February 03, 2008
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 02:30 PM EST
Lily Allen has split from her boyfriend, Chemical Brothers musician Ed Simons, PEOPLE has confirmed.
Reports first surfaced in the British papers early Saturday – with some saying that Allen had been "dumped." But a friend of the singer tells PEOPLE the couple actually spent some time together Saturday, suggesting that the parting might not be as acrimonious as first thought.
The split comes after news that Allen miscarried the baby the couple had been expecting.
"She is feeling fine," Allen's friend says. "She is throwing herself into her work on her new album and TV show."
Only two days ago, she excitedly joined her family to watch her thespian brother Alfie take the stage in the lead role of Equus in Chichester, southern England.
Her rep had no comment when contacted Saturday.
Originally posted Friday February 01, 2008 02:20 PM EST
Michelle Williams has broken her silence following the death of Heath Ledger, saying in a statement, "My heart is broken."
"Please respect our need to grieve privately," Williams says in the statement released by her rep Friday. "My heart is broken."
Adds Williams, mother of Ledger's 2-year-old daughter Matilda: "I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day.
"His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up in the best memories of him."
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 09:20 AM EST
Carla Bruni is the new first lady of France, PEOPLE has confirmed.
Only nine weeks after meeting, and less than three weeks since telling journalists he was "serious," French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the ex-supermodel turned singer-songwriter wed in a civil ceremony Saturday morning morning in Paris.
The French President 53, who divorced in October, and the Italian-born Bruni were wed at 11 a.m. in the Presidential Office of the Elysee Palace, in a private civil ceremony before 30 family and friends.
Bruni, 39, who signed her wedding certificate "Mrs. Carla Bruni Sarkozy," wore a white dress and looked "ravishing as usual," according to Paris's 8th Arrondissement Mayor Francois Lebel, who officiated the 20-minute ceremony.
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 07:30 PM EST
With Britney Spears still hospitalized on 72-hour hold, and her father now temporarily in control of her affairs, PEOPLE spoke with Terry K. Wasserman, a veteran L.A. attorney specializing in mental health cases, as to what will happen next. Wasserman is not involved in Spears's case.
How much power exactly does Britney's father have?
As temporary conservator, her father has widespread control for about four to six weeks over her finances and her basic medical care – but no authority over her psychiatric treatment. It's clear the father had solid, clinical evidence as to why Ms. Spears cannot make decisions for herself at this time.
What say does her father have in her current hospitalization?
He can present information and express the family's concern to Ms. Spears's psychiatrist. But until her 72-hour hold expires sometime Sunday, only her doctor has authority to treat and/or release her. In addition, it would be very difficult at this time for the Spears family to move their daughter out of state for any reason.
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 10:45 AM EST
Just call it payback time for Matt Damon.
PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive became an instant YouTube sensation on Friday following his duet with comedian Sarah Silverman, as she revealed to her boyfriend, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel: "I'm f---ing Matt Damon."
The line was an instant classic. But for many Kimmel fans, the video was just the latest salvo in the long-running "feud" between Damon and Kimmel.It all started during the third season of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, when the host made a tradition of closing out episodes with, "Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time," even though the actor was never scheduled to come on the show.
The joke continued in September 2006 when Damon finally appeared as a guest. (See the clip.) After a segment which explained the gag – and a lengthy introduction by Kimmel – Damon sat down, only to have the host cut him off and end the show. As planned, the actor unleashed a flurry of curse words on Kimmel and proceeded to storm off the set. His performance was so believable, many fans thought he was truly upset.
The gag continued into 2007, employing Kimmel's sidekick, Guillermo – once while interviewing Damon on the red carpet at the Oceans 13 premiere, and again when the show premiered the "unofficial" trailer for Damon's film, The Bourne Ultimatum.
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 07:00 PM EST
One day after a court granted Britney Spears's dad temporary control over his daughter's affairs, the troubled pop star's parents paid her a visit Saturday afternoon at UCLA Medical Center.
Jamie and Lynne Spears showed up just before 1 p.m., and stayed for more than five hours. No immediate word on how the visit went. The parents also spent time Saturday at Kevin Federline's house.
Meanwhile, the big question this weekend is what will happen to Britney after her 72-hour psychiatric hold expires Sunday.
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 06:40 PM EST
Friends and celebrity colleagues – including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Sienna Miller, Ellen DeGeneres and director Todd Haynes – gathered on the Sony lot in Los Angeles to remember Heath Ledger on Saturday, PEOPLE has confirmed.
The gathering included industry luminaries and those connected to CAA (the agency that represented Ledger), including Cruise and Holmes, who costarred with Michelle Williams on Dawson's Creek. It comes a week after relatives and close friends – including ex-girlfriend Naomi Watts – paid tribute to the 28-year-old actor at a smaller service at an L.A. cemetery.
Saturday's service began around noon on the lot, which is closed to the public. Attendees included Miller, Ledger's Casanova costar, and Shannyn Sossamon, who starred with Ledger in A Knight's Tale. Speakers included Haynes, who directed him in last year's Bob Dylan film I'm Not There.
