Personal life

Solo was born in Richland, Washington on July 30, 1981. Her father Jeffrey, of Italian descent who grew up in the Bronx, was a sometimes-homeless Vietnam War veteran. Plaque Attack It was Jeffrey who taught her how to play soccer. Although her parents divorced when she was six and she lived with her mother, Solo maintained a close relationship with her father, who continued to be a major influence in her life until his sudden death in June 2007.

On August 29, 2011, Solo was confirmed to be a contestant on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars. She is paired with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

She was famously serenaded by Sporting KC player C._J._Sapong when the National Team practiced in Kansas City September 15th.

Soccer career

Solo has played soccer with the Three-Rivers Soccer Club in the Tri-Cities. As a forward at Richland High School, Solo scored 109 goals, Slim TS leading her team to three consecutive league titles from 1996–1998 and a state championship in her senior year. She was twice named a Parade All American. At the University of Washington, Solo switched to the goalkeeper position and was the team’s all-time leader in shutouts, saves, and goals-against average (GAA). She was a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a three-time NSCAA All-American.

Club career

Following her college career, Solo was drafted for the now defunct WUSA team Philadelphia Charge in 2003. She also made 19 league appearances for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC of Göteborg, Sweden in the Swedish Premier Division in 2004 and played for Olympique Lyonnais in the French First Division in 2005.

On September 16, 2008, Solo was one of the three players drafted for Saint Louis Athletica in the WPS allocation of national team members, Atlanta bankruptcy attorney with the new league starting play in April 2009. Solo let in six goals in the first four games as Athletica got off to a very slow 0–2–2 start in their first season. However she rebounded, allowing eight goals in her next 13 games and finishing the season with eight shutouts.

In 2009 Solo was named the WPS Goalkeeper of the Year.

In May 2010 the Saint Louis Athletica folded and Solo signed with another WPS team, Atlanta Beat, along with two St. Louis teammates. As her previous number (1) was taken, she took #78 for the Beat. Solo’s comments on social networking website twitter led to two separate controversies; after she accused Boston Breakers supporters of offensive chanting and racism, then questioned the integrity of match officials and the league itself following the Beat’s 1–0 defeat to Washington Freedom. The second outburst resulted in a $2,500 fine and one-game suspension. After the end of the season, Solo underwent surgery on her right shoulder on September 22.

International career

Solo played for several U.S. junior national soccer teams before joining the full U.S. national team in 2000. Her senior debut came in an 8–0 win over Iceland at Davidson, North Carolina in April 2000. She was named a member of the Olympic team in 2004, Suzanne Somers diet making the 2004 Olympics in Athens as an alternate. Solo became the team’s starting goalkeeper in 2005. She has recorded several clean sheets and once went 1,054 minutes without allowing a goal, a streak that ended in a 4–1 victory against France in the Algarve Cup.

2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Solo was the starting goalkeeper for the United States in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, giving up two goals in four games including consecutive shutouts of Sweden, Nigeria and England. Heading into the semifinal match against Brazil, U.S. coach Shake Weight Greg Ryan benched Solo in favor of 36-year-old veteran U.S. keeper Briana Scurry, who had a strong history of performance against the Brazilians but had not played a complete game in three months. The U.S. lost to Brazil 4–0, ending a 51–game (regulation time) undefeated streak, while playing much of the match with 10 players after midfielder Shannon Boxx received a second yellow card at the end of the first half.

Post-2007 World Cup fallout

In an impromptu interview following the match, a clearly upset Solo criticized Ryan’s decision. “It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it’s not 2004 anymore. It’s not 2004. And it’s 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can’t live by big names. You can’t live in the past. It doesn’t matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that’s what I think.” Many viewed her comments as being critical Right to Bare Legs of Scurry’s performance, although Solo released an apologetic statement the following day saying that was not her intent. On September 29, 2007, coach Greg Ryan announced that Solo would not be with the team and would not play in the third-place match against Norway the following day. Team captain Kristine Lilly stated that the decision on Solo was made by the team as a group. The U.S. went on to win against Norway 4–1.

