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Author: Pam Wright

  • Natalie Portman Pays Tribute to Mike Nichols, Saying ‘He Was the Best Way to Be a Person’

    Natalie Portman joined the throngs of celebrities to pay tribute to the late director Mike Nichols.

    The Closer actress issued a statement to E! News Thursday saying Nichols, who died suddenly at the age of 83 on Wednesday, saved her “again and again.”

    “There’s nothing good enough I can write that would do Mike justice,” it read. “He was the one who had the best words, the right hug for hard times, the funny comment to diffuse your pain. He saved me again and again. He was the best way to be a person and an artist. And the most, most fun. I send my deepest love to Diane, Jenny, Max and Daisy and their children, who filled his days with light.”

    The 33-year-old actress first worked with the legendary director on a revival of Chekov’s The Seagull and would later work with him on the 2004 film Closer, for which Portman would earn an Oscar nod.

    Social media has been flooded with tributes for the director and condolences for his wife, former ABS News anchor Diane Sawyer, and their children.

    Some of Nichols’ most noted films include Barefoot in the Park, Annie, The Odd Couple, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate.

    Earning an Oscar for best director for The Graduate, Nichols also directed Carnal Knowledge, Working Girl, and The Birdcage.

  • John Stamos Turns on Christmas Lights at Graceland Sporting Elvis Presley-Inspired Sideburns

    John Stamos, sporting Elvis Presley-inspired sideburns, was on hand at Graceland Friday to help flip the switch on the Christmas lights.

    Stamos, who has been a forever fan of the “King of Rock ‘n Roll,” joined young patients from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital at the lighting ceremony at Presley’s former home, along with hundreds of other onlookers.

    The Full House actor told the Associated Press following the ceremony that the sideburns were intentional.

    “It’s so funny. I had a beard, and I was like, ‘I better shave this and I’ll keep the burns in tribute,’” Stamos said.

    Stamos owned up that the pompadour he also sported was not really his hair.

    “This is a new wig. I put a special wig on for tonight,” he said.

    Stamos is often associated with Elvis Presley. His voice is featured on the iPad tour of the home and Full House fans will remember well when the actor dressed up as the “King” for an episode of the hit TV show. He also visited the mansion-turned-museum for a 1990s television special, where he was able to play one chord on Presley’s piano.

    “I think the first time I saw him, the word ‘supernova’ came into my head,” Stamos said of his idol. “I was just immediately in awe. He had it all. Nobody’s had it all. People have good voices, or they’re good looking, or their charismatic, or they’re good people, but it’s the combination.”

    Stamos told the AP he is appearing in the upcoming ABC musical comedy series Galavant, which he describes as “a cross between The Princess Bride and Monty Python.”

  • Bill Cosby’s Wife, Camille Cosby, Maintains Silence on Allegations of Rape Made Against Her Husband

    Bill Cosby‘s wife, Dr. Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, is just as silent as her husband over accusations of rape by the comedian that have surfaced this week.

    Cosby‘s wife of 50 years has spoken candidly in the past about integrity and honor, and many are wondering how she is faring after the latest allegations against her husband have surfaced.

    Over the past week, nine women have come forward claiming sexual abuse and the repercussions are extensive, with many venues canceling appearances by the comedian.

    Camille has had a difficult time in the past. In 1997, her son Ennis was murdered and it became public that Cosby had an affair in the ‘70s and possibly fathered a child with another woman. Cosby, who told his wife about the affair in the 70s, admitted the affair publicly but denied fathering the child. The woman, who asked for $40 million, ended up not taking a paternity test to determine if Cosby was the father, according to Camille.

    The always loyal Camille spoke with Oprah Winfrey for O Magazine in 2000 on her fervent beliefs about honesty and integrity.

    “I just don’t like dishonesty,” Camille told Winfrey. “I don’t like a lack of integrity. I think integrity should permeate every aspect of your life. And if you don’t have it, I’m going to feel it, and that’s the end of it.”

    Camille told Winfrey honesty was one of her best qualities.

    “When I look in the mirror, I know I’m looking at an honest person. I know I’m looking at myself, and I’m not looking at someone else I project to the world. What you see here is what you see everywhere I go….”

    She went on to say she is very protective of her home.

    “I only want people who I like in our home,” she told Winfrey. “I don’t want people I don’t like in our home. I just don’t like dishonesty. I don’t like a lack of integrity. I think integrity should permeate every aspect of your life. And if you don’t have it, I’m going to feel it, and that’s the end of it.

  • Penelope Cruz to Bring On Her Sexy ‘Blue Steel’ in ‘Zoolander’ Sequel

    Penelope Cruz will be bringing on her own sexy Latina-style Blue Steel to the sequel of the 2001 mega-hit Zoolander.

