Fiona Apple has canceled her South American tour stops in a very public, and very emotional way.

The singer, who was set to begin the tour in Porto Alegre, Brazil on Nov. 27, took to her Facebook page to post an image of the four-page hand-written letter she wrote to fans.

"I can't come to South America. Not now," Apple wrote in the letter. "[My dog] has Addison's Disease, which makes it dangerous for her to travel since she needs regular injections of Cortisol, because she reacts to stress and to excitement without the physiological tools which keep most of us from literally panicking to death."

Apple continued, "If I go away again, I’m afraid she'll die and I won't have the honor of singing her to sleep, of escorting her out. Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes to pick which socks to wear to bed. But this decision is instant. These are the choices we make, which define us."

The singer wrote many paragraphs about her dog, Janet, whom she adopted when the puppy was just four months old.

The original letter, as well as the transcribed text as posted to her Facebook page, is featured below.

It's 6pm on Friday, and I'm writing to a few thousand friends I have not met yet. I am writing to ask them to change our plans and meet a little while later. Here's the thing. I have a dog Janet, and she's been ill for almost two years now, as a tumor has been idling in her chest, growing ever so slowly. She's almost 14 years old now.I got her when she was 4 months old. I was 21 then, an adult officially - and she was my child.

She is a pitbull, and was found in Echo Park, with a rope around her neck, and bites all over her ears and face. She was the one the dogfighters use to puff up the confidence of the contenders. She's almost 14 and I've never seen her start a fight, or bite, or even growl, so I can understand why they chose her for that awful role. She's a pacifist.

Janet has been the most consistent relationship of my adult life, and that is just a fact. We've lived in numerous houses, and jumped a few make shift families, but it's always really been the two of us. She slept in bed with me, her head on the pillow, and she accepted my hysterical, tearful face into her chest, with her paws around me, every time I was heartbroken, or spirit-broken, or just lost, and as years went by, she let me take the role of her child, as I fell asleep, with her chin resting above my head. She was under the piano when I wrote songs, barked any time I tried to record anything, and she was in the studio with me all the time we recorded the last album. The last time I came back from tour, she was spry as ever, and she's used to me being gone for a few weeks every 6 or 7 years.

She has Addison's Disease, which makes it dangerous for her to travel since she needs regular injections of Cortisol, because she reacts to stress and to excitement without the physiological tools which keep most of us from literally panicking to death.

Despite all of this, she’s effortlessly joyful and playful, and only stopped acting like a puppy about 3 years ago. She's my best friend and my mother and my daughter, my benefactor, and she's the one who taught me what love is.

I can't come to South America. Not now.

When I got back from the last leg of the US tour, there was a big, big difference. She doesn't even want to go for walks anymore. I know that she's not sad about aging or dying. Animals have a survival instinct, but a sense of mortality and vanity, they do not. That’s why they are so much more present than people. But I know that she is coming close to point where she will stop being a dog, and instead, be part of everything. She’ll be in the wind, and in the soil, and the snow, and in me, wherever I go.

I just can't leave her now, please understand.

If I go away again, I’m afraid she'll die and I won't have the honor of singing her to sleep, of escorting her out. Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes to pick which socks to wear to bed. But this decision is instant. These are the choices we make, which define us.

I will not be the woman who puts her career ahead of love and friendship. I am the woman who stays home and bakes Tilapia for my dearest, oldest friend. And helps her be comfortable, and comforted, and safe, and important. Many of us these days, we dread the death of a loved one. It is the ugly truth of Life, that keeps us feeling terrified and alone. I wish we could also appreciate the time that lies right beside the end of time. I know that I will feel the most overwhelming knowledge of her, and of her life and of my love for her, in the last moments. I need to do my damnedest to be there for that. Because it will be the most beautiful, the most intense, the most enriching experience of life I've ever known. When she dies.

So I am staying home, and I am listening to her snore and wheeze, and reveling in the swampiest, most awful breath that ever emanated from an angel. And I am asking for your blessing.

I'll be seeing you.
Love, Fiona

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Douglas Kennedy, a son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, was acquitted Tuesday of child endangerment and harassment charges stemming from a scuffle in a hospital maternity ward.

Kennedy had tried in January to take his newborn son from Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. He said he just wanted the 2-day-old boy, Anthony Boru Kennedy, to get some fresh air.

However, several nurses objected, saying his request would violate hospital policy. Kennedy tried to leave anyway, and two nurses claimed he hurt them as they blocked his way.

Mount Kisco Town Judge John Donohue, who heard the case without a jury, ruled that Kennedy broke no laws. He said testimony showed that the baby was not in danger – except from the nurses' actions – and that Kennedy did not demonstrate any intent to hurt them.

The judge said he didn't have to rule on whether it was a good idea to take the baby outside.

"The Court is not determining whether the defendant's behavior was wise or prudent," he wrote.

Kennedy's lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, said after the decision, "Given the barrage of public attention, it took a great deal of courage from this judge and we really do appreciate it."

The hospital confrontation resulted in a series of alarms, including a "code pink," which is used to signal a baby's abduction. In his closing argument, Gottlieb called the alarm "preposterous."

The judge found that the nurses knew Kennedy planned to return and was not absconding with the baby.

Gottlieb argued that the nurses overreacted to Kennedy's request and when they realized the hospital would investigate, they "join together, get their stories straight and pressure the district attorney's office to bring charges."

He said they'd been told that any potential lawsuit for damages would have a better chance if a criminal conviction came first.

"It's an embarrassment that two nurses would so blatantly lie," Gottlieb said.

Nurse Anna Lane testified that Kennedy twisted her arm as she tried to block him from going through a door to a stairwell. Nurse Cari Luciano said Kennedy kicked her as she reached for the baby in Kennedy's arms.

