[Los Angeles, December 21. Image via WENN.]

• After a clip of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi getting punched in the face went viral last week, MTV has decided to pull the scene from an upcoming episode of Jersey Shore, stating that what happened to Snooki was "disturbing." [E!]

• According to E!, MTV has released the following statement: "What happened to Snooki was a crime and obviously extremely disturbing. After hearing from our viewers, further consulting with experts on the issue of violence, and seeing how the video footage has been taken out of context not to show the severity of this act or resulting consequences, MTV has decided not to air Snooki being physically punched in the face." [E!]
• Things are apparently getting serious between Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper: they've been spotted looking at houses together, and, according to a source, "he has already introduced her to his parents." [PageSix]
• Escort-service owner Michelle Braun says she has proof that one of Tiger Woods' mistresses, Jamie Jungers, used to work for her: a a 1099 tax form with Jungers' name on it. Braun does admit, however, that she can understand why Jungers might not recall working for her: "I did operate professionally under the name Nici, so maybe she doesn't know the name Michelle Braun. For eight years, I never met any of my girls or clients, and I never met her. In her defense, she might not be lying about not recognizing my name." [E!]
• Braun also claims that she set Tiger up with 10-15 women at a time. [TheSun]
• Meanwhile, Holly Sampson, a porn star also thought to be one of Woods' mistresses, was spotted outside of Vivid Entertainment with a script reading "Holly Sampson Golf Project." I'm sure the final product's name will be more creative, don't you think? Any guesses? [TMZ]
• Nike, however, says they are sticking by Tiger, despite his "indefinite" leave from golf, telling TMZ: "Tiger has been part of Nike for more than a decade. He is the best golfer in the world and one of the greatest athletes of his era. We look forward to his return to golf. He and his family have Nike's full support." [TMZ]
• Kate Hudson says growing up with her own famous mother makes her a bit sympathetic to her son, Ryder's reactions to her skimpier outfits at times: "I kinda understand what he was getting at. One time my mum came out wearing this little red dress. And I had that feeling like, 'Everyone's gonna be looking at you!'" [DailyExpress]
• "People work 20 years to get what we have. We really are so lucky. It's like you get a head start and it's all because of the fans. And it's not just about money or getting offers, it's that we can mold our careers."-Kellan Lutz, on the success of Twilight. [JustJared]
• NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak are reportedly in a stand-off with the producers of The Real Housewives of Atlanta because they're tired of paying the electric bills the show's production runs up in their homes. [TMZ]
• Penelope Cruz was disappointed when the rope marks from her big number in Nine (which involves sliding up and down ropes while wearing lingerie), disappeared. "I didn't want the marks I got from the ropes to go away, because they were like my little medals. I was so used to them that after three months of training, I didn't even feel physical pain anymore. I loved it." [E!]
• A prospective buyer for Lil' Wayne's house was asked by a broker before visiting the home: ,"'I have two questions: Are you offended by the smell of marijuana? And do you mind coming late in the afternoon? It's currently rented by Lil Wayne, and these are not morning people." [PageSix]
• Kevin Federline has lost quite a bit of weight, if anyone cares. [USWeekly]
• Victoria Beckham is using a method known as "The Alexander Technique" in order to improve her poor posture. "She absolutely hates the fact that in pictures she often has somewhat of a hunched-back stance and she hates having rounded shoulders, so she has been saying she feels so much better," says a source, "She practices the discipline after the gym every morning and at night. She is standing straighter and her body feels more aligned. It also helps you cope with stress." [DailyMail]
• Lily Allen says she believes she may have "a touch of dysmorphia. I was sitting in bed last night and I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I said: 'God, I'm a funny looking thing.'" [DailyMail]
• Hosting Saturday Night Live was the best week of my life. I started as a theater kid, so "SNL" has been up on a pedestal for me and I've always wondered what it would be like to actually experience it. You don't even notice you're so busy that you have to eat while walking to your next meeting. I was at 30 Rock at 7 a.m. until 1 or 2 at night a lot of times. I didn't want to leave. I was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone in terms of how people have seen me in the past. To see the reviews come in and them being positive and the ratings come in, and the fans were so wonderful and made a point to watch, it made me so thankful and so happy."- Taylor Swift [Reuters]
• If you're a Coldplay fan, you might want to check out their "Coldplay End of Decade Clearout Sale" on Ebay; the band is auctioning off signed costumes, instruments, and more to benefit "Kids Company, an incredible charity that helps vulnerable children and young people in London." [TheSun]
• Rowan "Mr. Bean" Atkinson's vintage Jaguar caught fire late last night; Atkinson escaped with "cuts and bruises" and the car was eventually towed away. [DailyExpress]
• Michael Jackson will be honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at next month's Grammys. [Reuters]
• "One of my biggest dreams is to do a one-woman show, with dancing and singing. I just have to figure out the concept."-Catherine Zeta-Jones [DailyExpress]
• The Guardian is currently running a roundup of celebrities who "ruined the decade." On the list? Will.I.Am, Dan Brown, and Michael Cera. [Guardian]
• Russell Brand met girlfriend Katy Perry's parents and has been impressing them by dropping quotes from such people as Nelson Mandela: "You know, I've been bringing out quotes, I'm doing well, you know, because I'm committed to it and they're lovely, lovely people, its been nice. Obviously when I heard that my girlfriend had preacher parents, I thought well this has got a huge scope for disaster, but it's actually been quite good so far."[DailyMail]
• Meanwhile, Katy's father, Keith Hudson reportedly gave Brand a copy of his book The Cry which promises to "release a desperate longing in you for Gods intervention in your life." Brand then gave the Hudson's a copy of his own book, My Booky Wook, which Perry's mother, Mary Hudson read, telling the New York Daily News that "There are parts of Russell's book where he's really hungry for positive influences in his life. I think the two of them are hungry. They are basically seeking the truth from God - and they are going to find it." [NYDN]

[Image via MTV]

• Texas gal Renée Zellweger will spend the holidays in Philadelphia with Bradley Cooper's parents. Sounds like the plot of a romcom. But it's real! [NY Daily News]

• Award season has begun! Precious star Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe and Hilary Swank both won Hollywood Awards (given by the Hollywood Film Festival) last night. [AP]
• The father of one of the teenaged girls arrested in the Lindsay Lohan burglary case says that his daughter "was in the wrong place at the wrong time, associating with the wrong people." [People]
• In this story about the teen burglars, attorney Blair Berk, who represents some of the victims, blames "paparazzi shots and magazine coverage" for "increasingly prying into the private homes, schools and personal possessions of stars. Another lawyer says: "It would be fun to do capers. It was all about fun. It was one of those cases of you get bored, and it was something to do with a little technology." The young women arrested were classmates at Indian Hills High School, which is "set atop a leafy incline in an upscale neighborhood" where there are BMWs and Audis parked in the student lot, and nearby roads have horse trails for equestrians. Seriously, people: This is a screenplay waiting to happen. [LA Times]
• Congrats to Jennifer Esposito and tennis player Mark Philippoussis, who are engaged. Did you know they were dating? [People]
• BREAKING: Madonna planted a tree. [NY Daily News]
• Hugh Jackman's four-year-old daughter wants to be a chocolate chip muffin for Halloween. His nine-year-old son wants to be Al Capone. And Hugh? "I'm going as James Bond," he says. [NY Magazine]
• Sources say Balloon Mom Mayumi Heene may have confessed to the hoax to keep her children from being taken away from her, or to spare them from having to testify against her husband. [CBS News]
• The Balloon Boy case has been handed to the District Attorney's Office, and the DA has requested more information before making a charging decision. [TMZ]
• Heartbreaking: La Toya Jackson says that Paris Jackson is dealing well with her father's death ("Paris thinks and talks about her father all the time… She's doing very well, writes a lot and she wears his shirts every day. They still smell of him and it helps her feel close to him."), but Prince Jackson "just doesn't want to speak about it" and Blanket is "just a very sad little boy" who cries and cries. Luckily, La Toya says, "They all go to therapy." [MSNBC via Daily Mirror]
• The woman accused of stalking Justin Timberlake has already been served with a restraining order from Metallica and was sentenced to a year in prison for violating a court order to stay away from Axl Rose. [TMZ]
• Henry Ian Cusick, aka Desmond on Lost, has settled a sexual harassment suit with a former production staffer whom he allegedly grabbed and touched inappropriately. [TMZ]
• Bill Cosby was honored with the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor last night, and stars like Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Jerry Seinfeld, Sinbad, Chris Rock and Willie Nelson were in attendance. [USA Today]
• Suzanne Somers has a new book in which she reveals she was misdiagnosed with "full-body cancer." Her book promotes alternative medicine and avoiding chemotherapy; she says: "It's easier to try the traditional route and then, if it fails, go to the alternatives, but often it can be too late. My friend Farrah Fawcett— would she have made it if she had gone alternative first? There is no way of knowing." [NY Daily News]
• Egads. The Anna Nicole Smith trial is still going on. An expert psychiatrist has testified that Anna was an addict. [NY Post]
• Alec Baldwin knows how to spell. [Page Six]
• Black people on Gossip Girl? What is the world coming to? [Page Six]
• Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom have "romantic" new tattoos. [People]
• Uh-oh: Mel Gibson's pregnant girlfriend is refusing to sign a pre-nup. [MSNBC via National Enquirer]
• Some guy sniffed Pamela Anderson's underwear. [The Sun]
• This Mary J. Blige track from the Precious soundtrack is powerful, sad. [The Life Files]
• It's been 25 years since U2 released The Unforgettable Fire. It was recorded at an Irish castle; producer Danny Lanois says: "Bono was looking for a different kind of location, a building that had ghosts in the walls and some kind of a sense of history… So that we weren't just in an empty modern warehouse, that we were actually feeling the presence of goings-on from the past." [Reuters]
• Eric Clapton has pulled out of a Rock and Roll Hall concert to have gallstones removed. [AP]
• Bruce Springsteen has canceled a show in Kansas City after his cousin — who was a roadie — was found dead in a hotel room. [USA Today]
• After his stint on Dancing With The Stars, next Tom DeLay plans to be an "expert" on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. [MSNBC Scoop]
• "You owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to see this again and again. Memorize it and say to yourselves, 'I saw genius in my lifetime.'" — One of Liz Taylor's 20 Tweets about the Michael Jackson movie This Is It. [CNN]
• "I've been on the road for pretty much five years now and I'm tired. I've kind of written about everything that has happened in my life for the past 10 years so I think I need to live some more before I start writing more." — Lily Allen, on quitting the record biz. She also says she might do musicals in London's West End: "It hasn't been confirmed yet but I'm keeping my options open." [Telegraph]
• "Reading about somebody else's tough experiences of being a mother, you're suddenly like, ‘My God, I've got a kid and I don't have time to read this. I've got to go do it.' There's no time. If he's sleeping I'm trying to sleep and when you're breast-feeding you're the milk machine. There's no time to pick up the guitar, much less go for a walk or have a beer. The first year of Henry's life has been just an insane earthquake for me… I waited a long time to have children because I had this career that was kind of like my kid, it required as much nurturing. There's no amount of hassle that could be bigger than my love of Henry." — Minnie Driver doesn't have time to read parenting blogs. [Daily Express]

[Vancouver, October 24. Image via Bauer-Griffin.]

• Lindsay Lohan wasn't surprised by the negative reaction to her Ungaro debut, as she feels people are always out to criticize her: "I am a target. I don't know why I am, but I am, and I accept that." [TimesOnline]

• "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion," Lohan says, "I didn't expect everyone to be completely loving the collection. It is the same with everything I have done. I knew that people were going to target me." [TimesOnline]
• Meanwhile, Lindsay's been dropped by her record label, is reportedly not getting paid by Ungaro (except for receiving free clothes), and, according to a source, her recent behavior during Paris Fashion Week might be a sign that she's readying herself for reality television: "She was being followed by a camera crew wherever she went," says the source, "We saw them filming her at the Vogue party and a bunch of other clubs around Paris." [PageSix]
• The crew accused of breaking into Lindsay's home is quickly turning on each other: Alexis Taylor, one of the suspects, claims that suspect Nick Prugo is responsible for everything: "I know for a fact Nick did all of these burglaries. He did every single burglary, he told me this after the police let him go. Nick is blaming people, trying to get the blame off himself." [TMZ]
• However, two other members of the dreadfully-named "Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch," have previously been convicted for misdemeanor shoplifting. [TMZ]
• "I'm going to play more mums than sex symbols. I'm too old to play younger characters. When you live in LA you can't go anywhere without being criticised, on your purse or the fact that you have gained weight or that you have got spots on your face."-Catherine Zeta-Jones, who has an affair with a 25-year-old babysitter in her latest film. [DailyExpress]
• Simon Cowell's neighbors aren't big fans of his nightowl ways: "People arrive at 11pm, then the music starts and goes on until 2am or 3am. People around here want to get on with him, but he's not making it easy for us to like him.' [DailyMail]
• Tom Sizemore's ex-girlfriend is suing him for being a dead beat dad.[TMZ]
• Morrissey remains hospitalized after collapsing on stage last night; his condition is currently being reported as "stable." A fan at the concert says that Morrissey "didn't look particularly well" while performing, but continued struggling through the song until he eventually collapsed. "He kept putting his hand up to his mouth as if he felt sick or perhaps he was trying to hide something, but he didn't look particularly comfortable. He got through the whole song though ... to rapturous applause at the end." [AP]
• Avril Lavigne's soon to be ex-husband, Deryck Whibley, is getting the couple's mansion in the split. [TMZ]
• Jennifer Aniston is reportedly starting a new late-night talk show for the Oprah Winfrey Network. [DailyExpress]
• The movie Cocktail is being turned into a Broadway musical, and Katie Holmes might be up for a starring role. In related news, I will be singing "Kokomo" all day long. [PageSix]
• Thinking of dressing up as Billy Mays for Halloween? His family says it's A-OK. Mays' son, Billy Mays III, is even holding a "Hallow-clean" costume contest; the winners will receive "various Billy Mays goodies as prizes." [People]
• "I've come across one female engineer, no female producers. It's such a male-dominated industry. My manager (Nicola Carson) is really cool. She's setting up nights where women in the industry come together, empowering women. I think that's great. Otherwise, it's just all men: management are men, everyone in your record company is a man, and it's not good."- Leona Lewis [Guardian]
• Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper are still going strong, even though they're often separated by 5,000 miles. [Telegraph]
• Sandra Bullock is caught up in a custody battle between her husband, Jesse James and his ex-wife, Janine Lindemulder. Lindemulder was just released from jail, and James has asked a judge to determine if she's fit to share custody of the couple's daughter, Sunny. Bullock and James may have to testify at some point. [TimesOnline]
• "I don't know yet, I'm still fooling her into thinking I can dress her. She can buy nasty pinks when she gets her own cash. Wash the car, and you can buy your own pink." Stella McCartney on putting "nice pinks" into her Gap children's collection. [TimesOnline]
• Brad Pitt was in a minor accident yesterday; he lost control while driving and fell off of his motorcycle. No worries, though: he's fine. [TMZ]
• Britney Spears' new boyfriend, Jason Trawick is "absolutely fantastic" with her sons, says a source, ""When you see him with them, you wouldn't think for a moment that he wasn't their dad. He treats the kids like they are his own." [USWeekly]
• Tavis Smiley's name will be removed from Texas Southern University's communication school because he hasn't fulfilled a promised $1 million donation. That's way harsh, Texas Southern University. [UPI]
• "Children are amazing for so many reasons and one of them is that they kind of punctuate your life. Often our lives go by so fast without enjoying the moment and being able to reflect. When you have a person living in your house that is growing next to you it's just amazing to watch and reflect the passage of time."-Amy Poehler, whose son, Archie, turns 1 today. [People]
• Bill Cosby will receive this year's Mark Twain Prize for American humor, an award he's turned down twice before because he didn't want to be associated with the profanity performers were using to honor past nominees, especially Richard Pryor. "I told them flat out no because I will not be used, nor will Mark Twain be used, in that way." [AP]
• Keira Knightley has reportedly beat out Scarlett Johansson for the role of Eliza Doolittle in the upcoming adaptation of My Fair Lady. [Telegraph]
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson disappointed a security guard when he refused to pose for a picture for the guard's son: "The Rock got all annoyed and said he can't take pictures with everyone who asks," says a source, "The best part is that when the guy said 'Fine, but my son isn't a fan anymore,' The Rock gave him his trademark stare!" [PageSix]
• "There was no plot against me. There was no setup. It was all my fault. I think that my wrongdoing was much greater than Bill Clinton's. There's a different justice for people who are public figures than for those who are not."-Roman Polanski, in an interview given to Esquire magazine before he was arrested last month. [PageSix]
• Shakira says he plans to start a family once her tour ends: "My body feels like it is asking to reproduce, to have a huge belly and carry babies. And when the baby comes, I don't want to be in the middle of 100,000 projects." [NYDN]
• Bradley Cooper has asked Renee Zellweger for "some space" in their relationship. "Bradley is enjoying his status as a hot successful star and doesn't want to settle," says a source. [DailyMail]
• Katy Perry and Russell Brand are reportedly looking for a home together in Hollywood: ""Katy's just the girl to keep Russell on his toes and he's head over heels. He keeps telling us he's never met anyone like her and he knows she's the one for him. He's 34 and has been playing the field for years now and he's thinking this could be the time to settle down," says a source, "She loves his sense of humor. He totally cracks her up and she says it's really hot when they get together." [ShowbizSpy]
• Anne Hathaway will be a bridesmaid at Emily Blunt and John Krasinski's wedding; the bride will be wearing a gown by John Galliano. [ONTD]
• Courtney Love says she's returned to New York City, as her employees in LA "tried to take me to the loony bin." [NYDN]
• "I got that after we shot Clerks. I'd broken up with a girl and was feeling blue so I was drinking a lot of boxed Zinfandel. My friend was like: "That's awesome, man – why did you get it?" I said: "Because I'm always late, right?" He goes: "That's the White Rabbit." So I have the Mad Hatter on my arm and it has no significance whatsoever, except to remind me not to drink wine out of a box."- Kevin Smith on his Mad Hatter tattoo. [Guardian]

• Mickey Rourke, at Max Azria: "I really don't like Max that much. He's a short little guy with a good looking wife. Maybe I'll steal his wife." [WSJ]
• Tom Ford to close-talking columnist: "Are you trying to smell me?" [NationalPost]

• If you care about who People thinks is the best-dressed, their annual list is out. Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Vanessa Hudgens, and Freida Pinto all made the cut; on the men's side, so did Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, and Bradley Cooper. [People]
• Audrey Tautou, currently playing Coco Chanel across multiple platforms, has a print ad for Chanel No. 5 out. [People]
• Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz is to address the UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries in Italy next week. [WWD]
• Lauren Conrad presents her fall collection for Kohl's in this video. It's very cute how she pretends to have seen it before. [People]
• Avril Lavigne presented her collection for Kohl's in New York City on Monday night. It includes a hoodie with earbuds in the drawstring. We must have missed this one for the Snuggie show. [People]
• Ralph Lifshitz and Calvin Klein grew up in the same part of the same neighborhood of the Bronx, Norwood's Mosholu Parkway, and both attended Public School 80, four years apart. Former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer says, "These are working-class guys — they were neither poor nor wealthy, and it's interesting that their clothes are aspirational. Ralph Lauren designs preppy, polo type clothes. That wasn't his experience then. So does Calvin Klein — elegance, simplicity." [Cityroom]
• Anya Hindmarch believes in "speaking up for bespoke" objects in a time of mass-production. Naturally, she also believes in charging £500 for a wallet. [ToL]
• Meanwhile, for the rest of us, Zara has plans to start selling its clothes online. [FT]
• Georgia May Jagger: "I really don't get it, to be perfectly honest. I still don't have that firm a grasp on why me being my parents' daughter is so interesting." Being your parents' daughter is the only reason you have a career, dear! [Style.com]
• It's certainly the only reason Vanity Fair is talking to her. "Modeling is always something I've really admired because I've seen my mum and sister do it," says Jagger. [VF]
• David Lauren: "We created the first 24-hour shopping experience on the windows of our mansion on 72nd St. You can literally walk up to the glass, press on the glass, and shop the product that's in the store. You can touch your credit card to the glass and buy it." [The Cut]
• Will lazy writers ever abandon the canard that Lara Stone — a model with stated measurements of 33"-24"-35", entirely within the tiny range of straight-size modeling — is somehow "curvy" or represents "change" on the catwalk? Stone — who is incredibly good at what she does, and well established in the business because of it — has not been "opening everyone's shows." In fact she has yet to be spotted anywhere in the lineup at a single show this season. [Telegraph]
• Halston, that long-rudderless brand, had a spring presentation that was a bit of a train wreck. The clothes looked very similar to each other, and the mannequins were weird. [WSJ]
• Barneys New York has now operated for 14 months without a C.E.O. Wracked by debt, the retailer is the subject of rumors alleging its inability to even pay its invoices. The head of Istithmar, the investment fund that owns Barneys, says "We have stood by Barneys and will continue to stand by this company." Words you never want to have to hear from a C.E.O. [WWD]
• Nina Garcia's third book about personal style is naturally all about the recessionista, not the fashionista. [Reuters]
• According to an online survey of 61,000 teens, teenagers are spending less money, because their parents are giving them less money, because their parents have less money. Thanks for getting to the bottom of this important recession conundrum, social networking site Habbo Hotel. [Reuters]

[Vancouver, September 12. Image via Bauer-Griffin]

Okay, so between Terri Seymour...


...and Nikka Costa, it seems clear that there was some kind of "batik preferred" addendum to the invitation.


Kerri Kenney has the frozen look of someone who just realized she's in All About Steve.


Rachel Spector (whom Getty ID's rather pointedly as "wife of former music producer Phil Spector") has encountered the dreaded Red Carpet Cat, who stalks 3rd-rate premieres shredding women's clothing.


Sara Sanderson's dress: evokes the song "Satin Doll," but this isn't necessarily a good thing. She said obscurely.


A loudly-patterned Edwardian jacket...a ruched corset...a miniscule Palm Beach-style purse...it must be full-time red-carpeter Kat Kramer!


The benefit of a jumpsuit like Katy Mixon's: you can make a quicker getaway before having to see the cast post-movie. Perhaps the primary benefit.


It's like Sandra Bullock went to her stylist and said, "I need an outfit that expresses the same judgment that led me to accept this role." And the stylist totally got her vision.

[Images via Getty]

• Surprise, surprise: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are a "complete nightmare" for the people working on the Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas, where Heidi is supposed to perform on Sunday night. An insider says:

"Heidi has missed many rehearsals… Spencer tried to demand that the hotel pay him to lay by the pool." Dear Miss Universe People: You have no one to blame but yourselves. [Page Six]

• BREAKING: Courtney Love caught in bed with a turtle. [The Sun]
• Renée Zellweger dared to attend a movie premiere without Bradley Cooper; he took his parents and not Renée to Alyssa Milano's wedding. Scandalous. [Page Six]
• Jon Gosselin visited kids with cancer at an NYC hospital on Tuesday, possibly in an attempt to rehabilitate his image? [Us]
• Authorities now suspect that reality show "star" Ryan Alexander Jenkins — suspected of killing his wife, Jasmine Fiore — crossed over the Canadian border on foot after driving his SUV to Blaine, Washington. [TMZ]
• Save the date: September 14. Whitney Houston will give her first full-length interview in almost seven years to… Oprah. Of course. As you may recall, in 2002, Whitney sat down with Diane Sawyer, and memorably declared: "Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack." [Mirror, NY Daily News]
• Venus and Serena Williams are in talks to become part owners in the Miami Dolphins. [AP]
• Magician David Copperfield has been sued for sexual assault. The woman is a 22-year-old fashion model and alleges that the incident happened when she was a guest on his private island in the Bahamas in 2007. She says he attacked and sexually assaulted her, threatening to kill her if she didn't go along. [TMZ]
• Jay Leno's new show will spotlight new young comedians. "I hope people become famous and get offered shows." But he won't just have "a bunch of white guys doing standup" — he plans to have a "diverse group," including women, African-Americans and other minorities. [AP]
• Will Paula Abdul return to American Idol? Focus groups may make that decision. "Fox loves focus groups," an insider says. "If Paula consistently scores far higher than any other person in her chair, they will feel compelled to make her an offer she can't refuse and make this deal happen." Another source says: "There will be four judges at American Idol come January. And that fourth judge will be Paula Abdul." [MSNBC]
• Paula Abdul's manager says that there have been "no discussions whatsoever about Idol." [LA Times]
• Amy Winehouse went out to dinner and then for drinks and the paparazzi took snaps of her a little tipsy on her way home and zoomed in on her nose and claim there's a "mystery substance" up her nose but honestly you can't see a damn thing. [Daily Mail]
• "Got Line Flu Amy?" [The Sun]
• "Oprah Winfrey and her favorite physician, "Dr. Oz," filed suit yesterday to shut down more than 500 Web sites that falsely claim the pair endorses the sites' diet pills and miracle cures." [NY Post]
• Russell Brand wears a top hat, dances in the streets and sings the lyrics "sexual rewards" in this new MTV VMA promo. [ONTD]
• Expect to see heavy cross-promotion between Project Runway and Harvey Weinstein-produced flick Nine. [Page Six]
• Pauly Shore pulled a Christian Bale and had an on-set meltdown while filming Brand Dead. Seems fake, but you be the judge. [TMZ, TMZ]
• A source says Jennifer Hudson thinks of her newborn child as a gift from beyond after her family was murdered: "She wasn't trying to get pregnant… She believes her mother played a part in sending this gift from God. She tells everyone her mother sent this baby to pull her through this." [MSNBC Scoop]
• Eva Longoria will star in a Mexican film about kidnapping, which means she will be in a Spanish-speaking role for the first time. [AP]
• Figure skater Brian Boitano is now a TV chef, with his Food Network show, What Would Brian Boitano Make? premiering Sunday. Turns out the Oylmpic gold medalist is a foodie, and the Food Network's VP of programming says his passion and command of cooking is "one of the biggest, happiest surprises I've gotten in my career." [LA Times]
• As mentioned yesterday, Leona Lewis tracks have been leaked onto the Internet. One was a song produced by Justin Timberlake. A police investigation is ongoing. [Daily Mail]
• Pete Doherty is planning on getting the Libertines back together, even if Carl "Biggles" Barat doesn't want to join. "If Biggles doesn't want to do it or gets cold feet or he thinks I'm still a crackhead, what am I going to do? Maybe I could reform the Libertines without him, like he did without me. I wouldn't really want to, but you've got to pay the bills. I'll put an advert in the NME: 'Carlos lookalike required.'" [Independent]
• District 9 sequel? Maybe. It's already being referred to as District 10. [NY Daily News]
• Nora Jones is about to release her first album in three years; this column claims she has a new look and a new sound. (Cute hair!) [USA Today]
• Phil Spector has been writing letters from prison: He fears for his safety, enjoys visits from his wife and would like to be moved to "a better prison." [USA Today]
• "I loved New York, even back then (1980s graffiti-scarred, pre-Giuliani New York). It was such an overwhelming animal. I loved the energy and attitude of the place. It's great for being productive and creative." —Eric Bana, who's on the cover of Men's Health. [Just Jared]
• "It's a lot of material to fill. It is a lot of jokes. This is lot more work. A lot more work. You're doing probably three shows worth of comedy every night. On The Tonight Show we had maybe two talking guests and a band. That's not a lot of work for me. But this will be a lot more work." — Jay Leno on his new show. [Reuters]
• "I remember sensing that my mother was holding something back from me. I used to think I had done something wrong because she could be so distant. I knew there was something going on that I didn't know about and because I was a child I thought it was my fault. It took me years to work out that she had actually been protecting me from racism… There were comments and my mother kept all that away from us and to do that she had be a barrier between us and them." — Thandie Newton, who says she and her brother were the only mixed-race kids in their area when growing up. [Daily Express]
• "Before I played Ari Gold, I was in probably 40 movies and playing a lot of very soft-spoken characters, also-rans, best friends and whatnot. That was all easily forgotten as soon as I put Ari's power suit on." — Jeremy Piven. [Time]
• "[The culture here] isn't based on anything other than ‘Who got a boob job?' That's what I feel L.A. is about. A lot of people here want to be everyone but themselves." — Mila Kunis. [Just Jared]
• "Oh my God! I was on the set of Two and a Half Men when I heard. I had all these texts, and at first I thought it was a hoax. What struck me was I hadn't seen him in years, and when I think about it, I really owe an enormous amount of my career to him. And it made me sad because it made me realize that you've really got to let people know it when you're grateful to them. They won't always be here and I regret that I didn't do that. But I have very fond memories. He was a lovely guy and knew exactly what he wanted. He'll be greatly missed." — Jon Cryer on the death of John Hughes. [Reuters]
• "I was talking to my friend about [whether monogamy] is feasible, is it realistic? I resolved that there isn't really a better model. We just can't shake monogamy. It definitely demands a kind of rigor and discipline and selflessness. But it's also fun." — Claire Danes, to BlackBook. [Page Six]
• "I like clever folks. I like people who are concerned with [what] the path they leave behind them looks like… Empathy, humor, wit, self reliance and honesty. [Being attractive] doesn't hurt." —Renée Zellweger, on what she looks for in a man. [People]

Ok!
"How I Lost 41 Lbs Without Surgery!"
As you may know — because The View has been covering it extensively — Sherri Shepherd was on a diet and fitness plan. The only way that this story is different from the usual celebrity diet story is there's a picture with tuna on a salad as a lunch suggestion, instead of chicken. Also, Sherri doesn't want to get a breast reduction, because those are the boobs God gave her. Moving on: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart cuddled at a Kings Of Leon concert and — "while the band played 'Sex On Fire' — sucked serious face." Lindsay Lohan was being considered for a movie version of the novel Undiscovered Gyrl, but the author says that LL's fame and baggage would work against her. The book is about a teen blogging about her sexual coming-of-age, and Miley Cyrus is interested, but the author thinks Miley is too wholesome. Lastly: "Jen Tells Renée: You Can Have Bradley." Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper were both seeing other people when they went on their date; Jen is bored the whole thing and is fine with Bradley dating Renée. "She's less interested in Renée than in why she'd choose a guy who'd be interested in someone like Renée. She's disappointed in herself more than anything…"
Grade: F (mystery meat with freezer burn)

Star
"Celebs Who Beat Cellulite!" BREAKING: Cellulite happens. And it's fun for some mags to ignore the big picture and just pick apart a woman's anatomy! Still our LEAST favorite kind of cover story, and we've bared our dimpled asses for the world to see! Uma Thurman had "lymphatic drainage massage." Britney Spears ate turkey burgers and worked out. Jennifer Love Hewitt started working out four to five times a week. Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham increased their workout frequencies; Amanda Bynes no longer eats pizza at midnight. And so forth. Then there is the section called "Cellu-Losers," with the subhead "Don't Give Up, Girls!" where the magazine had to try really really hard to find cellulite on Tara Reid, Kristin Cavallari and Annalynne McCord. There are no men in this eight-page extravaganza, by the by. Moving on: Jamie-Lynn Spears and Gwyneth Paltrow were both spotted not wearing marriage/engagement rings. Report them to the relationship cops! Lookee: High school yearbook photos (Fig. 1). Blind item! "Which comedian's not-so-funny sexual comments caused his costar to walk off the set of their upcoming film? The crew found it hysterical, but the target had to be begged to come back." Justin Ross Lee, the "Facebook celebrity" who photographed Ashley Olsen while she was on a plane, recently shared a five-hour flight from LA to NYC with Brad Pitt, and snapped pix of the actor sleeping and eating, then sold them to Star. Kourtney Kardashian's family wants her to dump baby daddy Scott Disick, who has cheated on her in the past. They broke off their engagement because he wouldn't stop flirting with other women. KK thinks the pregnancy is great for raising her profile and wants to open a children's clothing store in L.A. and design a maternity line. Re: Kate Gosselin and the cops: Apparently Cara And Mady saw Jon Gosselin getting touchy-feely with the babysitter, Stephanie Santoro, and freaked out and called their mom. A source says that Stephanie is the one who called the cops. The mag includes an interview with Stephanie's former boyfriend, who says she has a thing for married men and got pregnant by a guy she was working for. Lastly: An inspired Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart headline: "Total Eclipse Of The Heart."
Grade: D- (frozen peas)

In Touch:
"The Fight To End All Fights."
Trouble in paradise for Tom and Katie! Tom Cruise went to visit Katie Holmes while she was filming in Australia. First they argued because he stopped to greet fans on his way to see her; she flipped out and he stormed off the set. The next fight was at their hotel, where Tom was watching Suri and she wanted to watch cartoons instead of going for a walk with him. He thinks Katie is spoiling Suri because she works long hours and by the time she comes home, she's tired and just lets Suri do whatever she wants. Dr. Gilda Carle, who does not treat Tom or Katie, says: Suri is learning that relationships between men and women involve squabbling. And that Katie was "lost in lust" during the courtship, but now they're both surprised/disappointed by one another's behavior. And! Tom and Katie need therapy. Moving on: Britney is "once again displaying dangerous mood swings" since she had a "crazed" 15-minute shopping spree where her eyes were "glassy." Why is Brad Pitt drinking so much? He was smashed at the premiere of The Time Traveler's Wife, which he produced. Angelina refused to go to the premiere because Brad bought it as a vehicle for himself and then-wife Jennifer Aniston, and Jen called to wish him luck before the premiere, which made Angie "hit the roof." An insider says Brad is having a "sort of mid life crisis" since he joked recently, "I'm just a drunk." Next: "Have These Stars Had Boob Jobs?" is a closer look at the chests of Jennifer Aniston, Anna Faris, Drew Barrymore, Brooke Hogan, Leona Lewis, Haylie Duff and Ciara.
Grade: D (half-melted Creamsicles)

Us
"Why He Chose Renée"
So. Bradley Cooper and Renée Zellweger: "It's on," says a source. This article was written by someone on Team Renée, because it is very derogatory towards Jennifer Aniston. A source says Jen feels "rejected and upset" and "screwed over" and "doesn't see what Renée has that she doesn't." But! Another source points out that guys like Renée because she is "so no-drama," "she just does her thing, has her life, and is cool." Also: "She's really happy, she doesn't need anyone to feel complete. She isn't absorbed by Hollywood." Whereas Jennifer "won't date a normal guy. She goes after the hottest thing of the moment - -what she knows will get her the most time in the spotlight." And! Bradley Cooper once said, when it comes to a woman: "I'd say authenticity is the only prerequisite." Apparently Jennifer Aniston is "not natural" and everything she does "is an act." Renée is "super fun" and is always "laughing and optimistic about life." And! "People want to be with her because she makes them happy." Moving along: Michelle Trachtenberg and Jason Segel: Spotted "all over each other." Kate Gosselin was at a hotel with her bodyguard and they signed in as "The Michaels." So the speculation is that there's something going on there and she's been hiding it. Also, Jon thinks she's less than truthful about finances.
Grade: D+ (Fla-Vor-Ice)

Life & Style
"He's A Dirtbag." In an interview, Kate Major says that she and Jon Gosselin had three sexual encounters. "He was a great kisser, " she says. "It was amazing…" At some point they kissed in a car and Jon asked her what she thought it would be like if they slept together. She says: "We kissed, we hugged, we held hands, he'd hold me when we were asleep. I have nothing bad to say about him intimacy-wise. But I will say he likes to play." Then on July 29 he dumped her and said he was going to stay with Hailey Glassman. Kate says: "He totally screwed me over and acted like a dirtbag." And! "Looking back now it was all pretty much sexual and that's all he had in mind." YOU THINK? The mag has a headline: "He Treats Women Like Servants — And Takes Them For Fast Food." That's because Kate Major had to pick up his dry cleaning and like McDonald's for breakfast. KM says she resigned from her job at Star because he told her he'd hire her as a personal assistant. He said he was going to Massachusetts to break up with Hailey; but then sent KM a message that said "Do not contact me again." Next: Interested in the coverline "Shiloh Saved A Village Of Kids!" ? You may be disappointed to learn that she didn't do it alone: When the little Jolie-Pitt was born, Angie and Brad sold the pictures for $4 million. Part of that money went towards 72 bicycles for two schools in Namibia. It used to take the students 2 hours to get to school, and they'd get home after dark, etc. Now, with bikes, everything is much better, and one of the kids says: "I think Angelina Jolie must be a saint. She must be a holy person." The Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart "make out" pictures are so vague that they require arrows (Fig. 2). Lastly: "Do Stars Eat Less Than We Do?" features Tori Spelling. She has cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and lamb chops for dinner, and snacks on avocados. They estimate she eats about 2,043 calories a day, and is healthy.
Grade: C (broken Eskimo Pie)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

• Renée Zellweger and Bradley Cooper are so on. How on are they?

They walk like teenagers at the state fair: Hands on each others asses. Image at link! [TMZ]

• Here are more invasion of privacy pix of Renee and Bradley in a Barcelona hotel, and what's really notable are Renee's torturous heels. [Daily Mail]
• Oh-so-demure actress Emmy Rossum, 22, is getting a secret divorce from her secret husband after getting a secret marriage on some secret date. Secrets! [JustJared]
• On Angelina Jolie at the Inglourious Basterds premiere: "Even though Jolie skipped most press, when we chatted with her for a bit she was bubbly, fun and...nice. What gives? Could Jolie be preggers again or something?" Yes, if a woman is in a good mood, she must be sperminated. [E!]
• Jon Gosselin has given an eloquent statement in response to Kate's appearance on the today show. "Kate's the mother of my children," he told E! News. "I only wish her the best." [Usa Magazine]
• Apparently Regis Philbin and Kate Gosselin had an awkward moment in an interview which will air on Live With Regis And Kelly tomorrow. He asked if Kate could see herself reconnecting with Jon. She said: "I can't and won't answer that. I keep certain things private, and that's one." Then, Reeg being Reeg, he said: "I think you [and your husband] will get back together and live happily ever after. I think everything is going to work itself out - he'll say he's sorry, that he loves you and everything will be good." Kate had no response and the show cut to commercial. [NY Daily News]
• Justin Timberlake is bringing chukker back: He bought a house in Connecticut in a private gated community famed for Greenwich polo matches. [Page Six]
• John Hughes was mourned yesterday at a private service in Lake Forest, Illinois. Among the attendees: Family, friends, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stein and Matthew Broderick. [USA Today]
• Kate Hudson wants to have Alex Rodriguez's baby. [MSNBC]
• Nadya Suleman, mother of octuplets, has been hospitalized in California. Details? None. A source says: "This is not a big deal and Nadya should be back on her feet in a few days." [Radar Online]
• Ben Stiller will appear on an episode of Bear Grylls' Man Vs. Wild, and says he'd like to see some other stars survive in the wilderness: "I really would love to invite Demi Moore." [The Sun]
• Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush: Reunited and it feels so good? [Perez]
• Kourtney Kardashian kissed a girl. And liked it. On camera. And it's part of the promotional blitz for her show Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami. But, she says: "I feel like I'm definitely into men." [E!]
• Unbeweavable! Amy Winehouse: The Musical. Might happen. [The Sun]
• Zac Efron is at the center of a lawsuit in Beverly Hills small claims court; a woman claims he hit a cab and the cab hit her. She's looking for $3,319.76 — which should be doable if a bunch of you guys go rent 17 Again. [TMZ]
• It had been reported that Real Housewives Of Atlanta' Lisa Wu Hartwell had been evicted from her home, but she says: "We chose to move, we were not evicted. It was a short-sell. It was not a foreclosure." [People]
• Whee! Natalie Portman will produce Booksmart, the comedy written by our girlcrush Sarah Haskins and her pal Emily Halpern. This is the one about two overachieving high school seniors who realize they don't have boyfriends and resolve to each find one by prom. [Variety]
• Joe Jonas may be joining the cast of Valentine's Day, which, in addition to Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah, stars his ex, Taylor Swift. [E!]
• Even though it was previously reported that Michael Jackson had already been buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Joe Jackson says MJ is "not buried yet." And: "I think Vegas would be great."
• Will the 9th season of Dancing With The Stars be Jackson-inspired? Lou Ferrigno is "definitely interested." LaToya Jackson is in talks. Jermaine Jackson wants to do it too, and "thinks he could win it all." [MSNBC]
• LaToya Jackson's discussions to join DWTS are "serious." [Us Magazine]
• Jermaine Jackson was trying to pull together a "Happy Birthday Michael Jackson" televised tribute concert in Vienna on August 29, but couldn't get it organized in time. [Page Six]
• Is Blanket Blaxican?!?!? [Mirror]
• There's a dispute over the Billy Mays autopsy results; the medical examiner should not have immediately listed "heart disease" as the cause, since it ignored the toxicology work which found cocaine, Xanax and Vicodin in the pitchman's system. [TMZ]
• Amber Rose naked, holding a whip. [The Life Files]
• Joey Buttafuoco: Suing Mary Jo. Apparently he's not happy that her new book calls him a sociopath. [La Daily Musto]
• Pete Doherty is going to trial for drugs. Related: Sky is blue. [The Sun]
• Farrah Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart says that Redmond O'Neal is "doing well" and is getting sober. "He's in a rehab part of the jail and he's going to go to a regular rehab after this. He feels his mother's with him; he feels her presence very strongly and he promised her in a phone call just before she died that he would never do drugs again, so I hope that he's able to keep that promise." [Daily Express]
• Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, who got in trouble last year when people found out that she'd posed for a jewelry ad in the nude, a no-no for Miss Universe contestants, will appear topless in Maxim's September issue. Of course. [Page Six]
• "I always look at things and say, 'Will Barbra be proud?' She does such elegant work. Am I the guy who is going out and doing the tacky stuff? So I weighed it a lot. I decided to do it because I wanted to do comedy stuff so bad." — James Brolin, on appearing in the raunchy comedy The Goods, starring Jeremy Piven. [LA Times]
• "My humor isn't meant to be mean or hurt anyone. But it's to make them uncomfortable and laugh. I like making people feel a different range of emotions. I like to make people a bit confused." — Charlyne Yi. [USA Today]
• "If I'm honest, I don't think I'll ever be totally free from that. It's much more under control but food for me will never be easy. I used it as a shield. It was a way to fend off rejection: you'll never want me, look how fat I am. I'll be the fat, funny one." — Sharon Osbourne, on her bulimia and food addictions. [Daily Express]
• "I worked with such amazingly talented people that just a brush stroke would change my face a little bit. I looked at myself in the mirror one day and I didn't really realise we were doing the older Clare that day and I said 'Oh, I'm looking a little haggard', before being told it was paint." — Rachel McAdams on playing all different ages in The Time Traveller's Wife. [Mirror]
• "I'm a successful woman, in the public eye, and raising a kid by myself. It can leave guys feeling like, 'Damn, how can I have a chance?' Just be a man!" — Taraji P. Henson, to Men's Fitness. She looks hot in the snaps at the link. [Gatecrasher]
• "There was a very funny thread on a message board somewhere online that said, 'Yeah, well, they obviously Photoshopped it, because who would sit in water all day for a photo shoot?' Well, no… [Laughs.] I sat in a giant tank of water for a solid Saturday, and it was kind of fun, actually. I mean, once you're wet, you're wet. You don't get any more wet. So you're just kind of like, 'All right, here we are.' And it was a bunch of crewmembers and waiters and an incredibly skillfully constructed set, and I think a pretty cool image that they got out of it as well. I'm sure they could have done some kind of photo trickery, but this makes for a better story, and it's way cooler to go build it and do it for reals. I think online, there's a time-lapse image of it filling up, too." — Jon Hamm, on the promotional photo for Mad Men's third season, in which he is sitting in a room full of water. [AV Club] 
• "I'm very religious. I'm a big Christian girl. I kinda wanted to keep those values a little bit. I haven't told my dad [I posed for Playboy] yet. I might not tell him. My mom was so excited she was just, like, pose! God gave you that body, you show off that cute little thing." — Heidi Montag. [Extra]

• Mel Gibson's pregnant girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva says she wants the public to get to know her (now that she has an album coming out), adding, "I thought he was happily married until I was reassured otherwise. And then it happened..."

• "It's not like I was planning to meet Mel specifically. Life happens," she said. "I'd like to be judged if so, by my art, by my music. That's primarily why I'm here. Of course, if the tabloids wrote the truth about most of people, maybe it would be really boring... How can I be judged for falling in love? We live in the same city. I don't control who I meet. I meet many people in art and music and film, but love is inexplicable." [Reuters]
• Jon Gosselin defended his new look on Jon and Kate Plus 8 last night, saying, "It's just the way I've always been expressing myself. Things are just coming out a lot more now... This is who I am and this is who I'm gonna be." He said he's had his ears pierced since he was 15 and just decided to start wearing earrings again. He added, "It's not a midlife crisis. Everyone thinks it's a midlife-I'm nowhere near midlife. I'm 32-years old. I've always liked motorcycles and cars and fast things and I have four tattoos." [E!]
• A source says Kate Gosselin understands she needs Jon and Kate Plus 8 as a source of income, but Jon Gosselin doesn't. "Jon thinks that he's bigger than ‘Jon & Kate,' but he isn't and it's frustrating to her," said the source. "He needs to focus and make sure the show does well so the family can be well." [MSNBC]
• After Miley Cyrus' pole-dancing routing on the Teen Choice Awards she was criticized on Twitter as "the next Britney Spears." Miley responded by Tweeting, "For all the people calling me the 'next Britney,' THANK U. I couldn't ask for a better compliment :)" [MSNBC]
• Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are officially back together. Linds surprised Sam in Chicago this past weekend by taking her out for her birthday. Later they went to a club and an eyewitness saw them "fighting over which drink belonged to whom." [N.Y. Post]
• Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper boarded a flight from New York to Barcelona together and have been seen together at hotels in New York and Los Angeles. [N.Y. Post]
• When asked if she'd like to work with Brad Pitt again, Angelina Jolie said, "I would love to, but we have a lot of kids to raise," and added that they will "always" want more children. [E!]
• Naked photos of Twilight's Ashley Greene are going around the internet. Her lawyer has confirmed the photos are real and says she's planning to sue. [TMZ]
• The mayor of Laglio, the Italian town George Clooney lives in, is imposing a €19 on people who stalk Clooney saying, "We've arrived at the point when hordes of people are yelling his name from the street at the top of their voices. Some of the cheekier ones are even going up and ringing the bell." [The Independent]
• Jay-Z will appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show, prompting rumors that Oprah lifted her 10 year ban on rappers and made a deal with Beyonce when she was on the show last season. A rep denied both stories. [MSNBC]
• Oprah has committed the sin of eating, despite announcing earlier this year that she's watching her weight. She took girls from her school in South Africa to New York and ate shrimp fajitas and potato skins at Planet Hollywood in New York. [N.Y. Post]
• Sources say Sadie Frost is furious that ex Jude Law got Samantha Burke pregnant because seeing their dad in the news is upsetting their three children. "It's really hard for the children and they're her main concern," said a source. "She is deep down furious with Jude – not for having the fling but for being irresponsible – and wants him to pay whatever it takes to keep the family protected from further embarrassment." [Daily Express]
• Jessica Simpson's arrival in Tokyo on Sunday coincided with two earthquakes and a tropical storm. She Tweeted: "Thought I was hallucinating. I have never felt anything like this in my life. Laying in bed watching CNN." [The Sun]
• After returning from North Korea, Bill Clinton had his staff call Sony and ask for a screener of The Ugly Truth. [E!]
• ABC's entertainment president has responded to Katherine Heigl's public whining about long days on Grey's Anatomy saying, "I think it's unfortunate... People are going to behave in the way they choose to behave. There are so many people who work so hard on ‘Grey's,' and all of our shows, without any notoriety and those are the ones I'd be concerned about, people who feel like they're being criticized or looked down upon." [MSNBC]
• Simon Cowell is finalizing a deal to continue judging American Idol for at least three years. [Reuters]
• Victoria Beckham got a new tattoo on her wrist to celebrate her 10-year marriage to David Beckham with a tattoo that says "together forever, eternally" in Hebrew. [Daily Mail]
• Lady Gaga got a tattoo on the inside of her upper arm in German. "It says 'In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?'" she said. [N.Y. Daily News]
• The IRS has placed liens on two New Orleans properties Nicolas Cage put up for sale. When the property is sold the IRS must be paid over $6.26 million dollars because Cage didn't pay his income tax in 2007 and didn't pay enough between 2002 and 2004. [Nola]
• Paul Reubens will star in a stage version of The Pee-wee Herman Show in Hollywood. Many of the original cast including Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, and Jambi the Genie will return. [Variety]
• Katie Price had a ruined the vow renewal ceremony of her make-up artist Gary Cockerill and Phil Taylor by climbing onstage and screaming at the guests, "You're all fucking cunts," then announcing that ex Peter Andre is a "fucking asshole." [The Sun]
• Pete Doherty will appear in court today to face drunk driving charges. He previously plead not guilty to dangerous and drunk driving but admitted to drug possession charges and not having a license or insurance. [The Mirror]
• Candy Spelling says, "I have been trying and I'm never going to stop trying to reconcile with Tori. I love her. She is my child." She also insists that while Tori Spelling's TV show made it look like she just didn't show up to her granddaughter's birthday party, she actually emailed Tori on the day of the party to cancel. [OK]
• When asked about Candy Spelling's claim that her grandchildren are being used as "reality show props," Tori Spelling pretended she hadn't read her mom's recent statement but husband Dean McDermott said, "We don't use our children as props, we take really good care of our children, we love our children... everyone's entitled to their opinion." [TMZ]
• Leighton Meester and Sebastian Stan are getting serious. A friend says they're planning on moving in together soon and this weekend they went to a club with Demi Moore and his Spread co-star Ashton Kutcher. [N.Y. Post]
• The Georgia home of Lisa Wu-Hartwell of Real Housewives of Atlanta and her husband, football player Edgerton Hartwell was foreclosed on last week. Their rep says, "Ed and Lisa are fine. They have settled in their [new] home, that sits on 10 acres and they OWN it!" [TMZ]
• Thom Yorke says Radiohead may release single songs but won't be making another album anytime soon because, "we've all said that we can't possibly dive into that again. It'll kill us." He added, "None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off." [BBC]
• Country duo Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn posted a message on their website saying they've agreed to "call it a day" after 20 years of performing together. Brooks & Dunn will release a greatest hits album next month and do a final tour in 2010. [AP]
• Diane Kruger, who is dating Joshua Jackson, said she's not interested in marrying again because her first marriage ended in divorce. She explained, "I felt terribly responsible for someone else's feelings and their life. It's painful to love each other but not be able to be together." [Daily Express]
• "I'm glad I'm not coming up now. I would never be able to deal with that kind of media attention that these actors do now. I really feel fortunate that I lived my life and raised my family and did all of that without being hounded." — Jessica Lange [E!]
• On the show Who Do You Think You Are Kim Cattrall discovered her grandfather was married to two women at the same time. "I knew he was gutsy, but now he's a criminal. Unbelievable," said Cattrall, "I'm quite angry about that. As a woman I find that quite despicable." [Daily Mail]

• A judge has approved an agreement granting Katherine Jackson permanent custody of Michael Jackson's children. Debbie Rowe, who did not attend the hearing, agreed not to fight for custody in exchange for visitation rights.

• A hearing to address a few remaining issues was scheduled for October. [CNN]
• Here's a minute by minute account of what went down in the courtroom. [TMZ]
• J. Randy Taraborrelli has written a Michael Jackson biography in which he claims Michael only married Debbie Rowe because of pressure from his family and fans. Lisa Marie Presley however was the "love of his life," but she didn't want to have children with Michael because she didn't think their marriage was strong enough. [CBS News]
• Several of Michael Jackson's friends say he denied that Omer Bhatti was his son, but Good Morning America claims an exclusive video of the two jet skiing on vacation together "raises more questions." Joe Jackson did claim Omer is Michael's son last week, but friends think Joe just wants to sign Omer to his new record label. [ABC News]
• Police sources say multiple eyewitnesses are backing up Mel Gibson's claim that he didn't get into a fight with a photographer or rip his shirt. "The Mel Gibson case is almost finished," said the police source. [Radar Online]
• Mischa Barton was "well behaved" at a Peter Bjorn concert this weekend, but she was seen smoking, so it seems that rumor that Nicole Richie made her quit wasn't true. [Radar]
• At the event Mischa Barton said, "I'm feeling great! I'm really happy," and said The Beautiful Life is "Going really well... I'm excited." [Ok]
• Jon and Kate Plus 8 returns from hiatus tonight. As you've no doubt noticed, "Team Kate" has gathered steam in the past few weeks as everyone got to know the two-timing, Ed Hardy-wearing, Michael Lohan-loving side of Jon Gosselin. [CNN]
• In this behind the scenes video, the U.K. Elle crew doesn't do a very good job hiding the fact that they were annoyed at Lindsay Lohan during her cover shoot. But she arrive 12 hours late, so it's understandable. [People]
• Bradley Cooper's rep denies that he had a rendezvous with Jennifer Aniston in Washington, D.C. this weekend. "It didn't happen, they were not there together," said the rep. "Bradley was there on a stop-over from his USO tour." He could have at least waited for the tabloids to report that they're back together before denying the story. [People]
• Previously unseen photos of The Beatles taken in the mid-1960s at a hotel in Bridgeport, England are up for auction. The seller says, "They are spur of the moment pictures and not posed up like so many that you see. They are wearing suits and in one John Lennon is playing with a Box Brownie camera and they seem happy posing with the hotel owner." [The Telegraph]
• Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee partied together this weekend in Las Vegas, so TMZ thinks they're back together. [TMZ]
• Bethenny Frankel says the deal for her own TV show is "unsigned," and "I'm definitely going to do the Housewives this season... It's been great … I love it. I understand we start filming [season 3] in September." [People]
• Sam Worthington will star opposite Charlize Theron in a remake of the 2005 French spy thiller The Tourist. Tom Cruise was originally considering Worthington's role. [The Hollywood Reporter]
• An Us editor says Nadya Suleman told him after she had six kids she asked her sperm donor to help her again, but he refused so she used their frozen embryos left over from previous procedures. The editor adds, "She said that one of her great regrets is that, after having the kids, he is no longer part of their lives." [CBS News]
• Here are some spoilers about the new season of Gossip Girl from Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Jessica Szohr. [E!]
• Everyone freaked out when New Moon's Jamie Campbell Bower said, "We just all sit there, completely naked, for one scene... it's me, Michael Sheen and Christopher [Heyerdahl]; we just sit there, naked." But director Chris Weitz says, "I would like to put everyone's mind at rest and let them know that the Volturi are not naked! Jamie has what you might call a dry sense of humor and almost managed to convince me – which is why he's such a good actor. Anyway, be assured that, even though we do want the look of the Volturi to be a bit of a surprise, they are always – as in the book! – fully clothed." [People]
• Joan Rivers said of Kathy Griffin, who hosted her upcoming Comedy Central roast, "She can fucking drop dead now, I'm so angry." Then Joan laughed and added, "She was evil. We made a pact. No matter what we say on camera ... we stay friends forever. And she really lets me have it." [People]
• Deborah Gibson's boyfriend, a doctor who specializes in preventative medicine, helped her lose 17 pounds by coming up with a diet and exercise plan for her. "I thought I had just 5 lbs. to lose," she says, "But as it went on, I realized that I needed to drop a few more." [People]
• Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray says his band knows they're not going to be selling out arenas, so their they made their first album in six years "purely for the love." It's entitled Music for Cougars. "Our fans qualify as cougars," says McGrath. "There's no negative slant. It's a word of empowerment. Cougars are great!" [People]

• Chace Crawford has moved out of the NYC apartment he shared with Ed Westwick and into a penthouse way downtown.

Is Chace upgrading with his Footloose money? Well, this report claims that Ed is a slob, and Chace couldn't take the mess any more. Related: Anyone want to move in with Chuck Bass? [Us Magazine]

• Bradley Cooper gave Jennifer Aniston the "let's just be friends" speech, and she is "devastated." Allegedly. Consider the source on this, and the media's obsession with painting Jen as desperate and lonely. [MSNBC via National Enquirer]
• Emmy Rossum was Tweeting about her outfit for Jessica Simpson's birthday party at noon the day of the event, not knowing it was canceled due to Jess and Tony's breakup. [Gatecrasher]
• Here's a love autopsy, titled "Jessica and Tony's Relationship: What Went Wrong?" [People]
• Hermione gone wild! Emma Watson is really changing things up: She's set to star in a "Goth-inspired" remake of Cinderella, being masterminded by Marilyn Manson. [The Sun]
• Hayden Panettiere doesn't know how to let a guy down easy: "I'm not good at learning that sometimes you don't like someone in that way - and figuring out how to deal with that. I don't want to hurt his feelings." Just say: "It's not you, its me." [The Sun]
• UK tabloid rag Heat magazine conducted a poll for "most enviable body," and, surprise, surprise: Megan Fox won. [Mirror]
• A federal judge says Survivor winner Richard Hatch can't attend the 10th anniversary edition of the reality show in Samoa, since he's under home confinement. [NY Daily News]
• Has Debbie Rowe dropped her custody fight in exchange for $4 million? [NY Post]
• Uh-oh: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has returned from vacation and found that the councilwoman acting as mayor in his absence was urging people to donate money for Michael Jackson's memorial. Villaraigosa says: "This is a world-class city, and we provide fire and police protection, period. The idea that we would charge the family for a funeral is nonsensical." He called the donation website "ridiculous" and shut it down. [E!, AP]
• The coroner should have results from toxicology tests and should know Michael Jackson's cause of death by next week. [NY Daily News]
• Michael Jackson's estate is being handled by two men: attorney John Branca and recording executive John McClain. But an attorney for the Jackson family says that Katherine Jackson should be treated like a third trustee. [AP]
• "One of Michael Jackson's former housekeepers told law enforcement the singer was often in such bad shape from drugs his eyes would roll back in his head." [TMZ]
• Michael Jackson had planned to channel Fred Astaire on his This Is It tour. [Gatecrasher]
• Renée Zellweger's car and driver ditched her in the Hamptons over the weekend. [Page Six]
• Dylan McDermott has a new show about undercover cops, Dark Blue, He says: "My uncle was a cop and I used to ride around with him when I was a kid. There's something so powerful about it." If he were to go undercover and target a group, he's go for "Either the Mafia or the Aryan Brotherhood. I hope I'm as brave as [my character]. I don't think I'm in the same situations, living in Brentwood. It's the housewives that will eventually take you down. They're more dangerous than any gang." [USA Today]
• Kim Cattrall and her younger boyfriend: Dunzo. [Perez]
• Denzel Washington has withdrawn from the film Unstoppable after budget and start date issues. He would have been playing a veteran engineer who tries to help a young conductor (Chris Pine) stop a runaway train. [Variety]
• Is Akon dodging legal papers in a paternity case? [E!]
• A man named Anthony Spinner claims he created the TV show Lost — 32 years ago. [TMZ]
• Overachiever! Aidan Gillen played a Baltimore mayor on The Wire, and he's actually a former Dublin altar boy. [Guardian]
• Speaking of The Wire, there was fatal gunfire at a Brooklyn bash hosted by actor Jamie Hector — who played drug dealer Marlo Stanfield on the show. Hector says: "I would like to make it clear that the shooting incident [Sunday] did not take place at my home, nor did it involve me, my wife, nor any of the invited guests. [NY Daily News]
• Check it out: Tony Curtis filled out the Proust Questionnaire. He says his greatest fear is "People might not remember me." And his motto is "Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish." [Vanity Fair]
• Trudie Styler has a fitness DVD set to Sting's mandolin music; she has transformed her physique by training for four hours a day. Nice work if you can get it. [Mirror
• Larry King's wife is up for a role in Bono's Broadway version of Spider-man. [Page Six]
• Whatshisname is accusing Whatshername of spilling private details. [Daily Mail]
• Blind item! "Which openly gay TV star likes to show off his stuff at the gym by walking around sans towel - and referring to himself as 'porn-worthy?'" [Gatecrasher]
• "You know, I'm not really doing the dating thing, I don't feel like I'm in the world of dating. I don't feel like a young twentysomething. I'm happy working but it's not a case of 'I don't have time for a girlfriend'. I do. It's just like everyone else who's single I suppose." — Daniel Radcliffe is looking for love. [Telegraph]
• "After Mad Men I got a lot of 'How dare you speak to Don Draper like that?' People — mainly women — were mad at me that I told Don off." — Patrick Fischler, who played insult comic Jimmy Barrett on Mad Men. [LA Times]
• Directors don't get better, they get worse! When you gotta go out and make a movie to pay for the kids' private school and for the three ex-wives, don't talk to me about your artistry. It's their job. I don't want to have to watch the movie I made to pay for my pool." — Quentin Tarantino plans to stop making movies when he turns 60. [Gatecrasher]
• "[In a relationship], you're probably going to drop the F-bomb once in a while. You're probably going to say some things that are kind of harsh. And you're definitely going to talk about sex. It doesn't have to be so Snow White and Prince Charming. That's my problem with a lot of romantic comedies." — Katherine Heigl. [People]

• LaToya Jackson believes that her brother, Michael, was murdered by his "shadowy entourage," who took advantage of him and got him addicted to several prescription drugs. "It will all come out," she says, "You will be shocked." [USWeekly]

• "Not just one person was involved," Jackson says, "rather it was a conspiracy of people. He was surrounded by a bad circle. Michael was a very meek, quiet, loving person. People took advantage of that. People fought to be close to him, people who weren't always on his side." [USWeekly]
• Debbie Rowe will attend a custody hearing regarding Michael Jackson's children on July 20. [People]
• "Their grandmother Katherine and I should raise them. Yes there's no one else who can do what we can do for them. We should keep them all together and make them happy. Feed them like they are supposed to be fed."- Joe Jackson [Time]
• A source says Michael Jackson made it quite clear that he did not want his father to have access to his children. "With Michael dying, I know the last thing he wanted was for Joe to play any part in the raising of his children. He told me, ‘I don't want Joseph near my kids. I don't want him doing to them what he did to me.' He said, ‘My kids are the most important thing in my life. Everything I do, I do for them.'"[ShowbizSpy]
• Meanwhile, the Daily Mail is reporting that Debbie Rowe and Katherine Jackson are working together to keep the children away from Joe. [DailyMail]
• Jeremy Piven was seen "looking Hayden Panettiere up and down in between sips of vodka and soda," at the Entourage premiere last Thursday. [PageSix]
• As we mentioned yesterday, Jon Gosselin was seen holding hands with his 22-year-old girlfriend, Hailey Glassman, in St. Tropez. [USWeekly]
• Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, who met on the set of Step Up were married yesterday. [USWeekly]
• Leonard Cohen is asking fellow musicians to stop covering his song, "Hallelujah," because he's afraid that people will tire of it. "I was reading a review of a movie called Watchmen that uses it, and the reviewer said, 'Can we please have a moratorium on Hallelujah in movies and television shows?' and I kind of feel the same way. I think it's a good song, but too many people sing it." [DailyExpress]
• Want to date Megan Fox? Better get a tattoo: ""I have 8 tattoos," Fox says, "My boyfriends are all required to have one."[ShowbizSpy]
• "I'd had a boyfriend in college and I was talking about going to New York some day and he said, 'Why are you talking about New York? You're not going to New York. We're going to be married and start having kids.' When he said that, I panicked. I just thought, is this what it's going to be like? I couldn't imagine being in a marriage where someone wouldn't want to change me and where someone would appreciate who I was, because that's not an easy combination to pull off. I didn't want any of that for myself, so I really didn't want to get married at all."- Sandra Bullock [DailyMail]
• Jennifer Aniston was reportedly upset that Bradley Cooper denied that the two were dating: "Jennifer was devastated when Bradley told reporters in Paris that she was ‘just a friend' and denied they had any romantic involvement," says a source, "It makes her look desperate - which is the one thing she dreads coming across more than anything else." [ShowbizSpy]
• 75-year-old Partridge Family star Shirley Jones did some test shots for Playboy, showing her "cleavage and legs in an 18th-century French-boudoir setting," but Hugh Hefner turned them down because "he expected much more nudity."[PageSix]
• Bruno topped the Friday box office with 14.2 million dollars in ticket sales. [EW]
• GLAAD has released a statement claiming that Bruno does more harm than good when it comes to the gay community. According to GLAAD president Jarred Barrios, "'the movie was a well-intentioned series of sketches — some hit the mark and some hit the gay community pretty hard and reinforce some damaging, hurtful stereotypes.''[NYTimes]
• "In our house, no one was allowed to refer to devilled eggs. We had to call them angelic eggs. We were never allowed to swear. I'd get into trouble just for saying 'hell no'. If you dropped a hammer on your toe in our house you had to say something like 'Jiminy Christmas'. The only music we were allowed to listen to was gospel. No wonder I rebelled."- Katy Perry [DailyMail]
• Lady GaGa psyched up a crowd at a recent outdoor concert by yelling, "I know it's crowded, and you're hot and you smell. But you know what you gotta do? Put your hands up and dance, motherf****r!" [TheSun]
• "Normally, in the middle of the year, when there's not a "Harry Potter" film being released, if I walk outside with no makeup on ... I'm fine. I take the tube, I wait for buses. I live a normal life. I'm very uncompromising about that. There are people who are advising me, "It's not safe, you shouldn't be doing this."... But I really struggle with the idea that I'm having my freedom taken away. I just can't handle that. I'd much rather deal with a couple of people coming up to me and stopping me than just not going out anymore. I'd go insane - you just end up with a barrier between you and the real world. You're not experiencing things firsthand. ...You're bubble-wrapped."- Emma Watson [ONTD]

• Daniel Radcliffe is a budding poet: one of his poems (written when he was 17, mind you) can be read here. It involves "glistening blondes," and "hookers and lies." Hookers and lies?! That's 10 points from Gryffindor! [DailyMail]

• Russell Brand reportedly declined Lindsay Lohan's advances at P.Diddy's White Party last week: "Lindsay is a very good-looking girl and she is used to getting what she wants. Russell has been on her radar for a while now but he doesn't want anything to do with her," says a source, "He finds her constant craving for attention and her heavy drinking a turn-off. It's not like he is short of female attention anyway." [TheSun]
• Despite an internet death rumor, Jeff Goldblum is alive and well, and thanks you for your concern: ""This was a rare opportunity to experience your own death. (Fans) still run into me on the street (and say), 'Glad to see you're alive!' I reconnected with people I hadn't seen in a long time. I wasn't angry I was touched." [DailyExpress]
• Morgan Freeman's publicist says the story about the actor marrying his step-granddaughter is "complete garbage." [DailyExpress]
• Paul McCartney will appear on the Late Show with David Letterman this Wednesday; it's his first appearance on Dave's show, but obviously not his first time at the Ed Sullivan Theater, where he made history performing with The Beatles in 1964. [Variety]
• The custody hearing over Michael Jackson's children has been pushed back to July 20. As of right now, Katherine Jackson still has custody; according to Debbie Rowe's attorney, Rowe "has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings." [People]
• More than 6,000 people showed up for a memorial to Jackson in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. The memorial included a recreation of Jackson's Thriller video, complete with 500 "zombies." Says Mayor Rudy Clay: "He's going to put on those golden slippers and he's going to dance all over God's heaven.'' [NYTimes]
• The premiere of NBC's upcoming series, Parenthood has been pushed back due to an illness that has caused star Maura Tierney to undergo "medical evaluation." [Hollywood Reporter]
• "I had a real dialogue with my mother during the shoot. She was very supportive and funny. And I needed to make jokes about the whole thing. It was so heavy and it was great to be able to describe my day to her and joke with her about what I was doing. It was like, ‘Guess what I've been doing today?' You know, my day would go from crying and howling and screaming into the sex and the blood. It was hysterical and to put it into words in a text message was hilarious." -Charlotte Gainsbourg on how she coped with difficult scenes while shooting the film Antichrist. [TimesOnline]
• An old flame of Robert Pattinson says he's "amazing" in bed. Like, really amazing: "We just had this chemistry between us that made our kisses amazing," she says, "I felt electricity go between us! I'm really passionate, as is he. That's why, no matter how much we fought, it was always amazing in bed! We'd glance at each other throughout the night because it made it more exciting when we got home. The tension was so strong, we couldn't control ourselves. It was amazing!" Yes...but was it AMAZING!?! [ShowbizSpy]
• Artie Lange was charged with DUI yesterday after getting into a "minor car accident." [Yahoo]
• Despite earlier reports that Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper were in talks for the role, the Hollywood Reporter now claims that Ryan Reynolds will indeed play the Green Lantern. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Britney Spears has allegedly put Kevin Federline on a diet. "She's worried his eating habits are setting up the kids to make poor food choices," says a source. [ShowbizSpy]
• Amy Winehouse is heading back to England after an extended stay in St. Lucia. "She's been banned from hotels, the bars don't want her there and locals see her as a nuisance when she's drunk," says a source, "Her friends have all left and gone back home, her mum and dad couldn't stay in St Lucia with her as she was acting up too much. She's lonely and wants to get back to what she knows. But she has to knuckle down. She's on a very fine line with the label and has pushed them almost as far as they will go." [Mirror]
• Blind Item: "This American teen TV star's fall from grace has been documented all over the celebrity weeklies recently. But perhaps the saddest thing behind-the-scenes is that the actress doesn't think she has any real friends so her entry into the London party scene was to try to lose her loner's reputation - instead she descended into a drug spiral." [BlindGossip]
• Paris Hilton was in court yesterday to defend herself against allegations that she did not properly promote Pledge This, a flop that she co-starred in. The judge in the case was curious about Hilton's reality show, and according to the AP, "After Hilton gave the title - 'Paris Hilton's My New Best Friend Forever'- the judge remarked 'This will be my best case forever.' Without missing a beat, Hilton replied 'You're my best judge forever.'" Oh, Paris. [Yahoo]
• Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, has found a way to hide his cigarettes inside of his Hogwarts robe: "I got the wardrobe to put a little pocket inside for them," he says. Hooker poems! Cigarette pockets! What is going on at Hogwarts?! [DailyExpress]

• Michael Jackson's will, which was released today, leaves his entire state to the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which provides for his children and mother and distributes money to several charities. It doesn't say where he wants to be buried. [TMZ]

• A judge ruled today that Katherine Jackson will remain the temporary administrator of Michael Jackson's estate based on the assumption that there was no will. Now that a will has been filed, the named executors wanted a judge to nullify Katherine's power to move assets around. [TMZ]
• There are tons of rumors about Michael Jackson's funeral arrangements. There may be a public ceremony at the Staples Center in L.A. followed by a 125-mile funeral procession to the Neverland ranch. Nothing has been finalized but the Jacksons have been talking to the police and they're preparing for the media circus and crowd control. [L.A. Times]
• A source says no public Neverland viewing of Michael Jackson is planned for this weekend. They say his funeral and burial will probably take place in L.A. [Breitbart]
• Hotels near the Neverland Ranch have been sold out since Michael Jackson's death. [TMZ]
• Though doctors were not able to save Michael Jackson, doctors at UCLA Medical Center have pioneered a method that's known for saving people hours after they've flatlined. It's unclear if the procedure was used on MJ, but it involves giving CPR, using a lung machine, and using special procedures to gradually restore blood and oxygen flow. [AP]
• Nona Paris Lola Ankhesenamun Jackson of London has just filed a petition claiming that she is Michael Jackson's wife. She asks, "that all my husband's properties, monies and assets must be transferred to me immediately" and "my husband's body must be returned to the coroner's body [sic] or the mortuary immediately." She adds, "Though he died to this earth he lives with my father Khalid Lucifer [a.k.a. Satan]." [TMZ]
• Registered nurse Cherilyn Lee, said on GMA this morning that Michael Jackson begged her to give him Diprivan but she warned him, "you might not wake up the next morning." [TMZ]
• Nobody knew where Michael Jackson's dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein (who is also rumored to be the father of his children) was for the past few days but he was spotted returning to his office last night. [TMZ]
• A delivery man who worked for Mickey Fine pharmacy, which sued Michael Jackson over an unpaid $100,000 bill, says he used to make deliveries to the Jackson family's Encino home, which Michael frequently visited. [TMZ]
• Looks like those tabloid rumors that Bradley Cooper would only break poor Jennifer Aniston's heart may be true. He was spotted last night on a date with Renee Zellweger. "She didn't really eat much, but he ate," someone in the restaurant said. "They were very flirty. Either he's being very gentlemanly, 'cause that's the way he is, or they're dating. He paid. He pulled out her chair, that kind of stuff." [People]
• Brad Pitt bought "Never-EverLand" a work of art by Atelier Van Lieshout that looks like a trailer with six person-sized cubby holes. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Though the police deny it, there are rumors that R.Kelly is being investigated for committing statutory rape, and that police searched his home for evidence on his 17-year-old girlfriend. [ONTD]
• R. Kelly released a statement saying, "A wildly exaggerated and inaccurate report has been circulating on the Internet that Olympia Fields police showed up at R. Kelly's house with a search warrant just before the singer left for his three-week concert tour in Africa last month and then searched the place looking for a missing 17-year-old girl. This is completely false. No police ever showed up at Kelly's house with a search warrant nor was his house ever searched. It is also not true, as the unsubstantiated report claimed, that any such girl ever stayed overnight in Kelly's house or that she had been there but left shortly before some mythical police search. [PR Newswire]
• Watch the trailer for Coco Before Chanel starring Audrey Tautou here: [Elle]
• Nicole Richie is designing maternity clothes for A Pea In The Pod. [People]
• Hilary Duff is joining the cast of Gossip Girl. She'll play Olivia Burke, a movie star who enrolls at NYU in search of a traditional college experience and ends up rooming with Vanessa. [Entertainment Weekly]
• C. Thomas Howell will host a CMT reality show about extreme Americans, featuring people who races ostriches and juggle chainsaws. [Entertainment Weekly]
• Kim Kardashian has put some of her clothes up for auction on e-bay to benefit Dream Foundation, which grants wishes for adults suffering from life-limiting illnesses. Kim said, "I love to be able to pass along some of my favorite pieces to someone else who will get to enjoy them as much as I have. I even have many items I never had a chance to wear yet. A few times a year, I bring my outfits, shoes, and accessories to Auction Cause who puts them on eBay for me." [People]
• When asked if she would pose in Playboy like her sister Kim, Khloe Kardashian said, "I like doing things for a reason, and not just because someone gave me a big check, so I personally will say, not right now, but I can't say never." [E!]
• Stephen Moyer of True Blood says he's gotten his girlfriend/costar Anna Paquin into boxing. He says, "I like the sport and she likes the blood. I'm like, 'Stop the fight, people are getting hurt, I can't bear it!' and she's going, 'Go on, hit 'em!' She loves it. She boxes too." [People]
• Sacha Baron Cohen is nude on the cover of the gay magazine Attitude. While in character as Bruno he says Simon Cowell is his gay icon and says of Kylie and Danni Minogue, "I love them. Kylie's like ein Barbie doll zat's been shrunk a little bit and Dannii is like a Kylie doll zat's been left on the radiator for too long." [The Sun]
• Tony Romo says his relationship with Jessica Simpson "is not hard." He explains, "It's a normal relationship... There's nothing exotic or crazy about it. We're two people who care about each other, and it's not hard to make it work when both of you want to see the other one. We make each other happy." [People]
• In addition to directing The Hobbit Guillermo del Toro has just released a novel and plans to make a Frankenstein film and to adapt H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. [The L.A. Times]
• During a press conference Gwyneth Paltrow says that she fell in love with Spain during a trip in high school and now she goes back every year and makes sure her children speak Spanish. She said in fluent Spanish, "It is so different from the United States. It seemed to have a history, and the buildings are years and years and years old. Here in the United States an old building is about 17 (years old), and over there it's from 500 B.C., it's incredible," she said. "Also, the way people live over there. They seem to enjoy life a little bit more. They aren't running around as much as in New York. They enjoy time with the family. They don't always have their Blackberries on." [AP]

• Time magazine will release a commemorative issue honoring Michael Jackson on Monday, featuring interviews with celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Tina Turner. It will be the magazine's first commemorative issue released since 9/11. [Time]

• "He had a childlike heart. And that was very very impressive to me. At the end of the day we're all human beings, and for those who can't see that it is possible for a man who's an adult to have a childlike spirit, it doesn't mean that they're weird, it doesn't mean they're a freak, or whatever ridiculous things that people say. We have all kinds of people in the world. The most important thing is that your heart is in a good place."- Stevie Wonder [Time]
• Aretha Franklin took a moment of silence at her performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday in order to honor Jackson: "We do thank you, Michael, for every performance, for every kind thing you did, and we do want to take a moment in remembrance of Michael Jackson."[LATimes]
• "I did meet him one time, and it was amazing. He was just an awesome dad, great with his kids. His kids were so smart and attentive. They were there in the conversation as well. We had a great time. We threw around paper airplanes his son was making – like these really cool ones that were just brilliant. It was just beautiful to meet him. I'm glad I got the chance."-Alicia Keys. [People]
• President Obama has also sent a note to the Jackson family to express his condolences. [WashingtonPost]
• A replica of Michael Jackson's planned "This Is It" comeback tour will be held in September, with high profile artists such as Madonna stepping in to perform in his place as a tribute of sorts.
• Kenny Ortega, director of the "This Is It" tour says that at Thursday night's rehearsal, "There were a couple of times when Michael stood at my side and we looked at the stage together and were just beaming with gladness that we had arrived at this place. And he was happy."[LATimes]
• Dr. Conrad Murray, the last person to see Jackson alive, has hired an attorney. [LATimes]
• Murray's spokeswoman insists that he is "in no way a suspect," and is merely being investigated as a witness. [USAToday]
• At the request of the Jackson family, a second autopsy has been performed. According to NY State Police chief forensic pathologist Michael Baden, "The second autopsy will give the family a lot more information than they have right away, within a few days." [LATimes]
• Joe and Katherine Jackson claim that they are being left in the dark, as far as Michael's will is concerned, but they "really want the children," says a source. [People]
• However, a source claims that if Debbie Rowe wants to see her children, the Jackson family "won't stand in the way." [TMZ]
• "Michael's whole life was a mess except for those kids. He loved them. They didn't have a 'normal' life but Michael was always there for them," says a source, "When you talk to them, they are extraordinary people. They are not at all what you'd expect. They are very innocent, quite naive, in fact. They are good kids. Michael was a good father. He was always with them. They are lost now. They have lost the only father they've ever known." [DailyMail]
• "Please do not despair, because Michael will continue to live on in each and every one of you. Continue to spread his message, because that is what he would want you to do. Carry on, so his legacy will live forever."-Joe Jackson [CNN]
• Grace Rwaramba, who was a nanny for Jackson's kids for many years, paints a pretty tragic picture of his life, claiming that she had to pump his stomach several times and that he was not aware of how bad his financial situation was. [TimesOnline]
• Did Jackson leave a "secret library" of unheard music behind? [TimesOnline]
• Bob Dunn, the trainer who now cares for Jackson's chimpanzee, Bubbles, says that Bubbles misses Jackson: "Bubbles definitely missed him when they parted and will miss him now. Chimpanzees are intelligent. They remember people and stuff. Bubbles and Michael were close friends and playmates. The last time Michael visited, Bubbles definitely recognised and remembered him." [Telegraph]
• "What [Michael] taught me is that you always have to be nice to your fans and always treat them with love and respect. Even if you don't remember the moment, they are always going to remember that moment. That's something that I carry with me." -Corey Feldman [People]
• "Michael was great. He had a sense of humor. He worked hard. People talk about how hard Kobe Bryant works; he didn't work harder than Michael Jackson. This is what I've come to learn. You know, I did a documentary on Kobe, I know him; Michael Jordan, I worked with him a little; Michael Jackson - when you love what you do that much, it's not work. So you can go longer and harder and faster and quicker because it's not a burden. You love what you're doing."- Spike Lee [Time]
• In non-MJ news: Mel Gibson is expecting a baby girl with his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva; it will be the eighth child for Gibson. [DailyMail]
• A private funeral for Farrah Fawcett will take place on Tuesday. [Reuters]
• Eddie Van Halen married girlfriend Janie Liszewski on Saturday; Liszewski walked down the aisle to Van Halen's "When It's Love," which I'm pretty sure is the wedding equivalent of wearing the band's t-shirt to the concert. [People]
• Chris Isaak says that nobody will ever measure up to his high school sweetheart, who passed away from cancer 10 years ago: ""If I had a magic wand and I could go back in time I wouldn't have been a musician if I could have married my first girlfriend. I'd have done anything for her." [DailyExpress]
• Bad news for Russell Brand fans: Brand's second book has been shelved because he's been "too busy to finish." [Telegraph]
• "And why, oh why, is it that Bravo housewives feel the need to wax poetic on all of the charity work they do? If we were all that charitable, would we need to validate ourselves by bringing it up?"-Bethenny Frankel [E!]
• Hugh Hefner was happy to see his ex-girlfriend, Kendra Wilkinson, marry Hank Baskett on Saturday: "I could not be more delighted. This is one of the happiest days in one of the happiest places on Earth." [E!]
• "I think people are struggling with the concept of how much do you let go and age gracefully. How much do you try to, you know, fight it and stave it off?"-Michelle Pfieffer [WashingtonPost]
• Kate Hudson was in the stands as her boyfriend, Alex Rodriguez hit his 564th home run. [People]
• "It's always at the back of my mind that acting might come to an end for me when Harry Potter finishes. I don't know if I'm good enough to have a long career."- Rupert Grint [Telegraph]
• Bradley Cooper swears that he's just friends with Jennifer Aniston: "In America, its not like it is here. She's someone who is super, super known. Famous. If someone says 'hello' to her, it's given that he's fallen in love with her. So, no. No. She's a very, very interesting woman, but she's simply a friend." [People]
• "When I lived in New York I tried really hard to ditch the British accent to fit in. I went to classes and everything. I ended up putting on this terrible 'Nu Yawk' accent and hid behind that for a while. Now I don't try to hide it so much, but my accent slips all over the place. It's a mess - I don't sound like I'm from anywhere any more."- Mischa Barton [DailyMail]

Margaret assists in weathering the hazy climates in In Touch, Us Weekly, Life & Style, Star and OK!, below.

Before we get to the weeklies, we have to recommend this paragraph from an excellent piece in the Guardian:

Editorial meetings at celebrity magazines… may not always resemble those elsewhere. "You build the story around an emotion," says a celebrity weekly editor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "What's happening with poor Jen this week? Well, John Mayer's seeing someone else, and for a woman of her age, that must be awful ... So you construct a narrative of what a woman her age may be feeling." Stories may start with nothing more than a set of photographs: Aniston looking happy, or sad - or happy one moment and sad the next, since if you take multiple shots of anyone, with a fast shutter speed, you can capture a range of expressions. "The question is: how can we construct a story around a set of emotions that our readers are going to relate to? It can come from a genuine tip, or a photo. Or it can come out of our ass."

You don't say?

Ok!
"Tempted By Another Woman!" Sigh. It's easy to see why this magazine is losing $450,00 a week. Nothing good here. Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin filmed a kissing scene for Remember Me, and "after the cameras stopped rolling," Emilie "snuggled with him for at least 10 minutes." A source says, "you can tell it's more than work relationship." Also inside: Ashlee-Simpson-Wentz is on Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet. Mary-Kate Olsen tried to use her black Amex card in a dive bar. She told the bartender: "I don't know what to tell you, this is all I have." Lastly: Jennifer Aniston went out with "new man" Bradley Cooper. The restauranteur says: "They were two people coming in for dinner at 11 at night. You can figure out the rest." Wait, what? After-sex dinner? Before sex dinner? What are we meant to assume?!?!
Grade: F+ (hot, humid & very rainy)



Us
"Backstabbing, Lies & Fights" If you want to know more about The Real Housewives of New Jersey, you'll find this issue chock full of information. If you don't care, then this is not the mag for you! Notice how they cut off Teresa's pregnant belly on the cover? Here are sample tidbits: New mom Jacqueline says: "I am not friends with Danielle. She has not seen the baby, nor will I ever allow her to"; Dina and Danielle are not friends because of a financial dispute; Danielle says of the sex tape her boyfriend Steve is shopping: "I've been told by my attorney not to discuss that. But I can tell you one thing: It is unauthorized and it was taken with his cell phone." Okay. Moving on: Lindsay Lohan claims that her allegations about Justin Timberlake cheating came from someone hacking into her Twitter account. Uh-huh. Sure. Apparently the club owner who saw JT that night says he was only hanging with —and left with — guys. Mad Men's Christina Hendricks spills details about getting hitched to Geoffrey Arend in NYC on October 11: "We are doing a very small, very sweet simple wedding, so it's really been a pleasure." Lastly: Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper's "Hot Date Night" — they stayed quite late at Il Cantinori in NYC and "there was no show of emotion." But! A friend says: "Jen will never last with someone who doesn't drink. She loves her margarita Sundays." Another "friend" accuses her of setting the whole thing up for the paparazzi: "Instead of going out with a normal guy, she'll go after the hottest thing of the moment, because it will get her the most time in the spotlight. She knew paparazzi would be on them, and that it would be a huge story. She did the same thing with Vince and John. This was so set up."
Grade: D (sticky days of drenching rain)

Star
"Jen & Bradley: It's On!" More about the Cooper/Aniston date: An eyewitness says: "I went over to say hi to them, and noticed that they were holding hands under the table…" Bradley and Jen chatted to a waiter about his upcoming wedding and the spy says Jen make eye contact with Bradley and flashed a huge smile. OMG ALL WIMMINZ WANNA DO IS BE BRIDES. Next: Hot guys in glasses (Fig. 1). Blind item! "Which globe-trotting young hottie has been hiding a big secret in his entourage? No matter where he goes, the actor always makes sure to have his AA sponsor by his side." BREAKING: Tori Spelling has gained 12 lbs. Nick Cannon already has a tattoo of Mariah Carey's name on his back, but he wants a butterfly to remind him of his wife. And he wants it be "manly." Jon Gosselin is writing a "revenge tell-all book." He's halfway done with the manuscript and could get $10 million. Look for it in November! Jon wants to world to know that he thinks Kate's been sleeping with the bodyguard for months and rubbing the relationship in Jon's face. Also, Kate often "withheld" sex from Jon. Moving along: Jamie Lynn Spears, 18, went to a friend's bachelorette party in Florida and drank vodka and orange juice. Underage drinking scandal! But JLS kept things low-key. Also, in case you're wondering, JLS is "no longer in love" with her baby daddy, Casey Aldridge, and if they do ever get married, it'll be because her family is pressuring her.
Grade: D+ (humid, hazy days with no sign of rain)

