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Archives for: November 2006

Christian Slater Divorce Finalized

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-29 - 04:05:05

Christian Slater's divorce from estranged wife Ryan Haddon has been finalized, according to legal documents.

Previously, Slater was seeking joint custody of their 5-year-old daughter Eliana and 7-year-old son Jaden, but it's unclear how that issue was resolved.

Slater, 37, and Haddon, 35, a TV producer, married in 2000 and separated in January 2005.


 
 

Britney Ditches Paris as Awards Show Co-Host

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-29 - 04:04:22

After nearly a week of clubbing, partying and shopping in LA with new BFF, Paris Hilton, Us has learned exclusively that Britney Spears has abruptly pulled out of co-hosting with the heiress on the Fox Billboard Music Awards, scheduled to air live on December 4.

"She pulled out," confirms a source with Fox. "She didn't give a reason."

The source tells Us that Hilton is still a possible host despite losing Spears as a sidekick. Other sources confirm that as recent as this morning, agents for both Hilton and Spears were hashing out the final terms of the contract, but at 5pm today, Spears had backed out of negotiations.

"We really don't know the reason. But we're disappointed she backed out." says a Fox source.

The source says the show may go on with Hilton as solo host, or it may feature comedian (and Fox sitcom star) Brad Garrett, given he's at the top of the show producer's wish list.

At press time, neither Hilton or Spears' reps were available for comment.

Kirsten Dunst Sperminated

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-29 - 04:03:48

Kirsten Dunst could be pregnant! Star magazine claims that she has a baby bump, back pain, morning sickness and an unnatural interest in the pregnancies of her coworkers:

Kirsten Dunst has been generating rumors that she may be the next actress to be sporting a baby bump on the set of her upcoming film Spiderman 3. She has been spotted wearing baggy clothing, ordering big boxes of sweet chocolaty treats, and overheard complaining of lower back pain and nausea during filming.

Her rep denies that these tell-tale signs are signaling that Kirsten is a mom-to-be, but her interest in co-star Tobey Maguire’s newborn daughter suggests otherwise.

Kirsten has become fascinated by details about the pregnancy of Tobey’s fiancée, Jennifer Meyer, asking how she dealt with morning sickness. When Tobey replied that Jennifer felt awful throughout the entire nine months, Kirsten just groaned, “Oh great!"

If Kirsten is anticipating her own nine-month struggle, fans wonder, who’s the daddy? Kirsten dated her Marie Antoinette costar Jason Schwartzman briefly and recently announced her relationship with Orlando Bloom.

But Kirsten was seen with former-love Jake Gyllenhaal this month too. They weren’t cuddling or all over each other, so maybe the old flames simply reunited to share some new baby news!

hush hush

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:36:39

Which New York Met was so appreciative of a stunning blond stripper at Headquarters that he walked her out to his car, pulled a baseball jersey out of his trunk and gave it to her? The stripper, obviously not a sports fan, sold the uniform to one of her other customers later that night.

Guns 'N' Roses lose their support act

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:35:46

Guns 'N' Roses have lost the support act for their fifteen-date tour after only one night.

The Eagles of Death Metal reportedly walked out of the tour after a run in with both the audience and Guns 'N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.

At their opening performance in Cleveland the band were apparently booed by the crowd. Then, during the main act's set, Axl Rose referred to the band as "The Pigeons of Shit Metal".

In a statement by the Eagles of Death Metal, lead singer Jesse Hughes said: "At first the audience refused to welcome us to the jungle, but by the time we took our final bow it had become paradise city.

"Although Axl tried to November rain on our parade, no sweet child o' mine can derail the EODM night train. We say live and let die."

The Eagles of Death Metal are currently set to headline their own tour, and GNR are still searching for a replacement band.

Will Young to headline charity ball

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:35:13

Pop star Will Young is to headline this year's Dolce Vita charity ball.

The event, taking place at London's Billingsgate market on December 11, has already seen the likes of David and Victoria Beckham on the guest list.

At past events, acts such as Lionel Richie, Beyonce Knowles and Sting have performed to the celebrity audience, but this year the stage will be graced by Young, Beverley Knight and the Opera Babes.

