scoophollywood

Sean Lowe Reveals What He's Learned From Marriage to Catherine Giudici: "I'm Not Always Right"

2015-01-21T22:47:00.002-08:00

Bachelor Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici have been married almost a year now. Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Gotham Magazine

It’s been a long time since Sean Lowe was considered a Bachelor. In fact, the former reality star is coming up on his one-year wedding anniversary to wife Catherine Giudici on Jan. 26, an impressive feat considering the amount of Bachelor Nation couples who have actually made it to the altar intact. So on Jan. 19, Lowe, 31, chose to reflect on his year of marriage in a new blog post titled, “10 Things I’ve Learned Since My Wedding Day.”

Jason Sudikis

2011-12-29T03:26:00.000-08:00

"Mad Men's" January Jones and "Saturday Night Live" funny guy Jason Sudeikis made a cute couple for a little while, but it doesn't seem like they were ever serious. The duo called it quits in January after an on-again/off-again relationship that was first revealed in July 2010.

couples who called it quits in 2011

2011-12-29T03:21:00.000-08:00

John Mellencamp and his wife of 20 years, model Elaine Mellencamp, announced they were calling it quits on December

31, 2010. A spokesman for the couple noted that they were "proud of their 20 years together and happy with their accomplishments both as parents and as a family." One week later, the Indiana rocker was spotted hanging with Meg Ryan in NYC.

Amber Portwood of 'Teen Mom' pleads guilty to battery against ex-fiance

2011-06-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Amber Portwood, who starred on the MTV reality series "Teen Mom," has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to two felony domestic battery charges.

The 20-year-old was accused of hitting ex-fiancé Gary Shirley in front of their baby daughter. She spent one day in jail in December for the incident and could have received up to three years in jail if convicted.
As part of her sentence, the judge ordered Portwood to get her high school diploma, attend 30 days of
inpatient therapy and put $10,000 in a college fund for her daughter, Leah Shirley, who is now 2. The judge also dropped the felony child neglect charge against the "Teen Mom," according to the Associated Press.
Portwood was seen punching and screaming at Shirley several times in a September episode of "Teen Mom" but has previously denied striking him in front of their daughter.
ABC News Indianapolis affiliate WRTV said she was charged following an investigation that was spurred by footage captured during the taping of "Teen Mom." It quoted a detective as saying she attacked Shirley in front their child several times over the summer.
"On Aug. 14, 2009 ... Portwood shoved Shirley against a wall, slapped him on the face and choked him," Detective Mitch Carroll of the Anderson police department told the station, describing one occurrence. "The incident was witnessed by the couple's 1-year-old child, who sat in a child seat on a nearby bed."
"I have no clue why I hurt Gary," Portwood said in an interview with MTV in September. "I never notice how bad I am until I see it. I feel so terrible and its like, 'Did I really do that?' 'What the hell was I doing?' I don't treat him like the way I feel. I just go a lot farther than most people would. I have a lot of problems, plus I don't care about myself, so it's like, it's whatever happens, happens. I hate it."

Selena Gomez remains hospitalized as appearance rescheduled

2011-06-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Selena Gomez's weekend appearance at a Santa Monica mall was rescheduled after the teenage star checked into a hospital earlier in the week
The Los Angeles Times said Saturday Santa Monica Place had announced Gomez would be there Monday rather than Sunday as originally scheduled
.
The move came as Gomez, 18, apparently remained at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after she became ill Thursday following a taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
A source told HollywoodLife.com Gomez checked in under an assumed name and was undergoing tests, but offered no details on her condition.
The hospital and Gomez's representative shed no light on Gomez's condition.
The Times said her celebrity boyfriend Justin Bieber took to Twitter Friday with a public get-well wish

Fat Joe ‘Scared’ Into Weight Loss, Drops 88 Pounds

2011-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Fat Joe, the rapper who’s nickname was representative of his 6-foot-2, 350 lb frame, has recently shed 88 pounds, and apparently without the aid of any weight loss supplement or fad diet.

According to the NYDailyNews, the South Bronx native decided to get serious about weight loss after losing seven friends, all in their 30′s, to heart attacks last year.

“I always loved being fat, obviously. I’m Fat Joe. The biggest killer of people is food. It kills more people than AIDS or gun violence or war, anything you can name. Everybody keep catching strokes and heart attacks, and what happened to me was, like seven of my friends passed last year from heart attacks, and they were all 32, 34 years old, 35. What’s the difference between me and them? Health doesn’t discriminate just because I’m famous”

Reportedly Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, lost the weight by combining 2 hour cardio and weight lifting sessions with proper eating habits. Instead of BK, KFC, and McD’s, Fat Joe opted for smaller portioned meals of fruit, veggies, and lean meats.
The first peek at the rapper’s new frame came on Tuesday when his new music video, “Drop a Body,” went live on Worldstarhiphop.com. In the video, Joe looks a shadow of his former self and is hardly recognizable as he raps to the camera.
The obvious question is will this slim new artist keep his old nick name?

