After a five year absence, Star Jones returned to "The View" today, as a guest, for a semi-uncomfortable interview about her weight, heart disease and why she left the show.  Watch it inside…..

It wasn’t always pretty, but Star Jones faced the ladies of "The View" today helping raise awareness about heart disease, gastric bypass and talking about her departure 6 years ago.

Barbara Walters commented: "I say this genuinely: I am so happy to welcome back Star Jones." 

SIDEBAR:  How geniune it came off is up for debate.

Star commented on the past five years saying, "You’ve got a new  new couch…you’ve got two black girls. Sherri and I are not the same person. Elisabeth had more children. Joy got married!"

Star tried to stop Ms. Walters when she tried to talk about the past saying, "Are we really going to go here, Barbara? Do we care at this point?! I honestly don’t."

But Star went ahead and said the reason she left the show the way she did was (in addition to her contract just not being renewed), "It was ugly. … It was a bad emotional time.  I made the decision that I wanted to go out on my own terms."

Then Barbara talked about Star’s gastric bypass saying, 

"Just to clear it up, we tried to protect you.  We did lie! (Joy Behar also interjected that Star asked them to lie about the gastric bypass.) We were very worried about you." 

Babs later added, "You look great. You look healthy. And we really are happy that you’re back."

Also, Star’s book Satan Sisters, is being made into a VH1 movie that will be produced by Suzanne de Passe.

Watch the interview below:

Idris Elba just made the announcement he will indeed be playing political icon Nelson Mandela in a brand new biopic shooting this summer.  Deets on the British imports’ newest gig, plus X Factor finalist Rachel Crow gets the last laugh…

Idris revealed in a recent interview with HipHollywood.com:

"My big project this year, I’m gonna go play Nelson Mandela in Long Walk To Freedom, which is his official book. That’s where my head is geared to this summer."

Long Walk to Freedom is autobiographical work written by Nelson Mandela himself, which highlights his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison.

This new film is in addition to a 6-part TV miniseries in development titled Madiba, on the life of Nelson Mandela, which Idris is also set to star in.

There’s still no press release or official confirmation from a studio, but at least we know both the movie and mini series are happening.  You feelin’ Big Driis as Mandela?

And remember 14-year-old "X Factor" finalist Rachel Crow?

Well Nickelodeon just signed the singing sensation to an overall talent deal. As part of the new pact, Nick is developing a comedy series for Rachel.  And additionally, she’s now signed to Columbia Records.

“It’s such an honor to be signed to Columbia Records.  To think that I am signed to the same label as my idols is a dream come true. I can’t wait to get in the studio and start making music. And I am so excited to now be a part of the Nickelodeon family. I grew up watching Nick, and I’m a huge fan.”

In addition to plans for her to star in a new pilot for Nick, Crow is slated to appear in a recurring role in Nickelodeon’s new comedy series FRED: THE SHOW appearing opposite Lucas Cruikshank. Crow will play Starr, an imaginative, confident but awkward teenager.

Congrats!

Actress Janet Hubert is directing her venom at someone OTHER than Will Smith now…..picking Wendy Williams as a target. She lashed out recently at Wendy and called her a bully due to the things she said about Whitney Houston over the course of their careers. read the letter inside…..

Janet Hubert thinks Wendy Williams is a big ole bully and should stop spreading rumors about celebrities.  She thinks Wendy was especially cruel to Whitney Houston throughout the course of her life.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter written after Wendy broke down during her show about the death of Whitney:

Dear Wendy,

This past weekend was a very difficult time for so many of us.

I watched the funeral service with the rest of the world, and cried time and time again with each story that was told. I felt like I knew more about this amazing woman than ever before. We all watched her as a little girl, center stage, singing like a bird, she was destined for superstardom. To watch her center stage full circle in death was a feeling no mother should ever have to feel. I applaud Ms. Warwick, the pastor, and all others who formed a police line of love and protection around her that was impenetrable only to those who really knew her. We, the public accepted their decision to keep it private, but they allowed us to witness her home Going ceremony, I don’t know if I could have been so gracious. WE felt like we knew her and we knew nothing about her except what we read and hear from people like you and other media outlets. I listened to her interview with you and was compelled to say out loud. “Go on Whitney tell her like it is,” when you pried into her life back then. I had my son in the same year as Ms. Houston; we did Ebony magazine that same year, she introducing her baby girl and me my son. I am trying to be dignified, but here goes.

