Blog Posts For Tag: Celebrity Gossip

Game On…Shaquille O’Neal is getting his own sporting competition reality show on ABC this summer. Starting on August 18th Shaq is taking on some of the world’s favorite athletes at their own game. Here are a few examples of who and what this Cleveland Cavalier is going to be doing. First up on the debut show, called “Shaq VS.”, Shaq is going to swim against Michael Phelps the Olympic Gold medal superstar. You will also be able to see him box against the legendary Oscar De LaHoya, play a little tennis with Serena Williams and bat against St. Louis Cardinals favorite Albert Pujols. What is he thinking? Here is his plan though…he is going to train hard for a week prior to each competition and by that time he will have a pre-negotiated handicap again each opponent to give him a fair shot. The 37 year old hopes that all this training will help him in his upcoming basketball season. O’Neal has won an NBA championship 4 times in his basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat and he hopes to help his new team achieve the same.
 

This is a very gossipy story and I feel bad even talking about it because I really like this actress but here is the scoop.  Star Magazine is reporting that former Charlie’s Angel, Kate Jackson, maybe be suffering from an old drug habit again. In a very odd story the Star has witnesses reporting that they went into to professionally clean Kate’s $2 million home which was totally trashed on the inside and out.  Neighbors have complained about all the clutter in the backyard and it took a cleaning crew two days to haul out and clean up all the garbage. Some of the cleaners didn’t even want to return for the second day. They complained of the smell since there was so much trash around, and old moldy food and even rat droppings. In addition to the wreck that the house was in the cleaners said that Jackson was no better. They said she was talking extremely fast, stuttering and even repeating things over. Someone even called her a “crazy recluse” The famous actress is now 60 and that just seems like a bizarre and sad story.

Former CBS news legendary anchorman, Walter Cronkite died at the age of 92 this week. He was known to many as “the most trusted man in America” along with nickname of “Uncle Walter”. He reported the news for almost 20 years from 1962 – 1981 and he was the one people turned to for their breaking news and information. He was there to report the devastating news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, as well as he was there for the ground breaking landing on the moon by the Americans in 1969. When he retired, Dan Rather took over his spot at the news desk. Cronkite was well known for his parting comment each night “And that’s the way it is.” He is survived by his 3 children and 4 grandsons. He was married to his wife Betsy for 64 years but she passed away in 2005. He was part of our history and he will be missed.
 

Tragedy strikes while setting up for Madonna’s “Sticky and Sweet” concert in Marseille France. While erecting the stage for Madonna’s performance it somehow collapsed and killed a 53 year old French man and injured six other people with two of those people receiving serious injuries. At this point it is unknown what exactly caused the accident. The show which was scheduled for this Sunday has been cancelled. Madonna released a statement, “I am devastated to have just received this tragic news. My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news.”

Conan O’Brien welcomed his first cast from a Broadway musical to perform on his show last night. The cast from “Hair”, all 50 members flew from New York to L.A. to perform on their day off. The performance was choreographed special just for Conan’s shows and new set. They looked like they were having a great time and if you haven’t seen the show, just watching the cast made you want to run out and do so.  There is something about all the peace and love of the 60’s that is just magical, not to mention those clothes. “Hair” actually won a Tony Award this year for Best Revival of a Musical. Watch the cast sing the title song, “Hair” and “Let the Sunshine In” from Conan last night.
 

Being a big “Jon Plus Kate Plus 8” fan (if you hadn’t noticed), I have to say I find it very difficult to see pictures and read stories that Jon is having a great time enjoying his new life with his new girlfriend. The couple just filed for divorce last month, and he has 8 children at home, so it feels a bit, for lack of a better word, icky. Here is the latest; Jon is vacationing in France on the French Riviera with his 22 year old girlfriend, Hailey Glassman. Jon is 32. There are pictures of the couple, holding hands, drinking champagne and looking quite cozy. I wonder what his kids are going to think years from now when they see these pictures of their dad. I understand Jon and Kate are getting a divorce and things didn’t work out between them but this seems a bit over the top so soon. Here is the irony about his new girlfriend, (did I mention she is just 22???) she is the daughter of the doctor who gave Kate her tummy tuck a few years back. Anyway it is hard to look at him as the devoted father when he is out in France with his new gal pal.

Today is the day that the world will get their chance to say their final goodbyes to Michael Jackson. Although it has not been known until just recently Michael Jackson’s body will be at the Staples Center today for the memorial service. In fact it is being reported that the LAPD SWAT team will be part of the motorcade bringing the body from Forest Lawn Cemetery, where the family held a private memorial, to the Staples Center. There is also a helicopter ready to go as well in case any safety issues do develop. The event is going to end up costing the city of Los Angeles around $4 million and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking the fans to help cover the costs. There is even a PayPal account that has been set up by the mayor where you can donate money directly. You can visit the mayors Facebook page or even his twitter page if you would like to participate. www.Facebook.com/villaraigosa or www.twitter.com/villaraigosa . The Staples Memorial Service will start at 10:00 a.m. pacific time and Rev. Al Sharpton is set to deliver the eulogy. I have to say I am a bit nervous to watch, I just hope there are no altercations or issues with all those people and fans gathered together. This event is said to be the biggest of all time, even bigger the Obama’s inauguration. Billions of people are going to be watching it on TV and between being streamed live and people Twittering about it this will really be a historic event.
 

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death on July 4th alongside his 20 year old girlfriend Saleh Kazemi, who was shot once in the head. This is a tragic story, especially considering McNair is married with 4 sons. At this point the police are calling the shooting a homicide but so far have no suspects in custody. It seemed that McNair was serious with the girlfriend according the Kazemi’s sister who said her sister was planning to marry McNair. Neighbors often saw Kazemi getting dropped off at her apartment in a limousine early in the morning and she also has a 2007 Cadillac Escalade that is in her name as well as McNair’s. Although there is no record showing that he was getting a divorce his $3 million home is on the market in Nashville. At this point it is unclear how much his wife knew. As you can imagine she is quite distraught over the whole situation. McNair was a very generous person, personally helping victims from Hurricane Katrina and helping pay for children to go to football camps, plus his amazing 13 year football career makes the thought of homicide unimaginable. McNair played in 4 Pro Bowls as well as he played for the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was found shot to death on July 4th alongside his 20 year old girlfriend Saleh Kazemi, who was shot once in the head. This is a tragic story, especially considering McNair is married with 4 sons. At this point the police are calling the shooting a homicide but so far have no suspects in custody. It seemed that McNair was serious with the girlfriend according the Kazemi’s sister who said her sister was planning to marry McNair. Neighbors often saw Kazemi getting dropped off at her apartment in a limousine early in the morning and she also has a 2007 Cadillac Escalade that is in her name as well as McNair’s. Although there is no record showing that he was getting a divorce his $3 million home is on the market in Nashville. At this point it is unclear how much his wife knew. As you can imagine she is quite distraught over the whole situation. McNair was a very generous person, personally helping victims from Hurricane Katrina and helping pay for children to go to football camps, plus his amazing 13 year football career makes the thought of homicide unimaginable. McNair played in 4 Pro Bowls as well as he played for the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

The custody battle for Michael Jackson is about to begin and one can only imagine that it is going to get ugly. Debbie Rowe is now stating that she wants her biological children Prince Michael and Paris. She even says she would take Blanket too if the court would grant her that so as not to break the children up. She seems to be a bit all over the place since last week she told a British newspaper that “she did not want to see your children again” and that she never consummated her marriage to Michael Jackson. With all the controversy swirling around questioning if she is really their mother and if Michael is really the father to the children, she says she would be willing to take a DNA test to prove that she is indeed their biological mother. She is one of the people that says that Michael was not the biological father that she was impregnated by an anonymous sperm donor. See, it is just getting downright ugly. She even says that she has had no relationship with the children. How could she want to rip them away from the only family they know and have left? Rowe says that she would get a restraining order against Joe Jackson the children’s grandfather to keep him away from them if she were to get custody. If those aren’t fighting words I don’t know what are. Stay tuned, you know there is going to be much more on this subject. Those poor children, hopefully the family is keeping them away from all the media and hopefully they are oblivious to all that is going on around them in terms of these custody issues.

I have some odd and ends to tell you about today that includes some TV and Broadway news but first and foremost I have a big engagement to share with you. Oldest Jonas Brother, Kevin, got engaged this morning to a very surprised and happy girlfriend.  The 21 year old flew to New Jersey after his concert last night in Vancouver. Kevin showed up early this morning and on bended knee asked 22 year old Danielle Deleasa to marry him. “She said yes, yes, yes, like 500 times super fast in a row”. The two met in the Bahamas in 2007. Brothers Nick and Joe are very excited to welcome Danielle to the family as are Mr. and Mrs. Jonas who are also thrilled with the news.

I have to tell you about this new band that is so amazing you won’t’ believe it. First though you need a second to get used to the strange name. The band is called “ChickenFoot” and is comprised of one of the world’s best guitarists, Joe Satriani and Sammy Haggar (formerly of Van Halen) is the lead singer. The rhythm section of the group is made up of bassist, Michael Anthony (also from Van Halen) and Chad Smith (formerly with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) as the drummer. The group kind of just came together by accident while the guys were jamming together at Sammy’s Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico. In fact several of the guys were not even looking for another great rock and roll band experience, but once they got together and saw how they all clicked as a band, they knew they had to continue. They made a great decision and have an album “Chickenfoot”, which is the kind of rock album that will just literally rock your world, and the guys are going on tour this summer. If you haven’t heard them, here is a sample of their music. These guys have chemistry together and that’s what makes it work.  All their stuff is new stuff that they have done together so you won’t find Chili Pepper or Van Halen tunes. Just pure Chickenfoot.
 

The BET Awards were last night and the theme for the night definitely centered on Michael Jackson. It was a fitting stage with all those performers there to share their thoughts, sing some Michael Jackson songs, and honor a man who helped shape, inspire, and define many of their careers. The 3 hour show was hosted by Jamie Foxx, and attended by Joe Jackson and Janet Jackson who were there to honor Michael. The show opened with New Edition performing a medley of Jackson 5 songs and wearing the garb from the 70’s. They did a great job and you just can’t help but sing along to those old songs, which were some of the best ever. Other performers also did their best to pay tribute to Michael. Ne-Yo sang his version of “The Lady in My Life” and Jamie Foxx did a re – enactment of the hit song “Beat It” when he opened the show. Jamie’s performance was upbeat and he told the audience, “No need to be sad. We want to celebrate this black man.” Ciara sang “Heal the World”. Beyonce also performed but she sang “Ave Maria” and “Angel” which were just beautiful. The whole show was basically revamped at the very last minute to include all these changes and tributes. There were plenty of Michael Jackson clips on the big video screen as well as most people receiving awards commented on the King of Pop and how he affected their lives.
 

The untimely death of Michael Jackson is still the top headline of the day. Everything else has pretty much come to a halt in terms of celebrity news. Now what is starting to come out are the concerns about his self destructive lifestyle and that perhaps his death was caused by an accidental drug overdose. Although nothing official has come yet from the autopsy people who loved him and respected him have spoken up about their concerns for him and his health over the years. Lisa Marie Presley was very candid on her MySpace blog today as she reflected on the death of Michael Jackson and the time she spent with him. She recalls a very eerie conversation with him when they talked about Elvis’s death. She writes, “At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, ’I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did’. Lisa Marie goes on to talk about how during their relationship together, which she insists was not a “sham”, that she really tried to “save him from the inevitable, which is what just happened. His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn’t know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome.” Lisa Marie also says that she “became very ill and emotionally/spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head trying. The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tired to stop or reverse it somehow.”

I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to write about the sad events of the day. I was already so sad to hear that Farrah Fawcett had lost her battle with cancer. Even though we knew it was coming and she had been suffering so long, to actually hear about it was still so hard to believe. I have been sitting here reminiscing about when I was a kid me and my friends used to play “Charlie’s Angels” on the playground after lunch. We thought we were so cool, running around with our pretend guns, trying to get the bad guys. We all used to argue about who got to be Farrah and it was always the pretty blond girls. I always ended up being Kate Jackson. My mom had a t-shirt store and let me tell you I had so many Farrah Fawcett t-shirts and of course there was the famous swim suit poster and I even had the matching button that seriously I used to wear. And if only my hair had been straight instead of curly…I longed for feathered hair just like Farrah’s – weren’t the 80’s great?? So just like everyone still reeling from losing Farrah I was SHOCKED when my neighbor called to tell me about Michael Jackson. It was so hard to believe that at 50, he was gone, just on the verge of his comeback. And even though he was surrounded by controversy and really we haven’t heard much from him lately…he was still Michael Jackson, an amazing talent and the King of Pop. I have been sitting here watching the tributes and comments from all his Hollywood friends and it is just so hard to believe. Elton John was right in the middle of singing at his annual “White Tie and Tiara Ball” and he sang and dedicated the song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to Michael. Liz Taylor couldn’t even release a statement she was so upset and Madonna couldn’t stop crying. Lisa Marie Presley who was married to Michael for 20 months is “sad and confused with every emotion possible.” She also says she is “heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. “  You can imagine the twittering that was going on today. All the celebs have left their thoughts on the icon. Miley Cyrus tweets, “Michael Jackson was my inspiration.” MC Hammer, “I have no words…I loved Michael Jackson...RIP”. Ashton Kutcher “RIP Sending love and light to family and friend but especially his kids.”

Surprising break up news today. First up Nick Lachey, 35 and girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo have ended their 3 year relationship. I have to say I was surprised by this break up, they always seemed so happy together. Where does the love go, which I am sure is what Rachel Hunter is asking herself right about now. Her fiancée, Canadian hockey star, Jarett Stoll called off their engagement and Rachel was completely surprised. The wedding was just 7 weeks away and was expected to be quite a big event with superstars like Sharon Stone and Michelle Pfeiffer expected to attend. Not only did he call off the wedding he even let the guests know the news by sending them an email. A friend of Rachel’s says “She is absolutely devastated. Everything was in place for their wedding – she had the venue, the designer dress, the guest list. She has absolutely no idea why Jarret has done this. It sounds like it could be a classic case of cold feet. He is a fair bit younger than her.” Maybe that is the case, he is 27 and Rachel is 39. Rachel was previously married to Rod Stewart for 9 years. One more surprising break up this week is power couple Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford who have also filed for divorce. The two have been married for almost 17 years and have 3 children, 6, 9 and 11 years old. They just seemed like one of those unpretentious solid Hollywood couples that you really thought would last.

I am going to try and find something other than the impending divorce of Jon and Kate Gosselin to write about today. You would think they were Brad and Angelina the way they are talked about. They are just EVERYWHERE these days and it is just such a sad story. The 2 big points that are being discussed are the fact that on the filing papers Kate checked that the two have been living apart for 2 years (which kind of makes you feel like a bit of a chump if you have been watching the show and believing that they were a typical happy family over the last several seasons) and the fact that the show is going to be on hiatus until August. The network says it wants to give the family some time to adjust to the situation as well as TLC just doesn’t have new footage to put on the air. With all the turmoil going on recently the crew was shooting and making changes sometimes up until the day of the show. So far only 6 of the 40 episodes ordered for this season have been taped and have already aired. Kate says the “show must go on” and based on her new status, I am sure she hopes the show will go on. Maybe come August it will “Kate Plus 8” or  “Single Mom Single Handedly Raising 8”. The big show last night had a record number of viewers – 10.6 million which broke their last biggest record from the season premiere of 9.8 million viewers. Apparently we cannot get enough of this couple and all the drama. Well, so much for my attempt at not writing about them today….apparently I just can’t get enough of them either.

It was a close call for “Twilight” heartthrob, Robert Pattison, who had a run in with a New York taxi while fleeing a mob of fans. Pattison has been in New York filming his latest movie “Remember Me” and since his arrival the fans have been going nuts following him everywhere. Luckily the 23 year old was not injured and walked away on his own. It seems that no matter where Pattison goes these days he is attracting a crowd and has even hired his own security guards in addition to the ones the production company has provided for him. His new movie “Remember Me” is a love story starring Emilie de Ravin from “Lost” and 007, Pierce Bronson.

So here is something I bet you didn’t know…there are 18 professional Britney Spears impersonators throughout the world. Who knew? One in particular is talking to the press…her name is Lorna Bliss and she basically is living Britney’s life as her own.  She has been doing this for the past 10 years and has spent over $220,000 to look like the real thing. Over the years she has spent thousands on costumes, makeup and hair extensions not to mention dance routines, choreographers and the agency she works full time for.  In the early days it was a lot harder but now she is constantly busy doing appearances and performances, even running from the media and signing autographs. She even gains weight and loses weight depending on what the pop princess is up too. Next on Lorna’s list to be even more like the real Brit Brit…she is going to get the exact same tattoos that Britney has and there are 9 of them. She says she is glad Britney has gotten her life back on track because even when things were not going good for her Lorna matched that part of her life as well. For example…she copied the whole shaving the head experience and even acted crazy like growling at the photographers and running after them. You have to admit it must not be easy trying to follow in those footsteps. Such an interesting career choice for someone to choose don’t you think?

It has been a very slow gossip day and I have to say that the big news today was more unbelievable crazy stuff about Heidi and Spencer Pratt. I am only going to subject you to this because hey it will give you a good laugh and who couldn’t use a good laugh. Oh these two are quite the pair; in fact they are actually quite perfect for each other. When you listen to them you really wonder if they can be for real. Although they say they are not “actors” if this is who they really are….between the talk of the devil and Jesus and the syrupy sweetness of Heidi, it is truly more than a person can take. So here is the newest issue. Heidi and Spencer feel that while being interviewed this morning by NBC weatherman Al Roker on the “Today Show” that he personally attacked Heidi and made her cry. The duo was incensed by the interview and Heidi went so far as to warn other women to be careful of him because of his aggressive and disrespectful nature. Now honestly, I saw the interview and Al did needle the couple a bit, but hey it’s Speidi and they did kind of warrant that line of questioning but honestly Al Roker did not come across all that aggressive and I hardly think he is someone to watch out for for his behavior towards women. Now that being said it was not the nicest interview I have ever seen but again Heidi and Spencer Pratt are known for blowing things out of proportion and you can bet they were all over the media today, trashing Al Roker, who they claim they didn’t even know. It was quite comical to watch and I have included the “Today show” interview for you to see as well as the short interview that Heidi and Spencer gave forgiving Al for his rude behavior. They are a forgiving pair aren't they?
 

Chastity Bono, Cher’s lesbian daughter, is going to undergo a sex change operation!! This is a huge decision and not one that Chastity has taken lightly, it has something she has wanted to do for years and she has her mother’s support. She actually started the process back in March when she turned 40. One of the first changes is the name change; Chastity now goes by the name Chaz. He says that “He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz’s hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his coming out did nearly 20 years ago.” That has to be one of the most courageous things for someone to do in order to be true to one’s self. I for one wish Chaz the best of luck and that this transition will bring him the peace and happiness he is looking for.

More Speidi drama ensued this weekend. “The Hills” star, Heidi Montag, is in a Costa Rican hospital. After her and husband Spencer Pratt spent some time alone in the Lost Chamber as punishment for their “behavior” upon quitting and returning to the NBC show “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here”, Heidi got sick. Sources are saying that after only receiving rice, beans and water that Heidi started vomiting and has been “diagnosed with a gastric ulcer.” Spencer is currently by her side in the hospital and her family is en route to be with her in Costa Rica. Her sister in law is speaking out and is very upset with NBC and the treatment of Heidi and Spencer. On Twitter Stephanie Pratt says, “I’m really saddened to hear that NBC felt it was OK to punish Speidi so harshly – torture them as if there were criminals – that Heidi was rushed to the hospital and has an IV in her arm after being locked in a dark room for 3 days with no food or water. [Please] pray she will be OK.” I cannot say for sure but 3 days with no food or water – I am thinking she is exaggerating a bit. Most reports say it was just overnight. So does this mean the pair really won’t be back on the show this time??
 

Summer time fun has begun and the top twenty concert tours have been released based on top grosses per city here in the states. There are really no surprises especially with some of the big names touring this summer. Find your favorite and check them out this summer because more than likely they will be coming to your city. I will just rank them real quick for you to give you an idea.

1. Elton John and Billy Joel   6.Fleetwood Mac      11. Neil Young          16.Yanni Voices
2. Britney Spears                    7.Kenny Chesney     12.Lil' Wayne             17.Celtic Woman  
3. Eagles                                  8.Nickelback              13.Motley Crue          18.Slipknot
4. Bruce Springsteen             9. Leonard Cohen     14. Jeff Dunham       19.New Kids
5. The Greatful Dead             10. Il Divo                     15.Kings of Leon       20.James Taylor
                     
 

Secrets are hard to keep in tinsel town but this one was a doosie….Jennifer Hudson is pregnant. And the Chicago Sun – Times is reporting that she is not just newly pregnant but 7 months along. It seems that word got out as she was attending her own baby shower this weekend in the windy city. Hudson is from the South Side and the gathering was kept pretty quiet with just friends and family attending. Jennifer got her start of course on “American Idol” and then received an Academy Award for best supporting actress for “Dream Girls." It definitely seems like things are looking up again for Jennifer after the devastating losses of her mother, brother and nephew. She recently went back out on the road to tour with Robin Thicke, is engaged to be married, and now a baby on the way. Congratulations on the baby news and for keeping it a secret for so long. And in other baby news, Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou are new parents to a baby boy. Simmons has two daughters from her previous marriage to Russell Simmons. Two of the girlyist girls I have ever seen, Ming Lee 9 and Aoki Lee 6 ½, so adding a boy into the mix should be interesting. Simmons is the CEO of her company The Baby Phat and she made sure to keep all her fans in the loop by Twittering out the news to them several times throughout the labor and delivery process, and she promises more to come. And last but not least in weekend baby news…Brandon Flowers from the band The Killers and his wife are expecting baby number 2.

Kevin Bacon was mugged on Thursday in New York while waiting at the train station at 53rd and 7th Avenue. The thief stole Bacon’s Blackberry which contained all the numbers of his A- list friends. Bacon ran after his assailant but lost him and the Blackberry in the crowded station. You have to wonder did the thief know it was Kevin Bacon or was it just random and he got lucky. Most likely it was probably random since cell phone theft is 37% of what is targeted in these subway robberies. Last year there were 823 robberies reported. Usually the phones are sold right back onto the streets or the thief will use the phone himself. Bacon and his wife have lost bigger than the Blackberry lately, they were also in the large group of people who lost money to the Bernie Madoff scheme. Well luckily Kyra Sedgwick has her hit show “The Closer” and Bacon is currently on the road with his band, the Bacon Brothers.
 

Remember Mary Kay Letourneau (the teacher convicted of raping her 12 year old student and went to jail for 7 ½ years for the crime)? Well it really was true love, although it started out as a very disturbing story. Letourneau is now 47 (hard to believe) and her husband/student of 5 years, Vilii Fualaa, 26 are still together and happy. It is a crazy story but I have to admit I am happy for them. She did her time in prison, he waited, they have a couple of kids and through all this there are still together. The two are in the news this weekend because Mary Kay emceed the “Hot Teacher Night”,event and Vili was the DJ at the Fuel Sports Eats & Beats Bar, in Seattle.

A new “American Idol” has been crowned and it was a shocker… Kris Allen won it all with almost 100 million votes being cast, an all time record for the show. Kris Allen, the 23 year old home town boy from Arkansas was just a surprised to hear he beat out favorite Adam Lambert who had been predicted to win. Kris started out slow and just continued to get stronger and stronger each week and the fans loved that. And holey moley, did you check out bikini girl, Katrina Darrell and judge Kara DioGuardi – what a duo the two made. Not only did the two sing, they also showed off those bodies. Katrina showed it off the whole time but Judge #4 did it quick. Let’s just say she is definitely ready for bathing suit season. It was a fun night with great performances and duets. Adam got down with Kiss and sang an awesome medley, while Kris and Keith Urban had a blast singing “Kiss A Girl”.  I have to say although I felt bad for Adam it was nice to actually be surprised. And after seeing what other Idol non winners have been up to I am sure he will be just fine and very successful.

The big news this morning seems to be that ‘Sex and the City “actress, Cynthia Nixon and her girlfriend of 5 years, Christine Marinoni, got engaged. Nixon has 2 children, Samantha 12 and Charles 6 from a previous relationship with photographer, Danny Mozes. The 2 actually announced their engagement during a gay rights rally that they were attending in New York City. The 2 hope to be able to eventually legalize their marriage in New York and say they will wait for legislation to pass the gay marriage act. A vote is actually set to happen soon, but at this point still needs more support from congress.

This was finally the big New Kids on the Block Carnival cruise weekend. There were about 2,100 obsessed fans on board to see the boys (who should really be called boys to men – but too bad that is already taken). The women ranged from in their 20’s and 30’s  and were all about the boys,  they wore their  New Kids t-shirts, buttons,  and some even kissed those life size card board cutouts of their favorite kid. The guys were going to perform twice on board in order for everyone to have a chance to see them. They were also around to sign autographs and hang with the fans. It seems like this was a big hit for the cruise line who along with many other companies have taken a hit with the struggling economy. Who will be the next group to sign on to “get on board”? Already Jon Mayer,  Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bare Naked Ladies have also done similar type events. The boys get started with their actual concert schedule on June 4th in Atlanta.

It is ironic that Ryan O’Neal came to fame in the 1970 film, “Love Story”, where he loses the love of his life, and now he is living the story in real life.  Friday night NBC will be airing the Farrah Fawcett documentary that chronicles her battle with cancer, called “Farrah’s Story”. This morning on the “Today Show”, Meredith Vieira talked to Ryan O’Neal, Farrah’s long time love and her best friend, Alana Stewart, who has been filming the documentary for Farrah. Time does seem to be running out for Farrah, and as I watched what has become of my favorite angel from “Charlie’s Angels”, it was hard not to well up this morning while watching this very candid interview. Why document this you might be asking yourself…I know I did. Farrah felt she wanted to share her story and hoped in some way she could help others with her strength and bravery and give them a reason to keep fighting. IN the beginning they thought she would recover, but it has been a hard year for her.  Farrah was diagnosed with cancer back in 2006 and it had gone into remission for a while, but came back in 2007. At the moment, O’Neal is not very optimistic about the future. Alana though is not ready to let her friend go and feels there is still hope for recovery. Alana says it has been very difficult to film but she has done it all for her friend. Farrah has had an amazing support team and you will be able to see all this in the 2 hour special which shows it all.  Ryan O’Neal himself was diagnosed with leukemia back in 2001 and says he has had to just “put it in a drawer” while helping Farrah. The actor is 68 years old and feels that he himself is on borrowed time”. To watch him talk about Farrah is beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. Farrah’s Story will air Friday night at 9:00 (ET/PT).

A sports and musical merging is on the horizon. Jimmy Buffett, along with his company Margaritaville enterprises will become a new business partner with the Miami Dolphins team. One of the first changes to be seen will be the renaming of Dolphin Stadium to Land Shark Stadium. Land Shark is the name of the beer the Jimmy Buffett markets with the help of Anheuser – Busch. So you can imagine what type of beer you will be able to purchase at those Dolphin games, right? Buffett is actually good friends with the new owner of the team, Stephen Ross. This will all become official today at a private event where Buffett plans to sing before the official unveiling of the new Logo. This is actually quite exciting and good news for the team who has not had corporate sponsorship for several years. Land Shark stadium will also be the host of the 2010 Super bowl.

Elton John is smiling this morning…his musical “Billy Elliot” was nominated for 15 Tony awards, one of which includes Best Musical. Also up for the top award are “Rock of Ages”, “Shrek the Musical” and “Next to Normal”. The Tony Awards will air on CBS on June 7^th at Radio City Music Hall. And in other breaking news…the controversial 4^th American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi, will be back next season. Simon Cowell actually shared the news with Ellen DeGeneres and you can watch it today, Tuesday, on her show.

You have got to love Coldplay…listen to what the band is doing for their fans during these hard times. They just announced that for every fan that attends there “Vida la Vida” summer concert on the North America leg of their tour, they will receive a free live album from the band. How awesome is that? And for those unable to attend the concert they can download 9 songs from “LeftRightLeftRightLeft” at the bands official Coldplay website. The band said in a statement that “Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans – the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen.

There is another horseback riding story to share this morning and this time the incident is between singer Leona Lewis and her horse, which she received as a birthday present from some of her friends. Leona was out riding in Los Angeles, when all of a sudden the horse head butted her in the face and the force of the hit knocked her right to the ground. Luckily she is fine and there is no major damage to her face but she does need to stay home and take it easy for awhile, and she has postponed the recording of her newest album. She was in a lot of pain but doesn’t blame the horse; something just must have spooked him. She has been riding for years and loves horses but this incident has shaken her up quite a bit.

Bad news for “Dancing with the Stars” Fans – the latest injury victim is favorite Melissa Rycroft. Due to the injury that she sustained to one of her ribs she was not able to participate on Monday nights show. She has a hairline fracture to one of her ribs and hopefully with some rest should be able to continue in the competition. The judges did score her and her partner, Tony Dovolani, based on their rehearsal footage from what they were able to do from early on Monday. Steve O was also judged on his rehearsal performance when he hurt his back. Feel better soon Melissa we miss you and want you back soon.

Do not mess with Billy Bob Thornton, which is exactly what a Canadian DJ found out when trying to interview Billy Bob and his band, the Boxmasters. Billy Bob pulled a Joaquin Phoenix and was just weird and rude. Actually he was mad because the DJ mentioned ever so briefly Billy Bob’s movie career during the introduction, and that was apparently a big no no. Billy Bob did not want it mentioned at all – he was there as a musician only. So when it came time to answer the DJ’s questions it was all, I don’t know, or answering with some unrelated comment. The other guys in the band seemed ok and luckily led the interview but you just have to check out the video because it is amazing. Then the band, which is on tour with Willie Nelson, went to perform a song, but they did it without Billy Bob, who is the drummer. He said he just doesn’t lug the drums around. Ok, then. It was wild and did not shine any positive light on Billy Bob. The poor DJ did mange the situation as well as could be expected. Billy Bob Thornton was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night and talked about how shocked he was that people were so interested with the interview gone wrong in Canada. Then with the attitude that got him in trouble in the first place Billy Bob said, “It gave humpback geeks all over the world something to do for a couple of days.” Although Thornton was a good boy with Jimmy Kimmel he does say that if he is not happy with the line of questioning of an interviewer his behavior does tend to go in the same direction as the Canadian interview, so really it was not all that remarkable. Mr. Personality right!?
 

Perez Hilton is back in the news and smack dab in the middle of more controversy. This time his victim was Miss California, Carrie Prejan who was hoping to become the next Miss USA. However after answering a gay marriage question asked straight from Perez himself, basically all hell broke loose for the contestant and she ended up first runner up in the competition. Here is what happened. Perez asked her the question, “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?” Her answer was, “Well I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and , you know what, in my country and in my family, I think that I believe a marriage should be between a man and a woman.” Well Hilton literally blew a gasket over her answer and she was even booed while on stage. Perez went on his blog and called her a “dumb bitch”, although later he did rescind his comment.  The two have been very busy, Perez landed himself a spot on “Larry King Live” and Miss California spoke with FOXNews.com and Billy Bush on the “Billy Bush Show.” She definitely feels the question and controversy cost her the crown but despite that would not have changed her answer. She stands by the fact that she answered her question honestly and that is what’s important.  I have to side with her on this one. It is also not like she said she does not believe in gay marriage or believe it should not be an option for people, she what she believes for herself. So give the poor girl a break!
 

Kate Hudson turned 30 this weekend and in true celebrity fashion had a party filled with celebrities. Some of the A – listers at the party included the Kutchers (Ashton and Demi), Jessica Alba and hubby Cash Warren, Gwyneth Paltrow and hubby Chris Martin from Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Evan Mendes, Adam Sandler, Zach Braff, Gwen Stefani and Cher. The party was at mom, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s home and it was a night of dancing and drinking and fun. If you were wondering, Owen Wilson was not at the party…hmmm…are the couple on again or off again? Speaking of parties, Andy Roddick and his model girlfriend tied the knot this weekend with 250 of their closest friends sharing in the event. The couple had an outdoor wedding ceremony and then dinner at the country club on Friday. Elton John entertained the guests while they dined. Saturday the couple and their friends partied at Stubb’s which specializes in BBQ. The guests were requested to wear “denim only” and rocked the night away with the Spazmatics.

Could it finally be love for Ryan Seacrest? It seems that the busiest guy in Hollywood is actually in a relationship and has been for several months. Seacrest has been dating Jasmine Waltz, who is a bartender in Los Angeles. The two are currently in Paris now that Ryan is done with his hosting duties on “American Idol”. Not only is there love in Ryan’s life, it also seems that he is going to get even busier come May 4th when  his radio show will expand an extra hour to 4 hours, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest”. We just can’t get enough of him can we? And speaking of ” American Idol”, history was made last night when the judges decided to use their one time power of saving someone from elimination, and they did just that with 23 year old Matt Giraud. He had been voted off by the fans call in votes when he sang “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” by Bryan Adams. He may have been saved this week, however that means that next week 2 people will voted off.  Needless to say it was an emotional and exciting show.

Good news “Project Runway” fans…..the legal battles are been resolved and the show will finally return and will air this summer on Lifetime. I don’t really care about the details of the legal battle, I am just glad they have resolved their issues and Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn will all be back together again. This season the show has moved from New York to Los Angeles to have more of a Hollywood feel. Some celebrities that will appear on the show this year include, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Aguilera and Evan Longoria Parker. I wonder if she will bring husband Tony Parker, of the San Antonio Spurs, to meet the designers. At this point that is about all we know. There is no information out about the new cast members or even an air date, but at least we know it is coming. Bravo though is fighting back. Having lost “Project Runway” to Lifetime, they are launching a new design competition called “The Fashion Show” that will be hosted by Kelly Rowland (formerly of Destiny’s Child) and designer, Isaac Mizrahi. They have already announced the cast and the show will air May 7th.

I warn you I am on a bit of a tirade this morning after this story I just read. And for the record maybe it is just too much coffee but I must tell you about this. Not exactly celebrity gossip but I promise if you hear me out I will get to that. For the record, after reading this latest story I may never get a good night’s sleep again. This story definitely needs to be filed under the topic…what were they thinking?? Ok basically here is the gist; it seems that Burmese python pet owners who have become overwhelmed with their pet snakes are apparently letting them loose in the Florida Everglades. A whole team has been put together called the “Python Patrol” to catch these things that are not only threatening the eco system and eating all the animals in site, but seem to be making their way into the Florida Keys. Oh that is so not ok!!! Where do I even begin, these snakes (and let me tell you I cannot even look at the pictures) can grow to over 20 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds and can live up to 30 years. They have been known to eat a 5 foot long alligator whole and even a bobcat. They can travel up to almost 2 miles a day and already 8 have been found in the Florida Keys. So this group has been put together to learn how to capture them and respond quickly if people find them. They hope to find them and stop them from breeding which could really turn into a big problem. At this point there are already an estimated 30 THOUSAND of these pythons living in the Everglades National Park. So people if you have one or know anyone who has one of these as a pet, tell them if you do not want it call for help do not let it go free, seriously not a good solution. People do not want to find one of these in their backyard or worse in their house. I shudder at the thought! Plus that can’t be all that good for tourism in the Keys now can it? 
 

Bill O’Reilly is back in the news and he is fighting mad. I know, big surprise. He has found his latest Hollywood victim to attack and that actor is Sean Penn. O’Reilly is so outraged by Penn’s political views he has publicly said he will not see any of his movies. In no way is he paying out his $10 to support any project that Penn is involved in. And in fact with all the squabbles and disagreements he has had with the stars over the years, Sean Penn is the only one he feels mostly strongly about and he is boycotting all of his movies and projects. O’ Reilly cannot understand why Penn would “give aid and comfort to people like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran’s President), Hugo Chavez and Saddam Hussein, when he was alive”.  Like Bill says it is his right and his choice and he is not telling anyone to do the same but this is just how he feels about it. O’Reilly feels that someone has to be the watchdog over the Hollywood celebs that use their star power as a forum to share their beliefs. In the past O’Reilly has clashed with both Bruce Springsteen and George Clooney as well. He calls the celebs out and wants to just know what they are doing. That is what he did with George Clooney when it came to some information about some 9/11 Charities and Bruce for talking politics at his concerts. There must be some folks out there who approve of Bill and this policing actions because his show “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News is about to mark its 100th consecutive month for being the #1 rated cable news show. I agree, if you love the yelling and listening to Bill talk over everyone this is a great show.

Have you seen this week’s People Magazine cover of hot sexy Valerie Bertinelli? Valerie is about to turn 49 and in a bikini, and the woman could pass for 25, I am not kidding. Eddie Van Halen, her former husband, I bet is eating his heart out. She looks just fabulous. I have always been a fan since her early days on the TV sitcom “One Day at a Time”. Valerie lost over 40 pounds in 9 months on Jenny Craig and she is also their spokesperson. She is excited because she says this is the first time she has worn a bikini since she was 20 years old. Well she looks awesome and I can think of no better birthday present then gracing the cover of the magazine looking like she looks.