Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 15

New Sound Systems

NOTES:

Sadly, I did not have the foresight to archive the 2000 series and deleted most of the files.

To see the 2001 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 1 and then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 2. The summary appears on Archives 2.

To see the 2002 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 3 and then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 4. The summary appears on Archives 4.

To see the 2003 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 5 and Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 6 then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 7. The summary appears on Archives 7.

To see the 2004 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 8 and Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 9 then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 10. The summary appears on Archives 10.

To see the 2005 series and summary, go first to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 11 and Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 12 then visit Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 13. The summary appears on Archives 13.

To see the 2006 series and summary, go to Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 14.

Base 7 Repetitions

Yesterday, April 13, 2007, science fiction author Kurt Vonnegut Jr died at age 84 from brain injuries suffered from a fall in his home several weeks ago. What is most curious about this is the fact that seven years ago, on January 30, 2000, the celebrated author of such speculative fiction classics as Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle, was hospitalised after suffering smoke inhalation when a fire broke out in his Manhattan residence. Thanks to his daughter Lily, who pulled him to safety, he escaped being burned to death and received treatment for smoke inhalation in time.

I have long wondered if someone escaping a deadly situation was sufficient cause for that person to be concerned once again seven years later or (multiples of seven years). I know applying this system to my own life that there are such repetitions. They are not always necessarily seven years apart (in my case twenty-one [3 x 7] years had passed between injuries), but the danger of a seven year repetition is certainly always there, as evidenced by Mr Vonnegut's death.

Sadly, when applying this system to celebrities in this way, we often do not know about past injuries, accidents, etc if they have not been publicised in the news, mentioned on talk shows, or they have been but no record kept and thus forgotten or not noticed. But we can use whatever information is at out disposal.

There were several other prominent celebrities who had close calls with fire or injury in 2000. A few of them, ironically, appear in lists in the name sounds section below. This is all the more reason for them to appear in this section as well, along with those who are not listed.

So we start with what we know.

Kim Novak, escaped house fire July 24, 2000	Lauren Hutton, injured in cycle crash October 23, 2000	Cybill Shepherd, escaped house fire November 25, 2000

Matthew Perry, pancreatitis, May 2000; car crash, May 20, 2000	Patrick Swayze, plane crash, June 1, 2000	Halle Berry, head injury in car crash, February 23, 2000

2007 Name Sounds

NOTE ABOUT BLUE ALERT SYSTEM (3/11/03): Some of you may recall a few years back when I used "name blends" -- rhyming sounds and off-rhyme clues from part of one name to determine what the next name in the sequence might be (or later in the year). An example was the death of Layne Stahley and how "Layne" led to "Lynne" then "Linda" and the car crash death of Linda Lovelace which followed. I surmised that "Lace" in "Lovelace" might lead to a "Leese" then "Lisa" tragedy. The next day, Lisa Lopes of TLC was killed in a car crash.

Rather than create a whole other section on this page for name blends, I will instead highlight certain names in the lists below in light blue that I feel may be influenced by celebrity deaths that have occurred this year.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON EXCLUSIONS (1/23/04): We acknowledge the passing of dancer and actress Ann Miller, age 81, and note with great regret the passing of Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), age 76. However, it is no longer the mission of this website to address the deaths of celebrities who are of advanced age or those who have had a long term health problem and are in their early elderly years. Such deaths are largely inevitable and often beyond any purposeful prediction. Also, the one and only applicable sound in Mr Keeshan's name ("eeeee") we now consider to be far too common to be remarkable or in any way useful for predictive purposes. Ergo, save for certain celebrities of advanced or elderly age who may appear on the prediction lists, we will no longer be publishing their obituaries and including comments.

It is, after all, premature death that we are most concerned about.

Prominent name sounds must also be present. "Ray", for example, is a prominent sound, "Ay", on the other hand, is not. This distinction will become more clear as we progress through the year.

ANSWER TO POSSIBLE QUESTION: Hey ... why all the chicks on here and hardly no MEN??? (6/9/07):

Sometimes that is the way it works out.

Charles Nelson Reilly was over 70. Singer Don Ho was over 70. Remember that this page is largely concerned with PREMATURE DEATH or disability/serious mishaps. There are some over-70 celebrities that appear on the lists, but only because I strongly feel they may be at some special risk at this time. Lloyd Alexander was a writer and I have not spread the celebrity base out so far as to include writers (save for a few well-known poets). So I do not report them as a rule if anything happens to one, even if his/her name conforms to a name sound. Alexander was also over 70. Gordon Scott was over 80. Tom Poston was over 70. Tommy Newsom was well over 70, almost 80 ... and so on. I won't continue listing the male celebs who were over 70 or 80 any further; you get the picture.

Al Hunter Ashton was a writer. Note what I said about not yet expanding the base to include authors, save for a few poets. Sci-fi writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. would have appeared on a list if I had thought of a base 7 section for this page in time. Instead, his death inspired the base 7 section. Bobby "Boris" Pickett, who sang the classic "Monster Mash", was 69. Luther Ingram, who sang "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right" (a song I really like), was also 69. That is close enough to 70 to not bother. Don't get me wrong .. I realise that 70 is "the new 60" and 60 is "the new 50" and 50 is "the new 40" and 40 is "the new 30" and 30 is "the new 20," but until everybody agrees on that, I will be forced to treat 70 and above the old fashioned way.

Directors like Benjamin "Bob" Clark also are not yet included in the base, unless they are extremely famous (like the late Stanley Kubrick or the recently deceased Robert Altman, but again the name sounds must match even for the very famous). The same is largely true about politicians. Comedian Richard Jeni and Boston frontman Brad Delp did not match any of the name sounds, so I could not report on their deaths.

There are a few males listed such as Denny Doherty of Mamas and the Papas fame. But the truth is, males have been very careful this year not to get into the kind of scrapes that the women on this page have gotten into. And most of the men who have died have been over 70.

It will be noted, however, that so far this year the total number of celebs, male and female, on this page is rather sparse anyway compared to past years. Both men and women have been more careful than in the past, it would appear. Especially since the death of Anna Nicole Smith in February.

Summary

There may be no summary for 2007. I am still debating on whether I have the time for one since I am so late getting the 2008 page up. If I do a summary, it will appear at this location of course. See 2008 update from the current Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps: Name, Sound, and Letter Systems page below for reason.

UPDATE (7/31/08): My apologies for this very late debut of the Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps page for the year 2008! Due to a series of unrelated illnesses last year and this year, as well as a car crash in March of this year, progress on my entire website has been slowed considerably. Thus, because it is now the end of July 2008, this page will prove useless for prediction purposes for the expired period of January 1, 2008 through July 31, 2008 quite obviously. However, it will still prove invaluable as a predictive guide for the final five months of 2008 and we can of course look over what has happened in the last seven months and see what celebrities have already matched with the name sounds for this year.

Obviously, I will not be posting all of the celebrity deaths and mishaps that have occurred so far this year all at one time. They will be posted over the coming days and weeks, in no particular order. Of course, they must relate to the name sounds lists or the conditions in the base 7 section to appear on this page. Any name that is in orange on the predictions list (such as George Carlin) relates to the first seven months of 2008 and will not be considered a "prediction fulfilled" (since I cannot actually prove the name would have appeared on the list back in January). Meantime, beginning right now, anyone new for the remainder of the year who I feel relates to this page's conditions will be posted and, if the name is listed, will count as a prediction fulfilled.

So as not to waste more valuable time, I will skip doing a summary for 2007 for now. Perhaps I may feel like attending to that another time. If I do, it will appear on Celebrity Deaths and Mishaps Archives 15 at the appropriate location near the top part of the page.