The Internet has become somewhat like the 10 commandments, and this is why… whatever is posted or commented on… is forever written in stone. Neither I nor anybody can stop anyone from making up stories, reviews, lies etc, cutting and pasting whatever they decide to put together like a bad buffet breakfast.

I have had some horrible meals shoved down my throat on the web that I had no parts of.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from a recent cut and paste meal from your beloved TMZ (THE MUDSLINGING ZONE). I believe you said once “If you heard it on TMZ then it must be true,” really Wendy?

The Internet is indeed the information highway, but it can also be “a Forum of Hate.”

Though I never knew Whitney Houston, I felt a profound sense of loss and sadness. On Sunday morning I took my dog for a walk in the park across the street and still could not shake the sadness I felt. I wondered if what I was feeling was perhaps related to losing my mother and brother this past year, but then I thought no, it was something else.

You (Wendy Williams) said that morning with tears in your eyes, that you would not discuss Whitney any further, but you crucified her the whole time she was alive, as you do so many people on your show. I want to ask you why?  What do you get out of this besides money?

How do you sleep at night knowing that you are one of the biggest bullies in the world disguised as HOT TOPICS?  Celebrities are not topics we are people, just like everyone else, we hurt and we hear and we bleed real blood, not fake blood, just as you do.

How do we as parents teach our children to honor each other, treat each other with kindness when all they see are images of people like you who condone and promote meanness, rude reality TV stars, and  your opinion as you berate world renowned people like Janet Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and others  you slam on a daily basis.

I keep asking myself why no one is saying anything about this.  What the hell are they afraid of?  Where are my sisters out there who feel as I do?

Well Wendy, I try to teach my son to stand up, shout, and scream when there is injustice.  Yeah yeah, I know, I have been screaming for years and will continue to do so as long as there are images that depict black women as neck shaking, over bearing women who can’t get along.

A sister, a mother, a daughter, a star, left this world way too early; she was loved by the world. The world mourned, I don’t think that we needed you to try and take down another brilliant sister on that following Monday morning. (Your rude comments about Janet Jackson)  

You started right back up without hesitation or pause… you need to stop Wendy. We need to stop, and the world needs to stop. I need to stop as well. There will be no more quotes from me to be misquoted.  We need to join together, wrap our arms around our children, everybody’s children. Remember you have a child who will suffer every slingshot and arrow that gets thrown back at you Wendy; our public lives greatly affect our children.

I know I am going to suffer some arrows for writing this letter to you, I know you are loved by many, but remember this Wendy; they love you when you are up and they love to take you down. You will not always be up, you will not always be on the A list and attend all the parties. Ride the wave sister girl, but make sure you know how to swim when the ride is over.  Artists are survivors, we work hard to build our crafts and careers and I ask that you simply remember that in the future.

I’m just sayin’ it like l mean it too.

Janet Hubert

Thoughts?

President Obama hopped on the mic in the East Room last night where he sang "Sweet home Chicago" with B.B. King and Mick Jagger during a White House Blues concert. See the video inside….

Last night, Mick Jagger passed the mic to President Barack Obama during a White House Blues concert and Mr. Obama belted out "Sweet home Chicago."  And since the President’s first singing debut was such a hit, why not?

The event was a part of the White House’s Black History Month celebration.

Mr. Obama was first encouraged to join in by Buddy Guy who said he’s heard the president sing part of an Al Green tune recently.  He told him, "You gotta keep it up."

Speaking about the concert, President Obama said,

"This music speaks to something universal.  No one goes through life without both joy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note. "

Besides Buddy Guy, B.B. King (shown above) and Mick Jagger, others performers were Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Gary Clark Jr.  Taraji P. Henson was the program host and Booker T. Jones served as music director and band leader.

The blues concert will be part of the "In Performance at the White House" series and airs on PBS on Feb 27. 

Check the video.

After winning the International Female artist award at last night’s BRIT Awards, Rihanna decided to hit the town to celebrate. The “Birthday Cake” singer slipped into a yellow dress with a twisted bow detail at the waist and partied at London nightclub Mahiki library. She paired her neon look with funky sunglasses, patent blue heels and ankle socks.

