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Lady Gaga Launches Born This Way Foundation

'This is not an anti-bullying foundation; this is a youth-empowerment foundation,' Mother Monster says at Harvard launch event.
By Jocelyn Vena


Lady Gaga arrives at Harvard University to launch her <i>Born This Way</i> Foundation on Wednesday
Photo: Jonathan Wiggs/ Getty Images

Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, took over Harvard University to launch their Born This Way Foundation on Wednesday (February 29). In front of a crowd that included Oprah Winfrey, the New York natives kicked off their inspirational foundation, hoping to empower the youth of America.

"I was recently with the great Gloria Steinem, who said that sometimes the only way you can get attention to a problem is to freak people out," Oprah said at the event. " 'Break the form,' she said. You have to stop playing the game in order to change the content. Lady Gaga, with her music and her message and her own story, is breaking the form, and she is changing consciousness. She says that she wasn't put on earth just to sing songs; her passion is to be that force for good. The Born This Way Foundation is in line with so many of my core beliefs."

Gaga enthusiastically opened up about the foundation and what she hopes to do with it. "I just have one thing to say before we get started: We got Oprah! ... Thank you from all of us — from my entire team, from my mother, from the bottom of the hearts of so many people who believe in what we're doing today," she said, wearing a chocolate-brown gown, brown lace gloves, towering platforms and a sparkly fishnet hat.

"I'm not here today to give you an answer. And I'm not here to tell you I can solve these problems [of bullying]. This is about transformative change in culture over a period of time. One of the most important things I wanted to share with all of you today, it's no secret I speak out against bullying. This is not an anti-bullying foundation; this is a youth-empowerment foundation," she continued. "This is about changing the climate of the school environment and not putting the power in the hands of the teachers or the government. It is about the bubble effect. I don't believe they have the answers; I believe that you do."

In addition to her fans, Gaga said her biggest influence to start the foundation is her own Mother Monster. "My mother really inspires me, because she talked about giving back ever since I was very, very young," she said. "And the more that I got to know my fans, the more that I realized that not everybody has that support system at home."

Her mother later enthused that despite the snow outside, "It is even more beautiful inside because we are launching the foundation. The youth that is listening: you are the leaders of our future."

Gaga also revealed another aspect of the foundation: "There is a bus now called the Born Brave Bus. So the Born Brave Bus is essentially a bus that is going to travel and follow my tour bus around the country, and it will welcome anyone from any walk of life to come and hang out and talk about love, acceptance, kindness and so forth. And the best thing about it it's going to be fun. It's going to essentially be a tailgate. This is not about saying, 'I need help,' but if you do, you can come. If you want to help someone else, you can come and say 'Hey, what's up?' "

At the end of the day, Gaga said the foundation "is all about saying the power is in your hands. There really is sort of a focus on the victim, but what I want to point out today is that the victim and the bully are on the same playing field. How do we say, 'You are both equal members of society'? How do we not save not just the victim, but also the bully? I want the Born This Way Foundation to empower the youth of the world."

Gaga further explained that one of the core values is teaching her fans to empower themselves to be "brave."

"This, again, is not focused on bullying, the bravery aspect; I want for young people to know they have the power," she said. "How can we inspire young people to know they have the power to be brave?"

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Rick Ross Not A Suspect In Miami Murder

Maybach Music boss is not a suspect nor is he being sought for questioning in a murder, police confirm to MTV News.
By Rob Markman


Rick Ross
Photo: Getty Images

After police found a dead body in front of a Miami Gardens home owned by Rick Ross, the Maybach Music boss' name began to pop up in connection to the killing, but an area detective confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (February 29) that the rapper is not a suspect, nor is he being sought for questioning.

Miami Gardens officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 7 a.m. ET after reports of gun shots. When police arrived at the scene of the crime they found a dead body in the yard of a house owned by the rapper, whose real name is William Roberts. Though Ross owns the property, it is not where he resides. "He lives at a different location," Detective Michael Wright told MTV News.

The murder is still under investigation and police declined to reveal the name of the deceased at press time. But it seems Rick Ross is definitely in the clear.

In other news, the Double-M-Genius is set to head to court in May for a case with far less serious ramifications. Former L.A. drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross is suing the rapper who he claims is unlawfully profiting from his name. The case was initially thrown out in 2010, but has now been reopened with a trial date set for early May.

