J. Eric’s entertainment buzz report


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Palin, Kardashian, Jersey Shore cast booked for Leno’s homecoming

Jay Leno’s much anticipated return to The Tonight Show will include quite a variety of guests and performers. The homecoming is attracting a large amount of interest among viewers and will garner an A-list line-up of guests.

Tonight, his first night back in the 11:30 timeslot, Leno sits down with Jamie Foxx and Olympic Gold Medal Skier Lindsey Vonn, plus a musical performance by Brad Paisley. The two-week line-up, released by NBC last week, includes other A-listers like Sarah Palin, Olympic Star Snowboarder Shaun White, Chelsea Handler and Matthew McConaughey, as well as the cast from MTV’s Jersey Shore (who is also scheduled to make an appearance on The View later this month). A performance by controversial live TV performer Adam Lambert is still in the works for Tuesday night.

Leno is returning to The Tonight Show after an unsuccessful shift to a prime time talk show. He is reclaiming the show from Conan O’Brien who left when NBC tried to move him back to his original midnight timeslot. The New York Times reported that O’Brien received a $45 million settlement from NBC to get him out of his contract earlier this year.

Precious wins big at 41st Image Awards

If you noticed tons of limos and people in black-tie attire on campus Friday, they weren’t coming to USC. They were headed across Jefferson Street to the Shine Auditorium for the 41st Annual NAACP Awards.

I did attend both the VIP Pre-Reception on Thursday evening at Milk Studio in Hollywood and the awards show on Friday broadcast live on FOX.  The reception, which was an intimate relaxed evening for the celebrities and guests to mingle, featured stars including Sherri Shepherd, Idris Elba, Donnie McClurkin, Denise Boutter, Keith Robinson, Eva Marcell with new beau Lance Gross and LaLa Vasquez. I spotted The View’s Sherri Shepherd and her husband along with Tracie Ellis Ross, from hit sitcom Girlfriends, having a great time dancing to Beyonce’s Single Ladies with partygoers in the studio-turned dancefloor.

At the award show the next night, Precious won six Image Awards including best picture, director, screenplay, lead and supporting actress. The film is competing in all those categories at next week’s Oscars. I did get to talk to Xosha Roquemore about her role in Precious alongside Gabourey Sidibe. Roquemore played Sidibe’s classmate, Joann (who’s favorite color was fluorescent beige).

“It was great being on set with Gabby during taping,” said Roquemore. “That’s my homegirl and I know she’s going to do her thing at the Oscars next week!”

The show consisted of appearances and presentations by many black celebritie elites including Tyler Perry, who accepted the Chairman’s award, Monique’, Chris Rock, Maxwell, Nick Cannon, Gabrielle Union, Tichina Arnold. Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freedman. John Legend, Kerri Hilson, Mary-Mary and Tamela Mann performed during the event.

Sandra Bullock also attended the event for her best actress nomination for her role in The Blind Side. She received many positive comments on her dress during the evening, even one on stage from host Anika Noni Rose joking, “Sandra Bullock, your dress is bad, girl!”

USC student Devan Bratton, who works for SeatFillers.com, got to sit next to Bullock for almost half the show on the front row. Many students watching the broadcast noticed Bratton on TV sitting right next to Bullock during the show. “She was very nice to me and talked to me a lot during the show,” said Bratton.

Osmond son commits suicide, leaves note for friend

Marie Osmond’s son died here in Los Angeles Friday night after jumping from his eighth floor apartment. In a note he left for “his only close friend in Los Angeles,” he said he intended to commit suicide after a life-long battle with depression. Osmond pulled out of her performance with her brother Donny at the Flamingo in Las Vegas on Saturday night after hearing the devastating news.

Michael Blosili, 18, was a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, the school on the LA season of Project Runway and The Hills. Blosili had been battling depression for many years. In 2007, at age 16, he went to rehab for undisclosed reasons. His mom, Marie, was hospitalized in 2006 for an alleged attempted suicide. She quickly denied the claim after the National Enquirer published the story.

He, along with other members of the Osmond family, was seen publicly on the Osmond special on The Oprah Show last year. TMZ.com reported that The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into Blosili’s death and an autopsy has been scheduled.

Ne-Yo arrested? In Norway?

I never thought I would hear of R&B singer Ne-Yo coming within 50 feet of men fighting with guns and knives. Contrary to my belief, that’s what happened this weekend in Norway with Ne-Yo and his crew.

After a show in Oslo, Norway, Ne-Yo and his ‘boys’ attended an after party where they were drinking and dancing in a club’s VIP section. The club’s security was called to the scene because of a massive fight that broke out close to their private section. YBF.com is reporting that Ne-Yo and his crew were allegedly throwing fists and kicks. A Norwegian newspaper published that one of Ne-Yo’s crewmembers punched someone in the face and “blood was everywhere.”

When the fight broke up, the singer and his crew tried to leave the club, but another fight broke out in the street. The police detained Ne-Yo and a few a members of his crew outside as they tried to leave the second fight. Reports do not specify whether Ne-Yo was officially arrested or just detained.