Thursday, January 31, 2008
Doesn't Play Well With Others :-)
from msnbc...Don’t expect to see a photo of Christina Aguilera’s baby on the cover of any magazines this week. Sources say that after months of negotiating, a deal between Aguilera and OK! magazine came to a halt because the magazine couldn’t guarantee a full-cover photo of Aguilera and baby boy, Max.
It might seem surprising that OK! wasn’t game to play by Aguilera’s rules, considering the mag ran Aguilera’s wedding photos, but a magazine insider points out that the singer performs well on stage, but not so much on newsstands. “The OK! wedding cover didn’t sell as well as they hoped, and even her recent Marie Claire cover underperformed, all things considered,” the source said.
An industry source added, “Christina has an inflated sense of her own value and seems to expect an extortionate amount of money for these baby pictures. I'm not sure OK! or much of the industry thinks is a dollar figure that's worth it. ... She hasn't proven to be a real seller.”
Latest On Britney
World's Most Beautiful Pregnant Woman
"This is the first red carpet I've walked down where I don't have to think about holding in my stomach - because I can't!" Pregnant actress Halle Berry no longer dreads being scrutinized on the red carpet.
Dancing With The Stars Scoop?
from contact...PRISCILLA PRESLEY is in talks to hit the dancefloor for the upcoming season of U.S. TV show Dancing With The Stars according to Internet reports. The former wife of Elvis Presley is close to signing on for the hit dance competition show, alongside The Brady Bunch star Florence Henderson.
Tonight On Ch. 9
What Is Sexy?
Victoria's Secret has answered the burning question -- "What is sexy?" -- with a list that includes such usual suspects as Scarlett Johansson (Sexiest Style), Tony Romo (Sexiest Athlete), Eva Mendes (Sexiest Actress) and Josh Holloway (Sexiest Beach Body).
Baby Info - $$$
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt -- who raised millions for charity by selling People magazine the first photos of their baby Shiloh -- are going to raise more money for charity by auctioning off the official confirmation of their rumored impending twins. A source tells Us Weekly that the good-deed-doers are indeed expecting, but don't want to give away the information for free when they can raise money for somebody somewhere. It may be too late -- the cover of the latest issue of O-K magazine blares, "Yes, Angie's pregnant."
Britney Taken To The Hospital
The group at Spears' house included plainclothes officers, motorcycle police, ambulance crews and some police "brass," the official said.
The plan to transport Spears had been in the works for the better part of the day, the official said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the pop star was taken to UCLA Medical Center.
Andrew Blankstein, a Los Angeles Times reporter who was at the scene, told CNN that a police convoy, stretching the length of a football field, accompanied the ambulance as it drove down Coldwater Canyon Boulevard -- in part to keep the paparazzi from getting too close.
Spears was whisked out a side entrance to her house.
"You couldn't really see what was going on [when officers first swept into the residence] but on the police radio, there was some reference to 'The package is on the way out,' 'We're leaving now. Go, Go, Go,'" Blankstein said.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Paula Is Human
During the pre-game broadcast of Super Bowl XLII this coming Sunday, American Idol judge Paula Abdul will take the stage for the first time in years to perform her new single, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.” But what you'll actually be seeing on TV will not be a live concert, but a segment taped before a studio audience on Jan. 27.While David Hill, executive producer of Fox Sports, tells OK! that the last-minute decision to add the performance to the show made it impossible to have enough time to set up a live concert, an insider reveals to OK! that Paula is simply too nervous to perform live on TV.
“She is fragile emotionally and too much of a perfectionist to handle a live show,” the friend of Paula tells OK!. Another source close to the star says that Paula admits there is no way her nerves could handle a live performance.
Destiny Hope?
Miley Cyrus has legally changed her name -- to Miley Cyrus. The Hannah Montana star was actually christened Destiny Hope Cyrus, but family members nicknamed her "Smiley" early in life -- and Miley stuck. The 15-year-old added Ray as her middle name in honor of papa Billy Ray Cyrus when she began performing, but has waited until now to make the name change official.
Tony Soprano Would Be Proud
A fan at New York's J-F-K Airport who asked James Gandolfini if he "could be a 'Soprano'" got a little "Tony Soprano" treatment yesterday -- he got shoved in the face. After congratulating the big guy on winning aScreen Actors Guild award, the autograph seeker got a mug full of an enraged Gandolfini's palm. Of course, a paparazzo with a video camera was there to catch all the action. --Lee Jeske
Heath Ledger's Father Visits New York
While no final funeral plans for Heath Ledger have been announced, his father was in New York City yesterday visiting the apartment where the 28-year-old actor died last week. Kim Ledger reportedly stayed for about an hour. Heath Ledger is expected to be buried in his native Perth, Australia
PLEASE Settle The Writer's Strike!
