December 31,2008

There will be no "Welcome Matt" update tomorrow. So...Happy New Year!!

Every network will be welcoming 2009 with their own special countdown show, most of the live from New York City. The good thing about all the shows is all the musical guests you can see. Check out a complete rundown of who is performing where and when:

--NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly will feature performances by STAR Artist Katy Perry, T.I., Ludacris and the Ting Tings, as well as a performance by Elton John, live via satellite, from his concert at London's O2 arena.

--On Fox's New Year's Eve Live, STAR Artists David Cook & Daughtry plus Lynyrd Skynyrd and former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland will all be seen performing in Las Vegas. There will also be a death-defying motorcycle jump by Robbie Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel.

--MTV presents A Miley-Sized Surprise: New Year's Eve 2009, which features Miley Cyrus hosting the show from a fan's bedroom, as well as the gym of a California high school. Also look for performances from Metro Station, Kevin Rudolf, All Time Low and The Academy Is. The Veronicas host from MTV's Times Square studios.

--CNN's Live New Year's Eve, with hosts Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin, promises performances from Lil Wayne, STAR Artists 3 Doors Down, Hinder, Lynyrd Skynyrd and My Morning Jacket.

25 films are being added to the National Film Registry, which is a database designed to preserve movies of historical or cultural significance. Among the new additions: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, 1967’s In Cold Blood and 1972’s Deliverance. Check out what other movies were deemed important, the full list of additions is here:

* The Asphalt Jungle, 1950
* Deliverance, 1972
* Disneyland Dream, 1956
* A Face in the Crowd, 1957
* Flower Drum Song, 1961
* Foolish Wives, 1922
* Free Radicals, 1979
* Hallelujah, 1929
* In Cold Blood, 1967
* The Invisible Man, 1933
* Johnny Guitar, 1954
* The Killers, 1946
* The March, 1964
* No Lies, 1973
* On the Bowery, 1957
* One Week, 1920
* The Pawnbroker, 1965
* The Perils of Pauline, 1914
* Sergeant York, 1941
* The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, 1958
* So's Your Old Man, 1926
* George Stevens WW2 Footage, 1943-46
* The Terminator, 1984
* Water and Power, 1989
* White Fawn's Devotion, 1910

How will STAR Artist Jordin Sparks be spending her New Year's Eve? Right next to my hometown actually, in Naperville, Illinois, serving as a bridesmaid in the wedding of Gina Glocksen, her fellow American Idol season six finalist. Another season six finalist, Haley Scarnato, will also be a bridesmaid at the ceremony. By the way, Jordin plans to sing at the wedding, and so does Gina.

From hospitalizations to #1 hits, 2008 was a year of ups and downs for Britney Spears, but it helped keep her in the news all year. As a result, she's now topped USA Today's annual Celebrity Heat Index, which measures celebrites' exposure in various entertainment news sources throughout the year. Britney was the #1 most-reported-on celebrity for 11 weeks this year, allowing her to pull ahead of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, who were numbers two, three and four, respectively.

What's the secret to STAR Artist Fergie's success? Would you believe...hypnosis? Fergie told me she regularly sees a therapist, and at least ten minutes of each session is devoted to hypnotherapy, so she can receive, quote, "the power of positive suggestion. If you're in a negative place, it helps you get out of that and empower yourself."

The suspect in the murders of Jennifer Judson’s mother, brother and nephew was formally indicted yesterday. 27-year-old William Balfour, who is Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, made a court appearance in Illinois but did not speak.

Charles Barkley, former NBA star, took a few too many…”shots” last night and was booked for DUI. The arresting officer told me, "He was cooperative and respectful during the entire incident," And speaking of celebrity arrests actor Matt Dillon felt the need for speed. The Vermont State Police felt the need to bust him for it. The Oscar-nominated, and apparently lead-footed, actor was arrested and cited for excessive speeding in Vermont last night after being clocked at 106 mph in a 65 mph zone.

December 30, 2008

What do the two David’s (Cook and Archuleta) say was the best part of their incredible 2008? Can either David even begin to choose a highlight of the year? Well, yes. Both mention the American Idol tour as one of their greatest experiences of the past year -- especially Cook, who got off on the fact that he played two sold-out shows in his Kansas City hometown to an audience that included former girlfriends and people who said he'd never amount to anything. For Archie, actually being offered a record deal just hours after he lost the competition pretty much blew him away. He says, "It was just like, 'Whoah!'...it's really crazy to see how much has happened this year that I wasn't expecting to happen." I know, David Archuleta said “Whoah.” Shocking :)

Big news coming out late yesterday – Sarah Palin’s 18 year-old daughter Bristol has welcomed a baby son with her boyfriend Levi Johnston. The baby came into the world Saturday at 7 pounds, 4 ounces. It’s name? Yes, just as peculiar as Bristol, Piper, Willow or Trig. The new son’s name is Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. According to a family member, "The baby is fine, and Bristol is doing well. Everyone is excited."

Speaking of babies...
Tom Cruise wants to have more kids with Katie Holmes. How many more? How about seven? He told me, "I want ten children. I love kids. I feel really fortunate to have the teenagers and a two-and-a-half-year-old. It's a great dynamic." He also told me he’s done talking publicly about Scientology. “That's it, no more - go to the Scientology website."

Speaking of even MORE babies...
Angelina Jolie has reportedly been told she should not have any more biological babies for health reasons. However, it's doubtful such a threat will deter the paparazzi from stalking her belly.

Woody Harrelson tied the knot with Laura Louie, his girlfriend of 20 years, in Maui on Sunday. Congrats you two!

Kate Winslet isn't afraid to show skin on the big screen, Titanic being one example. She currently appears nude in the drama The Reader, which is playing in limited release. Kate told me nudity sometimes is part of an actor's job description, but she adds that she's only naked in the first third of the movie. In the movie she plays a former SS officer who has an affair with a 15-year-old boy in 1950s Germany. Ralph Fiennes also stars in the movie.

STAR Artist Timbaland's new CD “Shock Value 2” will reportedly hit stores February 14th. According to sources, the first single, "Meltdown," features STAR Artists Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake, and will be released next week. The other guest stars who are reported to be included on the album are The Jonas Brothers, Usher, Keri Hilson, STAR Artist Jordin Sparks, Madonna, Rihanna, T.I., Linkin Park, Jay-Z and Akon.

I would imagine there’s not a lot of stuff that makes STAR Artist U2’s Bono nervous. He’s been lots of places, seen lots of terrible things, helped impoverished nations… But he recently told me he’s shaking in his boots about one specific thing in his life: U2’s new CD. The guys in U2 still worry whether or not people are going to like their music, "Sure, you're always nervous, but we've gone at it as if it was our first." Bono added that, with this new CD, U2 is, "going after the younger audience this time."

Amazon.com has released its year-end list of the best-selling products of 2008, and it's no surprise that STAR Artist Coldplay’s album "Viva La Vida" was the online retailer's top-selling music item of the year.

December 29, 2008

Here's your Complete Box-Office Recap:

1. Marley & Me, $37 million
2. Bedtime Stories, $28.1 million
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, $27 million
4. Valkyrie, $21.5 million
5. Yes Man, $16.5 million
6. Seven Pounds, $13.4 million
7. The Tale of Despereaux, $9.4 million
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still, $7.9 million
9. The Spirit, $6.5 million
10. Doubt, $5.7 million

STAR Artist Taylor Swift’s new CD “Fearless” is still number one on the charts. It has sold nearly 2 million copies in just 6 weeks. That’s all fine and dandy but Taylor elicited quite a scare last week. She was photographed with bangs and her hair pulled back. She got quite a few messages from friends and so she had to announce, “Please don’t panic. I didn’t cut my hair.”

Tina Fey was definitely all over the place in 2008 and AFI has voted her among their “Moments of Significance” thanks to her Sarah Palin impression and her work on 30 Rock. Here's the rest of the list:

*The release of the movie Slumdog Millionaire about an orphan competing on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

* "Age of Anxiety" as Business Models for the Arts Evolve, recognizing video website Hulu.com and Jay Leno's impending move to primetime on NBC.

* Dr. Horrible Operates in Explosion of Short Form, recognizing Joss Whedon's online musical starring Neil Patrick Harris.

* Film Critics Lose Voice, recognizing the decline of full-time film critics in the media.

* Television and New Technologies Provide a Global Oracle for America's Presidential Race

* NBC Coverage of Summer Olympics Brings the World Together

* Independent Film Artists Face Distribution Crisis

Another Hilton was hit by a burglar last week. Steve Hilton, philanthropist, heir, and uncle of Paris, called 911 reporting a break-in at his Malibu home. Unfortunately, while he made the call, the burglars got away. Fortunately they left empty handed.

Eartha Kitt, who played Catwoman in the TV version of Batman and sung the Christmas classic, “Santa Baby,” passed away on Christmas Day of colon cancer at the age of 81.

