celebrity

LOS ANGELES - Actress Michelle Rodriguez violated probation again in a drunken driving case by failing to complete her community service and not following an alcohol education program, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez went to court Friday to answer to the latest claims by the city attorney's office, which said the former "Lost" actress submitted a document stating she performed community service on Sept. 25, 2006, but later admitted she was actually in New York City that day.

The document was required as part of the 30 days of community service Rodriguez was ordered to serve for violating probation in a 2003 drunken driving case, according to court papers filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

If she is found to have violated terms of her probation, Rodriguez could face between 477 to 537 days in county jail and a $2,000 fine.

Rodriguez, 29, kept quiet in court as her attorney, Richard Beale, argued that she performed 30 days of community service and said "a clerical error" caused the discrepancy in the paperwork.

Superior Court Judge Daviann L. Mitchell granted Beale's request to call two county sheriff's supervisors who signed off on her community service forms to testify. The judge set a hearing for Oct. 12 and ordered Rodriguez to spend 30 days doing road maintenance work after finding that she did not complete an alcohol education program.

He also admonished Rodriguez to take her probation more seriously.

"I'm not impressed with your completion schedule," Mitchell said. "There were 55 people here in court today and all but very few have completed their responsibilities. They work on much less flexible schedules than you do."

Rodriguez was placed on three years' probation after she pleaded no contest to hit-and-run, driving on a suspended license and drunken driving in connection with two incidents that occurred in Hollywood in 2003.

She was found to have violated terms of her probation after she was arrested in Hawaii on a drunken driving charge.

When she returned to Los Angeles, Rodriguez was ordered to spend 60 days in jail, but she served less than a day because of jail overcrowding. She was then ordered to perform community service and remain on probation until June 2009.

Rodriguez appeared in one season of ABC's "Lost." Her film credits include "The Fast and The Furious," "Blue Crush" and "Girlfight."

Posted by fathima at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

If you’re in the charity business and you want to really drum up publicity for your cause, who do you call? Paris Hilton, of course!

The heiress was in New York City last night for the amfAR benefit event to support AIDS research. Believe it or not, the Simple Life star was one of the event’s chairmen.

And the fabulous guest list included names such as Thom Filicia, Tim Gunn, Cynthia Nixon and Ted Allen.

Rock & Republic’s Michael Ball and Andrea Bernholtz cochaired the event, held at the Puck Building.

According to The Advocate, “Since 1985, amfAR has invested $260 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.”

Posted by fathima at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

Well, if this doesn’t surprise the heck out of you, nothing will! In her quest for a mate, Paris Hilton didn’t have to look any further than her local Pizza Hut.

That’s right, the heiress has fallen in love with a pizza delivery guy. Alex Vaggo made the acquaintance of the heiress while the two were partying at the same Vegas nightclub.

All in all, it’s a pretty fortunate series of events for Vaggo. According to one of his friends, “He decided to fly to LA for a holiday and spent much of the summer working as a pizza delivery boy to raise extra money. We were amazed to see how quickly he hooked up with Paris.”

But Alex’s pals don’t have much hope for the relationship long term. They said, “He’s quite a shy, laid-back kind of guy. Paris will probably eat him alive.”

Posted by fathima at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

R&B veteran Chaka Khan covers tunes by the likes of Prince, Joni Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix on her first album in almost a decade, which hit stores this week.

Khan teamed up with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to make "Funk This," which is being released by the Sony-distributed Burgundy Records imprint.

The album mixes originals and covers, the latter including Prince's "Sign O' the Times," Mitchell's "Ladies Man," Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand," a Rufus medley of "Pack'd My Bags" and "You Got the Love," and a duet with Michael McDonald on "You Belong to Me," which he co-wrote with Carly Simon.

Khan also duets with Mary J. Blige on the track "Disrespectful," and she hopes "Funk This" fills what she feels has been a void since her last album, the 1998 Reprise release "Come 2 My House."

"I went to about three companies (after Reprise)," she said. "We almost got to the point where we were gonna record and things got funky so I left. I just figured when it happens it'll happen, y'know?"

Khan kept busy in that time, though, touring constantly and snagging a Grammy in 2003 for her cover of "What's Going On" with the Funk Brothers.

Posted by fathima at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Eva Longoria is oh so happy to be married. And while everything in the relationship department seems to be going well, Eva has a problem with all of the make-out requirements on her hit television show Desperate Housewives.

The Gabrielle Lang actress, who was recently spotted grabbing some green veggie drinks with husband Tony Parker, especially showed her displeasure over having to kiss her male co-stars.


Longoria told press, “I hate the kissing. Kissing is the most intimate thing. It was weird for me before I was married.”

And now that she has a ring on her finger, Eva thinks that it’s even more uncomfortable, saying, “I’m not sure Tony’s happy with it, but he’s not the crazy husband about it. We don’t talk about it because it’s just not a comfortable thing to talk about.”

Posted by fathima at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here’s a hint… if you’re a multi-million-selling recording artist and you’re trying to keep your secret pregnancy out of the news, tell your friends NOT to go out and buy a bunch of blue baby accessories.

According to sources, Christina Aguilera’s family and close friends have not only been giving away the fact that she’s expecting, they’re indirectly revealing the sex of the baby.

A source told press, “Christina’s friends have been out shopping for baby gifts and they are all boy-themed, all Blue.”

The “Dirrty” singer and her hubby Jordan Bratman haven’t even officially told the public that there’s a bun in the oven. But thanks to her father, some clumsy awards show workers (who said they were sensitive to the pregnancy when she arrived at the show), and Paris Hilton, who said that the “Genie in a Bottle” singer was “the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world,” the cat is most definitely out of the bag.

Posted by fathima at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

BOURNEMOUTH, England - Foreign Secretary David Miliband will meet Angelina Jolie in New York this week to discuss global diplomacy, British officials said Tuesday.

Miliband, the youthful British foreign policy chief, is seeking to soften the tone of global relations after Britain became involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"He will meet Angelina Jolie in New York for talks," a Miliband spokeswoman said while speaking on condition of anonymity in line with ministry policy.

Further details on the planned content of the discussion weren't immediately available.

The 32-year-old actress, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, will also appear on a revamped Foreign Office Web site.

Miliband, who was Britain's first blogging Cabinet minister in his last role as environment chief, will launch a new blog Wednesday. He is encouraging key aides to follow his lead.

"The day when we communicated mainly by telegram are over," Miliband told the Evening Standard newspaper. "Communication has to be for the masses now, not just elites."

Posted by fathima at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

There’s nothing like seeing your ex after a huge breakup, and looking better than ever. And it looks like Kate Moss is all about keeping up her appearance in the wake of her Pete Doherty blowup.

Since becoming a free woman again, the supermodel has reportedly set out on a mission to make sure she maintains her beauty. She calls her new diet regimen “The Vibrancy Diet.”

The 34-year-old babe has shared that during her time with Pete, she didn’t mind her P’s and Q’s when it came to eating right and living healthy. But since the split, she’s been determined to return to the look that made her famous.

And her efforts are already starting to show. A source close to the model told press, “She’s really taken herself in hand since her split with Pete Doherty and has spoken to skincare experts, nutritionists and homeopaths about how best to look after herself.”

Posted by fathima at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears was charged on Friday with hit and run and driving without a valid license, a spokesman with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said.

The 25-year-old singer was charged with one count of hit and run causing property damage and one count of driving without a valid California driver's license, both misdemeanors.

The charges, which each carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, stem from an incident in a private parking lot in the San Fernando Valley on August 6.

Spears is accused of hitting a parked car and driving away.

The victim filed an accident report on August 9 at the North Hollywood Community Police Station.

The city attorney's office did not know whether Spears' car had been damaged, nor did he know the extent of damage to the other car, spokesman Frank Mateljan said. He also did not know who else, if anyone, was in the car with Spears.

Representatives for the singer were not immediately available for comment.

Spears was sent a letter on Friday, notifying her of the charges. A hearing, which Spears does not have to attend because the charges are misdemeanors, is set for October 10, Mateljan said.

Earlier this month, the singer, who shot to stardom in the late 1990s as a pop princess, delivered what was considered a disappointing performance of her new single "Gimme More" at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Spears' professional life has been overshadowed by her personal crises, which have become constant fodder for supermarket tabloids.

Posted by fathima at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

Who says there’s no life after “Friends?” Certainly not Jennifer Aniston. Her latest project, “He’s Just Not That Into You” has her looking amazing and thinking positively.

