Photos - Richard Branson's Necker Island Mansion Burns – Kate Winslet Saves His Mother

Sir Richard Branson

Business tycoon, Virgin CEO, and billionaire Richard Branson lost one of his huge mansions on his private “Necker Island” in the Caribbean yesterday.

A fire started as a result of Hurricane Irene that is churning in the gulf and heading toward Florida and the east coast of the United States.

The mansion was considered a total loss and no injuries were reported.

Authorities said a lightning strike sparked the blaze that burned the mansion to the ground and that there were 20 guests, including his mother, in the house and on the property at the time.

In a dramatic twist that could only be created in Hollywood, actress Kate Winslet was visiting the property with her two children when the fire erupted, and she single handedly saved Branson’s 90-year-old mother from certain death by carrying her to safety.

Branson told reporters,

“We had a really bad tropical storm with winds up to 90mph. A big lightning storm came around 4am and hit one of the main houses. The fire took hold incredibly quickly, with flames 100 feet high. It ripped through the house very quickly. It was Kate who carried my mother to safety. My Mom is 90 years-old and Kate swept her up in her arms and got them out of the house as fast as possible.”

Sir Richard purchased the island, called Necker Island, in 1979 for about $250,000 and then spent tens of millions of dollars building fantastic mansions, pools, spas, and VIP areas for his friends and family.

The island and structures are used throughout the year by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and business tycoons and rents for $35,000 per day.

Branson has vowed to rebuild saying,

“We want to rebuild the house as soon as we can. We have a wonderful staff here and we want them to stay and work. We’ll all stay here for the time being. There’s a lot of damage and we won’t be able to put it back together again right away. It was a beautiful house.”

Until the main VIP house is rebuilt guests will have to find comfort in one of the other six mansions scattered around the island.

Sir Richard Branson's Mansion on Necker Island

The tropical storm that caused the lightning strike has since turned into a category 3 hurricane named Irene and is heading for the East coast of the United States threatening not only Florida but the entire coast as she heads towards the Carolina’s.

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Video - Lady Gaga Moved to Tears on “So You Think You Can Dance” – Marko Germar Reigns

Wow, what an emotional night on “So You Think You Can Dance”.

Not only was the dance emotional, but SYTYCD guest judge Lady Gaga actually broke down in tears – sobbing as she voiced her feelings.

In an amazing dance by Marko Germar and Allison to Jeff Buckley‘s passionate tune “I Know It’s Over”, they stunned the judges and the audience as they moved fluidly across the stage.

It really was very impressive and they got a standing ovation from the judges.

By the time the dance was over and the cameras panned to the judges it was clear that Lady Gaga had been moved to tears.

“I’m just so proud of you. There are so, so many things I did wrong when I was younger. And so many things I wish I could take back and I felt every moment of that through your dance tonight.”

After Gaga’s tearful critique of his performance, Marko pointed out his mother in the audience and said this was the first time she had ever had the chance to see him dance live and apologized for not being the best kid as he was growing up.

It moved his mother to tears.

Marko told his mom,

“This is the first time my Mom has got to see me dance live, I dedicate this dance to her. I wasn’t the best kid, I was a bit if a brat and I said some things that I shouldn’t and I want to say I’m sorry and I love you.”

Originally from the South Pacific island of Guam, Marko Germar moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to pursue a career in performance dance.

Watch Marko German Dance and Lady Gaga Cry


He has worked at Disneyland as a dancer for the show "Aladdin - The Musical Spectacular” for almost two years.

When Marko was only ten years old he started taking professional dance lessons in a studio in Guam called DANZJAZZ and continued there for nine years training in Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip-Hop, Ballroom and Gymnastics.

Last night his hard work paid off.

You can catch SYTYCD on the Fox Network at 8:00 pm.

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – we can’t dance either…

Jennifer Hudson's Mother Killed

Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found murdered Friday - both the victims of gun shot wounds.

They were found at their Chicago home, and police are searching for Hudson's missing nephew who was at the house at the time of the murders.

An Amber Alert was issued Friday evening for the missing boy.

William Balfour, a suspect in the case, is in custody and being questioned by police. As of Saturday morning he had not been charged with any crime. A police spokeswoman said detectives were talking to "a number of people in custody".

Police say Balfour is a prime suspect in the double murders of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29.

Hudson's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, confirmed the deaths:

"We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson. No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time."

Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, was featured in the recent "Sex and the City" movie, and is currently starring in the film "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls" with Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy.

Related: The Secret Life Of Bees - Early Review And Movie Trailer
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