Jeffs Celebrity Gossip Blog

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay claims Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney are the worst showbiz diners he has ever served.

The 'Hell's Kitchen' star invited the actors to an upmarket London restaurant a few years ago, but they were left unimpressed when the kitchen caught fire and they were forced to take refuge on the street.

Ramsay says: "We had George Clooney and Brad Pitt at Claridge's when they were filming Ocean's Eleven. They got upset because my head chef set the kitchen on fire - his port wine reduction caught fire - the canopy went up, then the flames shot up.

"We had to evacuate the place and they (Clooney and Pitt) were not happy. Standing outside probably muttering, 'fucking chefs."

Renee Zellweger was spotted on the the set of Case 39, which is shooting n Vancouver, Canada. Case 39 is about a social worker Emily Jenkins (Zellweger), who fights to save a girl from her abusive parents, only to discover that the situation is more dangerous than she ever expected. Case 39 is directed by German director Christian Alvart and set for a nationwide realease on Aug. 12, 2007.

Christian Bale sat down with Robin Roberts during this morning’s taping of Good Morning America. He talked about his upcoming magic movie, The Prestige, which opens this Friday, and very briefly touches upon his upcoming role in the next Batman film, The Dark Knight. Tomorrow, co-star Hugh Jackman will be stopping by GMA.

Heather Mills is accusing her estranged husband Paul McCartney of repeated violence against her.

Court papers lodged by her lawyers in their £1 billion divorce battle portray him as a 'vindictive' man who once tried to choke her and even attacked her while she was pregnant

Sir Paul's spokesman refused to comment on the allegations, but it is understood he denies them and that they will be fiercely contested in court.

Miss Mills claims in the documents that the ex-Beatle:

- Subjected her to four violent attacks, including one in which he stabbed her in the arm with a broken wine glass.

- Continued to use illegal drugs and drink excessively, despite promises made before they married.

- Hurled abuse at his wife, calling her an 'ungrateful bitch'.

- Tried to prevent her breastfeeding, saying: 'They are my breasts.'

- Made her cancel a crucial operation because it interfered with his holiday plans.

- Objected 'vociferously' when she asked to buy an antique bedpan to save her crawling to the toilet at night.

Rose Rock, the mother of comedian Chris Rock, claims she was racially discriminated against when she was seated but ignored for more than a half hour at a Cracker Barrel restaurant along the South Carolina coast.

Rock said Tuesday she planned to sue the Lebanon, Tenn.-based company. A Cracker Barrel spokeswoman said the restaurant chain was investigating and taking the complaint “very seriously.”

Cracker Barrel has in the past faced numerous lawsuits and a federal inquiry over complaints of refusing to serve black customers, discriminating against minority workers and firing gay employees. The company has taken steps to rebuild its folksy image and reach out to minorities.

Rock, who is from Georgetown, said she and her 21-year-old daughter were the only blacks at the chain’s Murrells Inlet restaurant in April. She said when she asked the manager about the delay she was told they could have a free meal.

“He never called over the waitresses and asked, ‘Why did these people sit here for an hour without service?”’ she said. “The only thing he said was we could have a free meal and neither of us wanted to eat.”

Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said the company doesn’t “tolerate any form of discrimination.”

“It has always been a violation of our policies and procedures and it is neither condoned nor allowed,” she said. “We do not allow the type of behavior you are describing,” Davis said.

Rock said she contacted the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and was told her complaint would be handled, but “nothing ever happened.”

The head of the commission, Jesse Washington, said Tuesday that after initial discussions, the complaint was finalized Aug. 7 and his agency also was investigating. He would not comment on the complaint.

“We get thousands of charges coming through here in the course of a year,” he said. “It’s not out of line — the time frame on this. It is being investigated and we will be in touch with her when we have a report.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton will join Rock on Wednesday in South Carolina to announce that Sharpton’s Action Network will finance the planned lawsuit.

“I’m getting reports from all over the country about Cracker Barrel,” Sharpton said from New York on Tuesday.

He also said state officials are slow to act on such complaints.

“When people are talking about there is no more discrimination, a lot of it is because they are not following this stuff up,” Sharpton said.

Cracker Barrel, established in 1969, operates 547 restaurants in 41 states, according to the company’s Web site.

Georgetown is about 60 miles northeast of Charleston.

The Casting Society of America have announced the presenters of their 22nd Artios Awards® being held November 1, 2006 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Presented yearly for outstanding achievement in casting, the awards are given on the criteria of originality, creativity and the contribution of casting to the overall quality of a project.

The Artios Awards are intended to celebrate the work that we do that sometimes goes unnoticed," said Dawn Steinberg, Event Chairperson and Senior Vice President, Talent and Casting, Sony Pictures Television. "This very important evening provides our community the opportunity to honor ourselves, and to further demonstrate the pride that we have in the work that has been accomplished during the course of a year."

Each year, in addition to the twenty different theatrical casting categories announced during the award presentation, the Casting Society of America also recognizes Industry notables with a Career Achievement Award and bestows the Hoyt Bowers Award on one of its own. This year, these awards will be presented to John Wells and April Webster, respectively, each luminaries in their field.

Presenting the Career Achievement Award to John Wells will be casting director John Levey ("The West Wing," "ER"). Producer/director J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Six Degrees," "Alias," "Mission: Impossible III") will present April Webster with the Hoyt Bowers Award. Other celebrity presenters include Martin Landau ("Entourage," OSCAR® for "Ed Wood," Golden Globe® Winner), Noah Wyle ("ER"), Maura Tierney ("ER"), Saana Lathan ("A Raisin In the Sun," "Nip/Tuck"), Emmy Rossum ("Poseidon," "The Phantom of the Opera"), Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine," "Signs"), Chris Pine ("Just My Luck," "Princess Diaries 2"), and John Cho ("Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," "American Pie"). Elon Gold ("Stacked") will return as host of the evening.

Make way for Hollywood! Pirates of the Caribbean is about to begin shooting locally, and it's going to happen at the Guadalupe Dunes Park. The area will be closed beginning today so that film crews can use the area.

KEY News has confirmed that portions of the third installment of "The Pirates of the Caribbean" will be shot at the dunes. No word whether or not actors Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightly or Orlando Bloom will be there. The Guadalupe Dunes Park will be closed from today through Sunday. If shooting finishes early, it's possible the dunes could re-open by Sunday.

Nicole Richie sported a pair of denim overall shorts at a cocktail party at a private residence last night in Hollywood Hills, CA. The party is in celebration of New York based fashion designer Charlotte Ronson’s forthcoming spring collection. Richie attended the party with stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe.

Hugh Jackman and co-star Christian Bale, attended last night’s world premiere of The Prestige at El Capitan Theater in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, CA. Hugh, 38, was accompanied by his wife Deborra-Lee Furness and Christian, 32, by his wife Sibi Blazic.

Most of the reviews for The Prestige are bad, which is a shame because Hugh and Christian are such talented actors. But it’s a Christopher Nolan film, so you should go see it anyway! Three reviewers chime in on The Prestige:

The Hollywood Reporter: “Audiences might enjoy this cinematic sleight of hand, but the key characters are such single-minded, calculating individuals that the real magic would be to find any heart in this tale.”

Associated Press: “By film’s end, the notion of a rational and satisfying climax has hopelessly disappeared in a silly spiral of one-upmanship and a barrage of half-baked revelations that won’t make you marvel so much as shrug and forget about them.”

Variety: “Pic insists on a depth of human emotion that isn’t developed — protags emerge as one-dimensional, despite the efforts of two of our best leading actors — amid increasingly elaborate, uninvolving plot mechanizations.”

Film stills are slowly being released for the upcoming David Fincher thriller Zodiac starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. (seen here), due in early 2007. Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist who wrote two books about the unsolved serial murders. Here's the latest still.

It appears that despite the change in movie genre, Jake still can't quit that Brokeback Mountain wardrobe.

Which funny fella had a shock when he got home to find his girlfriend had smeared faeces on his walls? The cheeky chap proceeded to call the police about her "deluded" behaviour. But to be honest, being his woman must be stressful. Especially considering his fetish for ferrets and feet.

Hollywood veteran Dustin Hoffman fooled around with a paper bag over his head as he left a Paris fashion store during a day out in the city.

The Meet The Fockers star, 60, cut out two eyeholes to play peekaboo with photographers before getting into his car.

Jennifer Ellison has torn a hamstring performing a series of high kicks. The ex-Brookside babe sustained the leg injury playing vamp Roxie Hart in a new touring production of blockbuster musical Chicago.

Jennifer, 23, who is a former professional ballerina, said the gruelling dance routines involved have taken their toll.

But ever the professional, she's determined not to let it get in the way of the production, which starts in Manchester next week.

Jennifer said: "The theatres are ice cold and if you are sat in that sort of temperature you can be more prone to injury. Its a very demanding role but I'm getting pysiotherapy for the leg. I'm getting it done properly and thankfully its not affecting my performance."