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Dakota's Style Has Seriously Evolved

2012-02-23T14:00:00Z

Although she is only a teenager, Dakota Fanning has transformed into an a-list style star.

We have proof that the current NYU undergrad, who sits front row at Marc Jacobs and Rodarte, started her career hitting the red carpet in everything from frilly princess dresses to an Alice in Wonderland costume. To celebrate Fanning's 18th birthday on February 23rd, take a look in our gallery below to see how far her fashion sense has come:

Sacha Baron Cohen Could Be Banned From Oscars If He Shows Up Like This

2012-02-23T02:03:24Z

Later today, faced with all the bad publicity resulting from its action, the Academy tried to parse what it did when questioned by some media outlets. But the fact is that, this morning, the Academy's Director Of Membership Kimberly Rouch phoned Paramont's awards staff to say Baron Cohen's tickets had been pulled unless he gives the Academy assurances ahead of time promising not to show up on the Red Carpet in costume and not to promote the movie on the Red Carpet. The Academy made it clear that, without those assurances, it would not issue him the tickets. So he's banned

PHOTOS: A Look Back At The Acadamy Awards Through The Years

2012-02-23T01:01:36Z

It's a night of glitz and glamour, honors and upsets, obvious wins and outrageous snubs. The Academy Awards has become one of the most anticipated nights in Hollywood, but this Super Bowl of award shows has a history far longer than the train of Halle Berry's 2002 gown. There are 83 years of red carpet wonders and blunders that have made the Academy Awards what it is today.

In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out the very first Oscar statuette at a brunch held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Films released between Aug. 1, 1927 and Aug. 1, 1928 were up for top honors, with "Wings" taking home the now-coveted Outstanding Picture award (check out the rest of the winners from the first Academy Awards at Oscar.com.) That May 16 ceremony marked the very first Oscars, and although it was far from what we now know award shows to be, the ceremony packed the same A-list star power that will hit the red carpet on Oscar night.

From Oscar party images of Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis in 1939 to red carpet shots of Audrey Hepburn in 1954 -- the year she won Best Actress for "Roman Holiday" and old blue eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, won Best Supporting Actor for "From Here to Eternity" -- Hollywood's biggest night is full of the boldest and most beautiful stars of all time. Take a look back at photos from the start, when Old Hollywood was present day and glamour was timeless.

For the ultimate guide to everything Oscar, head over to Oscar.com for a timeline of nominees and winners from the past 83 shows.

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D.C. Cop In Charlie Sheen Escort Case Plans To Sue

2012-02-22T23:13:12Z

WASHINGTON — A former District of Columbia police commander whose division provided a police escort to actor Charlie Sheen last April has given notice that he intends to file a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, saying he was demoted because he testified to the D.C. Council that such escorts for celebrities were commonplace.

Hilton Burton was demoted in August as commander of the special operations division and transferred to the medical services branch. In a whistleblower notice filed with the city and obtained by The Associated Press, Burton alleges the demotion was punishment for telling the council that there was nothing inappropriate or unusual about the escort provided to Sheen.

His testimony contradicted statements from Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who appeared at the same hearing and has said the escort – provided with flashing lights and police sirens – broke with department policy.

Burton, who is now a captain, says in the notice that he was punished because the chief was "displeased with the negative publicity that the Charlie Sheen escort had created" and was upset by his allegations that celebrity escorts had been provided during the years she led the special operations division. He says department management told him at the time of his demotion that there were problems with his performance, but that those concerns had not been raised with him before.

Lanier on Wednesday re-issued a statement from August in which she said the decision to demote Burton was "based on a review of command decisions, including several critical incidents." She has denied that the demotion was in retaliation for the escort or for Burton's testimony.

"I think the facts will show this was done in retaliation for his having provided whistleblower information to the city council and the (D.C.) office of inspector general," which also investigated the escort," said Burton's lawyer, James Pressler. The suit will seek to have Burton reinstated to his previous rank of commander.

