CHICAGO (Reuters) – Chicago police asked the FBI on Saturday to help find the missing 7-year-old nephew of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson after her mother and brother were found shot to death a day earlier.

Julian King has been missing since Friday when Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother Jason Hudson, 29, were found dead in Donerson's south side Chicago home.

"Let my baby go," Hudson's sister Julia told reporters. She appeared at a news conference along with the boy's father, Greg King.

Chicago police spokesman Daniel O'Brien said the FBI had been asked to help in the search in case the boy had been taken across state lines, in violation of federal kidnap laws.

O'Brien declined to confirm various media reports that police had taken William Balfour into custody as a suspect in the double homicide investigation. Balfour, 27, had a relationship with Hudson's sister Julia but is not the father of the missing boy. Balfour's mother said earlier her son and Julia were estranged and that he had nothing to do with the slayings.

The Illinois Department of Corrections website lists Balfour as having been convicted of attempted murder, car theft and vehicular hijacking. He was released from prison in 2006.

O'Brien said more than one person had been questioned but that no one had been charged with a crime. He did not release any names. On Friday, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said of the murders, "It appears to be domestic related."

Hudson gained fame in 2005 as a contestant on the No. 1-rated U.S. television show "American Idol." She was one of 12 finalists in the third season but was voted off the talent show.

Her booming voice and popularity kept her touring in live shows and she eventually earned the role of Effie White in the 2006 film version of the stage musical "Dreamgirls."

The role of soulful singer White, who is kicked out of an all-girl 1960s singing group, earned Hudson the Oscar for best supporting actress and made her an instant star in Hollywood.

Hudson has since appeared in the movie version of "Sex and the City" and is currently in "The Secret Life of Bees." Media reports said Hudson was in Florida when she was told of the shootings and was headed back to Chicago.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Robin Roberts has been honored in New York for sharing her cancer treatment experience with millions of television viewers.

ABC's "Good Morning America" co-anchor accepted the 2008 Roswell Park Cancer Institute's Gilda Radner Courage Award on Saturday in Buffalo. The award is named for the late comedian and recognizes cancer patients whose public battles offer hope and raise awareness of the disease.

Roberts found out she had breast cancer in 2007.

She credited film critic Joel Siegel with making her mindful of the disease, which helped her detect her cancer early. Her former colleague died of colon cancer in 2007.

She says: "Because of his passion, I did it. I found out I had cancer and was able to handle it."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," the first big-screen adaptation of Walt Disney Co's popular TV movie franchise, graduated top of the class during its first weekend in North American theaters, according to preliminary sales estimates issued on Saturday.

The movie sold $16.9 million worth of tickets during its opening day on Friday, Disney said, and will easily beat pundits' forecasts of a weekend haul in the $40 million range. Disney declined to give a weekend estimate until Sunday.

"High School Musical 3" will have little trouble crushing the $27.8 million record for a musical opening set by the ABBA-themed romance "Mamma Mia!" in July.

It also ends the four-year winning streak of the "Saw" horror franchise. "Saw V" will come in at No. 2 with weekend sales of $30.1 million, based on a Friday haul of $14 million, said distributor Lionsgate. Beginning in 2004, the first four films all opened at No. 1 on consecutive Octobers.

Amid inevitable questions about the franchise's longevity, "Saw V" opened in the same $30 million range as the most recent three films. The problem is that total domestic sales peaked at $87 million for "Saw II." Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

The "High School Musical" franchise shows no signs of slowing down, though. It has generated two smash TV movies, two chart-topping albums, and made teen idols out of its stars, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale.

The plot of the new film brings the cast back to their fictional New Mexico high school, where Troy (Efron) must decide between pursuing a basketball scholarship or his song-and-dance dreams. The usual teen-angst issues ensue.

Critics were fairly generous in their praise, with about two-thirds of those polled by Rotten Tomatoes

DETROIT (Billboard) – Chad Kroeger laughs when asked if the phenomenal sales for 2005's "All the Right Reasons" gave confidence to Nickelback as it set out to make its sixth studio album, "Dark Horse."