“They’re all trying to alter my name, but I can’t see myself as anything else,” he said, referring to friends who started calling him “Skinny Joe” and “Joey Flaco” (Spanish for “thin”). “I think I gotta ask Diddy what my new name is.”

Celebs Without Makeup

2011-06-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Normally we like to show you celeb photos with gorgeous makeup that you can copy. But for a little change of pace, we thought we'd show you some stars in their completely natural (read: makeup-free) state.

Now, I'll admit that some of them are wearing a little makeup, but way less than we've ever seen on the red carpet. And some of them still look completely stunning without a stitch of makeup, and others ... uh, not so much ...

Take a look at these celebs without makeup and be thankful that you don't have paparazzi following you around to take pics of you at your worst (or an editor that makes you post photos of yourself without makeup, whatever).

What do you think, should these stars stick with their natural look all the time? I think some of them could totally pull it off.

Ice Skater Scott Hamilton Undergoes Brain Surgery

2010-06-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

Olympic champ Scott Hamilton underwent brain surgery Wednesday to remove the recurrence of a benign tumor near his pituitary gland, which first appeared in 2004.

"They're happy with the progress of the entry process, and now [doctors] can begin to get rid of the tumor," the figure skater's rep, Michelle Thornbury, tells PEOPLE of the procedure, which was halfway completed Wednesday morning.

Hamilton, 51, is undergoing the surgery in Boston, where he is surrounded by family, including his wife Tracie, their friends and his brother Steve. "They're all feeling the love coming from all of us," the rep says.

The athlete is expected to make a full recovery, and should be home next week.

In 2004, Hamilton first discovered he had the tumor, called craniopharyngioma. Although benign, if left untreated it could have caused him to go blind. He chose to treat it with Gamma Knife, a procedure that bombards the tumor with high, pinpoint doses of gamma radiation. At the time, doctors were able to virtually destroy the tumor.

After that procedure, Hamilton, who also underwent chemotherapy for testicular cancer in 1997, was upbeat about his life with son Aidan, now 6, and his wife, Tracie. (The athlete and his wife have another son, Maxx, born in 2008.)

"You think you love your life, but you're just scratching the surface," he told PEOPLE. "Now I look at my son and I realize I may not be able to spend much time with him. So my level of appreciation for what I've got now has gone to a whole other level."

Times Square Showdown: Naked Cowboy Vs. Naked Cowgirl

2010-06-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

When last heard from, the Times Square tourist attraction known as the Naked Cowboy had tossed his 10-gallon hat into the political ring to unseat Mayor Michael Bloomberg, only to withdraw his candidacy.

Now, the Cowboy – real name: Robert Burck, 39 – wants to rope in some potential competition, the New York Post reports. The Cowboy's target: bikini-clad Sandy Kane, who calls herself "The Naked Cowgirl" and who also appears in Times Square.

Only unlike the Cowboy, who wears only boots, a hat and tighty whities, the Cowgirl often sports a stars-and-stripes cowboy hat and matching swimsuit.

"Your use of Naked Cowgirl is essentially identical to the Naked Cowboy and is clearly in violation [of the Naked Cowboy
trademark]," reads a cease-and-desist letter Burck sent the Cowgirl, says the Post. He also told the paper, "If she's going to sell stuff and make money off of it, then, yeah, she's going to have to pay."

Burck is reportedly seeking as much as $150,000, though his manager, Todd Rubenstein, says their side is willing to negotiate a deal.

Only Kane, said to be 50-ish and from New Jersey, ain't willin' to wheel and deal. "I've been naked for years," points out Kane, a veteran of New York's comedy circuit who generated some heat after closing her act by setting her breasts on fire.

"You know how much money I make?" she tells the paper. "Two dollars a picture. I'm not selling any products."

Kane also notes that, before this duel, she and Burck were set to perform a duet, which apparently fell apart when he asked her to sign a franchise contract. "The song ain't going anywhere anyways," Kane insists. "It's not like he's Tim McGraw or Keith Urban."

