Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson is said to be "devastated" by a recent tell-all interview that her ex, Nick Lachey, gave to a magazine about their relationship.
In the published interview Lachey said he still loved Jessica, felt "blindsided" and "sucker punched" by her decision to divorce and that she refused to try counseling.
Jessica's reaction? "She was devastated, heartbroken," says an insider.
"She didn't think he would do that." Friends gathered at Simpson's house on the day the article came out to console her.
And Lachey himself even called to check in. "He wanted her to hear it from him," says a Lachey friend. "He felt bad that she was upset. (But) Nick didn't apologize, because the things he said (in the article) only demonstrate that he loves her."
Simpson sees it differently. "What really upset her was the timing," says the insider. "Nick waited until two weeks before for his album to debut (Lachey's CD, What's Left of Me, will be released May 9] to tell a reporter that he loved Jessica.
That's not cool." Furthermore, the insider adds, "he keeps saying, 'I'm sorry I couldn't make her happy,' but he is not choosing to say why." For her part, Simpson chooses to remain tight-lipped.
She was scheduled to be interviewed for a Vanity Fair cover story, but that has since been canceled after it became clear that she would have to talk about the divorce. "She will not take the low road," says the insider. Instead she is throwing herself into recording her next album and launching a line of hair extensions.
"Financially and businesswise, she's hotter than she's ever been," says the insider. In fact, money may be a sticking point between the two.
Soon after Jessica filed for divorce in December, Nick specified that he reserved the right to ask for spousal support, though the published interview says he denies he will ask for alimony. Another possible sore point, adds the insider: "The family thinks Nick is attacking everybody but himself."
But his friends beg to differ. "Nick took responsibility for the split more than anyone else," says a friend.
While Jessica's father and manager, Joe, is sometimes mentioned as a force behind the breakup, the friend says, "Nick doesn't blame Joe. It's no one's fault. He doesn't blame Jessica." Still, the friend adds, "Nick never wanted this marriage to end. He would never want to hurt her."
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Lindsay Brett: Trouble Already?
Lindsay Lohan
Looks like the romance between producer Brett Ratner and Lindsay Lohan may be already on the rocks!
The self-described playboy hosted a Victoria's Secret lingerie party at his Hollywood Hills home Tuesday night, and it was a who's-who of celebrities on the guest list (including Charlie Sheen, Lance Armstrong, Kelly Osbourne, Nicky Hilton, Kevin Connolly, Matthew Perry, Elisha Cuthbert and Marla Maples).
And though Lindsay made her grand entrance around 11:45 pm, as the party was in full swing, her boy Brett barely seemed to notice! "Lindsay roamed the house, then headed downstairs to play pool," a party guest tells Star.
"She hardly interacted with Brett at all. He was off flirting with all the Victoria's Secret models!"
In fact, Brett was so taken with the models, that he allowed them to prance around his expensive home with their very high heeled shoes on — even though all other guests, including Lindsay, were instructed to go shoeless so his carpets wouldn't get dirty. "I even asked Brett why the models got to keep their shoes on — if it was because he considered them his girlfriends or something," our source says. "And he said, 'Well, I do have many girlfriends!'
"The Lindsay blow-off comes just days after Brett tried to make up for an embarrassing incident involving a $900 Hermes blanket.
Ratner was given the blanket as a birthday gift last month. But Lindsay liked it so much, she took it home, only to later realize a card inside was from another woman — jewelry heiress Zeta Graff, with the note "For when I'm not there to keep you warm."
Brett tried to soothe the outraged Lindsay with a present all her own a few weeks later! "He gave her an Hermes box, but inside was a Rolex watch with a turquoise band," a source tells Star. "She loved it."Based on his party behavior last night, looks like Lindsay may be due another gift!
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Catherines $tar Power!
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, 36, may be known for her silver screen roles, but it's her small-screen role as T Mobile's spokeswoman that's really responsible for her ballooning bank account.
The Welsh-born actress is the top-earning celebrity from a single brand, pulling down a whopping $20 million from the wireless communications company.