"No, because look what we have to try to live up to," says Kroeger, who co-founded the rock quartet in 1995 in Alberta, Canada. "There's a mountain sitting behind us. We've got to try and put something out now that's going to stand up to that. So for us, the bar has been raised ridiculously high."

"Dark Horse," which comes out November 18 on Roadrunner, certainly has a target to clear. Buoyed by seven hit singles and five No. 1 videos -- and apparently unaffected by widespread critical drubbing -- "All the Right Reasons" has sold 10 million copies worldwide, according to Roadrunner, and spent a staggering 110 consecutive weeks in the top 30 of the Billboard 200. It fell off the chart October 11 after a 156-week run, the longest registered in 11 years.

"All the Right Reasons" also took off in a big way this summer in Europe, meaning that Kroeger and his bandmates -- brother and bassist Mike Kroeger, guitarist Ryan Peake and drummer Daniel Adair -- were multitasking across two continents as they recorded "Dark Horse" and promoted its predecessor.

In his first interview about the new album, Kroeger -- who started working on "Dark Horse" in March in Switzerland -- acknowledges that he "would've liked a longer break" for himself. But he also recognized that it was time for more Nickelback music in the marketplace.

"If you're a fan of the band and you went out and got 'All the Right Reasons' the first week it was released, you'd be waiting for new material for, like, three years now," Kroeger says. "So it was definitely time for us to make sure that we had a new album and some new songs for the fans."

New York – Prince didn't say a word - nor did he sing - at Fashion Group International's annual Night of Stars on Thursday, Oct. 23, but he did function as arm candy for Jennifer Lopez on stage as she introduced the evening's big honoree, Donatella Versace, who took home the "Superstar" award.

Lopez may have done all the talking, but when Versace came out to accept her award (a few seconds too early - the Prince song that was supposed to play as she made her entrance started late), she made sure to thank Prince for "being a superstar."

But Versace's timing gaffe wasn't an isolated incident - after a lengthy back and forth between friends Philippe Starck and Christian Louboutin, who both picked up awards (Starck for architecture and Louboutin as a "Star Honoree") - the announcer accidentally introduced presenter Ashley Olsen (there to salute Francisco Costa) in the midst of Louboutin's acceptance speech. Call it "Night of False Starts."

Hosted by Barneys New York's Simon Doonan, he opened the night by humorously urging honorees and presenters to keep the speeches short, "Donatella has to get to Katz's deli in the Lower East Side by 11, she's judging a pickle-eating competition," he quipped.

Karl Lagerfeld eschewed the unofficial time limit rule with his introduction of Harold Koda, the curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and recipient of the "Fashion Oracle" award, with a speech that elaborated on fashion's relevance to the history books. "He is the future of fashion," said Lagerfeld about Koda. "He will decide what will be remembered from today," to which Koda responded, "I feel I should be handing Karl the award."

Night of Stars also honored fashion designers Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein and Christopher Bailey of Burberry, Italian Vogue's Franca Sozzani and her sister Carla Sozzani, Net-a-Porter's Natalie Massenet and Harvey Weinstein. John Paul Dejoria of Paul Mitchell was given the "Sustainability" award and Bill McComb of the Liz Clairborne Foundation received the "Humanitarian" honors.

FGI's theme this year was "The Alchemists." Alchemists, of course, were historically concerned with turning ordinary substances into precious metals like gold and silver.

"I think there is a really a profound alchemist aspect to fashion designers," said Tim Gunn. "They take materials that could be unexpected and elements that could be unexpected and make them into magic."

The evening's proceedings took place at Cipriani on Wall Street, just doors down from the New York Stock Exchange where retail stocks have steadily plummeted for the past few days.

"These are such desperate times that I think it's time to really celebrate beauty and quality and style," said Gunn. "Yes, it seems somewhat ironic that we have all these high-end designers and that we're celebrating the high-end of the industry, but we need to do that. It's not a time to bring things down to a lower level or to lower the bar. If anything, the bar needs to be raised."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge on Tuesday dismissed a charge of driving without a license against pop star Britney Spears, after jurors said they could not reach a verdict and a prosecutor said he would not pursue a retrial.

