UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News

Published: Jan. 9, 2009 at 2:00 PM
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Whitaker, Alley attend Travolta funeral

OCALA, Fla., Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Lisa Marie Presley, Garth Brooks, Forest Whitaker, James Gandolfini and Kirstie Alley were among the 100 or so mourners at Jett Travolta's Florida funeral.

An insider told the Ocala Star-Banner that Brooks' wife Trisha Yearwood and retired baseball icon Cal Ripken Jr. also attended Thursday afternoon's private service at the Jumbolair home of Jett's parents, Hollywood film stars John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

Sixteen-year-old Jett died, reportedly of a seizure, a week ago while on vacation in the Bahamas with his family. He was cremated Monday and his parents brought his ashes home to Florida shortly afterward.

The Star-Banner said Travolta, Preston and their 8-year-old daughter, Ella, arrived for Thursday's memorial after guests were seated in a tent outside the family's home.

Jett's grieving parents both kissed a large photograph of the boy after the service at which a female minister of the Church of Scientology was the only person who spoke, the newspaper said.

No reporters were allowed into the funeral and the family's publicists didn't issue any statements.

However, Whitaker, a close friend of the family who co-starred with Travolta in the films "Phenomenon" and "Battlefield Earth," issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Keisha.

"Our families have had a long, loving friendship and John and Kelly are amazing parents," the statement issued to the Star-Banner said. "We have watched each other's children grow and cannot imagine the loss of Jett. He was a bright and beautiful young man and we are honored to have known him."


BFCA names 'Slumdog' best picture

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The Broadcast Film Critics Association named "Slumdog Millionaire" the best picture of 2008 at its Critics' Choice Awards show in Los Angeles Thursday night.

The film -- about a poor, uneducated man's journey to become the unlikely winner of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" in India -- also earned prizes for best young actor or actress for star Dev Patel; best screenplay for Simon Beaufoy; best director for Danny Boyle; and best composer for A.R. Rahman.

Sean Penn picked up the award for best lead actor for his work in "Milk," and he and his co-stars were named the best acting ensemble.

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway shared the best lead actress prize -- Streep for "Doubt" and Hathaway for "Rachel Getting Married."

The late Heath Ledger earned the prize for best supporting actor for his work in "The Dark Knight" and Kate Winslet took the supporting actress prize for her performance in "The Reader."

"The Dark Knight" won for best action film, "Wall-E" was declared the best animated film and "Tropic Thunder" was named best comedy.

Bruce Springsteen snagged the award for best song for the title track of "The Wrestler."


Early Globes 'winner' was a mistake

HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The Hollywood Foreign Press Association says a Golden Globe nominee was accidentally marked as a winner on its Web site days before the Globes presentation.

"In the process of preparing for Sunday's Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Web team inadvertently marked a nominee as a winner," the HFPA said in a statement on its Web site Thursday. "The mistake was immediately corrected."

The organizers of the Globes did not specify who the posting mentioned, but media reports said Anne Hathaway was indicated as the winner in the lead actress in a drama film category for her work in "Rachel Getting Married."

Hathaway shared the Critics' Choice award for lead actress in a film Thursday night with "Doubt" star Meryl Streep.

The winners of the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards are to be announced Sunday at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast airing on NBC.


Bonet gives birth to third child

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Lisa Bonet's publicist told Usmagazine.com the U.S. actress has given birth to her third child, a son named Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

Bonet, 41, and her Hawaiian actor husband Jason Momoa, 29, are also the parents of Lola Iolani, who was born in July 2007.

The "Life on Mars" and former "Cosby Show" star is also the mother of a 20-year-old daughter named Zoe from her previous marriage to rocker Lenny Kravitz.

Momoa is part of the cast of Sci-Fi Channel's "Stargate: Atlantis."


© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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