WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Kaci Hickox: Nurse Says She Won’t Obey Ebola Quarantine in Maine, State Will Fight Her

    Kaci Hickox: Nurse Says She Won’t Obey Ebola Quarantine in Maine, State Will Fight Her

    Kaci Hickox, the nurse who spent three days in an isolation tent after returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa and has since been returned to her home in Maine, says she has no intention of obeying a 21-day quarantine.

    Hickox was mortified at being treated “like a criminal” upon her arrival at Newark Airport last Friday after treating Ebola patients for four weeks with Doctors Without Borders. She was returned to her home in Fort Kent, Maine, on Tuesday night.

    Hickox, who has showed no signs of Ebola, agreed to remain in her home, but has since hired a lawyer and threatens to take legal action if the state tries to force her to remain in her home.

    “You know I truly believe that this policy is not scientifically or constitutionally just,” she told NBC’s Matt Lauer, via Skype, Wednesday morning. “I am not going to sit around and be bullied by politicians and forced to stay in my home when I am not at risk to the American public.”

    Maine is one of several states that has implemented policies to quarantine those who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus for 21 days. The imposed quarantines go against policy set by the White House and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Maine Gov. Paul LePage said Wednesday morning the state would take steps through the court system to force Hickox to obey the quarantine.

    “We are very concerned about her safety and health and that of the community,” LePage said in a statement. “We are exploring all of our options for protecting the health and well-being of the health care worker, anyone who comes in contact with her, the Fort Kent community and all of Maine. While we certainly respect the rights of one individual, we must be vigilant in protecting 1.3 million Mainers, as well as anyone who visits our great state.”

    It is unclear how police posted outside her home will react if she tries to leave.

    “She understands the nature of the disease, she treated it,” said Hickox’s attorney, Steven Hyman “She understands the nature of the risk.”

  • Meredith Vieira Commiserates with Sarah Hyland’s Experiences of Physical Abuse

    Meredith Vieira welcomed Sarah Hyland to her show recently, and the two had similar stories of physical abuse to talk about.

    Hyland, who recently got a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop, was able to open up to Vieira a bit about her trying experience, perhaps because the talk-show host could commiserate.

    Vieira asked the 23-year-old actress, who visited The Meredith Vieira Show with her dog Barkley Bixby, about “moving beyond an abusive relationship.”

    Vieira shared that when she was also 23, she went through “something similar,” and asked Hyland how she dealt with the adversity she’s faced in her life. They both counted themselves lucky to be out of the relationships.

    According to Hyland, she relies on the words of literary giants to find the strength to keep going through difficult times.

    “There are two quotes that I want to say. One is a Dylan Thomas poem, ‘Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light,’ which is one of my favorite poems,” Hyland shared. “It just strikes a chord in me. And also Robert Frost’s ‘The only way out is through.’”

    On September 19, 2014, Hyland obtained a restraining order against High School Musical 3 actor Matthew Prokop, 24. In court documents, she claimed the actor choked her, threatened to harm her dog and threatened to burn her house down.

    Hyland and Prokop first met in 2008 at an audition for High School Musical 3 and later co-starred in the Disney TV movie Geek Charming. They dated for five years before splitting up in August.

    Hyland has kept a positive perspective despite the gravity of the situation.

    “People have to go through things in order to become the person that they are today,” Hyland said. “And that’s that.”

  • Jane Lynch Finalizes Divorce From Wife Lara Embry to the Tune of $1.2 Million Plus Residuals

    Jane Lynch and Lara Embry’s divorce was finalized on Tuesday, after more than four years of marriage.

    TMZ reports that the Glee star will have to fork over $1.2 million to her ex over a two-year period, according to Los Angeles Superior Court documents. Perhaps even more lucrative, Embry, a clinical psychologist, will also receive half of Lynch’s residuals received from Glee, Two and a Half Men, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and many more shows that she produces.

    The Hollywood Game Night host and Embry also will split joint bank accounts totaling $847,485, a 401K totaling $315,079 and their 2012 tax refund of $56,810. They’ve agreed to sell their membership to the Mulholland Tennis Club and will split the profits.