Life & Style
"Why Angelina Is Hiding The Twins." This is not about her rack. Angelina's babies are suffering from serious digestive problems. Knox spits up every meal; Vivienne has food and environmental allergies and is on a lactose- and gluten-free diet, yet is still underweight. There's a sidebar called "Where The Twins Have Been Hiding," which is basically pictures of Angie and Brad's houses. In other words, they've been at home. SHOCKING! The homes are described as being "shrouded in secrecy," as an "Ultraprivate LA retreat," and "French fortress" would be. A friend says Britney Spears is not engaged and "the ring" is an old ring. Megan Fox is "torn between two guys," Shia LaBeouf and Brian Austin Green. "Can Jen Tame Her New Bad Boy?" Apparently Jennifer Aniston should watch out for Bradley Cooper. "He's slept with a lot of women," says an "L.A. partygoer." "A bunch of my friends say he's slept with them." This person also says "He's not a keeper." Bradley is also described as a "womanizer" and a "ladies' man." Next: "Is Emilie Dressing Like Kristen To Win Over Rob?" — because the only reason a woman would want to wear jeans and Chucks is to bone a sparkle vamp (Fig. 2). A "friend" says that Jon and Kate Gosselin's divorce "could get very ugly because so much money is at stake." Have you seen the woman who spent $220,000 to look like Britney Spears? This is your chance (Fig. 3)! Mariah Carey has spent $111,000 on a Cinderella-themed nursery in her Bel Air mansion. Is she pregnant? Does she know she is having a girl? Lastly, in Dr. Rey's Casebook, it's "Which Star Has The Best-Shaped Butt?" Kristen Stewart's ass "doesn't jut out," so clearly she'd look great with Jessica Biel's "youthful and athletic" derriere (Fig. 4).
Grade: C- (humid, with drizzle)

In Touch
"Kate's Private Hell." It's not a public hell, it's a private hell, okay? The mag prints this sentence: "Her face a mask of pain, Kate walked alone to the edge of her driveway…" She spoke to a security guard, who walked her back to the house, and she started wiping tears from her eyes and yadda yadda yadda. This story is mostly told through the use of photographs with arrows and short captions like "Mady's sad." And "Jon has a pot belly." Boo. Here's a question: "Who looks Better For Their Age?" Losers include Carmen Electra, Kiefer Sutherland and Amy Winehouse (Fig. 5). Winehouse? Cheap shot. "Wow! Megan's A Brand New Woman" is a detailed photo journey of Megan Fox's plastic surgery (Fig. 6). Angelina cried at two different events for World Refugee Day, but this magazine says: "many suspect that her tears sprung from more personal troubles." She's not upset about fugee kids! She's upset about Brad, who is "burned out" by all the fighting. Angelina is "isolated" and "lonely" and she "regularly sobs." As for Jen Aniston, the paparazzi have nicknamed her "The Phantom," because she doesn't get photographed unless she wants to. So the snap of her date night with Bradley Cooper? No accident. A "pal" says she picked the restaurant because Brad Pitt likes it and she wanted to make him jealous. There are pictures of Robert Pattinson being "manhandled" by fans on the streets of New York, and he looks frazzled, paranoid and freaked out. Dr. Gila Carle, who does not treat the star, says: "I beg him to get therapy." Warning! Kate Hudson is a "Curse For Men." "Hudson's lovers have been plagued by problems" and the mag asks if she is a "bad-luck charm." Dr. Lisa Boeksy, who does not treat anyone involved, says: "Some women have an overly intense effect on men. Their beauty and charm are so intoxicating that men lose sight of everything else important." A story called "They Look Better With A Few Extra Pounds" includes Audrina, who went from "bony to beautiful," Mischa Barton, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and Teri Hatcher. Lastly: The best part about "What It's Really Like Dating A Star" are the multiple blind items. For instance: "An actor just had a baby with his girlfriend, but behind her back is having an affair with his fellow actor friend."
Grade: C- (intermittent showers)

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Related: The Brangelina Industry [Guardian]
Mag Bag: 'OK!' Loses $450K A Week [MediaPost]

• Lily Allen is suing The Sun over an article in which the British newspaper quoted her as calling Victoria Beckham a "monster" and insulting several other celebrities. Allen says she never made the comments. [The Guardian]

• Christine Prody is shopping a tell-all book about her 13-year relationship with O.J. Simpson called Spellbound: My Life With O.J. Simpson. She claims that he forced her to have two abortions, threatened to kill her, and compared her to his murdered ex-wife Nicole. [Newser]
• Michael Jackson has filed legal papers asking a judge to throw out a judgment against him. Jackson's former publicist Raymone Bain got a default judgment in her lawsuit against Jackson for allegedly failing to pay her because he never responded to the suit. MJ says he was never served with the papers. Bain counters that she tried to serve him, but a security guard at his home told the process server "Get the fuck out of here!" [TMZ]
• A Massachusetts teacher saved Tom Brady's life after he fell into Boston's Charles River while kayaking with Gisele Bundchen. Robin Leeds was on the river in a motorboat when she saw that Brady was in the water. "I actually asked him why he fell in. He said he was racing one of his friends," said Leeds, who found Brady "really friendly, really appreciative that we fished him out of the Charles." [People]
• Sources claim Gisele Bunchen is pregnant, and that she's "ecstatic." The source adds, "Gisele will be an excellent mother." [People]
• Jennifer Aniston had dinner last night with Bradley Cooper, her He's Just Not That Into You costar. Cooper says they're not dating, but TMZ has decided that they are. [TMZ]
• An anonymous source insists, "It was a date. She is taking it slow. She is obviously looking for love, but is not about to rush into anything." [People]
• TLC has released a new clip from Monday's episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8, which makes it pretty clear that they'll announce they are divorcing. Kate Gosselin says, "We haven't really known where we were going but we've been dealing with this a long time." In a separate interview, Jon Gosselin says, "It just got worse and worse and worse. And with all the tabloids and all that, it just made it even worse." [People]
• Jon Gosselin was hunting for an apartment in New York City and checked out Trump Place. "[Jon] has been going back and forth to New York a lot" says a source. [People]
• A source says that Katie Lee Joel, 27, is divorcing Billy Joel, 60, because of their age difference. "It really was just an age thing," said a friend. "She loves the city, she loves to go out and have fun and he prefers to stay at home. The age difference didn't seem to be a big deal seven years ago [when they met], but it has become one as they got older... They just grew apart." [N.Y. Post]
• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent Senate President Pro Tem Darrel Steinberg a metal sculpture of bull testicles as a joke after saying that lawmakers needed to make bold decisions during budget negotiations. Steinberg returned the sculpture with a note about the seriousness of the negotiations. [MSNBC]
• At the Tribeca Barnes & Noble last night, a staffer said 1,000 people showed up for Lauren Conrad's book signing. She did not actually read from L.A. Candy and would only sign her name, not a personalized message. [N.Y. Magazine]
• T.R. Knight released a statement confirming that he's leaving Grey's Anatomy. He said, "Leaving Grey's Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm." [Entertainment Weekly]
• Camilla Belle says even though they were seen out on what the tabloids called a date, she and Robert Pattinson are just friends. "We have a big group of friends and we saw each other last night," she said.. "[Pattinson] is very cool – a very nice guy." [People]
• Stephen Baldwin has quit I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! for unknown reasons. [Perez Hilton]
• A federal judge has set July 15 as the deadline by which Morgan Freeman and the woman suing him for the car crash they were in must submit settlement proposals. [Yahoo]
• Susan Boyle has skipped two performances of the Britain's Got Talent tour this week. Her publicist said, "She would love to be able to perform every single evening but she is aware of what she can and can't do. I feel sorry for her because she doesn't want to let people down but also she needs to have a rest." He stressed that the reason she cancelled was not because she missed her cat Pebbles, as the tabloids reported. [E!]
• Susan Boyle pulled out of another show today and reportedly had a screaming fit and needed to be calmed down by the show's organizers. [The Daily Mail]
• Joe Jonas announced that Nick Jonas and Miley Cyrus are back together on Larry King Live last night. When Larry asked if Joe's girlfriend is as famous as Nick's, Joe said, "I don't think anybody is as famous as Miley Cyrus." Nick seems a little upset and says, "It's nice to have reconnected with her. For a little while there, we had not been as reconnected as we are now." [People]
• Kelly Rutherford and her estranged husband Daniel Giersch have agreed that he will give her lawyer his visa and visa application within the next week. It seems she is worried that he may try to leave the country with their two children, Hermes and Helena. [TMZ]
• Oprah Winfrey is taking her entire staff and their families on a Mediterranean cruise. The cruise ship will stop in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta and Oprah is paying for their transportation, food, drinks and activities at port stops. [The Chicago Sun-Times]
• After watching the girls at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa put on a show for the school's annual arts festival, Oprah said she was overwhelmed by the girls' talent and that they are "living the vision" she had for them. [USA Today]
• Usher shot a new ad for the Body By Milk campaign and said he now feels he's arrived. He said in order to be a Hollywood icon, "You've got to do things like win Oscars and Grammys, but you're nothing if you don't have a milk ad!" [People]
• The Rachel Zoe Project returns to Bravo on August 25. [The L.A. Times]
• Louisiana movie investor Jay Dykes Jr. has agreed to dismiss Madonna from a lawsuit that accuses the film production company she founded, Maverick Films, of failing to repay investor's loans. [AP]
• Julianne Hough will star opposite Chace Crawford in the remake of Footloose. [Variety]
• Heather Locklear's publicist says Heather and Jack Wagner are not engaged. [UPI]
• Michael Bay says if there is another Transformers movie he won't direct it, because he's sick of getting bad reviews. "I need to do something totally divergent, something without any explosions," he said. "It's easy to go shoot an art movie in a winery in the South of France. But people have no idea how hard it is to create something like Transformers. They (the critics) review me before they've even seen the movie." [IMDB]
• Paul McCartney's book about the adventures of a squirrel, High in the Clouds will be made into an animated film. McCartney will write new music for the film. [The Star]
• PETA sent a letter to Phish asking the band to change their name to "Sea Kittens" for a June concert in Wisconsin. "If Phish became Sea Kittens and the band's legions of fans started calling fish 'sea kittens,' fewer of these gentle animals would be violently killed for food, painfully hooked for 'sport,' or cruelly confined to aquariums," says Ashley Byrne, PETA's Sea Kittens campaign coordinator. "Whether they are catfish or cats, bass or basset hounds, all animals deserve lives free from needless pain." [PETA.org]
• Peter Andre broke down and cried as he greeted his mother at the airport in Cyprus. Meanwhile his estranged wife Katie Price was seen out at a nightclub with Anthony Lowther for the third night in a row. [The Daily Mail]
• NYU alum Todd Phillips did a Q&A a the school and showed his film The Hangover but the University was annoyed by a story he told about claiming university equipment was stolen and ripping off an insurance company. The school has issued a statement saying, "we were appalled by a story in which he made light of committing insurance fraud as a student. Whether or not this story is true, we assure you we never have, and never will, condone behavior that does not respect people, property, and legal documents." [N.Y. Magazine]
• Holly Madison was turned away from Body English at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino because she showed up with a group of Playmates and one of the women wasn't 21. [People]
• Though Megan Fox says she is "what you would call single," she was spotted having dinner with ex-fiance Brian Austin Green. [The Sun]
• So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy said she doesn't know if the rumors that Katie Holmes will appear ont he show are true or not, but "If it is true, I'm going to be one of the happiest campers around, let me tell ya! I just wish I knew!" [People]
• New York Jets safety Kerry Rhodes plays a police officer in Lady Gaga's video for "Paparazzi." "The shoot was ridiculous!" he says. "Everywhere you turned there was a dead body – not real! – a really big horse-looking dog, and a half-naked model, which was cool." [People]
• While performing his song "Only Women Bleed" onstage, Alice Cooper pretends to beat his 27-year-old daughter, Calico. "Obviously people have talked [about it being weird] that 'she's prancing around half naked on the stage,'" Calico said. "I'm like 'there's a point to that, it's like Shakespeare, it's painting a picture of stuff that's reality in a lot of people's lives." She added that she's looked into the audience and seen, "everybody from little housewives down there crying their eyes out, to big biker guys wiping big tears away. [Domestic abuse is] a heavy subject and I think it takes a brave guy to not just write about it, but write a scene and write a sketch that's uncomfortable." [CBS News]
• Bethenny Frankel of The Real Housewives of New York wrote a lengthy blog post once again about The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She wrote: "And lastly, as for Dina blogging that TV isn't just for money and that I should apologize by donating "some of that Skinnygirl money" to her charity, here is my response: Dina, I happily donate my time and money to the Children's Tumor Foundation, Camp Confidence and the Step Up Women's Network, just to name a few. Dina, for you to insinuate that you did this reality show for charity, I will quote my friend Kathy Griffin and say, "That's a bag of bulls—t." [E!]
• Evan Rachel Wood says she's going to be on True Blood as a lesbian vampire. She said, "I actually put in a phone call to [series creator] Alan Ball and said, 'I love the show, I'm obsessed with it, seen every episode; if there's ever a part, keep me in mind.' It looks like I'm going to be in the last two episodes as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. I've been watching The Lost Boys and my favorite vampire movies. It's a lot harder than I imagined. I'm working pretty hard on the script. But I don't think I'll really be able to find the character until I'm in wardrobe and I'm in fangs." She said she'll be in a sex scene, "But it's with a girl. That's all I'm going to say... I don't think vampires are really gay or straight. I think she just prefers women." [Newsweek]