Entertainment News from September 2001

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff


1
Actress Anne Heche and cinematographer Coleman “Coley” Laffoon marry. In other wedding news, Geena Davis takes her fourth walk down the aisle, marrying surgeon boyfriend Dr. Reza Jarrahy.
3
Pauline Kael, famously influential movie critic whose acerbic wit, vast knowledge of the filmmaking process, and passion for film were widely imitated but never rivaled, dies at age 82. She was The New Yorker's film critic from 1968 until she retired in 1991, lamenting the disappointing state of cinema. She was especially fond of 1970s films, and championed the works of directors Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, and Robert Altman.
4
Kate Winslet announces that she and her husband, director Jim Threapleton, have broken up after almost three years of marriage. No reason was given for the split. The couple has a young daughter, Mia.
5
In an interview with Barbara Walters on 20/20, actress Anne Heche talks in detail about alleged childhood sexual abuse at the hand's of her father, her battle with mental illness, and her sex life with her former partner, Ellen DeGeneres. She failed, however, to mention that she's pregnant. She and new husband Coleman “Coley” Laffoon are expecting their first child in late winter.
7
Fatboy Slim rules MTV's Video Music Awards, taking six moon-men trophies for “Weapon of Choice,” which stars a dancing Christopher Walken. The video's awards include Breakthrough Video, Best Direction in a Video, and Best Choreography. 'N Sync emerges as the high-profile winner, with “Pop” earning trophies for Best Dance Video, Best Pop Video, and Viewers' Choice. Video of the Year honors go to Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink for “Lady Marmalade.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that Keanu Reeves passed on potentially profitable deals to take a percentage of the box-office grosses of the upcoming sequels to The Matrix. He said the special-effects and costume-design team should have a hand the profit-sharing instead.
10
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that the airplane that crashed and killed singer Aaliyah was overloaded with cargo—a factor that could have contributed to the accident. Eight others were died when the Cessna 402B went down shortly after takeoff from the Bahamas' Marsh Harbour Airport.
11
The horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a third hijacked plane claim CNN analyst Barbara Olson, Frasier co-creator David Angell, and actress/photographer Berry Berenson, the widow of Anthony Perkins. Olson is the wife of the U.S. solicitor general, Ted Olson.
12
The Emmy Awards, scheduled for September 16, are postponed to October 7, in light of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. The 2nd annual Latin Grammy Awards and a Madonna concert are also cancelled.
The premieres of several new TV shows and movies are postponed after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Warner Bros. announces that it has indefinitely put off the release of Collateral Damage, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the film, Schwarzenegger plays a firefighter whose family is killed when a bomb destroys a skyscraper. Several eerily prescient episodes of ABC's The Agency, about CIA agents, must be reworked.
Paula Poundstone pleads no contest to one felony count of child endangerment and one misdemeanor count of inflicting injury on a child. Three charges stemming from her June arrest of committing lewd acts on a girl under 14 were dropped, thus allowing the comedian to avoid jail time. The To Tell the Truth host has three adopted children and has cared for several foster children. As part of her plea agreement, she will not be allowed to care for any other foster children.
13
Madonna returns to the stage after taking a few nights off in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. She pledges the profits of her Los Angeles concert to victims' families. Broadway's The Producers also reopens. The cast of the hottest-ticket in town closed the show with a heartfelt performance of “God Bless America.”
17
The Late Show with David Letterman returns to the airwaves, though on a somber note. Regis Philbin and a tearful Dan Rather discuss the emotional impact of visiting the site of the terrorist attacks.
20
Will, a Miami physician, wins Big Brother 2 and takes home $500,000. He survived all the cuts to become the last houseguest on CBS's other reality show.
21
Throngs of music and film stars lend their star power to America: A Tribute to Heroes, a fundraiser for the families of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. More than $150 million was raised and a phenomenal 89 million viewers tune in to the heart-wrenching event. The figure shatters the previous fund-raising record set by the Live Aid concerts and Band Aid all-star Christmas recording, which raised about $110 million for victims of the African famine. The show is broadcast on 31 networks and seen in 200 countries worldwide. Performers include U2, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Bruce Springsteen, Meg Ryan, Bon Jovi, Clint Eastwood, and Sheryl Crow.
25
The National Association of Theatre Owners donates all ticket and concession sales from participating movie theaters to the September 11th Fund of the United Way and the American Red Cross.
CBS introduces the 16 Survivor 3: Africa contestants. They include a professional soccer player, an openly gay bartender, an extensively tattooed marketer, a beauty queen sheriff, and a thong-wearing grandmother.
30
Sharon Stone is admitted to a San Francisco-area hospital, where she is treated for a brain aneurysm. Doctors expect her to make a full recovery.
Jennifer Lopez and choreographer Chris Judd marry in a private ceremony in Calabasas, California. She wore a Valentino wedding gown. The plan a honeymoon in Italy.

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