Club promoter accused of charity rip-off

PopGoesTheNews.com • Toronto Police are investigating allegations of a charity scam involving the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Promoter Ryan Kennedy Price staged events at Pravda in June and October supposedly in support of the MS Society – but the charitable organization claims it was not involved and has not received a dime.

Amy Lewis of the MS Society told PopGoesTheNews.com: "I don't believe we have received funds for these two events, however we are looking into this further."

Posters and Facebook pages created for the June 30 and Oct. 10 events state: "portion of proceeds to be donated to the MS Society." Guests were reportedly told that half of the $20 cover charge and any donations they made would go to the charity. It's not known how much was raised in the name of the charity.

SEE UPDATES AT THE END OF THIS STORY

The alleged fraud was exposed by blogger Zack Taylor, who said he helped promote last month's Agent Red VII party and has since filed a police report at 52 Division. "[It] just makes me sick to my stomach that someone has done this over and over again," he said.

Kennedy Price did not respond to questions sent via e-mail. Calls to the phone number listed on the Facebook page for the Agent Red VII event were not answered and a number Taylor claimed was Kennedy Price's cell phone was not activated.

A Facebook page for Ryan Kennedy Price (which hasn't been updated since Oct. 25) lists his job titles as Head of Media Relations for Roberto Cavalli in New York City and Lamborghini in Toronto as well as Director of Operations for Price Media Inc. The Facebook page for Price Media Inc. claims the company, with an address in a two-story Islington Avenue residential building, was originally based in New York City and boasts of a long list of Toronto nightclubs where the "best events and concerts" were held. A man who answered the phone at the number shown for the "Price Media Office" claimed there was no one there named Ryan Kennedy.

Online coverage of the alleged scam has raised more questions about the man at the centre of it. According to an anonymous comment posted at BlogTo.com, Ryan's real surname is Mazurkiewicz. Another claims he was fired from The Vue event venue in Toronto. On Facebook, a Christina Zee alleged: "This doesn't surprise me... he's been doing it for years."

UPDATE [11/27] • Ryan Kennedy Price responded late today to questions that were sent to him via e-mail on Nov. 22. He claimed "the event was never advertised as a charity event or fundraiser" and insisted that guests were told a donation would be made to the MS Society "once all costs were covered." He said the event was not as successful as he had hoped and he was forced to pay some expenses out of pocket. 

In his statement, Kennedy Price accused Zack Taylor of harassing and defaming him since their business arrangement at the October event soured. "For weeks he has been ... threatening me through friends and family," he wrote. "He was telling friends and my mother that if I gave him money then he would stop this." (Contacted tonight, Taylor denied the allegation.)

Kennedy Price claimed he is working with the MS Society to prove the accusations against him are untrue and vowed to sue media outlets that report on the allegations. "I did not rip off a charity."

UPDATE [11/28] • It appears there was at least one other event held at Pravda at which funds were being raised for the MS Society.  A poster promoting the Sept. 5 event – like the ones for the other events – clearly reads: "Portion of proceeds to be donated to the MS Society."

In an e-mail obtained by PopGoesTheNews.com, Jamie Hall, CFO of the MS Society of Canada, explained that he contacted Kennedy Price via e-mail but has not received a response. "I informed him that I am the one responsible for dealing with the police and with Canada Revenue Agency whenever funds have been raised in our name but are not turned in," he wrote. "Hopefully [this] will generate some action."

Kennedy Price's mother Suzan Kennedy did not respond to an e-mail request for comment but, in a statement to Taylor, reportedly said she is "heartbroken" and hopes her son will "own up to his mistakes."
 
Kennedy Price has changed his Facebook privacy settings so that his "Wall" is no longer visible.

Basil Russo, identified as the administrator of the Price Media Group Inc. page on Facebook, did not respond to questions.

Spot nudes! Man strips down at busy Toronto intersection

PopGoesTheNews.com • Motorists and pedestrians in Toronto were shocked and stunned this afternoon when a young man suddenly shed his clothes in the middle of a busy downtown intersection.

