Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965) is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 325 million copies worldwide. In February 2004, Forbes magazine estimated her fortune at £576 million (just over US$1 billion and still is at the same spot in 2007), making her the first person to become a US-dollar billionaire by writing books. In 2006, Forbes named her the second richest female entertainer in the world, behind talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Forbes ranked Rowling as #48 on the 100 most powerful celebrities for 2007.
Name
Rowling's surname is pronounced "rolling". Her full name is "Joanne Rowling", not, as is often assumed, "Joanne Kathleen Rowling". Before publishing her first volume, Bloomsbury feared that the target audience of young boys might be reluctant to buy books written by a female author. They requested that Rowling use two initials, rather than reveal her first name. As she had no middle name, she chose K, from her grandmother's name Kathleen, as the second initial of her pseudonym. The name Kathleen has never been part of her legal name. She calls herself "Jo" and claims, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry."
Early life
Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling and Anne Volant on 31 July 1965 at Yate, South Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16.1 km) northeast of Bristol. Her sister Dianne (Di) was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four where she attended St Michael's Primary School,[11] later moving to Tutshill, near Chepstow, South Wales at the age of nine. As a child, Rowling enjoyed writing stories about fantasies, which she often read to her sister. She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College. Rowling was good with languages, but did not excel at sports and mathematics. There are numerous references to Welsh places, things, and people in Harry Potter, which could be attributed to her time in Chepstow.
After studying French and Classics at the University of Exeter, with a year of study in Paris, Rowling moved to London to work as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International. During this period, while she was on a four-hour delayed-train trip between Manchester and London, she developed the idea for a story of a young boy attending a school of wizardry. When she had reached her Clapham Junction flat, she began writing immediately.
On December 30, 1990, Rowling’s mother succumbed to a 10-year battle with the condition multiple sclerosis. Rowling commented, “I was writing Harry Potter at the moment my mother died. I had never told her about Harry Potter.”
Rowling then moved to Porto, Portugal to teach English as a foreign language. While there, she married Portuguese television journalist Jorge Arantes on 16 October 1992. They had one child, Jessica, who was named after Rowling’s heroine, Jessica Mitford. They divorced in 1993 after a fight in which Jorge threw her out of the house.
In December 1994, Rowling and her daughter moved to be near Rowling’s sister in Edinburgh, Scotland. Unemployed and living on state benefits, she completed her first novel. She did her work in numerous different cafés (e.g. Nicolson's Cafe and Elephant House Café), whenever she could get Jessica to fall asleep. There was a rumour that she wrote in local cafés to escape from her unheated flat, but in a 2001 BBC interview Rowling remarked, “I am not stupid enough to rent an unheated flat in Edinburgh in midwinter. It had heating.”
Rowling used to work for the human rights organization Amnesty International, researching human rights abuses in Francophone Africa. A link to Amnesty International is promoted on her personal website www.jkrowling.com. In an interview in The Scotsman in 2002, Rowling described civil rights activist Jessica Mitford as "my most influential writer".
Harry Potter
Harry Potter books
In 1995, Rowling completed her manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on an old manual typewriter. Upon the enthusiastic response of Bryony Evans, a reader who had been asked to review the book’s first three chapters, the Fulham-based Christopher Little Literary Agents agreed to represent Rowling in her quest for a publisher. The book was handed to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected it. A year later she was finally given the green light (and a £1500 advance) by editor Barry Cunningham from the small publisher Bloomsbury. The decision to take Rowling on was apparently largely due to Alice Newton, the eight-year-old daughter of the company’s chairman, who was given the first chapter to review by her father, and immediately demanded the next. Although Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Cunningham says that he advised Rowling to get a day job, since she had little chance of making money in children’s books.[23] Soon after, Rowling received an £8000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council to enable her to continue writing.
The following spring, an auction was held in the United States for the rights to publish the novel, and was won by Scholastic Inc., who paid Rowling more than $100,000. Rowling has said she “nearly died” when she heard the news. In June 1997, Bloomsbury published Philosopher’s Stone with an initial print run of only one-thousand copies, five-hundred of which were distributed to libraries. Today, such copies are each valued at between £16,000 and £25,000.
Five months later, the book won its first award, a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. In February, the novel won the prestigious British Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year, and, later the Children’s Book Award. In October 1998, Scholastic published Philosopher’s Stone in the US under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: a change Rowling claims she now regrets and would have fought if she had been in a better position at the time.
In December 1999, the third Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, won the Smarties Prize, making Rowling the first person to win the award three times running. She later withdrew the fourth Harry Potter novel from contention to allow other books a fair chance. In January 2000, Prisoner of Azkaban won the inaugural Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year award, though it narrowly lost the Book of the Year prize to Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf.
To date, six of the seven volumes of the Harry Potter series, one for each of Harry’s school years, have already been published and all have broken sales records. The last three volumes in the series have been the fastest-selling books in history, grossing more in their opening 24 hours than blockbuster films.
Rowling has completed the seventh and final book of the series. Its title was revealed on 21 December 2006 to be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. On 1 February 2007 Rowling announced on her website that its release date was to be 21 July 2007. Rowling wrote on a bust in her hotel room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh that she had completed the seventh book in that room on 11 January 2007; this was confirmed to be authentic by Rowling's and the hotel's representatives. In February 2007, Neil Bayer, a lawyer with Rowling's literary agency, announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be released as an e-book. Rowling has not allowed the first six Potter stories to be released as e-books and has no plans to change that for the seventh and final work.
In June 2006, the British public named Rowling “the greatest living British writer” in a poll by The Book Magazine. Rowling topped the poll, receiving nearly three times as many votes as the second-place author, fantasy writer Terry Pratchett.
Several Christian writers have compared Rowling to the Inklings, a group that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who explored Christian themes and morality in their books. A minority of Christian conservatives have accused her of promoting witchcraft and devil worshiping in her books, a charge which Rowling, who is a Christian herself, refutes. Rowling said that to her, the moral significance of the tales seems obvious. The key for her was the choice between what is right and what is easy, because that, that is how tyranny is started, with people being apathetic and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in deep trouble.
In an interview in Donny & Marie Show in 1999, Rowling described her dislike for censorship in children's books
Harry Potter films
In October, 1998, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the first two novels for a seven-figure sum. A film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released on 16 November 2001 and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on 15 November 2002. Both were directed by Chris Columbus. The 4 June 2004 film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was directed by yet another new director, Mike Newell. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is in post-production and is scheduled to be released on 11 July 2007. David Yates is the film's director, and Michael Goldenberg is its screenwriter, having taken over the position from Steven Kloves. Half-Blood Prince is in pre-production, and is scheduled for release on 21 November 2008. David Yates will once again direct the film, and it has been confirmed that Kloves will return to screenwrite it. Nothing has been announced regarding the film version of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In contrast to the treatment of most authors by Hollywood studios, Warner Bros. took considerable notice of Rowling's desires and thoughts in their attempt to bring her books to the screen. One of her principal stipulations was the films be shot in Britain with an all-British cast, which has so far been adhered to strictly. In an unprecedented move, Rowling also demanded that Coca-Cola, the victor in the race to tie-in their products to the film series, donate $18 million to the American charity Reading is Fundamental, as well as a number of community charity programs.
