Charlie Sheen says has "work to do" in recovery

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Wed Feb 2, 2011 7:19pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Two and A Half Men" star Charlie Sheen on Wednesday spoke out for the first time since he began a rehab program following reports of his wild partying, saying in a statement he has "a lot of work to do."

Sheen was hospitalized on January 27 after he reportedly had a 36-hour drug and drink-fueled party at his home. The actor, long known as a Hollywood bad boy, began a rehabilitation program the following day, causing production on his top-rated "Two and A Half Men" program to shut down.

"I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," Sheen said in a statement to the media on Wednesday.

"And to my fans, your good wishes have touched me very much," Sheen said.

"Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say, 'thank-you,'" he said.

Sheen, the highest paid actor on U.S. TV, thanked his colleagues on "Two and A Half Men," as well as CBS Corp chief executive Les Moonves and Warner Bros studio TV head Bruce Rosenblum for their support.

The No. 1-rated comedy is produced by the TV wing of Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros studio, and it airs on CBS. The show generates huge revenues for the studio and network.

A Warner Bros spokesman has said 16 of the 24 scheduled episodes of "Two and A Half Men" for the TV season ending in May had been taped, with 8 remaining to be shot.

Sheen was initially said by his spokesman to be entering a rehab facility last Friday, but then media reports had him seeking counseling at home. Sheen's spokesman has since declined to comment on the actor's treatment plans, citing U.S. law dealing with patient privacy.

Separately on Wednesday, authorities released the audio recording of a phone call Dr. Paul Nassif made to summon an ambulance for Sheen last week.

Nassif told dispatchers he had received a call from Sheen's assistant, who was with him at the home where the actor was reported to be partying heavily. The doctor said he was told not to call an ambulance for Sheen, but did so anyway because he was worried.

"I got (Sheen) on the phone and he was very, very intoxicated. Also apparently in a lot of pain. It's kind of weird, the phone call I received," Nassif said in the audio recording.

Nassif is a cast member of TV reality show "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Jackson family lawsuit can proceed against AEG

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES | Wed Feb 2, 2011 5:46pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A judge on Wednesday ruled the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson's mother can proceed against concert promoter AEG Live, setting up a legal showdown between Katherine Jackson and the company she blames for the "Thriller" singer's demise.

The lawsuit accuses AEG of being responsible for medical decisions made by Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, whose care was funded by the company.

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson's June 25, 2009, death, age 50, from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol which the doctor gave as a sleep aid and other sedatives and painkillers.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos on Wednesday denied a motion by AEG, a subsidiary of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, to dismiss Katherine Jackson's case against the company.

But the judge said lawyers for the singer's 80 year-old mother would need to show evidence of fraud, negligent infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.

Palazuelos said she had doubts about civil conspiracy, because there were no details in the lawsuit saying AEG and Murray had an agreement to break the law, in providing medical care to Jackson.

"If the object was to get him to rehearsals, I don't see that as a wrongful or illegal act," she said.

Jackson was preparing for his "This Is It" series of 50 comeback concerts in London when he died, and Murray was going to accompany him to Britain for the shows.

AEG attorney Marvin Putnam, in arguments before the judge, said the company could not have realized beforehand that Murray's medical decisions would lead to Jackson's death.

"It's not foreseeable that Michael Jackson or anyone else was going to die in their own home of propofol," Putnam said.

During a preliminary hearing last month in the criminal case against Murray, witnesses testified that propofol is administered in surgery and never recommended for home use.

The judge in that separate case found there was sufficient evidence to try Murray, and he wondered out loud why the doctor would have used propofol on Jackson as a sleep aid.

Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial is scheduled to begin on March 28. He faces a maximum of four years in prison.

Katherine Jackson's wrongful death lawsuit was filed in September and includes the singer's three children as co-plaintiffs.

Kenny Ortega, a choreographer who was directing Jackson's rehearsals, was originally named as a defendant. But Katherine Jackson's attorneys recently dropped him from the suit, citing new information.

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Rock duo The White Stripes announce break up

NEW YORK | Wed Feb 2, 2011 2:53pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Grammy-winning rock duo The White Stripes announced their break up on Wednesday, citing "a myriad of reasons" they did not disclose and saying they want to "preserve what is beautiful and special about the band."

"The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live," said a statement posted on the band's website.

The raw, punk and blues influenced White Stripes, consisting of songwriter and vocalist Jack White and drummer and ex-wife Meg White, formed in 1997 in Detroit and rose to fame behind their self-titled, debut album.

Their third CD, 2001's "White Blood Cells" proved to be a hit with both fans and critics and established the alternative duo as leaders in the revival of garage rock along with the Strokes and others.

The White Stripes' success and notoriety continued to grow throughout 2000s with albums such as "Get Behind Me Satan" and 2007's "Icky Thump." But over the years, Jack White began to embark on careers as a soloist and producer. He also formed two other bands, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

"The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg an Jack are feeling fine and in good health," said the band's statement.

It said the pair both hope fans see their decision "as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created."

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Police investigate Lindsay Lohan over necklace theft

LOS ANGELES | Wed Feb 2, 2011 12:41pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Police are investigating "Mean Girls" star Lindsay Lohan in connection with the theft of a $2,500 necklace from a boutique, but the piece of jewelry has been returned, police said on Wednesday.

The necklace was taken on January 22 from a boutique in the beachside Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice, police said.

Surveillance video from the store shows Lohan wearing the necklace, according to media reports.

Police began investigating the theft, and on Tuesday detectives obtained a search warrant for Lohan's Venice home, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

But before detectives arrived to search Lohan's residence, the necklace was returned to a police station, officials said, adding that the investigation continues despite its recovery.

An attorney for Lohan did not return calls for comment.

Lohan recently completed a stay at the Betty Ford Center, in her fifth stint in rehab in three years, as a result of failing a drug test while on probation for a 2007 drunken driving and drug conviction.

A December skirmish with a Betty Ford worker resulted in a police investigation, but prosecutors have not filed charges.

The 24 year-old former child star from 1998 movie "The Parent Trap" has seen her career go off-track in recent years.

She lost her starring role in an upcoming movie about 1970s porn star Linda Lovelace due to her personal problems.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Elton John says Billy Joel needs better rehab

NEW YORK | Wed Feb 2, 2011 12:16pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - British singer Elton John has handed out some tough advice to his longtime friend and tour companion Billy Joel who has spent much of his career battling alcoholism: seek better treatment.

John, who at age 63 recently became a dad with partner David Furnish, reflected on fatherhood and his 40-year career in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine to be released later this week, including canceled tours with "Piano Man" Joel.

"He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light," John told the magazine. "When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love."

John, who has in the past sought treatment for his own addictions to alcohol and drugs, said Joel also could be contributing more to the music world.

"At the end of the day, he's coasting," he told the magazine. "I always say, 'Billy, can't you write another song?' It's either fear or laziness. It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many canceled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism."

Joel, 61, has spent several stints in rehabilitation centers for substance abuse and alcoholism, including in 2002 and 2005.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Bob Tourtelotte)

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