On web, Bruce denies split from wife
Bruce Springsteen has turned to cyberspace to deny rumors that he and wife Patti Scialfa are splitting up.
In a posting on his official Web site, http://www.brucespringsteen.net, the New Jersey-born rocker writes that he and Scialfa are still committed to each other.
"Due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn't pass without comment," he wrote. "Patti and I have been together for 18 years ¡ª the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married."
Quoting unnamed sources, the New York Post reported Thursday that Springsteen's and Scialfa's marriage was on the rocks due to his relationship with a Sept. 11 widow he met while organizing a charity event.
Springsteen, 56, and Scialfa, a backup singer in his band, married in 1991 and have three children. He had previously been married to actress Julianne Phillips.
The 53-year-old Scialfa has toured with Springsteen and the E Street Band and has recorded two albums.
A phone message left after hours for Springsteen's publicist was not immediately returned Monday night.
Eva Longoria 'desperate' to shake off sex-kitten image
Eva Longoria was thrilled when she bagged the role of a serious special agent in the movie 'The Sentinel', for she was hoping that it would stop people from thinking about her only as a sex-kitten.
Eva plays a special agent opposite Michael Douglas in upcoming thriller 'The
Sentinel', and admits she is desperate to shake off the sex kitten image she
has gained playing Gabriele Solis in hit series 'Desperate Housewives'.
"I wanted to show the audience I was capable of doing something
else, before they could only see me as Gabrielle," Femalefirst quoted her, as saying.
Despite her typecasting concerns, the 31-year-old actress is seen in several
revealing outfits in 'The Sentinel'.
Eva insists the sequences were essential to the movie's plot.
She explained: "There is a shot of my butt in a tight skirt as I walk in the
office. So my boss tells me to dress differently. It is all very important.
Apart from a more serious role, Longoria also got the chance to work with some of Hollywood's biggest names like Michael Douglas and Keifer Sutherland.
Scarlett Johansson signs with Reebok for fashion project
Scarlett Johansson refuses to be left behind.
With other popular actresses cashing in on their celebrity by inking lucrative deals and endorsements with major brand names -- Elizabeth Hurley just signed with Jordache -- Miss Johansson has agreed to team up with Reebok for a fashion project.
Next spring, the sneaker giant will launch Scarlett "Hearts" Rbk, a line of athletic-inspired footwear and fashion-forward apparel. Miss Johansson also will model the head-to-toe looks in a global multimedia advertising campaign.
Reebok won't say how much the 21-year-old film star is being paid.
Reaction has been swift. At idontlikeyouinthatway.com/, one blogger commented, "It's nice to see a woman with curves being recognized as sexy" while another declared: "I wish she would stick to acting, but I guess the money is that tempting."
Lopez clears off pregnancy rumors again
Jennifer Lopez's publicist says that the star is "100 percent not pregnant," denying a rumor started by singer Jesse McCartney on an Atlanta radio station.
McCartney, telling Star 94 that his girlfriend, Katie Cassidy, is in the movie version of the TV show "Dallas," said that J-Lo was not canned, she left because of pregnancy.
A source described as "close to Jennifer" told US weekly that McCartney "doesn't even know Jennifer."
"His girlfriend has never even met Jennifer," the source said. "She just got cast in the movie after Jennifer was already out. Jennifer is shooting the cover of a high fashion magazine. Do you think she could wear couture if she was pregnant?"
Rumors that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony might soon be parents have been springing up on an almost monthly basis since their June 2004 wedding and Lopez has made no secret of her desire to reproduce.
In January 2006, word of Lopez's impending motherhood spread yet again after she and Anthony were spotting loading up on baby gear at various trendy Los Angeles infant stores. Once again, her rep spoke up to assure the world that once again, Lopez was not pregnant.
The gossip mill started up again in May 2006, when widely reported signs such as Lopez's fuller appearance in both her face and her belly and her gray roots were cited as evidence that she was indeed expecting. Yet again, her camp was ready with the denial.
That brings us up to the present, when both Lopez's abrupt departure from the Dallas project and McCartney's comment have fueled the flames of reproduction rumors only to be shut down yet again.
Stay tuned for next month's inevitable bumpwatch reports, be they true or false.
Lindsay Lohan is "very, very disrespectful"
Macy (left) and LohanLindsay Lohan is "very, very disrespectful" William H Macy criticized Lindsay Lohan's behavior when filming the movie Bobby together earlier in the year.
William said he thought Lindsay was talented but "very, very disrespectful" to her co-stars and the crew behind the film, according to Fametastic.
"I think what an actor has to realize (is that) when you show up an hour late, 150 people have been scrambling to cover for you. It's nothing but disrespect. Lindsay Lohan is not the only one. A lot of actors show up late as if they're God's gift to the film. It's inexcusable, and they should have their a**es kicked", said William.
"I worry about these young kids - 15, 18, 20 years old - who in the span of one year become millionaires and powerhouses. It's too much power for a kid that age to handle", added he.
Lohan was blasted in a letter last month from Morgan Creek CEO James G. Robinson for her absences on the set of her new film, "Georgia Rule." He called her behavior that of "a spoiled child."
Lohan is in "Georgia Rule" with Macy's wife, "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman.
Lindsay Lohan gets another lesson in manners and life, from William H. Macy
Paris Hilton snubbed for guest spot on HBO
Paris Hilton arrives at the HBO post-Emmy
Awards party in West Hollywood, Calif.The most unlikely Hollywood feud in memory has broken out between Paris Hilton and - get this! - British comic Ricky Gervais.
Gervais - creator of TV-comedy phenomenon "The Office" and, more recently, the HBO series, "Extras" - apparently snubbed the blond heiress.
Hilton had asked to appear in an episode of "Extras" next season - and Gervais said no thanks.
Hilton has decided that he's too insecure to work with someone of her, um, stature.
"I guess he's obviously scared of starring alongside an A-lister," Hitlon told the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend.
A number of Hollywood stars portrayed themselves in the first season - including Ben Stiller, Samuel L. Jackson and a cursing Kate Winslet.
No reply yet from Gervais.
Jessica Simpson rocks out in Philly
Jessica Simpson leaves a radio station in PhiladelphiaSinger-actress Jessica Simpson made a brief, low-key radio appearance to promote her new CD, "A Public Affair."
Simpson was on the Chris Booker radio show to discuss the national release on Tuesday of her CD. Simpson then briefly said "hi" to some gathered fans as she left Philadelphia.
Jessica has revealed she lost eight pounds in just two weeks so she would look her best at the Teen Choice Awards.
She said: "I have been working out five days a week for two hours a day. There are no tricks. There is no easy way."
Before beginning her gruelling diet and exercise regime, the 'Dukes of Hazzard' actress went on a pre-diet binge.
Tom Cruise wins Australia award -- for sexism
Actor Tom Cruise has a new award from Australia to add to his collection -- for being the most sexist celebrity.
About 400 of Australia's most powerful women gathered in the New South Wales state parliament late Thursday to decide on the winners of the 14th annual "Ernie Awards" which are handed out for the worst derogatory public statements.
The awards were named after a trade union leader called Ernie whose union members included sheep shearers. He once famously said: "Women aren't welcome in the shearing sheds. They're only after the sex."
The "Ernies" have an international flavor -- and Cruise was awarded the 2006 Celebrity Ernie.
Dumped by Paramount Pictures for his erratic behavior, Cruise won for a comment he made about his pregnant partner Katie Holmes: "I've got Katie tucked away so no one will get to us until my child is born."
The political award went to Bill Heffernan, a member of Prime Minister John Howard's conservative government in a hotly contested field.
Heffernan chastised opposition Labor MP Julia Gillard for being single and childless. "Anyone who chooses to deliberately remain barren ... they've got no idea what life's about," Heffernan said.
But the Golden Ernie for 2006 went to cruise liner company P&O for an advertising campaign that included postcards featuring bikini-clad women and the caption: "Seamen wanted."
The company has subsequently apologized for the campaign and described it as inappropriate.
Jessica Alba misses tooth after steamy sex scene
Sexy Jessica Alba is missing a tooth after an overzealous love scene with new movie costar Dane Cook left her needing dental work.
The Sin City star was shooting kissing scenes with Cook in new film Good Luck, Chuck when the couple's teeth clashed.
"We did all of our love scenes in one day and I chipped a tooth and I lost a tooth, isn't that disgusting? We're smashing our faces together, it's not the slowest, most romantic love scene," TMZ.com quoted her, as saying.
Alba's publicist Brad Cafarelli is playing down the incident, stating, "She chipped a tooth and it was easily fixed."
Nicole Kidman to open Rome film festival
Nicole Kidman will open Rome's first international film festival with her portrayal of U.S. photographer Diane Arbus, organizers said on Friday.
Kidman plays Arbus in Steven Shainberg's "Fur," which premieres in Rome on October 13.
"I love Italy and I feel great affinity with it," Kidman said in a statement issued by organizers of the Rome festival. "I am especially proud to be christening this important event."
Kidman's presence in the capital will add to a debate in Italy over the rivalry between the Rome event and Venice's venerable film festival, established in 1932.
Just two years ago Kidman was the headline star at the Venice festival.
Film industry experts say the two festivals will compete over stars and premieres, and Rome could cast a shadow over Venice's festival, which has been dogged by organizational and financial problems.
After her suicide in 1971 Arbus became the first American photographer to be exhibited by the Venice Biennale, the art foundation that oversees the Venice festival, the world's oldest film competition.
Rome organizers said other premieres will include "The Namesake" by Indian director Mira Nair and "N" -- a film about Napoleon by Italy's Paolo Virzi. Additionally, Sean Connery will receive an award for lifetime achievement.
Jolie and Pitt avoid meeting Voight
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's rare night out on the town at actor Scott Caan's birthday party was almost ruined when the couple narrowly escaped a run-in with Angelina's estranged father, Jon Voight.
After taking in an exhibition at an LA art gallery, the couple went on to the Hollywood party but were forced to spend 30 minutes sitting in their car outside, after learning that Angelina's outspoken father was already inside the birthday bash.
Brad, who starred alongside Scott in Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, finally made his way into the party by himself, prompting Voight to make his exit just minutes later.
On hearing that her father had left the building, Angelina finally made her entrance through a back door.
Voight became estranged from Angelina in 2002 when he declared publicly that she needed help for what he called "mental problems".
Schwarzenegger settles 'grope' case
Hollywood star-turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled a libel lawsuit with a British journalist.
She claimed she was groped by him during an interview and later defamed by his aides during his 2003 campaign.
"The parties are content to put this matter behind them and are pleased that this legal dispute has now been settled," said a two-sentence statement issued jointly in London by lawyers for Schwarzenegger and the journalist, Anna Richardson.
No details were released. The statement said Richardson and the three people she sued - the governor and two top aides, Sean Walsh and publicist Sheryl Main - reached a settlement "to all parties' satisfaction".
The settlement was confirmed by Walsh in a telephone interview.
The agreement spares the governor from what could have been a potentially embarrassing trial as he campaigns for a second term this year.
Richardson, a former late-night TV personality, sued Schwarzenegger and his two aides in London in May 2004. She claimed Schwarzenegger fondled her breast during a December 2000 interview in London and that his staff later damaged her reputation by contending she encouraged his behaviour.
Schwarzenegger's lawyers argued that Richardson did not give a truthful account of events during the interview.
Blaze at Jackson's Neverland ranch
Flanked by water-dropping helicopters, about 100 firefighters contained a 40-acre blaze on Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
The blaze came within a quarter of a mile of the main residence on Friday, but there were no injuries and Jackson's menagerie of animals were also unhurt, said Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman Keith Cullom
"It's pretty much been knocked down," said Cullom. "It's not really moving much at this point."
Jackson, 47, was not at the house. He has been living in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Bahrain since being acquitted of child molestation charges in California in June 2005.
The ranch's amusement park rides were within the burned area, Cullom said, but no structures caught fire. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
The 2,500-acre site is tucked into the California countryside amid wineries about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
In March Jackson closed the main house at Neverland, laying off most of the staff after agreeing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages to avoid a lawsuit by state labour officials.
Gibson 'must make movie admission'
Mel Gibson's apology for making drunken anti-Semitic remarks was not enough to redeem him, actor, producer and director Rob Reiner has said.
The actor also must acknowledge that "his work reflects anti-Semitism", particularly the 2004 movie The Passion Of The Christ, Reiner told Associated Press Radio.
"When he comes to the understanding that he has done that, and can come out and say, you know, 'My views have been reflected in my work and I feel bad that I've done that', then that will be the beginning of some reconciliation for him," Reiner, who is Jewish, said.
Some critics attacked Gibson's movie as portraying Jews as evil, but supporters said the film was merely being faithful to Gospel accounts of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion.
A call to Gibson's publicist seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Gibson apologised publicly for an anti-Semitic tirade he unleashed when he was arrested for drunken driving in Malibu on July 28. He has called the remarks "despicable".
Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour charge in a deal that calls for alcohol rehabilitation, fines and probation.
Reiner, however, said Gibson also must do some "major soul-searching".
"It's not a matter of just apologising for some words you've said," said Reiner. "It's to really understand why it is you're anti-Semitic and where those feelings came from.
"I believe that people can be redeemed and people can change, but that's going to be a very long process."
LeBlanc sued over 'sexual comments'
Former Friends actor Matt LeBlanc has been sued for defamation by a woman who claims he made sexually-charged comments about her that were published in US magazine the National Enquirer.
In the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Stephanie Stephens claims LeBlanc told an unspecified person in August 2005 that she was sexually aggressive, gave him a lap dance in a private room, and engaged him in a "night of sexual debauchery ... at her place of employment".
A call to LeBlanc's publicist was not immediately returned.
In the suit, Stephens said she was never sexually aggressive towards LeBlanc, never made sexual requests and never gave a lap dance.
The suit also says that "all sexual contact between the defendant and the plaintiff took place in the privacy of (Stephens') residence".
The suit does not provide details on the woman's relationship to LeBlanc, nor does it specify damages being sought.
The National Enquirer is not named as a defendant in the suit.
Posh a yankee doodle dandy
VICTORIA Beckham is to host her own
fashion-based reality TV show in the USAIt is tipped to turn Posh into a huge star there – and will give her a chance to plug her own designs.
Yesterday we revealed how boozy Victoria, 32, went on a bender with pals in Mayfair. Now the champagne will be flowing for her again to mark her telly coup across the Atlantic.
Sources say her show will be similar to America’s Next Top Model but based around fashion. Pop mogul Simon Fuller, who guides her career, is in talks with US telly networks and said yesterday the show was "almost certain" to start production very soon.
Fuller, 46, who runs American Idol’s creators 19 Management, told Broadcast magazine: "It will be more serious than a reality show but very entertaining because Victoria is so funny. She has found her niche."
He’s also working on a UK comedy series starring another ex-Spice Girl, Emma Bunton, 30. Hosting a show would be a dream come true for Posh. She had been approached to take part the current series of ITV’s X Factor but wanted to concentrate on her fashion career designing for Rock and Republic jeans.
Husband David, 31, has opened a soccer school in Los Angeles and hinted that he’d like to move there when his playing days come to an end.
The show would also be a much-needed boost for the couple. Earlier this week, their his ’n’ hers fragrance launch was overshadowed by jibes about how Posh’s bum appeared to have been air-brushed to look bigger.
Cruise's Secret Yahoo! Meeting
Tom Cruise isn't wasting any time in turning his business fortunes around after parting ways with Paramount Studios -- he's making waves at Internet media giant Yahoo!