The first four films were scripted by Steve Kloves; Rowling assisted him in the writing process, ensuring that his scripts did not contradict future books in the series. She says she has told him more about the later books than anybody else, but not everything. She has also said that she has told Alan Rickman (Snape) and Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) certain secrets about their characters that have not yet been revealed. Steven Spielberg was approached to direct the first film, but dropped out. The press has repeatedly claimed that Rowling played a role in his departure, but Rowling stated on her website that she has no say in who directs the films. Rowling's first choice for the director of the first Harry Potter film had been Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam, being a fan of Gilliam's work. Warner Bros. studios wanted a more family friendly film, however, and eventually they settled for Chris Columbus.
Other aspects
Rowling has been praised for the effect of her books and efforts to promote reading and literacy. Charlie Griffiths, director of the National Literacy Association, said "Anyone who can persuade children to read should be treasured and what she’s given us in Harry Potter is little short of miraculous."
In addition to her books, Rowling's influence on hard-core fans extends to her personal website where she tests fans on their civic knowledge, albeit in the fictional wizarding world, by administering a limited number of WOMBAT exams. Her students are tested on fictional political issues such as Goblin rebellions, and what lead to the downfall of certain Ministers of Magic. Rowling also occasionally visits some of the myriad of fansites to quell rumors and occasionally answer questions.
According to a press release by Amnesty International, Rowling is cited as having written a letter to the Czech government in support of the ban of "cage beds" in mental institutions in that country. This decision to ban these cage beds was made days after the authorities received her letter.
Current life and family
In 2001, Rowling purchased a luxurious 19th century estate house, Killiechassie House, on the banks of the River Tay, near Aberfeldy, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Rowling also owns a home in Merchiston, Edinburgh, and a Georgian house in London, on a street where, according to The Guardian, the average price of a house is £4.27 million ($8 million), including an underground swimming pool and 24-hour security.
On 26 December 2001, Rowling married Neil Murray, an anaesthetist, in a private ceremony at her home in Aberfeldy.[45] Their son David Gordon Rowling Murray was born on 24 March 2003. Shortly after Rowling began writing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, she took a break from working on the novel to care for him in his early infancy. Rowling's youngest child, Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray, to whom she dedicated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was born in January of 2005.
After Harry Potter
Rowling has stated that she plans to continue writing after the publication of the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She declared in a recent interview that she will most likely not use a new pen name as the press would quickly discover her true identity.
In 2006, Rowling revealed that she had completed a few short stories and another children's book (a "political fairy story") about a monster, aimed at a younger audience than Harry Potter readers.
She is not planning to write an eighth Harry Potter book, but has suggested she might publish an "encyclopedia" of the Harry Potter world consisting of all her unpublished material and notes. Any profits from such a book would be given to charity.
Contributions to charities
J.K. Rowling contributes substantially to charities that combat poverty and social inequality. She also gives to organizations that aid children, one parent families, and multiple sclerosis research.
According to The Guardian, Rowling is a friend of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, with which she collaborated on a book of children's stories to aid the charity One Parent Families. Rowling, along with Nelson Mandella, Al Gore, and Alan Greenspan, wrote an introduction to a collection of Gordon Brown's speeches, of which the proceeds are being donated to the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory.
Comic Relief
In 2001, the UK fundraiser Comic Relief asked three bestselling British authors, (Rowling, cookery writer and TV presenter Delia Smith, and Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding), to submit booklets related to their most famous works for publication. For every pound raised, a pound would go towards combatting poverty and social inequality across the globe. Rowling's two booklets, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, are ostensibly facsimiles of books found in the Hogwarts library, and are written under the names of their fictional authors, Newt Scamander and Kennilworthy Whisp. Since going on sale in March, 2001, the books have raised £15.7 million (US$30 million) for the fund. The £10.8 million (US$20 million) raised outside the UK has been channelled into a newly created International Fund for Children and Young People in Crisis. She has also personally given £22 million to Comic Relief.
Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland
Rowling has contributed money and support for research and treatment of multiple sclerosis, from which her mother died in 1990. This death heavily affected her writing, according to Rowling. In 2006, Rowling contributed a substantial sum toward the creation of a new Centre for Regenerative Medicine at Edinburgh University. For reasons unknown, Scotland, Rowling's country of adoption, has the highest rate of MS in the world.
Other donations
In January 2006, Rowling went to Bucharest to raise funds for the Children's High Level Group, an organization devoted to enforcing the human rights of children, particularly in eastern Europe. On 1 August and 2 August 2006 she read alongside Stephen King and John Irving at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Profits from the event were donated to the Haven Foundation, a charity that aids artists and performers left uninsurable and unable to work, and the medical NGO Médecins Sans Frontières. In May 2007, Rowling gave US$495,000 to a reward fund of over $4.5 million for the safe return of a young British girl, Madeleine McCann, who was kidnapped in Portugal.
Honors
In June 2000, Queen Elizabeth II honoured Rowling by making her an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
In April 2006, the asteroid (43844) Rowling was named in her honour.[66] The name was submitted to the International Astronomical Union by astronomer Dr. Mark Hammergren, who has been a fan of the Harry Potter series since 2004.
In May 2006, the newly-discovered Pachycephalosaurid dinosaur Dracorex hogwartsia, currently at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis, was named in honour of her world.
In July 2006 Rowling received a Doctor of Laws (LLD) honorary degree from University of Aberdeen for her "significant contribution to many charitable causes" and "her many contributions to society".
There is a housing development in Bristol, near to her childhood home, called Rowling Gate.
Controversy
J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has faced a number of controversies. The books have been the subject of a number of legal proceedings, largely stemming either from claims by religious groups that the magic in the books promotes witchcraft among children, or from various conflicts over copyright and trademark infringements. The immense popularity and high market value of the books has led to Rowling, her publishers, and film distributor Warner Bros. taking legal measures to protect their copyright, which has included banning the sale of Harry Potter imitations, targeting the owners of websites over the "Harry Potter" domain name, and suing author Nancy Stouffer for claiming Rowling had plagiarized her work.
Bibliography
-Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (26 June 1997) (titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States)
-Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2 July 1998)
-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (8 September 1999)
-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (8 July 2000)
-Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001)
-Quidditch Through the Ages (2001)
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21 June 2003)
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (16 July 2005)
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (to be released 21 July 2007)
By: www.wikipedia.org
J. K. Rowling
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebrity, socialite, model, actress and recording artist. She is an heiress to a share of both the Hilton Hotel fortune and the real estate fortune of her father Richard Hilton.
Hilton rose to fame when an amateur sex video depicting her was leaked onto the Internet in late 2003. The release of the tape, later titled 1 Night in Paris (2004), attracted worldwide publicity and helped spur the creation of Hilton's Fox reality series The Simple Life. As an actress, she has appeared in several minor roles, most notably in the horror film House of Wax (2005), and in 2006, she released the self-titled album Paris. Hilton has since garnered greater notoriety as a result of several legal incidents, the repercussions of which have caused Hilton to receive a short jail sentence while being the subject of intense media attention, public controversy and parody.