Rihanna finally left the club library around 4AM — and appeared to have a red mark on her neck.

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There are rumors that's she's also in town recording for a new album.

No! It's just comedy actress Rebel Wilson at the premiere of her new film, A Few Best Men!

 

MovieMag also caught up with the stars of the film at the premiere:

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Whitney Houston may have been getting ready to tell her story. While there are probably plenty of scripts being written right now about the late singer’s life, it turns out that she began talks about developing her biopic not long before she died…

Californication actress Meagan Good tells me that she and Houston began discussions about a possible movie for Good to star in. “We were fairly in the beginning stages,” Good told me last night at Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture’s Vanities party at Siren Studios in Hollywood. “We were supposed to meet today actually.”

Good said the big question for them was how the movie would end. “My feeling is because she has the film Sparkle coming out and she’s brilliant in it and she looks beautiful and healthy, my feeling was that’s how we should end the movie—as a new beginning for her,” Good said.

Good said it’s too soon after Houston’s death to think about the future of the flick, but did say she decided right away she would never attempt to do her own singing. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a singer in history that I remember that could sing like her,” she said. “Plus, when people see someone’s life story they want to hear that person’s voice because they connect with it, in their spirit and their soul. So you would have to use her voice.”

As we continued, Good began to tear up. She couldn’t help but talk about Houston in the present tense. “For anybody spending time around Whitney, she’s so much fun,” she said. “She’s got just like a sassy attitude and is very funny and funky. She’s definitely a fun person to be around.”

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Freaks and Geeks and Party Down actor Martin Starr recently signed up to appear on New Girl. He will play an old friend of Nick (Jake Johnson), who arrives in New York following a bad break-up with his fiancée.

Jeanne Tripplehorn will also appear in two upcoming episodes and Dermot Mulroney recently signed up to play a love interest for Zooey Deschanel’s Jess on the sitcom.

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I don’t even care, I stan for Martin Starr. And New Girl is surprisingly wonderful (thanks to Schmidt and his kimono)- so this is wonderful news.

If TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting insists on exploiting Michelle Duggar‘s miscarriage for this season’s ratings, then we’re going to track its dramatic arc from episode to episode.

I braced myself to watch the two new episodes of 19 Kids and Counting last night, ready for enough dramatic irony to make me cringe through every scene featuring Michelle Duggar, swollen with 20th child Jubilee Shalom Duggar and just so happy.

What’s odd, however, is that the episode focused on the Duggar clan (“40 Kids, Oh My!”) had hardly any mention of Michelle’s condition and the miscarriage that we’re just waiting to happen. Even when she goes to visit her childhood friend, there’s more reminiscence than talk of the Duggars’ 20th child.

It turns out that the episode “Josh & Anna Check-In” — where we see how oldest son Josh, his wife Anna, and their two children Michael and Mackynzie are doing — was actually the second one of the season, but I watched these two backwards.

Everything about the pacing of this episode threw me for a loop. It all begins when Anna comes to pick up some of Michelle’s younger kids (all under the age of 6) for babysitting. She enters the Duggars’ home while Michelle is working out on the elliptical. As she said in the premiere, Michelle emphasizes how much she’s trying to make this pregnancy healthier than the one that caused baby Josie to be born premature. At first I was sure that it was the exact same footage from the premiere, which we were seeing from a different perspective. (You know, like a sequence out of Memento.)

But whereas Michelle was at 12 weeks in the premiere, she tells us in the confessional that she’s now at 18 weeks. Why is this such an important number? Why, it’s because she miscarried at 18 weeks. That means that on the show, it’s going to happen any day now! It’s like the ending of that movie Remember Me, when the teacher writes “September 11, 2001″ on the chalkboard like it ain’t no thang and then we discover that Robert Pattinson is standing in the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

The Academy Awards are less than five days away and we’re counting down with a look back at some winning moments. Halle Berry‘s touching speech was a highlight, as was Reese Witherspoon‘s shining moment - and we’ve rounded them all up. Click through to see the award worthy photos, and don’t forget to fill out your 2012 Oscar ballot for a chance to win an iPad 2!

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