NEW ORLEANS – CeeLo was looking for a little New Orleans action. David Gregory was taking the weekend off from “Meet the Press.” And Paul McCartney was hanging out at a party that included Pitbull and Flo Rida.
It was a rich and eclectic mix of stars of all wattages on Friday night, as partying got under way in earnest before Sunday’s big game.
Additional Photos
CeeLo was the featured performer at ESPN Magazine’s “Next” party, which had a guest list that included Michael Phelps, NASCAR driver Kyle Bush, Kelly Rowland, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Piven, Josh Hutcherson and current and former football players such as Emmitt Smith, Cris Carter, DeSean Jackson.
CeeLo performed with his old rap clique Goodie Mobb. The group, which was an offshoot of OutKast before CeeLo became a solo hit, is coming out with a new album later this year. Though the ESPN party was the main event of his night, he made it clear it would not be his only one: “New Orleans has got a lot to offer; I may get into a little trouble.”
The stars were spread out across New Orleans: McCartney gave a rock royalty air to the Rolling Stone party.
At Audi’s Super Bowl lounge, Will Ferrell, Jeremy Renner and Olivia Munn mingled, and Playboy attracted Neil Patrick Harris, David Arquette and others. Back at the ESPN party, Gregory, a Redskins fan, admitted to playing hooky from his weekly political show.
“To get a chance to come to New Orleans on top of it all, it doesn’t get much better than this. I love sports, I love the Super Bowl, so this is a great opportunity,” said Gregory.
‘Bling Ring’ participant spared jail
LOS ANGELES – A woman who pleaded no contest to receiving a jacket stolen from Paris Hilton received three years of supervised probation on Friday in a sentence described by a judge as lenient due to missteps by a police officer.
Courtney Leigh Ames is one of a group of young adults accused of burglarizing celebrities’ homes and stealing more than $3 million in jewelry, high-end fashion and other luxury goods. All the cases have been resolved with plea deals, with several members of the group dubbed the “Bling Ring” receiving no jail or prison time
The homes of Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and several other celebrities were burglarized during 2008-09.
Prosecutors dropped burglary and other felony charges against Ames in exchange for her plea.
Travis pleads guilty to driving while drunk
SHERMAN, Texas – Randy Travis pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated Thursday in a case that began last summer when the country music star was found naked after crashing his Pontiac Trans Am.
Travis received two years of probation, a $2,000 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence.
He was ordered to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility, complete 100 hours of community service and have an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he operates while on probation.
Travis, 53, entered the plea in a court in Sherman. The misdemeanor was punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
As the singer walked out of the Grayson County Courthouse, he thanked the court and his supporters. He also acknowledged two patrolmen for “obviously taking care of me that night.”
“I’m glad it’s behind me,” he said of the case.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.