Jen’s new look has everybody talking. Recent pics of the “Good Girl” actress revealed her killer tanned bod. A source told press, “The reaction of people seeing her in that itsy-bitsy, tenny-weeny bikini did more for Jen’s self image and self confidence than all the years of therapy put together!”

The former Rachel Green actress has been living life to the fullest as of late, with a bevy of new film projects, as well as a new pad. And it doesn’t hurt that her current film looks to be a surefire hit already.

Then again, how could she go wrong, starring alongside Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly and Drew Barrymore. Could it be that Jen’s budding film career will turn out to eclipse her former Friends fame?

Labels: Jennifer Aniston’s

Posted by fathima at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Manolo minions can rejoice: After three years, one false start and the passing of countless fashion trends, Sex and the City: The Movie has officially gone into production.

The hotly anticipated flick kicked off on New York's Upper East Side Wednesday, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth—along with a fleet of paparazzi on hand to chronicle the occasion and offer photographic proof to the still-doubting masses—turning out for the inaugural day of shooting.

As expected, still photos of the shoot have already been analyzed for clues into the story line and, more importantly, into the fashion.

Parker's Carrie Bradshaw donned her typical couture uniform for the shoot, although the accessory that most caught the eye of discerning fashionistas and fans was an Eiffel Tower handbag, already being dissected as a potential nod to the series' 2004 finale, when Noth's Mr. Big swooped in to Paris to declare his love for the TV heroine.

In one of the scenes that played out before (both official and unofficial) cameras, the leads also embraced for a passionate kiss, quelling concerns—for the time being—that the star-crossed duo may not have made it four years past their French foray, when the film is being set.

Noth and Parker provided the only two familiar faces on the set Wednesday, but fans can rest assured the full gamut of regulars will be returning for the big-screen outing.

New Line has confirmed that Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and their respective love interests, Jason Lewis, David Eigenberg and Evan Handler will all be reprising their roles in the film.

The gang will be joined by one other new, high-profile face, that of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, whose casting hinted at a possible plot point in the flick. She'll play the personal assistant to Parker's sex columnist turned Vogue contributor Carrie.

Most of the group, sans Nixon, convened Monday night at New York hotspot Butter to celebrate the film's long-pending kickoff. Sex and the City: The Movie is slated for a May 30, 2008 release.

Posted by fathima at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kevin Federline’s secret witness made his way into court yesterday, but never got the chance to testify.

According to court reports, the witness was Tony Barretto, a former bodyguard of Britney Spears. Barretto arrived to the courthouse with a lawyer, but “Family Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon held only a brief open session before clearing the courtroom of everyone but attorneys for Spears and Federline to privately discuss unsealing documents in the ongoing case.”

"We are shocked that Ms. Spears’ attorneys chose not to cross-examine our client as to the substance of his declaration,” Barretto’s attorney said. “Our client was prepared to testify on issues of nudity by Ms. Spears, drug use, and safety issues involving the children post-rehab.”

Meanwhile, FOX news has been reporting that the troubled pop star “will temporarily lose custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James to ex-husband Kevin Federline.”

While these claims have yet to be confirmed, they will most likely come true within a short period of time.

Besides her courtroom troubles, Britney also is dealing with issues in her professional life. Early Monday morning, Spears was dropped by her management, Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm.

Explaining his dismissal of Britney as a client, Kwatinetz said, “It saddens us to confirm media reports that we have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears.”

Posted by fathima at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES - Twelve years after Marcia Clark heard jurors pronounce O.J. Simpson innocent of murder, the former prosecutor carried her enduring guilt into another courtroom with the ex-football star
This time, Clark was the most startling member of the media pack covering Simpson's Las Vegas felony arrest. As legal correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," she had the chance to tell the world what she thinks of Simpson — and she used it.

"Just seeing him back in court again, facing charges. I can't believe it. It's just surreal," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "He skated on two murder charges, and he managed to get out of other charges of much lesser gravity since then. How did he manage to get himself back in trouble again?
How stupid do you have to be?"

On the air, Clark's voice drips with more disgust. She dismissed Simpson's book, "If I Did It," as "hideous" and "all a lie." Indirectly addressing his girlfriend Christine Prody, a Nicole Brown-lookalike who stood by him in court Wednesday, Clark said: "It made me sick to my stomach. Do you not realize you could be next?"

Even with the elastic boundaries observed by TV entertainment news shows, Clark's history with Simpson makes her a unique figure — and, according to journalism experts, someone playing a questionable role by acting as reporter as well as analyst.

Calling on Simpson's onetime prosecutor to offer opinion is one thing, they said; detached reporting is another.

"It's not hard, no matter where one stood on the murder trial, to question how she could be an independent and fair reporter," said Bob Steele, a senior journalism ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute.

The TV programs she's working for represent nontraditional news outlets, acknowledged Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

"Clearly, 'Entertainment Tonight' is a good example of the `infotainment' culture that doesn't necessarily abide by what we consider to be the harder and faster rules of mainstream journalism," Jurkowitz said.

But that doesn't absolve such shows of adhering to key journalistic principles, he said. Steele concurred.

"When they're reporting on legal matters ... they should measure up to the highest standards in terms of professionalism and ethics because the stakes are great," Steele said.

Clark said it's fair to question whether she can be impartial about Simpson; she acknowledged that she constantly feels "terribly guilty that I lost" the murder case.

A jury found Simpson innocent of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. In a subsequent civil case, he was found liable for their deaths and ordered to pay $33.5 million.

But Clark said she separates her feelings about Simpson from her reporting for "Entertainment Tonight" and its sister show. Arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged armed robbery involving sports memorabilia, Simpson was released Wednesday on $125,000 bond. His attorney said he will plead not guilty.

Clark, who represents defendants in California appellate cases and is at work on a novel and TV pilots, said her legal training allows her to view any case with an open mind.

"I have the ability to stand back as a lawyer and be objective about the case and say, `You've got him or you don't got him. You've got the evidence or you don't,'" she said.

Linda Bell Blue, executive producer for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," defended Clark's work.

"Marcia Clark has strong feelings about O.J. Simpson. That being said, Marcia is a former prosecutor who knows the law and believes the accused has a right to a fair trial. She would be the last person who wants someone innocent convicted of a crime the did not commit," Bell Blue said in a statement to the AP.

Clark has covered other celebrity cases for "Entertainment Tonight," including Robert Blake's unsuccessful prosecution for his wife's murder.

Reporting on Simpson was far different. (Whether her work on the case continues is up to the show's producers, she said.)

"It was like standing outside myself, saying, `Wow, this is what other people saw when I was in trial, this is the other view of him,'" Clark said after attending Simpson's bail hearing Wednesday.

"I did wonder what it was like from the point of view of everybody else — the courtroom, the families, the press," she said, recalling Simpson's nation-enthralling trial for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.

She had no doubt about what the verdict should have been in 1995. In Simpson's new case, she said, she isn't sure.

Posted by fathima at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

With all the celebrity couples getting hitched and having kids these days, you’d think that Scarlett Johansson would be getting wedding/baby fever. But quite the contrary is true, according to reports that she feels “too young” for that scene.

The “Lost in Translation” actress has been dating Ryan Reynolds since April, fresh from his broken engagement to pop singer Alanis Morissette. And though he’s a big fan of moving foward, Johansson says she’s not quite ready.

The Van Wilder actor is said to be absolutely crazy about Scarlett. One source told press, “Ryan has been dropping hints about wedding plans but Scarlett put him in his place quickly. She feels too young to tie the knot.”

But don’t chalk that up to a lack of interest. The “In Good Company” actress is head over heels for Reynolds. An insider reveals, “She really likes him and doesn’t want the relationship to fall apart.”

It sounds like Ryan got so close to marriage in his last relationship, that he’s already comfortable with the thought of getting hitched to Scarlett. Let’s hope for their sake that he gets the hint and tones it down a bit.

Posted by fathima at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Billboard magazine has picked Reba McEntire for its first "Woman of the Year" award. The magazine says the award coincides with its second annual Women in Music issue, which will be published in early October.

Billboard Group editorial director Tamara Conniff says the country star was chosen for the honor because of her wide success in music, television, movies and publishing.

"Reba is an inspiration to women everywhere and we are delighted to be presenting her with this award," Conniff said.

McEntire, 53, has a new album of duets coming out next week that pairs her with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Don Henley, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Carole King and Faith Hill.

"I am thrilled to be selected as Woman of the Year by Billboard," McEntire said in a statement. "Although my career has taken me to TV, film and Broadway, music is and always will be my first love. I am touched to be embraced in such a warm way."

McEntire grew up on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma, where her father, Clark McEntire, was a champion calf roper.

After being discovered by cowboy singer Red Steagall in 1974, she struggled through the late '70s to build a singing career in Nashville. She scored her first major hit in 1980 with "(You Lift Me Up) to Heaven." Her other No. 1 hits include "Little Rock" and "What Am I Gonna Do About You."

Posted by fathima at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears' lawyer wants to seal all court papers in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two small sons.

Attorney Laura A. Wasser filed a motion Friday asking a Superior Court commissioner to make permanent a conditional order to seal all documents dealing with custody. It was filed in response to a motion by People magazine and TV station seeking to unseal some of the papers.

"This is the perfect instance to stop the madness," Wasser said in court. Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan agreed with Wasser's motion.

Commissioner Scott Gordon heard arguments Friday, but put off ruling on the issue until a hearing set for Monday on Federline's request to gain a bigger share of custody.

Representing People and KNBC-TV, lawyer Alonzo Wickers cited a pair of cases that he said show family law documents, even those involving custody, need not be kept entirely private.

"No statute says custody-related documents should be broadly sealed," Wickers said.

The singer married Federline in October 2004. She filed for divorce last November and the divorce became official July 30. The two have joint custody of sons Sean Preston, who turned 2 on Friday, and Jayden James, who turned 1 on Wednesday.

Posted by fathima at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

In their last hours as neither winners nor losers, Emmy nominees gathered to celebrate being in contention for American television's highest honor — and to get free stuff.

On Friday, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences hosted a party honoring nominees for Sunday's 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air on Fox.

Denis Leary, who is up for lead actor in a drama series for "Rescue Me," said the select group of actors showed up to receive certification that they were nominees.

"But no, really, the reason everybody's here: You get a swag bag," he told The Associated Press, apparently only half-joking. "That's why I'm here ... There's enough stuff in there — there's probably eight or nine things — that my wife gets something, and then we have something that we spread around with the relatives. So everybody's happy at the end."

Leary said he's rooting for James Gandolfini, star of the "The Sopranos."

"They should give him an Emmy that's even bigger than him, a chocolate Emmy that he can eat," Leary said. "I just think he's the greatest character in the history of television."

The reception at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in the Pacific Design Center also included supporting-actress nominees Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy") and Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men"). Supporting-actor nominees T.R. Knight ("Grey's Anatomy"), Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother"), August Schellenberg ("Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee") and Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men") showed up, too.

Cryer revealed that he and fellow nominee Felicity Huffman (lead actress in a comedy series, "Desperate Housewives") would be participating in a 22.5-mile triathlon Sunday before walking down the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium. He expected endorphins to help keep him calm on Emmy night.

Last year, Cryer said he was nervous as a first-time nominee.

"I didn't know how I was supposed to act," he said. "I would just sort of sit around, going, 'Am I supposed to be sitting here? What's going on? Is there something we're supposed to be doing now?'"

Oscar winner Anna Paquin ("The Piano") said she was just too busy to fret about her Emmy nod as supporting actress in "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."

"I'm about to start shooting a new series for HBO," Paquin said. "So that's really distracting me from feeling nervous about Sunday night."

Last year's lead-actress drama winner Mariska Hargitay ("SVU") said her previous Emmy and a new baby helped keep the event in perspective. After a baby "decisions come so much easier," she said.

"This year, it was so easy," she said. "I tried on this dress. It was the first dress I tried on, and, I said, 'I'm done.'"

Finding red-carpet couture wasn't quite as easy for Conchata Ferrell (supporting actress, "Two and Half Men").

"Particularly for a woman my size, it's really very difficult to find anything," she said. "There's no designer knocking on my door, going, 'Oh, here. Wear this,' she said. Ferrell eventually went to the set's costume designer, Mary T. Quigley, who came up with a silver sparkling number.

For Masi Oka (supporting actor, "Heroes") clothes weren't the problem for Emmy night. Finding a date was.

Even his own mother turned him down, choosing to stay home in Japan.

"My mom is actually very superstitious," he said. "She tells me every time she's in Japan, she gets good news, like 'I got nominated for a Golden Globe,' or 'I got nominated for an Emmy.'

"Anytime she's in the states, she gets bad news, like, 'I want to be an actor.'"

Posted by fathima at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES - Shakira may get high grades in singing and swiveling her hips, but what about ancient Western history?

For the past month, the Colombian pop star has been taking a class at the University of California, Los Angeles, called "Introduction to Western Civilization: Ancient Civilizations from Prehistory to Circa A.D. 843."

"She went when she finished her tour, for the summer," Shakira's manager Fifi Kurzman told The Associated Press.

For years the 30-year-old has studied on her own, also taking tutorials on the history and languages of the countries she visits, Kurzman said.

The singer, known for last year's "Hips Don't Lie" and other hits, released her first album at age 14 and later took time off to finish high school.

She decided to take a musical rest this summer following her worldwide "Oral Fixation" tour to focus on social causes, Kurzman said.

The class began Aug. 6 and ended Thursday, though Shakira didn't attended the last few classes, according to course lecturer Robert Cleve. Cleve said he hadn't known she was a celebrity during the course and was astonished to learn she was a pop star.

"She told me she was visiting from Colombia and that she was just doing this for her own enlightenment and enjoyment," Cleve said. "She looked like just an ordinary student. She wasn't flamboyant ... she didn't act like a big celebrity or anything."

Shakira, who sat near the front in the third row of the lecture hall, would often discuss the course material with him after class.

"I was really impressed with how intelligent she was," said Cleve.

Posted by fathima at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kanye West and 50 Cent are battling it out this coming week to see who can produce the most sales with their new records, respectively. These two heavyweights in the world of hip-hop are making the unusual move of coming out with an album on the same day.

As if this hype was not enough in itself, Kanye and Fifty both had lavish release parties last night. Round one of the title fight goes to Fifty for having the girls. Kanye drew the likes of Pamela Anderson at his event, but 50 Cent came over the top and double-teamed Kanye with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Combining Spears and Hilton together is a one-two-punch that even gives Mother Nature a run for her money.

There is little doubt amongst industry insiders that both records will go platinum within a short timeframe. The second round of the fight will continue at MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMA).

If one of these rappers can manage to pick up an award or two, that will most likely stick in the minds of people as they go make their purchase at the store or on iTunes. Regardless of the outcome, both will cash in at the bank.

Posted by fathima at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

In New York City to celebrate Fashion Week with her fellow celebrity style aficionados, Jessica Alba took the time on Thursday night to stop by for a guest appearance on David Letterman’s Late Show.

The Sin City sweetheart gabbed with Letterman on a number of interesting topics, including her stage sharing with 50 Cent, as well as love at first sight and stripping.

At the top of everyone’s interest is her relationship with on again/off again boyfriend Cash Warren. The most that was squeezed out of her is that the relationship is still a work in progress.

Alba said in response to whether she’s ever fell in love at first sight, “ “Yeah. It’s still trying to figure itself out (in reference to Cash).”

From there, the conversation turned to her role in the Sin City movies. Letterman slyly asked the Good Luck Chuck actress if she’s ever stripped in real life.

Jessica responded, “Of course (I have), but I get nervous. I’ve been in monogamous relationships. You try to spice things up and I get nervous! I get nervous!”

Nervous about what, we’re not sure. Nonetheless, her modesty has earned her millions of adoring fans and her stardom just keeps gaining momentum.

Posted by fathima at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jail officials will not need to make maternity accommodations for Foxy Brown — her manager says the rapper isn't pregnant, despite her lawyer's courtroom contention that she was.

The revelation came Wednesday as her manager and Koch Records announced that Brown would release a new album while serving a one-year jail sentence.

Brown, who hasn't released an album since 2001's "Broken Silence," was sentenced Friday to one year in jail for violating probation that stemmed from a fight with two manicurists in a New York City nail salon three years ago.

In August, defense lawyers told the court that Brown was three months pregnant. But in a statement released Wednesday, her manager, Chaz Williams, said: "And to the pregnancy rumors, this is the official statement: She is not pregnant."

Brown herself didn't address the issue of pregnancy in her statement about her new album, "Brooklyn's Don Diva," which is set for release Nov. 20. Her new single, "Don't Surrender," will be released to radio stations Thursday, Giovanna Melchiorre, a representative for the independent Koch Records, said.

"This is just a temporary situation," Brown said in a statement. "I made my bed and have no problem lying in it. My will is steady. What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger."

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was arrested last month in the New York City borough of Brooklyn on charges of hitting a woman with a cell phone when the pair fought over the music volume from Brown's car stereo. Her other violations include leaving the state without permission and dropping court-ordered anger management sessions with a psychologist.

