Britney Spears's New Video: Cyborgs and Thigh-High Boots

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 06:45 PM EDT

Break the ICE

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Britney Spears leaves the stresses of her world behind to transform into a futuristic action heroine in the animated "Break the Ice" video that debuted Wednesday online.

"It's been a while. I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting. But I'm here now," sings Spears, 26, in the video as her animated character dons a short black body suit and knee high boots to take on cyborg-like attackers. (Britney fan site breatheheavy.com is currently featuring the clip.)

Just as she seems to be surrounded, Spears's character sets off a bomb and jumps out of a high-rise building, with the words "To be continued..." leaving viewers wondering what happens to Spears's character.

After viewing the video, fans could chat live with others about the clip in a "cyber party".

Earlier, her label Jive Records announced the posting of the clip directed by Robert Hales, of Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" video fame.

Britney Spears's New Video Debuts Today!

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 02:30 PM EDT

The animated Britney Spears is about to make her bow – at an online cocktail party, no less.

The pop star's latest video, an animated clip for her new single "Break the Ice," is debuting Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. ET at the Web site BlackoutBall.com, her label, Jive Records, has announced.

According to the label, access to the video will only be permitted once fans discover and enter two passwords, available only on Wednesday on the BlackoutBall.com site. Once inside, fans will get to "mingle" with fellow party goers until the anime Britney (dressed as a futuristic, bodysuit-clad superhero) makes her debut.

The clip itself was directed by Robert Hales, who was behind Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" video.

President Bush Jokes About Jenna's Wedding

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 05:30 PM EDT

President George W. Bush has had to face tough economic and diplomatic issues during his two terms in office, but his daughter Jenna's upcoming wedding has presented its own challenges, he joked Wednesday.

"I had to face some very difficult spending decisions and I've had to conduct sensitive diplomacy. That's called planning for a wedding," Bush said Wednesday eliciting some laughs from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Jenna is set to wed Henry Hager at her parents' ranch in Crawford, Texas, on May 10. The couple's engagement was announced in August.

New York Governor Spitzer Resigns Amid Sex Scandal

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 11:50 AM EDT

Saying, "I sincerely apologize," New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced his resignation during a brief statement delivered Wednesday morning from his downtown Manhattan office. His stepping down comes in the wake of his being linked to a prostitution ring.

"I am deeply sorry I did not live up to what was expected of me," said Spitzer, referring to his "private failings" for which, he also said, "I've begun to atone."

The announcement (see video of the statement below) follows a stunning two days of revelations about Spitzer's personal activities. At a press conference Monday with his wife, Silda, at his side (as she was for Wednesday's announcement), Spitzer said: "I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my – or any – sense of right and wrong."

He added, "I apologize to the public, whom I promised better."

The resignation effectively ends Spitzer's political career just 16 months after he was elected New York's Democratic governor by a wide margin.

With Spitzer out of office, New York's state constitution calls for his job to pass to his lieutenant governor and running mate, Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson, 53, a legally blind former legislator. Paterson, whom the Wall Street Journal described as being "as widely liked as Mr. Spitzer is controversial," also becomes the Empire State's first African-American governor.

The transfer of power will take place on Monday, Spitzer said, as he also announced that this was the desire of Paterson.

Priscilla Presley: Lisa Marie's Pregnancy 'Exciting'

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 05:30 PM EDT

Priscilla Presley may be gearing up for the sixth season of Dancing With the Stars – but she's also excited about another milestone in her life: becoming a grandmother again.

"We are all excited about a little one," Presley, 62, tells Access Hollywood in an interview set to air beginning March 12. "All of our kids are grown up, so this is really exciting news for all of us."

(Lisa Marie Presley, 40, recently announced her pregnancy.)

Presley also empathizes with her pregnant daughter's recent struggles with Britain's Daily Mail, which published photographs and articles suggesting Lisa Marie has an "unhealthy appetite" and "has gained weight like her father Elvis." Presley has subsequently sued the paper.

"I think it's cruel what's happening today with people and with celebrities," Priscilla tells Access Hollywood. "You want to be a perfectionist and do the best you possibly can and you have parasites out there trying to bring you down and take you down. It's a very tough time for people in the limelight today."

Dancing With the Stars begins March 17 on ABC.

Valerie Bertinelli: Eddie Is Not in Rehab

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 03:35 PM EDT

Valerie Bertinelli denied that ex-husband Eddie Van Halen is in a rehabilitation facility, but declined to reveal his mystery ailment.

"The reports about him being in rehab are wrong. Eddie is sober," Bertinelli said at a luncheon hosted by the Hallmark Channel in New York on Wednesday. "He's being proactive about his illness."

Asked to elaborate on the musician's ailment, which has caused several of Van Halen's tour dates to be postponed, Bertinelli said, "I don't think it's my place [to comment.]"

Last week, the band posted a statement on its Web site saying, "According to Eddie Van Halen's physician, he is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures."

Bertinelli says she's been in contact with her ex, with whom she has a 16-year-old son, Wolfgang. "I talk to him about every other day. He wants to get back on tour," says Bertinelli. "I think they'll be back on the road by April 19."

Sitcom Star: Britney Spears 'Great to Work With'

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 07:45 PM EDT

No first-day jitters for Britney Spears. Arriving promptly at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on the L.A. lot of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother with her assistant Brett in tow, Spears quickly got to work impressing her costars.

"It pains me to report that on the first day of the shoot, Britney knew her lines better than I knew mine," actor Josh Radnor tells PEOPLE exclusively. "She's been great to work with."

In the episode, which will air March 24, Spears plays a receptionist at a dermatologist's office, who falls for one of the show's main characters, Ted, played by Radnor. She is expected back on set tomorrow for a second day of shooting.

Spears first met the cast on Monday during a table read. A set source told PEOPLE, "She was a bit nervous, but didn't let it get to her... She really seemed to enjoy herself and feel comfortable."

Melissa Joan Hart & Husband Welcome Baby No. 2

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 07:30 PM EDT

Melissa Joan Hart and husband Mark Wilkerson welcomed their second child, a son, on Wednesday, their rep tells PEOPLE.

Braydon Hart Wilkerson was born at 3 p.m. in Los Angeles after 10 hours of labor, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz., rep Brad Taylor says.

The oldest of eight children, Hart, 31, says she's happy to bring home a sibling for her 2-year-old son Mason.

"This has been a long but exciting pregnancy, and we along with Mason are excited to add to the Wilkerson clan," she says.

Wilkerson adds: "Melissa and I are the proudest parents ever and this is the best thing that has happened to us this year!"

The couple married in 2003 in Florence, Italy. She recently did a guest spot on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, followed by a starring role in ABC Family Channel's TV movie Holiday in Handcuffs.

The Grammy-nominated Wilkerson is a member of the band Course of Nature.

'Kristen' in N.Y. Governor Scandal Speaks Out

Posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 07:35 PM EDT

The alleged prostitute known as "Kristen" in the New York governor sex scandal is a 22-year-old New Jersey native from a broken home who now worries what people will think of her, according to a newspaper report.

"I just don't want to be thought of as a monster," the woman, identified as Ashley Alexandra Dupre, tells The New York Times. "This has been a very difficult time. It is complicated."

Dupre has not been charged in the case. But she has been subpoenaed to testify in a grand jury investigation, her lawyer, Don D. Buchwald, told a magistrate judge in court on Monday.

According to her MySpace page, her first love is music – the page features one of her own recordings and lists Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra, Christina Aguilera and Lauryn Hill among her influences.

'What Destroys Me, Strengthens Me'

Dupre (whose page features the quote, "What destroys me, strengthens me") writes that she left a "broken family" at age 17, used drugs, was "broke and homeless" and "learned what it was like to have everything and lose it, again and again."

"[I] learned what it was like to wake up one day and have the people you care about most gone," she writes. "But I made it. I'm still here and I love who I am. If I never went through the hard times, I would not be able to appreciate the good ones. Cliché, yes, but I know it's true."

A source confirmed for The Times that Dupre is the "Kristen" identified in a federal affidavit as having a Feb. 13 rendezvous with Gov. Eliot Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Her lawyer Buchwald told PEOPLE: "We cannot and do not confirm that Ashley is Kristen."

"I promise when we are in the position to make a statement we'll get that to everyone at the same time," he said.

Spitzer on Wednesday said he was resigning as governor.

Dupre declined to discuss with The Times her alleged work with Emperor's Club V.I.P. escort agency. She also didn't comment on Spitzer.

She says she now has trouble sleeping and is worried how she'll pay her rent; the man she was living with "walked out on me" when she found out he had fathered two children.

Mother Speaks Out

She made a brief court appearance on Monday as a witness in the case against four people charged with operating the prostitution ring.

Her mother, Carolyn Capalbo, 46, tells The Times she was "shell-shocked" when her daughter called last week to say she had been working as an escort and was in trouble with the law.

"She is a very bright girl who can handle someone like the governor," Capalbo said. "But she also is a 22-year-old not a 32-year-old or a 42-year-old and she obviously got involved in something much larger than her."

FIRST LOOK: Britney Animated for New Video

Originally posted Tuesday March 11, 2008 04:15 PM EDT

Britney Spears is animated in her newest video – literally!

Screen shots from the pop star's upcoming single "Break the Ice" show anime Spears as a futuristic, bodysuit-clad superhero as well as a building named "Victory."

According to the U.K.'s The Sun, the cartoon treatment was Spears's idea and based on her steamy "Toxic" clip.

More shots after the jump.

Audrina Patridge to Join Pussycat Dolls in Las Vegas

March 11, 2008

The Hills has its share of catfights, but now it will have a bona fide feline on its hands.

Lauren Conrad’s trusty sidekick Audrina Patridge will take the stage alongside the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls show inside Pure Nightclub on March 28 to celebrate the new season of The Hills.

Sources tell Patridge will don the skimpy burlesque outfit that the Dolls are famous for to introduce the performers. Exactly what else she might do has yet to be determined, but previous celebrity hosts have sung, danced in a champagne glass, and swung from the ceiling on a swing.

Past hosts include Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, Pam Anderson and Denise Richards.

The third season of The Hills premieres March 24.

Nick Lachey Working on Reality Version of Fame

March 11, 2008

Nick Lachey is returning to his roots.

The former Newlyweds star is executive producing a pilot for an MTV reality show, which the network describes as a version of the ’80s movie and TV show Fame, according to The Hollwood Reporter.

The yet-to-be-named program focuses on students at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Lachey’s alma mater. (Sarah Jessica Parker and Carmen Electra are also famous former students.)

“The stories and relationships are all set to music that’s organic to what’s going on in the school and also performed by the kids,” Tony DiSanto, executive VP of series development and programming at the network, tells the Reporter. “This is a genre-busting, creative experiment that I’m really excited about.”

As an example DiSanto said a scene could feature kids breaking into dance in the cafeteria, which sounds a lot like a real-life High School Musical, or the soundtrack could come from a scene in which a student is practicing his or her instrument.

Lachey, who proposed the project, is executive producing it with Marc Platt and Russell Heldt.

Neil Patrick Harris ‘Shocked’ By Britney Casting

March 11, 2008

Neil Patrick Harris is embracing the news that Britney Spears will appear on his CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother — and he’s also having some fun with the idea.

“I was shocked that Madame Spears was willing to come and do some acting,” Harris, 34, tells Entertainment Tonight. (See the video here.)