Originally posted Saturday February 02, 2008 07:20 PM EST
Singer-actress Katharine McPhee married producer Nick Cokas on Saturday in Beverly Hills, her rep Justin Gray Stone confirms exclusively to PEOPLE.
The 23-year-old American Idol season five runner-up and Cokas, 42, exchanged vows in a late afternoon ceremony at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church.
"(Nick) is the love of my life," McPhee gushed to PEOPLE. "This is a once in a lifetime occasion and everything is just perfect."
McPhee wore a strapless ivory Manuel Mota gown and Neil Lane jewels (diamond and platinum chandelier earrings and diamond and platinum bracelets), while Cokas wore an Armani tuxedo. Fellow season five Idol contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa were among the 305 guests on hand for the nuptials.
McPhee and Cokas met in 2005 when they performed in a Los Angeles theater production of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Their union began as a friendship and blossomed when McPhee auditioned for American Idol later that year.
The two quietly got engaged last year when Cokas presented her with a custom-designed round brilliant cut platinum and diamond engagement ring.
McPhee recently wrapped filming the Anna Faris comedy I Know What Boys Like.
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 09:20 AM EST
Britney Spears's latest trip to the hospital appears to be turning out much differently this time: The pop star went willingly, and she's "more comfortable" receiving medical care – even making a joke about her second trip, a source close to the pop star tells PEOPLE.
"She'll be in there for at least 72 hours getting evaluated. She might even stay longer," says the source. "She's more comfortable this time, she came into the waiting area, had a cigarette, made a joke about being there again. But who knows what will happen. All we can hope for is that she gets better."
Even the logistics in getting her help and getting her to the hospital were planned better – and far in advance, according to the source.
"Something like this has been in the works since the [last trip to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]. She has been seeing her psychiatrist every day," the source says. "No one thought this would happen this soon, but it was clear if she stayed up for more than three days she'd have to get sent, since that could cause real damage. The last time she slept was Saturday."
Adds the source: "The motorcade and everything was planned, it was already in the works to have them block off the road and airspace. It worked out perfectly."
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 04:20 PM EST
When George Clooney was nearly kept by the assembled countries from delivering his message on Darfur Thursday, the United Nations' recently appointed messenger of peace chose a more receptive audience: the press.
"There are some groups protecting 250 square kilometers of desert with no helicopters and no radios that work," Clooney, 46, speaking about the crisis in Sudan's troubled western region and the need to equip the peacekeeping force there, said at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York.
"So either give them the basic tools for protecting the population [and themselves] or have the decency to just bring them all home," he said. "And go back into your offices and wait until it's all over."
The actor had just returned from a visit last week to Darfur and was met with some representatives at the meeting objecting to an actor telling them how to handle things.
"I am the son of a newsman, so the job of messenger comes with the responsibility to deal with facts, not to tell people what they want to hear, but to tell them what the truth is, unfiltered," said Clooney, who was accompanied by his parents, Nick and Nina Clooney.
Other messengers of peace are Michael Douglas, Elie Wiesel, Jane Goodall, Yo-Yo Ma, Daniel Barenboim, Paulo Coelho, Midori Goto and Princess Haya of Jordan.
Clooney – along with friend Don Cheadle – also received the Peace Summit Award on Dec. 13 for work for Darfur.
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 08:40 PM EST
Star Jones's post-View television effort, The Star Jones Show, is going off the air by "mutual agreement" between her and TruTV, the network announced Thursday.
The live, 3 p.m. talk show, airing since September on the former Court TV, had been aimed at bridging the worlds of law and entertainment. Jones is a former Brooklyn prosecutor who got her start on TV as a commentator during the O.J. Simpson trial.
"Due to the rebranding and programming refocus of the network, TruTV and Star Jones Reynolds have mutually agreed to cease production of The Star Jones Show," the network said. "Star will continue as a contributing legal expert on our weekday IN SESSION trial coverage. We appreciate the work she has contributed over the last few months and look forward to the next phase of our relationship."
The show's last day is Friday.
Jones famously left The View in early 2006, after telling PEOPLE that she had been "fired."
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 06:00 PM EST
Grey's Anatomy star Justin Chambers checked into UCLA Medical Center's psych ward earlier this week, but has checked out.
He "was exhausted and suffers from a sleeping disorder," his rep tells TMZ.com. "He went in voluntarily to get some help."
Chambers plays Dr. Alex Karev on the ABC drama.
The UCLA Medical Center is the same facility where Britney Spears is currently under a 72-hour psychiatric hold.
Originally posted Friday February 01, 2008 08:20 AM EST
She used to consider herself the youngest person in Hollywood, but now Brooke Shields realizes she doesn't look the same as she did earlier in her career.
And sometimes it takes an old photo to remind her of that.
"I keep thinking I'm younger than I am," the Lipstick Jungle star, 42, tells Parade magazine in its new issue. "The other day, I was working with a photographer to recreate an image we had done years ago. When I saw my face, I kind of went, 'What is that?' I assumed I was going to look the same, and I didn't. It was a shock to my system."
Still, the vibrant actress identifies with young characters for which she'll read scripts – even if her husband, Chris Henchy, 43, thinks otherwise.
