It can't be easy finding out that your long lost sister is Oprah Winfrey and then appearing on her show in front of millions. However, that is easy as pie compared to meeting the TV queen's longtime best friend Gayle King. "I can't wait to meet Patricia," she told ABC.
"Gayle must have mixed feelings about the arrival of Patricia," an insider tells me. "Of course she wants nothing but the best for Oprah, but there has to be just a little tiny part of Gayle that is asking, 'What now?'"
Oprah announced she had a half-sister a few days ago, but already her fans, and Gayle, are chattering about what role Patricia will play in the star's life.
"Gayle is very protective about her relationship with Oprah and is not used to sharing her with anyone," a friend of Gayle's tells me, adding that the new addition to the family could be a "bigger adjustment" for Gayle than for Oprah.
But as Gayle has already said, Patricia has proved she's an amazing person.
"This is extraordinary that somebody would have this information about Oprah, who as you know has been sold out on many occasions by friends, by co-workers, in some cases family," Gayle said. "Patricia wasn't trying to get Oprah, she was trying to find her mother ... having Oprah as a sister, a half-sister, was a bonus."
This could be a tough adjustment for you, Gayle, but don't worry love -- there is enough room in the great O's heart for both of you.
Showing posts with label Must. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Must. Show all posts
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Judge: Former Players Must Testify
Some of Barry Bonds' former teammates, along with other retired Major League Baseball players and perhaps current player Jason Giambi, will have to testify at the slugger's upcoming perjury trial, a federal judge said Friday.
Lawyers for Bonds argued at a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston that the players should be excluded because of their ties to Bonds' former trainer Greg Anderson, who is refusing to testify against the slugger.
Illston previously barred much of the evidence relating to Anderson because of his willingness to go to prison on contempt charges rather than testify at the trial set to start March 21.
Without his testimony, it could be impossible to prove that urine samples that purportedly tested positive for steroids had been collected from Bonds by Anderson.
Dressed in a dark suit and slimmed down from his San Francisco Giants playing days, Bonds sat attentively at his lawyers' table in front of the judge during the hearing.
Illston also said she would consider on a case-by-case basis whether to exclude other evidence seized from Anderson's home and elsewhere that prosecutors want to show the jury.
That includes a trove of documents created by Anderson that prosecutors say connect Bonds to blood and urine tests conducted at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which was at the center of a sports doping ring broken up by federal investigators.
The judge said prosecutors could call the athletes to testify about their relationships with Anderson, who supplied many of them with steroids and whom the government claims supplied Bonds with performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds, 46, has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of perjury and an obstruction charge after telling a grand jury in December 2003 that he never knowingly took steroids. Bonds testified that Anderson supplied him with all kinds of substances, but he assumed they were all legal supplements.
Some players were expected to testify that Anderson supplied them with drugs and informed clients the substances were illegal steroids. Prosecutors hope the testimony will persuade jurors that Bonds had to have known that Anderson was giving him illicit performance enhancers.
"Anderson provided them with detailed instructions and explained to them these were steroids," federal prosecutor Matt Parrella told the judge.
One of Bonds' six attorneys, Dennis Riordan, sought to bar the athletes' testimony. He argued unsuccessfully that the government was attempting to win the case with "guilt by association."
On the prosecution witness list are Giambi and retired players Marvin Benard, Jeremy Giambi (Jason's brother), Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Bobby Estallela, Randy Velarde and retired football player Larry Izzo.
The judge said she may stop the parade of players from taking the witness stand if their testimony begins to sound the same.
The players' dealings with Anderson date back a decade or more, which legal experts said could further hobble prosecutors already set back by the exclusion of the tests tied to Anderson.
"We all struggle with recalling what happened a week ago," said Vermont Law School professor Michael McCann, a sports law expert. "It happened so long ago, and these witnesses are probably going to have a difficult time recalling everything."
The judge ordered Anderson to appear in court sometime before the trial starts to reiterate his refusal to testify. Anderson will be jailed for the length of the trial, which could last a month.
Anderson already served a little more than a year on contempt charges after he refused to testify before the grand jury investigating Bonds for perjury.
Anderson pleaded guilty to steroids distribution and money laundering in 2005 and served three months in prison.
"He remains resolute in his position," said Mark Geragos, Anderson's lawyer.
Both sides will return to court Feb. 11 to wrangle over whether a secretly recorded conversation between Anderson and Bonds' former business partner Steve Hoskins should be played for the jury.
