Advertisement

People in the news

By United Press International
Jeremy Renner arrives for the "Mission:Impossible Ghost Protocol" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on December 19, 2011. UPI /Laura Cavanaugh
Jeremy Renner arrives for the "Mission:Impossible Ghost Protocol" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on December 19, 2011. UPI /Laura Cavanaugh | License Photo

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

JEREMY RENNER: Jeremy Renner's publicist says the actor witnessed, but was not involved in, a melee at a bar in Thailand Thursday.

Advertisement

The star of "The Hurt Locker" has been in the region shooting his new thriller "The Bourne Legacy."

The Phuket Gazette reported Thursday the 31-year-old film star suffered minor injuries when his friends got involved in a brawl with six employees at a Phuket tavern. The bar staffers were subsequently arrested for their roles in the fight during which weapons including clubs and a homemade ax were used, the Thai newspaper said.

Patron Vorasit Issara, general manager of Sri Panwa Resort, sustained the worst injuries, with a stab wound to the stomach and slashed neck, the report said.

"Jeremy Renner was indeed in a bar in Phuket, Thailand, as a vicious attack on a patron took place, but was not injured or involved," his representative said in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter.

Advertisement

The statement said Renner left the bar when the trouble started and has since resumed work in Manila, Philippines.

Renner can currently be seen in the blockbuster "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol."


JESSICA CHASTAIN: Jessica Chastain, who starred in some of the most celebrated films of 2011, is to make her Broadway debut in "The Heiress," the play's producers said.

The award-winning actress appeared in "The Debt," "Take Shelter," "Coriolanus" and "The Tree of Life" last year, and was recently nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for her performance in the 2011 release "The Help."

Producers Paula Wagner, Roy Furman and Stephanie P. McClelland said Thursday Chastain will head up the cast of the revival of Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz's drama "The Heiress" this fall.

Based on the 19th century Henry James novel "Washington Square," the production comes 17 years after the play was last seen on Broadway.

"I was immediately struck by Jessica's talent and skill when I saw her on stage opposite Al Pacino in 'Salome,'" Wagner said in a statement. "She is an actress with that rare ability to transition effortlessly between the stage and screen. ['Heiress' director] Moises Kaufman had the vision to see Jessica as the perfect actress to play one of the great psychologically complex female characters."

Advertisement

"Jessica Chastain is a great actress with chameleon-like prowess and enormous emotional intelligence; I think she's one of the best actresses of her generation. I'm thrilled to be working with her on 'The Heiress,'" Kaufman said.

-0-

KERI RUSSELL: Keri Russell's representative says the actress has given birth to a daughter in New York.

Baby Willa Lou is the second child for the former "Felicity" star and her husband, Shane Deary. They are also the parents of a 4-year-old son named River.

"Everyone's happy and healthy," the actress' publicist told People.com Thursday, adding the baby was born Dec. 27.


MARC ANTHONY: American singer Marc Anthony, who recently split from his wife, Jennifer Lopez, has confirmed via Twitter he is dating Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima.

Anthony, 43, and Lopez, 42, separated in July after seven years of marriage. They have 3-year-old twins -- a boy and a girl -- together.

Since the breakup, Lopez has been dating 24-year-old backup dancer Casper Smart.

UsMagazine.com said Anthony posted a message in Spanish to De Lima, 24, on Twitter Tuesday that said, translated into English: "To Shannon, my statue of liberty. Kisses baby!"

Advertisement

Anthony's adopted son, Chase Muniz, mentioned the relationship in his own tweet.

"To all my followers and all Twitter peeps, follow the best couple of 2012 and for many for years Marc Anthony and Shannon De Lima!" UsMagazine.com said Muniz posted via Twitter.

Latest Headlines