As seen in these dramatic photos, the unidentified man walked into the middle of Church and Wellesley Street and fully disrobed, scattering his clothing on the pavement. He stood still and screamed random statements while passersby diverted their eyes or pulled out their camera phones to capture the bizarre scene.

 

As motorists honked their horns and tried to avoid hitting the man, he began walking calmly – and naked – westbound on Wellesley towards Yonge Street. Without warning he darted between cars to the sidewalk and attempted to jump over an iron fence surrounding a condo building. Then he strolled back toward Church Street, shouting to stunned observers that he was "the chosen one." Spotting the PopGoesTheNews.com photographer, the man held out the palm of his hand and demanded that it be photographed.

"Now what should I do?" he asked calmly. When the photographer recommended that he put his clothes back on, the man returned to his scattered clothing and started to get dressed. Just then, a Toronto Police cruiser arrived on the scene and two officers took the troubled streaker out of harm's way and into custody.

Photos by John R. Kennedy / PopGoesTheNews.com. Click on images to see full size.

Kat Von D lies in radio interview

PopGoesTheNews.com • Reality TV's Kat Von D lied this morning when asked about her bizarre behavior at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Tuesday. Speaking by phone to Mad Dog and Billie on Virgin Radio, the L.A. Ink star unabashedly fudged the facts.

"I've never been harassed that much at an airport in my life. It was so bad. They kicked my suitcase, that's how bad it was," she said, adding that while waiting for their bags she and Mike "Rooftop" Escamilla suddenly had "three cameras in my face and they're asking invasive questions and I kindly asked them to give me my space and they totally wouldn't."

In fact, there were only two cameras waiting for Kat at Terminal 1 when the pair arrived on an Air Canada flight from Vancouver. Rather than pointing his camera and snapping photos of Kat, the photographer approached her and respectfully asked if she would mind posing for photos (she declined). There was no barrage of "invasive questions" – not even a single question, in fact. The videographer merely stated: "Sorry to hear about your house" (referring to the news that her house was destroyed by a fire that killed her cat).

See the video footage at CanadianTabloid.com.

Contrary to her claim that the two photographers "totally wouldn't" give her space, Kat and her travel companion were, in fact, left alone until they stepped outside the terminal to wait for their vehicle. There, she was politely asked by a fan for an autograph and she inexplicably snapped: "You're so mean. You know what? I hope this never happens to you."

And while it's true that the photographer kicked her suitcase, it was only after Escamilla intentionally ran over the photographer's foot while pulling it (when Kat was already inside the car). Escamilla later violently swung his car door open and struck the photographer's camera.

Kat's nastiness at the airport came just days after she posted this message on Twitter: "Remember, positive energy feeds positive energy."

But she didn't lie completely in the Virgin Radio interview. "I've got a few screws loose," she admitted. Indeed.

'ET Canada' contest misuses Miami name

PopGoesTheNews.com • Someone at ET Canada needs a geography lesson. The daily entertainment show is gleefully promoting a "Get Hot In Miami with Katy Perry" contest – even though the winner won't be staying in Miami and Perry won't be performing in Miami.

The contest, which is being aggressively promoted on Global, offers viewers a chance to win "a trip to Miami to meet Katy Perry in person and see her perform live in Miami on December 11!" But a closer look at the grand prize details reveals that the winner's time in Miami is, in fact, limited to arriving at the city's airport.

The host hotel is the luxurious Gansevoort in Miami Beach, a city located about a 10-minute drive east of Miami. Although part of the Greater Miami area, Miami Beach is a separate city with its own mayor and local government. Worse, Perry is actually performing at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, a city located about 45 minutes from Miami in Broward County – closer to Fort Lauderdale than it is to Miami.

Global publicist Grace Park told PopGoesTheNews.com, erroneously, that the Bank Atlantic Center is located in the Greater Miami area "and therefore using 'Miami' in the contest title is appropriate." A spokesperson for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau would say only that officials are "disappointed" that ET Canada hasn't done its homework.
 

While it's true the winner will get to "see [Perry] perform live," the contest details fail to mention that Perry is just one of 10 acts performing Dec. 11 at the Y100 Jingle Ball (others include Adam Lambert, The Script, Train and Enrique Iglesias) and is scheduled to perform only a few songs.

