Oprah’s girls’ school isn’t facing sex scandal

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Reports claiming that The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa is plagued by a second sex scandal are incorrect, according to Winfrey herself, the school’s spokesperson and other sources with knowledge of the situation.

The U.K. Daily Telegraph reports that a student at the academy, which was founded by Winfrey in 2007, “preyed” on a schoolmate, and six others are “alleged to have touched each other intimately.”

Because the girls are minors, specifics can’t be divulged on the record. However, a source with knowledge of the situation at the all-girls' boarding school reports that recent expulsions weren’t due to the alleged sex scandal outlined in the reports.

"Several students were expelled last week for violating the Leadership Academy's Code of Conduct," said Lisa Halliday, spokesperson for The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation. "We consider this to be a confidential school matter. Therefore, we will not confirm any personal information or disclose any details related to these expulsions,”

Talk-show host Winfrey addressed the incident March 31, saying that “common infractions” get excessive attention due to her famous name, and that the school “will not tolerate” a violation of policy.

A dorm matron at the school was charged with abusing six students in 2007.

3-D could yield $1 billion a year
The economic promise of 3-D technology even in these tough times is the big talking point at ShoWest, taking place now in Las Vegas.

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It was a good weekend for the technology — “Monsters vs. Aliens” brought in more than $58 million, and some execs were saying it could be a billion dollar year in box-office revenues for 3-D.

Pixar has a 3-D film, "Up," coming out this summer, and Fox will release “Avatar” at Christmas. Forty-five movies are currently being readied for 3-D and this year, there are a total of 10 releases; next year, there are 15, Jeffrey Katzenberg told Variety.

One sticking point in the format: the 3-D glasses. It costs the studio an additional $1 million-plus per picture to pass out the glasses. Fox is one studio that wants the theaters to offset the cost.

25 things we didn’t want to know about Nick Lachey
Perhaps in a delayed response to Facebook’s long-dead “25 things” meme, Nick Lachey has compiled a list of little-known personal trivia.

It ranges from the mundane (“I despise going to the dentist”) to the not all that quirky (“I always chew two pieces of gum. One simply is not enough”) to the inexplicable (“I’m pregnant!”).

Still curious? You can find the full version in Us Weekly.

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Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.

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