South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY is apologizing to Americans for participating in anti-U.S. protests several years ago.

Park Jae-sang, who performs as PSY, issued a statement Friday after reports surfaced that he had participated in concerts protesting the U.S. military presence in South Korea during the early stages of the Iraq war.

At a 2004 concert, the "Gangnam Style" rapper performs a song with lyrics about killing "Yankees" who have been torturing Iraqi captives and their families "slowly and painfully." During a 2002 concert, he smashed a model of a U.S. tank on stage.

"While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted," he wrote in the statement. "I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words."

The 34-year-old rapper says the protests were part of a "deeply emotional" reaction to the war and the death of two Korean school girls, who were killed when a U.S. military vehicle hit them as they walked alongside the road. He noted anti-war sentiment was high around the world at the time.

PSY attended college in the U.S. and says he understands the sacrifices U.S. military members have made to protect South Korea and other nations. He has recently performed in front of servicemen and women.

"And I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology," he wrote. "While it's important that we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music, I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that thru music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology."

His participation in the protests was no secret in South Korea, where the U.S. has had a large military presence since the Korean War, but was not generally known in America until recent news reports.

PSY did not write "Dear American," a song by the Korean band N.EX.T, but he does perform it. The song exhorts the listener to kill the Yankees who are torturing Iraqi captives, their superiors who ordered the torture and their families. At one point he raps: "Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully."

Lady Gaga broke one of her personal rules to offer a little support to her friend Tamar Braxton.

Braxton released her new single "Love & War" on Thursday, receiving an extra promotional push from Lady Gaga through a tweet the singer sent to her fans.

After just one day on iTunes, the single claimed the top spot on the U.S. chart -- beating out Rihanna and Taylor Swift during it's ascent. Tamar performed the track during an episode of her television show "Tamar & Vince" and teased an acapella version of the track during an interview with ABC News Radio.


Tamar Braxton rose to fame through the hit WE reality show "Braxton Family Values." It followed the interactions of her and her four sisters, including R&B legend Toni Braxton. Tamar released her debut album "Tamar" in "2000," but according to Billboard, the album never charted.

Tamar was shocked by the single's instant success, telling Essecnce.com it surpassed her expectations.

"I definitely did not expect this kind of response," said Braxton. "The single came out [yesterday], and it's number one!"

The group that complained about Ellen DeGeneres' appearance in a Christmas commercial for JC Penney is not going to pursue further protests of the ad, a group spokeswoman said Thursday.

"We're not taking action, we're moving on," One Million Moms director Monica Cole told The Christian Post. "We've already contacted the company."

On Tuesday, the group posted about the ad on its website, saying "JCP has made their choice to offend a huge majority of their customers again. Christians must now vote with their wallets."


The commercial in question is a 30-minute spot featuring DeGeneres in a diner accidentally making short jokes while chatting with three of Santa's elves.

Cole told The Christian Post that the group's web post was not "an attack on any one person or company," but was targeted at "the agenda behind it." She described DeGeneres to the Post as "a strong gay activist" and said that her appearance, not the ad's content, was at issue.

She also told the Post that the group's web alert was posted due to requests by members of the organization.

The group first drew attention to JC Penney's use of DeGeneres as a spokeswoman back in February. The store did not drop DeGeneres.

"They wanted to get me fired and I am proud and happy to say JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson," DeGeneres told her studio audience in March, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The group's protest of the elf ad drew plenty of puzzled reaction online.

Cacia Griggs knew she had to do something about her obesity when she broke her daughter's bed while tucking her in one evening.

Since that horrible night one year ago, Griggs, 26, has lost 112 pounds and married her fiancé in a beautiful wedding dress with the help of a local weight center in Peterborough, England.

Her daughter, Isabelle, now four, noticed Griggs's incredible transformation. "She commented about how I didn't have a big belly anymore and she loved doing exercise with me," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "She was also great at reprimanding me when I tried to take something from her plate. She would say, 'mummy you're not allowed these, you'll get a big belly again!'

In fact, the major motivating factor for Griggs was concern for her daughter's future weight. After reading an article in the newspaper about how children of obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves, Griggs strengthened her resolve to lose weight. "It might as well have been written about me and my daughter," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "She was already starting to copy my bad eating habits, asking for the fizzy drinks and junk food that I was eating. The thought of subjecting my beautiful little girl to a lifetime of weight-battling misery and ill health was too much for me to bear."


[Cacia on her wedding day.] Cacia on her wedding day.The Journal of Pediatrics conducted the study Griggs read about, which determined that there are five factors in whether a child will become obese. The main risk factor is parental weight. "Nearly 80 percent of obese 10- to 14-year-olds with an obese parent will be obese as adults," the Yale Medical Group summarized.

Griggs's commitment required major lifestyle changes, such as cutting out high calorie foods and introducing regular exercise into her schedule. She began her diet on a meal replacement plan, only drinking shakes and eating protein bars. She then slowly reintroduced healthier foods, mostly vegetables and protein. "Now I love seafood and vegetables. I noticed how colorful my plate was becoming," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "The increase of water made a massive difference not only to weight loss but to my skin and energy levels."

Doesn't look like Chad Henne's doing too badly after getting let go by Miami only to sit on the bench behind Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville. Check out this cuddly little photo courtesy of the Facebook page of Henne's wife, Brittany, his girl since he was 14.

His and hers onesies? You're either throwing up or jealous right now. Either way, give it up to Chad for his perfect execution of a happy-wife-happy-life end around.