Despite the rather liberal use of the Miami name, the ET Canada contest offers a valuable and desirable prize package (including a "meet and greet" with Perry). Although"Get Hot in South Florida with Katy Perry" would have been more accurate, Park says "the contest name for consistency's sake will remain throughout the duration of the promotion."

This story has been updated since it was first posted.

EXCLUSIVE: 'Chevy Chase bailed us out,' claims Randy Quaid's wife

PopGoesTheNews.com • The wife of actor Randy Quaid claims that actor Chevy Chase came to their aid and posted bond after the couple was arrested last month in Canada.

According to a source close to Evi Quaid, her husband's co-star in the National Lampoon's Vacation series of movies paid the $20,000 that allowed for their release from detention in Vancouver. Randy played Cousin Eddie in the comedy flicks between 1983 and 1997.

Evi and Randy were released Oct. 22 on cash bonds of $10,000 each one day after being arrested on outstanding U.S. warrants stemming from felony vandalism charges in California.  They have since sought refugee status, claiming their lives are in danger from Hollywood "star whackers" who have killed other celebrities. Last week authorities said the couple forfeited $1 million in bail by not showing up for scheduled arraignments in Santa Barbara.

A rep for Chase, currently starring on the hit comedy series Community, could not be reached. Vancouver Police do not release the identities of those who post bonds.

Mark Critch of CBC's 22 Minutes recently interviewed the couple and came away questioning Evi's stability. “It’s good to see a couple in love. Like John and Yoko, but more like John and Loco," he told the Canadian Press, adding that she sported a mohawk and was wearing a white bikini during the interview. The couple recently told ABC News they are "not crazy."

Randy has an immigration hearing on Tuesday while Evi is eligible for citizenship because her father is Canadian. Prosecutors in the U.S. have said extradition of the couple is an option.

Eric McCormack comes home

PopGoesTheNews.com • Former Will & Grace star Eric McCormack is back in his hometown to shoot the pilot for a new U.S. cable drama with Rachel Leigh Cook.

In TNT's Perception, McCormack plays a professor recruited by one of his former students (Cook) to help the FBI solve complex cases. The pilot episode shoots in Toronto until mid-December.

McCormack, 47, was born and raised in Toronto and attended Ryerson University prior to performing for several seasons at the Stratford Festival. He last worked in the city on the Lifetime TV movie Who is Clark Rockefeller? which aired in March. Last month he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Cook, 31, is best known for her role in 1999's She's All That and 2001's Josie and the Pussycats.

Also working in Toronto next month is Catherine Bell (JAG), who is reprising her role as Cassandra Nightingale in the fourth installment of the Hallmark Channel's Good Witch series. Co-starring Toronto-born actor Chris Potter (Wild Card), the TV movie is shooting in the Hamilton area until Dec. 20.

Photo by John R. Kennedy / SplashNewsOnline.com.

Lionel Richie says he doesn't want to sing at his daughter's wedding

PopGoesTheNews.com • Music icon Lionel Richie says he's looking forward to walking his daughter Nicole down the aisle next month but he's not anxious to serenade the newlywed and their guests.

Asked by PopGoesTheNews.com tonight if he'll sing at the wedding, Lionel replied: "I hope not!" The Grammy-winning superstar, who has sold more than 100 million records, then added: "But if she wants me to... you know Nic."

Arriving at Pearson International Airport from Los Angeles, Lionel said Nicole's wedding to rocker Joel Madden is "going to be wonderful." According to reports Nicole, 29, and Joel, 31, are set to tie the knot in early December in the backyard of Lionel's Beverly Hills estate. The couple, who have two children together, were engaged in February.

Lionel and his first wife Brenda Harvey adopted Nicole (whose biological father is the brother of performer Sheila E) when she was a young girl. The 61-year-old "My Love" singer said he's thrilled to welcome Madden – lead singer of Good Charlotte – into the family. "He's a great guy, are you kidding me? He passed the test."

To see a photo of Lionel Richie arriving in Toronto, go to CanadianTabloid.com.

