JET LI NOT READY TO DIE
"Fight, fight, fight. Martial arts is about more than just beating people up. It’s a whole philosophy," Jet Li told Canada.com. The veteran is wreaking havoc by announcing that he is no longer making martial art films — followed by only one caveat: It’s got to have heart. "Why quit martial arts? Why will this be my last wushu picture? Because wushu in China means something very specific. It actually means to stop war." Good — so we can all forget that interracial farce, Romeo Must Die.
DON HO HAS CHANGE OF HEART
The only "Tiny Bubbles" that Don Ho is singing about these days are the balloons in his new synthetic heart. The Hawaiian favorite has been hospitalized since Sept. 13, and is receiving a pacemaker with two wires instead of one — nearly a year after receiving controversial stem cell therapy in Thailand in 2005.
MILITARY COUP CUTS SHORT GANGSTER FLICK
Nicolas Cage was shooting a Hong Kong gangster thriller in Thailand when the Thai military rolled in on a surprise coup to oust popularly elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Danny and Oxide Pang, otherwise known in Hollywood/Hong Kong circles as "The Pang Bros.," were remaking Bangkok Dangerous, and witnessed reality had become stranger than fiction.
RUSSELL SIMMONS REVEALS HIP-HOP ROYALTY SECRET
Financial planning and credit stability are the lifeblood for every aspiring hip-hop mogul, says Russell Simmons — which is why estranged wife Kimora Lee Simmons is out of favor. "They don’t need to just pay attention to the bling," he told students. "Rappers spending countless money are on television. But in real life, these artists are very responsible with their money." Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris and Paul Wall were also keynote speakers at the summit.
FOXY KO’D BANK ACCOUNT FOR LEGAL LIES
Foxy Brown may be popping up in your local magazine aisle as a centerfold. "From what I understand, she really doesn’t have any money," said designer Tanya Manderson, who was accused of robbing the dirty-mouthed rapper in 2004 and filed a defamation suit. "I think she fired [her lawyer] or he left … so we just won a judgment against her."
"I have to collect money from her," said Steve Krawitz, Tanya’s lawyer, "but I don’t know how to do that." Neither was surprised by Foxy’s nail salon suit. "I know for a fact that she’s a habitual liar because she lied about me."