    Embry will keep the couple’s L.A. Yacht Club membership and keep the couple’s dog, Francis.

    According to the documents, the Glee star will get the home she shared with Embry, a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and a 2013 Audi.

    Lynch announced her separation from Embry in June 2013. The following month, Lynch filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

    At the time, the actress said in a statement it had “been a difficult decision for us [to end the marriage] as we care very deeply about one another.”

    The 54-year-old Emmy Award-winner brushed off the financial aspect of the split when she spoke with Access Hollywood in August 2013.

    “It’s just money,” said Lynch. California “is a half and half state, as well as it should be, so that’s fine.”

    Lynch also said single life was treating her “fine.”

    The actress has been keeping busy during these difficult months, making her nightclub debut in June with a four-night stand in front of a three-piece band at the 54 Below club.

  • Sandra Bullock Comes to the Rescue of Fellow Actress on Set of Her New Film

    Sandra Bullock is seriously the coolest. Not only is she an amazing, Oscar-winning actress, the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, and to die for at the age of 50, she can now add life-saver to her credentials.

    The Gravity actress “took charge” Sunday when a fellow actress collapsed from apparent heat stroke on the New Orleans set of her current movie, Our Brand Is Crisis, according to TMZ .

    Bullock reportedly helped cool the victim off by fanning her in a shady area and providing water until an ambulance arrived and transported the woman to the hospital.

    Bullock’s co-star Billy Bob Thornton was there, too, but was “mostly watching,” according to the website.

    It was a warm, 82-degree day in New Orleans when the incident occurred on Sunday. Not an incredibly hot day, but the warm clothes the actors were required to wear as costumes for the movie may have been a factor in the actress’ heat stroke.

    Filming was shut down on Monday but was back up and running by Tuesday.

    Good job, Sandra. You’re the bomb!

  • Audrina Patridge, Corey Bohan Fight in Public, Leaving Her Sobbing and Screaming at Him

    Audrina Patridge and her ex-boyfriend Corey Bohan had a very public fight outside a West Hollywood nightclub Saturday, which left the The Hills star sobbing for “at least an hour.”

    Patridge and Bohan apparently decided to rekindle their romance after splitting over the summer. However, photos of the duo leaving Matthew Morrison’s annual Halloween party at Hyde nightclub in West Hollywood has tongues wagging.

    It’s unclear what happened between the two, but it was enough to leave the actress sobbing on a bus stop bench outside the Hollywood club.

    “Audrina and Corey were fighting outside the club while waiting for an Uber,” a source told E! News.

    “Their Uber took 30 minutes and Audrina cried the entire time. Corey just sat there while Audrina yelled at him. Occasionally he would say something, but it seemed as if he just wanted to get out of there.”

    “He walked away from her a couple of times,” said the source. “She was screaming at Corey, telling him ‘It was you!’”

    A source told Us Weekly that the couple — who have been on again, off again for the last five years — struggle with commitment issues.

    “They are always going back and forth. Audrina is still in love with him, and they still hang out, but he is a total player and messes with her mentally. She really cares about him, and it breaks her heart that he can’t commit to her the way she wants him to.”

  • Kendra Wilkinson, Hank Baskett Reconcile, Plan to Renew Wedding Vows

    Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett have reportedly reconciled and are planning to renew their wedding vows.

    Wilkinson is apparently ready to forgive Baskett and move on from past reports that he was unfaithful to her with a transgender YouTube model, according to InTouch Magazine.

    The former NFL wide receiver reportedly presented her with a wedding band and asked her to renew their wedding vows in front of the crew of the couple’s reality show, Kendra on Top, which “stunned” everyone involved.

    “Hank presented her with a wedding ring, a replica of the ring he gave Kendra when they got married that she flushed down the toilet after the cheating scandal broke,” said the insider. “Then he asked her to renew their wedding vows — and she accepted!”

    InTouch reports that reality star Tami Roman, who appears on Marriage Boot Camp, tried to talk Wilkinson out of accepting Baskett’s proposal, but she would hear none of it and said, “Don’t [expletive] with me. I’m not a pushover.”

