LOS ANGELES -- The BET Awards became the Bleep Awards on Sunday, as entire segments of performances were muted out due to foul language. Still, censors failed to catch many vulgarities that were uttered onstage, from performances by Nicki Minaj to even a parody by Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee.
Yolanda Adams, who also performed, gently took some of her peers to task as she won best gospel artist, urging them to act mature and use their fame wisely. "We need all of ya'll," she said. "I'm saying the world needs everyone in this room. Please make sure that you use your gift responsibly, 'cause we're watching. Our babies are watching, and they want to be like us."
Chris Brown won best male R&B artist, Kevin Hart won for best actor, Big Sean, best new artist, and Beyoncé won best female R&B artist. "I fell in love with music by listening to R&B. It's the core of who I am," she said, giving special thanks to Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and "Whitney Houston, my angel."
Alec Baldwin marries in NYC Alec Baldwin married a yoga instructor in Manhattan Saturday, before a group of guests that included family members and famous Hollywood pals. Baldwin, 54, and Hilaria Thomas, 28, were married at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral by the Rev. George Deas. Among the guests were Baldwin's "30 Rock" co-star Tina Fey, actress Mariska Hargitay, Woody Allen, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Baldwin's actor-brother, Stephen Baldwin. The couple began dating last year and became engaged in April. Baldwin was previously married to actress Kim Basinger; they have a daughter, Ireland, who was at the wedding.
MORE WEDDING BELLS: Washington Post Chairman and CEO Donald Graham, 67, was married Saturday in Philadelphia to fellow former newspaper executive Amanda Bennett. Graham's 40-year marriage to Mary Graham ended in divorce five years ago. Bennett, 59, is a former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Lexington Herald-Leader who now oversees investigative projects as an executive editor at Bloomberg News. She was married for 20 years to the late Terence Foley.
OUT OF THE WATER: Swimmer Penny Palfrey abandoned her try to become the first woman to swim unassisted from Cuba to the Florida Keys, ending her odyssey after nearly 41 hours in the water and about three quarters of the way through the more than 100-mile distance. The British-born marathon swimmer halted her effort around midnight Saturday about 26 miles south of Key West because of a strong ocean current working against her. Palfrey had been swimming steady and strong and reported no physical complaints other than jellyfish stings earlier in the day.
