Whoopi Goldberg cautions fans about Twitter impostor

London, May 26 (ANI): Whoopi Goldberg has cautioned fans about an impostor who, she claims, has set up a Twitter account in her name.

The comedienne, 54, who doesn’t have an account on the microblogging site, was shocked when she discovered someone had been pretending to ”tweet” as her online.

And now she is warning fans about the fake Whoopi.

“I need everybody on Twitter to know there is someone pretending to be me. I have no account… I don”t ever wanna (sic) be on Twitter. The person who is answering your questions is a fake. Let everybody know. I”m not on Twitter,” the Daily Express quoted Goldberg as saying. (ANI)

No gatecrashers at Obama’s second State dinner

New York, May 20 (ANI): The U.S. State dinner this year went seamlessly as there was no untoward incident of gatecrashers this time. None of the guests, however, took a chance – clutching their embossed invitations, proof that they belonged.

As the guests for the second state dinner of Barack Obama’s presidency arrived on Wednesday, the White House tried to purge the memories of the uninvited guests at the first state dinner.

“I’d say things are pretty secure around here,” The New York Times quoted Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as saying.

Among the guests were the actors Eva Longoria Parker and George Lopez, the Olympic speed skater Shani Davis, who brought his coach, Jae Su Chun, and the New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who brought his left tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

But the star power undoubtedly was none other than President Felipe Calderón of Mexico and his wife, Margarita Zavala.

Some of Obama’s Wall Street friends, including Robert Wolf, president of UBS Investment Bank, and Brian Moynihan, president of Bank of America. Also on hand was Carlos Slim, the Mexican businessman and investor in The New York Times were also seen at the soiree.

Whoopi Goldberg, a regular in the Clinton years but not so much in the Bush era, said, “It’s kind of like coming home after a long drought.” (ANI)

‘Ghost’ set for Japanese remake

London, May 16 (ANI): Japan is about to get its own version of Patrick Swayze”s hit movie ‘Ghost’.

The 1990 film won two Academy Awards including a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Whoopi Goldberg.

And now the flick is heading back to the big screen under the direction of Taro Otani with an all-Japanese cast, reports The Daily Express.

The project will begin filming in June (10).

It is slated for an autumn release (10), according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. (ANI)

Elton John tells Whoopi Goldberg ‘Next Fall’ reflects his coming out struggle

London, Mar 13 (ANI): Sir Elton John has revealed on Whoopi Goldberg’s chat show The View that his new play, ‘Next Fall’, reflects some of the struggles he had coming out as gay.

John, 62, produced the play, which is a bittersweet comedy that opened on Broadway on March 12, with his partner David Furnish.

It was written by Geoffrey Nauffts, and tells the story of a gay couple, one of whom hasn’t come out as gay to his parents and struggles with the conflict with his religion.

John told Goldberg, 54, that he could totally identify with the troubled protagonist.

“I came out…at the height of my career and, yeah, it maybe hurt me a little bit but not that much and it gave me the freedom to be who I was for the rest of my life and I didn’t have to live my life in secret,” the Mirror quoted him as saying.

“I’m proud of who I am. The worst thing is to just hide and be afraid of who you are.

“I didn’t really want people to know. I didn’t have the courage in my convictions and I think as soon as I did that – when I was asked a simple question in a magazine and I said ‘yes’ – my life transformed itself.

“I don’t have any secrets now. I know it is very difficult for lots of people in different jobs but the best thing I ever did was be true to myself,” he added. (ANI)

Mo’Nique’s Precious Oscar win

Mo’Nique was awarded the best supporting actress Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards for her portrayal of an abusive parent in the harrowing independent drama Precious.

The 42-year-old comedienne had emerged as the overwhelming favourite for the famous golden statuette after winning a series of corresponding honours at awards shows leading to the Oscars.

Mo’Nique accepted her statuette to a standing ovation.

“I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics,” she said.

“To my amazing husband, Sidney – thank you for showing me that sometimes you have to forego doing what’s popular in order to do what’s right.”

Mo’Nique becomes only the fifth black actress to win an Oscar following Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Jennifer Hudson.

Other nominees in the best supporting actress Oscar category included last year’s winner Penelope Cruz for Nine, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart and Up In The Air stars Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga.