    Reports about the couple’s alleged reconciliation come a week after Wilkinson threatened to divorce Baskett in a preview of the couple’s reality show.

    Rumors began in July that Baskett had been unfaithful with transgender model Ava Sabrina London. Baskett’s lawyer told TMZ last week his client had once “hung out” with the model and asked her not to talk about their relationship. London apparently recorded the conversation and tried to blackmail Baskett with the tape.

  • Janay and Ray Rice ‘Praying’ For People Choosing to Wear Distasteful Halloween Costumes

    Janay Rice is none too pleased with the Halloween costumes some people are choosing to wear this year, which seem to make a mockery of her husband’s fall from grace.

    Her husband, Ray Rice, was cut from the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely from the NFL after a video hit the internet of him knocking his then-fiancée out inside a New Jersey casino elevator.

    Photos were posted on social media last week of truly disturbing costume choices that are wrong on so many levels.

    People dressed up as the Rices, donning NFL costumes and sporting black eyes, mocking the couple’s Feb. 15 assault incident. One photo, in particular, shows a young boy wearing an NFL costume and black face while dragging a black doll. Another shows a woman sporting a black eye and pretending to be punched by a man wearing football gear.

    The Rices aren’t thrilled, to say the least, but they are taking the high road.

    “[They’re] praying for those people,” a source told TMZ on Tuesday.

    Janay went on to marry the former running back after the assault and has since stuck by her man through thick and thin.

    Rice was indicted in March by a grand jury for third-degree aggravated-assault. Janay refused to testify against him, and the charges will likely be dropped if he completes a pre-trial intervention program.

  • Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake Reportedly Expecting Their First Child, She’s ‘At Least 3 Months Pregnant’

    Jessica Biel is reportedly three months pregnant with her first child with husband Justin Timberlake.

    According to RadarOnline, a friend close to Biel revealed the news that the 7th Heaven star was indeed pregnant, ending weeks of speculation.

    “Jessica is at least three months pregnant,” the source said. “And she’s due in April!”

    Another source told the website that the actress has had a difficult time getting pregnant.

    “Jessica has had tense times in the past when it comes to having a baby, so it is not surprising that she is staying mum on confirming the news publicly yet,” the insider said.

    This will be the first child for Biel, 32, and Timberlake, 33, who celebrated their two-year anniversary on Oct. 19 by taking a vacation — more like a babymoon — to New Zealand.

    This just totally shuts down rumors that the power-couple are on the verge of a breakup. The rumors began when Biel stopped attending concerts and other appearances, notably a Saturday Night Live appearance.

    “Justin was solo again at the Saturday Night Live after-party and he stayed until nearly 5 a.m.,” a witness said. “Everyone was buzzing about her absence.”

    Biel was also absent from Timberlake’s American Music Awards appearance in November. She shot that one down on Twitter saying, “I’m watching from home tonight. Calm down, Internet.”

    "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." –Ferris

    A photo posted by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake) on

    The source said Biel was also absent for the rehearsals for the show.

    “She wasn’t with him at rehearsals on Friday either, which was sort of weird,” the source said. “And it’s not that Justin was flirting with other women or anything at the party but something just didn’t seem right. It was literally what everyone was talking about; whether he and Jessica have split.”

    Jeez, maybe Biel actually has a life of her own!

  • Savannah Brinson and LeBron James Welcome Baby Daughter Zhuri

    Savannah Brinson, wife of LeBron James, gave birth to the couple’s third child on Oct 22 in Ohio.

    James‘ sons, seven-year-old Bryce Maximus James and 10-year-old LeBron James Jr., now have a baby sister, named Zhuri, to play with.

    James spilled the beans on the name they had picked out for their daughter during a babymoon trip to Greece in August.

    Documenting the couple’s romantic getaway with photos on Instagram, the basketball great revealed that her name was Zhuri.

    “Mykonos Greece is spectacular! Push gift to my wife @mrs_savannahrj!,” James captured an adorable selfie of himself with his pregnant wife.

