MONDAY MADNESS

Nick Cannon is still in the honeymoon phase with new wife Mariah Carey.

"It's amazing!" Cannon, 27, told Usmagazine.com at the Christian Audigier nightclub grand opening in Las Vegas Thursday night.

"It's the best thing that's ever happened to me!" he continued.

The Wild 'N Out host tied the knot to Carey, 38, in a hush-hush ceremony in the Bahamas on April 30.

[Nick's] plan is to have one [wedding] every year," Carey gushed to Ellen DeGeneres two weeks later. "Instead of trying to be like, 'You're invited, but shhh, don't tell anybody,' we're just going to have another one [wedding] next year."

Up next for the lovebirds? Babies!

"I always said if I found the right person who I felt would be on the same page as me in term of raising kids and having the same belief system, [we'd have kids]," Carey said.

Reuben Cannon told Us his half-brother Nick, "definitely wants kids," and that he "loves [Mariah] more than any other girl."

The couple got cozy on the set of her steamy video "Bye Bye." Watch their chemistry.


A-ROD'S GETTIN A D-VORCE

Cynthia Rodriguez's lawyer tells TMZ, "A-Rod may be an All-Star baseball player, but he's flunked the All-Star team as far as marriage is concerned."

Earle Lilly is repping Cynthia in the divorce case, which will be launched tomorrow when she files legal papers in Miami. Lilly claims Alex Rodriguez, who's already banked more than $250 mil, and Madonna have been having an affair "and are still together." He says they were together after his game yesterday and together today as well.

Lilly says, "We're not gonna lose this case." He acknowledges a prenup exists but it's "too early" to decide if he'll challenge it. He says there will be a "huge settlement" in the case but "not hundreds of millions of dollars." Lilly says A-Rod's estate is "vast ... beyond what anyone knows."

He says, "Cynthia is tremendously traumatized and devastated," adding the legal papers he'll file tomorrow will claim she's the victim of "emotional abandonment." Lilly says A-Rod has seen his six-week-old baby "once, maybe twice, but that's it." He says there's no question -- when the ink is dry she will be the primary custodial parent.

Madonna will not be specifically named in the divorce papers. Lilly says infidelity is a "major cause" for the divorce, but not because of any one allegation. Rather, he says, there were a series of dalliances and "Madonna was the last straw."

Lilly says Cynthia did not have an affair with Lenny Kravitz and that her relationship with him is "totally innocent and puristic."



Will Smith did Hancock a solid.

Smith has star-powered the poorly reviewed superhero hybrid to a $66 million opening weekend, and a No. 1 finish, according to Exhibitor Relations estimates today.

WALL-E, last weekend's champ, stayed strong, grossing another $33.4 million, but finished a distant second.

Hancock goes down as Smith's seventh straight movie to open No. 1. If you count Shark Tale, the 2004 animated comedy, as a Smith movie, his streak stands at eight straight.

Overall, Hancock has grossed $107.3 million since "previewing" on Tuesday night and "opening" on Wednesday.

Looking strictly at the movie's first five days, Wednesday-Sunday, Hancock took in $100.4 million, per Box Office Mojo stats, far behind the pace of this summer's two leading movies, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($152 million) and Iron Man ($112.1 million).

Among Smith movies, Hancock becomes his top Fourth of July opener, a testament to the star's drawing power, yes, but also inflation.

Run the movie math (divide the opening weekend gross by the average ticket price), and the numbers show Independence Day, Smith's signature Fourth of July hit, sold nearly two million more tickets in its opening weekend in 1996 than Hancock did this weekend.

It's actually better not to run the movie math. Not if you want to enjoy the holiday weekend to the fullest.

Other box office notes:

* Where WALL-E remained hot and pushed its two-weekend total to $128.1 million, Angelina Jolie's Wanted (third place, $20.6 million; $90.8 million overall) cooled off considerably, with business down 60 percent.
* In its third weekend, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, the critically praised Abigail Breslin family film, opened wide and died—a doll-sized $3.6 million (eighth place) off nearly 1,850 screens.
* Speaking of the dearly departed, Mike Myers' The Love Guru ($1.7 million) dropped out of the Top 10 after just two weekends.
* Looking on the bright side of a big giant bomb, The Love Guru, at $29.3 million overall, is the highest-grossing Justin Timberlake movie of all time. As long as you don't count Shrek the Third as a Justin Timberlake movie. Which you really shouldn't.
* The 1990s-nostalgia trip The Wackness, starring Drake & Josh's Josh Peck, was the star in limited release, grossing $145,064 at six theaters. Its per-screen average of $24,177 was the tops for any movie of the weekend.
* Despite three movies taking in more than $20 million, the Hancock-led Fourth of July was 4 percent smaller than last year's Transformers-led Fourth of July. The setback set 2008's overall business once again behind 2007's.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Hancock, $66 million
2. WALL-E, $33.4 million
3. Wanted, $20.6 million
4. Get Smart, $11.1 million
5. Kung Fu Panda, $7.5 million
6. The Incredible Hulk, $5 million
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $3.9 million
8. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, $3.6 million
9. Sex and the City, $2.3 million
10. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, $2 million

THE RELATIONSHIP IS A HOAX!!!