Hoskins made the recording in front of the slugger's locker in San Francisco in March 2003.
In that conversation, Anderson discusses how he is helping Bonds avoid infections by injecting him in different parts of his buttocks rather than in one spot.
Bonds testified before the grand jury that no one but his doctor ever injected him.
Lawyers for Bonds argued at a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston that the players should be excluded because of their ties to Bonds' former trainer Greg Anderson, who is refusing to testify against the slugger.
Illston previously barred much of the evidence relating to Anderson because of his willingness to go to prison on contempt charges rather than testify at the trial set to start March 21.
Without his testimony, it could be impossible to prove that urine samples that purportedly tested positive for steroids had been collected from Bonds by Anderson.
Dressed in a dark suit and slimmed down from his San Francisco Giants playing days, Bonds sat attentively at his lawyers' table in front of the judge during the hearing.
Illston also said she would consider on a case-by-case basis whether to exclude other evidence seized from Anderson's home and elsewhere that prosecutors want to show the jury.
That includes a trove of documents created by Anderson that prosecutors say connect Bonds to blood and urine tests conducted at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which was at the center of a sports doping ring broken up by federal investigators.
The judge said prosecutors could call the athletes to testify about their relationships with Anderson, who supplied many of them with steroids and whom the government claims supplied Bonds with performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds, 46, has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of perjury and an obstruction charge after telling a grand jury in December 2003 that he never knowingly took steroids. Bonds testified that Anderson supplied him with all kinds of substances, but he assumed they were all legal supplements.
Some players were expected to testify that Anderson supplied them with drugs and informed clients the substances were illegal steroids. Prosecutors hope the testimony will persuade jurors that Bonds had to have known that Anderson was giving him illicit performance enhancers.
"Anderson provided them with detailed instructions and explained to them these were steroids," federal prosecutor Matt Parrella told the judge.
One of Bonds' six attorneys, Dennis Riordan, sought to bar the athletes' testimony. He argued unsuccessfully that the government was attempting to win the case with "guilt by association."
On the prosecution witness list are Giambi and retired players Marvin Benard, Jeremy Giambi (Jason's brother), Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Bobby Estallela, Randy Velarde and retired football player Larry Izzo.
The judge said she may stop the parade of players from taking the witness stand if their testimony begins to sound the same.
The players' dealings with Anderson date back a decade or more, which legal experts said could further hobble prosecutors already set back by the exclusion of the tests tied to Anderson.
"We all struggle with recalling what happened a week ago," said Vermont Law School professor Michael McCann, a sports law expert. "It happened so long ago, and these witnesses are probably going to have a difficult time recalling everything."
The judge ordered Anderson to appear in court sometime before the trial starts to reiterate his refusal to testify. Anderson will be jailed for the length of the trial, which could last a month.
Anderson already served a little more than a year on contempt charges after he refused to testify before the grand jury investigating Bonds for perjury.
Anderson pleaded guilty to steroids distribution and money laundering in 2005 and served three months in prison.
"He remains resolute in his position," said Mark Geragos, Anderson's lawyer.
Both sides will return to court Feb. 11 to wrangle over whether a secretly recorded conversation between Anderson and Bonds' former business partner Steve Hoskins should be played for the jury.
Hoskins made the recording in front of the slugger's locker in San Francisco in March 2003.
In that conversation, Anderson discusses how he is helping Bonds avoid infections by injecting him in different parts of his buttocks rather than in one spot.
Bonds testified before the grand jury that no one but his doctor ever injected him.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
'American Idol' Tell-All Author Says Show Must End Its Megastar Drought
There may be no other TV series that has been written about as much as 'American Idol.' The show that helped pave the way for reality television to become a lasting genre has changed the entire TV landscape and the very nature of stardom. What began as a copycat of a British singing talent competition called 'Popstars' became a pop culture phenomenon unlike nothing that had been seen before.
But since we've turned into an 'Idol'-saturated society, what more is there to say about the Fox hit? Aside from reporting on the progress of each season's contestants, the periodic scandals, the judge shuffle and the day-to-day dramas, there isn't really enough for another entire book about it, is there?
Apparently there is. And its author, Los Angeles Times 'Idol' writer Richard Rushfield, is even so bold as to call his 'The Untold Story.' Untold, indeed. With all the ink spilled on the reality TV sensation, how could that be possibly true?
