Taylor Swift, Rihanna Dress To Impress At Billboard Awards

Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Selena Gomez also make fashion splash on red carpet, as showgirl style rules at the Las Vegas event on Sunday night.
By Jocelyn Vena


Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images

<P>On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in the music industry hit up the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and decided that sparkles and sequins make for the perfect additions to any red carpet get-up. Well, it is Sin City after all. Taylor Swift always seems to bring some of that Nashville sparkle to any red carpet. She arrived at the show in a pale-hued, sequined Elie Saab gown. Nicki Minaj showed off her signature sense of style in her baby-blue, body-hugging spandex Mark Fast catsuit. Selena Gomez turned up the style dial in a sexy, cut-out black Dolce &amp; Gabbana gown that she paired with red strappy sandals with sparkly bow detailing. Like Gomez, Ke$ha opted for some cut-out detailing in her sparkly, slate-gray dress with tulle skirt. Rihanna looked white hot in her men's tailored Max Azria suit, which she kept sexy and feminine by not buttoning her shirt all the way. Fergie went S&M chic in her little black bandage-type dress by Herv&#233; L&#233;ger. Nicole Kidman also wore black. She paired a casual braid hairstyle with a long black gown and Keith Urban. British pop cutie Kyle Minogue looked funky in her little black lacey dress. Inside the show, Britney Spears sat in the audience wearing a skimpy black dress of her own, her hair in loose curls, with little-to-no accessories. While some stars kept the color scheme low-key, Keri Hilson decided to stand out in her billowy little yellow dress paired with a turquoise-colored belt. Kelly Rowland showed off some of her best assets in a body-hugging, bright pink bandage dress. The fellas also looked tight on the carpet. Joe Jonas wore all black with white sneakers, Ne-Yo paired his periwinkle suit with a Yankees cap and Justin Bieber wore black tuxedo pants with a gold-lam&#233; tuxedo jacket. <i>Which stars' styles caught your eye at the </i>Billboard<i> Music Awards? Tell us in the comments.</i></p>

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'Sweet Valley High' To Be A Musical, Diablo Cody Confirms

'It's going to blow people's minds,' screenwriter tells MTV News about the in-the-works adaptation.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Diablo Cody
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images

Diablo Cody explored the life of one particular "Young Adult" author in her screenplay for the Charlize Theron film. Next up, she herself is taking on the challenge of adapting a beloved young-adult franchise, "Sweet Valley High," for the big screen.

And while she's knee-deep in work for the project, when MTV News caught up with the screenwriter at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Thursday night in Los Angeles, she revealed one very juicy detail about the adaptation.

"Oh my gosh! OK, so I am so excited about 'Sweet Valley High.' There's original songs being written for it right now, which is the most exciting development. They're amazing. They're being written by these Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning songwriters from Broadway who are the best," she gushed, confirming that the film will be a musical version of the novels. "Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, who wrote [the Broadway show] 'Next to Normal'; they're amazing and I'm sorry, I could go on and on. But I'm very excited about 'Sweet Valley High.' It's going to blow people's minds. I haven't really had the chance to talk about this yet, so it's exciting."

The Francine Pascal novels (which debuted in 1983) follow the lives of twin teenagers, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, who live in Sweet Valley, California. The series is full of puppy love, teen angst and the kind of drama and comedy that keeps people tuning into the CW and ABC Family week after week. If you've never read the books before, Cody assures you that you can still love the movie. "It [has] a lot of familiar '80s awesomeness for fans of the series, and if you've never heard of 'Sweet Valley High' you will want to," she said, noting that casting plans are still to be determined.

"Obviously I will be playing the twins. Old-fashioned '60s-style split screen," she joked.