Zeta-Jones is also the face of beauty brand Elizabeth Arden. Behind Zeta-Jones are Angelina Jolie, who snags $12 million for promoting St. John, and Nicole Kidman who also earns $12 million, for Chanel No. 5.
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Britney Baby Talk Redux
Yet another round of Feder-spawn rumors; plus, Angelina opens up, poses with Brad and brood; Teri overshares (again), and much more ...
Britney Spears
Experiencing "the closest thing to God" has at times proved more than a little hellish for Britney Spears.
Back in February, her maternal instincts were called into question when she was snapped driving with son Sean Preston on her lap.
Two months later, she was visited by child-welfare workers after the chubby-cheeked tot reportedly took a noggin-conking tumble from his high chair while in the care of his nanny.
Now, after months of is-she-or-isn't-she-no-seriously-please-just-let-that-bulge-be-one-too-many-Cheetos speculation, Us Weekly is convinced she's once again preparing to get up close and personal with her lord and savior.
In its latest issue, the magazine claims the erstwhile pop starlet, 24, is indeed pregnant with yet another spawn of the underemployed if overly fertile Kevin Federline, 28, who in addition to 7-month-old Sean P. is dad to Kori, 3, and Kaleb, 21 months (mom is ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson).
"Britney is 100 percent pregnant again with her second child," an insider is quoted as telling the mag, which just last month quoted another source as pooh-poohing, "She is not pregnant."
Us maintains she's about four months along with an early October due date, adding that she's kept the stork news quiet for months, finally telling her family on Easter weekend. Oh, and she purportedly "cried her eyeballs out" when her doctor confirmed she was expecting.
The car-seat-eschewing singer reportedly showed off "a serious bump" this weekend as she lounged poolside in a red bikini -- and sans her hubby -- in Las Vegas.
It's a good bet the sun-worshiping session was a welcome respite from the drama of Friday night, when, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she fled a restaurant in tears after squabbling with K. Fed, who a short time later hit the stage at hot spot Pure for his CD listening party.
The tearful tiff was supposedly sparked by Federline's fear that his far more famous meal-ticket missus would steal his thunder on the press-crammed red carpet.
Brit ended up skipping the celebrity-free fete, reportedly retreating to their suite as her hubby partied into the wee hours.
You'll recall that buzz on whether the gene pool would be further diluted with another Spears-Federline offspring kicked into overdrive in early March, when Britney was photographed in Hawaii sporting an itty-bitty pink bikini and a suspiciously swollen belly.
According to Star magazine, she'd excitedly announced to fellow spa-goers at the Maui Four Seasons, "I'm pregnant!"
But the bun-in-the-oven whispers quickly quieted down after Spears was spied downing Cosmopolitans (per People), champagne and red wine (per Us Weekly) and amaretto sours and Dom Perignon (per the Review-Journal). Such imbibing would be a major no-no if she were expecting, although Us believes she's actually been pulling one over on the public by drinking virgin cocktails or simply taking tiny sips from alcoholic beverages.
This latest round of baby talk follows months of rumors about the Federlines' volatile union. In addition to the alleged altercation in Vegas, they've also reportedly had recent blowouts in Maui and Dallas. Back in December, People reported they had an argument so heated that Britney mentioned divorce, causing Federline to flee for a few days to a nearby hotel.
For now, Spears' spokeswoman remains mum on the contents of her uterus. Stay tuned.
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Jolie on Birth: 'I'm Ready for Anything'
Angelina Jolie
Blaming her hormones on the fact she can't stop giggling, Angelina Jolie addressed the serious topic of Global Education Week on Thursday's Today, in a segment that was taped in the African nation of Namibia – which interviewer Ann Curry described as "the edge of nowhere."
While the topic of helping the world's children go to school was the focus of the sit-down, Curry did bring up how Jolie and Pitt are awaiting the birth of their child, intimating that Namibia might be a strange place to have it.
"We just don't know where it's going to happen or where it's going to be," Jolie conceded. When Curry asked if there's a doctor nearby, Jolie replied, "We've been smart about it. Things will be as they will be.