Early life and family background
Born in Nampa, Idaho, Idaho, Hilton is the oldest of four children of Richard and Kathy Hilton. Her younger brother is Nicky Hilton, and her younger sisters are Barron Hilton II, and Conrad Hilton III. On the maternal side of her family, Hilton is a niece of two child stars of the 1970s, Kim Richards and Kyle Richards. By marriage, she also is related to Zsa Zsa Gabor and Elizabeth Taylor. Her paternal grandparents are hotel chairman Darrel Hay, and his wife, the former Marilyn Manson; Hilton's paternal great-grandparents were Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton and his first wife, Mary Barron. When Conrad Hilton died in 1979, he left nothing in his will to his children or other descendants. Barron Hilton contested this decision and prevailed in court in 1988. The value of Paris's inheritance has been variously estimated at between $30 and $50 million.
Hilton moved between several exclusive homes in her youth, including a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons. She attended her freshman year of high school in Rancho Mirage, California at the Marywood-Palm Valley School and her sophomore and junior years of high school at the Dwight School in New York, but dropped out, and eventually earned a GED.
Media career
Model
Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing first in charity events.[5] At 19, she signed with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management. Hilton has worked with modeling agencies such as Ford Models in New York, Models 1 Agency in London, Nous Model Management in Los Angeles, and Premier Model Management in London. She has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including Iceberg Vodka, GUESS, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior, and Marciano. In 2001, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a 19-year-old socialite, being identified as "New York's leading It Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the New York tabloids".
Actress
Hilton gained significant notoriety when she co-starred along with Nicole Richie, the adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, in the Fox reality series The Simple Life, which premiered on December 2, 2003. During the course of the season, Hilton and Richie lived with a family on their farm in rural Altus, Arkansas. The show, which was a major success for Fox, featured the two working at a variety of blue-collar jobs, making out with local men, and performing menial tasks associated with farm life. The pair's inability to appreciate or engage in the "simple life" was a central theme on the series.
After the success of the first season, The Simple Life was followed by two more seasons on Fox. The network then canceled the show after a dispute between Hilton and Richie, but the show was subsequently aired by E! Entertainment Television for a fourth season. A fifth season was scheduled to premiere in May 2007 on E!.
Hilton also amassed other television credits, guest-starring in episodes of The O.C., The George Lopez Show, Las Vegas, American Dreams and Veronica Mars. Furthermore, she appeared in several music videos, including It Girl by John Oates and Just Lose It by Eminem.
Moreover, Hilton made cameo appearances in several films, most notably Zoolander (2001). She landed minor and supporting roles in the feature films Nine Lives (2002), Raising Helen (2004), The Hillz (2004), and House of Wax (2005). Her role as Paige Edwards in House of Wax won the Teen Choice Award for "Best Scream" and earned her a nomination for "Choice Breakout Performance – Female". She also earned a nomination for "Best Frightened Performance" at the 2006. She landed her first lead roles in 2006 with the straight-to-DVD releases National Lampoon's Pledge This! (2006) and Bottom's Up (2006).
She is currently scheduled to appear as the lead role in several upcoming theatrical releases, including an as yet untitled superhero movie involving Stan Lee. Plans for an eponymous cartoon series following the animated life of Paris, her sister Nicky, and her dog Tinkerbell are also in production.
Recording artist
Hilton founded Heiress Records, a sub-label of Warner Bros. Records, in 2004. She released her self-titled debut album, Paris, under the Heiress Records label on August 22, 2006. Although the album reached number six on the Billboard 200 for a week, its total sales volume has been low. Producers for Paris included Greg Wells, Kara DioGuardi, Jane Wiedlin and Scott Storch. Hilton collaborated with Fat Joe and Jadakiss on the song "Fighting Over Me." The first single from Paris, "Stars Are Blind," produced by Fernando Garibay, was released for download on June 20, 2006 and peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100; "Turn It Up" and "Nothing in This World" followed as worldwide singles. While All Music Guide commented that the album was "more fun than anything released by Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, and a lot fresher, too," critical reception as a whole was mixed.
In August 2006, it was revealed that artists Banksy and Danger Mouse replaced 500 copies of Hilton's debut album in various UK record stores with their own album—featuring parody remixes, revised cover art, and reworded liner notes that included topless photos of Hilton defaced with various ironic slogans.[12][13]
As of June 2007, Heiress Records' only release has been Paris, though Hilton has said that she plans to sign new artists in the future.
Business ventures
In the autumn of 2004, Hilton released an autobiographical book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, co-written by Merle Ginsberg, which includes full color photographs of her and gives her advice on the life as an heiress. Hilton reportedly received a $100,000 in advanced payment for this book. Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish, and the book was parodied by Robert Mundell on The Late Show with David Letterman. Nonetheless, the book became a New York Times bestseller. Hilton followed it up with a designer diary, also with Ginsberg, called Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All To Me.
Hilton has helped design a collection of purses for Japanese label Samantha Thavasa, and has also been involved in the design of a jewelry line for Amazon.com. In 2004, Hilton was involved in the creation of a perfume line by Parlux Fragrances. Originally set to be a small release, demand was high and necessitated a wider release before Christmas of 2004. The launch was followed by a 47% increase in sales for Parlux, which was predominantly due to sales of the Hilton-branded perfume. After the success of Hilton's perfume, Parlux Fragrances released several more perfumes with Hilton's name, including fragrances lines for men.
Hilton lent her name to a chain of nightclubs known as Club Paris in 2005. The first of which in Orlando, Florida has been a success, and a second club located in Jacksonville, Florida opened in July 2006. Hilton was fired in January 2007 by the owner of Club Paris, Fred Khalilian, after she had failed to attend several scheduled promotional appearances.
According to Forbes Magazine, Hilton earned approximately $2 million in 2003–2004, $6.5 million in 2004–2005, and $7 million in 2005–2006.
Personal life
Hilton was engaged to fashion model Jason Shaw from mid-2002 to early 2003. On May 29, 2005, she announced her engagement to Paris Latsis, a Greek shipping heir; the engagement was called off five months later. Thereafter, she began dating another Greek shipping heir, Stavros Niarchos III, but in May 2006, Hilton publicist Elliot Mintz informed the press Paris and Stavros had broken up. In an attempt to rediscover herself, Hilton imposed a ban on sexual activity for one year starting in July 2006. She told Regis and Kelly: "One-night stands are not for me. I think it's gross when you just give it up. Guys want you more, if you don't just hand it to them on a platter."
In July 2006, Hilton was photographed kissing her best male friend Brandon Davis, the man who "ranted against" Lindsay Lohan on national television, five days later.
In January 2007, Hilton's private life again created headlines with the launch of ParisExposed.com, a website that featured images of personal and medical documents, video, and other private material, allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton were auctioned off due to lack of payment. CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 discussed footage obtained from the website which features Hilton using several ethnic slurs.[25] On February 3, 2007 Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com, closing down the website for a short period of time before the site went back online.