STAR Artist Ashlee Simpson and her husband, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, promised they wouldn’t sell pictures of their new baby boy, Bronx. And they stayed true to their word. They unveiled the first photo of Bronx over the weekend:


It’s rumored that American Idol finalist and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is planning a tribute to her late mother for the Grammy Awards in February. You remember Jennifer’s mother, brother and newphew were found murdered back in October – truly tragic. To honor them, a source tells me Jennifer will perform a new gospel song at the show.

She's a guru on screen, but Oprah is clueless on the road! She loves to drive her white Bentley convertible around California and has gone to the same 76 station for years. A friend tells me, "She usually tips the serviceman $100 to fill her up." But, one day, Oprah decided to try it out herself, but she couldn't find the tank! "She had to be shown how to use the pump too." At 54, she's still got a lot to learn!

STAR Artist OneRepublic plans to hit the studio in February to start working on their next album. The band tells me the three new songs they’ve written so far are more mature, “We're not so sad and desperate and frustrated about girls....we've grown up.”

STAR Artist Leona Lewis had an epic 2008 but what was the highlight for her? Performing in the closing ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page backing her up. “He's an absolute legend, and just the nicest, nicest guy...I was just in awe of him.”

December 23, 2008

STAR Artist Gavin Rossdale is one of the many artists performing on CBS’s Home for the Holidays tonight which raises awareness of the importance of foster care and adoption. Melissa Etheridge, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Jamie Foxx will also be making appearances. That’s tonight at 7 p.m. on CBS.

It’s official: STAR Artist Madonna’s “Sticky & Sweet Tour” is now the highest grossing tour ever by a solo artist. When her show wrapped on Sunday, the tour had pulled in $280 million in ticket sales over 58 concerts. And though Madonna and Guy Ritchie are officially splitsville, they’ll be spending Christmas together with their kids and to celebrate the holidays, Madonna has spent some of her mega-millions on some very expensive drinks. She bought 25 bottles of wine laced with 24-karat silver. The bill on that? $7,400. And yes, real silver in the wine. And you thought passing a kidney stone was bad?...

Last week, Scarlett Johansson had a head cold when she was on with Jay Leno. She blew her nose into a Kleenex. They sold it on eBay…for $5,300! All the money went to charity. And I thought we were in a recession…

Paris Hilton tells me she's devastated about losing more than $2 million worth of jewelry after a break-in at her home I told you about yesterday. "I cannot believe someone broke into my home. They took items that had such sentimental value that no one will ever be able to replace. I'm just thankful that I wasn't there when it happened." An insider tells me the surveillance video shows a thief who appears to know where he was going, "like he's been there before." Paris has now increased her security team to three 24-hour bodyguards. Good luck finding the guy who broke into Paris' home. The thief looked "like he's been there before." Authorities need to trim the list of suspects down from the entire male population on Earth.

6 months from now, on a stage far, far away, George Lucas tried to milk the Star Wars franchise for another million and has given his approval for Star Wars: A Musical Journey. Producers in England are developing a stage production based on the Star Wars saga that will feature dancing storm troopers, singing wookies and the Royal Philharmonic. It debuts April 10th in England before heading to the rest of Europe. No word on any U.S. dates. Hey, I’m a hug Star Wars nerd and even here I say…God help us all.

What better way to celebrate your birthday than to dress up as a violent criminal? That's what STAR Artist Christina Aguilera did last Thursday night, when she threw a Clockwork Orange-themed party in Beverly Hills to mark her 28th birthday.

STAR Artist Jason Mraz has posted a hilarious video Christmas greet at his website where he also sings a deliberately-cheesy song called “Merry Holidays.” Check it out here!

December 22, 2008

Here's your Complete Box-Office Recap:

1. Yes Man, $18.2 million
2. Seven Pounds, $16 million
3. The Tale of Despereaux, $10.5 million
4. The Day the Earth Stood Still, $10.2 million
5. Four Christmases, $7.7 million
6. Twilight, $5.2 million
7. Bolt, $4.3 million
8. Slumdog Millionaire, $3.2 million
9. Australia, $2.3 million
10. Quantum of Solace, $2.2 million

Rumors abound that STAR Artist Janet Jackson is pregnant. Her boyfriend Jermaine Dupri tells me, no, that’s not true at all. He also told me Janet is just a very private person which is why she herself has not made a statement. Well good. Janet isn’t pregnant. Which is actually a relief because we don’t need any more Jacksons…ever.

Police in Los Angeles continue to investigate the robbery of Paris Hilton’s home after it was broken into on Friday. It left her bedroom in shambles, not like it usually is, and resulted in about $2 million in missing jewelry. Now, there were witnesses to the break-in. A man in a dark hooded sweatshirt and gloves went in the house through an unlocked door. Neighbors didn’t call the cops because they see a man leave Paris’ house every 2 hours.

Lord Richard Attenborough, the British filmmaker who won an Academy Award for directing Gandhi and starred as the entrepreneur who creates a dinosaur attraction in the movie Jurassic Park, has awakened from a coma following a fall at his home last week. He remains in stable condition at a London hospital.

The adoption of another child was reportedly a sore subject in Madonna and Guy Ritchie's marriage, but with their divorce comes news that she's ready to add another kid to her family. I’m hearing reports Madonna has already signed papers to adopt a little girl from Malawi and hopes to bring the child home "early next year." Hey! Alex Rodriguez! Get out while you still can!

STAR Artist Daughtry will be performing with fellow American Idol alum, STAR Artist David Cook on Fox’s New Year’s Eve Live special. They’ll be performing “Home” but it’ll most likely be pre-recorded but hey, so is David Cook’s performance.

These days, artists make as much money endorsing products as they do selling albums or touring, but STAR Artist Colbie Caillat is one star who has, so far, turned down big-bucks offers to shill for various products, including Neutrogena. She told me, "It's tempting, but I'm not sure what direction I want to go in. If you pick one product, you're stuck with that." So what product would she like to sell if she had to, "I love Steve Madden shoes." Colbie did her final show of 2008 on Friday. Next up for her is a trip to Hawaii, where she'll work on material for her next album.

December 18, 2008

American Idol season eight is about to start up in January, but what does Simon Cowell think about what the previous season's stars, STAR Artists David Cook and David Archuleta, have been up to? Simon tells me he’s happy about both Davids' chart success. "The whole point of American Idol is that you're giving talented people an opportunity. So when you see these guys selling records, it makes the whole process worthwhile." Simon says he's "optimistic" about both guys' careers, saying they're smart and seem to know in what direction they'd like to go.

Did you see Jennifer Aniston on the cover of GQ magazine this month? Look at it... Yep, that got some people’s attention (and by people I may mean me). It definitely caught eye of naked-girl expert Hugh Heffner who said “This looks like the cover of Playboy. I’m much impressed by Jennifer. Is it me or is Jennifer getting hotter?” Is it me or is Hugh Heffner just a dirty old man? And here's Jennifer on The Late Show with David Letterman last night. She even had a special present for him!

Most bands arrive at their concerts by limo, or at least in their tour bus. But not STAR Artist Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Chris took the subway to Coldplay's gig on Monday night. "I like getting to Tube sometimes...you get charged up from the atmosphere. No one recognized me. I just bought a paper and kept my head down and got off with everyone else." Unfortunately, Chris' attempt at going incognito worked too well. He added that when he got to the venue, quote, "Security stopped me at the door and I had to explain who I was. That was a bit embarrassing."

This is why I’ll always like Will Smith, no matter what crappy movies he does (*cough*Hancock*cough*). Will’s recently released tax returns show he donated more than $1.3 million to various religious and civic organizations in the last year.

STAR Artist Taylor Swift just reclaimed the top spot on the Billboard charts. Her album “Fearless” has now sold more than a million and a half copies.

Evidently STAR Artist Katy Perry is NOT engaged. Oh really? Who said that? Oh, she did? Ok. Never mind then.

December 17, 2008

Last night, Tom Cruise took over the Top Ten list on The Late Show with David Letterman. The topic? The Top Ten Craziest Things Said About Tom Cruise on the Internet. Check out the video:

STAR Artist Madonna and Guy Ritchie have issued a joint-statement regarding the recently reported divorce settlement figures.

"We have tried to maintain a dignified silence regarding the details of our divorce for the last few months whilst accepting the obvious media interest. A misleading and inaccurate statement, specifically in relation to the sums of money involved, was wrongly issued this week. The financial details of the settlement will remain private, save to say that both of us are happy with our agreement. Our primary concern, like any co-parents, is the care and well-being of our children.”

The Muppets get into the Christmas spirit with a new special on NBC called A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. In this one, Kermit and the gang set out for the North Pole to deliver misplaced letters to Santa. 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski, Uma Thurman and Nathan Lane also star in what will be a great family must-watch. That’s tonight at 7 on NBC.

Is STAR Artist Katy Perry engaged? Rumor has it her boyfriend proposed to her in Paris by hiding a huge ring in his mouth. Wait…wha? Is that right?… Well, apparently so. When I asked her rep about it all I got was a “No comment,” so standby for a confirmation.

