PICS: TYRA BANKS' WAX STATUE UNVEILED AT MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

And yes, these realistic-looking photos of Tyra embodied in wax spooked me just as much as they spooked you all at first glance!

Tyra Banks has been captured in wax for posterity. Her newly unveiled wax work figure had it’s debut on July 7, 2008 at Madame Tussauds Washington D.C., located within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House. The 34 year old supermodel, television personality and Emmy award winning talk show host is best known for her reality television show American’s Next Top Model which she is currently shooting overseas in a 'top secret' location. More than 500 million people worldwide have visited one of the eight interactive museum locations: Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, Las Vegas, New York, Shanghai, Berlin and Washington D.C. The premier wax attractions give visitors an interactive, full sensory experience.

The figure of the Banks dons a black satin dress, beige patent leather peep-toe pumps and gold and black bangle bracelets while posing with her hands on her hips. Peep the pics by clicking on them to see their full image below.

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KATT WILLIAMS TO STAR IN HIS OWN COMEDY CENTRAL SKETCH COMEDY SHOW.

Katt Williams is getting his hustle on at Comedy Central. The self-described "pimp" is close to wrapping a deal that will net him a pilot for a sketch comedy series as well as a comedy special, reports Variety. Williams will star in and executive produce the series, along with Jeff Golenberg and Michael Green. Details of the sketch comedy are still being hammered out.

In related news, Williams' It's Pimpin' Pimpin' tour ranks as one of Pollstar's top live comedy acts of 2008 thus far, generating $17 million in ticket sales and volume of half a million ticketbuyers since it kicked off in January. The special, shot during the Washington, D.C., leg of the tour, is the part-three continuation of Williams' successful Pimp Chronicles franchise. Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles Part 1 and last year's follow-up, Katt Williams: American Hustle, both released on disc by Salient Media, have sold a combined 1.2 million DVD units. Part 1, which was taped in Atlanta, garnered 3.6 million viewers on HBO in 2006, making it the cable company's top-rated comedy spesh that year. American Hustle, which combined scripted sequences with 2007 tour footage and included appearances by Snoop Dogg, Jeremy Piven and Ludacris, made its TV premiere in January on Comedy Central.

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Williams has had roles in a number of features of late, including DreamWorks' Norbit and Sony's First Sunday. He's also attached to star in helmer John Whitesell's upcoming Mission: Intolerable. He has also been seen on Nick Cannon's MTV improv series Wild 'N' Out, NYPD Blue, UPN's Girlfriends, The Tracy Morgan Show, My Wife and Kids, as well as the popular adult cartoon The Boondocks, where he provided the voice for an animated pimp named "Slickback."

Williams currently resides in Los Angeles with his eight children.

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KANYE SQUASHES ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASS RUMORS; SNAGS NEW FOOTWEAR LINE WITH LOUIS VUITTON.

Rapper Kanye West has denied he is going to be enrolling in anger management classes - slamming the media for "making up lies" about him. The outspoken multi-platinum star has made several public outbursts in the past - and it was recently rumored that his representatives were urging him to seek professional help for his "mood swings". But West has hit back at the reports, insisting the stories were untrue. He writes on his official website,

"Do y'all remember when people said my fiance was pregnant? I'm just using that as an example of how people make up stuff and everybody runs with it. I had my own family asking me about that. Now the media is saying I'm going to anger management something or 'nother. I have never had any conversations about anger management. If anything, I need anger enhancement!! I get off the plane in Hawaii today and the world is saying my management team said blah blah blah...SIIIIIIGGGHHHH! I told the media you can't make up lies about me because I have a media outlet myself. If there's anything I wanna say I'll say right here on my own blog."

In the meantime and in between time, betcha didn't see this coming: West has teamed up with his favorite designer Louis Vuitton to launch a men's footwear range. West has been nicknamed the "Louis Vuitton Don" for his love of the high-end brand, and has even namechecked it in songs like Gold Digger. And now the LV Don is designing a line of shoes, named Kanye for LV, for the fashion giant. The collection is due to be unveiled this fall (2008). West has also revealed plans for a women's wear line later this year (08).
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JENNIFER LOPEZ GETS SUED & SUPOENAED AT THE SAME TIME + CANDIDS OF HER & HUBBY IN PORTOFINO.

Jennifer Lopez is suddenly being sued and subpoenaed at the same time. In one case, a flight attendant is suing the film and music star for $4 million alleging that her German shepherd guard dog caused her to fall and suffer back injuries during a private flight in 2006. Lisa Wilson's filing in Brooklyn Federal Court, and obtained by E! News, accuses J.Lo's pooch of "attacking her and biting her pant leg" during a NetJet-provided flight from Long Island, NY to Burbank, Ca. Wilson claims the injuries have prevented her from obtaining further work. She began treatment within days for back pain and in April of 2007 underwent surgery. Because J.Lo "insisted on giving Wilson warnings about how to behave around the animal in flight," Wilson said in her lawsuit that the artist "knew or should have known that the animal had vicious propensities" and as a result is liable for the seven-figure damages. Meanwhile, the New York Post reports that J.Lo was subpoenaed and asked to tell "all she knows" about the Dec. 27, 1999, shooting at Club New York, which resulted in the conviction of rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow on assault and weapons charges. Lopez, who was with her then-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs" that night, is being called to testify in a lawsuit brought against Shyne by Natania Reuben, who was shot in the face during the incident and is suing the rapper for $130 million in damages.

However, as you can tell by the pics below of J. Lo and hubby Marc sightseeing, shopping and swimming in the waters of Portofino during the July 4th weekend, subpoenas and lawsuits are the last thing on her mind.

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SHAQ'S DISS RAP IS NOW A (FREE) RINGTONE; KOBE RESPONDS.

A mobile entertainment company is offering free ringtones of Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal rapping, "Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes?" from his recent freestyle rhyme that has since become a YouTube sensation. FunMobility says it's providing Shaq's original rap as a free download, as well as a premium ringtone mashup of the original rap and a JibJab-style animation with the mashup soundtrack. The infamous freestyle took place on June 22 at a nightclub in New York. Shaq, who won a championship with Miami in 2006, was poking fun at his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, who has not gotten a ring since Shaq was traded in 2004. In the freestyle, Shaq raps, "You know how I be, last week Kobe couldn't do without me." He also attacks Kobe for "ratting" him out and causing his divorce. The NBA star goes on to repeatedly rap, "Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes," even getting the crowd to repeat the lyrics. (WATCH VIDEO HERE. The Shaq rap ringtones can be downloaded for free now at www.FunMo.com.

As for Kobe, well he's sort of refusing to comment on Shaq's obscenity-laced rhyme free-styled in his honor. "I didn't take it any kind of way whatsoever," Bryant told the Los Angeles Times

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D'ANGELO NEWEST FIRST ALBUM IN 8 YEARS TO BE RELEASED EARLY NEXT YEAR.

R&B star D'Angelo is making progress on his first studio album since 2000, which will likely be released early next year via J Records. The label purchased D'Angelo's contract in 2005 from Virgin, which issued his first two studio albums. For his as-yet-untitled J debut, D'Angelo has already collaborated with Raphael Saadiq and also plans to record with John Mayer, according to a source. A single may be out before the end of the year. But just in case you can wait that long, you can go out and pic up the singer's The Best So Far..., a CD/DVD retrospective, which features hits, rarities and previously unreleased videos.

D'Angelo has largely fallen off the musical map since 2000's Voodoo, which has sold 1.69 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its single Untitled (How Does It Feel), hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100. In recent years, the artist has endured a serious car accident and drug-related arrests. In lieu of new music of his own, he's made sporadic guest appearances on albums by Common, Snoop Dogg and J Dilla.
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