"There's so much we see, but there's so much that has been untold -- what really goes on behind the scenes and into the making of it, and how it affects the lives of the people involved," Rushfield tells PopEater. "It's an amazing glimpse of what goes on backstage at 'Idol' and the pressures. How 'Idol' came into being has never been told."
And who better to recount those tales than the show's creator himself, the now-legendary British producer Simon Fuller?
When 'American Idol: The Untold Story' readers first meet Fuller, he has just been dumped by a band he molded into an iconic force in its own right: the Spice Girls. Their decision to cut their manager loose for a calmer lifestyle would wind up being one of the most impactful decisions in modern music industry history.
Fuller's idea, initially called 'Fame Search' and then changed to 'Pop Idol,' was to put together a U.K. talent show that would sweep the country's general population for contestants, turn those ordinary people into stars and then give the audience the final say in who wins. 'Popstars' was a similar concept, minus the element of audience control, and it had become a fast hit among British TV viewers.
But Fuller thought his show "could do this much, much better. I saw certain similarities in what 'Popstars' was to what I wanted to do," he told Rushfield. "What I always intended ... was to make it a real-time experience but just focus it on singing."
What debuted as 'Pop Idol' in the U.K. -- to mediocre reviews -- soon became a mind-boggling success before traveling across the pond to the U.S., landing in the hands of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and being transformed into 'American Idol,' one of the biggest TV crazes ever.
Rushfield says his book marks the first time the now 50-year-old Fuller has shared the details of how 'Idol' was born.
"It was not officially sanctioned [by the makers of 'Idol'], but I got a lot of cooperation from the people involved," says Rushfield. "Simon Fuller agreed to sit down and tell about the creation of the show for the first time."
Among other behind-the-scenes tidbits in 'The Untold Story,' Rushfield includes anecdotes about a woman who forms a church using only 'Idol' participants, one pop star hopeful's vicious run-in with nasty (and now departed) judge Simon Cowell and a love triangle among three of the earliest contestants.
"There are a lot of little moments that people will love -- just a lot of stories about what life is like living under the tension and the microscope for this group of kids thrown together and riding this whirlwind," he says.
The book also documents the revolutionary changes 'Idol' brought to the music industry and the creation of pop stars including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Fantasia Barrino.
"It opened up the whole process of how you become a star," Rushfield says. "That was Simon Fuller's intention from the start. He very consciously started this as a reaction to what he saw as a closed system in the record labels, with the music industry being more concerned with being cool and edgy than creating acts that would speak to a huge public."
Thanks to 'Idol,' says Rushfield, there is now a parallel but separate path to stardom outside the music industry in which "the record labels don't dictate who the stars are. You go to the audience about who they want as stars."
It's a shift that has faced its share of criticism from those who believe 'Idol' has lowered the bar, churning out a less talented pool of pop singers than the industry was doing before it came along. Rushfield dismisses that gripe, just as he dismisses similar complaints about how reality shows have dumbed down television.
"I think we have a broader pool of stars," he tells PopEater. "While it might have been more polished before, it was more of a narrow spectrum. People who say that have contempt for the audience and contempt for who the audience chooses ... and they vastly overrate the quality of who we were seeing on television and in the music industry."
As one of the earliest reality shows to strike it big, 'Idol' has been credited with turning traditional programming on its head.
"There's a reason television was so vulnerable: It had become formulaic and stale, and people were ready to tune out those programs," Rushfield says. "'Idol' has done a lot to reinvent television from a pretty desperate place before that."
Still, nearly a decade after its U.S. debut, 'Idol' is facing a critical turning point, with some even sounding the show's death knell. The departure of two of its three original judges -- first Paula Abdul, then Simon Cowell -- the failed Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi stints on the panel and the replacement judge choices of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have put many on edge about 'Idol's' future.
So has the fact that it's been awhile since the show delivered on its fundamental vow to create a pop star from scratch season after season.
"The jury is out" on the show's future, Rushfield says. "Even bigger than the change in the judges -- which is in itself huge -- 'Idol' has not in several years produced a megastar, not since Chris Daughtry. ... That has to happen again. That's what they promised."
But 'American Idol' has proven resilient so far and has continued to capture the public's imagination because of what it represents.
"They go out into America, find people where they live, bring them to Hollywood and confer upon the winner this huge prize, which is genuine stardom," Rushfield says. "It's the closest thing to the story of the American dream that we have in entertainment."
'American Idol: The Untold Story' is in bookstores and available on Amazon right now.