Gottlieb said it was a push rather than a kick and was an instinctive reaction of a father trying to protect his baby. The judge said that explanation was "consistent with the defendant's demeanor" as seen on hospital surveillance video.

Kennedy fell during that scuffle but kept hold of the baby. Prosecutors said his actions endangered the infant.

"The fact that the baby was not injured is a miracle," Assistant District Attorney Amy Puerto said.

But the judge said the nurses' actions – blocking the door and trying to take the child – "were intervening factors that caused the defendant to lose his balance."

Kennedy's wife, Molly, accompanied him to the trial.

A state investigation, including a visit to the Kennedy home in Chappaqua, found no evidence of child abuse.

Kennedy, 45, is the 10th of 11 children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. His father was assassinated in 1968. President John F. Kennedy, his uncle, was assassinated in 1963.

Douglas Kennedy's sister-in-law, Mary Kennedy, hanged herself in May in Bedford. His sister, Kerry Kennedy, has pleaded not guilty to drug-impaired driving after an accident on Interstate 684.

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Associated Press Writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.

Select box set reviews from The Associated Press:

Johnny Cash, "The Complete Columbia Album Collection" (Columbia/Legacy)

If you're under 40, you likely see Johnny Cash two ways – as the nearly mythological Sun Records proto-rocker and as the wizened old man staring down God in his American Recordings period in the years before his 2003 death.

Between those two important periods lay decades of songs, personalities and re-inventions many folks aren't familiar with. The massive new box set, "The Complete Columbia Album Collection," will help fill in those gaps for anyone interested in Cash beyond the name-checking cachet he brings to your iPod.

A staggering amount of music is gathered here in 63 discs representing a quarter century of output from an American popular culture icon whose career was far more Technicolor than his Man in Black nickname suggests. And the average music fan yet to turn grey has no idea what that color scheme looks like since 35 of those albums were never released on CD.

The set includes everything Cash released through Columbia from 1958 to 1983. Cash enjoyed creative control over his career and it showed in his restless inquisitiveness and unusually open-minded approach to music. There's something here for everyone – gospel, rock, folk and pop fans along with your country diehards. And the range is astounding, including concept albums, soundtracks, political statements, live concerts and a collection of singles and rarities.

_ Chris Talbott, AP Music Writer

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Michael Jackson, "Bad 25" (Epic)

Three years after Michael Jackson's death, it's becoming pretty clear that his archives don't contain another "Billie Jean," "Man in the Mirror" or even "Butterflies."

2010's "Michael" was a nice though hardly scintillating collection of previously unreleased Jackson songs, and the three-CD, 1-DVD box set "Bad 25," celebrating the anniversary of Jackson's other blockbuster album, has an even less impressive set of songs from Jackson's vault.

Following the set's first disc, which contains the underrated "Bad" album in full, is another disc of bonus material with several unreleased songs. The problem with those tunes is that they sound like something Jackson wasn't ready to let the world hear. While Jackson's voice is enchanting, the songs are mired by weak lyrics and melodies and themes that sound too similar to some of his key hits. As scintillating a vocalist as Jackson was, even he can't elevate so-so material.

Perhaps the makers of this anniversary collection knew that as well. So to make the box set worthwhile, they've included a real treasure here – Jackson's 1988 concert at Wembley Stadium. Watching Jackson in what was arguably his peak as performer is chill-inducing – his frenetic gyrations, moonwalks, spins and jumps delivered while he's singing at full-strength. For the concert alone, "Bad 25" is worth getting (it also comes with a live CD of the concert). There are also other goodies for fans to enjoy, like a double-sided poster, remixes from Afrojack and cool photos in the CD and DVD booklets.

_ Nekesa Mumbi Moody, AP Entertainment Writer

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Led Zeppelin, "Celebration Day" (Atlantic)

If "Celebration Day" is it for Led Zeppelin, the final chapter in the long, glorious career of rock `n' roll's most exciting band, we can live with it.

The box set that captures what will likely be the quartet's final concert is a fitting capstone for a band that remains as popular today as it was more than 40 years ago.

The band's living members – Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones – joined Jason Bonham, son of late founding drummer John Bonham, at London's O2 Arena in 2007 to pay tribute to late Atlantic Records honcho Ahmet Ertegun.

The concert was a triumph, captured lovingly here with a two-disc live album, a DVD of the concert and a bonus disc of extras. Led Zeppelin played everything you'd want, did it in fresh ways and with such class it's a primer for the endless stream of legacy acts who have gotten it so wrong over the years.

Page is the star here. The camera lingers on him and his flashing hands as he leads the band through thoughtfully reimagined takes of every classic. He starts the concert in suitcoat and sunglasses, disdainfully chewing gum as he belts out riffs that are both familiar and in his hands new. A few songs later he shucks the coat and rolls up his sleeves for "In My Time Of Dying" (at more than 11 minutes long!). By the time he pulls out the violin bow in the middle of "Dazed and Confused" (12 minutes!), he's disheveled, dripping sweat on a series of beautiful guitars and beaming a crooked smile after each fiery run.

It is a powerhouse performance – and, sadly, not enough for most fans. But "Celebration Day" will have to do.

_ Chris Talbott, AP Music Writer

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Kiss "The Casablanca Singles 1974-1982" (Universal)

No act has been better at getting you to buy songs you already own in numerous formats than Kiss. With at least 18 greatest hits, compilation or box set albums on the market, here comes yet another one. Something in the neighborhood of $145 will get you this latest box set, a re-release of 29 U.S. Kiss singles, each on 45 rpm vinyl records (remember those?)

