Abbie Cornish : Madonna is a Natural Director / film maker

Madonna is a "natural" filmmaker.

Abbie Cornish - who stars the singer's new directorial effort 'W.E.', about the story of Britain's King Edward VIII and his American wife Wallis Simpson - confesses she was great to work with because she really "loves" learning and was "very well read".

She revealed: "Madonna is natural director. It's in her nature. She's a Leo and she really represents the Leos very well.

"She's a very smart woman, very well read. She really absorbs a lot about whatever she's involved in.

Madonna is natural director. It's in her nature. She's a Leo and she really represents the Leos very well.

"I think she really loves learning. It was interesting to see her evolve throughout the filmmaking process. She's such a cool woman."

Abbie, who plays Wally Winthrop in the two-tier story taking place over separate timelines, also reveals Madonna's 14-year-old daughter Lourdes portrays a younger version of her character in the movie.

She added to MTV.com: "She actually plays a younger version of my character. She's a super-cute, younger version of my character."

Music producer William Orbit - who has provided two songs for the score of the movie - recently claimed the movie was Oscar-worthy and could see Madonna land a nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards next year.

He said: "It's definitely Oscar-worthy and I'm not just saying that. I wouldn't comment on her past acting abilities so you know by me saying what I have that it's really a great film. I definitely think Madonna could be up for an Oscar for Best Director."

Tags: Abbie Cornish, Madonna, Director, Film Maker, Natural, King, Interesting, Character, Producer

Madanna Hot stills

Madonna Prepares to Launch Fitness Chain

Fitness fanatic Madonna is preparing to open the doors to her first gym in Mexico City next month (Nov10).

The pop superstar, famed for her toned physique, is making plans to open Hard Candy Fitness global gyms in major cities around the world and will fly to Mexico to officially launch her first centre in Bosques de las Lomas.

Her manager Guy Oseary says, "Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places".

Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places

The gym will be equipped with dance, bike and yoga studios, saunas and steam rooms, as well as a juice bar.

The Material Girl also hopes to open 10 more locations in Argentina, Russia, Brazil and throughout Europe and Asia.

Tags: Madonna, Mexico, Studios, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, Europe, Asia

Madonna prowls around with eye-popping cleavage on show in Dolce&Gabanna advert

Madonna prowls around with eye-popping cleavage on show in Dolce&Gabanna advert

Just in case anyone needed reminding, Madonna has once again set out to prove she's not letting age change her ways.


The 52-year-old has posed for yet another racy Dolce&Gabanna advert, this time while wearing an incredibly low-cut black body suit and hold-up stockings.


Accessorised with sunglasses, a crucifix and a red string Kabbalah bracelet, she prowls around an unmade bed with her cleavage threatening to spill out of her lingerie.


In another frame, she reclines on white sheets accompanied by a black and white cat.


Madonna struck up a friendship with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana while she was filming Dick Tracy in the early Nineties and they were invited to designer her costumes for The Girlie Show tour in 1993.


The Italian designer duo announced their new collaboration with Madonna last year, which came after she spent her birthday with the pair on-board this yacht in Italy last August.


They said at the time: 'To have Madonna in our campaign is a dream come true.'


Madonna has since launched a fashion label of her own with her teen daughter Lourdes called Material Girl.


Meanwhile, there are mounting rumours Madonna will be performing on the X Factor's first live broadcast on October 9.


The show is already renowned for drawing in some of the biggest names in the music business, with past performers including Beyonce, who dueted with 2008 winner Alexandra Burke on the programme.


A source told the Daily Mirror that she has verbally agreed to appear on the show, saying: 'Madonna would be perfect to kick-off the last stage of the competition.'

Madonna in sexy shoot without airbrushing

Hollywood stars are often criticised for resorting to airbrush to look picture perfect but in a rare move 'Queen of Pop' Madonna decided to ditch retouching for a magazine spread.

The 50-year-old singer seductively tugs at her underwear, kisses a crucifix and puts on an eye-patch for a series of flattering photographs for Interview magazine. But judging by the indentations left by fishnets still visible across her midriff, it seems that Madonna did not go for airbrush this time, Daily Mail reported.

The photographs come as a surprise as Madonna has appeared in so many airbrushed campaigns over the years, recently for the likes of Louis Vuitton.