Whoopi Goldberg recalls ‘mooning’ Patrick Swayze

Washington, Sept 16 (ANI): Actress Whoopi Goldberg remembers late actor Patrick Swayze as a “funny man” who repeatedly flashed his bare bottom while she shot for their hit movie Ghost.

The 53-year-old American actress insists she has fond memories of their time together.

“Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay. I believe in Ghost’s message, so he’ll always be near,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying,

She recalls, “The camera would be on me and he’d be off to the side and he’d moon me! It was the greatest.”

She credits Swayze with helping her win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Ghost.

“Because of Patrick Swayze, I got that movie Ghost. Because of Patrick Swayze, I have an Oscar.”

Swayze lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 57 on Monday. (ANI)

Cancer-stricken Patrick Swayze dies at 57

Washington, Sept 15 (ANI): Veteran actor Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer on Monday, aged 57.

The ‘Dirty Dancing’ star lost his battle to cancer after struggling for at least 20 months.

“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months,” People magazine quoted Swayze’s representatives as saying in a statement.

Whoopi Goldberg, who starred with Swayze in one of his biggest movies ‘Ghost’, remembers Swayze as “funny man”.

“Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay,” said Goldberg,

“I believe in Ghost’s message, so he’ll always be near,” she added.

“Patrick lived a hundred lifetimes in one,” said Rob Lowe, who appeared with Swayze in ‘The Outsiders and Youngblood’.

“I will remember him for that, and I will remember him for how much he loved his wife Lisa. He was such an intense actor, so full of passion and vigor. He definitely made the most out of it. It’s a sad day,” he added.

Swayze was diagnosed with advanced stage of pancreatic cancer in January last year.

However, he kept shooting for A and E series ‘The Beast’ while undergoing chemotherapy and never lost hope. (ANI)

Posh banned from spraying new perfume in front of allergic Whoopi

New Delhi, Sep 12 (ANI): Former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham has been banned from spraying her new perfume when she promotes it on a US talk show hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

Goldberg, 53, had invited Posh, 35, to appear on ‘The View’ to talk about her latest fragrance Signature Story, but totally forgot that she’s allergic to perfume, reports China Daily.

Posh has agreed not to spray the scent within a nine-metre radius of Goldberg, while audience members, who will get a goody bag containing a bottle of the fragrance, will have to sign an agreement not to open the fragrance in the studio.

“Whoopi was desperate to get Victoria on ‘The View’ as she’s got an incredible profile in the US right now,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

“Victoria is launching her perfume so the timing was perfect and she agreed straight away.

“Sadly, Whoopi didn’t really think things through – and it was only once her guest was confirmed that she informed producers she was allergic to perfume.

“If she smells it, her eyes well up and start streaming, and her lips even swell. Studio bosses have had to write up contracts for the audience and Victoria making sure they don’t spray the scent.

“It’s not the ideal way to promote a perfume, but Victoria saw the funny side,” the source added. (ANI)

Most scientifically accurate and advanced planetarium show on display in US

Washington, August 21 (ANI): High-performance computing systems, visualization resources, and software tools provided by the National Science Foundation TeraGrid helped make the Hayden Planetarium’s new space show the most scientifically accurate and advanced planetarium show ever produced.

The Hayden Planetarium is a public planetarium located on Central Park West, New York City, next to and organizationally part of the American Museum of Natural History.

“Journey to the Stars,” which debuted this summer at the American Museum of Natural History, is being hailed as the most beautiful planetarium show to date.

Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, the 25-minute presentation takes viewers on a journey through the universe.

The space show projects cutting-edge visualizations of the universe onto the 87-foot, seven-million-pixel dome of the museum’s Hayden Sphere at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City.

Piecing together a new narrative of life’s origins, the space show explains how dark matter’s gravity gathered the primordial gas in the universe to form the first stars, and how these massive stars exploded, seeding the galaxy with new stars and the chemical elements that made life possible.

The centerpiece of the show, and the most difficult sequence to depict scientifically, is a flight into the center of the Sun.

The visuals of the Sun were produced using supercomputing resources provided by the NSF TeraGrid, a national cyberinfrastructure for open scientific research.

According to Ro Kinzler, the show’s producer, “We wanted to treat the Sun in a terrific and powerful way to [not just] reveal the surface, but to take our audience into the Sun, through the convective layer and into the core.”

“The results are beautiful. No one has seen the Sun in this way, and the software from NCAR and computational resources from TACC made it possible,” he said.