In a June 11, 2007 phone interview from jail, Hilton told Barbara Walters that while serving time in jail, God has given her a new chance, and that she will no longer "act dumb"
Sex video 
The leak of a three-year-old home-made sex video of Hilton with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon a week prior to the premiere of her Fox reality series The Simple Life attracted worldwide attention in late 2003. The release of the tape led to speculation that it was a deliberate publicity stunt, but Hilton has strongly denied such claims and stated she was "embarrassed" and "humiliated" by the publicity brought by the tape. The sex video, subsequently titled 1 Night in Paris in 2004, was later released on DVD and Hilton received directorial credit. The film earned three AVN Awards in 2005, including "Best Selling Title of the Year". Hilton originally sued Salomon over the release of the tape, but settled out of court in July 2005. Hilton was reportedly awarded up to $400,000 and planned to donate a percentage to charity, although in a 2006 interview with GQ magazine she stated that she never received money from the sale of the video.
Civic involvement
In November 2004, Hilton participated in Sean "Diddy" Combs' Citizen Change campaign to encourage youths to vote in the presidential election. She drew criticism after it was revealed she had neither voted nor registered to do so.
Legal problems
Restraining order
On March 8, 2006, Brian Quintana, an event producer, was granted a three-year restraining order against Hilton after he testified that she harassed and threatened him.
Driving violations
In September 2006, Hilton was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, the minimum at which it is illegal to drive in California. Hilton's drivers license was subsequently suspended in November 2006,[34] and in January 2007 she pled no contest to the alcohol-related reckless driving charge. Her punishment was 36 months' probation and fines of about $1,500.
On January 15, 2007, Hilton was pulled over for driving with a suspended license and signed a document acknowledging that she was not permitted to drive. On February 27, 2007 Hilton was caught driving 70 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, again with a suspended license. She also did not have her headlights on even though it was after dark. Prosecutors in the office of the Los Angeles City Attorney charged that those actions, along with the failure to enroll in a court-ordered alcohol education program constituted a violation of the terms of her probation.
On May 4, 2007 Hilton was sentenced by Judge Michael T. Sauer to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. Initially, Hilton planned to appeal the sentence, and supported an online petition[38] asking California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for a pardon. In response, various opponents started a petition to maintain the sentence. Both petitions attracted tens of thousands of signatures. Paris later switched lawyers, and dropped her plans to appeal.
Jail sentence
Hilton was required to begin her jail term on June 5, 2007, or risk a doubling of her sentence. On June 3, 2007, after attending the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, Hilton checked herself into the Men's Central Jail of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles at 11:38 pm PDT. From there, Hilton was transferred by authorities to a special section "reserved for police officers, public officials, celebrities and other high-profile inmates" within the Century Regional Detention Facility, an all female jail in Lynwood. Hilton was given the inmate booking number 9818783. With credit for good behavior, it was anticipated that Hilton would only serve 23 days of her 45 day sentence.
In an unexpected turn of events, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca signed orders on the morning of June 7, reassigning Hilton to 40 days of home confinement with an electronic monitoring device due to an unspecified medical condition. Sheriff Baca commented on the release saying, "My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice." According to Baca, under normal circumstances, Hilton would not have served any time in jail, and he added that "The special treatment, in a sense, appears to be because of her celebrity status ... She got more time in jail".
The same day Paris was released from jail, Judge Michael Sauer ordered Hilton to reappear back in his court the following morning (June 8). At the hearing he declined to be briefed by Hilton's attorney in private chambers on the nature of her condition and sent her back to jail to serve out her original 45-day sentence. Upon hearing the sentence, Hilton shouted, "It's not right!" and started screaming requesting to hug her mother, who was present in the courtroom. She was then escorted out. Concern about Hilton's condition has led to her being moved to the medical wing of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. On June 13 Hilton was moved back to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood due to improvements in her condition.
Copyright violation
In June 2007 British reggae band UB40 started legal action against Hilton and Warner Chappell Music for plagiarism due to similarities between the song "Stars Are Blind" and their 1990 song "Kingston Town".
Copyright violation
In June 2007 British reggae band UB40 started legal action against Hilton and Warner Chappell Music for plagiarism due to similarities between the song "Stars Are Blind" and their 1990 song "Kingston Town".
In popular culture
While Hilton has been quoted as saying that she is the "iconic blonde of the decade"' and comparing herself to Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe (a claim she later denied in the May 2007 issue of Harper's Bazaar), she will reportedly appear in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the world's "Most Overrated Celebrity".[53] In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and AOL, Hilton was voted the second "Worst Celebrity Role Model of 2006", behind Britney Spears. Critics have alleged that Hilton epitomizes the title of famous for being famous; echoing that sentiment, the Associated Press conducted what they called an experiment in late February 2007, trying not to report on Hilton for a whole week.
On May 11, 2007, a statue by Daniel Edwards entitled Paris Hilton Autopsy was revealed at Capla Kesting Fine Art in New York. Hilton is depicted by a clay model as dead, naked, and with her legs spread. The sculpture is aimed at stopping young women from drinking and driving.
Parodies
-In the South Park episode titled "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset," Paris shows up in South Park to open a new store and attempts to purchase Butters after her dog Tinkerbell commits suicide.
-In the computer-animated series Bratz, more specifically the episode "Kidnapped!", a parody character named London Milton appears as one of the guest characters.
-In the The Simpsons episode "Homerazzi", Bart mocks "Paris Texan" (a Hilton parody character) in a store for the sex tape she was in.
-In the MMOG World of Warcraft, Haris Pilton can be found in the World's End Tavern of the lower part of Shattrath City accompanied by her dog Tinkerbell, and her job tag reads "Socialite".
-In The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, London Tipton, the daughter of the Tipton Hotel's mega-rich owner, is a parody of Paris Hilton.
Filmography
-Wishman (1991)
-Sweetie Pie (2000)
-Zoolander (2001; cameo)
-Nine Lives (2002)
-QIK2JDG (2002)
-L.A. Knights (2003)
-Wonderland (2003)
-The Cat in the Hat (2003)
-The Hillz (2004)
-Raising Helen (2004)
-House of Wax (2005)
-Bottoms Up (2006)
-1 Night in Paris (2006)
-Pledge This! (2006)
-The Hottie and the Nottie (2008)
By: www.wikipedia.org
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in Dark Angel, Sin City, Fantastic Four and Into the Blue.
Biography
Early life
Alba was born in Pomona, California, to Mark Alba, who is Mexican American (though both of Jessica Alba's paternal grandparents were born in California),and Catherine Jensen, who has French and Danish ancestry; the two married while in their teenage years.Her maternal grandfather was a Marine noncom for thirty years, serving in the Pacific during WWII, and later as Asst. Drum Major for the United States Marine Band. Alba was raised in an Air Force family, along with her brother, Joshua, an actor who appeared with her in the season one finale of Dark Angel, and her grandparents until she was 17 years old. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi and Del Rio, Texas, before they settled back in California.
She has also acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood.
Career
Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two month job when the actress in one of the prominent roles dropped out.
Alba appeared in two national TV commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child; she was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into TV in 1994 with a recurring role as Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack. She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the TV series Flipper. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.
In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S.. After graduating from high school, Alba studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet.
Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa. Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the FOX sci-fi TV series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, Alba was the star in the series which ran for two seasons before being canceled in 2002. Since then her most notable roles have been as an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City and as the classic Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four. Jessica went on to host the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code.
Alba on the controversial cover of the March 2006 issue of Playboy magazine.On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported.
In 2006, readers of Askmen.com voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women,while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their Top 100, Both GQ and In Style magazines had Alba on their June covers, and in May, after eight million votes, FHM named Alba the winner as 2007’s Sexiest Woman in the World.
Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her. "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman," laments Alba. In the interview, Alba says she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects.
Personal life
Alba has revealed that she envisions a much older man as her ideal partner, making references to Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Robert Redford, and Michael Caine. "I have this thing for older men. They've been around and know so much."
Regarding children, Alba said, "I'm really girly when it comes to kids. I've been surrounded by kids my whole life because I'm the oldest of 15 cousins — I've been changing diapers since I was six. I want to have a couple, for sure".
She has a tattoo of a daisy with a ladybird on the back of her neck, the Sanskrit symbol for the lotus flower, padma, on her wrist, and a lower back tattoo of a bow.
Religion
Alba was raised Catholic and still considers herself "spiritual". In her adolescence, she became a born-again Christian,[15] but left the church -
“ "'when older men would hit on me, and my youth pastor said it was because I was wearing provocative clothing, when I wasn't. It just made me feel like if I was in any way desirable to the opposite sex that it was my fault, and it made me ashamed of my body and being a woman.' She also [...] disagrees with the church's condemnations of premarital sex and homosexuality, and was bothered by the lack of strong female role models in the Bible. '[…] it certainly wasn't how I was going to live my life.'" ”
As the daughter of conservative parents, Alba, whose grandparents did not allow her to wear a bathing suit around the house, maintains a no-nudity clause in her contract, though she has claimed she had been open to the possibility of appearing nude in Sin City. She remarked of a GQ shoot in which she was scantily clad: "They didn't want me to wear the granny panties, but I said, 'If I'm gonna be topless I need to wear granny panties".
Alba was given the option to appear naked by the film's directors, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez but declined the offer saying, "I don't do nudity. I just don't. Maybe that makes me a bad actress. Maybe I won't get hired in some things. But I have too much anxiety".
Awards
2000: Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television — Dark Angel
2001: TV Guide Awards for Breakout Star of the Year — Dark Angel
2001: Teen Choice Awards for Choice Actress — Dark Angel
2006: (Maxim) top 100- Most beautiful woman alive
2006: MTV Movie Awards 2006 for Sexiest Performance - Sin City
2007: Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards, June 13, 2007. Named "Hottest Jessica", over Jessica Biel
Yao Ming
In the 2006 NBA All-Star game balloting, Yao again led all NBA players with 2,342,738 votes, and therefore started for the fourth straight time of his career.
Off the court
David Beckham
Beckham is the fifth most capped English player of all time, has twice been the runner up in the FIFA World Player Of The Year Award in 1999 and 2001 and in addition to being the only Englishman to score in three different World Cups, is also the fifth player in World Cup history to score twice from direct free kicks. He was captain of the English national team from 15 November 2000 to 2 July 2006.
Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his debut first-team appearance in 1992, at the age of 17. While with Manchester United he played a key role in their dominance of the FA Premier League in the 1990s and early 2000s, being pivotal in accomplishing The Treble of the League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left the club to become only the third Englishman to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman.
In 2006, after England's quarter-final exit at the World Cup in Germany, he stood down as captain. Beckham was dropped from the England national team squad selected by coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006, an exile that lasted nine international games, until May 26, 2007, when McClaren named him as one of the England squad for upcoming games against Brazil and Estonia. Beckham assisted three of England's total of four goals in those two games.
On 10 January 2007 Real Madrid Sporting Director Predrag Mijatovic announced Beckham would leave the club when his contract expires in June 2007. On 11 January 2007, Beckham agreed to a move to the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Los Angeles Galaxy on a five year contract commencing on 1 July 2007, after his current deal with Real Madrid expires.
Childhood and early career
Beckham was born in Leytonstone, East London, the son of David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter and Manchester United fan, and Sandra Georgina West, a hairdresser. He regularly played football in Ridgeway park, Chingford as a child. His maternal grandfather, Joseph West, is Jewish, and Beckham has spoken of the influence the religion has had on him but is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith, though he stated in his book Both Feet on the Ground that growing up he always attended church with his parents and sisters.
His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who would frequently travel to Old Trafford from London to attend Manchester United's home matches. David inherited his parents' love of Manchester United and his main sporting passion was football. He attended one of Bobby Charlton's football schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session at FC Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. As a child he played for a local youth team called the Ridgeway Rovers coached by his father, Stuart Underwood and Steve Kirby.
He was Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986. Young Beckham had trials with his local club, Leyton Orient, and attended Tottenham Hotspur's, which was the first club he played for, school of excellence. He also attended Bradenton Preparatory Academy, but signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his fourteenth birthday, and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991.
He was part of an exceptionally talented group of young players at the club who guided the club to win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992, with Beckham scoring in the second leg of the final against Crystal Palace. He made his first appearance for United's first-team that year, as a substitute in a League Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion, and signed his first professional contract shortly afterwards. United reached the final of the Youth Cup again the following year, with Beckham playing in their defeat by Leeds United, and he won another medal in 1994 when the club's reserve team won their league.
He went to Preston North End on loan in the 1994–95 season to get some first team experience, then made his first Premier League appearance for Manchester United on 2 April 1995, in a goalless draw against Leeds United.
Manchester United
Becoming a first-team player
United manager Alex Ferguson had a great deal of confidence in the club's young players. When three of his first-team players left the club at the end of the 1994-95 season, his decision to let youth team players replace them instead of buying players from other clubs, drew a great deal of criticism. The criticism increased when United started the season with a 3–1 defeat at Aston Villa, with Beckham scoring United's only goal of the game; however, United won their next five matches and the young players performed well. Beckham became a regular player on the team and helped them to win the Premiership and FA Cup double that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final against Chelsea and also taking the corner that Éric Cantona scored from in the FA Cup Final. Still, Beckham's form was not good enough to break into the England squad before Euro 96.
In August 1996, Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against Wimbledon. With United ahead 2–0, Beckham noticed that Wimbledon's goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was standing a long way out of his goal, and hit a shot from the halfway line that floated over the goalkeeper and into the net. Beckham was frequently mentioned in the press, and he made his first appearance for the England national football team on 1 September 1996, in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova. He became an automatic first-choice player at United during the 1996-97 season, helping them to retain the Premier League championship, and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year by his peers.
United started the 1997-98 season well, but their performance deteriorated when several players got injured. They finished the season in second place, behind Arsenal.
World Cup 1998
Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in France, but the team's manager Glenn Hoddle publicly accused him of not concentrating on the tournament, and he did not start in either of England's first two matches. He was picked for their third match against Colombia and scored from a long-range free kick in a 2–0 victory, which was his first goal for England.
In the Second Round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina. Beckham, after having been fouled by Diego Simeone, he kicked out at Diego Simeone, striking him on the calf. Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by over-reacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off. The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub, and the Daily Mirror printing a dartboard with a picture of him centred on the bullseye. Beckham also received death threats after the world cup and the incident is also the topic for his Adidas advert.