Noting “she hasn’t acted in a while,” Harris goes on to say, “This is a very interesting role. It is very not like her at all in real life in any of her previous chapters.”

In April 2006, Spears guest-starred on NBC’s Will & Grace as a two-faced conservative talk-show host alongside Sean Hayes’s flamboyant character Jack.

On How I Met Your Mother — set to air March 24 — “She plays the secretary to another girl that Ted [Josh Radnor] is after. So, it will be very unlike any Britney we have seen before, and we have seen a lot of Britney recently.”

Harris also tells ET that paparazzi will not be a problem when Spears, 26, shows up, because the series is shot on the secure FOX lot.

But he jokingly muses: “What if she shows up on set and she is absolutely, totally normal and that whole thing has been a big ruse?”

As he imagines it, “She is smoking a cigarette and [says], ‘Oh yes, it is all a big bit. I have a master plan.’ ”

Danny Noriega Thanks Fans & Rosie O’Donnell in Yanked Video

March 11, 2008

Ousted Idol contestant Danny Noriega thanked his fans, which he referred to as “Danimals,” “Danny’s Fannies” and “Danny Lions,” in a YouTube video posted Monday.

But almost as soon as the video went up, the clip was removed from the site “by the user” Monday night.

“I just wanted to thank you guys for everything. All your support makes me feel good. And when I’m in a sad mood, I just go on MySpace and read all your mail,” he said. “And I promise you if it takes 10 years, I’ll write you back.”

The 18-year-old contestant, who missed making the top 12 on American Idol when he was sent home Thursday, also thanked Rosie O’Donnell for “that amazing opportunity” to go on a free cruise to Mexico on O’Donell’s R Family Vacations.

“She’s an amazing woman — such an inspiration to me. And it’s such an honor for her to offer an opportunity like that,” he said, without ever indicating whether he accepted the offer or not.

Originally posted Tuesday March 11, 2008 04:30 PM EDT

Janet Jackson is taking it easy following her bout with the flu. The pop star, 41, who paid a visit to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. Monday night after falling ill, has decided to cancel an upcoming Saturday Night Live appearance originally scheduled for Saturday, her rep confirms.

"The main prescription to get over this flu is rest – and that's what she has to do," her rep says. No replacement has been announced yet.

Benji Madden 'Rocks' a Ring Dedicated to Paris

Originally posted Tuesday March 11, 2008 09:45 AM EDT

After his new girl-about-town Paris Hilton rocked a glittery B-is-for-Benji Madden pendant and "BM" ring over the weekend, Madden stepped out Monday with his own love-dedicated bling: a "PH" ring on his ring finger. The couple that shines together also parties together, with Hilton, 27, throwing her beau a birthday celebration (Madden turned 29 Tuesday) at club LAX in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Fans Flock as Kid Rock Appears at Waffle House

Originally posted Tuesday March 11, 2008 05:30 PM EDT

Kid Rock got the chance to turn his now-legendary waffle house fight into a positive experience on Tuesday, as hundreds of fans lined up to see the rocker near the scene of the waffle crime – a Duluth, Ga., waffle house – all for good cause.

The singer's appearance was for a charity event to raise money for the Nicholas House Foundation, a transitional housing shelter that helps homeless families in the Metro Atlanta area. (The restaurant was near the original waffle house where Kid Rock was arrested in October after getting into a fight.)

Rock said Tuesday that the benefit was the perfect opportunity put a positive spin on the waffle house experience. "The first situation was silly. Atlanta has always been a great market for us and we have made a lot of money here," he said between taking pictures and signing tour memorabilia for fans. "We got so much press from the last incident that we decided to not let it lay where was and turn it into something good."

The rocker, who pleaded not guilty to battery in the Waffle House incident, said that between donations from fans, the Waffle House and money made from auctioning off items such as backstage passes to one of his shows, he hoped to raise between $15,000 and $20,000.

"I like to take opportunities that might not be so positive and turn it around," he said. "To me, the glass is always half full." Or in this case, the waffle.

Hugh Laurie Experimented with Vicodin For His House Role

March 11, 2008

Not that he’s been labeled a realistic Method actor before, but Hugh Laurie admits he attempted to get closer to the character he portrays on House — by experimenting with Vicodin, the strong painkiller to which Dr. Gregory House is addicted.

“I wouldn’t recommend it — we have to be careful,” Laurie, 48, tells Britain’s Radio Times magazine, “But then again … if you’re not in pain it gives a floaty, pleasurable feeling.”

Laurie, renown as a perfectionist, says he’s unhappy with his Golden Globe-winning performance of the grumpy medic — especially his American accent — and isn’t sure how much longer the series will continue.

“I’m hugely surprised House survives. The odds are against you in this competitive business; wolves snap at your heels. It’s hard to say if I’m pleased with the show,” he says.

“I don’t watch regularly. I avert my eyes when my children have it on. I hate seeing myself, but it’s even worse hearing my American accent … I had no idea I sound so retarded, a dull monotone, full of clunking mistakes.”

Laurie says he hasn’t brought his family, who continue to live in London, to be with him in Los Angeles because of fears that this might hex the show’s run.

“I have this vague feeling that the moment I’m comfortable with my place in the world there’ll be retribution,” he says. “That’s one reason I didn’t want my family to live here. The moment we put down roots the whole thing will be called off.”

Laurie also says the pressures of filming House mean he’s “off the market” for cameos on other shows. And its success hasn’t lead to any offers from his native land either.

“There’s a notion that I’ve sold out,” he says. “Sold out what exactly? There’s a peculiar British attitude that I took an oath I wouldn’t be successful, and reneged on it.”