Officers from the special operations division escorted Sheen in April from Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia to a stand-up performance at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington. The escort attracted attention after Sheen posted about it on Twitter. He wrote, "In car with Police escort in front and rear! Driving like someone's about to deliver a baby! Cop car lights (hash)Spinning!" and also included a photograph of a speedometer that appeared to be registering about 80 mph.

The city was reimbursed more than $445 for the escort, records show.

Lanier said at the time that escorts are generally reserved for the president, vice president, visiting heads of state and other dignitaries who require extraordinary protection, but can be granted on a case-by-case basis if approved by an assistant chief. Sheen's escort didn't follow the proper chain of command and should not have been done at high speeds and with flashing lights and sirens, she said.

Documents obtained in May by The Associated Press through a public records request revealed that Jay-Z, Bill Gates and John Wall of the Washington Wizards were among the non-dignitaries who had received police escorts in the last two years, suggesting the practice was more common than initially revealed.

Burton has said he didn't know about the escort until after it was granted. But he nonetheless defended the escorts at the council hearing as standard practice for the special operations division. Lanier acknowledged at the hearing that there may be legitimate reasons for celebrity escorts, such as for public safety reasons, and said it would be foolish to craft a policy barring such escorts under any and all circumstances. She said the department had identified 17 celebrities who had received escorts since 2002 and was investigating to find out who approved them.

She also said the department was working to clarify its policies on police escorts.

Burton alleged at the hearing that some celebrities received escorts during the years that Lanier commanded the special operations division. Lanier denied approving the escorts while in that position.

WATCH: Check Out These Cute Oscar Predictions

2012-02-22T23:10:10Z

Forget the movie critics and members of the Academy, here's a look at who the kids think will take home an Oscar on Sunday night.

Guyism's Ryan Jones took the streets to ask children which movies they thought were worthy of an Academy Award, and these youngsters don't hold anything back.

One sassy lady even declares she prefers the movie "Hugo" to her friend by the same name.

The kids weigh on important issues including Meryl Streep's performance in "The Iron Lady" and the meaning behind "The Tree of Life."

Sadly, group favorites Ashton Kutcher and Selena Gomez weren't among this year's nominees, but, hey, there's always 2013.

Via Guyism

Need more movie buzz? Check out HuffPost blogger Liz Kozak's hilarious Oscar cheat sheet.

Idris Elba Set To Play Nelson Mandela In Biopic

2012-02-22T23:06:12Z

The rumor that Idris Elba will play Nelson Mandela has been circulating on the web for at least a month or so, today we can confirm that it is official…

Rihanna 'Forgives' Chris Brown

2012-02-22T22:21:10Z

The-Dream is in full promo mode in new York City for his new single, 'ROC,' which will appear on his fourth album, 'The Love IV: Diary of a Madman,' the follow-up to 2010's 'Love King.' Early Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 22) at the Def Jam offices, while speaking on his project and his upcoming Kill the Lights tour, the R&B crooner spoke to The BoomBox about his role in creating the remix to Rihanna's 'Birthday Cake' featuring Chris Brown.

Officially A Star

2012-02-22T22:15:35Z

After starring in one of TV’s most successful sitcoms of all time and a slew of box office releases, Jennifer Aniston has finally joined the elite club of celebs with their very own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Blake Shelton: King Of Bromance

2012-02-22T22:14:41Z

Ever met Blake Shelton in person? If so, chances are he gave you more than just a handshake! The affable country superstar is notoriously affectionate with his fans and friends, and is noted in many circles to be the best hugger in the music business.

Who Is Jessica Chastain's Oscar Date?

2012-02-22T21:59:05Z

Jessica Chastain never stops giving us more reasons to love her. The latest? Her date for the Academy Awards!

"I'm bringing my grandma to the Oscars," the first-time nominee told me at Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture's Vanities party. "She started crying when I told her.

Sharon Blames ITV For Adele's Middle Finger Debacle

2012-02-22T21:58:28Z

Tuesday night at the Brit Awards, singing sensation Adele flipped the middle finger after host James Corden cut her off in the middle of her acceptance speech for British album of the year. Wednesday on "The Talk," (weekdays on CBS) Sharon Osbourne, who hosted the Brit Awards ceremony in 2008, provided some context on the incident.