1998-99 season (the Treble)
In the 1998-99 season, he was part of the United team that won the treble — Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, a unique feat in English football. There had been speculation that the criticism that he had received after being sent off in the World Cup would lead to him leaving England, but he decided to stay at Manchester United.
Throughout the season, Beckham was jeered by opposition supporters whenever he touched the ball, but he consistently played well and his crossing provided a significant number of goals for United's forwards Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. United's supporters had mostly forgiven him for the problems he'd had with England, and were frequently heard to chant "Argentina" in response to the other supporters' taunts.
To ensure they would win the league championship, United needed to win their final league match of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, but Tottenham took an early lead in the match. Beckham scored the equaliser and United went on to win the match and the league.
Beckham played centre-midfield in United's FA Cup final win over Newcastle United and for the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, since United's first string centre-midfielders were suspended for the match. United were losing the match 1–0 at the end of normal time, but won the trophy by scoring two goals in injury time. Both of the goals came from corners taken by Beckham. Those kicks, coupled with great performances over the rest of the season, led to him finishing runner up to Rivaldo for 1999's European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
1999-2000 season
Despite Beckham's achievements in the 1998-99 season, he was still unpopular among opposition fans and many journalists, and he was heavily criticised after being sent off for a deliberate foul in Manchester United's World Club Championship match against Necaxa. It was suggested in the press that his wife was a bad influence on him, and that it might be in United's interests to sell him, but his manager publicly backed him and he stayed at the club.
The relationship between Ferguson and Beckham began to deteriorate, possibly as a result of Beckham's fame and commitments away from football. In 2000, Beckham was given permission to miss training to look after his son Brooklyn, who had gastroenteritis, but Ferguson was furious when Victoria Beckham was photographed at a London Fashion Week event on the same night, claiming that Beckham would have been able to train if Victoria had looked after Brooklyn that day. He responded by fining Beckham the maximum amount that was permitted (two weeks' wages – then £50,000) and dropping him for a crucial match against United's rivals Leeds United. He later criticised Beckham for this in his autobiography, claiming he hadn't been "fair to his team mates". Beckham had a good season for his club, though, and helped United to win the Premier League by a record margin.
Winning over the England fans
The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 3–2 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match. Beckham responded with a one-fingered gesture and, while the gesture attracted some criticism, many of the newspapers that had previously encouraged his vilification asked their readers to stop abusing him.
On 15 November 2000, following Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager in October, Beckham was promoted to team captain by the caretaker manager Peter Taylor, and then kept the role under new manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. He helped England to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals, with their performances including an impressive 5–1 victory over Germany in Munich. The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to hero happened in England's 2–2 draw against Greece on 6 October 2001. England needed to win or draw the match in order to qualify outright for the World Cup, but were losing 2–1 with little time remaining. The rest of the England team were playing relatively poorly, and it was Beckham's inspirational performance that lifted his teammates. When Teddy Sheringham was fouled some eight yards outside the Greek penalty area, England were awarded a free-kick and Beckham ensured England's qualification with a curling strike of the kind that had become his trademark. Shortly afterwards, he was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001. He once again finished runner-up, to Luis Figo of Portugal, for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Metatarsal injury
On 10 April 2002, Beckham was injured during a Champions League match against Deportivo La Coruña, breaking the second metatarsal bone in his left foot. There was speculation in the British media that the injury might have been caused deliberately, as the player who had injured Beckham was Argentinian Aldo Duscher, and England and Argentina were due to meet in that year's World Cup. The injury prevented Beckham from playing for United for the rest of the season, but he signed a three-year contract in May, following months of negotiations with the club, mostly concerning extra payments for his image rights. The income from his new contract, and his many endorsement deals, made him the highest-paid player in the world at the time.
World Cup 2002 and final season at United
He was partially fit by the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and played in the first match against Sweden. Beckham scored the winning goal of the match against Argentina with a penalty, causing Argentina to fail to qualify for the playoff stage. England were knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil. The following month, at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Beckham escorted Kirsty Howard as she presented the Jubilee Baton to the Queen.
Following an injury early in the 2002-03 season, Beckham was unable to regain his place on the Manchester United team, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær having replaced him on the right side of midfield. His relationship with his manager deteriorated further on 15 February 2003 when, in the changing room following a defeat to Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches. The incident led to a great deal of transfer speculation involving Beckham, with bookmakers offering odds on whether he or Ferguson would be first to leave the club. Although the team had started the season badly, their results improved greatly from December onwards and they won the league. He was still a first-choice player for England, however, and he was awarded an OBE for services to football on 13 June.
During his 11 years stint at United, Beckham made 266 appearances for them and scored 61 goals.
He won 6 Premiership titles, 2 FA Cup's, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 FA Youth Cup with his time at United.
Honours
With Manchester United (1992 - 2003)
-FA Premier League - Champion (6): 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03
-FA Premier League - Runner Up: 1994-95, 1997-98
-FA Youth Cup Winner: 1992 FA Cup Winner (2): 1996, 1999
-FA Cup Runner Up: 1995
-UEFA Champions League Winner: 1998-99
-Intercontinental Cup: 1999
-UEFA Super Cup Runner Up: 1999
-Community Shield Winner (5): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003
-Community Shield Runner Up: 1998, 2000, 2001
Real Madrid
Beckham (right) and Zinedine Zidane at Real MadridManchester United had been keen to sell Beckham to Barcelona but he refused to go there, instead signing a four-year contract with Real Madrid, worth a potential €35 million. The transfer was completed on 1 July and made him the third Englishman to play for the club after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman.
It was speculated that Real's desire to sign him came from the merchandising opportunities he would bring as well as from his football ability. For example, Real Madrid shirts bearing his name and number sold out in Madrid on the day his transfer was completed and the club were expected to receive €624,000 for the sale of the shirts. Although Beckham had worn the number seven shirt for Manchester United and England, he was unable to wear it at Madrid as Raúl had the right to wear it written into his contract. He decided to wear number 23 instead, citing his admirartion of Basketball player Michael Jordan, who also wore the number 23 shirt, as the reason behind his decision.
First season 2003-04
Beckham immediately became a favourite with the Real Madrid supporters, scoring five times in his first 16 matches, but the team, whose club president expected them to win either the Spanish league or the Champions League each season, was not performing well. He had further problems in April 2004, when the British tabloid News of the World carried claims by his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos that he and Loos had had an extramarital affair. A week later, the Malaysian-born Australian model Sarah Marbeck claimed that she had slept with Beckham on two occasions. Beckham dismissed both accusations as "ludicrous". Real Madrid finished the season in a disappointing fourth place, and were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
Euro 2004
Beckham played in all of England's matches at Euro 2004, but the tournament was a disappointment for him. He had a penalty saved in England's 2-1 defeat to France and badly missed another in a penalty shootout in the quarter final against Portugal. England lost the shootout and went out of the competition.
