Spike Lee Plans Michael Jackson Documentary

"I'm more than just a huge fan of Michael Jackson, and having the chance to actually know him and work with him, I deeply care about his legacy," Spike said in an official statement, adding that the stories enabled him to "uncover just what made this such a huge, important coming of age in [Jackson's] career and unearth compelling stories surrounding the making of the album... the short films and the tour that may have never seen the light of day." more on this story

Jennifer Lopez Hints At Leaving American Idol

(popmusiclife) Now that Steven Tyler has announced his departure from American Idol, all eyes are turning to Jennifer Lopez to see what the pop star's future holds with the reality series.

On Thursday, Lopez appeared on NBC's Today show to promote her voice work in the new animated film, "Ice Age: Continental Drift," which opens Friday across North America.

In addition to the film, NBC host Natalie Morales asked J. Lo what her plans are in terms of coming back for a third season of Idol. "I know everybody wants that definite 'yes' or 'no,' and ... all I can let you in on is my own thought process with it, because that's where I truly am," added Jennifer. "And the truth is, I love everybody. I love all the guys on the show. I love the family that's there. Like I said, I've just enjoyed it so much. But I am thinking that maybe it's time for me to go and do other things that I really love to do." Watch her interview here for more on this topic.

Stagehand Vs Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block

(TMZ) You're not the only one who thought last year's Backstreet Boys/New Kids on the Block tour was painful -- a stagehand claims he was nearly killed before a concert ... after falling through a hole ... and now, he's suing the bands.

William Wesley Styron filed the lawsuit in Tennessee, claiming he was hired to set up for the boy bands' show at Fedex Forum in Memphis on June 20th, 2011.

According to the lawsuit, Styron was going about his duties when he accidentally stepped into a hole in the stage ... and plummeted 13 feet to the ground ... fracturing his skull and causing "traumatic brain injury."

Styron claims he suffered a "loss of consciousness, seizures, and convulsions" during the accident before someone called 911 -- and he was rushed to the hospital.

According to the suit, it all could have been avoided -- but there was nothing in place to warn Styron about the stage's hazardous conditions ... no signs ... no cones ... nothing.

Styron says the accident cost him tons in medical bills -- and now he wants at least $5 MILLION.

NKOTBSB has already denied the allegations -- claiming the accident was Styron's fault for not looking where he was going. more on this story

Britney Spears X Factor Promo Goes Online

(popmusiclife) The X Factor has issued a new ad for its season premiere this fall. The reality series gears up for the show's 2nd US season, which features new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato alongside L.A. Reid and program producer Simon Cowell.

"I wanna know who let you on stage," Spears tells one singer, and "you're really hot" to another in the commercial.

The program is continuing its cross-country auditions in preparation for the fall launch. Watch the promo here.

L.A. City Councilman's 911 Call Over Justin Bieber Car Chase Goes Online

(TMZ) TMZ has obtained the urgent 911 call placed by L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine -- moments after Justin Bieber blew past him on the 101 Freeway last Friday in his sports car ... allegedly breaking the 100mph barrier.

During the call, Zine tells the operator there's "a crazy chase going down" -- with 5 or 6 vehicles led by Justin Bieber ... "cutting off cars" and "weaving in and out" of traffic at breakneck speeds. Zine says they're "driving like maniacs."

Zine previously told us Bieber was going at least 100mph on the freeway -- but on the 911 tape, Zine says Bieber's going around 90.

You'll recall, Bieber was being chased by paparazzi as he flew down the freeway, weaving from lane to lane. Zine -- a former LAPD motor cop -- told us if he were on patrol he would have arrested the singer for reckless endangerment.

The CHP responded to Zine's call and a few miles down the Freeway Justin was stopped and cited for going 80.

One of the paparazzi in the chase is currently being investigated for harassment. Listen to the 911 call here.

Tom Cruise Didn't Settle Divorce To Hide Secrets

(TMZ) Tom Cruise did NOT settle his divorce with Katie Holmes because he feared she might spill secrets about the actor -- this according to Tom's lawyer.

Attorney Bert Fields scoffs at reports claiming Tom was fearful of what Katie might reveal, telling TMZ, "Tom had nothing to hide and did nothing in the agreement to hide anything. People are just making this stuff up."

As for the child custody arrangement, it appears Tom will indeed have the "significant" contact with Suri that we reported about last week. Fields said, "Tom will definitely have a meaningful relationship with his daughter, but I can't talk about specifics of the agreement."

Fields said Tom's primary concern in the settlement was Suri and added Tom was "pleased we could work out how Suri will be treated and dealt with."

And, on the subject of Katie Holmes, Fields said, "I don't think Tom is bitter. He's sad it came to this," adding, "The media firestorm which is replete with bogus information is unpleasant for him." more on this story

Charlie Sheen Twit No More?