The recent pictures show Madonna in all her glory and a dash of good lighting has ensured that the singer looks youthful.

The photographs were shot by Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggot for a spread in the June edition of Interview magazine.

Other celebrities, who have ditched photoshop, to appear natural include Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, who went make-up free for a magazine cover

Madonna Is Raising Malawi

Madonna travels with her children Lourdes Leon, Mercy James and David Banda, to vist the Mphandu la Orphanage in the Namitete area outside Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday (October 29).

The 51-year-old entertainer attended the ground breaking ceremony for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.

Madonna recently blogged to urge people to join her cause. “I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away.

Raising Malawi, the organization I co-founded in 2006, is dedicated to ending the poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. By donating to Raising Malawi, you can literally transform the future for an entire generation. To encourage your involvement, I’ve pledged $100,000 to match your contributions dollar-for-dollar.”

Madonna world tour becomes the highest grosser

Queen of Pop Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world tour is said to have made the highest amount ever earned by a solo artist grossing at 408 million dollars, revealed promoters Live Nation.

Madge, 51, had played her last gig on September 2 in Israel, after performing in 32 countries.

And she is said to have broken her own record, set by her Confessions tour, which was named the all-time top in 2006, after it made 194 million dollars.

"She is absolutely one of the great performers of all time ," the BBC quoted Arthur Fogel, from Live Nation, as saying.

"That this tour will take its place as the second highest grossing tour in the history of our business says it all," he added.

The Rolling Stone s' Bigger Bang tour, which ran from 2005 to 2007, is the highest grossing tour of all time, with an earning of 558 million dollars.

Madonna played 85 shows, and even set an attendance record for the biggest crowds in history in Zurich, Switzerland, where she drew 72,000 fans.

And in Helsinki, Finland, Madonna sold more than 85,000 tickets, making it the biggest single show by an artist in history in Scandinavia.

Erotic Madonna tapes go on sale

Rock legend Jimi Hendrix's first recording contract worth $1 and erotic audio and video tapes sent by Madonna to her old bodyguard have gone on sale in an online auction.

Other artists and prominent figures featured among the more than 450 items offered in the rock 'n' roll and pop art auction on www.gottahaverockandroll.com include John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Eminem. The auction will run through August 5.

Hendrix's earliest known contract for $1 dated October 15, 1965, could fetch up to $250,000, auctioneers said. It was signed by Hendrix and music producers PPX Enterprises of New York for Hendrix to play and sing exclusively for three years.

The contract - on which Hendrix's first name is spelled "Jimmy" - also granted him 1 percent of the retail sales from his recordings.

Two cassette tapes holding 17 minutes of messages that Madonna left in 1992 and 1993 on the answering machine of James Albright, the bodyguard who became her lover, are expected to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.

An intimate home video sent to Albright featuring Madonna in a hotel room with castmates shot during the making of the 1993 film Dangerous Game has an estimate draw of $12,000 to $14,000.

Also up for sale are copies of love letters faxed to Albright by Madonna between 1992 and 1994 using the code name "Lola Montez".

The auction house described the video as "very personal and intimate" but its representatives said they were not allowed to say exactly what was on it. Neither the audio tapes nor the home video are being sold with copyright so the owner will not be able to sell the tapes to a public forum.

Another top lot is a life-size prop of Schwarzenegger's T-800 terminator used in various action sequences in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day that has an estimated selling price of $150,000 to $200,000.

Also on sale are Dylan's original 1962 working lyrics for his song A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, jackets worn by Lennon and US rapper Eminem's outfit that parodied Michael Jackson in his Just Lose It music video are also on sale.

Gottahaveit.com's chief executive, Peter Siegel, said he expected the auction to fetch high prices even in tough economic times.

"These items are not really economic-centric," he said. "Pop culture is international, there is still a lot of money out there and these items are relatively still a bargain compared to pieces of art from unknown artists who may become famous."
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Some of the items can be viewed in person at the Gotta Have It store in New York. The bidding will be open until August 5.

Madge mourns stage collapse victims

Pop star Madonna, whose concert was cancelled after two people died in a stage collapse, paid respect to the victims during her tour in Marseilles in France.

"Let's all just take a moment to say a prayer for Charles Criscenzo and Charlie Prow. Our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," Dailymail.co.uk quoted Madonna as saying.