That’s what some are saying. The ever so "credible" Star Magazine is spreading rumors about Jermaine Dupri and Janet Jackson has secretly married.

According to the gossip rag the two didn’t want to deal with the stress and pressure of a huge wedding. From what I hear people close to the power couple know, but that’s about it.

Though the music mogul has been very clear about revealing this, saying when he and his superstar girlfriend Janet decide to tie the knot, the entire world will know, I still felt the need to email the mogul himself for a response. However, as of press time he hasn’t responded.

TRAVIS BARKER JAILED

Nearly 24 hours after being released on $500 bail for assaulting a fan, Gym Class Heroes’ front man Travis McCoy has a warrant out for his arrest.

According to TMZ, police have been ordered to take McCoy in for questioning after investigating his third degree assault charge. Arrested Tuesday evening after allegedly breaking his microphone in to a disgruntled fan’s head when reportedly called a “f*cking ignorant n*gger”, the lead singer was released on a bond the following morning.

Performing on the Vans Warped Tour, the rock-hop star initially requested the audience member to re-state his direct comment towards him before inflicting harm on to the victim.

Quickly apologizing for his reaction, McCoy also tried reasoning with the crowd before being arrested shortly afterwards.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But when someone calls you something that ignorant and that offensive, you have to bash their head in with a microphone.”

The band is currently scheduled to perform at the Superpages.com Center in Dallas, Texas this evening.

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL A HIT

The Essence Music Festival will be brought some of hip-hop and R&B’s biggest acts to to New Orleans this Independence Day weekend.

Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Rihanna, and comedian Chris Rock headlined some concerts in the evening, while some of the nation's most influential speakers, artists, authors and leaders enlighten festival-goers in the day. Also on the bill are Frankie Beverly, Keyshia Cole, Jill Scott, J. Holiday, LL Cool J, Musiq, Morris Day & The Time and Patti LaBelle.

"The Essence Music Festival is truly the ultimate party weekend this Fourth of July; celebrating Black culture with an unparalleled combination of music, arts, and empowerment," says Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications Inc. "We have an extraordinary line-up of A-List talent in the Louisiana Superdome and the daytime Essence Empowerment Seminars are covering the issues impacting our community with critical examination, motivation and inspiration."

The Essence Empowerment Seminar Series will feature Tyler Perry and friends, Soledad O'Brien, Dr. Bill Cosby, Reverend Al Sharpton, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Hill Harper, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and Tom Joyner, among other notable figures.

The Festival also offers the Essence Marketplace in the daytime, with quality fine arts & crafts by African-American vendors from all over the world.

THE OZZY'S MAKE IT TO FOX

Maybe it's time for Black Sabbath devotees to renounce their fanhood: Ozzy Osbourne is moving into Osmond territory.

According to Variety, Fox has given a six-episode pickup to an hour-long variety show hosted by the 59-year-old erstwhile Prince of F--king Darkness, 55-year-old wife Sharon, 23-year-old son Jack and 22-year-old daughter Kelly, that's said to be a throwback to such programs of yore as—gulp—ABC's Donny and Marie and CBS' The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

The untitled Osbourne project is being overseen by James Sunderland, the executive producer of NBC's America's Got Talent, on which the family matriarch serves as a judge.

Unlike their heady days on The Osbournes, the reality show that ran from 2002 to 2005 on MTV and earned the family Emmys, the new format will attempt to mix musical guests, comedy skits and game-show segments with in-studio audience participation and man-on-the-street-style bits.

One idea being bandied about, per the trade, is a segment titled "The Osbournes Meet the Osbournes," in which the heavy metal clan hang out with another Osbourne family.

The show will be shot in Los Angeles and Fox aims to kick things off with a Christmas special.

Speaking of variety, Spike Lee—who's tackled all sorts of genres on the screen—is reportedly headed for the Great White Way.

The Oscar-nominated helmer plans to film three performances of the Broadway musical Passing Strange for a future broadcast on a cable network.

Lee will record two of the black-themed production's shows in front of audiences and a third without. No word when shooting will get under way, but Passing Strange, about a young black musician on a spiritual journey to Amsterdam and Berlin, could use the added television exposure.

Even though it won a Tony for Best Book last month, the musical has played to half-empty houses and seen its ticket sales slip from $300,000 a week to $245,000 for the week ended June 29.

WEDNESDAY WITH EXTRA HUMP FOR FULL FLAVOR

EDWARD NORTON TRYING TO SABOTAGE HIS HULK FLICK (PAUSE)

Word on the street is the Eddie wasn't too cool with some of the changes made to the new Hulk movie in the cutting room....Not exactly sure how it all went down but as I ascertain more info I'll follow up!

BRITNEY'S L.A. HOME GOING ON THE MARKET

Jamie Spears, who has legal control of his pop star daughter Britney's interests, reportedly is planning to sell her hilltop Studio City, Calif., home.