A little over a week ago, Rick Ross was named MTV News' Hottest MC in the Game, nabbing the coveted position on a list of 10. His MMG signees, Wale and Meek Mill, took the #10 and #7 spots, respectively.

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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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Britney Spears Has 'Crazy' Cameo On will.i.am's Album?

Black Eyed Peas mastermind teases a collabo with the pop princess on #willpower, set for 2012 release.
By Jocelyn Vena


Britney Spears performs in San Francisco
Photo: Max Morse/Getty Images

<P>In a sea of A-list contributions for will.i.am's forthcoming solo album, the Black Eyed Peas mastermind recently dropped one name that will really get pop fans excited. Speaking with Capital FM, will teased that his <i>Femme Fatale</i> collaborator Britney Spears will make an appearance on the album, dubbed <i>#willpower.</i> </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:638813" width="240" height="211"></div><p> "I have a song with Alicia Keys &#8212; me, Alicia and Swedish House Mafia. I have a song with the Beats, which is pretty grand. Me and Shakira have been trying to finish the stuff we started, and me and Britney is really crazy," he said. "So we got a song with me, LMFAO and Eva Simons, a song with me and Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz &#8212; I got a whole other bunch of collaborations." Spears and will.i.am last worked together on "Big Fat Bass," a spacey, grinding party tune complete with clapping noises and some rapping from will himself. Their recording session was featured on the MTV special "I Am the Femme Fatale." There's been no word yet from will's camp about the song and whether this is a new track or if he will be including "Big Fat Bass" on the album. The rapper/producer's love for Brit is hardly anything new: He gushed to MTV News about the pop princess months after they recorded together. "[I discovered] her love for music. I never seen anyone, like, come alive, full of excitement and giggling and laughing behind the mic," will recalled to MTV News. "She was like a little kid when she was recording the song, and it just brought the whole atmosphere, it changed the whole atmosphere when someone really loves music. So it was great working with her." His latest single, "T.H.E (The Hardest Ever)," featuring Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger, dropped late last year. <i>#willpower,</i> which also features "X Factor" judge Nicole Scherzinger, will be released later this year. <i>What are you expecting from will and Brit's collabo? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

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Oscar 2012 Best Presenters: Robert Downey Jr., Bridesmaids, More

Co-stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis make a hilariously musical entrance, while Sandra Bullock shows off some impressive German.
By Terri Schwartz


Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow present at the 84th annual Academy Awards
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

There are typically two kinds of presenters at the Oscars: the earnest and the hilarious. But every year, a handful of actors manage to capture the goal of either category in a way that makes the moment unforgettable.

On Sunday night, the Kodak Theatre saw plenty of earnest presenters. Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and Morgan Freeman reminded viewers why we love the Oscars.

But it was the presenters with the funny bits who really stole the show. Whether comparing short films to male genitalia or tossing cymbals onstage when they should have been reading out the name of an award winner, we couldn't stop chuckling. Here, the MTV Movies team handpicks the five most memorable presenters of the 2012 Oscars.

Robert Downey Jr., Documentarian
Trying to stay ahead of the curve, Robert Downey Jr. and a camera crew joined Gwyneth Paltrow onstage to present the Best Documentary award in an attempt to popularize his new art form, "live documentary." Of course, as Paltrow pointed out, that's called the news, but we couldn't get enough of their Tony Stark/ Pepper Potts-style banter several months before "The Avengers" hits theaters. And we like that Downey joked that he turned down the role in "The Descendants" with George Clooney looking on from the crowd.

Emma Stone Is Super Good
Yes, Emma Stone is charming, but we were still surprised at how well she pulled off the task of co-presenting Best Visual Effects alongside Ben Stiller. First-time Oscar presenter Stone acted out her skit flawlessly and even managed to poke fun at Stiller's previous presenting stunts in the process. But it was her asking "Superbad" co-star Jonah Hill to come onstage and dance with her — and his subsequent refusal — that made this one of the funniest moments of the night.

Sandra Bullock Is "Extremely" Bilingual
Did you know Sandra Bullock was bilingual? It certainly made her presenting the Oscar for Best Foreign Film all the more fitting. And although the actress said she was going to present the award in Mandarin, Bullock actually announced the award in German. For those who wondered about the Academy's motivation for having the "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" star present in a different language, it turns out it was because the Academy Awards "are an international show and because there are over 1.2 billion people in China." So why not?

