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Author: Pam Wright

  • Connie Britton to Play Faye Resnick in O.J. Simpson ‘American Crime Story’ Miniseries

    Connie Britton is the latest star to join the cast of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.

    Ryan Murphy, creator of the series, announced the news Monday on Twitter that Connie Britton will play Faye Resnick in the 10-part miniseries, which is based on the book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin.

    “Excited to announce my friend Connie Britton will play Faye Resnick in the upcoming FX miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson,” Ryan Murphy tweeted.

    This is not the first time Connie Britton and Murphy have worked together. She teamed up with Murphy for American Horror Story in 2011.

    Faye Resnick was a high-profile friend to the late Nicole Brown Simpson, who was brutally murdered — many still believe at the hands of her former husband, O.J. Simpson even though he was acquitted of the crime.

    Following the trial that was watched by millions on television, the interior designer and Playboy model co-penned two books about the murder, Shattered: In the Eye of the Storm and Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted.

    Resnick was also featured on this season’s premiere of the reality series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She and Kris Jenner have been long-time friends. Jenner was the wife of O.J. Simpson defense lawyer, Robert Kardashian.

    Other cast members include Cuba Gooding Jr. (O.J. Simpson), Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark), David Schwimmer (Robert Kardashian), John Travolta (Robert Shapiro) and Courtney B. Vance (Johnnie Cochran).

  • Ariana Miyamoto Becomes First Mixed-Race Contestant to Win Miss Universe Japan, Eliciting Criticism

    Ariana Minamoto has become the first biracial Miss Universe Japan, which has elicited criticism that she is not Japanese enough to win the title.

    Half-Japanese and half African-American, Miss Nagasaki Ariana Miyamoto has been facing racial backlash following her crowning, with some saying she doesn’t represent Japan’s demographic and therefore, should not represent the country.

    There are others, however, who believe the model is the perfect choice in helping the country to overcome long-lasting racial bias.

    There is also the question of what defines beauty in a culture that considers pale skin a symbol of beauty. Japanese women go to great lengths to keep their skin from darkening by spending exorbitant amounts of money on whitening creams.

    Born to a Japanese mother and African-American father from Arkansas, Miyamoto is considered “haafu,” or half-Japanese, in the country where approximately 98 percent of the population is considered to be of the same race.

    Ariana Miyamoto says she has endured racial bullying her entire life.

    “In school, people used to throw garbage at me,” Miyamoto has said.

    Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian Studies at Tokyo’s Temple University, said discrimination and prejudice in Japan is common.

    Kingston said the crowning of Miyamoto is a huge step for country resistant to change.

    “It sends a very positive message about the changing Japan to the rest of the world.”

    As for Ariana Miyamoto, she said the criticism only inspires her to work harder for the global Miss Universe pageant in January.

    “I want to tell the world, even a half-Japanese can represent Japan,” Miyamoto said.

  • Lara Logan: ’60 Minutes’ Correspondent Hospitalized For Health Issues Stemming From 2011 Sexual Assault

    Lara Logan, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, was admitted to the hospital this week for health problems stemming a brutal sexual assault she endured in Egypt in 2011.

    In and out of the hospital since she was beaten and assaulted by a gang of men in Egypt, the 43-year-old CBS News reporter was admitted in February with symptoms of diverticulitis and internal bleeding.

    “Lara’s health has continued to suffer and she has been hospitalized numerous times in the years following the attack in Egypt. She has to make some serious decisions if she should undergo surgery and her health going forward as she continues to pursue the work she loves,”
    A CBS source told Page Six.

    The brutal attack occurred when Lara Logan was separated from her producer and bodyguard as covered events following the fall of then-President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. The reporter was beaten and sexually assaulted by a group of men.

    “There was no doubt in my mind that I was in the process of dying … I thought not only am I going to die, but it’s going to be just a torturous death that’s going to go on forever.” Lara Logan later told Scott Pelley,. “For an extended period of time, they raped me with their hands.”

    Ed Butowsky, a close friend of Logan and her family, told Breitbart News, which first reported that Lara has been readmitted to the hospital, praised Logan for her bravery.

    “Very few people know how stoic and incredibly tough this lady is. In spite of everything she’s had to face in the last two years, people have no idea the physical suffering she has been enduring due to the brutal sexual assault she encountered in Egypt during the Arab Spring while reporting for 60 Minutes.”

    “I’ve been in and around this business and people don’t understand how hard reporters work and how much time they put in. Lara, above all of it, has been doing it for four years since this brutal attack and suffering in every way, shape or form. Maybe it’s time for people to realize these people are human beings” he said.

  • Amanda Seyfried Opens Up About ‘Sad’ Abuse of Instagram, Motherhood and Turning 30

    Amanda Seyfried opened up recently on a variety of topics including the “sad” abuse of Instagram from the young’uns, her desire to become and mother and turning 30.

    While schmoozing with reporters at the NYC premiere of her new comedy, While We’re Young, which also stars Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, and Adam Driver.

    One topic covered was the abuse of social media by young people.

    “[Younger people] spend the entire day on Instagram, and they also take pictures of themselves and post them all the time with a veiled brag,” she told Us Weekly. “It’s sad.”

    Her character in While We’re Young is a free spirit, Amanda Seyfried said she’s the complete opposite — more of a homebody.

    “I’m comfortable in the familiar,” she told Us Weekly. “I’m not a risk-taker. I’m a nester, so I’m nothing like [her]. Not in that respect.”

    Amanda Seyfried, who has been dating actor Justin Long since 2013, also told the weekly she sees herself having kids somewhere down the line.

    “I think it’s an important chapter,” Amanda said of motherhood. “There are some people who just know innately what they are, what they’re capable of. Yeah, it seems natural.”

    With her 30th birthday just around the corner in December, Amanda Seyfried said the milestone birthday is creating some cause for reflection and some regret.

    “I’m turning 30 and sometimes I think, ‘God, where did the last decade go?’” she pondered. “I would kill to be 20. Life is short. Every year I think more about my mortality.”

  • Holly Madison Pens Tell-All Book Shedding Light on the Darker Side of Life With Hugh Hefner

    Holly Madison is slated to release a tell-all book about her life in the Playboy mansion as Hugh Hefner’s lover and favorite bunny.

    Touted as a less-than-fairytale account of life in the mansion, Holly Madison’s book, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, brings to light the darker side of life with Hugh Hefner.

    “…What seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show for four years—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies,” said a press release for the book.

    “Life inside the notorious Mansion wasn’t a dream at all—and quickly became her nightmare. After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.”

    Holly Madison’s book will also provides details about vying for the attention of the man of the house with the “girls next door” living in the mansion.

    “In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the Mansion, the drugs, the sex, the abuse, the infamous parties, and her real behind-the-scenes life with Bridget, Kendra, and, of course, Mr. Playboy himself.

    Holly Madison said it was high time she shed some light on her experiences as a Playboy bunny.

    “I’m excited to finally share my story and what I’ve learned from my personal experiences both inside and outside of the Playboy Mansion,” she said. “I think my stories will surprise people and I’m looking forward to lifting the veil of mystique and clearing up the misconceptions so often associated with my life.”

  • Angelina Jolie Underwent Preventative Surgery Last Week to Remove Ovaries and Fallopian Tubes

    Angelina Jolie has revealed that she underwent preventative surgery last week to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

    Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013, wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times, entitled Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery, explaining her decision to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes after doctors allegedly detected a possible sign of early cancer.

    Angelina Jolie, who will now be unable to have more children, wrote that she was recently told by doctors that “a number of inflammatory markers” were elevated, which could indicate early cancer.

    Angelina Jolie’s fears are merited as she carries the BRCA1 gene, which brings an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Her family has a history of cancer — her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer.

    Angelina Jolie said in her op-ed that a PET/CT scan came back clear, but she chose to remove her ovaries and tubes preventatively.