Spears' father was granted conservatorship over his daughter's affairs after she was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment earlier this year. He reportedly will retain that control until a July 31 hearing.

People.com said it is not clear where the singer is to live once her high-profile house is sold.

But a source close to Britney Spears told the entertainment news Web site, Having more privacy and wide open spaces for her to raise her boys has been a goal for some time.

Spears is the mother of two toddler-age sons with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Federline has temporary physical and legal custody of the children, while Spears has several monitored visits with them a week.

LIL' WAYNE BUSTS A MILLI ON THA CARTER III

The tattooed hitmaker has stunned chart watchers by debuting his new album Tha Carter III at the top of the new Billboard 200 chart with over one million first week sales.

It's the first time any artist has scored a sales week of over a million copies of an album since 50 Cent debuted big with The Massacre in 2005.

It's a good week for rap and hip-hop all round as Plies debuts Definition of Real at two, with 215,000 opening week sales.

Chart compilation Now 28, last week's chart topper from rockers the Disturbed and Usher's Here I Stand complete the new top five.

Other high new entries on the countdown include N.E.R.D.'s Seeing Sounds at number seven and Alanis Morissette's Flavors of Entanglement at eight.

And, after thrilling Bonnaroo Festival fans with a three-hour set on Friday night, My Morning Jacket score their first top 10 album - Evil Urges debuts at nine.

SWIZZ BEATS DENIES THAT ALICIA KEYS

WAS THE CAUSE OF HIS MARRIAGE ENDING

Rumors have been goin' on for a hot minute about Alicia and Swizz...but they both had/have signif' others...here, we find that Swizz is still living that that state...

The beatmaker - real name Kaseem Dean - announced he and his R&B singer wife Mashonda were splitting in April.

Rumors have since surfaced online suggesting Keys was involved in the break-up, but Swizz insists that is far from the truth.

He tells MTV.com, "That s*** just looks like drama. They got another big name involved. Only thing I'm commenting on is music-related. I don't comment on my personal life. Why start now? You start commenting on that s***, then they start twisting it out. I'm not gonna speak about nothing.

"I'm not hiding anything. I can see if I was hiding something. I'm a grown man. Nobody is living no perfect life... Nobody wants to look at that s***. They wanna look at Alicia Keys. That s*** is ignorant."

And Swizz has further played down reports of a rift between him and his ex by revealing they are still on good terms.

FIF (50 CENT FOR YOU SLOW PEOPLE):

"I'M NOT MARRIED TO CIARA"

Fiddy's always got some 'ol bullshit surrounding him about this, that, or the other...well at this point we have a new piece...His alleged marriage to Ciara...

Gossip sites went crazy after footage of 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, wearing a wedding band first appeared online.

But his spokeswoman insists the rap star plays a married man in his new film Microwave Park, and the photos come from the Louisiana set.

But that hasn't stopped gossips from claiming the ring is a sure sign that the "In Da Club" hitmaker and "Goodies" singer Ciara are man and wife.

50 has been romantically linked to Ciara after the pair posed topless for their video "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" last year.

But a spokesperson for 50 insists the rapper is not a married man.

A statement reads: "50 Cent is not engaged or married. He is currently in production on a film where the character he plays is married."

Last year Ciara denied the romance rumors, insisting the rapper was "a really great friend," and adding, "Everybody turns everything into something else.

"They said we have a ranch in Atlanta. I just died laughing. It's amazing to hear the things people make up. It's funny."

WOMAN SUES OVER DEFECTIVE THONG

Los Angeles (KFI-AM) - A 52 year old Los Angeles woman is suing Victoria Secret after she claims a decorative piece from a thong flew off the underwear, and hit her in the eye.

Macrida Patterson says she was hurt by the defective "low-rise v-string." She filed a lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

According to Patterson's lawyer, a "design problem" lead to the decorative piece coming off, and striking Patterson in the eye.

The woman alleges her cornea was damaged, and had to miss a few days of work. Patterson is a traffic officer with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Her attorney also claims missing those days of work will be "affecting her the rest of her life."

The complaint did not specify monetary damages sought.

MAN PAYS ALIMONY AFTER HIS EX HAS A SEX CHANGE

A Florida man resents paying alimony to his ex-wife, now that his ex-wife is a man.

"I didn't marry a man. I didn't divorce a man. The law is making me pay to a man," Larry Roach told WSTB-TV in Tampa.

Roach said that he wishes the former Julia Roach -- now Julio Silverwolf -- luck. But he resents paying $1,250 a month to maintain Julio's gender identity.

The couple met on a blind date and married a few months later. He said that he wondered why his wife had cut her hair short, her voice had deepened and she needed to shave.

But he said he only realized his wife had a new sex-changed identity when she got into an accident after their divorce and he looked up the police report. He discovered that she was now Julio.

Roach has remarried and would like to get out from under his alimony payments. But a judge told him that legally his ex-wife is still entitled to them.

JAPAN MAKES ROBOT FOR LONELY MEN...LOL

TOKYO (Reuters)- She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.

A Japanese firm has produced a 15 inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men.

Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode".

"Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.

"She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend."

EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year.

Japan, home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.