But since we've turned into an 'Idol'-saturated society, what more is there to say about the Fox hit? Aside from reporting on the progress of each season's contestants, the periodic scandals, the judge shuffle and the day-to-day dramas, there isn't really enough for another entire book about it, is there?
Apparently there is. And its author, Los Angeles Times 'Idol' writer Richard Rushfield, is even so bold as to call his 'The Untold Story.' Untold, indeed. With all the ink spilled on the reality TV sensation, how could that be possibly true?
"There's so much we see, but there's so much that has been untold -- what really goes on behind the scenes and into the making of it, and how it affects the lives of the people involved," Rushfield tells PopEater. "It's an amazing glimpse of what goes on backstage at 'Idol' and the pressures. How 'Idol' came into being has never been told."
And who better to recount those tales than the show's creator himself, the now-legendary British producer Simon Fuller?
When 'American Idol: The Untold Story' readers first meet Fuller, he has just been dumped by a band he molded into an iconic force in its own right: the Spice Girls. Their decision to cut their manager loose for a calmer lifestyle would wind up being one of the most impactful decisions in modern music industry history.
Fuller's idea, initially called 'Fame Search' and then changed to 'Pop Idol,' was to put together a U.K. talent show that would sweep the country's general population for contestants, turn those ordinary people into stars and then give the audience the final say in who wins. 'Popstars' was a similar concept, minus the element of audience control, and it had become a fast hit among British TV viewers.
But Fuller thought his show "could do this much, much better. I saw certain similarities in what 'Popstars' was to what I wanted to do," he told Rushfield. "What I always intended ... was to make it a real-time experience but just focus it on singing."
What debuted as 'Pop Idol' in the U.K. -- to mediocre reviews -- soon became a mind-boggling success before traveling across the pond to the U.S., landing in the hands of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and being transformed into 'American Idol,' one of the biggest TV crazes ever.
Rushfield says his book marks the first time the now 50-year-old Fuller has shared the details of how 'Idol' was born.
"It was not officially sanctioned [by the makers of 'Idol'], but I got a lot of cooperation from the people involved," says Rushfield. "Simon Fuller agreed to sit down and tell about the creation of the show for the first time."
Among other behind-the-scenes tidbits in 'The Untold Story,' Rushfield includes anecdotes about a woman who forms a church using only 'Idol' participants, one pop star hopeful's vicious run-in with nasty (and now departed) judge Simon Cowell and a love triangle among three of the earliest contestants.
"There are a lot of little moments that people will love -- just a lot of stories about what life is like living under the tension and the microscope for this group of kids thrown together and riding this whirlwind," he says.
The book also documents the revolutionary changes 'Idol' brought to the music industry and the creation of pop stars including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Fantasia Barrino.
"It opened up the whole process of how you become a star," Rushfield says. "That was Simon Fuller's intention from the start. He very consciously started this as a reaction to what he saw as a closed system in the record labels, with the music industry being more concerned with being cool and edgy than creating acts that would speak to a huge public."
Thanks to 'Idol,' says Rushfield, there is now a parallel but separate path to stardom outside the music industry in which "the record labels don't dictate who the stars are. You go to the audience about who they want as stars."
It's a shift that has faced its share of criticism from those who believe 'Idol' has lowered the bar, churning out a less talented pool of pop singers than the industry was doing before it came along. Rushfield dismisses that gripe, just as he dismisses similar complaints about how reality shows have dumbed down television.
"I think we have a broader pool of stars," he tells PopEater. "While it might have been more polished before, it was more of a narrow spectrum. People who say that have contempt for the audience and contempt for who the audience chooses ... and they vastly overrate the quality of who we were seeing on television and in the music industry."
As one of the earliest reality shows to strike it big, 'Idol' has been credited with turning traditional programming on its head.
"There's a reason television was so vulnerable: It had become formulaic and stale, and people were ready to tune out those programs," Rushfield says. "'Idol' has done a lot to reinvent television from a pretty desperate place before that."
Still, nearly a decade after its U.S. debut, 'Idol' is facing a critical turning point, with some even sounding the show's death knell. The departure of two of its three original judges -- first Paula Abdul, then Simon Cowell -- the failed Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi stints on the panel and the replacement judge choices of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have put many on edge about 'Idol's' future.
So has the fact that it's been awhile since the show delivered on its fundamental vow to create a pop star from scratch season after season.
"The jury is out" on the show's future, Rushfield says. "Even bigger than the change in the judges -- which is in itself huge -- 'Idol' has not in several years produced a megastar, not since Chris Daughtry. ... That has to happen again. That's what they promised."