"I visited Foxy at (Riker's Island prison) the day after sentencing, and her spirits were high," Williams said. "I expected nothing less. I was in court at sentencing and she didn't blink an eye. She's a strong girl."

Before Friday's hearing began, Brown asked Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson for a second chance and promised to straighten out her life. But Jackson didn't budge.

"I'm not going to give you any more chances," she told Brown.

Williams downplayed the ruling.

"I'm sorry Miss Jackson, we're not impressed, and definitely not stopping musically," he said.

Posted by fathima at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

Erica Kane may not be so selfish after all. The "All My Children" diva, played by Susan Lucci, will focus attention on her grandson's deafness in upcoming episodes.

The ABC soap opera, known for tackling serious subjects as well as the usual murder and betrayal, is introducing a new story line Sept. 20 that has Erica's daughter, Kendall Hart, dealing with the discovery that her toddler is deaf.

At issue is whether the child should have cochlear implants, which help the deaf to hear by turning sound into electrical impulses that activate the hearing nerve. Kendall is dubious.

"She's a perfectionist, so she wants the perfect life for her child and she's afraid that he won't have it," Alicia Minshew, who portrays Kendall, told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

But Erica has tricks up her sleeve. She invites a young boy who had successful cochlear implants to be a guest on her talk show — and arranges for Kendall to watch the interview backstage.

"Erica being Erica, reacts with action," Lucci told the AP.

Instead of using an actor to play the boy, "All My Children" asked JQ DePaiva to play the part. DePaiva, the 10-year-old son of "One Life To Live" stars James and Kassie DePaiva, was born completely deaf and attends a mainstream school after getting implants in both ears.

"This is going to sound very cliche and very silly," Minshew said. "I honestly feel like I am telling a story that makes a difference in people's lives."

Posted by fathima at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

Two decades after a nude photo scandal helped cost a Miss America her title, Americans may be adopting a more ho-hum attitude toward people who bare it all for the cameras.

Some experts say the Internet and more explicit TV are fostering a more relaxed response by Americans to public displays of bare flesh, even if many people profess to be more conservative.

Take, for example, the muted reaction to nude photos of 18-year-old Vanessa Hudgens, the star of Walt Disney Co.'s squeaky clean "High School Musical" franchise,

One day after the photos surfaced on the Web last Thursday, Hudgens issued an apology and family friendly Walt Disney Co. said it would continue negotiating her appearance in the third installment of the hugely popular series, one of the most popular programs in U.S. cable TV history.

While some expressed outrage, many fans pledged support on her MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/vanessahudgens.

Some lashed out at her critics.

"Quit moaning and if you have any kind of decent filtering on the computer, kids aren't going to see it," wrote one poster on a media blog Web site at http://acemanonline.wordpress.com.

It's a far cry from the scandal in 1984 when Vanessa Williams, the first black woman named as Miss America, resigned after nude photos surfaced of her and another female model.

"I do think that general attitudes about nudity are becoming more relaxed, but these changes take time, which is why there's still mixed responses," said Paul Levinson, communication and media professor at Fordham University.

"We as a society are finally growing up and it's a healthy thing," he said.

Sex and nudity are also more prevalent on television, especially cable stations. Last week's opening episode of the HBO drama "Tell Me You Love Me," contained at least half-a-dozen sex acts.

DISCONNECT

Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University, agreed attitudes about nudity had "lightened up," but said there was still a huge disconnect between how people feel and what people say.

"While filling in a survey, people will always check off with one hand that there's too much sex and violence in the media, while using the other hand to search for that kind of material," he said. He cites the furor over Janet Jackson's breast being exposed for a fraction of second at the 2004 Super Bowl as an example of this hypocrisy.

"Of all the things threatening America's youth, I would not have put the exposure of Jackson's breast for less than a second in the top 5,000. I don't think a single young person was damaged by the exposure of that, with the exception of people who may have been fired as a result of it," he said.

Millions of wired youths share private or embarrassing pictures or videos with each other daily on cell phones or social Web sites like Facebook and MySpace.com.

"There's no doubt about it. The Web for the last 10 years, has made more nudity available," Levinson said. "I predict in the next few years, the FCC will be put in its proper place and nudity will be the norm," he said.

Robert Butterworth, a trauma psychologist, says the shock threshold for young people is higher than for adults because baring one's soul and flesh is so common on those sites.

"The line is being blurred. The distinction between what's proper and what's not is constantly changing," he said.

But others say caution needs to be exercised. "Clearly, kids are involved in narcissism and putting photos on the Web, but parents are starting to tell them to be careful. Once it's out there, it's no longer in your control," said Brandon Watson, CEO of IMSafer, which monitors young people's online activity.

"I'm not sure if people are becoming more casual, but in the case of Vanessa (Hudgens), she comes with a lot of brand equity and this was her first strike. If she was a constant train wreck, her fans may not be as forgiving," he said.

Posted by fathima at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Virgie Arthur may not have been invited to her granddaughter's first birthday blowout over the weekend, but Larry Birkhead isn't feeling any pity for leaving her off the guest list.

"Virgie knows exactly why she can't see her granddaughter," he told E! Online of the grandma non grata. "It's because she's waging a custody battle against me in the Bahamas. It'd be a little awkward with her coming over to my house for dinner—'Virgie, pass the peas. By the way, see you in court next week.' "

Birkhead lashed out at his erstwhile legal foe in the wake of comments Arthur made during a trip to the Bahamas Monday to mark the first anniversary of the passing of grandson Daniel Smith. The teen died amid still murky circumstances in his mother's hospital room on Sept. 10, 2006, just a day after the arrival of kid sister Dannielynn.

Speaking to the video agency Splash News, Arthur painted herself as the wrongfully scorned party, saying she was "very saddened" at not being invited to Dannielynn's party held in Kentucky over the weekend and claiming Birkhead had effectively written her and her side of the family out of the child's life.

"It's very hard, you know, there wasn't anybody there from Vickie's [Anna Nicole's birth name was Vickie Lynn Hogan] side of the family," she said of the 200-strong soiree. "Not just not me, but there wasn't one relative invited."

Birkhead, however, has had enough of her particular brand of kinship.

"She doesn't want to be a grandmother, she wants to be a money manager," he said. "She can continue to play poor-pitiful-me games to anyone who'll listen, I'm not buying it.

"Dannielynn has [paternal] grandmothers who are all supportive, you don't see them dragging me through every courthouse."

Birkhead also told E! Online that Arthur had ample opportunities to get to know her granddaughter in the wake of his winning custody this spring, but she didn't seem nearly as interested when there wasn't a video camera documenting her grandmotherly intentions.

"She stood me up for a Sunday visitation," he said. "I waited all day, and she didn't show up or call. Then a few weeks later, I get a note: 'How's the baby? Is she getting her first tooth?'

"She had two teeth when she was sitting in front of her in the lawyer's office. A good grandmother would remember whether her granddaughter's got teeth or not. She'd also remember to call and come over for a visitation that she scheduled...She can't remember to call me for visitation, but she can remember to file papers in the courthouse about me."

While it drew the ire of Birkhead, Arthur's solo mission to the Bahamas lacked the usual fanfare surrounding previous press-courting visits to the nation. Her first stop was the Lakeview Memorial Park, the cemetery where the graves of both Daniel and Anna Nicole remain under 24-hour security.

"This is the anniversary of Daniel's death, and I felt that I needed to be there to be able to talk to him and let him know I'm still here and I still love him very much," Arthur told Splash. "Him and Vickie both."

While hundreds of guests, including Howard K. Stern, attended Dannielynn's weekend party, the guard at the gravesite told Arthur she was the only visitor for Daniel on Monday.

Stern, however, has shot down this claim as well, releasing a photo of Daniel's grave with three bouquets of flowers on it—one, made of plastic, from Arthur, and two real live specimens he says he left during the night.

"I visited Anna and Daniel twice yesterday under the cover of darkness because I did not want the media to capture my private moments with loved ones," he told TMZ. "In the early morning, I brought two baskets of flowers from Dannielynn, myself and others. When I visited again late at night, I found plastic flowers drilled into the ground next to our flowers."

"Unfortunately, I have learned to anticipate this type of exploitative expression of alleged love and took the necessary precautions," he said of releasing the photo and statement. "I sincerely hope that Splash News has the decency not to make this a pattern for all future anniversaries, birthdays and holidays."

During her trip, Arthur also expressed disappointed that longtime nemesis Stern remained "a very big part" of both Birkhead and Dannielynn's life.

"I really thought it would be okay, I really and truly did, like most American people did," she said of Birkhead being awarded custody of the child. "But I don't know now. I really don't know."

Her doubt, it seems, stems from the fact that she has not had access to her granddaughter, unfortunate though hardly surprising, given that she ultimately turned against Birkhead and attempted to wrangle custody of the child for herself.

"I've asked Larry to send pictures of her, but I haven't received anything," she said.

For Birkhead's part, he doesn't deny that Arthur has requested photos of Dannielynn—just that she hasn't requested them from him.

"Not true," he said. "The private investigator she hired to follow me around asks for photographs.

"She hasn't shown any respect for me, and we keep people like that at bay."

Arthur said she'd "never give up hope" that she'd see her granddaughter again and made an appeal to Birkhead's empathetic side.

"I keep remembering Larry sitting on the witness stand in Florida, saying, 'The only time I get to see my daughter is when I buy books and pictures of her in the newspapers and on the racks of grocery stores.' I wonder, since he knows how that feels, why is he doing that to me?"

And while her stop this week in the islands was a short one, she fully intends on returning to see through the continually delayed inquest into Daniel's death.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force initially ruled his death an accidental overdose from a fatal combination of antidepressants, but Arthur, for one, isn't buying the party line.

"I hope the truth comes out. My grandson wasn't a person who took large quantities of drugs. If he had been, you would have seen him in the newspapers just like all the other young kids that struggle out there with drugs. He would've been right there in the center of all of it, especially being Vickie's child. I don't believe any of it."

Posted by fathima at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

Big colorful butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Pink, purple and green trees. A model dressed as a fairy, on a swing.

Jennifer Lopez said her new young contemporary line was "fantasy — classic inspiration but with a new, kind of funky spin," so she turned the setting of her JustSweet show Tuesday night at New York Fashion Week into a fairy tale.

Models pranced down a silver sparkling runway wearing colors called pixie dust, magic mint and pirate pink. The clothes were sparkling, too, ranging from a sweater dress with thick, sparkling, colorful, diagonal stripes to denim boy shorts with a sparkling brown hoodie.

Her outfits alternated between sophisticated — lots of minidresses — and casual — a pair of skinnies with a cargo green graphic T-shirt. She incorporated her signature one-shoulder look, but didn't go overboard, along with bell sleeves and cropped jackets to add chic to all that trendiness.

Lopez, 37, said she developed JustSweet to fill the void between J.Lo, her denim and T-shirt urban wear line, and Sweetface, a high-fashion, higher-priced line. She wanted to do something in the middle. All the pieces range from $49 to $99. She said she designed the line for the young at heart.

"Girls who are young who are going to wear it are going to feel sophisticated in it because it does have a chic kind of feeling to it," she said. "But people who are older who wear it are going to feel young, flirty and fun. It really has a nice mix."

The actress-singer, who performed at Fashion Rocks on Thursday, said she's not worried about whether she is taken seriously as a designer.

"I'm not looking for the credibility," she said. "I'm looking to make clothes that every woman can wear."

Posted by fathima at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kanye West blames MTV for Britney Spears' less than stellar performance at the Video Music Awards. "Man, they were just trying to get ratings, and they knew she wasn't ready and they exploited her," the 29-year-old rapper said Tuesday on Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Morning Mash Up."

The network made a "bad move" by having the troubled pop star open Sunday's event in Las Vegas, said West, who feels he should have kicked off the show with "Stronger," the first single from his new album, "Graduation."

"They exploited her, they played me and I really don't mess with MTV," he said.

Spears, 25, looked unprepared while performing her new song, "Gimme More," to a bewildered audience of her music industry peers. She seemed nervous and, at times, stopped singing altogether.

In a praise-filled statement released Tuesday afternoon, MTV said it "... has a long and collaborative relationship with Kanye and we hope and look forward to continuing that meaningful relationship."

West said he wanted to perform "Stronger" on the show's main stage — where R&B hotshot Chris Brown wowed the crowd with Michael Jackson-esque dance moves — but complied when he was asked to host a suite party.

West said it was a blow to the ego when Justin Timberlake, who also hosted a suite party, ended up "on the big stage" to give the closing performance with Timbaland and Nelly Furtado.

"Those are the big things, and you know what I do man, I really made the song `Stronger,' you know, for stadiums," he said.

West — who threw a tantrum backstage after losing all five categories for which he was nominated — said he has bonded with 50 Cent over what they view as disrespectful behavior from MTV.

"So why do you have me do `Stronger' in a suite, but you end the show with Justin?" he said. "I looked at 50 like, yo, we need to help each other as much as possible."

50 Cent has said he'd stop making solo records if West's new album outsells his "Curtis" CD in their first week out. Both albums were released Tuesday.

Posted by fathima at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Forget Prada. In Jennifer Hudson's world, the devil wears Manolos.

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson has joined the cast of the hotly anticipated Sex and the City: The Movie, signing on to play gofer for Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw. Planet Gossip's Marc Malkin first reported the casting scoop.

"She's very excited," Hudson's rep told Malkin.

In the flick, whose plot details have been not just closely but maniacally guarded, Hudson will play Louise, assistant to the couture-clad sex columnist.

Whether the necessity of a PA indicates that Carrie is headed for bigger and better professional chores than just rehashing her and her friends' love lives—in other words, the series' entire premise—remains to be seen.

What is known is that the flick will be set four years after the Sex-tet of Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall last graced the small screen, mirroring the amount of time elapsed since HBO's seminal comedy ended its six-year run in 2004.

Hudson is the first nonregular to be attached to the project. Aside from the show's fab foursome, Chris Noth is the only other confirmed castmember back for the movie, reprising his role as Mr. Big. Not even fellow fellas and, when last we left them, key romantic partners Evan Handler (Harry), David Eigenberg (Steve) or Jason Lewis (Smith) have been mentioned as anything more than fan-speculated additions to the ensemble.

It might not take long to figure out which supporting players are bound for the big screen. Filming is set to take place in Manhattan next week, all but guaranteeing a paparazzi free-for-all for clues as to characters and plot lines.

As for Hudson, the high-profile role marks only her second gig since taking home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls earlier this year. She recently completed the ensemble drama Winged Creatures, alongside fellow accolade magnet Forest Whitaker, Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning and Jackie Earle Haley. The film is due out next year.

No release date has been set for Sex and the City: The Movie.

Posted by fathima at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

Whoever said “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” didn’t send a memo to Ellen Pompeo. The Grey’s Anatomy babe has set about complaining that her new engagement ring is simply too big.

Pompeo’s fiancée, record producer Chris Ivery, apparently spent quite a chunk of change on her rock, and according to the actress, it’s a bit too much.

She told press, “All the magazines care about its size. I think, ‘Oh it’s absolute rubbish and I’d like to throw the ring in the sewer.” Not what you want to hear if you’re the guy who gave it to her.

She continued, “He got it in Beverly Hills and spent his entire life savings, which I could kill him for. I was very mad about it. Some days I really love it, and some days I just want to sell it and give the money to charity.”

Posted by fathima at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - The consensus is clear: Britney Spears performed like she was sloshing blindfolded through mud at MTV's Video Music Awards. No one disputes that the troubled pop princess royally mangled her much-heralded comeback.

But what about the nastiest comments of all — those about her body? "Lard and Clear," read Monday's headline in the New York Post. "The bulging belly she was flaunting was SO not hot," wrote E! Online. And so on.

Was it fair? Did Spears, lest we forget a mother of two, deserve to be held up against the standard of her once fantastically toned abs, sculpted by sessions of 1,000 tummy crunches? Or was she asking for it by choosing that unforgiving black-sequined bikini?

More profoundly, in an age where skinny models and skeletal actresses are under scrutiny for the message they're sending young girls, what does it say that we're excoriating a young woman for a little thickness in her middle?

Certainly people were curious to see her. The show drew 7.1 million viewers Sunday, up 23 percent over last year's VMAs, and was the highest-rated cable program of the year among people aged 12 to 34, according to Nielsen Media Research.

On the morning after what the VH1 channel called Spears' "already historic" performance, the blogosphere was buzzing with opinions. For every "fat" comment there was an impassioned retort. "Give her a break," wrote one blogger on Aboutthink.com. "The girl's had two kids — I hope I'm a size 10 after having kids!"

"OK, she isn't fat," wrote another. "But she isn't fit enough to be wearing (or not wearing) what she is."

For many observers, the issue was not so much the body, but the body in THAT outfit.

"In that ensemble, you just can't have an ounce of anything extra," said Janice Min, editor of the celebrity magazine US Weekly. "Many women wouldn't eat for days if they were wearing that."

"Did she look better than 99 percent of women? Yes," added Min. "But compared to her earlier form, she probably didn't look as good."

Besides, said Min, "Britney Spears has always been about the whole package. It's never been 100 percent about the talent. Is it sexist? Probably, but she's built a career on an image of sexiness."

Talk of Spears' physique comes amid an increasingly critical focus on overly skinny actresses in Hollywood, who've largely replaced supermodels as the world's fashion plates. It's hard to pick up a celebrity magazine without a critical photo of, say, Angelina Jolie's birdlike arms. And curvy actresses are getting positive attention, from Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson of "Dreamgirls" to Golden Globe-winner America Ferrara of TV's "Ugly Betty."

In the fashion industry, there's been an effort to promote healthier-looking models. "Girls aren't looking as skinny this season as they did," said Suze Yalof Scwhartz, executive editor-at-large for Glamour Magazine. "There's food backstage. They're looking sexier." At Glamour, she noted, a model won't be featured "if she shows too much clavicle."

The nastier headlines about Spears are uncalled for, Schwartz said, but at the same time, "when you walk around the stage in a black bikini in front of millions of viewers, people are going to notice." She added that though Spears doesn't have the perfect body she once did, "Most women would die for the body she has now."

An obvious question is whether a male performer would have been subjected to the same standards. Many would say no; Dave Zinczenko, editor of Men's Health magazine, says yes.

"Listen, any time you go on national television and dance in barely any clothing, you're going to be facing a lot of scrutiny," Zinczenko says. "Anybody would be asking for it." Not that many people weren't pulling for Spears, he notes: "If she had come back, she would have been the toast of the country."

And certainly she had a lot to come back from over the past few years: Well-documented parenting mishaps — remember the baby on her lap in the driver's seat? A messy divorce from husband Kevin Federline. The famous crotch photos. The bizarre head-shaving incident. Rehab.

And now this.

"I kind of feel bad for her," said Shelley Wade, a DJ at New York City pop station Z100. "She looked really nervous. And then now, I'm looking at all these blogs this morning about how everybody thinks she's fat and I'm like, `What! Fat?' She wasn't fat."

How all this will impact Spears' career, and sales of her new album, has yet to be seen. "I just felt like that performance was make or break for her comeback," says Wade. "Now with last night's performance, she's just kind of put herself back in the same boat ... everybody thinks she's a train wreck."

But the single of "Gimme More," the song she destroyed onstage, is off to a great start in the Top 40, says Sean Ross of Edison Research, which tracks radio play. "A great VMA performance would have probably closed the deal for her, but she's still got until Thanksgiving to do other good performances and to release a strong album with other hits on it," he said.

In any case, it seems it would never be wise to write an obituary of Spears' career.

"With everything Britney, we think this is the last chance," says Min. "The fact is, it never is.

"At least this puts attention back on her as a performer. My sense is she'd rather be judged on that than on the rehab, the drinking and the partying."

Posted by fathima at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - If fall's gray palette seems a bit depressing, get ready for a dose of fashion Prozac.

The spring collections shown at New York Fashion Week were full of optimism, featuring bright colors and bursts of gold. Donna Karan showed a graffiti print in hot pink for her DKNY line on Sunday, while Michael Kors took on a disco theme.

Throughout the week, there's been hardly a hint of black, if you ignore the audience.

Kors' collection featured sunny gold, as did those of Proenza Schouler and Ralph Lauren — the toast of one of the week's highlights, his 40th anniversary celebration on Saturday.

And if there wasn't enough celebrity-spotting at that black-tie event or in the runway's ront rows, Sunday marked the debut of Nicky Hilton's line, Nicholai. Sister Paris was notably absent.

New York Fashion Week lasts eight days, previewing the spring-summer looks of 100 or so designers.

MICHAEL KORS

An explosion of color rocked the tents with Michael Kors' spring collection.

For all the lovely dainty dresses that retailers, fashion editors and stylists have seen over the first half of Fashion Week, Kors offered the opposite in splashy and sunny clothes, ranging from a form-fitting rainbow color-blocked sweaterdress to a floral ruffle bikini in a print done in the spirit of the artist Seurat.

The audience, which included Jessica Simpson, got into the joyous spirit of the show when a glittery pink dress came down the runway to the soundtrack of "Xanadu."

He didn't forget, though, that his fans also depend on him for their daily dose of luxury. He delivered that with a gold brocade tunic and a black-crystal jersey jumpsuit with a halter top.

DKNY

Mix it up. That was the message Donna Karan conveyed as she presented her spring DKNY collection at her downtown studio.

Outfits alternated between crisp white tailored looks, including a coatdress with a portrait collar, and soft stretch cotton T-shirt styles. A navy-and-orange striped dress from the latter group would have been the perfect thing to wear on an Indian summer weekend day.

DKNY is Karan's more casual, contemporary line, and for this cool customer, there were the long, loose sundresses that are everywhere at New York Fashion Week.

Karan also continued with the color-blocking trend and embraced a bit of a peasant look with flowing bodices, off-the-shoulder necklines and bell sleeves.

NICHOLAI

To be taken seriously as a designer, Nicky Hilton had to show that she was not just another celebrity who wanted to see her name on a collection — despite the success of her handbag line in Japan and the sportswear collection she launched three years ago.

She showed she was serious Sunday night with her collection Nicholai (which is her real name). With her parents beaming from the front row, models pranced down the runway in outfits alternating between bourgeois — including a black silk cape over a white dress shirt paired with mini-shorts — and flirty, such as a black strapless dress wrapped in tulle.

She mixed it up with bandeau bikinis, summer dresses in bright colors, such as tangerine and fuschia, and silk jersey evening gowns.

Big sister Paris was not at the show. The collection, her father said, was all Nicky.

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ

Narciso Rodriguez can have a soft touch when he wants to.

The master of structured garments presented a breezy and feminine spring collection Sunday night for a New York Fashion Week audience that included actresses Rachel Weisz and Julianna Margulies. Yet the overall look was still completely Rodriguez.

A white dress with tie-dye sunbursts in pink and orange seemed downright funky for this designer, but a closer examination showed all the seams and careful proportion that are his signature. Same goes for a sexy nude-colored, tank-strap sheath dress sprayed with black beads, and a dark purple slipdress under a sheer black overlay that had a lingerie feel.

Some of Rodriguez's fans demand his architectural suits and he did deliver those, too — mostly pantsuits. Jackets had asymmetrical fronts and peplums at the hip, paired with slim ankle-length trousers.

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Diane von Furstenberg used her upcoming spring-summer collection as an excuse to escape from everything she's known for.

The wrap dress that is her hallmark was barely visible on the runway, and the best one that was there — a shiny shantung dress done in safari style — was almost unrecognizable without von Furstenberg's reliable jersey fabric.

She also did fewer workday ensembles, instead concentrating on outfits for a summer vacation to a remote locale, or at least for hanging out poolside. Safari-inspired looks dominated, with a white linen suit looking particularly fresh. However, there also were a fair share of loose, airy dresses in tropical floral prints best pictured over a swimsuit.

DEREK LAM

Sometimes what you don't see is the sexiest thing at a fashion show. Derek Lam unveiled his spring collection with models wearing black pantyhose with seams down the back.

It's probably the first time pantyhose — not tights — have been on a New York Fashion Week runway in years. But the dark covered leg added a bit of sultry mystery to all the satin, sirenlike looks.

Lam seems to like a short hemline, turning out some of the tiniest skirts and shorts of the season. He balanced them well, though, with subtle colors and looser shapes on top; a leopard-print, shirt-style minidress was a great example.

He also offered a few daytime outfits that would meet office dress codes, including a navy short-sleeve safari jacket that looked smart with the billowy, blousoned sleeves of a gray spot-print blouse peeking out.

PHILLIP LIM

A pearl-embellished, nude-colored minidress told the whole story at the Phillip Lim fashion show.

"He is such a master of the great dress that you can wear in the summer and wear all summer," said Linda Wells, editor in chief of Allure.

The fashion industry considers Lim a top up-and-comer. He owes some of his success to creating outfits that go from day to night, offering affordable prices — by designer standards — and by adding a touch of embellishment to almost everything.

Some of those decorated items in the new collection were a sand-colored silk dolman-sleeve top with macrame around the neck, a black cocktail dress with silk dupioni fringe around the neckline and wide back opening, and a crystal-covered cheetah patchwork dress.

PETER SOM

Peter Som turned out a collection of classic American sportswear, offering chic daytime dresses with full skirts, metallic eveningwear and even tweed.

The tweed, though, looked appropriately light for spring, not like its cozy fall cousin. It was a mix of bright colors that he called "pixel," and the best look of the group was actually a silk chiffon dress with horizontal pleats on the top and vertical ones on the bottom.