    “In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer,” she wrote. “My doctors indicated I should have preventive surgery about a decade before the earliest onset of cancer in my female relatives. My mother’s ovarian cancer was diagnosed when she was 49. I’m 39.”

    “Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause,” she continued. “I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.”

    Angelina Jolie, who was much affected by her mother’s death, wrote that her kids now “will never have to say, ‘Mom died of ovarian cancer.’”

  • Mila Kunis Confirms That She Is ‘Maybe’ Married to Ashton Kutcher

    Miller Kunis has confirmed that she is married to Ashton Kutcher — maybe.

    In a pre-taped episode of James Corden’s The Late Late Show, Mila Kunis reportedly sort of confirmed that she and Ashton Kutcher tied the knot.

    Of course, no one knows for sure at the point if the parents of little Wyatt, five months, are now married.

    Us Weekly says they have confirmed that they are not married after the rumors surfaced once again..

    The rumors stem from Mila Kunis’ reported response to a question by James Corden about her marriage status.

    The UK tabloid The Daily Mirror reported that Mila Kunis confessed that she had wed Kutcher with a coy response of “maybe.”

    The Late Late Show posted a clip of Corden jokingly demanding Kunis to show him the band on her left ring finger.

    “They are married, look!” he exclaims as he shows the world her finger.

    Us reports that Kunis and Corden were just joking around.

    This isn’t the first time a talk show host has pressed Mila Kunis on marriage rumors.

    At the start of the year, Ashton Kutcher, 37, posted to Instagram signed “The Kutchers,” which sparked marriage rumors.

    Ellen DeGeneres jumped on this tidbit when Mila Kunis visited The Ellen Degeneres Show, asking the 36-year-old actress if the photo was proof that she was married.

    “I don’t know, I don’t know,” Mila Kunis. “We could just be a plural. My daughter has his last name legally. So thus, there’s multiple Kutchers. He has a brother.”

    Mile Kunis remains aloof about her marriage status, but she loves to dish on the men in her life.

    “He is an amazing dad,” Mila Kunis told DeGeneres of Ashton. “I wouldn’t have done this by myself. He is 100 percent present.”

  • Khloe Kardashian Loves Brother Rob Kardashian — Find Out How Much

    Khloe Kardashain obviously loves her brother Rob Kardashain, and her most recent statements highlight just how much she loves him and is pulling for him during some difficult times.

    “I just feel, especially over the last year, Rob has become very introverted and has a kind of social anxiety,” she told WonderWall. com before hosting a party at Las Vegas’s 1 OAK. “He’s definitely not at his happiest place that he once was, and I know he can get to that happy place and he will.”

    Rob Kardashian is certainly not the social media fanatic like his sisters. On the rare instances that he posts, he just as quickly deletes pictures on sites like Instagram

    He rarely appears in public and suffered through the much-publicized ditching of his sister, Kim Kardashian West’s Italian wedding in May 2014.

    Whether the issues stem from his weight or some other perceived fault in his looks or personality, Rob Kardashian is obviously hurting.

    “We all kind of get to a place where you don’t know where to go in life or whatever, so I think it’s important for him to know that he always has people to lean on and it’s not unnatural for people to not know even where to begin. It’s a growing process. … I will always be his No. 1 supporter,” said Khloe Kardashian.

    Khloe Kardashian expressed that support in a recent Instagram post on her brother’s birthday.

  • Brittany Kerr: ‘American Idol’ Contestant Marries Country Star Jason Aldean

    Brittany Kerr has married country star Jason Aldean.

    The My Kind of Party singer, who just completed his Burn It Down Tour, tied the knot with his love of one year on Saturday in front of family and friends, including Duck Dynasty‘s Willie Robertson.

    “This is the best day ever — I’ve got my girl here, my friends, my family — it’s the best day ever!” Aldean, 38, told Us Magazine in a statement.

    “Today has been the best day of my life. I feel like the luckiest woman to have been able to marry my best friend,” said Brittany Kerr.

