Pop Stand

Russell Brand and Katy Perry married Saturday night at a luxury resort in India  near where the couple became engaged on New Year's Eve. The eclectic ceremony featured elephants, sitar music and henna painting of the bride's hands, arms and feet. Comedian Brand and singer Perry "were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Brand on Saturday, October 23," reps for the couple confirmed. "The very private and spiritual ceremony, attended by the couples' closest family and friends, was performed by a Christian minister and longtime friend of the Hudson family. The backdrop was the inspirational and majestic countryside of Northern India." Before the ceremony, a lavish Indian bazaar was set up so guests could adorn themselves in jewels and saris. Spectators outside the ceremony could hear traditional Rajasthani folk musicians singing in the Aman-i-Khas resort, as well as sacred Vedic chanting and applause and cheering. Perry's friend Rihanna, who was rumored to be the maid of honor, was not able to make the ceremony, but sources close to the couple said Perry understood that her friend had to get to work in the recording studio.

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An earlier wrinkle in the nuptial weekend is more serious --a group of photographers who were following Brand and his guests as they toured a tiger sanctuary. left, told police they were beaten and left stranded when Brand's security guys swiped the keys to their Jeep. Photographers from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Press and the Hindustan Times) say they were some 330 feet behind two vehicles holding Brand and other members of his party in Ranthambhore National Park when two of Brand's guards jumped out and attacked them and their driver. The attackers also grabbed the car keys, and when AP photographer Mustafa Quraishi tried to grab the keys back, he says he was punched repeatedly by a bodyguard, leaving him with a cut on his arm, smashed glasses and a broken camera. Park rangers eventually responded and retrieved the keys before the blood attracted the big cats. In a statement to Us magazine, Ranthambhore police said, "The photographers have filed an official complaint of assault and all witnesses, including Mr. Brand, will be questioned about this. Police officers will be going to the hotel tomorrow to advise the alleged perpetrators of an arrest and that a case has been filed. It is certainly not a good thing because an Indian photographer has been beaten up in his own country by a foreigner. The photographer would like an apology and if the perpetrator is willing to apologize then we can take back the case."

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Céline Dion gave birth to fraternal twin boys by C-section at 11:11 a.m. and 11:12 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., her rep says, adding, "Celine, René [Angelil] and their son René-Charles are thrilled." The boys, who weigh 5 lbs., 4 oz., and 5 lbs., 10 oz., spent a day or so in an incubator because they were born premature. "René-Charles has been to the hospital to visit his brothers and is just so excited they are here," Dion's rep said of the singer's oldest son, who is 9. On Sunday, Angelil said, "We haven’t been sleeping much the last couple of days but everything is going really well. We’re so happy. ... Taking them in our arms is like nothing else." As of Sunday night, the twins were still nameless. "We thought we’d have chosen the names by now," Angelil said. "But maybe seeing their faces it will help us." Dion had struggled to have another child for years, but her in-vitro attempts were unsuccessful, and a brief pregnancy last year ended in miscarriage.

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Days after Mel Gibson was uninvited to play a tattoo artist in "The Hangover II," Liam Neeson arrived in Los Angeles to begin filming the cameo. Late last week, the film's director, Todd Phillips, announced that dissent among the cast had made it impossible to hire Gibson. He said, "I thought Mel would have been great in the movie and I had the full backing of Jeff Robinov and his team.  But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew." TMZ reports that one of the stars who objected most strongly was Zach Galifianakis, and that Bradley Cooper did not object. While some complain that the actors happily worked with convicted rapist Mike Tyson, others say that Gibson's offensive actions are too recent. His attorneys are reportedly seeking testimony from the dentist of ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who photographed damage to her teeth and mouth after she said Gibson punched her in the face.

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Matt Damon and his wife, Luciana, welcomed their third daughter last week in New York. Stella Zavala Damon was born on Wednesday. "Mom and baby are both healthy," Damon's rep said.  "The whole family is thrilled." The Damons married in 2005 and are parents of Isabella, 4, and Gia, 2. Luciana also has a daughter, Alexia, 11, from a previous marriage.

-- Anne Neville

 

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Celebrities | Entertainment