The singer appeared in a black dress and embraced a widow. She also visited eight workers who were still hospitalised.

"She (Madonna) wanted to make a positive gesture. She won't be performing but will be showing solidarity with the victims' families. She is moved by what happened and feels very personally involved," a source said.

Explaining the unfortunate incident, a stadium worker said: "Normally four cranes are used to lift temporary roofs but on this occasion only three were being used. It was a recipe for disaster."

Photographs of Legends from Madonna to Obama

artnet Launches Icons: 20th-21st Century Photographic Portraits Sale Featuring 200 Photographs of Legends from Madonna to Obama

200 photographs by 70 renowned photographers Estimates from $1,000 to $20,000

June 15 - 25, 2009


Actress Grace Kelly, 1955
New York / Berlin, June 15, 2009 - From June 15-25 artnet Auctions will feature Icons: 20th-21st Century Photographic Portraits, a special sale of 200 original fine art photographs of legendary figures including The Beatles, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, President Barack Obama and Elvis Presley.

Screen Sirens
Leading the sale is an exceptional group of fifteen photographs of screen stars Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe from the 1950s-1960s. Highlights include a rare photograph of Audrey Hepburn taken at the pinnacle of her career in 1956 by renowned portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh. This work has never before been seen at auction and is offered in pristine condition (estimate: $15,000-$20,000). Also featured in this section are two luminous portraits of Grace Kelly taken in 1955 by fashion photographer Howell Conant shortly before she became Princess of Monaco (estimates: $3,000-$3,500 each). Among the other highlights are some of the most recognizable photographs ever taken of Marilyn Monroe, including Marilyn Monroe Singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy, 1962 by Bill Ray (estimate: $2,500-$3,500) and Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder On The Set Of The Seven Year Itch, 1954 by George Zimbel (estimate: $5,000-$6,000).

Music Legends
The sale celebrates music legends including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan and Madonna. Madonna's rise from a virtual unknown to pop icon is chronicled in five photographs by artists from Lee Friedlander to David LaChapelle. Friedlander's Nude (Madonna) is a rare nude portrait taken of Madonna in 1979 before she became famous (estimate: $25,000-$35,000) while LaChapelle's Madonna: Mythical Swans, 1998 captures the radiant pop megastar two decades later (estimate: $12,000-$14,000).

The sale also chronicles the evolution of Rock 'n Roll in the 1960s and 1970s featuring classic photographs of the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix. The Beatles Land in Los Angeles, 1964 by Bill Ray captures the young musicians on their second world tour (estimate: $2,500-$3,500) while John Lennon, New York City taken by Bob Gruen in 1974 reflects the change in both the artist and the times (estimate: $1,400-$1,600).

Fashion Icons
Fashion icons also figure prominently in the auction, with works ranging from the 1930s to the present. Leading this group is a collection of 20 rare vintage portraits by Louise Dahl-Wolfe from the 1930s to 1950s. One of the great fashion photographers of the 20th century, Dahl-Wolfe photographed a cross-section of fashion and film stars for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. The collection includes photographs of Lauren Bacall, Josephine Baker, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Spencer Tracy (estimates: $1,000-$3,000 each). Also featured in the sale are contemporary fashion icons such as Kate Moss Veiled, 1993 by Albert Watson (estimate: $7,000-$9,000) and Naomi Campbell, 1995 by Sante D'Orazio (estimate: $8,000-$10,000).

United States Presidents
Two U.S. Presidents are also the subject of photographs in the sale, including a pensive 2008 profile of Barack Obama taken by Kwaku Alston, who photographed the Obama family extensively on the 2008 campaign trail (estimate: $3,000-$3,500). President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy are the subject of five photographs in the sale, including John Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, a beaming 1960 photograph by Bill Ray (estimate: $1,000-2,000) and Will McBride's John F. Kennedy, Willy Brandt & Konrad Adenauer, Brandenburg Gate Berlin, which documents Kennedy's historic 1963 trip to Berlin (estimate: $2,500-$3,500).