When you're a member of Hollywood's first family, you'd think Christmas would be a big spectacle, but you'd be wrong. Brad Pitt tells me the six kids he has with Angelina Jolie don't ask for fancy presents because they don't watch a lot of television and never get the chance to see commercials. Instead, Brad says, "We have gifts, but we try to keep the money spent to a minimum. The rule is that everyone's got to make something for someone else, you got to put time into it." Just wait ‘til the kids grow up and realize mommy and daddy make millions and all they got for Christmas was a hat made out of construction paper and glitter.

Well I’m super excited that STAR Artist No Doubt has decided to get back together for a new album and tour, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a while for that new CD. They’ll work on the new stuff while on tour in spring of 2009 and then it looks like the album won’t hit stores ‘til 2010.

STAR Artist Jason Mraz has found a good match. He’ll open for the Dave Matthews Band at their two shows in Las Vegas in May.

December 16, 2008

As I mentioned yesterday on the air, don't believe those reports that Guy Ritchie is walking away from his marriage to STAR Artist Madonna without a penny. Madonna's spokesperson told me that the couple's divorce settlement will have Madonna paying Guy somewhere in the range of $76 to $92 million.

How did STAR Artist Taylor Swift celebrate her 19th birthday over the weekend? Not poppin’ bottles of Cristal and partying in a Vegas nightclub. She celebrated at her home in Tennessee with about 40 friends and a menu consisting of sushi, mini beef Wellingtons and bacon-wrapped scallops. For dessert: two ice cream cakes (one chocolate peppermint and one cookie dough) were served along with Taylor’s favorite dessert, s’mores. She actually didn’t sing at the party but showed off a home video she made of her and her friends. And then there was the wild, crazy and out of control…ping-pong tournament.

I’m always excited to bring you details on new CDs from STAR Artists, especially when it’s one of my favorites: The Fray. Their new CD is out February 3rd and lead singer Isaac tells me it’s “a little more extreme than the last album.” By that he means the quieter stuff is quieter and the harder stuff is harder. Here’s the track listing for the album:

"Syndicate"
"Absolute"
"You Found Me"
"Say When"
"Never Say Never"
"Where the Story Ends"
"Enough for Now"
"Ungodly Hour"
"We Build Then We Break"
"Happiness"

Mamma’s Boy, the new reality TV show kinda like the bachelor but with moms watching over their son’s choices, premieres tonight. Are you gonna be watching this? Thirty-two women will try to win over three bachelors...and their mothers. The show has already generated some buzz because of one of the mothers on the show, who has declared she doesn't want her son to date an African-American woman or a Jewish woman. Ryan Seacrest, a producer of the show, admits the show is controversial, "It is not a soft dating show. It is not a sweet, perfect dating show. It's loud and it should get people talking." Check it out. NBC at 9 p.m.

Actor Peter Falk, best known for his role as Columbo, is in need of day-to-day assistance, according to his daughter, who says he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. She has filed legal documents in a Los Angeles court, requesting a conservatorship for her dad because he needs full-time care and can, "easily be deceived into transferring away property." A hearing is scheduled for next month.

It's safe to say that Freddie Prinze Jr. isn't a box office draw anymore. His animated fantasy film Delgo, which also features the voices of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kelly Ripa and debuted last Friday, earned just $511,920 over the weekend. That's a new record for worst opening for a movie playing at over two thousand locations (average earnings of around $250 per theater). To put this into perspective, the Golden Globe-nominated drama Doubt was playing at only 15 locations, and made over 507 thousand dollars. So that’s pretty bad. Now, imagine how badly it would've done if Kevin Costner was in it.

December 15, 2008

Tom Cruise came back to The Today Show to sit down with Matt Lauer, 3 years after a…not-so-pleasant interview where Tom called Matt “glib” and psychiatry “pseudo-science.” So, how did it go? See for yourself:


As I mentioned, I went and saw The Day The Earth Stood Still this weekend, the remake of the 50s classic, this time starring Keanu Reeves. And as I also mentioned, I did not like it. Which rarely happens. The only thing I did like in the movie was Keanu. And again, that rarely happens. But that obviously didn’t stop the movie from being number one at the box office. Here's your Box-Office Recap:

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still, $31 million
2. Four Christmases, $13.3 million
3. Twilight, $8 million
4. Bolt, $7.5 million
5. Australia, $4.3 million
6. Quantum of Solace, $3.8 million
7. Nothing Like the Holidays, $3.5 million
8. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $3.3 million
9. Milk, $2.6 million
10. Transporter 3, $2.3 million

Amy Poehler made her farewell appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, telling the cast and audience that she'd miss them. Amy had gone on hiatus after giving birth to a son in October, returned to SNL for the second time in as many weeks, co-anchoring "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers. Watch Amy’s farewell:


Who was the hottest star of 2008? Well, if you go by which star Entertainment Tonight covered the most in the past year, it's none other than...Britney Spears. Britney tops ET's Hot List 2008, and it's no wonder, given her hospitlization, her custody battles, her driving-without-a-license case, and her musical success. Check out ET’s complete Hot List 2008:

1. Britney Spears
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. Brad Pitt
4. Barack Obama
5. Angelina Jolie
6. George Clooney
7. Tom Cruise
8. Donny Osmond
9. Jennifer Aniston
10. Julianne Hough
11. Hillary Clinton
12. Marie Osmond
13. Miley Cyrus
14. Madonna
15. Katie Holmes
16. John McCain
17. America Ferrera
18. Michelle Obama
19. Will Smith
20. Valerie Bertinelli

The American Film Institute has named the top television shows and movies of 2008. Check ‘em out:

AFI Movies Of The Year
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy And Lucy
The Wrestler

AFI TV Programs Of The Year
Breaking Bad
In Treatment
John Adams
Life
Lost
Mad Men
The Office
Recount
The Shield
The Wire

Nice, scrawny old guy Bob won Survivor: Gabon – hurray!

Stubhub.com has named Madonna the highest ticket price of 2008, a title I don’t think you’d want. According to Stubhub, her shows averaged $306 a ticket. Thanks Madonna!

STAR Artist Leona Lewis will be spending New Year’s Eve where everyone wants to spend NYE…the exotic and beautiful Poland! She’ll be ringin’ in 2009 performing for Krakow’s New Year’s Eve Party with thousands of party-goers and a huge fireworks display. Sure, that all sounds great but on the downside…Poland.

December 12, 2008

New in theaters this weekend...

* The Day the Earth Stood Still -- Keanu Reeves fills the role of the alien Klaatu in this remake of the classic 1951 sci fi movie. He warns humans about their destructive behavior, then attempts to wipe them out for their own good with help from the giant robot Gort. Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates and Jon Hamm also star. Rated PG-13.

* Nothing Like the Holidays -- The members of the Rodriguez family get together in Chicago for a drama-filled Christmas. In the midst of the reunion, Debra Messing's Sarah, the wife of John Leguizamo's character, finds herself clashing with his mother. Rated PG-13.

* Delgo -- A reptile-like teen named Delgo befriends a winged princess. Sounds sweet, but they're members of rival races, who begin to feud. It's up to Delgo to broker peace between the groups. Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kelly Ripa and Chris Kattan lend their voices to this animated feature. Rated PG.

An Iraq war veteran, Edward Van Tassel who has repeatedly tried to hand-deliver a letter to Tom Cruise has been issued a restraining order that prevents him from approaching Cruise or his home. Edward also stopped traffic in Santa Barbara for hours last month when he stood on a Highway 101 overpass waving a gun and an American flag in a one-man protest. He was arrested at the time on weapons charges and placed in a veterans' hospital. According to Van Tassel's former attorney, the soldier left the facility and appeared at Cruise's Beverly Hills home three times with a letter that asks him to join the cause of helping veterans.

The Sexiest Man Alive is evidently a good enough credential to land you gig of hosting the Oscars. Hugh Jackman will host the 82nd Academy Awards on February 22nd. This is a slight departure for the Academy who usually grab comics like Ellen DeGeneres or Jon Stewart for the job, but not this year.

Isaac Slade, lead singer of STAR Artist The Fray tells me their new single, "You Found Me," is about, "watching a lot of people go through a lot of hard stuff, and good people having bad stuff happen to them." The song is currnetly being used as the soundtrack for ABC's promos for the new season of Lost, but the band says sadly, they haven't gotten to meet the cast, nor are there plans for them to appear on the show. Their new CD is still a few months off. Look for it in stores February 3rd.

STAR Artist Taylor Swift celebrates her 19th birthday tomorrow, and boy, does she have a lot to celebrate. She's beautiful and super-talented, her album “Fearless” is one of the top-selling CDs of the year, and she's currently plotting her first headlining tour. But despite Taylor's crazy schedule, she tells us she definitely sets aside time to have a love life, because she needs those experiences to help her write songs. She says, "I think love is my favorite thing to write about...there are millions of angles to relationships. It feels like it's never gotten boring for me to write songs about love."

Fox launched his career, so it's no wonder that American Idol champ STAR Artist David Cook is returning to the network to ring in the New Year. David will perform from Las Vegas on Fox's New Year's Eve Live.

STAR Artist Hoobastank who sing the hit song “The Reason” will return on January 27th with their fourth full-length album, "Fornever".

December 11, 2008

Golden Globe nominations were just announced this morning in Hollywood and apparently the awards show missed having some big stars around last year because, well, there’s a bunch nominated for this year’s show. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie – yeah, they’re all nominated for something. And how’s this for a shocker? The second highest grossing movie of all-time only got one nomination. What in the world is up with that? The Dark Knight got one nom, for Heath Ledger as a supporting actor in a drama. And that's it. Are you kidding me? Heath's father, Kim, issued a statement after the nomination was announced:

"We thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for honoring Heath's performance in The Dark Knight. This nomination is deeply appreciated and is not lost on those of us who continue to love and miss him. We are so proud our boy's work is being recognized in this way."

Check out the complete list of Golden Globe nominations here.

Tom Cruise will make a (triumphant?) return to The Today Show, 3 years after he and Matt Lauer got into a heated spat about psychiatry and medication. In the interview Tom called psychiatry “pseudo-sciene” and Matt Lauer “glib.” So he’s coming back to make things right in a LIVE interview on Monday. Don’t miss that.

On January 20th, STAR Artist Mariah Carey will release a new best-of called “The Ballads” featuring all of her most popular softer tunes. Here’s the track listing:

"Hero"
"One Sweet Day" (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men)
"Vision of Love"
"Without You"
"Can't Let Go"
"Love Takes Time"
"I'll Be There" (Featuring Trey Lorenz)
"Thank God I Found You" - Make It Last Remix (Featuring Nas & Joe)
"Endless Love" (Featuring Luther Vandross)
"I Still Believe"
"My All"
"The Roof"
"When You Believe" (Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston)
"Anytime You Need A Friend"
"Always Be My Baby"
"Dreamlover"
"How Much" (Featuring Usher)
"Reflections"

Some sad news to pass along, Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin's older sister, Dakota Culkin, 29, was struck by a car when she stepped off the curb and in front of a moving vehicle on the west side of LA on Tuesday evening. She was taken to UCLA Hospital with massive head trauma and died from her injuries yesterday afternoon.

STAR Artist Jesse McCartney has signed on for the sequel to the animated Alvin & the Chipmunks. The first one, released last year, grossed over $360 million.

STAR Artist Sara Bareilles has lined up some new tour dates that brings her as close as Chicago on March 2nd.

December 10, 2008

I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday :( To make up for it, have a whole bunch of stuff!

Looks like Paula Abdul is now blaming the producers of American Idol for allowing Paula Goodspeed, that’s the woman who was found dead outside Paula’s home, to get close to her. Paula claims this woman had been stalking her for years and she begged producers not to allow her to tryout for season 5 of Idol but they refused. Paula says the producers thought the “entertainment value” of the situation outweighed Paula’s discomfort in the audition room. When asked why she continued to work for the show when her safety is threatened, Paula had a simple response, “I’m under contract.”

An American Idol fansite has claimed it’s gotten its hands on an internal Fox memo detailing what we can expect from the new season of American Idol. Here are some highlights from said memo:

* There will be only three weeks of auditions this year, down from four weeks the past few years.
* Instead of a top 24, there will be a top 36.
* The Wild Card Week, where the judges get to bring back someone who was previously cut, will return this season. You may recall that Clay Aiken was a wild card pick.
* Promotional spots for the auditions will focus on more "aspirational" singers, with fewer bad singers in the mix.
* There will be no Idol Gives Back this year.

American Idol season eight premieres January 13th.

Jay Leno is heading to primetime. NBC announced yesterday Jay will host a new show, The Jay Leno Show, when Conan O’Brien takes over The Tonight Show. The financial details of this new arrangement weren’t released but an insider tells me it could be worth at least $30 million a year. So what’s this new show all about? Well, it’ll have an opening monologue, comedy sketches similar to what he does now and interviews. Okay… So what’s DIFFERENT? Not much, except he’ll probably interview more news makers than celebs and it’ll be on your TV at a new time: 9 p.m. It starts in the fall of 2009.

It felt pretty obvious, but now it’s official: STAR Artist Leona Lewis is Billboard magazine’s Top New Artist of 2008. Yet another honor for Leona who picked up 3 Grammy nominations last week, and who’s song “Bleeding Love” was named the top single on iTunes the week before THAT. Oh, and her CD “Spirit” has sold 5 million copies.

STAR Artist Coldplay has issued a statement responding to allegations their Grammy-nominated smash hit “Viva La Vida” was a ripoff of a tune by guitarist Joe Satriani. "If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental and just as surprising to us as to him." If you haven’t heard what all the controversy is about, listen here:


Prepare to say goodbye to another cast member of Grey’s Anatomy. Reports out of Hollywood indicate T.R. Knight who plays Dr. George O’Malley has asked to be released from his contract and the show’s creator is granting his wish. So…like…what’s up with that?? According to one source T.R. just feels its time for him to go. Another source says T.R. isn’t happy with the direction of his character. But I bet the real reason is NBC is offering him his own primetime talk show too. *rim shot*

Here's eom more fuel for the "Mariah Carey is Pregnant" fire: Mariah was spotted coming out of a well-known OB-GYN office in LA and, according to a spy, was holding "what looked like a sonogram and was greeted by her entourage with cheers." Mariah has been honest with the press and said her and husband Nick Cannon do want kids, but according to her publicist, "As far as I'm told, she's not pregnant." Fair enough. But soon maybe, right?!

Is Washington, D.C. ready for a nasally New Yawwk actress in the Senate? A publicist for Fran Drescher says the former star of The Nanny is serious about succeeding Hillary Clinton as the next senator from New York. I’m all for this. A nanny in Congress to change the old people’s diapers.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are working on some more babies! Angelina is reportedly back on prenatal vitamins so she and Brad can have another set of twins – ‘cause if they do, they’ll have a baseball team.

Briefly:
Chris Daughtry can order himself a tux ‘cause it’s official: STAR Artist Daughtry will perform at Barack Obama’s inaugural ball on January 21st.

STAR Artist Elliot Yamin is aiming for March for the release of his 2nd CD.

December 8, 2008

Here's the Box-Office recap from the weekend:

1. Four Christmases, $18.2 million
2. Twilight, $13.2 million
3. Bolt, $9.7 million
4. Australia, $7 million
5. Quantum of Solace, $6.6 million
6. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $5.1 million
7. Transporter 3, $4.5 million
8. Punisher: War Zone, $4 million
9. Cadillac Records, $3.5 million
10. Role Models, $2.6 million

Here are the Top 10 Stupidest Christmas Gifts of 2008:

1. Screaming Rubber Chicken
2. Wealth Redistribution 2008 Holiday Ornament
3. Mini Guitar Hero
4. Potty Putter
5. Wasabi Flavored Gumballs
6. Men's Underwear Repair Kit
7. Obama "Yes We Can" Opener
8. "How To Tie A Tie" Tie
9. 2009 Dog Poop Calendar
10. Pole Dancer Alarm Clock

In an annual survey by Autograph magazine, Tonight Show host Jay Leno is the most accommodating celebrity when it comes to offering his John Hancock. Jay supposedly never not signs and he even signs for audience members at the Tonight Show during commercial breaks. Others who are happy to sign include George Clooney and his Ocean’s co-star Matt Damon. On the other end of the spectrum, stingy signers include Will Ferrell (which is very disappointing to hear) and his Step Brothers co-star John C. Reilly, plus Hollywood veteran William Shatner. Gwyneth Paltrow was named the snootiest of all, “she’ll try to ignore everyone as she walks by, or she'll just point-blank tell you in her condescending tone, 'I do not sign autographs.'" Paris Hilton would have made the list but they gave her a free pass ‘cause she doesn’t know how to spell her name.

You know times are tough when you can’t afford the 12 Days of Christmas. According to PNC Wealth Management, all of the items in the Christmas carol "The 12 Days of Christmas" costs a total of $86,609, up from the $78,100 they cost last year. Here's a look at how that breaks down:

* Partridge - $20 (last year - $15)
* Pear Tree - $200 (last year - $150)
* Two Turtle Doves - $55 (last year - $40)
* Three French Hens - $30 (last year - $45)
* Four Calling Birds (canaries) - $600 (last year - same)
* Five Gold Rings - $350 (last year - $395)
* Six Geese A-Laying - $240 (last year - $360)
* Seven Swans A-Swimming - $5,600 (last year - $4,200)
* Eight Maids a-Milking - $52 (last year - $47)
* Nine Ladies Dancing (per performance) - $4,759 (last year - same)
* 10 Lords A-Leaping (per performance) - $4,414 (last year - $4,285)
* 11 Pipers Piping (per performance) - $2,285 (last year - $2,213)
* 12 Drummers Drumming (per performance) - $2,475 (last year - $2,398)

Despite rumors to the contrary, Oprah Winfrey said she never considered leaving her current TV empire for a position in Barack Obama’s presidential administration. Speaking of Oprah, The Hollywood Reporter has just named her the most powerful woman in entertainment. Not a bad title to have.