Solo was named to the U.S. women’s national soccer team roster for the post World Cup tour, but she did not attend the first workout ahead of the first game against Mexico. Even though the players’ contract with the federation stipulated that anyone on the World Cup roster had the right to play in the tour, she did not play in any of the three games against Mexico, being replaced by Briana Scurry for the first and third matches, and Nicole Barnhart for the second. The third match against Mexico, on October 20, 2007, marked the end of the U.S. women’s national team’s 2007 season. The team regrouped in January 2008 to begin preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Ryan left the team after his contract was not renewed in December 2007.

“I thought it was absolutely great, and it was the first time I had seen a dance routine put to the song,” he laughed to MTV News Wednesday (February 22) morning. “So it was really strange actually, ’cause obviously we don’t dance. I rang up the boys, like, ‘Boys, maybe we should start dancing because actually it looks really good.’

“[Our manager] Scooter [Braun] rang us up, and he was like, ‘So your song’s going to be covered by ‘Glee,’ ‘ and if you could have measured the level of noise in the car at that very time, some might call it deafening, we were screaming so loud,” he continued. “I couldn’t even believe it. It’s an honor really to do something like that. I think it represents [that] the song’s a really good song. To be honest, it’s all a bit surreal.”

The episode itself touched on some very serious topics, including teen suicide and bullying. The song was performed by the Warblers during Regionals, one of the more joyous moments this week.

And while Parker has yet to see it, from what he heard of the show, he can assume it was “quite action-packed.” Parker missed the episode because he and the guys are busy on an arena tour in their native U.K. and Europe.

“You know, I have not seen it yet because we were coming back from France doing some promo,” he said. “But I saw the Fox tweet [with] the link to the episode, so I saw the routine.”

The song’s inclusion on the show proves that the Wanted, who just wrapped up their first-ever U.S. tour, are certainly making an impact Stateside. And that works for Parker and his bandmates. “We always [had] that aim to go and do it in America,” he said.

“Glad You Came” is the band’s current U.S. single. It appears on their album Battleground.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679677/glee-the-wanted-cover.jhtml

Anne Marie Kortright April Scott Arielle Kebbel Ashanti Ashlee Simpson Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen

The singer dropped a cover of Houston’s classic track “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” over the weekend, arranging the song with a piano and his own sweet falsetto voice. Released in November 1995, the original version was the lead single off Houston’s “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack. Thicke’s soulful version definitely calls to mind Babyface, who wrote and produced the song for the late star. Noticeably, Thicke changed the song from the third person to the first person, making it a bit more personal.

“I was thinking about Whitney and how incredible she was and remembered I had recorded this song years ago but never released it,” Thicke said on Tuesday (February 21) in a statement to MTV News. “When I listened to it again, I was overcome by emotion, because the lyrics express everything I’m feeling right now.”

He continued that the song reminds us what was unique about the late singer, who died over Grammy weekend in Los Angeles. “That’s what was so special about Whitney, she had an amazing ability to connect to all of us and at the same time make us feel inspired,” he said. “We love Whitney Houston and always will!”

Over the weekend, in a sea of moving tributes to the star from her closest friends ? including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly and gospel greats BeBe and CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin and Kim Burrell ? Kevin Costner’s speech about his “The Bodyguard” co-star stood as one of the homegoing’s stand-out moments.

“Off you go, Whitney, off you go, escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father,” Costner told the room in tears. “And when you sing before him, don’t you worry ? you’ll be good enough.”

What do you think of Robin Thicke’s version of “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”? Leave your comment below.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679633/robin-thicke-whitney-houston-cover-exhale.jhtml

Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann

The black-and-white poster, which includes touches of neon purple and turquoise, features an omniscient image of Gaga, decked out in her full “BTW” horned look, looking down from the sky. Underneath, in a castle that looks an awful lot like the one from the tour sketch, Gaga, wearing a piano dress, hangs with a group of suit-wearing dudes. And, for those paying close enough attention, Zombie Boy even makes an appearance, peeking out from one of the castle windows.

