After months of rumors and reports of almost-done deals, it's official: Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban are the new "American Idol" judges.
Fox announced Sunday that the hip-hop star and the country singer would join Mariah Carey as first-time judges when the show returns this winter. It also cleared up another rumor by announcing that Randy Jackson, who has been with the show since the beginning, will return as a judge. Rumors in recent weeks said Jackson would no longer be a judge, but perhaps stay on as a mentor.
"I'm looking forward to working with everyone and to seeing the same passion that I have for music in all of the participants," Urban said. The singer announced last week that he would not return for the second season of the Australian version of "The Voice."
Host Ryan Seacrest later tweeted, "It's official," along with a photo of himself with the new panel of judges.
"American Idol" begins its 12th season in January.
Criminal charges for photos
The royal family is continuing to react to the topless photos of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, that were published in French magazine Closer last week.
The Associated Press reported that a spokesman for St. James's Palace announced Sunday that attorneys for the duchess and her husband, Prince William, will be in a Paris court today to make a criminal complaint against the photographer who snapped the shots of the royal couple while they were vacationing at a private villa in Provence.
The palace also plans to seek an injunction to stop any further publication of the photos.
Italian magazine Chi, which is owned by Mondadori, the Italian media company that publishes Closer, said over the weekend that it has 200 photos and intends to publish them in a 26-page spread. The company is owned by former Italian Premier Silivio Berlusconi. The AP reports that the palace plans to seek damages from him, as well.
No British publication has published the photos.
Film fest names winners
The Toronto International Film Festival concluded Sunday, bestowing the Blackberry People's Choice Award on the dark comedy "Silver Linings Playbook."
The David O. Russell film, which opens in November, stars Bradley Cooper as a former teacher who moves in with his parents after his release from a mental hospital. Al Pacino and Jennifer Lawrence costar.
Ben Affleck's "Argo" was runner-up for the big award. Affleck stars in and directed the political film about the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis. It's due in theaters Oct. 12.
'Thrones' takes Emmys
HBO's "Game of Thrones" was the big winner at Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles.
The fantasy series led all winners with six awards, contributing to HBO's leading 17 awards, according to Huffington Post.
CBS was honored with 13 and PBS picked up 11.
A handful of acting awards were presented; most will be presented in a separate ceremony Sunday.
For guest appearance on a comedy, Kathy Bates was honored for "Two and a Half Men." Jimmy Fallon took home the award for his "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig. The same awards in the drama category went to Jeremy Davies for "Justified" and Martha Plimpton for "The Good Wife."
Awards in 26 additional categories will be presented at Sunday's ceremony, airing live at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Briefly
• Photographer Annie Leibovitz will be honored with the Wexner Prize from the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, at a ceremony Nov. 10.
• Stacy Keach, 71, will return to television on ABC's new sitcom "Neighbors." The veteran actor will portray the father of lead character Marty ( Lenny Venito) and make his debut in the Thanksgiving episode.
Weekend box office
1. " Resident Evil: Retribution," $21.1 million.
2. " Finding Nemo 3D," $17.5 million.
3. " The Possession," $5.7 million.
4. " Lawless," $4.2 million.
5. " The Expendables 2," $3.1 million.
6. " ParaNorman," $3 million.
7. " The Words," $2.8 million.
8. " The Bourne Legacy," $2.7 million.
9. " The Odd Life of Timothy Green," $2.5 million.
10. " The Campaign," $2.4 million.
Compiled by Angela Lopez, Free Press staff writer
More Details: Fast takes
‘Master’ sets record
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master†opened Friday in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The drama brought in $729,745, a new record for opening weekend per-screen revenue. The film, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, opens Friday in metro Detroit.
Taylor sues Warner Bros.
Singer-songwriter James Taylor is suing Warner Bros. Records for more than $2 million, accusing his former label of a handful of infractions involving under-payment of royalties, according to variety.com. Taylor was under contract with WB in 1969-79.
Curtis to mother ‘New Girl’
Jamie Lee Curtis, left,
and Rob Reiner have signed on to play the divorced parents of Zooey Deschanel’s character, Jess, on the Fox sitcom “New Girl.†According to a report at ew.com, the veteran actors will appear in a Thanksgiving episode in which their daughter tries to reunite them.
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