sickbay (12 posts)

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Dennis Quaid was a man on a mission today.

Motivated by the pain experienced by his own family, the actor testified before Congress Wednesday about the overdose of blood thinners his newborn twins were given at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in November, which led to his current lawsuit against heparin maker Baxter Healthcare Corp.

Taking away individuals' rights to take pharmaceutical companies to court and hold them accountable for their actions would turn consumers into "uninformed and uncompensated lab rats," Quaid said.

In an effort to ward off costly, time-consuming litigation, the Food and Drug Administration has argued in the past on the behalf of the drug makers that federal regulation supersedes the need for state action.

But Quaid, having seen firsthand that government oversight leaves plenty of room for error, doesn't agree.

"Like many Americans, I believed that a big problem in our country was frivolous lawsuits," Quaid testified. "But now I know that the courts are often the only path to justice."

New Line Cinema

The original Bret Maverick is gunning for a full recovery.

James Garner, who embodied the riverboat gambler long before Mel Gibson tried his hand at it, was hospitalized Friday after suffering a minor stroke at his Los Angeles home, according to the actor's rep.

"He's still in the hospital, but my understanding is he is doing well and will be going home soon," publicist Jennifer Allen told the Associated Press Tuesday. "When, exactly, we have not been told yet."

Garner, who's best known to younger generations for his more recent roles in films such as The Notebook, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Space Cowboys and the sitcom 8 Simple Rules, turned 80 last month.

The veteran actor starred in the first three seasons of the 1957-1962 TV series Maverick—and later turned up in the 1994 film—and won an Emmy for his lead role in the 1970s-era detective drama The Rockford Files.

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Toni Braxton is still on the mend.

The R&B diva won't be returning to her long-running show at the Flamingo Las Vegas for at least another month, after what was initially supposed to be a three-week break for health reasons, according to a rep for Harrah's Entertainment.

Toni Braxton: Revealed is scheduled to close in August, but the titular star hasn't been onstage since she was hospitalized with chest pains on the evening of April 7.

No one is commenting on her current medical condition, but Braxton has been treated in the past for pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart.

Donny and Marie Osmond have inked a deal to put on a greatest-hits-style variety show once Braxton's two-year run at the Flamingo ends.

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage.com

Johnny Depp doesn't sport all that jewelry just to look hot. (That's just a by-product.)

In advance of his 45th birthday on June 9, Johnny's Angels—a club whose members share both a love for the Sweeney Todd star and a yen for doing good—is urging fellow fans to don a Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition memorial bracelet (which Depp has been spotted wearing) in honor of the brave kids involved with the organization and the way they've touched the lives of others.

Depp's wristwear is imprinted with the phrase "Today Is a Gift...Have Fun," but other choices include "Only Love" and "Live and Love It Up." The messages are printed on a silver bar on a silver or leather band and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the CHPCC.

"Thanks to organizations like Johnny's Angels, more and more people are learning about the work of [CHPCC]," said cofounders Lori Butterworth and Devon Dabbs. "With the support of Mr. Depp's fans, we know that we'll be better able to make a difference in the lives of children with life-threatening conditions and their families."

Other celebs who have worn the bracelets: Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Mandy Moore, Jeremy Piven, Kiefer Sutherland, Nia Vardalos, Bradley Whitford, Jane Kaczmarek and Tom Bergeron.

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The Best Damn Tour? Fans are going to have reserve judgment.

In news that will undoubtedly hearten Hilary Duff, rival Avril Lavigne has been rendered speechless after coming down with acute laryngitis. The illness has forced the Canadian punky popster to scrap six additional shows on her North American tour, bringing the grand total of nixed dates to eight.

"My sincerest apologies to all of my fans," she said in a statement Saturday night. "My intention was to complete the rest of the tour, but tonight at sound check in Anaheim I realized this wasn't possible. Even though I have been resting my voice for days, when I tried to sing nothing came out."

