DJ AM was found dead this morning in an apartment on Lafayette Street in Manhattan.
Sources said drug paraphernalia was found in the apartment and police are looking into whether it was an overdose.
Nearly a year ago, DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, escaped a plane crash in South Carolina.
The Learjet he and Travis Barker were on overshot the runway and burst into flames. He suffered severe burns in the crash.
#1 - This game show host thinks of himself as a rock star and loves nothing more than to find groupies of the show he can take back to his dressing room so he can get some rock star treatment if you know what I mean.
#2 & 3 - This former B+/A- female television star and now probably a C lucky to get work was overheard complaining the other day that her A list movie star boyfriend has not had sex with her in two years. She is hoping that if they get married she will get some action that day.
#4 - This permanent B list television and film actor and Golden Globe winner/nominee has had a string of normal sexual relationships with the women in his life. It is only when he is with men that he explores his more umm eccentric pleasures. He loves nothing more than to be spanked and whipped. Umm, yeah, sounds like fun.
When Mackenzie Phillips is your Facebook friend you get gems like this from a couple of days ago. It's hard to believe the show One Day At A Time was so long ago.
Which is whiter? Anne Hathaway's legs or her boyfriend's pants?
Alexisonfire - Reading, UK
Andy Roddick and Rachael Ray
Arnold & Sly eating lunch together. Lots of grunting.
First time appearances for Bobby Campo and
I think also for Nick Zano, and definitely for,
Brandon Barash.
Britney Spears leaving Shrek. Her kids kept saying, "Look it's daddy."
Carrie Underwood might not be smarter than a 5th grader but here she is singing with one.
Pictures from New Moon.
I believe that is Michael Sheen on the far left.
Geri Halliwell abandoning ship.
First day of school.
Haylie Duff and her new breasts.
And then after school, the kid tried to brush the teeth of a real bear.
Congratulations to John Krasinski and Emily Blunt on their engagement.
The Kardashian's find another store they haven't hit up for free stuff.
Kelly Osbourne looks great.
Matt Damon as well.
Megan Fox gets a parking ticket.
In case you wanted to see her shoes from a different angle.
Madina Lake - Reading, UK
I guess Mark Wahlberg just always walks around with cash.
Best wax likeness ever.
Thomas Dekker at the Final Destination premiere.
Thomas Jane might want to think about a bigger size for his shirts.
I have been watching this story for the past couple of days and I can't decide if the guy is a cheater or if this is a publicity stunt. The premise is that the guy cheated on his wife. She discovered his infidelity when she saw pictures of his peen on his phone which he had sent a woman he was seeing.
Desperate to save his marriage he agreed to do whatever his wife wanted. What she wanted was for him to stand next to one of America's busiest malls (Tyson's Corner) with a sign around his neck that says he cheated. She wrote the sign and he stood there. It took a few hours before a news truck rolled up to him and has set off appearances on radio programs and a rumored appearance on Good Morning America.
He was on one radio program with his wife because she likes the host. People who heard him on the radio or saw him on television now stop their cars and take pictures with him. He was getting so much attention his wife made him move to a different location that wasn't so popular. There is no guarantee his wife will take him back even after he has completed his penance but the guy doesn't care.
The NY Post is reporting today that Hilary Duff was acting like a spoiled diva on the set of Gossip Girl and refused to come out of her trailer. The Post has two sources who said that taping was held up for Duff and that no one on the show has ever pulled a stunt like that.
The thing is that is all The Post says. They don't say why she didn't want to come out of the trailer and what exactly the diva behavior was. Hey, if I am going to the bathroom or can't get on my clothes and am having trouble with them, I am not leaving my trailer until the situation is fixed. It doesn't mean I am being a diva.
Hilary just doesn't seem like the diva type. It isn't like she has thousands of offers rolling in each day and unlike some people who are offered guest roles, I think she is probably pretty grateful for the work. So, I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt and just say say she was having a quickie in her trailer with her boyfriend. No? OK, how about she looked in the mirror and saw that outfit above they wanted her to wear and said, "hell no."
As we head into the last two weekends of summer, I thought we would do something kind of deep this week and then next week something really fun and light. This week I was having a conversation with someone that was Sliding Doors-ish. It wasn't about making a train or anything like that but about events in life which would have caused you to meet or not meet people.
So, my questions for you today are:
The person you met who you wish you had never met and the person you are most grateful to have met.
I don't want these to be family members, but rather people you have met in the course of your life.
Oh, I know it is just a matter of time before the singing pirate at the restaurant will be singing about Michael Jackson. For those of you not in the US, I am referring to a series of commercials from an agency that provides credit reports. The premise is the guy is working at a fast food place because he didn't know his credit score.
I'm guessing that Michael didn't know what his was or just didn't care. TMZ has found out what it was though and they said it averaged about 563. The highest score is 800. 563 is considered really, really low.
Apparently Michael didn't pay his bills and was always looking for more credit which is why his score was so low. That happens to lots of people. What most people don't have though is $668,215 in the bank which is what he had when he died. Can you imagine having $600K in the bank and not have it be enough for your daily expenses?
Most people could live off that for at least ten years if not a lifetime and Michael couldn't even get through a month with that little. Do you think maybe the $200K he spent at Barneys in one month had something to do with it? I didn't know masks were so damn expensive.
Heather Mills has taken that comedic Julia Stiles video from earlier in the week and turned it into reality. In the video, Julia cut up a bunch of old clothes and turned them into new items. Ugly, but new. Well, Heather Mills has actually done it for real and not as a joke. Yesterday she debuted her new eco-friendly line. All of the clothes had been clothes before but were recycled and turned into something new, but again ugly. At least in my opinion. Oh, and she has promised at least two lines of this monstrosity a year.
You all didn't really think the hetero-Vice streak would continue, did you? Ted may be gone, but unfortunately, the closeting of some of Hollywood's most famous isn't going anywhere. Get ready to meet the guy who will have Toothy Tile breathing easy for a while.
Introducing Jackie Bouffant—a name you'd better get used to hearing. He's one of the most sought-after actors in the world right now. The undeniably gorgeous and multitalented young dude has taken the entertainment Biz by storm. His level of fame has been steadily rising over the past couple of years, although Jack hasn't really had to prove himself talent-wise just yet.
But with that face, hair and body, no one cares. This town is way too superficial!
So while Jackie is looking pretty in all the glossy mags with a beard constantly at his side (Crescent Kumquat or No-Beave Steve Jackie Bouffant most definitely is not), hardly anyone out there knows J.B.'s past life and love...
With another male actor, wouldn't you know?
At the time they started dating, they were both probably equally famous, but no one talks about Jackie's ex that much anymore. An equally gorgeous and recognizable face, he just never really amounted to much career-wise. Let's call him Frank Dangerfield.
Jackie and Frank were very much boyfriend-boyfriend, and they didn't do a very good job of hiding it. They went to a few gay functions together, a little hand-holding here and there à la Toothy and Gray Goose, and Industry folks knew the two boys weren't just going through an experimental phase. Unlike Nevis Divine, these two fellas are gay, gay and more gay.
But no one cared much because everyone (their managers and publicists included) thought these kids would just be F-list actors. Uh, not the case for Jackie. He became an overnight superstar.
So you know how it goes: Jackie's whole team of people tell him that if he comes out his heartthrob status will be shot and his red-hot career will go buh-bye. No teenage girl (Bouffant's prime fan base) will fantasize about growing up and marrying a gay guy. So Jackie dumps Frank and starts faux-mancing with some other babes around town.
Such a shame. And you all wonder where true love is in Hollywood? It's behind closed closet doors.
And It Ain't: Channing Tatum, Kellan Lutz, Nick Jonas
I feel like I have been ranting all morning and so thought I would post something lighter and it involves a CDAN reader who has always been good to the blog. Alex is a director and here is what she has to say about the recent Amazon contest she entered.
The basic story behind it is sad, however: struggling South Bronx indie filmmaker (that's me, that is) blows 2 months' rent money making a spec commercial for Amazon contest (filmed at City College! Starring a Julliard student! and shot by pretty much an all-female NY indie crew working for free), spends 10 days doing visual effects in Photoshop because she can't afford any of the real VFX programs, and then her work gets rejected by Amazon as "too professional". Boo, Amazon!
The funny thing about directing is that the only way to make money is via directing commercials. The only way to get hired to direct a commercial is to have already done a commercial. So basically I had to spend a shedload of my own cash making a commercial for a billion-dollar corporation who is too cheap to pay Saatchis to do it for them. Directing is a stupid, stupid career.
Here is Alex's commercial.
If you want to see the five finalists, you can click here. My favorite since Alex can't win is "Proceed To A Better Life."
When Chris Brown went to a nightclub the night he was sentenced for the beating of Rihanna everyone just commented on what an a-hole he was for going out partying. The thing is by going to Guys & Dolls that night he probably did us all a favor. Well, he did us a favor if you are a normal person and not a celebrity. By going to the club he violated the terms of his probation. Plain and simple. Whether the courts do anything about remains to be seen, but he did violate.
