June 13, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: Veteran NBC newsman Tim Russert, the longtime moderator of Meet the Press and host of The Tim Russert Show and a staple of the election season, has unexpectedly passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 58 years old. According to colleague Tom Brokaw, Russert passed away after collapsing at work, at the Washington, D.C. news bureau of NBC. Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday's Meet the Press at the time. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family: his wife, Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth, and son, Luke. Tom Brokaw broke the news:


A couple of good, new movies hit theaters today. The do-over of 2003’s Hulk, this time starring Edward Norton, opens nationally today. The Incredible Hulk is rated PG-13. And M. Night Shyamalan’s first R-rated movie debuts in theaters today called The Happening. It stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel as a couple trying to escape an unexplained “happening” causing deaths across the country. I’m actually excited yet terrified to see this. According to some who have seen it and the director himself, the movie takes on taboos. The faint of heart should stay at home!

This Sunday is Father's Day, and STAR Artist Colbie Caillat has plenty of reason to be grateful to her dad for his support. As a Grammy-winning producer Colbie's dad Ken was able to give her some great advice that helped her launch her music career. Colbie says she took up guitar because her dad told her to learn an instrument, so she'd always be able to accompany herself and wouldn't have to rely on others to play for her. She says her dad also told her to write her own songs and maintain control over every aspect of her career. But despite that advice, Colbie says her dad wasn't sure at first that his little girl should try to make it in the big bad music industry. Colbie says, "He was just getting worried, like a dad. But now he's loving it."

More details have emerged about the tell-all memoir that STAR Artist Madonna’s brother Christopher is writing about her. It'll be called "Life With My Sister", and it'll hit bookshelves July 15th. Madonna's publicist told the Associated Press that Madonna didn't cooperate with her brother on the book, and says the two are no longer close. At one point, Madonna and her brother were pretty close; in fact, he designed and directed two of Madonna's biggest tours -- The Girlie Show and Blond Ambition. He was also the artistic director for her documentary Madonna: Truth Or Dare. Life With My Sister was co-written with Wendy Leigh, who's written what have been described as, quote, "salacious biographies" of JFK Jr., Princess Grace, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Liza Minnelli.

American Idol winner and STAR Artist David Cook will perform at the 13th annual "Taste For A Cure" charity gala, which raises money for cancer research. As most fans know, David's brother Adam is battling brain cancer, so the cause is close to his heart. The event happens June 21st in Beverly Hills with host Jimmy Kimmel.

Angelina Jolie confessed to Entertainment Weekly that being pregnant has its advantages. She told the magazine, "It's great for the sex life. It just makes you a lot more creative. So you have fun, and as a woman you're just so round and full." Jolie has four children with Brad Pitt, and the couple is expecting twins sometime in the near future. When asked how she and Pitt plan to handle two more young children being added to the mix, Angelina said, "We really don't know. His mom and dad are on standby to come out and help. And fortunately we can hire help if we need it, but we're going to try as we usually do to balance it as well as we can."

Dr. Drew Pinsky issued an apology to Tom Cruise yesterday after the therapist raised questions about the actor's mental health. Pinsky's spokesperson said in a statement, "Dr. Drew meant no harm to Mr. Cruise and apologizes if his comments were hurtful." Pinsky had previously stated in Playboy magazine that Cruise's Scientology beliefs could stem from childhood "neglect." In response, Cruise's attorney called Dr. Drew a, "posturing flake" who "pretends to diagnose people he's never met." Good times.

Naomi Campbell has the best agent ever. Ever. When the drama queen fell into the arms of a woman on the streets of Capri while on vacation, Naomi’s agent supposedly denied reports of tipsiness to the British press, insisting, “Naomi was playing this trust game, where you fall into a friend’s arms.” I’m not sure I’m falling for your line about Naomi playing a game. Check out the picture.

STAR Artist Coldplay singer Chris Martin admits he still cannot deal with the fact that his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, used to be engaged to Brad Pitt. Despite having two children with Paltrow, her ex still plays on his mind, and drives him to make a success of his life. Chris told us, "If your wife went out with Brad Pitt, you'd want to prove yourself, you know what I mean?"

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