Oksana Accused Another Actor Of Abuse - TMZ.com

10/1/2010 1:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   Oksana Grigorieva accused actor Timothy Dalton of the some of the same abusive conduct she is now alleging against Mel Gibson ... multiple sources tell TMZ.

Our sources -- who were privy to the allegations when Oksana made them -- say Oksana complained to Mel and later to her lawyers that she was the victim of Dalton's "rages."  We're also told she complained to Mel and her lawyers that Dalton had allegedly abused her physically.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is in possession of at least one email from Oksana to Mel in which she claims Dalton physically abused her.

As far as we can tell, Oksana never went to law enforcement to complain about Dalton and absolutely no action was ever taken against the actor.  There has never been any evidence presented of abuse on Dalton's part.

We're told ... L.A. County Sheriff's Department investigators in the Mel Gibson matter were made aware of Oksana's claims regarding Dalton ... partly because it could show an M.O. on Oksana's part.

We called Dalton for comment and Dalton called Daniel Horowitz, Oksana's lawyer.  Horowitz says, "Dalton said that he spoke with Oksana and they both agreed that anyone claiming there was abusiveness in the relationship is a liar and it is a complete fabrication."  Horowitz says Dalton told him, "Oksana and I are still friends to this day."

As for Oksana telling Mel and lawyers that Dalton was abusive, Horowitz says, "That is a complete lie.  I challenge anyone making this claim to show their face."  And Horowitz says, "This is an attack on Oksana and Tim's son, because this is going to hurt him by false allegations that his father is a loser the way Mel Gibson is a loser. Tim Dalton is not Mel Gibson.  He's a fine human being."

Oksana tells TMZ, "Tim is a wonderful father.  We have a great relationship.  Any implication that he ever struck me is untrue.  He is a very private person and I would like people to respect his privacy and to recognize the sanctity of the love of my son for his father.  This is just another vicious attack on my family."

Tags: Oksana Grigorieva, Mel Gibson, Timothy Dalton, Celebrity Justice, Developing Stories

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Pastor says he won't be pulled into 'street fight' - The Associated Press

Pastor says he won't be pulled into 'street fight'By GREG BLUESTEIN (AP) – 52 minutes ago

LITHONIA, Ga. — A megachurch pastor accused of luring four young men into sexual relationships said Sunday that he won't be pulled into a street fight over the allegations and vowed that his faith has been strengthened.

Bishop Eddie Long did not directly mention the accusations to thousands of cheering supporters during services at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in suburban Lithonia. But his remarks seemed directly addressed to his accusers.

"In times of challenge, there are several things that come out. Your faith will be strengthened or weakened," he said, to growing applause. "My faith is being strengthened."

Long told supporters at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church that he is "not going to be pulled into a street fight" and that he doesn't hate anyone. But he directed his listeners to turn to a passage in the Book of Job that read: "Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more."

As his devoted flock cheered, Long joked that he accidentally led them to the wrong page. "That was the Holy Ghost," he said, flashing a smile as the sanctuary echoed with laughter.

Long's more than hour-long sermon was greeted with thunderous applause and adoration. Several thousand parishioners flocked to the suburban Atlanta complex for the 8 a.m. service, and cars snaked in traffic for miles after it was over.

Long became one of the nation's most powerful church leaders over the past two decades, transforming a suburban Atlanta congregation of 150 into a powerhouse of 25,000 members that includes high-profile athletes, entertainers and politicians.

The bishop is a father of four who has been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage and whose church has counseled gay members to become straight. But the TV preacher's empire was threatened last month when the four men filed a civil lawsuit claiming Long abused his spiritual authority to lure them into a sexual relationship.

Two of the young men say he targeted them after they enrolled in the church's LongFellows Youth Academy, a program that taught teens about sexual, physical and financial discipline. The other two — one of whom attended a satellite church in Charlotte, N.C. — have made similar claims.

The men say they were 17 or 18 when the relationships began. Local and state authorities have declined to investigate because Georgia's age of consent is 16.