Sharapova optimistic about Wimbledon chances

2010-06-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—The time Maria Sharapova spent away from her job made her enjoy it more.
She’s back at Wimbledon, healthy again and hoping to display the grass-court flair that helped her win the title in 2004 as a precocious 17-year-old.
Sharapova started strong Tuesday, beating fellow Russian Anastasia Pivovarova 6-1, 6-0 in 54 minutes.
It has been awhile since Sharapova made a run at Wimbledon. Two years ago, she lost in the second round to
Alla Kudryavtseva, a Russian ranked 154th. Last year, following a 10-month layoff because of a shoulder injury, she lost in the second round to Gisela Dulko.
Now, she’s sounding optimistic about an extended stay.
“My body feels good,” she said. “I’m in much better match condition than I was last year.”
She’s 18-5 in 2010 with two tournament titles. And she’s having fun.
“My joy in the game is pretty up there with what it was before I got injured,” she said. “Maybe even more so, because it was taken away from me for such a long period of time that it made me realize how blessed you are when you’re actually on the court, are able to hit a tennis ball for an hour a day, and be good at what you do.”
The former No. 1 dropped out of the top 100 during her layoff. She is now 17th, still low enough that she becomes a dangerous floater in the draw, and she could face defending champion Serena Williams in the fourth round.
Sharapova’s right shoulder, which required surgery in October 2008, bothers her only on occasion.
“If it’s like really, really cold, like almost snowing,” she said.
Wimbledon’s weather can be bad, but there’s no snow in the forecast. Nonetheless, Sharapova will give herself time to get loose.
“When I was younger, a few years ago, if I wouldn’t play for a few days, I would come out, the third, fourth serve I could hit pretty much as hard as I can,” she said. “Now it’s like 10, 15, 20 serves by the time it warms up. It’s just those little things.”
The 6-foot-2 Russian’s serve seemed fine in her opening match. She won 17 of 18 points on her first serve, which reached 115 mph, and never faced a break point.
Granted, it wasn’t much of a test. Pivovarova lost in qualifying, made the main draw only because another player pulled out and was making her grass-court debut.
“I was expecting to play someone else,” Sharapova said. “Kind of last minute was playing against her. So I think the goal was to come out and just try to figure things out pretty quickly. And I did a good job of that.”
Sharapova hasn’t defeated a top 10 player this year, and she missed time this spring with a bone bruise in her right elbow, but she said she has rebuilt her game to where she can beat anyone.
It’s merely a question of rising to the occasion—which the three-time Grand Slam champion has done in the past.
“I don’t think anyone’s going to make 50 backhands or 50 forehands in a row,” Sharapova said. “Everyone’s going to make mistakes. But it’s about your game plan, and how you execute.”
Others limiting their mistakes in first-round victories included both top-ranked players, Williams and Rafael Nadal.
Williams used an overpowering serve to beat 17-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-0, 6-4. Nadal won in his first match since becoming the 2008 champion, beating Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.
Nadal missed Wimbledon last year because of knee tendinitis.
“I’m enjoying a lot to be back in my favorite tournament,” he said.
Neither French Open women’s finalist survived round one. Roland Garros runner-up Samantha Stosur, ranked a career-high sixth, lost to qualifier Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-4. Surprise French Open winner Francesca Schiavone was beaten Monday.
Aside from Stosur, the only seeded woman to lose was No. 25 Lucie Safarova. Four seeded men were eliminated: No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, No. 14 Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 19 Nicolas Almagro and No. 24 Marcos Baghdatis.
courtesy of yahoo sports

Eminem admits he stopped taking drugs after he “almost died” from a near fatal double overdose in 2007.

2010-06-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

Eminem “scared himself” with the extent of his drug addiction.

The rapper admits he only gave up taking illegal substances for good after he relapsed just weeks after an almost fatal drug-taking session in late 2007.

He explained: “I had overdosed in 2007, like right around Christmas in 2007… I pretty much almost died. You know, I pulled through and went home and relapsed less than a month later and I literally shot back up to the amount of pills I was taking, shot right back up to where I overdosed… Kind of I scared myself, like, ‘Yo! I need to, I need help. Like I can’t beat this on my own.’

“The things I was putting in my body, my tolerance got so high. I got to the point where I couldn’t even count how many pills I was taking.”

The hip-hop superstar has a 14-year-old daughter Hailie, his child with ex-wife Kimberley Scott, and two adopted girls Alaina, the child of Kimberley's sister, and Whitney - Kimberley's daughter from a previous relationship.

He is also the legal guardian of his younger half-brother Nathan.

The 37-year-old star eventually realised he needed to “take responsibility” for his actions, even though it was hard for him to admit he needed help.

He added in an interview with US TV show ‘Access Hollywood’: “I just got tired of the way I was living. I guess I really had to reach down, reach deep down and look at myself and realise this is my fault, like, take responsibility for the way I’m living and stop blaming other people.

“The biggest problem is admitting that you have a problem. Nobody wants to admit that they’re not in control of something.”

