Madonna Prepares to Launch Fitness Chain

Fitness fanatic Madonna is preparing to open the doors to her first gym in Mexico City next month (Nov10).

The pop superstar, famed for her toned physique, is making plans to open Hard Candy Fitness global gyms in major cities around the world and will fly to Mexico to officially launch her first centre in Bosques de las Lomas.

Her manager Guy Oseary says, "Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places".

Madonna's world tours have taken us to many of our favourite cities around the world. We are looking forward to opening Hard Candy Fitness in many of these same places

The gym will be equipped with dance, bike and yoga studios, saunas and steam rooms, as well as a juice bar.

The Material Girl also hopes to open 10 more locations in Argentina, Russia, Brazil and throughout Europe and Asia.

Tags: Madonna, Mexico, Studios, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, Europe, Asia

Madonna prowls around with eye-popping cleavage on show in Dolce&Gabanna advert

Madonna prowls around with eye-popping cleavage on show in Dolce&Gabanna advert

Just in case anyone needed reminding, Madonna has once again set out to prove she's not letting age change her ways.


The 52-year-old has posed for yet another racy Dolce&Gabanna advert, this time while wearing an incredibly low-cut black body suit and hold-up stockings.


Accessorised with sunglasses, a crucifix and a red string Kabbalah bracelet, she prowls around an unmade bed with her cleavage threatening to spill out of her lingerie.


In another frame, she reclines on white sheets accompanied by a black and white cat.


Madonna struck up a friendship with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana while she was filming Dick Tracy in the early Nineties and they were invited to designer her costumes for The Girlie Show tour in 1993.


The Italian designer duo announced their new collaboration with Madonna last year, which came after she spent her birthday with the pair on-board this yacht in Italy last August.


They said at the time: 'To have Madonna in our campaign is a dream come true.'


Madonna has since launched a fashion label of her own with her teen daughter Lourdes called Material Girl.


Meanwhile, there are mounting rumours Madonna will be performing on the X Factor's first live broadcast on October 9.


The show is already renowned for drawing in some of the biggest names in the music business, with past performers including Beyonce, who dueted with 2008 winner Alexandra Burke on the programme.


A source told the Daily Mirror that she has verbally agreed to appear on the show, saying: 'Madonna would be perfect to kick-off the last stage of the competition.'

Madonna in sexy shoot without airbrushing

Hollywood stars are often criticised for resorting to airbrush to look picture perfect but in a rare move 'Queen of Pop' Madonna decided to ditch retouching for a magazine spread.

The 50-year-old singer seductively tugs at her underwear, kisses a crucifix and puts on an eye-patch for a series of flattering photographs for Interview magazine. But judging by the indentations left by fishnets still visible across her midriff, it seems that Madonna did not go for airbrush this time, Daily Mail reported.

The photographs come as a surprise as Madonna has appeared in so many airbrushed campaigns over the years, recently for the likes of Louis Vuitton.

The recent pictures show Madonna in all her glory and a dash of good lighting has ensured that the singer looks youthful.

The photographs were shot by Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggot for a spread in the June edition of Interview magazine.

Other celebrities, who have ditched photoshop, to appear natural include Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, who went make-up free for a magazine cover

Madonna Is Raising Malawi

Madonna travels with her children Lourdes Leon, Mercy James and David Banda, to vist the Mphandu la Orphanage in the Namitete area outside Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday (October 29).

The 51-year-old entertainer attended the ground breaking ceremony for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.

Madonna recently blogged to urge people to join her cause. “I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away.

Raising Malawi, the organization I co-founded in 2006, is dedicated to ending the poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. By donating to Raising Malawi, you can literally transform the future for an entire generation. To encourage your involvement, I’ve pledged $100,000 to match your contributions dollar-for-dollar.”

Madonna world tour becomes the highest grosser

Queen of Pop Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world tour is said to have made the highest amount ever earned by a solo artist grossing at 408 million dollars, revealed promoters Live Nation.

Madge, 51, had played her last gig on September 2 in Israel, after performing in 32 countries.

And she is said to have broken her own record, set by her Confessions tour, which was named the all-time top in 2006, after it made 194 million dollars.

"She is absolutely one of the great performers of all time ," the BBC quoted Arthur Fogel, from Live Nation, as saying.

"That this tour will take its place as the second highest grossing tour in the history of our business says it all," he added.

The Rolling Stone s' Bigger Bang tour, which ran from 2005 to 2007, is the highest grossing tour of all time, with an earning of 558 million dollars.

Madonna played 85 shows, and even set an attendance record for the biggest crowds in history in Zurich, Switzerland, where she drew 72,000 fans.

And in Helsinki, Finland, Madonna sold more than 85,000 tickets, making it the biggest single show by an artist in history in Scandinavia.

Erotic Madonna tapes go on sale

Rock legend Jimi Hendrix's first recording contract worth $1 and erotic audio and video tapes sent by Madonna to her old bodyguard have gone on sale in an online auction.

