On Saturday, legendary singer Whitney Houston suffered a tragic death, and … Piers Morgan is joined by a panel of music insiders that knew her best. Singer-songwriter Chaka Khan first recorded the single “I’m Every Woman,” a song Houston took to new heights 15 years later. Calling the late star her “little sister,” Chaka Khan questions the decision to proceed with Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party just hours after Houston’s passing: “I thought that was complete insanity,” Chaka Khan tells Morgan. “I don’t know what could motivate a person, to have a party, in a building, where the person, whose life he had influenced so enormously, and whose life had been affected by her…I don’t understand how that party went on.”

If you watch the clip above, you’ll learn that Chaka was supposed to attend Clive Davis‘s party but as soon as she heard of Whitney‘s death, she decided that she simply could not attend the party. As I blogged before, I personally felt it was really weird for the celebrities in attendance to be smiling for the cameras just hours after Whitney‘s death — IN THE HOTEL WHERE HER DEAD BODY WAS BEING HOUSED. Despite the lip service, the party wasn’t really turned into a memorial for Whitney … it eventually turned into a regular celebratory party. Now, far be it for me to blame anyone for partying whenever they feel the need … but for Clive Davis — of all people — to carry on with his party as if nothing happened after Whitney‘s death … man, that just feels so wrong to me … and, clearly, to Chaka Khan as well.

Later in the interview, Chaka also discussed Whitney’s final days in LA … in her opinion, Whitney — a recovering addict — should not have been allowed to party in the days leading up to the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party:

The creator of the long-running Fox animated series The Simpsons received the 2,459th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. Matt Groening told the crowd that before his show premiered in 1989, at least one Fox executive was skeptical that it would be a success. He recalled the executive had an issue with brainy Lisa Simpson and complained, “No network TV show can possibly succeed that has an eight-year-old girl saying the word ‘ennui.’” Hank Azaria, who voices Moe the bartender and Apu, among other Simpsons characters, spoke at the ceremony. He joked, “Twenty-five years ago when we were first doing this, I was Hank the bartender. And now I’m Moe the bartender, much better off, much easier job, much easier on the back.” The Simpsons will air its 500th episode on Sunday.

Yay! This is, I think, another example of the folks in charge of doling out stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame getting it right! The Simpsons has become a huge part of our popular culture and has become the longest running animated series on primetime television. I am thrilled that the series is showing NO SIGNS of slowing down and that creator Matt Groening is being rightfully honored for his hard work and creative efforts. The Simpsons is one of my favorite TV shows of all time and I just love everything about this honor for Groening. The triple celebration of Matt‘s WoF star, Matt‘s birthday AND the forthcoming 500th Simpsons episode means it’s a great time to be a fan of The Simpsons. Celebrate good times, y’all.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin; Source]

Again, the pair were not really interested in being photographed together so they immediately tried to hide their faces when they got in their car … but you can see that they seemed pretty happy to be spending some time together yesterday as they made their way out of SoHo House together. I’m still not sure how I feel about this pairing but … they make an interesting couple, I think. What do y’all think … do you like these two together? Do you think we are witnessing the birth of a new love affair?

[Photo credit: X17]

Winter’s coming — and now so is war! HBO’s just-released teaser poster for the second season of Game of Thrones (premiering April 1) puts an ominous spin on the show’s familiar tagline.

Argh! Those of you who have read the books are at a huge advantage … you know what to expect from the coming season of Game of Thrones. Believe me, I want to read the Thrones books but I simply don’t have the time right now (but I do have the first 4 books on my Kindle, ready for reading). I guess I don’t mind being in the dark about what to expect from the coming season of the show … it is kind of fun that way. We’ve got Winter coming, we’ve got War coming … I wonder what other things will be coming our way when Game of Thrones returns to HBO this April.

[Source]

A bittersweet Valentine’s day… I hope everyone can share today with their loved ones!