My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad, a new N-B-C reality series, will debut on February 18th right after American Gladiators. And Dennis Miller's game show, Amnesia, will debut on the Peacock Network on February 22nd.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Beyonce Back On The Big Screen?
Though a rep for Beyonce tells us she cannot confirm the reports, the Grammy winner will reportedly play legendary singer Etta James in the forthcoming film Cadillac Records. According to BlackFilm-dot-com, Beyonce -- who starred in Dreamgirls in 2006 -- will appear on screen with Adrien Brody, Jeffery Wright and Cedric the Entertainer.Set in the '50s, Cadillac Records is a film about Leonard Chess (Brody), the founder of the legendary blues label Chess Records. Cedric the Entertainer will star as Willy Dixon and Wright will play Muddy Waters. Cadillac Records has been slated for a late 2008 release.
Ashton Demi Losing Their Religion?
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have apparently stopped pretending they're Jewish. According to M-S-N-B-C, the two have abandoned their weekly Sabbath visits to L-A's Kabbalah Center.Demi and Ashton, who were reportedly turned on to the Jewish sect by Madonna, have not only stopped coming to the services, but Kutcher was even spotted without his ubiquitous red string. A source says that Ashton, who'd agreed to be married to Demi in a Kabbalah ceremony, was "tired of being dragged there on Friday nights." -- Lee Jeske
Grammys Are A Go!
The Writers Guild is giving the Grammys a pass. The board of directors of the striking writers union agreed yesterday to grant an interim agreement for this year's Grammy Awards, allowing for material written for the show to be covered under a Guild contract. Writers Guild of America West president Patric Verrone said, "Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media. In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the board felt that this decision should be made on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists."In response, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said, "The Recording Academy is gratified by the W-G-A's decision to grant the interim agreement we requested for our milestone 50th annual Grammy Awards." The Grammy Awards will be held February 10th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast nationally by C-B-S.
Brit Is Big Biz
from wire reports...Britney Spears may not be good for her kids' welfare, but she's great for the U-S economy. That's the word from Portfolio magazine, which has determined that Brit Brit generates about 120-million dollars in revenue for various industries every year.
The financial mag's editors say that tabloid magazines rake in an extra 75-million bucks every year thanks to Britney, and that folks who peddle products bearing her image bring down another 30- to 40-mil. Not surprisingly, America's paparazzi also do pretty well thanks to the singer's antics -- that they sell roughly four-million dollars worth of her photos per year.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Brad And Angelina +2
Rumors have been flying over the past week that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are getting ready to have twins and the noise keeping getting louder.
Weekend Box Office
Spoof Spartans ruined "Rambo"'s return. Meet the Spartans, a parody of last year's hit 300, topped the weekend box office with 18-point-seven-million dollars, edging out the fourth Rambo movie by less than 600-hundred-thousand bucks.The weekend's other big new release, Untraceable, starring Diane Lane, opened in fifth with 11-point-two-million dollars.
The romantic comedy 27 Dresses, starring Katherine Heigl, went from second to third with 13-point-six-million dollars in its second weekend.
The record-breaking Cloverfield plummeted from first to fourth with 12-point-seven-million dollars. The monster movie's 10-day total stands at 64-point-three million
Lost Returns This Week
On Wednesday, the day before A-B-C launches the fourth season of Lost, it will air an enhanced rebroadcast of the season three finale.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Britney Speaks
When asked by photographers Thursday how she felt about actor Heath Ledger's death, Britney Spears replied in her British accent, “He’s still here. Oh, yes. No one ever really dies. No one.”
Mary Kate Speaks Out On Heath Ledger
Mary-Kate Olsen spoke out Friday for the first time since Heath Ledger's death earlier this week. "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family during this very difficult time," Olsen said in a statement released through her rep to PEOPLE. Olsen was one of the first people to be alerted about the actor's death, when the masseuse who discovered Ledger's body on Tuesday called the actress.
Heath Ledger's Funeral
Heath Ledger's father Kim was expected to arrive in New York City today (Friday) to finalize arrangements for the actor's funeral. Ledger's body is at New York's Campbell's Funeral Home, which handled the funerals of such celebrities as Rudolph Valentino, Judy Garland and Jackie Kennedy. But The Australian newspaper reports that Heath's body will be taken back to his native Perth, Australia for burial.
While toxicology reports, which should reveal the cause of Ledger's death, are still pending, questions were being raised about whether the masseuse who found his body wasted precious time calling Heath's friend Mary-Kate Olsen, whose number was reportedly on speed dial on his cellphone, for help more than 10 minutes before dialing 9-1-1.
Writer's Strike = Game Shows In Prime Time
The Price Is Right is going to come on down -- to prime time. C-B-S will air the Drew Carey-hosted game show on Friday nights beginning February 22nd.
Hannah Montana Terrorist Threat?
Police arrested and charged a teenager Tuesday night at Nashville International Airport.
Investigators said he planned to hijack a commercial airliner.
The 16-year-old boarded a plane in California bound for Nashville.
Airport police said he smuggled handcuffs and other dangerous items on board.
Airport police in Nashville learned of a possible threat on an incoming flight.
A tip led guards to arrest a teenage runaway from a Los Angeles flight.
Investigators said he somehow smuggled handcuffs, rope and tape onto the plane. He also had a copy of the flight plan and schedules.
Investigators said he planned to hijack the plane and order the pilots to divert the course from Nashville to Lafayette, La. The teenager wanted to crash the airliner into a Hannah Montana concert.
He was confronted on the plane and held until it landed.
Airport police reacted quickly. The suspect did not have a weapon, but he did have handcuffs and a plan to hijack the plane.
Sources said he may have made similar threats to do something like this in the past.
The suspect got the date wrong for the concert. It takes place Friday night instead of earlier this week.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Adam Sandler Defends Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise has been taking a beating in the press lately, but several of the star's pals are standing up for him.Adam Sandler tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement, "To see anyone's private life invaded and mocked like this is sickening. It's especially gross when it happens to a guy like Cruise, who's a great dad, a great husband, and a great friend."
Great News!
Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has entered a rehab facility today, her record company announced. — “Amy decided to enter the facility today after talks with her record label, management, family and doctors,” said the statement from Universal Music Group.
Brit Talks To Herself
from us magazine...
Britney Spears is no stranger to odd antics, but her behavior on January 7 was particularly bizarre. A source tells Usmagazine.com the “scantily clad” pop star showed up at a Beverly Hills elementary school, saying she was there to pick up someone else’s kids.
The singer parked her car outside the school just before 3 p.m. and spent 10 minutes smoking cigarettes and talking to herself while she waited for classes to let out.
“She was just rambling and confused,” says the witness, who approached Spears to ask if she was OK. “She said, ‘I’m here to pick up my kids.’ But then she changed her story and said, ‘They aren’t my kids; I have a new attorney, and I came to pick them up for her.’”
Adds the witness, “All I could think was, Who in their right mind would let her pick up their kids?”
As children began to leave for the day, the star, 26, caused a commotion — “It became the talk of the school. Some of the kids were freaked out,” says a school source. She was directed to a more secure entrance around back.
But before getting into her car and driving off (without any children), she chatted up the female witness: “She said, ‘You’re so nice. You should give me your number. I don’t have very many friends.’"
Fantastic Four Part 3?
"The writers' strike and the impending actors strike has kind of put a wrench in everything production wise," she said. "That film takes a lot of prep, a good six months of prep and about six months to shoot. With the strike, I think, maybe it's put on hold".
Michael Deciding An Employment Dispute :-)
Britney Spears and Steve Carell were at the same downtown L-A courthouse yesterday. But don't worry, the Office star hasn't joined the paparazzi, nor has he decided to try to get custody of Britney's kids. He was there doing jury duty. Carell has been empanelled for a civil trial involving an employment dispute between two Korean immigrants who don't speak English.
And The Judge Says ...Ok
Charlie Sheen won't be able to stop his ex-wife Denise Richards from featuring their kids in her reality show about her life and times as a single mom. A family court judge has ruled that two-year-old Lola and three-year-old Sam can begin their showbiz career on Mom's proposed series.
Britney Yesterday
Britney Spears was at the center of yet another courtroom circus yesterday. The singer arrived at Los Angeles County courthouse on time , went through the metal detector, but then had a change of heart and decided not to attend her custody hearing after all. Her lawyers did make it to the courtroom to present Brit's request for "therapeutic visitation" with her sons, but the court commissioner shot down that idea, leaving sole custody to Kevin Federline. Britney's private life is proving to be just as dizzying, with the singer once again spending time with photographer Adnan Ghalib -- who she filed a restraining order against earlier in the week
Funny , Real Funny
Kid Rock spotted yesterday in the Bahamas with Adrian from No Doubt at a Michael Jordan charity event. I think the shirt is funny because of Kid's little dust up outside a Waffle House in Atlanta late last year. :-)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Yoko Romo May Be Nearly Over
from OK! magazine...
Just when it seemed likeJessica Simpson and her quarterback hunk Tony Romo might not go the distance, the two were spotted cavorting together on a seemingly romantic hunting trip over the weekend in Texas.
But now OK! has learned all might not be well just yet as insiders say the trip was a last-ditch effort to save their relationship.
On Jan. 17, Tony called Jessica at her L.A. home to try to break things off. "He said he thought it was better if they went back to being friends," a pal of the singer tells OK!. "'Just friends' is not in Jessica's vocabulary, and she is not a victim. She knows how bad this will look in the media."