Mark Munroe is poised for success

PopGoesTheNews.com • Canadian model-actor Mark Munroe is taking another shot at pop with yesterday's debut of the single "Secrets and Lies" on iTunes. The infectious retro-sounding track is the first song off his forthcoming album The Life That I Designed.

For Munroe, who's a month shy of 28, it's a second chance to establish himself on the music scene. Last year's collaboration with his brother Ian under the name IM Munroe was a flop – a project plagued by poor production and vocals described by one veteran record company executive as "the sound of a constipated goat in the final throes of life." Munroe's guttural singing has improved only slightly (with some post-production help) but "Secrets and Lies" is decidedly more slick and upbeat – and could be enough to let him cross "pop star" off his list of accomplishments. 

After leaving the banking industry several years ago Munroe dropped half his body weight and focused on being a model. He built an impressive portfolio and landed a few high-profile photo shoots then set his sights on the competitive acting business where he found small parts in film and TV projects.

Listen to "Singles and Lies" by clicking here.

Munroe is just as passionate and determined to make it in the music business. He writes his songs and spends hours in his Toronto apartment promoting his music via social media. Munroe has got the pop star looks and seems to finally have found the pop star sound. The only challenge is finding a way to break through.

Photo by John R. Kennedy / PopGoesTheNews.com. Click on image to see full size.

Selena Gomez going after Canadian hair salon for using her face

Selena Gomez as she appears on the hair salon's sign

PopGoesTheNews.com • A Windsor hair salon is in hot water with Selena Gomez for using a photo of the teen star on its sign.

The owner of the Babylon Hair Salon on Wyandotte Street East erected a new sign on the facade of his salon earlier this year that features a photo of Gomez on the left and an unidentified male on the right.

A rep for the 18-year-old platinum-selling singer and Wizards of Waverly Place actress was stunned to learn about the use of her image. A spokesperson for Gomez at Los Angeles public relations firm pmk-bnc told PopGoesTheNews.com that immediate action will be taken to have the photo of Gomez removed. 

A man who answered the phone at the salon this week hung up when asked about the appearance of the Hollywood star on his sign. With celebrity licensing deals worth millions of dollars, the salon could face serious legal action for using the photo of Gomez. The photographer or photo agency that owns the rights to the photo could also seek damages for copyright violation.

In addition to her successful acting and music careers, Gomez owns a production company and fashion line and has lent her name to environmental and charitable causes, including serving as an ambassador for UNICEF.

Photo by Todd Gillis / CanadianTabloid.com. Click on image to see full size.

'T3' star in T.O. for stalker flick

PopGoesTheNews.com • Actor Nick Stahl, best known for playing John Connor in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, is spending the next few weeks in Toronto making a Canadian thriller.

The flick 388 Arletta Avenue is the story of James and Amy Deakin who are secretly videotaped around-the-clock by a mysterious stalker who uses the inside information he gathers to manipulate them and create friction in their relationship. When Amy disappears, James isn't sure if she left him or if she has been abducted. Told through the eyes of the stalker, the movie will reportedly have the grainy look of Paranormal Activity.

It's not known who is playing Stahl's wife. Canadian Randall Cole, who directed Randy Quaid and Jay Baruchel in 2008's Real Time, will helm 388 Arletta Avenue. Cameras are scheduled to roll until Dec. 8.

Stahl is no stranger to Toronto, having made 2003's gay drama Twist in the city. The actor, now 30 and a married father of one, earned a Genie Award nomination for his role.

Photo of Nick Stahl in How To Rob A Bank courtesy of IFC Films.

Bogus poppy seller busted by veteran

PopGoesTheNews.com • A man selling stolen poppies at the busy corner of Yonge and Dundas in Toronto was busted by a real veteran this afternoon. Police were not called to the scene but the unidentified man's stash of poppies was seized by the veteran, who had been selling poppies inside the Eaton Centre across the street.

Luckily the scam artist, who had dozens of poppies inside an ordinary box with an open mug sitting in the middle for cash, didn't fool many passers-by. Legitimate poppy sales are made from white boxes emblazoned with the name of the Royal Canadian Legion, which owns the trademark on the poppies.