The visual sequences are based on the research of Juri Toomre, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and run on TACC’s Ranger supercomputer.

“It’s not enough to know what comes out of the surface,” Toomre said.

“We would like to understand how the magnetic engine of a star works, how it churns away and how it builds orderly fields. This is one of the top 10 questions in physics,” Toomre added.

“A very dramatic moment in the show is when we actually peel away the surface of the Sun, revealing the dynamic convective motion below,” Kinzler said. “We take the audience through the convective region and into the Sun’s core,” he added. (ANI)

Beyonce Knowles wants to star in ‘Sister Act’ remake

Washington, July 06 (ANI): Beyonce Knowles is urging Disney bosses to remake 1992 movie ‘Sister Act’, for the actress is desperate to play the role of nun in the movie.

The singer’s interest developed after she watched ‘Sister Act’ stage musical in London’s West End theatre in between her UK ‘I Am Sasha Fierce tour’, reports the China Daily.

“Beyonce has asked her representatives to persuade Disney to develop the show into a film vehicle for her,” Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper reports.

It adds: “If this comes to pass, she would take on, in musical form, the part Whoopi Goldberg creates in the 1992 ‘Sister Act’ film, although the stage version moves the action from the West Coast to Philadelphia.”

If the project is agreed upon, the Bodylicious hitmaker will play the role Deloris Van Cartier, which was previously portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg who is forced to dress up as a nun while fleeing a group of gangsters.

US actress Patina Miller is presently playing the lead character in the West End musical, which is co-produced by Whoopi.

Meanwhile, the Dreamgirls star is also in talks about releasing ‘Take Me To Heaven’, one of the musical’s well-known hits.

However, the filming is not expected to start before 2011, as the musical will move to New York’s Broadway theatre district in late 2010. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg, Martina McBride believe true success has nothing to do with luck

Washington, May 24 (ANI): Do you believe that celebrities were lucky that they have become big shots in their respective fields of professions? Well, if you do, better think again.

Mega church pastor Joel Osteen, country superstar Martina McBride, multimillionaire entrepreneur Chris Gardner, comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, NBA superstar Dikembe Mutombo, and world-renowned flutist Sir James Galway are some of the celebrities who strongly believe that true success has nothing to do with luck.

All of them are of the onion that anyone wanting to change his/her life has the power to do so, reports Fox News.

Sitting together, all six of them have now enlisted some of the common threads they share: lessons they picked up on their own personal journeys towards what they describe as happy and fulfilled lives.

The list is as follows:

1. How You Think Is Everything. – Learn to visualize success and not failure. The phrase “You are what you think” is a powerful idea. Don’t listen to the voices that are pulling you down-you can’t spend all your time trying to win over your critics. Run your own race.

2. It’s Not About the Money – Material things are the results of success, but are not success itself. It’s great having a nice home, a six-figure salary or luxury vacations, but success isn’t measured by the dollars. It’s measured by how satisfied you feel.

3. Goals, Goal, Goals – Remember that goals must be meaningful and personal; otherwise, you won’t be inspired to achieve them.

4. Great Expectations – For something desirable to happen, you must want the event to happen, firmly believing it will occur and expecting it to take place.

5. To Fail Is to Succeed – Failure pushes you to levels you never dreamed of, and can open doors you never thought possible. See failure as a life lesson for what works and what doesn’t.

6. Dream Big – Never be afraid to follow the dreams of your heart. It’s the fuel for success. Your dreams give you the energy and inspiration to aim for an authentic life.

7. Take Responsibility – Stop expecting things to just happen without action. You need to take action to reach your goals, without blaming others for bumps or setbacks you may find along the way. Own the choices you make: Be a victor, not a victim.

8. Positive, Not Negative – If you are passionate about your dreams and goals, you’re likely to attract people who will want to support and help you. Call on them when you need encouragement or guidance.

9. Never Stop Learning – Read books, take classes, take the time to learn all you can about things that excite, motivate or inspire you. Never lose that sense of wonder or curiosity when it comes to seeking more knowledge.

10. Belief in a Higher Power – Regardless of your religion, develop a strong sense of faith in God and have a daily attitude of gratitude for what you have in this life. Believe that there is a divine purpose to your life and know that there is power in prayer. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg urges Amy Winehouse to beat drink, drugs problems

Washington, May 11 (ANI): American actress Whoopi Goldberg has urged Rehab singer Amy Winehouse to fight her drink and drugs problems, warning her that her lifestyle will kill her if she continues.

Goldberg, 53, revealed her love for Winehouse’s music on BBC Radio 4′s Desert Island Discs, and selected the singer’s ‘Me and Mr Jones’ track as it reminded her of the music of her childhood.

She even offered a message of support to Winehouse, who is currently recording her third album in St. Lucia.

“I love this girl, that talent is just so great. Amy, come on baby, you can do this,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

The actress then went on to talk about her own experiences with drugs, and revealed that she had experimented a lot when she was younger but forced herself to get clean.

“Heroin was a drug that took you to places that you had never been before. It was for me a really good learning time. I don’t recommend it to anybody because the rough part about it is it wants to stay with you and you want it because you find it is easier to live outside of life,” she said.

“For me, I like living. So it really came down this path pretty much: You are going to die, that’s a given fact,” she added. (ANI)

Thurman, Ryan, Goldberg, Brody to head Tribeca Film Festival

London, Apr 22 (ANI): Hollywood actors Uma Thurman, Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg and Adrien Brody have been chosen to head the judging panel at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

The stars will be joined by fellow celebrities James Franco, Mary-Kate Olsen, Bradley Cooper, Melissa Leo, Parker Posey and Morgan Spurlock, who are all among the 32 jurors at Robert De Niro’s movie event, which kicks off today.

The line-up was announced at a press conference in the Big Apple on April 21, which featured Thurman, director Spike Lee and festival founders De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.

Thurman has expressed her delight at getting to play such a key role in the eighth annual festival.

“For me and people who enjoy films, Tribeca has been a major event for which all look forward to with major anticipation. As a New Yorker, it’s wonderful to see the impact it has on the city,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

“This year is especially exciting because I get to be a part of it as a juror,” she added.

De Niro founded the event with Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to help revitalise the lower Manhattan area after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 – and he is proud to continue celebrating New York City as a major filmmaking centre.

“It’s great to see how much the festival has grown since we started it in 2002 and how it has impacted this neighbourhood,” he said.

The Tribeca Film Festival, which will host the world premiere of Woody Allen’s new movie ‘Whatever Works’, runs until May 3. (ANI)

Swayze is “doing the best he can”, says Goldberg

Washington, Apr 22 (ANI): Whoopi Goldberg has revealed that cancer-stricken Patrick Swayze doesn’t want to sit back and wait for the end to come.

Goldberg’s ‘Ghost’ co-actor has already kicked the butt and is keeping himself as busy as possible and is “doing the best he can.”

“He’s kicking butt. And, you know, he’s sick. And he, like the rest of us, doesn’t know when it’s going to happen – because it will happen, that he is going to go – but he doesn’t know when or where,” Us Weekly quoted Goldberg, as saying.

“His attitude is, why wait for it to happen? So he’s busy as hell,” Goldberg added.

Since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than a year ago, the 56-year-old actor has thrown himself into work.

He’s writing a memoir and filmed the first season of A and E’s crime drama, The Beast, which concludes its season April 23. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg sheds her flying fears!

New York, Apr 17 (ANI): Whoopi Goldberg is trying her best to beat her flying fears by travelling via air.

Last month, the ‘View’ star shuttled back and forth to LA in a bus instead of taking a flight, when the show was being taped there for a week.

However, recently Goldberg managed to fly to London, where the musical version of the movie ‘Sister Act’ will be previewed next month.

The actress took a private jet, and was accompanied by a doctor who stood by with needles and sedatives, if in case she panicked.

“I had a guy with me, but I didn’t need it. I’m kinda proud,” the New York Post quoted her as saying.

The 53-year-old actress prepared for the flight after participating in a program run by Virgin Atlantic, where she sat down with a psychologist and a pilot.

And now the actress is so confident that she said: “I’m going to fly to the West Coast to surprise my daughter.” (ANI)

Patrick Swayze not letting himself pulled down by cancer, says Whoopi Goldberg

London, Apr 7 (ANI): Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, is reportedly not letting himself to be pulled down by the disease, as he is keeping up his spirits by taking one day at a time, according to pal Whoopi Goldberg.

Goldberg, who acted alongside Swayze in the hit flick ‘Ghost’, revealed that he did not have an “expiration date on his backside.”

“You know what, he’s doing what everybody else is doing, he’s taking it one day at a time. He does not have an expiration date on his backside – none of us do – we just know at some point it’s going to happen and that’s how he’s looking at it,” the Mirror quoted Goldberg as telling on GMTV.

Goldberg revealed that the ‘Ghost’ actor was not letting his will power fall flat, as despite of his ill-health, he was keeping himself by working hard.

“But, you know, he’s got a new TV show going, he’s, you know, he’s just – he’s walking forward. So he’s in good spirits.

He’s thin, but he’s in good spirits,” Goldberg added. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg ‘just can’t commit’

London, Apr 6 (ANI): American actress Whoopi Goldberg has revealed that she loves to get married, but her fascination dies after the ceremony.

The 56-year-old actress admits that she “just can’t commit”.

In an interview to TV host Jonathon Ross, Goldberg said that though she would happily tie the knot again, her fascination with marriage ends straight after the nuptials.

“I like the party. Everybody’s very, very happy when they’re getting married. Everybody’s cheerful, they wish you luck – everybody’s really supportive,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

“My issue comes the next morning, when you go, ‘Wow, forever – really forever?’ And I just can’t commit,” she added.

The Ghost star has been married thrice. She first walked down the aisle at the age of 18, wedding childhood sweetheart Alvin Martin.

After her split from Martin, she went on to marry David Claessen, who she divorced in 1988.

Her most recent marriage, to Lyle Trachtenberg, lasted only a year. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg’s fear of flying to be treated live on TV

Washington, April 1 (ANI): Actress Whoopi Goldberg will be treated live on U.S. TV to cure her of her fear of flying.

The actress has not flown for a decade due to her fear.

However, now, she is all set to undergo a special course on her talk show The View on Wednesday, which will prepare her to step on a plane once again.

Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson is associated with the project.
During the therapy, Goldberg will have to ride in a flight simulator to help conquer her fears.

The actress is dreading the experience.

“I am sweating a lot. My mind is doing bad stuff to me,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“I am not a good flyer. I don’t like it. I don’t wanna do it,” she added. (ANI)

Whoopi Goldberg brands fashion critic an ‘anonymous b**ch’

Washington, Mar 23 (ANI): Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg has branded a fashion writer an ‘anonymous b**ch’ for criticising her wardrobe.

The ‘Ghost’ star is fed of the fashion police, who have condemned the actress/comedienne for the casual outfits she wears as a co-host on U.S. magazine show ‘The View’.

And, when TV Guide writer Ingela Ratledge recently accused Goldberg of “looking like you’re ready to make a run to (discount store) Costco,” the star decided enough was enough.

She dedicated the last few minutes of Friday’s show to blast the magazine writers.

“My style, who I am, is not about my clothing. If I came out in a bag, I would still and always will be me, so you can kiss my a**,” Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

“To the young lady Stacy Landon. Stacy, Tracey, whatever your name is. I don’t need you to take me seriously. I am myself, I’ve always been myself, and you don’t judge me by what I wear, you judge me by what I say,” she added.

Goldberg ended the programme by tearing up the magazine. (ANI)

Swayze in good spirits as he trains for TV show ‘The Beast’

Washington, Mar 18 (ANI): Cancer-stricken Patrick Swayze is said to be in good spirits as he trains for the second season of his TV show ‘The Beast’.

Swayze, 56, had been pictured looking frail and gaunt, and so he asked his ‘Ghost’ co-star Whoopi Goldberg to dispel notions of him being near death.

Goldberg, 53, revealed on her morning talk show, ‘The View’, on March 17 that the actor was fine and working hard

“He’s actually quite good. He’s in very very good spirits. He’s in the middle of writing a book with (his wife) Lisa,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“He’s working his tail off. He’s sick, there’s no getting around it, but, like all of us, we all know we’re going to die. We don’t know when and what’s going to take us.

“As it turns out, there’s no expiration date on his a**, so he’s going forward. He’s going back into training for The Beast, because he’s running and jumping in it,” she said.

Swayze has also denied losing his hair to chemotherapy, and insisted that he has cut his own locks off for his role in the show, and Goldberg has supported him.

“He says he shaved his head. Whatever you’re reading, just know he’s kicking butt. He’s doing one day at a time,” she added. (ANI)