Box sets have two main selling points: previously unavailable music, and way-cool packaging. Because these singles have all been out there for decades, this box set's appeal lies in its presentation. Weighing in at a hefty eight pounds, the set starts with the band's very first single, "Nothin' To Lose," with the flip side "Love Theme From Kiss" from way back in 1974. All but three of the singles come with decorative foreign sleeves with elaborate artwork, and, in the case of the Japanese sleeves, hilarious mistranslations of lyrics. A line from "C'mon And Love Me" morphs from, "The lights are out" to "Your lives are out." Even the misprints are faithfully preserved: Peter Criss' solo single "You Matter To Me" appears as "You Still Matter To Me" on the label.

Far and away the coolest are the singles from each of the band's solo albums, pressed in colored vinyl: red for Gene Simmons, purple for Paul Stanley, green for Criss and blue for Ace Frehley. Each of these four also comes with a cut-out Halloween-type mask of each member's face in Kiss makeup, a throwback to the days when Kiss albums came loaded with swag.

Die-hard Kiss fans will probably want to pick this up – provided they still have turntables.

_ Wayne Parry, Associated Press

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Elvis Presley, "Prince From Another Planet" (RCA/Legacy)

When it comes to rock's greatest star, it's tempting to dismiss the 1970s as merely the Fat Elvis period. This two-CD, one-DVD collection disproves that notion.

The set pulls together previously released concerts in one package for the first time, capturing Presley during a three-day run at Madison Square Garden in 1972. Because it had been 15 years since he had performed in New York City, these concerts were important to him, and it shows. He's in fine voice, fully committed to the material and supported by an excellent cast of musicians that includes guitarist James Burton, drummer Ronnie Tutt, bassist Jerry Scheff, horns, strings and backup singers.

Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison and David Bowie were among those attending the soldout shows, along with a gaggle of screaming girls, and there's plenty of energy in the room from the start. Presley opens by taking "That's All Right" at an exhilarating pace, and other oldies also sound new again. He scats on the bluesy "Reconsider Baby," gives "Hound Dog" a fresh interpretation by tweaking the tempo, and generates his own wall of sound on "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin.'"

There are too many Vegas-style endings, and the introductions of the supporting musicians are painful, especially when Presley can't even be bothered with their last names. But on "Until It's Time For You To Go," when Elvis sings, "I'm not a king, just a man," we know otherwise. "Prince From Another Planet" is a welcome reminder.

_ Steven Wine, Associated Press

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"The Velvet Underground and Nico," 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (Polydor)

Now we know how the kids in Columbus, Ohio, reacted when they first heard Lou Reed sing about sadomasochism in 1966.

Stunned silence. Pretty funny.

An early performance by the Velvet Underground and Nico at the Valleydale Ballroom in Columbus, of all places, is part of this six-CD set that exhaustively commemorates the Velvet's first album. Few bought the record when it initially came out, but it has inspired countless rock bands with its songs about S&M, junkies, paranoia and "split didactics," to quote one lyric. Even back then, Reed walked on the wild side. And while the subject matter no longer shocks, the dissonance, atonality and droning viola remain startling.

The set is packaged in a handsome coffee-table book that replicates the original banana cover designed by the band's manager, Andy Warhol.

Included are remastered mono and stereo versions of the album, lots of outtakes, Nico's justifiably obscure 1967 solo album "Chelsea Girl" and two CDs of the poorly recorded performance in Columbus. There's serious risk of a Velvet Underground overdose, with six renditions of "Heroin" alone.

One of the poorest-selling classic albums ever, the band's debut once sold for $4. This set costs $80. The price of bananas has gone up.

_ Steven Wine, Associated Press

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The Rolling Stones, "GRR!" (ABKCO/Interscope)

After earning the title of "the world's greatest rock and roll band," the Rolling Stones are going for the longevity designation. This year marks the band's 50th year, and just like they did when they turned 40, they're releasing a compilation set – basically a greatest hits collection – to mark the occasion.

The three-CD set (a fancier version has five CDs with a heftier priectag) represents a remarkable catalog, yet lacks the spontaneity of other multi-disc collections that include more value, such as rare tracks, B-sides, or live performances.

Songs like "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Brown Sugar," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" are forever burned into the psyche, and perhaps our iPod's too, which begs the question: Why do you need this collection? Chances are that if you don't already own the original albums, it's possible you have one of their dozen or so greatest hits collections. It would have been nice to include tracks like "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," or "Rip This Joint." Instead, you get most of what played on the radio from their first ever release.

Going back to 1963 – let's not argue about the math of the record's subtitle, "Greatest Hits 1962-2012" – the band's debut single was a cover of Chuck Berry's "Come On." It provides a nice bookend to their new song "One More Shot," lets you appreciate the music in between those two releases. With such an iconic catalog of songs, it helps you realize their accomplishment. Clearly, time was on their side.

_ John Carucci, Associated Press

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Heart "Strange Euphoria" (Epic)

There's nothing strange about the euphoria this four-disc box set will evoke in fans of one of rock's most enduring and memorable bands. Since the mid-1970s, the band fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson has kicked out hit after hit, earning them a place in rock history, and space on your music shelf.

It's all here, from demo versions of hits like "Magic Man," "Crazy On You," and "Heartless," to unreleased and live tracks, including a take of "Never" with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, and a scorching live version of "Barracuda." A rare nugget, Ann Wilson's early pre-Heart recording of "Through Eyes And Glass" from 1969, also surfaces here. Other heretofore unreleased tracks include "Boppy's Back," "Love Or Madness" and "Skin To Skin."

There's plenty of rare concert tracks , and the set also includes numerous tracks by The Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's side project for the down time between Heart albums and tours.

It also includes a DVD of a 10-song live concert from early 1976.

The set captures the essence of Heart's remarkable career, in which they blend hard rock crunch and driving ferocity with tender melody and thoughtful songwriting. It's a box set that would be worth it at twice the $35 price.