His probation terms say he must "abstain from the use of all alcoholic beverages and stay out of places where they are the chief item of sale". First of all he is only 20 so if he was drinking that would be a violation of his probation and a separate offense. But, the most important part is that Guys & Dolls is a club and alcohol is their number one seller for sure. You know that if Chris Brown is breaking his probation a few hours after it starts that he is going to continue breaking it everyday. The courts need to do something now and I think throwing him in jail for a month or two will teach him a lesson about not violating probation.
Oh, and if any of you who are reading this are 20 years old I would love for you to go to Guys & Dolls and attempt to get in tonight. I'm guessing they will say that you have to be 21 and there are no exceptions. Oh, except for guys who beat women. Guys & Dolls love guys who beat women. Between Chris Brown and Joe Francis they have a woman beaters club like no other. The one 20 year old they let in and he was convicted of beating a woman. Yay for Guys & Dolls. You must be so proud.
When I first read about this Phillip Garrido and how he and his wife kidnapped Jaycee Duggard 18 years ago, the first thing I thought of was that guy in Austria who did the same thing and was caught last year. The next thing I thought about was how many other kids are kidnapped each year and are in this exact situation that we don't know about because we think they are dead even if no body has been found. For 18 years Jaycee's step dad had been a suspect in her disappearance but was never arrested. How many times would police have made that arrest though and been wrong?
I find it so hard to believe that a man can keep someone under lock and key for 18 years and no one notice. That he can have two kids with the girl he kidnapped and that no one notices the two kids. Do we just not care what goes on around us with out neighbors? These people were not far from other neighbors. They were right next door and saw the girls but didn't think anything of it. How can you as a woman stand by and watch your husband do this for 18 years and do nothing? Oh, and she did do nothing because Mr. Kidnapper went to jail at some point for pot and was released in 1999 which means the wife was the one in charge for awhile.
Somehow Sacramento television station KCRA got this a hole on the phone from jail and asked him some questions about what happened. Get a load of this quote. "I tell you here's the story of what took place at this house and you're going to be absolutely impressed. It's a disgusting thing that took place from the end to the beginning. But I turned my life completely around." We are going to be impressed? By what? I think he wants us to be impressed that he is a better person now than he was when he kidnapped Jaycee. Sure her life was a disaster, but he turned his life around so we should be impressed.
I will say this for Jayde Nicole. She has guts. Despite knowing that Joe Francis has assaulted women in the past and is a convicted sex offender she went up to him and threw a drink in his face because she didn't like the way he was treating one of her friends who happens to be an ex of Joe Francis.
Joe then grabbed Jayde Nicole and threw her to the floor. While her boyfriend Brody Jenner looked on, Joe Francis punched and kicked Jayde. Jayde claims to have a black and blue cheek, swollen face, bruised left rib and sore lower abdomen. She also says some of her hair was pulled out in the fight.
After Jayde had the crap kicked out of her, the police came and broke up the fight. Still no Brody though. Finally after Joe gets kicked out of the club, THEN Brody decided to go after him and punched him one time. For his trouble, Brody got tased, but it is unknown who did it.
WTF kind of boyfriend is Brody Jenner? How do you let your girlfriend get thrown to the ground like that and then punched and kicked? Where were you? Throwing one weak ass punch after the event is not sticking up for your girlfriend. Plus, I heard it was barely a punch anyway.
Oh, and in case you don't think Brody was there next to her or something, he said on his Twitter he saw the whole thing happen. So why didn't he stop it?
"Joe Francis beat up my lady this morning for no reason! Pulled her to the ground, punched & kicked her..what does that say about him. How can you call yourself a man when you beat up a girl?? Joe Francis is a piece of sh*t. Joe Francis needs to be in jail!!!"
How can you call yourself a man when you watch your girlfriend get beat up and not do anything about it? Hopefully this will be the end of Joe Francis.
TMZ has some video of Jayde's face after it happened and also a picture of Joe escaping to his SUV looking remarkably spry for having just been punched by Brody. I wonder if Brody even punched him.
When I related this story to someone yesterday they said, "Why in the f**k do people give her stuff?" That's a good question. Why do jewelers give Lindsay Lohan anything to wear or use? It isn't like she is ever asked where an item came from. The only thing Lindsay is ever asked is whether it will be cash or credit for her drugs.
No one cares about her jewels or who she is wearing or any of that. For as much shopping as she does on a daily basis she looks homeless. I think she sells most of what she buys to pay her "expenses", but likes to feel important and so shops on a regular basis. To supplement her income she looks for other ways to raise cash.
Radar Online is reporting that XIV Karats have the most stupid employees on the planet. Despite the fact that the entire world knows not to leave a dime within the sight of Lindsay Lohan or it will vanish, they decided to go ahead and loan her $2M worth of jewels about two months ago. Of course they haven't seen them since.
When they asked for them back, Lindsay said they were stolen from her safe. Umm, when? They asked her for them back prior to this most recent break in. And, if you will recall, the break in before this one last week, nothing was stolen.
So, Michael Lohan who must have loaned his daughter some money because she is talking to him jumped in to the fray and said, "Lindsay didn't take anything from them. They lent her jewelry and she has to give it back to them. That's all I know. She has no intention of keeping any of it. So I guess they're sorting it out."
Umm, Lindsay said she didn't have it and Michael says she does. Interesting. The store just wants its jewels back. I can't believe they really expected to get them back. No other person in LA would ever give Lindsay jewels like that and they gave her $2M. They deserve to lose them for being such idiots.
Oh, and Elle Magazine? Are you still convinced Lindsay had nothing to do with the jewels that went missing on Lindsay's photo shoot?
WHICH well-liked pro golfer once switched sponsors because he needed several million dollars in hush money? Seems he knocked up a stripper while playing at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, and had to pay her off to keep their love child a secret.
WHICH cable news anchor should be more careful with his cellphone? After he recently misplaced it, a co-worker opened it up and found a nude photo of the anchor's girlfriend.
WHICH political leader in the Caribbean is under investigation by the US government for using foreign aid to renovate his palatial home? The $443,000 spent was falsely listed as "security and road improvements."
This Academy Award winner/nominee actress who does a mix of television and movies has a best friend who recently got married. Her friend is a special education teacher for a school which does not pay their employees very much. The friend married a man who is also a teacher at the school. The original plan was for the couple to just get married at their home and have a very tiny reception and not even a honeymoon as they are trying to save whatever dollars they earn for a home. Well, our actress gave them and paid for the wedding of a lifetime as well as a reception, the honeymoon and even gave them $50K towards their house.
Oh Mischa Barton you tell good stories. I just wish you were as good of an actress. Mischa sat down or stood up or did something with Time Out New York and they decided to print it. I am pretty sure the reporter is probably still laughing. Not about what Mischa went through, but her explanation for it.
"I went through a tough spot where everything compounded on me, and it was like a perfect storm, like everything was happening to me at once." And by everything she must mean getting a job as an actress on a network at about $40K an episode. Oh, and of course the flying back and forth between London and the US for some modeling gigs that paid her as well. I'm not seeing the storm yet, but I am sure there is more.
Yes, here it is. She had "a terrible wisdom tooth surgery which went wrong and is still just healing." Well, sure, I think that is why the psychiatric hospitals across the world are filled with patients who just had a wisdom tooth pulled out. Makes perfect sense to me. But wait. There's more.
"I had to get through it without proper painkillers because I couldn't take those during work. So it's been a nightmare."
Oh, she was on set while they did the surgery? I'm confused. She said earlier it happened before the job started or was this while she was modeling? No pain killers huh?
"I was down in the dumps about everything there for a while. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom about things and have to get the most stressed out just to feel better again. I got completely stressed out and couldn’t handle everything, and now I feel really in control."
This actually ticks me off because instead of admitting her problem and maybe helping others who are having issues in their own life, she is basically saying she can't handle the stress of making a million dollars a year and working a little bit. WTF?
"The funny thing is, if all this happened in New York, no one would care. New York lets you be who you are, and people aren't as judgmental. I'm so glad to be back here."
Oh sure. It is because it was in LA. No one would have even noticed if this had happened in New York. She cracks me up.
Larry Hagman is still alive. That is worth the top spot. I think the tabloids have killed him off once a year for the past ten years, but he looks pretty damn good.
"I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you." Yeah, I know the f**king words. So what? Like all of you aren't clicking over to YouTube right now so you can hum along.
Bradley Cooper and Sandra Bullock at the premiere of their new movie. I have no idea what Sandra was thinking when she put this on.
It does however come with a towel which is nice.
She then throws Bradley Cooper under a bus.
Before rejoining her husband.
Anna Kournikova looks really good here.
Not as good as Ali Larter though.
And neither of them look as good as this. No, not Blake Lively or Chace Crawford. I'm talking about the cupcakes. Gobs of them.
