Blunt's Lawyer Blunts Criminal Charges
Singer James Blunt won't be charged in an alleged hit-and-run incident back in February, TMZ has learned.
Blunt's attorney, Steven M. Cron, tells us, "Allegations that a member of the paparazzi was the victim of a hit-and-run by James Blunt have been investigated by the LAPD... and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has rejected the filing of any charges against Mr. Blunt."
At the time of the incident, several witnesses said that Blunt, who was with model/ex-girlfriend Petra Nemcova, drove an SUV over a man's leg while pulling away from a Hollywood party. The alleged victim was thought to be an autograph seeker, but is actually a member of the paparazzi.
Blunt, who is currently in Los Angeles recording the follow up to his chart-topping debut, Back to Bedlam, has since swapped his SUV for a sweet Hybrid Technologies electric Mini Cooper.
Eddie Gets 'Crashie' From Jimmy K.
Eddie Griffin collected a trophy for his high profile Ferrari crash -- but it's not necessarily an honor.
On last night's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Jimmy gave the questionable road menace a Crashie Award for "Best Celebrity Driver" for his totaling of an Enzo at a charity event this past Monday. Kimmel explained that past winners included the car-seat phobic Britney Spears, and Billy Joel, who once crashed into a house.
Ever appreciative, Griffin thanked "the producer (whose Ferrari was the one he totaled), the director and the manufacturer, 'cuz I'm still here."
So what's next for Griffin now that he's won the coveted golden award? "I'm going to Disneyland!"
Was Griffin's Crash a Hoax?
Eddie Griffin's ultra-expensive crash in a $1.5 million Ferrari Enzo has been all over television and the Internet today, but could the pricey wipeout really be a brilliant marketing ploy?
In the video obtained by CBS2 News in Los Angeles, it shows the car slamming into a concrete barricade. But, to quote Dr. Henry Lee from the O.J. Simpson case, "Something wrong."
Roll the video and take a close look at the guy standing next to the concrete barrier. He doesn't even flinch as the car comes near. Also, it's pretty interesting that after the crash, Griffin joked it up, saying, "Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the brother can't drive."
This isn't the first time that one of Daniel Sadek's high-priced cars have been wrecked. During production of his movie, "Redline," two of the producer/real estate investor's expensive Porsche Carrera GTs were totaled during filming. One of the collisions was designed as a stunt. The other was an accident.
UPDATE: Eddie Griffin's publicist, Lori Jonas, told TMZ, "It was not a hoax. Eddie was racing for a charity to promote his upcoming film, "Redline." He got in an accident. He is suffering from neck and shoulder pain as a result of the accident. It was in no way a hoax."
"Undercover Brother" Crashes $1.5 Million Ferrari
Comedian Eddie Griffin saw his life (and his bank account) flash before his eyes Monday after he smashed a $1.5 million Ferrari Enzo into a concrete wall during a charity event at Irwindale Speedway, leaving the ultra-expensive sports car a smoking pile of twisted metal.
The high-speed collision, captured on tape by KCBS in Los Angeles took place during rehearsals for a charity event called "Race for a Cause." Griffin, who starred in "Undercover Brother" and "Norbit," left the crash scene in an ambulance, although he did not suffer any serious injuries and seemed to be in good spirits.
The luxury automobiles used in the charity event were part of a promotion for the film "Redline," a movie about the high-end world of high-performance sports cars.
Parked Paps Stakeout Britney
With Britney Spears out of rehab and holed up in her Malibu compound, an SUV convoy of paparazzi has set up shop outside her home, waiting to catch that fir$t bald-headed glimpse of the clean and sober pop princess. Ka-ching!
While a lot may have changed for Britney, the photogs' love for her sure hasn't!
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LAPD Investigating James Blunt's 'Hit & Run'
TMZ has learned that the LAPD has opened an investigation into a late night car accident involving singer James Blunt and supermodel Petra Nemcova, and have officially classified it as a "hit and run."
According to several witnesses, James drove their black SUV over the leg of an autograph seeker as the couple slowly pulled away from a Hollywood party Friday night.
According to police, LAPD has not yet "identified" the driver of the vehicle during the accident (?), however, TMZ ran a photo of Blunt in the driver's seat!
A rep for Blunt tells TMZ that, despite reports to the contrary, the person run over "wasn't a fan" and says, "It was a ton of paparazzi that were all swarming [James'] car as he was driving two MPH trying to navigate his way through them... They were invading his space. He was just trying to quietly leave the party." She adds that James is "looking into the matter and will cooperate."
Lindsay: Dump Some Bum Chums
Lindsay Lohan will have a hard time staying clean and sober if she doesn't have a strong support group after rehab. That means she'll need to surround herself with an entirely new entourage -- who won't enable her addiction.
Just before entering rehab, our spies caught Lindsay "dining" with friends at Orso in Los Angeles. Lohan ordered a salad, and barely touched a leaf. When she ordered a cocktail and was asked to show her ID, Linds recoiled and asked for a water instead. Our spy then watched as her friends ordered drink after drink for her -- which Lohan consumed. After lunch, Lindsay jumped into her Mercedes convertible and sped off with the stereo blaring.
Hopefully, after her visit to Wonderland, she'll be attending only tea parties with a better group of friends.
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Who's Pissed Off At Nicole!?
Nicole Richie may have patched things up with Paris Hilton, but she still has at least one enemy out there.
TMZ spotted Richie's car while she ate at The Ivy, and it looks as though someone keyed the s**t out of it. Deep scratches on the passenger side doors of her Mercedes didn't seem to faze the key-thin Richie, who appeared happy as she emerged from the posh eatery.
Now who would want to do a thing like that?
Tommy Shops His New Ride
It's said that men buy sportscars to compensate for another, er, shortcoming. We know from a memorable video that's not the case with tatted-up rocker Tommy Lee.
The legendary Motley Crue drummer hit up the Claus Ettensberger Showroom in West Los Angeles on Friday, trying to decide between a $750,000 Porsche and a $320,000 Ferrari. It's hard to find a bargain in the city.
The Ferrari is a Novitec model and is one of only four of its kind in the U.S., and the Porsche can reach speeds up to 240mph. Perhaps Tommy Lee should do a reality show and let America decide which car he should buy -- "Rock Star: Supercharger!"
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Bye Bye Bye: Justin Peels Out in a Bentley
Justin Timberlake knows how to ride in style.
The pop star was spotted leaving a casual business lunch at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood yesterday, and getting into a beautiful blue Bentley Continental GT, a coupe with an MSRP value over $171,000 -- not too shabby!
Timberlake doesn't appear all too interested about his toy though, in fact he looked rather glum as an excited female valet let him know how much she loves his car.
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George Michael Busted in His Car ... Again
LONDON (AP) -- George Michael was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana after police found him slumped over the steering wheel of his car in London, authorities said Monday.
Michael was arrested after police responded to complaints that a car was blocking an intersection in North London at 3:22 a.m. Sunday. He received a caution for possession of cannabis and was released on bail on a charge of being unfit to drive. He has a November court date.
Just a week earlier, Michael gave his first solo concert in 15 years. The Spain show kicked off his new tour, "25 Live," which is scheduled for 28 European cities this fall.
Michael rose to fame in the 1980s as half of the duo Wham! before starting his solo career. Police had earlier warned Michael for possession of cannabis in February.
In April, he hit three parked cars. He later acknowledged in an interview that he was a "terrible driver" and said he was trying to maneuver out of a parking spot.
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The Battle for Hottest Car
Plenty of celebs were on hand for GM's Annual All Car Showdown, but the ones that actually entered the competition looked to be having the most fun.
Adrien Brody, Stacy Keibler, Travis Barker and Jeremy Piven were on hand to enjoy the show - but a few others really participated by bringing their own distinctive whips.
Shaq showed off his black Escalade, tricked-out in a police style. Snoop Dogg won "Best Interior" for his 1966 white Cadillac "Snoop" Deville - complete with three chandeliers.
But our favorite is Ludacris' 1954 multicolor green Chevrolet Bel Air, for which the rapper/actor won "Best Exterior".
Stars' Cars Re-Created
Driving While Paris Update
Paris Hilton hit a parked car causing damage, then left without leaving a note -- allegedly a violation of California law, and it's all on video.
It happened Thursday after a shopping spree in trendy Robertson Blvd in L.A. with her new BFF, Kim Kardashian . After loading her shopping bags into the trunk of her Range Rover, Hilton says good-bye to Kardashian and starts to back out of the parking spot without her seat belt on -- another violation of law.
Tommy's New (Old) Ride
On Tuesday, Davidson was unable to make a clean getaway from L.A. hot spot Shag due to a BMW that wouldn't start.
Last night at Mood, Davidson made some adjustments to his game plan: a whole different car. Tommy left in a gigantic, aging Chevy Suburban.
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Wham! George Michael Hits Three Parked Cars
Pop star George Michael just can't seem to pull it together. The ex-Wham! lead singer's troubles all started back in April 1998 when he was arrested in Beverly Hills for lewd conduct in a public toilet. The video for Michael's hit song, 'Outside,' poked fun at the incident.
Fast forward to Feb. 26, 2006, when Michael was found slumped over in his car near Hyde Park in London. The singer was found in possession of drugs and was once again arrested. At a press conference, Michael made the statement that it was "his own stupid fault, as usual."
On Sunday, April 16, George crashed into three parked cars near his London home. However, this time he's placing the responsibility for the intense media scrutiny of his actions on Sir Elton John. Back in 2004 Elton commented that Michael's woes were caused by "deep-rooted unhappiness."