_ Wayne Parry, Associated Press

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"Preservation Hall Jazz Band 50th Anniversary Collection" (Columbia/Legacy)

This four-CD collection with 58 tracks recorded between 1962 and 2010, including five previously unreleased recordings rescued from a flooded studio after Hurricane Katrina, chronicles the remarkable tale of the tiny French Quarter art gallery that was transformed by owners Allan and Sandra Jaffe into Preservation Hall, an international mecca for lovers of traditional New Orleans-style jazz..

This collection includes six tracks from the four landmark Preservation Hall LPs recorded in 1962 by Atlantic Records co-founder Nesuhi Ertegun that brought wider exposure to the city's overlooked early jazz pioneers such as the sweet-toned clarinetist George Lewis, trumpeter De De Pierce and his wife, pianist-vocalist Billie Pierce, and trumpeter Kid Punch Miller.

In the `70s and `80s, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band became an international sensation with a touring lineup led by the Humphrey brothers, trumpeter-vocalist Percy and clarinetist Willie, that recorded four albums for CBS. That band gets the toes tapping on such selections as "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" and "When The Saints Go Marchin' In."

As the older generations passed, the PHJB rejuvenated itself with musicians who embrace the tradition while reaching out to different genres. The collection includes intriguing post-2000 collaborations with a growling Tom Waits on the Mardi Gras Indian chant "Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing"; Del McCoury's bluegrass band on "I'll Fly Away," and folk legend Pete Seeger and his grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger on the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome."

As the collection's co-producer, Ben Jaffe, who became the hall's director after his father's death in 1987, insisted that the tracks not be arranged chronologically – a move that only underscores the cross-generational links and how timeless and vital this music remains.

_ Charles J. Gans, Associated Press

Singer and Broadway star Ricky Martin finally sold his Golden Beach oceanfront mansion -- though for substantially less than what he paid for it.

Martin sold his north Miami-Dade pad at 641 Ocean Boulevard to unnamed party for a cool $12.8 million, according to Realtor.com.

County records show Martin purchased the property in 2007 for $16.2 million. The Latin hit-maker hoped to grab $19 million when he put it up for sale, but settled for less after two years on the market.

Downsizing on Miami properties seems to be the name of the game for the father of two adopted twins, who just months ago sold his Miami Beach home in La Gorce barely in the black for $10.6 million.

Martin is reportedly planting more long-term roots in New York City, where he's been performing a lead role in the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita.

“Ricky Martin has such strong ties to Miami that he will always consider it his home alongside Puerto Rico,” spokesman John Reilly told the Miami Herald in April. “As much as Ricky loves [South Florida] ... Ricky is currently performing eight shows a week at the Marquis Theatre in Times Square, and it would have proved to be a somewhat difficult daily commute.”

So how swanky was Ricky living in Golden Beach? Check out the recently-sold digs courtesy of Realtor.com:

During a recent episode of "Anderson Cooper Live," rapper (formerly Lil') Bow Wow gamely taught Snooki how to freestyle. "Yo, I'm Snooki / I like to play hooky /so give me a cookie," the pint-size "Jersey Shore" star rhymed.

But Snooki's not the first celeb who's attempted to rap. Ellen DeGeneres and Rebel Wilson offered a stirring rendition of the Salt-N-Pepa classic "Shoop" in October. Last year, Gwyneth Paltrow revealed that she knows all the words to N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton." And who could forget "Natalie's Rap," the "SNL" digital short that saw Natalie Portman spitting verses like "When I was in Harvard / I smoked weed every day / I cheated every test and snorted all the yay."

Who else has shown off their skills? Click through our gallery and find out.

After Kim Kardashian posed nude for Playboy, Harper's Bazaar and W Magazine, we thought there was nothing left the camera-hungry celeb could do to shock us. Yet upon seeing the reality star in the Digital Dead series shot by photography duo Markus + Indrani, we have to say we were taken aback by her composure.

Markus Klinko, an ex-harpist, and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri, an ex-model, teamed up to create glossy photos with an artful eye. For the unconventional shoot, the duo asked celebrities like Serena Williams and celebrity photographer David LaChapelle to face their own mortality -- or at least fake it -- for a coffin photography project. The grim setting was part of the Digital Death campaign, a project to raise awareness for Alicia Keys' charity "Keep A Child Alive," which provides care and support to families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. The photographs, equal parts glamorous and macabre, are now being featured in "Icons: The Celebrity Exposures of Markus and Indrani," a photography book that showcases the symbiotic relationship between image and power.

With clients including David Bowie, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, the passionate duo aims not to make celebrities seem "just like us," but to revel in the bizarre, iconic status that they've acquired through the paparazzi's lens. Indrani says on her website: "In a world where authenticity is an autograph and reality a genre of TV, our images provide society a mirror to reflect upon its ideals and devotions." You can see the results in "Icons," a collection that doesn't merely create art featuring celebrities but turns celebrities into living works of art.

"Icons: The Celebrity Exposures of Markus and Indrani" is available from Perseus Books.

Do you think celebrities have a place in fine art? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Mouseketeer Bonita Lynn Fields Elder, an agile dancer who showcased those skills on the 1950s children's show "The Mickey Mouse Club" and later performed on Broadway, has died in Indiana at age 68.

Her cousin Robbin Myers said Tuesday that Elder died Saturday at a Richmond hospital following a two-year battle with throat cancer. Elder had smoked for decades but quit after her diagnosis, Myers said.

Elder had been living in Winchester after moving back to eastern Indiana a few years ago to care for her ailing, now-deceased mother.

She was 12 in 1957, when her dancing abilities helped her win a slot on the third season of "The Mickey Mouse Club." She auditioned in California, where her family had moved from Indiana when she was 9.