The movie star secretly met with Yahoo! bosses in Santa Monica, Calif., yesterday -- and took wife-to-be Katie Holmes along with him.
Dressed smart but casual in jeans, a shirt and a blazer, Cruise looked happy as he left his three-hour meeting at Yahoo! hand in hand with Holmes, who was dressed for winter in a coat and boots on a sweltering 100-degree California summer day.
The actor refused to discuss what the meeting was about or what plans he has with Yahoo! executives.
The meeting followed a six-hour briefing Cruise hosted with selected studio bosses at trendy restaurant Orso in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Cruise was reportedly dumped by Paramount boss Sumner Redstone earlier this week.
Redstone said the studio ended the 14-year relationship with Cruise's production company because he did not approve of the actor's much-publicized antics in the last 12 months, including a sofa-jumping incident on the "Oprah" show and a stern attack of psychiatry on breakfast show "Today."
Cruise and his business partner have refuted the reason for the split.
Christina Aguilera goes back to basics
BACK TO BASICS: Christina Aguilera has toned down her raunchy image for her new double album, instead favouring a classy diva lookChristina Aguilera has based her career on controversy and exploiting her image. However, lastyear music executive Jordan Bratman made an honest woman of the Dirrty singer and it seems that marriage has changed everything for Christina.
The singer, currently promoting her third album Back to Basics, seems to have a new image, a new style of music and a new attitude to life.
But just how different is Mrs Bratman from the Christina Aguilera we all thought we knew so intimately?
Since she became a wife Christina has cleaned up her act and dropped her garish, sexy image. The girl, who once romped on stage wearing chaps over glittery knickers, is now a lady who sits in the front row of Christian Dior and Lacroix shows at LA fashion week.
Christina, or Maria to call her by her husband's pet name for her, has removed her infamous 12 piercings, which added the finishing touches to her rebellious look. These included a nose ring, a nipple ring and two piercings in an extremely intimate part of her body.
The Stripped singer has said: "I think the Christina look I had before meeting Jordan is well and truly in my past.
"I've decided on a classier image for the future - more fitting for a married lady."
But just because Christina no longer strives to appear as outrageous as she once did does not mean that she has lost her sex-appeal or her independence.
The 25-year-old singer has swapped her coloured hair extensions for elegant blonde curls and in May this year posed naked in a Marilyn Monroe-style photo shoot for GQ magazine. She has well and truly ditched the low slung baggy trousers and cut off tops and now opts for classy figure hugging dresses, elegant pencil skirts with low-cut blouses.
The girl who sang Genie in a bottle whilst baring her naval has become a woman, but she definitely still knows how to flaunt her assets. And the change in image reflects a change in music for the singer.
After the bubble gum pop of her self-titled debut album, followed by the heavily hip-hop influenced Stripped album, Back to Basics reflects the mature Christina who knows who she wants to be. She's still sexy, and so is her music, it's just more sophisticated.
The singer herself has described it as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist."
Her music reflects the woman she has become, but it still features a collection of sure-fire chart hits, that Christina fans will love. Although the new Christina may have toned down her act, lets take some time out to remember how good the old Christina was at teasing her male fans.
In 2004 she said: "I find it hornier looking at women than men. Sorry, I love experimenting with my sexuality. If that means girls, then so be it."
Christina also confessed that she enjoyed casual sex.
She said: "I have casual sex, I love casual sex. But that doesn't mean I'm incapable of keeping my legs together."
A year earlier Christina took part in a memorable performance at the MTV awards in which she shared a lesbian kiss with music legend Madonna, one of her self-proclaimed idols and major influences.
She has become a modern day sex symbol for men and women alike, as well as being a massive gay icon.
But, it wasn't until 2002 that the beauty found her Mr Right and started dating Jordan Bratman.
It is widely reported how much in love Christina and her husband are, and they spend little time apart.
However, the sex symbol insists her decision to change her image now that she is married will not mean keeping her assets under wraps.
She explained: "Being sexual is a huge part of my artistry and who I am as a woman. When I am sexual in my lyrics or videos, it's because I am being honest. I'm in favour of any woman being proud of her body.
"I'm going to stick to my guns and keep pushing the envelope no matter what people say." And it is that self respect that is more obvious in her new image, a new found awareness that she needs only be sexy to please herself, not anyone else, except perhaps her husband.
No longer does the singer endeavour to fit a male fantasy, she simply presents herself as the attractive woman she is and people can take it or leave it.
It is a responsible message for an artist whose main audience are teenage girls to be sending, but it is not too dull and straight-laced that they will dismiss it.
And the Beautiful singer is keen to encourage empowerment in other women.
Christina is planning to open a home for battered women. She has already donated $200,000 and some of her belongings to shelters in her hometown of Pittsburgh, but she wants to do more. She said: Some of these women leave their homes without anything.
"They just grab the kids and get out of the situation. And so a lot of these women have nothing, and they have to start from scratch."
The artist also publicly supports the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Refuge UK.
The issue is very close to Christina's heart as she witnessed her father physically and verbally abuse her mother before they divorced when she was six-years-old. The star even sings about her personal experience on her latest album.
She explained she hopes to help victims of domestic violence by building up their confidence, "because it's really broken after they've been beaten down for so long."
And as well as helping other families, Christina would now like to start a one of her own. While promoting her latest album she has repeatedly spoken of how broody she is feeling.
She revealed: "I'm going to do one more album and then consider settling down and having kids." But motherhood isn't quite on the cards just yet.
With her new album out and the first single Ain't No Other Man already proving a hit with fans, the stage still beckons to Christina Aguilera.
Ever the showgirl, the Moulin Rouge singer has been giving her promotional tour everything she's got and it is clear there is plenty more to come.
Christina Aguilera may have become the model wife, but she is still the sex symbol she always was.
She has changed, but she has not shed her sexy image, it is simply more sophisticated than before.
Like her album title Back to Basics suggests Christina has stripped her image down.
She doesn't need to be raunchy or rebellious to be sexy, she just is. Under the coloured hair extensions, the piercings and the garish clothes there was always a beautiful woman.
And while she may have promised her heart to one man, she is still sharing her love of music with the world.
Married life may have tamed Christina, but as a performer it has only changed her for the better.
Beyonce's maple syrup diet warning
LIQUID DIET: Beyonce has warned women not to use the
maple syrup diet as a way to lose weight,
despite shedding 6kg in 10 daysPop star Beyonce Knowles has issued a warning about the maple syrup diet, after previously praising it for helping her lose weight.
The singer lost 6 kilos in 10 days on the diet, which involves drinking a combination of maple syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper up to 10 times a day.
British health food shops have reported massive rises in the sale of the Madal Bal brand of maple syrup on which the diet is based.
But Beyonce now insists "I'm very happy with my curves" and has warned women to eat sensibly, despite using the diet to lose weight for her role in the movie Dreamgirls.
In an interview on the BBC Breakfast programme on BBC1, the 24-year-old said: "I would never recommend it to anyone unless you are doing a movie and it's necessary, and you have proper help.
"There are ways to lose weight healthily if you want to lose weight, but this was for a film."
In a separate interview with GMTV, Beyonce said she ate doughnuts "and all the other things" to return to her former weight.
"I'm very conscious of being a curvy woman and I'm very happy that I am a curvy woman."
Nutritionists say the syrup does not contain sufficient nutrients and dieters could end up in hospital if they use it for more than few days.
Paris pops up
Multimillion dollar baby... Paris HiltonSo let's say for a minute you're Paris Hilton. You're the world's most famous socialite - they even coined a word, celebutante, to describe you. You're a successful model, TV star, author; you own your own fashion label, have launched your own perfume, head up a chain of nightclubs, have been named as Playboy's Sex Star Of The Year ... and are heiress to a $360million fortune. So what do you really want to do?
Become a pop star, of course!
