People in the news

• Tweet

The latest news on today's hottest celebrities ...

JENNIFER HUDSON: William Balfour was convicted Friday of the 2008 murders in Chicago of three family members of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's family.

He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced.

Balfour, who was married to Hudson's sister Julia, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, as well as aggravated kidnapping, home invasion, residential burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle in the shooting deaths of the Hudson sisters' mother and brother and Julia's 7-year-old son.

Deliberations by the jury of six men and six women began Wednesday evening following 11 days of testimony that included 80 witnesses and 500 pieces of evidence.

Prosecutors alleged Balfour shot his victims to death in a jealous rage because Julia had left him and was dating someone new.

Balfour's lawyers argued police wanted a quick arrest because the case was so high-profile and picked up Balfour even though there was little forensic evidence tying him to the crimes. His legal team said the Hudson sisters' brother Jason was a drug dealer with enemies who could have killed him and his relatives.

ZOOEY DESCHANEL: Zooey Deschanel is to play country music icon Loretta Lynn in a Broadway stage adaptation of "Coal Miner's Daughter," Playbill.com reported.

Lynn announced the casting Thursday from the stage of Nashville's Ryman Auditorium during "Opry Country Classics." She previously invited Sissy Spacek onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1979 to announce she had chosen the actress to portray her in the film "Coal Miner's Daughter."

Lynn handpicked Deschanel, star of TV's "New Girl," for the stage adaptation, Playbill.com said.

"It's a long way from Butcher Holler [in Kentucky] to Broadway in New York City. I never imagined I'd see 'Coal Miner's Daughter' on a movie screen, and now I can't believe it's going to be on a stage for people to see," Lynn said. "I'm going to be right there in the front row. And I know Zooey is going to be great -- she sings and writes her own songs just like I do, and we even have the same color eyes!"

"Loretta Lynn and her music have been inspirations for me for as long as I can remember," said Deschanel. "She is a true legend and to be chosen to play such an iconic woman is a dream come true."

Deschanel has starred in the films "Elf" and "The Good Girl."

The creative team and dates for the production have not been announced yet.

LARK VOORHIES: Former teen idols Jamie Walters, Jeff Timmons, Lark Voorhies, Jeremy Miller, Romeo and Jeremy Jackson are to star in a new U.S. reality series, VH1 said Friday.

"Miss You Much" is an eight-episode series that will give fans opportunities to see what some of their former favorite stars have been up to since they left the spotlight. It is to premiere in September, the cable network said.

Actress-comedienne Catherine Reitman will serve as host of the show.

"'Miss You Much' taps into our viewers' love for 1990s and early '00s nostalgia with engaging, positive updates on the famous faces that were plastered across the teen tabloids and on their bedroom walls," Jeff Olde, executive vice president of original programming and production, said in a statement. "Catherine Reitman is the perfect host, catching up with the idols of her youth with a grown-up's curiosity -- and a kid's geeky, yet reverent enthusiasm."

ADELE: NBC says it plans to air next month a 1-hour special called "Adele Live in London," starring the eight-time Grammy Award-winning British recording artist.

The program is set for broadcast June 3.

"We are thrilled to partner with Adele on her first-ever network special and are excited to give our viewers an opportunity to see this truly phenomenal artist perform live, in her hometown, from the historic Royal Albert Hall in London," Doug Vaughan, senior vice president of special programs and late night for NBC, said in a statement.