Athletes, Artists and Literary Figures
Among the other outstanding works in the sale is a group of thirty photographs of legendary athletes, artists and literary figures. Sports legends featured in the sale include Bobby Jones, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Ali's rise from a young boxer in training to three-time World Heavyweight Champion is chronicled in five portraits from 1963-1967. Also offered in the sale are photographs of renowned artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol. Included in this section are three intimate 1979 photographs of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Nicholas Taylor (estimates: $400-$600 each) and a group of six photographs of Andy Warhol, among them an exuberant 1981 photograph of Warhol, Steve Rubell, and André Leon Talley by Bob Colacello (estimate: $3,000-$5,000). Rounding out the sale are ten photographs of celebrated literary figures including Samuel Beckett, William Burroughs, James Joyce, and Jack Kerouac.

About artnet:
artnet has been online since 1995 and is host to approximately 2,000,000 visitors each month. Through its Price Database of over 3.8 million auction sales results and its Gallery Network of over 2,200 galleries worldwide, artnet is the leading online resource for the international art market. With the new Online Auctions, artnet has added a transaction platform to its successful information services.

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Court Reject Madonna's Adoption

Madonna's Adoption Rejected by Court!

A Malawi judge turned down the adoption claiming that one must reside in the country for 18-24 months in order to adopt a child.

It's a shame that the adoption was rejected because Madonna would have definitely provided Mercy James, 3, with the proper education and support that she does deserve.

Christabel Momodu and Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009

African Beauty Christabel Momodu

Yes, I am proud to blog about Christabel Momodu, the Naomi Campbell of Nigeria and as you can see above, she is indeed an African beauty. She was on the cover of the glossy ALLURE magazine in Nigeria twice in a month.

The following, is the latest news report on the personification of beauty and sex in womanhood, Madonna, the most hard working female recording artist and entertainer and other hot topics to read and view the EXCLUSIVE NEWS videos on Kisses 'n' Roses TV.

30 Jan 2009 09:00 Africa/Lagos



Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009

Special Guest Paul Oakenfold To Open All Shows.

MOST SUCCESSFUL CONCERT TOUR OF 2008 VISITS 22 MARKETS

BEGINNING JULY 4 IN LONDON

Tour To Thrill Audiences In 13 First Time Stops for Material Girl

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Madonna's phenomenally successful 'Sticky & Sweet Tour', already the #1 Biggest Grossing Tour in history for a solo artist, will embark on another series of shows beginning July 4th in London. (Schedule follows this release). Stops will include appearances in never before played markets such as Werchter Belgium, Marseille France, Hamburg Germany, Oslo Norway, Helsinki Finland, Tallinn Estonia, Ljubljana Slovenia as well as stops in Romania, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria it was confirmed today by Live Nation. Additional appearances by Madonna will include return visits after more than 15 years to Madrid, Gothenburg and Munich.


"This is a first for me. I've never extended a tour before. I'm excited to be going back on the road, visiting places I've never been and returning to places I love" commented Madonna about the new run of dates.


Raves around the globe for the tour include the London Times which remarked, "In the premiere league of song-and-dance spectaculars, the queen of pop remains unrivaled and undefeated." "The choreography, visuals and live talent were world class and mind-blowingly well executed, intelligent and witty," glowed The Independent (UK).


In 2008, the 'Sticky & Sweet Tour was seen by 2,350,285 fans in 58 cities. With record breaking ticket sales everywhere, including 650,000 tickets sold in her series of South American dates, 72,000 tickets at Zurich's Dubendorf Airfield - the largest audience ever assembled for a show in Switzerland, 75,000 tickets in London and four sell outs in New York's Madison Square Garden (60,364 tickets).


"This new run of dates will further solidify Madonna's position as one of the top selling touring artists of all time," said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's Chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring/Artist Nation.


Special Guest for Sticky & Sweet 2009, Paul Oakenfold has long been one of the most important--if not the most important--name in modern club culture. He has remixed The Rolling Stones U2, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, Muse New Order, The Cure, Massive Attack and even Elvis Presley and produced The Happy Mondays. The two time Grammy nominee is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the biggest DJ in the world. His new artist album, 'Pop Killer' is due out later this year.


Madonna's multi-Grammy-nominated CD 'Hard Candy' debuted at Number One in over 37 countries.