    The photo shows the couple enjoying the view of the Mykanos coast from a boat, enjoying the sun and some well-deserved R&R.

    James added, “Zhuri hurry up and get here so your daddy and 2 brothers can annoy you! Lol.”

    James proposed to his high school sweetheart on Dec. 31, 2011, at a New Year’s Eve party, and they were married on Sept. 14 of last year in a lavish, star-studded ceremony.

    Before Zhuri’s arrival, James shared about the challenges and responsibilities of being a father during a September interview on CNN’s Unguarded with Rachel Nichols.

    “There is no booklet where no one can tell you on how to raise your kids. And you know, every single day is always challenging. And for my kids even more challenging, because their dad is famous,” he said.

    “But I feel like the morals and the goals and the things that I teach them I just want to lay the path for them and let them, at the end of the day, make their own decisions,” said James. “And hopefully, the — the way that I’ve been teaching them will, when they get to a fork in the road, they will know what’s right, and not go left.”

    James is not expected to miss Thursday’s opening game with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

  • Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods: Trouble in Paradise For the Couple Over Elin Nordegren?

    Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods may be headed for trouble in paradise, according to recent reports.

    The couple, who have been dating since March 2013, always seem to be supportive of each other as the Olympic skier continues to recover from a knee injury and Woods continually deals with media-bashing about his career and personal choices.

    However, if reports are to be believed, there could be trouble in paradise for the couple, and the trouble may be coming from an unlikely source — Woods’ ex, Elin Nordegren.

    Her recent split from her boyfriend, billionaire Chris Cline, has led to speculation that Woods may leave Vonn and try to re-kindle the romance with his ex and the mother of his two children.

    A recent development may add fuel to the fire.

    Nordegren built a $12.2 million estate in Palm Beach and decided to include a golf course, which is odd considering the model is not known to be an avid golfer.

    Some seem to think the course was built to rub her ex-husband’s nose in the reported $100 million she took in the divorce. Others suggest that it could mean Nordegren and Woods are rekindling their romance.

    Vonn and Nordegren are reportedly good friends after spending time together as a “family.” Despite the $100 million settlement and an ugly divorce, Woods and his ex wife have stayed friends for the sake of their kids, and the threesome often spend time together with the kids.

    Cozy.

    “I have moved on and I am in a good place,” Nordegren said in an an interview with People Magazine in May. “My relationship with Tiger is centered around our children and we are doing really good – we really are – and I am so happy that is the case. He is a great father.”

    Woods and Vonn allegedly even went on some double dates with Nordegren and Cline before they broke up.

  • Melissa Rivers Hires Law Firm to Investigate Joan Rivers’ Death. Possible Lawsuit?

    Melissa Rivers has retained attorneys to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 4 death of her mother, Joan Rivers.

    “In order to fully determine all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Joan Rivers we confirm that our firm has been engaged by Melissa Rivers and her family,” Ben Runbinowitz, a lawyer for the law firm of Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom & Rubinowitz, said in a statement.

    According to the New York Post, Melissa will file a multimillion-dollar medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit against the endoscopy clinic — including the doctors involved in the procedure — where ​her mother stopped breathing during a routine throat procedure. The legendary comedienne was later placed in a medically-induced coma until her family decided to take her off life support.

    Earlier this month, the New York City medical examiner ​said Rivers’ official cause of death was “anoxic encephalopathy due to hypoxic arrest during laryngoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with propofol sedation.” In other words, the Fashion Police co-host lacked sufficient oxygen to her brain for an extended period of time, causing brain damage. Her heart had stopped after she was sedated with propofol.

    On Oct. 17, Yorkville Endoscopy, the clinic where Rivers was treated, was found deficient during a routine investigation by the New York State Health Department. The department said it found lapses in governing body and management, surgical services, medical staff and patient rights.

    The clinic’s accreditation will be permanently terminated on Jan. 7, unless it can prove that the problems have been corrected.

