'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia meets up with Antwuan Cook after being released from hospital

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>The latest news in the Fantasia saga is that merely one day after being released from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital for a drug overdose and suicide attempt, she had a meeting with her "off and on" boyfriend Antwuan Cook in a local park. Per an article on People.com:

The two were spotted visiting a local park and appeared to be in deep conversation – all while cameras, presumably for her VH1 reality show, Fantasia for Real, captured the conversation.

Additionally, the 911 call was made public:



To add to things, VH1 issued a statement that the first episode of Fantasia For Real's second season, which kicks off on Sun., Sept. 19, would be changed to accommodate the incident before retracting the statement. It may just be me, but all this is sounding pretty opportunistic, especially when considering Fanny's latest album hits stores in less than two weeks. Well, if her goal (and her manager's goal) was to get the public to remember her, they surely accomplished it this week (photo courtesy of People.com).

-------------------------------------------
>After all the drama that went down this week with reports that Jennifer Lopez is out of the running to replace Ellen DeGeneres or Simon Cowell as a judge for Season 10, good ol' Nigel Lythgoe interjected to smooth out the waves made by the rumors. Accoring to Uncle Nigel:

He tells Extra, "These people don't know Jennifer Lopez. She's a wonderful woman. I've never seen her be a diva in her life!"

Well, that's hardly a denial that J. Lo has been axed from consideration, but I guess it's better than a confirmation of the news - for Lopez at least.

-------------------------------------------
>Kimberly Caldwell will today appear at the AT&T store in Tustin, Calif., where she will perform in concert beginning at 1 p.m. She will then hang around to meet and greet fans until 3 p.m. More information on the event per the media advisory:

Event attendees will have an opportunity to meet KIIS FM’s Manny on the Street between 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Honda Center, Tuesday, August 17.

The store is located at 2219 Park Ave between Tustin Ranch and Park Avenue. Kimberly's debut album Without Regret will be released on Tues., Dec. 31, and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.

-------------------------------------------
>Jordin Sparks recently spent a day with a teen girl named Kyrie who devoted her time to charitable work with kids in Jamaica as part of Famous Footwear's "Famous for a Day" program. Watch the video below courtesy of Famous Footwear's official YouTube channel:



Jordin brought Kyrie 50 pair of shoes for the children of Jamaica in addition to hanging out with her for the day and inviting her backstage to a Jordin's concert. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, of Jordin's charitable contributions.

-------------------------------------------

>Season 6 Top 16 contestant Asia'h Epperson is the latest Idol alum to land in hot water, at least legally, as she was arrested last night after allegedly beating up a clubgoer with her sister in Hollywood. Per TMZ:

According to sources, Epperson and another chick -- her sister -- kicked another clubgoer's butt inside Colony club.

TMZ's paps captured video of Asia'h with rapper Too Short (who?) earlier in the evening. She was released on bail early this morning. Why question is, why did TMZ have video of Asia'h before she was even arrested? Makes no sense. Either way, it's nice to see Season 6 is still being represented well.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

Fantasia's manager issues statement on overdose incident

Fantasia's manager Brian Dickens has finally issued a full statement on Fantasia's alleged suicide attempt in the form of an overdose on aspirin and sleep aids. Courtesy of TMZ:

Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.

Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage and his heart was not in it. She believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.


He even took her there. One of Mr. Cook’s most redeeming qualities was his complete devotion to his children. Fantasia fell in love with Mr. Cook and believed that he loved her.

Fantasia and Mr. Cook dated on and off for about eleven months. The pressure of the constant media attention was hard on their relationship. Fantasia gave inconsistent interviews about the status of her relationship with Mr. Cook because sometimes they were on and sometimes they were off.

When they were on, they spent most of their time together when she was not traveling with work.
Fantasia read Mrs. Cook’s Complaint against Mr. Cook for the first time yesterday. She knows some of the allegations in Mrs. Cook's complaint are totally false. There are others she strongly doubts. There is plenty she does not know.

Fantasia is heartbroken and is sorry for any pain she may have caused.

Yesterday, she was totally overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention. Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized. She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid.

Her injuries are not life threatening. She was dehydrated and exhausted at the time. Fantasia is stable now. She will be released from the hospital soon. Fantasia is a fighter and a survivor. This is not the hardest thing Fantasia has endured.

Fantasia will be stronger, smarter, and better for it. Her work has always inspired her and served as a source of strength. Her new album, “Back To Me,” will be released on August 24th.

The lyrics to “I’m Here” say it best:
“I Believe I Have Inside Of Me
Everything That I Need To Live A Bountiful Life
With All The Love Inside Of Me
I’ll Stand As Tall As The Tallest Tree
And I’m Thankful For Each Day That I’m Given
Both The Easy And The Hard Ones I’m Livin’
But Most Of All
Yes, I’m Thankful For Lovin’ Who I Really Am”

Fantasia sends her praise to God and her eternal gratitude to her fans, friends, and family.

God is good.

Interesting that the manager was able to squeeze in a mention of Fanny's upcoming album release, eh? Thankfully, it looks like she's going to be alright after all. Hopefully Fantasia continues to be an "open book" by explaining these actions in depth upon being released and cleaning herself up.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

UPDATE: police report classifies Fantasia's overdose as "suicide attempt"

After a rough couple of days, Fantasia seems to have ended up in the hospital following an overdose. From TMZ:

Fantasia Barrino's rep has officially confirmed reports that the "American Idol" champ was rushed to a North Carolina hospital last night after a "medication overdose

This news comes after allegations of an affair with Antwuan Cook reignited last week when Cook's wife Paula singled Fanny out in a divorce petition that her involvement with Mr. Cook was the root of their breakup. The latest piece of the story is that a sex tape featuring Mr. Cook and Fanny exists.

UPDATE: Video from outside Fantasia's home has been obtained by Charlotte's NBC affiliate WCNC. The reporter said the police report classified the incident as an "suicide attempt":



Fantasia's third studio album, Back to Me, is set to hit stores in exactly two weeks. Her VH1 reality series Fantasia For Real will return on Sat., Oct. 2.

Of course, we all hope and pray things will turn out well for the Season 3 champ. Stay tuned for the latest developments on Fanny's saga.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...