Z 104 - Friday, April 25

Friday, April 25

Wesley Snipes got the maximum punishment for not paying his taxes: Three years in prison. He was not locked up immediately. He'll turn himself in at a later date. That's one year for each of the three counts of failing to file a tax return. Even though the sentence seems pretty stiff, some would argue that Wesley got off relatively easy. He had also been charged with two felonies, conspiracy to defraud the government and filing a false claim for a $7 million return. But he was acquitted of those charges. On his way out of the courtroom, Snipes was asked by a reporter if he had anything to say. He spread his arms and said, "Like what?" Prior to his sentencing, Snipes read a statement apologizing for his, "costly mistakes". He called himself, "an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance." And he added that his wealth and celebrity had attracted, "wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat." Those "wolves and jackals" Wesley Snipes is referring to would probably be his co-defendants, Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Khan. Both of them were convicted on the two felony counts Snipes beat. They've been helping people not pay their taxes for years, based on the false pretense that there is a loophole in tax law that makes it illegal for the government to tax any income that an American citizen makes within the United States. Wesley Snipes tried to play it like he didn’t know this was all bogus, and that these guys were preying on him. And somehow, he got away with it. So really, he is lucky he only got three years. Plus, you know he's not going to serve all three years anyway.

Tom Cruise will be returning to "The Oprah Winfrey Show" for the first time since his rather enthusiastic couch-jumping appearance back in June of 2005. It'll air in two parts during May Sweeps. Tom will be in the studio, but there will also be pre-taped segments from Tom's Colorado home. Tom will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of his breakout role in 1983's "Risky Business".

Within the next year, T.I. has to complete 1,000 hours of community service where he'll be speaking to children about the dangers of guns and gangs. It turns out a few schools have been turning him down. Several high schools in the Atlanta-area, his own home-town, have banned him from speaking to their students. Pebblebrook High School has blocked T.I. from their campus because, "now is not a good time." Supposedly, they've been dealing with a lot of gang problems in the area. Hello!? Gang problems? That’s what T.I. is supposed to be lecturing kids about! Well Nicodemus thinks maybe the school might see T.I.’s appearance as a reward and not the motivational speech it’s supposed to be. Maybe he’s right. In addition, several schools in neighboring Fulton County have banned T.I. because of his conviction on gun charges.

The new issue of "People" magazine on newsstands has a list of the Richest Teen Celebrities. Not surprisingly, Miley Cyrus tops it. Miley's "Hannah Montana" franchise is expected to be worth $1 billion by the end of the year. But that doesn't mean Miley will actually pocket a billion dollars. It means that's how much money will have been spent on all things Miley Cyrus-related. From her tour, to the movie version of her tour, to the CDs to the DVDs to the hairbrushes to the Hannah Montana wigs to the makeup kits to the books to the pajamas and the 99 trillion other products with the Miley/Hannah Montana brand on them. Miley is 15, by the way. Also making the list are Miley's buddies, the Jonas Brothers. They earn about $12 million a year. They've done a little more spending, though. All three brothers bought themselves new computers, and they sprang for a diamond-encrusted Chopard watch for their mom. 15-year-old Nick also spent $1,550 on a single pair of shoes. "Little Miss Sunshine"star Abigail Breslin (who technically isn't even a teenager since she just turned 12) makes $2 million a movie and gets an allowance of $11 a week. She likes to buy American Girl dolls and Jonas Brothers CDs. Dakota Fanning still rules at the box office, though. She can get up to $4 million for a big-studio movie. She’s 14. Some teens are raking it in on the small screen. 13-year-old Mark Indelicato earns $460,000 per season on "Ugly Betty". His parents give him 50 bucks a week. 14-year-old Angus T. Jones of "Two and a Half Men" and 15-year-old Tyler James Williams of "Everybody Hates Chris" both make $1.2 million a season.

Snoop Dogg, Timbaland and Mary J. Blige have all done it, and now Ne-Yo will be guest starring on"All My Children". He falls in love with Erica Kane! No, just kidding. Ne-Yo will appear on two episodes, as himself singing at at Angie and Jesse Hubbard’s wedding. His episodes are scheduled to air on May 21st and May 22nd. He'll perform two songs "Closer" and "Stop This World." Supposedly, chaos breaks out at the wedding and Angie gets kidnapped and flown off in a helicopter. I’ll stop here, otherwise I could go on and on about that flippin show!

Here’s what comes out this weekend in theaters:

"Baby Mama"

"Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay"

"Deception"