    The sexiest woman alive is said to have signed on to star in Zoolander 2 alongside Ben Stiller, Deadline reports.

    Stiller once again will be at the helm as director of the Paramount Pictures project and will reprise his role as the really, really, really good-looking supermodel and Blue Steel originator Derek Zoolander. He is rumored to be joined by Zoolander co-stars Will Ferrell, who will return as the sinister Mugatu and Owen Wilson, Zoolander’s supermodel rival Hansel.

    It is unclear who Cruz, who turned 40 this year, will play in the film, but one would guess it’s as another sexy supermodel or perhaps as a love interest for Zoolander or even as another evil character similar to Mugatu — the possibilities are endless.

    It is likewise unclear if Stiller’s 87-year old dad, Jerry Stiller, will reprise his role as Zoolander’s agent Maury Balltein.

    Stiller has been hinting at the prospect of a sequel since 2006, and fans of the original are chomping at the bit for this sequel to hit theaters.

    In early 2011, Stiller confirmed that the new Zoolander script was completed and offered a synopsis of the plot.

    “It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe… it’s basically Derek and Hansel… though the last movie ended on a happy note a lot of things have happened in the meantime. Their lives have changed and they’re not really relevant anymore. It’s a new world for them. Will Ferrell is written into the script and he’s expressed interest in doing it. I think Mugatu is an integral part of the Zoolander story, so yes, he features in a big way,” said Stiller.

    Meanwhile, Cruz recently wrapped up her work in the Julio Medem-directed film, Ma ma, in Spain, and has a small role in the new Sacha Baron Cohen comedy Grimsby.

  • Julia Roberts Honors Late Director Mike Nichols, Calling Him Her ‘Most Cherished Friend’

    Julia Roberts Honors Late Director Mike Nichols, Calling Him Her ‘Most Cherished Friend’

    Julia Roberts has joined the throngs of entertainers to remember legendary director Mike Nichols, who died Wednesday at the age of 83.

    “There are so few heroes in our world. So few impeccable craftsmen, so few people who personify unconditional love and friendship. Mike Nichols was like no other. In every way he was remarkable and amazing,” Roberts said in a statement to People Magazine.

    The 47-year-old actress worked with Nichols on his last two films, 2004’s Closer and 2007’s Charlie Wilson’s War.

    “His musings were like pearls, his jokes were timeless and perfectly placed, his stories – detailed and wholly entertaining, his warm embrace was where you wanted to live forever,” Roberts said in the statement.

    “He savored life and friends and French macarons. He always, always told the truth. He loved Diane utterly, immeasurably, magically,” Roberts said of Nichols’s marriage to ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.

    “He was my most cherished friend.”

    The entertainment industry is still reeling from the news of Nichols’ death from an apparent heart attack.

    ABC News President James Goldston announced the famed director’s death Thursday morning.

    “He was a true visionary, winning the highest honors in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic and was one of a tiny few to win the EGOT-an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in his lifetime,” Goldston said in the statement.

    “No one was more passionate about his craft than Mike.”

    Some of Nichols’ most noted films include Barefoot in the Park, Annie, The Odd Couple, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate.

    Earning an Oscar for best director for The Graduate, he also directed Carnal Knowledge, Working Girl, and The Birdcage.

  • Jennifer Garner Praised by Husband Ben Affleck For Her Commitment to ‘Save the Children’

    Jennifer Garner, 38, was the host of Wednesday’s Save the Children Illumination Gala at the Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

    It was a family affair this year as her husband, Ben Affleck, was honored among others for their work to help children around the world.

    Before the gala got underway, Garner told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet that her commitment to the organization, which also advocates for high-quality early childhood education in the United States, is an even greater priority now that she has children of her own.

    “There’s nothing that levels the playing field like being a mom and the conversations are as real with those women as they would be with my friends in the Palisades,” Garner said. “Those women love their kids as much as I love mine, and they should have every possible advantage and lack of disadvantage that I have.”

    During his speech, Affleck, 38, praised his wife for her commitment to Save the Children.

    “Look, I know a lot of celebrities. I’ve seen a lot of celebrities do good work, philanthropic work, show up, take a picture, raise a little money, go to a hospital, shake a kid’s hand, get a picture taken, you know, do their part, albeit a minimal one. My wife is no f—ing joke,” Affleck said. “She really cares about these issues, deeply and personally with the fervent strength that she cares about raising our children and the books, endless books that she hands me (that I’m going to get to) about early childhood education.”

    He spoke on Garner‘s love of children and her passion to see these children receive a quality education.

