--The dance cards for season five of ABC's Dancing with the Stars have officially been filled – with a Spice Girl, an Abercrombie & Fitch model, a boxer, a billionaire and a Las Vegas icon all part of the 12-person mix. The names were revealed on Wednesday's Good Morning America by DWTS host Tom Bergeron, show judge Carrie Ann Inaba and season-four champ Apolo Ohno.
And, they are:
• Melanie "Mel B" Brown, 32, Spice Girls ("Scary Spice") singer (pro partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy);
• Sabrina Bryan, 22, actress/singer (The Cheetah Girls) (pro partner: Mark Ballas);
• Helio Castroneves, 32, racecar driver (pro partner: Julianne Hough);
• Mark Cuban, 48, businessman (owner of NBA's Dallas Mavericks) (pro partner: Kym Johnson);
• Jennie Garth, 35, actress (Beverly Hills, 90210) (pro partner: Derek Hough, older brother of Julianne Hough); (Go Team Kelly Taylor!)
• Josie Maran, 29, supermodel (pro partner Alec Mazo);
• Cameron Mathison, 38, actor (All My Children) (pro partner: Edyta Sliwinska;
• Floyd Mayweather, Jr., 30, boxer (pro partner: Karina Smirnoff);
• Wayne Newton, 65, singer (pro partner: Cheryl Burke);
• Marie Osmond, 47, singer/doll designer (pro partner: Jonathan Roberts);
• Albert Reed, 22, supermodel (pro partner: Anna Trebunskaya; and
• Jane Seymour, 56, actress (pro partner: Tony Dovolani). (Wonder if she'll ask to be called "Kitty Cat")
--Soul singer Toni Braxton has hit back at tabloid reports she's battling breast cancer. The singer has issued a statement dismissing rumors that surfaced in the National Enquirer last week and spread online. Braxton writes, "There has been a rumor circulating that I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. After feeling something uncomfortable in my left breast, I went in for a screening. I was very fortunate that they did not find anything and I am in great health." Braxton has chosen to take the high road on the hoax health crisis, hoping the shocking story will persuade women who have been holding off cancer checks to get serious about the disease. She adds, "I encourage women to take their annual tests and suggested precautions to prevent this disease that continues to affect so many women."
--David Letterman will make his first appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" next month, another sign the talk-show titans have buried the hatchet after a rift that lasted more than a decade. Letterman will tape the interview, a rare appearance on someone else's show, on Sept. 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York, Winfrey's production company announced Wednesday. Their reconciliation began in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman." It was Winfrey's first guest appearance with Letterman, though she twice appeared on his NBC show before the comic jumped networks in 1993.
--Heavily-pregnant actress Salma Hayek has ruled out moving to Paris to become a housewife after she gives birth to her French fiance's child - she wants to continue working at her production company in the U.S. instead. The Frida star is due to give birth to her first child with partner Francois-Henri Pinault any time now. But despite impending motherhood, Hayek plans to keep herself busy professionally by working on new projects with her Ventanarosa Productions business partner Jose Tamez. She says, "I'm going to stay (in the U.S.) and run this company. I could just say I will give it all up and be a housewife in Paris. But I said, 'No.' I was so lucky because I found myself a man who is a great businessman. And he loves it that I work this hard. He has a lot of respect for what I do."
--Julia Stiles is a good girlfriend. The beauty was spotted this week helping her sweetheart, Jonathan Cramer, install his new geometrical sculpture at 111 Central Park North. "A construction worker asked if she was 'that actress,' " said our spy, who overheard Stiles respond, "No, but I get mistaken for her all the time." Stiles isn't Cramer's only celebrity helper - Josh Lucas did "the dirty work" and "spent all afternoon bolting and holding the 2,000-pound metal sculpture in place," said the insider.
--A conservative media watchdog organization charged Wednesday that the network morning news shows have spent considerably more time this year on Democrats running for president than on Republicans. Network news executives rejected any suggestion of bias, and said they have a considerably harder time getting Republican candidates to appear on their shows. Through July 31, the ABC, CBS and NBC morning news shows devoted 284 campaign segments to Democratic candidates and 152 to Republicans, according to the Media Research Center. Another 81 stories discussed both parties or a possible independent run by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "The double standard has got to stop," said L. Brent Bozell, the group's founder. "What you hope is that there would be fairness. If you are going to give that much coverage to the Democrats, give it to the Republicans, too." (Ha. File that under "Duh")
--Bobby Brown claims he lived in his car while Whitney was in rehab. In Brown’s declaration, he claims, “Since Whitney has been awarded sole legal and physical custody of Bobbi Kris, she has attempted to eliminate me from Bobbi Kris’ life.” He also states, “I did all I could to see my daughter…I also paid approximately $10,000 for Whitney and Bobby Kris to live in a nice hotel while Whitney was going through rehab…I basically lived in my car.” He concludes, “I have not seen or spoken to my daughter since early June and I have no prospect of speaking to her or seeing her anytime soon due to Whitney’s actions.”
--Wrestler Hulk Hogan's teenage son Nick Hogan was racing another car moments before he lost control of his own vehicle and crashed into a tree, according to a witness. Frances Vitalis, who was riding a motorcycle with a friend behind the two cars, claims the drivers were revving their engines and racing between each set of traffic lights on the road in Clearwater, Florida on Sunday night. Vitalis says, "We knew something was going to happen. You know that this is a bad situation and these guys are hotdogging." According to website Tmz.com, police officers have interviewed the driver of a silver Dodge Viper that may have been involved in the accident. Local law enforcement officials have so far only confirmed Hogan's son Nick was driving a Toyota Supra at high speed when he lost control and struck a palm tree. Nick and his friend John Graziano were flown by Medivac helicopters to a hospital in St. Petersburg. Nick, also known as Nick Bollea, has since been discharged after being treated for minor injuries, but Graziano remains in a critical condition. Nick has been caught speeding three times in the 12 months before Sunday's accident.