(TMZ) Charlie Sheen is about to give nearly 8 million people a giant kiss-off -- he's shutting down his Twitter account ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former warlock say @charliesheen will close up shop within days, or possibly mere hours ... because Charlie feels like he's not getting anything out of the social network. No offense to his 7,707,791 followers, we're sure.

Charlie started his Twitter page on March 1, 2011 -- back in his crazed "winning" days -- and attracted more than a million true believers in 48 hours. For the record ... his first tweet was a pic of Charlie with his then-goddess Bree Olsen.

What will his last tweet be? Stay tuned ... more on this story

Producer Alleges Attack From Brendan Fraser

(TMZ) Brendan Fraser unleashed TWO physical attacks on one of the producers of a movie he is set to star in ... so says the producer who is now suing the movie star ... TMZ has learned.

The man who filed the suit is Todd Moyer -- one of the producers on the movie "The Legend of William Tell" ... a movie that has been in the works since 2011.

In his suit, Moyer claims he was hanging out at the Hilton Hotel in Indianapolis on July 27, 2011 ... when an "intoxicated" Brendan Fraser began to "physically push, verbally threaten and poke [Moyer] in the chest repeatedly." Moyer doesn't specify what led to the alleged attack.

But six months later ... on January 31, 2012 ... Moyer says Fraser struck again -- this time during a meeting about the movie at the offices of Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

According to Moyer, Fraser demanded that Moyer hire a producer named Charlotte Huggins to work on "Tell" ... but Moyer refused. That's when Fraser allegedly went nuts -- screaming threats and striking Moyer in the chest at least 20 times.

Moyer said he suffered extreme mental anguish and physical pain -- and wants at least $25k in damages. more on this story

Usher Tried To Settle Battle With Tameka in Wake of Jet Ski Accident?

(TMZ) Usher has changed his tune and now wants to up his ante to settle his epic child support/custody war with Tameka Raymond after the jet ski accident that left his stepson Kyle brain dead ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... Usher spoke with Tameka over the weekend and suggested that they settle up, but he did not significantly change his offer -- 50/50 custody with a very slight increase in child support. Tameka said no way.

But apparently Usher softened after the conversation, because our sources say he met with his lawyers earlier this week and instructed them to craft a new proposal that would give Tameka "a majority" of custody, though the sources did not specify the exact breakdown. We're told Usher is also raising his child support offer "significantly."

As for Usher's motivation ... we're told he's very conscious that Tameka is suffering and it's not a good move to continue the fight under the circumstances.

We're told the offer has not been presented to Tameka yet, but our sources say she's open to a "reasonable settlement." more on this story

Melissa Etheridge Streaming New Song Online

Melissa Etheridge's new studio album, 4th Street Feeling, doesn't hit stores until September 4th but she is giving fans a taste of what's to come with a stream of the song "Falling Up." Her camp sent over this background on the track:

"Falling Up," Etheridge says, was written after a long night out. "I was getting ready to go to bed and I picked up my guitar and it was in D-tuning," she recalls. "And I just started coming up with the music. I thought, 'Isn't that fun? I just want to clap my hands to that song. I'm gonna write to that.'"

So the next day Etheridge fleshed out the song. She says the track was one way she could express her lifelong affection for "roots" music. "That's where I've came from and I've always loved," the native Kansan says. "The first bands that I was in were country bands. I was singing Tammy Wynette songs and Loretta Lynn." The song was also a positive emotional release for the songwriter and mother of four. "It was a feel-good thing," she explains. "It's about me moving on, feeling good, I'm falling up. I might be learning these lessons hard. They might be coming hard and fast to me but I'm falling up. I'm going somewhere good." Listen to the song here.

Twin Atlantic Deliver Yes, I Was Drunk Video

Twin Atlantic have released a new music video for their brand new single, "Yes, I Was Drunk," which comes from their album, Free.

The single package will be released on 27th August and will also include a remix of 'Yes, I Was Drunk' by Draper, a brand new remix of the single "Free," and the music video for "Yes, I Was Drunk".

The video, directed by Michael Baldwin (Travis, Royskopp), is available to watch right here.

Matisyahu Lines Up Special Events For Album Release

Matisyahu plans a busy week next week to celebrate the release of his new album, Spark Seeker, which hits stores next Tuesday, July 17th.

Matisyahu kicks off release week this Sunday, July 15th, throwing the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the San Diego Padres game, after a brief performance on the field of two new songs from the album.

He will be doing an in-store acoustic performance at Amoeba on July 16th at 6:00pm PST. Following the performance, there will be a signing and photo session with anyone who purchases the album. This event is free and open to the public, but there is limited capacity.

Also, on July 17th, Matisyahu is taking the stage at Jimmy Kimmel LIVE for the first late-night TV performance of his single "Sunshine" which is currently No. 2 on the Reggae Charts.

Matisyahu returns to his hometown of New York City on July 20th to perform a live webcast on YouTube.com/Presents at 3:00pm EST from YouTube's headquarters. The live streaming performance will include songs from his new album followed by a Q&A interview. To win tickets to the performance, go here.

Frankie J To Tour With Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez

Frankie J will be hitting the road with Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez for the U.S. dates of their North American tour this summer.

The 26-date tour kicks off this weekend with back-to-back shows in Montreal, QB. Frankie J will join the tour beginning with the July 20th Newark, NJ date.

"I am super excited to join Enrique and Jennifer on this adventure. They are global superstars and I am honored that they invited me to be a part of their tour. I look forward to performing for my fans across the country. See you soon!" commented Frankie J. more on this story

Dussel Has Friends Release New Video and Offer Free Song Download

Dussel Has Friends have released a new music video for their track "American Made".

The video, which was conceptualized and edited by DHF's frontman James Donald, can be seen here.

The band is also offering the track as a free download, which can be found on their Soundcloud page here along with five other free tracks from Dussel Has Friends. more on this story

Michael McDermott Sets New Album Release

Rock Ridge have set an September 25, 2012 release date for Michael McDermott's new album, Hit Me Back.

It was produced by CJ Eiriksson (who engineered albums for U2 and Matchbox 20, as well as McDermott's 2007 album Noise From Words).

For fans in Austin, McDermott is planning a residency at the Saxon Pub in September and October. more on this story

Former WWE Champ Plans Real Fight

(TMZ) It's been A LONG time in the making ... but former WWE heavyweight champion Batista has FINALLY booked his first real deal MMA fight ... TMZ has learned.

Batista has been training to get in the ring for years ... and got REALLY close to fighting in the Strikeforce league back in 2010 -- but the deal fell apart.

But now it's on for real -- the 43-year-old powerhouse signed with the CES MMA league -- and is all set up to fight on October 6 at the Duncan Doughnuts Theater in Providence, Rhode Island.

We're told Batista -- 6'6" and 290 lbs -- will square up against some dude named Rashid Evans ... not to be confused with UFC hurt-maker Rashad Evans.

Sources connected to the deal tell us ... the fight WILL be televised ... but it's unclear which provider will broadcast the fight. more on this story

Kate Upton Underage Drinking Denied

(TMZ) Kate Upton sucking down an ice cold beer at a baseball game might be every man's fantasy -- but the 20-year-old supermodel says she was NOT boozing illegally ... despite a suspicious video clip.

Kate was at a Detroit Tigers game on July 6th -- in Tigers ace Justin Verlander's luxury suite -- when TV cameras spotted her toasting friends with a sudsy beverage.

We all know the formula -- baseball game + luxury box + sudsy beverage = BEER! But Kate's rep insists that's not what happened ... telling TMZ underaged Kate was not drinking beer, and was only there to take in the game with a friend. The rep would not say what Kate was drinking.

A rep for the Tigers assured us "all patrons who appear to be under 30 years old are ID'd."

No doubt, Kate looks way under 30.

As for Kate being in Verlander's box, and the rumors they're dating -- her rep refused to comment. more on this story

Peyton Manning Buys Denver Mansion

(TMZ) Peyton Manning is taking his first big step as a brand new Denver Bronco -- TMZ has learned, the star quarterback just purchased a multi-million dollar mansion in a ritzy suburb outside the Mile High City.

Real estate sources tell TMZ, Peyton -- who split with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this year -- closed the deal Monday for the 16,000 square foot home in the exclusive Cherry Hills Village, agreeing to pay $4,575,000.

The house has 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 7 car garage, a gated entrance, a panic room ... and a freaking elevator.

But Peyton won't have a problem affording the place -- the guy signed a 5-year contract with the Broncos on March 20th ... worth $96 MILLION.

Tebow, who? more on this story

Tom Cruise Didn't Pay Katie Holmes Lump Sum in Divorce Settlement

(TMZ) Tom Cruise did not pay Katie Holmes a lump sum in his divorce settlement, but he will pay handsomely in the child support department ... sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ.

Our well-connected sources tell us ... reports that Katie scored $50 million are "ridiculous." We're told she did not get a lump sum of money at all. As we previously reported, Katie signed a prenup which gave her goose eggs by ending the marriage. And, sources connected with Katie have been telling us from day 1 that she was not after his money. As one source put it, "She has her own money."

We do know, however, that Tom is paying "a lot of money" in the form of child support. Tom will be making regular payments for 12 years. Our sources say all tolled, Tom will be paying "more than $10 million" in child support, though no one would be more specific. more on this story