Long has not addressed the accusations directly, but promised Sunday that he would not let his legal troubles prevent him or his church from doing its work.

"I ain't going to stop living," he said amid more applause.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Bruno Mars Charged With Felony Drug Possession - MTV.com

Singer/songwriter Bruno Mars has been charged with felony drug possession after his arrest in Las Vegas last month, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The "Just the Way You Are" singer is alleged to have been in possession of 2.6 grams of cocaine after he played a show at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on September 19.

According to Las Vegas police, Mars was taken into custody after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock alerted a security guard that a man was spending a lot of time one of the stalls and may have been using drugs. The attendant also said he noticed Mars, born Peter Hernandez, had a "baggy of white powder substance." When Mars left the stall, the guard made him give up any drugs he may have had and the star produced "a white powder substance, which was consistent with cocaine, from his left-front jeans pocket." Mars reportedly copped to his bad behavior, telling the guard he "did a foolish thing and has never used drugs before."

Mars tested positive for cocaine at the time of his arrest and, according to The Associated Press, the star faces up to four years in jail and a $5000 fine if convicted. The singer, who has appeared on chart-rulers such as B.o.B's "Nothin' On You" and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy, is due in court on November 18.

On Friday, Mars' label Elektra issued a short statement, reading, "We congratulate Bruno Mars on his chart-topping success, and provide him with our full love and support."

Mars' debut LP, Doo-Wops & Hooligans drops on Tuesday.

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Jon Stewart, friends mock Rick Sanchez at charity event - USA Today

Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars, where Jon Stewart played host in New York Saturday night, had several of them lining up to take shots at CNN's Rick Sanchez, reports USA TODAY's Gary Levin.

Anchor and reporter Sanchez, a frequent target for mockery on Stewart's Daily Show, called him a "bigot" in a radio interview last week and said CNN and other media were run by "people like him." CNN promptly fired Sanchez. The jokes at his expense were never based on his Hispanic heritage: "The only issue is he's a meathead doofus," explained correspondent John Oliver at the after-party.

Opening the three-hour taping, Stewart suggested that donors feeling guilty about something should pony up the bucks for the benefit's good cause, raising funds to educate autistic children: "If you dented a car, $50. If you cheated on something to get ahead, $500. And if you went on radio and said Jews run the media, in that case you better hold onto your money," he said. Surprise guest David Letterman got into the act, explaining he was in Manhattan over the weekend helping Sanchez "clean out his office," and even former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw joked that he and Stewart had more in common than each thought: "In junior high I didn't want to sit next to Rick Sanchez either."

But it wasn't all topical humor at the benefit, which airs Oct. 21 as part of a telethon,live from Los Angeles. In fundraising gambits, Tina Fey sought donations with a Photoshopped "Tina Fey swimsuit calendar," since "sadly, the Tina Fey glasses calendar did not sell well."

Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, donning pilot uniforms, offered their own choreographed novelty song, Everybody's Talking 'Bout Sully, but conceded it had been sitting around for awhile. Chris Rock raised $20,000 from a woman by calling her ex from the stage and cursing him out. (She'd found out he was cheating on her through Facebook photos). And Carell raised $10,000 from bidder Naomi Watts and another woman by holding their hands and moaning their names while "simulating orgasm."

Letterman brought out an actor portraying the president of the TV Academy, who complained that Stewart's record eight Emmys were just too many: "People hate you." So Letterman handed Stewart four more statutes, saying "Here, now get out of the business."

Jimmy Fallon, Sarah Silverman, Jim Gaffigan, Lewis Black, Joel McHale, Lewis Black, Robin Williams and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog also appeared. So did Paul Simon, offering to help out as Morgan and Rock closed the show with an off-key, lyrics-mangling version of Scarborough Fair.

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CBS radio correspondent charged in marijuana case - Washington Post

A veteran CBS Radio News correspondent was arrested early Saturday on drug charges after police searched his Northwest Washington home and found marijuana plants growing in his yard, police said.

