Celebrity Mound

Rapper Nelly has found himself at the centre of a new lawsuit after bogus promoters allegedly conned event producers into handing over cash for a concert that never hit the stage.

Executives at The Loop claim they paid Capital Connections Agency (CCA) $40,000 to book the rapper for a New Year’s Eve.

In documents filed in Manhattan on Friday, executives claim the money was wired to CCA boss Durby Brandon, but Nelly was a no-show. Brandon initially denied receiving the funds, and then claimed it arrived a day late.

He maintains he kept the cash due to a breach of contract.

The suit alleges “CCA is a criminal enterprise”.

Executives at The Loop are suing CCA for the $40,000 booking fee and $250,000 for Nelly’s alleged “no-show”, reports the New York Daily News.

ESPN The Magazine announced that it has tapped Universal Music Group recording artists rapper Nelly as its VIP red carpet interviewer for the sixth annual NEXT event at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, Friday, Feb. 5. The award-winning artist, an avid sports fan and past guest on ESPN FirstTake’s 1st & 10, will interview athlete and celebrity guests from a tricked out interview tent customized by event sponsor Samsung just before they leave the red carpet and head into The Mag’s Super Bowl party.

Nelly joins Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson and Q-Tip as confirmed celebrity for The Magazine’s event; R & B singers Ne-Yo and Keri Hilson are the event’s headlining performers and Q-Tip will DJ.

ESPN The Magazine’s NEXT event celebrates its NEXT issue which features who and what to watch out for in sports. The Mag will erect a custom-made, 25,000-square-foot, clear-top tent on the Fontainebleau’s oceanside property so its athlete and celebrity guests can dance the night away under Miami’s starry sky.

Event sponsors include ABSOLUT® VODKA, Bud Light, Bridgestone, Edible Arrangements, Philips Norelco, Samsung, REEBOK, TABASCO® and Ultimate Nutrition.

Police say a man broke into rapper Nelly’s house in suburban St. Louis and stole electronics and video games.

Authorities say the Grammy-winning artist was not home when during the robbery early Friday morning.

St. Louis County police spokesman Rick Eckhard says a man used a window to get in and out of Nelly’s home. He said three people were inside the house at the time and one confronted the intruder.

Eckhard says the man was able to get away with a duffel bag of electronics, a video game system and video games.

No one is in custody.

Engagement parties are often tacky events washed down with cheap bottles of Lambrini followed by drunken guests belting out embarrassing eighties hits on a karaoke box.

But when you are raking it in like Jermaine Jenas you can afford to push the boat out a bit more…

So when Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Jermaine Jenas decided to celebrate his engagement to fiancee Ellie Penfold, no expense was spared.

The football ace, 25, invited his Tottenham team-mates to the party in London.

Spurs star Peter Crouch, 28, resisted the temptation to perform his notorious robotic dance, and spent most of the night singing karaoke with team-mate Robbie Keane, 29.

But the highlight of the show was undoubtedly when Nelly, 34, floated across the dancefloor, with a microphone in his hand serenading the happy couple with his dulcit tones.

Jenas and Ellie previously announced their engagement in OK! magazine.

The couple met in a club when combative midfielder Jenas plucked up the courage to approach Ellie, and they hit it off.

The couple say they are not planning to wed until 2011, which should give them plenty of time to plan an extravagant party.
Ellie has said: ‘I’d like all my family and friends to be there in a big country house. Oh and I’d like Amy Winehouse to sing.’

Let’s hope she hasn’t told Nelly…

(source)