Oh, that looks like red velvet. So hungry.
Chris Masterson.
DJ Qualls looks like crap.
Paired off already for Dancing With The Stars.
Gavin and Kingston at The Grove.
Gwen & Kingston at The Grove. Who doesn't love their matching hair?
Hilary Duff and Penn Badgley getting busy on the set of Gossip Girl.
Joel & Jennifer Grey. Love them.
This is what happens when Kirsten Dunst starts drinking again. Actually she is shooting a music video in Japan. Does she know there is a hand growing out of her wig?
Luenell!!
Wow. Umm. Yeah. Ashley doesn't look that good.
Melissa Rycroft showing off her ring.
I love Nikka Costa.
But I love 30 Rock filming a new season even more.
For your manly photo today you can have Thomas Haden Church or
Some half naked models on the set of Ugly Betty.
Kelly Osbourne has a new book. In the book she discusses her addiction to Vicodin. "I was trying to be strong, so I took Vicodin to hide the terrible sadness. I was waking up and emptying six Vicodin into my hand. Soon I was taking 50 pills a day. Most people would overdose on 10."
She says she took them because she was trying to cope with her mother's colon cancer and then again when her dad suffered injuries in an ATV accident.
Rehab didn't work. It didn't work again, and then finally her parents place her in the psychiatric ward at UCLA for a week.
"I was so frightened, it was full of crazy people. As I curled up in a ball the air was filled with ear-piercing screams. I didn't leave my room for five days. It's one of the scariest things I have ever done."
Even her trip to the psychiatric ward didn't get her clean and sober. While she was filming The Osbournes Reloaded she got hooked again on pills.
"I wasn't prepared for the speed of my downward spiral. Within a month I wasn't showering or brushing my teeth and my only relationship was with the pizza delivery man. The fact I didn't die is a miracle."
She then checked into a rehab facility back in January and claims she has kicked pills for good this time.
"If I think about relapsing again, I want to cry. I'm realistic. For the first time, I've learned my biggest lesson: there's strong chance I will relapse. But because I recognize that, I feel like I've got the strength to fight it."
I wish her well.
I am pretty sure that Rumer Willis must think there is such a thing as the tooth fairy. It is the only explanation for she is convinced that all the success she has had acting is because of her talent and has nothing to do with her parents. Uh huh.
What talent? Has she seen her movies? I have already told you about the horror of that movie House Bunny. Did she watch it?
In a recent interview Rumer said, "You can't do anything about who your parents are," she said. "I think everyone has opportunities and everyone has doors that are open to them in different ways. If you're talented you'll get work."
She added,"If you suck then you won't. In the end, talent is all that matters because you could go and get an audition, but if you go in there and you suck you're not going to get a job."
She says that she gets auditions based on her name. OK, lots of actors and actresses don't even get that far so that is parent's help right there. I am not begrudging her the fact her parents are Demi and Bruce and taking those opportunities. She is right about people having doors opened for them, but it seems really disingenuous to think they had nothing to do with her career. She is getting roles because of her parents. I will say her roles are becoming few and far between though because as she says, if you suck you are not going to get a job.
The headline sounds ridiculous and if I hadn't seen the story in The Telegraph I probably wouldn't have believed it. First of all the background of the story blows my mind. Jason Biggs and Eddie Kaye Thomas took a trip to Europe. Why? To celebrate the tenth anniversary of American Pie. Seriously? That is a reason to take a trip to Europe. So for the tenth anniversary of American Pie Two it's a trip to the Cayman Islands and for AP3 it's McDonald's with the cast?
What Jason should be doing is not blowing his money on a European vacation, but instead trying to find a job before all his post AP money runs dry.
Anyway, Jason and Eddie were on Gibraltar looking at the monkeys when Jason got attacked by one. Smart monkey. It knows bad acting when it sees it. Jason's friends drove the monkey away, but not before the monkey showed Jason the proper way to have sex with a pie.
Although not injured at all, Jason decided to cut short his trip to Europe and went back home to the US. Seriously? He didn't even get injured or bitten or scratched and he goes home? What kind of wuss move is that? Everyone knows you do not go home early from a vacation. Spend it in the hospital if needed, but no one leaves a vacation early.
The NY Post is reporting today that Minka Kelly and Derek Jeter are secretly engaged. Why? Why on earth would you be secretly engaged. Is it so Derek can get some on the side when he is on road trips? "I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, but don't want anyone to know." That sounds crazy doesn't it?
I don't think they are engaged. Did he ask her to marry him and then say something like this?
Derek - Will you marry me?
Minka - Yes. I LOVE the ring.
Derek - I'm glad you like it but you can't wear it. This is a secret. In fact, why don't you let me hang on to it for right now.
Later that night back at his place, Derek makes a call to Jessica Alba.
Derek - Jessica. Hey, it's me Derek. Sorry to wake you. I was just looking at the ring I gave you and was thinking about you.
Jessica - That's not all you gave me.
For those who might be curious, here's the set list:
Somewhat Damaged
The Beginning of the End
Last
The Collector
Discipline
March of the Pigs
Something I Can Never Have
Reptile
Meet Your Master
Banged and Blown Through (a Saul Williams song, BTW)
Burn
Gave Up
La Mer
Non-Entity
Gone, Still
The Downward Spiral
Wish
Heresy
Survivalism
Down In It
Hurt
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like A Hole
Encore:
Echoplex
The Good Soldier
Dead Souls
In This Twilight
No "Closer", but then again, Trent probably feels that if he never plays that one again, it'll be too soon. ;-)
As soon as the band hit the stage, you could see the crowd surge, from the back of the house right to the edge of the stage--I know the phrase "wave of humanity" is a total cliche, but it really did look like a tidal wave of bodies, and made me cringe for the sakes of the people on the rail. Seeing one's favorite band that normally plays arenas in a venue only holding 500 people? WOW...the sound and the lights were both amazing, although between the lights and the chemical smoke, it made for rather difficult photography from where I was...so I decided to concentrate on the show itself and not so much on shooting it, although I did get a few pictures:
I'll try not to discuss every single song, but here's a few comments:
--"Something I Can Never Have", with Justin on upright bass, was absolutely gorgeous, and the closest that song's ever come to making me cry.
--"Last"--a song that was never played live until just the last couple of years, and one I'd never heard live before this, so that was a rare treat.
--"Burn" and "Dead Souls" are always a treat, especially the former; being able to yelling "I'm gonna burn this whole world DOWN!" along with Trent is always cathartic, and just in case anyone was still confused, the line is "I am the angel of your destruction", not "agent". :D (That's been a subject of much debate over the years, although not nearly as much as the great "sun/star" debate in Pearl Jam's "Black"...BTW, has anyone settled that one yet? Damn it, Eddie, enunciate!)
--"Non-Entity"--one of the two songs recorded for the all-star Hurricane Katrina telethon (only "Hurt" was aired), and another one I hadn't heard live before.
--"Meet Your Master"--It's a very political song from a very political album (Year Zero), but I never realized until then just how great a pole-dancing song it would be...the things that come to mind after you take a dance class called "Voluptuous Vixens", aka "pole dancing for fat chicks", eh? Or, in the immortal words of Emma Goldman (and whoever thought she'd be namechecked in a NIN concert writeup?), "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." Oh, yeah... ;-)
--"La Mer"--anyone who thinks NIN is only angsty ranting and raving needs to hop on out, by The Fragile, and check this one out. For those who didn't already know, Trent's a classically trained pianist, and that training definitely shows in this song and many of his other instrumentals. He's made noises about doing more instrumentals in the future, and already released Ghosts I-IV earlier this year; I can't help but think that more film scoring (he's already done Natural Born Killers and Lost Highway) is a distinct possibility. (Look out, Danny Elfman--there's a new kid in town!)
--"In This Twilight"--the final track from Year Zero, and quite possibly the prettiest goddamn song ever written about the end of the world, it's what's makes me refer to the rumored Year Zero followup as "Lullabies for the Impending Apocalypse". ;-) It's also a lovely closer, with each band member putting down his instrument and walking offstage, one at a time, until only Trent is left, playing the piano outro, before he finally salutes the audience and walks off as well... *sigh*
...and that was it, my quite-possibly-last NIN show ever, and #25 in 15 years of fandom (17 of which have happened from 2005 onwards--he's done more touring from 2005-2009 than from 1994-2004; no wonder the poor guy needs a break!). *sigh* We all staggered out of the venue, caught up with our friends on the rail again ( here's my friend Riot, dead center the next night at Webster Hall, straight from the New York Times ), and then went (or, in my case, limped; my feet were killing me!) our various ways. Julia was able to stick around for Webster Hall the next night, during which the entire The Downward Spiral album was played for the first and last night, but I had to take the bus back to Boston and be at work Monday. *sigh* There are only a handful of shows left (1 more tonight at Terminal 5 in NYC, 2 in Chicago, 1 in Toronto, and the final 4 in LA), and if you have the opportunity to go, don't miss it--it'll definitely be worth whatever trouble you have to go to. Then again, I'm hopelessly prejudiced, so... ;-)
Oh, and as for how the baked goods were received? Here's what Justin had to say about it on Twitter:
justinmj@RobinTMP: OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. THANK you! Love, JMJ
(What did I make, you might ask? Chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies and double chocolate espresso brownies--that would be brownies with chocolate chips and not quite a tablespoon of instant espresso powder added to the mix, with cinnamon sugar sprinkled liberally on the batter before baking. I joked on LiveJournal that we should start calling these "8-Nom Brownies" from now on, since those were apparently what inspired Justin's Tweet, which led a former roommate of mine to pipe up:
"OCTO-NOM!"
