Blog Posts by Matthew Perpetua

Lady Gaga has been challenged to embraced vegetarianism
and pose in a lettuce dress on her visit to India this weekend. The
singer, who famously wore a dress made out of meat at the MTV Video
Music Awards in 2010, will be in New Delhi for the country's first
Formula 1 Grand Prix race, as well as an invitation-only concert at one
of the city's five-star hotels on Sunday.

Photos: Lady Gaga's Best Looks

PETA
India has put the pressure on the pop star to promote vegetarianism,
and they have offered her a lettuce gown for a photo shoot. The dress,
which would be held together by pins and threads, would need to be
constructed leaf by leaf on her body. "Someone will be on hand to spray
the lettuce with water so that it doesn't wilt," says Sachin Bangera of
PETA India.

As of yet, Lady Gaga has not publicly accepted PETA India's challenge.

Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

Big Sean has been cleared of sexual assault charges
stemming from an incident earlier this year in Buffalo, New York.
Third-degree sex abuse and forcible touching charges against the rapper,
born Sean Anderson, have been dropped as part of a plea deal for a
misdemeanor count of unlawful imprisonment. Anderson had been accused of
harassing a 17-year-old girl at a concert along with Willie Antonio
"Sayitainttone" Hansbro, who accepted the same plea deal.

"In
order to get this entire ordeal behind him Mr. Anderson agreed to plead
guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful imprisonment with a $750
fine," the rapper's lawyer Scott Leemon said in a statement to XXLMag.com.
"Mr. Anderson regrets any misunderstandings that occurred that day and
reiterates he did not engage in any type of sexual misconduct."

Related

• Artist to Watch: Big Sean, Kanye West's Quick-Witted Protégé

Photo by Jerritt Clark/WireImage

In a phone interview with the Today Show this morning, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler insisted that he was sober when he fell in the shower of his South American hotel room earlier this week, breaking his front teeth.

"Being
in the program, it's something we have to expect," Tyler told Matt
Lauer, shooting down speculation that he had relapsed into alcoholism.
"People thinking that is natural and normal. We flew last night from
Paraguay after that incident and we're in Argentina for two hours. And
anyone who knows anyone who uses substances wouldn't be up at this hour
having a talk with Matt Lauer and the rest of America. It's nothing I
don't understand. It makes me a little upset. But people think that."

Despite
the superficial injuries to his face, Tyler confirmed that he will not
be missing any shows on the band's current tour. "Short of having my
legs taken off, people are going to expect me onstage no matter what,"
he said. "I went out onstage last night and I wore my

Coldplay have decided not to distribute their latest album Mylo Xyloto
to streaming services such as Spotify, Rhapsody and Rdio, though they
did allow for streams of songs from the new record through iTunes last
week. The band have not offered any explanation for their decision.

"We always work with our artists and management on a case by case
basis to deliver the best outcome for each release," the band's label
EMI said in a statement. Nevertheless, sources close to the label have
told CNET that they are not pleased with the band's decision, as these
streaming services have had some success in bringing some listeners back
into the habit of paying for music.

Though Coldplay are keeping their new record off of streaming services, their back catalog - along with the Mylo Xyloto single "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" - is currently available on Spotify, among other services.

Related

• Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Coldplay Songs
• Album Review: Coldplay - 'Mylo Xyloto'

Photo by Stephen

Singer Kevin Richardson has announced
that he will return to the Backstreet Boys this winter
after a lengthy hiatus from the group. Richardson, who left the band in 2006,
will reunite with the rest of the Backstreet Boys at a special concert in the
Bahamas as part of their second annual SS Backstreet cruise.

In an interview
with Ryan Seacrest yesterday, Richardson suggested that he may stick around
for more shows in the future. "I would never say that it would never happen,"
says Richardson. "I would love to perform with them again on a more regular
basis. Our chemistry when we come together just feels like old times."

Photos: Random
Notes

Though Richardson's involvement in future Backstreet Boys tours
remains up in the air, the other four members of the group are slated to perform
on a European leg of their NKOTBSB tour with New Kids on the Block in the
spring.

Photo by Graeme Flegenheimer/FilmMagic

A Not So Silent Night, the McGarrigle/Wainwright family's annual
Christmas show, will return this December after a two-year hiatus
prompted by matriarch Kate McGarrigle's illness and eventual death last
year. The shows, which will take place at the Theatre St. Dennis in
Montreal on December 11th and at Town Hall in Manhattan on December
15th, will feature holiday-themed performances by members of the musical
family including Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Anna McGarrigle
and Loud Wainwright. Rolling Stone caught up with Rufus to chat about the show, as well as the Brooklyn premiere of his opera Prima Donna and his forthcoming pop album with producer Mark Ronson.

How many years have you been doing this Christmas show with your family?
We
did it for several years about four years ago, with my mother, Kate
McGarrigle. And that was all fine and dandy, and then, unfortunately she
passed away and we needed to take a two year hiatus just to get the
spirit back. We're a little cheerier

Morrissey has
been granted
a trial in his libel
suit against the NME, who he claims defamed his character by running an
interview in 2007 that portrayed him as racist and xenophobic.

"Overall,
in my judgment a proper balance between the Article 10 right of freedom of
expression of [NME magazine] and Mr. Morrissey's right to the protection of his
individual reputation requires, in the circumstances of this case, that the
action be permitted to proceed," wrote Britain's most senior libel judge, Mr.
Justice Tugendhat, in an official statement.

Photos: Random Notes
The high court trial
for the case is expected to begin sometime in 2012. This will be the first libel
trial before jury in the United Kingdom in over two years, in part because such
cases tend to be complex, expensive and long.

Photo by JSN Photography/WireImage

A judge in Atlanta has finalized
singer Christina Milian's divorce from songwriter and producer
The-Dream. According to Milian's attorney, Randy Kessler, the final
paperwork was signed by the judge earlier this month and the divorce was
resolved by mutual agreement. Milian and The-Dream were married in 2009
and separated in July 2010. The former couple have an infant daughter
together.

Photos: Random Notes

"People make too much of me and Christina anyway. We weren't together that long, only like six months," The-Dream told Rolling Stone
last month. "I know who I am. Christina and Nivea [his first ex-wife]
know who I am and one day they'll look back and say, "You know who was a
dope m**********r? Dream. Other men played me, but him? He set it
straight down, like Patròn, no chaser."

Related

• The-Dream: Def Jam Rushed the Release of 'Love King'
• Christina Milian Says Marriage to The-Dream was 'Hell'
  

Photo by Michael N. Todaro/FilmMagic