WRLTHD: May 2014

Red carpet gate-crasher 'struck Brad Pitt in the face and broke his sunglasses' at Maleficent premiere

By LIZZIE SMITH
DAVID MCCORMACK
and JILL REILLY

Brad Pitt suffered a hit to the face by a Ukrainian serial prankster on the red carpet last night.

The actor was attending the Los Angeles premiere of partner Angelina Jolie's new film Maleficent when Vitalii Sediuk jumped over a crowd barrier and struck him, breaking the star's sunglasses.

Security instantly intervened as a violent scuffle broke out outside the El Capitan theatre and Sediuk was dragged to the floor and arrested.

An emergency restraining order has been issued against Sediuk as it is now being reported that he broke the glasses that Pitt was wearing to the Wednesday evening premiere.

TMZ reports that Sediuk struck Pitt in the face and 'destroyed' the sunglasses he was wearing.

In the footage from the scene, Pitt is seen wearing sunglasses when the gate crasher lunges at him, and Pitt bends down amid the scuffle. Moments later when security guards step in, Pitt re-emerges without the glasses on his face.

Pitt, 50, who took the unusual step of attending the premiere with his five of his children, is understood not to have been seriously injured in the altercation.

That hasn't stopped a judge from taking legal precautions, however, as Sediuk has been ordered to stay at least 500 feet away from Pitt for the next five days.

The actor was not standing near Jolie when the attack happened - she was in another section greeting her fans.

Pitt was signing autographs when Sediuk, 25, rushed past barriers and hit him in the face.

Whether exactly this kind of attack had been the intention or not, is not clear.

The moment Brad Pitt is attacked on Maleficent red carpet

Violent scuffle: Sediuk was wrestled to the ground by security, nearly losing his trousers in the process

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Gus Villanueva said Pitt was not seriously hurt and authorities quickly subdued Sediuk, who was arrested for misdemeanor battery and remained in police custody

The red carpet prankster has targeted a series of stars in recent months

Brad Pitt attacked at Maleficent premiere in Hollywood

Within seconds six to seven security men wrestled him to the ground and Pitt was pulled back against the wall.

Sediuk was thrown to the ground and cuffed as he struggled, his red trousers were nearly pulled down in the fray.

Pitt kept greeting fans and walked into the theater.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Gus Villanueva said Pitt was not seriously hurt and authorities quickly subdued Sediuk, who was arrested for misdemeanor battery and remained in police custody on Wednesday night.

Best supporting man: Brad was there to escort his actress fiancée Angelina Jolie; who stars in Maleficent

A family affair: Angelina was joined by Brad Pitt and five of their six children, (L-R) Pax, Zahara, Knox, Shiloh and Maddox

Sediuk is now being held pending payment of $20,000 bail.

'The officers who were handling him said it looked like it was intentional, but at this point, it remains to be determined,' said Sergeant Leonard Calderon for LAPD Hollywood.

Before the incident, Jolie said that the El Capitan is like a local theatre for herself, Pitt and their children who usually do not attend her premieres but did Wednesday night.

'Well, oddly, we usually go to the El Capitan, that's where we take the kids. That's the closest theater to us,' Jolie said. 'This is the first time they were able to come to mommy's premiere.'

Maleficent is Disney’s modern reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, and Jolie stars as its villain.

The couple’s five-year-old daughter, Vivienne, also stars in the movie as a young Princess

Aurora.

However, while her twin brother Knox, along with Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh, joined their 38-year-old mother and father, the little actress skipped her red carpet moment

SEDIUK: A SERIAL RED CARPET PEST DETERMINED TO PRANK THE STARS

Sediuk is a serial red carpet pest and only last week tried to put his head up America Ferrera's skirt at the Cannes premiere of How To Train Your Dragon 2.

In 2012, Hollywood's nice guy Will Smith angrily slapped Sediuk on the face after he tried to kiss him on the lips on the red carpet at the Men In Black 3 premiere.

Will managed to dodge two lunges, with each kiss landing on his cheek, before he pushed the professional fool away and gave him a limp tap on the face.