Check out everything we've got on "Sweet Valley High."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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Michael Jackson Doctor Can't Afford Lawyer For Appeal

Conrad Murray asks judge for a court-appointed attorney to appeal his involuntary manslaughter conviction.
By Gil Kaufman


Dr. Conrad Murray arrives for his arraignment of at the Airport Los Angeles Courthouse today
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

<P>Just weeks after being sent to jail for four years following a conviction on a felony involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of Michael Jackson, cardiologist Conrad Murray is throwing himself on the mercy of the court. The doctor had been slated to earn up to $150,000 a month to act as Jackson's personal physician before the pop icon's death in June 2009 from an overdose of the Murray-administered surgical anesthetic propofol. But on Tuesday E! News reported that Murray filed a notice of appeal in Los Angeles Superior Court in which he claimed that he is "indigent and respectfully requests the appointment of counsel on appeal." Murray, 58, is planning to appeal both his conviction and his sentence, but has not yet filed papers with the California Appeals Court. He had hired two lawyers to handle his manslaughter case, but is now seeking attorneys with appeal experience. One of those former lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan, told E! that he was shocked at how his client is being treated in jail. "It is crazy and unbelievable how [the sheriffs] are treating" Murray in jail, said Flanagan, who claimed he waited over an hour to see Murray, who was brought out in handcuffs and leg chains. Flanagan was further shocked to see Murray handcuffed to the table for their meeting, something the lawyer said he'd never seen before in the case of a low-level, non-violent offender. Charles Peckham, who is handling civil cases against Murray, told the Associated Press that his client is under tight security and isolation that is more intense than other inmates at the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail. "Treating him like Hannibal Lecter is offensive," said Peckham. "This man who saved lives made a mistake, and they're going to [make] him pay like a mass-murderer." Sheriff's officials defended the tight security, saying it was for Murray's safety.</p>

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Katie Holmes & Suri: Mary Poppins Matinee

The Kennedys actress Katie Holmes was snapped out and about in Manhattan, New York today (January 13), with her 5-year-old daughter Suri. In the morning they were spotted running some errands. After a clothing change, the mother daughter-duo made a visit to Chelsea Piers - then it was off to see the Broadway Play - Mary Poppins.

It looks as though Katie is the new face of luxury jewelry company H.Stern. It also looks as though her ads are raising a few eyebrows.

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'Glee' Michael Jackson Episode: Rumored Set List Leaks

Perez Hilton reports that January 24 episode includes a 'Beat It' and 'Billie Jean' mash-up.
By Jocelyn Vena


Darren Criss, Damian McGinty, Chord Overstreet, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith and Harry Shum Jr. perform on "Glee"
Photo: Adam Rose / FOX

<P>"Glee" has already dedicated entire episodes to Madonna, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, and come 2012, it's the King of Pop's turn. A rumored set list for the January 24 "Glee" Michael Jackson tribute episode has hit the Web, and it features some of the late singer's greatest hits. Perez Hilton reports that 14 tracks have made the final cut, although the list has yet to be confirmed by anyone connected with the show. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:549513.id:1645343" width="240" height="211"></div><p> The set list (along with who will perform the track) reportedly includes "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " (Blaine), "Bad" (the New Directions and the Warblers), "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (Finn and Rachel), "Smooth Criminal" (Santana and Sebastian), "Never Can Say Goodbye" (Quinn), "In the Closet" (Brittany and Santana), "We Are the World" (the New Directions and the Warblers), "Black and White" (Puck), "Ghost"/"Monster" (New Directions), "Beat It"/"Billie Jean" (Warblers), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (Kurt) and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (Artie). This is hardly the first time the show has paid homage to Jackson. Back in 2010, the New Directions performed his track "Thriller," complete with zombie garb, during an episode that aired after the Super Bowl. The show has also previously covered "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Man in the Mirror." Back in 2010, the cast of the hit Fox show had only imagined what it would be like to have an entire episode dedicated to Jackson. "I would love to do a Michael Jackson episode," Amber Riley told MTV News at the time. "You know, it's so many [songs that I love], but my favorite song by him is 'Human Nature.' I love that song." While Riley seemed psyched about the opportunity, castmate Jenna Ushkowitz found the possibility a little more daunting. "That's a scary, scary episode to do," she said. "[But] that would be absolutely amazing." <i>Are you happy with the rumored set list? What's missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!</i></p>

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