Officers arrested Howard Arenstein, 60, and his wife, Orly Katz, 57, at their home in the 3500 block of T Street and charged them with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, police said.

According to his biography on CBS News's Web site, Arenstein's wife, known professionally as Orly Azoulay, is a Washington correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel's most widely circulated newspapers.

Police executed a search warrant at the home Saturday after a tip from an area resident, police said. A police report said cannabis was recovered from the home; officers said they found 11 full-grown marijuana plants and six 2-ounce bags of marijuana. Authorities consider each plant to equal a pound of marijuana.

According to CBS News's Web site, Arenstein has supervised coverage and reported on such major Washington stories as the disputed 2000 presidential election; the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and the war in Iraq.

Neighbors in Georgetown, who asked not to be quoted by name, said the couple generally kept to themselves. Some said they heard the commotion or saw police at the home but didn't know what was going on.

At the couple's two-story, off-white brick house, all the blinds were drawn Saturday evening. No one answered the door, and a phone message left at the home was not immediately returned.

A CBS News spokesman would not comment.

Staff writers J. Freedom du Lac and Martin Weil contributed to this report.

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'Social Network' tops the box office, but could use more friends - USA Today

The Social Network wasn't exactly a social phenomenon, taking in a healthy if unspectacular $23 million this weekend.The well-reviewed David Fincher drama that skewers the founding of social site Facebook coasted to the top of the box office, according to studio estimates from industry trackers Hollywood.com.

The bow isn't bad, given the film features only Justin Timberlake as a marquee star and that fall dramas typically rely on adult moviegoers, who pay attention to reviews and are less inclined to turn out on opening weekends than teen audiences.

Sony called the debut a "fantastic start."

"We believe extraordinary word of mouth, coupled with nearly unanimous critical acclaim, will translate to a strong multiple in the weeks ahead," says Steve Elzer, a Sony senior vice president. He says the debut was at the "high end of studio expectations."

Still, given that Facebook has more than 500 million users, some analysts projected that Social would open to at least $25 million.

But that young demographic, which lives on the Web, and often stays at home in favor of video games and real social networks, remains a mystery to studios and marketing firms.

The film played to a largely older, female crowd. According to Sony exit surveys, women made up 53% of the audience, 55% of which were 25 and older.

The film earned a B-plus, according to audience pollsters CinemaScore.

Box office analyst Steve Mason, a columnist for Hollywood Wiretap, called the debut "softer at (the) box office than buzz would suggest."

Steve Frankel, analyst for TheWrap.com, says: "There is no 'sorta like' button on Facebook That's too bad, because the country could use this feature to describe its collective feeling about" the film.

From the outset, distributor Sony had a tricky task: selling a skeptical portrayal of Facebook to the millions of people who love it.

Whether that tone had an effect is unclear, but Sony courted both fans and critics of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the focus of the movie. One ad played to the Kanye West hit The Power— "No one man should have all that power."

Still, the movie scored some of the best reviews of the year and is considered an early Oscar contender, luring a healthy dose of adult audiences. According to the film review site RottenTomatoes.com, 97% of the nation's reviewers recommended the movie.

The rest of the top five belonged to holdovers. Zack Snyder's animated Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga Hoole was a strong second with $10.9 million, lifting its 10-day total to $30 million.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was third with $10 million, followed by Ben Affleck's heist drama The Town, also with $10 million. The Town has done $64.3 million in three weeks. The Emma Stone comedy Easy A rounded out the top five with $7 million.

Final figures are due Monday.

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Kanye West Returns To 'Saturday Night Live' - MTV.com

Before Kanye West appeared on the October 2 episode of "Saturday Night Live", the outspoken MC tweeted "25 Minutes to dress rehearsal ... Just saw Lorne Michaels ... uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum .... Akwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard LOL!"

Awkward indeed, especially considering the superstar MC's single "Power" unfavorably name-checks the sketch comedy show with the line "F--- 'SNL' and the whole cast. Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass." Even though 'Ye seemed a little heated at the "SNL" crew, which took a few jabs at the Taylor Swift 2009 VMA business, that didn't stop 'Ye from not only performing the song but transforming the signature "SNL" stage setup as well.