Elder always went by the name Lynn, but she adopted the stage name "Bonnie" – a shortened version of her real first name – at the suggestion of the show's producers because there was already a cast member, a boy, with the first name Lynn, her cousin said.

Myers, who now lives in DeBary, Fla., said she and Elder were a year apart and grew up together in Richmond until Elder's family moved to Granada, Calif. It was exciting when Elder was cast in the nationally broadcast show only a few years later, she said.

After the original "Mickey Mouse Club" show ended, Elder continued performing at California's Disneyland. Myers said that as teenagers, she and her sister Diana visited Elder at Disneyland. They were chatting with her after one show when they heard someone behind them calling out "Bonnie!"

"We turned around, and it was Walt Disney, so we got to meet Mr. Disney!" she said.

According to Elder's obituary posted online by Doan & Mills Funeral Home in Richmond, she landed bit parts in several 1960s movies, including "Kissin' Cousins" with Elvis Presley and "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann-Margret. She later appeared as a dancer on television shows and on Broadway before opening a dance studio in Santa Monica, Calif.

According to the website of The Original Mickey Mouse Club Show, Elder appeared in 1980 on a televised program marking the 25th anniversary of "The Mickey Mouse Club." From 1981 to 1985, she took part in live Mouseketeer reunion shows at Disneyland.

Elder was born in Walterboro, S.C., but her family moved to Richmond when she was 3 months old. She was divorced and had no children, her cousin said.

A visitation and memorial service is scheduled for Monday at Doan & Mills Funeral Home, followed by burial at Webster Cemetery.

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Online:

So long, Shauna!

According to TVLine, Amanda Setton -- who plays Shauna on "The Mindy Project" -- is exiting the show due to creative differences, while Anna Camp, who plays Mindy's (Mindy Kaling) longtime best friend Gwen on the show, has been bumped up to a series regular.

In more casting news...

Anna Chlumsky is "Hannibal"-bound. The "Veep" actress will play Miriam Lass, an FBI agent in training working with Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburn). [TVLine]

Chad Coleman is headed to "The Walking Dead." The "Wire" vet will play Tyreese, Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) No. 2 guy on the AMC series. [THR]

Brian Dennehy is stopping by "The Big C." Dennehy is stopping by the four-part series "The Big C: Hereafter." The Showtime series will premiere in Spring 2013.

Natalie Portman waits around on the set of "Thor: The Dark World" on Wednesday (November 21) in London, England.

The 31-year-old actress’ face was made up to look super dirty for her upcoming scenes in the superhero action flick.

A little less than four years ago I stepped onto a small stage at West Hollywood's Here Lounge to compete in the amateur drag contest. For my "Single Ladies" performance, I was wearing a borrowed wig and a one-piece swimsuit from Ross onto which I had hot glued rhinestones the day before. My friends had come up with a name, Shangela Laquifa Wadley, and I didn't care much about how foolish the name sounded, because I was only going to be doing drag this one time... or so I thought.

Now fast-forward to next Thursday, Nov. 29, when the name D.J. "Shangela" Pierce will appear in the credits for one of the highest-rated television series airing right now: Glee. Say what?!

To write that I'm excited about guest starring on an episode of Glee is an understatement. I light up brighter than a holiday tree at Pier One Imports every time I even think about it. Each moment of taping this episode was awesome, from the first day of rehearsal with Glee choreographer and co-producer Zach Woodlee (who is also a fellow Texan) to cracking jokes onset with Lea Michelle (Rachel), Chris Colfer (Kurt) and Dean Geyer (Brody) about the green beans "that Granny used to make." And of course I'll never forget dancing next to Sarah Jessica Parker, who did an entire four-hour rehearsal in the cutest Manolo Blahnik pumps! There were moments when even I had to say to myself, "Bitch, is this really happening right now?!" And then I'd say to myself, "Snap out of it and go ask SJP to be in your music video for 'Werqin' Girl'!" (which, by the way, drops Dec. 1).

In this episode I appear as an acquaintance of Parker's character who attends a Thanksgiving dinner in the New York apartment of Kurt and Rachel. Think turkey. Think drag queens. Then think full-on, 20-plus-person, sick'ning dance sequence to the Scissor Sisters hit "Let's Have a Kiki." All I can say is, "Y'all aren't ready!"

It's true that I always wanted to be a television actor, and this year has definitely brought some amazing opportunities for me. I hope that anyone who has followed my journey over the last four years will have been inspired to follow his or her dreams. Even when misunderstood or "hated on," I've kept my focus on positive experiences, worked hard, shared a smile with others and never given up. That's how I got myself from that small stage at the Here Lounge to the set of Glee next Thursday night... and it's how I will continue on in life. Can I get a "halleloo"?

Interestingly, my birthday falls on Nov. 22, which just happens to be exactly one week before the Glee episode airs. In addition to the 12-piece spicy box of Popeyes that I indulge in every year, this will be quite the added gift. Stay inspired, peeps, and never give up!

XOXO

Glee is currently in its fourth season of production and airs Thursdays on FOX at 9/8c.

For more info on D.J. "Shangela" Pierce, visit www.shangela.com.

It's pantless Tuesday, y'all! Kathy Griffin posted this photo of herself Tuesday wearing nothing but a blue hoodie and two-toned heels with ankle straps on her Twitter page. "You guys didn't know today was pantless Tuesday?" the 52-year-old comedian wrote. It looks like at least one other got the memo: Griffin's dog, sitting closely next to her.

In June, Griffin denounced rumors that she had had plastic surgery work done. "I SWEAR I haven't had anything in YEARS! Promise.No Botox, fillers NUTHIN!" she tweeted at the time.

Days after sparking controversy with a series of tweets about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kim Kardashian is now planning to head to Kuwait and Bahrain, something Iranian-born "Shahs of Sunset" star Reza Farahan thinks is a great idea.

