Lawsuit over Madonna's noise

Madonna's annoyed neighbour has complained that the superstar makes a lot of noise in her apartment. -- PHOTO: AP

NEW YORK - A WOMAN living below Madonna's swank Manhattan apartment has complained to the New York State Supreme Court about the noise that the pop star upstairs pumps out, The New York Post said on Monday.

'Madonna and one or more of her invited guests repeatedly dance and train... to unreasonably high-decibel, amplified music, causing noise and vibration to pour through the walls, ceilings and radiators,' claims the lawsuit, filed by Karen George.

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'Ms George has been forced to endure blaring music, stomping and shaking walls for approximately one and a half to three hours each day,' the suit against the building board said.

The building board said it has threatened Madonna with eviction if the noise does not stop.

Madonna, 51, moved to her seventh-floor apartment in Manhattan's upscale Central Park West avenue after her divorce last year from British filmmaker Guy Ritchie. -- AFP

Madonna tours holy sites

US singer Madonna (centre), arrives to visit the Western Wall tunnels, Judaism's holiest site, as the Western Wall is seen in the background, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, August 30, 2009. -- PHOTO: AP

JERUSALEM - THE Material Girl has opened a visit to the Holy Land with a spiritual touch.

Madonna headed to Jerusalem's Old City late on Sunday where she toured an ancient tunnel near the Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews can pray.

The 50-year-old pop star arrived in a black Mercedes van and was escorted into the tunnel by police.

She made no comment to reporters and was whisked away about a half hour later.

Madonna isn't Jewish, but she's a follower of Jewish mysticism and has even taken the Hebrew name Esther.

She arrived early on Sunday for a pair of concerts this week. It will be her first performance in Israel since 1993, though she came on private pilgrimages in 2004 and 2007.

Madonna is also set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. -- AP

Madonna insists she's okay

LONDON - POP LEGEND Madonna, who was photographed with shockingly sinewy arms last week, insists that she is okay, said media reports on Thursday.

According to entertainment websites, the performer says that the images were digitally altered.

Her toned and buff body is apparently achieved by lifting weights in a room heated to 27C.

However, Madonna, 50, may be trying to 'tone' down her super-fit image.

'There aren't many women her age who have a body like that but even Madonna may have to admit this time she might have to tone it down,' a source was reported as saying.

'She asked her trainer Tracy Anderson what she could do to stop her arms looking so sinewy."

But Madonna's friends have said that Madonna secretly likes her arms and believes it 'shows she's in control'.

Madonna's spiritual awakening

Madonna has ties to Israel and Judaism through her involvement with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center. -- PHOTO: AP

JERUSALEM - AFTER a long career as a singer, dancer, new-age seeker and megacelebrity, Madonna added a new item to her resume on Friday - Israeli newspaper correspondent.

An article in Friday's edition of Israel's biggest daily, Yediot Ahronot, bears the Material Girl's byline. It describes her spiritual awakening upon discovering Jewish mysticism, called Kabbalah, after which, she writes, 'all the puzzle pieces started falling into place.'

Madonna is bringing her Sticky & Sweet tour to Israel in September, which no doubt explains the timing of her journalism debut here. But she also has ties to Israel and Judaism through her involvement with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center, whose new-age version of Judaism's ancient mystic tradition has become popular among members of Hollywood's A-list.

The 50-year-old pop icon has taken the Hebrew name Esther and came to Israel on private pilgrimages in 2004 and 2007 along with other Kabbalah devotees.

In the article, Madonna, who was raised Roman Catholic, describes hearing about Kabbalah for the first time at a dinner party in Los Angeles while pregnant with her daughter Lourdes, who is now 12. She had recently completed a star turn in the movie Evita, she writes, but 'still felt like something was missing in my life.'

The Kabbalah Center's devotees have included other celebrities such as Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears. Many mainstream Jewish scholars see the Center's self-help teachings, its sale of Kabbalah-themed merchandise and its embrace by non-Jewish pop stars as a perversion of Judaism's ancient and secretive mystic tradition.

Some rabbis were particularly incensed by Madonna's song, 'Isaac,' about the revered 16th-century Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria, which featured on her 2005 album, 'Confessions on a Dance Floor.'

Jewish tradition has long held that Kabbalah is so complicated and so easily misunderstood that students may only begin to approach it with a strong background in Jewish law and only after age 40. The discipline's elements include the study of mystical texts, prayer and meditation in an attempt to draw closer to the divine.

The criticism appears to have had no effect on Madonna's popularity among Israelis. Originally scheduled to give one concert in Tel Aviv, Madonna added a second after the first show quickly sold out. -- AP

Madonna named Hollywood’s hardest working mum

NEW YORK, April 25 — With earnings of US$110 million (RM396 million) in 2008, Madonna topped Forbes' list of Hollywood's hardest working mothers, followed by actresses Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The pop singer and mother of three, who was recently turned down in her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi, grossed US$105 million on her tour and sold nearly a million albums in the United States. Madonna also signed several lucrative endorsement deals last year, according to Forbes.com.

"She had an incredible year in 2008," said Lauren Streib who helped to compile the list that was released yesterday.

"She had the top tour of any musician... The tour sold out around the world. So it wasn't surprising as much as it is a commentary on how successful her year was," she said.

Witherspoon, who earned an estimated US$24 million last year, was second on the list, followed closely behind by Paltrow with US$20 million in earnings.

In addition to her film career and raising daughter Ava and son Deacon, Witherspoon, who is divorced from actor Ryan Phillippe, is also the international spokeswoman for the cosmetics company Avon.

Paltrow's role in the blockbuster comic book film "Iron Man," which earned US$580 million worldwide, and her endorsements for Estee Lauder and shoe and handbag maker Tod's propelled her to the third spot.

Streib said the list is based on estimated earnings of Hollywood mothers with at least one child. Earnings include album sales, salaries, box-office grosses and endorsements and licensing deals.

She added that for many of the women on the list endorsement deals are a significant part of their earnings.

"I think this is something that has been going on for decades now. We are seeing less and less models and more and more celebrity spokespeople. It is a big part of the business of being a celebrity," she added.

Mother of three Julia Roberts, who returned to the big screen in a starring role in the film "Duplicity," captured the fourth spot on the list, while actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who has a son with husband Matthew Broderick, rounded out the top five.

Angelina Jolie, who has six children but still earned US$14 million last year, came in sixth, followed by model and television presenter Heidi Klum, who is pregnant with her fourth child.

Best actress Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, who has two children, and singer and mother of three Faith Hill also made the list, which is posted at www.forbes.com. — Reuters

Huge divorce payout by Madonna

LONDON, Dec 16 — Pop queen Madonna has settled with her ex-husband Guy Ritchie for at least £50 million (RM270 million), says a spokeswoman for the singer yesterday.

Liz Rosenberg said Madonna has given Guy between £50-60 million as part of their divorce agreement. The figure apparently includes the value of the couple's country home Ashcombe in west England.

Rosenberg added that while the financial part of the settlement has been worked out, custody of the couple's children Rocco, 8, and David, 3, had yet to be finalised.

She said: "I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement."

The A-list couple, who wed at Skibo Castle in Scotland in December 2000, were granted their divorce at the High Court in London last month.

A sworn statement released by the court showed the pop star petitioned for divorce on the grounds of the film director's unreasonable behaviour.

A representative for Ritchie declined to comment. — The Sun