Michael Jackson's Family Upset With James Durbin Over 'American Idol' Pepsi Quip

'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman


James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.

James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.

Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "

The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.

The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.

"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.

Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."

It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.

What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661097/jackson-family-james-durbin-american-idol.jhtml

Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb Lil Kim Lily Allen

Seth Meyers 'Excited' By Lady Gaga/ Justin Timberlake 'SNL' Prospects

'Saturday Night Live' writer tells MTV News he has yet to start working on May 21 episode.
By Jocelyn Vena


Seth Meyers
Photo: MTV News

When "Saturday Night Live" wraps up its season on May 21, it will have two of the biggest names in the entertainment world on hand to keep everyone buzzing through Monday morning. "SNL" darling and Hollywood A-lister Justin Timberlake has been tapped to host with pop music superstar Lady Gaga onboard to delight fans as the night's musical guest.

It's a pairing that has "SNL" writer/ "Weekend Update" host Seth Meyers very excited.

"Timberlake and Gaga! [I've got] nothing. It's a month out!" he told MTV News at the Time 100 gala in New York City about his plans for the twosome.

"I'm not even thinking about it! I have two shows before then. I can't believe how I'm slacking," he joked, adding, "Mostly, I'm just taking care of the business ahead of me, like athletes taking it a game at a time."

Fans would probably love to see Justin and Gaga pair up for a sketch, and the "SNL" head writer said he isn't against that idea. "I would love it," Meyers said. "[Lady Gaga] was great. She was one of the best musical acts we've ever had. Obviously, when it comes to being a performer, she's without peer, so I'm really excited to have both of them there together."

As for Timberlake, who has won two Emmys for his work on the late-night comedy staple, Meyers admitted, "Basically, he owns it!"

The multitalented pop stars will appear on the show in time to promote some of their latest projects. Timberlake's flick "Bad Teacher" opens on June 24 and Gaga's Born This Way drops May 23.

Would you like to see Gaga and Justin do an "SNL" skit together? Share your ideas in the comments!

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662824/lady-gaga-justin-timberlake-snl.jhtml

Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb

Consequence Confirms He Wrote Lyrics For Kanye West

'It is true I participated in writing with Kanye,' Cons says on Wednesday's 'RapFix Live.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway


Consequence on "RapFix Live"
Photo: Jonathan Goldner/ MTV News

On Wednesday afternoon (May 4), former G.O.O.D. Music artist Consequence stopped by "RapFix Live" and revealed to Sway that he has written lyrics for his ex-label boss, Kanye West, and sometimes didn't receive credit for his work.

"It is true I participated in writing with Kanye. You could read it on credits on 808s and Heartbreaks, College Dropout. Every album that he's had, I've been involved from a creative aspect in writing of songs," Cons said. "Check the credits, I get that publishing."

It has been long speculated that Kanye West didn't write all of his rhymes. Chicago MC Rhymefest was credited as a writer on the Louis Vuitton Don's Grammy-Award winning single "Jesus Walks," though he didn't appear vocally on the 2004 track. On Wednesday, Consequence shed more light and even went on to say he hasn't always gotten his proper due.

"One record that I never got credit for which always stuck out in my mind was that I helped out with some of the rhymes from 'Champion,' " Cons said of the 2007 song that appeared 'Ye's Graduation LP. The line in question: "We were sorta like Will Smith and his son/ In the movie; I ain't talkin' about the rich one." "That was my brain thought," Cons said of the rhymes. "I mean, there's a lot of joints [that were not credited]."

At the time, Consequence claims that he had no problem helping West with his writing, but when it came time to put out his sophomore album, Cons TV, Kanye didn't offer the same helping hand with regard to getting his album released. 'Ye, along with Consequence's cousin Q-Tip, were the executive producers for the unreleased LP. Part of his beef with Kanye is what he paints as the one-sided nature of his and West's relationship.

"At one point, Kanye wasn't even doing any music after the Taylor Swift situation, it's documented he went to Europe," Cons said, alluding to 'Ye's 2009 MTV VMAs outburst. "In the midst of all that, I was left hanging.

"As a man, you can't hang your fate on no other man, but when you think the man is your brother and you talk about every other single situation known to man, you would think it would dawn on somebody to say, 'Hey, let me make sure this all right, let me make sure my guy is good.' If I'm not your guy, that's fine; let's just have clarity on it."

Consequence has since severed ties with Kanye West and G.O.O.D. Music and went on to start his own company, Band Camp. Cons also told MTV News's "RapFix live" that Cons TV is now called Get Even, but before that album drops, he'll be releasing his Movies on Demand 3 mixtape in either late May or early June.

Share your thoughts on Cons' comments about Kanye below.

For More on Consequence and the G.O.O.D. Music saga, stay tuned to MTV News and our RapFix blog.

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663302/consequence-kanye-west-rapfix.jhtml

Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian Kim Smith Kim Yoon jin

Ne-Yo Defends Beyonce 'Dis' Statements

'I'm tired of being nice to dumb people. ... Bottom line, Beyonce is my friend,' 'Irreplaceable' songwriter tweets.
By Jocelyn Vena


Ne-Yo
Photo: Mawuse Ziegbe/ MTV News

When a comment from Ne-Yo hit the Internet in which the songwriter said that he wished he could have kept the Beyoncé hit "Irreplaceable" for himself, some took it as a dis to the star.

"One song that I gave away and didn't want to, but it's actually a good thing that I did, is Beyonce's 'Irreplaceable'. I honestly wrote that song for myself, but that song taught me a very interesting lesson: Many women don't think that differently. ... However, a man singing it comes across a little bit misogynistic, a little bit mean," Ne-Yo, who wrote the song, said in an interview.

When it was implied on Twitter that Ne-Yo was dissing the Sasha Fierce star with his comments, the singer/songwriter defended himself. "Aiight my dude. Send me the link to where I said ANYTHING disrespectful about Beyonce, PLEASE! Dying to hear this," he wrote. "Just heard the audio where I supposedly dissed Beyonce. ARE Y'ALL SERIOUS!?! Did y'all even listen to what I said!?!"

Ne-Yo then continued to tweet his anger toward those who misunderstood what he said. "I said I originally wrote the song for me. That's true, so OF COURSE I didn't want to give it away originally. IT WAS FOR ME," he wrote. "Once I realized how the song comes across if sung by a guy, that's when I decided to give it away. HOW IS THAT DISSING BEYONCE!?! She took the song and made it a smash, NOBODY can deny that ...

"You know what? At first I was apologetic about what the hacker said, now that I've heard the audio myself, not so much," he continued. "Y'all should listen a lil' harder before you start dissin' people. Makes you look real dumb. I'm tired of being nice to dumb people. ... Bottom line, Beyonce is my friend. To HELL with anybody that ain't SMART enough to understand what I truly meant."

Do you think Ne-Yo was dissing Beyoncé with his comments? Tell us below.

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1659894/ne-yo-defends-beyonce-statement.jhtml

Luján Fernández Magdalena Wróbe Katharine Towne Katherine Heigl Katie Cassidy Katie Holmes

Britney Spears Drops Official 'Till The World Ends' Remix

New track with Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha follows leaked version, plus Brit tweets single's cover art.
By Jocelyn Vena


The "Till the World Ends" Femme Fatale remix
Photo: Jive

Just days after it was leaked on Friday, Britney Spears and her femme fatales, Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha, dropped their official remix of "Till the World Ends."

The new version of the song was produced by Dr. Luke and Dream Machine. Brit half-whispers " 'Till the World Ends' remix" before the beat kicks in and Nicki hits her verse hard. She spits fierce lines like, "Sniff, sniff, cries/ I done slayed your whole entire f---ing life."

Then Britney's sex-kitten vocals kick in for the song's first verse. "That's Britney, bitch! I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha," the Queens MC declares before K sings the chorus. The beat is harder, the loops are sassier and the song is grimier than the original version, which was the second single from Femme Fatale. The newly added dubstep portion takes the one from "Hold It Against Me" to a new level by adding in bass-heavy synths.

Ke$ha, of course, wrote the track for Britney, and the ladies certainly don't seem to mind sharing the spotlight with each other. The official track isn't much different than the version that leaked over the weekend, though Spears did have something brand-new to share with her fans just as the song dropped on iTunes and streamed on her website.

Spears tweeted the artwork for the single, which features the original press photo of Spears along with separate photos of Nicki on the left and Ke$ha on the right. Spears wrote, "@NickiMinaj @Keshasuxx Too much fierceness for one cover! Thanks for lending your voices girls... #TTWEREMIX — Brit"

Spears and Minaj have been hanging out a lot in the lead-up to their summer tour. They hung out at the Factory nightclub on Friday night after Minaj's show in Los Angeles. Spears later wrote, "Early rehearsal after a late night with my girl @NickiMinaj. Can't WAIT to get out on the road with you."