Unwanted guest: Last week Sediuk crashed the How To Train Your Dragon 2 red carpet Cannes premiere where he climbed under America Ferrera's dress, leaving the actress distressed

Footage showed the angry actor and rapper telling him: 'Hey man, what the hell is your problem?'

At the 2013 Grammys, he was arrested after crashing the stage just as Adele was about to receive her award.

Sediuk ran to the podium to accept the accolade from Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull before the Skyfall singer could get up the stairs and later spent the night in a police cell.

In January of this year, Bradley Cooper was surprised at the SAG awards when the journalist lunged at him.

He knelt and hugged the actor around his waist, putting his face in Bradley's crotch to the star's discomfort and embarrassment.

And at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, in February, Leonardo DiCaprio became the latest A-lister to fall victim to red carpet prankster. Sediuk, also grabbed the star around the waist in a similar move to what he did to Cooper.

However, DiCaprio did crack a nervous smile at the gag.

Angry: In 2012, Hollywood's nice guy Will Smith angrily slapped Sediuk on the face after he tried to kiss him on the lips on the red carpet at the Men In Black 3 premiere

Crotch-grab: In January of this year, Bradley Cooper was surprised at the SAG awards when the journalist lunged at him and pushed his face into his crotch

Seeing the funny side: In February, Leonardo DiCaprio became the latest A-lister to fall victim to red carpet prankster, Sediuk, but he laughed it off

George Michael rushed to hospital after collapsing at his London mansion

By Josh Layton
Paramedics arrived at 8am in two ambulances at his North London home, following a 999 call made by a friend.

Worry: Paramedics treated the Wham! star after a worried friend raised the alarm

George Michael was dramatically rushed to hospital after he fell ill at his home, it emerged last night.

Paramedics arrived at 8am in two ambulances at his North London home, following a 999 call made by a friend.

They spent four hours there with the former Wham! star, 50, before leaving four hours later at around noon with George on board. He was then taken to hospital for further treatment.

Last night his agent refused to say what had caused his mystery collapse, or whether drugs were involved. She also declined to comment on whether the star was still in hospital

A statement said only: “George Michael was in hospital for routine tests.”

George, who nearly died of pneumonia in 2011 and has battled depression and drug addiction, fell ill at home in Highgate, North London, last Thursday.

An Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called just before 8am. We sent two ambulance crews and staff treated a man, who was taken to hospital.”

Worried fans took to Twitter last night after the news emerged. One, referring to the star’s history of illness, said: “Can George Michael please stop scaring
me because I don’t like it.”

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Right-hander gives Dodgers series win with 128-pitch masterpiece

PHILADELPHIA -- Josh Beckett is not the superstitious sort. Any doubt in that arena was quashed throughout Sunday's game with the Phillies in Philadelphia, as he talked about the potential of a no-hitter from the sixth inning on with catcher Drew Butera and just about anyone else willing to talk.

He is, however, willing to collect souvenirs -- including the rubber from the Citizens Bank Park mound, which made its way through the clubhouse to a stunned veteran pitcher.

"Is that for me?" Beckett said to an attendant.

It is when you make history.

Beckett, who has one career one-hitter, entered elite territory, as he threw the first no-hitter of his career in a 6-0 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday. He struck out six and walked only three. The last no-hitter for the Dodgers came on Sept. 17, 1996, in a 9-0 win at Colorado for Hideo Nomo. In that game, Nomo walked struck out eight and walked four on 110 pitches.

Beckett's masterpiece was the 24th in Dodgers franchise history, and the 11th since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

"I'm really touched by that," said Beckett, who threw 80 strikes in his 128-pitch gem. "The Phillies showed what a class organization they are by getting that to me. I thought maybe they would send it to L.A. But to get it that quickly really meant something. I have a pretty big ranch, I'll figure out some place to put it."

Beckett, whose previous closest call to a no-hitter was 6 2/3 innings against Detroit when he was with Boston on June 3, 2009, struggled to find the plate early. His first three pitches of the afternoon were balls, but he was effectively wild, as he survived the first inning with just one walk on 24 pitches. A walk to Marlon Byrd opened the second inning, and then Beckett zoned in as he retired the next 23 batters before a walk to Jimmy Rollins in the ninth with two out.