Paula Yates (d. 2000) - Paul, Awl, Awla, Yay, Yate, Ate, Aye

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Alastair Yates, Cassie Yates, Paula Abdul, Paula Cole, Paula Kelly, Paula Marshall, Paula Poundstone, Paula Zahn, Paul Hogan, Paul McCartney, Paul Newman, Paul Simon, Paul Sorvino, Geri Halliwell, Shelley Duvall, Robert Duvall, Dee Wallace-Stone, Kathy Bates, Justine Bateman, Bill Gates, Christina Applegate, Rebecca Gayheart, Linda Gray, Freda Payne, John Elway, Mariel Hemingway, Rebecca DeMornay, Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, Susan Dey, Barbara Corday, Amanda Pays, Jay Leno, Kate Hudson, Kate Jackson, Kate Nelligan, Kate Winslet, Tuesday Weld. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Fabian in car crash, then falls off stage

POSTED: 2027 GMT (0427 HKT), March 5, 2007

PALM SPRINGS, California (AP) -- Fabian escaped serious injury twice over the weekend -- first in a car crash, then a concert accident.

The 64-year-old singer was riding with his manager and daughter near Palm Desert on Friday night when a car sideswiped their vehicle, which then rolled several times, Fabian's spokesman Steve Moyer said.

Fabian and his daughter, Julia Forte, were examined and released. His manager, Oscar Arslanian, was taken to a hospital for scalp lacerations and blood loss and was expected to make a full recovery, Moyer said.

On Saturday, Fabian was performing at the Spotlight Casino along with former teen idols Frankie Avalon and Lou Christie when he fell off the stage. He suffered a scrape to his chin, said Paul Speirs, a casino spokesman. "It's a miracle that we survived that accident," Fabian said in a statement. "Except for being sore, I thought I could do the show. I didn't want to disappoint the audience."

Fabian, born Fabian Anthony Forte, gained fame in the 1950s and 1960s with songs such as "Turn Me Loose" and "Tiger." He also made guest appearance on such TV shows as "Laverne & Shirley," "Facts of Life" and "Murphy Brown."

Fabian will rejoin Avalon and Bobby Rydell for several shows in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Paula Abdul misses dog, breaks nose

POSTED: 1233 GMT (2033 HKT), May 22, 2007

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Paula Abdul broke her nose over the weekend after she fell while trying to avoid stepping on her Chihuahua, her publicist said Monday.

Abdul was recovering from the mishap and will appear on "American Idol" Tuesday and its season finale Wednesday, publicist David Brokaw said. "She's a little sore, but is doing fine," he said.

Abdul told the syndicated entertainment TV show "Extra" she tore cartilage in her nose and fractured her toe.

"I took a nasty fall ... trying not to hurt my dog. I bruised myself on my arm ... my chest, my waist all the way down to my hip. All from my little chubby Tulip," Abdul said.

The dog was not hurt, Brokaw said.

COMMENTS (5/25/07): Paula Abdul is named in the prediction list above. It seems Abdul finally repaired her nose by breaking it the other day.

Tammy Faye Messner dies -- Televangelist famed for heavy makeup, frequent tears dead at 65

July 22, 2007

(CNN) -- Tammy Faye Messner, the former televangelist and Christian singer who battled drug addiction and later inoperable cancer, died Friday morning, CNN's Larry King said Saturday night. He said the family had asked him to make the delayed announcement. She was 65. "She died peacefully," King said.

Messner was a guest on "Larry King Live" on Thursday. She said she couldn't swallow food, and weighed only 65 pounds. King asked her Thursday if she were "a little scared." She responded, "A little bit," adding that she mainly worried about her family. She made dramatic appearances on the now-defunct Christian PTL Network she started with then-husband Jim Bakker, its host.

Before millions of viewers, she would often break into tears, prompting her trademark heavy mascara to run. After divorcing Bakker, who became steeped in money and sex scandals, she married Christian construction magnate and former PTL contractor Roe Messner in 1993. Tammy Faye was married to Bakker for more than 30 years.

She underwent surgery for colon cancer in 1996. In 2004, she revealed that the disease had spread to her lungs, and in May 2007 she announced that her doctors had stopped trying to treating the illness.

In her appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," Tammy Faye Messner was a shadow of her former self. "I believe when I leave this Earth, because I love the Lord, I am going straight to heaven," she said. King said she had sought the interview. She told King she was bedridden most of the time, had trouble swallowing food -- hence the weight loss -- and was in near-constant pain.

But her sense of humor was still intact. On her Web site, she wrote on Monday, "I crave hamburgers and french fries with LOTS of ketchup! When I can eat that again, it will be a day of victory!"

Asked by King what she would most like to be remembered for, Messner replied, "well, my eyelashes." Messner wore heavy makeup -- her lip liner, eyeliner and eyebrows were tattooed on.

Born Tammy Faye LaValley in International Falls, Minnesota, she married Bakker in 1961. From 1966 to 1973, the Bakkers co-hosted "The 700 Club," on the Christian Broadcasting Network, founded by television evangelist and Christian Coalition founder the Rev. Pat Robertson.

They began the PTL Club -- with the initials standing for "Praise The Lord" or "People That Love" -- in 1974 and later expanded it into a television network. At the height of its popularity, PTL was bringing in more than $128 million annually and was carried on 1,300 cable systems with 12 million subscribers. In 1978, the Heritage USA theme park opened at the network's headquarters in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The Heritage USA Grand Hotel was added in 1984 and a water park in 1986. That year, more than 6 million people visited the park, making it the nation's third most popular attraction after Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

On March 19, 1987, Jim Bakker resigned from PTL in the face of a scandal involving an affair seven years earlier with Jessica Hahn, a secretary he paid to keep quiet. Hahn received a one-time $115,000 payment and monthly interest payments from a $150,000 trust fund.

The following month, PTL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Also in 1987, Tammy Faye Bakker was treated at the Betty Ford Center for prescription drug addiction. And in December 1988, Jim Bakker was indicted for fraud and conspiring to defraud churchgoers of $158 million. Tammy Faye Bakker was not named in the indictment. In 1989, Heritage USA and the Grand Hotel closed, and Jim Bakker was convicted of 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Tammy Faye Bakker divorced him while he was incarcerated, and Jim Bakker was paroled in December 1994.

Asked by King in July 2007 what she would change in her life if she could, Tammy Faye Messner replied, "I don't think about that, Larry, because that's just a waste of good brain space." When King suggested that she might want to forget the PTL Club, she said, "I have gotten over that, thank God. That was a terrible, horribly bad experience."

The Bakkers' 30-year-old son, Jay, is a pastor who co-founded the Revolution Church in Brooklyn, New York -- a church aimed at those who feel rejected by traditional approaches to Christianity, stating on the church's Web site that he wrestled with religion after seeing the "excommunicative" treatment his parents experienced from the church after the scandal.

Tammy Faye Messner has also been known as one of the few evangelical Christians who had the support of the gay community. She was one of the first televangelists to reach out to those with AIDS when it was a little-known and much-feared disease. In return, she told King in July, "When I went -- when we lost everything, it was the gay people that came to my rescue, and I will always love them for that."

She was able to bounce back after PTL folded. In 1996, she co-hosted the "Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show" with gay actor Jim J. Bullock. In 2000, a documentary based on her life, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. And in 2003, she appeared on The WB network's reality show, "The Surreal Life."

Over her life, Messner also recorded more than 25 albums and wrote several books. In 1996, she wrote her autobiography, "Telling it My Way." She also wrote "Run to the Roar," a book about overcoming fear, and in 2003 wrote her last book, "I Will Survive, and You Will Too."

Despite her battle with cancer, Messner told King she kept her Christian faith, instructing her doctors not to tell her how much time they believed she had left. "I don't have any date written on me anywhere that says I'm going to die at any time, and so I just give it to the Lord," she said.

Asked if she had a message for her fans, she replied: "I'd like to say that I genuinely love you, and I genuinely care, and I genuinely want to see you in heaven someday. I want you to find peace. I want you to find joy."

COMMENTS (7/28/07): Tammy Faye Messner is named in the prediction list above as Tammy Faye Bakker Messner.

