This Week's Top Pop Stories

Here are the top stories from this week's Day in Pop and the top Day in Pop digest stories

Lindsay Lohan To Pose Nude For Playboy

(TMZ) Lindsay Lohan is shooting nude photos for Playboy -- TMZ has confirmed -- and LiLo don't strip for peanuts ... the spread will earn her almost a million dollars!

Sources tell us the deal has been in the works for months, and that Lindsay balked at an initial $750K offer because she wanted ... ONE MILLION dollars ... to show the world what her momma gave her (apologies for the DiLo reference).

We're told Hugh Hefner and Co. recently came back to Lindsay with an offer less than her asking price -- but close enough for her to sign on the dotted line. No word yet on which issue Linds will be featured in ... but it's a good bet she'll be on the cover.

Lindsay's rep said, "I can neither confirm or deny at this time." Playboy didn't immediately respond to our email or phone call.

According to sources, the shoot started over the weekend -- which means Linds was juggling her court ordered morgue duties ... with getting nekkid. - more on this story

Tupac Sex Tape

(TMZ) A five-minute sex tape showing Tupac receiving oral sex while rapping and dancing has surfaced ... and TMZ has seen it.

The tape, shot in 1991, begins with a bunch of groupies in a living room during a house party. Tupac walks into the room with his pants down to his ankles, his shirt off ... sporting several chains.

Tupac -- whose head is shaved -- pulls one of the women toward him, and she begins performing oral sex. As she does her thing, an unreleased song of Tupac's is playing in the background, as Tupac is singing along and dancing, wiggling his hips.

And it gets even better. As the woman services Tupac, who is holding a cocktail in one hand and a blunt in another, Money B from Digital Underground walks over to him. Tupac puts his cocktail arm around Money B, continues singing and dancing ... and the woman never stops.

As the tape ends it appears he's ready to begin sexual intercourse. It's unclear if there's another tape.

We've learned the person in possession of the tape is making plans to release it - more on this story

Shia LaBeouf Brutally Attacked

(TMZ) Shia LaBeouf was repeatedly PUNCHED IN THE HEAD by a shirtless, hairy-bellied man on a Vancouver sidewalk last week -- and TMZ has obtained footage of the brutal ass whooping.

It's unclear exactly what provoked the attack -- but we're told Shia originally got into it with the man inside a bar called Cinema Public House ... and after security kicked them both out, the man tore off his shirt and unleashed the fury all over Shia's face.

Moments after the attack, Shia tries to chase after the guy -- but someone who appears to be his friend holds him back, telling him, "You gotta lay low right now!"

A rep for Cinema Public House tells TMZ, no one on staff noticed the brawl outside -- but the rep confirms ... Shia has been a regular at the place since he's been in town to shoot "The Company You Keep." - Check out the video here

LAPD Investigating Selena Gomez Death Threat

(TMZ) Justin Bieber's girlfriend Selena Gomez has received a death threat that is so serious ... the LAPD's Threat Management Unit is on the case, and Selena has obtained a restraining order ... TMZ has learned.

Thomas Brodnicki -- a man with a criminal history of stalking -- allegedly told his shrink he was going to kill Selena.

According to the declarations of Selena and her lawyer, Blair Berk ... Brodnicki told the shrink he traveled from Chicago to L.A. to meet her, visited her workplace at least 3 times and has told people he had conversations with God about killing her. Selena says she is in "extreme fear," believing he will carry out his death threat against her if he isn't stopped.

Brodnicki was picked up for mental evaluation last month for allegedly threatening to "scratch people's eyes out on the street." While he was being held for mental evaluation, he made the threats to the shrink.

According to court docs, LAPD detectives are taking the threats "extremely seriously" because of Brodnicki's history of mental illness and making criminal threats. - more on this story

Tone Loc Collapses On Stage

(TMZ) Tone Loc collapsed on stage during a performance on Saturday night ... TMZ has learned.

Loc's manager tells TMZ he collapsed due to exhaustion. He was transported to a nearby hospital and given an IV ... but the manager says he is fine now.

Loc's episode comes just a day after rapper Rick Ross was hospitalized TWICE in one day for seizures. - more on this story

Michael Jackson Doctor May Get House Arrest

(TMZ) If Dr. Conrad Murray is convicted of felony involuntary manslaughter (of Michael Jackson) and sentenced to the maximum -- 4 years in state prison -- he will not spend a single day in prison ... and he could end up on house arrest.

A new law went into effect in California on October 1, which says, because of overcrowding, people convicted of non-violent felonies cannot be sent to State prison. Instead, non-violent felons serve their time in county jail.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... involuntary manslaughter is a non-violent felony, which means if Murray is convicted he'd go to L.A. County Jail.

As for how much time Murray would serve ... L.A. County Sheriff's officials tell TMZ ... Murray would be jailed for half the actual sentence. So if he gets the max -- 4 years -- he would only serve 2.

But there's a twist ... Murray could actually serve way less than 2 years. Because of severe overcrowding, inmates are eligible for house arrest, based on 2 factors -- their prior criminal history, and risk to the community. Murray has a clean record and, as one law enforcement official put it, he poses no risk ... it's not like he's going to go out with a bottle of Propofol and kill people.

So if the jail is filled to the gills, the Sheriff could put him on house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. But one official from the Sheriff's Department told us ... Murray wouldn't be placed on house arrest right out of the box. He would almost certainly do some time before the jailhouse doors would open. - more on this story

American Idol Scotty McCreery Makes History

American Idol champ Scotty McCreery's debut album, Clear As Day, has entered the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts at No. 1.

McCreery is now the youngest male in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. This is also the highest first-week album sales of any solo country artist in 2011.

With first-week sales totaling 196,739, he is the first new country artist this year to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. He has the second-highest debut week for a new artist in all genres in 2011, behind rapper J.Cole.
- more on this story

Whitney Houston Gets Diva Over Airplane Seatbelt?

(TMZ) Whitney Houston almost got kicked off a Delta Airlines flight this week ... because she refused to buckle her seatbelt.

Multiple sources tell us ... Whitney boarded a flight in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon ... and when she settled into her seat, a crew member asked her to buckle up.

We're told Whitney refused and "got diva" on the crew member ... until another crew member came over and warned Houston that if she didn't buckle up, she would have to get off the plane.

Whitney eventually allowed one of the crew members to grab the buckle and fasten it for the singer -- and the plane was then cleared for takeoff.

Sources close to the singer tell us ... Whitney "overreacted a little bit after missing an earlier flight but she's still 100% sober and was on the way to Detroit for her first day of shooting a new movie."

It's not right, but its OK ... - more on this story

Another Michael Jackson Tribute Concert?

(TMZ) Another Michael Jackson tribute concert will go down this December in Tokyo and the Jackson brothers will headline the show, but without Randy Jackson ... sources close to the family tell TMZ.

According to our sources, the brothers will perform around 15 songs. The concert will feature several other artists, mainly Japanese acts.

No word yet on any other Jackson family involvement - more on this story

Adele Suffers Vocal Chord Hemorrhage

Adele has been ordered off the road after suffering a hemorrhage in her vocal chord. Due to medical advice the chart topping singer has been forced to pull the plug on her upcoming 10 city sold-out tour of the U.S.

Here camp put this out: Vocal chord issues forced the British singer to postpone dates earlier this year as well. Adele has just wrapped up touring around the UK and was preparing to kick off her US tour on October 7 in Atlantic City, NJ when her illness reappeared (see below for full list of cancelled US tour dates).

Adele has been advised by doctors that she'll need an extended rest period in order to begin to recuperate properly. Further details to follow regarding these cancelled dates. Refunds may be obtained at point of purchase. - What Adele had to say

Madonna for Super Bowl Halftime Show

After last season's halftime show, the NFL needs to return to superstar status for this season's big event and you can't find a bigger superstar than Madonna.

kovideo.net reports that Madonna is said to be the frontrunner for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.

Will the singer finally perform at the big football event? All signs point to.... find ou - here.

Scarlett Johansson Fighting Nude Photos

(TMZ) Scarlett Johansson's lawyer is on the attack -- warning a bunch of websites that Scarlett owns the copyright to her HACKED nude pics and anyone who doesn't take 'em down will FACE HIS WRATH!!!!

TMZ has learned ... Scarlett's attorney -- legal pit bull Marty Singer -- has fired off threatening letters to various sites including TheDirty.com ... demanding that the sites remove the "stolen copyright protected private photographs" immediately ... or face legal action.

Singer claims, "The highly personal and private photographs at issue capture our client self-posing in her own home in a state of undress and/or topless."

And just to make sure he's perfectly clear, Singer concludes ... "If you fail to comply, you will be acting at your own peril. Please govern yourselves accordingly."

TheDirty tells TMZ ... the site will adhere to Singer's request and take down the photos.

As we first reported, Scarlett's people have contacted the FBI over the photo hack and the feds are investigating. - more on this story

Topless Rihanna Sparks Objection

(superLOUD) Rihanna's video shoot for her new single "We Found Love" hit a little snag the other day in Ireland.

A farmer took offense as Rihanna proceeded to get topless in his wheat field. Farm owner Alan Graham had this to say about the incident:

"I had a conversation with Rihanna. I hope she understands where I'm coming from. We shook hands." - more on this story

Reality Show Landed T.I. Back in Prison

(TMZ) T.I. was hauled back to prison because prison officials believed he had people from his reality show on the bus that took him to his halfway house ... this according to official documents obtained by TMZ.

According to the incident report, when T.I. was released from prison on August 31, he was under specific instructions to be transported to his halfway house -- where he would serve the remaining 30 days of his sentence -- but he could ONLY travel with his wife ... and he wasn't allowed to conduct business on the bus.

But prison officials say T.I. also had his manager, along with 2 VH1 producers on board. Prison officials believe T.I. and his crew were yakking about his reality show as well as a book -- a violation of the rules.

The VH1 producers and T.I.'s manager have submitted letters claiming they were not conducting business, but prison officials didn't buy it. - more on this story

Stolen Photo Not Justin Timberlake's Private Parts

(TMZ) Justin Timberlake wants to make it clear -- the explicit picture on Mila Kunis' cell phone -- showing a [male private part] -- is NOT J.T. -- this according to a source close to Justin.

TMZ broke the story ... Mila's cell phone was hacked, and two of the pics the hackers seized showed Justin -- one laying in bed, the other showing Justin with a pair of pink panties over his head.

There is another pic of a [male sex part] but that's it -- there's no torso, no face ... and Justin has made it clear to people close to him -- he NEVER sent such a pic to Mila or to anyone for that matter. - more on this story

Sinead O'Connor Tweets For Suicide Advice

(rock nyc) Sinead O'Connor has been tweeting about her wish to commit suicide. "Psychiatrist says I'm a bad mum and mental for talking so openly about sex in public.

"I wish suicide wud ( kill me. I want to go to heaven so bad. Have for yrs ( But I don't wanna abandon my kids. If I cud (sic) die without them knowing I did it myself I wud.

"I'm so tired. 24 yrs of being treated like a crazy person. Can't manage any more. If any1 knows how I can kill myself without my kids finding out I did it deliberately pls tell me." - more on this story

Charlie Sheen To Get $100 Million Settlement For Two and a Half Men?

(TMZ) Charlie Sheen will immediately get $25 million in his settlement with Warner Bros. in his "Two and a Half Men" dispute, but over time he'll get 5 times that amount ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected with the settlement tell TMZ ... Charlie will get the $25 mil in about two weeks and, as we reported, the sum represents the monies owed him for the work he already performed on the series and the profits that have already accrued.

But Charlie has shot around 180 episodes for the show, and in the next 7 - 10 years, the settlement will produce $100 million for the actor in syndication profits.

Not bad when you don't have to show up for work - more on this story

John Mayer Suffering From Throat Condition

(rock nyc) According to Rolling Stones, John Mayer has been diagnosed with granuloma, a throat condition that may compromise his singing career and has already effected it.

He was forced to cancel his future appearances at the iheartradio Music Festival in Las Vegas and with Tony Bennett in Los Angeles.

The release of his future album will also be seriously delayed as he explained on his blog - Read what he had to say here

Simon Cowell Mocks American Idol Scotty McCreery

(Taste of Country) 'X Factor' creator and judge Simon Cowell has made it clear he wants to top 'American Idol,' and it looks like he's willing to play dirty to get there.

When asked if he could do an American accent outside of late night host Jimmy Kimmel's studios, the former 'Idol' judge turned on his faux-southern charm and offered, "Y'all gonna love this," before coming back with: "I love you this big."

TMZ caught the incident on video, and it's clear by his cocky smirk and the broader context of the unspoken competition of the two singing reality shows that Cowell was not trying to flatter Scotty McCreery. Find the offending comment - in the video here

$20 Million Dollar Kim Kardashian's Sex Tape Offer Rejected

(TMZ) The mystery buyer gunning for Kim Kardashian's sex tape came up short where it matters most ... in the wallet ... because Vivid Entertainment has officially REJECTED his $20 million offer to take the tape off the market.

Vivid honcho Steve Hirsch tells us, "We were offered $20 million for the Kim tape but have decided that we are going to hang on to it ... for now."

He adds, "Although the offer that we ultimately received was substantial, when I realized that it wasn't Kim it became less appealing. Kim is a superstar and if it were to be sold, it should be to her." - more on this story

Sly Stone Homelessness Opens Door To Band Reunion?

(TMZ) Sly Stone's former bandmates tell TMZ ... they were SHOCKED to learn the 68-year-old singer is homeless and using drugs ... but they wanna help the guy ... by inviting him back into the band.

TMZ spoke with Greg Errico -- the band's original drummer -- who tells us he hasn't spoken to Sly since last year when the band reunited for Coachella's 2010 Festival -- and Sly bombed.

But Errico says the band considers Sly a true family member -- and says, "He knows if he ever wants to make music with us again, the door is always open."

Greg tells us the entire band is clean and sober -- and believes Sly could benefit from being around positive influences.

As we previously reported, Sly -- who admitted he has problems with cocaine -- has been living in a van in L.A. ... but insists he wants to go to rehab to clean himself up - more on this story

Beyonce Tops Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s List

Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" has grabbed the top spot on Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s list. They sent over the following details and the full list:

Hosted by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, VH1 will take viewers on a ride to relieve the decade of Y2K with the 5-night, 1-hour special VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s" starting Monday, October 3 at 10/9c.

Additional guest commentators and artists scheduled to appear include Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Rowland, Train, Colbie Caillat, Lil' John, The Plain White T's and more. - See the full list

Court Takes Action Against Man That Threatened To Rape And Kill Justin Bieber's Ex

(TMZ) The machete-wielding man who threatened to rape and kill Justin Bieber's ex-girlfriend Jasmine Villegas has been ordered to stay the hell away from her for the next three years ... TMZ has learned.

17-year-old Villegas -- who starred in Bieber's "Baby" video -- had already obtained a temporary restraining order against Steven Cintron after he posted several alarming YouTube videos, containing numerous violent threats.

Now, an L.A. Superior Court judge has extended the order -- requiring Cintron to stay at least 100 yards away from Villegas for the next three years. Cintron is also banned from posting any more videos about Villegas.

Hopefully, Cintron gets the message -- if he violates the order, he could wind up behind bars. - more on this story

Outkast's Big Boi Arrested For Drugs

(TMZ) Big Boi, rapper for the popular group Outkast, was arrested in Miami on Sunday on charges of drug possession ... TMZ has learned.

According to Miami-Dade County Corrections Department, Mr. Boi (real name Antwan Patton) was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The controlled substances were listed as ecstasy pills, MDMA powder and Viagra. Yes, really. - more on this story

Lady Gaga To Play Amy Winehouse in Movie?

(Gibson) According the U.K. tabloid Daily Star, Lady Gaga is looking to play Amy Winehouse in an upcoming biopic. Tributes have poured in from across the globe following Winehouse's death on July 23. Among those grieving the loss of the talented 27-year-old singer is the chart-topping "Poker Face" diva.

An anonymous "insider" told the tabloid, "Lady Gaga worshipped Amy and would love nothing more than to transform herself into her idol on the big screen. She'd be spot on performing Amy's songs and has got the right look and bolshy attitude. Gaga's been itching to make the transition from music into movies and sees this as the ideal role to launch her film career. Gaga's management team had been discussing possible film ventures before Amy's untimely death. But there's only ever been one role she wants and that's to play Amy."

For her part, Lady Gaga spoke about the loss of her idol: "I am just so devastated and so sad. I really could not speak for 48 hours straight; I was in such shock. She was the most lovely and nice and kind woman." - more on this story

Ashton Kutcher Scores Big With Two and a Half Men

(TMZ) Judging by the audience reaction Friday night, Ashton Kutcher is an instant hit on "Two and a Half Men," and judging by the bottom line, he's being handsomely rewarded with a paycheck that approaches a million bucks an episode.

There are reports that he's raking in $700,000, but we know it's much higher. Ashton is actually getting between $800,000 and $900,000 an episode.

True enough ... Charlie Sheen was making a lot more -- $1.25 million an episode, plus profit sharing which brought him to $2 million per show. We're told Ashton will get the often-elusive "back end" profits as well.

Ashton has instantly become the reigning king of TV in the salary department - more on this story

Gavin DeGraw Out of Hospital Following Violent Attack

(Gibson) Gavin DeGraw has been released from Bellevue Hospital, following treatment for injuries sustained in a violent attack that occurred in New York City in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning. DeGraw suffered a broken nose, a concussion and various cuts and bruises when he was beaten by a group of "marauding goons." Dazed and confused, DeGraw later stumbled into the street and was hit by a taxi.

The day after the incident, DeGraw tweeted the following message to fans: "Hi my friends. Honestly, I don't remember much. I only know I can recover from here. Thank u for your genuine concern. I love u guys."

DeGraw's brother, Joey DeGraw, told the New York Post that the singer-songwriter was not drunk when the incident occurred and that he "had nothing but cranberry juice to drink" that night. The brothers co-own a bar located just blocks from where the attack occurred. DeGraw has cancelled his scheduled concerts and promotional appearances through at least this weekend. He is set to release a new album, titled Sweeter, on September 20. - more on this story

Katy Perry Ties Michael Jackson Record

Katy Perry has tied with Michael Jackson to become the second artist in the 53-year-history of the Hot 100 chart to earn five No. 1 singles off the same album.

Katy hit this historic benchmark when "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" hit no. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart this week giving Katy the distinction of being first female, and only living artist to score five no 1 hits from a single album.

In addition, on August 1st, Katy became the second artist in modern-day BDS chart monitoring to notch six consecutive No. 1 singles: "Waking Up in Vegas," (from 2009's One of the Boys), "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T.," and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." - more on this story

Lil Wayne Busts His Head In Skateboarding Accident

(rock nyc) Lil Wayne ended up in the hospital in St Louis after a skateboarding accident at a local skate park.

Weezy tweeted: "The Lou was good but I busted my … head at the sk8park! 9stitches! Gnarly gash over my left eye! Luv the people,"

Lil Wayne is about to release his new album, The Carter IV. A previous album, The Carter III, was the best-selling album of 2008 and the Grammy Award winner for best rap album of that year. - more on this story

The Game Accused of Assault

(TMZ) The Game has been accused of punching a man in the face in front of a Hollywood nightclub early Tuesday morning ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We're told the rapper has been named in a police report ... filed by a man who claims he was attacked by The Game in front of Colony nightclub.

TMZ obtained footage of the incident -- which shows The Game engaged in a physical altercation ... but it's unclear if the rapper actually threw a punch.

After the initial skirmish, a fired up Game can be seen yelling in frustration -- and was restrained by his friends.

We're told the LAPD is investigating the incident ... but no arrests have been made.

So far, no word from The Game himself -- but people close to the rapper tell us he denies hitting anyone. - more on this story

Amy Winehouse Tried To Deal With Drinking Problem Before Her Death

(rock nyc) The results are in, Amy Winehouse did not have any illegal drugs in her system when she died. This is what said a representative for the family:

'Toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy's system at the time of her death. Results indicate that alcohol was present, but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death.'

Mitch Winehouse, the soul singer's father, said to British media after his daughter's death that she had beaten her drug addiction 3 years before she died, but was still struggling with her drinking problem: 'She was trying hard to deal with her drinking and had just completed three weeks of abstinence, she said, 'Dad I've had enough of drinking. I can't stand the look on your and the family's faces anymore.' - more on this story

Justin Bieber Targeted For Elimination Online

(TMZ) Justin Bieber has been victimized by a brand new cyber-enemy ... an enemy who found a way to get every single one of JB's official music videos REMOVED from YouTube.

It sounds so simple -- a YouTube user who goes by the name iLCreation submitted a copyright claim on each of Bieber's videos ... including the "Baby" video which has over 600 MILLION views.

YouTube has a yank first, ask questions later policy when a copyright claim is made -- so they simply pulled the videos off the site ... until the dispute is resolved.

iLCreation also went after a few Lady Gaga videos -- but only a few of her videos are missing in action.

Bieber's VEVO channel (a dedicated site for music videos) has been completely wiped out for the time being ... but a rep for VEVO tells us, "Someone is making false copyright claims against the Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga channels and YouTube has blocked access to the videos as a result. We are working with YouTube to resolve ASAP." - more on this story

American Idol's Scotty McCreery Explains The Trouble With Girls

American Idol Scotty McCreery has released a new single called "The Trouble With Girls," which is the second single from his debut album, Clear As Day, due Oct. 4.

"It's a really sweet song," Scotty says. "I played it for my sister and I said, 'Would you like to hear what's said in this song?' She said, 'I would love to have a guy say some of this stuff to me.'

"It's talking about how great they are and it's tough for the guy to handle because he just loves it. It has a nice twist to it. It's like the songwriters wrote it just for me." - more on this story