Latifah Plans New Orleans Rebirth

Queen Latifah is planning to spend 2006 giving back to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana after falling in love with the place while filming scenes in her new movie LAST HOLIDAY there.

The rapper-turned-actress was devastated when Hurricane Katrina flattened the city last summer (AUG05), and now feels compelled to do what she can to get New Orleans and its residents back on their feet.

She says, "It just broke my heart to see what happened to this town that we spent months in, a town that has always been good to everyone in America.

"I've been to a couple of places in Mississippi and a couple of places in Alabama over the years but I've never spent time there, like I spent in New Orleans. I really absorbed the town and felt like I was one of the people.

"There was always this attitude of 'We want you to come and enjoy our town and have a good time before you go back to wherever you live.' It's a place that's given so many of us joy through conventions or festivals with the music, the food, the culture.

"I just want to see them get back up on their feet. It's definitely a place where I would love to do some investing and revitalise the town."