The charge stemmed from an August 2007 collision between Spears' vehicle and another car in a Los Angeles parking lot as photographers trailed her.

Prosecutors said Spears had lived in California since May 2006 and was legally required to get a license from the state.

Her attorney argued she had a license from her home state of Louisiana and did not legally need a California license.

The jurors told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Steele they were deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal, and the judge then declared a mistrial.

Spears' attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, said she got a California license last year, after the August collision, and that prosecutors should have dropped the case after that.

"If she's not a celebrity, they never charge the case," Flanagan said.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, said Spears was not treated any differently because of her fame. "The jury has spoken and we'll accept that and move on to any number of ... cases that we're handling on any given day," said the spokesman, Frank Mateljan.

Spears is working her way out of recent troubles including a battle with her ex-husband for custody of their children, bizarre behavior in public, hospitalization for psychiatric evaluation and having her father take control of her business and personal affairs.

LOS ANGELES – William Shatner is setting his phaser to stun against his old "Star Trek" co-star George Takei.

In a video posted on Shatner's Web site Wednesday, he lashed out at Takei for not inviting him to his wedding last month. The 77-year-old Kirk said Takei, who played Enterprise helmsman Sulu, apparently harbors a grudge against him that kept him from being invited to Takei's nuptials.

"The whole thing makes me feel badly," Shatner said in the video. "Poor man. There is such a sickness there. It's so patently obvious that there is a psychosis there. I don't know what his original thing about me was. I have no idea."

Takei and Brad Alman tied the knot Sept. 15. "Star Trek" alums Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig — who played Uhura and Chekhov, respectively — were among the attendees at the multicultural ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum. Takei and Altman had previously stated that Shatner was invited to their wedding, but he never RSVPed.

"It is unfortunate that Bill was unable to join us for our wedding as he indeed was invited to attend," Takei responded. "It is our hope that at this point he joins us in voting no on Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminate the fundamental right for same-sex couples to marry in California."

Shatner said he felt he never knew Takei when they worked together on the original TV series and later in the "Star Trek" films.

The "Boston Legal" co-star also attacked Takei's decision to come out of the closet later in life, saying "Who cares? Be gay. Don't be gay. That's up to you, George."

LOS ANGELES — For weeks, Hollywood had been criticized for not contributing enough to defeat a ballot initiative in California that would ban same-sex marriage. Now, members of the film and TV industries are sweeping in to preserve gays' right to get hitched.

Maybe they were planning for a Hollywood ending all along?

After news of Proposition 8's supporters outraising its opponents spread and the measure gained support in public opinion polls, many Hollywood insiders have made declarations of support — financial and otherwise — against the ban. While the "No on 8" campaign hasn't quite reached the buzziness of other celebrity causes du jour, momentum is growing.

"The entertainment industry is obviously an important donor base," said Chad Griffin, a political strategist for the campaign. "It's an industry that's often stood up against discrimination. This particular initiative writes discrimination into the constitution. I think it's something most fair-minded people, celebrities or otherwise, are outraged about."

Leading the Hollywood outreach is Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen, who wed art consultant Gabriel Catone in a ceremony officiated by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in June. The "American Beauty" and "Pushing Daisies" producer dug deep into his contacts to ask for their support against the initiative. Cohen's biggest get? Steven Spielberg.

"Steven's been an incredible supporter of me, both personally and professionally, so I called him and told him how much this has meant to me and Gabe," said Cohen, who worked with the director on "The Color Purple" in 1985. "When he told me that he and Kate Capshaw were giving a $100,000 contribution, I was so moved and thankful."

Since same-sex marriage became legal in California in June, at least 11,000 couples have exchanged vows statewide, according to the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy based at the University of California, Los Angeles. Among those couples were Ellen DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi, who married in August.

The talk show host recently made a public service announcement urging voters to oppose the ballot initiative and purchased $100,000 of television commercial time for her ad.

"I don't know what people are scared of," DeGeneres joked on her show Wednesday. "Maybe they think their children will be influenced (by gay marriage), but I've got to tell you, I was raised by two heterosexuals. Everywhere I looked — heterosexuals. And they did not influence me. It's time we love people for who they are and let them love who they want."

Stars as big as Brad Pitt — and as small as "NCIS" actress Pauley Perrette — have also donated their own cash to defeat Proposition 8 in California, according to state records.

"I consider myself a civil rights activist before I consider myself an actress," said Perrette, who donated $3,000. "Before I ever accidentally became an actress, I was a sociology and psychology major, and I've always been very involved in civil rights. I really believe this is the biggest civil rights issue of our generation."

Pitt made headlines when he donated $100,000 to fight the ballot initiative. Trevor Neilson, Pitt's political and philanthropic adviser, said the actor continues to be surprised that his colleagues in the entertainment industry have not donated more money to support the battle against Proposition 8.

Among the other famous contributors: "Point of No Return" actress Bridget Fonda ($200); "One Life to Live" actor Jason Tam ($100); "In Plain Sight" actress Mary McCormack ($200); "Good Will Hunting" director Gus Van Sant ($2,500); "Brothers & Sisters" executive producer Greg Berlanti ($5,000) and "Star Trek" actor George Takei ($2,600), who wed business manager Brad Altman in September.

"I'm gay, and I have a partner of 17 years," said "The Real World" co-creator and executive producer Jonathan Murray, who donated $10,000 to support gay marriage but hasn't wed his partner. "We have a son who's 9. He'll be 10 soon. We believe we have as much right to be married as any other two adults in California. It's that simple."

The "Yes on 8" campaign has far less wattage. The most famous contributor to appear in state records is Orson Bean, perhaps best known for his frequent appearances as a panelist on "To Tell the Truth." He donated $200.

Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for "Yes on 8," said the campaign has not reached out to Hollywood because "the campaign is a campaign of the people. It's not intended to be dotted with celebrities."

"It's outstanding that Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg want to participate in the process, but their examples in their homes are the best indicator," said Eddings Brown. "They've created homes that have a committed mother and father in each of them. In Brad Pitt's case, he went outside of the country and adopted kids who didn't have a mother and a father."

The biggest boon for the "No on 8" campaign may come from something Tinseltown loves most: a good party. The movement held its first star-studded no-press-allowed fundraiser Tuesday at supermarket mogul Ron Burkle's Beverly Hills estate. Melissa Etheridge and Mary J. Blige performed at the sold-out event, which required a minimum donation of $1,000.

The bash, which was attended by such celebs as Barbara Streiesand, David Hyde Pierce and Rob Reiner, raised over $4 million for the campaign, according to Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. That money will be used to purchase air time for campaign ads. Jean said she's pleased with Hollywood's support but believes they can do better.

"There could be a lot more," said Jean. "I really hope that more people who are in the entertainment industry will decide to get involved with this campaign and will help us defeat Proposition 8. The truth is, if we don't have more of our straight allies — not only in Hollywood but in other areas — we're going to have a hard time on Nov. 4th."

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) – Just like the "Seinfeld" episode where George wanted everyone to call him "T-Bone," Beyonce Knowles would like to be known by a bold new name.

The R&B singer has christened herself "Sasha Fierce" for her new double album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce," due in U.S. stores on November 18, and has released a lengthy justification for the comical moniker.

"I have someone else that takes over when it's time for me to work and when I'm on stage, this alter ego that I've created that kind of protects me and who I really am," the former Destiny's Child frontwoman said in a statement.

"Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I'm working and when I'm on the stage."

Additionally, she has set up a cryptic MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/sashafierce) that gives a "lucky person" the opportunity to receive a personal message and a gift bag valued at $500.

As George found out, nicknames usually do not work when they are self-bestowed. His colleagues thought he should be called Koko the monkey. In real life, rapper Eminem had better luck with his alter ego "Slim Shady," which he said came to him while he was on the toilet.

Beyonce released her previous solo album, "B'Day," to coincide with her 25th birthday in September 2006. It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart and yielded the No. 1 single "Irreplaceable."

"I Am ... Sasha Fierce" will be distributed by Columbia Records, a unit of Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment.