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People: Quvenzhane Wallis, Michelle Obama, Lindsay Lohan, Prince, Janet Jackson, William Shatner
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The Onion has issued an apology, E! News reports.
After the popular satirical website dug itself into an electronic hole following a tweet in which it called 9-year-old "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star and Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis the c-word on Twitter, the website's CEO posted a formal apology on the company's Facebook page.
"On behalf of The Onion, I offer my personal apology to Quvenzhane Wallis and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the tweet that was circulated last night during the Oscars. It was crude and offensive -- not to mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting," CEO Steve Hannah wrote in a statement.
"No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire," Hannah continued. "The tweet was taken down within an hour of publication. We have instituted new and tighter Twitter procedures to ensure that this kind of mistake does not occur again. In addition, we are taking immediate steps to discipline those individuals responsible."
"Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better. All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry," he apologized.
The offensive tweet immediately sparked outrage in the Twitterverse, as many celebs and fans jumped to the young star's defense.
Although it was deleted shortly after, a number of websites captured the ill-mannered tweet, causing the damning evidence to circulate on the Internet.
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When Michelle Obama appeared on screen at the 85th Annual Academy Awards to present the Oscar for best picture, many were shocked that she was able to be part of Hollywood's biggest night, People reports.
But thanks to a little movie magic, the producers of "Argo" -- Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Grant Heslov -- were given their award by the first lady herself.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, having Mrs. Obama, 49, present the award from the White House was all movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's daughter's idea.
Once the show's producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron were on board, the academy approached the first lady. Zadan says her response was, "Yes, I think it's a great idea. We watch movies all the time at the White House. Let's do it."
Two weeks before the show aired, producers flew to D.C. where they joined up with Weinstein and his daughter, Lily. Next, they met up with the first lady's staff. It was soon decided that rather than appear by herself, she would appear with members of the military.
As for Mrs. Obama's co-presenter, Zadan and Meron approached Jack Nicholson -- whom they had worked with in their film "The Bucket List." Once they explained the situation, the actor, 75, was game.
Then on Sunday, the first lady -- wearing a glittering custom smoke-gray Naeem Khan gown and Sutra Silver at Fragments jewelry -- presented the best picture Oscar live from the White House. While her appearance went off without a hitch, Nicholson was holding a second envelope with the winner at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, just in case any technical difficulties occurred.
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Lindsay Lohan is about to undergo some "Anger Management."
E! News has confirmed that the troubled actress will make a guest appearance on the FX comedy, which stars fellow headline-grabber Charlie Sheen. In the episode, Lohan, who will play herself, is set to become a patient of Sheen's character, therapist Dr. Charlie Goodson, and develop a romance with the former "Two and a Half Men" star.
The guest shot, which will air in April, marks a reunion for the pair, who previously worked together on "Scary Movie 5," which is also set for release in April.
Lohan's last TV appearance was in the critically maligned Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick," in which she played Elizabeth Taylor.
"Anger Management" airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on FX.
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Prince is continuing to ramp up his public profile. This week, he'll make an appearance on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," The Associated Press reports.
A rep for the late-night talk show confirmed the pop legend will appear on the show Friday and will perform two songs. It's not clear whether he'll perform new material or some of his classics.
The reclusive star has been back in the spotlight recently. He presented the record of the year trophy at the Grammys, released the song "Screwdriver" on his new website and is due to perform several dates in Europe this summer.
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Janet Jackson is off the market!
The singer, 46, and Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana tied the knot last year, the couple's rep confirmed to People on Monday.
"The rumors regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true," they told ETOnline, which broke the official wedding news. "Last year we were married in a quiet, private and beautiful ceremony."
The couple add, "Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favorite children's charities."
"We would appreciate that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed this time for celebration and joy," the two said in their statement, signing off, "With love, Wissam and Janet."
This is the third marriage for Jackson, who was previously wed to James DeBarge and Rene Elizondo Jr.
Her marriage to Elizondo was also initially kept a secret.
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"Star Trek" fans, rejoice.
An online vote to name Pluto's two newest itty-bitty moons is over. And the winner is Vulcan, a name suggested by actor William Shatner, who played Capt. Kirk in the original "Star Trek" TV series, the AP reports.
All of the potential names had to come from Greek or Roman mythology and deal with the underworld. Vulcan was the Roman god of lava and smoke and the nephew of Pluto. Vulcan was also the home planet of the pointy-eared humanoids in the "Star Trek" shows. Think Mr. Spock.
In second place was Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld.
In all, more than 450,000 online votes were cast over the past two weeks.
The International Astronomical Union has the final say.
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The author of the children's classic "Sarah, Plain and Tall" is teaming up with an acclaimed illustrator for a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook school shootings, the AP reports.
Random House Children's Books announced Monday that it will publish the picture story "Snowflakes Fall," by Newbery Medal winner Patricia MacLachlan and her longtime friend and former Newtown, Conn., resident, Steven Kellogg. The book comes out Nov. 12 and will feature words and images about the Connecticut community where a gunman killed 20 elementary school students and six faculty members. The publisher will donate a portion of the proceeds to an organization that helps the Sandy Hook community.
MacLachlan won the Newbery, given to the writer of the year's best children's book, in 1986 for "Sarah, Plain and Tall."
First Published February 26, 2013 12:00 am