Second season, 2004-05
In July 2004, while Beckham was in pre-season training in Spain, an intruder scaled a wall at the Beckhams' home while carrying a can of petrol. Victoria and their children were in the house at the time, but security guards apprehended the man before he reached the house. Beckham made more headlines on 9 October 2004 when he admitted intentionally fouling Ben Thatcher in an England match against Wales in order to get himself booked. Beckham was due to receive a one-match suspension for his next caution, and had picked up an injury which he knew would keep him out of England's next match, so he deliberately fouled Thatcher in order to serve his suspension in a match that he would have had to miss anyway. The Football Association asked Beckham for an explanation of his actions and he admitted that he had "made a mistake" and apologised.
Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in January 2005 and was involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Third season, 2005-06
Real Madrid had another disappointing season, finishing second to Barcelona (with a 12 point gap) in the La Liga and only reaching the last sixteen in the Champions League after losing to Arsenal by a goal. Although there is the notable fact that Beckham led La Liga in assists for the season.
Warming upIn October 2005, Beckham's sending off against Austria made him the first ever England captain to be sent off and the first (and only) player to be sent off twice while playing for England. He captained England for the 50th time in a friendly international against Argentina the following month. He was sent off again shortly afterwards, this time in a league match for Real Madrid against Valencia CF. Having received a yellow card, he appeared to sarcastically applaud the referee and was given a second yellow card, causing an automatic dismissal, although the suspension was cancelled on appeal two days later. He was sent off for the third time that season on 3 December 2005 in a league match against Getafe.
During the season, Beckham established football academies in Los Angeles and east London and he was named a judge for the 2006 British Book Awards.
Fourth season, 2006-07
Out of favour with manager Fabio Capello, Beckham started only a few games in that season, normally as a substitute, as Jose Antonio Reyes was normally preferred on the right wing. In the nine matches Beckham started, Real had lost seven.
On 10 January 2007, after prolonged contract negotiations, Real Madrid's sporting director Predrag Mijatović announced that Beckham would not remain at Real Madrid after the end of the season. However, he later claimed that he was mistranslated and that he actually said that Beckham's contract had not been renewed yet.
On 11 January 2007 Beckham announced that he had signed a five-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1 July 2007. The deal is worth $250 million over the 5 years. On 13 January 2007 Fabio Capello said that Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid, although he would continue to train with the team. Capello back-tracked on that statement and Beckham rejoined the team for their match against Real Sociedad on 10 February 2007 – he scored and Real Madrid won. However the next game at home against Real Betis ended up with Beckham being shown a straight red card for a professional foul in the 90th minute.But in the next UEFA Champions League match vs Bayern Munich, he carried out two assists to help Real Madrid win by 3-2 and won fans' appreciation. If Beckham moves to Los Angeles and transfers to the Galaxy as currently planned, this match would seem to mark his final appearance in the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid were knocked out of the competition (by the away goals rule) at the conclusion of their second leg away tie in Munich on 7 March 2007. He has made a total of 103 appearances in the League, the third highest number of any player at the time.
After his good performances for Real Madrid, Steve McClaren announced Beckham could be recalled for England's two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra. However on 4 March 2007 Beckham damaged a ligament in his right knee during a game between Real Madrid and Getafe CF. Following a cross his momentum carried him into an advertising boarding along the touchline causing him to go down. On 21 April 2007 he marked his return from injury by coming off the bench to set up the winning goal for Sergio Ramos in a 2-1 victory over Valencia.
On 26 May 2007, Steve McClaren announced that Beckham would be recalled to the England squad for the first time since relinquishing the captaincy after England's exit from the 2006 World Cup. Beckham started against Brazil in England's first match at the new Wembley and put in a positive performance and had a first half free-kick just brush the post. However in the second half he set up England's goal as he sent in a beautifully weighted cross to be converted by Captain John Terry. It looked as though England would claim victory over Brazil however new-comer Diego equalized in the dying seconds. Beckham had been taken off by this point.
World Cup 2006
During the FIFA World Cup 2006, England were seen as a potential winner by many, but since the start of the competition the team had several slow paced matches and Beckham's performance was criticised by the majority of the press and public. However, many still considered Beckham's contribution to England important as the team progressed to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
In England's opening game against Paraguay on 10 June 2006 Beckham's free kick led to an own-goal by Carlos Gamarra, and England won 1-0. In England's next match, played against Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June 2006, Beckham's cross in the 83rd minute led to Peter Crouch's goal which put England ahead 1-0. Beckham gave another assist to Steven Gerrard. In the end they won 2-0. He was named Man-of-the-Match by tournament sponsor Budweiser for this game. The English media criticised Beckham's performance in England's final Group B match against Sweden on 20 June 2006,[citation needed] citing his apparent inability to take the ball around players as an increasing hindrance to England's chances of winning the World Cup.
During England's second round match against Ecuador, Beckham scored from a free kick in the 59th minute, becoming the first ever English player to score in three World Cups, and giving England a 1-0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals. He was sick before the game and vomited several times as a result of dehydration and illness after he scored the winning goal.
In the quarter finals stage of the World Cup against Portugal, Beckham was substituted following an injury shortly after half time and the England team went on to lose the match on penalties (3-1), the scores having been 0-0 after extra time. After his substitution, Beckham was visibly shaken and emotional for not being able to play, being in tears at one point.
A day after England was knocked out of the World Cup, an emotional Beckham made a statement in a news conference saying that he had stepped down as England captain, saying, "It has been an honour and privilege to captain my country but, having been captain for 58 of my 95 games." This was an error on Beckham's part - he had to date won 94 caps, not 95. caps, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren." He was then succeeded by Chelsea captain John Terry.
Having stepped down as captain after the World Cup, Beckham was dropped completely from the England national team selected by new coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006. McClaren claimed that he was "looking to go in a different direction" with the team, and that Beckham "wasn't included within that". McClaren said Beckham could be recalled in future. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kieran Richardson and the World Cup alternative to Beckham Aaron Lennon were all included, and are likely to compete for what was Beckham's place on the right-wing in future, although it seems that McClaren will employ Steven Gerrard on that side.
There was talk that McClaren could recall Beckham after Aaron Lennon sustained an injury in early September and Owen Hargreaves subsequently broke his leg.[citation needed] However despite pressure from the media and high profile sports figures Bobby Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen all saying he should be in the England team,[citation needed] McClaren did not recall Beckham. In December, 2006, McClaren suggested that Steven Gerrard had supplanted Beckham's role in the team: "We all know about David Beckham and his delivery from the right-hand side. But Stevie's set-plays and crosses from the right are as good as anybody in the world."
England recall
Beckham takes a freekickOn 26 May 2007 David Beckham was recalled to the national team for the first time since the 2006 World Cup after some excellent performances for Real Madrid and after England's poor form during qualification for Euro 2008. Beckham's comeback game was against Brazil in a friendly international, England's first game at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium, on June 1, 2007, where Beckham set up his successor as England captain John Terry with a trademark cross from a free kick . He has stated his intent to continue to play for England after his move to the MLS. The LA Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas stated he would not stand in the way of a player representing his country, and would not stop Beckham from doing so, but that they would have to be appropriate games. However, FIFA have said that if Beckham is called up for any England match, Galaxy must release him as per FIFA rules.