"Sometimes I'll read a part and identify with the material, and I'll say, 'Oh, honey, I really like this,' " Shields says. "He'll look at me like I'm crazy and ask, 'What's wrong with you? You're not in your 20s. You seriously think you can walk in there and get this role? It's going to a 24-year-old.' "
Nevertheless, Shields enjoys a busy life. Besides her TV series, there are daughters Rowan, 4, and Grier, 22 months.
"I'm really proud of my kids, I'm excited about my job, and my marriage is not suffering. It's not easy, but it's not falling apart," she says. "This is the first time in my life that everything is exactly the way I want it to be."
Posted Thursday January 31, 2008 07:00 PM EST
Kevin Federline is "worried" about Britney Spears and feels that the psychiatric hospital is the best place for her right now, a source tells PEOPLE.
Federline "doesn't want her to get out until she's made progress," the source close to Federline says. "This is obviously going to help her in the end – later, much later."
The source adds: "He's worried. ... He doesn't even know what's going to happen next."
Federline, 29, was not directly involved in the latest events, "but he was aware of what was happening," says another source, a friend of Federline's.
Unlike the first time Spears was sent to the hospital, the children were with Federline, the friend says.
"Kevin legitimately wants Britney to get better. He wants her to be in their sons' lives. He wants them to have a loving relationship. He wants her to get healthy so she can be the mother they need and deserve," says the friend.
This is the second trip to a hospital this month for Spears. On Jan. 4, she was forced into the hospital following a tense custody standoff involving sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1. A court commissioner has since stripped Spears of visitation privileges.
A third source close to Federline says that getting medical help again for Spears, 26, "has been planned for a long time. Her family is behind this."
Originally posted Friday February 01, 2008 10:35 AM EST
Who knows if the stars will show up for the Oscars later this month, but on Thursday night the Democratic debate gave the award shows a run for their money when it came to celeb cameos. Clockwise, from top left were Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Steven Spielberg and Brandy – all sitting inside Hollywood's Kodak Theatre listening to the main attraction, candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, being gracious to one another. Now, the only question: Who will star when it comes to Super Tuesday, let alone in the White House?
Originally posted Friday February 01, 2008 08:00 AM EST
The psychiatrist who hospitalized Britney Spears is a highly respected therapist known for her compassion, a former colleague tells PEOPLE.
"She's an excellent clinician and an excellent psychiatrist," says Harold Young, the clinical director at the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, where Spears's psychiatrist Dr. Deborah Nadel worked for about five years.
Board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Nadel graduated from University of California Medical School in San Francisco 18 years ago, and she did her residency at UCLA, records show.
Nadel, who has recently started treating the troubled pop star, had instigated Spears's second hospitalization in January, this time at UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward, for a 72-hour evaluation, sources tell PEOPLE.
Spears chose Nadel from a list of doctors recommended by her lawyers, a source says.
Young, who worked with Nadel about 12 years ago at the center – a non-profit agency that provides low-cost counseling to people in need – said Nadel is now on the staff at UCLA and is "well thought of in the therapeutic community."
"I think [Britney] is in somebody's hands who will be caring, concerned, compassionate and respectful," says Young.
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2008 04:45 PM EST
Ethan Hawke – already the father of two children with his ex-wife Uma Thurman – is about to become a father again, this time with Ryan Shawhughes, described as the former nanny to his children.
"I can confirm and they are thrilled," says Hawke's rep Mara Buxbaum. "No further details will be made available."
Speaking in December 2006 about the joys of fatherhood, the 37-year-old actor-author said, that his two children with Thurman – daughter Maya, now 9, and son Levon, 5 – provide "the greatest pleasure in my life. It's the only role that, if I fail, I will consider my life a failure."
As for sharing parental duties with fellow New York resident Thurman (they split in 2004, after seven years of marriage), and yet managing to keep their distance from one another, Hawke also said, "We live down the street from each other. If we lived down the street from each other in Minneapolis, I'd have to watch every car go in and out of the driveway. I'd know how late she stayed out."
Given how things turned out, he said with relief, "I don't have to know any of that stuff."
In Touch was first to report the story.
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2008 05:15 PM EST
Daddy Joel Madden already said that his new daughter, Harlow Winter, looks "so much like her mom it's crazy." But Nicole Richie's pal Paris Hilton thinks the newborn takes after both her parents.
"She looks like a miniature version of Nicole and Joel," the heiress told Pagesix.com during a party for the new BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone in New York. "We had a sleepover on Sunday night at Nicole's mom's house," Hilton continued. "I was crying when I saw her . . . I am so happy for them."
While the heiress was tight-lipped about whether or not she would be Harlow's godmother, Hilton is talking about other things, including her upcoming film The Hottie and the Nottie. She recently taped an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman – and reportedly made nice with the talk show host – scheduled to air this Friday.
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 09:00 AM EST
Hey, Hollywood: Feeling the need to rock a red carpet? Hop a flight to London.
With the lingering writers' strike casting a cloud of uncertainty over next month's Oscars, Britain's BAFTA Awards could provide many actors with the only international platform to strut their stuff.
So perhaps it's no surprise that a clutch of heavy-hitters are expected to grace the glamorous Feb. 10 event.