“Kim has a nice peace. I don't know if she can bring it, but I hope so. We need some peace in the Middle East,” Farahan told The Huffington Post. “I would say 70 percent of my family are still in the Middle East. You know, honestly, it breaks my heart when civilians are affected because of governments, you know. It’s really devastating because most of the people that live in the Middle Eastern countries just want the things we have here. They just want to live life. And it’s devastating to see all the causalities and fatalities.

"If I were in the Middle East I would be running sh*t," he added. "I would get rid of all these religious fanatics, there would be a gay pride parade going down the boulevard in all the major cities -- [there] would be kissing and hugging, not fighting. I can’t wait to go to Israel with Kim. If she’s in, I’m going.”

The 38-year-old openly gay reality star says he’s looking forward to the second season debut of "Shahs of Sunset," on Dec. 2 at 10 p.m. on Bravo. He promises it will be full of tears, laughter and friendships -- some of which are torn apart, and some of which grow stronger.

“I don't necessary consider myself the star of the show because we are a group, but people tell me they really love me and that feels great,” Farahan said. “And the haters are my motivators. The fact that there are people that are compelled to tweet such hateful things makes me really sad for them. They clearly have nothing going on in their lives. I don't respond to the Twitter haters. My skin is a little thicker than that. I have dealt with some real issues in my life.”

Two months after premiering at the New York Film Festival, Ang Lee's anticipated adaptation of "Life of Pi" is out in theaters. Much like the journalists in attendance at the film's debut screening, critics around the country are mostly smitten with Lee's film, which adapts Yann Martel's best-selling novel using groundbreaking 3D and CGI.

"Everything looks beautiful in 'Life of Pi,'" writes Entertainment Weekly critic Lisa Schwartzman in her B+-grade review. "The dangerous animals look beautiful. The terrible storms look beautiful. The crashing ocean waves, the twinkling stars, the wondrous carnivorous island on which the hero at one point lands -- pure gorgeousness, shimmering with all the wow that superlative 3-D technology has to offer."

"Ang Lee’s 'Life of Pi' is the best-looking film I’ve seen this year, and possibly so far this century," echoed Lou Lumenick in the New York Post. "It's so hypnotically beautiful that people will be using it to calibrate their new TV monitors."

Lee's film tells the story of Pi, a young boy who survives a shipwreck and winds up stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. (Yes, the tiger is CGI, as star Suraj Sharma told HuffPost Entertainment, but its digital rendering is based on four real-life tigers that were on set.)

"What astonishes me is how much I love the use of 3-D in 'Life of Pi,'" wrote Roger Ebert. "I've never seen the medium better employed, not even in 'Avatar,' and although I continue to have doubts about it in general, Lee never uses it for surprises or sensations, but only to deepen the film's sense of places and events."

Of course, not all critics were infatuated with Lee's film.

"The movie invites you to believe in all kinds of marvelous things, but it also may cause you to doubt what you see with your own eyes — or even to wonder if, in the end, you have seen anything at all," warned A.O. Scott in The New York Times.

For more "Life of Pi" reviews, head over to Rotten Tomatoes.

From what cars they drive to what they had for dinner last night, we (for better or for worse) know a lot about our favorite famous faces -- sometimes, we like to think, better than they know themselves.

So this year, we're giving Prince William, Jay-Z, Lance Armstrong, Barack Obama and Suri Cruise a break when it comes to dreaming up the perfect present ideas for the special folks on their gift lists.

If they were smart, they'd take our advice.

For more holiday gift guides, download our new weekly iPad magazine, Huffington, in the iTunes App store.

Prince William to Kate Middleton: A One-Piece Swimsuit
So she’ll be safe from even the most insensitive prying eyes.

Jay-Z to Blue Ivy: A Taser
Lucky though this kid may be, she’s still going to need some protection.

Lance Armstrong to His Fans:‘I’m Sorry’ Bouquet
Perhaps they’ll understand?

Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton: 2016 Calendar
Perhaps she’ll want to do some long-term planning...

Suri Cruise to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt: "Suri's Burn Book: Well-Dressed Commentary from Hollywood's Little Sweetheart"
She may have moved across the country, but Suri can still give Shiloh fashion tips worthy of Vogue Kids. If that were a thing.

The Recording Academy has released the inductees for the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame and it's quite the interesting mix.

Just how far does the list run the gamut? Two of the inductees are Frank Sinatra's recording of "Theme from 'New York, New York'" and Richard Pryor's comedy album, "That N-----'s Crazy."

"With the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame celebrating 40 years, it's especially important to note that these entries continue the tradition of inducting a wide variety of recordings that have inspired and influenced both fans and music makers for generations," President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a release. "Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add them to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social, and cultural history."

Other standouts include AC/DC's "Back In Black," Elton John's self-titled album, and Billy Joel's "Piano Man." The full list is below. The 55th Grammy Awards air on Feb. 10, 2013.

"ACT NATURALLY"
Buck Owens
(Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison)
Capitol (1963)

"AIN'T NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS"
Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five
(Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer)
Decca (1946)

"ALLONS À LAFAYETTE (LAFAYETTE)"
Joe Falcon
Columbia (1928)

BACK IN BLACK
AC/DC
Albert/Atlantic (1980)

BAND ON THE RUN
Paul McCartney & Wings
Apple (1973)

"BONAPARTE'S RETREAT"
W.H. Stepp
(Traditional arr. Stepp)
Library of Congress (1937)

CROSSCURRENTS
Lennie Tristano Sextet
Capitol (1949)

"EL DÍA QUE ME QUIERAS"
Carols Gardel
(Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera)
Paramount (1935)

ELTON JOHN
Elton John
Uni Records (1970)

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BANJO
Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs And The
Foggy Mountain Boys
Columbia (1961)