Refunds will be available on Monday for the six concerts—in addition to Anaheim and Sunday's gig in Los Angeles, Lavigne will skip dates in Santa Barbara and San Jose, Calif., and Spokane and Eureka, Wash. She had previously canceled shows last week in San Diego and Phoenix.

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Lawanda Jackson's own personal file is getting thicker by the minute.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury voted to indict the ex-UCLA Medical Center staffer, who poked through confidential records belonging to Farrah Fawcett, Maria Shriver and at least 60 other patients, on a felony charge of obtaining individually identifiable health information for commercial advantage.

The info Jackson allegedly sold concerned Fawcett's cancer battle and the buyer was reportedly the National Enquirer, according to the Los Angeles Times. And Jackson is looking at a possible 10-year prison sentence if convicted.

In fact, the former Charlie's Angels pinup recently urged Jackson—who earlier this month denied poking around for profit—to come clean.

Fawcett "reached out to her and said, 'You're in a lot of trouble, and you should come forward now while you can and do the right thing,' " Craig Nevius, producer of the actress' upcoming documentary A Wing and a Prayer, told the Times. "Lawanda was very nice to Farrah and said she would speak to her at some point in the future but had been advised to keep her mouth shut for now."

ABC

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are just going to have to dance to the beat of their own hearts now.

The might-be-a couple were eliminated from Dancing With the Stars Tuesday after their tango-mambo double feature fell short with the voters.

"The show's been amazing. I learned a lot, and I've made a friend for life," Elizabeth said, smartly skirting a question about the connection she's formed with Hough over the past seven weeks.

"Wow, she's been great," Hough added when host Tom Bergeron pointedly asked his thoughts on the actress as a "dance partner."

But while their personal plotline is to be continued, it was Cristián de la Fuente who provided the answer to the real question on everyone's mind.

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Chicago isn't Mýa's kind of town just yet.

The Grammy-winning R&B songstress had been scheduled to make her Broadway debut May 12, playing husband-offer Velma Kelly in the Bob Fosse production, but a broken left foot has forced her to lay her fishnets aside for the time being.

Mýa's run was set to last for nine weeks, but it's unclear when she'll end up joining the show. There's no word on who might take the stage in her absence.

"We are sometimes forced to deal with circumstances beyond our control," producer Barry Weissler said in a statement. "But speaking for the entire Chicago creative team, we all wish her a speedy recovery, and look forward to experiencing her portrayal of Velma Kelly as soon as possible."

The "Ghetto Supastar" harmonizer isn't completely new to the Chicago cellblock, however—she already sharpened her claws playing merry murderess Mona in Rob Marshall's 2003 Oscar-winning feature adaptation.

ABC/KELSEY McNEAL

Despite his initial on-air diagnosis, Cristián de la Fuente's dancing injury may have been more serious than just a muscle cramp.

An ABC rep has confirmed to E! News that the Latin hot-stepper is paying a visit to a specialist this morning in advance of tonight's Dancing With the Stars results show—a trip that will not only reveal the true extent of his injury and whether surgery will be required but also determine whether he'll be able to continue on in the competition.

The injury brought his samba with pro partner Cheryl Burke to a near-screeching halt Monday, rendering his left arm lifeless and resulting in Tom Bergeron sending viewers to a premature commercial break.

After receiving his scores from the judges—sevens across the board—which he heard while holding an ice pack on his forearm, de la Fuente was moved on to a gurney and transported via ambulance to the hospital.

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ABC

Step in time with our Dancing with the Stars performance show liveblog:

It's week seven and the remaining six contestants' feet will really be put to the fire tonight as each aspiring disco-ball hoister takes on two dances for the first time. Who do you think needs to really step it up, so to speak, to avoid elimination?

First up, comeback kid Marissa Jaret Winokur takes on the tango. But she also had to learn the rumba this week, so she's hoping to avoid the rumbango...

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