L.A. Galaxy and U.S. Soccer
It was confirmed on 11 January 2007 that David Beckham would be leaving Real Madrid to join MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy on a 5 year deal worth $250 million that will see Beckham earn up to $10 million a year in direct salary, but with endorsements and profit-sharing, Beckham could earn up to $50 million a year and earning about 90 dollars every second on the field.
Beckham said, "After considering several options to stay in Madrid or join other major British and European teams, I have decided to join LA Galaxy."
Beckham had departed Manchester United in July 2003 to sign for Real, who paid £25m for the midfielder's services. However, in the three-and-a-half seasons since his arrival, the Spanish giants have failed to win any major trophies. The 2006-07 season proved particularly disappointing for Beckham, who was dropped by England coach Steve McClaren and then fell out of favour with Real boss, Fabio Capello, who has allowed Beckham only seven starts in over 25 matches this season. As of January 2007, his form had been disappointing, with just 12 league goals scored in his entire time at Real Madrid.
On 12 January 2007, Beckham's official press conference was held, via satellite from Madrid, in conjunction with the 2007 MLS SuperDraft in Indianapolis, IN. All MLS announcements concerning Beckham's signing and his press conference (as well as the Super Draft) were a part of the NSCAA National Soccer Coaches Association of America annual convention. At the press conference, Beckham told reporters "I'm coming there not to be a superstar. I'm coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. With me, it's about football. I'm coming there to make a difference. I'm coming there to play football... I'm not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve. Baseball, basketball, American football, they've been around. But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could make a difference."
On 13 January 2007, Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello stated during a news conference that Beckham would never again play for the team, saying that he could practice, but would not be permitted to put in any minutes in actual matches for the remainder of his time under contract. A month later however, Beckham not only returned to the first team with a start against Real Sociedad, but he also scored the game's equalizing goal in a 2-1 victory.
On 14 January 2007, when a new "SuperLiga" was announced for a new North American championship, it was reported that Beckham could make his Galaxy debut during that tournament.
On 15 January 2007, published reports quoted Major League Soccer spokesman Stephen Rodriguez as saying that MLS would now try to get Beckham over to the LA Galaxy in time for the start of the MLS season in April. Such a move would require a buy-out of his remaining Real Madrid contract, which would amount to a transfer fee. Later the same day, MLS Commissioner Don Garber denied that his league was attempting to secure an early MLS debut for Beckham.
On 17 January 2007, the U.S. publication Sports Illustrated released a detailed report on the blockbuster contract and the economics behind it.
On 10th June 2007, Real Madrid revealed that they still hoped to keep Beckham and a clause existed
in the deal David signed with LA Galaxy that Real could still keep him if Beckham wished to stay. However, Beckham's agent stated that Beckham intends to honour the contract and LA Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas has stated that there is no escape clause.
Discipline
Beckham spent long hours on the training pitch honing his talents to perfection, particularly his trademark free kick. Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that he "practiced with a discipline to achieve an accuracy that other players wouldn't care about". He maintained his training routine at Real Madrid and even when his relationship with management was strained in early 2007, Ramon Calderon and Fabio Capello have praised Beckham for maintaining his professionalism and commitment to the club.
Beckham was the first England player to ever collect two red cards and the first captain to be sent off for the England team.[62] Beckham's most notorious red was during the 1998 FIFA World Cup: after Argentina's Diego Simeone had fouled him, Beckham appeared to lash out with his leg and the Argentinean timed his fall to make it appear that he had been kicked. At the time, Beckham's reaction was mostly criticized as selfish and bad sportsmanship on Beckham's part and the front page of the Daily Mirror read "10 heroic lions,one stupid boy". England went on to lose the game on penalties, Beckham was vilified back in England for the act but was later to redeem himself with many sterling performances. He was also somewhat vindicated as Simeone's "fall" was criticized as an example of the Argentineans' play-acting, and Simeone himself later admitted to purposely trying to foul Beckham.
For Real Madrid he has so far amassed 26 yellow cards and 4 red cards.
Beckham has also been described as a "gentleman" multiple times. During his time as England captain, Beckham helped to keep Wayne Rooney's temper in check on several occasions.
Personal life
In 1997, Beckham started dating Victoria Adams, widely known as "Posh Spice" of the pop music group Spice Girls, and their relationship attracted a great deal of media interest. The couple were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media. He proposed to Victoria on 24 January, 1998 in a restaurant at Cheshunt.
He married Adams at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on 4 July 1999. The wedding attracted tremendous media coverage. Beckham's teammate Gary Neville was the best man, and the couple's son Brooklyn, then four months old, was the ring bearer. The media were kept away from the ceremony, as the Beckhams had an exclusive deal with OK! Magazine, but newspapers were still able to obtain photographs showing them sitting on golden thrones. 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000.
The Beckhams, who came to be known almost universally as "Posh and Becks", have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999), Romeo James Beckham (2002) and Cruz David Beckham (2005).
In April 2004, Beckham's former personal assistant Rebecca Loos, sold a story to a tabloid newspaper in which she claimed to have had a four month affair with Beckham, which he described as "ludicrous".
In an 3 April 2006 interview, Beckham told The Daily Mail that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Beckham has also become an internationally recognized sex symbol because of his 'metrosexual' tendencies in fashion and because of his immense gay following,[citation needed] which he recognized and has publicly appreciated.
Beckham makes a cameo appearance with Zidane and Raùl in the 2005 fictional film Goal! where he says hello to the main character during a party about halfway through the film. In Goal! 2: Living the Dream..., Beckham appears as himself again, when the film's lead gets a roster spot on the Real Madrid squad. This 2006 sequel is also the second part of a trilogy, and the story this time centres around the Real Madrid team. Besides Beckham, other real life Real players also appear on and off the pitch alongside the fictional characters.
With his free kick goal against Ecuador in the second round of the 2006 World Cup, Beckham gained membership into two of football's most exclusive clubs: he became the only English player — and the 21st player regardless of nationality — to score in three world cups. Real Madrid team-mate Raùl also achieved this feat a few days earlier. It also made him only the fifth player in World Cup history to score twice from direct free kicks; the other four were Pelé, Rivelino, Teófilo Cubillas and Bernard Genghini (Beckham had previously scored this way against Colombia in the first round of the 1998 World Cup). All three goals were against South American teams (Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador) and from set pieces (the two aforementioned free kicks and a penalty against Argentina).
A chronology of Beckham's tattoos includes:
-April 1999 - Son Brooklyn's name on his back.
-April 1999 - An angel on his back.
-2000 - Hindi "Victoria" design on his left arm.
-April 2002 - Roman numeral VII on right forearm
-May 2003 - Latin phrase "Perfectio In Spiritu", meaning "Spiritual Perfection", on his right arm
-May 2003 - More Latin, "Ut Amem Et Foveam" or "So That I Love And Cherish", on his left arm.
-2003 - Romeo's name on his back.
-2003 - Classical art design on his right shoulder.
-2004 - Winged cross on his neck.
-2004 - Angel with motto "In The Face of Adversity" on right arm.
-Mar 2005 - Cruz's name on his back.
-June 2006 - Second angel and clouds added to right arm and shoulder.