Redskins' Sean Taylor dies from gunshot wound

By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press

© November 27, 2007 | Last updated 8:19 AM Nov. 28

MIAMI - Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday after he was shot in his home by an apparent intruder, leaving the Washington Redskins in mourning for a teammate who seemed to have reordered his life since becoming a father.

The 24-year-old player died at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday, family friend Richard Sharpstein said. Sharpstein said Taylor's father informed him of the death at about 5:30 a.m.

"His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me," said Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer. "It's a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans."

A string of mourners, including Taylor's father, visited the player's home and embraced outside. Authorities entered the home, but it was unclear what they were doing.

The Washington Redskins are in the process of coordinating memorials for Taylor at both Redskins Park and FedEx Field. His uniform No. 21 will be painted in a grass parking area on the right side of the road in front of the guardhouse leading into Redskins Park. In addition, No. 21 will be painted on the plaza in front of the Redskins Hall of Fame store on the south side of FedEx Field. Both memorials should be finalized by early this afternoon.

Fans will be allowed to access these areas as a memorial to Sean Taylor and leave any tributes or flowers as they may choose. Information regarding any planned memorial services or donations will be communicated when available. "This is the worst imaginable tragedy," Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."

Ofra Haza (d. 2000) - Oh, Fra, Ha, Za

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Oprah Winfrey, Yoko Ono, Lindsay Lohan, Chelsea Noble, Kim Novack, Martha Hyatt, Martha Stewart, Aretha Franklin. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Lindsay Lohan has liver damage, report claims

Fametastic

Thursday January 11th, 2007 at 8:06 pm

The National Enquirer is reporting that Lindsay Lohan’s liver has been damaged by her partying lifestyle.

A source told the magazine that doctors made the discovery during her recent stay in hospital to have her appendix removed: “The appendectomy was routine, but what doctors discovered in her blood work was not.”

“Lindsay’s liver panel shows her drinking is taking a terrible toll on her health. Her liver enzymes are extremely elevated, and doctors warned her if she doesn’t quit boozing she could die.” The source added that high levels of two particular enzymes show that there is damage to her liver cells causing the enzymes to leak into her blood and in addition, she has low levels of protein in her liver too.

The source told the magazine that the doctors “couldn’t believe she was even walking around”.

Last month, Lindsay admitted to attending Alcoholics Anonymous sessions in a bid to curb her drinking but has been repeatedly rumoured to have been spotted drinking since then.

COMMENTS (1/17/07): Lindsay Lohan is named in the prediction list above. Although the event occurred before her name was posted, I did not know about it until a few days ago.

Lohan back in rehab after arrest, photos

POSTED: 2346 GMT (0746 HKT), May 29, 2007

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lindsay Lohan has checked into rehab.The move came after a weekend in which the actress crashed her Mercedes, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and was photographed closed-eyed and slumped in the passenger seat of a friend's car.

The 20-year-old "admitted herself to an intensive medical rehabilitation facility" on Monday, according to a statement released by her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick. The statement added, "Because this is a medical matter, it is our hope that the press will appreciate the seriousness of the situation and respect the privacy of Lindsay as well as the other patients receiving treatment at the facility."

This is Lohan's second rehab stint this year. She said in January that she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment.

"It's so weird that I went to rehab," Lohan said in Allure magazine's May issue. "I always said I would die before I went to rehab."

Lohan was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after her car hopped a curb and hit a shrub on Sunset Boulevard. Witnesses called police, who arrived to find Lohan and the vehicle missing from the accident site, said Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mitch McCann. "We tracked down the vehicle to a nearby apartment complex and tracked down Ms. Lohan to a Century City hospital," he said Tuesday. Officers investigating the crash also found a substance tentatively identified as cocaine.

The case remains under investigation, McCann said. Lohan could face additional charges for leaving the scene, he said, adding "we would take into consideration that she was injured and transported to a hospital."

Her preliminary court date is scheduled for August 24. She will be represented by attorneys Blair Berk and Jason Sloane. Neither returned calls for comment Tuesday.

Lohan was back out on the town before the Memorial Day weekend was over. Photographers captured her slumped in the passenger seat of a friend's car early Monday morning. The photos, posted online, show a sweatshirt-clad Lohan with her mouth open and her eyes shut, apparently asleep. "The world has been very hard on her," said Michael Heller, an attorney and Lohan family friend. "She has a lot of personal issues and family issues. There's an incredible amount of pressure on this 20-year-old."

He also noted on Tuesday that Lohan has "gone from one movie to the next," spending long stretches of time away from her family. "She's living in a hotel," he said. "It's a very lonely existence."

Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan, told Us Weekly magazine earlier this month that when her daughter isn't working, "she's so bored." "I've told her, 'Please slow down. Stop!' She's growing up and learning to do that. She really loves the business," Dina Lohan said.

Lohan was originally set to begin work this week on "Poor Things," a comedy starring Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Rosario Dawson and Channing Tatum, the trade paper Variety reported Monday. The company behind the project, Still Rolling Productions, did not return calls or e-mails from The Associated Press Tuesday.

Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit Strangled Wife With Electrical Cord, Bag Over Son's Head

By Gia Cortina
The Post Chronicle

June 26, 2007

Chris Benoit strangled his wife to death with an electrical cord on Saturday and smothered his son to death with a bag on Sunday. He then hung himself to death on Monday, according to Associated Press reports. Sources claim that Chris Benoit hung himself in the weight room in the family home.

Our friends at TMZ broke the story initially, writing: 'Several Atlanta-based law enforcement sources have told TMZ Benoit may have strangled his wife on Saturday, then smothered his son in his bed a day later. Investigators refuse to officially comment, pending final confirmation by the coroner on the cause and time of the deaths.

One source told TMZ that Benoit was texting friends during Sunday's WWE "Vengeance" Pay-Per-View program -- possibly watching the show with his son, who may have been alive at the time.' Steroids and other drugs were found in the house along with the "instruments of death."

To those who knew Chris Benoit, this is unbelievable. He was the consummate professional, a family man. The Calgary Sun reported that Bret Hart said, "He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard. It's almost like reliving the whole Owen (Hart) death over again."

Bret continued..."Chris was always one of the good guys -- a straight guy and a hard-working guy.

When you list off all the qualities of someone like Benoit, he had a lot of integrity and was a good, family man. He was really respected and really loved by everybody."

Bret's older brother Ross Hart, a producer and former part-time wrestler, further described the onetime 'Canadian Crippler' as respectful, polite and very humble. "We kind of adopted him when he first broke into the business in 1986. He's been an outstanding mentor to the next generation of Hart family wrestlers," said Ross.

In addition, Gregory Helms posted this message on his MySpace blog ... To my friend Chris Benoit R.I.P. I was sitting here at my computer when I got a call informing me of the death of Chris Benoit and his family. Other than saying that my thoughts go out to his remaining family, I don't know what to say. Chris had just called me on Thursday to check on me as he has every week since my surgery and now days later I find out that he's gone.

He was my friend. This hurts! This f**king sucks!!!! Rest in peace my friend! Love you!

With so many friends...so many people who both loved and respected him...how could this have happened? Many of the WWE Superstars last night spoke about how Benoit helped them with their own problems...both professional as well as personal. However, they also commented on how he was very quiet about his own personal life.

Benoit left bible next to slain wife, son: cops -- Prescription steroids found in house

By ELIZA BARLOW, SUN MEDIA
edmontonsun.com - World

Tue, June 26, 2007

Hometown hero Chris Benoit strangled his wife, smothered his seven-year-old son and put a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself from a weight machine in the family’s suburban Atlanta home, authorities said.

A law enforcement official also said authorities are looking into whether steroid use may have been a factor in the murder-suicide. Prescription anabolic steroids were found in the Canadian pro wrestler’s home, authorities said.