--"Your man should not upstage you. He is there to highlight you. Guys don't like to be told they look nice, pretty, or cute or that they clean up well." "We want to feel dirty, rugged, and, most important, that you feel safe when you are in our company," he continues. "So when your guy finally tries on something that you like, tell him that he looks like James Bond or Tony Montana. Feel free to be even more vague than that: 'Wow, that suit makes you look like that hot football player!' Trust me, say any of this and you won't be able to get him to take the damn suit off. When it comes to getting dressed, men are a little bit more important than handbags but less important than shoes," he writes. "At any rate, we are merely accessories." --Ashton Kutcher
Random Thought of the Day:
My fave song of the moment is "When Did Your Heart Go Missing" by Rooney. Click here to listen and watch the video. The video is terrible, although it does feature Talia Shire, the mother of one of the band members. Oh, and guess where they got the name for the band? You guessed it. "ROOOONEY!" (Name that movie).
--The Venice Film Festival is underway. Some 15 films from the U.S. and seven from the U.K. are among the 57 features – chosen from more than 3,000 – screening at the fest, which opens with Atonement, starring Keira Knightley. Its director, Joe Wright, also did Pride & Prejudice, which got the actress her first Oscar nomination. Among the U.S. films in competition: Michael Clayton starring George Clooney, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, with Brad Pitt, and Todd Haynes's I'm Not There, the Bob Dylan biopic where Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale and – yes – Cate Blanchett all take turns playing the folk rocker at different stages of his life.
--Former 24 star Elisha Cuthbert has split from her ice hockey player boyfriend Sean Avery, according to media reports. The couple started dating in 2005 after the blonde actress ended her engagement to Trace Ayala - best friend and business partner of Justin Timberlake. Friends of the couple tell the U.S. edition of OK! magazine that Cuthbert ended the relationship several weeks ago. A pal says, "She's a serial monogamist, jumping from one relationship to another."
--The saga of Amy Winehouse just gets sadder and sadder. The troubled pop star's father-in-law is asking fans to stop buying her CDs and urging MTV not to give her a Video Music Award until she goes back into rehab to cure her booze and drug demons. "This isn't a personal affront against her, but we shouldn't be condoning her addiction by rewarding her," Giles Fielder-Civil told BBC Radio. He added his son, Blake, needs help, too: "They're a very close couple, and if one dies through substance abuse, the other may commit suicide."
--A new book on Clark Gable details his extensive sexual romps rather than his film career, according to the Hollywood Reporter: "Clark Gable's father taunted his son, calling him a 'sissy.' The young Gable responded by fashioning a macho-stud demeanor and projecting dad's disgust onto the many homosexuals he met and worked with. And author David Bret ('Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr') makes it clear that quite a few gays and lesbians populated Hollywood's soundstages and swimming pools. The author tags virtually everyone who shows up here as straight, gay or bisexual, the majority falling into the latter two categories. Like previous accounts, this one alleges that early in his career Gable was 'gay for pay' and for career advancement. He squired older women, some of them perhaps closet lesbians, and had close personal, possibly sexual relationships with a number of openly gay men. He was, as well, a serial seducer of women. Bret's sourcing is unclear throughout; he qualifies most assertions about Gable's sexuality with phrases like 'it could be' and 'it was alleged.'
--Quentin Tarantino made a nuisance of himself on a flight from the Philippines last week. A passenger on the LAX-bound Philippines Airline Flight 544 from Manila told us the "Kill Bill" director and his traveling companion, D-list actress Tiffany Limos, had just come from the Cinemanila film festival where Tarantino was honored. "Tiffany was pushing Quentin in a wheelchair," the flier told us. "Apparently, Tarantino injured his back to the point where he couldn't walk . . . Quentin made one of the stewardesses cry because he didn't want to sit in his first-class seat. He wanted to sit on the floor or in one of the flight attendant's seats." A Philippine politician who happened to be on board had to come from his seat in business class to break up the fight. Meanwhile, cranky Tarantino "was telling Tiffany Limos how much he loved her . . . He called her 'the wife' on the flight."
--The Hills star Jason Wahler, who recently completed rehab, is engaged to college tennis player Katja Decker-Sadowski, his rep confirms. Wahler, 20, proposed to the 19-year-old USC freshman Saturday in front of a group of friends – including his ex-girlfriend Lauren Conrad – during a housewarming party in their Los Angeles home. Wahler gave her a four-carat emerald cut diamond from XIV Karat in Beverly Hills. No wedding date has been set for the couple, who recently moved in together. Wahler, who is filming a new MTV show Celebrity Rap Superstar, returns to The Hills on the Sept. 10 episode.
Random Thought of the Day:
What do you guys think about Leona Helmsley giving $12 M to her dog in her will and NOTHING to 2 of her grandkids?!?! Even the chauffeur got $100K!
I seriously watched this about 5 times. I sent it around the office, and could tell exactly when someone started watching because I could hear bellowing laughter or "Oh my God!!!" Ha.
--Owen Wilson's parents and brothers were seen at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Sunday night amid reports Wilson was hospitalized. Santa Monica police issued a statement saying officers responded to a "medical assistance call" at a house on Wilson's street shortly after noon Sunday. A source confirmed the house was Wilson's. "The person was transported to a local hospital where they are being treated," the police statement said. According to media reports, it was Wilson who was transported. Later in the evening, Wilson's brothers Andrew and Luke, as well as his parents, were seen at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. (Early reports are that it may have been a suicide attempt).
--Britney Spears is hotly tipped to make her live music comeback by opening the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas next month. Sources close to the pop superstar have revealed there's a "very strong chance" the singer will perform a new song right at the start of the prizegiving. (Oh boy...can't wait to see that.)
--Singer-actress Willa Ford married longtime beau and Dallas Stars hockey player Mike Modano in Athens, Texas on Saturday, her manager said. The 26-year-old Ford, who competed in season three of Dancing with the Stars, exchanged vows with Modano, 37, in an early evening ceremony held at a private ranch in front of 75 guests. The bride wore a wedding gown she designed herself.
--Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took a night off parenting their four children to host a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the Hamptons, New York on Saturday. The pair left Maddox, Pax Thien, Zahara and Shiloh Nouvel with nannies at the New York City hotel to fly upstate to the home of Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in Watermill. The fundraiser was promoting Pitt's Make It Right project, which aims to rebuild New Orleans, Louisiana's hurricane-ravaged Ninth Ward. During the evening, the couple socialized with Pitt's Ocean's Thirteen co-star Ellen Barkin, country singer Jimmy Buffet and supermodel Christie Brinkley.
--Director John Singleton accidentally struck a woman with his SUV who was jaywalking on a South Los Angeles street Thursday evening, according to police. The woman, Constance Russell, 57, of L.A., was taken to a local hospital but died later Friday morning. "Mr. Singleton stopped immediately and later identified himself to police," says Los Angeles police spokesman Jason Lee. "He was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was cooperative, and was questioned and released." "This is being treated as an unfortunate accident," Officer Lee added. "There will be no criminal charges."
--Troubled star Amy Winehouse has denied she was savagely attacked by husband Blake Fielder-Civil after the couple were photographed covered in blood and scratches. Shots of the singer sporting several bandages on her arms and walking in blood-splattered shoes with a scratched Fielder-Civil by her side appeared in Friday's British newspaper The Sun. But the hitmaker denies she was involved in a fight with her husband-of-three-months, insisting he "saved my life" after he caught her taking drugs with a female sex worker. She tells showbiz blogger Perez Hilton, "Blake is the best man in the world. We would never ever harm each other. I was cutting myself after he found me in our room about to do drugs with a call girl and rightly said I wasn't good enough for him. I lost it and he saved my life. I'll be alright. I need to fight my man's corner for him though. For the last time he did not and never has hurt me. He deserves the truth, he is an amazing man who saved my life again and got cut badly for his troubles. All he get is horrible stories printed about him and he just keeps quiet, but this is too much." Winehouse recently collapsed following three days of hard partying and was admitted to a London hospital. Reports have since surfaced she allegedly suffered a drug overdose.
--Tim Burton has been told to tone down the gore in the screen version of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," starring Johnny Depp. The suits at Warner Bros. "became a tad squeamish when they viewed grisly footage of blood splashing across the set as Depp slits the throats of his customers," London's Daily Mail reports. In another scene that has the studio on edge, a 10-year-old boy feeds human body parts into a meat grinder to make meat pies. The movie, co-starring Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen, opens in December.
--A week ago, Barnes & Noble, Inc., announced it would not keep copies of the new edition of O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It" in its stores, saying the book was not expected to sell well. Since then, the book has jumped into the top 50 on the superstore's online site, Barnes & Noble.com, and ranked No. 48 as of Sunday night. Barnes & Noble has not changed its mind. "We still have no plans to stock it in our stores," spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating told The Associated Press on Sunday. The book, coming out this fall, can be purchased through Barnes & Noble.com, or by special order at a Barnes & Noble store. Simpson's book was first scheduled for publication last November by ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, with an announced printing of 400,000. But "If I Did It" was dropped in response to widespread outrage, including from relatives of murder victims Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. The book is a ghostwritten, hypothetical description of how the killings might have happened. (While it's not a new feeling, America has disappointed me...)
--Madonna might need more evolution. At Thursday's "Pop Rocks" party at Club 13, the deejay excitedly announced he had an advance copy of the new Madonna song produced by Pharrell Williams for her next album. "Everyone cheered and was excited, but when it started playing, few were dancing," said our source. "The song sounds almost exactly like Britney's 'Slave to You,' which Pharrell also produced. The response was tepid at best. They need to go back to the drawing board with that one."
--Hulk Hogan's son Nick Bollea was seriously injured Sunday night after his car careened off the road and struck a palm tree. Bollea, who was featured with the rest of his family on the pro wrestler's VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best, was driving his yellow Toyota Supra down a four-lane highway in downtown Clearwater, Fla., when the car's rear tires hit the raised median, police said. After fishtailing for several seconds, the car slammed into a 25-foot tall palm tree. "His car inexplicably left the road," Clearwater Police spokesman Wayne Shelor said, "and it was totally destroyed upon impact." The cause of the crash is unknown, although police believe the car was traveling at a high rate of speed. "We don't know exactly what happened," says Shelor, "but we are investigating." Bollea, 17, and his male passenger had to be extracted from the vehicle using the "jaws of life." They were placed on a Medivac helicopter where they were flown seven minutes to nearby Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Bollea is in serious condition, while his passenger has been listed in critical condition. Police alerted Hulk Hogan to the accident. According to a hospital source, the wrestler and his family are in a private waiting room as Bollea is being treated for "very serious, life-threatening" injuries. Hogan declined to address the media through a hospital spokesperson on Sunday evening, but plans to make a statement on Monday morning. (That's really sad. I hope he's ok. I'll admit, I occasionally watch that show, and Hogan and his wife are very caring, involved, good parents).
Random Thought of the Day:
I was in the mall this weekend, and this mall happened to have a Pink store. You know, that brand of lounge-y type stuff by Victoria's Secret. I'm a big fan of stuff like that on the weekends/evenings before I got to bed, and I usually pick up most of that stuff at Gap Body. But, this was new, so I went in. There were several things I thought were cute and comfortable (and warm--I'm always freezing), but I just couldn't bring myself to buy anything. I was the oldest person in there by AT LEAST 10 years (I'm 29). I stood there, and thought, "Wow. You're too old for this place." Ugh. Am I really? Can't I wear cute bum around stuff from there? Be honest, folks.
--Bridget Moynahan welcomed a baby boy on Wednesday in Los Angeles. "Mother and baby are doing well," her publicist, Christina Papadopoulos, said The actress, 36, announced in February that she was expecting her first child with her ex-boyfriend, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, 30. The couple split in December after a three-year relationship. (I bet Giselle is seething...)
--The makers of iconic movie Dirty Dancing have mounted a lawsuit against companies selling merchandise featuring a popular phrase from the 1987 film. Lionsgate Films filed the suit in Los Angeles District Court last Wednesday against 15 companies which they accuse of illegally using the words "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" on a range of goods. The lawsuit states, "The American Film Institute voted 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner' as one of the top 100 most popular quotes from a motion picture. Plaintiff markets and sells merchandise with the movie trademarks through approved licensees as part of the 'Dirty Dancing' line of approved merchandise." The suit accuses the companies named of "creating confusion" by distributing unofficial Dirty Dancing merchandise, and aims to stop the vendors - including Uncommongoods.com in New York - selling objects featuring the phrase. Lionsgate Films is also seeking a court order to make the 15 companies pay restitution costs and damages.
--In what sounds like a scene out of his old movie Caddyshack, Bill Murraywas pulled over by police in Sweden while cruising through downtown Stockholm in a golf cart, then refused to take breathalyzer test after police said they smelled alcohol, authorities said Wednesday. The Lost in Translation Oscar nominee, 56, was stopped early Sunday after police saw him in the slow-moving vehicle. Police then noticed the alcohol smell, Detective-Inspector Christer Holmlund of the Stockholm police tells the Associated Press. Murray could face a a drunken driving charge for the incident. "He refused to blow in the [breathalyzer] instrument, citing American legislation," said Holmlund. "So we applied the old method – a blood test. It will take 14 days before the results are in."
--Foxy Brown has been ordered to jail for violating her probation, police said Thursday Brown (real name: Inga Marchand), 27, was remanded to state custody and ordered to jail by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson after two recent brushes with the law, the Associated Press reports. Brown has been ordered to remain jailed until a hearing on Sept. 5. Last week, Brown surrendered to police on charges that she assaulted her Brooklyn neighbor with her BlackBerry device. Then, just one day after her surrender, police in Mahwah, N.J., pulled the rapper over after she was spotted talking on her cell phone while driving her 2007 Land Rover. Officers cited her for talking on the phone and failing to stop at a stop sign. (She's also reportedly 3 months pregnant)
--Troubled pop star Britney Spears has pulled out of recording a duet with former lover Justin Timberlake, according to reports. The hitmaker was scheduled to reunite with her old flame to produce a comeback track produced by Timbaland, but ditched the idea at the last minute. A source said, "Timbaland set aside a week out of his crazy schedule to do this - and then, just before she was supposed to fly out, Britney abruptly canceled the session and refused to do the song. It's crazy. She's looking for a comeback, and this would have not only been a huge hit, but something she could have opened the MTV Video Awards with and really blown everyone away." The cancellation has now stalled Spears' comeback ambitions and has sparked rumors she might be dropped from her label Jive. Another source said, "Listen, everyone is worried. In her mind, her album is done and she's done enough work. People at Jive have been with Britney since album one, and have an investment in her. They have faith that once the material is there, she will become focused and step it up. She's very competitive, but at the end of the day, it's hard. She has to do the work - no one can do it for her."
--Richard Gere turns 58 a week from tomorrow, and his hair is white, but his bottom line is still in the black. He disrobed and showed off his derriere in a scene in "The Hunting Party," in which Gere plays a has-been war correspondent who leads his former protégé (Terrence Howard) on a search for Bosnia's most wanted war criminal. The bottomless scene was shot on an airport runway while planes circled overhead. "We had a butt double standing by," director Richard Shepard told "Extra." But the backup rear wasn't needed. About convincing Gere to drop his drawers, Shepard noted, "It didn't take a lot."
--Paris Hiltonfinally blinked. Just a day before jury selection was scheduled to begin in diamond diva Zeta Graff's much-anticipated defamation suit against the hotel heiress, Paris forked up enough cash to settle the case. Sources pegged the damage at north of $2 million. In the suit, Graff alleged that Hilton planted a story on Page Six two years ago which falsely claimed a jealous Graff - the ex-girlfriend of Paris Latsis - had ripped a necklace off Hilton's neck and been thrown out of London nightclub Kabaret, while Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" played mockingly in the background. Graff's lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said, "Both parties are glad the matter could be resolved without the time and expense of a trial."
Random Thought of the Day:
What is with everyone's obsession with John Mayer? First, his music blows. "Your Body is a Wonderland" is like nails on a chalkboard. Any guy with a rhaspy voice can sing it. I wish he'd keep on waiting...waiting...waiting on the world to change somewhere else! Second, he's weird looking, yet he lands hot women! He dated Jessica Simpson, and has recently been seen conoodling with Cameron Diaz. Seriously! What is it??
--If you're hoping to buy O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It," don't expect to find a copy at Barnes & Noble.
Citing a perceived lack of customer interest, the chain said the book would only be available by special order or for purchase online through Barnes & Noble.com. "Our buyers don't feel there will be enough of a demand to carry it in our stores," Barnes & Noble spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
A rival chain, Borders Group Inc., said Tuesday that it would stock "If I Did It," a fictionalized account of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. But spokeswoman Ann Binkley said Borders "will not promote or market the book in any way." (That's such a cop out, if you ask me...)
--Police and city workers were called in to handle the crowd and a lane of traffic was closed as Paris Hilton unveiled her clothing line at a trendy boutique. The heiress, author, singer, perfume designer and reality-TV star unveiled the line at Kitson, a boutique known for its celebrity clientele. The traffic lane was closed for pedestrians' safety, a city spokesman said. "It's a dream come true to have my own clothing line," she said. "It's just Paris style: fun, bright and flashy." The collection, which Hilton described as "really comfortable" and "really affordable," includes shoes, T-shirts and jeans. Hilton said she spent a year submitting and approving designs. (Click here to view the collection).
--Lily Allen's battle to renew her U.S. visa has forced her to cancel a series of concerts next month. The singer was allowed to enter the country earlier this month, but officials refused to renew her visa, reportedly because of her assault on a photographer earlier this year. Now back in London she has been forced to cancel a string of gigs on the America's west coast next month because "the (visa) reinstatement process has proven lengthier than anticipated," according to a statement from concert presenter Live Nation. Allen says, "I am so disappointed that I won't be able to come to the States at this time. I was really looking forward to playing these shows and being part of the Video Music Awards. I want my fans to know that I'll be back as soon as I possibly can!"
--Uncle Kracker, a former disc jockey for Kid Rock, was arrested early Friday on a second-degree sex offense charge, authorities said. Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said a 26-year-old woman alleged that a man had committed a sexual act against her at the Ess Lounge, a downtown nightclub. Kracker, 33, was arrested at a hotel in suburban Cary. He was being held at the Wake County Jail on a $5 million bond, Sughrue said. (Maybe he should change his name to "Uncle Bad Touch.")
--Superstar Garth Brooks has confirmed he's making a country comeback, seven years after he announced his retirement. The 45-year-old declared his intention to cease touring and recording in 2000, but has now changed his mind with a new single and a greatest hits collection, which includes a further three new tracks, coming out later this year . And Brooks, who is married to singer Trisha Yearwood, is looking forward to seeing how he fares against a new generation of country stars. He says, "Sure I'm scared to death - I'm rusty and I've seen these young guys. But I'm a competitor and when it's game day you start competing. Keith Urban is a beautiful guy, and he's just one of about 50 guys out there I'll have to face this fall so if you don't bring your A game you're going to get run over. And I'm Mr. Yearwood now so I want to make her proud." But Brooks has no plans to tour and hints he may head back to retirement after the new material's release. He says, "We'll go back to what I was doing before and sit on our butts for a while after the promo work for the new album is complete."
--While Kevin Federline parties in Vegas, his defense team has struck again, delivering a subpoena to the rehabilitation facility attended by his ex Britney Spears. Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, confirms that Promises Treatment Center was served with a subpoena Saturday morning, saying, "An executive administrator from Promises rehab facility was served with a subpoena." This is the fourth subpoena doled out by the Federline team in the singer's increasingly high-profile custody battle. Earlier in the week, Spears's former assistant Shannon Funk, bodyguard Daimon Shippen and pal Alli Sims were all served with legal papers. "Kevin and his attorneys Mark Vincent Kaplan and James Simon are on a mission," says a source familiar with the proceedings. "They are pursuing all relevant evidence from every potential source and every available witness."
--Are congratulations again in order for Nicole Richie and Joel Madden? After a late Friday night performance with his band Good Charlotte at the Hot 99.5 Lil' Black Dress Party hosted by Perez Hilton at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, Va., Madden was walking offstage when Hot 99.5 morning show deejay Kane announced to the crowd, "He got engaged yesterday. Congratulations, Joel!" To that, Madden quickly glanced back over his shoulder but was otherwise unresponsive as he made a hurried exit from the stage behind brother Benji. "We heard this morning," Kane said following Good Charlotte's 40-minute set. Crediting he got the word from "good sources," Kane said he hadn't seen Richie since hearing the news, but added he had offered his congratulations to Madden earlier in the night. "He said, 'Thank you so much,'" recalled Kane. "They're very excited about the baby and the wedding. They want to keep their personal life personal," he added.
--Holy Beltway, Batman! Sen. Patrick Leahy has a part in the next Batman movie. "I don't wear tights," the Vermont Democrat said. Leahy's scene was filmed this summer for "The Dark Knight" and involves Batman, played by Christian Bale, The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, and Alfred Pennyworth, played by Michael Caine. The longtime Batman fan would reveal little about his role other than he is called the "distinguished gentleman."
--Jordin Sparks has signed the record contract that comes with winning "American Idol." The bubbly 17-year-old inked a deal with Jive Records in conjunction with 19Recordings, the label managed by "Idol" creator Simon Fuller, it was announced Friday. Her debut album is slated for release in November. She'll offer a taste of the disc with her new single, "Tattoo," to be released to radio stations Aug. 27.
--Amy Winehouse's mom talks about Amy's downward spiral...
--Former Laguna Beach star Jason Wahler didn't just beat the crap out of a Department of Transportation officer last year, he's also accused of calling the guy a "nig**r, motherf**ker, f*g, and "fatass." In a lawsuit filed Friday in L.A. County Superior Court and obtained by TMZ, Jonathan Wallace claims Wahler and model Kristen DeLuca approached both him and a tow truck driver who was impounding a car, when Jason began "thrusting his chest into that of the tow truck driver while unleashing a verbal barrage of racial statements and swearing profusely." Wallace also alleges that in the middle of Jason's tirade, Wahler "initiated physical contact" with another tow truck driver by repeatedly punching the man in the face. Wallace claims that during the ruckus, Jason somehow managed to sock him in the left eye too. The LAPD arrived to the scene shortly after, where they arrested Wahler and DeLuca. Cops say Wahler's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. He later plead no contest to battery and was sentenced to 60 days behind bars. Wallace is asking for $200,000 in damages.
--Donald Trump wants to try to whip the world's most famous trio of bimbos into shape and save their careers. The Donald said he's talking with Britney Spears about appearing on his upcoming "Celebrity Apprentice," and that Paris Hilton has also expressed an interest in being scrutinized by the mega-mogul. He's also planning to call Lindsay Lohan this week to see if she'd be willing to try to salvage her plummeting career on the show. "We're negotiating with Britney right now. Can you imagine her doing it?" Trump said. "We're not sure what will happen. She's a [bleep]ing mess. And that little reality show she had did nothing. But she likes the idea of being on television and I think she'd be great." Hilton, he adds, "wants to be on, and we're thinking about it, but I don't know if we're going to do it." And Lohan? "Another [bleep]ing mess. We haven't asked her yet, but I'm going to call her this week. It would a positive thing for her to do . . . for all of them," he says.
Random Thought of the Day:
I'm in the market for a new perfume. What are some of your faves?
"President and Mrs. George W. Bush are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jenna Bush, to Mr. Henry Hager, son of the Honorable and Mrs. John H. Hager of Richmond, Virginia." "Miss Bush and Mr. Hager became engaged Wednesday, August 15, 2007."
I always pictured Barbara as the settling down type.
File this under predictable: "John From Cincinnati" has caught its last wave on HBO.
This was a bad fit from the start. Iceman accurately pointed out, "The Saved By the Bell curse lives on!" (Mark Paul Gosselaar was in a few episodes). The thing that always made me laugh was that it was classified as a "surf noir" show. Um, "surf noir?" Probably not a big market for that. Ha.
--The custody battle between Brit and KFed continues to get ugly. Subpoenas flying everywhere.
--Talk show hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have been called to give evidence as file-sharing website YouTube fight against a $1 billion lawsuit filed by Viacom, the company that makes their programs. Viacom filed a lawsuit in March after failing to reach a deal with YouTube and parent company Google, to distribute its shows. Stewart and Colbert's programs were previously among the most popular clips on the video site - before the suit, Colbert even encouraged fans to upload his sketches. The pair are listed three and four in a list of 32 people called on to give depositions - according to a document filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
--Van Halen is BACK! Well, for the most part. The new ingredient: Eddie's son, Wolfgang.
--Paris Hilton has sold her Hollywood mansion for $4.25 M- just 10 days after it went on the market. The troubled hotel heiress plans to move to a more secluded spot where she can escape the prying eyes of the press. Hilton is devastated she has been forced to relinquish her luxury pad. She recently said, "I feel like a lot of people know where I live so it's time to move. I'm really upset because I love my house so much. I put so much work into it. It's totally me. But I'm looking for something else right now."
--Billy Crystal is trying to score some of the big bucks TV has to offer. Sources say Crystal and his management team want a late-night show for him to host. "Billy was initially set on Conan O'Brien's slot when Conan takes over for Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show,' but even if that didn't work out he would do something in syndication. He's looking for a five-year contract paying $20 million a year."
--They're still a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n roll - just a lot older. The Osmond Brothers, joined by siblings Donny, Marie and Jimmy, took the stage this week to tape a 50th anniversary reunion show to be aired on PBS next year. (Gross).
--"At the end of the video, we're kissing and it's raining blood – and for me, that was one of the most romantic moments of my entire life." --Evan Rachel Wood, on her appearance in her boyfriend, Marilyn Manson's new video.
--Jimmy Fallon is off the market. The former "Saturday Night Live" funnyman proposed last weekend to his longtime squeeze, Nancy Juvonen - who co-owns Flower Films with Drew Barrymore - at her family home in Wolfeboro, N.H. It's the first engagement for Fallon, 33, and Juvonen, 39. Also planning to get hitched are Joe Pesci and Angie Everhart, who each have one previous marriage. She was also once engaged to Sylvester Stallone.
--A new video of Lisa Marie Presley singing "In the Ghetto," accompanied by her late father, Elvis Presley, will be posted Friday on the AOL Internet site Spinner.com, a company spokesman said Tuesday. To mark the 30th anniversary of her father's death, Lisa Marie Presley's voice was added to the original version of her father's hit song from 1969. The video duet also features images of her late father. Spinner.com will post the video along with the transcript of an interview with Lisa Marie Presley, AOL spokesman Kurt Patat said. In the interview, Lisa Marie Presley said the project was emotionally stirring. "We had two hours to lay down my vocals," she says. "So the next morning, I heard the rough ... and ... I've never cried when I've done anything ... ever ... but I just lost it when I heard it.
--Xtina continues to hide her baby bump...
Random Thought of the Day:
Which 40+ model looks the best?
It's pretty close for me between Cindy and Christy. Sorry, Brooke--you're not even close. I want to give it to Christy b/c even though both are over 40, Christy is over 50 and looks FAB!
--Kevin Federline has filed an order to show cause for primary physical custody of his two sons with ex-wife, Britney Spears, according to a source. The documents were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday by Federline's lawyer, according to the source. Spears and Federline's divorce was finalized less than two weeks ago. At the time, the couple agreed to split custody 50-50 of Sean Preston, 22 months, and Jayden James, 10 months. But a source close to Federline said that the would-be-rapper was worried Spears was exposing the boys to "unnecessary risk" and that his lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, "hopes to get Kevin primary custody." (Can't say I blame the guy...)
--Actress Vivica A. Fox has been ordered to stay sober until her September arraignment or face paying bail. The star was apprehended earlier this year after she was allegedly caught driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). She was later released on her own recognizance. But in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, a judge prevented Fox drinking alcohol until her next court date. He conceded, "She can be around it (alcohol) because of the nature of her work but she cannot consume or possess it. I am not permitting her to consume alcohol." If convicted, Fox faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
--Clint Eastwood has been tapped by Harvey Weinstein to compose the score for John Cusack's new movie, "Grace Is Gone," about a store employee whose wife is shipped off to Iraq. But the participation of the Oscar-winning filmmaker comes at a price for another composer - a score already written for the drama by Max Richter is being scrapped. Wein stein believes it's worth it. "Clint's unique understanding of the power of music and how it can impact a film will inspire audiences and is a beautiful companion to James Strouse's touching story," he said. It'll be Eastwood's first score for a movie he didn't produce.
--Rocker Courtney Love has denied speculation she is too thin by announcing she has gained 10 pounds on a unique cupcake diet. The former Hole frontwoman has recently come under fire for shedding too much weight, but Love insists she is healthy and has blasted the attention surrounding her size. She writes on her MySpace website, "I've put on 10 pounds (thank you Sprinkles cupcakes which I must admit are overrated). I must point out the hypocrisy of this crazy hysteria about my weight. No one's going to mistake me for Eva Longoria, and my God I am truly happy to be who and what I am. With my life and my experience I can do so many things to help so many people and make such a beautiful clothing line too!" Last month, Love's appearance at a concert in New York City sparked concerns about her shrinking frame - prompting the singer to tell fans, "I don't have an eating disorder."
--Helena Bonham Carter and her beau, director Tim Burton, and are expecting their second child together, her rep said. "[They] are very happy to be expecting their second child later this year," says her rep, Karon Maskill. Their baby is due in December. The couple already have a 3-year-old son, Billy Raymond Burton.
--Former Roseanne star Sara Gilbert is a mom again. The actress, 32, and partner Allison Adler welcomed daughter Sawyer Gilbert Adler on Aug. 2, Variety's Army Archerd reports. The pair have a son, Levi, who's 3 years old. (I love me some Roseanne. I miss that show).
--Sexy action star Bruce Willis has landed himself a former Playboy Playmate. Willis was photographed frolicking with a "mystery woman" earlier this week on a yacht in Sardinia, and Page Six has learned the bombshell is actress/motorcycle collector Karen McDougal - 1998 Playboy Playmate of the Year. Insiders say the 36-year-old brunette is "definitely his girlfriend," but the relationship must be budding, considering that Willis was spotted chatting up models in New York just last month.
--New York magazine needs to learn how to spot sarcasm. A friend of former "Project Runway" contestant Jay McCarroll says the designer "stunned friends, family and co-workers" when New York reported he was "homeless." The friend assured us, "Jay is not homeless. He lives in a beautiful building on the Upper West Side, and has recently been tapped to head up the re-launch of classic '80s sportswear brand Camp Bev erly Hills, and also has his own line and show premiering on QVC this fall." McCarroll even filmed a video clip poking fun at the weekly in which he lies in the street whining, "I'm homeless," and holding a sign reading, "Will Design for Food." (Speaking of PR, I can't wait for Tim Gunn's new show to come on!)
--Spice Girl Melanie Brown has secretly married her boyfriend, music producer Stephen Belafonte, in Las Vegas in June, according to marriage records in Nevada. The couple tied the knot on June 6, according to a marriage license filed in Clark County. In a statement, Brown's rep said: "Regarding the marriage, Mel and Stephen have know each other for many years and were great friends first. Now they are deeply in love. The two are very happy together."
--Southern gentleman Brad Womack is ABC's newest Bachelor, the network has announced. Starring in a reality series about romance – the 11th edition of the matchmaking show – is a drastic change for the Atlanta-born, Texas-reared 34-year-old, who spent his 20s working in the oil fields of Louisiana, North Dakota and California. But perhaps it's not so different from tending bar, which is how he began his rise to success. Working with his brothers Wesley and Chad (his twin), Womack saved enough money to purchase his first drinking establishment in 2001. He now co-owns four bars with his brothers – both of whom are married – and resides in Austin. (He and the brothers are featured on the MySpace page for one of their bars, The Chuggin' Monkey.) (Is it me, or does he look like a bearded Seacrest?)
--Don't blame Lindsay Lohan for her bad behavior - blame her parents. Lohan's former bodyguard of three years, Tony Almeida, says neither Dina nor Michael Lohan provided any structure for Lindsay when she was growing up and that both were wild, abusive, neglectful partyers who needed to keep their "cash cow" daughter working to pay their bills. Almeida, who worked for Lindsay from 2002 to 2005, told the new issue of In Touch, "From a young age, she dealt with her father's physical, emotional and drug abuses as well as her mother's drinking." Once, when Lindsay was 16, Michael flew into a rage while driving and "slammed on the brakes and dragged her out of the car, pushed her up against the hood, screamed at her and called her a slut. This was on the Long Island Expressway! I got in the middle of it and pulled him off." Meanwhile, Dina often "let her do whatever she wanted, just to keep her happy and working . . . [At her 16th birthday party] Lindsay drank whatever she wanted - I saw her drinking beer and mixed drinks with my own eyes [without Dina's intervention]." As Lindsay's manager, Dina - who was desperate to become a star herself - received 10 percent of her income. "Lindsay was the family cash cow - and she resented it," Almeida claims. "They counted on her to pay their bills . . . I saw Lindsay exhausted, begging her mother for some time off." Young Lindsay's parents looked the other way as she began a life of boozing, boys and drugs. When she was 15, they allowed her to share a room with her then-14-year-old boyfriend, Aaron Carter, at Loews in Miami Beach. Almeida relates, "They knew Lindsay was sleeping in Aaron's room. But they seemed happy she had chosen somebody who could benefit her singing career." By age 18, Lindsay had moved on to harder substances. Almeida recalls walking in on her and another celebrity in a closet at a club one night as they sniffed white powder. The ex-bodyguard also claims Lindsay cried out for help for years by cutting herself and threatening suicide.
Random Thought of the Day:
I got a new car! It's an '07 Camry XLE. Aside from goodies like leather, heated seats, sunroof, and navigation...it is RED!!!! I realize it's not a sports car per se, but I've never had a red car before and it certainly puts a spring in my step. I love it! Oh, and Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
--Melanie Brown, aka "Scary Spice," and her lawyer Gloria Allred stepped out for a press conference on Wednesday accusing Eddie Murphy of not doing "the right thing" in regard to Brown's baby. Allred, who claims that Murphy "has not paid one penny of child support" for the former couple's daughter, said she plans to ask the court to award child support and "to decide what is reasonable." Allred said she's filed a paternity suit against Murphy to legally establish that he is the father of their nearly 4-month-old daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown. "We've had communication with his attorney, and now we're moving forward," she said, adding that the papers are sealed because they concern a child. "Murphy was promising to do the right thing, but to date he has not done the right thing," said Allred. "Mr. Murphy can have all the babies he chooses to have, but his responsibility needs to be to his own children. [Brown] is seeking sole physical and legal custody." (Was a press conference really necessary? I mean, we know he's a dog. I think this just makes her look desperate).
--Marc Anthony's wife, Jennifer Lopez, and his ex-wife, Dayanara Torres, appear together on the cover of September's People en Español - and he's none too pleased about it. The two Latina lovelies, shown with actress Adamari Torres and singer Lucero, didn't pose together, and the photo is a composite. But they're all smiles and certainly look buddy-buddy for the feature on the best-dressed women in Hispanic culture. Our source says, "The current and the ex side by side? Marc's camp is not happy." Anthony's rep didn't respond, but a People flack said, "Marc has great taste in stylish women."
--Chris O'Donnell and his wife Caroline Fentress are preparing to add yet another child to their ever-growing brood – their fifth. On the Today show on Wednesday, the actor was asked about his four children. "Another on the way," he replied, before high-fiving Today cohost Ann Curry. He added, jokingly, "Yeah, we're just starting to figure out how it works. I think I know why this is happening, but we're really excited about it." The 37-year-old actor married Fentress, a schoolteacher, in 1997. Their four other children are Lily, 7, Chip, 6, Charlie, 4, and Finley, 16 months.
--Whoopi Goldberg will bring no celebrity feuds with her when she joins "The View," at least none that she's aware of. "Who knows?" she told The Associated Press. "Anybody could say, 'I don't like her.' That's OK. I just won't come to your home." That already sets Goldberg apart from her predecessor. "The View," putting Rosie O'Donnell in its rear-view mirror, officially introduced Goldberg to the show's audience as its moderator on Wednesday. She'll start full time the day after Labor Day. (I think she'll be good).
--Check out Beyonce carrying the new Louis Vuitton Tribute Bag. It too can be yours for a mere $42,000. Yeah, that's not a typo.
--If you use the word "bling" these days, you're unhip and totally out of style, according to Kanye West. The hip-hop star tells Complex magazine: "Only white people and older black people say 'bling' now. If a white person uses slang too early, then that makes them look like a wigger. But if black people use slang too late, then it makes them look like a wigger." (He is such an idiot. Every time he opens his trap, I dislike him more).
--Pete Doherty dishes on what it was like dating Kate Moss.
--Tensions between Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag got so bad on the second season of "The Hills" that MTV has been struggling to get the girls together to promote the third season. "Lauren and Heidi refused to even be in the same room as each other," said a Hollywood insider. "They hate each other so much. In the photos on MTV's site for the third season, they had to Photoshop Heidi in because they wouldn't even take a picture together." A rep for MTV had "no comment." (Team Lauren!)
--The Hoff sports one of the gayest shirts I've ever seen...
Random Thought of the Day:
Current random obsessions: diet cranberry juice; Ojon hair products (you can order them from Sephora); test driving new cars; scorning my friends who keep sending me "fresh out of the womb" baby pictures (I mean, seriously--wipe the damn thing off first and wrap it up before you send me a picture. I like you, but I just don't need to see your gooey child). :)
--Nicole Richie finally fesses up that she's 4-months pregs with Joel Madden's kid. (How long ago did I report this?)
--Scarlett Johansson has laughed off claims she will play porn star Jenna Jameson in a Hollywood biopic. Jameson herself prompted reports at the Comic Con convention in San Diego, California in July, when she said of the actress' performance in Lost In Translation, "I remember thinking to myself, this girl has such a sexuality without even really trying to be sexy. I was like, 'This girl could play me.' I love her. She's amazing. She's smart, she's funny. ... She's stunning. I don't want someone who's going to go in there and be like bouncing around. I want someone who can bring some depth." But Johansson knows nothing of the film project - based on Jameson's book How to Make Love Like A Porn Star - which is to be titled Heartbreaker. Her representative tells People.com, "Scarlett has never seen a script nor been approached about this project. She also has no interest in playing this role."
--Former child star Gary Coleman was cited for disorderly conduct after witnesses said they saw him in a heated argument with a woman in a parking lot. Coleman, 39, and the woman were in his vehicle discussing their relationship Friday night when two people saw him hit the steering wheel with his hands, Capt. Cliff Argyle said. "Mr. Coleman was very excited and loud. ... At one point he exited his vehicle, waving his arms, yelling and screaming," Argyle said. "Vehicles were unable to exit the parking lot because of Mr. Coleman's actions."
--American Idol star Corey Clark has been arrested on drug charges and an outstanding warrant in North Little Rock, Arizona. The R&B singer, who infamously claimed he had an affair with the reality TV show's judge Paula Abdul, was taken into police custody on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on July 30. A warrant had been issued for Clark's arrest after he failed to turn up at an Arizona hearing following a 2006 arrest for trespassing and violating a court order. Clark, who was disqualified from American Idol in 2003 when he failed to reveal a previous arrest, is being held at Pulaski County jail ahead of a scheduled court appearance on Tuesday. (This guy's a real winner).
--Callers to a morning radio show said they were embarrassed and angry that a female fan groped Tim McGraw after his concert at the Cajundome last weekend. The woman grabbed McGraw in the crotch area at the close of his set Saturday as the 40-year-old country singer walked between the barricade and the stage to greet fans. McGraw's wife, Faith Hill, who also performed on the Soul2Soul tour stop, berated the woman from the stage, calling her actions disrespectful. "Someone needs to teach you some class, my friend," Hill said. (You go, Faith).
--Pulitzer prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler sent out an e-mail yesterday announcing that his wife had dumped him for billionaire Ted Turner. "Put down your cup of coffee or you might spill it," Butler, 62, wrote to his graduate students and fellow professors at Florida State University in Tallahassee. "Elizabeth is leaving me for Ted Turner." Elizabeth is Butler's wife of 12 years, Elizabeth Dewberry, 44, an author in her own right, who might be attracted to Turner, 68, because the media mogul resembles the grandfather who molested her as a child, Butler writes in the shocking e-mail.
--Lindsay Lohan may have one loyal person on her payroll after all - her bodyguard, Jaz. A source tells The Post's Marianne Garvey that the troubled starlet's ever-present guard and driver, Jazman Bennett, has been fielding offers of up to $500,000 from magazines and news outlets in the U.S. and London, but has turned down every one. He's known for being loyal and protective - unlike Lohan's former bodyguard, Lee Weaver, who sold her out to News of the World, saying he "lost count of the times I thought she was overdosing."
--Adrian Grenier becomes more and more like his "Entourage" character every day. Last Saturday, the curly-haired cutie was holed up in the VIP section of Star Room in East Hampton, when a fellow patron noticed "the room started getting really packed. Adrian was a little freaked out because these girls were, like, mobbing him." Page Six learned the club forgot to put security on the back door, which led to a deck with its own set of stairs. "The girls were going around, climbing up the stairs, and sneaking in," said the onlooker. Guards caught on and removed the frenzied females. (Where the heck was Turtle?)
--They are both really cute.
Random Thought of the Day:
I started a new job on Monday, my lovelies, so bear with me in terms of sporadic posting. I'll do my best to not let it interfere for my constant quest to bring you the Hollywood dirt. XOXO!