On Saturday's live broadcast— hosted by Emmy-winning "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston and featured a guest spot from Morgan Freeman — West kicked off his appearance with "Power." Instead of rocking from the show's famed Grand Central Terminal-themed set, 'Ye began the song atop a set of stairs with a completely white backdrop. Pale sheer sheets covered scores of clapping dancers as Yeezy spit the opening bars in a fire-engine red suit, with several gold chains swinging from his neck and a headpiece of gilded laurel resting on his dome. The sheets were pulled off the dancers as the first chorus dropped to reveal women of several hues grooving in white leotards in a live recreation of the "moving painting" visual that accompanies the track.

At the beginning of the second verse, West and his company of dancers dropped to the ground as he rattled off revamped lyrics including, "I'm killin' this, I know damn well y'all feelin' this." Near the close of the performance, 'Ye ascended the stairs and the dancers stood perfectly still until the MC bounded down the steps once again, fell to his knees and yelped "Now this will be a beautiful death!" Then taking another cue from the video, West returned to steps, donned the laurel once again, gazed out unto the crowd and hung his head as two dancers on either side struck Grecian-inspired poses on white pedestals.

For Yeezy's second performance, the Chicago MC revisited the theme and tone of his 2010 VMA performance, once again launching into the track-opening notes of "Runaway" by tapping an MPC resting on a pedestal. However, instead of three ballet dancers, over a dozen women sporting tutus held classic ballet poses in the shadows until Yeezy rocked the first few lines. After hitting several more poses in-sync with the midtempo rhythm, the ladies ambled off the set and then 'Ye worked the stage solo, emphatically saluting "douche bags" and "scumbags." When 'Ye retreated to the MPC once again, another dancer popped up for a graceful arabesque that heralded Pusha T's appearance, who ripped the stage in a white button-down shirt and blazer. The dancers joined West once again to close the performance as he dropped the remaining bars with his vocals twisted by his favored Auto-Tune effect. He wrapped up the performance with a simple bow but when the cast returned for the farewell at the end of the show, 'Ye signed off for the night once again rocking his gilded crown.

What did you think of Kanye West's "SNL" performance? Sound off in the comments!

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'Secretariat's' missing character: Angle Light - Los Angeles Times

A file photo of Secretariat winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (UPÂ¥ Unknown Photographer / Associated Press)

In almost any sports movie, die-hard fans are bound to notice a few details the filmmakers flubbed, and "Secretariat" is no exception: Jockeys don't wear silks at the barn, for instance, and they mount their horses in the walking ring, not at the stables.

But for racing aficionados like myself, the Disney movie's biggest misstep may be its near-complete omission of Angle Light, the horse that defeated Secretariat shortly before he went on to capture the Triple Crown in 1973.

In the film, Sham is portrayed as Secretariat's sole antagonist. But in reality, Sham and Secretariat were vexed by Angle Light. Two weeks before the Kentucky Derby, in the Wood Memorial at the Aqueduct track in New York, Angle Light defeated Sham and Secretariat, who ran second and third even though they were considered the early Derby favorites.

The importance of Angle Light cried out to be a juicy addendum to "Secretariat." Even Penny Chenery, Secretariat's owner, was hoping that Angle Light would get more screen time.

"I think the only mention of his name in the film was the race call of the Wood Memorial," Chenery said. Instead, the movie suggests that Sham won the Wood.

In real life, Secretariat and Angle Light were trained by Lucien Laurin (who was hardly the nightclub comedian persona portrayed in the film by John Malkovich). That left the pint-sized Canadian trainer in the sticky position of running both horses, with different owners, in the same race.

Author William Nack, whose book was the source material for the movie, told the story well. He recounted how Laurin, his view blocked by spectators as the horses hit the wire in the Wood, had to hear from Chenery that Angle Light had beaten her horse. And how, a few days before the Derby, Chenery upbraided Angle Light's owner in a Louisville restaurant while Laurin, caught trying to serve two masters, looked for a trapdoor. The bubble burst on Angle Light when he finished 10th in the Derby.

