Sorry, Scarlett's taken
LOS ANGELES -- Scarlett Johansson and her boyfriend, Ryan Reynolds, are engaged.
The 23-year-old actress and the 31-year-old actor have not set a wedding date, Johansson's publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said Monday.
Johansson's recent credits include "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Nanny Diaries." Reynolds recently starred in "Definitely, Maybe." He was previously engaged to Alanis Morissette.
NEW YORK -- Tom Hanks is supporting presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
Hanks has taken to his MySpace.com page to pledge his support for Obama, who is competing to be the first black president. Obama, who faces rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, has also been endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen and Scarlett Johansson.
"As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you," the 51-year-old actor says in a short video titled, "Beware: Celebrity Endorsement."
"History with a capital 'H' is going to be made this November, no matter who the president-elect is. I want Barack Obama to be president of this country, a country that once said people with his skin color were only three-fifths of a human being."
M. Night Shyamalan says his new film, "The Happening," will terrify moviegoers. "It is an extremely scary movie. This is meant to scare you," the Indian-born director told reporters Monday. Shyamalan, 37, was visiting India to receive one of the country's highest civilian awards for his contribution to cinema. Mark Wahlberg plays a schoolteacher on the run from a natural disaster that threatens the entire world. "You would never have seen Mark in a role like this -- he's human, sweet and funny. He plays an ordinary schoolteacher who is not going to come up with a genius plan to save the world," he said. "The Happening," which also stars Zooey Deschanel, opens June 13 in theaters worldwide.
France honored Kylie Minogue on Monday, making her Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution to French culture. The 39-year-old Australian singer received the prestigious title the day before kicking off a world tour for her album "X." Past recipients include Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan. Culture Minister Christine Albanel called Minogue the "princess of pop, the uncontested queen of the dance floor."
Prince the musical auteur is becoming an author. "21 Nights," a "photographic essay" that offers "a rare glimpse into the life, lyrics, and mystique" of the maker of such hits as "1999" and "Purple Rain," will be published worldwide come fall, according to Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book, his first, is based on Prince's 21 sold-out concerts in as many nights at London's O2 Arena in 2007. "21 Nights" will include a CD of after-hours jams, "Indigo Nights," unavailable from any other outlet.
Avril Lavigne has laryngitis and has postponed shows on her national tour this week. The 23-year-old singer, whose hits include "Complicated" and "Girlfriend," backed out of performances in Los Angeles and Anaheim over the weekend. She was supposed to perform in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, San Jose on Wednesday, Spokane, Wash., on Friday and Everett, Wash., on Saturday. Refunds are available where fans purchased tickets, Lavigne's message said.
A Manhattan prosecutor says a former mental patient "terrified" actress Uma Thurman by stalking and harassing her for more than two years. Assistant District Attorney Jessica Taub says in Monday's closing arguments that Jack Jordan's trial "is not about a man in love." Defense lawyer George Vomvolakis concedes that Jordan's behavior was obsessive. But he says his client never meant to scare, harass, annoy or alarm the actress. Jordan faces up to a year in jail if convicted of aggravated harassment and stalking the star of "Pulp Fiction," "Kill Bill" and other films.