But 'American Idol' has proven resilient so far and has continued to capture the public's imagination because of what it represents.
"They go out into America, find people where they live, bring them to Hollywood and confer upon the winner this huge prize, which is genuine stardom," Rushfield says. "It's the closest thing to the story of the American dream that we have in entertainment."
'American Idol: The Untold Story' is in bookstores and available on Amazon right now.
Dish Of Salt: Inside Our Stuff You Must Charity Gifting Suite
Every year as we celebrate the Golden Globes, we know it means one thing - awards show season is in full swing and celebrities are going to be making the rounds at various gifting suites to get their hands on the latest must have products all the way up through the Academy Awards. Over the weekend, I spent two days taking in all the action at Access’ own 5th Annual Stuff You Must Lounge. For every celebrity that stopped by the lounge CVS/pharmacy made a donation to the charities Best Buddies and Lollipop Theater Network. A total of $100,000 was raised. And for every celebrity that stopped by the lounge, I spent a little time snooping into their reactions as they perused the goodies.
“Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet put in all in perspective when I chatted with him after he snagged a pair of New Balance True Balance toning shoes. “It’s always a little bit of an embarrassment because we get such nice things - but this is a good one because it raises money for charity.” Eric joked that he was going to pull a Forrest Gump and take his running shoes for a spin across America.
Earlier in the morning, Eric’s “Modern Family” sister-in-law, Julie Bowen, stopped by to help present the check to Best Buddies and Lollipop Theater and filled Billy Bush in on this week’s new episode where the Dunphy kids walk in on their parents um, getting intimate. “Phil and Claire get caught in the act having sex… not in the way that the missionaries like it,” she laughed. “In real life, I feel like maybe Nolan [Gould] was scarred. We were wearing nude suits but still he was like ‘I’m 11. What are you doing?!’”
We cornered Nolan (the Dunphy’s youngest son) to find out if the sex scene indeed freaked him out. “It kind of scarred me because they made it weirder than it could have been,” he admitted. “You’ll see! They were wearing these tan suits like something you would see on Cirque du Soleil.”
Nolan was super psyched however to pick up a watch from Jorg Gray, the same watch that President Obama wears. He even had it on at the Golden Globe red carpet on Sunday, minus the secret service, of course.
The always-lovely Jane Lynch did a little pampering before she started her shopping. She and her wife, Laura, got their makeup done by an artist from Maybelline. I’ve interviewed Jane dozens of times for “Glee” and I have never seen her look more beautiful. Turns out there was a reason. The artist who worked on her is Ellen DeGeneres’ makeup artist. With similar bone structure and hair coloring she just knew how to make Jane look fantastic. Proving she is nothing like her “Glee” character Sue Sylvester, Jane graciously made the rounds chatting with and taking photos with every vendor in the suite and making sure her wife was well taken care of during their stay. Plus, she’s going to have a very happy 9-year-old at home; Jane snagged a Wonka candy purple card. You call a number and they send you up to 500 pieces of candy!
Jennifer Love Hewitt stopped by the lounge with her new boyfriend Alex Beh. The often criticized for her weight star stopped at the Slim Fast 3-2-1 booth and admitted that two days before the red carpet she makes a tray of chicken broth ice cubes. Later, when grabbing some jeans from Vintage Revolution she told me finding jeans that fit her is as difficult as it is dealing with the tabloids, “Everyone else they call curvy. Me they call fat.” Trust me, J.Love looks amazing, curves and all.
My allergies were not happy but for two days I think the most popular living creature in the gift lounge was the white Fancy Feast cat who was hanging out greeting the stars. “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Lisa Vanderpump actually tried to convince someone to sell her the cat so she and her dog Jiggy (who was with her) could get married. Ahhh, to be a pampered Beverly Hills pooch!
“Bachelorette” lovebirds Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez stopped by the lounge arm-and-arm and told me they have plans to get married this year and that they’re absolutely considering a TV wedding. As for “Bachelor” Brad Womack’s lovely ladies, I think their response to which contestants they felt were best for him, was very telling - Chantal and Emily. Go searching for spoilers on Brad’s season and I think you’ll figure out why I think that.
Roberto played the dutiful fiance and sat patiently as Ali got a manicure from beautician Essie. That was until I stole him away to watch the end of the Steelers/Ravens game. So grateful my new friends at Spin Master toys snuck in a TV so I could watch my Steelers triumph!