The makers of "Secretariat" would have been better served had they written Angle Light's owner, Edwin Whittaker, into the story and reduced the plutocrat Ogden Phipps to the marginal figure he was. I could see James Cromwell, who played Phipps, as a convincing Whittaker, going head to head with Penny Chenery in their public Louisville showdown.

Phipps' only involvement in the Secretariat story in real life was furnishing the sire (Bold Ruler) — which Chenery used to breed the colt in a foal-sharing arrangement — and then losing Secretariat to Chenery in what is arguably the most life-changing coin flip of all time. In the film, Phipps is omnipresent, offering Chenery $7 million for the horse that got away. "Never happened," Chenery says. "There were never any offers for Secretariat. There might have been one informal offer, but I never heard how much it was for, or where it was coming from."

Will many moviegoers, not having been around for Secretariat's Triple Crown sweep and also not even being racetrackers, take "Secretariat" at face value and not nitpick their way through the making? I'd say so.

"As representatives of the film keep pointing out, it is not a documentary," wrote Steven Haskin on the website of The Blood-Horse magazine. Yeah, yeah, I know. But I would have felt a whole lot better had Angle Light won the Wood Memorial for a second time.

calendar@latimes.com

Bill Christine covered horse racing for The Times for 24 years and writes about the sport for horseraceinsider.com and the Daily Racing Form.

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Farm Aid 25 intertwined music, food and family - USA Today

By Piet Levy Special for USA TODAYMILWAUKEE — It has been 25 years since Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp put together the first Farm Aid concert to raise money and awareness on behalf of family farmers. For Farm Aid 25, the three legends assembled 14 additional acts (including Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney and Norah Jones) to perform at the non-profit's milestone show. Held at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, on Saturday, the show was the first Farm Aid ever hosted in "The Dairy State" of Wisconsin.The cause: Music drew the crowd, but for Matthews, who has been on Farm Aid's board of directors since 2001, it's the message that really matters — that Americans must support family farmers and what they stand for. "In order for all of us to be healthier as a nation we have to be more concerned with what we eat, and for our environment we have to be more concerned about how we treat our land," Matthews said. "And I think the small farmer is at the base of that."

Echoed Jason Mraz, who played his second Farm Aid show this year: "I want to do this for life. This is the one concert (and) cause that affects everybody. This is about our food. Farm Aid reminds us that our food is our life."

It takes a village: Farm Aid's annual Homegrown Village showcase featured tents of farmer and environmental advocacy groups spreading the word about wind power, beekeeping and farmer rights, while bags collecting trash for compost were found all over the ballpark.

The crowd: Teens to seniors, cowboys to cowgirls, hippies to preppies. Denim everywhere, but rarely any overalls — although farmers, prompted by artist shout-outs during their sets, made their voices loud and clear with their cheers.

Farmer-friendly food: Typical fest staples corn dogs, French fries, popcorn and pizza, except at this gig they were organic. Farm vendors also served Wisconsin-grown apples (some covered in caramel) and thick, saliva-inducing pork chop sandwiches, slathered with barbecue sauce.

Farm Aid figures: Farm Aid 25 earned more than $2 million from ticket prices alone, said Glenda Yoder, associate director for Farm Aid. That's atop the more than $37 million raised since Farm Aid's inception. Attendance for Farm Aid 25 exceeded 35,000.

No Red Headed Stranger: Farm Aid President Nelson kept popping up for guest appearances, first alongside singer-songwriter Amos Lee, then Jones, Matthews, and with Matthews and Mellencamp during Neil Young's farmer-focused Homegrown. Nelson had a special guest during his own set, Aerosmith frontman (and recently anointed American Idol judge) Steven Tyler, who jammed on harmonica and sang duet for One Time Too Many.