"Taking money away from war vets is pretty disgusting," said an eyewitness. "He should be ashamed."

The man had only collected a few dollars in donations prior to being put out of business by the veteran.

The poppies worn by Canadians on and leading up to Remembrance Day were, until 1996, made by disabled veterans. They are now manufactured by a private company but remain under the strict control of the Legion. The annual poppy campaign is a major source of funding for the Legion, which serves veterans and their dependents.

Photos by John R. Kennedy / PopGoesTheNews.com. Click on images to see full size.

Jimmy Fallon's big screen dreams were dashed while in Canada

PopGoesTheNews.com • Funnyman Jimmy Fallon found out that his movie career wasn't going to take off – while in Toronto making a movie.

According to an interview with New York magazine, the former Saturday Night Live star was shooting the romantic comedy Fever Pitch in late 2004 when he got a call from a Fox executive warning him that Taxi – his first post-SNL project – was a stinker. "He said, ‘Jimmy, it’s not going to open. It’s not going to be good,'" recalled Fallon.

Devastated, Fallon asked SNL creator and Toronto native Lorne Michaels to help him disappear for a weekend. Michaels put him in touch with Canadian comic Martin Short, who has a cottage on Lake Rosseau roughly two hours north of Toronto.

"My friend Gary and I went up to Martin’s cabin in Muskoka and we got a bottle of Jack and just got wasted," Fallon, 36, told the magazine.

Taxi, which co-starred Queen Latifah, earned only $12 million in its opening weekend and went on to gross little more than $36 million. (Fever Pitch, which Fallon made in Toronto with Drew Barrymore, grossed about $42 million.) 

Fallon, who has hosted Late Night since March 2009, hasn't had a lead role on the big screen since Fever Pitch but has taken a few small roles in films like Whip It and Factory Girl.

Canadian man drowns in Florida

Crews attempt to revive Constantinescu. (WPTV)

PopGoesTheNews.com • A Canadian man died today in Florida after taking an early-morning dip in the ocean. The body of Dinu Constantinescu, 46, of Vancouver was found floating in shallow water not far from the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach where he was attending the CMiC Connect 2010 conference.

Constantinescu is an employee of ITC Construction Group, which is headquartered in Vancouver. CMiC, a construction software company, is based in Toronto.

Police were called at around 2:30 am when a man was reported missing after going for a swim with several other people. He was discovered floating in about a foot of water and emergency crews performed CPR while rushing him to JFK Medical Center. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The four-day construction industry conference Constantinescu was attending ends tomorrow. It has not yet been determined how he drowned. The local CBS station reported that the victim went for a swim with a co-worker and several other people shortly after 2:00 am. Authorities say there are strong currents in the area.

Constantinescu was construction manager on a number of major projects in B.C., including the $350 million transformation of the iconic Woodward's building in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and the building of the Port of Nanaimo Convention Centre. He leaves behind a wife and child.

UPDATE: The tragedy was one of the top stories on Florida media websites this morning but Canadian media outlets did not post  the news until after 1:30 pm (10:30 am west coast time).

Image courtesy of wptv.com

Another 3D flick will shoot in Ontario

PopGoesTheNews.com • A year after Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D wrapped up production in Toronto comes news that another movie franchise is getting the 3D treatment in the province. Cameras will roll this winter on Silent Hill: Revelation 3D – a sequel to the 2006 flick Silent Hill, based on a series of video games.

The first flick, starring Radha Mitchell and Sean Bean, was filmed at Toronto Film Studios and at locations in Brampton, Oshawa and Hamilton. No casting details have been announced but the eye-popping follow-up, set many years later, will focus on a young woman plagued by nightmares (Heather Mason, a character from the third video game) who discovers that she is not who she thinks. "The revelation," reads the official summary, "leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her in Silent Hill forever."

Michael J. Bassett (Deathwatch) will direct Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. The first installment grossed a modest $47 million domestically.

