More shocking developments in the investigation surrounding the brutal killing of Hollywood publicist, Ronni Chasen. Beverly Hills Police revealed some details and the direction of their investigation at a news conference this afternoon.

Beverly Hills Police Chief, David Snowden, admitted what many in the media have been saying, suicide victim, Harold Martin Smith, was more than a “person of interest” as the BHPD repeatedly described him — he was and is a “suspect.”

Smith, a 43-year-old long-time criminal, was confronted by Beverly Hills cops at the Harvey apartments in Los Angeles on December first. As the detectives attempted to serve a search warrant on him, Smith reportedly pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head.

Snowden says “…preliminary ballistics..” on that gun show that it was “…used to shoot Ms.Chasen…”  The indepth analysis on that gun should be complete in the “…next two weeks..” according to Snowden.

Beverly Hills police claim their investigation is 60-70 percent done and it indicates Smith more than likely rode a bicycle to the scene of the crime. Beverly Hills Police Sergeant, Michael Publicker, says it “…was a random act of violence, most likely a robbery gone bad.”

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Publicist Ronni Chasen

About three weeks ago, the entertainment industry was rocked by the shooting death of well-known press agent Chasen. Early in the morning on November 16, Chasen was gunned down on Whittier Drive, just south of Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

A short time before the shooting, Chasen had been mingling with partygoers at a function following the premiere of the movie musical, “Burlesque,” in nearby Hollywood.

Snowden told reporters at the news conference, there’s a lot of  “erroneous information” about that shooting scene in the media — but he would not give details.

However, Snowden confirmed the tip that led investigators to Smith came from the TV show, “America’s Most Wanted.” What is the connection between Smith and the tipster? Snowden didn’t talk about that.

Snowden says police believe, “… Mister Smith acted alone…” and “… don’t believe it was a professional hit.” Beverly Hills Police say Smith was just a “desperate” man out to rob Chasen. At this point, that sounds like a convenient rap to hang on a dead man.

Photo: Jay Clendenin/Los Angeles Times -- A body is removed from a Los Angeles apartment building where a man reportedly connected to the killing of publicist Ronni Chasen allegedly committed suicide December 2, 2010

UPDATED: 4:39 p.m.  A report on deadline.com claims the dead man has been identified as Harold Smith. Also, it says the hit on PR maven, Ronni Chasen, was the result of a business deal gone bad.

 A bizarre and deadly twist in the killing of well-known Hollywood publicist, Ronni Chasen. Late yesterday at the Harvey Apartments, 5640 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, a man the Beverly Hills Police are calling “a person of interest” reportedly committed suicide in the lobby of the complex.

Beverly Hills Police, who are handling the investigation into the shooting death of Chasen on November 16, continued to be tightlipped about their investigation. Los Angeles Police say Beverly Hills detectives attempted to serve the man with a search warrant in the lobby — that is when the man pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head. It happened around 6 p.m. yesterday.

The Los Angeles Times called the man a “suspect’ and said he was “believed to be in his 40s” and residents at the complex “knew him only as Harold.”  The Wrap added to the description by saying the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office had confirmed the man was “African American.”

On KNX 1070 newsradio this morning, some Harvey Apartment tenants said the man bragged about being involved in the Chasen killing and that he was about to get paid $10,000. Also, the man admitted to being an ex-convict and vowed never to go back to the ”pen.”

A little over two weeks ago, Chasen was gunned down in her Mercedes on Whittier Drive, south of Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, shortly after attending an after party for the movie premiere of  “Burlesque” in Hollywood.

The 64-year-old press agent was shot several times. Recently, a report came out describing one of the bullets as a hollow point – which is designed to expand once inside the body– causing more damage than a regular bullet. The shooter reportedly had “a steady hand,” according to Hollywood journalist, Allison Hope Weiner, on deadline.com.

The killer’s ability to shoot through a passenger window and hit the victim in the chest area repeatedly, indicates a high skill with firearms. That’s one of the reason there is so much speculation that the killing was a professional hit.  Yet, who would want to pay to have a popular publicist kill? One of the answers, the Beverly Hills police are probably hoping the dead man will not take with him to the grave.

