Two items from IMDB:

Sony BMG Hits Back at Crowe

Music executives at Sony have hit back at Russell Crowe, insisting they never led him to believe they would offer him a record deal. The Oscar-winning actor launched a scathing attack on the record company this week, claiming they put him through a six-month “process” before passing on his band. Crowe was furious that he and his band The Ordinary Fear Of God, didn’t even manage to get a meeting with the record label bosses. A Sony spokesperson insists there were meetings and that a rejection was purely a good business decision on behalf of the company. A Sony representative says, “There have been meetings with Russell Crowe, but in regards to the quality of our large roster, we didn’t take up the opportunity.” Crowe has been touring with his band in his native New Zealand and Australia in recent months, playing gigs ranging from clubs to the recent MTV Australian Video Music Awards. The actor told a Sydney radio station that he thought the band’s performance at the MTV awards would seal the record deal with Sony. According to the Gladiator star, music executives told him, “All you’ve got to do is play that song at the MTV Awards tonight, and rock that, and you’re home and hosed.” Crowe claims a Sony representative became interested in the band last November, but the potential deal fell through just after the MTV Awards. Despite being told at a meeting he was all but assured of a contract he says, “Less than 24 hours after the meeting and a six-month process, ‘(They said) absolutely not, we would (never) think of releasing you, we have too many artists and we want to service those.’”

Snoop Released Without Charge

Rapper Snoop Dogg was released from a London police station yesterday evening after he escaped charges over a brawl in the city’s Heathrow Airport. The hip-hop star and five members of his 30-strong entourage were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of affray and violent disorder when a fight broke out in Terminal 1’s British Airways business lounge. According to reports, the star’s entourage reacted angrily when they were turned away from the First Class lounge, where they were hoping to wait before boarding a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. During the incident, seven police officers were injured. After spending nearly 24 hours in police custody, Snoop - real name Calvin Broadus - was released on bail from Heathrow police station, but was forced to cancel his Thursday performance at the Freedom Day celebrations in South Africa. The rapper’s attorney Peter Binning says, “Snoop has been released on bail. He will return at a later date.” Meanwhile, British Airways have banned the rapper and his associates from flying on the airline. A BA spokeswoman explains, “Given the nature of the disturbance they have been banned from traveling with BA for the foreseeable future.”