Canadian stars serve up new comedy

PopGoesTheNews.com • A collection of Canadian actors is in Toronto serving up a movie about the service industry. Margot Kidder (Superman), Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall, Newsradio), Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint, Just Shoot Me), Aaron Ashmore (Fear Island, Smallville), Joe Dinicol (Passchendaele, Train 48) and Lauren Collins (Take The Lead, Degrassi: The Next Generation) star in the big screen flick Servitude.

Described as a "high steaks comedy of revenge," it's directed by Warren P. Sonoda using a script by Michael Sparaga – both former waiters. Real life waiter Brian Mifsud earned a walk-on role in the film after winning an online contest. The movie follows a group of employees who take over their restaurant for one night of revenge upon learning that they are about to be fired.

John Bregar (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Linda Kash (Best in Show) and veteran Jayne Eastwood (Chicago, Hairspray) are also in the cast.

The movie, shooting in Toronto for about three weeks, will be released next year. Servitude is not the first flick about food servers, of course. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds starred in the 2005 comedy Waiting, which grossed a little more than $16 million at the box office.

Taylor Swift ducks spotlight in T.O.

PopGoesTheNews.com • Taylor Swift was in Toronto yesterday to promote a new album but went out of her way to stay out of the spotlight. The "You Belong With Me" singer, once very accessible to her fans, was tightly controlled during her 24-hour visit to the city.

Swift, 20, arrived from L.A. on Wednesday night aboard a private jet (while her "glam team" flew commercial) and ducked into the SoHo Metropolitan hotel on Wellington Street through the underground garage. The next morning she was whisked out of the same garage in a black SUV with tinted windows and taken to the CTV studios in the city's east end to tape an interview that aired today on Canada AM. The four-vehicle motorcade then returned downtown so Swift could tape an interview at CMT – slipping in and out of the Corus building on the lake shore via the underground parking garage.

Once back at her hotel, Swift did a round of media interviews before emerging from the underground once again. The singer was well aware that a small group of fans had waited for hours outside the hotel (earlier, her publicist refused to fetch them some autographs) but declined to roll her window down or stop – choosing only to give them a polite wave. Upon arriving at the CTV building on Queen Street, Swift ignored calls from photographers to turn around as she went inside.

Photographers representing local publications and global agencies were not permitted to shoot Swift during the live broadcast on MuchMusic – unlike her previous appearance there – and fans were warned sternly that taking photos was prohibited under threat of being forced to leave. Only a photographer from celebrity-friendly agency WireImage, working for Much, was permitted to capture Swift's appearance.

Fans outside the studio (including some who had waited all day in the cold) were told prior to the show that Swift would emerge at 5:30 and spend half-an-hour signing autographs and posing for pictures. But the pop-country superstar actually spent only 20 minutes outside. Many photographers were blocked by large signs promoting Swift's new album that were carried by people who said they were working on behalf of Swift's record label.

Click HERE to see a photo of Taylor Swift outside MuchMusic.

The strategy to keep Swift's image tightly controlled followed a day of similar behavior around her fellow country singer Carrie Underwood, who was in Toronto for a concert on Wednesday. A lone fan who stood outside the SoHo on Wednesday afternoon hoping for an autograph was strategically sent away by Underwood's handler after being given an autographed photo. Underwood and her husband, Ottawa Senators player Mike Fisher, were scheduled to exit the hotel via the front door and board her tour bus to the Air Canada Centre but when the singer's entourage noticed the paparazzi lying in wait, they used the bus as a decoy and snuck Underwood and Fisher out through the underground parking garage in a sedan. When eTalk's paparazzo took chase on foot, the car weaved through the streets of CityPlace to elude him.

The bizarre behavior of the two blonde pop stars came just a week after LeAnn Rimes took to Twitter with an embellished tale of being snapped outside of a Niagara Falls eatery. The singer hid her face and even walked backwards to avoid being photographed by a lone paparazzo standing several metres away.

Photo by Todd Gillis / CanadianTabloid.com.

Related posts...
09/01/09 • Taylor Swift plays matchmaker at Much
10/22 • LeAnn Rimes has bizarre reaction to being snapped
03/10 • Carrie Underwood building new Canadian home