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Publicist Ronni Chasen

The murder of Hollywood publicist,  Ronni Chasen, is looking more and more like a professional hit. Two weeks ago today, Chasen was gunned down in her Mercedes on Whittier Drive, south of Sunset Boulevard, in Beverly Hills at around 12:30 a.m.  A short time earlier, Chasen had attended a Hollywood party celebrating a the movie premiere of the musical, “Burlesque.”

Several gunshots hit the 64-year-old press agent and according to The Wrap, a leaked coroner’s report says at least one of those was a hollow-point bullet. That type of bullet is designed to expand once inside the body- - causing more damage than a normal bullet. The coroner’s report was obtained  by local station KTTV Fox 11.

So far, no information on the murder investigation from the Beverly Hills Police. A check of its website today — shows a couple of recent press releases from the BHPD — but none deal with the Chasen case.

This brutal murder has shocked and frightened many in the entertainment industry. Hopefully, the BH Police investigators are running down some hot leads and are not allowing the trail of killer or killers to grow cold.

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Publicist Ronni Chasen

Beverly Hills Police reportedly have a ”working theory” about the murder mystery surrounding the death of well-known Hollywood Publicist, Ronni Chasen.  The Hollywood Reporter posted an article on its website today saying investigators believe the fatal shooting of Chasen was planned and not “the result of road rage or a carjacking gone awry.” This fuels speculation that the attack was a professional hit.

The Hollywood Reporter attributed its information to a “Beverly Hills city official” who was allegedly briefed on the case by Beverly Hills Police Chief, David Snowden.  Also, THR is reporting investigators are reviewing video from a security camera at the Whittier Drive home of the late comedian, Buddy Hackett and are “actively” hunting for other video that might provide clues to what happened in the fatal assault on Chasen early Tuesday morning.

Chasen reportedly attended an after-party in Hollywood for the movie premiere of, “Burlesque,” before calling it a night and heading for home. The 64 -year-old press agent was apparently taking a shortcut to her Westside condo when she was gunned down. Chasen’s late model Mercedes-Benz crashed into a light pole on Whittier Drive just south of  Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, at around 12:30 a.m. on November 16. Chasen was shot five times in the chest and was pronounced dead at Cedars Sinai Medical Center a short time later.

Since the murder, police have searched Chasen’s home and her West Hollywood business, Chasen & Company, for potential evidence.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Meanwhile, a funeral for Chasen is set for 11 a.m. this Sunday, November 21, at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City. It will be followed by a private reception.

Hollywood Publicist gunned down

An investigation is underway into the early morning  fatal shooting of well-known Publicist, Ronni Chasen. There are reports, Chasen was shot several times in her car in Beverly Hills, after leaving a party following a premiere for the movie, “Burlesque.” More details on The Wrap.

New book from Barbra Streisand

Out today — a new book from  Superstar, Barbra Streisand. It’s not about singing, movies, or entertainment.  ”My Passion for Design” is about the singer’s love for American architecture and her adventures in designing and decorating numerous homes. This is Streisand’s first book.

Ted Koppel speaks out on the new brand of TV News

Photo: mediabistro.com -- Television Journalist Ted Koppel

 Veteran TV Journalist, Ted Koppel, has an excellent, thought provoking opinion piece in the Washington Post about the new trend in TV News, which has made stars of Glenn Beck, Keith Olbermann, and Bill O’Reilly.

“What we really need in our search for truth is a commodity that used to be at the heart of good journalism: facts – along with a willingness to present those facts without fear or favor,” Koppel opined.

However he admits, “The transition of news from a public service to a profitable commodity is irreversible.”  Check out Koppel’s opinion piece here.

“Megamind”  stops “Unstoppable” at the Box Office

“Megamind” is still tops at the Box Office, after going head-to-head with the new action flick, “Unstoppable” over the weekend. ”Megamind” earned $29.1 million to remain the number one movie in the country, for the second straight week.