Briefly:
You’ll see STAR Artists Taylor Swift, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield and others on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Last week I told you it would happen, yesterday it officially did. David Gregory was confirmed as the new host Meet the Press on NBC. He starts his new gig next week.

What convenient timing. A month after an obsessed fan apparently committed suicide outside her home, Paula Abdul is looking to move.

BREAKING: OJ Simpson sentenced to 15 years

OJ Simpson was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his role in a confrontation in Las Vegas that brought about kidnapping and burglary charges. He'll serve at least 7 and a half years with no chance of parole and faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.

December 5, 2008

Here's what's opening in theaters today. Not much to choose from...

* Punisher: War Zone – Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane played the Marvel Comics character on the big screen in the last two decades. Now, Rome actor Ray Stevenson takes over the role of Frank Castle, a.k.a. the vigilante known as The Punisher. A mobster, played by Dominic West, seeks revenge on The Punisher after the hero left him disfigured. Rated R.

* Cadillac Records -- The movie, set in Chicago during the 1950s, tells the story of Chess Records and its legendary artists. The cast includes Adrien Brody as label founder Leonard Chess, Beyonce as Etta James, Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters, and Mos Def as Chuck Berry. Rated R.

* Nobel Son -- The son of a Nobel Prize winner is kidnapped and held for ransom, but his dad isn't too eager to pay up. Bryan Greenberg, Alan Rickman and Mary Steenburgen star in this dark comedy. Rated R.

There's still some magic left in the Harry Potter phenomenon. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of five stories referenced in the Harry Potter book series, was released yesterday. While it hasn't drummed up nearly as much publicity as the seven Harry Potter books did, die-hard fans are excited to get their hands on it. J. K. Rowling celebrated its release by having a tea party with 200 schoolchildren.

The Dark Knight comes out on DVD this Tuesday, and while there's been no official announcement that another Batman movie will be made, fans aren't shy when it comes to letting their feelings known about who they'd like to see in it if a new one is made. Here are the most requested villains and casting choices for the next Batman movie:

Most Requested Villains
1. The Riddler
2. Harley Quinn
3. Cat Woman
4. The Penguin
5. Bane

Most Requested Casting Choices
1. Johnny Depp
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Natalie Portman
4. Edward Norton
5. Keira Knightley
6. Daniel Day-Lewis
7. Philip Seymour Hoffman
8. Viggo Mortensen
9. Kevin Spacey
10. Clive Owen

I asked STAR Artist Leona Lewis how she felt about her 3 Grammy nominations, “I'm so thrilled...I am totally floored. Wow! I am so lucky to have worked on this album with so many great people and it's such an honor to be recognized...it's been an incredible year!”

STAR Artist John Mayer will cap off a week that saw him pick up five Grammy nominations and jam with his idol, B.B. King, by helping those less fortunate. This Saturday night, John will host his 2nd annual Holiday Acoustic Review at LA's Nokia Theater, and joining him on the bill will be special guest Adele, who picked up four Grammy nods of her own on Wednesday night. Proceeds from the solo acoustic show will benefit Toys for Tots and the L.A. Food Bank.

December 4, 2008

STAR Artist Coldplay landed 7 Grammy nominations last nigh including Album of the Year plus Record & Song of the Year for “Viva La Vida.” STAR Artist John Mayer grabbed 5 nods. Here are the Big 3 Categories and their nominees:

Record of the Year
* Adele, "Chasing Pavements"
* Coldplay, "Viva La Vida"
* Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
* M.I.A., "Paper Planes"
* Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, "Please Read The Letter"

Song of the Year (award to songwriter)
* "American Boy," Estelle Featuring Kanye West, artists/William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters.
* "Chasing Pavements," Adele, artist/Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters.
* "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz/artist and songwriter.
* "Love Song," Sara Bareilles/artist and songwriter.
* "Viva La Vida," Coldplay/artist and songwriters.

Album of the Year
* Coldplay, "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends"
* Radiohead, "In Rainbows"
* Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, "Raising Sand"
* Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"
* Ne-Yo, "Year Of The Gentleman"

Check out the full list of Grammy nominations here.

Barbara Walters is interviewing her 10 Most Fascinating People tonight on ABC at 9 p.m. On her list of fascination this year are some not so creative choices, but that’s ok right? Tom Cruise, Miley Cyrus, Tina Fey, Will Smith, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Phelps and pregnant “man”/not a man Thomas Beattie all made the cut plus a couple others. Who’s the most fascinating? Barbara won’t tell but rumor has it it’s Barack Obama.

The estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson was denied bond yesterday in Chicago after he was arrested and charged earlier this week in the murders of three of Jennifer's family members.

And in more legal news...
OJ Simpson's lawyers have asked for minimal prison time for the litany of robbery and kidnapping convictions that OJ faces in the wake of his memoribilia heist. They asked OJ recieve 6 years in prison rather than the recommended 18. His lawyers told the press, "Simpson has never previously been convicted of a crime thus, he now stands before the court as a first-time offender." As E! News put it, "In the court, yes. In the court of public opinion, not even close."

One of my favorite shows is Lost. Yeah I know season 3 was kind of weak but season 4 was AMAZING and it comes out on DVD on the 9th. Here's a sneak-peek at the blooper reel!


NBC announced yesterday that E.R. will officially end its 15 season run on March 12th with a 2-hour series finale. Until then the speculation on George Clooney making a return will continue. I still don’t understand why he wouldn’t. I know he’s busy but he owes a lot, and I do mean a LOT, to E.R. I would view it as a character flaw if he didn’t come back for a final cameo. Dare I say?...Yeah, he owes them.

Turns out Jennifer Aniston isn’t tired of pregnancy rumors yet, she’s actually amused by them. This week a tabloid reported her and STAR Artist John Mayer are expecting, so I asked her how she felt about it. “Oh my God, it's hysterical. It's almost going to take away the fun from actually being able to say one day, 'I'm pregnant!’”

There’s a rumor floating around that STAR Artist Daughtry will perform at one of the inauguration balls for Barack Obama. If you remember earlier this year Daughtry performed at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Ya know, to be nice and fair.

STAR Artist Taylor Swift may be a platinum-selling superstar, but she's got very down-to-earth tastes. She tells me for her birthday on December 13th, all she wants is simple gifts, like stationery and a new pair of glasses. "Mine broke and I need them to drive. I've been, like, taping them, which is not the best look for anyone.” Taylor says she'll have a party for her birthday, but it'll double as a holiday bash for her band and crew - or, as she decribes it, "A year-end, you-guys-are-awesome party."

December 3, 2008

Patrick Swayze has been battling pancreatic cancer while working on his new A&E drama, The Beast but apparently he feels the real beast has been the tabloid media. He says they have been “consistently reporting lies and false information” like, that he’s on his death bed saying goodbye to family and friends. Which, he’s not. Not even close. "It's upsetting that the shoddy and reckless reporting from these publications cast a negative shadow on the positive and good fight I'm fighting. I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It's a battle, and so far, I've been winning. I'm one of the lucky few…”

Grammy nominations get announced tonight in a special on CBS in its first primetime television special. Usually this stuff happens in the early morning but the Grammy people got something special planned for you and I. STAR Artist Taylor Swift plus LL Cool J host The Grammy Nominations Concert Live with performances from Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera and The Foo Fighters. There’s over 100 Grammy Award categories – only 6 will be announced tonight at 8 p.m.

STAR Artist David Cook and a bunch of other big name artists are singing tonight not on the Grammy special. These others will be at Rockefeller Center for the annual lighting of their humongous Christmas Tree. David will be singing the John Lennon classic “Happy X-Mas (War is Over).” That’s 7 p.m. tonight on NBC.

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie are international film stars and have tastebuds to match their global status. Brad says he and Jolie have sampled some of the most exotic foods in the world, including, "crickets in Cambodia, sea urchins in France, goat in Ethiopia and Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles) in Montana." Brad reveals that when they're not jetsetting around the globe for their meals, the couple's culinary options are limited to BBQ and cereal. So what does Brad Pitt do when entertaining A-list guests? The actor says he orders out.

The deal isn't final, but an NBC News executive says the network is close to naming chief White House correspondent David Gregory as the late Tim Russert’s replacement on Meet the Press.

Twilight actress Kristen Stewart will rock out in her new role. The Hollywood Reporter says Stewart will play Joan Jett in a movie about Jett's 1970s all-girl rock band The Runaways, whose hits included "Cherry Bomb." Jett will executive produce the project.

December 2, 2008

The estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson was arrested yesterday in connection with the murders of her mother, brother, and nephew in October. 27-year-old William Balfour, who previously was described by authorities as a person of interest in the case, was transferred into police custody from an Illinois prison, where he was being held for an alleged parole violation. UPDATE: Balfour was formally charged this morning on 3 counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.