HERE'S LITTLE RICHARD
Little Richard
Specialty (1957)

"HIT THE ROAD JACK"
Ray Charles
(Percy Mayfield)
ABC-Paramount (1961)

"HOUND DOG"
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton
(Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)
Peacock (1953)

"I GOT YOU (I FEEL GOOD)"
James Brown
(James Brown)
King (1965)

JOHN COLTRANE AND JOHNNY HARTMAN
John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman
Impulse! (1963)

LOST IN THE STARS
Original Broadway Cast
Decca (1949)

MINGUS AH UM
Charles Mingus
Columbia (1959)

"MY BLACK MAMA [PARTS 1 & 2]"
Son House
(Son House)
Paramount (1930)

"NEAR YOU"
Francis Craig And His Orchestra
(Francis Craig & Kermit Goell)
Bullet (1947)

"ON BROADWAY"
The Drifters
(Jerry Leiber, Barry Mann,
Mike Stoller, Cynthia Weil)
Atlantic (1963)

"PIANO MAN"
Billy Joel
(Billy Joel)
Columbia (1973)

"STEALIN' STEALIN'"
Memphis Jug Band
(Will Shade)
Victor (1928)

THAT N-----'S CRAZY
Richard Pryor
Partee/Stax (1974)
Comedy (Album)

"THEME FROM 'NEW YORK, NEW YORK'"
Frank Sinatra
(Fred Ebb & John Kander)
Reprise (1980)

"THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'"
Bob Dylan
(Bob Dylan)
Columbia (1964)

"THE TITANIC"
Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman
(Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman)
Okeh (1924)

WHITNEY HOUSTON
Whitney Houston
Arista (1985)

Nicki Minaj was turned away from her own album release launch party Tuesday night in New York.

A source familiar with the incident told The Huffington Post that the 29-year-old "Starships" singer was scheduled to attend the event but was denied entry from Greenhouse club when she rolled up with her boyfriend and a hefty entourage of 25 people at 3:30 a.m. Incidentally, the downtown hot spot is also owned by the same folks who run WIP, the club of choice for Drake-Chris Brown brawls.

"The cops denied [Minaj] access saying the venue was capacity," the insider said. "She tried to celebrate with fans but was turned away at the door."

Minaj released "The Re-Up," a rerelease of her second album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," on Nov. 19. "It’s a little of a different direction from the mainstream, but it’s kind of more in the direction I originally started in," she told Ryan Seacrest about the album on Monday. "I feel like the music is such a better representation of me where I am now as an artist in my career."

LOS ANGELES — Darth Vader is dead. The evil Emperor exploded after being thrown down a shaft. And Luke Skywalker and his allies destroyed both Death Stars, restoring balance to the Force. For The Walt Disney Co., the prospective new owner of the "Star Wars" franchise, what's left to tell?

A lot, apparently.

There are more than 110 novels and 80-plus comic books set after the events of "Return of the Jedi," the sixth episode in the film series and the third to be made. All of these additions to the so-called "expanded universe" were sanctioned by Lucasfilm Ltd., founded by series creator George Lucas.

That has left a lot of room for speculation ever since Disney announced last month that it would buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and resume making "Star Wars" movies, starting with Episode 7 in 2015.

For fans, some big questions remain.

Will Luke take on a Jedi apprentice? Will Han Solo and Princess Leia have kids? And who will be the movies' villain? (A) A revived Emperor; (B) the hard-to-kill bounty hunter Boba Fett; (C) some new corrupt leader of the remnants of the Empire, or (D), all of the above?

Each of these scenarios have been explored in some fashion away from the big screen. Whether they will be incorporated into the next trilogy of films is anyone's guess.

"Right now, everyone is literally just reading tea leaves," said Bryan Young, a "Star Wars" watcher and editor of the blog, Big Shiny Robot.

The facts so far about the announced Episodes 7, 8 and 9 are scant: Lucas will be a creative consultant but won't direct the films. Kathleen Kennedy will produce them as president of Lucasfilm. And Oscar-winning writer Michael Arndt, who wrote "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3," will pen the screenplay for Episode 7.

One of the most telling clues as to the next trilogy's direction, according to Young, is the fact that Lucas invited Luke actor Mark Hamill and Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher to lunch some time ago to tell them that the sequels were going to be made, a reversal of his denials over the years.

Hamill talked about the lunch with Entertainment Weekly, saying he also spoke with Lucas about three weeks before the Disney announcement and just missed a call from him the day the deal was made public Oct. 30.

That suggests that Luke and on-screen sister Leia, will be involved in some way in the sequel. After all, their characters are the last members of the Skywalker family, and the most potent wielders of the Force that appear to be left in the galaxy. "I think that's the best clue we have," Young said.

Responding to a query from The Associated Press, Hamill said he couldn't comment further, but noted in an email, "I should have all the information I need very soon."

Fisher, Lucasfilm and several people who work for the company declined comment.

The notion that Luke will make a comeback doesn't veer far from what's known about the movies themselves or from what has been said over the years.

In 2004, Hamill told Movieblog.com that Lucas' ideas for the sequels go as far back as 1976 during the shooting of the original "Star Wars," when the director said an older Hamill would have roles in them.

There is further backing for the idea that Luke will reappear from the films that have already been released, including "Return of the Jedi."

And others around Lucas have spoken publicly about the idea that the family drama that began with Anakin Skywalker and continued with his son Luke would carry on for at least the next three films.

"It's really nine parts of one film," said Rick McCallum, producer of the prequel Episodes 1, 2 and 3, in 1999, according to "The Secret History of Star Wars" by author Michael Kaminski.

The cohesion that McCallum suggested belies the haphazard nature with which the movies have been put together. At different points in time, Lucas has said there was just one, three, six, nine or even 12 films envisioned in all.

