The Gossip Rag: Celebrity life, photos, gossip, and news

Duane Chapman’s show Dog: The Bounty Hunter has been canceled by A&E after his son sent the media a privately recorded conversation, a snippet of which has been reproduced as:

Chapman: Don’t care if she’s a Mexican, a whore, whatever. It’s not ’cause she’s black. It’s because we use the word “n_____” sometimes here. I’m not going to take a chance ever in life by losing everything I’ve worked for for 30 years for some f____ n_____ heard us say “n_____” and turned us in to the Enquirer magazine — our career is over. I’m not taking that chance at all, never in life, never. Never. … If Lyssa was dating a n_____, we would all say f___ you. And you know that. If Lyssa brought a black guy home … It’s not that they’re black. It’s none of that. It’s that we use the word “n____.” We don’t mean “you f___ scum n_____ without a soul.” We don’t mean that s___, but America would think we’re meaning that. And we’re not taking a chance and losing everything we’ve got over a racial slur. Because our son goes with a girl like that, I can’t do that, Tucker, you can’t expect Garry, Bonnie, Cecily, all them young kids … ’cause I’m in love for seven months, I … f___ that. … So I’ll help you get another job, but you cannot work here unless you break up with her and she’s out of your life. I can’t handle that s___. I’ve got ‘em in the parking lot trying to record us. I’ve got that girl saying she’s going to wear a recorder. …

Tucker: I … I … don’t even know what to say.

It’s quite hard to tell what Duane Dog Chapman really does mean, as it appears to be some kind of retroactive apology for calling his son’s girlfriend a “ni**er” based around the idea that when he says it, he doesn’t really mean it. A commenter on ONTD asks a question that’s worth following up:

Why are people inspired by this guy? He’s a convicted felon many times over and was even in jail for murder at one point.

Chapman issued a press statement reaffirming his support for the black community:

“I did not mean to add yet another slap in the face to an entire race of people who have brought so many gifts to this world,” he said. “I am ashamed of myself and I pledge to do whatever I can to repair this damage I have caused.”

First Mel Gibson and now this? America has a long way to go.

After being arrested for a DUI a few weeks ago, our favorite anti-terrorist TV actor Kiefer Sutherland has been sentenced to 48 days in jail. The first 18 days, for a probation violation, will be served immediately until he is sentenced.

Fox news issued the following hilarious statement about their main man:

Today our friend Kiefer Sutherland resolved his criminal case at the earliest opportunity. Kiefer made clear to us at the time of his arrest that his first concern was the welfare of those he worked with and that he intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent shutting down the show because of his situation. He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so. From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word. We wish him well and look forward to a long relationship with him.

So in exchange for admitting to driving with a BAC over .08, he won’t be charged with a second DUI. What I wonder is why Mr. “I’m very disappointed in myself” can’t afford to hire someone to drive his drunk self around?

The man who brought us the Screech (Dustin Diamond), Tonya Harding, and Colin Farrel sex tapes and nude photos of Paula Jones and Jamie Foxx, celebrity scandal purveyor David Hans Schmidt is dead. Most recently, he was in the news after pleading guilty to extort $1 million from Tom Cruise. Apparently had stolen wedding photos of a sensitive nature. According to the National Ledger, he hung himself:

The 47-year-old Schmidt was found in a shower stall at a North 21st street condominium in Phoenix, AZ. “He hung himself, and the shower stall was so small, he had to squat to get the job done.”

Some random facts from nndb:

Born: 27-May-1960
Birthplace: Rochester, MN
Military service: US Army (1978-81)

High School: Dover-Eyota High School, Eyota, MN (1978)
University: Rochester Community College, Rochester, MN
University: BA English, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN (1985)
University: Bowling Green State University

Charges: Harassment, Violating Probation

It’s possible that he found evidence that Tom Cruise is Gay, in which case the Church of Scientology and Cruise himself would certainly be interested in seeing him never see the light of day again. Who killed David Hans Schmidt? We’ll never know, but a lot of people wanted him dead.

50 Cent’s third album CURTIS is literally the worst rap album of the year. It’s only got 2.5 / 5.0 stars and is currently, unfortunately, #4 in music. The delivery on his new album is choppy, his rhymes sloppy, and the content generally concerned with women, murder, and cash. If it’s possible, the lyrical intelligence is lower than any of his previous music.

We could have told you a gorilla can’t rap

Kanye’s third album Graduation also sucks, but not as much. It’s got 4 stars on Amazon, and is currently #1 in music, eclipsing 50’s pathetic new album. There are some great songs–Can’t tell me nothing, Stronger–and some terrible songs–Hot and Drunk Girls, Barry Bonds.

Still not cute, Kanye

The guy to watch out for is Chamillionaire, whose album Ultimate Victory is coming soon…. and let me tell you it’s hot! We’ve already heard Morning News where he raps about “Uncle sam want you to pay your taxes / just to learn gotta pay for classes” and other social issues. I can’t wait:

According to The Smoking Gun, NFL star Michael Vick pleads guilty to a felony charge for his participation in a dogfighting ring:

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback admitted that his Bad Newz Kennels operation wagered money–which he provided–in pit bull fights. However, “Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights,” according to a “summary of the facts” that was filed today in court. That document, a copy of which you’ll find below, also notes that Vick “was aware” that three of his cohorts killed several dogs that performed poorly in test fighting sessions in mid-2002. The summary reports that “Vick did not kill any dogs at this time.”

Interestingly, Jamie Foxx claims that Vick didn’t know any better, because he is black:

“It’s a cultural thing, I think. Most brothers didn’t know that, you know. I used to see dogs fighting in the neighborhood all the time. I didn’t know that was Fed time. So, Mike probably just didn’t read his handbook on what not to do as a black star. I know that cruelty to animals is bad, but sometimes people shoot people and kill people and don’t get time. I think in this situation, he really didn’t know the extent of it, so I always give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Does that mean that if I were arrested for wire fraud Eminem would say, “It’s a cultural thing, I think. Most white collar crime, obviously, is accidentally committed by Caucasians.” A crime is a crime, regardless of the race of the person committing the crime. Blaming “black culture” is a huge step down from assigning responsibility and rehabilitation.