Both STAR Artist Coldplay and Leona Lewis were inescapable in 2008, so it's no big shock that both acts top iTunes' year-end charts of the best-selling albums and singles of '08. Check out the top 10 iTunes albums and singles:

Albums
1. Coldplay, "Viva la Vida"
2. Jack Johnson, "Sleep Through the Static"
3. Various Artists, "Juno (Music from the Motion Picture)"
4. Lil Wayne, "Tha Carter III"
5. Sara Bareilles, "Little Voice"
6. Various Artists, "Once (Music from the Motion Picture)"
7. Jason Mraz, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."
8. OneRepublic, "Dreaming Out Loud"
9. Various Artists, "Across the Universe (Music from the Motion Picture)"
10. Leona Lewis, "Spirit"

Singles
1. "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
2. "Viva la Vida," Coldplay
3. "Low (feat. T-Pain)," Flo Rida
4. "I Kissed a Girl," Katy Perry
5. "Disturbia," Rihanna
6. "Lollipop," Lil Wayne & Static Major
7. "No Air," Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
8. "Pocketful of Sunshine," Natasha Bedingfield
9. "Love Song," Sara Bareilles
10. "Don't Stop the Music," Rihanna

We’ve got a list of the top nude scenes of 2008 thanks to MrSkin.com. Here they are from movies:

1. Mischa Barton, Closing the Ring
2. Sophie Monk, Sex and Death 101
3. Heather Graham, Adrift in Manhattan
4. Asia Argento, The Last Mistress
5. Neve Campbell, I Really Hate My Job
6. Anna Faris, The House Bunny
7. Amy Smart, Mirrors
8. Mena Suvari, Stuck
9. Laura Ramsey, The Ruins
10. Angelina Jolie, Wanted
11. Penélope Cruz, Elegy
12. Jessica Morris, Role Models
13. Willa Ford, Impulse
14. Carly Pope, YPF
15. Jenna Jameson, Zombie Strippers
16. Jess Weixler, Teeth
17 Moran Atias, Mother of Tears
18. Vera Farmiga, Never Forever
19. Maria Bello, Downloading Nancy
20. Amy Adams, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

And here they are from TV (premium channels obviously):

1. Lizzy Caplan, True Blood, HBO
2. Mary Louise Parker, Weeds, Showtime
3. Anna Paquin, True Blood, HBO
4. Arlene Tur, Crash, Starz
5. Jenaveve Jolie, Entourage, HBO
6. Caprice Benedetti, Brotherhood, Showtime
7. Hayley Marie Norman, Crash, Starz
8. Cerina Vincent, Manchild, Showtime
9. Alicia Leigh Willis, Katherine Moennig, The L Word, Showtime
10. Carla Gallo, Californication, Showtime

Where’s STAR Artist Kelly Clarkson at with her new CD? Well, pretty close to finished! She’s waiting for all the songs to be mixed and mastered. So we can expect it in the early part of 2009. To kill time while she waits she’s been hanging with friends. cooked her first-ever Thanksgiving dinner and watching the new Australia movie to which she says, "Wow, God did good when he made Hugh Jackman!"

Check out the cake STAR Artist John Mayer made to celebrate the kickoff of the Christmas season:
STAR Artists Natasha Bedingfield, Jesse McCartney plus Fall Out Boy, Ne-Yo plus more are all booked for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

December 1, 2008

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and Happy December!

Here's your complete Box-Office Recap from this past holiday weekend:

1. Four Christmases, $31.7 million
2. Bolt, $26.6 million
3. Twilight, $26.4 million
4. Quantum of Solace, $19.5 million
5. Australia, $14.8 million
6. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $14.5 million
7. Transporter 3, $12.3 million
8. Role Models, $5.3 million
9. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, $1.7 million
10. Milk, $1.4 million

Ever wanted to know how Tina Fey got that scar on her face? She doesn’t like to talk about it but she finally told the story.

Liz Lemon favors her right side. That’s because a faint scar runs across Tina Fey’s left cheek, the result of a violent cutting attack by a stranger when Fey was five. Her husband says, “It was in, like, the front yard of her house, and somebody who just came up, and she just thought somebody marked her with a pen.” You can hardly see the scar in person.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. got knocked out cold on the set of his new movie Sherlock Holmes. One of his costars punches accidentally landed and put Robert on his back unconscious and drooling blood. He need six stitches but his rep tells me “He’s fine.” Well yeah, because he’s a bad ass.

STAR Artist Madonna’s marriage may be over but perhaps some cold, hard cash will provide some good emotional support. Her current tour “Sticky & Sweet” (again, whatever that means) is on track to be the top-grossing tour by a solo artist ever. The North American leg alone has pulled in $91.5 million.

Briefly:
Congrats to STAR Artist Coldplay, only the second band of 2008 to have a CD go double platinum. The other artist was Lil Wayne.

U2’s new album’s working title is “No Line on the Horizon” and The Edge explains, “It’s like you’re moving forward, but you’re not exactly sure what you’re heading towards...It’s an image of infinity, I suppose.”

November 26, 2008

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!
Note: There will be no "Welcome Matt" updates Thursday or Friday.

Here are the movies opening today:

* Australia -- Aussie actors Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman team up for this World War Two epic. Kidman is a British aristocrat who inherits an Australian ranch she's in danger of losing to cattle barons. To save her land, she gets the help of a cattle driver, played by Jackman. Rated PG-13.

* Four Christmases -- Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon are a couple who's forced to visit each one of their four divorced parents, much to their dismay. Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, and country music singers Dwight Yoakam and Tim McGraw also star. Rated PG-13.

* Transporter 3 -- The first Transporter movie in three years has Jason Staham reprising his role as Frank Martin, an ex-Special Forces operative. He has to transport the kidnapped daughter of a Ukrainian official across Europe. Rated PG-13.

Rosie O'Donnell comes to primetime TV tonight in her NBC variety special Rosie Live. If the former View co-host stays true to form, you can expect her to stir up some sort of controversy on the one-hour program, which will begin with a monologue from O'Donnell. She'll be joined during the show by guest stars Alec Baldwin and Jane Krakowski of 30 Rock, Rachel Ray, Liza Minnelli, Kathy Griffin, Harry Connicl Jr., Ne-Yo, Alanis Morrissette, Clay Aiken and Gloria Estefan. Rosie Live airs on NBC tonight at 7 p.m.

Brooke Burke won Dancing With the Stars...hurray! Okay, now bring on NBC's new show, Superstars of Dance.

Well this is...sucky. STAR Artist Daughtry has pushed back the release of their next CD to summer of 2009. It's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince all over again! The band members are headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday - which is a good thing because two of their wives are preggers!

STAR Artist David Cook hasn't had much time to get back home to Kansas City thanks to the whirlwind of activity with American Idol and putting out his first album. But for Thanksgiving he'll finally be able to make it back home. That leaves Idol runner-up David Archuleta the duty of riding and performing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

STAR Artist Nickelback has just announced plans to tour in support of their new album, "Dark Horse." No, not concert in Green Bay, but they will be at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on March 14th.

November 25, 2008

If Lance Bass wins Dancing With the Stars tonight, it’ll be more than just his sweet feet that get him the Mirror Ball trophy. His partner, Lacey, tells me they have a pre-show routine. "He has this little tub of glitter. A fan gave it to him and it's supposed to be his good luck dust. So what he does is, he takes it, throws it in the air and stands under it. Ever since we started doing that, things have been looking up for us." His pre-show routine involves glitter. Shocker.

Tom Cruise’s daughter does not wear the pants in the family. He told me his two-year-old Suri refuses to wear pants. "Kate finally got her in jeans the other day. We put the pants on and walk away and the pants are off and the dress is on." So Tom Cruise is having cooperation problems with both of the women in his life. Suri refuses to wear pants and Katie Holmes refuses to wear leg irons.

STAR Artists OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles have teamed up to record a beautiful duet version of OneRepublic’s “Coming Home.” The version is specifically dedicated to our troops serving our country overseas. OneRepublic’s lead singer Ryan Tedder told me he wrote the song about a friend who got engaged and then shipped off to Iraq the next day. You can hear grab the whole song off iTunes right now.

She gave up her American Idol crown to STAR Artist David Cook, but now Jordin Sparks is carrying around a much more important title: role model. Ever since Jordin defended the notion of purity rings back in September, she's has been held up as an example of the kind of artist teens should look up to. She says being that role model isn’t something she takes lightly, “But it's difficult. I have to watch what I say, what I do, who I hang out with, where I go. I'm constantly having to watch myself."

Speaking of American Idol...
A few notable candidates have made their way into the new season of American Idol that kicks off in January. You’ll see David Osmond, nephew of Donnie and Marie, Michael Castro younger brother of the dreadlocked Jason from last season, Danielle Roundtree, a.k.a. Miss New York USA 2008 and Tom and Jennifer Korbee who will go down as the first husband and wife to both make it to Hollywood on Idol.

