'Slumdog' actress defends her father
MUMBAI, April 23 (UPI) -- Rubina Ali, a 9-year-old Mumbai girl who appeared in the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," denies her father tried to sell her.
"Access Hollywood" said Rubina and her father, Rafiq Qureshi, have spoken out together and denied a British tabloid's claims that Qureshi sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation for the adoption of his daughter.
"I talked to them in the room," Rubina told CNN of the meeting with supposed representatives of a wealthy family from Dubai, who turned out to be imposters hired by the newspaper for the story.
"My dad said I could meet people if I want to, 'But I will never give my daughter away for any amount of money,'" Rubina quoted him as saying.
While some reports have claimed Qureshi misunderstood the purpose of the meeting because he doesn't speak English well, "Access Hollywood" said undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood defended his story on "Larry King Live."
"It's completely untrue… We have seven hours of tape," Mahmood told King. "It's indisputable. Nothing gets in the News of the World newspaper unless it is 100 percent (true) and this is."
Mahmood said he set the meeting up with Rubina's dad after receiving information about a month ago from someone close to Qureshi who said "that he was interested in selling his child."
"All we did was investigate that and the allegations that were made to me," Mahmood said.
However, police said there is "no evidence of any offense" and declined to arrest Qureshi after questioning him, "Access Hollywood" reported.
Rounds, Anoop eliminated from 'Idol'
LOS ANGELES, April 23 (UPI) -- Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai became the latest contestants bounced from "American Idol" in Los Angeles Wednesday night.
The double elimination came a week after the "Idol" judges opted to use their one-time-per-season save to keep Matt Giraud in the competition after viewers voted him off.
"I am so really disappointed ... I mean I really am. This is all of our dreams, but I have to look on the bright side, I'm going back to Chapel Hill," Desai said upon learning his fate.
Asked at the end of the show if she had anything to say to her three biggest fans, Lil Rounds yelled: "My babies and my husband, I'm coming home! I love you all."
The singer admitted she would miss the friends she made during her "Idol" experience.
"I'm calling them every day, so get ready for it," she said of the five remaining contestants.
David Slade to direct 3rd 'Twilight' flick
LOS ANGELES, April 23 (UPI) -- British film director David Slade has been hired to head up "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," Summit Entertainment announced.
The movie, which will be the third in the franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's iconic vampire romance series, is slated for release June 30, 2010, Variety.com said Wednesday.
Director Chris Weitz recently began shooting "New Moon," the second film in the series, which is set to open in the United States Nov. 20.
Catherine Hardwicke helmed the first "Twilight" movie, which was a blockbuster last year.
Slade's credits include "Hard Candy" and "30 Days of Night."
Thornton surprised by interview furor
LOS ANGELES, April 23 (UPI) -- Actor-musician Billy Bob Thornton said he is surprised by the extensive media attention his recent awkward interview on Canadian radio has been receiving.
Thornton earlier this month declined to answer most questions, gave rambling, inappropriate replies to others, was rude to his interviewer and refused to perform with his Boxmasters band members live on a CBC radio show. He was booked on the show, along with his bandmates, to promote the group's music, but said he was annoyed that the disc jockey had mentioned his acting career on-air.
"The fact that that was news was astounding to me. We're focused on very important things nowadays, but it gave hump-back geeks all over the world something to do for a couple days days ... I do that all the time," Thornton said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Tuesday night. "It's not the first time ... I was doing a show in Germany one time, we were touring over there about 10 years ago with my first solo record, and this woman was told, 'Don't say this, don't say that,' which you have the right to do if you're going to do the show ... . Well, this woman said something that she wasn't supposed to say, and I told her that I received signals from Venus through a metal plate in my head and then, of course, you get calls from all your friends, saying, 'Are you OK?' And I was like: 'Yeah, I'm OK. What are you talking about? I told a DJ to kiss my ass, that's all that happened."