Henne could have more reasons to smile if Jacksonville figures out it's better off with him under center rather than Gabbert, who's out for the season with an arm injury. All Henne has done in the three games since taking over at quarterback for the Jaguars is throw for 817 yards and seven touchdowns.

 A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a $319 million verdict over profits from the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and rejected Walt Disney Co.'s request for a new trial.

A jury decided in 2010 that Disney hid the show's profits from its creators, London-based Celador International. The ruling Monday by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found no issues with the verdict or with a judge's rulings in the case.

"I am pleased that justice has been done," Celador Chairman Paul Smith said in a statement.

Disney did not immediately comment on the decision.

The ruling comes more than two years after the jury ruled in Celador's favor after a lengthy trial that featured testimony from several top Disney executives. The company sued in 2004, claiming Disney was using creative accounting to hide profits from the show, which first ran in the United States from August 1999 to May 2002 and was a huge hit for ABC.

The jury found that Celador was owed $269.2 million, and a judge later added $50 million in interest to the judgment.

The appeals court determined the verdict was not "grossly excessive or monstrous" and that it was not based on speculation or guesswork.

Late-night talk show host David Letterman was honored at the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on Saturday night in New York. There to help him celebrate was his wife, Regina Lasko.

Lasko, a former staff member on Letterman’s show, began dating Dave in 1986. Their son was born in 2003. Normally, the attendance of a spouse at a prestigious ceremony wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. However, Lasko's appearance marked what may have been the couple's first public outing together since the Letterman blackmail scandal of 2009.

Back then, Letterman admitted to having had an affair with an assistant and told authorities that a staff member was attempting to blackmail him with the information. Rather than pay up, Letterman went public on his show, apologizing to Lasko, who he married just a few months before, in front of his late-night audience.

    "My wife, Regina, she has been horribly hurt by my behavior. And when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. At that point there is only two things that can happen: Either you are going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're gonna fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. So let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me."

Of course, none of this was alluded to at the Kennedy Honors. Letterman was introduced by Stephen Colbert, who praised Letterman for his "stupid" comedy. "Dave was stupid. Dave was ours. Dave was like us," Cobert said. "We wanted to throw things off of buildings... We would love to stick our heads out the window of 30 Rock and yell at passers-by, 'I'm not wearing any pants!'"

President Obama also poked fun at Letterman: "It's different when you're not the one with the mic, isn't it, Dave? You're looking a little stressed, aren't you? I'd also point out it's a lot warmer here [at the White House] than it is on Dave's set."


The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on CBS on December 26. Also honored this year: musician Buddy Guy, actor Dustin Hoffman, rock band Led Zeppelin, and dancer Natalia Makarova.

Sen. John Kerry, the next secretary of state?

Republican Sen. John McCain had some fun Monday at the expense of his friend and Democratic colleague. Responding to a Kerry introduction at a news conference on a disabilities treaty, McCain said, “thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.”

It was a clear reference to the recent talk that Kerry is a top candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was also a nod to McCain’s opposition to the current front-runner, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

Kerry gave it back with his own quip, one that pained McCain.

“Thank you very much Mr. President,” Kerry said when he returned to the microphone. McCain unsuccessfully sought the presidency in 2000 and 2008.

The HBO Girls star, 27, welcomed her second child with husband Michael Mosberg, Us Weekly confirms.

A source tells Us, "Jemima and Mike had the baby about a week ago. It's a boy named Memphis. The Girls crew and Lena [Dunham] are so happy for her!" (Kirke and attorney Mosberg are already parents to daughter Rafaella, 2.)

Girls creator and Kirke's costar Lena Dunham hinted at the baby news on Nov. 21 by tweeting, "Yesterday was amazing. One of my friends had a baby, one got engaged and the doctor told me the bump on my tongue is nothing to worry about."

In an interview with Vulture earlier this year, Kirke, who is also a painter, revealed she hopes to have a big family in the future. "I want lots of kids and I want a garden and I hope to stay married to my husband," she said. "I hope to be working in some way that fulfills me."

World-famous brunette Kate Middleton debuted a daring new hairstyle at London's Natural History Museum Tues. Nov. 27 -- with cropped, side-swept layers that framed her face, and her longer locks in loose, sexy waves.


The Duchess of Cambridge put the stylish new 'do to the ultimate test the next day when she and husband Prince William arrived in the town of Cambridge for the opening of a new hospital. The chilly late-November wind threatened to upend the future Queen's talked-about new tresses as she and William, both 30, waved to subjects from a balcony.

The Daily Mail reports that Kate (clad in a MaxMara Belli overcoat and dress with brown suede Aquatalia ankle boots) was visibly nervous dealing with the windy situation -- and even admitted to one royal subject that she was having second thoughts about the switch-up.

"I told her I loved her new hair style," spectator Joanne Baldwin told the Mail. "She said: "I'm not sure about it. It's a bit windy today." I said don't worry, it looks lovely.'"

During the day in Cambridge, Middleton also ran into a relative, Dr Penny Barton, first cousin to her father, Michael Middleton.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge waves to the crowds as she arrives at Cambridge Guildhall as she pays an official visit to Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on November 28, 2012 in Cambridge, England.   
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge waves to the crowds as she arrives at Cambridge Guildhall as she pays an official visit to Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on November 28, 2012 in Cambridge, England.

"She did look a bit surprised, although I think she knew I would be here," Barton told the paper. "The family is terribly thrilled and very very proud because we think she does a good job and it's not easy walking about talking to lots of people and being genuinely interested in who she meets."