Aww … I really love this photo of Mimi and Nick. You can tell that they are really in love. And, I have to say, I’m not at all surprised that Mariah is still upset over the loss of Whitney Houston. But, if anything can help heal the pain of loss … it’s the realization that love conquers all. Despite the bittersweetness of the timing of VDay this year, I hope Mariah, Nick AND all of you were still able to enjoy a happy and loving Valentine’s Day this year.

[Source]

Music, Love & Happiness:

Peep Show:


Bell produced the Britney Spears song I’ve Just Begun (Having My Fun) as well a number of other songs intended for the Original Doll album. Some of the other songs that Michelle Bell produced (and may leak) are Like I’m Fallin’, Look Who’s Talking Now, Ouch, So Original and Take Off. It’s clear that these snippets are from the demo versions of the songs and, IMHO, they show great promise as amazing songs. I hope we’ll get to hear the songs in full … actually, I’d love to hear not only these songs but more songs from Original Doll. What do y’all think of these embryonic tracks? Do you like?

[Source]

For the past few weeks, David has been really bizzy with work and we haven’t had a lot of time to spend alone … which, I realize, is what many couples have to endure on a day to day basis. David and I have been spoiled with all of the time we’ve been able to enjoy together in the past couple of years. But, considering we spent the first 3 years of our relationship flying back and forth between NYC and LA, well, I think we were due. So, yeah, getting to spend all day with him yesterday (albeit in a plane) was a very nice Valentine’s Day gift. I had to take a break from reading my Walt Disney bio so I could read Anne Rice‘s new book. She is one of my favorite authors and I am really excited that she is returning to her classic supernatural themes in The Wolf Gift. She’s already expertly written about vampires, witches, ghosts and at least one Mummy … it’s about time she took on the subject of werewolves. I’m already a few chapters into the book and I am HOOKED!

But I won’t have any time to read tonight … cuz I’ve got a date with Björk!

You may recall that I blogged a few weeks ago that Björk is performing a string of shows here in NYC thruout the month of February … tonight is my chance to see one of those shows … and I am SO excited! Tonight’s concert will take place at the New York Hall of Science … which sounds just amazingly cool. I hope your Wednesday is a fun one … Happy Hump Day, y’all!

• Daniel Radcliffe shows off his talented tongue. [ONTD!]
• Reasons why you should NEVER pass out at a party. [Buzzfeed]
• Scarlett Johansson goes on a VDay yacht excursion with Nate Naylor. [PopSugar]
• Amber Riley belts I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston on Glee. [GossipCop]
• Madonna‘s people show you how to build a Super Bowl stage in under 6 minutes. [Oh La La]
• Oklahoma, one of the least gay-friendly states in the US, elects its first openly gay state senator. [Towleroad]
• Italians still wants to persecute Amanda Knox. [Newser]
• Teen Death Sentence [Heavy]
• Avril Lavigne tries to be sexy on the cover of Aussie FHM magazine, fails. [Idolator]
• Diplo teams up with Usher. [arjanwrites]
• Who wore it best, Rihanna or Gwyneth? [Starpulse]
• Is Jessica Biel pregs? [Global Grind]
• Uh oh, is Scarlett Johansson‘s new dude, Nate Naylor, a d-bag? [LaineyGossip]
• Amber Riley (Glee) is 26, Brandon Boyd of Incubus is 36, Janice Dickinson is 57, Matt Groening (The Simpsons) is 58 and Jane Seymour is 61 years old. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.

With slicked back hair, sideburns, and a goatee, Brad Pitt is handsome as ever in his violent role in the new mob flick Cogan’s Trade.
Brad plays Jackie Cogan, a ‘professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game’. The crime drama is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by George V. Higgins, which has dark comedy elements and violence. Early glimpses from the film show the 48-year-old actor brandishing a large shotgun and smoking Parliaments with co-star Richard Jenkins. Other early stills of the film reveal Mafia-typecast powerhouses James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta appearing in restaurant/kitchen scenes. The ensemble also includes Sam Shepard, Garret Dillahunt, Max Casella, Bella Heathcote, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, and Vincent Curatola. The highly-anticipated dark film is Andrew Dominik‘s follow-up to The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which also starred Brad. Cogan’s Trade is set to hit theaters later this year.

Hmmm … this sounds like it’s going to be gritty like Goodfellas, which I would really be interested in seeing. I’m curious to see just how much of a badass Pitt will be in this film. I don’t recall ever seeing him in a film where his character was a complete hateful person. I’m not sure if his Jackie Corgan character will be a dark hero or not but I would love to see him play a completely loathsome character for once (has anyone read the novel, can you enlighten?). I gotta admit, Brad Pitt is one of the only actors who can rock a look like this and not look ridiculous. I’m curious … I’d like to see more.

[Source]

Bobby Brown is “extremely disappointed” after hearing that several members of Whitney Houston’s family do not want him to attend the singer’s funeral, sources tell TMZ. Sources close to Bobby tell us people connected to the Houston family have reached out to Bobby to warn him that he shouldn’t attempt to attend the funeral because the family isn’t fond of him. However, we’re told Bobby has not received any OFFICIAL word from the family about his invite status. Sources tell us Bobby WANTS to attend the funeral so he can support his daughter Bobbi Kristina, but he hasn’t decided on a plan of action yet … Bobby is hoping the family will be able to set aside their differences so they all can focus on mourning the loss of their loved one.

Considering that many people believe that Bobby Brown is largely responsible for some of the tragedies that Whitney Houston endured in her life, I can completely understand why members of her family would want to keep him away from the funeral. That being said, even a man like Bobby Brown should be allowed to mourn the death of his late ex-wife. Without question, there was love between the two of them once upon a time … I suspect that Whitney would want him to be in attendance.

As for the Houston family keeping Bobby away from his daughter right now, well, in my personal opinion … if the family thinks that Bobbi Kris needs to be protected from extraneous drama then, I agree that it should be they who do the protecting … not Bobby Brown:

Bobby Brown still hasn’t seen his daughter — THREE days after Whitney Houston’s death — and he thinks Whitney’s family, specifically Cissy Houston, is throwing up the road block. Sources close to Bobby tell us he hasn’t connected with Bobbi Kristina since arriving in L.A. Sunday night — despite placing several phone calls and making an attempt to physically see her early [Tuesday] morning. We’re told Brown was turned away by Whitney’s family and friends who are caring for BK at a home in the Los Angeles area. According to our sources, Bobby is angry and frustrated because he only came to L.A. to care for 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina after she was hospitalized twice. As for why he’s blaming Whitney’s mom for the freeze out — we’re told Brown thinks Cissy has hated him for years.

Um, yeah, I bet Cissy Houston hates Bobby Brown … a lot. On this matter, I’m totally siding with the Houston family. Bobbi Kris is extremely fragile right now (as evidenced by her hospitalizations) and as much as his heart may be in the right place, I can understand why the Houston family may believe his influence on her might be damaging right now. Ugh … everything about this whole matter is just beyond sad and complicated. It will only be after the family funeral this Saturday that the family will begin to heal. I truly hope that everyone will be able to get along in the end for the good of Bobbi Kris … and for the memory of Whitney Houston.

[Source, Source]

SXSW is right around the corner, and we’ve got some big news to share regarding our official showcase. It’s taking place March 15 at the Central Presbyterian Church, and will feature none other than Fiona Apple. The beloved singer-songwriter hasn’t played more than a handful of shows since 2007. We’re beyond excited to be hosting this performance in an intimate space that only holds about 400 people. Fiona will open the showcase at 8 p.m. Only SXSW badges and wristbands will be admitted. Stay tuned for details on the rest of the lineup.

Wow! This will be amazing. I am now SO BUMMED that I’m missing out on SxSW this year. I attended the music fest a few years ago when Tori Amos performed at SxSW and if my schedule were more open, I’d deffo be heading down to Austin again this year to see Fiona in concert (unfortch, with 7 weddings this year, I simply cannot make the time). I was able to see the incomparable Amanda Palmer perform at the Central Presbyterian Church when I attended SxSW and I can assure you, the venue is stunning … perfect for Fiona Apple. I’m really looking forward to hearing about the show. If I cannot attend in person, maybe we’ll get to hear some of her new music in recorded video clips.

[Source]

We have the most incredible fans. We are overwhelmed by the amazing “I Hate Love” art we received from all of you from across the globe. As a Valentine’s Day treat, here’s a sneak peak of a new song called “I Hate Love’ showcasing some of your art. We weren’t able to include all of your love-hating creations in the video clip, but we will put together “I Hate Love” photo albums on our Facebook page today to display everyone’s work. We can’t thank you all enough for inspiring us.

YES … finally. As much as I’ve been loving the clips of instrumental music, I’ve been dying to hear Shirley‘s vocals on any of the new songs. Last week, the band released another clip of music that features a pretty kickass guitar riff:

David Beckham recently admitted that his wife loves him wearing long johns and now it’s clear to see why. Victoria must have got quite excited when she saw new images from the footballer’s underwear campaign for H&M. The 36-year-old is sporting an impressive package in the cosy garments after revealing he does not ‘stuff’ his underwear. Following the release of his underwear range for the high street store, the rest of David’s collection has now been unveiled in the chain’s latest catalogue. The father-of-four is seen showing off his toned body and impressive body art in a series of images that sees him covering up his legs. This is exactly how Victoria prefers him to dress and even forces David to wear the tight garment. ‘Victoria loves me in long johns,’ he recently admitted to the Daily Mirror. ‘I like wearing the normal, short briefs but she reckons she likes me better wearing the long johns! She makes me wear them around the house. But that’s OK because they’re comfortable and keep you warm.’ He went on to set the record straight and revealed he has never resorted to stuffing his underwear to make his manhood appear bulkier. Referring to comedian James Corden – who parodied him in a shoot, and later admitted to stuffing socks in the underwear – David said: ‘I’ve never, ever done a James and padded out my pants, or shoved socks down there though. I’ve never had to for any of the photoshoots I’ve done because, hopefully, I don’t need to. Well, let’s just say I’ve been told I don’t need any help in that department. I think I’m pretty OK!’

Oh yes, I’d agree … I think David Beckham is “pretty OK”, too. It’s amazing how the right model can make even the most mundane and boring items of clothing look … appealing. I have never been a fan of long johns … but I’m starting to change my opinion. I am really loving the promo ad campaign for David Beckham Bodywear … and I sincerely hope the ad firm and Becks win a lot of Peabody, or CLIO, or Pulitzer or whatever awards for their ad campaign efforts. Yes … this has to be the best ad campaign I’ve ever seen … ever … wouldn’t you agree?

[Source]

The Royal Wedding sparked a craze for weird and wonderful souvenirs but now collectors can own their very own Prince William and Kate Middleton Barbie dolls. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been immortalised in plastic dressed in their full wedding day costume worn at Westminster Abbey. The Kate doll wears a floor-length, ivory miniature replica of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress. The doll even sports Kate’s glossy brunette locks and the look is completed with a delicate ivory veil, sparkling tiara and matching drop earrings. Prince William is dressed in his red Irish Guards uniform with a blue Order of the Garter sash which also includes his RAF wings. The dolls will go on sale in April to mark the royal couple’s first wedding anniversary for £99.99. The Barbie collector William and Catherine royal wedding gift set will be released on April 7 but the plastic figures are available to pre-order at www.amazon.co.uk.

Firstly, can you effing believe that it’s almost been a year since Wills and Kate got married? OMG, seriously, where has the time gone. Secondly, can you believe how cute these dolls look? No one makes dolls like Mattel does … and a Barbie version of Wills and Kate is just too amazingly cute. I don’t *think* I’ll be picking up a set of these dolls but … well … they sure are cute. In any event, I’m sure many folks will be shelling out the bucks to own this cute set of dolls … and I can’t say that I blame them at all. What do y’all think … do these dolls look like something you need to add to your collections?

[Source]

Adele, winner of six 2012 Grammy awards and arguably this year’s it-girl, has graced the cover of Vogue’s March issue. In her interview with Vogue’s Jonathan Van Meter, the singer discusses everything from her surgery to the latest man in her life, 37-year-old Simon Konecki. “He looks after me. I don’t think I would have gotten through the recovery for my surgery if it hadn’t been for him,” she told Van Meter. While her current love life is great, she said, she discussed her past boyfriend, a man 10 years older her senior, whom she keeps anonymous, but who inspired her album, 21: “If I hadn’t met him, I think I’d still be that little girl I was when I was eighteen. And the best thing is, I now know what I want for myself and from someone else. I didn’t know what I wanted before.” Her songs about love are ones that everyone can relate to: “When I sing ‘Someone Like You,’ I know that every single person in the room will be able to relate to it. That’s where that emotional connection comes from. I have sympathy for myself, I have sympathy for them, they have sympathy for me, and I know that we are all there knowing exactly how each other feels. It’s like a big pact. You can just feel it. You can slice it.” Her relatable music and vocal talent are likely why Adele received such a strong standing ovation from her musical peers at this year’s Grammy Awards.

Lovely … she looks really fab, don’t she? As much as I am truly happy for Adele‘s loving relationship with Simon, the girl owes a lot to the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart so completely. Where it not for him, she’d prolly not be enjoying the same level of success that she has achieved. I mean, yeah, it sounds odd but … were it not for the pain she endured, she may have never ascended to the heights of musical fame … at least not in this way. No matter how she got here, she got here … and now she’s happy and that is all that matters.

[Source]

01. Safe & Sound – Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars)
02. Eyes Wide Open – Taylor Swift
03. Abraham’s Daughter – Arcade Fire
04. The Ruler & The Killer – Kid Cudi
05. Run Daddy Run – Miranda Lambert (feat. The Pistol Annies)
06. Kingdom Come – The Civil Wars
07. One Engine – The Decemberists
08. Take The Heartland – Glen Hansard
09. Lover Is Childlike – The Low Anthem
10. Dark Days – Punch Brothers
11. Tomorrow Will Be Kinder – The Secret Sisters
12. Just A Game – Birdy
13. Oh Come & Sing – Ella Mae Bowen
14. Rules – Jayme Dee
15. Reaping Day – Carolina Chocolate Drops
16. Give Me Something I’ll Remember – Neko Case

Wow, this looks like a great collection of songs. I must admit that many of these artists are new to me but I am very excited to hear these Hunger Games-inspired songs. The album will be released on March 20 but it is available for preorder on iTunes right now. If you preorder the album, you get The Decemberists song One Engine immediately. A second soundtrack album will be released for The Hunger Games but that one will feature the film’s instrumental score only. It is almost time for the 74th annual Hunger Games, y’all … you only have a few days left to enter for a chance to attend the film’s premiere next month.

[Source]

Earlier today we thought that the public memorial would take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which is an arena that can sit up to 18,000 people. Now, a rep for mayor Cory Booker has said that, “In compliance with the family’s wishes, the city is not moving forward with any public ceremony.”

Whitney’s rep has also confirmed that the invitation-only funeral will take place at noon on Saturday at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

From my perspective, it should be about the family’s wishes first 100%, so if they don’t want a public service I think it is good that this is being respected. We are all still reeling from Saturday’s tragic news and slowly coming to terms with the loss. This coming weekend will no doubt be a very sad day indeed for everyone.

Here are some more photos of the car carrying Whitney Houston’s body arriving at Whigham Funeral Home, Newark, New Jersey, yesterday..

[source] [source]

Check out that bling on Sienna Miller’s finger! As Life & Style first reported in January, Sienna is pregnant and engaged to Tom Sturridge. Now, see the first photos of her gorgeous ring! “They’re engaged and really happy,” a source close to the couple revealed to Life & Style. “Her family is pleased, as they absolutely adore Tom.” The source adds, “He proposed to Sienna during a romantic trip to Paris after Christmas. He filled their hotel suite at the Ritz with flowers and presented her with a vintage Victorian ring. It was incredibly romantic — she was blown away.” Sienna, 30, and Tom, 26, are expecting their first child in June.