At £800 a ticket, the organisers are aiming to raise £1 million for the CLIC Sargeant children's cancer charity.

Bruce Lee theme park to be built

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:33:23

A Bruce Lee theme park is to be built at his ancestral home in China, according to the president of his Hong Kong fan club.

The park will feature a statue of the kung fu star as well as a memorial hall and a martial arts academy.

According to newspaper reports in China, the park is going to cost £13 million, although it is unclear who is funding the project.

A ceremony to mark the laying of the foundations of the park was held on Sunday and attended by Bruce Lee's younger brother Robert.

Princes Will & Harry plan concert for Diana

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:27:04

Britain's Princes William and Harry plan to stage a concert with performers including Elton John next year to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of their mother Princess Diana, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The Sunday Mirror reported that the brothers would arrange the event, scheduled to be held July 1, 2007 at London's renovated Wembley Stadium, which can hold around 90,000 spectators.
Proceeds would be donated to British homeless charity Centrepoint and other causes supported by Diana, the newspaper reported. It was expected to be screened live on television.

Paddy Harverson, spokesman for Prince Charles, who divorced Diana in 1996, could not immediately confirm the report.

"We're considering a number of options on how best to commemorate next year. William and Harry will make a decision in due course," Harverson said.

Britain's Mail on Sunday newspaper reported that the princes planned to approach Madonna, Beyonce and Kylie Minogue to perform at the event.

Diana, 36, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, 42, and their driver Henri Paul, 41, all died when their car crashed at high speed in the Pont d'Alma tunnel in Paris, France, on Aug. 31, 1997.

Retired senior judge Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss is holding an inquest into the deaths and is awaiting a report on the crash by Lord John Stevens, former head of London's Metropolitan Police.
Rumors and conspiracy theories continue to swirl around Diana's death, despite a French judge's 1999 ruling that the crash was an accident. An investigation later concluded that Paul had been drinking and was driving at high speed.

Stevens said in January that his investigation was "far more complex than any of us thought," but did not specify what he meant.

Jessica Simpson Sex Tape

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:25:07

Jessica Simpson has been left reeling by rumors a sex tape starring her is about to be leaked onto the internet.

The alleged X-rated home movie is said to show the 'Dukes of Hazzard' actress and her ex-husband Nick Lachey engaged in a number of sex acts.

A source told Britain's Daily Sport newspaper: "Jessica is horrified her name and sex tape are being mentioned in the same sentence. She's always been a girl of high morals and principles."

According to reports the tape does exist and has fallen into the hands of the individuals responsible for leaking the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex video.

It has been claimed that they are threatening to leak the tape if Jessica does not pay an undisclosed sum of money to keep it out of the public domain.

The 25-year-old star has always prided herself on making men wait for sex.

Jessica's ex-husband Nick is now dating MTV presenter Vanessa Minnillo, while she has been seen dining with on/off lover John Mayer again.

Peter Jackson Will Do The Hobbit

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:24:00

LORD OF THE RINGS director PETER JACKSON WILL direct the highly-anticipated prequel, The Hobbit.

There was uproar last week when New Line Cinema bosses told the King Kong director he was "no longer needed" in the making of The Hobbit and another unnamed Lord Of The Rings prequel.

Jackson - originally given the boot due to legal disputes over royalties - now has the thumbs up thanks to film producer SAUL ZAENTZ (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest).

Zaentz, who owns the screen rights to Tolkien Enterprises, said: “(The Hobbit) will definitely be shot by Peter Jackson.

“Next year, The Hobbit rights will fall back to my company.

“I suppose that Peter will wait because he knows that he will make the best deal with us. And he is fed up with the studios.

“To get his profit share on the Rings trilogy, he had to sue New Line. With us, he knows that he will be paid fairly and artistically supported without reservation.”

Joel & Hilary: Over

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:23:11

Is Good Charlotte's Joel Madden no longer mad for Hilary Duff?

Madden made a guest DJ appearance at Enclave on Wednesday night and openly talked about how he is currently single. Madden told clubgoers Duff broke up with him about ten days ago and that their eight-year age difference was causing problems. (Madden is 27, Duff is 19.)

After taking over the DJ booth, Madden mingled and took pictures with some ladies. Word is Madden partied at the club until close.

Gotti kid busted for drugs

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:20:15

Frank Agnello - better known as Frank Gotti, a star on the popular television show "Growing Up Gotti" - was pulled over by Suffolk police in Dix Hills earlier this month and arrested on drug charges.

The 16-year-old was driving two friends in his 2006 Chrysler Pacifica on South Hollow Road, when he was pulled over for a traffic stop at about 8 p.m. on Nov. 10, according to police and court records.

Authorities discovered several OxyContin pills, a prescriptive pain killer that also is used as a recreational drug, inside the car that none of the teens would claim. As a result, all three were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, Det. Sgt. Bruce Markgraf said.

Agnello, of Old Westbury, and Juliana Buckley, 17, of Dix Hills, also were charged with criminal possession of marijuana, court records state. The third friend is a juvenile. His name was withheld by police.

Jason Orange in tears after vocal solo

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:18:55

Take That singer Jason Orange was left in tears after recording the solo vocals for a new album track.

The group were reportedly in Los Angeles finishing their new record Beautiful World when the singer broke down.

After recording the lead solo vocals for 'Wooden Boat' Orange apparently began crying because he was so proud of his efforts.

He has come under much scrutiny as a singer in the past, and was accused by journalists of only being in Take That because of his skills as a dancer.

Take That have offered their record label their money back if the album is poorly received - a first for the music industry.

Chris Martin in surprise solo performance

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:18:10

Chris Martin played a surprise solo performance at a gig for Mencap.

The Coldplay frontman surprised the audience at London's Union Chapel by performing cover versions of the Killers track 'When You Were Young' and Bob Dylan's 'Buckets of Rain'.

The pop star also played a new Coldplay songs called 'Bucket for a Crown'.

According to Gigwise, speaking of the new song, Martin remarked "If it's shit, we'll give it to the Killers, if it's good we'll keep it."

The night also saw sets from Lily Allen, The Automatic and James Morrison.

Bunton would agree to Spice Girls reunion

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:16:45

Emma Bunton has revealed that she would be willing to reunite with the Spice Girls in the future.

However the singer, who is currently appearing on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, has warned fans not to expect new material any time soon because the girls are all too busy.

"I would definitely be up for making another record or doing a tour with the girls," she told the Sunday Mail. "But I don't think it's going to happen - well, not in the immediate future.

"That's not because of any underlying reasons fans are not aware of. It's just that our lives have changed since then with children, husbands and other commitments. It would be great to reform the Spice Girls but it would be difficult at this time to actually get us all in the same place at the same time."

Idlewild leave record label after 8 years

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:15:11

Idlewild have ended their record deal with EMI/Parlophone.

The band claims it was "time to move on", having spent eight years with the company. The move comes soon after lead singer Roddy Woomble announced he had got married, signifying major change within the group dynamic.

Meanwhile the band has confirmed that their next album, Make Another World, will be out next February. It will be preceded by the single 'If It Takes You Home', due out on December 4.

'Everybody Hates Chris' hits season high

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:13:58

The CW's Everybody Hates Chris has hit season high numbers according to preliminary live and same day ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

The show, picked up in the UK by Paramount Comedy and Five, is based on the teenage experiences of American comedian Chris Rock, who is played by 14 year old Tyler James Williams.

In its most recent outing on The CW, the show averaged 3.6m viewers and a 4% share of the adults 18-49 audience.

Pirates 2 is fastest selling DVD ever

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:12:33

The Pirates of the Caribbean sequel has become the fastest selling DVD of all time, according to Walt Disney.

According to figures, nearly 1.5 million copies of the film have been sold in just one week - one in every four DVDs sold in the UK last week.

The demand for the film has been so huge that Disney has reportedly been forced to order another million copies from its production facilities.

The film company has estimated that, if sales continue at a similar rate, around 3 million copies could be sold before Christmas.

The third film in the franchise is due to hit the cinemas in May next year.

Orlando Bloom Coming Between Keira Knightley & Her Boyfriend

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:11:45

Rumour has it that Keira Knightley’s relationship with boyfriend Rupert Friend may be on the rocks.

The couple have been spending most of their time together in the States while Knightly films the third film instalment of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’; however, Rupert is said to be angry about being so low down on his girlfriends list of priorities.

A friend said: “Keira’s a really loving girlfriend but she’s so insanely busy with work. “She’s done everything in her power to make Rupert feel important but he still complains that he doesn’t get enough attention and it’s causing real friction.”

“When Keira was filming the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie she flew her mum out as they’re very close and she wanted to spend some time with her. “Rupert often turned up as he was filming nearby but he complained that they didn’t get enough time alone.

“He went out with the Pirates cast to the Le Deux restaurant in LA and although it started out as a nice evening he ended up rowing with Orlando Bloom.

“Orlando was calling Keira by her surname which Rupert didn’t like. Then Orlando wanted the party to go on somewhere else, while Rupert was happy to stay put.

“It all seemed very petty but it annoyed Keira as she doesn’t like her personal life spilling over into her work. She’s very professional and won’t let anyone mess that up.”

Looks like this relationship is over…shame that Kirsten Dunst has already snagged Orlando Bloom.

Hoffman wants to play James Bond

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:07:12

Dustin Hoffman has confessed that he would like to take on the role of James Bond in a future film.

The Oscar-winning actor has admitted that none of the Bond actors have matched his expectations of how Ian Fleming's spy should be played on screen.

Asked by Parkinson about roles that he hasn't yet played but would like to try, Hoffman replied: "Oh there’s a few, yeah, James Bond! Because I don’t think he’s ever been played correctly!

"When you get a part and you’re an actor you look at the frame of the part and it’s defined, you're supposed to play what it says it is - no one has ever played him for what he is - he's an assassin, he'll kill anybody that he's told to kill and he doesn’t care who it is!

"He'll screw any girl jumping off the curb, he's a womaniser, he doesn't really like women, he bangs them once and that's it!"

Gallagher to appear on 'X Factor'

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:05:24

Liam Gallagher has asked to make an appearance on The X Factor, according to sources.

The Oasis frontman is a big fan of the show, and has requested to be included as a special guest in the near future. The current series of the programme has seen celebrity singers including Tony Bennet and Westlife coaching the contestants.

A source from the show confirmed: "Liam watches the show all the time and wants to come in for it. We're seeing what we can do."

'X Factor' star Ben dumps girlfriend

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 18:02:55

X Factor star Ben Mills has dumped his girlfriend.

The 26-year-old rocker fell for Siobhan Hewlett in June this year, but their relationship became increasingly strained as Siobhan started to spend time in LA trying to launch a film career. Now the pair have finally decided to call time on their relationship.

"Ben and Siobhan are not together. Ben is too footloose and fancy-free, while Siobhan is a real career girl," Siobhan's mother Therese told the Sunday Mirror. "He has hordes of girls after him. He isn't the sort of person to get tied down and Siobhan is too busy doing her own thing.

"She is building up a really good acting career for herself. Neither had a lot of time for a relationship. They don't really speak to each other any more. It is difficult because most of the time they are in different time zones."

Heroes & Prison Break stay strong

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:57:24

Heroes and Prison Break are continuing to deliver high ratings for NBC and Fox respectively, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

NBC's smash hit cult show easily led its 9pm timeslot, where it went up against The Bachelor on ABC and back-to-back comedies Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine on CBS, averaging 15.5m viewers and a 16% share of the adults 18-49 audience.

An hour earlier, the fall finale of Prison Break did well for Fox, finishing slightly ahead of ABC's Wife Swap with 9.6m viewers and a 10% 18-49 share. Comedies on CBS, however, were ahead of Prison Break in terms of total viewers.

Elsewhere on Monday night, CSI: Miami easily beat NBC's Studio 60, 16.9m viewers to 7.4m.

Take That & Westlife No. 1 on U.K. charts

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:56:26

As their reunion album 'Beautiful World' was being released by Polydor Monday (Nov. 27), Take That were celebrating a new No. 1 single, as the lead track "Patience" climbed from 4 to 1 on the singles chart. On the album survey, blockbuster new collections by Oasis, the Beatles and U2 were all upstaged by Irish hitmakers Westlife, whose 'The Love Album' (S/Sony BMG) opened at No. 1.

"Patience" becomes Take That`s ninth U.K. No. 1, 10 years and nine months since the eighth, a cover of the Bee Gees` "How Deep Is Your Love," and almost 13-and-a-half years since they first topped the list with "Pray." Emma Bunton, formerly a member of another of the Spice Girls, had the big climber in the top 10, vaulting from 24 to 3 with her cover of Petula Clark`s 1964 pop standard "Downtown." The new version, released by 19 via Universal, is this year`s official song of the BBC`s Children In Need appeal.

There was little other significant movement in the top 10, with Girls Aloud`s "Something Kinda Ooh" (Fascination/Polydor) and Razorlight`s "America" (Vertigo) both climbing again, from 12 to 9 and from 14 to 10 respectively.

New entries outside the top 10 included Nelly Furtado`s "All Good Things (Come to An End)" (Geffen) at No. 13, Red Hot Chili Peppers` "Snow (Hey Oh)" at No. 16, the Feeling`s "Love It When You Call" (Universal Island) at No. 18 and Booty Luv`s "Boogie 2nite" (Hed Kandi) at No. 19.

Westlife`s triumph represents their sixth chart-topping album and was achieved despite media speculation last week that the No. 1 spot would be a race between Oasis` 'Stop The Clocks' compilation (Big Brother) and the Beatles` 'Love' (Apple/Parlophone). Those two heavy hitters came onto the chart at No. 2 and No.3 respectively, leaving U2`s new 'U218 Singles' collection (Mercury) with a No. 4 debut. George Michael`s 'Twenty Five' (Aegean/Sony BMG), which arrived at No. 1 last week, fell to No. 5.

On the composite European sales charts, Michael`s 'Twenty Five' opened at the top of the European Top 100 Albums chart with initial pan-European shipments of close to 450,000, according to the label. "Smack That" (Universal) by Akon featuring Eminem climbed from 6 to 1 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles tally.

Jessica Biel & Derek Jeter Heat Up Las Vegas

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:52:00

Jessica Biel and Derek Jeter spent the weekend after Thanksgiving cozying up all over Las Vegas.

At Wynn Las Vegas's Tryst nightclub Saturday night, the pair snuck kisses at the VIP table they shared with Jeter's New York Yankees teammates Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.

The next evening, Jeter, 32, and Biel, 24, played blackjack at Palms Casino Resort's Mint Lounge before dinner with two friends at the Palms' Nine restaurant.

They capped off the night with a visit to Hard Rock's Body English nightclub, where they snuggled, traded pecks on the cheek and were in general "very lovey dovey" in their VIP booth, says a clubgoer.

The duo have been spotted out before: At Social Hollywood on Nov. 15, "They looked like they were on a date," according to one onlooker. But asked later if he was single, Jeter said, "Hell, yes!"

A rep for Jeter had no comment; Biel's rep did not return calls for comment.

Friends Say They're Shocked by Pam-Kid Rock Split

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:50:43

As the news spread about Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock's mutual divorce filings after less than four months of marriage, friends have expressed their support – and their surprise.

Denise Richards, who just finished working with Anderson on the movie Blonde and Blonder in Vancouver, said: "My thoughts are with her and her boys. Pam is a very strong woman and will get through this difficult time."

Traver Rains and Richie Rich, the New York City-based designers behind the fashion line Heatherette – who designed the dress Anderson wore at her St. Tropez wedding in July – say they were caught off guard by the news.

Rich says he spoke with Anderson recently and she showed no signs anything was amiss in the marriage.

What made them work so well? "They're very energetic, they have that glow, that sparkle," says Rich. "Beyond Hollywood, they're such a good combination. They were such lovebirds.

He recalls, "She was so excited getting her dress and about St. Tropez. The rock star and the sex goddess – it's hot. They don't come along like them very often."

"I know Pamela's obsessed with her kids," says Rains. "They're always at the forefront of everything she's thinking about." Echoes Rich: "They share the love of kids."

Anderson has two sons, Brandon, 10, and Dylan, 8, with her ex-husband, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Rock has a 13-year-old son, Bob Jr., with former flame Kelley South Russell.

"Everyone thinks Pamela's just a bombshell, but she's a mom going to soccer practice," says Rich. "When I met him, Kid Rock was flying home to go to a chorus concert with his kid. It's the best of both worlds."

"I think that's what made the deal with the whole marriage – Pamela wouldn't have married him if he wasn't for his kids and vice versa," he adds. "Their kids come first."

Paris & Britney's Party-Packed Holiday Week

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:39:29

Whatever else they had to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears certainly seemed glad to have each other around.

The pair, who hung out in Las Vegas the previous weekend, hit the clubs together in Los Angeles almost every night over the holiday week and even went shopping in Malibu together with Spears's son Sean Preston in tow on Saturday evening.

They kicked off their girl-time marathon on Tuesday, when Spears, 24, went to a post-American Music Awards party Hilton, 25, hosted at her West Hollywood home. The following night, they were spotted at Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel in matching leopard-print outfits. (Spears's estranged husband, Kevin Federline, was hosting an album party across town at Republic the same night.)

On Friday, Hilton left her sister Nicky and friends at the nightclub Les Deux to pick up Spears. The pair stopped at Hyde Lounge before eventually heading back to Les Deux just before close.

Finally, on Saturday night, after their shopping trip with Sean Preston, the duo were back at Hyde partying with the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

"Paris was acting like Britney's boyfriend," says a source who saw them at Hyde on Friday. "She opened doors for her, held her hand, and even had her arm around Britney's lower back. Britney happily accepted Paris' friendly gestures."

Spears filed for divorce from Federline earlier on Nov. 7 after two years of marriage.

Best Celeb Quotes of the Week

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:37:30

"Divorce. Yes, it's true. Unfortunately impossible."
– Pamela Anderson, on filing for divorce from Kid Rock after four months of marriage.

"What hurt me more than anything is that people would think that she wasn't there for me and she was."
– Chad Lowe, defending soon-to-be ex Hilary Swank after her revelation that his substance abuse took a toll on their marriage, to Extra.

"I didn't know it was 21 and over. It's a freakin' restaurant and I was there with my mom and two other underage friends. I had milk and cookies! I wasn't drinking alcohol."
– JoJo, on her visit to L.A. hot spot Hyde Lounge.

"I fear that young whites will think it's cool to go around and use that word because they see very cool people in the show business using that word so freely."
– Michael Richards, apologizing for his racial tirade, on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's radio show.

"It starts with a 5 a.m. hike through Runyon Canyon to watch the sunrise. Then I go outside and I try to find the paparazzi. I go down to Robertson Boulevard, try and search for them, find them, and bring them food."
– Lindsay Lohan, on her "average day," to GQ.

"It's very flattering when people want to see us together and like to see us be together."
– Mario Lopez, on his rumored romance with Dancing with the Stars partner Karina Smirnoff.

He's the most gorgeous, powerful, attractive man in the world. So you kind of have to capitulate."
– Gwyneth Paltrow, on how Jay-Z convinced her to join him onstage for a sing-along during his London concert.

The sheriff is back in town! There you go."
– The View's Rosie O'Donnell, responding to den mother Barbara Walters putting an end to her Kelly Ripa/Clay Aiken feud.

Carson Daly Interview

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:33:54

We don't read about you in the gossip pages much anymore.
Isn't it great? There is a God.

Well, where have you been?
I'm trying to re-enter the human race. All of my rock 'n' roll living at MTV and my fast-paced public relationships – a lot of the press that people associated me with was tied in with all of that. And as I got a little bit older and moved on to NBC I thought, "I've gotta grow up here."

Has Last Call changed since your move to L.A. last year?
We shoot on the NBC lot, which is completely different form shooting on the Saturday Night Live set in New York. You're constantly reminded that you work in TV-land. You drive onto the lot and see people dressed like pilgrims, and the cast of Days of Our Lives, and all the big stars going into the Tonight Show. We share a building with Ellen (DeGeneres). It's been really good for our show.

Has NBC committed to giving you Conan's slot when he takes over The Tonight Show in 2009?
No. They've been crazily supportive of us, (and) we've made it clear to them if there is ever a change we would love to be considered for an earlier time slot. We just try to do the best job we can. If it's meant to be it's meant to be.

You're about to celebrate five years, right?
It's crazy. When I first launched Last Call, I was still doing TRL and running from MTV to NBC, (so) it feels like it's only been on a couple of years. But we're thrilled that we've lasted five years. I'm starting to get more comfortable doing things like jokes at the top in the form of a monologue, and we have a house band, and we've been getting really good guests for our time slot.

Like who?
We had Lance Armstrong on recently. That was a real thrill for me, being a cycling fan. We've tried to embrace up-and-coming bands. Panic at the Disco! actually made their debut on our show. That's really nice.

What exactly is It's Your Show?
We've been around three months now and we have thousands of videos, and we're pulling the best ones and creating a TV show to put them all on TV. The idea is: How do we take these amateur video makers and focus them? So we present challenges, and offer toolkits with audio, or video footage from NBC shows, and say, 'Here. Use this stuff, and go make something. If it's good we'll pay you, and give you your 15 minutes of fame on television.'

And you're hosting NBC's New Year's Eve special again this year.
We're doing a pre-show on MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo, and then about 11:30, NBC will pick us up in progress and the show will officially start. And then we'll stream the whole thing live on NBC.com. People are watching in many different forms now, and we want to be sure to reach them.

As you're getting a little older, is it harder to stay in touch with youth culture?
I don't think so. The 16-year-old girls aren't the sole demographic that I'm concerned with, like I once was at TRL. Pop culture is a hobby to me. I love music, I love technology.

Ricky Martin: Ocean Drive’s Coverboy

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:33:07

Ricky Martin is Ocean Drive Espanol’s coverboy for the December 2006 issue! Ricky’s last tattoo was done during one recent visit to Puerto Rico. It’s a series of symbols in Hebrew Aramaic, “The Lord’s Prayer” in spiral form. Here are some choice excerpts from the interview thanks to my sub-par translation skills:

On his morning rituals: “Clearly. Generally, I wake up early and I go to Starbucks. They know me there and they have the newspaper waiting for me, my coffee and my cinnamon roll. They are my family. Later, I go away to the gym and depending on how it is that day, I go study. I continue to practice capoeira (martial art of Brazil). I don’t go crazy training six hours daily like before anymore. I just go to the class.”

On following religion: I really like the Buddhist philosophy but that doesn’t mean that I am of the religion. If I subscribe to Buddhism, I can’t be of anything else. They limit to you in many aspects, and I am not going to follow those rules. I believe that everybody has the right to decide what makes him/her happy. I am not one to say what is better and which is worse in terms of faith. According to the teachings of Buddhism, the worst thing than you can do to your karma is to say to someone else that their faith is bad.

On his properties’ inspirations: My apartment in New York, creativity. Miami, peace. Puerto Rico is my home, it’s my people. I open the door in the mornings and say, “Ah, smells of Puerto Rico”. The one of Los Angeles, I’m selling and I’ve been offered money already. And I said, you have the key there. Congratulations, I will go and buy another one.

Brad Pitt Owns 2007

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:31:40

Brad Pitt almost looks too cool for school in the January 2007 issue of Total Film.

The Total Film cover headline reads: “His darkest tough guy. His meanest good guy. His sharpest smart guy & his secret zombie sci-fi. Building Babel and exactly why Brad Pitt owns 2007.” The pictures aren’t new but the article is.

‘Happy Feet’ Dances Its Way to Number 1… Again!

by lawsonjeff @ 2006-11-28 - 17:30:35

Happy Feet came out on top this holiday weekend for the second week in a row, raking in $37.9 million. Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood, and Robin Williams all walked the red carpet at the UK premiere of Happy Feet at Empire Leicester Square in London, England.

Nicole looked so serious next to Brittany but gorgeous nonetheless!