“Unstoppable” is about a runaway train and efforts made to stop it in order to avoid a catastrophe. The film stars Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. “Unstoppable” debuted with $22.6 million — enough for second place.

The comedy, “Due Date,” landed in third with $15.4 million. The new sci-fi film, “Skyline,” swooped down into fourth with $11.6 million. The movie is about an alien invasion in Los Angeles  and stars Eric Balfour and Scottie Thompson.

Rounding out the top five, the new comedy-drama, “Morning Glory.” Despite its star power of Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford, the film managed only $9.2 million in its debut. The movie is about a producer struggling to save a morning show with feuding  anchors.

Actress Lindsay Lohan gets another break

Today a Beverly Hills judge ordered Actress Lindsay Lohan to do 67-days of supervised probation at home. Lohan was released from in-patient treatment at UCLA yesterday afternoon. This is the newest twist in Lohan latest troubles with the law, which include a 90-day jail sentence and 90-day rehab stint for a probation violation. Lohan served only a fraction of that time in both places. Details on The Wrap.  

Actress wins guest appearance on daytime TV soap

Photo: PRNewsFoto/ Procter and Gamble/ George Desota -- Aspiring Actress Jennifer Jean wins guest appearance on "As The World Turns"

 Jennifer Jean’s star is rising. The actress is the new “Brighten Bay Idol,” after winning an online talent search sponsored by Cheer/Procter & Gamble.  The contest kicked off last January with a call for audition tapes from talented thespians  on the Brighten Bay website.

Jean, a California native and former school teacher, has appeared in TV commercials, an independent film, numerous improv and sketch shows, according to a PR Newswire press release. 

Jean appears as Nurse Greta in the August 30th episode of the long running soap. It’s her first big break: “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that my favorite detergent brand, Cheer, would help catapult my acting career,” said Jean in the press release. “But starring in one of the final episodes of ‘As the World Turns’ is definitely going to be a turning point for me. I’m so grateful to all of the voters who chose my audition tape and can’t thank Cheer and ‘Brighten Bay Idol’ enough!”

 ”We were all blown away by Jennifer’s performance and are excited to help develop her acting career,” said Tara Murphy, Cheer brand manager.

Last December, CBS canceled “As The World Turns.”  So after 54 years and 13, 858 episodes,  the final installment of the daytime soap opera airs on September 17, 2010.

 ”The Expendables” still beating the competition at the Box Office

“The Expendables,” still packing them in at movie theaters this week. . The Sylvester Stallone project won the box office shoot-out for the second week in a row with a take of  $17 million.  The action flick continued to out pace the competition on Monday and and Tuesday picking up  an additional $4 million or so, to bring it’s 11-day domestic total to $69.3 million.

In second the new vampire movies spoof, “Vampires Suck,” with $12.2 million. Jenn Proske and Matt Lanter star in the horror comedy about a teenaged girl who falls for a mysterious guy at school who happens to be a vampire.

Julia Robert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”  landed in third with $12 million,. Fourth went to the new urban comedy, “Lottery Ticket,” which picked up $10.6 million  weekend. Bow Wow and Ice Cube star in this film about a young man living in the projects who wins a lottery and has to safe guard  his winning ticket from predators over a holiday weekend.

Rounding out the top five, the comedy action film, “The Other Guys” with $10 million.

Photo: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times – Actress Sandra Bullock and her husband, Jesse James, arrive at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night.

 Actress Sandra Bullock was one of the double winners at last night’s 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Despite the rain showers, Bullock looked cool, dry, and dazzling in a purple chiffon gown by Bottega Veneta. The actress quickly won a spot on most fashion critics’ best dressed list along with Penélope Cruz, Heidi Klum, and Drew Barrymore.

Once inside, both Bullock and Barrymore scored again — by winning Golden Globes.  Bullock won for best performance by an actress in a motion picture drama for “The Blind Side.” Barrymore took home the statuette for best performance in a mini-series or TV film by an actress for her role in “Grey Gardens.” 

