Lindsay Lohan vs. Amanda Bynes, the weird, wild week that was: Favorite People
The Associated PressRepresenting New York City, it's Lindsay Lohan
The Associated PressRepresenting Los Angeles, it's Amanda BynesOnce upon a time, Lindsay Lohan spread terror throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but having dusted off allegations of home burglary decided to make a new start in New York. However, for her tabloid heiress apparent, Amanda Bynes, it seemed right to remain in the land of the automobile. Here was a woman for whom it took vehicle impoundment to force banishment from the driver's seat.
And so a classic West Coast-East Coast beef formed, a vast national divide bridged by the magic of the Internet. And what a wild week it's been, with tweets of recrimination, seesaw vehicular charges and unflattering buzz in the gossipsphere, all in the service of one question: Who's the biggest menace to society?
Let's review the week, shall we, and see whether we might arrive at an answer? TMZ will be our guide on this dirty journey.
Sunday: Bynes' car was impounded after being pulled over near Burbank Airport; before that, airport cops said, she exhibited odd behavior, driving around aimlessly near the valet area. Lohan, ticked off at what she saw as a great injustice, tweeted: "Why did I get put in jail and a nickelodeon star has had NO punishment(s) so far?"
Monday: AmBy fired back at L! iLo, say ing her offenses were far worse (being she was convicted and all) and texting a friend: "I HATE being compared to her." Bynes later spent a bizarre evening barricading herself in a boutique's dressing room then chilling at Starbucks till late into the night, but at least she had the sense to have a chauffeur pick her up this time.
Tuesday: Reports circulate that Bynes told friends she's she doesn't need a conservatorship as fears mount of a Britney Spears-style breakdown. "Everything's fine," she says.
Wednesday: Lohan is arrested as she leaves an exclusive New York nightclub for allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident on her way there. A Manhattan chef says she "reeked of alcohol" and was "slurring" when she hit him. Lohan denies being drunk or hitting the man, calling it a "fishy" setup. Cops said no alcohol was involved, and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash also came to Lohan's defense, calling the arrest "a lame paparazzi stunt." Meanwhile, a judge in Bynes' DUI case told her that if she breaks the law on the road again, it will cost her big time. Bynes' concerned parents uproot their Texas home to move back to SoCal to be near Bynes.
Thursday: Bynes was acting so strange during her spin class at her Hollywood gym (including reapplying makeup during her workout), the instructor booted her halfway through the lesson. Bynes also told friends that Lohan's arrest was karmic payback for talking smack about her and that LiLo simply is "not cool." Former Nickelodeon star Danny Tamberelli (Bynes' co-star on "All That") also attacked Lohan, calling it "absurd" that Lohan was so quick to judge.
Friday: Prosecutors charged Bynes with knowingly driving on a suspended license. Its the third court case the actress has racked up in recent months. News also broke that Bynes' management team is abandoning ship. Perez Hilton later chimed in that Bynes still has a publicist (and you thought your job was tough) and that Bynes actually fired her manager. Meanwhile, Goodyear, trying to make the road safe for all, offered both Bynes and Lohan free driving lessons. Lohan follows Bynes' lead and takes the passenger seat on her latest drive around New York.
Saturday: Bynes' friends are angry her family hasn't done more to help her. They say they are perplexed they're standing by and watching her self-destruct, instead of breaking down her door and dragging her out to get help.
So, how was your week?
After all that's been said and tweeted, that was the first round in the sure-to-be-exciting West Coast-East Coast battle of former child stars-turned-driving hazards. Unfortunately, this time, it seems both sides lost.
Helen Mirren to reprise Oscar-winning royal role
Helen Mirren is returning to the regal role of Queen Elizabeth II in a new play about the monarch's relationship with British prime ministers.
The actress won an Academy Award in 2007 for her performance as the British monarch in "The Queen," a drama about the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. Mirren won praise for her turn as a monarch whose stiff upper lip hides a beating heart.
She will play the queen again in "The Audience," a play by Peter Morgan, who wrote "The Queen" and "Frost/Nixon." The play imagines private meetings between the queen and the prime ministers of her 60-year reign, from Winston Churchill to David Cameron.
Directed by Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliot"), the play opens at London's Gielgud Theatre in February.
Nashville gives Kings of Leon two awards
Nashville has given rock group Kings of Leon a star on the Music City Walk of Fame and the second annual Music City Ambassador Award.
The Kings of Leon were honored Friday by Mayor Karl Dean and the Music City Music Council for helping enhance! and pro mote the city's creative climate and musical diversity. Dean said the Nashville-based group showcases the "depth and breadth of music coming out of Music City."
Top singles from the Grammy-winning Kings of Leon include "Use Somebody" and "Radioactive." The Music City Music Council formed in 2009 and has created a music education project and worked with the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency to create an affordable housing project for up-and-coming artists.
Quotable: "I'm an artist and this is art." -- Chris Brown via Twitter, on his controversial tattoo that some say resembles a battered Rihanna
Saturday's birthdays: Actor Paul Le Mat ("American Graffiti") is 66. Singer David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) is 61. Actress Shari Belafonte is 58. Singer Debby Boone is 56. Country singer June Forester of The Forester Sisters is 56. Singer Nick Cave is 55. Singer Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde is 55. Singer Joan Jett is 54. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 54. Actress Catherine Oxenberg is 51. Actor Scott Baio is 51. Actor Rob Stone ("Mr. Belvedere") is 50. Bassist-guitarist Dave Hernandez (The Shins) is 42. Singer Big Rube of Society of Soul is 41. Actor Tom Felton ("Harry Potter" films) is 25.