Ms Hilton's debut album, Paris, is released on Monday - and it represents the culmination of two full years' work by the celebutante. The critics are naturally thumbing their thesauruses for new and nasty ways to mock her efforts, although the first review on Popjustice settles for the subtly barbed: "this album is almost making us think that someone somewhere has been listening to various successful and brilliant pop records and trying to copy them".
So why put herself through the humiliation? She doesn't need the money, she doesn't need the fame, she can't play, dance or even sing to any great effect. Why would an internationally famous, fabulously wealthy, outrageously successful young woman even want to be a pop star at all?
For the same reason, presumably, Kate Winslet followed her three Oscar nominations with a pop single (2001's What If). Or Nicole Kidman duetted with Robbie Williams the same year. Or Kate Moss released a cover of Some Velvet Morning with Primal Scream. For the same reason Jordan, Caprice and Naomi Campbell have all attempted music careers. For the same reason a young Kylie Minogue went knocking on Pete Waterman's door all those years ago. Because, it seems, all that fame don't mean a thing ... if you ain't gonna sing.
Inside every successful modern millionairess is a wide-eyed X Factor contestant desperate to show what she can do. Being a pop star gives you something no other career can: it's a public display of all the most desirable attributes a young woman like Paris (or Jordan, or Naomi) dreams of. Being a pop star shows you to be at once sexy, creative, empowered and smart. It makes you simultaneously a siren, an artist, a role model and a businesswoman. Or, to put it another way, it makes you Madonna.
Of course, Paris (the album) will get ripped to shreds. But what all of the anticipatory critical nastiness is forgetting is that the first single to be released from it, Stars Are Blind, was actually rather brilliant - like a cross between UB40 and Britney Spears. And the rest of the album, while never repeating the trick, certainly isn't any worse than recent offerings from Jessica Simpson, Rachel Stevens or any number of other so-called "proper" pop stars.
And Paris being Paris, she was at least canny enough to form her own record label to release it on: so no matter what happens, you can bet she'll finish up on the deal. Even Madonna wasn't that smart in the beginning.
Beckham, Wife to Unveil 2 New Fragrances
LONDON -- Soccer star David Beckham and his pop-star wife Victoria are set to get intimate with the unveiling of a new fragrance for men and women next month. Dubbed "intimately Beckham for Him" and "for Her," the fragrances will be sold starting next month across Britain.
The couple, who married in 1999, have spent almost a decade in the perpetual glare of celebrity photographers' flashbulbs, but their appeal is waning.
Beckham, the world's most recognized soccer player, quit as England soccer captain after the team's lackluster performance in the summer's World Cup tournament. He has since been ditched from the England squad, signaling the winding down of his playing career.
Victoria, once a singer with the multimillion-selling Spice Girls, made a poorly received solo album in 2001, but recently switched her attention to developing a line of designer jeans.
Both versions of the fragrance are set to go on sale in Britain starting Sept. 1. There was no immediate word on whether the fragrance would be marketed elsewhere.
Jennifer Aniston denies she's engaged
Is she? Isn't she? Jennifer Aniston poses in front
of a movie poster for "The Break-Up."NEW YORK - Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn engaged? Don’t be ridiculous, Aniston says.
The “Friends” actress told People magazine that reports of her engagement to the “Be Cool” actor, including an article in Us Weekly, are false, calling the stories “insane.”
“I’m not engaged, and I don’t have a ring, and I haven’t been proposed to,” Aniston told People, according to an article appearing on the magazine’s Web site Wednesday.
Us reported in an Aug. 9 cover story citing anonymous sources that Vaughn had proposed to Aniston on June 27 on a private jet after a trip to Mexico. Us is sticking by its story, which other media outlets picked up.
“Us Weekly based its story on lengthy interviews with four separate and independent sources close to the couple, including two who learned of the engagement directly from Vince Vaughn,” the magazine said in a statement Wednesday. “Jennifer’s publicist never denied the engagement in advance of publication.”
People magazine said Aniston, who has starred in such movies as “Along Came Polly” and “Bruce Almighty,” called it to clarify the reports.
Aniston said she normally ignores rumors published about her but wanted to speak this time because the reports had been picked up by mainstream news outlets.
“The only reason I’m saying something is because if we’re listening to the news we’re supposed to be believing in the news,” she said.
Aniston was vague about her relationship with Vaughn, whom she met last year while filming “The Break-Up.”
“We’re just being,” she told People. “We’re having a good time.”
Paris asks fans to judge her music, not image
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Socialite, tabloid fodder, reality star, yes. But Paris Hilton the singer?
As she promotes her new album, "Paris," Hilton says she understands the confusion over her transformation. But she urges a look past the stereotypes.
"I can understand people prejudging on that fact," she said Tuesday outside Specs Music Store on South Beach, "but the music speaks for itself."
Hilton, 25, will release "Paris" on Tuesday. Her breathy single, "Stars Are Blind," has already jumped up Billboard's dance music charts.
It may seem a departure from what has made her famous, including the TV reality show "The Simple Life," but Hilton says music has always been a passion.
"I've been singing and playing the piano and violin since I'm 6 years old," she said, "so it's something I've been doing my whole life."
Hilton said she's confident of the album's appeal.
"I know music," she said, "so I know people will love it."
Hilton said she finds herself in an unusual position for an artist releasing her first album.
"Most artists, you know, they're unknown before they actually have their album come out," she said. "And with me, it's a different situation because people have seen me around for the past couple of years."
Britney snaps over Kevin's six pet sharks
Britney Spears, seen here in February with husband Kevin Federline,
is child-proofing her house...against sharks.Britney Spears is ruining all of K-Fed’s fun.
The pop star is making her aspiring rap star hubby, Kevin Federline, get rid of his pet sharks, according to Life & Style.
Spears, who is expecting her second child with Federline, apparently fears that the six Australian gray nurse sharks are a bit of a bit risky when there are two kiddies around the house.
“Kevin loves those sharks,” a family friend told the mag. “He even named them. But Brit said there’s no way he’d be keeping them.”
K-Fed also says Spears is his toughest musical critic. “She gives me her real opinions about my tunes,” he said, reports Passim. “When I get really excited about the songs, she would tell me to slow down.”
Grandma knows best
Justin Timberlake’s granny is revealing why the former Mouseketeer won’t marry longtime sweetie Cameron Diaz: it’s not that he’s too young, it’s that he’s too immature.
The 25-year-old former beau of Britney Spears has been dating the 33-year-old star of “The Mask” for years, but it looks like they won’t be getting hitched anytime soon.
“It isn’t about him being too young,” Timberlake’s grandmother, Sadie Bomar told In Touch Weekly. “It’s how mature you are about marriage and he isn’t ready.”
Timberlake not a Taylor Hicks fan
Justin Timberlake is not in awe of Taylor Hicks’ talent.
“People think he looks so normal, and he’s so sweet and he’s so earnest, but he can’t carry a tune in a bucket,” Timberlake told Fashion Rocks, a supplement of Vanity Fair. Timberlake also thinks that Hicks’ fame is fragile. “If [Hicks] has any skeletons whatsoever, if God forbid, he’s gay, and if all these people in Mississippi who voted for him are like [then he takes on a thick southern accent], ‘Oh my god, I voted for a queer!’ It’s just too much pressure.”
The “Justified” singer has mixed feelings about “American Idol,” the show made Hicks famous. “I have a strange relationship with that show,” he said. “I despise it, yet I’m completely fascinated.”
Of his former sweetie, Britney Spears, he said: “I dated Britney half my life, but I don’t know that woman anymore.”
Britney Spears second pregnancy unplanned
Pop singer says ‘I feel like I’ve been pregnant for 10 years!
NEW YORK - Britney Spears, expecting baby No. 2, says she and husband Kevin Federline didn’t plan the pregnancy.
“It just kind of happened,” the 24-year-old singer reveals in an interview in the latest issue of People magazine, on newsstands Friday.
She adds, laughing: “I’m going to wait a while for the next (one)!”
At eight months pregnant, Spears is mom to 11-month old son Sean Preston, the couple’s first child. “I feel like I’ve been pregnant for 10 years!” she says.
Having back-to-back babies can be stressful, she says, but she adheres to her mom’s advice to take it “one day at a time.”
“It is now starting to get a little tiring, holding (Sean Preston), but the whole pregnancy I’ve done it a lot because he’s very attached,” she tells the magazine. “It makes me feel needed and wanted, so I like it too.”
Spears says she and Federline, 28, don’t know the gender of their baby-to-be. The little one and its big brother “are going to be so close together, it’s going to be weird. But I love it,” she says.
Spears — who has gained about 40 pounds during her pregnancy — plans to hit the gym and begin dieting soon after having the baby, scheduled to be a Caesarean birth, as was her first. She is not, though, ignoring her cravings at this point.
“Crunching ice and chocolate, oh my God,” she says. “I’ll get up in the middle of the night and I’ll get a Hershey’s bar, the real big ones, and I’ll put it in the microwave and melt it and eat it. It sounds disgusting, but it’s so satisfying.”
Is Ben Affleck a changed man?
Admits he used to take roles just for
the cash and calls success ‘corrupting’LOS ANGELES - As Ben Affleck prepares to release his latest film, “Hollywoodland,” he sat down with Access Hollywood's Billy Bush to talk about his new movie, changes in his life and what it's like to be a dad.
“Hollywoodland” follows a 1950s private detective who, while investigating the mysterious death of “Superman” star George Reeves (Affleck), uncovers unexpected connections to his own life as the case turns more personal. The torrid affair Reeves had with the wife of a studio executive might hold the key to the truth.
“You were great in this movie. Let's just get that out there,” Billy complimented Ben.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” Ben replied.
Fair to say, the dramatic role is a far departure for Affleck from some of his more recent, lighter projects, such as “Clerks 2,” “Surviving Christmas,” “Gigli” or “Paycheck.”
“Talk about choosing the role. How did it come about? How did you make this choice?” Billy asked.
“Initially, it was just the script was really good. It's taken me awhile, but I've kind of learned to just understand that script has to be good to start with. It's not like ‘We will get it there. We'll work on it and it'll get better.’ It has to be great to begin with,” Ben explained. “We have a director who is a really smart guy and had a great take on it and I had a chance to work with these sublime actors. I mean, Diane Lane is as good as anyone. Adrien Brody is spectacular. So that was kind of a given in that sense.”
Ben also added that the roles he is choosing at this point in his life are much different that in years passed.
“It got to a point in my life where what was available to me was much more interesting stuff that wasn't about money, it wasn't about big poster movies — it was about interesting stories,” Ben continued. “And this was a guy whose story was really interesting. It was kind of a low budget movie and kind of an experiment in storytelling that was about a dark subject.”
“You made a change in your life as far as how you choose movies didn't you? You really got into this script,” Billy noted.
“Well, to a certain extent I didn't want to just do one thing. I didn't want to do what I had been doing anymore. It didn't make my happy,” Ben revealed.
“Did you go for the money? Will you admit there were times when you were like ‘That's a huge check. I'm taking it’?” Billy asked Ben.
“Oh definitely,” Ben admitted. “My feeling was like, I started out wanting to be an actor, got a break and was shocked. The idea that I would even be successful at all was so foreign to me. I certainly didn't have time to anticipate what it would be like or prepare for it.”
“So when people are throwing checks at you, you're like ‘I'm in,’” Billy said.
“I got successful and it was really exciting and then it became unpleasant,” Ben added. “It is corrupting your life in a way that I think people can kind of understand.”
Clearly, Ben has changed not only as an actor, but as a person. And as Billy found out, fatherhood played a large part in the change.
“What has been your most poignant moment of fatherhood?” Billy asked.
“The whole thing has been pretty exquisite. It's completely realigned my priorities,” Ben beamed. “My work is absolutely secondary to my family and that's good. It's as it should be and it's effortless.”
Husband to Jennifer Garner and father to their 8-month-old daughter Violet, Ben is a new man. Gone are the flashy days of arriving to a premiere in a Rolls Royce and being the subject of tabloid headlines.
“You've made great changes personally. I haven't seen you coming out of Starbucks in your sweats in a while,” Billy laughed. “Personally, you are laying very low. Are you over Hollywood?”
“I try as hard as I possibly can to not be in the…” Ben said as he paused. “Because really, actually, it just hurts your career. It hurts your life, hurts your career, it hurts almost everything about you.”
Catch Ben in “Hollywoodland” when it hits theaters Sept. 8.
What happened to Kate Hudson’s marriage?
Perhaps her ‘Dupree’ co-star Owen
Wilson has something to do with itWhat happened between Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson?
Kate and Owen Wilson shared exactly one kiss in this summer's “You, Me And Dupree,” but one day after Kate's surprise announcement, the question becomes, is there an Owen factor?
And apparently that's exactly what Kate and Chris are doing after nearly six years of marriage.
But Kate has always been a realist, even as recently as 2005. Just one year after having son Ryder, Kate talked to Access Hollywood's Billy Bush:
“I feel like when you look at somebody that you are, that you love and you respect, that you decide, especially decided to have children with them, and you say we're not having fun anymore what are we going to do?” Kate said. “And you realize its over, its time to hopefully move on and experience, experience your life.”
“You got married so young,” Billy said.
“Yeah,” Kate laughed.
“So, are you prepared to live your life, the rest of your life, with just one lover?” Billy asked.
“I don't know the answer to that,” Kate said.
“Do you imagine so? If things work out that way?” Billy asked.
“I hope so,” Kate said. “That's all you can hope for. That's my dream, and my hope, and my desire.”
And Kate expressed skepticism about the reality and nature of monogamy but said she would never disrespect her husband by straying.
So, after being spotted together, is Owen a reason Kate and Chris split.
Shaun spoke with MTV VJ Damien Fahey, who worked with Kate and Owen on a “You, Me And Dupree” skit for “Total Request Live.”
“What about the chemistry between those two?” Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson asked.
“Oh, its great, Owen and Kate loved each other, they're friends first and foremost,” Damien said.
“All the rumors going around that he had something to do with it?” Shaun asked.
“No, I don't think so, like I said its a brother sister thing,” Damien said.
Owen's rep tells us the same.
So, instead, as is common, busy schedules seem to be the couple's biggest obstacle.
“You have to, every once in a while, let them know you are OK by yourself, and I think that keeps them going keeps them going,” Kate told Billy.
“And you'll be able to experience that in the next year,” Billy asked. “Isn't he going on the road?”
“Yeah, we'll be away from each other a lot,” Kate said. “I'll be working.”
“This is probably going to be the most challenging year coming up for both of you?” Billy asked.
“Yeah, that we've ever had... so we'll see how it works out,” Kate laughed.
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards reach divorce pact
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Estranged Hollywood couple Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, whose bitter divorce battle titillated the tabloids for months, have amicably settled most of their differences, their lawyers said.
Lance Spiegel, an attorney for Sheen, said on Monday that issues connected with their divorce proceedings were resolved after a closed-door session between lawyers for both sides and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Marjorie Steinberg, who has presided over the case.
Richards' lawyer, Neil Hersh, also said the couple had reached an amicable resolution, adding that a September 12 court hearing on child custody had been canceled, but so far no judgment has been entered in the divorce.
As part of the settlement, Richards agreed to drop a restraining order she had obtained against Sheen directing him to stay at least 300 yards away from her and their two daughters, Sam 2, and 1-year-old Lola, the lawyers said.
Sheen's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, added the following in a statement from Spiegel on Tuesday: "The parties have resolved, on an interim basis, the issues that were previously before the court, including custody arrangements for the children. There are ongoing efforts to resolve the remaining issues on an amicable basis."
The restraining order was issued in April after Richards, 35, filed a declaration claiming Sheen, 40, was abusing prescription drugs, gambling compulsively and had been physically and verbally abusive.
She also claimed that Sheen, who stars as a Malibu playboy on the bawdy CBS television comedy "Two and a Half Men," hired prostitutes and looked at child pornography on the Internet.
The actor, who had been permitted supervised visits with their daughters under the restraining order, filed his own declaration denying Richards' claims that he threatened her and hit her in December.
Richards filed for divorce in March 2005. The pair, who married in June 2002, attempted to reconcile last fall, but on January 4 requested that the divorce proceed.
The Sheen-Richards split became intertwined with another high-profile Hollywood breakup -- that of actress Heather Locklear and rocker Richie Sambora -- when it was reported that the Bon Jovi guitarist and Richards became romantically involved after Locklear filed for divorce.
Moss Engaged to Doherty?
Supermodel Kate Moss has fueled rumors she is engaged to on-off lover Pete Doherty, after she was spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring this weekend.
The British beauty enjoyed a turbulent relationship with the Babyshambles frontman before she called off their relationship last year, after photographs of her snorting cocaine in a London recording studio were published.
But the 32-year-old was reportedly seen kissing Doherty passionately backstage at Channel 4's TV show "Transmission" in London on Friday, where Babyshambles were due to play.
And media reports in the UK suggest the couple has rented a nightclub on the Spanish island Ibiza, where they will exchange vows this week.
Self-confessed drug addict Doherty has had an implant fitted to beat his heroin habit, after being ordered into rehab by a London court.
An insider tells The Sun, "Pete is telling everyone he loves Kate and is desperate to marry her.
"He looked healthier than I've seen him for a long while -- he looked well over it. They've been inseparable."
Spears and Federline to Renew Vows
Pop star Britney Spears and husband Kevin Federline are planning to rise above criticisms of their marriage by renewing their wedding vows.
Spears, 24, married the wannabe hip-hop star in 2004 and the couple have a baby son, Sean Preston.
And although Federline recently admitted their partnership "needed work," the pair are determined to return to their harmonious honeymoon period for the sake of a happy family life.
Spears says, "We aim to put paid to all the nasty rumors about our marriage."
The "small, intimate ceremony" is scheduled for sometime after the birth of their second child, due in October.
Sex-Free Hilton Refuses to Ditch Niarchos
Celibate Paris Hilton insists she'll keep smooching on-off boyfriend Stavros Niarchos during her year-long sex ban.
The socialite dumped shipping heir Niarchos earlier this summer but she can't erase the Greek hunk from her life -- she just won't be sleeping with him anytime soon.
She says, "We're like best friends. We were together in Europe. He is literally my best guy friend. We have so much fun together. We make out. Who cares?"
Jolie Refuses to Stay In Hollywood
Angelina Jolie has told Brad Pitt she has no intention of being a stay-at-home housewife, and already has plans to take her children on a trip to Africa, leaving the actor home alone.
The star, who gave birth to the couple's child Shiloh Nouvel in May, is adamant the baby and the couple's two other children will grow up outside of the Hollywood bubble and see the world as it really is.
Britain's Sunday Express writes that Jolie reportedly told a friend, "I want to take all three children back to Africa. I can squeeze in a break before starting work and I want to give them a little 'Mommy time' away from Brad."
A close friend tells the newspaper, "If Brad wants to keep hold of his family, he is going to have to learn to be careful about how he treats Angie.
"She is not the home-body he is and wants the kids to grow up as 'citizens of the world,' speaking several languages and with a broad perspective on life.
"She hates the idea of them growing up in the insular world of Hollywood as the spoilt brats of movie stars who expect everything to be handed to them on a plate."
Farrell has nicotine suit made
Irish actor Colin Farrell had a special suit commissioned for him during filming of Miami Vice last year - complete with nicotine patches.
Producers told him he couldn't light up on set due to the high quantity of explosives in the vicinity.
Farrell said: "I couldn't smoke while I was doing any of the scenes because of all the pyrotechnics and explosives and stuff we had on set.
"The wardrobe department made a suit for me that included nicotine patches, but they kept melting in the Miami sun."
Craig upset by Internet critics
Daniel Craig, the new James Bond actor, is keen to prove Internet critics wrong when the movie Casino Royale releases, as he is sick of reading reports that say he is the wrong choice for Bond.
According to contactmusic.com, Craig was a controversial choice from the beginning when he replaced Pierce Brosnan as Bond and fans have been vocal about this online.
He said: "If I went onto the Internet and started looking at what some people were saying about me - which, sadly, I have done - it would drive me insane. They hate me. They don't think I'm right for the role. It's as simple as that. They're passionate about it, which I understand, but I do wish they'd reserve judgment."
Aguilera goes 'Back to Basics'
The album fittingly entitled 'Back to Basics' takes
influences from Blues, Jazz, and Soul musicChristina Aguilera says the driving ambition behind her new album was to return to the music that has inspired her as she grew up.
The album fittingly entitled 'Back to Basics' takes influences from Blues, Jazz, and Soul music.
Christina said: "I wanted to do my own take on what that would be. I didn't want to take the easy way out and do any covers or things like that.
"I really wanted to go back in time and dive into those areas of the incredible Blues singers and jazz musicians.
"Taking a direction from that exciting time visually as well, using a lot of the old screen sirens and Hollywood glam stares; it was just a fun feel good time of music and beauty, so I wanted to incorporate that in the next album and that's what back to basics is basically about."
Pitt and Jolie Celebrate Maddox's Birthday
Proud parents Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt celebrated their son Maddox's 5th birthday last week with their families and the youngster's school friends.
Life & Style magazine reports the actor's parents Bill and Jane flew in two days early for the birthday bash at the couple's home in Santa Barbara.
Other guests included Jolie's French actress mother Marcheline Bertrand, and Pitt's siblings Doug and Julie, and 12 of Maddox's little pals.
Maddox received a mountain of gifts to mark the special day, including a mini-dune buggy from his parents.
Jordan's Big Boob
It seems Jordan has made something of a boob with regard to the size of her famous breasts.
And as a result, the model has been squashing herself into the wrong-sized bra.
Jordan was under the impression that her (let's not beat around the bush here) enormous bosoms were just a DD cup.
When, in fact, they are a size G.
She was recently measured up and was, for some bizarre reason, shocked to find out how big she really is.
She said: "I know I've got big boobs but I never realised they were that big.
"It just shows you how a good-fitting bra makes all the difference - and I didn't even need to get another boob job.
"Now I've got support and I look and feel great."
The 28-year-old has just signed a multi-million pound deal with underwear firm Panache to design bras for large-chested girls.
Romance on the menu as Scarlett and Josh drop in to NZ
Startled restaurant staff could not believe their luck when Hollywood stars and secret lovers Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett turned up for takeaways at Sawadee Thai Cuisine in Ponsonby Rd on Tuesday.
The beautiful Johansson and heart-throb Hartnett walked in off the street about 8pm. The young actress, who starred alongside Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, ordered a vegetarian meal. Hartnett had massaman chicken.
Hartnett is believed to be in Auckland to play a role in 30 Days of Night, a horror movie being shot by Lucy Lawless's husband, Rob Tapert, in Henderson.
It is unclear when Johansson arrived in the country but she was also seen at a top end Ponsonby boutique, Scotties, on Wednesday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported this week that the couple had taken their romance to the next level after buying a $9.5 million loft home in New York, asking for the bedrooms to be soundproofed.
Sawadee staff were startled after recognising the movie stars.
Duty manager Pam Wongsrichai said Johansson was "very tiny, skinny, like a doll".
Waitress Wachirada Sumdang could not believe her luck at seeing the tall, dark Hartnett, her favourite actor, who features in a poster from the movie Pearl Harbor on her wall.
"He was friendly and very normal. He didn't want to show he was a superstar," she said.
Ms Wachirada said the couple sat on a Thai couch at the entrance to the restaurant and called each other "honey" while they waited for takeaways.