...immediately followed by her boyfriend's response:
"You owe the Army a new keyboard!"
Thought you guys would appreciate that one!)
CBC and CTV in Canada are reporting that yesterday a PT Cruiser matching the description of the car that drove Ryan Jenkins from Vancouver to Hope was found in front of Alena Jenkins' house in Vancouver. Alena or AJ as she is known in Vancouver is Ryan's half-sister. As of late yesterday afternoon Alena's car had been towed away but police still had not spoken to her about helping Ryan. In order for her to be charged with a crime she would have had to know Ryan was wanted by the police and still helped him.
It turns out that Alena and Jasmine Fiore shared one thing in common. They both had lots of photos on Model Mayhem. Alena thought she took hers down. Because of the power of the internet I was able to find the remnants of her page and photos which are posted below. The photos above were taken by other photographers and posted on their sites.
The New York Daily News is reporting today that Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley are really close to getting a divorce because the two have not been together recently. Umm, I think the only time the two were ever together for sure was at their wedding. I think the rest of the time they have been seen together it has been an optical illusion.
There is no reason to get divorced because both of them are doing exactly what they want. Avril gets to go out and party all night with her friends who just happen to be girls and one girl in particular and Deryck works and stays inside and tries to make Avril records commercially successful. They split the loot and it works for everyone.
According to the News, the couple hasn't been photographed together in a year. I don't think it has been quite that long, but I think they both get what they want from this relationship and I also think they are way better friends than most people realize. Are they husband and wife in the sense you and I would think of it? Umm, no. Are they close to that ideal? Umm, no. Do they do the dirty? Umm, no. At least not with each other and Avril isn't going to let a photographer catch her with "her friend." Avril might be the second crappiest musician from Canada behind Nickelback, but she isn't stupid and she knows how to make money and keep her fans happy.
The other day a reader Robin The Mad Photographer e-mailed me and said she went to one of the Nine Inch Nails shows in New York over the weekend and would I want a review and some pictures? Of course. It is NIN and allegedly their last tour ever so of course I want words and pictures. Well, I got plenty of both. Enough so that this will be broken into two very long posts. If you are a fan you will savor every word.
This past weekend, my friend/partner-in-crime Julia and I hopped BoltBus from Boston to NYC to see Nine Inch Nails at the Bowery Ballroom on what Trent Reznor swears is NIN's Final Tour Ever (that's his story, and he's sticking to it, although we're all hoping he gets bored in a few years...). We finally got into town around 2 PM and raced to our hotel (the Wyndham Garden Hotel Manhattan Chelsea West--damn, what a mouthful) in hopes of being able to check in a wee bit early to freshen up and head down to the Bowery, but alas, all the rooms were still being cleaned. We ended up checking our bags with the front desk and went across the street to a very good Thai restaurant to get a late lunch/early dinner, knowing we wouldn't get to eat again until after the show; I think I can safely say I had the best pad Thai of my life there. (Sorry, don't remember the restaurant name, but it's right across the street from the hotel, which is at 37 W. 24th St.)
Went back to the hotel, and were finally able to check in, but were now running seriously late for a planned baked goods delivery...yes, really. You see, in addition to taking pictures of bands, I have this nasty little tendency to feed them as well, and have been providing baked goods to starving and not-so-starving musicians for over 20 years now, going back to 1986 and hauling a sheetcake on a Greyhound bus to Providence for Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes (BTW, one of my all-time favorite people). It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it, so why not yours truly, the altmusic Mama Hen? ;-) Anyway, I'd arranged with bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen (who used to play w/Beck, if that rings any bells) to drop off a load of goodies and a couple of custom t-shirts for him at soundcheck, which was supposed to kick off around 4 p.m.
(Perhaps I shouldn't say this, but officially the guys aren't accepting gifts, food, etc. this time out; however, when Julia was Down Under for that leg of the tour earlier this year, she spent a fair amount of time talking up me and my amazing baked goods to Justin, so when I met him at the meet & greet in Mansfield, MA in June, I introduced myself as Julia's cookiebaking friend who, alas, couldn't bring anything for him due to rules, etc. "Don't worry," he said, taking my hand, "just the idea that you wanted to do it really means a lot to me!" Awwwww....yes, he is a total sweetheart, and I swore to myself at that moment that, one way or another, he WOULD be getting some baked goods, so...we'll, let's just say contact was made online and a fiendish little plan set in motion, eh? Besides, having provided similar services for pretty much every other touring incarnation of the band since 1995, the idea that the last two newbies--that would be Justin and drummer Ilan Rubin--might not get to partake of my pastry prowess was, well, Simply Intolerable! :D )
Julia and I hauled ass getting ready and then raced out the door and to the subway to get down there as quickly as we could, (Julia stopping to pose in this particular subway station in front of a tiara mural) 
but didn't make it until about 4:30, by which time soundcheck was well underway. While we tried to figure out Plan B for Operation Cookie Drop, we hung out and caught up with various of our longtime Ninnie acquaintances who'd been waiting in line to get in, some of them since 9 p.m. on Friday night. (Seriously--if you want photographic proof, go to Brooklyn Vegan and look for the NIN posts. People started trying to line up for Webster Hall's Sunday night show right after Saturday's show let out, but IIRC kept getting chased off by Webster security; I don't know at what point the latter finally gave up and let everyone stay, but at some point, they did.) Lining up hours, if not days, before a NIN show to score a spot up front on the barricade is a time-honored traditional for Ninnies; some of the usual suspects attend nearly every show, and woe betide anyone who dares interfere with the sacred lineup order...can you say "line drama", kids? Knew you could. (Sometimes I think the main difference between Ninnies & Deadheads is the absence of tie-dye and prevalence of black with the former; there's definitely a shared sense of community and camaraderie, and attending shows is not unlike a high school reunion, but a hell of a lot more fun and with a much better soundtrack. Can you imagine the stories we'll all have to tell years from now when we're old geezers? Sagging tattoos, stretched-out piercings, and mosh pit war stories--welcome to Gen X in the nursing home!)
Fortunately for me, soundcheck eventually ended, and band members began drifting out to head off to dinner, etc. before the show, and I managed to catch Justin on his way out the door and hand over the loot, to the cheers and applause of my friends at the front of the line. He was very happy to see me, and even happier to get the goods, so after a friendly hug, he went off to wherever he was off to, and I went back to my spot in the line, practically skipping in my glee. Mission Accomplished, woohoo! (Yeah, yeah, it's all very silly, but I am the Mama Hen, and I do have a reputation to uphold...)
At 7 p.m., they finally let us all in, and Julia and I snagged a spot on the balcony (stage right/audience left), with an excellent view of the stage. I went down to the merch table in the hopes of getting one of the limited Bowery t-shirts, but, alas, they were already sold out in my size, and I ended up with one of the general tour shirts instead. (Pssst...Trent...send out a mass e-mail to everyone at the show, find out who wants a show-specific shirt, and get some more printed, damn it!...um, pretty please with cinnamon sugar on top?) The Bowery Ballroom is a small enough venue that the sightlines from pretty much anywhere are good; the only problem is whether or not you're tall enough to see over other people/willing to deal with the crush of the mosh pit. Being both 5'3" on a good day and an old lady, I decided to stick with the balcony. :-)
During The Horrors' opening set (which was perfectly decent IMHO, although some of those on the floor complained that the bass was WAY too powerful), I noticed the girl next to me pointing over at something or someone in the middle balcony soundbooth...sure enough, there was Trent, with his fiancee Mariqueen on his lap, both of them snuggled up and looking adorable without excessive PDA--other celebrities, please take note! You can be sweet and affectionate without making outside observers gag or mutter "get a room!". (In the interests of being a good CDANer, I must report that those photos we all saw of the two of them at the Star Trek premiere didn't do either of them any justice, but Mariqueen in particular--she's much prettier in person, not to mention much younger looking. Mazel tov, you crazy kids! ;-) )
FINALLY, after much anticipation and many trips back and forth to the ladies' room on my part (why, yes, I DO have a bladder the size of a pea when I'm nervous...), the room began filling with stage smoke...and suddenly, without the usual introductory music, there was Trent & Co.!
My caption of Anne Heche in yesterday's photos was fairly prophetic. She got me to tune into Letterman last night because I thought just maybe there might be a Crispin Glover type moment and I was right. See, she has been really good lately, but now that she is doing more interviews she is starting to crack. Last night on Letterman she laid into her ex husband. She called him a lazy ass. When asked what he does for a living she said he goes to the mailbox and waits for her check. I want you to remember they have a kid together. A 7 year old son together who might have watched his mom on Letterman last night and heard her say these things about his dad.
Later in the interview she was talking about how she hangs out with her ex three days a week which I didn't really understand at all. Something about wanting to watch him play soccer. She also said that she doesn't want to get married again which directly contradicts an interview she gave earlier this year where she said she couldn't wait to get married again. I think the difference in her answer is because James Tupper won't marry her. So, she changes her answer.
From The V Festival:
Which Brit star refused to go to bed all weekend, keeping his energy levels up with three ecstasy pills?
He hid his huge pupils behind sunglasses well into the night...
Best-selling author and journalist Dominick Dunne has died. He was 83. I loved the writing of this man. He told the best stories and made everything seem so accessible while being absolutely brilliant.
This blind item is going to be phrased as a piece of advice. If you pay your drug dealer on time he won't break into your house and take your things. Just saying.
Placido Domingo conducting Yo-Yo-Ma has to go on top.
As much as I love America Ferrera, I would rather this be a picture of Michael Cera standing in front of a frozen banana stand for day one of the Arrested Development movie.
When you forget about all of Anne Heche's history and just look at a picture of her she looks pretty and seems nice. Unfortunately it is tough to forget it all.
David Blaine along side Alizee Guinochet. She is named after cheap booze? Oh, wait that would be Alize. My bad.
The couple most likely to take mushrooms award of the day goes to Dave Stewart and Rosanna Arquette.
I hate to admit it, but Eva Longoria looks great here.
And honestly, for Helena Bonham Carter this is extremely normal. Take away the neck up and her tribute to the 60's and she looks incredible for her. I love how she never compromises though.
Johnny Depp in Nice.
Jessica Szohr on the set of Gossip Girl looking incredible.
Judging by the look on Kevin's face he is missing a meal. Umm, dude. You are famous for marrying someone, pretend you like it. And ladies, really? If any of you told him he is cute your friends should mock you for the next 16 days.
Apparently there were actual fans lined up on the streets of LA yesterday for Kate's appearance at the CNN building. I am hoping they were all tourists or people who have Larry King in their death pool.
So, Funny People has sucked at the box office, but I heard it was really good. I am on a Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen one year ban though so I don't know if I will see it or not.
Nice to know that Mel Gibson enjoys lighting up around his pregnant girlfriend who is suing a photographer for releasing pictures of her in lingerie. I bet if he did it a year ago when no one knew her she would have loved it.
Martina Hingis is on Strictly Come Dancing which is DWTS in the UK. Apparently some people there want her kicked off because she was banned from tennis for drug use. Umm, have you seen the washed up celebrities they put on these shows? If they gave them all a drug test it would be a very empty program.
The Olsen's plugging by far the best celebrity line of clothes. Elizabeth & James.
Matthew M. looks pissed. Someone must have stolen his bongos.
A MAD Tv reunion. Mo Collins, Jill-Michele Melean and Debra Skelton.
Happy Birthday Blake Lively. How about you and Maria Sharapova coming over to the basement and we can all share that cake.
Peter Andre owns one set of clothing. This is it.
Pixie Geldof was doing so well fashion wise and then this.
Paula Patton, Queen Latifah and the Thicke who doesn't suck, Robin Thicke.
Serena Williams and Common.
Whitney Houston on the set of her music video.
There are so many things wrong with that headline. First of all, let us just assume it is true. I mean she did give an interview to Health Magazine where she said it. But, as we know, saying it doesn't necessarily make it true.
I don't think she mows her lawn naked or not. I also think if she ever did mow her lawn that perhaps doing it naked is not the best way to go. Grass gets everywhere when you mow. The last thing I want to do is mow the yard, but if I am forced to, I wouldn't want to be picking grass out of all my body orifices all week. Plus, when you wear clothes it provides a certain measure of protection. Yes, I'm talking about the rocks that invariably ended up smacking me right in the peen. Obviously she doesn't have one. Well, I say obviously, but since I have never seen her naked and you haven't either, she might have one. Who knows?
She also says she gardens naked and only swims naked and does everything she can naked. "It probably started when I was doing my garden the first time. I’d be out there, and it would be scorching hot, so I would take off all of my clothes and garden. And then I would jump in the pool and swim - and I always get in the pool naked, because why would you want to put on a bathing suit?"
But, don't think she is a nudist. She is very shy about her body and doesn't want anyone to see it. Uh huh.
Since Kirsten Dunst went to rehab early last year she has been doing pretty good. I define pretty good as staying the hell out of the pap lenses making a fool out of yourself. She has done that. There have been some slips and Radar and The National Enquirer (same company) are both reporting that Kirsten was slamming double vodkas down at The Roosevelt Hotel while she was celebrating her brother's birthday.
Here is my take on this. I think Kirsten went to rehab for something far more serious than booze. She was an effed up mess before she went to rehab and since then has been normal and has looked healthy. If booze is not what she had a problem with and it is not her trigger for whatever else she might have been taking, then is it ok for her to booze it up?
If you will remember, right before she went to rehab you never saw her sober, and she always looked skinny and not healthy and was basically partying non stop 24/7 (see photo above).
I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She has been caught drinking before since leaving rehab and she hasn't gone off the deep end.
TMZ has the latest about the argument that happened on Monday in Rhode Island when the police were called to the place Shanna Moakler was staying. Apparently Travis Barker was dropping off the kids with their mom when he noticed a car down the street which belongs to a convicted child molester. According to court records this convicted child molester is supposed to stay away from the kids and is not allowed to be anywhere near them. Seems sane enough.
So, Travis called the cops. When the police came they looked through the house. They didn't see the molester so Travis left the kids with Shanna. He then went and Tweeted to the whole world that the mother of his kids is a big piece of s**t. Lovely.
Shanna called her rep who released a statement saying "It is really sad at this point that Shanna can't enjoy her children with her family in peace. Why would police let the kids stay if this apparent "uncle" was actually there. Shanna and Travis need to work this out without the media being involved. There are young children involved and its just not fair."
Umm, the police did let the kids stay there, but only because the child molester wasn't there at that time. For someone who Shanna claims was not involved in her life he sure does seem to come around frequently. That really scares me. It is kind of strange also that he apparently travels with Shanna as well. I wonder if he is her boyfriend and that is what the term uncle comes from.
Now that Ryan O'Neal is running out of ways to exploit the death of Farrah Fawcett, he has set his eyes on his son. According to In Touch, Redmond O'Neal has signed a deal for his own reality show. The show will commence filming in four months when Redmond gets out of prison. It will focus on his efforts to stay clean. I hope he does great, but I am not holding my breath or anything.
So, how did this deal get done? Ryan made all the arrangements for his son. I'm sure he is acting as manager for his son and taking a nice big cut of the money, plus he will probably tell Redmond that he should watch over it since it might lead to temptation for Redmond having that much money. Of course knowing Ryan loves his drugs as much as Redmond maybe they should just let Tatum handle it all.
No word on whether Ryan and Redmond will agree to do drugs together on the show.
Which senior L.A. socialite, known for her fabulous jewels, almost seems to enjoy being treated for shingles? "I get to take Valtrex, which I think is very glamorous because it's like I have a sex disease," she told friends last week over lunch at the Polo Lounge.
Julia Stiles is actually funny. Who would have thunk it? It seems like she never smiles unless it is for a role she is playing, but it turns out she has a great sense of humor and as a bonus is willing to make fun of Gwyneth Paltrow. That can only be a good thing. Plus it is short. I can't wait until she cooks a chicken.
Now I know why they haven't buried Michael Jackson yet. It isn't about making him a tourist attraction and lining the family pockets. Nope. The reason they haven't buried Michael Jackson is because he isn't dead yet. Despite the autopsy and the police investigation and one really big memorial, the first great conspiracy video and pictures have been released which are trying to prove Michael is still alive.
The website LiveLeak has a video showing a man jumping out of the back of the same Coroner van which had contained Michael's dead body. To prove their point they have a picture of the license plate from the van as it was leaving Michael's house and again when it arrived at the Coroner. Great conspiracy. I don't believe it, but it is well put together.
The automatic player was driving me nuts, so if you want to see the video, click on the link.
It is not often that you hear a judge admit they read gossip, but yesterday the judge in the Chris Brown case did just that. You have to love a judge who reads the tabloids or gossip sites. Hello Judge Schnegg if you are reading.
For the past couple of months it seemed to me that Chris Brown and Rihanna have been trying to get back together. They kept showing up at the same places, including hotels and Rihanna's lawyer had made it perfectly clear that Rihanna wanted the stay away order to go away because she wanted to be able to hang out with Chris. I honestly expected the judge to go ahead and make it so they could be together. I was going to be dismayed because I think staying away was the best way to keep her safe.
To my surprise, the judge also wanted to keep Rihanna safe, and she knew they had been sneaky. How? She reads gossip. "I'm not immune to any chatter on the airwaves. Do you understand, Mr. Brown, that any violation of this order is a violation of your probation and it comes with the possible penalty of prison?"
Judging by the report which was released about this incident but also two other incidents involving the couple this was the best way to go. In November, while in Europe Rihanna slapped Chris Brown. He then shoved her into a wall. Three weeks before the incident which got arrested, the couple was in Barbados. They got into an argument in a car. Brown got out of the car and smashed the passenger and driver's side windows.
Oh, and after the beating where Brown got arrested it took him nine days before he apologized. He did it by text.
Which reasonably hunky yet under-employed actor, married to a model-turned-actress made good, is pimping himself out to the paps? A recent "gotcha" moment with a roving camera crew took place because he called up and arranged it.
This well respected Academy Award winner/nominee actress has had a dramatic weight loss recently thanks to her heroin use. Her habit has become so bad that people are convinced they saw her using in a popular LA Japanese restaurant.
Happy Birthday Alexander Skarsgard. You get the top spot.
If not for Alexander's birthday, Mila Kunis would have got the top spot. No, it isn't her birthday, but I like her. She works hard, stays out of trouble, has been in a relationship forever, and has never been on the bad end of a blind item. Plus, she is going to star in a new movie with Natalie Portman where they are going to spend much of the movie naked together.
Alice In Chains - Pomona, CA
When Artie Lange sees a policeman he has an automatic reflex now.
The ridiculously good looking couple of the day award goes to Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.
Dare I say it? Anna Wintour was actually funny and charming on Letterman last night.
"Yeah, it's gum ya'll."
So, Larry Rudolph goes over to Britney to take it out.
Daryl Hannah created a board game. She looks fabulous too. How old is she?
This is what happens when you try and pose for too many photographers at once. You get wonky eyes.
Your fully clothed looks like porn photo of the day.
The Simmons family.
Jason Bateman and his wife.
Of course you can't have a picture of Jason without also having one of Will. Oh, and Amy and Simon Pegg.
Hilary Duff getting off work at the Paris Hilton animal rescue shelter.
Johnny Knoxville auditioning for March Of The Penguins 2.
Johnathon Schaech with the worst shirt of the day award.
Kellan Lutz with the weekly obligatory airport shot.
Katie Price with the weekly obligatory selling something photo.
Lady Gaga with the weekly obligatory "woe is me photo."
It's brother and sister Meester.
Linkin Park - Pomona, CA
Mew - New York
Bridget Marquardt and her boyfriend Nick Carpenter.
Rocky Horror Picture Show auditions.
I know I had Rob Zombie in the photos recently but I saw the preview for Halloween 2. Scariest. Movie. Ever.
I can't get used to Samaire Armstrong's new hair color.
Shannon Elizabeth is single and looking for love. I heard that she hooked up with Benji Madden.
Not hooking up with Benji Madden is Shania Twain.
I am curious at what point you would say no to dating the fine specimen in the photo above.
#1 - He is 24.
#2 - He has no job.
#3 - He gets $65 a week in welfare.
#4 - He lives at home.
#5 - He had a child at 17 with a woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#6 - He had a child at 18 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#7 - He had a child at 19 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#8 - He had a child at 20 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#9 - He had a child at 21 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#10-He had a child at 22 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
#11-He had a child at 23 with a different woman he later abandoned. He doesn't see the child.
The woman above is his new girlfriend and they are trying to have a baby right now. She thinks he has changed. When the Daily Mail asked her what kind of father her boyfriend is, she said, 'Some people say he's a bad dad - and, as he doesn't see his children, for all I know he might be,' she said yesterday. 'But I think he'd be brilliant with our child.'
She has stopped using condoms in an effort to get pregnant. The loser's children are currently costing the UK about $100K a year.
I don't know if you have been following the story of "B" who is a homeless woman who wrote into Elle columnist E. Jean looking for career advice.
"I’m currently homeless and living in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I’m educated, I have never done drugs, and I am not mentally ill. I have a strong employment history and am a career executive assistant. The instability sucks, but I’m rocking it as best as I can."
Well, E. Jean wrote "B" back in her column and this is what she had to say.
"This is what you did with your letter: You knocked me out with your courage and spirit. I am therefore, Miss Not Hopeless, offering you a four-month internship. Of course it’s the most hideously humdrum internship in America. You’ll be stuck with the tedious job of organizing research for my book, transcribing interviews, and analyzing data from 1,800,000 pages (not a misprint) of a college sex survey I did on Facebook. I looked you up and discovered you’re on the West Coast and that you write a highly entertaining blog. You possess a brain and access to a computer. Excellent! If you accept this internship, you’ll telecommute to my East Coast mountain office one hour a day, six days a week. At the end of the four months, if you don’t have a job and an awesome place to live, I will become your intern."
The blog E. Jean is referring to is The Girls Guide To Homelessness which is a great read and very inspiring. Anyway, "B" had this wonderful offer but didn't know about it. The way she discovered she had been offered the job was through Lilit who is a very long time reader on CDAN and also runs the site Save The Assistants. Lilit had been following the story because "B" is a regular commenter on Save The Assistants and so had posted the letter from "B" and the response from E. Jean. When "B" logged on yesterday to Save The Assistants she saw she had been offered the job.
I love happy endings and I love my readers.
Somewhere in the back of my brain yesterday I remember seeing something about Lisa Marie Presley getting sued by the nanny of her kids. It could have come from a reader, but I can't find the e-mail. If you did send it to me I apologize for not giving you credit, and hope you will in the comments. Anyway, I forgot about it until today when I saw that Lisa Marie responded to the suit.
The suit basically says that the nanny was forced to work seven days a week, was never given any breaks, or meal break and was never paid overtime. OK, that seems like a good reason to sue.
Lisa in her denial to TMZ, doesn't really deny anything but the breaks part.
"Ms. White's self-entitlement became more and more severe as she became exposed to the various perks she was given on the job. She had chefs and other staff at her disposal. Christine had her own guest house on the property where she would sleep and take many breaks."
She doesn't address the overtime issue at all though. The only thing Lisa says about pay is that Christine was paid $650 a day. For those of you who don't have a calculator in front of you that works out to $237,250 a year if she really did work 7 days a week. Umm, Lisa could strap me to an e-meter in a room wallpapered with posters of her self-entitled daughter Riley while making me listen to Elvis sing the Polish Top 40 and watching an endless loop of Battlefield Earth and I wouldn't complain if she was going to pay me that much.
I'm no fan of Lisa Marie Presley, but if there are any nannies out there who earn more than $240,000 a year, please let me know. Oh, and Lisa, send me an application.
In Touch Magazine says that Janet Jackson is planning on writing a tell all book. When I read a headline like that it gets me all warm and fuzzy. It turns out though there isn't going to be much telling and it certainly won't be all. Practically nothing if you ask me. If there was ever a tell all book from a Jackson that I would actually read it would be from Janet. I want to hear all of her stories all the way from Good Times to now. She is an extremely secretive person and I know it would be a page turner. Plus she is about the only Jackson who actually seemed to talk to Michael on a regular basis so there would be that as well.
Unfortunately though, what In Touch calls a tell all book sounds more to me like a weight loss guide and how she copes with her weight battles on a daily basis and life lessons she has picked up along the way. Think GOOP but with a $35 hardcover price.
"She is going to talk about Michael's death and how it's affected her and his children and the rest of the family.
"A lot of it will focus on her battle with self-esteem and weight. But that's not always what she has seen when she looks in the mirror. The source added: "So the book will talk about how she has coped, and about her family relationships. She wants to help other young women out there."
While I am sure there will be helpful lessons and I only wish her the best, I want her to know that if she ever writes a true tell all I will be the first in line to read it at Borders. They have good pastries.
Candy Spelling is getting her very own television show. In an interview she gave to Radar Online she said that she would be getting her own television show but that she really couldn't talk about it much because it is top secret. Uh huh. Yeah, it is right up there with the nuclear codes. Although Candy has consistently bad mouthed Tori Spelling for her show and exploiting her two kids by using them as props, Candy sees no issues starring on her own show. Why? "The show will be scripted. I wouldn't do a reality show."
Oh, burn on Tori. Yes, because Candy was married to the man who brought us such wonderful writing as The Love Boat Candy wouldn't stoop low enough to do reality. Of course just because it is reality doesn't mean it isn't scripted. Hello The Hills.
I guess she means like an actual real show. You know it will probably be about a woman who was married to a legend and has an evil daughter and a son you never see. Each week Candy will break away long enough from staring at her jewels and living alone in her $45M home to save the world from destruction.
Do you know how evil you have to be for Mindy McCready to call you the devil? Well, apparently Keri Ann Peniche fits the bill. "She is evil personified, she is evil in human form. She will hurt anyone she can to make money."
Actually I think that Keri Ann was the one who released the tape of Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane. Keri has always said that she couldn't have released it because she would have done it long before now. Uh huh. Well, what if you didn't need the money until now? Keri also says she has never had sex for money and would never do anything like that. Umm, was I mistaken when I read she was a madam and also would turn the occasional trick? Last I checked that was having sex for money or at least arranging for others to have sex for money. I don't see much difference in them.
Oh, and just so you know, Keri didn't have sex with Rebecca or Eric that night. Why? "He's married! We were just having fun." Uh huh. So, I'm sure that when prospective tricks were hitting on her or she was arranging for her workers to have sex with others that she asked whether the potential client was married.
I am with Mindy on this one. Keri is evil personified and I have no doubts she will do whatever it takes to make a buck no matter who it hurts.
I know lots of you probably didn't want to read any further once you saw the headline, but I just have to say a couple of things. Apparently Jon Gosselin told US Weekly that he is tired of taping Jon & Kate and wished he had a 9 to 5 job. Please. He had a 9 to 5 job and was fired because he didn't actually do any work. This is not necessarily directed solely at Jon but one of the things that ticks me off more than anything about celebrities is when they moan and complain about the tough life they are living and they wish they were "everyday people." Of course they say this, because they are not working a normal 9 to 5 job.
If they want a 9 to 5 job so much then do it. Quit selling yourself out for money and go to work at a regular job. It isn't like the world is forcing you to be a celebrity and make stupid amounts of money. Jon says the only reason he doesn't work a 9 to 5 job is because he has 2 houses and 8 kids to take care of and so has to make as much money as possible.
When the show ends I think Jon will get his chance to work that 9 to 5 job. I can't imagine that he is saving enough money and so will be forced to keep working. A year or two from now when the show is over and there are no more bars and clubs that want him to show up, he will be working that 9 to 5 job. Guess what? The whole time he is working it he will be trying to figure out a way to get out of that 9 to 5 job. Be grateful for what you have you moron.
About a month ago I posted a little something about how VH-1 was bringing back their Divas franchise and was going to host a new edition of the concert with people who are most definitely not Divas. Well, if you are going to have crappy divas you might as well add Paula Abdul to the mix. Oh no, Paula isn't going to sing, although that would kind of be the topper to a night of performances that probably won't be that great.
Paula is going to be the host of the show. Yep. Taking a page out of the Ryan Seacrest manual, Paula has signed on to be the host of the event. I am hoping for her sake that it is taped well in advance and that she gets as many takes as needed to get it right. If this thing is live I am going to be glued to my set. The show is set to air on September 17th.
Have you been following the auction on eBay where the woman was trying to sell the crypt above Marilyn Monroe so she could pay off her mortgage? Well, it ended yesterday and the winning bid was $4.6M. That's right. Someone was willing to pay many millions of dollars just so their coffin could be on top of Marilyn's coffin for all eternity. Oh, or until their family member needs a couple of bucks.
The way the story goes is this. Back in the day when Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn were married, they bought burial spots on top of each other. I guess maybe people did that back then or it was an additional place people could register for wedding gifts. Anyway, when Joe and Marilyn were divorcing I guess Joe didn't want anything to do with her ever again and sold his spot to Elsie Poncher's husband who also bought the one diagonal to Marilyn for his wife. Eternal 3some anyone?
Marilyn died and then Elsie's husband died at the age of 81 back in 1986. It is now 23 years later so I'm guessing Elsie's husband liked them young, or Elsie is really, really old.
Elsie's husband's body is face down so he can stare at Marilyn. He will now be moved to the diagonal spot, and Elsie will be cremated when she dies.
So, if you are the family of the person who just bought this crypt, aren't you going to sell the spot immediately after the person dies? You think they would respect the wishes of the dead, but someone is going to respect almost $5M a lot more.
A reader named Sue e-mailed me an interesting theory as to who the winning bidder was. Back in 2007, Howard K Stern looked into the possibility of Anna Nicole Smith being buried next to Marilyn but couldn't convince anyone to move. Maybe her Estate bought the spot and now it will be Anna, Marilyn and Hef (spot next to Marilyn) with Elsie's husband watching it all.
There really is no way anymore that I can read or type the word rehab without thinking of the Amy Winehouse song. Well, presumably Melanie Griffith didn't tell Antonio Banderas, "no, no, no" because she has checked herself into rehab and will be there for the foreseeable future.
Oh, this isn't because she is addicted to any type of drug or dependent on alcohol or anything like that. Nope. According to what is possibly the best spin on rehab ever, her spokesperson said, "She is there to reinforce her commitment to stay healthy. This is part of a routine plan that was designed between her and her doctors years ago."
Much like the rest of us who go to the doctor once a year and the dentist twice a yer, Melanie has planned all this in advance. It is probably like clockwork. Next August while her family vacations somewhere, Melanie will once again check into rehab. Last year it was in one place and this year it is in Utah. Some people like to stay at all the golf resorts in the world and Melanie has a goal to stay at all the rehab facilities in the world. "Oooh, this one has yoga during the meetings. Is that downward facing dog? Hi, I'm Melanie and I'm an alcoholic."
Last year Melanie and her daughter Dakota Johnson tried this as a mother daughter event to spend some quality time together and reinforce their commitment to being a great family, but Dakota didn't need that reinforcement this year so Melanie is on her own. Maybe she could give Ryan O'Neal a call. He could probably use a good month of getting healthy. Redmond could go as well and join in when Ryan needs a breather.
Which British comic is so randy he brags about enjoying "quality solitary time" no fewer than six times a day? Ewww...
This would certainly confirm some long term rumors. This bald, male, former A list action star and now a solid B in movies only was spotted at a house party this past weekend making out with a guy. The thing about it is he wasn't trying to be discreet at all. There have to be some pictures of this because there were just too many people at the party.
I'm not usually a wedding picture kind of guy, but I really like this one of Paul Anderson and Milla Jovovich and so they get the top spot.
Alice Cooper - Sydney
Cheech Marin and his new wife had a reception to celebrate their wedding. For some reason the celebration was in their hotel room.
Hopefully Cheech's new wife can show him the error of his ways when it comes to fashion choices.
Or else there might not be any of this.
The kids are really getting cuter.
From his pitching form, it appears DJ AM should stick with his day job. Is it considered a day job though if you work exclusively at night? After an unassisted triple play to end the game for only the 2nd time in history is DJ Am to the Mets what Jessica was to the Cowboys?
It's amazing that as big as Fergie's glasses are that you can still see her eyebrows.
Happy Birthday Zuma.
Halle's hat says she is brokedown. I would have to disagree.
There must be no curtains left in Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter's hotel room.
Apparently there is a celebrity triathlon this year. I am using the word celebrity very loosely here, but hey it is half naked bodies so thought you would enjoy.
One more of Andy Baldwin for good measure.
The lovely Jennifer Connelly who was doing some press for 9 with
Elijah Wood.
A first time appearance for Johnny Lewis promoting Sons Of Anarchy with
Katey Sagal and Charlie Hunnam.
James Morrison - Stafford, UK
Jenny McCarthy on the Rachael Ray show. So, if they are both in the Harpo family does that make them kind of like step-sisters and Dr. Phil the mean older brother?
Kevin Federline in his quest to eat at every restaurant in the world seems to be going well. I think Victoria should dress like him one day and see if he gets the message about what an idiot he looks like.
Out for a walk with Uncle Alex. Not to be confused with Uncle Lance or any of the other uncles.
Kerry Katona on her way into a police station where she was warned to not use drugs again. Or at least to not get caught using them on video.
Kourtney Kardashian making out with some random woman she met a nightclub. She blamed it on being drunk. I believe she was pregnant at the time.
Tell me again why Prince William hasn't married Kate Middleton yet.
"Can you believe all this attention I am getting just for being a homewrecker."
Razorlight - Stafford, UK
Bradley Cooper on his way out of LA, and to hook up with Renee Z.
I love when Omega decides to have one of their athletes, in this case, Sergio Garcia (2nd from right) dress up like they are doctors.
Taylor Swift - Stafford, UK
In his homage to the acting career of Demi Moore, Zac Efron has a scarlet A on his chest.
So, if you are a woman and you had to choose someone to portray you in a movie version of you life, who would you pick? Well, whatever the name you are thinking, I highly doubt it is Robin Williams. Apparently though, movie executives have Robin Williams as their number one choice to play Susan Boyle, who is the British woman who took the world by storm earlier this year after appearing on Britain's Got Talent.
"I've been asked if I want to play Susan in the movie. I think she's incredible. That clip of her singing on Britain's Got Talent was extraordinary. So inspiring. It was quite a shock when she began to sing. I saw some other clip of her singing 'Cry Me A River' a few years ago. It was incredible. She's got a really great voice."