November 24, 2008

Here's a complete Box-Office recap from this past Twilight - I mean weekend:

1. Twilight, $70.6 million
2. Quantum of Solace, $27.4 million
3. Bolt, $27 million
4. Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa, $16 million
5. Role Models, $7.2 million
6. Changeling, $2.6 million
7. High School Musical 3: Senior Year, $2 million
8. Zack and Miri Make a Porno, $1.7 million
9. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, $1.67 million
10. The Secret Life of Bees, $1.28 million

We may be forced to watch a sequel to the writers' strike that began last year and lasted for 100 days. This time, it's the Screen Actors Guild that's moving one step closer to calling a strike, after contract talks with Hollywood studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, broke down last week. Though a federal mediator was brought in to help negotiate a new labor agreement, SAG announced on Saturday that it will ask members to authorize a strike. The SAG national president said, "We really tried to meet the AMPTP more than halfway and they were immovable, so now were in a position where we have to go to our members for a strike authorization." In turn, the AMPTP blasted the actors union for the timing of their decision, saying, "SAG is bizarrely asking its members to bail out the failed negotiating strategy with a strike vote -- at a time of historic economic crisis." In order to authorize a strike, more than 75 percent of SAG members would need to vote their approval. The vote would take over a month to complete.

Three is the magic number on Dancing with the Stars this week. The three finalists, Brooke Burke, Lance Bass and Warren Sapp, will perform three dances over the next two nights, before the seventh-season champion is crowned. Tonight, the celebrities will take part in what's being billed as a "Samba Smackdown," and will also perform a freestyle routine. On tomorrow night's results show, they'll reprise one of their favorite routines from earlier in the season. So who's the favorite to win? It depends who you ask, but Las Vegas oddsmaker John Avello surprised a lot of people when he moved Brooke from his favorite to the longshot. He's had Brooke as his favorite since the first time he saw her dance, but that changed after last week's show, and she's now his five-to-two longshot because, "it looks like she might be losing steam." Avello believes Sapp is the favorite right now, at odds of eight-to-five, followed by Bass at nine-to-five. But he says Burke could easily regain her favorite status if she performs strongly tonight.

STAR Artist Madonna and Guy Ritchie are now on their way to officially becoming ex-spouses. On Friday, the couple were granted a preliminary "quickie divorce in the High Court of London, and it will become permanent in the next six weeks if there are no disputes. According to court documents, Madonna said in a sworn statement that she's divorcing Guy because of his, quote, "unreasonable behavior." The court proceedings took one minute -- neither the couple nor their attorneys were present. Madonna laments, "I'm sad about my personal life." Fortunately, she has her Sweet & Sticky tour: "It provides a distraction that keeps me going."

STAR Artist Leona Lewis has been with her boyfriend since they were kids, but despite reports of an impending wedding, she won't confirm the current status of their relationship. Leona tells me, "He's a great friend to me. The foundation of our relationship is friendship. He's been very supportive." It was Lou who pushed Leona to audition for Simon's British American Idol-like show X Factor. When she won, it launched her career. So what about her future with Lou? Leona says, "I'm a 'now' person. I think Lou's great. I'd love, in the future, to get married...but I don't know what's going to happen in the future. I don't know where I'm going to be."

Most artists whose album just debuted at #2 on the charts would be popping bottles of Cristal and partying all night. But STAR Artist David Archuleta, well, he's been busy trying to complete his Eagle Scout certification.

The release of Prospekt's March, the new EP from STAR Artist Coldplay, has been pushed forward a day - the eight-song disc arrives today instead of tomorrow.

STAR Artist No Doubt will start touring again in summer 2009, so get ready for that.

November 21. 2008

‘Bout time it happened! STAR Artist Ashlee Simpson and her husband, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, welcomed a baby boy last night named…ready for it?...Bronx Mowgli Wentz. According to the couple’s spokesperson, mom, dad and baby are doing great. By the way, if you’re wondering where the name Mowgli came from, the only Mowgli I know is the main character from The Jungle Book. Bronx weighed in at 7 pounds 11½ ounces and 20½ inches long.

2 new movies hit theaters today and both are gonna pull in big bucks. Okay, one more so than the other.

* Bolt -- John Travolta voices the dog Bolt, a TV action star who's under the impression that he can pull off his on-screen stunts in real life. Bolt gets a dose of reality when he's accidentally shipped off to New York City and meets a cat named Mittens and a hamster trapped in a plastic ball named Rhino. Miley Cyrus lends her voice to Bolt's co-star and owner, Penny. Rated PG.
* Twilight -- The best-selling series of vampire books by author Stephanie Meyer comes to life on the big screen. British heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who's appeared in two Harry Potter films as Cedric Diggory, stars in the lead role of the vampire Edward. He strikes up a romance with Bella, a teenage girl played by Kristen Stewart. Rated PG-13.

Speaking of Twilight...
British actor Robert Pattinson who plays Edward in the new movie Twilight said it’s time to hide out a little. He told me at the U.S. premiere of Twilight he went completely deaf for a few minutes thanks to the adoring female fans. He plans to lay low in London for a while. Actress Kristen Stewart, Robert’s co-star in Twilight says she knows what all that screaming is for. “He's British. He's tall. He always looks like he's thinking about something. And he's quite witty. So he's pretty sexy.” So, does him being physically unattractive help him be sexier then? Just kidding girls…

Since the Packers don’t play ‘til Monday, hopefully you can fit the American Music Awards into your TV-watching schedule this Sunday. STAR Artist Alicia Keys leads the nomination tally with 5, STAR Artist Coldplay has 4. As for performances you’ll see STAR Artists Christina Aguilera, Natasha Bedingfield, Leona Lewis, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, The Fray, Pink and New Kids on the Block! Check out the AMAs Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC.

Another one bites the dust. And another. And another. ABC has cancelled 3 shows: Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money. Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller hadn’t spoken to ABC yet about the announcement but told me, “If we are indeed dead on ABC, we now have to convince DC Comics to let us tell the rest of the season's story lines out in comic book form and convince Warner Bros. features to let Pushing Daisies live again as a movie.” The CW can relate to ABC’s ratings woes – they had to cancel their entire Sunday-night line-up.

Forbes magazine has named Hollywood’s Most Powerful Couples. Would you believe it? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie aren’t number one! Here's the list. The dollar amount is the couple combined earnings for the past year.

1. Jay-Z and Beyoncé, $162 million
2. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, $85 million
3. David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, $58 million
4. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, $35 million
5. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, $34 million
6. Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, $30 million
7. Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, $28 million
8. Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, $25 million
9. Tony Parker and Eva Longoria, $22.5 million
10. Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, $22 million

STAR Artist John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston turned another corner in their relationship on Wednesday night – John met Jen’s parents for the first time. So how did he do? He was definitely nervous. He told me he felt like he was on Dancing With the Stars. At one point Jennifer went to the ladies room and John blurted out, “How am I doing? I’m a wreck!” Despite the nervousness John, as you can imagine, was a big hit.

Today was supposed to be the day the new Harry Potter movie The Half Blood Prince opened nationwide. Instead, the movie was moved to July of 2009. WTF?! So to help ease the misery some of us are feeling here's the latest Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince trailer. It just came out a few days ago. Enjoy!
My favorite show of all-time is being made into a movie! Arrested Development, which had a short run of brillance on Fox, is becomming a major motion picture. A cast member who asked to remain nameless says, "Yes, it's a go. We're all very excited. And it will happen with or without the holdout." Wait, a holdout? Apparently one original cast member has not signed on...yet. But it's really happening. An Arrested Development movie! I'm so excited!!

STAR Artist Jordin Sparks will be on the AMAs on Sunday, the had back on tour with Alicia Keys and after that’s all done start working on her new CD, but she says she’s a little…confused. “I don't know what kind of sound I want for my album, or how many songs...I'm so confused. I don't know." Maybe she can hash some ideas out with Gina Glocksen, one of her fellow Top 10 finalists from season 6 of American Idol when she stands up in her wedding on New Year’s Eve.

Briefly:
STAR Artist Sarah McLachlan will receivethe Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at next year's Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys, in honor of her charity work.

November 20, 2008

Finally, Britney Spears is admitting what most of us have suspected all along: her marriage to Kevin Federline may have been a mistake. In the upcoming MTV documentary Britney: For The Record, Britney says, "I think I married for the wrong reasons. Instead of following my heart and doing something that made me really happy, I just did it for the idea of everything." K-Fed and Britney tied the knot in 2004; their divorce became final in 2007. In another gem from the documentary, Britney says she doesn't need therapy because for her, making music and dancing is just as good. As Britney says, "For me, art is therapy because it's like you're expressing yourself in such a spiritual way." If her music is therapy then why do I need to drink heavily after listening to it?

According to the British press, Madonna and Guy Ritchie have come to an agreement (yes, already!) in the terms of their divorce. So how much of Madonna's $500 million fortune does Guy get? He actully refused to take a single penny. Are yu kidding me?! Not even a mil or two? A source close to the settlement says the couple will share custody of their 2 kids, Rocco and David. The kids will split their time between mommy in New York City and daddy in London. So that went...quickly. And politely. What the hell is going on here?!

STAR Artist Chris Daughtry made his acting debut in CSI: New York last night but he’s still focused on his day job: that “music” thing. Unfortunately, Chris tells me the band’s new album is taking longer than they expected. “We will NOT be finished for a while, now...we just want to make sure it's right.” But to leave us feeling happy and hopeful, Chris also says, “I'm extremely proud of what we've done. It's, in my opinion, the best stuff I've ever had a part in writing. And hopefully, you'll all feel the same."

What NOT to do when you have a chance to talk to the celebrity you've been obsessed with for 17 years:


Jennifer Aniston is just like a lot of us: she watches re-runs of Friends. She says she still watches the show in re-runs and finds herself at times not remembering ever making a particular episode. Jennifer says she still finds the show funny and there are moments when she laughs her, quote, "rear end off." She watches re-runs? Shouldn’t she have nabbed some free DVDs along the way?

All the cool kids have been putting out deluxe editions of their hit albums, but STAR Artist OneRepublic doesn’t need to follow any stinkin’ trends. Instead of putting one of those together, they’re just gonna put out a brand new album. They’ll wrap up their tour in early January then move into a house together and get to work.

STAR Artist Jason Mraz has been given a huge honor: he’ll perform at this year’s Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway.

Sexiest Man Alive 2008

It's official: the Sexiest Man Alive 2008 is Hugh Jackman! From People magazine:

He's a triple threat: a star who can sing, dance and wield a weapon.

At 6 ft. 2 in., all scruff and biceps, Hugh Jackman looms large in the epic Australia, which he says kept him "dirty 95 percent of the time" and left people stammering, "Oh ... my ... God," according to costar Nicole Kidman, who adds, "Women's jaws drop when Hugh walks into a room."

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Steve & Chelly in the Morning will take your calls tomorrow morning at 7:06 on STAR 98.

November 19, 2008

Cody Linley may have had a hard time making friends on Dancing with the Stars before his elimination last night. According to one source he was "always whining about something or someone." Another insider claimed Cody is "very calculating, driven young man" who knew he was gaining more exposure on Dancing with the Stars than he has on the Disney Channel series. However, both my sources indicate he wasn't as out of control as other reports have suggested, "Cody has never been seen drinking on the set...I think some relatively innocent flirting with some of the women got blown out of proportion."

Forbes has put out a new list of Hollywood's Hottest Tots. That's "tots" not...never mind. Now don't worry, we're not actually judging how attractive these kids are, it's a measure of public interest. Check out the Top 10 and click each name to see why they're so "hot."

1. Suri Cruise - daughter of Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes
2. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt - daughter of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
3. Zahara Jolie-Pitt - adopted daughter of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
4. Pax Joli-Pitt - adopted daughter of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
5. Sam Alexis Woods - daughter of Tiger & Elin Woods
6. Cruz Beckham - son of David & Victoria Backham
7. Matilda Rose Ledger - daughter Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger
8. David Banda - adopted son of Madonna & Guy Ritchie
9. Sean Preston Federline - son of Britney Spears & Kevin Federline
10. Sam Sheen - daughter of Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen

The vampire movie Twilight opens nationwide this Friday, and bloodsuckers, I mean, movie executives, will be happy to hear late-night showings of the movie are selling out faster than you can say "bite me." The online ticket site Fandango reports it has already sold out almost 700 screenings for Twilight, including approximately 500 midnight showings. So I guess that’s why it’s so great I’ve got your tickets into Twilight all this week with the Birthday Stumper at 12:30!

STAR Artist Taylor Swift is full of surprises. Like many other singers, she’s thought about making the jump to acting, but only if she can play a…darker character. Taylor tells me, “I could be a crook on CSI. Hopefully, one that's really twisted that took, like, four episodes to figure out." As for Grey's Anatomy, she says, "I would play a corpse 'cause I love it that much. It is a deep true love, and it will never die.”

STAR Artist Leona Lewis may be a gorgeous & talented international superstar, but she still doesn't like people seeing her in a bathing suit. Leona tells me that it was a "nightmare" when pictures of her on vacation in Barbados last year appeared in print. She says, "I'm a normal-sized girl and it's embarrassing. Nobody in their right mind wants to see rough-looking bikini shots of themselves from every dodgy angle." To the right is one of the pictures in question. I'm not quite sure what she's so embarrassed about, she looks great!

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes celebrated something this week that rarely happens in Hollywood – a second wedding anniversary. Apparently they celebrated at home before Katie had to fly back to New York City where’s she starring on Broadway in All My Sons.

STAR Artist Chris Daughtry will make his acting debut tonight on the 100th episode of CSI: New York. Check that out tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS.

November 18, 2008

Heather Locklear has been formally charged in connection with her September DUI when she was caught driving under the influence of prescription medication. We don’t know which pills she was popping on account of privacy laws. She’s scheduled for arraignment January 26th.

If you love that song “I’m Yours” by STAR Artist Jason Mraz but for some reason haven’t picked up the CD it’s on, today is the day you’ve been waiting for. Jason is releasing a deluxe edition of “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” today featuring all the normal songs plus 12 extra songs released on a series of fan-only EPs earlier this year, a DVD from a concert in New York City, a documentary and a 20-page booklet with full lyrics and artwork. Now that’s getting your money’s worth!

MORE CD RELEASES!
He’s been waiting for this day for 26 years – STAR Artist David Cook’s debut self-titled CD hits stores today. On the CD he’s co-written songs with the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik and amazingly was able to finish the CD in 2 and a half months. If you’re planning on buy it like I am, here’s something to keep in mind: if you buy the version off iTunes you’ll get a bonus song called “My Last Request,” and if you buy the Wal-Mart version, you’ll get a bonus track called “Breathe Tonight.” No matter which version you go for, hopefully you’ll be as pleased as David himself, “I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out."

AND...
STAR Artist Nickelback’s new CD is in stores today. It’s called “Dark Horse.”

STAR Artist The All-American Rejects are releasing their new CD today called "When the World Comes Down."

I know a lot of people who love the show Pushing Daisies on ABC. It’s all about a guy who can touch a dead body and bring it back to life – but it doesn’t seem like anyone will be able to bring the show back to life. One of the stars of Pushing Daisies Kristin Chenoweth who plays Olive says they just completed what may have been their final episode and “I think the state of television is...in dire straits, so we'll just keep our fingers crossed.”

STAR Artists Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift will take part in this year’s Grammy Nominations Concert Live. Mariah has signed on to perform, Taylor to perform and serve as co-host with rapper/actor LL Cool J. STAR Artist John Mayer and others are also slated to perform. The show airs December 3rd on CBS.

November 17, 2008

Hope you had a great weekend!

Box-Office Recap for the weekend of November 15th and 16th:

1. Quantum of Solace, $70.4 million
2. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $36.1 million
3. Role Models, $11.7 million
4. High School Musical 3: Senior Year, $5.9 million
5. Changeling, $4.2 million
6. Zack and Miri Make a Porno, $3.2 million
7. Soul Men, $2.43 million
8. The Secret Life of Bees, $2.4 million
9. Saw V, $1.8 million
10. The Haunting of Molly Hartley, $1.6 million

I saw Quantum of Solace and I'm glad I did. Lots of fun though I'm not sure what it was actually about...Oh well!

This is Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 25 Entertainers of the Year:

1. Robert Downey Jr.
2. Tina Fey
3. Cast and crew of The Dark Knight
4. The Gossip Girls
5. Stephanie Meyer ("Twilight" author)
6. Lil Wayne
7. Rock Band - the video game
8. The women of Sex & the City
9. The Jonas Brothers
10. The Talking Heads (pundits)
11. Meryl Streep
12. The stars of Bravo
13. James Franco
14. WALL-E
15. Coldplay
16. Elizabeth Banks
17. Yunjin Kim & Daniel Dae Kim
18. Kid Rock
19. John Hamm
20. Facebook.com
21. Katy Perry
22. Richard Jenkins
23. Michael Phelps
24. Leona Lewis
25. Neil Patrick Harris

One of my favorite comedic actors, Paul Rudd, hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend but it was a scene-stealing moment from a STAR Artist that had me laughing the hardest. Justin Timberlake appeared on the "Weekend Update" segment and proceeded to tell us exactly how it would happen if he were to be able to host next weekend. Check out the skit:


You will no longer hear the sounds of teens screaming at the top of their lungs on MTV's TRL. The show signed off after 10 years last night, featuring a roll call of pop stars who established themselves on TRL, including STAR Artist Justin Timberlake. There were appearances by Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera and tons more.

What’s STAR Artist Bon Jovi up to right now? Working on a new live DVD shot during their most recent tour as well as a documentary and a new Greatest Hits collection. They’re actually writing some new material for that Greatest Hits package so that’ll be great to hear!

If George Clooney changes his mind and returns to ER this season, he will not be reunited with his on-screen love interest Julianna Marguiles. She says she turned down an offer by NBC to make a return cameo and, “I feel like I left Carol Hathaway in the best scenario possible."

American Idol winner and STAR Artist David Cook credits his girlfriend and fellow Idol alum Kimberly Caldwell for giving him peace and perspective in the midst of the reality show’s frenetic world of stardom. “I think she just gets that this is all nuts. She's a nice break from the chaos."

STAR Artist The Fray got their big break when their song “How to Save a Life” was in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Well this Thursday, they’ll try to recapture that magic. Their new single “You Found Me” will debut in a one-minute promo on Thursday that includes scenes from the upcoming season of Lost as well as music video footage.