WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Lauryn Hill Speaks Out Against Ferguson By Dedicating ‘Sketch’ Version of ‘Black Rage’

    Lauryn Hill is using her music to voice her outrage over the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, through a new “sketch” version of her song Black Rage.

    Since its release, the song has been played more than 85,000 times.

    A take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein song My Favorite Things from the musical The Sound of Music, the remix was dedicated to the protests in Missouri following the fatal police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

    The song describes “all these kinds of things” that lead to unrest similar to that which is erupting in Ferguson in the past few weeks over police brutality.

    “Black rage is founded on draining and draining, threatening your freedom to stop your complaining,” Hill sings. “Poisoning your water while they say it’s raining, then call you mad for complaining, complaining.”

    Hill joins other hip-hop artists who are supporting protesters in Ferguson.

    Rapper Nelly, who hails from St. Louis, joined protesters as they marched, and hip-hop star J. Cole, visited the city and released the song, Be Free, in memory of Brown.

    “As an artist I wanted to put my money where my mouth is,” rapper and activist Talib Kweli told CNN‘s Don Lemon. “I’m supported by the community that’s been brutalized. I have a son that’s Mike Brown’s age.”

  • Mila Kunis: Words From Robin Williams She’ll Treasure Forever

    Mila Kunis had an unforgettable moment with Robin Williams back in the days when she was still just a teenager working with her fiancé, Ashton Kutcher, on That ’70’s Show.

    She later worked with the late actor on the 2013 film, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, but it was that early encounter that she says made a lasting impression on the young girl.

    “So many times you meet people they don’t impact you. You meet them and they’re gracious and they’re nice,” she told Esquire in 2012, “and then there are sometimes when you meet somebody and they say one thing and for the rest of your life you carry that one thing and they don’t even know that they impacted your life.”

    Kunis, 31, told the magazine that her co-star on the sit-com, Kurtwood Smith, was a friend of the Good Will Hunting star. Williams visited the set one day and asked the young actress her name. After introductions, Williams took a moment to share some advice that will remain with her for the rest of her days.

    “He said, ‘Remember this moment. Remember this because things like this don’t happen very often. Remember this time.’ Having somebody of Robin Williams‘ stature tell me to just acknowledge something meant so much,” she said. “He didn’t mentor me. He just said, ‘Step back and appreciate this. You’re having an amazing time.’”

    Years later, when the two worked together in The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, the actress reminded Williams of their encounter and the words she still remembered.

    “He said, ‘It stands true. Today, right now, at this very moment, step back and appreciate it,” she said. “And I went, ‘OK.’”

    So many of us will remember the words of advice from Robin Williams, whether they were his own or whether they came from a movie. Perhaps we didn’t have the same personal encounter that Kunis enjoyed, but we learned from the actor none-the-less. And it is likely Kunis will empart Williams’ advice on her own sweet little baby, who will be here very soon.

  • Katie Holmes Says Acting Dry Spell Had Nothing to Do With Tom Cruise

    Katie Holmes is making a comeback of sorts after a very quiet few years during her marriage to Tom Cruise.

    The Giver actress has four new movies completed and awaiting release, including Miss Meadows and Days and Nights, and it seems she is back stronger than ever.

    Despite speculation, Holmes says the dry spell was just a normal part of the business and had nothing to do with her marriage to the 52-year-old Mission: Impossible actor.

    In an interview with DuJour magazine, the statuesque brunette talked about life after Cruise and her latest acting projects.

    Holmes addressed persistent speculation and questions from DuJour that her divorce from Cruise two years ago “helped to bolster her career,” saying neither her marriage nor her divorce had anything to do with the ups and downs of her career.

    “It’s the life of an actor,” the Dawson’s Creek alum responded. “We don’t really have a lot of choice in the matter. You have dry spells, and then you have times when there is a lot of opportunity.”

    In fact, Holmes said she made the decision to take the time away from Hollywood to enjoy her eight-year-old daughter’s early years.

    “I totally admire women who go back to work six weeks after giving birth but when she was little, I was not ready,” she said. “I was a very nervous mother — like, sleeping next to her crib — and I was in that mode for a long time.”

    Suri‘s mom took a moment to reflect on how maturing has changed her approach to her craft.

    “I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with acting over time,” said the 35-year-old actress. “Early on, I could never get out of my head. I’d be thinking, ‘I have to get the job.’ And even when I had the job, I was afraid that I was going to get fired, or I just had the mentality of, ‘I need to be good enough.’

    “The more projects you do, the older you get, the more life experience you get, you start to understand storytelling better, so you’re a little bit more confident going in. You’re not afraid of getting fired: You just want to contribute.”

    Holmes is currently filming the Simon Curtis-directed film Woman in Gold. She said it was a refreshing choice to star in a film about “a happy married couple, because it’s rare to see that.”

    Holmes says she takes her celebrity status and the inevitability of paparazzi following her every move in stride, and doesn’t change the way she approaches life in New York City.