I'm ready for anything." And the gender of the child? "I'd like to keep that to myself," said Jolie, who proved outspoken when it came to the subject of schooling for the world's poor. "The lack of education causes death," she said.
"More children die under the age of five when parents are not educated, More people get AIDS when they haven't had an education. Statistics prove that if every child was in school every year, 700,000 less people would get AIDS."
As spokesperson for Global Education Week, Jolie takes a personal interest in the subject partly because her own two children – Maddox, 4, from Cambodia, and Zahara, 1, from Ethiopia – likely would have lacked for every opportunity.
"There is no possibility she could have gone to school," Jolie said of Zahara. "In all probability, what would have happened to Maddox, he would have been one of the kids doing the garbage picking in the street, and he would have been on his own.
Jolie appeared surprised when Curry compared her concern for education to that shown by another woman – first lady Laura Bush.
"She should nudge her husband," said Jolie. When Curry pointed out that the United States does spend a considerable amount of money to insure that poor people get an education, Jolie acknowledged, "They do.
But (the Bush program) 'No Child Left Behind' means NO child left behind. Britain gives three times more than us right now. They're not richer than us. So, I don't know what the great excuse is." As for her giggling? "That's what I've gotten from the pregnancy," said Jolie. Brad said that to me, too. I just get hysterical now. It goes on for hours. … It's hormonal."
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Britney Spears Misses Kevin's Gig
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are no strangers to Las Vegas, so it was business as usual when they were in town on April 21.
That night, Federline, 28, attended a listening party for his new single, "America's Most Hated," at the nightclub Pure. But Spears was a no-show at the gig, PEOPLE reports in its new issue.
The absence of Spears, 25, was made all the more evident when Kathy Hilton – Paris's mom – grabbed a microphone in the club's VIP area and yelled, "Mrs. Federline, come up here!
Britney!" A solo Federline told PEOPLE his brothers and sisters were in the crowd to support him. Asked whether his son with Spears, 7-month-old Sean Preston, liked his music, Federline said, "He loves daddy more than anything." Later, when "America's Most Hated" came on, Federline held up a mic and sang along with the track.
After the song ended, he shouted, "Where my ladies at? I love the ladies!" As for Spears, by the next morning, her travel agent had called to book her a room (without Kevin) at the Red Rock resort across town, where she showed up poolside. Was there a spat? Reps for the couple wouldn't comment.
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'Lost' Actress Begins Jail Sentence
Michelle Rodriguez
Lost" star Michelle Rodriguez has surrendered to begin a five-day jail sentence for drunken driving.
Rodriguez, who portrays police officer Ana Lucia, opted for jail time and a $500 fine rather than 240 hours of community service.
"I kind of have to get back to my life, go back to making some money," Rodriguez said outside the courtroom after pleading guilty to driving under the influence. "It kind of gave me a hard hit. ... I'm human."
The 27-year-old Rodriguez and cast member Cynthia Watros were both charged with drunken driving after they were pulled over Dec. 1 in separate cars within 15 minutes of each other.
On Tuesday, the judge gave Rodriguez the option of jail time or community service. Carrying three books and dressed casually in a tank top and sweats, she surrendered to authorities at the Kaneohe District Court later in the day.
Choosing jail over community service was a "personal choice," said her attorney, Steve Barta.
"I would suspect that because she has a hard time even going out for a meal without being intruded upon for an autograph or photograph, it's really difficult for her to do community service," he said.
Watros, who plays Libby on the ABC castaway drama, pleaded guilty to drunken driving in January and was fined $312, ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment and 14 hours of counseling. She also had her license suspended for 90 days.
Both Rodriguez and Watros were spotted weaving on a road in Kailua, on the island of Oahu, where "Lost" is filmed. Both failed field sobriety tests.
Rodriguez recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.145 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. Watros had a blood-alcohol level of 0.10.
Soon after, Rodriguez spent two weeks in a rehab clinic, her lawyer said. "She did recognize there was an issue to be dealt with. She, on her own, took care of it," he said.
In 2004, Rodriguez pleaded no contest in Los Angeles to three traffic violations, including drunken driving. She completed a three-month alcohol program and is serving a three-year probation term.
ABC spokesman Jeff Fordis said there would be no disruptions for "Lost." The season finale is being filmed this week and production is scheduled to be completed by May 5.
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Cheryl Hines Is the First Wife of Comedy
Cheryl Hines
She's been romantically linked with Larry David, Michael Keaton and Robin Williams on screen, anyway.
Cheryl Hines, who plays David's put-upon wife on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has become the de facto first wife of comedy.
She played Keaton's love interest in last year's "Herbie: Fully Loaded," and rides in Friday with another wifely performance in another film vehicle, the family comedy "RV," this time opposite Williams.
Hines says she makes a good wife on screen anyway because when she gets mad at each of her wacky husbands "it doesn't seem too harsh. You don't feel like I'm going to leave them, but you feel like I realize what asses they are."
The actress' upcoming projects take her
away from matrimonial roles but keep comedy in the mix.
Hines, 40, talked with The Associated Press from her Los Angeles home about her leading men, her comedic roots and her real-life manager-producer husband.
AP: You got your start with L.A.'s comedy and improv troupe The Groundlings. Did that prepare you for the parts you take now?
Hines: Well "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is all improvised. And then working with someone like Robin Williams, who's known for his improvisation, it's been very helpful to have an improv background. So I kind of learn not to plan too much, because when people are improvising, you just have to live in the moment and roll with whatever is thrown at you.
AP: When you're accustomed to improv, is it hard to adhere to a script?
Hines: I think it's refreshing in a way (to rely on the script) because it's nice to be able to prepare for your scene and your work. It's nice to have somebody write your lines and find out what's funny and work on it. During "RV," we got to sit down with (director) Barry Sonnenfeld before we started shooting and go over the script and talk about what was funny, what's working and what's not working. I liked that process.
AP: You've said Sonnenfeld is more neurotic than Larry David. Is that true?
Hines: There was one day on set when I said, `You know Barry, I think you're more neurotic than Larry.' And I thought he was going to cry because he was so overjoyed. He was on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
AP: As the first wife of comedy do you have a favorite "husband"?
Hines: It's really hard to say because they're all so different. Larry is, oh dear, I don't know how to describe him. Working with these guys, they all have a few things in common. They're all really funny, they're all very intelligent and very magnetic. So it's hard to say. I've loved them all.
AP: You keep playing the wife, but does your role change when your husband does?
Hines: Oh yeah, your relationship changes from guy to guy. They're all crazy in their own way so you have to adjust.
AP: Your next few projects have you playing different types of roles: a professor, a party planner. Do they feel like a departure?
Hines: Well this party planner that I play in "Keeping Up With The Steins" is more of a character. I mean, she's a little out there. So that was very fun. That was a departure, because I got to be the kooky one. And the professor, it's also a comedy. But yeah, you know, I've got a thing for one of my students. So yeah, I'm really getting out there and testing my range.
AP: And then there's the Oxygen series, "Campus Ladies."
Hines: We're very excited we're coming back for our second season. It's an improvised show... much in the same fashion as "Curb," and I'm the executive producer on the show. I'm just there watching over it creatively and guiding it, if you will. And I got to direct an episode last season. Hopefully I'll get to direct another episode.
AP: Is this representative of where you're taking your career?
Hines: I don't really have a specific career path that I'm on. I basically take things project by project. I've really enjoyed producing and I really enjoy creating, so I would like to continue doing that. My first passion is acting. I want to do great projects, so it just depends on what comes up.
I've been very fortunate to work with brilliant people, so it's kind of spoiled me. I want to continue doing that. I like to surround myself with smart, funny people.
AP: How does your real-life husband, Paul Young, compare to your on-screen loves?
Hines: My real-life husband, he's very intense but he's not neurotic necessarily. So he's really nice to come home to. He keeps things calm around here. Otherwise I don't know that I could do it.
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Keira Knightley Succeeds Kate Moss in Ads
Keira Knightley
Chanel has selected "Pride & Prejudice" star Keira Knightley as the new face of its Coco Mademoiselle fragrance. The 21-year-old actress will appear in Chanel ads beginning in 2007, the company announced Wednesday.
Knightley succeeds Kate Moss, whose contract expired last October. The 32-year-old British supermodel had starred in the Coco Mademoiselle ads since 2002.
Moss lost several high-profile modeling contracts last year after a tabloid published pictures of her allegedly using cocaine in a west London music studio.
"Keira Knightley is a bright, young actress who has already made her mark in a diverse portfolio of films, including her Oscar-nominated performance in `Pride & Prejudice,'" said Chanel artistic director Jacques Helleu in a statement.
He also said Knightley's elegance, beauty and modernity parallel some of the brand's other previous famous faces, including Catherine Deneuve and Nicole Kidman, who represented Chanel No. 5.
"(I am) really proud to have been asked to work with such an iconic house as Chanel, and thrilled to follow the extraordinary women who have been associated with it before," Knightley said in a statement.
Knightley's upcoming films include "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which is set for release this summer.
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Another 'Idol' Booted; Five Remain
This image made available by Fox Television shows Kellie Pickler, 19, of Albemarle, N.C. performing on stage during the "American Idol" television show Tuesday, April 25, 2006 in Los Angeles. Though judge Simon Cowell recently predicted she would be among the final three singers left standing on "American Idol," Kellie Pickler became the latest victim in Wednesday, April 26's viewer voting.
America: Simon got it wrong.
Though judge Simon Cowell recently predicted she would be among the final three singers left standing on "American Idol," Kellie Pickler became the latest victim in Wednesday's viewer voting.
The 19-year-old North Carolina native's goodbye slimmed the number of "Idol" contestants to five. The winner will be named May 25.
Cowell, who once called the bubbly blonde a "naughty little minx," said on Tuesday's program that her rendition of the Righteous Brothers classic "Unchained Melody" was "bland."
"You were like a robot," he said.
In a surprise, typically lenient judge Paula Abdul also offered tough criticism: "I don't see you raising the bar each week. At this point it was about greatness, and I didn't see that in you."
Paris Bennett, 17, had the next-lowest vote total despite good reviews from judges for her soulful take on "The Way We Were."
Wednesday's elimination show featured a performance by guest coach Andrea Bocelli, who sang "Because We Believe" from his latest album, "Amore."
Nearly four years since its debut, "Idol" continues to rule the ratings. It has attracted 25 million to 33 million viewers each telecast this season.
Host Ryan Seacrest said on Wednesday's program that viewers called in nearly 48 million votes.
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Don Johnson Pays $14.5M to Save Estate
Don Johnson
Don Johnson has paid $14.5 million to save his 17-acre Woody Creek ranch from a foreclosure sale.
The former "Miami Vice" and "Nash Bridges" star had until noon Tuesday to make good on a delinquent debt to D.A. Shaw Laminar Lending Inc.
Fourteen acres of his estate would have been auctioned off Wednesday on the steps of the Pitkin County Courthouse if he missed the deadline, deputy public trustee Carol Foote said. Three acres and the guesthouse would have been auctioned off May 10.
The money arrived at the public trustee's office around 4 p.m. Monday, Foote said.
Johnson, the '80s icon known for wearing T-shirts with Armani sports jackets and penny loafers without socks, had to pay some $544,584 in interest and $7,175 in attorneys' fees, among other charges, according to documents obtained by the Aspen Daily News.
When reached by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Johnson spokesman Elliott Mintz declined comment.
"I'm going to let the documents do the talking," he said.
Papers filed in Pitkin County District Court by D.A. Shaw earlier this year claimed Johnson's two companies failed to make timely payments on a $10.6 million loan, given to Johnson's companies in August 2004 as they emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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Angelina Jolie Tops Most Beautiful List
In this image made available by People Magazine, who supplied this photo, has put Angelina Jolie --seen in a photo by James White -- on the cover of their "100 Most Beautiful" special double issue which is on newstands Friday, April 28, 2006.
She's got that pregnant glow, but it is Angelina Jolie's humanitarian efforts that make her most radiant, according to People magazine. The pillow-lipped actress graces the cover of People's "100 Most Beautiful People" issue, on newsstands Friday. It's her fourth time on the list, but first as cover girl.
