Elton John mending from appendectomy
Elton John is recovering after an operation to remove his appendix.
The musician’s publicist said John had the surgery last week at Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco, near his home in the south of France.
Last month the musician canceled a series of shows as he was treated for an inflamed appendix and surrounding abscess.
He said at the time that his infected appendix had been “a ticking time bomb.”
In a statement on his official website last week, John said the many get-well cards and messages he’d received from fans “have touched me deeply.”
The 66-year-old musician is expected to perform in London on Sept. 2, when he receives the Brits Icon Award.
‘Predator’ reporter leaving show, NBC
An NBC News reporter best known for his “Dateline NBC” reports featuring him confronting would-be child sex predators is leaving the network.
Chris Hansen stepped from the shadows in the long-running “To Catch a Predator” series to confront men lured to houses thinking they were about to meet minors they had contacted online for sex. NBC on Monday confirmed a TV Guide story saying Hansen is leaving after 20 years.
Hansen says through NBC he’s looking forward to pursuing new opportunities on air and as a producer. He says new projects will be announced in the next few months.
Rapper 50 Cent pleads not guilty
Rapper and actor 50 Cent stood silently before a judge on Monday as his attorney entered his plea of not guilty to domestic violence and vandalism charges involving an ex-girlfriend who is the mother of his child.
The performer, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, was given a long list of instructions by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bernard J. Kamins, who told him to stay away from Daphne Narvarez and forbid him from contacting her by phone or email.
The 37-year-old “In Da Club” singer was ordered to return to court on Sept. 4 for a pretrial hearing.
Jackson was charged after Narvarez reported that he had trashed her Toluca Lake condo and kicked her during an argument in June. Police said property worth $7,100 was destroyed.
Outside court, defense attorney Scott Leemon said his client denies the allegations.
If convicted, Jackson could face up to five years behind bars and $46,000 in fines
The birthday bunch
Jazz bassist Charlie Haden is 76. Actress Catherine Hicks (“Seventh Heaven”) is 62. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan is 43. Singer Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls) is 41. Actress Vera Farmiga is 40. Actress Melissa George (“Alias,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) is 37. Singer Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes) is 32. Actress Romola Garai is 31.