Kaminski's book recounts multiple script revisions to most of the films, including some discrepancies that were later papered over. For instance, at one point, Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were separate characters, not the one person we know through the movies to have turned evil.

Given the proliferation of storylines and characters in the "expanded universe," Kaminski said there's a good chance that some of those storylines will be cast aside, altered, or even contradicted outright.

"It will affect the `expanded universe' one way or another," Kaminski said. "It's going to be hard to reconcile those different things."

The idea that the new films will diverge from what's out there is supported by Kennedy, who spoke in a video released by Lucasfilm shortly after the Disney deal was announced.

"This is not like a series of books like `Harry Potter' where you've already got a template of what the stories might be," she said. "These are original stories and original ideas that come from out of a world that essentially is in George's head."

Beyond some broad strokes that the movies hint at – such as Luke's passing on the Jedi ways – it seems doubtful that such a creative mind as Lucas would surrender the movies' outcome to tales that have already been written.

That means that fans of the books, comics and video games in the "Star Wars" universe could be either disappointed or delighted by the result.

But if there were no surprises, the adventure just wouldn't be the same.

"Almost anything is possible," said Jay Shepard, a content editor at fan site TheForce.net. "But I don't believe it will be any type of plotline we've already seen."

Barack Hussein Obama. Mr. President, leader of the free world, husband, father, role model, first black president of the United States... However you want to label him, he has made an indelible mark in history. You don't have to like him, his ideals, morals or standards, but his current title has earned him a measure of respect that anyone in his position, past and future, is due. He is president.

For me -- a mother, a woman of color -- and others like me, he is a symbol of hope. We can tell our children, especially our black boys and young black men, that they can be anything they want to be, if they put their mind to it and work hard. Do I want my sons to run for political office? Absolutely not. Do I want them to be strong, spiritual, responsible, law-abiding citizens, who are respected and make positive contributions in their communities? You better believe it.

President Obama motivated a whole generation of young people to do things that they never imagined doing because they didn't feel at home in their own country. He reminded the older generation of all the counsel they'd received and passed along. "Stay in school and you can be anything you want. You can be president." Even though they may have not believed this would occur in their lifetime, they still said it. We tend to see our children as superheroes and give them super-human qualities. It's our job to believe in them even if no one else does.

Children used to be encouraged to keep themselves busy -- read, write stories, play and maybe watch some television -- mostly things to stimulate their minds. But somewhere along the way, those principles were lost. Perhaps life got in the way; family, bills and all sorts of personal and professional challenges. We're told to grow up, get a job and do something with our lives. What if you don't want to stop daydreaming, playing and having fun? What if you can't stop being a character, and it pleases you to play on? Then, you become an actor. You become a filmmaker, a screenwriter, an entertainer. That will solve that problem. Or will it?

What happens when the platform you have chosen was not designed with you in mind? You can't push, force or demand your way into someone else's house. So, build your own house!

That's the story of a wonderful human being I had the pleasure of meeting. Quinton Aaron was the star of The Blind Side, with Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and Kathy Bates. It's the amazing story of Michael Oher, who became an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, another example of how big dreams do come true. He has gone on to appear in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (opposite Jill Scott), Mercy, Harry's Law and Drop Dead Diva.

The dreams are bigger than the man himself. He is very much aware of his size, and of being a black man. But he does not allow that to be a hindrance. He realizes the challenges that lie ahead in this business, and he is prepared to take them on. He has the support of industry greats. He aspires to be the first black James Bond. And we are excited at the prospect of Aaron in this giant role.

His mother, the late Laura Aaron, told him, "You know you best. Only you can sell you." He takes those words to heart. Moms have a power and influence that cannot be duplicated.

Aaron's upcoming part in 1982 is sure to keep him on the path to stardom. He continues to perfect his craft in front of the camera, on the set with other more seasoned actors, such as Hill Harper, Elise Neal and the legendary Ruby Dee. So whether it is acting or behind the scenes, Quintin Aaron is going to leave his mark on the movie industry. With a heart of gold, and compassion to match, he is poised to be a success story. We are sure to see more of Quintin Aaron.

Like President Obama, his mother and grandmother nurtured Aaron's hopes, dreams and aspirations. And today, both men have achieved beyond what they could have ever imagined. Perhaps not. Maybe they are just where they imagined their dreams would take them.

On Nov. 21, 2012, a movie titled “Red Dawn” was released into movie theaters. On Aug. 10, 1984, another movie with the title “Red Dawn” was released into movie theaters. Both movies are about a small group of American freedom fighters, called the Wolverines, fighting back against an invading foreign army. Here, we compare the Cold War-era sorta-classic to the sorta-new (“Red Dawn” was filmed in 2009), revamped version that you probably won't see. (Spoilers ahead, if you care.)

Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. You can contact him directly on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors decided not to file any charges against Justin Bieber after investigators found no evidence that the pop star had kicked and punched a photographer after leaving a movie theater last month, a document obtained Wednesday states.

Prosecutors had been asked by police to consider filing a misdemeanor battery charge against Bieber, but Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators found no visible injuries, video or photographs to confirm the allegations by the photographer.

Bieber, 18, was leaving the theater in suburban Calabasas with girlfriend Selena Gomez on May 27 when he had the encounter in a parking lot.

A doctor found only superficial injuries, and deputies observed no injuries on the man after the incident, the document states.

Authorities interviewed several witnesses but none reported seeing Bieber kick the man, and they noted that the photographer kept taking photos as the two singers left the location, according to the charge evaluation worksheet prepared by the district attorney's office.

"All the photos and video taken during this incident by the many photographers were obtained and reviewed," the document states. "There are no photos of a physical altercation."

The case was rejected on Oct. 22 and first reported Wednesday by celebrity website TMZ.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP