Fishy Tale Gets Piven Off the Hook

Star defends decision to leave Broadway production

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven has taken a lot of flak since leaving the Broadway production of Speed-the-Plow due to unhealthy amounts of mercury in his body—including anonymous sources who said medical reasons were a cover for the fact that he was fired—but the condition was real, the actor tells People. “I was brought to my knees by this illness,” Piven says. More»

Actor says he could have had heart attack

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven and his terrible case of sushi-related mercury poisoning got off easy during last night's Late Show appearance. David Letterman skipped questions prepared by the National Fisheries Institute—such as "why is it that people in Japan eat far more fish than you, yet don't complain about mercury poisoning?"—and let the actor explain why he bailed on Speed the Plow, the New York Post reports. More»

Writer David Mamet is a little skeptical of star's ailment

(NEWSER) - Jeremy Piven is bailing on Broadway because of a high mercury count, and it doesn’t sound like David Mamet is buying the excuse, Variety reports. “My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer,” said Mamet, who wrote Speed-the-Plow. The popular play, a show-business satire no less, opened Oct. 23 and runs through February. More»

Plus, Rihanna subpoenaed, and more

(NEWSER) - Today is the day Susan Boyle returns to singing, the Mirror reports. The troubled star is set to join rehearsals for the Britain’s Got Talent tour. “There is no pressure on her but everyone hopes it means she will perform on Friday,” says a source. “It’s her decision.” Elsewhere:

• Rihanna was subpoenaed by prosecutors in the case against Chris Brown, and “if the preliminary hearing indeed goes forward, she will be there” June 22, her lawyer tells People.

Scarlett Johansson, VIola Davis, Catherine Zeta-Jones Prevail

(NEWSER) - Denzel Washington won his first Tony Award tonight for his performance in August Wilson's Fences, and Scarlett Johansson and Catherine Zeta-Jones joined the Hollywood-to-Tony parade by picking up statuettes of their own. Best play Red and best musical Memphis also enjoyed big nights, the AP reports . More»