    “We are too wealthy a country and too good of a country to allow so many of our children to receive so poor of an education. She feels for those children and she feels for us, if we’re to see millions of Americans grow up without an education, completely ignorant, hostile, jaded, brains half-formed. This is a recipe for disaster for our country,” Affleck said. “I admire what you do and if I may say so, you’ll have to forgive me, Save the Children is damn lucky to have you!”

    When it was his turn to receive praise and the Global Child Advocate Award for his work with the Eastern Congo Initiative, the actor was humble.

    “There’s clearly been a terrible mistake,” he said. “First of all, I have to assume somebody dropped out at the last minute.”

    The Batman v. Superman star then offered praise to those in the Congo whom he called the “real heroes.”

    “What everyday Congolese people do in their lives and with their children, to me, is nothing short of heroic. And I know about heroic,” he said. “Every single person who works for the Congo deserves to wear that cape a lot more than I do…I humbly accept this honor on behalf of the Congolese people.”

    Affleck called on others to join the fight.

    “This is an area that merits our attention, and if you travel there, I assure you, you will not find people who are helpless, you will not find people who are asking for handouts,” he said. “You will find people who are working their ass off to make their community better and their lives better and their families better and just need some small measure of assistance, a good deal less, incidentally, then every single one of us receives in the United States of America.”

    “These children are deeply vulnerable and they need and they deserve our help,” concluded Affleck.

  • Bethany Mota Has It Going On — ‘DWTS’ Finalist With Derek Hough, YouTube Sensation and a Millionaire at 19

    Bethany Mota truly has it going on. She will appear Monday in the finals of Dancing With the stars with dance partner Derek Hough. She has been a YouTube sensation for years and her image seems to be appearing everywhere, even in Australia. And she is now a millionaire at the age of 19.

    According to Business Insider, the internet star has made a career for herself just by posting perky tutorials on everything from makeup to food tips to Black Friday shopping excursions. It didn’t take long for the YouTube sensation to turn an activity that helped her overcome bullying and low self-esteem into a million-dollar venture.

    In an interview with Seventeen Magazine, Mota shared how she turned a hobby into a career.

    “Overall, you really have to love it,” Mota said. She told the magazine she does all of her own editing and works for hard to create a slick final product.

    Just landed in Australia and I seem to have lost @bethanynoelm . Texting her now

    Фото опубликовано Derek Hough (@derekhough)

    According to Mail Online, the DWTS fan-favorite is having a blast, despite the mounting pressure as the finals approach.

    “Bethany Mota doesn’t seem to be too shaken by the pressure, flashing a giant smile while heading into rehearsal at a dance studio in Hollywood on Tuesday,” said the website.

    Had a little surprise for @derekhough yesterday

    A photo posted by Bethany Noel Mota (@bethanynoelm) on

    How sweet is @derekhough ?? such an awesome bday surprise

    A photo posted by Bethany Noel Mota (@bethanynoelm) on

    Sunday Fun day but not today because I'm rehearsing non stop with the bae @derekhough

    A photo posted by Bethany Noel Mota (@bethanynoelm) on

    There have been some dating rumors floating around, with many wondering if Mota is hooking up with Hough. It also seems to be the hope of Motough fans who follow the twosome on social media. However, with an 11-year age difference, the two seem to be keeping their relationship in the friend zone.

    Sorry Motough fans.

  • Jennifer Aniston Shares the Secrets of Her Less-Than-Glamorous Transformation for ‘Cake’

    Jennifer Aniston needed to add a few pounds to her admirable frame for the role of Claire Simmons in her new film, the Daniel Barnz-directed drama Cake, so she set out to accomplish her goal in a healthy way.

    According to Us Weekly, the 45-year-old Friends alum says she didn’t just pig out like so many male actors do when they need to pack on the pounds for a role. She shared her carefully laid out plan during an American Cinematheque screening of the film in Los Angeles on Nov. 19. Speaking with host Jason Bateman, the actress revealed some of her secrets to gaining weight in a healthy way.

    “I knew that was coming,” she said to a fan who asked her how she transformed her body to portray Claire, a woman who suffers chronic pain following an accident. “I basically just didn’t work out for two-and-a-half months. I stopped working out and I stopped being as careful about my diet as I normally am. I was still healthy, but I’d allow more.”

    Aniston also had to do what most actresses fear — going without makeup on camera, except for some shadowing to make her look like she had dark circles under her eyes.

    “That’s a byproduct of the character,” Aniston told her Horrible Bosses costar of the less-than-glamorous look. “I’ve said it before: It’s very refreshing.

    “There’s a level of fearlessness. I think that you have to be able to sort of go, ‘F–k it, I’m ready to just disappear.’”

    Aniston said the transformation for the role, which is already creating Oscar buzz, was also dependent upon understanding how the pain affected the character.

    “First it was just understanding the logistics of what the accident was — where did the pain exist, what was the injury,” Aniston said.

