Meet the Guiltiest Art Student in NYC

cityfile · 01/25/10 09:01AM

"On Friday afternoon a woman taking an adult education class at the Metropolitan Museum of Art accidentally lost her balance and fell into 'The Actor,' a rare Rose Period Picasso, tearing the canvas about six inches along its lower right-hand corner." [NYT]

Freeze Frame

Whitney Jefferson · 01/25/10 09:00AM

Can you guess what movie this image comes from? Check back for the answer at 4pm today.

Is This the End of Brangelina?

cityfile · 01/25/10 08:23AM

• Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie splitting up? That's what Britain's News of the World reported over the weekend, suggesting the (unmarried) couple has been meeting with their lawyers in LA to divide up their assets. Whether any of this is true or it's just another rumor is unclear. According to a source that spoke with People, "everything is fine" between Jolie and Pitt, and the story of them splitting is "totally false." [NYDN, NYP, TMZ, People]
• The cast of MTV's most popular new show may not be back for another season. The kids from Jersey Shore reportedly turned down an offer which would have paid them each $5,000 per episode. MTV has since doubled its offer and informed them they'll replace the cast if they don't accept. In related news, the cast sparked a "near-riot" on Friday night when fans descended on a club in Montclair, New Jersey, to catch them in person. [TMZ, Us, NYDN]
• Diddy held a 1,000-person birthday party for his son, Justin, on Saturday night. The highlight of the evening—which was taped for an episode of MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen—was when Diddy gave his son what every 16-year-old needs: a $360,000 silver Maybach and a driver to go with it. [P6, NYDN]

Happy Birthday

cityfile · 01/25/10 06:27AM

Alicia Keys turns 29 today. Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz is turning 39. Paul Nurse, the Nobel Prize-winning head of Rockefeller University, turns 61. Architect Bernard Tschumi is 66. Kim Gandy, the feminist leader and former NOW president, is turning 56. Actress Mia Kirshner (The L Word) is turning 35. Socialite Carroll Petrie is 82. And legendary singer Etta James turns 72 today.

Can We Live in a World Without Brangelina?

Maureen O'Connor · 01/25/10 04:18AM

Brad's brother thinks something's rotten in the state of Brangelina, but other rumors conflict. Jersey Shore drives a hard bargain and risks getting shut out. Gary Coleman gets arrested. ScarJo on stage gets a rave review. Monday gossip starts now.

Airliner Carrying 83 Crashes into Mediterranean Sea

Maureen O'Connor · 01/25/10 01:08AM

An Ethiopian aircraft has plummeted into the sea, mere minutes after its takeoff from Lebanese capital Beirut. The Lebanese army and U.N. Interim Force are searching the coast. Among those aboard was the wife of France's ambassador to Lebanon. The flight was en route to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. [CNN]

Lenny Bruce on "The System

Matt Toder · 01/24/10 09:00PM

Lenny Bruce was one of the earliest comedians to push the boundaries of comedy and the limits of free speech. In this clip from late in his career, he expounds on his legal troubles, religion and the rules.