Irish author Maeve Binchy dead at 72
DUBLIN, Ireland, July 31 (UPI) -- Irish writer Maeve Binchy has died in a Dublin hospital after a short illness, her representatives said. She was 72.
Binchy was a journalist who also penned 16 novels. "The Lilac Bus" and "Echoes" were made into TV movies, and "Circle of Friends," "Tara Road" and "How About You" were adapted as feature films. She wrote four collections of short stories, the play "Deeply Regretted By" and the novella "Star Sullivan."
The Irish Times said husband Gordon Snell was with her when she died Monday night. No specific cause of death was disclosed.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins said he was "deeply saddened" to hear of Binchy's death.
"She was an outstanding novelist, short story writer and columnist, who engaged millions of people all around the world with her fluent and accessible style," Higgins said. "She was a great storyteller and we enjoyed her capacity to engage, entertain and surprise us. For others, particularly young and aspiring writers, she was not only a source of great encouragement; but also to so many, of practical assistance. In recent years she showed great courage and thankfully never lost her self-deprecating humor, honesty and remarkable integrity as an artist and human being."
Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny called Binchy "a national treasure."
"Across Ireland and the world people are mourning and celebrating Maeve Binchy. She is a huge loss wherever stories of love, hope, generosity and possibility are read and cherished," Kenny said. "Today as a nation we are thankful for and proud of the writer and the woman Maeve Binchy. I offer my deepest sympathies on behalf of the government and the Irish people to her husband Gordon Snell and extended family."
Binchy is survived by her brother, William, and sister, Joan. She was predeceased by another sister, Renee.
"I don't have any regrets about any roads I didn't take," Binchy wrote in the July 3 edition of The Irish Times. "Everything went well, and I think that's been a help because I can look back, and I do get great pleasure out of looking back. ... I've been very lucky and I have a happy old age with good family and friends still around."
Dennis Hopper's son accused of rape
LOS ANGELES, July 31 (UPI) -- Henry Hopper, the 21-year-old son of the late actor Dennis Hopper, raped a 15-year-old girl in his Venice, Calif., home, her mother alleges in a lawsuit.
TMZ reported Henry Hopper, who also is an actor, is accused of having sex with an underage girl, identified as Jane Doe, after giving her drugs and alcohol.
The lawsuit said Hopper met the girl through a mutual friend in February 2011 and they communicated through Facebook before he invited her to his home where he allegedly "engaged in sexually offensive conduct with her," including sexual intercourse, forced oral copulation and sodomy.
TMZ said it was unclear if the teen reported the allegations to police. She and her mother are suing Hopper for unspecified damages.
Hopper has appeared in the films "Kiss & Tell" and "Restless."
ABC shelves Willard's improv show
LOS ANGELES, July 31 (UPI) -- ABC has taken Fred Willard's improv comedy show "Trust Us With Your Life" off its schedule, the network confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
The low-rated series will be replaced by reruns of the reality competition show "Wipeout," the entertainment industry trade newspaper reported.
The decision to ax "Trust Us..." was made two weeks after the 78-year-old actor was arrested by vice officers conducting a routine walk-through of an adult movie house. Willard was cited for lewd conduct and released from police custody.
PBS fired Willard as narrator of its new "Antiques Roadshow" spinoff "Market Warriors" shortly after the alleged incident.
Appearing on the chat show "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," Willard said he was embarrassed by his arrest but denied any wrongdoing.
Madonna calls Olympia show 'magical'
PARIS, July 31 (UPI) -- U.S. pop star Madonna says her recent concert at the Olympia theater in Paris was a "magical moment" and those who booed her there were "a few thugs."
The singer made headlines July 26 when some audience members turned on her, demanding their money back and calling her a "slut" after she wrapped up her show after 45 minutes.
The concert was added to her tour schedule last week and sold out in hours. Tickets sold for between $99 and $345 for the limited seats.
Although some concertgoers groused about the price of the tickets given the length of the show, Madonna posted a statement on her official Web site Monday offering her point of view.
"Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was real treat to do this special show for my fans and be so close to them. Unfortunately, at the end of the show -- after I left the stage -- a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started throwing plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans. The press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening. But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again," the singer said in her statement.