Some of the other big winners were:

“Avatar”  Best Motion Picture Drama

“The Hangover”  Best Motion Picture Comedy of Musical

Jeff Bridges  Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for “Crazy Heart”

Robert Downey Jr.  Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for “Sherlock Holmes”

Meryl Streep  Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for “Julie & Julia”

Mo’Nique   Best Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture for “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire 

Christoph Waltz   Best Supporting Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for “Inglourious Basterds”

James Cameron   Best Director in a Motion Picture for “Avatar”

Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner   Best Screenplay Motion Picture for “Up in the Air”

For a complete list of the winners click over to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globes website.

Superstar Barbra Streisand is holding a major auction at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard, in Beverly Hills next month. The ”Collection of Barbra Streisand“ is over 500 items include fine paintings, antiques, and memorabilia from the entertainer’s career as a singer, actress, producer, and director. Among the highlights, costumes from Streisand films like, “Funny Lady,” “Yentl,” “Prince of Tides,” and “Meet The Fockers.”

The auction is Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18. All funds raised will go to the Barbra Streisand Foundation, which supports human rights and humanitarian causes around the globe. For more on the auction and the assortment of items up for bid go to the website of Julien’s Auctions.  

Everette “E” Lynn Harris (June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009)

Over the weekend, a number of tributes and obituaries for the late writer E. Lynn Harris, a pioneer in popular black fiction.

 Last week during a book tour for his latest novel, “Basketball Jones,” the bestselling author became ill at a Beverly Hills hotel. Harris died last Thursday night, July 23, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Harris self-published his first novel, “Invisible Life” and sold it out of the trunk of car, until he got a deal with big time publisher Doubleday in 1994. Harris created rich plots about the glamorous and complex lives of African-American professionals, both straight and gay. Harris is credited with being one of the first writers of mainstream fiction to portray male black characters living on the “down low,” in relationships with women, but secretively dating men.

Nine of Harris’ novels have hit the New York Times bestseller list, including “Just as I am: A Novel” (1994), “And This Too Shall Pass” (1996), “If This World Were Mine” (1997), and “I Say A Little Prayer” (2006). More than four million of Harris’ books are in print.

Harris was 54. So far, the cause of death has not been released.

Beverly Hills Courthouse

A Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge today cleared actress Lindsay Lohan of any probation violation. Lohan did not attend this morning’s court hearing, but her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, did. The hearing lasted around an hour and Holley came out and told reporters it was just a misunderstanding, “… this was really much ado about nothing.”

There was some sort of mix-up involving documentation dealing with Lohan’s treatment program. Holley says the problem developed when the 22-year-old actress switched programs. The mix-up led to an arrest warrant being issued for Lohan, last Friday.

As part of a plea agreement for two 2007 DUI incidents, Lohan was sentenced to 18 months in an alcohol treatment program and three years probation.

Actress Lindsay Lohan is in trouble with the law again. Today the People website and other media are reporting that the Beverly Hills police have an arrest warrant out for 22-year-old Lohan. The Beverly Hills Superior Court issued the $50,000 warrant yesterday. It apparently relates to some kind of probation violation in connection with Lohan’s DUI cases nearly two years ago.

In May of 2007, Lohan was arrested after crashing her Mercedes. The actress suffered minor injuries in that accident. Two months later in July, she was arrested again following a dispute and a high speed vehicle chase. Lohan ended up pleading guilty to being under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. In a plea deal, the actress was sentenced to one day in jail, ordered to complete an 18 month alcohol education program, and put on three years probation. 

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto star in “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“Slumdog Millionaire” has some additional Oscar buzz today after winning several major awards at the 66th Annual Golden Globes ceremony last night in Beverly Hills. “Slumdog Millionaire” picked up Globes for best movie drama, best film director, best film screenplay, and best original film score. The drama is about an orphan who struggles through a life in the slums to become a contestant on India’s version of the TV game show, ”Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Other top winners include Kate Winslet for best supporting film actress in “The Reader” and best film actress in a drama for “Revolutionary Road.” Mickey Rourke won the best film actor trophy for his work in “The Wrestler.” As expected, the best supporting actor in a film drama Globe went to the late Heath Ledger for his incredible performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association handed out a bunch of Globes for television achievement as well. The HBO mini-series “John Adams” won four awards.  Also, “30 Rock” was selected best TV comedy and “Mad Men” won for best TV drama. The complete list of all the winners along with photos and videos are on the Golden Globes website.  