Umm, they couldn't find anyone else? The only person they could come up with was Robin Williams? I'm sure hew would do a great job, but as a woman how would it make you feel that the number one choice to portray you is the hairiest man on earth.
Did you hear that Sophia Bush got into an accident with a woman on a bicycle? Yeah, Sophia was walking down the sidewalk/street looking for a cab. She then stopped and turned suddenly and knocked a woman bicyclist right to the ground. Although the cyclist was uninjured, I wonder what could have caused Sophia to lose her concentration. Could it have been because of the report from the NY Daily News that Sophia was seen making out with long time Jake G friend Austin Nichols? Austin and Sophia have been friends for awhile (see picture above), but I think the making out portion of their relationship is new.
This would be a great time for Austin and Sophia to start double dating with Reese and Jake.
This is the kind of gossip I love. The kind that just makes you go, "wow." Martina Navratilova has a new girlfriend. Her name is Julia Lemigova. Her claim to fame was that she was the last Miss Universe Soviet Union.
In 2005, her former lover Edouard Stern (below) was murdered. He had been murdered while wearing a latex body suit by his then girlfriend Cecile Brossard during an S&M session. She was convicted of his murder this year.
Julia and Edouard met back in 1997. They had an affair while he was still married to his wife. In 1999, Julia gave birth to their son. When the son was five months old he died of internal injuries. It is speculated that he was murdered by a Bulgarian nanny who had been hired a few days before the son's death and disappeared immediately after the boy died. Lemigova claimed the nanny had been hired to murder her son but the investigation was closed in 2002 because there just was not any further information that had come in on the case.
Then, in 2004, Brossard called Julia and said she had information about the death of Julia's son. At that time Brossard was in a relationship with Edouard. Lemigova thinks that Edouard told Brossard what had happened and that Brossard started blackmailing Brossard about that statement and at some point they had a confrontation and Brossard killed Edouard.
Hopefully now that Lemigova is back in the spotlight new information will come out because I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Daily Mail has a much longer piece on this and many more photos.
I think most of us would agree that Amy Winehouse has been looking better as of late. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Blaaaaaaaake has been out of her life. When Blaaaaaake said last week that Amy had been trying to get him back I really didn't think anything of it. I just thought he needed a quick $20 for some crack and sold the story to a tabloid. Apparently though the story was true because Amy herself confirmed it over the weekend. In an interview with The Daily Mirror, Amy said, "You see this ace card right here, this one is for me and Blake. It's our lucky card. He's my man. We can make it. We're so strong together. I'm so embarrassed, I love him, though. I've said too much, haven't I? I've ruined the night."
It isn't the night I am worried about her ruining. It is her life she will mess up if she gets back with him. At least she seems to recognize the fact that he is bad for her and hopefully the longer she stays away from him and sees how her life is improving, the less likely she will be to return to him because that would be it for Amy. I don't think she would live six months.
The picture above is Amy performing over the weekend. She looks as healthy as Amy can look and she sounded fine and remembered the words. The only downside other than what she said about Blake was that she kissed Pete Doherty.
Over the weekend at some point Gerard Butler held Jennifer Aniston's hand. It could have been because she had a splinter. It could have been because everyone at the table stood in a circle and sang Kumbaya, or it could have been he was checking to make sure she washed her hands before dinner. Whatever the reason and whatever the length of time this happened, the fact is the two actually held hands which of course means they are having sex and already planning the wedding and the babies and Brad will be devastated and the weeks of headlines which are sure to follow the hand holding which occurred this weekend.
Although I don't doubt for a second that Gerard Butler would have sex with Jennifer Aniston I do hope that she realizes like the rest of the world realizes that Gerard Butler is probably not the guy who is going to give you a rock solid, long lasting monogamous relationship. If you need some sex on a Tuesday night, Gerard is the guy you want to call, but if you are looking for a commitment longer than a porno than he is probably not your guy.
Of course the fact he is not that kind of guy works out great for the tabloids because then they can have the inevitable month of headlines talking about Jen's broken heart and how she ran to Brad's arms for comfort. Ohhhh, or John Mayer. Because he finally grew up because he realized Jen was the one for him forever and he didn't want her to disappear from his life again until of course Jessica Simpson took him back at which point he dumped Jennifer again and then she can hook up with whatever co-star she is working with at that moment.
When I saw that Michael Jackson's three kids were spending some time with their friends at a pool on Saturday that made me really happy. I want them to have as normal of a life as they will ever have under the circumstances. It was only when I read where the kids were playing that I realized the two hours of splashing at the pool might not be how they spent the majority of the weekend.
You see, the kids spent their pool time at The Palms hotel. Yes, that same spot where Joe Jackson calls home. I'm guessing the kids spent two hours in the pool as break from 8 hours of Joe Jackson time. Who doesn't think he is rehearsing something with them? On Saturday night Jermaine went to dinner with them because he also just happened to be staying at The Palms. Something is going on here and I don't think it has children's best interest written all over it.
I will on a positive note say that Katherine Jackson was at the pool the entire time watching the kids. Yes, she had a friend with her and a nanny, but she did go to the pool and stay the whole time instead of just leaving the job to employees. Or it could have been she knew that if she left them alone Joe would come and drag them back to rehearsals.
At some point over the weekend Tom Cruise's lifts must have got into a twist because Brad Pitt's spokesperson has tried to get the word out that Brad Pitt didn't really call Valkyrie "ridiculous." Unfortunately though he isn't having much luck and pretty much everyone knows brad Pitt said what he said.
Stern Magazine isn't exactly In Touch or Life&Style and I am fairly confident they got the quote right. How can you tell they got it right? Look at the statement from Brad's rep. He called the quote "inaccurate," and then went on to say that Brad Pitt had never even seen Valkyrie. A couple of things here. If Stern had got the quote wrong there would have been a much stronger response than this. This is nothing. I'm guessing the quote was something like"very ridiculous," and Stern only reported "ridiculous," and so therefore it is inaccurate. As for not seeing the movie, perhaps someone named Angelina saw it and said it was ridiculous. Maybe Jennifer Aniston saw it and in one of her thousands of daily texts to Brad told him it was ridiculous. Maybe while Brad was giving the massage to the maid she said, "Mmmmm. That feels good. By the way, Valkyrie is ridiculous."
I am afraid that is all Tom is going to get from Brad on this. Word of advice to Tom. Stop making ridiculous films. Go make Mission Impossible IV.
I am beginning to think that Brandi Glanville really did believe all the lies her husband Eddie Cibrian told her. I think she probably believed them until one of her friends said, "umm, are you blind?" It was pretty obvious to the rest of the population on earth that Eddie was cheating on her and not trying too hard to hide it. To her credit though Brandi as recently as a month ago was defending her husband and calling it all a big misunderstanding and that she fully supported him and trusted him.
That was then and this is now though. One month later and LeAnn Rimes and Eddie are out in public and going on dates and Brandi is at home with the two kids. "Eddie is a compulsive liar, cheater and a home wrecker. And he has been an absentee father."
And if that wasn't enough she goes ahead and I'm guessing throws a dig at LeAnn as well.
"Eddie's displays of poor taste have hurt our two children."
Apparently Eddie has been spending more and more time with LeAnn and as a consequence not spending anytime with his kids. It is interesting that Brandi says she has spoken to LeAnn twice in the past week or so and told her that Eddie is all hers. I have a feeling there is going to be restraining order in this case very soon.
As I started reading all of the coverage of Ryan Jenkins' death last night I was less concerned with how and where he committed suicide and more about how he got from Vancouver all the way over to Hope. The Vancouver Sun has a very exhaustive article and in their reporting they mention the fact that it wasn't Ryan Jenkins who checked into the hotel room last Friday night but rather a woman who did the registering and also the payment upfront for three nights.
Who was it? It was more than just someone who gave Ryan Jenkins a ride. It is pretty tough to convince a stranger to not only drive you from Vancouver to Hope but then to also check you into a hotel and then to stay alone with you for 20 or 30 minutes alone in the hotel room before departing.
So, who was it? Could it have been his mother? Ryan Jenkins today claims her son is innocent was hounded into killing himself. Could it have been a stepmother? He has one in Vancouver. After all that Ryan did it will be interesting to see who was willing to risk jail to help him hide.
From the description given to police it is not his mother unless she has had some really good work done to herself. Probably not a step mother either. The woman was described as in her early 20's and she was driving a PT Cruiser.
WHICH aging photographer used to evade taxes by having his clients write out checks to his favorite hangout in St. Tropez to cover his tab there? With business down, now he's ordering half-portions and free-loading the booze -- "There's even a designated 'surveillance' person to keep check that his drinks are ultimately paid for," says our spy .
WHICH restaurateur held a disastrous tasting for friends and family at his new downtown eatery? After gagging on inedible dishes, the truthful tasters told the owner he shouldn't even open .
WHICH reality TV women party so hard every night that reporters gripe the ladies don't get out of bed to do phone interviews in the day?
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