Som also had a group of blush pink and ice blue outfits; highlights were a sparkling stadium coat with the pink used for stripes at the hem and a dress with sheer fabric pleats covering a metallic pink sheath.

Som recently was named the creative director for legendary design house Bill Blass, which made its name with sophisticated sportswear.

ALICE TEMPERLEY

The runway turned into a boardwalk at Alice Temperley's fashion show Saturday, inspired by the French seaside and the freedoms women enjoyed during the 1920s.

There was a lightness to the clothes that captured a playful spirit for an audience that included Demi Moore, Christy Turlington and Molly Sims. Many daytime dresses had tiered skirts, and one particularly nice dress was a white-and-black feather print with a loose braided halter.

For evening, Temperley offered a coral-colored gown with all-over pintucks, including a diamond pattern on the bodice, a black-and-white knit dress with a scalloped hem, and a white strapless dress with a black scroll pattern on top and long black stripes on bottom.

But what's up with the rompers — sort of short jumpsuits? Not to pick on Temperley — hers were no better nor worse than the dozen or so others that have been spotted on the runways.

Posted by fathima at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

It’s like that nagging cold virus that won’t go away. Britney Spears’ custody battle keeps on bugging the world around her, but this time there may be some good news for the “Gimme More” singer.

According to Brit’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, she may not have to worry about the supposed complaints to child welfare that were previously worrying her. “It does not appear the county will pursue any action at this time,” Wasser told press.

One of the reasons for the dismissal of the complaints may be that the complainant hasn’t come forward. No one seems to know who filed the report, or called child welfare services.

But this one’s a long way from over. Court officials said that there will be a minimum of three more court hearings in 2007 to determine the custody arrangement for Sean Preston and Jayden James. This means we get to sit on the edge of our seats for four more months while a judge decides if these two kids will go to their mentally unstable, head shaving mother, or their money-grubbing, gold-digging deadbeat father.

In the meantime, we all get to see Britney in all of her glory performing not one, but two songs at this year’s MTV Video Music awards. Sources say that she will collaborate with Mindfreak Criss Angel on “Gimme More” and “Cry,” where he’ll make her disappear and reappear with the use of mirrors.

Labels: Britney Spears

Posted by fathima at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

According to some celebrities, the key to keeping their sanity is privacy. And Nicole Kidman is one of those celebrities. However, in a recent interview, the Oscar-winning actress opened up (a little) about her personal life.

The first topic on Nicole’s list was her miscarriage with ex-husband Tom Cruise. The pair were married for nearly 10 years, and at the beginning of their marriage she had a tragic lost pregnancy. “From the minute Tom and I were married, I wanted to have babies. And we lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic. And that’s when we would adopt (daughter) Bella.”

She went on to talk about how lonely she was the night she won the 2003 Best Actress Academy award for The Hours. “It felt big. It felt lonely and big. You’re in a hotel and you’re like, okay well, I’m sitting in this big suite with an Oscar, and I still don’t have a life. What is wrong with me? It hit home that I needed to get a life. Who do I jump on the bed with, and celebrate with, and order pancakes with?”

Kidman revealed that the thrill of such a prestigious award was temporary. “That was painful, not having that person to share it with. That’s why it was more for my mom and dad and my kids. But even the kids were young enough that they were like, ‘Oh, cool. Over. Move on. Not interested.’ “

As for her meeting her husband Keith Urban, the Eyes Wide Shut actress says it was a serendipitous occasion. “I think we were two lonely people. I would probably say that two very lonely people managed to meet at a time when they could open themselves to each other,” she says. “We were a mixture of frightened and brave.”

And regarding Urban’s rehab stint, just four months after their wedding, Kidman said, “It was very painful, deeply painful. We were in a very, very, very bad, painful place, and have managed to step through it, and I hope that gives some people some hope who may be in the same place. And that’s enough said. Anything else is overindulgent and unnecessary right now. And I think it jinxes it, in a way, and that’s why I don’t go on about my enormous feelings for this man.”

Labels: Nicole Kidman

Posted by fathima at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of the late singer Serge Gainsbourg and British actress Jane Birkin, underwent a successful operation for a minor brain haemorrhage overnight Wednesday, her agent said Thursday.

The 36-year-old brunette, a rising star of French cinema who has starred in a string of international hits, had been suffering from headaches for several weeks following a waterski accident in the United States.

"She underwent a minor operation to remove a small haematoma", a mass of clotted blood on the brain, according to her agent Dominique Segal, who said the operation went "very well" and that Gainsbourg would be discharged from the Paris hospital on Friday.

The actress was earlier this week at the Venice film festival for the world premiere of "I'm Not There," a biopic of folk icon Bob Dylan by US director Todd Haynes, in which she joins a star-studded cast including Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett and Julianne Moore.

Gainsbourg, who is fluent in English, also played the role of a mysterious Englishwoman in the 2006 movie "The Golden Door" by Italy's Emanuele Crialese, which depicts a Sicilian family's migration to the United States early in the last century.

Last year, the mother-of-two played the female lead in "The Science of Sleep" by Oscar-winning French director Michel Gondry, starring alongside Mexico's Gael Garcia Bernal, while in 2003 she starred alongside Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro in "21 Grams" by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Posted by fathima at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

While writing songs for her new album, Patti Scialfa was inspired by a wide range of women: Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, doomed poet Sylvia Plath, renowned author Joan Didion, and, shifting gears, drag racer Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your iPods.

"I didn't realize I'd done that, believe me!" the singer-songwriter says, laughing about the seemingly mismatched group. "I just like strong women. No matter how old you are, you still need your role models.

"That's why churches were built with high ceilings, you know? To look up."

For "Play It As It Lays," her third solo record, the 53-year-old Scialfa raised her personal bar for success. She decided to write about relationships, with her lyrics matched to the R&B sounds of classic Aretha and Al Green.

"I did want to expand myself musically, lyrically and emotionally," Scialfa says between sips of Earl Grey tea. "I wanted to push myself. I like to hide. ... I had to come up a little tougher."

The effervescent Scialfa wears a black jacket and pants, her red hair falling past her shoulders and a white ruffled shirt. Sitting in a Manhattan hotel suite, she's excited and expansive about the album.

"This record for me is exploring the complexities of long-term relationships," she says. "Real relationships. A partner, people who've been together for a long time. At this point in my life, that's very fascinating to me."

Not just romantic relationships — one track, "The Word," was initially written after her father's death. And, as she observes on "Like Any Woman Would," Scialfa's been a mother, sister, friend and confidant, as well as a spouse.

Her husband of 16 years is Bruce Springsteen; now the mother of three, she joined his band in 1984, and became his wife seven years later.

But Scialfa said she wasn't worried about people reading her lyrics as a referendum on their marriage.

"No, that's OK," she said. "First of all, when you're writing, you're pulling from many, many different areas. I like to start out with something — a seed of some sort of feeling that I know deeply about, or else I feel that I don't write the song well.

"But once it gets going, you can pull anything into it."

While Scialfa's music reflected her love of great R&B, her lyrics were influenced in part by Plath (on "Like Any Woman Would"), Didion (on title track "Play It As It Lays") and Muldowney (on "Run Run Run").

Helping along the way was a great band assembled for the album, featuring guitarist Nils Lofgren, drummer Steve Jordan, bassist Willie Weeks, keyboardist Cliff Carter and utility player Springsteen (harmonica, guitars, B3 organ).

The improbable group improbably dubbed itself "the Whack Brothers."

"They had a lot of fun playing with each other — the jokes and the fooling around all the time," she explains.

Lofgren, a fellow member of Springsteen's E Street Band, praised Scialfa's effort on his Web site. "Her new album is really amazing," Lofgren wrote, "and I'm happy to be a part of it."

Scialfa, who grew up in Asbury Park, N.J., emerged from the same Jersey shore music scene that spawned her husband, Little Steven Van Zandt and Southside Johnny Lyon. She wound up as a backing vocalist for the Rolling Stones, Buster Poindexter and Southside's Asbury Jukes.

Her first solo record, "Rumble Doll," was released in 1994 — and then came children, and band tours, and 10 years elapsed until her autobiographical "23rd Street Lullaby." Three years later comes "Play It As It Lays," which Scialfa deliberately limited to 10 songs.

"I thought, `Clear, about one thing — it'll be like reading a short story,'" she says. "And that's how I wanted it to go down, like a short story. Trim the fat. ... I don't like the excess."

There will be a tour of some sort, most likely in early 2008, for Scialfa to perform her own music. It might be during a break from her other musical gig with Springsteen's E Street Band, which has a new album out Oct. 2 and a tour.