    She then had to master “the cadence of [the character’s] voice, lowering the voice into her body,” she said. “Because I can tend to be up here.”

    The final touch to the transformation was the addition of fake scars, which could be a tricky proposition, explained the actress and spokeswoman for Aveena.

    “There was a big concern with the scars…We did a lot of experimenting and we had an extraordinary makeup artist make these scars for us,” said Aniston. “We did some trials, some scar test days. Oh, if you could have seen some of the pictures, it looked like Chainsaw Massacre kind of stuff, you know? Like Freddy Kruger.

    “And by the end, I didn’t even notice they were there,” she said. “And I also thought they were…I don’t know, I thought they were kind of beautiful.”

  • Mike Nichols, Husband of Diane Sawyer, Dies Suddenly at the Age of 83

    Mike Nichols, legendary director and husband of ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, died Wednesday night at the age of 83.

    ABC News President James Goldston announced the famed director’s death in a statement.

    “He was a true visionary, winning the highest honors in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic and was one of a tiny few to win the EGOT-an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in his lifetime,” Goldston said in the statement.

    “No one was more passionate about his craft than Mike.”

    Nichols’ list of accomplishments is long and all-encompassing in the entertainment world.

    Some of his most noted films include Barefoot in the Park, Annie, The Odd Couple, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate.

    Earning an Oscar for best director for The Graduate, he also directed Carnal Knowledge, Working Girl, The Birdcage and Closer.

    His last film was 2007’s Charlie Wilson’s War, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

    An accomplished director on Broadway, he won his eighth Tony two years ago for a revival of Death of a Salesman.

    Born in Germany in 1931, Nichols came to the United States when he was seven years old with his family to escape Nazi Germany.

    A graduate of the Walden School in New York City, Nichols began pursuing theater while attending the University of Chicago, where he was studying medicine, in the early 1950s. Dreams of a medical career were set aside, however, once he discovered comedy.

    He began his career in comedy by teaming up with Elaine May in Chicago, which would gain him nationally popularity.

    Nichols is survived by his wife, children Daisy, Max and Jenny, and four grandchildren.

  • Sharon Tate’s Sister Outraged Over Charles Manson’s Upcoming Marriage, Calling It ‘Deranged’

    Sharon Tate’s sister is outraged that the man responsible for her sister’s death, cult leader Charles Manson, has been given a marriage license to marry a 26-year-old fan, calling it “ludicrous” and “insane.”

    Debra Tate, whose pregnant sister was slain in 1969 by Manson’s “family,” has spent the better part of her life trying to keep her sister’s murderer behind bars and out of the spotlight.

    However, with the news that the 80-year-old has been granted a marriage license to wed Afton Elaine Burton — who has been his greatest supporter in recent years and has helped keep him in the news — Tate is having a difficult time keeping attention away from the convicted murderer.

    ‘It’s always something with him,’ she said.

    Tate just can’t grasp why the young woman would devote her life to a man who committed one of the worst crimes of the 20th Century.

    ‘I wonder how long it will take for her to figure out this is just a con,’ Tate said. ‘It makes me wonder what is missing in her life that she would want to marry an 80-year-old man. Is she a victim? Is she mentally deranged?’

    Tate said Manson‘s bride-to-be, known as “Star,” seems to be under the delusion that the killer is leading a movement to save the environment.

    Manson may have been granted a marriage license, but he won’t be getting too intimate with his new bride. According to TMZ, he will be allowed to kiss his bride on their wedding day, but that’s as far as it will go.

  • Kristin Chenoweth Is So ‘Popular,’ She Has No Time to Let a Breakup Keep Her Down

    Kristin Chenoweth may have recently spit from her boyfriend, Dana Brunetti, but that certainly hasn’t kept the Popular songstress down for long.

    The Wicked star has been very busy of late with the release of a new live album and an upcoming special on PBS, Kristen Chenoweth: Coming Home, set to air on Nov. 28.

    Chenoweth‘s album features a multi-lingual version of the fan-favorite song from Wicked, Popular. The version turns her character, Galinda, into a globetrotter, switching from English to Japanese, German, and more languages. She calls it Around the World with Galinda.

    The album was recorded at the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Chenoweth, 46, will also serve as host of this year’s PBS Arts Fall Festival.

    “I hope when people watch and listen they have even more of a sense of who I am,” Chenoweth told Entertainment Weekly. “That it is Galinda, but it’s also a woman, it’s also a daughter, it’s also a person who’s been hurt and who has hurt, it’s a Christian, it’s sexy. It’s my upbringing. It’s everything I am. There is no album that I’ve done that is everything I am and this is the one.”