I think my favorite moment of the two-day extravaganza was when Neil Patrick Harris turned the personal questions table on me. Everyday in my line of work I have to ask celebrities questions about their relationships, their kids, their thoughts on other celebrities drama etc. Neil took one look at my pregnant belly and busted out with this question — “So are you going to breastfeed?” I nearly fell down laughing at such an intimate question, which I deflected by jokingly asking if he was breast-feeding his brand new twins, Gideon and Harper. “Yes, my nipples are bleeding” he shot back. Of course, it was all in good fun and NPH reminded me that fitful sleep would be a thing of the past for quite some time. Inside the gift lounge the ladies from Little Giraffe had some adorable gifts for NPH’s little bundles of joy and they even had something sweet for my little man (yes, it’s a boy if you haven’t heard).
OK, so that was my favorite moment inside the lounge. The least favorite was watching all these gorgeous celebrities trying on these amazing sky high heels from Ursula Mascaro knowing I won’t be wearing 5 inch heels for a very long time. Seriously… amazing shoes! I was thrilled that when my feet started to swell towards the end of the day and the girls from Pretty Ballerina let me borrow a pair of cute black ballet flats. Comfort is key when you are pregnant. However, you gotta be cute too!
It turns out I wasn’t the only pregnant lady in the lounge. The rep from Netflix was seven and half months pregnant, giving me a glimpse of what I would look like in about 6 more weeks. She was by far the most popular lady in the lounge. Netflix was giving away a lifetime subscription to their service. A Lifetime of movies streaming on your Internet, PC or TV for free. Is that not insane?! The reaction from stars like Gilles Marini, Sean Astin, and Dominic Monaghan was utter shock. Gilles revealed to me that the season finale of “Brothers and Sisters” would be his wedding to Sarah Walker (Rachel Griffiths). What he couldn’t tell me was whether or not it would be the final season of the show. He believes that their fate is tied to whatever happens to “Desperate Housewives” and their negotiations.
“Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet put in all in perspective when I chatted with him after he snagged a pair of New Balance True Balance toning shoes. “It’s always a little bit of an embarrassment because we get such nice things - but this is a good one because it raises money for charity.” Eric joked that he was going to pull a Forrest Gump and take his running shoes for a spin across America.
Earlier in the morning, Eric’s “Modern Family” sister-in-law, Julie Bowen, stopped by to help present the check to Best Buddies and Lollipop Theater and filled Billy Bush in on this week’s new episode where the Dunphy kids walk in on their parents um, getting intimate. “Phil and Claire get caught in the act having sex… not in the way that the missionaries like it,” she laughed. “In real life, I feel like maybe Nolan [Gould] was scarred. We were wearing nude suits but still he was like ‘I’m 11. What are you doing?!’”
We cornered Nolan (the Dunphy’s youngest son) to find out if the sex scene indeed freaked him out. “It kind of scarred me because they made it weirder than it could have been,” he admitted. “You’ll see! They were wearing these tan suits like something you would see on Cirque du Soleil.”
Nolan was super psyched however to pick up a watch from Jorg Gray, the same watch that President Obama wears. He even had it on at the Golden Globe red carpet on Sunday, minus the secret service, of course.
The always-lovely Jane Lynch did a little pampering before she started her shopping. She and her wife, Laura, got their makeup done by an artist from Maybelline. I’ve interviewed Jane dozens of times for “Glee” and I have never seen her look more beautiful. Turns out there was a reason. The artist who worked on her is Ellen DeGeneres’ makeup artist. With similar bone structure and hair coloring she just knew how to make Jane look fantastic. Proving she is nothing like her “Glee” character Sue Sylvester, Jane graciously made the rounds chatting with and taking photos with every vendor in the suite and making sure her wife was well taken care of during their stay. Plus, she’s going to have a very happy 9-year-old at home; Jane snagged a Wonka candy purple card. You call a number and they send you up to 500 pieces of candy!
Jennifer Love Hewitt stopped by the lounge with her new boyfriend Alex Beh. The often criticized for her weight star stopped at the Slim Fast 3-2-1 booth and admitted that two days before the red carpet she makes a tray of chicken broth ice cubes. Later, when grabbing some jeans from Vintage Revolution she told me finding jeans that fit her is as difficult as it is dealing with the tabloids, “Everyone else they call curvy. Me they call fat.” Trust me, J.Love looks amazing, curves and all.
My allergies were not happy but for two days I think the most popular living creature in the gift lounge was the white Fancy Feast cat who was hanging out greeting the stars. “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Lisa Vanderpump actually tried to convince someone to sell her the cat so she and her dog Jiggy (who was with her) could get married. Ahhh, to be a pampered Beverly Hills pooch!
“Bachelorette” lovebirds Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez stopped by the lounge arm-and-arm and told me they have plans to get married this year and that they’re absolutely considering a TV wedding. As for “Bachelor” Brad Womack’s lovely ladies, I think their response to which contestants they felt were best for him, was very telling - Chantal and Emily. Go searching for spoilers on Brad’s season and I think you’ll figure out why I think that.
Roberto played the dutiful fiance and sat patiently as Ali got a manicure from beautician Essie. That was until I stole him away to watch the end of the Steelers/Ravens game. So grateful my new friends at Spin Master toys snuck in a TV so I could watch my Steelers triumph!
I think my favorite moment of the two-day extravaganza was when Neil Patrick Harris turned the personal questions table on me. Everyday in my line of work I have to ask celebrities questions about their relationships, their kids, their thoughts on other celebrities drama etc. Neil took one look at my pregnant belly and busted out with this question — “So are you going to breastfeed?” I nearly fell down laughing at such an intimate question, which I deflected by jokingly asking if he was breast-feeding his brand new twins, Gideon and Harper. “Yes, my nipples are bleeding” he shot back. Of course, it was all in good fun and NPH reminded me that fitful sleep would be a thing of the past for quite some time. Inside the gift lounge the ladies from Little Giraffe had some adorable gifts for NPH’s little bundles of joy and they even had something sweet for my little man (yes, it’s a boy if you haven’t heard).
OK, so that was my favorite moment inside the lounge. The least favorite was watching all these gorgeous celebrities trying on these amazing sky high heels from Ursula Mascaro knowing I won’t be wearing 5 inch heels for a very long time. Seriously… amazing shoes! I was thrilled that when my feet started to swell towards the end of the day and the girls from Pretty Ballerina let me borrow a pair of cute black ballet flats. Comfort is key when you are pregnant. However, you gotta be cute too!
It turns out I wasn’t the only pregnant lady in the lounge. The rep from Netflix was seven and half months pregnant, giving me a glimpse of what I would look like in about 6 more weeks. She was by far the most popular lady in the lounge. Netflix was giving away a lifetime subscription to their service. A Lifetime of movies streaming on your Internet, PC or TV for free. Is that not insane?! The reaction from stars like Gilles Marini, Sean Astin, and Dominic Monaghan was utter shock. Gilles revealed to me that the season finale of “Brothers and Sisters” would be his wedding to Sarah Walker (Rachel Griffiths). What he couldn’t tell me was whether or not it would be the final season of the show. He believes that their fate is tied to whatever happens to “Desperate Housewives” and their negotiations.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Miami Heat's LeBron James Must Embrace Villain Role
LeBron James is trying…he really is, but he’s failing.
LeBron is trying so hard to embrace his new role as the villain of the NBA, but it's not working.
LeBron enjoys going on the road and getting booed. In fact, he is actually playing better on the road than he is at home.
After the Lakers 112-57 debacle of the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, LeBron tweeted: “Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. It's not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
Once I read that, the first thing I thought of was Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner who posted an open-letter on the Cavaliers website within minutes of LeBron’s decision to leave chilly Cleveland for sunny Miami.
In the letter, Gilbert called James the “former hero;” he called LeBron’s decision a “cowardly act of betrayal” and vowed that the city of Cleveland will win an NBA championship before the “self-titled former King” won one.
In the tweet, it seemed as if James was taking a jab at Gilbert and all the entire Cavaliers’ players who talked bad about him after his decision. But when asked about the tweet by reporters, James backed away from his tweet and said, "It's just how I was feeling at the time. It wasn't even a comment from me, it was someone who sent it to me and I sent it out. It wasn't toward that team. It definitely wasn't a good showing by that team last night; I know they wish they would've played better."
When asked to clarify his confusing comments, James and the questions were cut off by a member of the Heat public relations staff.
LeBron, if you are going to be the villain of the NBA, you need to embrace it. You need to own up to your "tweets" and man up and say, “Yes, I wrote that. It was directed towards the Cavaliers and most importantly Dan Gilbert.” But you won’t see Lebron saying that, and you know why? Because he’s too worried about what people think about him.