    “There’s definitely an awareness of the fact that people have camera phones, and that your privacy is sometimes invaded, but that’s something that I think everyone has had to adjust to,” Holmes explained. “Even early on, when I was a young actor and all of a sudden people knew who I was, my dad told me, ‘Don’t let that change how you live your life.’ I’ve always sort of approached it that way. You have to continue to do the things you want to do and not let outside forces dictate.”

  • Mike Ditka on Redskins Name Controversy: ‘It’s So Much Horses**t It’s Incredible’

    ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka has chimed in on the Washington Redskins name controversy.

    The legendary coach’s viewpoint isn’t exactly PC, and he could care less.

    In an interview with Mike Richman of the Redskins Historian website, he made it very clear that he believes the name should, under no circumstances, ever be changed. No matter who it might offend.

    Ditka said those offended by the name are “politically correct idiots” and “liberals who complain about everything” and are “silly” and “asinine.”

    Ditka also said the controversy was “stupid,” “appalling” and “horses**t.”

    “It’s so much [crap] it’s incredible,” said Ditka. “We’re going to let the liberals of the world run this world. It was said out of reverence, out of pride to the American Indian. Even though it was called a Redskin, what are you going to call them, a Brownskin? This is so stupid it’s appalling, and I hope that owner keeps fighting for it and never changes it, because the Redskins are part of an American football history, and it should never be anything but the Washington Redskins.”

    Ditka didn’t stop there.

    “It’s all the political correct idiots in America, that’s all it is,” said Ditka. “It’s got nothing to do with anything else. We’re going to change something because we can. Hey listen, I went through it in the 60s, too. I mean, come on. Everybody lined up, did this. It’s fine to protest. That’s your right, if you don’t like it, protest. You have a right to do that, but to change the name, that’s ridiculous. Change the Constitution—we’ve got people trying to do that, too, and they’re doing a pretty good job.”

    Now that we know how Ditka really feels about the Redskins name controversy. What are your thoughts on Ditka’s comments and the controversy?

  • Simon Cowell Ticks Off The Twitterverse By Predicting One Direction’s Demise

    Simon Cowell has got the Twitterverse in an uproar over his prediction that the British boy band, One Direction, will break up soon.

    Not sure what his beef is with the much-adored band, but he has the well-refined reputation of being a “professional hater” with the power to destroy a musician or a band with one little quip. It’s not hard to forget how the music mogul could squash the dreams of some budding singer on American Idol — and later on X Factor — with one remark.

    Cowell even mocked himself in a brief cameo in Scary Movie 3 as a harsh music critic, which ended with a crowd gunning him down.

    This does come as a shock, however, because the boys in the band owe it all to Cowell. He was the man who put the boy band together on X Factor and started their career.

    Cowell shared his views about a possible breakup to the Daily News.

    “Bands don’t stay together forever,” he reportedly said. “I think they will make at least two more albums together and they are in the middle of one right now. … No, I don’t think that is going to happen for a while. Eventually I am sure they all will.”

    He may have a point, especially with boy bands — New Kids on The Block and N’Sync did only last a few years — and there have been rumors that Harry Styles is working on a solo project.

    When the prediction rumors started circulating on Twitter, fans began to cry out their fury and indignation, using the hashtag #1DtoLiveOnForever.

    The band’s rep released a statement squashing the rumors.

    “There are no plans for Styles to release any solo music at this time, any writing that he is doing is for potential One Direction songs. It’s common knowledge that the boys write separately and bring to each other for the album,” said the rep.

    In July, Styles also addressed rumors of his going solo.

    “I’m 100 percent in this band. I still want to be touring with One Direction in ten years. I’ll be doing it until I’m old and people are telling me to stop.”

  • Nina Dobrev Makes the Ice Bucket Challenge Hot

    Nina Dobrev can make anything she does look hot — even dumping a bucket-load of ice water over her head.

    The Vampire Diaries star is just the latest in a world gone ice-bucket crazy to say yes to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

    You all know the premise. If you accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge — a rather brilliant social media-driven fundraiser that brings awareness to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease — you either dump a bucket of ice water over your head within 24 hours of being challenged, or you donate $100 to ALS, or both. After the challenge is completed, you post the video of the ice dumping to social media, nominating three others to take the challenge, and so on.

    Dobrev took the challenge standing in the sun, on a boat, wearing little more than a skimpy black bikini.

    Told you — Hot.

    You wanna stop reading and start watching, right?

    OK, here are two videos Dobrev posted on her Instagram page:

    In the first post, she captions the video: “Thank you to everyone for challenging me to do the #icebucketchallenge to raise awareness for #ALS and I nominate @juleshough @riawnacapri @derekhough And on behalf of @eli_miz I nominate @caradelevingne”

    She nominated friends Riawna Capri, and Julianne and Derek Hough.

    In the second post, she captions the video: “Challenge accepted. If you’re gonna go in , you gotta go ALLLLLLL in. #ALS”

    Derek quickly responded to Dobrev’s challenge, posting his video on his Instagram, with the caption: “#ALS #icebucketchallenge Had to improvise in my hotel room . I accept @markballas @mariamenounos @ninadobrev and apparently @mistyonpointe challenged me so I guess I better do another one . I’ll have my nominees later.”

    Check out Capri’s unique Ice Bucket Challenge video on her Instagram page, captioned: “#ALS #Challenge #Accepted @ninadobrev, tough act to follow, but I think im right there with ya #countrystyle! #NoYacht #NoMotor #RowBoat thanks again @ilariaurbinati I now nominate @nikkilee901 @kellanlutz @amyschumer (Kellan, we all agree you need to do it with your shirt off, and Amy, you might as well too…) Thank you @morganbeau, creative director, who accidentally completed this challenge while filming and saving my phone from drowning. #shegotmoresoakedthanme”

    No word yet on Derek’s sister, Julianne.

    Ah, that was refreshing.

  • Scott Disick ‘Feeling Good’ After Terrifying Bout With Alcohol Poisoning

    Scott Disick went through a terrifying experience when he was hospitalized in June for alcohol poisoning. Since then, the reality star has been taking steps to live a healthier life.

    The efforts to turn his life around are paying off, Disick revealed to People at a Liquid Sundays event at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. The 31-year-old hosted the event with his unofficial sister-in-law Khloé Kardashian, sipping bottled water and interacting with fans at the VIP area.

    “I’m good,” Disick gushed. “I’ve had ups and downs. Every time you can better yourself it’s a good thing, and a positive thing.”

    Disick’s terrifying hospitalization came just months following the devastating deaths of both his parents, who died within three months of each other. The loss of his parents may have been too much for Disick, who likely succumbed to the numbing comfort of alcohol as a result of that pain.

    Since then, he has reportedly sought help to cope with the losses so he will be around for his pregnant girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian, their four-year-old son, Mason, and their two-year-old daughter, Penelope.

    “I’m excited to just be feeling good and living healthy, eating better, exercising more and doing whatever I can to get by,” said Disick.

    Back in June, Disick promised Kourtney he would stay on the wagon until she gives birth in December, and judging by his behavior at the Liquid Sundays event, he’s keeping to his promise.

    “He held a bottle of water in his hand for the entire party,” a source told Radar Online.

    Despite his positive comments to People and teetotaling behavior, Disick reportedly didn’t seem all that thrilled to be at the Foxwoods event.

    “Khloé was upbeat and friendly, but Scott looked totally and utterly miserable,” the insider claims. “He was not in the mood to talk to anyone, and just seemed so uncomfortable.”

    It’s likely a difficult transition from drinking like a fiend to total sobriety for the party-loving man.

    “The pool party was totally crazy,” the Radar Online insider said. “There was alcohol flowing everywhere! People were falling down drunk, and girls went in trips of two or three to the bathroom.

    “It seems very strange that someone who wants to stay sober for his girlfriend would surround himself with booze and party girls,” the source adds.

    Image via Scott Disick, Twitter

  • Gene Simmons Apologizes for Telling Addicts and The Depressed to Kill Themselves

    Gene Simmons, bassist for the iconic rock group KISS, has issued two apologies for appalling comments made during a recent interview about drug addiction and depression.

    Simmons’ comments came in an interview with Songfacts when he was asked if he still gets along with original KISS members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. His answer is truly dumbfounding.

    “No, I don’t get along with anybody who’s a drug addict and has a dark cloud over their head and sees themselves as a victim,” he said.

    “Drug addicts and alcoholics are always: ‘The world is a harsh place.’ My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don’t want to hear f*** all about ‘the world as a harsh place.’ She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life. And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, ‘I’m depressed, I live in Seattle.’ F*** you, then kill yourself.”

    “I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I’m the guy who says ‘Jump!’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the f*** up, have some dignity and jump! You’ve got the crowd.”

    After his comments made the rounds, the Australian radio group Triple M announced they would ban KISS music on their five radio stations across Australia.

    Simmons responded — just days following the death of Robin Williams to suicide — with a statement on his personal Facebook page:

    “Depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones,” Simmons wrote.

    “I have not commented on various allegations made in the media, but I want to make this statement for the record and to clarify. I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression.

    “I have never sugarcoated my feelings regarding drug use and alcoholics. Somewhere along the line, my intentions in speaking very directly and perhaps politically-incorrectly about drug use and alcoholics have been misconstrued as vile commentary on depression.”

    “Unkind statements about depression was certainly never my intention. And I do not intend to defend myself here and now by listing the myriad charities and self-help organizations I am involved with,” he continued.

    “This is not about me. This is about clearing up misconceptions and being clear. My heart goes out to anyone suffering from depression.”

    Simmons also posted a similar statement on the official KISS Facebook page:

    “I want to make this statement about my views on depression for the record and to clarify my prior remarks,” wrote Simmons.

    “To the extent my comments reported by the media speak of depression, I was wrong and in the spur of the moment made remarks that in hindsight were made without regard for those who truly suffer the struggles of depression. I sincerely apologize to those who were offended by my comments. I recognize that depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones. I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Naya Rivera Channels a Bewitching Pirate in Her Latest Look

    Naya Rivera‘s latest look is a little confusing.

    Is the Glee actress channeling a witch? A pirate? A bewitching pirate? Maybe Stevie Nicks?

    It’s hard to say, but the new Mrs. Ryan Dorsey was snapped strutting down a Los Angeles street with a full-on Halloween-inspired look. Covered from tip to toe in black, the actress donned a floppy hat covering her gorgeous hair, a mini-dress with bell-sleeves and above-the-knee boots.

    Can’t argue she is as beautiful as ever, but the outfit is just a little mystifying.

    The smile on her face in the shot hints at the joy she is experiencing after her July marriage to Dorsey. The couple wed in a secret surprise ceremony just three months after her engagement to rapper Big Sean ended.

    Rivera and Dorsey were good, good friends from the moment of their first meeting in Los Angeles four years ago. Following the breakup with Big Sean, Rivera and Dorsey’s relationship apparently took a different turn, leading to walking down the aisle and saying ‘I do.”

    The couple stepped out for the first time last week as husband and wife for Justin Timberlake‘s The 20/20 Experience World Tour. The evening wasn’t without drama.

    Dorsey had to put his gallant on for his new wife when a photographer decided to say the wrong thing to the singer. As the couple was leaving the Timberlake grounds, a photographer reportedly shouted, “Big Sean hit it first.” Needless to say, Dorsey was not going to let that one slide by and confronted the man.

    “It really pissed Ryan off to where he yelled and swore back at the guy and tried to fight him,” said a source to Us Weekly. “Ryan snapped real quick when he was taunted about Big Sean.”

    Image via Naya Rivera, Instagram

  • Antonio Banderas Parties With a a Bunch of Babes. Rebounding from Melanie Griffith?

    Rebound much?

    Looking a little lecherous, Antonio Banderas was spotted in Saint-Tropez over the weekend partying with a slew of tall, beautiful young women.

    Just two months after splitting from his wife of 18 years, Melanie Griffith, the 54-year-old actor danced the night away Saturday at the nightclub, L’Opéra. One after the other, a flock of females — young ones at that — found themselves in the arms of the Expendables 3 actor.

    In the pics, the Spanish star is seen flirting, smiling, dancing, and pulling woman after woman into his arms, whispering God knows what into their ears. At the end of the evening, Banderas was seen leaving with one particular lady who was clad in a sexy maroon jumpsuit.

    In June, Banderas and Griffith announced they were separating after 18 years of marriage, telling Us Weekly in a joint statement: “We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalize our almost 20-year marriage in a loving and friendly manner honoring and respecting each other, our family, and friends and the beautiful time we have spent together.”

    “There was no cheating on either side,” a source told Us at the time, “They had fallen out of love awhile ago.”

    According to TMZ, the 57-year-old actress asked for spousal support, child support, sole physical and joint legal custody of the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, Stella.

    While Banderas parties on, Griffith is focusing on her work and enjoying life as a single girl.

    “My kids are almost grown. I’m getting divorced. I’m just happy,” she told IndieWire. “I’m really joyful. Life is good.”

    The Working Girl has some great gigs lined up in the months to come, including a role in the reboot of Pippen on Broadway and a gritty role in the new Indie film, Thirst, in which she plays an alcoholic prostitute.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Denzel Washington On Routine Health Detox, Not For Alcohol, Says Rep

    Relax people!

    Crazy rumors have been circulating that Denzel Washington had a wild month of partying, followed by a needed detox treatment from alcohol in a posh detox center. According to the Oscar-winning actor’s publicist, the rumors are absolutely false.

    Yes, he’s detoxing, confirms his rep, but it is a health detox to prepare for work.

    “He does this health cleanse every time he’s about to go back to work and start his conditioning and nutritional program. Always cleans up after the family vacation in prep for work. Nothing new,” his publicist told ET on Monday.

    According to Mail Online, Denzel and his wife, Pauletta, spent the month of July on a yacht, traveling around and eating some of the finest foods.

    Obviously, the actor, like the rest of us, needed to shed some of the vacation weight and return to healthy eating habits following the indulgence of summer vacation.

    Denzel is currently traveling around the world to promote The Equalizer, slated to be released on Sept. 26.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Courteney Cox Thinks Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux Need to Say ‘I Do’ Already

    Courteney Cox allegedly joins the rest of us in thinking it’s been long enough, and Justin Theroux needs to go ahead and marry Jennifer Aniston.

    The Friends alum has reportedly expressed her displeasure that Theroux and Aniston have been engaged for two years and still no wedding bells.

    According to sources for the Independent.ie, Cox has allegedly had her say with her best friend.

    “They didn’t fall out over it and Court seems to have pulled things around with Justin now. She tolerates him and they get on OK, but as far as she’s concerned, he’s on probation,” a source told British magazine, Heat.

    Perhaps Cox just wants her BFF to feel the same excitement she is experiencing as she prepares to tie the knot with Snow Patrol rocker Johnny McDaid later this year in Ireland.

    Maybe Theroux just has a slight case of cold feet.

    “Justin says he does want to get married. It’s just that, whenever Jen asks him for details, there’s always a reason to talk in general terms rather than specifics, such as when it’s going to happen. Jen’s never managed to get to the point where they set a date… He’s totally into the relationship, but is phobic about sealing the deal,” said the source.

    There is little doubt that their schedules don’t help matters. The actor spends most of his time shooting his TV show, The Leftovers , in New York City, while Aniston chills on the west coast in Los Angeles.

    “Justin’s show… is a massive hit. They’ve got no time to get married,” said a source. “The one thing that’s set in stone is their annual New Year’s break in Mexico. The smart money’s on it happening then and there.”

    Despite the separations, the couple still manages to enjoy some romantic getaways together. To celebrate the second anniversary of their engagement and Theroux‘s birthday, they recently flew to Bora Bora, staying at the Four Seasons.

    Could they perhaps have used the romantic trip to scout out wedding locations?

    Kevin Lee, the couple’s wedding planner revealed to Radar Online last month: “Jennifer and Justin are getting married right by the ocean, so it will be a beach meets California modern-chic sort of thing.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Nina Dobrev’s ‘Let’s Be Cops’ Premiere: TVD Cast Shows Up in Support Sans Ian Somerhalder

    Nina Dobrev celebrated the opening of her new comedy, Let’s Be Cops, in the company of her The Vampire Diaries co-stars. One conspicuously missing co-star was Dobrev’s ex, Ian Somerhalder.

    Michael Trevino, who plays Tyler in the series, captured the moment last week on Instagram with the caption, “About to see our girl @ninadobrev new movie Let’s Be Cops! TVD came to represent! #TVD ”

    Zach Roerig (Matt) and Michael Malarkey (Enzo) also joined Trevino to support Dobrev in her new endeavor.

    According to some reports, Somerhalder decided to skip the premiere to avoid unnecessary awkwardness on her big day.

    Back in July, rumors swirled that Somerhalder was not too thrilled that Dobrev would appear topless in the film and thought she shouldn’t have accepted the role.

    Somerhalder was reportedly furious about the topless scene, but since he and Dobrev were still broken up at the time, he couldn’t say anything, according to CelebDirtyLaundry.

    Somerhalder is currently dating Nikki Reed and is apparently thrilled with his new relationship.

    “I couldn’t be happier if I tried,” Somerhalder told E! News at the 2014 Creative Arts Emmys.

    Friends couldn’t agree more.

    “[Nikki and Ian are] smitten with each other and love spending time together,” an insider said.

    A few weeks ago, Somerhalder posted a photo of himself with his new horse and thanked Reed for snapping the shot: “Proud new dad… What amazing creatures they are. Wow. His name is Eagle. Thank you @iamnikkireed for snapping this special moment, with our big baby boy.”

    Let’s Be Cops was released in theaters on Aug. 13.

    Image via Nina Dobrev, Instagram

  • Elizabeth Vargas Returns to Rehab, ABC ‘Squarely Behind Her’

    ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas left her vacation early to enter rehab for alcohol dependency for a second time.

    The 20/20 co-anchor announced the news in an emailed statement Sunday.

    “While on vacation this weekend, I decided to return to a recovery center. As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process,” Vargas said. “I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry.”

    Vargas, 51, apologized for the relapse and said she was committed to addressing her disease.

    “I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry. I am committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease and want to thank everyone who has offered their unwavering support during this trying time,” she said.

    The network said it stands “squarely behind her” and looks forward to her return to work as soon as her health permits.

    “Nothing is more important than Elizabeth’s health and well-being and we stand squarely behind her,” said ABC News rep Julie Townsend in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Elizabeth and her family and we look forward to having her back at ABC News when she feels ready to return.”

    Vargas, who is married to singer Marc Cohn and has two children, spent several weeks in a treatment facility in November. She is apparently going through a divorce with Cohn, who allegedly cheated on her while she was in treatment last fall. They have two young sons.

    Vargas courageously admitted her alcoholism in an interview with Good Morning America‘s George Stephanopoulos in January, saying it took years to admit she battled the disease, calling it a “staggering burden” to carry.

    “I am an alcoholic,” she said. “It took me a long time to admit that to myself. It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am. The amount of energy I expended keeping that secret and keeping this problem hidden from view was exhausting.”

    “Even to admit it to myself was admitting, I thought, that I was a failure,” she said. “You become so isolated with the secret and so lonely, because you can’t tell anyone what’s happening,” she said.

    She said she had suffered panic attacks since she was a child, and wound up self-medicating with alcohol.

    “I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought, by starting to drink,” she said.

    Image via Elizabeth Vargas, Twitter

  • Liam Neeson Hesitated Doing New Film: ‘Might Be Another F***ing Phone Call’ Movie

    Liam Neeson said he hesitated when he received the phone call from Walk Among the Tombstones director Scott Frank, afraid the film might surround “another f**king phone call.”

    One of the actor’s most beloved films is Taken, about a man fighting to save his abducted daughter in Paris. One of his most imitated lines — “I will find you and I will kill you” — comes from Taken during on a phone call with his daughter’s abductors.

    In Walk Among the Tombstones, Neeson plays a private investigator trying to locate an abducted victim. This time, he’s looking for the kidnapped wife of a drug kingpin.

    After hearing the premise of the movie, it’s understandable that Neeson, 62, would have questions about the film.

    “When I first read Scott’s [Scott Frank, director-and-writer] script, I hesitated,” he admitted to Empire magazine. “Because I thought, ‘Here we go, here’s another f**king telephone call, talking to the bad guys.’ So there was this huge question mark before taking it on.”

    Neeson said it wasn’t too much of a stretch for him to slip into the character for the dark film. While the other actors had their own methods to get into that zone, all Neeson had to do was remember the loss of his wife, Natasha Richardson, who tragically died in 2009 following a skiing accident.

    “I knew what was required and I can easily access that kind of darkness, you know,” he said.

    The actor admits that his sons, Micheál and Daniel, are just as obsessed with Taken as the rest of the world.

    “I have recorded a special voicemail [with Taken quotes] so many times for my kids!” he told Australian radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O. “And they have to prompt me on the lines, because I forgot them, which is a little embarrassing!”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bruce Willis, Demi Moore Unite to Save Youngest Daughter Tallulah

    Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have united in trying to help their youngest daughter, Tallulah Willis, by sending her to rehab.

    According to People magazine, Tallulah’s parents were adamant that she seek help.

    “Tallulah was pretty much given an ultimatum,” a family insider told the magazine in its new issue. “Her parents were about to take away everything from her.”

    Tallulah, 20, reportedly has many issues that have friends and family worried. According to Extra, a friend said her parents’ 2000 divorce had “adversely affected” her. She apparently also struggled with Demi’s hospitalization in 2012, following her breakup with Ashton Kutcher.

    “When Demi was hospitalized, Tallulah didn’t show up to school for days because she was too embarrassed,” a former classmate told People. “She was very open about Demi’s issues and would sort of imply, ‘Of course I have issues too, look at my mom.’”

    Tallulah has also had to face a persistent battle with body dysmorphia.

    “I’m diagnosed with body dysmorphia with reading those stupid f**cking tabloids when I was like 13 and feeling like I was ugly, like always,” she told StyleLikeU. “I believed the strangers more than the people who loved me because why would the people who love me be honest? That made me start to dress showing off my boobs and my butt and those things that I was getting attention for. It was like denim short shorts, and push up bras so they were sticking to my neck.”

    Tallulah’s body dysmorphia was accompanied by a dramatic weight loss and constant thoughts that she needed to starve herself in order to feel beautiful.

    “I was trapped in this body,” Tallulah Willis told Page Six. “I started starving myself and losing a bunch of weight and I got down to like 95 pounds. When I lost my curves and when my boobs shriveled up into like nothing and I had no shape, it put me in even more of a cage.”

    According to the Mirror, Tallulah is also battling alcohol and cocaine abuse and is currently seeking help at The Meadows treatment center in Arizona. Just before entering rehab Tallulah tweeted a cryptic message to friends.

  • Jason Aldean Addresses the Haters of His Relationship With Brittany Kerr

    It all started innocently enough.

    On Aug. 10, country singer Jason Aldean posted a cute photo of himself with his mistress turned girlfriend, Brittany Kerr, and their new bulldog, Manny. The photo was accompanied by the caption: “A little surprise for my girl @brittanylkerr tonight. Her favorite pooch @manny_the_frenchie came to my show in Chi-Town tonite. #loveubaby #surprise.”

    However, some fans didn’t seem to appreciate the post, presumably because they still harbor resentment for Aldean cheating on his wife with the former American Idol contestant. Many of his 500,000 Instagram followers wrote some angry comments on the post.

    A frustrated Aldean posted a follow-up photo Aug. 11 to address the haters, with the caption: “So sick of people judging me and @brittanylkerr over things they know nothing about. I have made mistakes but I am a better person because of it, and wouldn’t change a thing. Im happier than i have ever been, so thank u to all the people who support us. We are happy and life goes on. It’s time to move on people. #aldeanarmy #oldnews #timetomoveon.”

    Aldean, 37, filed for divorce from wife Jessica Ussery in 2013. It wasn’t until April 2014 that Aldean and Kerr finally went public together at the CMT Music Awards.


    Kerr posted her own photo of the threesome with the caption, “Tonight!!! One of the best nights of my life! I met @manny_the_frenchie such a sweet little nugget #bestboyfriendintheworld #animallove #chunky #butt.”

    She received a lot of hate-comments, as well.

    At the time of the scandal, Aldean issued a public apology for “screwing up” with the Idol singer.

    “The truth is that I screwed up. I had too much to drink, let the party get out of hand and acted inappropriately at a bar,” he said. “I’m not perfect, and I’m sorry for disappointing you guys.”

    Aldean and Ussery have two daughters together, Keely, 10, and Kendyl, 5. The high school sweethearts were married in 2001.

    Image via Brittany Kerr, Instagram

  • Meryl Streep: Jeff Bridges ‘Managed to Elude Me’ Throughout Her Career, Until Now

    Meryl Streep: Jeff Bridges ‘Managed to Elude Me’ Throughout Her Career, Until Now

    Actress Meryl Streep has several reasons why she chose to play the order-keeping chief elder in the big-screen adaptation of Lois Lowry’s 1993 Newbury Award-winning, young-adult novel The Giver — one of those was the opportunity to work alongside Jeff Bridges.

    “I’d always wanted to work with this gentleman here,” said the Oscar-winning actress at a press conference in New York Tuesday.

    “My entire career, I never got the chance. Somehow, he managed to elude me. So, that was a big, big part of the draw. I am also a big admirer of Phillip’s films,” she continued, referring the the film’s director, Phillip Noyce. “I think he is a pure, pure filmmaker with great taste and I knew, to bring this to life, especially the colorless parts of it, it would take a great artist.”

    Another reason for wanting to do the movie is her connection to the book through her children. Streep said the two youngest of her four children read Lowry’s book when they were in elementary school.

    “They had a list of required reading over the summer and it was always…,” Streep stopped mid-sentence to make the sound of a whip cracking, “… to get them to do it. That’s one of my parenting methods. But that [book] was put in front of them and they devoured it.”

    Streep, 65, said the role provided a unique challenge in her acting repertoire.

    “It’s an interesting thing to play — someone who has suppressed emotion, but I felt that the chief elder didn’t take her medication, as well, on certain days,” she said, referring to the hero’s refusal to ingest daily drugs that block emotions and memories.

    “Do you know what I mean? Like, we all skip, probably. Because, clearly, she had some deep history with the Giver,” she said of Bridges’ character. “And I think that was something that intrigued me about the script. But I think that is sort of the point of the book. You can’t keep things in. You can’t suppress the things that make us human and it is pointless to try.”

    Streep had one other important reason for deciding on the role.

    “Well, I like to be boss, so that was a good thing,” the three-time Oscar-winner said.

    Katie Holmes, Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites and Odeya Rush also star in The Giver, which opened nationwide Friday.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Elin Nordegren, Tiger’s Ex, Back On The Market After Splitting With Billionaire Boyfriend

    Looks like Elin Nordegren is back on the market again.

    Tiger Woods’ ex-wife reportedly broke up with her billionaire boyfriend, 56-year-old coal tycoon Chris Cline, after one year together. Their courtship marked the first serious relationship for the Swedish model since divorcing the pro-golfer in 2010, a source told Us Weekly.

    Friends say the two split after they “drifted apart.”

    “They didn’t spend enough time together. He has a thriving business and has been traveling a lot,” a source told Page Six.

    Following the split, Nordegren headed to the Hampton’s with some girlfriends with plans to hang out on the beach, go shopping and dine out.

    Woods and Nordegren divorced after the golfer reportedly indulged in a series of extra-marital affairs.

    As for Woods and his relationship with Olympic skier, Lindsay Vonn, they seem to be going full steam ahead.

    Despite the divorce, Woods and Nordegren enjoy an amicable relationship based on their mutual love for their children — daughter Sam, six, and son Charlie, five.

    “My relationship with Tiger is centered around our children and we are doing really good — we really are — and I am so happy that this is the case. He is a great father,” she told People in May.

    That’s not to say their divorce didn’t leave some resentment for 34-year-old Nordegren, especially immediately following the news of his infidelity. However, the newly-single beauty says working through their difficulties to arrive at a working relationship was a necessity for the kids’ sake.

    “In the beginning, you tamp down the animosity for the kids’ sake,” she says. “I’m not going to deny that I went through the wringer. But I don’t think I doubted we’d end up here. That was always my dream, that the kids can have two loving parents that show respect for each other. And I feel that’s what they have.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Susan Schneider and Robin Williams: Minister Remembers Their Wedding Day

    The minister who married Robin Williams and his third wife Susan Schneider talked about their beautiful wedding day, recalling Williams’s great love for his new wife.

    The Rev. Peader Dalton told the Daily Mail Online that he first met Williams at a funeral.

