Friday, September 30, 2005

Hilary Duff, It Girl again?

According to Us Weekly, the rumors are true: Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush split because Murray had cheated on Bush and possibly on a number of occasions.

Usher is putting together a benefit concert, titled "Project Restart," to aid the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He will headline the tour, and while he hasn't revealed any of the other artists, he has set a date and time: October 9th at Atlanta's Phillips Arena. He is planning to give away free tickets to five thousand hurricane evacuees. Regular concert tickets went on sale today.

Hilary Duff shared some of her eighteenth birthday party memories with MTV:
"I remember thinking when I was such a little girl that 18 was like so old and cool," Hilary Duff reflected Wednesday night. "And now I'm like, it's just normal." Apparently Good Charlotte's Benji Madden, twin brother of Hilary's boyfriend Joel offered her a trip to the tattoo parlor, but as predicted, Hilary turned down the offer. Joel told MTV that the night before Wednesday's bash, he took her out to a really nice restaurant and told her they were going to see The Corpse Bride, but pretended to have lost the tickets. They headed to her house to pick them up, only to find a surprise cake, balloons and presents. Ever the teenager, Duff said that "I've never had a birthday this cool before."

Hilary is also working with Elizabeth Arden to develop a perfume line like so many stars have before her. "I love wearing a beautiful fragrance and don't feel completely dressed without one," Hilary said. "I love to layer my fragrances with perfumes, body gels and dusting powders. I am looking forward to working with Elizabeth Arden's fragrance team to create a product line that is fresh and innovative. A fragrance that everyone will enjoy wearing, including me." The perfume is set to debut in North America next fall.

Hilary can also be seen on the "front pages" of online shopping boutique Shop Bop. I wonder how much she's getting for all of this ...

Funny story of the day: Ryan Cabrera called Talan Torriero of Laguna Beach on behalf of New York City radio station Z100 for its Celebrity Crank Calls segment. Ryan convinced Talan to pose nude for Playgirl magazine. When "the editor-in-chief of Playgirl" asked Talan to bring the idea to Stephen Colletti, also of Laguna Beach, Talan said, "Yeah I can try my best. He's kinda like over the whole like, you know what I mean, like he doesn't want anything to do with Hollywood. I can try my best though, for sure." When the editor pushed on, "Half a million dollars may influence him, don't you think?" Talan responded with, "Yeah, that's what I figured too. Holy shit." Hmm ... and here I thought Stephen wanted to become an actor! Listen here.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

... we lose another hot piece of meat to Angelina.

I don't know what I saw (was it the cover of the newest TV Guide?), but something made me think of Prison Break's Wentworth Miller. And how hot he is. And how we haven't given him the time of day up until now. So I head my little hinnie over to IMDB and find out that -- gasp -- he's thirty-three, a natural-born Brit and went to Princeton. If he weren't too old for me, I'd be flapping my wings in the sky with love now. An English major, how romantic ... and he was raised in Brooklyn! Represent.

Moving on ... Ryan Gosling. I don't think I'll ever forget what reminded me of him, no no no no no. He's on the cover of V Man and lookin' "too damn fine." Inside, he talks about his progression as an actor and his enchantment with Angelina Jolie: I went to the premiere for Hotel Rwanda. Angelina Jolie was there, and she gave this speech about Darfur. At the after-party I went up to her and asked her to educate me. She asked me if I wanted to go. I would have said yes to anything she said – I was kind of hypnotized. Two weeks later I got this call to get some vaccines because I was going to Africa. So I went and shot a little piece of a documentary for her. She sent different teams to different places all over the world., and we all filmed three minutes at exactly the same time wherever we were. At least she's using her powers for good, not evil.

Gosling just wrapped on a movie entitled Half Nelson, which is based on a Sundance award-winning short, "Gowanus, Brooklyn." He plays an eighth-grade teacher who forms "an unlikely friendship" with his student. Damn. I was just working on a script that would've eventually starred Gosling as the teacher and me as the student ...

More Laguna Beach news for you fans: the season has been extended by another week! The season finale -- as it stands -- will air on November 7th.


(Photo courtesy of "Oh No They Didn't!", who probably got it from lime-light.org)

Lindsay Lohan sported a very interesting symbol on her foot on the set of her new music video. "Oh No They Didn't!" reports that the symbol is actually one that Jared Leto uses to sign autographs with, as evidenced by the author's signed 30 Seconds to Mars CD. Hmm ...

"Oh No They Didn't!" also speculated upon Alicia Silverstone's belly, and whether she's pregnant or just growing a cute little pooch.