Other artists and prominent figures featured among the more than 450 items offered in the rock 'n' roll and pop art auction on www.gottahaverockandroll.com include John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Eminem. The auction will run through August 5.

Hendrix's earliest known contract for $1 dated October 15, 1965, could fetch up to $250,000, auctioneers said. It was signed by Hendrix and music producers PPX Enterprises of New York for Hendrix to play and sing exclusively for three years.

The contract - on which Hendrix's first name is spelled "Jimmy" - also granted him 1 percent of the retail sales from his recordings.

Two cassette tapes holding 17 minutes of messages that Madonna left in 1992 and 1993 on the answering machine of James Albright, the bodyguard who became her lover, are expected to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.

An intimate home video sent to Albright featuring Madonna in a hotel room with castmates shot during the making of the 1993 film Dangerous Game has an estimate draw of $12,000 to $14,000.

Also up for sale are copies of love letters faxed to Albright by Madonna between 1992 and 1994 using the code name "Lola Montez".

The auction house described the video as "very personal and intimate" but its representatives said they were not allowed to say exactly what was on it. Neither the audio tapes nor the home video are being sold with copyright so the owner will not be able to sell the tapes to a public forum.

Another top lot is a life-size prop of Schwarzenegger's T-800 terminator used in various action sequences in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day that has an estimated selling price of $150,000 to $200,000.

Also on sale are Dylan's original 1962 working lyrics for his song A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, jackets worn by Lennon and US rapper Eminem's outfit that parodied Michael Jackson in his Just Lose It music video are also on sale.

Gottahaveit.com's chief executive, Peter Siegel, said he expected the auction to fetch high prices even in tough economic times.

"These items are not really economic-centric," he said. "Pop culture is international, there is still a lot of money out there and these items are relatively still a bargain compared to pieces of art from unknown artists who may become famous."
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Some of the items can be viewed in person at the Gotta Have It store in New York. The bidding will be open until August 5.

Madge mourns stage collapse victims

Pop star Madonna, whose concert was cancelled after two people died in a stage collapse, paid respect to the victims during her tour in Marseilles in France.

"Let's all just take a moment to say a prayer for Charles Criscenzo and Charlie Prow. Our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," Dailymail.co.uk quoted Madonna as saying.

The singer appeared in a black dress and embraced a widow. She also visited eight workers who were still hospitalised.

"She (Madonna) wanted to make a positive gesture. She won't be performing but will be showing solidarity with the victims' families. She is moved by what happened and feels very personally involved," a source said.

Explaining the unfortunate incident, a stadium worker said: "Normally four cranes are used to lift temporary roofs but on this occasion only three were being used. It was a recipe for disaster."

Court Reject Madonna's Adoption

Madonna's Adoption Rejected by Court!

A Malawi judge turned down the adoption claiming that one must reside in the country for 18-24 months in order to adopt a child.

It's a shame that the adoption was rejected because Madonna would have definitely provided Mercy James, 3, with the proper education and support that she does deserve.

Madonna Settles Divorce For $76 Million

Madonna's rep says the singer has settled with ex-husband Guy Ritchie for at least $76 million.

Liz Rosenberg tells The Associated Press that Madonna, 50, has given Ritchie, 40, between $76 million to $92 million as part of their divorce agreement. (The figure includes the value of the couple's country home Ashcombe in western England, she said.)

Look back at Madonna's biggest scandals.

Although the singer keeps the bulk of her estimated $500 million fortune, "I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement," Rosenberg noted.

See the year's saddest splits.

Custody arrangements for their children have yet to be finalized.

Her rep also tells Access Hollywood that, despite British reports, it is unlikely she will be spending Christmas with Ritchie.

"Madonna will be spending the holidays in London," Rosenberg tells Access. "But, it is doubtful she will be spending it with the ex."

Last month, in a one-minute London court proceeding, the two were granted a preliminary "quickie divorce."

See what a handwriting expert had to say about Madonna and other stars' signatures.

"I'm sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life," Madonna told The Associated Press after she and Ritchie announced they were splitting after 7 1/2 years together.

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A-Rod/Madonna Sex Tape?!?

There are some reports going around that an unnamed man secretly filmed Madonna and Alex Rodriguez having sex and is now trying to sell the tape for $2 million. According to the man, he used secret hidden cameras to shoot the couple during one of their visits to an apartment owned by one of Madonna's friends, where they often went for secret get togethers during the day.

The man happened to also be friends with Madonna's friend who owned the apartment, and managed to sneak in hidden cameras.

Of course, the fact that the man had to resort to several illegal things to shoot the tape probably ensures nothing will ever come of this.

A legal expert said if what this guy is claiming is true, he could face prosecution for voyeurism and burglary: "If footage was obtained in this way it would be an outrageous invasion of privacy. But more than that he would not have had his friend's consent to install the camera and must have entered the apartment without approval to hide it….That is burglary."