Chris Brown sentenced in Rihanna assault case
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A judge on Tuesday sentenced Chris Brown to five years' probation and six months' community labor for the beating of Rihanna and ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they're attending music industry events.
A probation report prepared for Tuesday's sentencing describes two previous violent incidents. It said the first happened about three months before the February beating while the couple was traveling in Europe; Rihanna slapped Brown during an argument, and he shoved her into a wall. In the second instance, Brown allegedly broke the front and passenger side windows on a Range Rover they were driving while visiting Barbados, Rihanna's home country. Neither attack was reported, the probation report states.
Brown will serve his sentence in his home state - Virginia - and his community labor will be overseen by the police chief in Richmond.
The judge said she wanted to ensure that Brown, 20, performs physical labor instead of community service, such as mentoring young people. He also will undergo a year of domestic violence counseling.
Rihanna did not attend Tuesday's sentencing.
Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna.
The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. A Los Angeles police detective described a brutal attack in a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, stating Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car.
Billboard names Beyonce as 'Woman of the Year'
NEW YORK (AP) - The year's not even over, but Billboard already knows who its woman of the year is - Beyonce.
The superstar will be honored by the industry publication at its annual Women in Music event.
Past "Woman of the Year" honorees were Ciara and Reba McEntire.
Beyonce will be on hand to accept her award at the Oct. 2 event in New York City. It's been yet another big year for the entertainer. She had the smash hit "Single Ladies," sang at President Obama's inauguration, had a No. 1 movie with "Obsessed" and embarked on an arena tour.
Jessica Biel named 'most dangerous celebrity'
NEW YORK (AP) - Jessica Biel is the most dangerous celebrity on the Web.
Security technology company McAfee Inc. on Tuesday reported that searches for the 27-year-old actress are more likely to lead to online threats such as spyware and viruses than searches for any other celebrity.
McAfee said fans searching for the actress have a one-in-five chance of ending up at a Web site designed to damage one's computer. Its the third annual report on the subject from McAfee, which last year found that Brad Pitt was the "most dangerous" celeb online.
"Cybercriminals are star watchers, too," said Jeff Green, senior vice president of McAfee's product development. "They latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise."
Following Biel in the report, in order, were Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady and Jessica Simpson. McAfee noted President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are curiously safe searches, ranking no. 34 and no. 39, respectively.
Griffith returns to rehab for 'routine' visit
NEW YORK (AP) - Melanie Griffith's publicist says the actress has returned to a rehab facility to "reinforce her commitment to stay healthy."
Spokeswoman Robin Baum says the 52-year-old Griffith checked in as "part of a routine plan."
Griffith went to rehab in 1988 to fight addictions to alcohol and cocaine. She went again in 2000 for treatment for an addiction to painkillers.
Baum says this latest visit was part of a plan developed years ago between Griffith and her doctors.
The "Working Girl" actress has a 12-year-old daughter with her husband, actor Antonio Banderas. Griffith also has a 24-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter from previous relationships.
Jet Li returns to Chinese film after 3 U.S. movies
HONG KONG (AP) - Jet Li is returning to Chinese film with a reportedly non-kung fu movie after three Hollywood productions, a publicist said Tuesday.
Li is due to start shooting the movie - tentatively called "Ocean Paradise" in Chinese - Edko Film publicist Zhang Hongyan told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. The film, due to be released next year, will be directed by a newcomer, Zhang said, declining to give further detail before the official announcement at a news conference in Beijing today.
Hong Kong-based Edko Film is the Chinese distributor for the movie.
The Chengdu Shangbao newspaper reported Tuesday that Li will not fight in the movie, but Zhang declined to confirm the report, only saying, "It's a movie that's very different from his previous movies."
Li's last three films were all American productions. His two most recent releases are "The Forbidden Kingdom" - which marked his first on-screen collaboration with Jackie Chan - and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." The 46-year-old action star just finished shooting the action thriller "The Expendables."