Justin Recalls Dropping Pants for Madonna

Originally posted Tuesday March 11, 2008 07:30 AM EDT

When Madonna orders you to drop trou, you drop trou, Justin Timberlake admitted while inducting the pop diva into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday night in New York.

Madonna, 49, offered the "SexyBack" singer, 27, a B-12 shot – and, apparently, not in the arm – last year while they were working on her new album, Hard Candy, he explained to the audience inside the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom.

He thought she was going to call a doctor for the injection, but instead, "She proceeds to pull a Ziploc bag of B-12 syringes out [of her purse] and says, 'Drop 'em.'

"I don't know what you say to that, so I immediately dropped my pants. She gave me a shot in my a-- and looks at me and says, 'Nice top shelf.' That was one of the greatest days of my life."

Correcting him when she took the stage, Madonna said, "Everything he said is basically true, but I didn't say 'drop 'em,' I said, 'pull your pants down.' I like to be accurate because you know I am a control freak."

Sexually Charged Speech

Timberlake's sexually charged speech praised Madonna for her "shapely body of work" and how she's "always been a woman on top" who "fully enjoys that position."

Madonna, naturally, wasn't one to curb her tongue herself – revealing that she and legendary A&R exec Michael Rosenblatt "did a tab of ecstasy and danced the night away" when she met him back in her days as a rising star.

Madonna blamed Timberlake for the innuendos in her speech, saying, "He's rubbing off on me. He's bringing sexy back." Turning to him, she said, "I'll get you, f-----!"

Timberlake took a few shots at past love Britney Spears, saying that in between changing the face of music and becoming a music icon, Madonna "found time to publicly kiss someone I may or may not have kissed myself – while I was in the audience. Of course, you all know who I'm talking about: Sean Penn."

Referring to the number of "Madonna wannabes" out there, he said, "I might have even dated a couple of them. But there is truly only one Madonna."

Other Inductees

Other honorees included John Mellencamp, who was inducted by Billy Joel, and the Dave Clark Five, who were inducted by Tom Hanks.

In one of the most memorable Hall of Fame performances, Iggy Pop performed his own versions of her hits, "Burnin' Up" and "Ray of Light," gyrating shirtless on stage before jumping into Madonna's lap in the audience.

"It was a lot of fun," she told him in the kitchen after the performance. "Well done."

Judge Rules: Britney Gets $1,500 Allowance

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 06:25 PM EDT

Britney Spears is getting an allowance.

The pop star, who is worth an estimated $100 million, has been approved for a $1,500-a-week allowance on a debit card, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz ruled Monday.

In addition, Goetz approved the hiring of two specialist attorneys to help the singer and her lawyers sort out her affairs while Spears is under a temporary co-conservatorship.

One, Jorge Hernandez, will get a $25,000 retainer to be an around-the-clock consultant on all questions pertaining to the co-conservatorship. The other, lawyer Tom Hansen, will receive $15,000 a month for his services as an entertainment lawyer consulting on Spears's entertainment deals and contracts.

The ruling comes the same day as a separate hearing in which lawyers for Spears said that her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, should take responsibility for some of his legal bills in the former couple's ongoing custody battle.

The question of who will pay the legal fees "is under submission," according to court spokesman Allan Parachini. "When the judge will rule, I don't know."

Britney's Lawyer Questions K-Fed's Spending

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 02:35 PM EDT

Kevin Federline can afford to "take responsibility" for some of his own legal fees, an attorney for Britney Spears said in court Monday.

The pop star's lawyer, Stacy Phillips, asked Federline to contribute to his own legal bills in the former couple's ongoing custody case. Citing Federline's tip of $2,000 on a recent $365 dining tab, Phillips contended that Federline can afford to help pay "for the diligent work being done on his behalf."

Currently Spears is responsible for paying her ex-husband's legal fees, including $405,000 owed to Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan.

Phillips further argued that it was inappropriate for Kaplan and his partner to have increased their hourly rate to $600 an hour. Kaplan countered that Phillips charges $700 an hour.

"Mr. Federline is doing things that will substantially increase the revenue he can have," Kaplan said in court. "Everything done by our side was done by Mr. Federline to protect his children from a very dangerous and very fluid situation."

The question of who will pay the legal fees "is under submission," according to court spokesman Allan Parachini. "When the judge will rule I don't know."

Federline and his former father-in-law, Jamie Spears, who is serving as Britney's temporary co-conservator, both answered questions during the hearing. Despite the dispute between the two sides, the pair – who played golf together over the weekend – appeared to be on friendly terms, chatting in court while waiting for the judge to arrive.

N.Y. Governor Apologizes After Link to Prostitution Ring

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 03:30 PM EDT

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer spoke out Monday afternoon after a shocking New York Times story reported that he's been linked to a prostitution ring.

Neither admitting guilt nor saying he would resign – or remain in office – Spitzer said: "I have acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family ... I apologize first, most importantly, to my family, I apologize to the public," said Spitzer, with his wife, Silda, standing at his side.

"I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family," he also said, adding he would not be taking any questions.

He did not state whether he would step down as governor, but said he would be "reporting back in short order" on what he intended to do.

The Times, citing an administration official, reported that Spitzer informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, as was determined by a wiretap recording in a Washington, D.C., hotel room. The governor, in turn, had been told of his implication last Friday.

CNN, citing the Associated Press, said that in court papers Spitzer was identified as a client of the ring, which is being described as upscale and expensive. CNN quoted a price of $3,000 an hour.

Spitzer, 48, has been married since 1987 to Silda Wall. They have three children: Alyssa, 18, Sarabeth, 15, and Jenna, 13.

Spitzer graduated Princeton University and Harvard Law School, became a federal law clerk and an assistant district attorney in Manhattan before entering private practice. He was elected attorney general in 1998 after a campaign financed by his family's real-estate fortune.