Congratulations and love goes out to the happy couple on their forthcoming baby AND nuptials. But, I have to say … I was SO convinced that Sienna was going to end up with Jude Law. You may recall that Sienna and Jude “kinda” got married in a non-legal marriage ceremony together as their rekindled romance seemed to solidify in the year or so they were together. I was honestly pretty bummed out when they broke up. Sienna and Tom have been together for a lot less time than Sienna and Jude were together … and they are already pregnant and engaged! I guess when you meet the right person, there’s no need to wait. Again … love and congrats goes out to Sienna and Tom. I suspect they will be enjoying a very romantic Valentine’s Day together today :)

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Matt Bomer has long kept quiet about his private life. But the White Collar hunk decided to change all that this weekend … While accepting an award at the Desert AIDS Project’s Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards in Palm Springs, Bomer acknowledged that he is gay by giving a special shout-out to his longtime partner, Hollywood publicist Simon Halls, and their three children. “I’d really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry,” Bomer said during the gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center. “Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment. God bless you.” Bomer, who’s preparing for his role as a gay journalist who contracts HIV in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming film adaptation of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, was honored with the New Generation Arts & Activism Award for his work in the fight against the disease. “My world has really been rocked by doing research for Normal Heart, just in terms of the history of HIV and AIDS,” he said. “And so I’m very proud to receive this award from an organization that is at the forefront of carrying the torch into a very, very bright future.” While he hasn’t come out publicly until now, the 34-year-old actor has publicly supported many gay causes including the Trevor Project and GLSEN. He will also star alongside George Clooney in Dustin Lance Black’s stage show 8, which outlines the California trial which overturned the state’s same-sex marriage ban.

There are a few films in our time that reach the stature of epic melodrama like Titanic. It was also the breakthrough for two of our biggest stars, Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio. This film definitely defined their careers, and they have both come so far since it was originally released. They were little babies then…

Can you believe how much they have both grown up and changed? I loved finding these old pics because it reminded me just how much time had passed since Titanic came out. It didn’t feel like that many years in my mind, but when I saw these photos it reminded me. It also reminded me where I was when I watched this movie, back in ’97, and how much has changed in my own life. Wow time has seriously flown!

Kate has said that the 3-D version of the film is “extraordinary.” But, she could only stand watching 17 minutes of it because it made her feel “weird”…

“I was literally like, ‘Oh my God, make it stop! Is that me? Oh my God, that’s me. Block my ears, somebody! Somebody club out my senses. Make it (expletive) stop!’…”And Leo looks so young and so skinny!” “I do feel very excited about it, because I can tell that a whole new generation is going to get to experience the film…”(My children) Mia and Joe still have not seen it. So it is very exciting that I can actually sit with them — together — and we can all watch it together in a movie theater, and that is going to be quite amazing, actually.”

Kate was 21 years old when they filmed Titanic, now she has two children, who are 11 and 8 years old. It must be very strange for her to revisit her former self on screen, not just from a professional perspective to see how much her acting style has changed, but also as a reminder of how much she has grown as a person.

“I’m sure I wasn’t really a very good actress. Seriously, we are talking about something that happened 15 years ago. It is a very long time ago. I’ve learned so much, and I’ve changed as a person so much since then. It is really quite weird. Can you imagine anything stranger? It’s going to be like famous all over again, Titanic all over again!”

Yes, Titanic all over again! The cinematography will be amazing in 3-D I imagine. Can’t you just see the moment when the ship hits the iceberg.. in 3-D! It will feel like you’re on that ship. It is worth going just for that.

I am not embarrassed to say that I LOVED Titanic back then in 1997, and I suspect there are many people out there who also did, and have been too shy to admit it until now, at it’s re-release. I remember balling my eyes out in the cinema as Rose clung onto a chunk of ice and Jack, the love of her life drowned in the icy water. Even those who aren’t into the melodrama of the film will go and see it in 3-D I think… it’s iconic, plus 15 years have passed which makes this film a classic, I say. And, what’s more… we love Kate and Leo!

[source] [source]

Last week I posted a link to a nice archive of Vintage Valentine’s Day cards from our youth and I selected these few VD cards for all of YOU! David, the sweetie, gave me a box of Sweetheart candies en espagnol along with a super cute card:

We like Valentine’s Day but because it’s so close to our anniversary, we have the real celebrating for that day :) I’m very excited that we will be going back to the hotel in Amsterdam where we met 6 years ago this Friday. As always, I will be working every day of our trip so I’m dragging you guys along with me … and, of course, we have Pink writer Melissa holding down the fort here at home in the US.

I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with love and laughter! Have a fantastic day! XOXO

• Miss Piggy covers the BAFTA red carpet. [Buzzfeed]
• Nicki Minaj releases a song called Starship. [ONTD!]
• Remember when these celebs dated one another? [PopSugar]
• Oprah Winfrey begs Nielsen families to watch her OWN network … which is a bad, bad thing to do. [GossipCop]
• Bello mag in print. [Oh La La]
• Aussie actress Magda Szubanski, one of the stars of Kath & Kim, comes out as gay. [Towleroad]
• Mitt Romney, the man running for President, says HE would’ve let the Detroit Auto Industry go bankrupt. [Newser]
• Welcome to Unicorn City. [Heavy]
• Rumor has it that Rumour Has It will be Adele‘s fourth single from 21. [Idolator]
• Wiz Khalifa loves Bing. [arjanwrites]
• Kate Upton covers the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. [Starpulse]
• Nicki Minaj explains her inventive Grammy Awards performance. [Global Grind]
• Tilda Swinton had the Best Hair at the BAFTA Awards this year. [LaineyGossip]
• Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is 40, Meg Tilly is 52, Teller of Penn and Teller is 64, Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch) is 78 and Hugh Downs (20/20) is 91 years old. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.

A hearse and a large police procession arrived just before midnight Tuesday at a New Jersey funeral home that is handling the funeral arrangements for Whitney Houston. The hearse was escorted by police from Teterboro Airport to Whigham Funeral Home in Newark as a large crowd gathered. Cissy Houston, Houston’s mother, was waiting inside the funeral home, police said. Houston’s funeral will be held either Friday or Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., the singer’s hometown. The Prudential Center is a few miles away from the New Hope Baptist Church where Houston sang as a child. There was apparently a rift in the Houston family over where the famous singer should be laid to rest. TMZ reports that her mother and her cousin Dionne Warwick wanted her buried in Atlanta, a city she loved to spend time in. But the rest of the family wanted her laid to rest in Newark. In the end, the family won out — saying she’ll be most remembered at home in New Jersey.

Here is video of the arrival of Whitney‘s body in NJ last night where the hearse carrying her body was met by fans lining the street:

Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell just swung by the Beverly Hilton hotel to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial for Whitney Houston … and TMZ has the pics. Paul and Nancy dropped a bouquet of yellow roses at the scene, shook hands with some of Whitney’s fans at the memorial and talked about how much they loved the late singer. We’re told the fans tried to compliment Paul on his performance at the Grammy Awards last night … but Paul brushed off the praise … insisting, “This is about Whitney, not me.” We can’t find any evidence that Paul and Whitney ever sang together … but clearly, the Beatles legend had a respect for her work.

Whitney Houston touched so many people in her life, I’m not surprised at all that Paul was a fan. I suspect that the next few days will be reserved for Whitney‘s family and friends to mourn privately but I understand there is a plan in motion for a big public memorial service to take place on Friday. I’m telling you right now, if David and I weren’t flying to Europe for our 6 year anniversary this week, I might be making plans to be in NJ to pay my final respects to Whitney Houston this coming weekend. Houston‘s actual funeral will take place this Saturday at noon at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ … from there, Whitney will be laid to eternal rest.

[Photo credit: INFdaily; Source, Source, Source]