As Matt Blue says, “Your reputation and your image come and go. Not everyone is going to like you no matter what you do. If you try to get everyone to like you, then you are going to end up being a very miserable and frustrated person.” So LeBron, do yourself a favor and forget about the “good LeBron” you were in Cleveland where everybody and their mothers loved you. Here in Miami, we love you. But let’s be honest here, the rest of the NBA world hates you and us.
LeBron is being booed in cities that never had a chance to sign him (New Jersey and Memphis to be exact). LeBron is playing better on the road than he is at home. I think that the boos ignite his fire, and he cranks it up from there. LeBron is averaging nearly 28 points per game on the road, compared to his 22 points he drops at the American Airlines Arena.
Although some people believe LeBron has already embraced his “inner Anakin” and is the official villain of the NBA, I see it otherwise.
I see a player who really is trying to enjoy being the villain; you saw it in a couple of occasions already this season: When he pulled a "DeSean Jackson" after sinking a three-point dagger in OT of the Portland game, and he cruised the opposite end of the court with arms raised, motioning his fingers to the crowd to elevate their hate. And his "my own greatness" comment he made after his "Return to Cleveland" game. And of course, the whole "Heatles" nickname that seemed to upset everyone who's ever heard "Abbey Road."
LeBron is trying to be a villain, but when it came time for him to officially be known as the “bad guy” and own up to his tweet, what does LeBron do? He takes the easy way out and says he “re-tweeted” from another friend. Villains don’t do that, LeBron.
LeBron, as the great philosopher Jagger once said, “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you find that you get what you need.”
LeBron is trying so hard to embrace his new role as the villain of the NBA, but it's not working.
LeBron enjoys going on the road and getting booed. In fact, he is actually playing better on the road than he is at home.
After the Lakers 112-57 debacle of the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, LeBron tweeted: “Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. It's not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
Once I read that, the first thing I thought of was Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner who posted an open-letter on the Cavaliers website within minutes of LeBron’s decision to leave chilly Cleveland for sunny Miami.
In the letter, Gilbert called James the “former hero;” he called LeBron’s decision a “cowardly act of betrayal” and vowed that the city of Cleveland will win an NBA championship before the “self-titled former King” won one.
In the tweet, it seemed as if James was taking a jab at Gilbert and all the entire Cavaliers’ players who talked bad about him after his decision. But when asked about the tweet by reporters, James backed away from his tweet and said, "It's just how I was feeling at the time. It wasn't even a comment from me, it was someone who sent it to me and I sent it out. It wasn't toward that team. It definitely wasn't a good showing by that team last night; I know they wish they would've played better."
When asked to clarify his confusing comments, James and the questions were cut off by a member of the Heat public relations staff.
LeBron, if you are going to be the villain of the NBA, you need to embrace it. You need to own up to your "tweets" and man up and say, “Yes, I wrote that. It was directed towards the Cavaliers and most importantly Dan Gilbert.” But you won’t see Lebron saying that, and you know why? Because he’s too worried about what people think about him.
As Matt Blue says, “Your reputation and your image come and go. Not everyone is going to like you no matter what you do. If you try to get everyone to like you, then you are going to end up being a very miserable and frustrated person.” So LeBron, do yourself a favor and forget about the “good LeBron” you were in Cleveland where everybody and their mothers loved you. Here in Miami, we love you. But let’s be honest here, the rest of the NBA world hates you and us.
LeBron is being booed in cities that never had a chance to sign him (New Jersey and Memphis to be exact). LeBron is playing better on the road than he is at home. I think that the boos ignite his fire, and he cranks it up from there. LeBron is averaging nearly 28 points per game on the road, compared to his 22 points he drops at the American Airlines Arena.
Although some people believe LeBron has already embraced his “inner Anakin” and is the official villain of the NBA, I see it otherwise.
I see a player who really is trying to enjoy being the villain; you saw it in a couple of occasions already this season: When he pulled a "DeSean Jackson" after sinking a three-point dagger in OT of the Portland game, and he cruised the opposite end of the court with arms raised, motioning his fingers to the crowd to elevate their hate. And his "my own greatness" comment he made after his "Return to Cleveland" game. And of course, the whole "Heatles" nickname that seemed to upset everyone who's ever heard "Abbey Road."
LeBron is trying to be a villain, but when it came time for him to officially be known as the “bad guy” and own up to his tweet, what does LeBron do? He takes the easy way out and says he “re-tweeted” from another friend. Villains don’t do that, LeBron.
LeBron, as the great philosopher Jagger once said, “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you find that you get what you need.”
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