed an addiction to cocaine and pain killers after having back surgery, according to a Times interview. When he tried to quit taking the drugs on "Celebrity Rehab," he threw tantrums, shouted and blacked out.

He is survived by his sister Carla, sister Michele Goffin, wife Kerri Young Conaway and stepson Emerson Hall.

Read the full Times obituary here.

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Upper photo: Jeff Conaway, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta and Stockard Channing in "Grease." Credit:  Paramount Pictures / Getty Images

Lower photo:  Jeff Conaway in 2008. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Rick Springfield allegedly threatened deputy during DUI arrest

The night Rick Springfield was arrested for drunk driving, the singer allegedly threatened to kill a sheriff's deputy and his family, a detail that was not included in the arrest record, a report said Monday.

The "Jessie's Girl" singer was arrested in Malibu earlier this month after deputies saw him make "a maneuver away from the light" that prompted law enforcement to pull him over in his 1963 Corvette.

Deputies said they smelled alcohol on his breath and when Springfield was given a breathalyzer test, his blood alcohol level was 0.10%, which exceeds the California legal limit of 0.08%

Springfield, 61, was extremely angry when deputies said they would tow his $200,000 Sting
Ray, law enforcement sources told TMZ.

"If you tow my car I will ... kill you and your family," he reportedly said. The arrest report, however, indicated only that Springfield had been "belligerent," without any specifics about a threat being made.

"It has nothing to do with the germane issues at hand, which is blood-alcohol level, field sobriety test, how the person was operating the vehicle," L.A. County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore told the Ministry about the reportedly absent details.  

"Drunks say things all the time, and they say things that are ridiculous, notorious and vicious to cops," Whitmore said. "Our job is to get them off the street so they don't hurt other people. We don't take whatever they say seriously. It is rare that we get someone on a DUI that isn't abusive."

As for whether the alleged Springfield quote was accurate, Whitmore said he had "no idea" because he wasn't there.

"This happens all the time. People that are drunk even take swings at deputies."  

"Someone has leaked information illegally," Springfield's rep said in a statement. "It's a sad reflection on society today that people in law enforcement who we look up to, pander to the celebrity gossip channels."

Springfield was arrested and taken into custody at the Malibu/Lost Hills Station, then released on a $5,000 bond after he sobered up. (That's the same station where Mel Gibson was taken after he was arrested "without incident" on a DUI charge in 2006.)

The D.A. has Springfield's file and will determine whether to charge him with DUI.

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Photos: Rick Springfield's mug shot taken after his arrest on suspicion of DUI. Credit: L.A. County sheriff's department / Associated Press.