"She looks the most beautiful when she's in the field natural, no makeup, nothing," the magazine quotes musician Wyclef Jean, who worked with Jolie on a relief effort in Haiti. "Because you see Angelina, the angel. It doesn't get any better than that."
The magazine didn't forget her boyfriend Brad Pitt, or her two children, either. People named the globe-trotting Jolie-Pitt clan the "World's Most Beautiful Family."
The world may have to wait several more weeks for the arrival of the Brangelina offspring: Jolie told NBC News that she is shy of eight months pregnant, according to MSNBC's web site.
In the interview, which was set to air on Thursday's "Today" and on "Dateline" Sunday, Jolie also said she knows the baby's gender but did not disclose it, according to MSNBC. The actress, interviewed in Namibia, is awaiting the birth at an African resort.
Also making the "Beautiful People" list, which until this year was limited to 50: Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Kirstie Alley, Ryan Seacrest and University of Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart.
All 26 spokesmodels of the NBC game show "Deal or No Deal" were also chosen.
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Actress Exits Play Over Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
NEW YORK -- "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" could be retitled "Exiting Jan Maxwell."
The actress left the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the Joe Orton comedy last Sunday after complaining about the behavior of her co-star, Alec Baldwin.
She will be replaced by her understudy, Barbara Sims, for the remainder of the play's run, which ends May 21 at the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre.
Maxwell's departure was first reported Wednesday in the New York Post, which obtained a copy of an e-mail the actress sent to a friend about Baldwin. In the note, the actress declared that the "bottom line was my physical safety, mental health and artistic integrity — none of which Roundabout was supporting."
In the e-mail, Maxwell said Baldwin put his fist through a wall and was "throwing things around with all of us cowering," and Maxwell accused Baldwin of giving the Roundabout an ultimatum: refusing to go on with her.
Baldwin, who was doing a matinee performance, could not immediately be reached for comment. Sheldon Lubliner, Maxwell's agent, said in a statement, "Ms. Maxwell has nothing to add to what has already been written about this incident. She regrets that a personal e-mail found its way to the press."
The Roundabout, in a statement, said, "Mr. Baldwin has been totally professional in all dealings with the company and management throughout the engagement of `Entertaining Mr. Sloane' and we are delighted to have him in the show. Ms. Maxwell chose to leave the production, and there was never any question of an ultimatum."
The nonprofit theater said the actress had given the production three weeks notice last week, refusing to stay until the end of the run.
"After Ms. Maxwell made it clear that she did not want to stay, Roundabout decided for the benefit of the entire `Sloane' company to let her know that she need not return to the production (of course receiving payment for the notice period of her contract) which she gladly accepted," the theater said.
Maxwell has long been a critics' favorite and received a Tony nomination last season for her work in the musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." In "Sloane," she received mostly positive notices for her portrayal of a sex-starved woman vying with her brother, played by Baldwin, for the attentions of her hunky tenant.
The Associated Press said Maxwell gave "a hilarious, tremulously determined performance."
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Britney Sobbing in Sin City?
Kevin Federline & Britney Spears
I ain't getting' no divorce. [Bleep] that. I don't believe in that [bleep]. Once you get married, you're in it for the fight." So says Kevin Federline in the latest issue of Spin, and it appears he wasn't kidding about that last part. The latest rumblings out of Sin City claim Britney Spears burst into tears after getting into a public squabble with her wannabe-rapper hubby.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the obtuse twosome began bickering while dining at Nero's restaurant at Caesars Palace Friday night, just a short time before K. Fed was due onstage at hotspot Pure for a listening party to promote his soon-to-be-released (and still label-less) album, "Playing with Fire."
"This was a bad night for Britney. It was a full-blown war of words that got louder and more heated as the dinner went on," a spywitness tells Robin "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" Leach's Luxe Life, with another adding, "It really was [a] huge fight."
A sobbing Spears reportedly exited the restaurant and returned to their suite, while K. Fed continued on to his shindig.