Representing Wisconsin: Veteran rockers The BoDeans, hailing from the Milwaukee suburbs, played hometown heroes early in the day as Farm Aid's only Wisconsin act. Playing its biggest hit, old Party of Five theme song Closer to Free, the band inspired a party of thousands.

Quieting the crowd: Lee hushed the stadium with a soulful, acoustic rendering of his Supply and Demand, stopping his strumming momentarily for some exceptional a cappella. When Nelson showed, it proved to be the most moving duet of the day.

First timers: Farm Aid's lineup consisted of long-established artists and a few little-known players. Right in the middle was Band of Horses, a folk rock quintet that backed up its building buzz with a solid Farm Aid set, the band's first. "We've actually had the good fortune of playing with Willie and Neil before, so any time they come knocking you answer the door," Horses frontman Ben Bridwell said backstage. "But also to be a part of this insane tradition and massive selfless cause is absolutely an honor. We like delicious foods, so it's a nice cause to get behind."

Like father, like son. Sort of: Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real got a prime slot, likely thanks to Lukas' dad Willie, but the group's gritty blues rock set was one of the day's liveliest, with Lukas bouncing around barefoot on stage during Hoochie Coochie Man, and playing a fiery guitar solo — with his teeth. Backstage, Lukas Nelson said his dad taught him to play guitar, but he had to teach himself how to play with his chompers. Time for son to give dad a music lesson?

A family connection: "I wrote this song for you," Mraz said to the farmers in the crowd before leading an eight-piece band into a new track likely to be called The Fixer, about his late grandfather Frank Mraz, a farmer and mechanic. "I always wanted to write a song for him. I have for the past 10 years," Mraz explained. "And it wasn't until probably the influence of Farm Aid that it all came together for me and how I could tell my granddad's story and serve a purpose, and have the song actually contribute to something, highlight the family farmer. I knew the minute I wrote it I was going to play it at Farm Aid. Farm Aid was on the TV when I would stay with my grandparents growing up. Willie Nelson was on the radio when I got in my granddad's truck. So now I'm hanging out with Willie, now I'm at Farm Aid, and I can only think of my granddad." Mraz fans can expect The Fixer on the next album.

On his own: Playing a beloved band's song without the band can be bad news, particularly in front of thousands, but Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, alone on acoustic guitar, still brought out the beauty and power of Wilco gems like I'll Fight.

Breaking up the boys' club: One gripe with Farm Aid — all the headliners were men, except for Jones, who brought some much needed femininity (and sharp red cowboy boots) to her set, swaying gently in front of the mic, guitar in hand, for a lovely rendition of How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart, (a song she set to previously unused Hank Williams lyrics), then traded guitar for piano on Sinkin' Soon. Summertimein October: Even an enclosed roof over Miller Park couldn't keep the chilly temperature outside from creeping in. But country superstar Kenny Chesney brought some temporary heat with Summertime, before changing moods with somber cautionary tale Don't Blink and then, for the first time live, Somewhere With You off his new album. Hemingway's Whiskey.

Reimagining a classic: Only a fool would dare take on All Along The Watchtower, a song made great by Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Well, good thing Matthews and guitarist Tim Reynolds are crazy, because their take on Watchtower was surprisingly invigorating. It was a good start to a set that culminated with Reynolds' fanciful free-flow guitar work dancing off of Matthews' Crush, which thankfully fell just short of self-indulgence.

Playing the hits: Mellencamp gave the crowd exactly what it wanted — hit song after hit song, starting off with Pink Houses and a smoking Paper in Fire. From there, Mellencamp, with just his voice, led the masses into a sing-along of Cherry Bomb, a poignant acoustic take on Small Town, and with his ace band, built the crowd up with Crumblin' Down. No set, start to finish, was better at Farm Aid.

Learning from Neil Young: Nearly all of the acts paid lip service to supporting family farms, but Young spent nearly half his time on stage talking up the cause. Ultimately, it was the lecturing that earned him a standing ovation. "Maybe you don't realize what's really going on with factory farms in this country, how they are displacing family farms at an alarming rate," Young said. "Factory farms are the reason why we have food alerts. They are the reason why we have dying people and disease. Try to buy something from a family farm, something that's sustainably grown. You deserve the best. Your children deserve the best."