Funny story of the day: New York's Daily News tells us that at the Teen Vogue party last Tuesday, "Paris [Hilton] wanted Wilmer [Valderrama] to move so she could have his table, but he wouldn't," says a spy at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
Apparently Paris and her buddy Kimberly Stewart had been enjoying a few cocktails.
"Finally, ['Phantom of the Opera' star] Emmy Rossum gave up her table, saying: 'If Paris doesn't sit down soon she's going to fall into the pool.'"

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Another teen idol grows up.

It's Hilary Duff's 18th birthday. A couple years ago, it was all some guys could hope for. It's hard to believe that little Hilary's eighteen now ... But since then, the most unfortunate thing has happened -- Hilary has turned into a horse.



On a completely unrelated note (aka a slow day in the Pop World), I have discovered a delectable new delight. I've always been a little obsessed with Turkish Delight (ever since my mom read me that bedtime story about the prince or king who had it created for his queen), but have been a little more than turned off by it since buying a chunk of the overly-hard and sweet stuff at Dylan's Candy Bar. I ventured to try it again when I spotted Cadbury's Dairy Milk Turkish at grocery stores here in England.

Yum.

It wasn't overly rose-flavored like the kind I'd gotten at Dylan's. It tasted more like raspberry jelly rolls, the kind covered in a thin layer of chocolate. Really tasty -- and the best part is after the chocolate melts, you can chew on the Turkish delight. So wonderfully delicious.

Right up there next to Kinder Bueno, another non-American brand of chocolate ...

P.S. Let me know if any of you stumble across that children's bedtime story. I think it was titled "Turkish Delight."

The innocence of fall ...

Citysearch.com just put its Top 10 Things To Do in NYC in Fall list up, but it's far too artsy and expensive for a pop culture-obsessed college kid like me. So here's mine, coming from a true lazy-assed New Yorker:

1. Take a walk through Central Park
The Dana Discovery Center (as well as other centers within the park) offers a host of events and activities every fall, including the "Manhattan Adirondacks" Tour, Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Sail, and the famous Halloween Ball to which B-list celebrities often show up. Not willing to shell out the $1000? Take a walk up to Belvedere Castle just as the sun begins to set and make your way to the lower edge of the park -- my favorite street in New York -- and admire the juxtaposition of nature and commercialism. Those pretty, pretty lights! (And if you have some change to spare, take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage. But don't say I didn't warn you about the smell.)

2. Window shop at Macy's Herald Square
There's something very romantic about doing this, particularly once the Christmas decorations go up. This should be at a time when your breath begins to show when you speak, and finding refuge in a warm and bright shelter such as Macy's is heaven.

3. Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
From the comfort of your own home. There's nothing like watching celebrities bundled up and lip-synching to their own songs on JELLO floats while smelling the sweet smells of pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes and turkey roasting.

4. Village Halloween Parade
http://www.halloween-nyc.com/
NYC has parades of various sizes marching through lower Manhattan every couple of days (or so it seems), but this one's a wonderful opportunity to see the crazies at the height of their lunacy. And it may even spark an idea or two for next year's Halloween costume.

5. Walk along Madison Avenue
Okay, so I'm a bit of an Upper East Side girl seeing as I spent a good six years of my life there. Come fall, the city (or is it just the store owners?) places "fairy lights" in the trees and often other sorts of decorations as well. This summer, for example, a friend and I spotted foam oranges. Save this for when it gets cold, and take shelter in one of the many fabulous shops and cafes along the way.

6. Have a Gilmore Girls Season One marathon
That's fall for you, wrapped up in a nice neat six-CD boxed set. New England at its finest.

7. Go apple picking in Upstate New York.
Colorful fall foliage is the quintessence of New York State, isn't it? This is a comprehensive site of where to go and when to go. Make a trip out of it and pick some apples or pumpkins while you're at it. This site offers a hearty listing of fall activities.

8. Take part in NaNoWriMo
http://www.nanowrimo.org
Another little event for nerds like me ... see whether you can write a coherent 40,000 word story/novel/novella in a month. I don't think I'll ever be able to do it so long as I'm sitting here writing this crap ...

9. Have dinner in an open-air restaurant/cafe in the Village
Do it while you still can. It's not summer anymore, so you don't have to worry about the tourists or long lines. It's quaint and beautiful at night, especially if you're with that special someone ... Or you can have dinner at Tavern on The Green if your daddy or significant other's loaded. Order the red velvet cake. I dunno ... it looked good on The Newlyweds ...

