People: Hynie’s tossed out on her own
James Brown‘s widow says she now finds herself without a husband or a home.
But Tomi Rae Hynie wasn’t legally married to the “Godfather of Soul” to begin with, Brown’s lawyer says – which is why she’s been locked out of his house following his death, pending the resolution of his estate.
Attorney Buddy Dallas says Hynie was already married when she wed Brown in 2001.
“I suppose it would mean she was, from time to time, a guest in Mr. Brown’s home,” Dallas said, adding that she hadn’t seen Brown for several weeks before his death Monday.
Hynie, who insists she and Brown were legally married, says he promised her she could live in the house with their 5-year-old son.
“I don’t have any money,” she says. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
Their relationship was stormy, with Brown pleading guilty to domestic violence in 2004.
“He was a difficult man to live with, but he was a great man,” Hynie says. “I was the only one who could handle James.”
Red, white and brouhaha
Donald Trump is suing the city of Palm Beach, Fla., for $10 million after being cited for flying an oversized American flag.
His attorneys argue that flying the flag is constitutionally protected free speech.
“A smaller flag and pole on Mar-A-Lago’s property would be lost given its massive size, look silly instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump’s and the Club’s members’ patriotism,” the lawsuit says.
Town officials say Trump violated zoning codes when the lavish club hoisted a 15- by 25-foot flag atop an 80-foot pole.
Shear torture?
Rocker Pink has joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ campaign against Australian wool.
The singer, who has narrated a PETA video complete with gruesome footage, says the wool trade’s methods are “so sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet.”
No ‘sir’ name for him
Irish rocker Bono is scheduled to receive an honorary knighthood in England, but he won’t be entitled to use the title “Sir” because he is not a British national.
A spokesman said the 46-year-old U2 frontman was flattered and hoped it would help him open diplomatic doors in his campaign for more Western aid to Africa.
Oh, you silly Dame
Dame Judi Dench may be one of the world’s most acclaimed actresses, but she still worries about getting work.
Dench, 72, nominated for a best actress Golden Globe for “Notes on a Scandal,” says she takes on many roles partly out of fear that her latest one could be her last.
”Trevor Nunn once said to me: ‘You’re always in tears on the first night,’ ” she says. “And I said, ‘I’m so frightened that nobody’s going to ask me to do the next thing.’ “
The birthday bunch
Guitarist Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley) is 75. Actor John Amos (“Men In Trees”) is 67. News correspondent Cokie Roberts is 63. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 58. Singer Karla Bonoff is 55. Actress Eva LaRue (“CSI: Miami”) is 40. Actor Wilson Cruz (“My So-Called Life”) is 33. Actress Emilie de Ravin (“Lost”) is 25.