    Chenoweth‘s busy schedule is said to be one of the reasons she and Brunetti, 41, an Oscar-nominated producer, broke up after dating for nearly a year.

    “It was just the distance,” a source told EW. “Dana’s career is jetting off right now, and Kristin travelled a lot already, and they just barely had time to see each other. He’s producing House Of Cards now, speaking at conferences, and has to see his kid as well. Just didn’t make sense for either party to continue.”

  • Amy Adams Says She ‘Worries About Everything’

    Amy Adams is a worrier and she’s the first to admit it.

    “It feels like I worry about everything—mothering, relationships …,” said Adams in an interview for the December issue of Vogue. “I think it’s because I want to continue to grow; I don’t like being stagnant. Especially when you watch how fast children grow, and what they take into their soul and their intellect. It’s like we make this decision to stop growing. I don’t want to do that.”

    Adams, who turned 40 in August, says her worrying has been a lifelong ailment. She thought she might outgrow her worries, especially worrying about what people think of her, but found she just can’t seem to shake off her insecurities.

    “I was like, ‘I’m 40 and I still care what people think of me; I still don’t do laundry so I’m always out of things; I’m just not a grown-up at all,’ and I had this expectation that I would be by this age,” said Adams.

    “It wasn’t, ‘Oh, I’m getting old and I’m going to lose something vibrant about myself.’ It was more that I was just ‘so disappointed with myself,’” she said in the voice of Katherine Hepburn. “It’s just awful. Any chance for self-loathing!”

    Even her three-year-old daughter, Aviana, worries about her mama’s worrying.

    “I miss her so much. Ten days is the longest trip I think that I’ve ever had away from her,” said Adams of a recent separation from her family while filming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in Detroit.

    “Before I left I told her, ‘Lots of people are going to see you, and Daddy’s going to take care of you.’ We have a huge community of friends,” said Adams.

    “But she said, ‘Momma, who’s going to take care of you?’ I said, ‘I’m a grown-up. I take care of myself.’ And she said, ‘No, but you need someone to come and spend time with you.’ Because now she has an understanding of loneliness. It’s very sweet. She says, ‘When I grow up, I am going to be your momma,’” she says with a laugh.

    “She’ll probably have to be. I’m such a wreck,” concedes Adams. “I’m glad you think it’s cute now. You’re not going to think it’s cute when you’re 25 and I’m living with you.”

  • Candice Huffine, Plus-Size Model Featured in Pirelli Calendar, Says Times Have Changed For ‘Curvy Women’

    Candice Huffine, Plus-Size Model Featured in Pirelli Calendar, Says Times Have Changed For ‘Curvy Women’

    Candice Huffine, 30, says she felt beautiful during a recent photo shoot for the upcoming 2015 Pirelli calendar, despite wearing little to nothing.

    The iconic calendar is known for being risqué, and the plus-size model is attired in a latex corset, with a whip in her hand for the photo.

    “You actually feel quite beautiful. I mean that wasn’t my first time. I did a full nude shot the first time I shot with Steven for Italian Vogue,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph. “When you love your body and you’re proud of it, you feel OK to strip down.”

    This wasn’t always the case for the 5-foot-11-inch model, who had a rude awakening when she arrived in New York hoping to start her modeling career.

    “It was devastating. I was a size six to eight at the time and I didn’t realise that was way too big to be a model. I thought I was fit, trim and cute. I had no idea about sample sizes,” she said.

    According to Huffine, she was told by some agents that they might reconsider things if she dropped around 15 lbs. Feeling discouraged, Huffine renewed her dream when Wilhelmina Models considered her as a plus-size model.

    Huffine said much has changed from those early days, and she is proud to be a part of an industry that now celebrates curvy women.

    “I’ve watched new companies form and designers extend their sizes into new ranges. There are all these options now for a variety of curvy women. I’m really passionate about the industry – we’ve grown together,” she said.

  • Liv Tyler Says She ‘Longed For a Second Child,’ Shares Baby Bump Photo

    Liv Tyler, who says her “heart longed for a second child,” shared an adorable black and while baby bump photo Sunday on her Instagram account.

    The 37-year-old mother to nine-year-old Milo with ex-husband Royston Langton, told Town & Country she is truly enjoying her pregnancy.

    “The most fun thing about being pregnant is having those mom hormones flowing around,” Tyler said.

    “You’re more present in your body and it’s making me a better mother for Milo. You become more like a child. When you’re tired, you have to sleep immediately. When you’re hungry …”

    And that’s when she shared one of her favorite perks of being pregnant — guilt-free indulging.

    “It’s fun not being on a diet or thinking, ‘Oh my God, I have to go to SoulCycle every day,’ ” she said.

    Tyler is expecting her second child with boyfriend David Gardner, a friend of David Beckham and a British sports entertainment manager she met seven years ago through Kate Moss.

    Photo for my honey @davidgardner76 by #PaulWetherall thank you @townandcountrymag !!!!!!!

    Liv Tyler (@misslivalittle) tarafından paylaşılan bir fotoğraf ()

    It seems everything is going well for Tyler, who is fulfilling a dream by starring in HBO’s The Leftovers.

    “I mean, for seven years I’d been saying I wanted to do an HBO show with an ensemble cast,” she said. “And I wanted the house in the country. And getting to have another child? If you knew me well, they were the things my heart longed for. And they all came together, like a speeding freight train, in one year.”

  • Erika Christensen of ‘Parenthood’ to Tie the Knot With Cyclist Cole Maness

    Erika Christensen, who plays Julia Braverman on Parenthood, is engaged to cyclist Cole Maness.

    Page Six first reported the engagement, which was confirmed by a rep for the 32-year-old actress to People on Tuesday.

    The love birds don’t speak much about their love life, but they share many adorable photos on social media documenting their day-to-day life together.

    Earlier this month, Christensen shared a little tidbit about their relationship and their shared passion for cycling to Us Weekly.

    “My bike is my main form of transportation, so I’ve got a red clip-on taillight,” she said. “Sometimes, my boyfriend and I do evening rides to the movies or grocery store.”

    Thanks for all the well-wishes! It's official.

    Une photo publiée par @erikachristensen le

    A photo posted by cole maness (@coelmaness) on

    Christensen told GENLUX Magazine she met Maness at a bike race, although they didn’t exactly fall into each others arms.

    “He knew who I was, and I knew who he was, so both of us were playing it cool and wouldn’t talk to each other,” she shared.

    Their relationship developed in a very modern way, via Twitter.

    I found her like this

    A photo posted by cole maness (@coelmaness) on

    She told the magazine she always carries a pocketknife Maness gave her — for a price.

    “He said it’s bad luck to give a knife as a gift and wanted me to buy it for a penny. I bought it with a kiss instead,” she quipped.

    According to Us Weekly, the pair is waiting to set a date once the actress wraps up her final season on the long-running NBC series.

  • Janice Dickinson Alleges She Was Raped By Bill Cosby, His Lawyer Fires Back

    Janice Dickinson is joining two other women in claiming she was raped by Bill Cosby.

    The 59-year-old supermodel told Entertainment Tonight in an interview Tuesday that she was sexually assaulted by the comedian in 1982.

    Dickinson said she first met Cosby at a dinner meeting to discuss a role on The Cosby Show. Weeks later, he allegedly called her while she was recovering in a rehab facility. Following her stay in rehab, Cosby again allegedly called her and asked her to leave a trip in Bali to come to Lake Tahoe, where he was performing. According to Dickinson, he wanted to offer her the job and help her with her singing career.

    Dickinson alleges that he gave her a glass of red wine and a pill she asked for during dinner because of menstrual cramps.

    “The next morning I woke up, and I wasn’t wearing my pajamas, and I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man,” she told ET. “… Before I woke up in the morning, the last thing I remember was Bill Cosby in a patchwork robe, dropping his robe and getting on top of me. And I remember a lot of pain. The next morning I remember waking up with my pajamas off and there was semen in between my legs.”

    Dickinson said she tried to write about it in her 2002 autobiography No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World’s First Supermodel, but claims that she and publisher Harper Collins were pressured by Cosby and his lawyers to remove the account from the book.

    “I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do, and it happened to me, and this is the true story,” she said. “I believe all the other women.”

    Dickinson told ET the memories of the alleged incident and keeping it a secret for 32 years was detrimental to her health and well-being.

    “Stuffing feelings of rape and my unresolved issued with this incident has drove me into a life of trying to hurt myself because I didn’t have counsel and I was afraid,” she said. “I was afraid of the consequences. I was afraid of being labeled a whore or a slut and trying to sleep my way to the top of a career that never took place.”

    After years of keeping the details a secret, she doesn’t hesitate to express her real feelings now about the alleged encounter.

    “How dare you,” she said. “Go f*ck yourself. How dare you take advantage of me. And I hope you rot.”

    While Cosby has remained silent, his attorney is having none of it and fired back at Dickinson’s accusations.

    In a letter to TheWrap, Cosby’s attorney, Marty Singer, said the accusations were ludicrous, citing a passage from Dickinson’s autobiography and a 2002 interview with the New York Observer, in which Dickinson purportedly claimed that Cosby “blew her off” after dinner because she didn’t sleep with him.

    “Her new story claiming that she had been sexually assaulted is a defamatory fabrication,” Singer wrote.

    As to claims Cosby pressured Dickinson and her publisher to remove inflammatory copy, Singer said those accusations are lies.

    “Neither Mr. Cosby or any of his attorneys were ever told by Harper Collins that Ms. Dickinson had supposedly planned to write that he had sexually assaulted her, and neither Mr. Cosby or any of his representatives ever communication [sic] with the publisher about any alleged rape or sexual assault about the book,” Singer said.

  • Richard Simmons Says He’s Ok After Reports of Depression, But Friends Aren’t Buying It

    Richard Simmons says that all is well following reports from close friends that the health exercise guru is suffering from depression so bad that he is practically a recluse.

    But, not so fast.

    According to TMZ, close friends are now becoming angry that Simmons’ rep is “shoveling crap with the story that Richard’s OK.” Those same friends maintain that Simmons is anything but OK.

    On Thursday, the Daily News reported that his rep said Richard is “sad” but denies being clinically depressed, a shut-in or a recluse.

    However, TMZ reported that Simmons has cut off all contact with friends, even those extremely close to him and has become “paralyzed with fear and depression,” as he contemplates surgery for a serious knee injury.

    Post by Richard Simmons.

    Apparently, the last public appearance by Simmons was on Jan. 11 at a charity event.

    According to reports, his depression has been exacerbated by the death of his beloved dog, as well as the death of Joan Rivers. However, his close friends reportedly said they don’t believe knee surgery or the death of his dog would lead Simmons to cut himself off from the outside world.

    Post by Richard Simmons.

    Post by Richard Simmons.

    “If Richard is really OK and is aware people are extremely concerned about him, he’d pick up the phone and tell them to relax. But he hasn’t, and we’re worried sick,” said the source to TMZ.

  • Karlie Kloss Wants to Be Seen as More Than Just a Pretty Face (and Gorgeous Bod)

    Karlie Kloss wants to be known as more than just a pretty face.

    The 22-year-old Victoria’s Secret model talked about being a role model to young girls in an interview with the British newspaper The Independent, saying she “can often be seen and not heard.”

    “The way I present myself can have a big impact, which is partially why I’m so passionate about health and fitness, and strength,” she said. “I take responsibility for the fact that other young women see pictures of me and it might impact how they feel about themselves, so I only want to stand for things I’m proud of.”

    “People don’t expect me to be well-read or have an opinion, I almost like that,” she admitted. “I like being able to shock people.”

    Kloss recently became the face of L’Oreal Paris and gives kudos to the company.

    “To think that of the millions of women around the world I get to be a part of the L’Oréal world is crazy. It’s such a global brand that means so many different things to different women. I think that ideas of beauty in general are so diverse. I think ultimately that [it] comes from within and feeling worth it,” she said.

    A photo posted by @karliekloss on

    The model spends a great deal of her free time advocating for charitable organizations like Feed on her social media sites.

    “There’s an opportunity now to have a career for as long as you want it. And using the platform I have, the spotlight, for something meaningful motivates me,” says the model of her work with Feed, which supplies meals to those without the money to feed themselves.

    A photo posted by @karliekloss on

  • Brittany Maynard’s Mother Speaks Out Against Critics of Her Daughter’s Decision to Die

    Brittany Maynard’s Mother Speaks Out Against Critics of Her Daughter’s Decision to Die

    Brittany Maynard‘s mother, Debbie Ziegler, is speaking out against comments made about her daughter’s decision to die.

    In particular, she addressed a Vatican official who called terminally ill Maynard’s choice “an absurdity” and “reprehensible.”

    “My 29-year-old daughter’s choice to die gently rather than suffer physical and emotional degradation and intense pain does not deserve to be labeled as ‘reprehensible’ by strangers a continent away who do not know her or the particulars of her situation,” Ziegler wrote in a letter released Tuesday by Compassion & Choices.

    Maynard, 29, who moved to Oregon with her family because of the state’s Death with Dignity Act, legally ended her own life on Nov. 1 with a fatal dose of barbiturates prescribed by a doctor.

    Three days later, Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told the ANSA news agency that “dignity is something other than ending one’s own life.”

    Ziegler took great offense to the Catholic church official’s remarks and felt compelled to express her outrage over the comments.

    “‘Reprehensible’ is a word I’ve used as a teacher to describe the actions of Hitler, other political tyrants and the exploitation of children by pedophiles,” wrote the former eighth-grade science teacher.

    “As Brittany Maynard’s mother, I find it difficult to believe that anyone who knew her would ever select this word to describe her actions,” she wrote.

    “Brittany was a giver. She was a volunteer. She was a teacher,” she wrote. “She was an advocate. She worked at making the world a better place to live.”

    She also made it known that his comments were inappropriately made so soon following Maynard’s passing.

    “This word was used publicly at a time when my family was tender and freshly wounded. Grieving,” she wrote.

    “Such strong public criticism from people we do not know, have never met, is more than a slap in the face,” she wrote. “It is like kicking us as we struggle to draw a breath.”

    Ziegler called on Americans to support her daughter’s choice and the right for others like Maynard, who choose to die with dignity.

    “I urge Americans to think for themselves,” she wrote. “Make your wishes clear while you are competent … Misguided doctors caught in an aspirational belief that they must extend life, whatever the cost, cause individuals and families unnecessary suffering.”

    “It’s why Brittany started her campaign in the first place,” she said.

    “Brittany stood up to bullies,” she wrote. “She never thought anyone else had the right to tell her how long she should suffer. The right to die for the terminally ill is a human rights issue. Plain and simple.”

  • Michael Brown Verdict Has Ferguson on Edge as Law Enforcement and Residents Prepare For Violence

    The impending grand jury verdict in the shooting death of Ferguson, Missouri teenager Michael Brown has the city on edge as it prepares for violence.

    City, state and national authorities are combining forces to prepare for the demonstrations that are likely to ensue following the announcement.

    The grand jury is deciding whether to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson after fatally shot Brown last August. Racial tensions have been heightened for months becaue Wilson is white and Brown was black.

    According to ABC News, stores are boarding up windows and civil rights groups are holding non-violence training sessions to prepare.

    City officials fear the grand jury’s decision could lead to public outbursts no matter which way the jury rules, but are more concerned that the grand jury will decide against indicting Wilson.

    Benjamin Crump, a Brown family attorney, pleaded with protesters to remain non-violent and asked for police restraint.

    “To law enforcement officers who will be patrolling the streets, we would like to thank you in advance for not having a repeat” of the tactics that critics said were heavy handed.

    Residents of Ferguson are just as nervous as law enforcement, especially gun shop owners.

    “We’re hearing some rather specific threats through law enforcement and customers coming in the store,” John Stephenson, the general manager of Metro Shooting Supplies in nearby Bridgeton, told ABC News. “I can’t take them as cast in concrete, but word is on the street they’re going to be hitting gun stores.”

    Stephenson said the store has seen a 300 percent increase in sales in recent weeks. He said he fears his store will be targeted because “very small segment of our society, the people that choose to misbehave,” will try to rob the stores for ammunition.

    “More and more people have gotten to the point where they’re going to take matters into their hands,” Stephenson said.

    Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who declared a state of emergency in anticipation of violence, said this week he is determined to make sure riots like those that occurred in August are not repeated.

    “Violence will not be tolerated,” Nixon said. “The residents and businesses of this region will be protected.”

  • June Shannon, Mama to Honey Boo Boo, Assigns Blame in Molestation Scandal

    June Shannon, aka Mama June, continues to put the blame elsewhere for the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo scandal, which led to the cancellation of the reality show.

    On an appearance on Dr. Phil, the 35-year-old reality star maintained that she is not dating Mark McDaniel, the convicted sex offender who was jailed for molesting her eldest daughter, Anna Marie “Chickadee” Cardwell.

    “There’s some truths and there’s some lies that’s out there, and there’s the truth between that,” she told Dr. Phil.

    Shannon alleges she has only seen McDaniel twice since he was released from jail in March. She told the host she accidentally ran into him while she was spending some time in the mountains with her family. The second time she met with McDaniel was while dropping off 33 packs of diapers for his son.

    “The second time, he said ‘Hey, how you doing?’ I said, ‘Hey, how you doing?’” Shannon recalled.

    She did admit, however, to allowing her youngest daughter, Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, to meet with the convicted sex offender so that she could better understand why he left the family.

    Shannon, who says another jailed sex offender, Michael Anthony Ford, is Pumpkin’s father and not McDaniel, helped raise Pumpkin from when she was two months old until she was five. Her daughter claims he was in the picture until she was four.

    Shannon also maintains that Chickadee, who was eight at the time of the alleged molestation, never told her that McDaniel was abusing her.

    “I do, in a way, feel like I failed to protect Anna, but I didn’t know,” Shannon said. “She admitted that too. I was at work when all this happened so I knew nothing. Nothing about anything, she never comed to me, anything, the whole time it was happening.”

    In an example of assigning blame, she said Chickadee often lies. However, she did concede that she should have done more to protect her daughter.

    “The only way I can fix that, is constantly apologize and be there for her through the situation,” she said. “And try to move on from the situation. I know it’s hard to move on because she feels like she’s reliving it again, but it’s like, in some instances she’s lied about certain things too.”

    Dr. Phil doesn’t seem to believe Shannon‘s story, although he didn’t say as much during the show.

    “I think this woman has been making really bad choices with these children and with the men in her life for a long, a long time,” he told TMZ before the show. “This is nothing new.”