    The Irish minister – who is not affiliated to any particular faith — told MailOnline: “Robin and his lovely wife Susan first came into my life about seven years ago. The parents of a young man who worked for Robin on his properties had both died in a tragic car accident and I was officiating the memorial service.

    “He said he was particularly touched with my analogy of death being similar to birth,” recalled Dalton. “I had said that when a baby is born they don’t know what they are being born into – but they are being born into a fuller experience of life and love with their families. Death is the same – in my opinion we are not dying – we’re born into another experience that is greater than ourselves and that is an extension of what it is to love and be loved. He was very taken by this analogy and we talked about it for about 10 minutes – just the two of us.”

    Williams was raised in a Christian home, albeit from different denominations — his father was an Episcopalian and his mother was a Christian Scientist. As for Williams, he was never very forthcoming about his own faith, but Dalton believes Williams embraced Christianity.

    “You get a real strong sense of God when you go through rehab,” said Dalton.

    Williams never forgot the minister and asked him to officiate his 2011 wedding to Schneider at Meadowood resort in Napa Valley, California.

    “The wedding day was very beautiful – they were very much in love and very quiet. Both Robin and Susan were very actively involved with the preparation of the ceremony,” said Dalton. “I like couples to be in the driving seat when it comes to the ceremony and I encourage them to write their own vows and decide how they want the ceremony to be. I remember that Robin was very involved – he didn’t just sit there and nod his head. He had a special request to honor his mother and brother, who had passed away, by having a beautiful prayer – the prayer of St Francis read out. They both wanted to make sure their children were involved too – Robin’s three children and Susan’s two young boys, and were very appreciative that I made that happen.”

    Dalton — who currently lives with his wife, Margarita, in Sonoma, California — said the intimate wedding was attended by mostly family and close friends.

    “Robin and Susan created their own vows,” he recalls. ‘It was a lovely gathering with people mingling and jingling with each other. They also invited my wife and I to stay for the wedding dinner which was very lovely of them. Usually we just leave 20 minutes or so after the ceremony.”

    Like the rest of the world, Dalton was shocked by the sudden death of Williams and the subsequent news that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

    “I know that for me and rest of the community round here it came as a shock,” he said. “I have no idea how Robin responded to being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I know it can mean having a horrible last 15 to 20 years of life and if you have other things going on in your life such as depression it may be harder to process it. It could have been an exacerbating factor in his death but we’ll never know. I personally believe Robin has died as a result of depression.”

    Dalton acknowledges Williams‘s suicide leaves the world with many questions.

    “The great puzzle with the tragic way in which Robin died is how can a person do that to their wife and children? This was a couple that were absolutely in tune with each other – not in a mushy way – just in a very lovely way,” he said. “But you have to remember that depression hits the inner layer of our hearts. When someone is in that world – it’s difficult to see out. People describe it as feeling imprisoned in a dark room with no switch – and in that situation it’s so difficult to think of others. It’s legitimate for his wife and family and indeed others to ask why he did this.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales Meet Savannah Guthrie’s Beautiful Baby Girl

    Savannah Guthrie and her beautiful baby girl, Vale, enjoyed a visit Thursday from Guthrie’s Today show colleagues Matt Lauer and Natalie Morales.

    The ecstatic new mom and husband Mike Feldman welcomed baby Vale on Wednesday, just days after she started her maternity leave from the NBC morning show.

    On Friday, Guthrie called into the show to share with viewers how her days as a new mama are going, and even though the host is used to getting up very early for the morning show, she said she was finding sleep hard to come by.

    “They actually had to give me a little sleeping medicine so I would calm down,” confessed Guthrie, saying she only slept about an hour in two days. “Actually, last night I got a good night’s sleep for the first time. Vale slept like the true cherubic baby that she is—the little angel baby.”


    When asked how her husband is faring as a new dad, Guthrie said with a laugh: “You know how fussy he gets! I’ve gotta put him down for his nap or he’s so cranky.”

    Guthrie, who didn’t find out the gender before the birth, said she really thought she was having a boy, so the couple didn’t have many girl names picked out.

    “I really was shocked when they said, ‘It’s a girl!’” In fact, she said, “We had a few names on the girl list, but we had not really settled on one at all.”

    They decided on Vale, an English name, which means, “lives in the valley” and is generally a boy’s name.

    “It’s unique but not kooky,” she said of the moniker.


    Guthrie, 42, said her life is “so different” now that she is a mother.

    “I feel like life just started. Honestly, I just can’t get over the joy that she brings,” she said. “It’s kind of inexpressible.” Immediately following the birth, Guthrie said she “cried and cried” and “didn’t even recognize” the sounds she was making. “It was just like this joy explosion.”

    “We just cry spontaneously because we love her so much and we’re so happy. So I’m a big ball of mush,” said the emotional mom.

    Vale has even received a few marriage proposals on Twitter. Guthrie joked in response, “Any applicant, we’ve gotta get him through the full Matt Lauer screening process.”

    Image via Savannah Guthrie, Instagram