Authorities also revealed the killings were spread out over the weekend, with Benoit, 40, remaining in the home with the corpses for as long as a day before killing himself.

Nancy Benoit, 43, was killed Friday in an upstairs family room, her wrists and feet bound, and blood under her head, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said.

Daniel, 7, was likely killed a short time later, his body found in his bed, said Ballard.

Benoit’s body was found in a downstairs weight room, hanging from the pulley of a piece of exercise equipment.

All three bodies were discovered Monday. WWE said on its website that it asked local police to check on the family after friends received several “curious text messages” from Chris Benoit early Sunday.

Authorities say they’re confident the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide.

WWE Canada president Carl DeMarco was among mourners offering condolences to Chris Benoit’s surviving family at their home near Sherwood Park, a source close to the family told Sun Media. DeMarco flew out from Toronto late Monday and visited the family today.

Chris Benoit’s father Michael Benoit was stoic when reached by phone, vowing the family would cope. “We’ll be fine... We’ll make it.”

Chris Benoit also leaves two children from a previous marriage – David, 14, and Megan, 10, who live in Strathcona County.

Benoit was born in Montreal but grew up in Edmonton, graduating from Archbishop O’Leary Catholic high school in 1985. Known as “The Canadian Crippler,” he trained under Calgary’s Stu Hart in Stampede Wrestling. He held several titles over his career, but realized his dream at Wrestlemania 20 in 2004, when he won the WWE world heavyweight championship.

Shockwaves continue to reverberate through Edmonton’s wrestling community over the loss of a man who was an idol to many. “I’m devastated. He was an absolute role model. Everybody loved him, everybody respected him,” said Kurt Sorochan, promoter and owner of Prairie Wrestling Alliance. “I think there wasn’t a more focused guy in the wrestling business. He was always very gracious, very courteous, very professional, just an all-around nice guy. It doesn’t make any sense at all.”

According to U.S. media reports, Chris and Nancy Benoit’s marriage went through some rocky patches. The pair married in 2000. Nancy managed several wrestlers and went by the ring name “Woman.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Nancy Benoit petitioned for protection against domestic abuse as part of a 2003 divorce filing, describing her husband as “threatening.”

A judge granted a restraining order in May 2003, but both were dismissed three months later on Nancy Benoit’s request.

Benoit Update: Gruesome New News On Benoit Deaths

Reported By RyanClark
ImpactWrestling.com

6/26/2007

District Attorney Scott Ballard was interviewed on the Fox News channel and stated that a cable was found around the neck on Nancy Benoit. He said Daniel was found face down on his bed, also strangled.

Ballard said in the weight room in the basement, Benoit wrapped a cable from a weight machine around his neck. He first wrapped a cloth around his neck. When Benoit let the cable go, the weights lifted up and strangled him.

TMZ.com has posted the court documents of Nancy Benoit's 2003 request for a restraining order against Chris Benoit as well as custody of Daniel Benoit. Here is the link: http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/0626_benoit_dismiss.pdf

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A professional wrestler who killed himself and his family was a former customer of a company implicated in an upstate New York investigation of illegal steroid sales.

That's according to the Albany County District Attorney's Office, which is conducting the investigation here. Authorities in Fayetteville, Georgia, say today that Chris Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son before hanging himself over the weekend.

Investigators found anabolic steroids in the house and want to know whether the muscular man was unhinged by the bodybuilding drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage." In Albany, the DA's office confirms the 40-year-old Benoit was a customer as recently as last year of the south Florida company MedXLife. 2 of its co-owners pleaded guilty to drug charges in Albany County in April, admitting they helped get prescriptions drugs in 2006 for customers in upstate New York who had no medical need for them. The pair testified Signature Pharmacy of Orlando filled the orders. MedXLife, no longer taking orders, attracted customers through its Web site.

COMMENTS (6/28/07): For those who do not know, "oit" is pronounced "wah": one of several prominent name sounds in the Benoit family. "Ch" and "is" from "Vicious" gives us Chris (without the "r"). "Na" from "Nat" and "An" from "Sanders" and "Dandridge" and "Cy" from "Seberg" give us the first murder victim, wife Nancy. "Dan" from "Dandridge" also gives us the second murder victim, son Daniel.

UPDATE (7/27/07): This was applied to a prediction for a Hollywood murder-suicide on page 2006 (Part Three). However, on closer inspection, and considering the intense public interest there is in this case, I now believe the Benoit double murder-suicide is a premature fulfillment of the "Celebrity Murder: Husband Murders Wife" prediction on page 2008 (Part One). The main consideration here is that Chris Benoit was a sports figure, well-known in the world of wrestling. He was as big to the WWE as OJ Simpson was to NFL Football. Chris Benoit, like OJ Simpson, killed two people (the other person was his son, Daniel). Although OJ did not kill himself after murdering his wife and her male friend (double murder), he did hold a gun to his head during the famous police car chase scene while his bodyguard drove and had to be talked down from using it.

However, unlike OJ, Chris Benoit did kill himself. Still, this is similar to the 1980 Dorothy Stratton case (profiled above as the first precedent on this base 7 timeline). After shooting Dorothy in the head, husband Paul Sneider committed suicide in the same manner. Chris Benoit strangled his wife Nancy then hanged himself, effectively joining her in death by asphyxiation.

Thus, the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide is the Dorothy Stratton murder-suicide meets the OJ Simpson murders. The big difference is that in the Stratton case a gun was used and in the OJ case a knife was the murder weapon. In the Benoit case ligatures were used ... a lot of ligatures.

Thus, additionally due to the high-profile nature of this double murder-suicide, and the extremely controversial and twisted facts concerning the case (details that continue to emerge at this writing), I have to consider this as a PREDICTION FULFILLED, although ten months earlier than the vector of April 2008.

River Phoenix (d. 1993) - Riv, Iv, Iver, Er, Fee, Nix, Nicks

Possible predictions (1/11/07): Joaquin Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Summer Phoenix, Sally Field, Joan Rivers, Geraldo Rivera, Veronica Cartwright, Beverly Garland, Stevie Nicks. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Mamas and Papas' Doherty dies at 66

POSTED: 2310 GMT (0710 HKT), January 19, 2007

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (AP) -- Denny Doherty, one-quarter of the 1960s folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas, known for their soaring harmony on hits like "California Dreamin' " and "Monday, Monday," died Friday at 66. His sister, Frances Arnold, said the singer-songwriter died at his home in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, after a short illness.

The group burst on the national scene in 1966 with the top 10 smash "California Dreamin'." The Mamas and the Papas broke ground by having women and men in one group at a time when most singing groups were unisex. John Phillips, the group's chief songwriter; his wife, Michelle; and another female vocalist, Cass Elliot, teamed with Doherty. "Monday, Monday" hit No. 1 on the charts and won the band a Grammy for best contemporary group performance. Among the group's other songs were "I Saw Her Again Last Night," "Go Where You Wanna Go," "Dancing Bear," and versions of "I Call Your Name" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."

"What made the group special was their haunting and sumptuous harmony singing," according to "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll." In 1998, the Mamas and the Papas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The group's catchy sound was a blend of '60s upbeat pop and the folk music that had surged in popularity early in the decade. The song "Creeque Alley" told the story of their formation amid the musical ferment of the folk scene; among the other stars-to-be mentioned in its lyrics were members of the Lovin' Spoonful and the Byrds.

The group's heyday was brief and it disbanded in 1968 after John and Michelle Phillips' divorce. The members re-formed in 1971 for the album "People Like Us," but all hope for a reunion ended in 1974 when the 30-year-old Elliot suffered a fatal heart attack in London.

Phillips briefly re-formed the group in 1982 with Doherty, Phillips' actress daughter, Mackenzie, and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The foursome toured, playing oldies and new Phillips originals.

In 2003, Doherty was co-author and performer in an off-Broadway show called "Dream a Little Dream: The Mamas and the Papas Musical," which traced the band's early years, its dizzying fame and breakup. "There's a part of this thing that if I'm not careful, I'd be just a blob on the stage crying my guts out," Doherty told The Associated Press at the time. "Everybody knows about death and dying and sadness, so it's an exercise in staying in the moment and not getting maudlin about your friends dying."

John Phillips died in 2001 at 65.

The Halifax-born Doherty started his music career in Montreal in 1960 as the co-founder of the Colonials, which later became the Halifax Three. Doherty made a solo album in 1974 and achieved a bit of immortality by both playing the Harbormaster and voicing all the characters for the children's TV series "Theodore Tugboat."

COMMENTS (1/21/07): Who would think that 75% of the Mamas and Papas would be dead by now? Even the Beatles are only half-dead (unless you think Paul really died back in 1966 or 1967). Well, if Phillips were alive he would be 71. Cass Elliot, who died at age 30 in 1974, would be 62. Doherty was clearly cheated by eleven years. We live in an age when more and more people are living not only to the life expectancy of 76, but often to the generic life expectancy of 85 ... and beyond.

Frank Zappa (d. 1993) - Frank, Ank, Zap, Pa

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Bonnie Franklin, Tracy Chapman, Al Pacino. Additional predictions: (1/16/07): Tom Hanks.

Audrey Hepburn (d. 1993) - Aw, Awd, Dree, Ree, Hep, Burr, Burn, Urn

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Claudia Cardinale, Claudine Longet, Johnny Crawford, Richard Dawson, Farrah Fawcett, Goldie Hawn, Lucy Lawless, Twiggy Lawson, Reese Witherspoon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Morgan Freeman, Al Green, Rex Reed, Ben Vereen, Cybill Shepherd, Brooke Burns, Carol Burnett, Olivia Burnette, Ellen Burstyn, Ernie Hudson. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Actress Jeong Da-bin Dead in Suspected Suicide

The Korea Times

02-10-2007 16:13

Korean actress Jeong Da-bin was found dead at her boyfriend's home on Saturday, according to police. Investigators said Jeong, 27, apparently hanged herself at her boyfriend's house in southern Seoul at around 8 a.m.

The boyfriend, who was only identified by his last name Lee, told the police that he discovered the body.

He was quoted as saying that she was found dead with a white towel around her neck.

The police suspect that Jeong committed suicide considering there was no sign that it was a murder. They are trying to determine the exact cause of her death.

Jeong, who also became a Korean pop culture star in Taiwan in 2005, acted in television dramas and movies. If her death is confirmed to have been a suicide, it would be the latest case of a well-known Korean actress or pop star taking her own life.

On Jan. 21, a female singer Yuni committed suicide, while movie actress Lee Eun-joo killed herself in February 2005, which shocked many Koreans.

Autopsy Confirms Actress' Suicide

By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter - The Korea Times

02-12-2007 20:34

The death of actress Jeong Da-bin has been ruled as a suicide, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation said Monday after conducting an autopsy. The initial autopsy results dismissed suspicions held by Jeong's family that she had been murdered.

``It is a typical death caused by hanging from the neck. Also, there seems no possibility for somebody to disguise the manner of her death,'' said Seo Joong-suk, a forensic expert who oversaw the autopsy.

``Although we will announce the final result of a more detailed examination in two weeks, we cannot see any possibility that she was murdered,'' he added.

The institute will check the body's alcohol and drug contents by tissue tests. The family of the deceased including her father and medical experts participated in the autopsy as witnesses.

Seo said there were two scars: a new one and an old one. He said the new scar was less than six months old.

While Jeong's boyfriend Lee Kang-hee told the police she tried to kill herself last year pointing out scars on her wrist, Jeong's family and agency denied Lee's statement, saying that the scars were there when she was in high school.

``The autopsy took longer than normal as the pathologists proceeded only after they reached full agreement on the next steps,'' a source from the institute said, explaining the care taken in conducting the autopsy.

The autopsy was requested by Jeong's family and agency as they urged police to change the direction of the investigation from suicide and look at other possible causes.

Because of the autopsy, her cremation was delayed one day. She will be cremated Tuesday, her agency said.

COMMENTS (2/12/07): This is the second hanging suicide of a South Korean actress in three weeks since the death of actress and singer U-Nee. Including the suicide of actress Lee Eun-ju in February 2005, this is the third suicide by hanging of a South Korean actress. It remains unknown at this writing whether the death of American model and actress Anna Nicole Smith was a suicide.

People are beginning to wonder: what's going on?

Farrah Fawcett's Cancer Has Returned

People.com

FRIDAY MAY 18, 2007 06:00 PM EDT

Farrah Fawcett, who was declared cancer-free in February, discovered this week the cancer has returned, PEOPLE has confirmed.

"She was completely devastated at first," says her close friend Craig Nevius, who produced the Chasing Farrah reality show. "And then, as is her way – as was the case the last time – she became much stronger and started dealing with it, and she's beginning to make a plan."

Fawcett got the news after a routine three-month checkup in which doctors discovered a malignant polyp, smaller than a pea, says Nevius.

She was still weighing her treatment options when the National Enquirer reported the cancer's return.

"She didn't have a chance to tell some of her family yet," says Nevius. "It is now clear that the tabloids are as invasive and malignant as cancer."

Nevius says Fawcett has been in good health and is "not feeling the effects" of the recurrence.

She has not settled on a treatment option, he says, but is considering having a small metalic "seed" placed in the area that will emit radiation.

Diagnosed with anal cancer in September 2006, the actress, who starred as Jill Munroe in the '70s hit Charlie's Angels, had been declared cancer free by her doctors on Feb. 2, her 60th birthday, after having undergone chemotherapy and radiation.

When she first revealed her condition in October 2006, Fawcett said in a statement, "I am resolutely strong and I am determined to bite the bullet and fight the fight while going through the next six weeks of cutting-edge, state-of-the-art treatment. I should be able to return to my life as it was before at the end of my treatment."

Fawcett, who's served as a celebrity spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, had an older sister, Diane, who died of lung cancer in 1998. Her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, also successfully battled leukemia after being diagnosed with the disease in 2001.

Fawcett and O'Neal have a 22-year-old son, Redmond. Though the former couple ended their tumultuous 17-year relationship in 1997, O'Neal has been a steadfast presence at Fawcett's side since her diagnosis.

COMMENTS (5/19/07): Farrah Fawcett is named in the prediction list above. I am sure most all of us wish her the best in overcoming this setback and pray for a speedy recovery.

Cybill Shepherd: I Was Raped

Entertainment News, Reviews, Competitions - Entertainmentwise

By Cher Tippetts on 7/6/2007

Cybill Shepherd has revealed in an interview that she was raped early in her career by a movie star.

Cybill says that the sexual attack took place when she told the un-named actor that she was dating that she wanted to see other men.

She said, "He jerked the necklace off me and he threw me around the kitchen. And he said to me, 'Don't even think of getting the keys to your car, because I have them, and you're not getting them to be able to get away'."

The actress says that the terrifying incident made it hard for her to trust men. "It takes a while to trust men again. It takes a while to trust yourself again. You wonder, 'How could I end up with someone who seems perfectly okay, to suddenly be demanding sex and me saying No and then (to be) terrorized?'"

Cybill Shepherd's sex ordeal at the hands of Hollywood star -- Cybill Shepherd, 57, refused to name the actor who demanded sex and 'threw me around the kitchen'

the Daily Mail
by RICHARD SIMPSON

6 July 2007

Cybill Shepherd has told how she was sexually assaulted by a movie star early in her career.

The 57-year-old actress, who has admitted to a string of affairs with co-stars, refused to name the actor who she said demanded sex and 'threw me around the kitchen'.

She said she did not have the courage to make a police complaint at the time. The assault happened 'many years ago' when she told the actor she was dating that she wanted to see other men, she said.

"He jerked the necklace off me and he threw me around the kitchen," she recalled. "And he said to me, 'Don't even think of getting the keys to your car, because I have them, and you're not getting them to be able to get away'."

She said another couple in the house restrained the actor long enough for her to escape.

COMMENT (7/11/07): Actress Cybill Shepherd was coded blue in the list above and is listed in the base 7 section. Not that this is something that just recently happened, but why did Cybill wait until THIS YEAR to reveal she had been raped?? Could her desire to tell all be influenced by the 'smoke from a distant fire' in her home seven years ago? Is she a slave to the cycles of 7? Is there trouble brewing for her later this year? Did this rape take place in 1972 (5 x 7 years ago)?

Gia Carangi (d. 1986) - Gia, Gee, Care, Angi

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Gia Carides, Geena Davis, Gina Gershon, Gina Rowlands, Gena Lee Nolin, Angie Dickinson, Diahann Carroll, Mariah Carey, Carroll Baker, Carol Kane, Carol Lynley, Carrie Fisher, Carrie-Anne Moss, Angela Cartwright, Angelina Jolie. Additional predictions: (1/16/07): Gina Philips, Karen Black, Karen Westwood, Cheryl Tiegs, Cher, Sharon Stone, Carlene Carter. (4/16/07): Matthew Perry, Halle Berry.

Actress & Composer's Daughter, Nikki Bacharach, Commits Suicide

By Mike Baron
The Post Chronicle

Tue. January 9, 2007

Nikki Bacharach, daughter of composer Burt Bacharach and actress Angie Dickinson has committed suicide. Nikki Bacharach, who was 40 years-old, suffered from what is called Asperger's Disorder, a form of autism.

Bacharach killed herself Thursday night at her condo, said Linda Dozoretz, a spokeswoman for the family.

"She quietly and peacefully committed suicide to escape the ravages to her brain brought on by Asperger's," the statement said.

Nikki Bacharach reportedly died after suffocating by way of a plastic bag and helium, said Mike Feiler of the Ventura County coroner's office.

Lea Nikki Bacharach was born prematurely in 1966, she went on to study geology at Cal Lutheran University, but was unable to pursue a career in the field because of her poor eyesight.

Nikki Bacharach was the only child of Burt Bacharach, 77, and Dickinson, 75, who were married from 1965 to 1981.

COMMENTS (1/13/07): This one is retroactive. It is due to Nikki Bacharach's mother, Angie Dickinson, being listed that this appears. It is a great loss for the mother.

The name Angie Dickinson appears on the prediction list because it would have. However, because this tragedy occurred before I was able to post her name, it does not "count." It does, however, demonstrate the new system of name sounds is at work already in 2007.

Angelina Jolie Stress: Health Fears for Star

By Lynn Edwards
National Ledger

Feb 8, 2007

Friends close to Angelina Jolie fear for the star's health a new report claims. The mother of Brad Pitt's children reportedly is crushed and suffering great stress after the death of her mother and sources cited by Star Magazine claim that she is not taking care of her health. It is understandable as she and her mom were very close.

According to the cover story from the weekly entertainment magazine it seems that even before her mom's death, food wasn't that important to Angie. How could this happen? In a word: stress. "Angie doesn't seem to have a healthy appetite," says a source. "When she's depressed or stressed, it's worse." Right now, Angie is likely both, since mom Marcheline Bertrand lost her battle with ovarian cancer.

"When someone close dies, everything changes, including your physical habits," explains Russell Friedman, co-author of The Grief Recovery Handbook. "It's common to not eat. It just doesn't seem important to some people who are grieving."

This is not the first time that Jolie has been hit with health concerns, especially about her weight. She reportedly fainted three times last October while shooting A Mighty Heart in India, and a source told Star at the time, "she's been surviving on trail mix." Part of the problem may be that Angie gets so involved caring for her kids (Maddox, 5, Zahara, 2, and Shiloh, 8 months), she neglects herself.

COMMENTS (2/12/07): Angelina Jolie is named in the prediction list above.

Is Angelina Jolie ill with a "deadly disease"?

ANI

Sydney, April 27, 2007: Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is reportedly suffering from a "deadly disease", according to an influential showbiz newspaper.

Jolie's recent weight loss and her emaciated and exhausted appearance at a charity news conference in Washington has sparked off reports that she is seriously ill.

According to America's The National Enquirer magazine, the 'Original Sin' actress has a potentially fatal "serious health problem."

Pre-publication shots of the cover demonstrate headlines claiming Jolie is "losing her hair", suffers "uncontrollable shaking" and is diseased by blinding headaches.

The mag also reports that her beau Brad Pitt will stick by the actress, despite reports about the rocky state of their relationship.

The reports have become more reliable and believable after Jolie's brother James Haven's public statement about his concern for his ailing sister.

Haven has openly stated that he is concerned with her shocking weight loss since giving birth to baby Shiloh last May, and losing her mother to cancer January this year. He has also told a British paper that she was not eating well and that both he and Pitt were concerned and pushing her towards a healthier lifestyle.

But the 32-year-old Tomb Raider star has continued with a series of high-status engagements including her UN charity work and the recent adoption of Vietnamese boy Pax Thien.

Angelina Jolie’s Starving Herself

THE BOSH

May 29, 2007

Normally gorgeous Angelina Jolie left the crowd at the recent Cannes Film Festival gasping when she walked the red carpet.

According to Star Magazine Angelina Jolie seemed dangerously pin-thin causing her family and friends to worry about her health, sources say – and medical experts believe her condition could be serious!

“She’s looking too skinny. People are wondering if she’s anorexic,” a source close to the couple tells Star. “She was the most beautiful woman in the world, but now she looks sickly.” Angelina Jolie’s arms and legs appeared disturbingly thin at the May 21 Cannes premiere of her movie A Mighty Heart.

“I couldn’t believe it when she got out of her limo,” an onlooker reports. “Her dress looked like it was barely hanging off her bones.”

Sources tell Star Angelina Jolie’s mom’s passing has pushed Angelina Jolie over the edge. And the latest pictures are causing even more concern.

According to Dr. Bronstein M.D., a psychiatrist and eating-disorder specialist, Angelina Jolie looks dangerously malnourished. “Based on my observations, she is severely underweight and around 105 pounds – and that’s really low.”

The veins on her arms seemed strikingly and unusually bulbous – and Bronstein says that could be a red flag.

Angelina’s thinness and lack of appetite are a big worry for Brad too. “He loves her, but this is really ripping him up inside,” say s a source close to the couple. “He wants to help but feels powerless to do so.”

COMMENTS (5/30/07): This elusive mystery illness could be a form of lupus, I believe. If so, Angelina definitely needs a barrage of medical tests to arrive at a proper diagnosis before it is too late (and it may well be too late for her by September 2007, the Gia-based death vector for this year).

Sid Vicious (d. 1979) - Sid, Id, Vich, Chis, Is

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Sidney Poitier, Sydney Pollack, David Bowie, David Clayton-Thomas, David Faustino, David Nelson, Bo Diddley, David Cassidy, Joanna Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, John Davidson, Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Jaguar wreck sends Kidman to hospital

POSTED: 2250 GMT (0650 HKT), January 25, 2007

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Nicole Kidman was taken to a hospital after the Jaguar she was in crashed early Thursday during downtown shooting of the science fiction thriller "The Invasion," police said.

Kidman, 39, was examined at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and then released a short time later. Paramedics were called to examine Kidman for injuries before she was taken to the hospital, police said. "Nicole Kidman was in the vehicle at the time of the accident and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. She was released shortly thereafter," Warner Bros. said in a statement.

No other actors were involved in the scene at the time of the accident, the studio said.

The Jaguar was being towed by a camera rig that skidded while taking a corner and caused Kidman's car to hit a pole on West Sixth Street, police said. The actress was wearing a seat belt.

"The stunt driver apparently went off course and hit a light post at about 1 a.m.," police Officer Karen Smith said.

Eight people, including Kidman, stuntmen and cameramen, were taken to hospitals for examination and were released, Smith said. Warner Bros. said two crew members had minor injuries.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc., also said production continued after the crash and Kidman was expected back on the set Thursday.

The Oscar-winning actress, who stars as a Washington psychiatrist who unearths the origin of an alien epidemic, was involved in a scene involving an escape from zombielike characters who are on the hood of the car.

Actress Nicole Kidman, 7 others hurt on movie set

Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:15pm ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and seven other people suffered minor injuries on a movie set on Thursday after the car they were riding in crashed into a light pole, police said.

All eight of the injured, including Kidman, were taken to a local hospital for examination after the accident, which occurred at about 1 a.m. (0900 GMT), Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Smith said.

Smith said all eight people were released from the hospital and did not suffer major injuries.

The Los Angeles Police Department will likely conduct a routine traffic accident investigation into the crash, which occurred while a stunt driver was at the wheel of the car, she said.

COMMENTS (1/25/07): Nicole Kidman is named in the prediction list above.

Jean Seberg (d. 1979) - Jee, Een, See, Burr, Berg

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Jean Louisa Kelly, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Kathleen Beller, Kathleen Turner, Orson Bean, Jimmy Dean, Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Bruce Springsteen, Erika Remberg, Mary Steenburgen. Additional predictions: (1/16/07): Barbara Steele, Connie Stevens, Garn Stephens, Nancy Stephens, Oakley Stevenson, Season Hubley, Seymour Cassel, Steve Buscemi, Steve Martin, Steve Miller, Steve Miner, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Bishop, Steve Winwood.

Gia Scala (d. 1972) - Gia, Gee, Sca, Ala

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Gina Lollobrigida. Additional predictions: (0/0/07):

Marilyn Maxwell (d. 1972) - Mare, Air, Lin, Max, Ax, Well

Possible predictions (1/13/07): Marilyn Beck, Marilyn Chambers, Marilyn McCoo, Sheryl Crow, Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, Lynn Anderson, Lynn Redgrave, Lynda Carter, Loretta Lynn, Russ Tamblyn, Linda Blair, Linda Hamilton, Linda Harrison, Linda Hunt, Linda Lavin, Linda Ronstadt, Belinda Carlisle, Ewa Aulin, Marty Balin, James Brolin, Phil Collins, Lily Tomlin, Tony Blair, Morgan Fairchild, La Toya Jackson, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Reggie Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackson Browne, Dawn Wells, Dean Stockwell, Maria Bello, Janis Kelly, Sally Kellerman, Lori Spelling, Liza Minnelli, Valerie Bertinelli, Elvis Costello, Danielle Steel, Elle Macpherson, Kelly Packard, Shelley Long, Stella Stevens. Additional predictions: (1/16/07): Mary Quant, Maria Ford, Marion Ross, Ken Russell, Kurt Russell. Additional predictions: (5/30/07): Shelley Hack, Shelley Fabares.

Jo O'Meara makes suicide attempt

Big Brother - DS:BB

Sunday, February 25 2007, 09:45 UTC - by Daniel Kilkelly

Jo O'Meara tried to commit suicide last weekend, according to a report in the News of the World today.

The former S Club singer was saved by friends who rushed her to hospital. Jo's mother Barbara told the newspaper that the incident had been "a real shock".

"It's horrible. I've never seen her so bad in my whole life," she explained. "She is wasting away and is not eating. I speak to her and she tells me how she's still seeing helicopters coming out of mirrors and those sorts of things. "She's on Prozac now and it seems to have made a difference. The drug takes 14 days to work and I think it's helping her."

O'Meara has struggled to cope with the massive backlash against her behaviour in the Celebrity Big Brother house. She was accused of bullying Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty alongside Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd on the show last month.

COMMENTS (2/26/07): No report says how she attempted suicide ... or what it was about the incident that was "a real shock." All suicides are a "shock" .. but what made this one such "a real shock?" We may never know.

Celebrity Big Brother's Jo O'Meara Tells Of Suicide Bid

Entertainmentwise.com

3/4/2007

Jo O’Meara has tearfully described how her Celebrity Big Brother experience drove her to a desperate suicide bid last month – slamming the show in the process.

The ex-S Club singer graphically describes in a newspaper today how she downed pills and whiskey and passed out on her bathroom floor after deciding she wanted to end her life because of CBB’s notorious ‘race row’.

She tells the News Of The World, "I was on Prozac so I knew I wasn't allowed to drink but I swallowed a quarter of the bottle. I thought this will take it all away and I'm out of it all then.

“I went very sleepy, and it all started to become a blur. I could feel I was starting to drift off. I didn't care. All the suffering was slipping away."

Luckily a friend found and revived her before it was too late, but Jo is still furious with broadcasters Channel 4 for “abandoning” her.

She rallies, “Channel 4 weren't there for me. They left me to die while they counted their pound notes and raved about ratings.

"I actually did hardly anything on that show, but it made me look like some monster. Then when the show finished playing with me like a puppet it abandoned me and left me to sort out my problems, knowing just how bad I'd become.

"Not one producer or boss at Channel 4 has sent me a card, email, flowers or note asking how I am. Their attitude is, ‘She's gone now, she's made us our money'. It's disgusting."

COMMENTS (3/16/07): Well, now we all know how she did it. Thanks for sharing, Jo!

WWE Hall Of Famer 'Sensational' Sherri Martel Found Dead

Entertainment: The Post Chronicle
By Gia Cortina

Jun 20, 2007

'Sensational' Sherri Martel, a WWE Hall of Famer, was found dead on Friday, June 15th, at her mother's home in Birmingham, Alabama, according to her husband of ten years, Robert Schrull. Sherri was only 49 years old.

In the early 1980's, Sherri began her career in the AWA. In 1985, she defeated Candi Devine to become the AWA Women's Champion. Over the next year, the rivalry between the two continued, with the championship bouncing back and forth on several occasions.

During this time she began to perfect her skills as a manager. She led 'Playboy' Buddy Rose and 'Pretty Boy' Doug Somers to the AWA Tag Team Championship.

On June 28th, 1986, Sherri Russell, better known as Sherri Martel at that time, won the AWA Women's Championship for a third and final time from Candi Devine.

While Sherri will always be remembered as one of the greatest managers of all time, it was her in-ring work that deserves its fair share of attention. No matter what the match stipulation was, this four-time AWA Women's Champion always strove to bring the absolute best out of her opponents.

So it should come to no surprise that during her fourth reign as AWA Women's Champion, Sherri took on and handily defeated a series of men. Everyone from former World Champion Jonnie Stewart to Colt Cabana challenged her, and each one found themselves flat on the mat.

On July 24, 1987, 'Sensational' Sherri debuted on the WWE, when she pinned her trainer and mentor, the Fabulous Moolah to become Women's Champion. Sherri defended the gold belt against Debbie Combs, Velvet McIntyre, and Desiree Peterson.

Sherri would do anything to win, even if it meant using nasty tactics. Her rivalry with Moolah continued on as they became the captains of the first-ever female Survivor Series teams in 1989. Sherri held on to the championship for 15 months before losing it to Rockin' Robin.

When the WWE decided to phase out the Women's Division in the early '90s, Sherri focused her efforts on managing the male wrestlers. Her first client was 'Macho Man' Randy Savage and she became known as the 'Sensation Queen."

The couple had rivals with Miss Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire. In 1991, Sherri and 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase, a good friend of the Post Chronicle, teamed-up. After that relationship ended, she took on the managerial duties of the 'Heartbreak Kid' Shawn Michaels.

In 1994, Sherri appeared in WCW as 'Sensuous' Sherri while managing the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair during his rivalries with Sting and Hulk Hogan. When Sherri and Flair parted company, she became 'Sister' Sherri and guided Harlem Heat to seven WCW Tag Team Championships. In 1996, with 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase as her presenter, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Sherri retired from active, in-ring duty in 2006, citing numerous career injuries. She resided with her husband in St. Petersburg, Florida.

At the time of this writing, Sherri's cause of death has not been released.

Liza Minnelli Collapses on Stage

Dec 13, 2007 9:40 AM (ET)

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Liza Minnelli collapsed on stage during a performance in Sweden and was rushed back to the United States for medical treatment, concert organizers said Thursday.

The singer was performing in a Christmas show Wednesday in Goteborg, Sweden's second biggest city, but collapsed as she walked off stage after finishing her fourth song, said Zlakto Nedanovski, a spokesman for the concert's organizers."As she walked down the steps, she passed out. She was taken immediately to her hotel where a doctor was waiting," Nedanovski told The Associated Press.

He said Minnelli was flown to the United States on Thursday on the advice of her doctors there. "They decided together with her management that it's best for Liza to go to the U.S. right away," Nedanovski said, adding he did not know what her medical diagnosis was. "She had felt a bit dizzy before she got up on stage," but decided to proceed with the show anyway, Nedanovski said.

Minnelli's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg confirmed in a statement that the artist "had complained of dizziness" before the show and "became very ill after the show began."

"As a result, she was unable to finish her performance and was rushed back to her hotel by her manager," Rosenberg said.

She said a doctor examined Minnelli "and in consultation with her New York physician, determined that it would be necessary for the Oscar winning actress and singer to immediately return to New York City to receive further medical evaluation."

In a separate statement, released by concert organizer Svensk Nojesutveckling, Minnelli's manager Gary Labriola said: "We don't yet know what happened, we are all very worried."

Minnelli was performing alongside several Swedish artists in a show called "A Classic Christmas Night." It was the fourth and final show in a series of four concerts in Sweden, Rosenberg said.

Minnelli won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the 1972 film "Cabaret." She won an Emmy for the 1972 TV special "Liza with a Z." She also won Tony Awards in 1974 and 1978.

COMMENTS (12/14/07): Liza Minnelli is named in the prediction list above.

George Sanders (d. 1972) - Jore, Orge, Sand, San, Ann, Der

Possible predictions (1/13/07): George W. Bush, George Carlin, George Foreman, Susan Day George, Carlos Santana, Barbra Streisand, Sandy Duncan, Sandahl Bergman, Rosanna Arquette, Susan Sarandon, Gillian Anderson, Laurie Anderson, Loni Anderson, Jason Alexander, Winona Ryder, Maria Schneider, Stevie Wonder, Florence Henderson, Bo Derek. Additional predictions: (1/16/07): Gloria Estefan, Cloris Leachman, Anna Kournikova, Brandy, Joanne Worley, Mandy Moore, Susannah York, Randy Quaid, Randy Travis.

Alleged stalker must stay away from actress Sandra Bullock

POSTED: 0001 GMT (0801 HKT), May 11, 2007

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Actress Sandra Bullock on Friday won a three-year restraining order against a woman she said had tossed animal fur over her gate, left woven palm fronds in her yard and tried to run down her husband.

The "Miss Congeniality" star told a court in the Orange County city of Westminster that the woman, identified as Marcia Diana Valentine, had left the fronds, complete with "weird signs," and "pieces of animal fur" in her yard on five occasions.

Valentine, 45, from nearby Huntington Beach, was arrested last month on charges of trying to run down Bullock's motorcycle mogul husband, Jesse James, in front of the couple's house.

She has also been found on several occasions lying in front of the couple's garage door, yelling obscenities at James, Bullock's lawyer said.

Valentine told police after her April arrest that she had seen all of Bullock's movies. She is free on $25,000 bail pending a court hearing. The restraining order bars Valentine from coming within 500 yards (460 meters) of Bullock, James or his three children for three years.

Bullock, 42, star of "Two Weeks Notice" and "28 Days," married James in July 2005. James, who builds custom motorcycles and is the producer of the television series "Monster Garage," has three children from a previous marriage.

COMMENTS (5/20/07): I get the impression that these stalking episodes involving Sandra Bullock go back to at least last year. However, quite clearly, the stalking incidents reached a nasty head this year, which is why I would consider this a 2007 event.

George Clooney Hurt in Motorcycle Crash

Sep 22 01:45 PM US/Eastern

WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (AP) - George Clooney and a companion were injured on Friday when their motorcycle collided with a car on a narrow road across the Hudson River from New York City.

Clooney suffered a broken rib and scrapes while his passenger, Sarah Larson, broke her foot in the 3:30 p.m. collision. The two were treated at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen and released, Clooney's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, said. "He's doing fine," Rosenfield said. "He has a broken rib, it's very painful and it'll take a long time to heal."

Clooney and Larson were traveling north and sped up to pass on the right of a 1999 Mazda Millenia that was preparing to make a right turn, said Weehawken police Sgt. Sean Kelly. Both were wearing helmets.

It wasn't known whether the Mazda's driver, whose identity was not immediately released, used a turn signal, Kelly said. The accident was under investigation. "It's a he-said, she-said right now, but you can't pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey," Kelly said.

Rosenfield said the accident occurred when the vehicle signaled a left-hand turn, but turned right and struck Clooney's motorcycle. "The car signaled left. George was riding to the right. The driver decided to make an abrupt right turn and clipped George," he said.

The 46-year-old actor was in the New York area to film the dark comedy "Burn After Reading," co-starring Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. Clooney's recovery shouldn't interrupt the production's schedule, Rosenfield said.

Clooney's latest film, "Michael Clayton," will be released next month. He and Larson have been spotted together at several film festivals and movie premieres in recent weeks.

Police: Body found appears to be missing porn star Zoey Zane (Emily Sander)

November 29, 2007 -- Updated 0036 GMT (0836 HKT)

EL DORADO, Kansas (AP) -- A body found in Kansas appears to be that of a missing college student who led a secret life as an Internet porn star, police said Thursday.

Police provided this undated photo of Emily Sander of El Dorado, Kansas. Authorities said the preliminary physical description of the body found about 50 miles east of El Dorado matches that of missing college student Emily Sander. Investigators refused to give details about the state of the body or how it was found.

Sander's case drew wide attention after it was revealed that she appeared nude on a popular adult Web site under the name Zoey Zane. That site was temporarily inaccessible Thursday, as were several sites that bill themselves as "fan" sites of Zane.

But Police Chief Tom Boren insisted Thursday that Sander's Internet activity had no connection to her disappearance.

"The issue of the Internet and the spinoff of that has been literally crippling our investigation," Boren said. Police said publicity about Sander's explicit photos brought a flood of tips, many of them false leads.

Boren said the cause of death was not yet known. An autopsy is planned.

Sander, 18, was last seen leaving an El Dorado bar Friday with Israel Mireles. Mireles became the focus of a nationwide search after police found large quantities of blood in a Kansas motel room where he was staying.

Authorities are looking for Mireles, 24, and his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend. The rental car Mireles was driving was found abandoned Tuesday in Vernon, Texas, where he has relatives. Investigators interviewed family members and planned to bring the vehicle back to Kansas for processing. "We feel they know where he is at, but they haven't shared that with us," Boren said.

Sander attended Butler Community College. Dozens of people gathered Wednesday in El Dorado for a candlelight vigil for her. The turnout moved her grandfather, Clement Sander, who said Emily Sander's disappearance shows tragedy can suddenly strike anyone. "All I can say to you young folks out there is be careful," he said. "It is a cruel world."

COMMENTS (12/20/07): Cruel world indeed. This girl had every conceivable disadvantage tied to both her real name and her "professional" name. Whatever horror and pain she experienced at her end must have been beyond description or imagination. Authorities have arrested her killer but have also "sealed" the results of the forensic examination and the cause of death: meaning the public will never be told how she died because of the gruesome nature of her murder.