From tattooed wild woman to humanitarian heroine - what a difference a few years has made for Angelina Jolie, who topped a poll released last week of the best celebrity humanitarians of the year.
The Hollywood star commanded the greatest public respect of all celebrity public do-gooders this year because of her work as a UN goodwill ambassador and as the adoptive mother who tried to raise awareness of suffering in Africa.
But the poll by Web site Reuters AlertNet found not all do-gooders fared so well, with fellow adoptive mother Madonna voted the least respected celebrity altruist of 2007 despite raising millions for orphans in Malawi.
PHOTO: AP
Madonna's image was hit by claims she used her fame and wealth to circumvent Malawian adoption rules.
"People aren't stupid," said Peter Walker, director of the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tufts University. "They can really sense when it's just an endorsement and when somebody really means it."
The online poll of 606 people conducted from Dec. 7 to Dec. 19 put Jolie ahead of U2 singer Bono, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
PHOTO: AP
Bono ranked second after Jolie in the "most respected" category but also attracted enough negative votes to put him in the top five celebrity do-gooders people love to hate.
"This guy probably believes he's the new Messiah," said one anonymous voter.
Another tattooed wild woman, soul singer Amy Winehouse, has been summoned to a court in Norway to explain why she was caught in possession of marijuana in October, Norwegian and UK media reported.
The 24-year-old, her husband and her hairdresser were detained in a hotel in western Norway after setting off a smoke alarm and found in possession of the drug, Norwegian tabloid VG said in its online edition.
The sullied songstress, who was summoned to appear in a court in Bergen on Feb. 29, denied having anything to do with the marijuana and said it belonged to her hairdresser.
But she nevertheless signed a document accepting a fine of 4,000 Norwegian crowns (US$738). She later said she did not know what she had signed and said through her Norwegian attorney that the fine had damaged her career.
Winehouse won't be up for an OBE anytime soon - unlike Kylie Minogue. The Australian pop star and cancer survivor was among the celebrities decorated in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honors List, published on Saturday.
The singer, 39, said she was "deeply touched" to be made a Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the annual list.
Actors, musicians, businessmen, sports stars and unsung heroes such as bus drivers and teachers were among the 972 people rewarded for their services to their industries or communities.
Minogue has sold more than 60 million records worldwide and overcame breast cancer, diagnosed in 2005, to return to performing.
"This last year I have felt so much love and support from everyone as I took greater steps back into the public domain, and it is with absolute gratitude and joy that I say farewell to 2007 and look forward to what the New Year will bring," she said.
Obviously feeling less love, Robin Wright Penn has filed for divorce from Sean Penn after 11 years of marriage.
Wright Penn filed the papers Dec. 21, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple, who live in Northern California, are seeking joint custody of their two teenage children.
The pair met while Sean Penn was filming the 1990 Irish mob movie State of Grace. At the time, he was considered one of the bad boys of Hollywood. He had married and divorced Madonna and occasionally tussled with photographers.
Robin Wright Penn once said she and her husband complemented each other. She seemed to provide a calming influence over him, and he helped her gain confidence.
"He helped me to believe that I could be strong and stand up for myself," the actress told the Los Angeles Times.
Penn directed this year's Into the Wild, which is considered a front-runner for major awards.
Also splitting up are hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and Def Jam Records.
Universal Music Group said last week that Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is stepping down as president of its Def Jam Records unit, effective by the end of the year.
Carter, 38, has been president of the rap label since 2005, and has signed acts including R&B singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo.
A top-selling rap artist, Jay-Z, however, will continue recording for Universal's Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam label. The company did not give a reason for his decision to quit the executive suite.
Carter was No. 9 on Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, the annual list of the world's most powerful - and best paid - celebrities, with an estimated compensation of US$83 million.
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