So what sparked the supposed tiff? The Review-Journal points the finger at Federline's insecurity over his meal-ticket missus stealing his not-so-hard-earned spotlight on the press-packed red carpet.
With Britney's bailout, the former underemployed backup dancer no longer had to worry about being upstaged by someone more famous: The next biggest name at his sub-D-list soiree was Paris Hilton's mom Kathy, who introduced him to the crowd (none of whom could apparently find anything better to do that night).
K. Fed performed his ditties "America's Most Hated" and "Rockstar" in his trademark wife-beater T-shirt, which unfortunately highlighted his tone-free forearms, swelling belly and hairy armpits. Afterward, he didn't seem to be in a rush to get back to Britney. According to Luxe Life, he partied at Pure until the wee small hours.
Of course, this is just the latest altercation allegation to hit Sean Preston's parents in recent months. They reportedly went three days without speaking during their Hawaiian getaway in March (per Us Weekly) and were overheard arguing loudly in their hotel room during Kevin's promotional pit-stop in Dallas in early April (per Perez Hilton).
(By the by, the déclassé duo reportedly returned from Dallas on the same day their chubby-cheeked tot took a tumble from his high chair and hit his head while in the care of his nanny, an accident that prompted a visit from child welfare workers, who were already well-acquainted with the car seat-eschewing Spears.)
Meanwhile, back in December, People reported that Kevin beat a hasty retreat from their Malibu, Calif., mansion after Britney mentioned "divorce" in the midst of a heated quarrel, returning home after a brief cooling-off period.
"This has happened before," a source told the mag at the time. "They always work it out."
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Oprah No Fair-Weather Friend to Julia
Julia Roberts & Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey seems to be the go-to girlfriend for rich and famous actresses who need an equally rich and famous shoulder to cry on. The New York Daily News reports the Big O popped by Julia Roberts' Manhattan apartment on Thursday afternoon to cheer her up after critics eviscerated her Broadway debut in "Three Days of Rain."
The 40-minute visit was described by an insider as a "pity party," as Oprah, with BFF Gayle King in tow, purportedly did her best to buoy Julia's spirits. (Dr. Phil, who subscribes more to the "suck it up" school of encouragement, apparently had other places to be.)
Winfrey, you'll recall, performed similar bolstering duties for original "pity party" thrower Jennifer Aniston, reportedly providing a sympathetic ear as she worked through her split from Brad Pitt.
Before Oprah's visit, says the paper, a "tense-looking" Julia was snapped strolling around her neighborhood with her under-the-radar husband Danny Moder. No word on whether twins Hazel and Phinnaeus tagged along.
The media mogul winged in from Chicago on Wednesday to attend the opening night gala of Roberts' sold-out limited run, telling "Extra" that she was there to lend her support because "that's what friends do for friends." Oprah added, "I am confident that she's going to blow us all away."
The reviews, however, were not kind, with critics almost unanimously concluding that Julia's megawatt smile and undeniable star quality didn't quite translate to the Great White Way.
"Your heart goes out to her when she makes her entrance in the first act and freezes with the unyielding stiffness of an industrial lamppost," assessed the New York Times, with the New York Post slamming, "Hated the play" and "hated her."
Added the Washington Post, "The pretty woman is pretty much in over her head." At least USA Today liked her, calling her performance "credible, compelling and sweetly funny."
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Celebrity Catfight Report: Ashlee vs. Hilary, George vs. Elton
The Duffs & The Simpsons
Is there a Hatfield and McCoy-style feud a-brewin' in Hollywood? The New York Post reports Simpson sisters Ashlee and Jessica recently squared off against Duff siblings Hilary and Haylie at a Los Angeles hot spot.
Ashlee is said to have fired off the first salvo in the starlet-on-starlet snipe-fest by making a beeline for the Duffs' table and dropping the dreaded c-word. No, not that c-word -- the other one. The one sure to cut many a twiggy teen queen to their carb-avoiding core.
Yes, according to the paper, the angular Ashlee declared Hilary's arms -- which are so twiglike these days that birds could nest in them -- "chunky."
Haylie is said to have leapt to her fat-free sister's defense, telling Simpson to scram. A short time later, she allegedly had a big sister blowout in the bathroom as she confronted Jessica and offered up some choice words.
Not surprisingly, a rep for Ashlee and Jessica pooh-poohed the purported plump appendage put-down, insisting to the Post, "Ashlee thinks Hilary has perfectly lovely arms." (And next time you feel the urge to complain about your lousy job, just remember it could be worse -- you could be the poor publicist who had to come up with that comment.)
Meanwhile, a mouthpiece for the Duffs, who were out that night feting a friend's birthday, maintains, "They said they had a really fun night."
The sisters are no strangers to celebrity smack-downs: Both sets have reportedly seen the fur fly courtesy of Lindsay Lohan and her black polish-covered claws. But was Ashlee's alleged trash-talking inspired by another feud-prone sibling?
Back in February, the Post claimed Nicky Hilton engaged in a similar bit of tubby taunting when she spied bony "O.C." thespian Mischa Barton at a Beverly Hills bash. "What is that fat pig doing here?" she supposedly sniped.
(And just to state the obvious here, perhaps everyone would be a whole lot less testy if they just ate something once in a while.)
In other big-name bickering news, just months after Elton John and George Michael made peace after a very public falling out, they once again have their designer knickers in a twist.
The London Mirror says Sir Elton is miffed that the "Careless Whisper" crooner is blaming him for his recent troubles, which have included sideswiping three parked cars and snoozing in his Range Rover while purportedly in possession of pot.
First, a little background: Back in 2004, the diva-licious pop icon blabbed that the former "Wham!" frontman had jitterbugged himself into "a strange place" and was "wasting his talent" due to a "deep-rooted unhappiness in his life."
George hit back with an open letter to Heat magazine, accusing Elton's friends of fronting "the busiest rumor mill in town." Still, they managed to bury the hatchet, with Elton explaining in August 2005, "We've had dinner, and I've apologized to him if I hurt his feelings. It was handbags at 50 paces."
Cut to late last week, when Michael, in a sit-down with British TV host Michael Parkinson, claimed John's comments colored him in the eyes of the media, complaining, "The trajectory of my particular soap opera launched from that statement Elton made ...
For some reason, from that point on, I've been trying to prove that I'm not [really miserable]. That unfortunately made me really vulnerable to the press."
Elton, however, doesn't seem to agree, with the paper quoting him as telling a friend, "Did I crash George's car? Was I found slumped over the wheel in Hyde Park? No."
Adds the pal, "Elton is shocked and very upset he's been dragged into this. He's getting on with his life. George needs to start taking responsibility for his own actions and stop blaming everyone else. It's a terrible shame."
Not such a terrible shame is George's first tour in 15 years, with tickets, which went on sale this weekend, selling out in record time.
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Oops! Britney Pregnant Again?
Britney Spears
LOS ANGELES -- Britney Spears may be hit with a baby one more time.
The pop star is absolutely, positively, allegedly, reportedly and most likely pregnant, asserts Us Weekly's Web site.
The magazine's spies were in Vegas this weekend and observed Spears, 24, poolside at Caesar's Palace "sporting a red bikini and a serious bump." Jumping to the logical conclusion and confirming recent speculation, Us talked to an unnamed source that confirms the singer and her dancer/rapper/slacker husband Kevin Federline are expecting their second child.
The magazine claims that she's been keeping the news from her parents and ordered fake cocktails to hoodwink observers.
This news comes on the heels of the baby-falling scandal in which Spears' seven-month-old child, Sean Preston, fell from a high chair and bonked his noggin under his nanny's not-so-watchful eye.
Spears was not present at the time, and reports from In Touch claim that the distraught mother has subsequently fired the nanny.
Celebrity magazines have been speculating/hoping that there's been trouble in paradise for the couple after Spears abandoned Federline's hip-hop gig in Vegas' club Pure on that same trip.
Some say there was a big fight about her presence overshadowing his showcase, while others claim that she merely wanted to stay in with her baby, so he wouldn't be alone with the nanny.
The couple had a sneaky wedding in September 2004. Federline has two other children from a previous relationship.
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