Instead of the more traditional awards show play-off music, the Brit Awards tasks the host with letting winners know when their speeches have run over time, Osbourne explained. "I hosted that show about four years ago, and you've got three different producers in your ear ... They send you up there and say, 'Whatever you do, get the mic, tell them to stop, that's it.' ... So I understand her frustration ... When I hosted it, they didn't tell the artists, because they didn't want to say who's won, so they don't prep them."

Osbourne had some harsh words for ITV, the network who televised the ceremony. "It's the network. They don't care. They're English. They've got a stick up their bum," she quipped. "If it had been me, I would have said, 'You tell her, I am not telling her."

Even this year's host Corden seemed to share Osbourne's sentiments. In an interview with ITV2 after the show, he said, "I don't understand quite why I was made to [cut her short]... I was having the best night of my life and then I had to cut Adele off before she's even had a chance to say, 'Thank you.' She's the biggest star in the world. I don't understand what happened, but I'm upset about it."

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Happy Birthday, Drew Barrymore

2012-02-22T21:52:09Z

America’s sweetheart Drew Barrymore turns 37 today!

We have seen her in mad love, date a wedding singer and ride in cars with boys. We have even watched her go from never being kissed to going on 50 first dates and we have loved her every step of the way!

Terrence Howard's Divorce Gets Ugly

2012-02-22T21:51:00Z

After ugly divorce proceedings, 'Red Tails' star Terrence Howard is ordered to pay big bucks to ex-wife Michelle Ghent.

Aretha Franklin: This Is No Reflection On Whitney's Upbringing

2012-02-22T21:49:28Z

NEW YORK — Aretha Franklin says Cissy Houston raised her daughter Whitney Houston well – and that an interview where Franklin said parents need to make sure children "leave home prepared" was taken out of context.

Franklin released a statement Wednesday, four days after Houston's funeral. She was expected to sing at the funeral in Newark, N.J., Houston's hometown, but bowed out because of leg spams she said she suffered after a concert at Radio City Music Hall the night before. She performed again at Radio City the night of Houston's funeral, and paid tribute to Houston as "a very fine young lady."

In an interview about Houston on NBC's "Today" show last week, Al Roker asked Franklin about Houston's superstardom.

Franklin said: "I think parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home ... (that they) leave home prepared, really. She left home with all the right things."

After Franklin didn't attend the funeral, there were some reports that Houston's mother was upset over Franklin's comments and that Franklin was uninvited, a charge Franklin denies.

"Cissy Houston and I have been longtime friends for almost 50 years. I have four invitations and parking passes that were sent to me for the funeral," Franklin said. "Cissy does not need ridiculous speculation and neither do I – particularly at this time."

Franklin also said her full statement – "This is no reflection on Cissy or Nippy's upbringing," using a nickname for Houston – wasn't aired (a request for comment wasn't immediately returned by the "Today" show).

"Knowing Cissy as well as I do, I know Whitney left home right and properly. I was generalizing and it was a well-intended statement for any young adult coming into the music industry," she said. "I was not speaking of anyone specifically. "

Houston had fought substance abuse for years. She was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 11, the day before the Grammy Awards. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

PHOTOS: You'll Never Believe What Jen's Wearing

2012-02-22T21:42:42Z

Is Jen Aniston giving herself a makeover?

First the "Friends" actress wowed us in a patterned Tom Ford dress at the premiere of "Wanderlust" last week, and today she hit up the Hollywood Walk of Fame in -- wait for it, wait for it -- FLORALS.

Aniston received her gold star on the famous street in Hollywood today. (We're kind of bummed that it took this long when even the kids from "Twilight" have one.) Posing for pics with her dad John Aniston, the actress beamed while wearing a flowy dress bustling with a colored print and strappy tan sandals.

The beige, minimalist shoes? And the long and loose blonde hair? Classic Jen. The dress? Not so much. It seems Jen's always wearing black -- unless she's putting her name on the sidewalk.

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