"I didn't think about the no-hitter," said Beckett, who took a deep breath before No. 3 hitter Chase Utley. "I thought, 'Chase Utley is up next. I have to deal with him.'"

Beckett fell behind Utley 2-0 -- and then 3-1 -- but struck out the Phillies second baseman on the next two pitches, much to Utley's dismay. Utley felt strike two was a ball and actually started on his way down to first.

"That was a lot of fun," manager Don Mattingly said. "Josh has been throwing the ball good all year. For him to be able to do that today is nice, for everything he's been through with us -- the surgery last year, missing the whole season. Changing himself as a pitcher, using the breaking ball more and everything else -- it was fun to watch."

"Despite [the game being] against us, it was pretty cool to throw a no-hitter, but you never want to see it done against your team," said former Marlins teammate and friend A.J. Burnett, who fell to 3-4 with the Phillies this year. "He was strike one from the get-go."

Beckett, who had a rib removed a year ago to relieve pressure on his nerves due to thoracic outlet syndrome, benefited from the Dodgers striking quickly, as Dee Gordon led off the game with a single into right-center. Gordon stole second and then moved around to third on a flyout to center by Carl Crawford. After a lineout, Adrian Gonzalez drove the ball into right-center; the ball landed and then glanced off Byrd's glove, resulting in an RBI double and a 1-0 lead.

In the second, it took just one pitch to pad the lead, as third baseman Justin Turner hit a home run to dead center for a 2-0 advantage. The home run was just Turner's second of the season.

If anything, the second could have loomed as a wasted opportunity for the Dodgers, who got consecutive singles by Butera and Erisbel Arruebarrena along with a sacrifice by Beckett to put runners on second and third with one out. Instead, Gordon hit a ground ball to Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who came home with the throw to get Butera. Crawford lined out to left to end the threat.

In the sixth, the Dodgers added a third run, as Turner hit a one-out single into center. After a groundout moved him up a base, Arruebarrena -- playing in his third Major League game in place of Hanley Ramirez (injured right calf) -- singled Turner home for the rookie's first career RBI.

By the time the Dodgers pushed three more across the plate in the seventh, the game was all in Beckett's hands.

"I took a moment in the ninth while I was warming up," Beckett said. "It was what it was -- and if I threw one, great. If not, I have healthy kids and a healthy wife -- and that's the main goal."

In the end, the sign on the clubhouse wall summed it up the best, as the Dodgers prepared to head for the airport after a big series win: "Buses Together Whenever Beckett Is Ready To Leave."

Michael Radano is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

'Bachelorette' Contestant Eric Hill Dies

By ANTOINETTE BUENO

Eric Hill, a Bachelorette contestant in the upcoming season featuring Andi Dorfman, has died after a paragliding accident Sunday, his sister Karen Tracy confirmed on her Facebook.

"Eric shared his final journey with us this morning as all his immediate family were able to be at his side when he passed away," she wrote Wednesday. "Thank you to all of your love and support and prayers and fasting. It was amazing to be with so many of his friends and family yesterday in the hospital who came to express their love for Eric."

Hill, 30, was in a medically induced coma and in critical condition after part of his parachute collapsed when he was paragliding in Utah Sunday, April 20.

"We are deeply saddened to hear about the tragic passing of our friend, Eric Hill. Eric inspired us every day with his passion, his courage and his adventurous spirit, and for that we are very thankful," Bachelorette producers said in a statement. "On behalf of our cast, crew and producers, we send our love, our thoughts and our prayers to Eric’s family during this difficult time.”

According to Reality Steve, Hill was no longer part of the hit ABC show at the time of the accident -- he had reportedly already been eliminated. Though UsWeekly reports that Hill was actually chosen for the coveted first one-on-one date with Dorfman.

"He gave us such a gift of a life fully lived and fully shared, and allowed us all to be a part of his last adventure here on earth. It is hard to think of life without his bright spark, but we know he is on to new adventures," Tracy added. "We look forward to carrying on his legacy here and greeting him joyfully again someday. I love you so much, little brother!"