Lady Gaga - Lady Gaga's Dead Shocking Shows

2010-06-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga wants to team up with body preserver Gunther Von Hagens to come up with a gruesome new stage show featuring dead bodies.
Lady Gaga plans to use dead bodies in her concerts.
The 'Alejandro' singer plans to team up with scientist Gunther Von Hagens - who is famous for his 'Body Worlds' exhibitions, which depicts preserved human corpses in various poses - to come up with a striking new vision for her 'Monster Ball Tour'.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "She is fascinated by Gunther's work and life and he has the kind of past
she is drawn to.
"Gaga sees a kindred spirit and is hoping to meet him in New York.
"They've spoken over email and it's gone well. She is keen to have some 'Body Worlds' element in one of her shows, with Las Vegas being the obvious fit. It would be good to top this tour - which is already out there - with something nobody has done before, using dead bodies as part of a concert."
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old pop star shocked onlookers at New York strip joint HeadQuarters on Monday (21.06.10) by giving a lap dance to on/off boyfriend Matt Williams.
An onlooker told the New York Post newspaper: "She was wearing a transparent jumpsuit with a few carefully placed sequins over her nipples and private parts.
"Her and Matt smooched and groped to the point where several people suggested they rent a Champagne Room so she could give a private, versus public, lap dance."

Shania Twain Gets Her Divorce And Moves On To A New Boo

2010-06-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

Country singer, Shania Twain, has one foot out of divorce court, and the other one in a budding new relationship with her new man. Robert Lange, aka 'Mutt', is the guy who loses out, after Shania Twain decided to finalize her divorce officially in Switzerland where she currently resides. And just to make this story Hollywood enough to fit this blog, Shania Twain's new man is Frederic Thiebaud, the ex-husband of Robert Lange’s other woman.SMH! Sounds like a story for Jerry Springer, doesn't it? In either case, we're sure Robert Lange is going to miss Shania Twain and all her Canadian lovin':

McDonald's Forced To Recall Shrek Glasses Due To Potential Poisoning

2010-06-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

McDonald’s Recall - Parents beware, Mcdonald's recalled millions of Shrek glasses in circulation, after finding trace amounts of Cadmium, a heavy metal often used in paints to make bright colors, on their glasses. According to some research, Cadmium is a carcinogen and could seep into the porous hands of someone holding the cup - not a good thing. McDonald's recall includes a $3 purchase of the glasess which were sold for $1.99 with food and $2.49 without food throughout their North American franchises. By McDonald's internal analytics, they've sold millions of their glasses already and have decided to do the recall at a margin loss, in part due to the potential backlash that could occur if millions of children were to get sick or develop some sort of long-lasting setback due to their mistake. Here's what the New York Times had to say: "McDonald’s announced the recall after the Consumer Product Safety Commission said that tests on the glasses showed that low levels of cadmium, a heavy metal identified as a carcinogen, could come off on the hands of a person holding the glasses. The federal government has set a limit for the amount of cadmium that can be used in toys. The safety commission is working to set acceptable levels for other products. Long-term exposure to cadmium has been associated with a variety of health problems, including kidney and bone ailments.

Cadmium is used in some paints to make bright colors, but industry representatives said that it was unusual for paints containing cadmium to be used in consumer products like glassware.

“To me the whole thing about the McDonald’s glasses is very much a mystery, and why they would be putting cadmium pigments in there,” said Hugh Morrow, a consultant for the International Cadmium Association and a former president of the trade group in North America. “Our position is that cadmium pigments should not be painted on consumer glasses.”"

Paula Deen Loses $100K Worth Of Bling? Blame The Maid!

2010-06-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

Paula Deen - Food Network star and celebrity chef, Paula Deen, lost over $100K worth of men's and women's jewelry over the course of a year. Savannah police say they've received a report from Paula Deen's people on May 3rd, and by May 5th apprehended Paula Deen's former maid in a Savannah pawn shop, trying to pawn a pair of $18,000 earrings. What we didn't know was that Paula Deen was stacked like that! Paula Deen has over $100K worth of jewelry just lying around her house? She must have a lot of bread. Get it? Bread? She's a chef... ahhh never-mind!

Your request is being processed... Van Der Sloot Peru Case Handed Over To Prosecutors

2010-06-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

Joran van der Sloot 's confession in the murder of a 21-year-old woman – allegedly smashing her face and strangling her – was so complete that police decided there was no need to take him to the crime scene for a walkthrough, according to Peru's criminal police chief. The case against the young Dutchman, who also remains the lone suspect in the Natalee Holloway missing-teenager case, goes to prosecutors Thursday so they can file formal charges, said the official, Gen. Cesar Guardia.
"We've practically closed the case," he told The Associated Press. "He's confessed with a wealth of details that have been corroborated through criminal investigative rigor."
Guardia denied any suggestion that Van der Sloot's confession was forced. He said a translator assigned by the Dutch Embassy was present, as was a state-appointed defense attorney.
If tried and convicted on murder charges, Van der Sloot would face from 15 to 35 years in prison.
What remains unresolved is the May 30, 2005 disappearance of Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
Efforts by the FBI to try to resolve it may have inadvertently helped fund the travel that enabled the murder – exactly five years to the day after the Alabama teen vanished – of Lima business student Stephany Flores.
Believing it was closing in on Van der Sloot, the FBI videotaped and paid him $25,000 in a sting operation in Aruba last month, investigators told the AP. But it held off on arresting him, and he took the money and flew to Peru.
Peruvian interrogators restricted their questioning of Van der Sloot to the case of Flores, the daughter of a circus promoter and former race car driver whom he met playing poker at a casino, Guardia said.

This image from security footage provided by the Lima police alledgedly shows Joran van der Sloot, as he leaves his hotel room in Peru on May 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Lima Police Handout)

The case against the young Dutchman, who also remains the lone suspect in the Natalee Holloway missing-teenager case, goes to prosecutors Thursday so they can file formal charges, said the official, Gen. Cesar GuardiWe've practically closed the case," he told The Associated Press. "He's confessed with a wealth of details that have been corroborated through criminal investigative rigor."
Guardia denied any suggestion that Van der Sloot's confession was forced. He said a translator assigned by the Dutch Embassy was present, as was a state-appointed defense attorney.
If tried and convicted on murder charges, Van der Sloot would face from 15 to 35 years in prison.
What remains unresolved is the May 30, 2005 disappearance of Holloway on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
Efforts by the FBI to try to resolve it may have inadvertently helped fund the travel that enabled the murder – exactly five years to the day after the Alabama teen vanished – of Lima business student Stephany Flores.
Believing it was closing in on Van der Sloot, the FBI videotaped and paid him $25,000 in a sting operation in Aruba last month, investigators told the AP. But it held off on arresting him, and he took the money and flew to Peru.
Peruvian interrogators restricted their questioning of Van der Sloot to the case of Flores, the daughter of a circus promoter and former race car driver whom he met playing poker at a casino, Guardia said.

Story continues below

He told the AP in an interview Wednesday evening that the 6-foot-3 (190-centimeter-tall) Van der Sloot, 22, impressed investigators with both his intelligence and brutality.
"He grabbed her and smashed her with an elbow," Guardia said, pointing to his own nose. "A lot of blood spewed out ... Then he strangles her and throws her to the floor."
"He is irascible. He has no self-control," Guardia said.
The general said Van der Sloot took Flores' cash, about US$300 worth of Peruvian currency, and two credit cards.
Guardia said Van der Sloot attested in his confession to killing Flores because she found out about the Aruba case by using his laptop without his permission. But he said police didn't necessarily believe him and think he may have killed Flores before going out and returning to the room with two cups of coffee and rolls.
"This guy is very intelligent but at times has lapses," said Guardia. "And the truth is that he is not a person in possession of all his senses."
A psychological examination is pending, he said.
Van der Sloot is also getting plenty to eat, Guardia said. "If he wants a steak we give him a steak ... If he wants a cigarette we give him cigarettes."
The evidence against the Dutchman includes hotel security camera video showing Flores and Van der Sloot entering his hotel room together and the Dutchman leaving alone four hours later.
"The incriminatory elements were so powerful that he had to confess," said Guardia.
Van der Sloot confessed, police say, on his third full day in police custody and a full week after he fled into northern Chile.
He was charged with extortion in the United States on June 2, the day of his arrest in Chile, in a case U.S. law officers and a private investigator say stemmed from work revived in April when Van der Sloot contacted a lawyer for Holloway's mother. The Dutchman was seeking $250,000 in exchange for the location of the young woman's body, they said.
Van der Sloot's father died in February and he "wanted to come clean, but he also wanted money," the private investigator, Bo Dietl, told the AP.
Holloway's family said they wanted closure and the attorney, John Kelly, contacted the FBI. It sent 10 to 12 agents to Aruba who set up a sting operation, added Dietl, who works with Kelly.
In the operation, Van der Sloot was given $10,000 in cash – another $15,000 was wired to a bank account in his name – and told he'd get $225,000 once the body was found, the investigator said.
Van der Sloot was secretly videotaped by the FBI in an Aruba hotel telling Kelly he pushed Holloway down, she hit her head on a rock and died, he added.
He said he then contacted his father, who helped him bury the body, Dietl added.
Under surveillance by the FBI, Kelley and Van der Sloot went to where the body supposedly was buried.
No body has been found.
The investigation of Van der Sloot in the Holloway case was simply not far enough along to have him arrested, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Birmingham said Wednesday.
However, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy quickly asked FBI Director Robert Mueller for an explanation of "exactly what happened in this case and the basis for all actions taken by the FBI."
The federal criminal complaint in the case says Van der Sloot got a partial payment of $15,000 wired to a Netherlands bank on or around May 10.
It did not say where the money came from.
In a statement Wednesday, the FBI said only that the payment came from private funds. Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, has refused to discuss details of the case and Dietl said he didn't know the money's origin.
Van der Sloot was the last person seen with her daughter before the girl vanished on the last night of a high school graduation trip. He was arrested twice but released both times for a lack of evidence.
Flores' family was asked Wednesday for comment on the fact that Van der Sloot traveled to Peru less than a week after receiving the cash in the extortion sting.
Enrique Flores, one of the slain Peruvian woman's brothers, said, "My sister is dead, so I can't accomplish anything by thinking about what might have been."
"Neither I nor the family are thinking about all the things that could have happened but did not."
___