In her long-simmering latest “Yoü and I” fashion film, Gaga portrays her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. Jo smolders in the mini-film, smoking his way through it. Clips of Jo stripping (revealing Gaga’s taped-down chest) are intercut with shots of Gaga done up in an S&M-type outfit, dancing and tossing her long blond hair. The same outfit is worn by other dancers also featured in the clip, directed by Inez and Vinoodh.

Along with all these developments Little Monsters have to be excited about, this Sunday, Mother Monster is up for a number of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Born This Way and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Yoü and I.”

Are you excited for Lady Gaga’s upcoming tour? Tell us below!

Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678750/lady-gaga-tour-poster.jhtml

Cristina Dumitru Daisy Fuentes Dania Ramirez Danica Patrick Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, begging the question: who deserved a tenth spot on that list? Oscars 2012: 10 Spot answers that question, as the MTV Movies team highlights some of 2011′s greatest films and argues why they deserved a nod as the tenth Best Picture nominee.

Let?s get this out of the way right now: Yes, ?Shame? is indeed The One With The Penis ? Michael Fassbender?s, to be precise. That said, it would be a shame (no pun intended) if that?s all this extraordinary film is remembered for. For some insight into why ?Shame? wasn?t nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, we should discuss what this movie is not:

» It?s not a family film (see above re: The One With The Penis). This movie is one hundred percent adult-oriented. There are no brave horses, charming pups or precocious kids in ?Shame.? There are only grown-ups doing very grown-up things.

» It?s not populated by likeable characters. The siblings played by Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are two seriously damaged, dysfunctional people who sometimes behave horribly to each other. No heroes or heroines, no hearts of gold ? just people in pain who are trying to get through the day.

» It?s not a period piece. ?Shame? takes place in the here (New York City) and now. The city is not romanticized or sanitized; it?s depicted as a real place where real people live in the 21st century, dealing with real issues.

» It?s not an easy film to watch. Sure, there?s a lot of flesh on display, but the sex scenes are not what you?d call ?sexy.? Fassbender?s Brandon is a sex addict. There?s no love or affection given or taken in these scenes. And there?s also some pretty gruesome, heartbreaking stuff courtesy of Mulligan?s Sissy. Fascinating and engaging, yes. Sweet and uplifting? Definitely not.

In short, “Shame” is not Oscar bait. Steve McQueen?s drama is unconventional, raw, risky and current. In an ideal cinematic universe these qualities would be recognized and rewarded. Alas, Oscar doesn?t live in that universe quite yet. Maybe one day they?ll get it right.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night’s big winners.

Tags Michael Fassbender, Oscars, Oscars 10 Spot, Oscars 2012, shame

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/21/oscars-2012-best-picture-shame/

Daniella Alonso Danneel Harris Deanna Russo Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger Dido

In the years since that assault, Rihanna has been open about her abusive relationship with the R&B singer, saying, “I don’t want to be the big domestic-violence spokesperson, because that doesn’t define who I am. But if I can help young women in any way, and that being one of the things they need help with, then I’ll do that.”

Since that late 2009 interview with MTV News, Rihanna certainly hasn’t backed down in her career, releasing chart-topping singles, winning awards, going on tour and using videos and Twitter to show the world just how fierce she can be.

After the release of the “Birthday Cake” and “Turn Up the Music” remixes, Rita Smith, the executive director for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, talked to MTV News about what the collaborations mean.

“I guess I’m not particularly surprised given the rumors that had gone on around this, and it’s also not surprising because many victims get back with their abusers, even after an assault. They love them, they think they change, and abusers are particularly good at convincing you they’ve changed,” she said. “I don’t know what their relationship is at this point, but I’m not surprised that she’s staying connected.

“I’m still concerned because his reaction to people’s criticism of him being on the Grammys was fairly belligerent, and that didn’t give me much of a message or sense of hope that he had made changes since that assault,” she said, referring to the barrage of tweets Brown sent out after negative feedback about his Grammy appearance.

“I hope he’s changed. I hope that he will never choose to use violence again no matter what kind of relationship he has with her or anybody else,” she continued. “I think, for me, it would be much more powerful if they could publicly state what’s different for them so that it doesn’t just leave us wondering if anything has changed and if they have learned anything in the process, because it was so public. We’re all wondering, because they’re not saying anything. That would leave us with a different message that it all doesn’t matter and they’re just going to do what they do.”

Smith said that, given their history, “I think the message she’s sending is that the feelings of being in love are more important than your personal safety.”

“The thing that matters most is whether you’re safe and whether you feel respected ? that’s what matters most in a relationship and that’s what we should all be focusing on,” Smith added. “That has to be the primary goal of any relationship.”

In the end, Smith hopes the two pop stars have grown since the very public assault.

“I don’t know what the message is. I would like the message to be: People can change, and I will never be treated that way again and I will never treat anyone that way again. If they had released a song saying this is what this represents for us, that would be such a much more fabulous, powerful story than not saying a word,” she said. “The content of the songs seems to be more in-your-face than something about, ‘We’re collaborating on something because we care about the way people treat each other.’ That would have been the message that would have been nice to come out of this very public and tragic incident.”

What do you think of Chris Brown and Rihanna working together in light of their history? Sound off in the comments.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679614/rihanna-chris-brown-collaboration-reactions.jhtml

Deanna Russo Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger Dido Diora Baird Dita Von Teese

“The lives of these three young people will resonate with millions of teens ? gay and straight ? who are being bullied for simply being themselves,” Savage said. “It’s so important they know that things get better and that living openly and honestly and being who you are makes it better.”

Viewers will get to know Vanessa, a young woman who tries to gain her mother’s acceptance of her gay relationship. They’ll follow Greg, a popular high school class president, as he prepares to tell his friends and parents that he’s gay. Finally, they’ll watch as Aydian, a transgender, overcomes obstacles preparing to marry a woman.

Savage drew on his own challenging high school experience to help identify with young LGBT people. “A lot of us were there, a lot of us were bullied LGBT kids in high schools and middle schools once upon a time. I had thoughts about suicide when I was in high school.”

By taking an in-depth look at their lives, the columnist hopes to remind young people that being bullied is only temporary. “I’m so glad I didn’t commit suicide because my life is so rewarding and rich, and that’s what the campaign is about: Adult LGBT kids sharing our lives, which are rewarding and rich, with these LGBT kids who may be thinking about ending their lives.”

The show is intercut with messages of hope from celebrities including Zachary Quinto, Ellen DeGeneres, Ke$ha, ‘Jersey Shore’ star Vinny Guadagnino and more.

Watch “It Gets Better” with Dan Savage tonight, Tuesday, February 21, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV and Logo. For more information, visit ItGetsBetter.org.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679622/mtv-it-gets-better-dan-savage.jhtml

Amber Arbucci Amber Brkich Amber Heard Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb

2012 Box-Office Success
“Twilight” fans will make sure the fifth and final film in the franchise, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” will be a success, so we’re not worried about that one. Looking ahead to Greene’s upcoming slate of non-”Twilight” films, we’re excited to see her “saucy” side in teen comedy “LOL,” in which she stars alongside Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore. We’re also intrigued to see how much she’ll scare us (or be scared) in “Apparition,” which opens in August.

More Leading Roles
Although plenty of attention is paid to “Twilight” superstars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, Greene has always stood out for us in the way she plays Alice Cullen with such sweetness and sincerity ? not to mention her mental and physical toughness. We’d like to see Greene carry a film on her own, specifically a romantic comedy or romantic drama. We’re thinking something along the lines of Rose Byrne’s character in “Bridesmaids” or a Rachel McAdams-esque romantic drama.

Stay a Role Model
In a world that seems to celebrate the comings and goings of starlets based on their outrageous antics onscreen and off, Greene has handled her rise in fame with poise and class. We appreciate the fact that she has made exquisite and enviable choices when it comes to her red-carpet fashions, which won her a Style Icon Award at the Hollywood Life Young Hollywood Awards. And with respect to making headlines, Greene managed to keep her relationship with former flame Joe Jonas mostly under wraps and free from any tabloid scandal. She did have one nude-photo scandal early on, but the woman recovered gracefully and appears to have a solid head on her shoulders ? and we hope she stays that way.

“I went from dying to get a gig, to dying to get the gig everyone wants,” Greene has said of her rise to fame via her role in “Twilight.” “So now I’m in this realm with a lot of highly respected actresses, which is an amazing place to be, but also kind of terrifying. … I’m so laser-focused on my career, because when you’re dealt these cards, if you don’t kind of run with it, then you’re an idiot. You gotta take advantage of what you’ve been given.”

What birthday wishes do you have for Ashley Greene? Let us know in the comments or tweet me @karawarner!

Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.”

For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679613/ashley-greene-birthday.jhtml

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Gareis Jennifer Garner Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Morrison Jennifer ODell

Despite earlier reports that the show would kick off another tour this year, a rep tells The Hollywood Reporter, “We currently have no plans of touring the cast this summer.” However, there are plans to hold a charity concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles later this year.

Proceeds from the show would benefit the “Glee” Give a Note campaign, which supports music education programs in schools.

Sources told Billboard.com that dates have already been discussed, but the show or shows are only in the planning stages. September seems to be the target date for the charity concert.

Although a concert tour had been discussed, the focus now seems to be on the charity gig. “We have been talking about continuing our work on a next phase of ‘Glee’ Give a Note,” said Jane Balek, Give a Note’s COO and assistant executive director of the National Association for Music Education. “But no definite projects were discussed.” She added that “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy and Fox are “truly supportive of the mission of NAfME and its Give a Note Foundation.”

Last year’s tour was later made into a 3-D film, “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.” The film opened last August, and despite the show’s TV success, it failed to ignite the box office, profiting only $5.7 million in its opening weekend and landing at #11 that week.

Were you planning to see “Glee” on tour this summer? Leave your comment below.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679570/glee-no-summer-tour.jhtml

Ashley Greene Ashley Olsen Ashley Scott Ashley Tappin Ashley Tisdale Asia Argento Aubrey ODay

The black-and-white poster, which includes touches of neon purple and turquoise, features an omniscient image of Gaga, decked out in her full “BTW” horned look, looking down from the sky. Underneath, in a castle that looks an awful lot like the one from the tour sketch, Gaga, wearing a piano dress, hangs with a group of suit-wearing dudes. And, for those paying close enough attention, Zombie Boy even makes an appearance, peeking out from one of the castle windows.

In her long-simmering latest “Yoü and I” fashion film, Gaga portrays her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. Jo smolders in the mini-film, smoking his way through it. Clips of Jo stripping (revealing Gaga’s taped-down chest) are intercut with shots of Gaga done up in an S&M-type outfit, dancing and tossing her long blond hair. The same outfit is worn by other dancers also featured in the clip, directed by Inez and Vinoodh.

Along with all these developments Little Monsters have to be excited about, this Sunday, Mother Monster is up for a number of Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Born This Way and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Yoü and I.”

Are you excited for Lady Gaga’s upcoming tour? Tell us below!

Chaos! Profanity! Wardrobe malfunctions! Don’t miss Sway and James Montgomery live from the Grammys red carpet this Sunday, February 12, for a full three hours of mayhem, starting at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com. And the fun doesn’t end Sunday: MTV News has you covered until the Grammy hangover wears off!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678750/lady-gaga-tour-poster.jhtml

Amber Valletta America Ferrera Amerie Amy Cobb Amy Smart Ana Beatriz Barros Ana Hickmann