10. Visit The Met
http://www.metmuseum.org/
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is spectacular year round, but something about late fall makes museum-going that much more enticing. The more interesting exhibits are usually unveiled in late Spring, but take advantage of the short lines now ... and avoid those poor not-art but Hunter College High School students who rush to get their drawings done in time for Winter Break. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is also good -- not as grand, but equally stimulating, especially since it's located in a very commercial area.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Hollywood's got my back.

Just when I was going to report a flaccid day in the world of celebrity gossip, I stumbled upon some little-known (perhaps) but juicy bits! Hollywood never lets me down.

Mr. Tristan duGrey, better known as Lucas of One Tree Hill, still better known as Chad Michael Murray and OTH co-star Sophia Bush have split after just five months. Though coming off the tails of many other less-juicy Hollywood splits (Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney, Jamie Lynn Sigler and AJ DiScala, Tori Spelling and the poor man who agreed to marry her and Kathy Griffin and another poor man), Murray and Bush's split is no less shocking. The two released separate statements:

"I am saddened to announce that Sophia and I are separating. This is a very difficult time for me." - Chad Michael Murray

"This is a difficult and unfortunate situation. I am glad this is being resolved sooner rather than later." - Sophia Bush

Good luck to the two of them and their co-stars on One Tree Hill who must deal with them!

Jossip.com's reporting that the Kutcher-Moore wedding may have been another prank to promote the new season of Punk'd. I remain skeptical, but you never do know with that Ashton kid ...


(Photo courtesy of JJB)

Lindsay Lohan returned home with ex-flame Wilmer Valderrama over the weekend. Apparently, they met up at Club X and she didn't surface until the next morning.

And my favorite but cruelest bit for the day ... Good Charlotte's Benji Madden rips Kelly Clarkson apart, following twin brother Joel's not-so-nice comments earlier this month. He wrote on Good Charlotte's official site: "My mom told me if I didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So I won't say 'Amercian Idol' sux, but it does make me laugh when someone like Kelly Clarkson disses someone like Hilary Duff, cause let's not forget it, Kelly (BTW-Kanye West thinks you have a nice ass, I saw him look at it one time) (me, I prefer the more fit look) anyways - you were a 'contestant' on a TV show. Hilary made herself. Ok ok I am a little partial to Hilary becasue I know what a great person she is and how talented she is first hand. Its all good I just think it is funny how us little humans lose perspective."

As much as I love Hilary Duff, she doesn't stand a comparison to Kelly Clarkson in terms of talent. But that's not really what Benji's talking about here. I guess he's right, but let's not forget that Hilary's blonde and was (and is) selling to a far less tough crowd.

'Till tomorrow ...

P.S. Who knew Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were dating?! When questioned about it, he said: "It's not serious. That's all I'm going to say." That's really all we needed to hear. Geez, a couple of months off the internet and I miss out!

Monday, September 26, 2005

Hollywood girls are mean!


Allegations of Paris Hilton offering teenagers drugs and alcohol have been dropped, according to Baltimore City police. Apparently one of the teens told the police that "She loaded myself and two other underage kids on shots of Jack Daniels to loosen us up for the show." Hilton's people (in this case the people behind The Simple Life) countered with a weak "Paris would never endanger the welfare of a minor."

What about innocent onlookers? Hilton was pulled over by police late last week for "making an improper turn" and "equipment violation" in her Bentley on Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. Witnesses say that she tried to blame the paparazzi, but was issued a ticket anyway.

Lindsay Lohan, who is now admitting that she did look too thin earlier this year, insists that it wasn't because she had an eating disorder. A somewhat unreliable source tells us she touted: "I lost weight because I'm 19 years old and only went through puberty a year ago. I haven't been on a crash diet. Give me a break!" Puberty? Just a year ago? Hahahahahahahahahaha ... Give me a break!

And according to Star magazine, "Lindsay has gained over 11 pounds in about 3 months by eating protein rich food meals and staying away from unhealthy junk food. Her trainer revealed, 'Lindsay is on her way and is now putting on lead body mass rather than fat'."


Mischa Barton's been spotted around Los Angeles with her new man Cisco Adler, Kimberly Stewart's ex-fiance. Stewart was none too happy when she found out and called Barton to tell her just that. A source close to Stewart told Radar Magazine that "Kimberly is finally over Cisco, but she was furious that a friend of hers would date her ex ...She called up Mischa and gave her an earful. She said Cisco was totally gross and that after all the nasty stuff Kimberly had told her about him she should know better than to date such a douchebag ..."

