Kardashian, Humphries divorce date set
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles judge has set a date for the divorce of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, after the basketball player attempted to delay the trial.
Judge Stephen Moloney said the five-day trial will begin May 6, putting an end to Humphries' attempts to delay the proceedings further due to "uncooperative third parties," E! News reported Friday.
The trial will be heard by Judge Scott Gordon, the same judge who presided over the divorce of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, E! said.
Humphries' lawyer, Marshall Waller had argued for a later trial date because his schedule as a professional basketball player would make it difficult for him to appear in court.
Gordon said that everyone, even firefighters and police officers, has work obligations that can make it difficult to attend court.
Kardashian's lawyer, Laura Wasser, said Humphries should not receive special treatment because of his job.
"Sometimes litigants had to miss a day or two of work," she said.
Meanwhile, another court date is scheduled for April 12 for a mandatory settlement conference required by law before the divorce may proceed, E! reported. Kardashian and Humphries are both required to attend.
Phoenix simulates drowning for PETA ad
HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. actor Joaquin Phoenix said he simulates the act of drowning for a PETA ad to show the "slow, painful" death for fish when they're pulled from the water.
The spot is meant to demonstrate the "frightening" death for "more than 1 trillion fish every year," the ad says.
Phoenix was inspired to become vegan by a fishing outing when he was 3 years old, The Hollywood Reporter reported Friday.
"To this day it is a vivid memory," he said in an interview in 1996. "My family and I were on a boat catching fish. As one fish was caught, he was writhing. Then he was thrown against the side of the boat. You couldn't disguise what it was. This was what we did to animals to eat them. The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death."
Fellowes: Smith's aging helped her
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- "Downtown Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes said actress Maggie Smith may have helped her career by not having plastic surgery to combat aging.
In addition to her acting talent, Fellowes said her natural appearance -- wrinkles and all -- can account for her longevity in a profession famous for showing preference to the young.
Smith, 78, has a career as an actor spanning 60 years, winning awards and accolades like dame commander of the British Empire, CBS News reported Saturday.
Despite her slew of roles over the decades, Smith said she's never received the level of fame she's recently gotten as Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in "Downton Abbey."
"I am familiar to people now, which is what I was not before," she said in an appearance on "60 Minutes" set to air Sunday.
'Boondock Saints' producer Brinker dead
HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- "The Boondock Saints" producer Chris Brinker died while filming his directorial debut in California, The Hollywood Reporter said. He was 42.
The filmmaker was filming pick-up shots for his film "Whiskey Bay" Feb. 8 in Marina Del Ray when he suffered an aortic aneurysm, the publication reported Friday. The film is currently in post-production.
"The Boondock Saints" developed a cult following after its 1999 release and spawned a sequel in 2009, "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day," which Brinker also produced.
Brinker's other credits include "Lonely Street," "The Fix" and "Borough of Kings."
Brinker is survived by his fiance, Erika Bruun-Anderson, his parents, one brother, two sisters, and seven nieces and nephews. A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Officials at the Beaufort International Film Festival are scheduled to posthumously award Brinker with the Robert Smalls Indie Vision Award this week, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