LA Lakers Eye Game 4 Win After Ray Allen Meltdown

2010-06-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

It was a wild turn of turn of events for the Boston Celtics’ Ray Allen and a terrific opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, who gained a 2–1 series lead over Boston in the NBA finals with their 91–84 win at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Allen, who just two days earlier drained eight 3-pointers to set a new record for an NBA finals game, had the worst shooting performance of his career on Tuesday night.

The veteran shot a miserable 0–13 from the field including eight missed 3-pointers. That was one missed shot away from tying the worst NBA Finals shooting performance.

“It’s a hell of a swing, I’ll tell you that,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

The current Celtics have always been a team that hasn’t relied on any single star player. But not even Kevin Garnett’s 25-points and solid performances from Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce could make up for Allen’s woes.

“Ray went 0-for-13,” Boston second-string center Glen Davis said. “Who would have ever thought that? [If] he hits a couple of shots and we’re in the game, we’re winning the game.”

Sure, the blame for Boston’s Game 3 loss on home court can’t entirely be put on Allen’s shoulders; an all-around first half offensive letdown and a heroic surge by the Lakers’ Derek Fisher down the stretch were equally critical to the game’s outcome.

But Allen’s numbers were just so glaringly awful, and unexpected, that it’s hard not to point fingers.

The game began with an explosive start from Garnett, who performed a beautiful post move on Pau Gasol and nailed two alley-oops in the opening minutes to ignite the home crowd. “Beat L.A.!” was a chanted throughout the Garden.

But Boston’s defense turned sloppy midway through the first quarter and a slew of fouls ensued, giving Kobe Bryant the opportunity he needed to shine.

The Lakers star made up for his poor shooting from beyond the perimeter by attacking the basket and getting three-point plays.

Sixth man Lamar Odom also played well and the Lakers took control of the first half, at one point extending their lead to 17. They headed to the locker room up 52–40.

Led by Garnett, Boston mounted an impressive comeback in the second half closing the gap to one point.

But shortly after that Bryant and Fisher turned on the heat; Bryant led in the third quarter and Fisher scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and had four baskets down the stretch. Bryant finished the night with 29 points.

“Derek Fisher was the difference in the game,” Rivers said. “He’s just a gutty, gritty player and he gutted the game out for them.”

“We didn’t doubt our ability to win here,” Fisher said.

Now with Boston hurt and probably a bit embarrassed by Allen’s futility, the Lakers are eyeing their next win in Boston on Thursday.

A Game 4 win would probably ensure a finals victory for the Lakers as Boston would have to win three straight to prevent a Lakers title.

“I just need to go in there and get my shots up,” Allen said. “I never hang my head. Tomorrow is another opportunity.”

Snake Freaks Out Salma Hayek, “Grown Ups” Co-Stars

2010-06-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

Salma Hayek may be known for dancing with a serpent dangling from her neck in 1996’s “From Dusk Till Dawn,” but her reaction on Friday when a snake appeared on the set of a press conference for her newest film would make people wonder if she indeed did the snake dance scene. Hayek freaked out after seeing the snake, screaming and climbing on her chair, as the Extra interview was turned into a chaotic scene. Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph were chatting with Extra’s Terri Seymour during the press junket for the actresses’ new movie “Grown Ups” when the rather harmless snake suddenly appeared. What followed was a frenetic scene that may be deemed an inappropriate reaction from, well, adults.
While the other women also freaked out a bit, Hayek’s reaction and shrieks made her co-stars appear composed. Hayek, wearing a stiletto, climbed onto Rudolph’s chair while screaming at the top of her lungs: “Somebody do something!.” Hayek was so afraid that she had to be carried out of the set even after things have calmed down.

Chris Brown barred from Britain because of Rihanna beating

2010-06-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

British officials, citing worries that singer Chris Brown might pose a danger to British citizens, barred him from entering the United Kingdom for concerts this week, a UK border official said.
Brown pleaded guilty last year to a felony charge of assaulting his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.
"We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense," said Barbara Woodward, director of the UK border agency's
international group. "Public safety is one of our primary concerns."
The 21-year-old R&B singer was scheduled to perform Wednesday night in Glasgow, Scotland, with shows in three English cities -- Manchester, Birmingham and London -- scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Sunday, according to his official website. He was then scheduled to perform in Cork, Ireland next Tuesday.
A publicist for Brown's UK tour said the shows in England, Scotland and Ireland were canceled "due to issues surrounding his work visa."
Brown vented in Twitter messages posted online to his fans late Monday:
"U ever feel like the storm clouds are too thick for any sunshine to get through?"
"think ima go away!!!!"
Brown was sentenced last August to serve five years probation and to spend more than 1,400 hours in "labor-oriented service" for the assault conviction.

A British Home Office official told CNN that "because of his felony charge, it might not be a very good idea" to allow Brown into the country. The official asked not to be quoted by name because he was not authorized to speak to the media about the matter.

Obama travels to visit daughter Sasha's school

2010-06-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

BETHESDA, Md. – President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are attending an event at the private school that 8-year-old daughter Sasha obama attends in suburban Maryland.
Reporters who accompanied the Obamas to the site of the Sidwell Friends school in Bethesda were not permitted to witness the event inside the school. Nor was there a description of what program or event the Obamas attending.
The first couple, however, has made several forays to the two schools where Sasha and her older sister, 11-year-old Malia, are registered. The motorcade ride from the White House to Bethesda on Thursday morning took place under clear, sunny skies, but plenty of humidity.

Artist's Grand gesture elicits Obama appreciation

2010-06-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - In a letter to President Obama, Dongan Hills artist Myrna Gerson explained that after reading in the Advance that the First Family had vacationed at the Grand Canyon, she was inspired to create a watercolor of the stunning site in Arizona and sent it along as a gift to the Obamas. She added that she’d be honored if perhaps his daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, might be so
moved to display the original painting in their rooms.

Myrna explained that she mailed her creation as an early Christmas gift inasmuch as she was about to undergo heart-valve replacement surgery and knew she’d be recuperating at holiday time.

Along with the note, Myrna sent a photo of herself and husband Bob and two laminated enlargements of her World Trade Center postcard she re-created from an original portrait of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers painted in 1973 when she worked in Tower 1 as the building was being constructed – as well as several stories about her work as published in the Advance, along with her sincere wishes.

In return, Myrna received a heartfelt note from the President and Mrs. Obama extending their deepest thanks and appreciation for her generous gift.

“It is gratifying to know that we have your support,” said the Obamas, before adding: “As we work to address the great challenges of our time, we hope you will continue to stay active and involved.”

Elizabeth Taylor Shares Richard Burton's Love Letters

2010-06-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

It was one of the great love affairs of the last century – a turbulent 20-year odyssey of lust, love and marriage (twice), all in the spotlight of Hollywood fame. Now, Elizabeth Taylor is offering glimpses into her passionate, often painful life with Richard Burton through his love letters to her
.

In the letters, excerpted in the July issue of Vanity Fair, Burton, who died in 1984 at age 58, teases and cajoles, threatens and confesses – and tries to come to terms with his infatuation, love and need for Taylor.

"Richard was magnificent in every sense of the word," the actress, now 78, tells the magazine. "From those first moments in Rome [on the set of Cleopatra] we were always madly and powerfully in love."

But it was a love that had a dark side. They married twice and divorced twice, but never fully let go of each other. Among the highlights from Burton's letters:

• On his need for Taylor: "If you leave me I shall have to kill myself. There is no life without you."

• On her gifts as an actress: "You are probably the best actress in the world, which, com bined with your extraordinary beauty, makes you unique. … When, as an actress, you want to be funny, you are funnier than W.C. Fields; when, as an actress, you are meant to be tragic, you are tragic."

• On their misunderstandings: "You must know, of course, how much I love you. You must know, of course, how badly I treat you. But the fundamental and most vicious, swinish, murderous, and unchangeable fact is that we totally misunderstand each other … we operate on alien wave lengths."
• On the idiocy of love: "I find it very difficult to allow my whole life to rest on the existence of another creature. I find it equally difficult, because of my innate arrogance, to believe in the idea of love. There is no such thing, I say to myself. There is lust, of course, and usage, and jealousy, and desire and spent powers, but no such thing as the idiocy of love. Who invented that concept? I have wracked my shabby brains and can find no answer."