Heehee. S/he said "douchebag."

And for the story of the day: Christina Aguilera sent Britney Spears and Sean Preston Federline a little somethin' somethin' -- a weight loss care package. The package included a diet handbook and, of all things, a corset. Aguilera tells Daily Star, "I'm thrilled and overjoyed for her and wish her all the best. Hope she likes her gift."



(All photos courtesy of CelebWeb.org)

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Not surprising.

From Us Weekly:
Us Weekly is the first news outlet in the world to report that Demi Moore, 42, and Ashton Kutcher, 27, got married Saturday night at a Beverly Hills home in a ceremony in front of more than 100 of their closest friends and family, according to several sources close to the couple. ''It was very last minute,'' one guest told Us. Kutcher's publicist declined to confirm the nuptials, and when asked to confirm the wedding, Moore's publicist Stephen Huvane simply declined comment to Us.

Standing before a crowd that included Bruce Willis, actress Lucy Liu, Moore's three daughters and their closest family and friends, the couple, followers of the ancient spiritual practice of Kabbalah, exchanged vows in a brief but traditional ceremony. ''Most everyone was dressed formally,'' a source at the wedding told
Us.

It is the third marriage for Moore, who separated from her second husband, actor Bruce Willis, in 1998 (she was married to musician Freddie Moore for four years in the early 1980s). It is the first walk down the aisle for Kutcher, producer and star of the MTV reality show "Punk'd" and former star of Fox's "That '70s Show," who dated actress Brittany Murphy before he began dating the veteran film actress Moore in early 2003.


Yup.

Celebs gone postal!

Jennifer Aniston's dating that hottie from Seventh Heaven, Geoff Stults. Stults plays Aniston's boyfriend in The Break-Up. Kind of ironic, isn't it?

More Talan Torriero news for you. According to Laguna Beach co-star Kristin Cavallari, yes, he and Lindsay Lohan did date. In fact, Lohan had a cow when she walked in on the two laying in bed -- platonically -- together. She told Rolling Stone magazine that "... Lindsay comes in and freaks out! She starts crying, going 'aaargh!' and slams a glass on the table. I was like, 'Are you kidding me right now?' Talan had to tell her to leave." Rolling Stone has to make note that "Lohan's publicist denies this event ever occurred."

... but that's not what I came here to tell you about! No, no, no! MTV News tells us that Talan has signed with "a really big label push" and has dyed his hair dark to prep for his "Mars Volta kind of" music. Apparently, he's already worked with Akon -- "Music is pushing boundaries, and I figure I'd better do my part. I'd like to get a rapper on a rock song or something crazy like that." We'll see 'bout that, Boy-With-The-Pretty-Face-And-A-High-Voice.

P.S. The season finale is said to be October 24th, so start gathering tissues now. It probably won't be coming back for a third season, but it may spawn a few reality babies ...

Okay, I read that Nick and Aaron Carter were out drinking at Concorde in Los Angeles, "bonding." Aaron's only seventeen, but hey, I'm not surprised. What did surprise me was the female at Nick's side -- 35-year-old BAI LING!!! Please please please tell me they're not dating. Yeah, Nick, go and date the oldest ugly, dirty Asian celebrity ever. Couldn't you have made a long stop at Lucy Liu? I mean, just look at her ...


(Photo Courtesy of Yahoo!)

... she's just an old, Asian, uncute, MALE version of Paris Hilton (or Anna Wintour, although I can't see the resemblance between Paris and Anna)!!! Why not just date a drag queen?

Although I have to say, if Nick ends up having Eurasian babies, I think I'll have a hernia. Because they could've been mine.

*** End Of Rant ***

Friday, September 23, 2005

Hello World

I am back and reporting from the other side of the Atlantic, where things aren't as plentiful nor are they as technologically advanced. Complaints aside, let's get to the good part ...

I'm sure you've all heard about the big Kate Moss scandal by now. But were any of us really surprised? I assumed the heroine chic look constituted in snorting cocaine. Or just plain being a high-fashion model. Big news.

Apparently, audience members at the final performance of As You Like It at London's Wyndham Theatre turned around and began booing and throwing things at Jude Law, who was there to cheer Sienna Miller on. He promptly took haven backstage. Ms. Megan Elizabeth Mitchell said it best and most Britishly, "That's brilliant."

Okay ... catching up on some of the juicy Laguna Beach bits ... is Talan Torriero dating Brittany Snow? Do we really care? For those of you who do ... here's a nice graphic you've probably already discovered:


(Photo clearly courtesy of WireImage.com. I really wish people would learn to spell her last name correctly -- it's Cavallari!)