    “The center has been working collaboratively with appropriate government regulatory agencies to ensure complete compliance with all regulations,” said a spokesperson for the clinic. “The center remains open and will continue to collaborate with all accreditation and government regulatory agencies to ensure quality care.”

  • Ed O’Neill Helps to Raise Funds For Documentary on Controversial Congressman

    Ed O’Neill is helping to raise funds for a documentary about a colorful U.S. congressman from his native northeast Ohio.

    The Modern Family star is aiding filmmaker Eric Murphy in a crowdfunding campaign to raise $17,500 to finish production and add a different ending to Traficant: Congressman of Crimetown.

    The 90-minute documentary was finished and ready to be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival when Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., 73, died in September following a tractor accident on his family’s farm in Greenford, Ohio.

    Murphy decided he needed to change the ending to the documentary to reflect the demise of the former congressman.

    “We humbly ask for support from documentary fans, political junkies and everyone in between,” said Murphy. “Traficant was larger than life — with equal parts congressional jester and working-class hero. Now, with his passing, the debate is re-ignited: Was he the number one target of a vengeful government or a mobbed-up pariah who violated his people’s trust?”

    O’Neill was interviewed for the documentary and added a narrative voice. Backers who pledge at least $2,500 get lunch with O’Neill, and according to The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, they also will get co-producer credit.

    Known for his colorful presence on the House floor, Traficant often used the phrase “Beam me up!” during his speeches. He was also famous for his interesting collection of outrageous toupees.

    Not immune to corruption, Traficant was sent packing from Congress after he was convicted on federal corruption charges. The former sheriff served 17 years in Congress and became only the second congressman expelled from Congress since the Civil War.

    He served seven years in prison before he was released in 2009.

  • Gia Soriano, 14-Year-Old Girl Wounded in Washington High School Shooting, Dies

    Gia Soriano, a 14-year-old girl wounded in the Washington state high school shooting, has died.

    Soriano died Sunday night, according to officials at Providence Regional Medical Center.

    “We are devastated by this senseless tragedy,” her family said in a statement, which was read at a news conference by Dr. Joanne Roberts. “Gia is our beautiful daughter, and words cannot express how much we will miss her.”

    This brings the death toll to three, after freshman Jaylen Fryberg opened fire on classmates on Friday.

    Another girl was killed at the scene at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, and Fryberg was shot and killed following the rampage. During the attack, a first-year teacher intervened, and It’s unclear if he intentionally killed himself or if the gun went off in a struggle with the teacher.

    Of the three other wounded students, only 14-year-old Nate Hatch showed improvement, though he remained in serious condition in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Fifteen-year-old Andrew Fryberg also remained in critical condition in intensive care. Both are cousins of Jaylen Fryberg.

    The third wounded student, Shaylee Chuckulnaskit, 14, remained in critical condition in intensive care at Providence Regional Medical Center.

    The girl killed Friday hasn’t been officially identified.

    A motive is still unclear, although the teen seemed to have been struggling after he was rebuffed by a love interest.

    “We can’t answer that question,” said Matt Remle, a Tulalip tribal counselor who has an office at the high school. “But we try to make sense of the senselessness.”

    Remle said he has been trying to help kids from the Native-American community of nearby Tulalip Indian reservation.

    “My office has been a comfort space for Native students,” he said. “Many will come by and have lunch there, including the kids involved in the shooting.”

    “They all were “really happy, smiling kids,” Remle said. “They were a polite group. A lot of the kids from the freshman class were close-knit. Loving.

    “These were not kids who were isolated,” he said. “They had some amazing families, and have amazing families.”

    Remle said it is difficult to understand why this happened in light of nature of the close-knit community.

    “Maybe it would be easier if we knew the answer,” Remle said. “But we may never know.”

  • Brittany Maynard Making the Most of the Time She Has Left to Live, Visits Grand Canyon

    Brittany Maynard, who has made the decision to end her life before her terminal cancer does it for her, is making the most out the time she has left to live.

    The 29-year-old has been busy with her remaining days, advocating for death with dignity legislation and continuing to pursue her love for travel and adventure.

    This week, in what her mother called “her last hurrah,” Maynard checked off an item at the top of her bucket list — to visit the Grand Canyon.

    “Thanks to the kindness of Americans around the country who came forward to make my ‘bucket list’ dream come true. The Canyon was breathtakingly beautiful, and I was able to enjoy my time with the two things I love most: my family and nature,” Maynard said in a statement.

    In a video she made explaining her decision to end her life, Maynard said one of the dreams she hoped to realize before she died was to see the Grand Canyon.

    “I hope to enjoy however many days I have on this beautiful Earth and spend as much of it outside as I can surrounded by those I love,” she said in the video.

    Maynard has created quite a buzz in the ongoing national debate on right to die laws when she announced she would take her life by Nov. 1.

    Diagnosed with glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, earlier this year, Maynard moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Portland, Oregon because it is one of five states in the U.S. that have death with dignity laws.

    Her diagnosis and health has not deterred the seasoned world traveller over the past few months. She has visited Alaska and Yellowstone National Park, and now she has added the Grand Canyon to her travel portfolio.

    Maynard initially chose Nov. 1 as the date to possibly end her life because she wanted to be able to celebrate her husband’s Oct. 26 birthday.

    However, she says she will determine the exact date to end her life depending on how the cancer progresses.

  • Ashley Greene Condo Fire Drama: Was a Glass Crack Pipe the Cause of the Fire?

    Ashley Greene‘s condo fire lawsuit has had some new twists, and it is looking like it’s becoming a he-said-she-said scenario.

    TMZ initially reported that a glass crack pipe was found in the Twilight star’s West Hollywood condo after a March 2013 fire. However, a source close to the actress told Us Weekly that the report is false.

    TMZ allegedly obtained a sworn deposition of building manager Adrian Mayorga, who is suing Greene after claiming he “suffered permanent respiratory damage” as a result of the fire.

    Several other tenants in the building also are allegedly suing the actress.

    At the time of the fire in March 2013, Greene, 27, her brother, and her then-boyfriend Ryan Phillippe were all supposedly sleeping inside the condo. The blaze also claimed the life of the actress’ dog.

    A source close to Greene debunked the manager’s statement, telling Us, “There was no crack pipe found in Ashley’s apartment. It’s all hearsay from unnamed sources — Mayorga’s claiming he heard from a friend of an unidentified worker who may have entered the apartment. Additionally, Phillippe went on the record saying he wasn’t there.”

    Mayorga allegedly said in the deposition that Greene and her guests looked “disoriented … they looked like they were drunk or under the influence of something.” He also states that a glass crack pipe was found in Greene’s apartment by a man clearing up the wreckage.

    “Of course Ashley was disoriented!” said the source. “She was awoken at 9 a.m. to her house being on fire. Who wouldn’t be?”

    Mayorga said in the deposition that, “The only people I saw getting treated was Ashley Greene, her brother Joe Green, and the current boyfriend, Ryan Phillippe.”

    Phillippe has a sworn declaration saying that he had never been in Greene’s apartment, let alone the night of the fire.

  • Gene Simmons Tells Women to Assume Men Will Abandon Them and Fend For Themselves

    Gene Simmons Tells Women to Assume Men Will Abandon Them and Fend For Themselves

    Gene Simmons may find himself in some hot water with fans after sharing how he really feels about men, women and relationships.

    The KISS singer shared his thoughts in his newly released book Me, Inc.: Build an Army of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win in Life and Business.

    To promote the book, Simmons spoke with Andrea Tantaros of Fox News in an interview Friday and came right out with it — women should assume men will abandon them and need to take care of themselves financially.

    “This is a very complex and difficult question to answer so I’m going to put it as simply as possible. Women: Stop depending on men. It’s as simple as that. Imagine there are no men in life,” Simmons said. “Find out that thing that you’re good for that makes the money and then get married and or have children from a position of strength.”

    Tantaros asked Simmons about his wife Shannon Tweed, who the rocker finally married in 2011 after having children and spending 28 years together.

    “You had the blessing of a woman who stuck by you, who raised your children,” Tantaros said. “I read this and I thought, wait a minute, he’s telling me to be selfish and put myself first but at the same time, he regrets those decisions to be selfish.”

    Simmons said he should have married her earlier, but chalks it up to his selfishness.

    “It is a massive failing for me that I didn’t recognize the purity and sanctity of love,” Simmons said. “Why I didn’t marry Shannon when I first met her and dropped head over heels with her is the stupidity and arrogance and selfishness of man.”

  • Anne Hathaway Recalls Her First (Awkward) Encounter With Matthew McConaughey

    Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey’s first meeting was a little on the embarrassing side for the Les Misérables actress.

    At a recent tribute to McConaughey, Hathaway shared with the audience her awkward first encounter with her good friend.

    According to Hathaway, 31, after an invitation was extended from McConaughey to a party he was throwing at his home, she and husband Adam Shulman showed up for the party just a little late.

    “Matthew goes, ‘Yeah, you gotta come in,’” Hathaway recalled. “Matthew turns around, again (with) a smile and goes, ‘The party was last night’.”

    Of course, the generous McConaughey invited Hathaway and her husband inside for a drink anyway.

    “That glass of wine lead to the first bottle. I stopped counting after four and then I went with you to someone’s surprise birthday party that night…You were so good to me and Adam,” Hathaway said.

    Hathaway and McConaughey worked together on the movie Interstellar, where she said his personality and acting were amazing.

    “I don’t know what to expect, but I meet you and you are present,” Hathaway said. “You seem so cool and you seem so sincere and I walk away and I think, Wow, that guy’s just amazing.”

    McConaughey seems to be a pretty chill guy, and it looks like some of that may may have rubbed off on Hathaway, who recently decided to pose topless for the November 2014 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

    The notoriously high-strung actress told the magazine she is learning to let negative feelings go.

    “For a long time I was afraid of the harsh things people would say about me, but I might as well be happy,” she said.

    Hathaway said more good things about her friend to the magazine, saying he is “the most daring man” she knows primarily because “he never judged himself along the way and it’s all come together for him.”

  • Ginnifer Goodwin Dishes on Being a New Mom — in Real Life and on ‘Once Upon a Time’

    Ginnifer Goodwin is a new mom in both real life and as Mary Margaret on her show, Once Upon a Time, and finds that her real life is truly mirroring her fictional life.

    She and husband — and OUAT co-star — Josh Dallas welcomed their son, Oliver, in May. Their on-screen counterparts, Mary Margaret and David, also welcomed a baby named Neal late last season.

    “I haven’t started acting yet this year,” Goodwin told reporters recently. “I just show up exhausted and have to be exhausted Mary Margaret.”

    She said the writers and producers ask, “’How are you?’ I’m like, ‘I’m tired.’ And they’re like, ‘We have a great episode for you coming up.’”

    The 36-year-old said her new mom skills also help her distinguish between the eight babies used to play her son Neal on OUAT.

    “That’s a new mom quality I have,” Goodwin said. “I used to be like, ‘babies look like babies.’ And now that I have a baby, I’m like, how does the audience not notice that in every shot, this is a different kid?”

    Goodwin also commented on Mary Margaret’s insecurities as a new parent.

    “She believes that she needs to be like this ridiculously, unrealistically perfect, multi-tasking mayor mother… she’s also scared to ask for help.”

    Typical for someone with a Snow White complex. After all, did Snow White ever ask the dwarves for help?

    Once Upon a Time airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

  • John Denver: the Late ‘Rocky Mountain High’ Singer Receives Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

    John Denver, the singer who brought the world songs like Rocky Mountain High, received a star posthumously Friday on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

    The Sunshine on My Shoulders singer received the walk’s 2,531st star 17 years after his death.

    “We are proud to honor one of America’s singing icons who has been missed for many years. Luckily for us we have his amazing music to remember him by,” said Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Leron Gubler.

    Denver’s son, Zak Deutschendorf, and daughter, Jesse Belle Denver, attended the unveiling.

    Denver rose to fame in the 1970s with a series of Colorado-inspired songs that included Thank God I’m a Country Boy and Annie’s Song.

    He died in a 1997 plane crash at the age of 53.

    Friday’s unveiling came in conjunction with the opening of a Hollywood exhibition of photos called Sweet Sweet Life: The Photographic Works of John Denver, which will be on display at Hollywood’s Substrate Gallery through November.

    “Throughout his lifetime, Denver captured thousands of images as he traveled across the globe, spreading his message of peace, love, and conservation. Through his mastery of composition, lighting, and the decisive moment, Denver became an accomplished photographer,” said the singer’s website, JohnDenver.com.

    The ceremony also comes as RCA/Legacy Recordings prepares to release a new box set of Denver’s work called All of My Memories: The John Denver Collection, which includes 90 songs that span his entire career. The four-disc set will be in stores on Nov. 4.

  • Tara Lipinski, Johnny Weir’s Expertise (And Fashion Sense) Land Them Top Figure Skating Spot for NBC

    Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski have been promoted from their secondary roles to become the top figure skating broadcast team for NBC.

    After attracting attention for their rapport and fashion sense at the Sochi Olympics, NBC announced on Wednesday that the duo would be the commentators for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, making the former Olympians TV’s most visible personalities of the games.

    They’ll start their new gig alongside play-by-play announcer Terry Gannon on Sunday during NBC’s telecast of the Skate America competition.

    Weir and Lipinski became an instant sensation in Sochi last winter, when they announced live daytime broadcasts with Gannon on NBC Sports’ cable network. Weir, in particular, drew a large fan-following as many viewers tuned in to see what crazy outfit he would be wearing.

    ”We absolutely cherish this opportunity to bring figure skating to people,” Weir said. ”When we talk it is more like a conversation between us and the audience.”

    The three are replacing Scott Hamilton, Sandra Bezic and Tom Hammond, who were NBC’s lead figure skating announcers at four Olympics starting in 2002.

    Hamilton, a 1984 gold medalist who called three other Winter Olympics for CBS, will remain as a special contributor to NBC at big figure skating events, including the Olympics in South Korea.

    ”We take skating very seriously,” Lipinski said, ”but at the same time you really want to be real about what the sport is. If you call it as you see it, I think that is what the audience likes, and Johnny and I have to keep on that path.”

    After the Olympics, three-time U.S. figure skating champion Weir and 1998 Olympic gold medal-winner Lipinski also became a part of the fashion coverage for the Academy Awards and the Kentucky Derby.

    ”Any additional events are just icing on the cake,” said Lipinski.

  • Megan Fox to Star Opposite James Franco in Film Adaptation of Acclaimed Novel ‘Zeroville’

    Megan Fox has signed on as the female lead in Zeroville, starring opposite James Franco, who is also directing.

    The film is an adaptation of the novel by the same name written by Steve Erickson and follows a film-obsessed man named Ike (Franco), who arrives in Hollywood in 1969 hoping to break in to the business. He arrives at just the right moment — when the industry is taking a turn for the better.

    Fox will play a Hollywood starlet with a sordid past, who becomes the romantic interest and obsession of Franco’s character.

    In the era of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, Ike gets his dream job as a film editor. Through his journey in 1960s Hollywood, he encounters the gambit of stereotypical characters, ranging from former starlets, burglars and political guerrillas to musicians and veteran filmmakers.

    Megan Foxy is the best!

    A photo posted by James Franco (@jamesfrancotv) on

    Also starring are Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Will Ferrell, Jacki Weaver and Horatio Sanz.

    Vince Jolivette of Rabbit Bandini is producing, along with Caroline Aragon, Michael Mendelsohn and Franco.

    Zeroville!!!

    Ein von James Franco (@jamesfrancotv) gepostetes Foto am

    Fox’s most recent role is in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which debuted strong and earned $65.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. The movie was the fourth-highest August opening ever and has grossed $375 million worldwide.

    Other recent film credits for Fox include This Is 40, from Judd Apatow, and Friends With Kids, in which she starred opposite Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig.