The Daily Roundup for Feb 17

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Chris Paul Featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

The Olympic-year edition of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has a Summer Games vibe. Five Olympians, are featured in the pages of SI's annual issue, whichare on newsstands now.

Clippers All-star point guard Chris Paul is one of three athletes featured in Sport’s Illustrated’s 2012 swimsuit issue with supermodel Bar Refaeli.

OPRAH IS SOLICITING PEOPLE TO WATCH OWN?

Monday night Oprah Winfrey asked her 9 million Twitter followers to turn away from the Grammy Awards and watch the OWN Network instead, especially if they had Nielsen boxes. Too bad you're not supposed to do that...

After a thorough dragging by Twitter followers who branded Oprah desperate for ratings, O tried to defend herself, but offending her followers wasn't the only problem. Nielsen rated shows aren't supposed to solicit viewers especially during sweeps. So after a few furious emails back and forth with the Nielsen people, Oprah apologized and removed the Tweet and next week OWN's ratings will come with an asterisk denoting “possible biasing effect.”

Nielsen ratings are used to set advertising rates and determine the success or failure of TV shows.

Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush Do Lunch

Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush may be giving love another try as the former couple were spotted on a recent lunch date.
Kim Kardashian has REUNITED with her ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush ... breaking bread with the NFL player at the Beverly Hills Hotel this weekend ... TMZ has learned.
Multiple sources tell me... the two were smiling and laughing during the lunch date ... and played it cool when fans approached them for pictures and autographs.
We're told it seemed just like old times ... before Kim went off and married/divorcedthat other guy whose name we can't remember.

Sources say the two have been spending A LOT of time together in the past few days ... but it's unclear if it's a full-on reconciliation.

Nicki Minaj is on the February/March 2012 Issue Of VIBE

With her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded dropping April 3rd, Queens native Onika is everybody's pink lipped covergirl. In the upcoming issue of VIBE magazine, the "Roman Holiday" rapper is revealing her frustrations with the industry. Here's her excerpts of her interview with Editor Clover Hope:

VIBE: You’ve said before that you didn’t really have fun recording Pink Friday.

Nicki Minaj: I felt like I had something to prove to everyone who said a female rapper could not make an album unless she was talking about her pussy. And so I went above and beyond to prove that I could not talk about sex and not talk about my genitalia and still have a successful album. And I proved that. And now my time for proving things to my critics is over. I don’t really need to prove anything to anyone else anymore.

Is it still hard to get your way as a woman in this industry?

It’s not hard to get your way when it’s your way or the highway. People either follow suit or they’re not around. I don’t really like the sound of that, ‘cause that sounds like a temper tantrum. I’m just very black and white when it comes to my business. There’s really no gray area. I really don’t have a lot of small talk with people I work with. It’s pretty much let’s get the job done. In the beginning, if people didn’t know me they’d probably assume I wasn’t smart or wasn’t business savvy. But once you sit and talk to me, it’s a different story.

You were heavy on the fashion scene last year around Fashion Week with Anna Wintour. Do you feel like you’ve been accepted by the fashion world?

Yeah, I realized more recently that even if it’s for a fashion magazine, I’m not gonna change who I am. When I was doing photo shoots last year, I kept on being told, “This is what we want your hair to look like and this is what we want you to look like,” and it really, really stifled my creativity. So the other day I was talking to a photographer, and he said, “You know what, I like your everyday looks so much better than when you do photo shoots for magazines.” And I was like, “So do I, you’re absolutely right.” I’d been getting more and more frustrated for a while.

But I’ve made up my mind that when you see a Nicki Minaj magazine cover from now on, it’s really going to reflect me and it’s going to be something that I creatively had a hand in, because I don’t have to do it anymore. I don’t have to do things just to please people. It’s okay to do what I love because what I love, my fans love. And they’re really the only ones that should matter. The fashion world will have to come to Nicki Minaj, as opposed to Nicki Minaj trying to go to the fashion world.

The issue hits stands next week. You feelin' the cover?

2012 BAFTA Awards: The Show, The Winners

Honoring the best and brightest in entertainment, the 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) took place in London, England on Sunday evening (February 12).
Held at the Royal Opera House, the big winner ended up being "The Artist" - which took home seven trophies including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Original Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography and Costume Design.

Meanwhile, Meryl Streep was named Best Actress for "The Iron Lady" while Jean Dujardin scooped up the Best Actor trophy for "The Artist" during the evening ceremony.

Other winners included "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "Senna" while Adam Deacon won the Rising Star honors and John Hurt received the BAFTA Award For Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema accolade.

The list of 2012 BAFTA winners is

BEST FILM
WINNER: THE ARTIST Thomas LangmannTHE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
DRIVE Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
THE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
WINNER: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter StraughanWE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear

DIRECTOR
WINNER: THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE Nicolas Winding Refn
HUGO Martin Scorsese
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay

LEADING ACTOR
BRAD PITT Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY The Descendants
WINNER: JEAN DUJARDIN The ArtistMICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame

LEADING ACTRESS
BÉRÉNICE BEJO The Artist
WINNER: MERYL STREEP The Iron LadyMICHELLE WILLIAMS My Week with Marilyn
TILDA SWINTON We Need to Talk About Kevin
VIOLA DAVIS The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Beginners
JIM BROADBENT The Iron Lady
JONAH HILL Moneyball
KENNETH BRANAGH My Week with Marilyn
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN Drive
JESSICA CHASTAIN The Help
JUDI DENCH My Week with Marilyn
MELISSA MCCARTHY Bridesmaids
WINNER: OCTAVIA SPENCER The Help

To see all the winners click here to: www.bafta.org/awards/

Conrad Murray Banned in Texas

Conrad Murray has just had his license to practice medicine in Texas suspended...

Conrad is currently serving four years in the LA county jail for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson and is appealing his conviction, but in the mean time he can't practice medicine in Texas. Conrad's license

C-ERROR was out and about in L.A recently

Ciara was seen leaving out with her two of her dogs in their Louis Vuitton carrier yesterday. And looked cute and casual in jeans and a red tee:

She recently dished about past missteps in her career saying,

"I've been able to make mistakes in front of my fans. It's kind of fun to be able to learn as I grow and to know that my fans are growing with me. I feel so much good energy. At this point it's important for me to be the best businesswoman I can be. I really want to build my empire. I look at things completely different than I would have with my first album. I've learned so much, it's actually exciting. I feel like there is so much I can do. So much I can accomplish."…

YEAH YEAH GURL..WHAT EMPIRE???

She took her cap off before loading into her truck. And clearly wasn't happy to see the paps.

Ciara will soon hit the big screen in the Adam Sandler flick That's My Boy.

Did Drake and Common Got Into a contusion At The Grammy’s or Not?

Word on the street is that Drake and Common got into 2 backstage fights at the Grammy’s. Source reports while everyone was being wowed by the fabulousness of The Grammy’s last night, the two rappers with a history of problems were at each other throats!

Sources say that there was a backstage confrontation between the pair eventually had to be broken up by the police. Once they broke up the first fight, things got heated again and they went at it again! 

Well an employee working backstage at the Grammys tells RumorFix exclusively that no such incident occurred. “There was no altercation of any kind. Everyone is very relaxed and chill at these kinds of events. Drake and Common both walked passed me at different times, and there wasn’t any fight.”

And if you don’t believe that, you can always use your common sense – no pun intended. Would Drake really assault someone backstage at an award show, and the police simply just escort the victim back to their seat without arresting Drake? Probably not.

Kelly Rowland Looks Fur-ocious In LA

R&B belle Kelly Rowland is really embracing her inner-diva these days.
Rowland, who has relocated to LA to record her 4th studio album, was snapped looking rather regal as she stepped out for dinner at BESO with friends LaLa Anthony and actress Tika Sumpter.

The trio were spotted in the studio with rapper Ludacris earlier.

And while there’s no word on whether a Ms. Kelly / Luda collaboration was recorded, we certainly wouldn’t object.

Jumpman23 Air Jordan 11 Retro “Blackout” : Sales On Ebay For $11,000

An All Black Air Jordan 11 is unheard of but judging by the unreleased sample pattern from before, it is believable. Modern-notoriety just posted photos of The Air Jordan 11 “Blackout”. You can refer to these as the “Black Anniversary” Air Jordan 11, due to it’s opposite colorway that was part of the silver anniversary a few years back. This Air Jordan 11 features an all black upper with a smokey sole and if you’re willing to shell out a few dollars. A pair of the shoes hit Ebay – - the shoes current bid is $11,000…

Would you pay that much for J’s?

SAD NEWS: NFL Player ‘Tommie Harris’ Wife Dies of Brain Aneurysm

Ashley Harris, the wife of Chargers defensive lineman Tommie Harris, has died at the age of 29. The 29-year-old entered a hospital in Norman, Oklahoma where the couple was visiting, reportedly seeking treatment for a stroke or a brain aneurysm. On Sunday afternoon, family friend Bill Horn told the Sun-Times,”We are holding on for a miracle,” but Harris died later that evening.

The couple, who had two children, were married on New Year’s Day this year and planned to hold a wedding reception in Oklahoma.

Tommie Harris played college football for the University of Oklahoma and was the 14th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, signing a four-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Bears. He was released at the end of the 2010 season and moved to the San Diego Chargers last September.

“Tommie has been overwhelmed by the support of his former teammates, the Bears organization and the city of Chicago,” Horn told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Please continue to pray for him as he and his children grieve the loss of his wife.”

Laura Govan Covers BE Magazine

Laura Govan is still keeping her name in the mix these days. The "LA Basketball Wife" is covering the new issue of BE Magazine. And she's talking about her 23 carat rock and why she's not trying to be bothered with Jackie Christie's drama next season...

She's looking great and back with her man, Gilbert Arenas. Mom of 4 Laura Govan chatted up BE Magazine and the full issue hits their site tomorrow on Valentine's Day. Here's the highlights:

BE Magazine: There was a lot of drama surrounding you, Gloria, and Jackie Christie on last season’s show…what can we expect this season, and have you and Jackie BEen able to find common ground?

Laura Govan: I’m over it. Just because I don’t hang with you in real life or don’t care to be friends with a person doesn’t mean I hate them…

BE Magazine: How does it feel to BE in love? And does BEing in love feel BEtter with a 23 Carat Ring?
Laura Govan: Being in love feels better when you’re with the person you were meant to be with! Me & Gil have been together for over 10 years now. I was with him when he was broke & I had to pay for our meal.

BE Magazine: What’s BEen new with Laura since we’ve last seen you on the BBW LA Reunion a few months ago?
Laura Govan: Growth. Sometimes I’ll catch repeats of past episodes when I’m at home and I look at myself and say “who is this girl!?” (laughing)

Well alright!

And finally from “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
“I Make Them Good Girls Go Bad”

This is what we in the industry call a “sure thing”…and by industry I mean pretty much anyone above the age of 13 that knows what she is referencing.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!

EFREM