They were "nice and friendly" and posed separately with Ms Wachirada for cellphone photographs.
They did not want to be photographed together.
Josh Hartnett signed an autograph for Pam Wongsrichai, "To Pam, Good Luck".
A Scotties staff member said Johansson walked into the Blake St shop with a man who appeared to be a minder. She did not buy anything.
Routh To Propose To Girlfriend?
Routh To Propose To Girlfriend?.... Actor Brandon Routh has been seen buying a dazzling engagement ring, prompting speculation he is planning to propose to girlfriend Courtney Ford.
The Superman Returns star spent more than an hour picking a ring at an exclusive Beverly Hills, California, jewellers, and finally settled on a band set with diamonds, costing $42,000 (£76,000).
The 26-year-old fell for Ford when they starred together in 2004 short film Denial and they have dated ever since.
Britney Caught On Candid Camera
Britney Caught On Candid Camera.... A home video of a belching, twitching Britney Spears looking far from her best and chatting to husband Kevin Federline about time travel and her hectic life has been leaked onto cult website youtube.com.
Donning jeans, white vest and a red and white trucker hat, the pre-pregnant singer adopts a thick southern drawl as she chats to her then-boyfriend Federline, who is holding the camera.
The footage looks like outtakes from the couple's critically mauled reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic.
Spears starts by moaning, "I feel like I've been missing out on life," after realising her touring commitments have led to her missing a host of movies.
She then seems confused about time travel, telling Federline she thinks the film Back To The Future is for real.
She says, "Is that possible, to time travel back in space?"
And when Federline says, "No," she states, "Yes it is, Kevin".
Lindsay Lohan: tattoo artist
Lindsay Lohan wants to open a tattoo parlour.
The 'Just My Luck' actress is so happy with her own body art - she recently showed off a new tattoo on her hip reading La Belle Vita, meaning the beautiful life - that she wants to run her own boutique-style needle shop in Los Angeles.
A source revealed to Britain's Sun newspaper: "Lindsay is setting up her own tattoo place which will be like a trendy, glass-fronted fashion store. She will work on her own designs and will market it to young society people."
But the fiery-haired star doesn't want to just stop a tattoos, she wants to create a whole line of Lindsay merchandise.
The source added: "Lindsay wants to create a complete brand which will move into clothes and merchandising. She's looking for business partners and tattooists to come in on it with her."
Meanwhile, Lindsay is so annoyed with people criticising her for being too skinny she has decided to cover up.
She moaned: "I can't help it if I have a high metabolism. So I'm just going to wear more now to shut everybody up. But I'm not happy about it."
Rihanna Refuses To Flesh It Out For Photoshoots
Rihanna Refuses To Flesh It Out For Photoshoots.... Modest Rihanna refuses to wear skimpy clothes for videos and photoshoots because she's determined to impress with her music alone - just like her idol Alicia Keys.
The Barbados-born R&B star recently turned down a cover shoot for German magazine when she learned editors wanted her to go topless for the session.
She says, "I don't like to wear things (that are) too skimpy... If I do shorts on the bottom, it's gotta be something very conservative at the top.
If it's skimpy at the top, it's gotta be long jeans or something.
"I like to balance it out. I won't do short shorts and short top.
"That's what I admire so much about Alicia Keys. She became so successful off of just her music. She was really conservative about her style at first".
She explains, "I went to the beach and I had on a one-piece swimsuit with jeans, but the swimsuit, obviously, it had the back out and stuff, the sides out.
"They took the picture and they made it look like it was a top that was really revealing... There were call-in (radio) programmes about it... It was a big deal for, like, three weeks straight - talking about I'm not setting a good example".
Robbie's Latest Lady Talks
A fellow musician approached by Robbie Williams has divulged to the latest tabloids how he smells of fags.
The 25 year old singer named Diane Sorbello apparently talked with Robbie for three hours in the German hotel he's residing at, in Dusseldorf.
She's quoted as saying in the Sun newspaper:“He smelled strongly of cigarettes. On the table were ten full packets.” However, it didn't stop her from giving the popular British artist her phone number because he was “charming and funny”.
However, she also revealed that he has yet to speak to her since their initial meeting:“He said he would contact me. Sadly, he hasn’t yet."
Shakira, Shakira Songstress gives solid, varied show in El Paso
Shakira has got the moves, and some people are willing to do just about anything to see them.
The sold-out first date of her U.S. tour Wednesday night led some fans to try to dance their way into getting tickets.
Sal Hernandez, 18, didn't have a ticket, so he danced in a competition right before the concert and won with his cowboy-style dance.
"This is the first time I've danced to a Shakira song," he said. "It was hilarious when I saw myself on the replay."
Shakira, of course, didn't disappoint with her high-energy set that began with "Estoy Aquí."
Shakira, shoeless, was dressed in a dark T-shirt and matching black pants.
After the song ended, one eager fan was able to jump on stage and hand Shakira roses before security hauled him off.
Shakira was undeterred by the incident, thanked him for the flowers and moved on to the next song, "Te Dejo Madrid."
Shakira is known more for her hip-shaking, belly-dancing moves, but during this song she even broke out "the robot" before belting out a few notes on the harmonica. Next, she strapped on a pink and silver guitar for the rock song "Don't Bother." She played some nice rhythm guitar before stepping to the lip of the stage and squeezing out a solo as well.
She and her band quieted things down for the beautiful, nearly completely acoustic "Antología," which Shakira said she wrote when she was 17.
Many artists are content to stay with one style, but Shakira isn't one of them, as she displayed with the eclectic mix of sounds in her various songs.
"Hey You" was a very vampy song, which could easily have been sung in a lounge decades ago to the roar of an approving audience.
Shakira finally let the audience have a glimpse of her famous belly when she tied her T-shirt off before singing the hit "La Tortura."
After a very brief break in the show for a costume change, Shakira re-emerged, wearing a long, flowing red dress that could have been seen centuries ago -- or on Stevie Nicks.
At the end of "No," she twirled around before the lights went off and she launched into her first English-language hit, "Whenever, Wherever."
Later, she also sang the aching "Underneath Your Clothes."
Wyclef Jean proved to be a worthy opening act for Shakira by properly getting the crowd hyped up for the main attraction.
He began with House of Pain's "Jump." One person wasn't jumping as commanded by Wyclef, who ran off the stage and stood on the rail to get the man to stand up and jump.
Wyclef's set was filled with several cover songs, including the classic "No Woman, No Cry."
He ended his 30-minute set with Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," but returned at the end of the show to join Shakira on their hit song "Hips Don't Lie."
Considering that this is the first stop of the tour and kinks usually have yet to be worked out, the evening went smoothly, and El Paso showed its worthiness as a city in which to start a tour.
Now Pamela Anderson Might Be Pregnant
You lucky devils - the inevitable Pamela Anderson Kid Rock honeymoon sex tape looks likely to be a threesome, starring Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson and the little unborn baby laying in Pamela Anderson's tummy.
You guessed it; now that Pamela Anderson had married Kid Rock - twice, just to be extra sure - she's already spouting off cryptic hints about how she might be pregnant. So, is Pamela Anderson pregnant or not? We've done the maths here, and we've worked out that if Pamela Anderson is pregnant, there's a strong chance that she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night. And when we say 'done the maths' we mean we basically downloaded a couple of her hardcore homemade sex videos off the internet. Same thing, really.
Who'd have thought that getting married to a hairy shouting cowboy would get you so much publicity. Just a few months ago, Pamela Anderson was mostly famous for forlornly trying to save Canadian seals and stopping people eating KFCs, but since she announced that she was going to marry Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson has become one of the most famous women on Earth again. And it's been a bit of a whirlwind.
After Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock got married on a boat in front of a crying shoe woman - and then got married again in Detroit after they realised they messed it up the first time - you'd expect that Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock would want to have a little time to themselves, perhaps to practice text-dumping each other or think up even more transparently cynical ways to get people playing that Pamela Anderson poker game. But no. Instead, Pamela Anderson's doing what she does best - drawing attention to herself by prattling on about how pregnant she might be.
Speaking to American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest on his radio show on Friday, Pamela Anderson was asked if she'd ever consider having a baby with Kid Rock, and she answered:
"There might be one in there now."
And that has started of a deluge of 'Is Pamela Anderson Pregnant?' whispers. If Pamela Anderson is pregnant, the baby would be her third - she has two sons, Brandon and Dylan, from her marriage to Tommy Lee. But that doesn't clear up whether or not she's pregnant. There's only one place to look at times like these; Pamela Anderson's online diary. Because if there's one thing that Pamela Anderson loves to do, it's tell the world all about her personal life through her online diary. And then flash up a picture of an animal being skinned or something and write 'Look This Is Rong' underneath it. But, anyway, it'll be the place to go to find clarification about if Pamela Anderson is really pregnant. So here's her latest diary entry, in its entirety:
"Go Tigers!"
Not a sodding clue.
L.A. judge to decide Jackson lawsuit
Pop star Michael Jackson
emerges from the courtroomLOS ANGELES - A Superior Court judge will decide a lawsuit filed by
Michael Jackson against a concert promoter to prevent arbitration over a disputed 1999 concert contract.
Jackson and his company, MJ Company, sued Marcel Avram and his German-based company for breach of contract. The lawsuit also seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent Avram from proceeding with arbitration.
In 2002, Jackson testified in a $21 million lawsuit brought by Avram, who accused the entertainer of backing out of two concerts on New Year's Eve 1999.
The two ultimately settled, with Jackson agreeing to pay Avram $6.5 million, Jackson's lawyer, Thomas C. Mundell, told Superior Court Judge Soussan G. Bruguera. He said the settlement also called for Avram to stop seeking further arbitration.
"Nobody pays $6.5 million and doesn't get a full release from future claims," Mundell said in his closing arguments during Tuesday's nonjury trial.
Disputes regarding the settlement were to be resolved in Superior Court as part of an agreement between both sides, but Avram moved forward with arbitration, according to the lawsuit.
Avram's attorney, Louis R. Miller, said his client should be entitled to $9.2 million that he spent promoting a benefit concert in
South Korea. Miller also claimed Jackson committed fraud by not disclosing to Avram that Sony Music Entertainment owned the rights to footage of the concert.
Jackson left Avram "holding the bag" for the concerts, he said.
"It was an ugly situation," Miller said.
Heather And Her Heavies
Heather hires in protection and Posh gets a raw deal. In the words of Big Brothers Imogene ûits hot topics, hot topics, hot topics wittthhhh...(can't finish this sentence it's far too irritating.)
Heather Mills has been getting all early 90's on us and hiring out a hunky Bodyguard to follow her around the Brighton sea front. Pictures of Heather bike riding, strolling and laughing with a hunky heavy have made the majority of the front pages today; another reward for the smart HEAMIL investor. Although we doubt that this particular bouncer type would save her life at a glitzy award ceremony, then end up falling in love with her but realise that the relationship could never work because she is so high-profile, so decide to finish it and work for the President instead but still secretly think about her all the time - it's a nice thought all the same.
All sorts of things are being said about Posh this morning. According to the Daily Star Posh and Becks have been invited by the Cruise household to meet elusive baby Suri; but they aren't aloud to pick her up. The Sun is concerning its self with Posh's jeans size whilst The Daily Mirror has come right out there and accused her of being a Goth. You wake up one morning and somebody has accused you of wearing talc on your face and bathing in petuli oil – life is cruel.
The tabloids are still getting themselves in a tiz about the whole Big Brother ex-housemate issue. Princess Beatrice has had some nice pictures done and Madonna has been pictured trying to recreate the look of fitness guru 'The Green Goddess'. No one can come near Madge, best to give up the ghost.
Jay-Z Gets Behind H2O
Jay-Z may have parted ways with Cristal, but he's ready to share his new beverage of choice with the masses.
The rap mogul announced Wednesday that he has joined forces with the United Nations and MTV to film a documentary about the lack of accessible fresh water around the world and the difficulty that more than 1 billion people around the globe have obtaining the life-sustaining liquid.
The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, set to premiere Nov. 24 on more than 150 MTV channels and 50 local programming stations in 179 countries, will follow the Hard Knock Life artist on his latest world tour, chronicling his meetings with people affected by the clean-water crisis as well as his visits to poverty-stricken locations where environmentally savvy methods of obtaining drinkable water have already been implemented. The tour kicks off Sept. 9 in Poland, with filming to eventually begin in Turkey.
Jay-Z's self-imposed retirement from performing appears to be over. The Def Jam Records president returned to the stage June 25 at Radio City Music Hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt.
During a press conference at U.N. headquarters in New York alongside MTV President Christina Norman and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Jay-Z spoke about visiting Africa and being stricken by the dismal conditions facing so many of the continent's inhabitants.
"As I started looking around and looking at ways that I could become helpful, it started at the first thing--water, something as simple as water. It took very little, very little to see these numbers."
"These numbers" being the 1.1 billion people in the world living without clean drinking water and the 2.6 billion who lack proper sanitation, according to U.N. figures.
"I figure that once I stumbled upon that," Jay-Z said, "if the information was out and young people knew that these problems exist while we're having Poland Springs at Cipriani and things like that, that we'll get involved."
And just how involved does Beyoncé's boyfriend, whose last public strategic maneuver was to replace cases of Cristal with bottles of Dom Perignon, plan to get?
"In the beginning, when I was going out on a world tour, I was going out to play music," Jay-Z said. "But I said to myself, I can't go to these places I've been and not go out and see the people that have been touched by my music for over 10 years. From that morphed, 'Well, I'm not just going to go there and, you know, rap to them.' I want to touch and help and maybe see what I can do in these areas."
The rapper let reporters in on his posse's plan to build 1,000 "play pumps" in Africa, mechanisms that pump water from a well into a storage tank as they spin around like merry-go-rounds. Jay-Z also expressed hope that the kids who watch his documentary then inform their possibly more-affluent parents about the cause.
"It's a huge responsibility and humbling at the same time," Jay-Z told MTV News after the press conference, referring to the magnitude of what he's taking on. "I wanted to go to these [new places] to just tour and play music. Of course, I can't go to any place without touching the culture and seeing what's going on…I'm not a politician--I'm just a regular person with a heart. If you see a problem like that and do nothing about it, there's something wrong with you."
When asked whether he'll end up penning a rap about his journey, Jay-Z left the possibility on the table.
"I'm inspired by culture and by the things about me," he said. "I can't say yes but that's usually how it happens."
Jackie Chan Wants to Be Role Model
Comedy action star Jackie Chan said Friday he does not want to promote violence and sex in his movies because he wants to continue serving as a role model for children.
"I have a lot of action but no violence. I have a lot of comedy but it's not dirty comedy," the kung fu star told reporters during a one-day visit to Manila, where he signed a franchise agreement for his coffee shop chain - Jackie Chan's Java Coffee.
He also said he doesn't want profanity in his dialogue, and had to persuade his "Rush Hour" director to remove them from the script.
"I never say (the) 'F' word," said Chan, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. "I have to be very careful because I'm a role mode for many young children."
A statement issued by Chan's group said his company was in discussion with investors to set up coffee shops in Singapore, Hong Kong and China, with Manila holding the first franchise.
"I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers. My movies is one of them, songs ... another one is coffee. Coffee is a language in itself," he said.
Chan said a portion of profits from his businesses - a clothing label, fitness clubs, restaurants and a line of cookies - go to charity.
As a poor boy attending the Beijing Opera School, he recalled receiving food, clothes and other gifts from the Red Cross and a priest, who asked him to help less fortunate children when he grew up.