Elected Democratic governor in 2006, he entered office as New York's 58th chief executive, promising sweeping ethics reforms.

Jessica's 'Scaled Back' Visit to U.S. Troops

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 06:40 PM EDT

Jessica Simpson may be a high-wattage celebrity used to the finer things in life – private jets, first-class accommodations, and large entourages – but her rep is slamming reports that the singer-actress is enjoying such amenities while visiting U.S. troops in Kuwait.

Reports claim Simpson, 27, flew to Kuwait – where she's performing for troops as part of Operation MySpace – via a private jet with hairstylist-to-the-stars Ken Paves and a large entourage, and had no intentions of spending the night in the army barracks.

Not so, says Simpson rep Cindi Berger. "She flew commercially, she is staying in the barracks," Berger tells PEOPLE. “She's been with the troops all day. She's had her meals with them."

Paves is not with Simpson either, Berger says, adding that a hair stylist and make-up artist are with Simpson, but no assistant. "She's not with Ken Paves. She has significantly scaled back her entourage."

Berger adds that performing for the troops is something near and dear to Texas-born star. "This was done purely to support the troops and entertain them."

Runway Winner Reacts With ‘F’ Word to SNL Skit

March 10, 2008

Christian Siriano caught Amy Poehler’s impression of him on Saturday Night Live over the weekend and the Project Runway winner has just one word — an ‘F’ word — for the skit. And, no, it wasn’t “fierce.”

“I thought it was SO FUNNY,” the 22-year-old designer wrote in an e-mail to PEOPLE. “Amy [Poehler] looked exactly like me which is kinda scary, but fabulous.”

Known for his catty commentary and catchphrase, “That’s fierce,” the pint-sized designer wasn’t the only Project Runway personality to be parodied in the three-minute sketch about a hypothetical Runway spinoff, which features Siriano giving someone an apartment makeover. While Poehler played Siriano, the skit also featured guest host Amy Adams playing Runway host Heidi Klum and SNL castmember Bill Hader imitating Tim Gunn.

“The fact that they are even talking about me is so fierce, fabulous and flawless and is such an honor,” Siriano told PEOPLE. “[Poehler] was hilarious and little. It was so crazy that she looked just like me!”

And Poehler didn’t just nail Siriano’s sassy tone — she perfectly approximated his flat-ironed hair. “The hair was absolutely perfect,” Siriano wrote. “I don’t think I could have done it better myself. It was fierce!”

Britney to Guest Star on How I Met Your Mother!

March 10, 2008

Suit up, Britney Spears! The pop star is heading back to TV, scoring a guest role on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother, a rep for the show confirms to PEOPLE.

The news, first reported by Pink Is the New Blog, comes after Spears’s father and conservator, Jamie, gave his daughter permission to appear on the sitcom, according to TMZ.

The pop star is no stranger to television comedies: In April 2006, Britney appeared on an episode of NBC’s Will & Grace playing a conservative talk show host alongside Sean Hayes’s flamboyant character, Jack.

Spears and ex Kevin Federline also enjoyed a brief run on TV with their reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic.

Kid Rock Returning to Georgia Waffle House for Benefit

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 05:35 PM EDT

Talk about a special warm-up gig.

Kid Rock may be playing at Atlanta's Gwinnett Arena on March 11 – but before his performance, the rocker is returning to the Duluth, Ga., Waffle House where he was arrested for battery after a fight last October to greet fans and sign autographs for charity, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting.

While the rocker (real name Robert James Ritchie) has pleaded not guilty to the charges, organizers say that Kid Rock's fight is the farthest thing from their mind.

"For a while now, we've been working with Kid Rock's management to try and turn a negative into a positive," Pat Warner, a Waffle House rep, told the newspaper. "We're hoping to raise some money for a worthwhile charity." All proceeds from the event, which begins at 2 p.m., will benefit Nicholas House, a homeless shelter for families in DeKalb County.

Organizers expect a heavy fan turnout – and local radio stations have been promoting Kid Rock's appearance. One rock station has auctioned off passes to the Waffle House event, as well as tickets to the concert that night and a backstage meet-and-greet.

George Clooney: Engagement Reports 'Not True'

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 03:10 PM EDT

George Clooney and Sarah Larson may be getting serious, but there is no wedding imminent, the actor has declared after a published story out of Europe claimed the pair had gotten secretly engaged.

"These reports are not true," Clooney said through his Los Angeles-based rep, Stan Rosenfield.

Britain's Marie Claire posted a story on Monday, under the headline, "George Clooney to Marry?" The article quoted a restaurant worker in the Italian town where the Oscar winner, 46, has a villa as saying Clooney and Larson are engaged. The story originated from an Italian newspaper.

In terms of the couple's relationship, the two have been dating for less than a year, and Larsen accompanied Clooney to the Oscars – the first girlfriend ever to go with him to the event.

Not that it was Larson's first red carpet experience. The onetime Fear Factor winner had her "coming out" as Clooney's girlfriend at last fall's Venice and Deauville film festivals.

Kim Kardashian Nude Photo of the Day

Posted at March 10th, 2008 7:20 am

Regarding her Playboy spread from last year, Kim Kardashian recently told TV Guide:

They approached me a few times and it wasn’t something I wanted to do. But after Hef told me that Marilyn Monroe was on the first cover… [I thought], ‘I’m not your typical skinny girl,’ so why not show off that you don’t need to be stick-thin to be in [Playboy]?

She’s right. You just need to have made a name for yourself by starring in a Ray J sex tape.

Sadly, this is the final new photo we found of Kim Kardashian naked in Playboy.

Please enjoy - and let us know if you come across any other pictures of the vixen worth publishing.

The American Idol Power Poll: Volume VII

Posted at March 10th, 2008 7:07 am

With American Idol having chosen its top 12 singers for the finals, we need to make our weekly Power Poll more of a challenge.

Choosing the top five contenders at this point in the competition would be listing almost half the remaining singers. And that’s too easy.

Therefore, here’s a look at the three American Idol hopefuls we think have the best chance of winning season seven:

1. David Archuleta: Can this 17-year old wonder kid go wire to wire as the favorite? He’s given us no reason to think otherwise. Remember Melinda Doolittle last season, though, fans.

2. Brooke White: This might be wishful thinking, but White is a breath of fresh, folksy air. We’ve seen enough loud, diva-like singers over the year on Idol to get behind a pretty face who just sits on a stool, strums a guitar and makes beautiful music.

3. Carly Smithson: We could have placed either Michael Johns or Jason Castro in this spot, too, but Smithson gets the nod for her consistency. We also have a feeling the best is yet to come from this Irish crooner.

Who do you think will win American Idol?

EXCLUSIVE: Matt Damon & Wife Expecting!

Originally posted Sunday March 09, 2008 06:00 PM EDT

Matt Damon's family is expanding: The actor and wife Luciana are expecting another baby, his rep Jennifer Allen tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"They couldn't be happier," says Allen. "They're so excited!"

The current PEOPLE Sexiest Man Alive, 37, and his wife, 32, stepped out Sunday night at the Empire Film Awards in London – with Luciana glowing (and sporting a baby bump).

This is the third child for the family: Daughter Isabella was born in June 2006, and Luciana has a 9-year-old daughter, Alexia, from a previous marriage.

The actor is currently shooting the CIA thriller Green Zone in Morocco.

A Pussycat Doll Leaves the Pop Group

Originally posted Sunday March 09, 2008 02:55 PM EDT

A Pussycat Doll is no more: Singer Carmit Bachar has announced that she has left the sexy pop group.

"I wanted to be the first to tell you that I'm no longer with the Pussycat Dolls but we will always be sisters forever," Bachar, 33, wrote Saturday on the group's official Web site, before thanking fans for their "unconditional love and support."

The red-headed hottie did not explain why she decided to break from the group – or what she's doing next – though previous reports have suggested that Bachar intends to pursue a solo career. The singer only hinted that: "Exciting news is coming and I promise to keep you all posted."

The Pussycat Dolls and Jessica Simpson are slated to perform an Operation MySpace concert for U.S. Soldiers in Kuwait on March 10.

Happy Birthday, Carrie Underwood!

Posted at March 10th, 2008 8:01 am

We’re pleased to announce that one of the favorite celebrities celebrates a birthday today. Carrie Underwood is 25!

The Oklahoma native won the fourth season of American Idol and is one of the most commercially successful artists to be spawned by the Fox reality show, rivaled only by the likes of Chris Daughtry and Kelly Clarkson.

Aside from her music, Underwood’s appeal can be attributed to her wholesome image. More Julianne Hough than Britney Spears, Carrie meshes her beauty and talent with a grounded, down-to-earth and effervescent personality.

The amazing Carrie Underwood hits the quarter-century mark.

As for her personal life, Carrie Underwood used to date Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo and has been linked to Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford.

She is a two-time winner of PETA’s “World’s Sexiest Vegetarian” contest, a People magazine “Most Beautiful People” list entrant in 2007, and the world’s “Sexiest Female Musician” as determined by Victoria’s Secret.

Happy birthday, Carrie!

Heidi Montag Prepares Launch of Clothing Line

Posted at March 10th, 2008 7:20 am

Never one to miss an opportunity to try to make money, steal the spotlight from Lauren Conrad or, ideally, both, the abhorrent Heidi Montag is launching her answer to her MTV reality rival’s cute clothing line.

According to the New York Post, Heidi Montag is planning to celebrate “in style” very soon, by launching her own new line. If she can pull it off.

Reports say “Heidi has been [searching] for a place in L.A. to throw the launch party” for her fashion line - aptly called “Heidi Wood,” heh heh - although the faux-chested blonde is struggling to find a venue.

A rep for Heidi Montag - oddly, not her former boyfriend / manager Spencer Pratt - assures the Post that she will “get her pick” of the prime nightlife spots.

Les Deux, Area, Hyde, Opera … you best prepare for the invasion of Speidi and whatever loser friends (cough, Perez Hilton) they can scrape up.

We wish her the very best. Hpefully they play the Heidi Montag-Britney Spears duet. That alone will ensure that it’s a successful night out in SoCal.

Random Loon Stalking Britney Spears, Sending Sex Toys

Posted at March 10th, 2008 7:07 am

Britney Spears news and gossip rarely takes a break. But you can’t deny that it’s becoming weirder - and seemingly more bogus - of late.

As reported by OK! Magazine, the struggling bipolar babe has recently found herself on the receiving end of a mysterious, obsessed fan.

One who has been sending the star threatening packages. OK! claims to have the details of what has Britney’s inner circle and security team running to the FBI.

“It started about six weeks ago with just letters being sent once a week,” a source who has supposedly seen the packages reveals to OK!.

“And then it quickly escalated to larger packages that now arrive 2-3 times a week — always to the same L.A. address, but never to Britney’s homes.”

Perhaps this is what Jamie Spears and K-Fed were discussing on the golf course. Either way, it’s a good thing the boxes never made it to the singer’s door.

What’s inside could not be good for her mental state.

“The first thing you see when you open the box is a huge, lavender-colored, battery-operated sex toy, still with the price tag on it.”

Rhys Ifans to Marry Sienna Miller

Posted at March 10th, 2008 6:58 am

According to the UK’s Sunday Mirror, the third time is the charm for Rhys Ifans.

After constantly asking girlfriend Sienna Miller to be his wife - first in August and then at Miller’s 26th birthday party in December - sources say the troubled actress has finally relented.

The couple, who share Sienna’s pad in Notting Hill, are now looking for a home in Oxford and a cottage in Wales.

“Rhys has admitted he and Sienna are getting married,” said an insider. “Everything is supposed to be hushhush, but Rhys is over the moon and finding it hard to keep quiet… he can’t believe she finally said yes.”

Neither can we. But we’d like to wish Rhys Ifans and Sienna Miller the best of luck in their marriage. It’s destined to last for days and days.

Kimora Lee Simmons & Djimon Hounsou: Baby on the Way?

Originally posted Sunday March 09, 2008 05:30 PM EDT

Is Kimora Lee Simmons going to be a mom again? The New York Post's Page Six reports that she and actor boyfriend Djimon Hounsou are expecting a baby.

The Post cited an unnamed source confirming the baby news. A rep for Simmons tells PEOPLE: "I have no comment at this time."

Simmons, 32, and Hounsou, 43, went on their first date – dinner with friends at L.A.’s Mr. Chow restaurant – last February, and the romance quickly heated up.

The fashion designer has two daughters, Ming Lee, 8, and Aoki Lee, 5, with ex-husband, Phat Farm and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons.

Britney's Dad Due in Court Over

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 08:35 AM EDT

Britney Spears's father, Jamie Spears, is expected to join attorneys appearing before a Los Angeles family law judge on Monday, to complain that the lawyer for her ex, Kevin Federline, has overcharged the pop star.

Sources say Britney's new custody attorney, Stacy Phillips, will dispute a $500,000 tab from K-Fed attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, as well as a $600,000 bill from Britney's previous custody attorney, Sorrell Trope.

The main agenda item, however, will be the invoice from Kaplan, who, according to sources, was deposed on the matter last week, as was Kaplan's former spokesman.

Elliot Mintz, a new spokesman for Kaplan, declined to comment until after Monday's hearing before Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.

In the afternoon, attorneys representing Jamie Spears, who is also serving as temporary co-conservator for his troubled daughter, will appear before a probate court commissioner to discuss a timetable for updates on her psychiatric condition.

Last week, the commissioner extended the temporary co-conservatorship until July 31, but sources say Britney could regain control of her finances sooner should she continue to respond well to treatment.

Jennifer Aniston's Miami Weekend: Less Work, More Play

Originally posted Monday March 10, 2008 08:30 AM EDT

It's not quite "all work and no play" for Jennifer Aniston, who's in Florida filming Marley & Me alongside Owen Wilson and Eric Dane, but took advantage of her weekend downtime to relax poolside, hit a hot restaurant, and get in some shopping.

It was a mix of business and pleasure on Friday – with the actress hanging out and reading her script at the Mandarin Oriental pool, before getting in some retail therapy a day later.

Aniston hit the Bal Harbour Shops, sipping a cup of specialty coffee as she walked briskly around the elegant mall with her two bodyguards – and made stops at Chanel, Ferragamo, Gucci, Neiman Marcus and Prada.

She capped it all off with a girls' night out dinner at Blue Door at Delano, dining on the restaurant's terrace (and saved from the chilly weather by some outdoor heaters).

As for Wilson? He was doing plenty of relaxing, too.

Heath Ledger's Dad: Michelle & Matilda Rose 'Will Be Taken Care Of'

Originally posted Saturday March 08, 2008 06:20 PM EST

Heath Ledger's family moved quickly to speak out Saturday after details of the late actor's will were released – showing he had not updated it since his relationship with Michelle Williams and the 2005 birth of their daughter Matilda Rose.

"Matilda is our absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family," Heath's father Kim Ledger says in a statement. "They will be taken care of and that's how Heath would want it to be."

Ledger's will – filed in Australia in April 2003, before Williams and before his Oscar nomination for Brokeback Mountain – left everything he owned to his parents and sister, New York's Daily News reported Saturday. A series of documents filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court revealed that the actor had less than $145,000 in New York assets at the time, including a $25,000 Toyota Prius and $20,000 in furniture and fixtures.

Ledger's rep quickly squashed any speculation that Williams and 2-year-old Matilda would not be provided for. "The story is getting taken out of context and media is speculating that this means Matilda and Michelle will not be taken care of. I want to make it very clear nothing could be farther from the truth."

George Clooney: Fabio Could 'Probably' Beat Me Up

Originally posted Saturday March 08, 2008 09:20 AM EST

What do you do when Donald Trump pokes fun at your height and Fabio threatens to beat you up? If you're George Clooney, you take it all in stride – and make a couple jokes, of course.

The Michael Clayton star, 46, agreed to a good-natured Googling session in the April issue of Esquire magazine, and in it he's asked about a laundry list of recent rumors about him – including his reported run-in with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter pitchman Fabio.

When asked about his alleged feud with Fabio last fall (in which the model said he could beat Clooney up), the actor responds, "Yeah, that's probably true. He's a big guy. There is a moment when you are actually in the argument and you're thinking, 'If I do get beaten down by Fabio, that will be far worse than the pain. I wouldn't shake that."

Also found in the magazine's Web search:

• When Esquire discovers a Web site that calls Clooney "gay, gay, gay," the good-natured actor quips, "No, I'm gay, gay. The third gay – that was pushing it."

• Donald Trump's recent "short guy" comments about Clooney. George, who is 5- feet 11-inches tall, responds, "I saw Donald Trump on Larry King and he was saying, 'Clooney is a very short guy. I mean he's a tiny guy.' I've met Donald Trump once, and I was sitting at a table. He came over, shook my hand, and walked away. I guess I looked about three foot five sitting at that table."

• They also surface a quote from Rupert Everett criticizing Clooney's Ocean's movies as a "cancer," to which Clooney replies: "Where did that come from? You kind of go, Dude, weren't you in Dunston Checks in?"

Pregnant Lisa Marie Presley Hurt by 'Vicious' Remarks

Originally posted Friday March 07, 2008 03:40 PM EST

Lisa Marie Presley contends she was pressured into revealing her pregnancy after enduring cruel comments about "my expanding physique."

"After being the target all week of slanderous and degrading stories, horribly manipulated pictures and articles in the media, I have had to show my cards and announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant," writes Presley on her MySpace Celebrity blog.

Presley, 40 – who is, of course, the daughter of the new Dancing with the Stars contestant Priscilla Presley and the late "King," Elvis Presley – says she hopes this will now "stop all of the harassment, and I can stop dodging the continuous bullets.

"It is unfortunate that I couldn't have announced something that is this much of a blessing and that has made us so incredibly happy under better circumstances," she laments.

Heath Ledger's Will Revealed

Originally posted Saturday March 08, 2008 10:00 AM EST

Before his Oscar-nominated role in Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger wrote a will leaving everything he owned to his parents and sister, New York's Daily News reported Saturday.

The 28-year-old actor, who died of an accidental prescription drug overdose earlier this year, filed a three-page will in his native Australia in April 2003. The will preceded Ledger's relationship with Brokeback costar Michelle Williams and the 2005 birth of their daughter, Matilda Rose.

A series of documents filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court revealed that the actor had less than $145,000 in New York assets at the time, including a $25,000 Toyota Prius and $20,000 in furniture and fixtures. His greater wealth, including trust funds, Australian properties and the Brooklyn townhouse he once shared with Williams, is uncertain.

It's unclear whether there will be any provisions for Williams or Matilda Rose, now 2. The bulk of Ledger's estate will be handled in Australia, according to the report.

The actor's lawyer has asked a judge to seal the documents for privacy. Ledger's spokeswoman, Mara Buxbaum, declined to comment.

Danny Noriega Gets His First Job Offer — From Rosie O’Donnell!

March 7, 2008

Danny Noriega was voted off American Idol Thursday night — but he may already have his first gig, courtesy of Rosie O’Donnell.

The former talk show host took to her blog to rave about Noriega’s performance and offer the 18-year-old one amazing consolation prize: a free cruise to Mexico on O’Donell’s R Family Vacations.

“I don’t know if you have to sit around the American Idol studio and look sad for the next few weeks — because I think that’s part of the contract,” joked O’Donnell. “[But] you got a free cruise. You and a friend.”

But O’Donnell expects the young singer to work for his vacation. “Come on there, and I want you to sing ‘Tainted Love,’” she says. “I think you’re fantastic. And I think you’re a bold and brave and beautiful young man. And I admire you, Danny Noriega. You have an amazing voice. And your hair looks good straight.”

Also on the cruise: O’Donnell’s pal and True Colors Tour partner Cyndi Lauper. The combination, O’Donnell says, would make a perfect duet — or trio! Says the comedienne: “You can sing with her — and me — onstage.”

Marion Jones Reports to Federal Prison

Originally posted Friday March 07, 2008 04:15 PM EST

Former Olympic gold-medal winner Marion Jones began serving her six-month federal prison sentence at a facility in Texas on Friday, a prison official confirmed to PEOPLE.

Jones, 32, arrived just before noon at the Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth, according to Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

In January, a federal judge in White Plains, N.Y., sentenced Jones to six months in prison and two years' probation (during which she will be required to perform 800 hours of community service) for lying to federal investigators about her steroid use and a check-fraud scheme. Jones had until March 11 to begin her sentence.

"I think that I absolutely should have to accept responsibility for breaking the law," Jones said on The Oprah Winfrey Show in an episode that aired in January. "I have no regrets for doing what I did on October the 5th and pleading guilty and admitting to the world that I lied, that I've made mistakes."

Since admitting her guilt, the three-time Olympic gold medalist has returned all five medals she won during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Jones, who used steroids distributed by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative – the same lab that supplied steroids to athletes who included New York Yankees star Jason Giambi – is the first professional sports figure to receive prison time.

Lisa Marie Presley pregnant

Originally posted Friday March 07, 2008 03:40 PM EST

Lisa Marie Presley contends she was pressured into revealing her pregnancy after enduring cruel comments about "my expanding physique."

"After being the target all week of slanderous and degrading stories, horribly manipulated pictures and articles in the media, I have had to show my cards and announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant," writes Presley on her MySpace Celebrity blog.

Presley, 40 – who is, of course, the daughter of the new Dancing with the Stars contestant Priscilla Presley and the late "King," Elvis Presley – says she hopes this will now "stop all of the harassment, and I can stop dodging the continuous bullets.

"It is unfortunate that I couldn't have announced something that is this much of a blessing and that has made us so incredibly happy under better circumstances," she laments.

Owen Wilson's On-the-Job Training

Originally posted Friday March 07, 2008 05:50 PM EST

Is Owen Wilson going the Method actor route?

In Miami to film Marley & Me (costarring Jennifer Aniston and Eric Dane), the actor stopped by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Friday.

Wilson and Dane caused a stir when they showed up at the paper's Fort Lauderdale offices – just hours before deadline. Coincidentally – or not – the film is based on a memoir by the newspaper's columnist John Grogan. The pair spent about an hour talking to editor Earl Maucker and walking around, trailed by their crew.

One daring female reporter approached the two stars in the elevator and shook their hands, saying, "Welcome, I hope you have fun here."

"They were charming," she said. "I swooned a bit. Owen was very sweet. They certainly created a lot of hubbub and excitement."

Reporters at the newspaper were invited to apply to be extras in the movie and a few are said to be considering it.

The film team previously checked out The Daily Business offices in downtown Miami as a location but apparently decided against filming there.