What do you think of the "Till the World Ends" remix? Tell us in the comments!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662596/britney-spears-kesha-nicki-minaj-till-the-world-ends-remix.jhtml

Lucy Liu Luján Fernández Magdalena Wróbe Katharine Towne Katherine Heigl Katie Cassidy

Selena Gomez On Relationship With Justin Bieber: 'I Don't Like Hiding'

'I'm 18, and I'm going to fall in love,' actress tells Seventeen magazine.
By Jocelyn Vena


Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber certainly aren't shy about their relationship. And the normally relationship-coy actress admits that she's feeling comfortable being open about her feelings for the teen superstar.

"I don't like hiding. I do like to keep certain things to myself, but at the end of the day, I'm 18, and I'm going to fall in love," she tells Seventeen magazine. "I'm going to hang out with people, and I'm going to explore myself, and I'm OK with that."

Although it seems that Bieber's fans have chilled out recently, Beliebers had a bit of a fit when the pair first started dating. Gomez said she understands how it feels to be a fan with a crush. "Are you kidding me? I'm still thinking Zac Efron's my husband," she said. Reminded that Efron's now single, she added, "No, I wouldn't touch that. I love [his ex-girlfriend] Vanessa [Hudgens] way too much."

Regarding Bieber's fans, Gomez said, "I do see the passion that a lot of these girls have, and it's beautiful. I love it. I really do. It's special."

Gomez has been very supportive of fellow Disney star Demi Lovato, who has been open about her personal issues including eating disorders and self-mutilation. "There's an amount of love that can never — no matter what — be taken away or torn apart, no matter the situation," Gomez said. "There are certain people who you will always, always love, so if anything, this just reminded me of how much I truly love her."

The former "Wizards of Waverly Place" star has always been close to many of her other Hollywood peers as well. She said she'd love to go on a "Monte Carlo"-inspired vacation with one of those A-listers in particular. "I'd love to go on vacation with Taylor [Swift]. I've been able to fly to Nashville to see her, and she'll come to L.A. a lot, but it'd be nice to get away. It would be really fun," she said. "I've known Taylor for over three years now, so we're at the point where we just get each other."

Of the relationships in her life, Gomez added, "I've gotten to the point where the label of 'best friend' is so ridiculous. If you have three people in your life that you can trust, you can consider yourself the luckiest person in the whole world.

"I have a lot of wonderful people in my life — probably five, collectively — who I can tell everything to. There's Jennifer [Stone], my friend Ashley, and Taylor, and my two cousins."

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663160/selena-gomez-justin-bieber-dating.jhtml

Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb Lil Kim Lily Allen Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Price

Ke$ha Says Her Own Britney-Style All-Girl Tour Will Be All Guys

'Blow' singer is psyched for the summer leg of her Get $leazy Tour with Spank Rock, LMFAO.
By Gil Kaufman


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

There's certainly something to be said for girl power. Ke$ha felt it when she hit the road with Rihanna last year, when the two apparently engaged in a variety of high jinks, including some alleged backstage pillow fights.

But when MTV News caught up with the glitter-soaked party girl on Wednesday just hours before her show at New York's Roseland Ballroom and asked her who she might bring along if she were able to put together a Britney Spears-style all-girl tour, Ke$ha didn't hesitate to name her posse.

Sitting cross-legged on a couch in black tights, black cowboy boots, black leather gloves and sleeveless black rocker T-shirt, Ke$ha told us that her all-girl lineup would actually be, well, all guys. "All-girl fantasy tour?" she said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment and contemplating the idea. "I mean, I play nice with chicks. I actually put together my personal fantasy tour and I just announced the second leg of my Get $leazy Tour and that's gonna be: me and LMFAO and Spank Rock."

And while the upcoming outing will be light on the estrogen — much like the first leg of her $leazy tour, on which she is sharing the stage with party-rap dude Beardo — Ke$ha insisted that it still will offer what her fans have come to expect from her shows. "It's not an all-girls tour, but it's gonna be f---ing sleazy," she maintained.

That macho vibe has been on display during to the winding-down first leg of the $leazy fest, which Ke$ha has nicknamed the "I Can Do Whatever We Want Tour." So, what kind of perks come with being a first-time headliner? "Blasting glitter violently at people, even if they don't want it," said Ke$ha. "It's like they don't even have a choice. It is a little volatile, but I do it anyways. I feel like people know me for my glitter and I don't want to disappoint."

Are you planning to see Ke$ha on the next leg of her Get Sleazy tour? Tell us in the comments.