I'm starting to get confused myself ... I think I'm mixing Kaley Cuoco and Brittany Snow up, but one (or both?) of them dated Kevin Zegers a few years back, and Brittany also dated that cocky kid from that Survivor-esque reality show on what used to be FOX Family ... and Talan! Talan's dated quite a few girls in his day, hasn't he? Speaking of Kristin, looks like she's dating Brody Jenner of canceled-after-two-episodes The Princes of Malibu fame. Good riddance!

Saturday, September 03, 2005

A little bit o' uh uh ...

Stopping by with gossip I know you're dying to hear: dirt on the "Laguna Beach" kids.

According to "The Insider," cast members of the reality show were escorted out of "at least two parties in Miami, including Jessica and Ashlee Simpson's post-awards party at the Delanio" because "they were wasted and puking."

Lauren Conrad, or "LC," star and narrator of the first season of "Laguna Beach" has nabbed an internship with Conde Nast's Teen Vogue, and MTV is thinking of creating a spinoff of a good thing: cameras have supposedly been following Lauren around on the job, meaning celebrity photo shoots, coffee runs, photocopying. Sources have offered unclear info as to where this footage will go: to "Laguna Beach" or a possible one-woman show. If it were up to me, I'd save the juicy stuff for LB ... Lauren's personality isn't quite strong enough to carry a show alone, and really, the only reason we still care is because Stephen's just oh-so-cute.

Other tidbits and rumors ...

Alex Murrel, probably better known as "boyfriend stealer" to "Laguna" fans, has been working on a record or demo.

Apparently, Jason and Jessica, after having broken it off in Episode 6, hooked up in Cabo San Lucas on what was probably one drunken night, because Jessica ended up going to Prom with Jeff Boyle, Alex H.'s date to Winter Formal.

And last I reported on Laguna cutie Talan Torriero, I told you that he'd left school for Los Angeles (and Lindsay Lohan). Well apparently, he's being represented by none other than Jessica and Ashlee's father, Papa Joe Simpson. That would explain all the photos of Ryan Cabrera and Talan circulating on the internet!

Friday, September 02, 2005

"Uh-oh" is the first thing that comes to mind ...

While Delta Goodrem is in the United States launching her single "Lost Without You," her boyfriend Brian McFadden (formerly of Irish boyband Westlife fame) is chatting up ... Nick Carter, currently of American boyband Backstreet Boys, being one of Paris Hilton's many boy toys and DUI fame. McFadden, who has been in the papers for leaving ex-wife Kerry Katona, seems to need a little help creating "a rockier sound," and thought Nick would do the job best. McFadden heard Tommy Lee sing Carter's praises after he and Nick collaborated on his current album. Nick and Brian plan to team up while the Backstreet Boys tour the UK this coming fall. This may just lead to the Delta Goodrem and Nick Carter unity I've been dreaming of ... although I must say, Nick isn't quite good enough for Delta.

Hurricane Katrina. How are celebs helping out?
Everyone from Morgan Freeman to Patricia Clarkson are taking part in benefit concerts and auctions to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Hilary Duff is donating $200,000 to the American Red Cross and another $50,000 to USA Harvest. What's Britney doing? Praying.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and any other states that might be affected by Hurricane Katrina," she posted on her official site. "All of my family members there are safe and thank you to all my fans for your concern. Love, Britney." Hmm ... not even a summon for others to pray for the victims? I guess she really is broke.

... and then there's Jane Carter, mother of the famous Carter boys, Nick and Aaron. What crazy thing is she up to now? She published a letter to Aaron in The National Enquirer warning him of his father Bob's "real" motives: wanting a part of the $4 million that Aaron will gain access to once he turns 18 this December:
"Dearest Son," she wrote, "I have always been truthful with you and will continue to be so. Aaron, I know the private jet rides can be thrilling. What is not a thrill is the day you get the bill for them all when you turn 18! ... Don't allow your father full custody [of Aaron and his twin sister Angel] ... why at this point? It's because they all have their eyes on the $4 million trust fund I managed to sock away for you. Kiddo, that is yours! You earned it and you worked hard for it ... Take care of yourself. I love you very much. Mom."

Mm-hmm. And I love him very much too. Does that mean I get a bit of his $4 million? And I also like how she addressed him as "Son." Maybe she's thinking of recycling the letter and sending Nick a copy, so she can squeeze a few million out of him, too.