"Really, just selfishly, I have to do something for myself," she says. "You don't want to be resentful, when things come up in your life and you can't do the things that are important to you. My kids are a little older now. So I can go out — even if it's only for a month — just to get out there."

Posted by fathima at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

MILAN (Reuters) - Former Gucci designer Alessandra Facchinetti will succeed Valentino Garavani when he retires in January after 45 years designing dresses for Hollywood stars and European royalty, Valentino Fashion Group said on Wednesday.

Valentino -- known worldwide by just his first name as a designer of stylish gowns -- said on Tuesday it was "the perfect moment" to leave as creative director.

Industry sources had said private equity firm Permira, which bought the group in early June, were looking for someone younger and more commercially minded to lead Valentino's expansion into new markets and product lines.

Facchinetti, whom Italian newspapers and industry sources had suggested would be in the running, will present her first collection for the group in March as the new creative director for womenswear.

"Valentino has always been for me a reference point, an icon of style and elegance," Facchinetti said in a statement.

"I have infinite admiration and respect for him."

Facchinetti was previously women's ready-to-wear director at Gucci but left abruptly in 2005 after her first collections with the global brand failed to thrill fashion editors. Gucci said she left "after a disagreement with management."

But fashion analysts have said her job was a difficult one following on from the dynamic Tom Ford whose sexy clothing designs revived the Italian leather label. She introduced a softer line to Gucci's womenswear than Ford.

After leaving Gucci, she revived her standing in the industry as a designer for quilted coat maker Moncler.

"Alessandra Facchinetti is the designer who can interpret and continue the legacy of Valentino's core values best," Valentino Fashion Group Chief Executive Officer Stefano Sassi said, paying tribute to Valentino as a "genius."

"We know we can also capitalize on her significant experience in designing for some of the most important and successful fashion companies where she acquired great expertise."

Valentino Fashion Group said Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, who work with Valentino on accessories, would be creative directors in the sector. The company said it would strengthen the menswear design team, but did not give details.

SIGNATURE SCARLET

Valentino's signature scarlet evening gowns and conservative style have kept him a favorite for red-carpet events, where he has dressed celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts.

He held three days of parties in July to celebrate his 45 years as a couturier and had been widely expected to announce his retirement then.

Giorgio Armani, leading light of the same generation, said any successor to Valentino would have "the responsibility to continue this great tradition while expressing their own individuality."

Private equity firms are showing an increased interest in the fashion world, with no sign of a let-up in booming sales of luxury goods in emerging economies.

(Additional reporting by Jo Winterbottom in Milan and Rachel Sanderson in London)

Posted by fathima at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

As if the drama surrounding her custody battle with Kevin Federline isn’t enough, Britney Spears has decided to engage in a little back-and-forth with Pirates of the Caribbean actress Keira Knightley.

It was actually Keira who got the ball rolling, as the British starlet voiced her disapproval over female celebrities (Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, etc) who expose a little too much of themselves to the paparazzi during their nights on the town.


“They’re real people proving they’re sluttier than everybody else because they don’t even wear knickers,” said Keira, who’s currently promoting her new movie “Atonement” at the Venice Film Festival.

Soon enough, Britney was asked to share her opinion of Ms Knightley’s recent comments. And rather than let it die right there, Britney offered up the dismissive insult, “Who’s Keira Knightley?”

When informed that Keira is a well known Hollywood actress, Brit replied, “I guess she must need the publicity.”

Labels: Britney Spears

Posted by fathima at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Angelina Jolie has transitioned from supporting the troops abroad, to spending time with her own troops on a New York City play date.

Reportedly hours after she returned to the states from the Middle East, the Girl Interrupted babe was already back in mom-mode, taking her four kids out to a petting zoo in Central Park. And speaking of kids, Ang told press that her pregnancy was a huge turn on for partner Brad Pitt.

Jolie says Pitt was all about her having a bun in the oven. “I loved being pregnant and fortunately I was with a man who found it sexy, too. In the weeks before the birth we’d have dinner in the dunes by candlelight. We would have a tent out by the ocean.”

And she says that seeing Brad as a father makes her swoon. “I’m so happy for my children - especially Maddox. I didn’t know if he was ever going to have a dad. So when I watch him and Brad having real father-and-son time it’s hot. I mean, there’s nothing sexier than a man who is a great father.”

Posted by fathima at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

Just weeks after US singer Gwen Stefani covered up for a concert in Malaysia amid a furore over revealing outfits, her compatriot Beyonce is facing similar calls, media here said Monday.

Beyonce is due to play Muslim-majority Malaysia in November, but will have to tone down her midriff-flaunting tops and thigh-skimming skirts, the New Straits Times newspaper reported.

It quoted concert organiser Razlan Ahmad Razali, who said that the singer would show less flesh than usual.

"As of now, her concert is still on," he told the newspaper.

Stefani performed in Kuala Lumpur on August 21 despite protests from an Islamic students' group which objected to her raunchy performances and outfits.

The platinum-blonde pop star made true to her promise to be a "good girl" and covered her tight-fitting tops in jackets.

She also sported leggings under her dresses and mini-skirts.

"I am practically Malaysian," Stefani told 10,000 screaming fans, including Muslim mothers in traditional headdress toting their young daughters.

Malaysian authorities last year fined a music promoter 10,000 ringgit (2,700 dollars) for organising a Pussycat Dolls concert considered too raunchy.

Michael Jackson and Linkin Park concerts have also upset the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students, who fear that such concerts could erode Muslim values and corrupt the country's youth.

Posted by fathima at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

In a story that’s a little surprising, celebrity heiress sisters Paris and Nicky Hilton were seen partying together in Vegas recently. And they both looked as though they had patched up their differences, becoming BFFs once again.

The Hilton ladies were spotted at PURE nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Apparently the two had their own VIP booth, and plenty of attention from the club goers.

Throughout the night, Paris would take time out of dancing or sipping her water (NOT alcohol, good for her!) to shake people’s hands and talk with her fans. Maybe jail really did change this former party-aholic.

Then last night, the Simple Life babe was seen out with Brandon Davis for his birthday. She had dinner with Davis and some other friends, looking gorgeous in a pastel dress and short hairdo.

Posted by fathima at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Apparently, there's one person Heath Ledger can quit.

Ledger and his fellow Brokeback Mountain Oscar nominee—and parent—Michelle Williams have ended their three-year relationship together, both People and Us Weekly report.

According to both reports, the split took place several weeks ago and was completely amicable. Reps for the couple have so far not commented on the possible separation.

The press-shy duo has spent the past few years domesticating in Brooklyn along with their nearly two-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, who was born in October 2005.

The camera-ready couple first met back in 2004, while filming Ang Lee's trophy-magnet of a film, and, per their fellow costars, merged their two trailers into one almost instantaneously.

"I remember being at rehearsal and seeing the two of them sort of, like, googly-eyed looking at each other," costar Jake Gyllenhaal told Oprah Winfrey in the wake of the film's release.

"There were sparks immediately," fellow star Anne Hathaway said at the time.

The duo was rumored to have tied the knot in a below-the-radar civil union earlier this year, though legal documents for the alleged vow swap never surfaced and reps for the couple, as per usual, failed to comment on the speculation.

Both Ledger, 28, and Williams, who turns 27 next week, have been keeping plenty busy professionally over the past few months.

Williams, who rose to fame in Dawson's Creek, has spent the past few months in London filming the drama thriller Incendiary with Ewan McGregor. Ledger, meanwhile, has traded one Gyllenhaal costar for another, working opposite Maggie and Christian Bale in the next Batman installment, The Dark Knight. That production wrapped up in the Windy City last Monday.

Labels: Michelle Williams

Posted by fathima at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

She’s getting ready for the comeback tour of the decade (sorry to all Police fans) and enjoying her new marriage and new baby, but Melanie Brown may have some explaining to do.

In a new report, Christa Parker, a 26-year-old sex toy saleswoman claims that she and the Spice Girl got it on regularly for two years. The two met at their children’s school in Los Angeles.

"Mel and I were very good friends. We saw each other almost every day and would have sex at least a couple of times a week,” Parker told press, adding that they would routinely add a third girl to “spice” things up.

Unfortunately for Christa, Mel cut things off when she began dating Eddie Murphy in May of 2006. And now that Scary Spice is married to film producer Stephen Belafonte, it looks like its curtains for her relationship with the singer.

“Mel is so vulnerable. I’m very worried about her. I hope she’s happy. I just don’t want to see her hurt.” I’m pretty sure that blabbing all about a secret relationship isn’t going to help things very much.

Posted by fathima at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments