Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have banned a planned concert by U.S. pop singer Ke$ha after deciding it would hurt cultural and religious sensitivities. Concert organizer Livescape said it received a letter about the decision on the eve of the show that was to be held Saturday at a Kuala Lumpur stadium. The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia said separately that it was rejecting the application for Ke$hato perform for reasons of religion and culture. The ministry’s statement did not elaborate. Ke$ha, whose hits include “Tik Tok” and “Die Young,” has songs that make explicit references to sex and liquor. Ke$ha and her team had previously agreed to modify their planned show in Malaysia, including making changes to her song lyrics and wardrobe, to comply with the government’s general guidelines for performers, Livescape said in its statement. Last month, Malaysian officials also barred a performance by American heavy-metal band Lamb of God, accusing the Grammy-nominated group’s work of being blasphemous.
The marriage of actor Orlando Bloom and model Miranda Kerr is ending - even as Bloom tackles one of the most romantic roles in history, Romeo. Publicist Robin Baum released a joint statement Friday that said Kerr and Bloom “have been amicably separated for the past few months” and “recently decided to formalize their separation” after six years together. The 36-year-old actor, who starred in The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean films, and the 30-year-old supermodel were married in 2010. They have a 2-year-old son, Flynn. Bloom is making his Broadway debut as Romeo in director David Leveaux’s revival of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Reviews have been mostly negative, and the show has struggled at the box office. Kerr, a top Victoria’s Secret model, first met Bloom backstage at a lingerie fashion show in New York in 2006. The Australian-born beauty recently worked with chemists to help develop an organic beauty line.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 10/27/2013