Jessica Biel and Kate Hudson have signed on to present at the Orange British Academy Film Awards (along with England's own Orlando Bloom).
Meanwhile nominees Keira Knightley, Daniel Day-Lewis, James McAvoy and Viggo Mortensen are all expected to take their places at London's Royal Opera House.
Organizers are expected to release a final list of confirmed nominees and presenters in a few days.
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2008 04:50 PM EST
Katherine Heigl threw a very intimate birthday for husband Josh Kelley's 28th Tuesday night.
The newlyweds started by gathering 10 close friends, including Heigl's pal T.R. Knight, for dinner in a private room at hotspot Katsuya Hollywood. There they noshed on Heigl's hand-picked menu of Kobe beef, rock shrimp, miso cod and spicy tuna on crispy rice.
"It was really important to me to celebrate Josh in a fun and intimate way," Heigl, 29, told PEOPLE. "I just wanted tonight to be in an environment we both really love and we really love this place. This was the perfect combination of an intimate dinner with friends and a bigger thing at the bar where everyone can kick back and enjoy each other but it's mellow."
After dinner, the party headed next door to SBE's S Bar to toast Kelley's new album Special Company.
Guests – including Kelley's band mates, Zach Braff, Haylie Duff, Brooke Burns, David Charvet, Kristin Cavallari, Shane West, Jonathan Schaech and Jamie-Lynn Sigler – mingled by the bar or danced, to a mix heavy on the '80s tunes. Heigl drank champagne (Kelley sipped on vodka cranberry cocktails) while she roamed the tables and welcomed all their friends.
When she wasn't playing hostess, Heigl and Kelley were playful with each other. "It's been a great year... it's been a really great year! I'm still getting used to that word husband," says Heigl, who tied the knot with Kelley in December.
Just before midnight, the couple danced in the middle of the lounge to The Cars' "Just What I Needed," and Heigl wrapped her arms around her husband's neck as they kissed. Capping off the evening: Servers brought out a chocolate cake lit with candles and the entire place sang "Happy Birthday" to Kelley – followed by another kiss from Heigl.
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 07:35 AM EST
As the second anniversary of his separation from Heather Mills approaches, Paul McCartney has had to face a new strain: a flurry of well-wishers concerned with his reputed heart condition.
"I'm happy to say that I feel great and I have passed my most recent medical [exam] with flying colours," McCartney, 65, writes – with British spellings, of course – on his newly redesigned Web site.
"What happened was, over a year ago during a routine medical examination, there was a minor irregularity which I needed to have tests for and which I have now been assured is completely fine," he says.
"The media have only just recently reported an exaggerated version of this and that is why people have been asking me if I am ok," he also recounts, adding, "The media reports have, as usual, completely distorted the story, calling it an angioplasty, which is entirely untrue, and this is why so many friends have been concerned about my health."
Not that he isn't grateful, saying: "I would like to thank all of you and my friends and relatives for your concern and I’m very happy to put your minds at rest, although I have secretly been enjoying all the sympathy I’ve been getting!"
He signs off with, "I look forward to a rocking 2008! Love, Paul."
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2008 08:40 PM EST
Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays computer whiz Chloe O'Brian on Fox's 24, is pregnant, she tells PEOPLE.
Rajskub, 36, and her live-in boyfriend Matthew Rolph, 27, a personal trainer, are expecting their first child at the end of the summer.
"With the strike going on, I had to keep busy!" Rajskub jokes. "We are thrilled and couldn't be more excited."
Rajskub recently attended the Sundance Film Festival promoting Sunshine Cleaning, in which she costars opposite Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. On Friday, Rajskub will make an appearance walking in the Red Dress Fashion Show to benefit The Heart Truth in New York.
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 05:20 AM EST
Britney Spears was hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center for a psychiatric hold early Thursday morning, after being transported by ambulance from her Studio City home around 1 a.m.
An LAPD source tells PEOPLE: "Spears was escorted by police and is on her way to get help."
The singer, 26, was transported to UCLA for treatment and evaluation during a 72-hour emergency hold, known as a 5150.
"She went willingly. It was like something in her heart was telling her she should go. She knew something was wrong," confidant Sam Lutfi tells PEOPLE.
Police or a mental health professional can request one if a person is deemed to be a danger to herself or others. (Spears was held at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on such an order earlier this month, following her Jan. 3 custody standoff with police.)
Spears's mother, Lynne – who's in the midst of a tense reunion with her daughter – friend Alli Sims and Lutfi were all inside the gated mansion when police and the fire department arrived.
What brought on the hospitalization? "She was driving around her neighborhood like a mad-woman," says a Spears family source. "Britney has been prescribed medication which she refuses to take. This is just another sad, sad evening."
Lutfi and Spears's father, Jamie, arrived at the hospital shortly after the singer. Her mother was later spotted leaving the Summit home with Spears's photographer beau, Adnan Ghalib, in the backseat.
Earlier in the night, Internet rumors claimed that the singer had attempted suicide, but Lutfi and Sims both denied those claims to PEOPLE.
Since the January standoff, Spears has been stripped of visitation rights for her two sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1. Two sources have said she suffers from a psychological disease, with one source saying, "there is no question she is bipolar... she's had manic episodes for years."
As last night's incident unfolded, a Spears source told PEOPLE simply, "Pray, please."
Originally posted Thursday January 31, 2008 09:20 AM EST
Britney Spears's latest trip to the hospital appears to be turning out much differently this time: The pop star went willingly, and she's "more comfortable" receiving medical care – even making a joke about her second trip, a source close to the pop star tells PEOPLE.
"She'll be in there for at least 72 hours getting evaluated. She might even stay longer," says the source. "She's more comfortable this time, she came into the waiting area, had a cigarette, made a joke about being there again. But who knows what will happen. All we can hope for is that she gets better."
Even the logistics in getting her help and getting her to the hospital were planned better – and far in advance, according to the source.
"Something like this has been in the works since the [last trip to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]. She has been seeing her psychiatrist every day," the source says. "No one thought this would happen this soon, but it was clear if she stayed up for more than three days she'd have to get sent, since that could cause real damage. The last time she slept was Saturday."
Adds the source: "The motorcade and everything was planned, it was already in the works to have them block off the road and airspace. It worked out perfectly."
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2008 06:15 AM EST
Heather Ledger's sudden death has been especially tough on his good friend – and Brokeback Mountain costar – Jake Gyllenhaal.
The actor, who is godfather to Ledger's two-year-old daughter Matilda, has been devastated by last week's news. Says one Gyllenhaal friend, "Jake is taking this harder than most people."
Nowhere is that more apparent than on the New Mexico set of Gyllenhaal's latest movie, Brothers.
"This has had a strong personal affect on [Jake]," says a set source. The insider adds that Gyllenhaal left the set immediately after learning of Ledger's Jan. 22 death – but he flew back on a commercial flight to shoot an additional scene on Thursday.
"He was there, but he wasn't with us. It was obviously a major trauma," says the movie source. "These guys were very close. [Jake] was sitting in the director's chair staring off into space."
Gyllenhaal has been off since shooting that scene, and was photographed Saturday looking subdued with girlfriend Reese Witherspoon in Los Angeles. Set sources say director Jim Sheridan is shooting around the grieving actor during his personal leave.
The 27-year-old's somber mood is a sharp contrast to the happier times on the set of Brothers. During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of his Brokeback beau to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. "That was hilarious. It was a nice moment."
The source adds, "When you think back on it now, it's touching."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 07:00 PM EST
Britney Spears is having some family bonding time with her mom – but the pair have been seen arguing, according to sources.
Lynne Spears, who arrived in Los Angeles Monday, accompanied her 26-year-old daughter and pal Sam Lutfi to a Mercedes Benz dealership in Beverly Hills Tuesday morning – but it was not exactly a happy family outing.
"Lynne and Britney were arguing in the car the whole time. They're both upset and arguing, not having a good time at all," an onlooker tells PEOPLE.
After 15 minutes at the dealership, Britney drove a black Escalade off the lot. "After she came out, she pulled over to the side of the road to argue with her mom more," adds the onlooker.
The previous night, Lynne had visited her daughter's home, but then was left to pace around the house after Britney left the house to meet Adnan Ghalib.
“Lynne, at one point said, 'I just want to give her a hug. I'm very worried," says a source. "Lynne was so nervous and worried, she just kept asking how they could get her daughter back home."
When the pop star did return home, Lynne, Britney and several friends including, Alli Sims and Sam Lutfi, had a "family bonding session over a lot of things," says the source.
But the family time does not seem to have changed Britney's behavior. On Tuesday afternoon, she and Lutfi visited a nearby J. Crew, where an onlooker described her as "totally out of it."
"She was talking in a slight accent. It was a little of a British accent," says the eyewitness. "She kept to herself, quiet, she just wanted to go. She really wanted some Bubblelicious gum and she kept asking Sam for it and got frustrated when he didn't have any. Her mood lifted when she found some in her bag."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 02:00 PM EST
Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo had a low-key (but big-haired) night out on the town in West Hollywood on Monday.
The singer and the football star, accompanied by four other friends, hit the Key Club for the hard-rocking Metal Skool Night. The pair were seated in the VIP section, protected by a bodyguard.
But they were sweetly affectionate, according to an observer, who said Romo wrapped his arm around Simpson and rested his head on her shoulder. She, in turn, playfully rubbed her forehead on his cheek. (Awwww.) At one point, the pair also hopped onstage to rock out with the band.
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 07:10 PM EST
There's a new ballad on the block.
Nearly 14 years after breaking up, the '90s boy band New Kids On The Block are back with a new ballad on their official Web site.
The song (its name isn't revealed) plays over a promotional video for the band that says the Kids once had it all – a $1 billion in album sales, millions of fans, with music that "influenced a generation" – but then "walked away from it all."
The video next teases the a comeback, asking: "Are you ready?"
The song, a source says, was recorded by all five Kids last November in Orlando.
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 07:50 PM EST
The reclusive actor Wes Bentley made a rare public statement Tuesday to remember his friend Heath Ledger as a "man who spread so much spark to so many people."
Capitalizing letters for emphasis, the American Beauty star described Ledger, who was found dead last week, as "a Vibrant Man, a Brave Actor, a Passionate Father and a Friend Forever."
"Heath was an essential piece of my Life," wrote Bentley, 29, who costarred with Ledger in 2002's Four Feathers. "At one point we were as close as two people could get without being blood. That closeness came from sharing a similar, life-altering experience in life at a young age where very few could relate and those who could often were pre-occupied with competition. It would have been isolating, not to mention boring, without him."
Added Bentley, who didn't make another film until five years after Four Feathers, "I don't know if I could have come back without him."
In fact it was because of Bentley turning down a part that Ledger got one of his breakthrough roles: that of the suicidal prison guard's son in Monster's Ball.
"(Wes) was signed up to play that part and he pulled out in the last minute because he really doesn't like to work that much," Ledger said in 2005. "I think they were threatening to sue him. So he asked me to do this for him to get him out of trouble. It was a great opportunity for me and I took it. It was a nice gift from Wes.
In his statement, Bentley urged people to "resist our routine chore of dwelling on a celebrities moments at Death, taking what is essentially inconsequential to a man's definition and making it his Legacy."
"While most of us forget we're alive and are dead on our feet, Heath woke up everyday excited about what was out there to enjoy," wrote Bentley. "He lived in a way that spread so much spark to so many people every day he had. Heath not only lived for himself, if he could've he would Lived for all of us as well. That was his way."
The Arkansas-born Bentley, who parents were both Methodist Ministers, concluded his statement with, "My Prayers are with all who loved him, his Family, Michelle, and Matilda."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 11:00 PM EST
U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill got the jury in the Wesley Snipes trial laughing on Tuesday – no small feat in a tax-evasion trial – bringing up Steve Martin and his King Tut routine. From that he launched into the comedian's "How to Make a Million Dollars and Not Pay Taxes."
First you make a million dollars and when the IRS asks why you didn't pay taxes, you simply say, "I forgot," O'Neill told the jury in closing arguments.
The jury, which will begin deliberations Wednesday morning, laughed. But after the jury was dismissed for the day, Snipes was not laughing and admitted he was scared.
"Of course you would be nervous," he says. "You're on trial. Anybody would have a certain amount of anxiety about that. But I have a great deal of faith in the Most High and the Good Lord and the truth shall set you free. So, I'm looking forward to being free, going back to what I do best."
Usually arrayed in somber dark suits and ties, Snipes wore a brightly colored striped kente cloth tie from Ghana. His wife, 10-month-old son and mother were in the courtroom to lend moral support.
When asked if he plans on paying his taxes when the trial is over, Snipes told PEOPLE he remains confused as to what the IRS wants of him.
"I've always been paying my taxes and I've always been trying to comply," he says. "This question is, did they tell you what you're supposed to do to comply? We should be able to go to our government and get clear answers."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scotland Morris supplied the government's answer: "Nobody likes paying taxes. Nobody. But paying taxes is the price we pay to live in a civilized society."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 03:05 PM EST
Actress Sean Young entered rehab for treatment related to alcoholism Monday, PEOPLE has learned.
Young, 48, voluntarily admitted herself, according to a statement released by her rep, which read: "It is understood that Young has struggled against the disease for many years."
On Saturday, Young caused a scene at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles when she heckled The Diving Bell and the Butterfly director Julian Schnabel during his acceptance speech. She was promptly removed from the venue, according to a Variety report.
Headline-grabbing antics aren't anything new for Young. In September, an Entertainment Weekly piece revisited her attempt to crash the 2006 Vanity Fair Oscar party, which also got her escorted out.
Also mentioned are the harassment of former costar James Woods and her attempt to get a role in Batman Returns by "[storming] the studio lot wearing a homemade Catwoman suit."
She did not get the part. Young's best-known movie is 1987's No Way Out, starring Kevin Costner.
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 11:20 AM EST
Gwen Stefani and her rock star husband Gavin Rossdale are expecting their second child, Rossdale's father confirms to PEOPLE.
"They and the whole family are delighted," Douglas Rossdale tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Reps for Stefani were not immediately available for comment.
According to Britain's The Sun, the singer is 13 weeks pregnant. She has long said she's wanted another child.
Stefani, 38, and British-born Rossdale, 40, wed in London in September 2002 and have one of the coolest kids in showbiz: Kingston Rossdale, who turns 2 on May 26.
Stefani has described Kingston as a "chilled-out little guy. He's just like another person, except that he's super-cute and super-entertaining."
When it comes to his son, Rossdale recently said, "Finally, I got something right."
Grandpa Rossdale sings Kingston's praises too. "He is a great lad," says the senior Rossdale. "And we are very much looking forward to another grandchild."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 04:00 PM EST
He earned the Sexiest Man Alive title, but can Matthew McConaughey get a Father of the Year award?
"I think he will be an incredible dad," McConaughey's Fool's Gold costar Kate Hudson, 28, said recently. "I think because people see Matthew always out doing something whether [it's] out dancing in a bar or being on the beach or taking a hike with some crazy bandana on, I think that, like anything, they take their image and what they want somebody else to be and then they just run with that."
The often shirtless McConaughey made note that the apple won't fall far from the tree: "Make no doubt about it. My kid will dance. He will be on the beach and he will be taking hikes with a wild bandana on."
And despite tabloid coverage of 38-year-old McConaughey's behavior, Hudson is confident the actor, who announced girlfriend Camila Alves, who turned 25 Monday, is pregnant in January, will be a great family man.
"Matthew happens to be one of the most loving and loyal people I know and his family is important to him," said Hudson, who has a 4-year-old son, Ryder, of her own. "He's great with kids and I think he'll be a very responsible and absolute blast of a dad."
But will the little one have all the right moves like papa? Said McConaughey: "He might not dance like I do. Regardless, he or she is still going to have a little rhythm."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 08:50 AM EST
Just hours after Britney Spears's camp announced that she was seeking psychological treatment, the pop star was in the midst of yet another public breakdown.
The trouble began Monday evening, when Spears and her confidante Sam Lutfi went for a short drive around Beverly Hills. When they returned to her Summit home at around 6 p.m., the visibly distraught singer – who appeared to be arguing with Lutfi – jumped out of the white Mercedes near the guard gate.
Spears, clutching her Yorkie puppy London, wandered around with tears in her eyes and, at one point, sat down on the curb. "She looked completely lost," says an on-scene source. Throughout it all, the gathered paparazzi snapped away.
Wearing brown high heels, cutoff shorts and a plaid fedora, Spears then seemed to downplay the incident, saying, "I'm fine. I'm . . . having a nice time with my dog." (She later hopped into a car with another photographer, Filipe Teixeira, who gave her a lift to Ralph's supermarket in Studio City, before bringing her home. He and another photographer pal were then invited inside, where they spent the remainder of the night.)
Thirty minutes later, the scene became even more surreal when Spears's paparazzi pal Adnan Ghalib – who'd been noticeably absent in recent days – showed up at the house. But the photographer was turned away at the gate.
The FinalPixx paparazzo – who recently dished on his relationship in a two-part interview on Entertainment Tonight and The Insider – proceeded to show his fellow photographers a series to text messages. In the missives, allegedly from Lutfi, the sender calls Ghalib a "manic trigger" for Spears and adds ominously that any further contact between the two "will kill her."
Police cars pulled up to the house soon afterward, apparently responding to a call from Spears's security team. "Spears drove through the gates and paparazzi followed her car on foot," said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. "By the time officers arrived, the paps were off the property, but officers handed out citations for those who were illegally parked."
Originally posted Monday January 28, 2008 08:15 PM EST
Filming of Michelle Williams's next movie, Blue Valentine, has been put on hold while the actress copes with the death of Heath Ledger, a source tells PEOPLE.
"We will hold off until she is ready," says a source connected with the film. "The production is in the process of sorting it out in respect to her."
The movie – a relationship drama centered around a young couple struggling with their marriage – also stars Ryan Gosling, who Williams was rumored to be dating after they were spotted strolling together in New York before the holidays.
Production on the film was set to start on February 25, but has been moved back to an indefinite date.
"We're hoping she will still come back and do the film and are happy to wait," the source says. "The film is tailor made for those two so of course we would want to wait. You can't get much better than them."
Williams had just finished shooting her last scene in the film "Mammuth" in Sweden when she received the news of Ledger's death.
Originally posted Monday January 28, 2008 07:00 PM EST
Britney Spears is allowed to speak with her children on the telephone but still may not see them, according to court documents released Monday.
"(Spears) is to have telephonic contact with the minor children," Commissioner Scott Gordon ruled at last week's hearing. "All prior orders remain in full force and effect."
The pop singer, 26, has been forbidden to see her sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, for more than three weeks, following her Jan. 3 custody standoff, which ended with her brief hospitalization.
Despite two attempts by her lawyers to regain her visitation rights, Spears cannot see her kids indefinitely, the judge has ruled.
Earlier Monday, Barbara Walters reported that Spears is seeking help for mental issues, according to confidante Sam Lutfi.
Originally posted Monday January 28, 2008 12:35 PM EST
John Baldwin didn't win a gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this weekend – but he did get the girl.
Moments after he and Rena Inoue, his skating partner of seven years, completed their silver-medal-winning pairs performance Saturday, Baldwin, 34, got down on one knee in the middle of the ice and proposed.
As the crowd of spectators at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., read Baldwin's lips on the jumbotron, they began chanting, "Yes! Yes!" But Inoue, for one, stood there dumbfounded.
"I was shocked!" Inoue, 31, tells PEOPLE. "I saw him on one knee and thought he was going to tell me how proud he was – and then he asked me to marry him. Then I started crying and I said yes."
The two began skating together in 2000, after completing the respective singles careers (he skated for the U.S., she for Japan). They competed together at the Torino Olympics (finishing 7th) and have won two national pairs titles.
On Saturday, they finished second to skaters Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker – but that hardly seemed to matter to the ecstatic bride-to-be.
"I always thought we would never get married," Inoue said. "He was always saying, 'You can propose to me.' He seemed serious."
What prompted the change of heart? "When I woke up [that] morning, I decided now was the time," Baldwin explained. "We have been together as a couple for five years and everything I have accomplished is because of her. I didn't want to let anyone else have the chance."
In all the rush, Baldwin didn't have time get his fiancée a ring. "Even if I had one, it would have been hard to find a place to hold it on my outfit," he pointed out, adding that he already has something in mind for their wedding bands. "She thinks of me as Snoopy and herself as Woodstock," he explained. "I'll probably do something with that."
You're a good man, Johnny Baldwin.
Originally posted Monday January 28, 2008 03:30 PM EST
Director Terry Gilliam is feverishly working to figure out how to keep Heath Ledger alive on film, according to one of the late actor's costars in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which Ledger was still shooting when he died last week.
"Terry's throwing himself into the job of trying to salvage the picture," veteran actor Christopher Plummer told PEOPLE over the weekend.
Despite earlier reports that the director might shelve the $30 million production, Gilliam, whom Plummer describes as "terribly saddened" by Ledger’s death is "trying to work out at this moment how to continue on. Fortunately, because the film deals with magic, there is a way, perhaps, of turning Heath into other people and then, using stills and I think they call it CGI…
"Terry was a very good friend [of Heath's]," adds Plummer. "He very wants to go on with the movie, and I can very much understand why. Because he wants to dedicate it to Heath, of course."
Ledger and Plummer both left the London portion of the movie's shoot last weekend and were due to continue filming next week in Vancouver. Leaving England, says Plummer, "Heath was in very high spirits. He was just enjoying himself tremendously. It's a rather fanciful script, and he was wonderful in this role."
Confirming earlier reports that Ledger hadnt been feeling well on set, Plummer says, "we all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible, damp nights. But Heath's went on and I don't think he dealt with it immediately with the antibiotics.…I think what he did have was the walking pneumonia."
On top of that, "He was saying all the time, 'dammit, I can't sleep'…and he was taking all these pills [to help him]."
As well as the damp cold and lack of sleep, Plummer describes the shoot as rigorous. "We had to shoot every second we were out there…there was hardly any time to go into the tent or the car to keep warm. We just kept shooting…boom, boom, boom…there was no pause. It was very, very hard work."
Ledger would have appreciated the show-must-go-on mentality, says his co-star. "He was terribly likeable and obviously enormously talented…and the combination was terrific. It's such a shame these things have to happen to the good ones."
As for reports that Gilliam has approached Johnny Depp to step into Ledger's role, the actor's rep tells PEOPLE: "There have been no official talks, and he is currently working on Public Enemies for Michael Mann for Universal."
Originally posted Tuesday January 29, 2008 08:00 AM EST
The lovable Rupert Boneham – from Survivor: Pearl’s Island and Survivor: All Stars – has started a music label, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.
Boneham, who calls the label "I Saw You On TV," started the label to put the spotlight on unsigned artists. Specifically, he's tapping into the talent pool created by reality TV who have not only the skills but also the personality and familiar face to connect with the public.
He plans to release three volumes: Comedy, Video Game Composers, and Reality Stars, in May. The CDs will be supported by artist tours and more volumes will be announced throughout the year.
Boneham won $1 million when he was voted America’s Favorite Player during Survivor: All Stars.
Pitt and Jolie only have eyes for each other at the star-studded show
Originally posted Sunday January 27, 2008 08:30 PM EST
Dixie Chick Martie Maguire is pregnant, she told PEOPLE on the red carpet for the Nobelity Artists & Filmmakers Dinner in Austin to benefit the Nobelity Project Sunday.
"I'm very excited," Maguire, 38, says, adding, "We know what it is – it's a girl."
Maguire, 38, is married to Gareth Maguire, a professor. Their first children together were twin daughters Eva Ruth and Kathleen Emilie, who were born in April 2004. "I'm feeling good now, although I wasn't!" Maguire jokes. "Carrying one instead of two will be much easier."
In regard to the growing brood between her and the rest of the Dixies – Natalie Maines and Emily Robison – Maguire says, "We'll have to move over and let the little chicks take over! We've got a new band!
Originally posted Monday January 28, 2008 08:00 AM EST
Hayden Panettiere made a splash Sunday at a downtown Washington, D.C., demonstration that called for a stop to whale hunting.
The 18-year-old Heroes star, speaking without notes, told the crowd, "Not only are these animals being cruelly slaughtered, the meat is contaminated by huge levels of mercury," reports The Washington Post's Reliable Source column, which likened the Heroes star to a latter-day Jane Fonda – though less politically controversial.
Continued Panettiere at the rally: "And we're not taking a stand because Japan is one of our biggest allies in the war on terror, but Australia is an ally and they've told Japan what they think, and good on them!"
Plus, No Country for Old Men, Daniel Day-Lewis and Julie Christie are big winners
The Pictures I have posted are Webfinds, thus all the Credits go to Photographers, Publishers, Webmasters etc. A very special thanks to people.com & thehollywoodgossip.com for their support
Thanks!«»
«» If You see anything on this Blog for which you hold the Copyright, please inform me at iamthebest03@yahoo.com and I will immediately remove it!«»