• On his own acting: "I have never quite got over the fact that I thought and I'm afraid I still do think, that 'acting' for a man – a really proper man – is sissified and faintly ridiculous. … My heart, unlike yours, is not in it."

The one letter that Taylor declines to share publicly – though she read it aloud to a Vanity Fair reporter – was the last one he wrote to her, just days before his unexpected death from a brain hemorrhage. In that letter, which Taylor keeps in a bedside drawer, he says he was happiest in life when he was with her, and wonders if they might have another shot together.

courtesy of people.com

Charlie Sheen to plead guilty over assaulting wife

2010-06-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Actor Charlie Sheen is ready to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges related to alleged domestic violence against his wife and serve a 30-day jail sentence, US media has reported.
Sheen's publicist, Stan Rosenfeld, declined to comment, telling AFP, "I hear the same rumors everyone else is hearing.
"
A source close to the actor's negotiations with prosecutors told the online edition of People magazine Tuesday that the star of the popular TV series "Two and a Half Men" will enter a guilty plea at a hearing in Aspen, Colorado on June 7.
The 44-year-old comedian will seek a 30-day sentence for a misdemeanor charge stemming from his wife Brooke Mueller's accusation in December that he threatened her with a knife during an argument.
"Charlie intends to go to court on June 7 (to) plead to a misdemeanor and immediately begin serving his 30 days in jail," People quoted the source as saying. "With good behavior, he could end up doing 15 or so days."
Sheen's lawyer confirmed Monday to the Aspen Times newspaper that the hearing was scheduled for next Monday afternoon, while other media also reported the possibility of a plea bargain.
Sheen had pleaded not guilty to abuse charges in March and was supposed to go to trial next month.
He was arrested on Christmas Day at the posh ski resort following his wife's charges, and released a short time later.
Both Sheen and his wife went into rehabilitation clinics after the incident. The actor, who is the son of actor Martin Sheen and the brother of actor Emilio Estevez, also was supposed to receive anger management therapy.

Courtsey of: yahoo

Kristen Stewart flips the bird in Sydney

2010-05-31T03:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so imagine this. You’ve got the central part in the biggest movie franchise in a generation.

You’re dating your co-star who just happens to be one of the most desired men on the planet.

You travel the globe on promotional tours for your movies, with fans cheering you and the world’s media wanting to take your picture.

You earned, according to Vanity Fair, $US16 million ($18.8 million) last year alone.

Oh, and you’re only 20.

Does that sound like fun? Would that be in some way pleasant?

You’d think you’d be happy to sign a thousand autographs or grin, even smugly, for a photo?

Well not if you’re Kristen Stewart. It looks like if you’re Kristen Stewart it doesn’t mean any such thing.

If you’re Kristen Stewart and you arrive in Sydney, a city ready to welcome you with open arms, it means you swear at photographers.

It means you dress like you’re bumming around your house on a Sunday - wearing a beanie and sunglasses so you can’t really be seen at all.

It means you don’t even bother to do your nails properly.

In fact it means when you go out onto your hotel balcony for a smoke, you even manage to stuff that up (see pictures her reaction to photographers).

But perhaps we’re being grossly unfair. Perhaps being a young woman suddenly thrust into the limelight is intensely strange and alienating.

“All you see is an actor or a celebrity lit up by a flash,” she recently told Britian’s e magazine.

“It’s so… The photos are so… I feel like I’m looking at someone being raped.

“A lot of the time I can’t handle it.”

“It’s f**ked. I never expected that this would be my life.”

Isn’t it possible it totally sucks being flown around the world and being hassled constantly for weeks on end?

And perhaps the poor girl just needs a break – given she is really looking forward to some free time after completing work on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse with no
firm career schedule out there.

“To have a clean horizon is pretty nice," she recently told Flaunt magazine.

Perhaps she is simply looking forward to tomorrow where she’ll get some time off to visit her family – her mum Jules Mann-Stewart grew up on the Sunshine Coast and she has relatives in Sydney.
Or is it simply that being nice is hardly newsworthy and these sort of pictures are lapped up by the public.
Stewart is due to appear at Luna Park in front of thousands of screaming fans to do a media free question and answer session hosted by Richard Wilkins tonight.
Let’s hope he asks her: “Why are you acting so weird?”

Tiger Woods not allowed to date, source reveals

2010-05-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

He's not back in the game quite yet.

Despite Tiger Woods' imminent divorce from wife of five years Elin, 30, an insider tells Us Weekly his legal team told him he can't date until the split is finalized
"Elin's building a character case (based on his serial philandering)," the insider
says. "Elin's team is watching (Tiger's) every move."
Her goal? "She wants more money than Michael Jordan's ex got," another source says, referring to the former NBA star's $168 million payout to his ex-wife