Stylist Sues Oprah's 'Color' Claims It's Too White
A former stylist and dresser for Oprah Winfrey's "The Color Purple" is suing the Broadway show -- produced and presented by the media queen herself -- after she was fired, she says, for daring to suggest that there weren't enough people of color working for the show.
TMZ has just obtained a lawsuit filed by Shawnique Hill in a Manhattan federal court. She alleges that during her employment she raised the issue with one of the bosses that, "while the talent employed onstage was a cast of African American actors ... the crew hired backstage was Caucasian with the exception of three persons of color." What's more, she claims that her direct supervisor -- a Caucasian -- addresssed her as "sister" and "girlfriend," which offended Hill, who is black.
Hill claims the production retaliated against her for the comment, harassing her, and ultimately firing her. Hill seeks unspecified damages.. Oprah was not individually named in the suit.
UPDATE: A rep for "The Color Purple" tells TMZ, "We can confirm it is in litigation. We are confident there has been no violation of law."
Jared the Subway Guy College Porno King?
Today, he's Jared Fogel the friendly Subway guy. To scores of Indiana U. students back when, he was their in-dorm porno-rental superstore. Eat fresh!
Before he became a poster child for weight loss, the affable Subway spokestool once ran a adult film emporium from his bedroom, reports Best Week Ever. His collection was said to be "vast and extensive," and rental rates were hard to beat -- a dollar a day per vid. "People would come from all over to take advantage of the deal," according to BWE's source.
The same source snitches that the real reason Jared started eating Subway wasn't motivated by health concerns, but sheer laziness. Turns out that Subway happened to open a franchise on the ground floor of his dorm, so it was the closest fast-food joint to Jared's XXX lair.
We called a Subway rep, who said that the company has no knowledge of the story and that Jared was "unavailable." The rep also pointed out that legends have sprung up from time to time about Jared, including one that he'd died.
Cafe Owner Threatened for Giving Bands the Sh*ts
A Virginia cafe owner has received death threats after rock bands My Chemical Romance and Muse got salmonella food poisoning at his restaurant. Welcome to the brown parade!
After a gig at the nearby College of William and Mary on April 28, the bands stopped for a bite at Glenn Gormley's Green Leafe Cafe. Shortly afterwards, the musicians (and other patrons) got sick, which forced MCR and Muse to cancel several dates on their tour. Since then, Gormley says angry My Chemical Romance fans have been leaving him death threats. Holy crap! While the Health Department is investigating the situation, Gormley won't go into details of the threats.
According to the CDC, most persons infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The good news is that the illness usually lasts only 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment.
'Dukes of Hazzard' Car Sells for Almost $10 Million
John Schneider's personal General Lee, the 1969 Dodge Charger from the "Dukes of Hazzard," sold today on eBay for a shock-absorbing $9,900,500.00! Car-ching!
The sale marks the second highest finish for an auto auction, the first being the $11 million 1987 sale by Christie's of a 1931 Bugatti originally owned by the Bugatti family. The General Lee was purchased by William Fisher, owner of knifecollectors.com. Schneider, who played Bo Duke in the series, is currently starring in his own family film called "Collier & Co. -- Hot Pursuit!"
Schneider tells TMZ, "It just proves that when you clean out your garage, be very, very careful about what you throw away!"
The eBay page of the General Lee auction received over one million hits during the week-long listing. ON Saturday, Schneider is taking the car for one last spin, to fulfill a Reel Angels wish for an ill child who wanted a ride.
Paris Hilton's Corpse Educates Teens!
Viewing Paris Hilton's naked body could save lives!
An interactive anti-drunk driving Public Service Announcement titled "Paris Hilton Autopsy," created by artist Daniel Edwards, features a life-size clay sculpture of a naked, tiara-clad Paris Hilton, complete with a Tinkerbell replica at her side. What about her Blackberry?!
The "art" installation is designed to counter "the disturbingly glamorized trend of Hollywood's girls gone wild," and is highlighted with Hilton laid out on a coroner's table with "removable innards." That's about the only part of the heiress the world hasn't seen!
In the last year, Paris, Nicole Richie, Michelle Rodriguez, and most recently, Eve were just a few of the celebs who joined the Hollywood DUI club.
If you want to get a look at Hilton's lifeless, nude body in person, you're going to have to make a trip to the Capla Kesting gallery in Brooklyn. Unless, of course, you are Stavros Niarchos, Travis Barker, Josh Henderson!
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Freddy Krueger Wannabe Slashes Friend, Gets Slammer
Call it "A Nightmare on Bulwer Road."
A British man, Jason Moore, could spend the rest of his life in the clink for attacking his friend John-Paul Skamarski with a knife-equipped glove -- much like the one Freddy Krueger used to snag his prey in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" horror flicks. Moore and Skamarski, according to the British press, drank four liters of cider at Moore's house on Bulwer Road in Leicester, England, when Skamarski decided to take a sleeping pill and crash.
The next thing Skamarski knew, Moore was slashing at his face with a bladed glove and a ten-inch bread knife, wherein a struggle ensued. Skamarski suffered cuts to his face, hand, and a stab wound in his chest.
During the course of his trial, which ended yesterday with a life-imprisonment verdict, Moore admitted to watching "Nightmare" twenty times, but couldn't explain why he was slashing Skamarskin so savagely. Moore had reportedly made three other Freddy gloves over the years.
Sanjaya: Finger Lickin' Good?
Sanjaya Malakar is getting fried this week!
Kentucky Fried Chicken has offered the "American Idol" wannabe a free lifetime supply of their Famous Bowls if the 17-year-old hirsute crooner sports a bowl hairdo in one of his next televised performances.
In an open letter to Sanjaya, KFC President Gregg Dedrick writes, "We're sure America will be as 'bowled-over' by your take on this classic look as they are by our KFC Famous Bowls."
In addition to the poultry perks, KFC will also make a contribution in Sanjy's name to Colonel Scholars, a charity that provides young people with college scholarships. Who knew bad singing and funny weaves could do so much good?!
Last year, Katharine McPhee was offered $10,000 and a year's supply of their Famous Bowls to write and star in a KFC ad.
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'Talented' Ray J Offered Four-Pic Porno Deal
Kim Kardashian wasn't the only person who enjoyed Ray J's X-rated stylings.
TMZ has learned that Brandy's little bro has been offered a four-picture deal by the adult entertainment company releasing the upcoming Ray J / K-Dash messterpiece ... however, the deal wouldn't require Ray J to drop his drawers, at least on camera.
Vivid Entertainment claims that they're after Ray J to direct ... and that the singer is actually entertaining the offer. Ray could be the next Steven Squealberg or M.Night Shyamalan-a-ding-dong!
Company CEO Steven Hirsch tells TMZ, "Our first conversations were very uncomfortable, but after continuing to talk, the possibility was definitely in the air."
Reps for Ray J were unavailable for comment.
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Burger King to J-Hud: Free Burgers for Life!
Burger King has awarded Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson an all-you-can-eat pass for their fast food restaurants... for life! Have it your way... forever!
Hudson reacted to Simon Cowell's criticism of her for not thanking "American Idol" in her Oscar speech. She reportedly snapped back, "If I'd been any better at my job when I was at Burger King in my middle teens, I wouldn't be here either, so should I thank them, too?" Hudson worked at the BK on East 87th and State Street in Chicago. Burger King was her first job at age 16, where she worked with her sister, who claims she sang while working the drive-thru and flipping burgers.
In an exclusive statement to TMZ, Burger King responded to Hudson's beef, assuring her that no thanks is necessary, and awarded her with BK for life:
"...In response to Jennifer's recent comments in which she asked if she should be thanking Burger King, we say thanks, but no thanks are necessary. Burger King Corporation is proud of Jennifer's success and while we never like to lose employees, in this case, our loss is the entertainment industry's gain ... To further show our support for Jennifer, and make sure she never has to sing for her supper again, Burger King Corporation is giving her a pre-paid BK Crown Card that will be automatically reloaded for life."
Looks like a whopper of a win for Jennifer.
Lance Bass Goat Lover
Lance Bass has taken cheap labor to a new level by having a small herd of goats clear brush from his yard.
But it wasn't cost that led him to fill his yard with goats for almost a week. According to Lance's MySpace blog, "Great Grazing" is "an enviromentally safe way of clearing out brush" to prevent fires. Lance got a kick out of watching the goats graze on his land. Some people spend Thanksgiving with a turkey, Lance spent his with 14 goats!
"Those suckers can eat!" wrote Lance.