    Jason Aldean, 38, and Brittany Kerr, 27, were first linked while Aldean was still married to his wife of 12 years, Jessica Ussery, with whom he has two daughters, Keeley, 12, and Kendyl, seven.

    The newly married Aldean and Kerr were spotted getting cozy in 2012, causing more than a few eyebrows to raise.

    Jason Aldean filed for divorce in April 2013 and then proposed to Kerr in September 2014.

    “My heart has never been more full of happiness and love,” Brittany Kerr posted on Instagram at the time of the proposal. “Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this man. So many blessings and memories are in our future and SO thankful I get to share them with him. Thanks for all the support and kind words y’all have given us.”

    This is Brittany Kerr’s first marriage. he first marriage for Kerr. Aldean

  • Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx Are NOT Dating; Foxx Laughs Off Rumors

    Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx are NOT dating, people.

    On Friday, Jamie Foxx, 47, laughed off those persistent rumors that he is dating 36-year-old Katie Holmes.

    While speaking to paparazzi in Los Angeles, Jamie Foxx shut down rumors that have been circulating over several years that the two are having a secret romance..

    A cameraman tried to nonchalantly ask Jamie Foxx how things were going with Katie Holmes, and Foxx finally set the record straight.

    “Oh, come on, you guys have been trying to make that stick for three years,” said Jamie Foxx.

    When asked whether there’s any truth to the speculation, Foxx replied, “No. We’re just friends.”

    Jamie Foxx did reveal that he and Katie Holmes are collaborating on an animation project from Anthony Zuiker.

    After having it up to here, Jamie Foxx addressed the question and admitted that he was getting pretty tired of hearing the rumors. However, he said he understands that it’s what comes from being a celebrity.

    It’s “part of our lives [as celebrities]. Part of the business,” said Foxx.

    Gossip Cop has reported that a picture that has been the source of the most recent rumors surrounding Katie Holmes and Foxx — of the two“holding hands” — was actually taken at a read-through for the movie, and was snapped with people in the room.

    “They’ve been trying to [start romance rumors] for three years, man,” Foxx told the paparazzo with a resigned shrug.

  • Lisa Colagrossi, a NYC News Reporter, Dies Suddenly From a Brain Aneurysm While on Assignment

    Lisa Colagrossi, a reporter for WABC’s Eyewitness News team in New York City, died suddenly on Thursday from an apparent brain aneurysm while on assignment. She was 49.

    “We have some sad news to share with you about our Eyewitness News family,” the news show shared on its Facebook page Friday. “Lisa Colagrossi, Eyewitness News reporter, anchor, wife and mother, has died at age 49. Lisa suffered a brain hemorrhage while returning from covering a story Thursday morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”

    Lisa Colagrossi was taken to a nearby hospital after collapsing from the aneurysm after covering a live report from Woodhaven, Queens.

    “She was in the news van after finishing her live shot when she said ‘Oh my God, something is wrong,’” a friend said, via the New York Daily News.

    Lisa Colagrossi covered news in New York City for nearly 14 years. The Ohio native moved to the city days after the NYC World Trade Center attacks in 2001.

    “Lisa Colagrossi embodied the Eyewitness News spirit – a straightforward reporter who told the truth, empathetic to the everyday citizens of the New York area, and demanding of those in power,” said Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC-TV, in a statement.

    “All of us in the Channel 7 family are in shock over her sudden death. Our attention is now focused on helping her husband and two children though this difficult time.”

    Before moving to New York City, she worked as an anchor at WKMG in Orlando, Fla., and NBC station WKYC-TV in Cleveland.

    A resident of Stamford, Connecticut, Lisa Colagrossi is survived by her husband Todd and sons Davis and Evan.

  • Jamie Foxx Laughs Off Katie Holmes Dating Rumors

    Jamie Foxx is laughing off persistent rumors that he is dating Katie Holmes.

    While speaking to paparazzi in Los Angeles on Friday, Jamie Foxx shut down rumors of a secret romance with Katie Holmes.

    Jamie Foxx finally had his say when a cameraman asked how things were going with the former Mrs. Tom Cruise.

    “Oh, come on, you guys have been trying to make that stick for three years,” said Jamie Foxx.

    When asked whether there’s any truth to the speculation, Foxx replied, “No. We’re just friends.”

    In order to shut down the rumors once and for all, Jamie Foxx revealed that he and Katie Holmes are collaborating on an animation project from Anthony Zuiker.

    Gossip Cop has already reported that the much-discussed picture of Holmes and Foxx “holding hands” was actually taken at a read-through for the movie, and there were other people in the room.

    “They’ve been trying to [start romance rumors] for three years, man,” Foxx told the paparazzo with a resigned shrug.

    Like many celebrities before him who have been in the same situation, he conceded that he was getting sick of the speculation, but said it’s “part of our lives [as celebrities]. Part of the business.”

  • Pharrell Williams Brings On His ‘Happy’ at the UN’s General Assembly on Climate Change

    Pharrell Williams has brought his ever-positive attitude and “happy” message on climate change Friday to about 1,200 middle school children at the United Nations General Assembly.

    Sponsored by the U.N., the U.N. Foundation and MixRadio, the event celebrated the International Day of Happiness, which was established by the world organization in 2012.

    Instead of being a heady message of doom and gloom, the event highlighted a much lighter message that the next generation needs to pay attention to climate change and can make a difference.

    “Protecting our planet is fundamental to the pursuit of human happiness,” Pharrell said. “We only have one home and there’s climate change… If you don’t (take) care of your home, you don’t have a life, and we have to transition from climate change to climate action.”

    The “World’s Happiest Playlist” and a #HappySoundsLike Twitter campaign, which includes chair Cody Simpson, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Rita Ora, John Legend and James Blunt, was launched in tangent with the event.

    Prior to the event, Pharrell Williams flipped a switch that lit the Empire State Building a “happy” shade of yellow in observance of the International Day of Happiness.

    “The International Day of Happiness has provided an opportunity to open up a real conversation on how we take positive action to battle the real threat climate change,” said Robert Skinner, associate director of the U.N. Foundation’s New York Office.

    Many middle school children attending the event were inspired by Pharrell Williams’ positive “happy” message, including
    Penelope Danielle Anastasia Latrique, the daughter of a U.N. staff member, who attends the Growing Up Green Charter School, which focuses on climate change.

    “Pharrell is inspiring; he makes a happy day happy about the climate,” she said.

    “What is happening in climate change is affecting young people’s lives; this year is very important and the outreach that celebrities have is vital,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, the secretary-general’s envoy on youth.

    Plans were changed when students stormed the stage to snap selfies with their idol, Pharrell Williams, instead of plans to have the singer speak and then dance in the General Assembly’s aisles.

  • Kate Gosselin Accused of Child Abuse by Ex Jon Gosselin in Court Documents

    Kate Gosselin Accused of Child Abuse by Ex Jon Gosselin in Court Documents

    Kate Gosselin has long been accused of abusing the eight children she shares with ex Jon Gosselin. However, court documents filed by Jon reveal Kate’s abuse of the children may be far worse than suspected.

    In 2010, Jon Gosselin filed court documents detailing his concern over Kate’s use of physical punishment. The recently released documents reveal that Kate Gosselin allegedly spanked one of the children so hard that a “large red welt on her rear end,” which Jon allegedly noticed the day after the incident.

    Other claims in the 2010 court documents include accusations that Kate Gosselin would lock the children in their bedrooms, refusing to let them out even to go to the bathroom. These were apparently standing orders to which the babysitter would adhere.

    Jon Gosselin also claims in documents filed with Berks County, Pennsylvania Court that Kate Gosselin “switched the doorknobs on the bedrooms so the doors only lock from the outside.”

    Jon Gosselin’s contention is that switching the doorknobs and Kate Gosselin‘s habit of locking the children in at night poses a fire hazard.

    “Father is greatly concerned for the children’s safety,” claim the documents.

    The court documents further claim Kate’s control of the children is unhealthy.

    “Mother must provide FRESH lunch each day for children. It has been observed by Father, and said by children that when they do not eat an item in their lunch, Mother packs that exact item the next day, and the next day until they eat it. Hannah reported having moldy strawberries, and Alexis said her sandwich is stale. Leah said she had some food left over from lunch for many weeks. This is unhealthy.”

  • Bobby Brown Faces the Sad Truth That Bobbi Kristina Brown Might Not Get Better

    Bobby Brown is reportedly facing the reality that his daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is not likely to get better after her near-drowning.

    Earlier this week, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, was moved from Emroy University hospital to a rehabilitation facility in Atlanta. However, People magazine reports that the family had hoped to move Bobbi Kristina much earlier, but Bobby Brown would hear non of it, hoping beyond hope that his little girl’s condition would improve.

    “This hasn’t gotten any easier for him,” a source for People said of Bobby. “It has gotten harder. He really thought she’d be better by now, that there would be some change. There hasn’t been any sign of improvement since this happened.”

    Bobby Brown, 46, has tried to remain “as positive as possible” about the likely outcome from her condition. “He’s going to give her every chance to fight for her life.”

    The family kept their positive stance for the first weeks; however, “reality is really sinking in,” the source said.

    “We spent the first month in shock, you know? Like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that this happened.’ But now we’ve had a lot of time to get used to it.”

    It has been a difficult road for the family and it goes without saying that there are differences of opinion that can place enormous strain on any family. As Bobbi Kristina‘s next of kin, Bobby Brown is the one who ultimately has to make the decisions.

    “You can’t tell Bobby what to do, and he is in charge. We are just letting him do what he wants.”

    Bobbi Kristina Brown’s aunt, Pat Houston, who has always been a strong influencer in the family, has reportedly been butting heads with Bobby Brown.

    “Pat is the only one who is standing up to Bobby and they’re not happy with each other,” the source said.

    Other sources say reports of Pat and Bobby Brown butting heads couldn’t be further from the truth.

    “Bobby is the decision maker,” another source said. “Pat has been by Bobbi Kristina’s side this whole time and is not butting heads with Bobby. Pat will support any decisions that Bobby makes about his daughter. “

  • Joel Osteen, Lakewood Mega-Church Pastor, Recalls Beer-Infused First Date With Wife

    Joel Osteen, the well-known pastor of Lakewood Church, recalled the Houston Rockets’ back-to-back NBA championships on the 20-year anniversary of the team’s first title in 1995 and remembers his first date with his wife that became a little beer-infused.

    Joel Osteen, who now preaches in the Summit and Compaq Arena that was once home court for the Rockets, recalled the days when he had season tickets in those winning seasons.

    “Some of my best memories are Hakeem playing against Larry Bird, and Ralph Sampson too at that time…the Twin Towers,” Joel Osteen told ABC News. “Those games were incredibly exciting.”

    The mega-church paster recalled his first date with his wife Victoria, which took place at a Rockets game.

    “I had given away my season tickets and I didn’t realize it. So I had to buy tickets from the scalpers out front,” Joel Osteen said.

    Back in the day, someone from the stands was offered the chance make a shot to win a car at halftime. The nigh of his date, the person chosen was a guy from his section. The man won, and the celebration that ensued included lots of beer.

    “So all of his friends are around me and they jump up and throw their hands in the air, and they all had cups of beer with no lids. So that beer went up in the air and you know how things happen in slow motion. I’m thinking Oh Lord don’t let this beer come down on Victoria…I didn’t even know her. But it totally came down all over Victoria,” said Osteen.

    Joel Osteen said it’s a good thing to remember all of the special moments in one’s life.

    “I believe it’s good to remember the victories, remember the great things that happened in your life, even sports-wise,” he said. “…to go back and say this was good for the city.”

    Joel Osteen commented that the spirit of the winning team permeates the building that now celebrates millions of followers’ faith.

    “This building is where we crowned champions with the Rockets in basketball. In the same way, we tell people we’re crowning champions in life,” he shares. “God can help you overcome addictions and bad habits and help you reach your dreams. We feel like it’s still a place of crowning champions.”

  • Helena Bonham Carter Fought to Be Given Wings As Fairy Godmother in ‘Cinderella’

    Helena Bonham Carter fought to be given wings to play the Fairy Godmother in the latest live-action version of Cinderella.

    Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Cinderella is the latest remake of the Disney cartoon, which is based on the famed fairy tale. In the original Disney version, the Fairy Godmother was depicted as a little old lady in a cape with a wand but no wings.

    Helena Bonham Carter, 48, said the costume the production planned for the film were sans wings, so she pitched herself a little fairy fit, thinking a fairy without wings was just flat-out wrong.

    “I’ve got lots of opinions, but luckily I’ve got a very good relationship with Ken, so Ken said, You can have a lot of say,” said Bonham Carter.

    “There were no wings, and I thought it was incredibly obvious that she should have wings, but there were no wings when I first came in. She looked like Elizabeth I, a virginal Elizabeth I,” added the famed British actress and former girlfriend of director Tim Burton.

    “And I said ‘wings!’ There was a bit of a tussle. It went to the head, it went to Ken, ‘She wants wings, she wants wings,’ and eventually I got my way,” said Helena Bonham Carter.

    “I said there is no six-year-old girl who is going to believe that I’m a fairy if I don’t have wings.”

    Cinderella was released in cinemas on Friday.

  • Gigi Hadid, Cody Simpson Pose Nude As Latest Subjects in Photographer Mario Testino’s ‘Towel Series’

    Gigi Hadid and her boyfriend Cody Simpson are giving their fans what the want to see — their beautiful bodies clad in nothing but a (tiny) towel.

    The couple posed for famed photographer Mario Testino as part of his “Towel Series,” so named because his subjects are wearing — you guessed it — nothing but towels.

    Mario Testino previewed his session with Gigi Hadid, 18, and Cody Simpson, 19, on his Instagram Thursday, with the caption, “TOWEL SERIES 69, CODY SIMPSON AND GIGI HADID. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries @CodySimpson @GigiHadid.”

    Not long after, Gigi Hadid posted the same black and white still, accompanied with the caption, “TOWEL SERIES BY MARIO TESTINO x @codysimpson ❤ First couple #TowelSeries!! We love you @mariotestino, thank you!”

    It would seem Gigi Hadid’s mom, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster, loved the photo as well as she too proudly posted the pic on Instagram Friday.

    TOWEL SERIES 69, CODY SIMPSON AND GIGI HADID. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries @CodySimpson @GigiHadid

    A photo posted by MARIO TESTINO (@mariotestino) on

    Gigi Hadid are the latest of a slew of beautiful people with beautiful bodies who have posed for the photographer in the “Towel Series.” Here are just a few of the gorgeous photos captured by the 60-year-old photographer.

    TOWEL SERIES 54, NAOMI CAMPBELL. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries @iamnaomicampbell

    A photo posted by MARIO TESTINO (@mariotestino) on

    TOWEL SERIES 46, MARCELO BOLDRINI. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries

    A photo posted by MARIO TESTINO (@mariotestino) on

    TOWEL SERIES 50, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries

    A photo posted by MARIO TESTINO (@mariotestino) on

    TOWEL SERIES 62, KENDALL JENNER. #MarioTestino #TowelSeries @KendallJenner

    A photo posted by MARIO TESTINO (@mariotestino) on

    And who was Mario Testino’s first subject. The adorable daughter of model Natasha Poly.

  • Celine Dion To Return To Las Vegas Stage in New Show

    Celine Dion is returning to her Las Vegas residency with an all new show.

    Celine Dion, the Canadian singer who never fails to draw big crowds with her big voice, is resuming her famed Las Vegas residency, a rep for the 46-year-old confirmed to ABC News.

    Following a year-long hiatus, Celine Dion will again grace the stage at Caesars Palace beginning in August with a brand new revue.

    News first broke last week that Dion would be returning to her residency.

    “Celine has a contract with Caesars so she will be back,” the star’s rep told Us Weekly. “However, there is no date scheduled yet for her to return.”

    The Grammy winner began preforming regularly in 2003, drawing huge crowds who love to hear her belt out favorites like My Heart Will Go On, It’s All Coming Back, Because You Loved Me and Cause I’m Your Lady.

    Celine Dion announced her hiatus in August 2014, citing personal reasons. She wanted to take the time to focus on the health of her husband René Angélil, who was diagnosed with throat cancer and had surgery to remove a tumor just before she took her hiatus.

    “We are taking life one day at a time,” Dion told ABC News at the time. “[But] we are choosing to live.”

    Celine Dion married René Angélil, who discovered her when she was just a girl and has been her life-long manager until he retired last year, in 1994, and they are parents to son René-Charles, 14, and twins Nelson and Eddy, 4.

  • Katy Perry and John Mayer Reportedly Break Up — Again

    Katy Perry and John Mayer have reportedly broken up again just two months after rekindling their romance.

    According to Radar Online, the on-again, off-again couple have called it quits once again.

    Multiple sources for the media outlet have said the reconciliation between Katy Perry and John Mayer was nothing more of a convenience thing than anything else.

    “Katy and John reconnected once she had a break in her Prismatic World Tour. So, for those few months they had a great time, pretending that it would last — and of course it didn’t,” the source said.

    Katy Perry and John Mayer split the first time February 2014, after Perry reportedly caught him cheating.

    This time around, the pressures of their respective careers apparently prevented Katy Perry, 30, and John Mayer from having a lasting relationship.

    “The reason they have split in the past is because Katy gets busy. John can’t handle the lack of attention, and she can’t handle the trust issues she has when she’s so far away,” the source said. “So they’ve learned that it’s better to just take a break when they can’t be in the same place.”

    It’s also reported that jealousy rears its ugly head in the 37-year-old John Mayer.

    “The fact that he does not have anything major going on with his career is really starting to take a toll on their relationship,” the source said. “Katy is at an all-time high. She is starting to give in to what everyone around her is saying, that maybe she is too good for him.”

    Radar is also reporting that Katy Perry may already be moving on and was seen hanging out with Mumford and Sons banjoist Winston Marshall in Berlin on Saturday.

  • Jenelle Evans and Nathan Griffith of ‘Teen Mom 2’ Back Together?

    Jenelle Evans and Nathan Griffith are reportedly together again, despite Griffith’s March 4 domestic violence bust.

    OK! Magazine is reporting the Teen Mom 2 stars are back together just weeks after they were allegedly involved in a physical altercation.

    “Jenelle is taking Nathan back. They have a family, and they’re working things out. He’s very sorry he pushed her the way he did,” said a source.

    The MTV couple have been seemingly on-again, off-again, at least according to their Twitter accounts, but OK! now says she has returned her engagement ring to her finger, and they moving forward with wedding plans.

    The couple began dating in June 2013, soon after the reality star and mother of two split from her ex-husband, Courtland Rogers.

    Evans and Griffith moved in together in South Carolina just weeks after meeting and began plans to start a family together. They had son Kaiser, who is now nine months old, in June.

    Evans’ call to 911 was obtained by Radar Online earlier this week, and Jenelle Evans can be heard asking police for assistance.

    “My ex fiancé he’s sitting here, he took the car keys from me denying me to go to school tomorrow. Both of our names are on the car. He doesn’t even have his license and I can’t take my son to school tomorrow,” she told the 911-responder.

    An MTV crew member, who witnessed the altercation between Jenelle Evans and Nathan Griffith, made his own call to 911 that same night.

    “Send the police, there’s a domestic abuse happening. We are filming with a talent and the couple is fighting. Please send the police right away. … The fiancé is physically abusing his girlfriend. We were locked out of the house and we heard her screaming ‘Get off of me, get off of me.”