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661967/kesha-tour-lmfao-spank-rock.jhtml

Leonor Varela Leslie Bega Leslie Bibb Lil Kim Lily Allen Lindsay Lohan

Ke$ha Extends Get $leazy Tour

'I'm pulling out an ass-ton more glitter with blue lipstick to spare,' singer says of added North American dates.
By James Montgomery


Ke$ha
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Ke$ha's Get $leazy Tour doesn't wrap until May, but the singer is already making plans for a return engagement, announcing a second leg of the jaunt scheduled for this summer.

Ke$h is adding more than 30 North American dates to the $leazy trek — beginning on July 26 in Harrington, Delaware, and wrapping on September 20 in Phoenix — giving fans even more opportunities to watch her guzzle blood from a human heart! Party-meisters LMFAO and prodigiously filthy rapper Spank Rock will join her on most dates.

"My spring tour sold out so fast, which is amazing, but I want to get to party with errryone. If you are part of my family, my cult of rowdy misfits, come join us!" Ke$ha said in a grammatically adventurous statement on Monday (April 4). "I'm pulling out an ass-ton more glitter with blue lipstick to spare and I'm ready to party with all y'all all summer long. Sh--'s gonna be hot as a mofo ... Miss this and you be missing the biggest dance party of the year!"

Indeed. Tickets for most of the new dates will be available beginning April 8 through LiveNation.com, but members of Ke$ha's brand-new official fan club, the Family, will have first crack at tickets starting on April 5. For more information, check out KeshasFamily.com.

Ke$ha released her remix album, I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance, last month, and she is currently crisscrossing the continent on the first edition of Get $leazy. She'll head overseas for a run of festival shows before returning to North America to begin round two.

The dates for Ke$ha's Get $leazy Tour, according to RCA Records:

»July 26 - Harrington, DE @ Delaware State Fair
»July 28 - Columbus, OH @ Ohio State Fair
»July 30 - Duluth, GA @ The Gwinnett Center
»July 31 - Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
»August 2 - Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
»August 3 - Austin, TX @ Cedar Park Center
»August 4 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
»August 7 - Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park Amphitheater
»August 9 - Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Amphitheatre
»August 10 - Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
»August 12 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
»August 13 - Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC @ International Balloon Festival
»August 14 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
»August 16 - Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
»August 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
»August 20 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
»August 21 - Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
»August 23 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawn at White River State Park
»August 24 - Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion
»August 26 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
»August 30 - St. Paul, MN @ Roy Wilkins Auditorium
»August 31 - Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid-America Center
»September 2 - Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
»September 3 - Denver, CO @ 1st Bank Center
»September 6 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome
»September 7 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
»September 9 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
»September 10 - Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theatre
»September 11 - Portland, OR @ Theatre at Rose Garden
»September 14 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
»September 20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661235/kesha-get-sleazy-tour.jhtml

Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell Kristin Cavallari Kristin Kreuk Kristy Swanson Kylie Bax

Ke$ha Wants 'Till The World Ends' Remix To 'Take Over Airwaves'

Singer says her collaboration with Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj made a 'supergroup of three hot, strong women.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News

Earlier this week, Britney Spears, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj dropped their femme-fatale-friendly remix of the Spears club track "Till the World Ends." The already fun song got super-charged thanks to Minaj's cutting verses and Ke$ha's recognizable vocals.

"I'm a massive fan of both the ladies I share the track with," K told MTV News on Wednesday at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. "I wrote 'TTWE' for Britney with [producers] Dr. Luke and Max [Martin] and she killed it and I loved it, but I just thought a supergroup of three hot, strong women could just take over the airwaves."

Ke$ha went on to give props to both the ladies. "I'm such a massive fan of Britney and I'm such a massive supporter of Nicki and a fan, and chicks sometimes don't team up. I don't know why, but I'm, like, huge on the girl power, so I just wanted to make a power girl track take over."



The remix quickly won praise from fans who seem to think the new features step up the song's game. "You know, with the three of us, I wasn't necessarily surprised [people like it] because I'm such a massive fan of Nicki Minaj and obviously with Britney I'm a fan of it, [taking] myself out of the equation," she said. "I'm just happy people like it."



So did Ke$ha (who once sang backup for Spears) feel any pressure writing a song for Britney? "There was no pressure. Writing for somebody else is really fun 'cause I consider myself a songwriter first and foremost," she explained. "So it was so much fun to put my brain in the sexy Britney Spears brain and express myself almost as if I were possessed by her."

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662875/kesha-britney-spears-til-the-world-ends-remix.jhtml

Lorri Bagley Lucy Liu Luján Fernández Magdalena Wróbe Katharine Towne Katherine Heigl