 Actress/singer Beyonce has plenty to smile about these days. The nominations for the 40th NAACP Image Awards were announced in Beverly Hills today. Beyonce’s name was mentioned five times in connection with her hot new album “I Am…Sasha Fierce.” The entertainer received a sixth nomination for her supporting role in the film “Cadillac Records.”

Actress/singer Jennifer Hudson received seven nomination and is competing against Beyonce in a number of music categories. Also, Hudson is going head-to-head with Beyonce in the best supporting film actress category. Hudson was nominated for her performance in “The Secret Life of Bees.”

In the best motion picture category “Cadillac Records” will compete against “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “Seven Pounds,” and “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys.” Perry scored six nominations for his television series, “Tyler Perry’s House of Pain,” including best comedy series. The other TV comedies in that category are, “Ugly Betty,” “The Game,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “30 Rock.” For best TV drama the nominations went to “The Wire,” “The Unit,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” and “Lincoln Heights.”

The NAACP received 12 hundred entries for the five slots in each of the 53 categories. The organization’s membership will vote for the winners who will be announced during an awards show, Thursday February 12, 2009 on Fox. The 40th NAACP Image Awards broadcast will be hosted by actress Halle Berry and screenwriter/actor Tyler Perry.

Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign coffers reportedly are $10 million richer after two star-studded fundraisers in Beverly Hills last night. That according to Variety, which has a detailed story about Obama’s appearances on its website today.

Some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry attended a $28,500 a person courtyard dinner at the historic Greystone Mansion. Others paid $2,500 apiece for an affair at the Beverly Wilshire, which included a performance by Barbra Streisand.

Some of the celebrities spotted at the Obama events; Jamie Lee Curtis, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jodie Foster.

Google Image

Barbra Streisand rarely performs these days. Apparently, she has decided to do so for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“The Diva” is scheduled to lift up that magnificent voice of hers in song at a star-studded Beverly Hills fundraiser next Tuesday, September 16.

Variety reports that several hundred people are expected to attend the reception and concert at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The ticket price, $2,500 a person.

The co-hosts for the night’s event are heavyweights: DreamWorks Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, and political consultant Andy Spahn.

It will be a busy night for Obama. Before the Streisand event, Obama will attend a fancy dinner at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills for a smaller group of 250 – at a cost of $28, 500 per person.

Streisand is a well known philanthropist and activist. The entertainer gave special performances for Democratic presidential candidates John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000. She is a staunch supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton. She endorsed Hillary early in the presidential campaign, but switched to Obama when it became clear he had the delegates to win the nomination.

Meanwhile, Streisand has a statement up on her website about Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running mate. It is titled, “McCain Doesn’t Get It: Women are not that stupid.”  It’s, ah well, priceless.

Thousands of Democrats are in Denver today for the opening of their four day convention at the downtown Pepsi Center. Closer to home, another political drama is set to play out in Beverly Hills this evening. 

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain and his wife Cindy will be special guests at a star-studded fundraiser at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.

 According to  The Washington Times and Variety, show biz conservatives like Angie Harmon, David Zucker, Jon Cryer, Craig T. Nelson, Jon Voight, and Robert Duvall are among those planning to fete the McCains.

Tickets reportedly started at $500 for the 35 and younger set and a thousand bucks for all others. While the Republicans are partying inside, the Democrats will be protesting at a march and rally in the streets outside.

I got an e-mail over the weekend from the Burbank Democratic Club announcing a “Rally Against McCain” in order “… to expose his big oil and corporate connections!”

Sounds like the stage is set for a lot of excitement in Beverly Hills as well as Denver.