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis Make Music
Leave it to the stars of the upcoming political comedy "The Campaign," Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, to make one of the funniest and most dramatic appearances of the night. Dressed in all-white tuxedos, the duo emerged from the orchestra pit smashing cymbals together. Because how else do you expect comedians to present the award for Best Original Song? Fortunately, winner Bret McKenzie also had a good sense of humor in his acceptance speech for "The Muppets" song "Man or Muppet."

"Bridesmaids" Stars Toast Scorsese Again
Who else but the cast of "Bridesmaids" could make presenting the three short-film categories one of the most hilarious of the night? Sure, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph's whole opening spiel was one big penis joke, but can you expect any less when Melissa McCarthy earned her Oscar nomination for a part that featured her comically defecating in a sink? We're still trying to figure out what the rules of Rose Byrne and McCarthy's Martin Scorsese drinking game are, but we'll let you know when we do.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion. Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.

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Oscars 2012: My Night At Hollywood's Biggest Show

Brad and Angelina's wedding plan, talking to George Clooney and 3-D desserts are a few things we'll remember about this year's show.
By Josh Horowitz


On the red carpet for Sunday's Academy Awards
Photo: MTV News

So I guess this means the 2013 Academy Awards season has begun? I jest (kinda). But it seems like this past awards season lasted forever. I mean, it kind of did. Legit contenders had emerged by the time the Cannes film festival began last May. By now, I'm pretty sure the stars of "The Artist" are sick of the sounds of their own voices ... I mean, if they had spoken in the film. You know what I mean.

Last night was a fine sendoff to another fun awards season. I had a blast covering my fourth Oscars red carpet. It's always a true privilege to be a tiny part of something I've been obsessed with since I was old enough to watch TV. One of the true pleasures of doing the awards season circuit for MTV News is getting a chance to talk to some of the folks I've worshiped from afar for years, and this go-round was no different. Last night, Christopher Plummer, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh and Nick Nolte all stopped to chat with me on the carpet. The 14-year-old Josh is very impressed.

And then there are the newbies. Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, even Shailene Woodley (unjustly looked over by the Academy) all were red-carpet regulars over the last few months and will surely be for many years to come.

It's hard to sum up a nearly four-hour red carpet in a few paragraphs, but here are a few select moments I'll look back on with a smile from the 84th Academy Awards red carpet.

George Clooney gets everyone excited. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment for me last night came when "Muppets" Best Song winner Bret McKenzie mentioned Clooney was nearby and I got embarrassingly excited. Like, too excited for a heterosexual man. Oh well, that guy is charming. Just take a look at our chat together.

Choose your questions for Angelina Jolie carefully. Of course, it was Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who arrived last on the Oscars red carpet. Side note: Strangely, Christopher Lloyd arrived right around the same time. Anyway, Angelina was breezing by so the talk was quick, but damn, that lady is a movie star (I know, breaking news). She told me she thinks of her mom (now deceased) when she thinks of the Oscars since her Academy Award win was such a proud moment for her. Then, of course, I broke the mood by asking her if she and Brad planned their wedding to be a similar size as the Oscars. With a laugh she was on her way. Never got around to asking her and Brad to adopt me.

Wolfgang Puck serves food in 3-D. Who's been going to the Oscars for 18 years and is always the most popular guy at the Governors Ball? Why, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck of course. He was my first interview of the night and might have been my favorite. At least the oddest. I think we also had our first fight as Wolfgang explained to me that he was serving a 3-D dessert this year while wearing those silly old-school glasses. I insisted all desserts are in 3-D. There was tension. And begrudging respect. I think.

You too can be nominated for an Oscar! OK, just to clarify, I'm not saying it's easy to get an Oscar nomination. But when an honest-to-goodness friend of yours gets one, it rocks your world a bit. Anything is possible! In this case I'm talking about Andrew Bowler, an old acquaintance from years past, who made it to the big show with his wife Gigi Causey for their great short film "Time Freak." Seeing Andrew enjoy his well-deserved big moment on the carpet was surreal and awesome. The movies are all about seeing dreams come to life, right?

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion.

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