But according to the pal, Jessica refused to give up, and so Tony invited her on what he thought would be the worst date of her life: a hunting trip! "It's Tony's way of punishing Jess," laughs her friend. "Jessica Simpson hunting — and without her entourage? Forget it!"
American Idol Contestant's Past Uncovered
TMZ has obtained an arrest record revealing that Cataldo carried a handgun into a bar in Glendale, Ariz. back in 2006, after being kicked out for fighting. According to the arresting officer, Cataldo was "concealing" the gun under his clothing, and was confronted by security and arrested.
Cataldo plead no contest to carrying a concealed weapon (a misdemeanor) and was fined $568.
Cataldo went to serious lengths on last night's show to explain to the judges that he'd turned his life around since then
In Or Out?
from people...
Less than 24 hours after a British tabloid posted home movies showing her smoking crack and rambling incoherently, Amy Winehouse went to a London rehab facility -- but there's some debate about whether or not she's checked in for the long haul.London's Sun tabloid reports that the singer is, in fact, staying at the private London clinic, but People magazine quotes Winehouse's publicist as saying "no, no, no." The flack tells People, "Amy is not in rehab. She was seeing a doctor who she regularly sees as part of her ongoing treatment. It was a regular appointment which she attends all the time. She has not checked in overnight."
Oh Thats Delilah
Plain White T's frontman Tom Higgenson will have a date for the Grammys. He'll be joined by Delilah DiCrescenzo, the inspiration for the band's Grammy-nominated hit "Hey There Delilah."
Brit's Pal Gets Served
from tmz...Grabbing a slice of celebrity looks like it will cost paparazzi photographer Adnan Ghalib his marriage. Ghalib, of course, was having a fling with Britney Spears until reports surfaced this weekend that she's kicked him to the curb and filed for a restraining order. Now Ghalib's wife is adding to his woes. According to T-M-Z-dot-com, AzLynn Berry filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court asking for a legal separation effective January 18th. Ghalib calls the filing "old" saying that AzLynn has "had the papers for a while."
Latest On Heath Ledger
from wire reports...Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment yesterday. The Brokeback Mountain star was found naked on his bed by his masseuse, who'd arrived for an appointment at about 3:30 in the afternoon. When nobody answered, she was let in by a housekeeper. Police yesterday said they found pills near the body and suspect a drug-related death. They don't suspect foul play.
T-M-Z reported that they were contacted by Ledger's family, who emphatically denied rumors that he committed suicide. Ledger was reportedly suffering from pneumonia, which may explain the presence of several bottles of pills reported by police to have been seen around his apartment. Veteran Hollywood reporters have said that Ledger was never known to have a substance abuse issue. Ledger had said that he took the sleeping drug Ambien to help him overcome sleeping difficulties.
There were reports that the apartment where Ledger had lived for the past four months was actually owned by Mary-Kate Olsen.
Ledger starred in a series of movies in his native Australia before being cast in his first major American movie, 10 Things I Hate About You. He went on to roles in Monster's Ball, Lords of Dogtown and The Brothers Grimm before landing his breakout role in Brokeback Mountain. The film earned him an Oscar nomination and a relationship with his co-star Michelle Williams. The two, who moved to Brooklyn, New York together, had a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, but broke up early last year.
Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, issued a statement about the actor's death. "It was with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Heath Ledger. It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation's finest actors in the prime of his life. Heath Ledger's diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the greatest performances by an Australian actor."
Ledger's next big role was to be "The Joker" in the next Batman movie The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger was 28.
Reality
Beginning on February 4th, N-B-C will pump up American Gladiators and Dear of No Deal to 90 minutes each.
Whaddya Say, You Try Again?
Representatives of the Writers Guild of America held informal talks with the major movie studios yesterday in an attempt to get formal negotiations reinstated.
Writers Won't Strike Grammys
from wire reports...Striking writers guild members have decided against picketing the upcoming Grammy Awards, but the Writers Guild of America's board of directors has yet to grant the music industry show a waiver that would allow its members to work on the ceremony, the guild said Tuesday.
The guild previously said it was unlikely to grant the Recording Academy a waiver for the Feb. 10 show, the music industry's most important event, set to be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles.
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow has insisted that a full-scale Grammys will continue no matter what - and Beyonce and the Foo Fighters announced that they still plan to perform at the event.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Actor Heath Ledger Dead At 28
Actor Heath Ledger is dead, the New York Police Department said Tuesday.
The Academy Award nominated actor was 28.
Ledger's housekeeper found him dead in his Manhattan apartment, New York police said.
He died at 3:26 p.m., they said.
The New York Fire Department received a call at 2:27 today responding to a "cardiac arrest call" in New York.
They found an unresponsive male dead at the scene.
More details to come.
