'Punk'd' Taps Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus For Comeback

MTV's legendary hidden-camera show will re-launch with rotating cast of guest hosts on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET.
By Gil Kaufman


"Punk'd" Logo
Photo: MTV

<P>One of MTV's most beloved series, "Punk'd," is gearing up for a fresh round of hidden-camera celebrity gotchas when it re-launches next month with a whole new look and feel. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1676743" width="240" height="211"></div><p> The prank show from mastermind/ executive producer Ashton Kutcher, which originally aired from 2003 to 2007, will hit the air at 10 p.m. ET on March 29 as part of a new hour-long block of original programming that will also include a "Jersey Shore" spin-off show entitled, "The Pauly D Project." <b><big>Check out the 15 most memorable moments from the original "Punk'd" show here.</big></b> While Kutcher enjoyed taking down his pals and unsuspecting celebrities last time, the 2.0 version of "Punk'd" will feature a rotating cast of celebrity hosts each week. Among those lined up to fill the "Two and a Half Men" star's shoes are: Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Hayden Panettiere, Bam Margera and "Punk'd" alum Dax Shepard, among others. They will prank their fellow Hollywood pals, including Khlo&#233; Kardashian Odom, "Teen Wolf" star Tyler Posey, Demi Lovato and many more. Not only will the celebrity hosts take the punking to a new and unnecessarily complex level, but for the first time in series history, viewers will also get a behind-the-scenes peek at what it takes to pull off these elaborate pranks. During its initial run, "Punk'd" pulled some all-time classic gags on such unsuspecting targets, one of which occurred in the series premiere, when a then-22-year-old Justin Timberlake broke down in tears when he thought government agents were seizing his home because of $900,000 in unpaid taxes. Other classic bits included one in which Beyonc&#233; is tricked into believing that she caused a giant Christmas tree to topple over on some presents intended for a group of underprivileged children, ruining their holiday. <b>Catch "Punk'd" when it returns on Thursday, March 29 at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.</b> <b>For more on the return of MTV's "Punk'd" check out the Remote Control blog.</b></p>

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Heavy D's Death Hits Nicki Minaj, Usher, More Celebs

'Truly gone too soon,' Usher tweets Tuesday.
By James Dinh


Heavy D arrives at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California
Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images

<P>Hip-hop lost a rap icon when Heavy D died Tuesday afternoon (November 8) at age 44, and the music industry is clearly mourning the loss. A string of stars, including Usher, Timbaland and Nicki Minaj, have shared their memories of the late MC on Twitter. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:709301.id:1674015" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Usher offered his sympathy to the family of the Jamaican-born rap heavyweight, tweeting, "This is too heavy, I can't believe it. HEAVY D was just here. Truly gone too soon. My heart and support goes out to his family. R.I.P HEAVY." Mega-producer Timbaland couldn't even process the announcement, writing, "I'm at a loss for words rip heavy d." After re-tweeting the late-MC's last message ("BE INSPIRED"), hip-hop's Harajuku Barbie also weighed in on the news. "We'll never forget you babe! #hiphopelite #RIPHeavyD," Nicki wrote. From one raptress to the next, Missy Elliott shared her thoughts: "U will be missed Heavy D so many laughs we've shared but your Music is Timeless and will Always be Around 4ever Love u Heav..." Ciara described the MC as "a really nice man. Sending my condolences to him and his family!" DJ Drama and Nick Cannon reflected on the icon's impact. "Heavy D 'Who's The Man' was one of my 1st pieces of vinyl when I first started djayin," DJ Drama wrote. "Def 1 of the first 5 records I spent $ on. RIP." Cannon said he had "just talked" to Heavy D, adding, "He was just encouraging me about life." "RIP TO A REAL HIP HOP LEGEND HEAVY D!" Nas chimed in. Juelz Santana recalled the rapper/actor's recent BET Hip Hop Awards performance. "RIP Heavy D. He was a Hip Hop Legend," he shared. "Crazy how sh-- happens. I was late 2 da BET Awards &amp; Heavy D's Performance was 1 of da only 2 I got 2 see. Blessed 4 dat opportunity. RIP." Boyz II Men, who shared the '90s spotlight with the MC, sent condolences to his family, writing, "UGH...heavy d..always cool as hell with us..just a sick feeling....praying for his little daughter and family." Share your memories of Heavy D on Facebook. <center> </center></p>

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Justin Bieber Records With Drake For Believe

Bieber's manager confirms on Twitter that the young pop star hit the studio with Drizzy for his upcoming album.
By Jocelyn Vena


Drake and Justin Bieber
Photo: MTV News

<P><i>Believe</i> it or not, there doesn't seem to be anyone that Justin Bieber isn't getting on his in-the-works next album. It seems that fellow Canadian and Take Care rapper Drake has been tapped to appear on the album, set for release later this year. The news of their collabo was confirmed on Thursday (February 9) by Bieber's manager Scooter Braun on Twitter. But any Belieber could have easily figured out whom Bieber was referring to when he tweeted this message to his devotees: "You really wanna know who im going into the studio with tonight??#bigbro #CANADA." <center></center> This Drizzy collabo has been a long time in the making. At the 2010 VMAs, Bieber shared with MTV News that he wanted to get his pal on his next proper (non-holiday) album. Then, in a radio interview late last year, he confirmed that Drake, along with Kanye West, was in talks to work on <i>Believe.</i> However, as the list of collaborators for the album grows, one more name is being tossed about as a potential collaborator. Sources tell Hollywoodlife.com that Ke$ha may appear on <i>Believe.</i> The source says that K-dollar sign "would also be a part of the song in a duet capacity." The duet has yet to be confirmed, and K is busy in the studio working on her own rock and roll-inspired album. This wouldn't be the first time Bieber and Ke$ha have paired up. They appeared together at the 2010 Grammy Awards, where the newbies presented the award for Best New Artist to the Zac Brown Band. Super-producers Pharrell, will.i.am and Lil Wayne (who recently visited Bieber in the studio) are among the other names that have been tossed about as possible folks working with Bieber on the album. <i>Believe</i> is the follow-up Christmas-themed <i>Under the Mistletoe,</i> which was released in late 2011. <i>What collaborations do you hope to see on</i> Believe<i>? Leave your comments below!</i></p>

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