For further Madonna news, visit www.madonna.com


MADONNA
2009 'STICKY & SWEET TOUR' SCHEDULE

4-July London, United Kingdom The 02 London On sale Feb. 06
7-July Manchester, United Kingdom MEN Arena On sale Feb. 06
11-July Werchter, Belgium Festivalpark On sale Feb. 07
14-July Milan, Italy San Siro On sale Feb. 06
21-July Barcelona, Spain Olympic Stadium
23-July Madrid, Spain Vicente Calderon
28-July Hamburg, Germany Trab-Arena Hamburg Bahrenfeld
30-July Oslo, Norwary Vallehovin On sale Feb. 09
04-Aug Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn Song Festival Ground
06-Aug Helsinki, Finland West Harbour On sale Feb. 09
09-Aug Gothenburg, Sweden Ullevi On sale Feb. 09
11-Aug Copenhagen, Denmark Parken On sale Feb. 09
13-Aug Prague, Czech Republic Chodov Natural Amphitheatre
15-Aug Warsaw, Poland Bemowo Airport
18-Aug Munich, Germany Olympic Stadium
20-Aug Ljubljana, Slovenia Hippodrome


In 2009, Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour will also visit Marseille
in addition to performances in Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia,
Romania, and Serbia.

For complete Tour and Ticket Information, Fan Club Memberships,
VIP Packages, Merchandise and more visit: WWW.MADONNA.COM


ABOUT LIVE NATION:

Live Nation's mission is to maximize the live concert experience. Our core business is producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists via our global concert pipe. Live Nation is the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing over 16,000 concerts for 1,500 artists in 57 countries. The company sells over 45 million concert tickets a year and expects to drive over 60 million unique visitors to LiveNation.com in 2008. Live Nation is transforming the concert business by expanding its concert platform into ticketing and building the industry's first artist-to-fan vertically integrated concert platform. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." Additional information about the company can be found at www.livenation.com/investors.


Source: Live Nation

CONTACT: Madonna Press Contact, Liz Rosenberg of Warner Bros. Records,
+1-212-707-3256, liz.rosenberg@wbr.com, for Live Nation; or Live Nation Press
Contact, John Vlautin of Live Nation, +1-310-867-7127,
johnvlautin@livenation.com


Web Site: http://www.livenation.com/


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VIZIO 'America's HDTV Company' Announces High Definition Sponsorship of NBC's Broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII
Dr. Maya Angelou, Sigourney Weaver & Judy Reyes to Headline 'Straight for Equality' Awards Gala in New York City
Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009
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Madonna Settles Divorce For $76 Million

Madonna's rep says the singer has settled with ex-husband Guy Ritchie for at least $76 million.

Liz Rosenberg tells The Associated Press that Madonna, 50, has given Ritchie, 40, between $76 million to $92 million as part of their divorce agreement. (The figure includes the value of the couple's country home Ashcombe in western England, she said.)

Look back at Madonna's biggest scandals.

Although the singer keeps the bulk of her estimated $500 million fortune, "I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement," Rosenberg noted.

See the year's saddest splits.

Custody arrangements for their children have yet to be finalized.

Her rep also tells Access Hollywood that, despite British reports, it is unlikely she will be spending Christmas with Ritchie.

"Madonna will be spending the holidays in London," Rosenberg tells Access. "But, it is doubtful she will be spending it with the ex."

Last month, in a one-minute London court proceeding, the two were granted a preliminary "quickie divorce."

See what a handwriting expert had to say about Madonna and other stars' signatures.

"I'm sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life," Madonna told The Associated Press after she and Ritchie announced they were splitting after 7 1/2 years together.

source

A-Rod/Madonna Sex Tape?!?

There are some reports going around that an unnamed man secretly filmed Madonna and Alex Rodriguez having sex and is now trying to sell the tape for $2 million. According to the man, he used secret hidden cameras to shoot the couple during one of their visits to an apartment owned by one of Madonna's friends, where they often went for secret get togethers during the day.

The man happened to also be friends with Madonna's friend who owned the apartment, and managed to sneak in hidden cameras.

Of course, the fact that the man had to resort to several illegal things to shoot the tape probably ensures nothing will ever come of this.

A legal expert said if what this guy is claiming is true, he could face prosecution for voyeurism and burglary: "If footage was obtained in this way it would be an outrageous invasion of privacy. But more than that he would not have had his friend's consent to install the camera and must have entered the apartment without approval to hide it….That is burglary."