X17 News

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - According to The Hollywood Reporter, MTV has just greenlit a show with Justin Timberlake and FremantleMedia North America. Timberlake, David Schiff and Cecile Frot-Coutaz are the executive producers, and Maira Suro is the executive overseeing production for MTV.

The Phone is a game show that pits contestants against one another and the clock in order to accomplish a mission and win a cash prizes.

Tony Disanto, executive vice president of programming and series development said, "Genre-busting and reinvention is at the core of what we do, and 'The Phone' does just that. We're turning the reality competition format on its head and plunging the contestants into a real life 'Bourne Identity' - not just in the tone and creative, but also in terms of the visual style and pacing. Each week will be an action packed mini-movie."

FreemantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, "The Phone is an exciting, innovative reality game that will make the viewer feel they're part of an espionage thriller that is gripping to the very end."

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Justin Timberlake will participate in Golf Digest's U.S. Open Challenge at Torrey Pines today, according to The Guardian. Timberlake will play 18 holes at the Torrey Pines course, which is the venue for next week's US Open. He will play his round with Tony Romo, Matt Lauer and John Atkinson, a cancer sufferer who entered the magazine's competition.

When asked about the challenges of the course, Tiger Woods commented, "People don't realize how thick the rough is and how difficult it is controlling the shots. I know Matt and Tony are good players but until they experience it they have no idea."

However, Timberlake "practices every day, has a swing coach and takes his clubs everywhere he goes," according to a spokesperson. Additionally, according to the United States Golf Association, which records the handicap of every amateur in the country, Timberlake plays off three, with his last 20 scores ranging between 76 and 86, which is respectable.

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LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Madonna wants to reunite former lovers Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake on stage during her Sticky & Sweet world tour, according to The Sun.

Madonna has reportedly asked Spears to make a surprise appearance at several of her shows, and Spears has already filmed a video sequence to be played across a large screen during the concerts. However, Madonna is looking to take things to the next level, as she wants Timberlake to make an appearance and perform their duet, 4 Minutes, and a source tells The Sun Madonna even hopes to get both Spears and Timberlake on the same stage for her final show in Miami this November.

A source told The Sun:

“Madonna is always trying to raise the bar and Britney and Timberlake on the same stage would be perfect. They have both been asked but I think both are a bit reluctant. Britney would find it all a bit emotional and JT might not fancy it. More likely is that they both appear on different dates, but if anyone can make this happen it’s Madonna.”

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - A federal appeals court threw out the $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corporation for Janet Jackson accidentally exposing her breast during the the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

The three judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the brief image of nudity. The court issued the following statement:

"The Commission's determination that CBS' broadcast of a nine-sixteenths of one second glimpse of a bare female breast was actionably indecent evidenced the agency's departure from its prior policy. Its orders constituted the announcement of a policy change — that fleeting images would no longer be excluded from the scope of actionable indecency."

The FCC argued that Jackson's nudity (though it lasted a fraction of a second), was graphic and explicit and CBS should have been forewarned. In defense of the FCC fine, CBS said that "fleeting, isolated or unintended" images should not automatically be considered indecent.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake will perform with Madonna at her concert in Los Angeles, according to KIIS-FM.

Ryan Seacrest told listeners Wednesday afternoon about the rumored event.

"If Justin and Britney end up on that stage with her...I don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like that before," said Ryan as he spoke to afternoon DJ Boy Toy Jesse.

If it happens, it would be the first time Britney Spears will have been seen in public with her ex Justin Timberlake in several years. It will also be the first time Spears has performed with Madonna since the two shared a controversial kiss in the opening act of MTV's Video Music Awards in 2003.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - The rumors turned out to be true, as Britney Spears made a surprise appearance onstage with Madonna at Dodger Stadium Thursday night.

Wearing a white ruffled top and wide-leg black pants, Spears followed Madonna on to the stage before taking the microphone announcing, "It's Britney, bitch."

The pair performed Madonna's song "Human Nature." As Spears finished up her performance, Madonna gave her a hug and kissed her on the hand.

But that wasn't the only big name joining Madonna on stage. Near the end of the show, Justin Timberlake took the stage to perform his duet with Madonna "4 Minutes."

There were a number of Celebrities on hand in the audience, they included Fergie, Drew Barrymore, Heidi Klum, Nicole Ritchie and Jennifer Lopez.

During the concert, Madonna also took the opportunity to offer a bit of political insight, in light of the controversy surrounding California’s Proposition 8, the state's ban on gay marriage which was passed this week.

“If we can elect an African-American as president, we can support gay marriage! Defeat Prop 8! We will not give up!” she told the audience.

Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour heads next to Las Vegas for two nights at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Justin Timberlake, Travis Barker and Christina Aguilera will appear on the upcoming TRL Finale, according to MTV.

MTV also revealed that Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Nelly and JC Chasez will be there, along with previously announced guests 50 Cent, Fall Out Boy, Ludacris, the Backstreet Boys and Beyonce who will all make one last visit to the show's Times Square studios to mark the influential show's end.

Travis Barker will appear via satellite to share some of his favorite "TRL" memories. It will be Barkers first appearance on MTV since surviving a plane crash in September.

TRL will also be bringing back former hosts and VJ's including Lyndsey Rodrigues, Vanessa Minnillo, Dave Holmes, Jesse Camp, Hilarie Burton, La La Vasquez and Quddus.

"Total Finale Live", as MTV is calling the show, airs live Sunday, Nov. 16th.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Justin Timberlake is being sued by an employee of his New York City restaurant, claiming he wasn't paid a legal wage.

Felipe Ramales, 26, claims in a federal lawsuit that he worked for Timberlake's Southern Comfort restaurant for about a year before he left in June.

The suit alleges Ramales and other workers didn't get their proper share of a gratuity charge that the Upper East Side restaurant automatically collected from parties with six or more diners.

Ramales also claims he wasn't paid overtime.

A manager at the restaurant, Chris Russell, told the Associated Press the lawsuit was "baseless."

Russell claims staff members received every dime of their tips, and busboys were paid well over the legal minimum wage.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - The US Government is asking the Supreme Court to reinstate a half million dollar fine for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the half-time show of 2004's Super Bowl broadcast.

During the performance with Justin Timberlake, Jackson's breast was briefly exposed triggering a flood of complaints to the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC initially imposed a $550,000 fine against CBS. After a 3 year legal battle, a federal court reversed the decision, saying CBS could not be held liable for Jackson's actions.

Now the government is asking the court to consider "whether the court of appeals erred in holding that the federal communications commission acted arbitrarily and capriciously (...) in determining that the most widely viewed broadcast public nudity in television history fell within the federal prohibitions on broadcast indecency."

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - With a little more than one month of freedom left before he begins serving a one year jail sentence for a weapons conviction, rapper T.I. was in Lancaster Calif. filming a music video with Justin Timberlake on Thursday.

The video is for the duo's collaboration "Dead And Gone."

The rural local was a bit unexpected for the urban life-themed track.

"We were surprised to find the crew in the middle of nowhere on the road to Las Vegas, shooting a video for two of the biggest names in music," an X17online photographer said.

Dressed in tailored black, double-breasted cashmere coat with a fur collar, Timberlake and T.I. danced in large field surrounded by electrical towers.

"T.I. and Justin appeared to really get along. They were telling jokes and laughing with the cameras stopped rolling."

T.I. is scheduled to begin serving a one year sentence for weapons violations at the end of March.

NEW YORK, New York (X17online) - Justin Timberlake appeared on Saturday Night Live, and in a skit set in the 1800s, he played Cornelius Timberlake, a great-great-grandfather to Justin who, as luck would have it, could predict the future.

When asked what his relative would accomplish, Timberlake joked about some of his own songs ("He'll bring sexy back!"), and added that he would be a "handsome millionaire."

Of course, it wouldn't be a good SNL skit without a jab at Justin's famous ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears.

Timberlake quipped, "I'd like to think that at first, he'll date a popular female singer. Publicly, they'll claim to be virgins. But privately, he'll hit it."

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LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - If you think Jessica Biel is in a hurry for Justin Timberlake to "put a ring on it," you'd be wrong!

"I have no idea if I want to get married. I have a lot to do, career-wise," Biel says in the June issue of Allure.

But it's not Justin's fame that keeps Jess from wanting to walk down the aisle.

"I mean, you love who you love! It's not like you meet somebody one day and say, 'OK, I'm not going to put up with his fame!' or 'Yes, I am going to put up with his celebrity,'" says Jess. "You can't choose that. It just happens to you."

But it might be her high-profile relationship that's standing in the way of her career goals.

“I just want an opportunity,” Jessica complains. “If you don’t like the audition, then don’t hire me! But if you don’t want to even see me – that’s hurtful.

She also thinks her beauty prevents her from being taken seriously as an actress.

“Yeah, it really is a problem,” she admitted. “I have to be blunt.”

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LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - After the split rumors began to surface, and after catching Justin Timberlake leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel with a mystery woman over the weekend, it looks like Jessica Biel has had enough!

After lunching with this mystery gal, Justin went to play golf with his friends at the green in Toluca Lake, but earlier that morning, Justin's assistant took his dogs for a walk and our photographers noted that it was just his canines and not Jessica's pit bull Tina! This is the first time in a year we've seen just Justin's two dogs out and about, and it appears as though Tina is no longer living at the home Jessica shares with Justin.

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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (X17online) - Justin Timberlake played a close buddy to one of Harvard's most famous students in the Social Network , and now he's headed to Cambridge Mass. to pick up a Hasty Pudding Man of the Year award.

JT will pick up the award at Harvard Feb. 5, and he revealed to students in a press conference: “Secretly I always wanted to attend college and I didn’t get the chance to do that.”

The Yogi Bear star brought his mom and girlfriend, Jessica Biel, along for the ceremony. The theatrical group on campus, which dates back to 1844, gives the prestigious award to two influential celebs each year. Timberlake will receive the award with Anne Hathaway, who is named the group's Woman of the Year.

NEW YORK, New York (X17online) - Justin Timberlake will host Saturday Night Live for the first time in two years, according to a tweet from the show.

Tina Fey is hosting the May 7th episode. A fan tweeted asking if May 7th would be the season finale, and SNL's official feed responded, "Nope! We have Timberlake after that!"

Timberlake has been part of some of SNL's most memorable skits and shorts in recent years, including the parody of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and the Emmy-winning "D--- in a Box." He appeared in the show's 36th season premiere in September, but hasn't hosted since May 9, 2009. He won an Emmy for that hosting stint.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Horrible Bosses didn't have a horrible weekend at the box office.

The R-rated comedy, starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Colin Farrell and Kevin Spacey, opened to $28.1 million, easily outpacing expectations. The flick cost just $37 million to produce.

Though it was a big win for Horrible Bosses, it still came in second to Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The action-adventure juggernaut has now grossed $261 million domestically and is the number two movie of the year behind Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Kevin James' newest movie, Zookeeper, also opened this weekend, coming in third with $21 million.

Cars 2 and Bad Teacher rounded out the top 5. The Pixar flick grossed $26.9 million this weekend, for a total of $121.6 million domestically since its opening, while the Cameron Diaz comedy rang in another $9 million, making its total $78.8 million.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Captain America: The First Avenger took the top spot at the box office this weekend, knocking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to number two.

The Paramount and Marvel Studios flick, starring Chris Evans, took in an estimated $65.8 million domestically. The numbers were in line with the other big superhero movie of the summer, Thor, which grossed $65.7 million its first weekend.

Harry Potter dropped 72% from its record-breaking debut weekend, bringing in $48.1 million.

Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis' romcom Friends with Benefits debuted in the number three spot with $18.5 million.

The head of distribution for Paramount, Dan Harris, said Captain America exceeded expectations. The film has successfully set up fans for next summer's mega-superhero movie The Avengers.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco has been tapped to host the 13th Annual Teen Choice Awards.

Selena Gomez & The Scene, OneRepublic and Jason Derulo will all perform at the awards show, according to Fox.

Attendees expected include Justin Bieber, Cameron Diaz, Thor's Chris Hemsworth, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Victorious' Victoria Justice, Ed Helms, Pretty Little Liars' Lucy Hale, Shaun White, Bridesmaids' Rose Byrne, The Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley and Kat Graham, Harry Potter's Tom Felton, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Nikita's Shane West.

Nominees for the final category, Choice Vampire, were also announced. Up for the award are Vampire Diaries' Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder, The Twilight Saga's Robert Pattinson and Nikki Reed, and True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård.

Host Cuoco is nominated for Choice TV Actress: Comedy while her show is up for Choice TV Show: Comedy, but the biggest nominee of the night is The Twilight Saga: Eclipse with 12 nods. Fans can still vote for the second wave of awards through August 5.

The Teen Choice Awards will air live at 8/7 CT August 7 on Fox.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Pop star-turned-actor Justin Timberlake has been cast as Casablanca Records co-founder Neil Bogart in an upcoming biopic.

The film, titled Spinning Gold, will follow Bogart’s rise to success as a record executive who put artists like KISS, Donna Summer, and the Village People on the map.

“This is saga about a young dreamer who started with nothing and came of age in the ’60s and ’70s, believing anything was possible and every risk was worth taking,” Bogart’s son and the film’s screenwriter, Tim Bogart, told Deadline.

Timberlake will also produce the flick, which comes from Boardwalk Films.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Justin Timberlake has received the Futures Award at the Environmental Media Association Awards in Los Angeles.

Timberlake was honored for his “environmental commitment and activism,” evidenced by his creation of an eco-friendly golf course in Memphis, TN and his efforts to make his concert tours greener.

Other honorees at the ceremony included Warner Bros.’ animated flick Yogi Bear, WestMidWest Productions’ documentary Revenge of the Electric Car, Fox’s Futurama, CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, HGTV’s Green Home 2011, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher and Nickelodeon's Bubble Guppies.