Willie Nelson, reggae star: Country tunes like Whiskey River were expected from Nelson, and a rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughn's blues jam Texas Flood (sung by son Lukas) wasn't out of the ordinary. But hearing the elder Nelson sing and play guitar alongside Marty Dread to a reggae ditty called Lend a Hand to the Farmers, was, well, a little strange coming from the Red Headed Stranger. Nevertheless, thousands sang along in support. At evening's end, Young, Jones and Band of Horses (plus Native American dancers, a marine and a mother cradling a baby) joined Nelson on stage for Good Hearted Woman, which Nelson co-wrote with Waylon Jennings. The tempo inspired a bit of boot shuffling atop the Brewers dugout.

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Singer Mario arrested for assault on mother - Baltimore Sun

R&B singer Mario, the Baltimore-born performer whose struggle with his heroin-addicted mother formed the basis of an MTV documentary, was arrested early Friday after she told police that he struck her and destroyed their Fells Point apartment.

The 24-year-old, whose full name is Mario Dewar Barrett, was charged with one count of second-degree assault and released after posting $50,000 bond.

An attorney representing the singer called the arrest "an unfortunate incident between a loving son and a mother who continues to struggle with a devastating addiction."

Police were called to the 900 block of Fell St. about 12:50 a.m. where they met 45-year-old Shawntia Hardaway in the lobby. She was crying and told the officers that her son was destroying property in the apartment they share and had pushed her, causing "minor pain," according to a police report.

When police went up to the apartment, they found a broken china cabinet and glass strewn across the floor, records show. A mirror was broken, and there was a hole in a closet door.

Hardaway told the officers that it was the second time her son had put his hands on her in recent days. On Sept. 27, she said, they got into an argument during which he pushed her "eight feet into a living room wall, where Ms. Hardaway hit her head on the wall," police wrote in charging documents.

"When this officer asked the victim if she fears for her life in reference to her son's actions, the victim replied 'yes,' " the officer wrote.

The report did not say what sparked the alleged confrontations.

"Anyone who has waged the battle to save loved ones from the forces of drugs knows the irrational behavior that almost always accompanies their actions," said attorney William "Hassan" Murphy III. "Mario remains committed to supporting his mother."

Murphy declined to answer questions about the incident.

Mario, who has appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and in the films "Freedom Writers" and "Step Up," was raised by his grandmother in Gwynn Oak because of his mother's drug problems. But in recent years, she has become a greater presence in his life — their relationship was chronicled in an MTV special, "I Won't Love You To Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom."

In 2007, Mario started a Baltimore-based nonprofit called Mario's Do Right Foundation that mentors children of drug-addicted parents, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, then the City Council president, presented him with the key to the city. According to its Facebook page, the foundation held a fundraiser this summer at Silo Point and is in the process of starting a program in the city school system.

"This fall in Baltimore City I will be working with some public schools to assist in providing resources and counseling for students who have parents that are addicted to drugs," reads a post on the Facebook page from Sept. 16. "I will also be helping the students understand that it's not their fault that their parent may have a problem and I will be telling them that they have my support."

Edie House-Foster, a spokeswoman for the city school system, said there was not any formal relationship in place with the Do Right Foundation. Kevin Shird, the foundation's executive director, said Mario's work with the schools was informal. On Wednesday, Shird said, the singer gave students 100 backpacks full of school supplies.

"He's out here working, trying to do the right thing," Shird said before referring questions to Mario's attorney.

The singer's initial appearance in court on the assault charge is scheduled Nov. 9.

It's the first of two scheduled court dates for Mario. Three women filed a lawsuit in Baltimore District Court against him and his mother in August, alleging that Hardaway struck their vehicle in a parking lot in January, causing injuries. They are seeking $20,000 each at a court date scheduled Nov. 16.

justin.fenton@baltsun.com

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