Cele|bitchy

Kristen Stewart & Rupert Sanders’ affair went on for months, sources say
Olympics Opening Ceremony: the worst thing ever or not that bad?
Ryan Lochte wins gold in the first 2012 match against Michael Phelps
Duchess Kate’s pale blue Christopher Kane Olympic coatdress: lovely?
Michelle Obama in white & silver J. Mendel at the Olympics: adorable & fresh?
Tom Cruise on David Miscavige: “He worships him like a god,” says CO$ defector

Kristen Stewart & Rupert Sanders’ affair went on for months, sources say

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 07:38 AM PDT

I've been hoping that we would have some big Kristen Stewart-Robert Pattinson news over the weekend, but it looks like Rob is still hunkered down in an undisclosed location, and Kristen is…??? I don't even know. As there was on Friday, there's a ton of tabloid BS, some of which is getting wide play because of the lack of anything verifiable. Like, I don't really believe the report that Rob wants to have a "man to man" chat with Rupert Sanders, but every site is covering that. Anyway, you can pick and choose what you believe. Here are some of the stories that I find interesting:

*Liberty Ross's brother, Leopold Ross, told the UK publication The People that his brother-in-law's affair with Kristen Stewart began a while ago. Leopold Ross says: "[The affair] was from the last half of filming and all through post-production, clear into last week." So, not a "momentary indiscretion" huh? Well, we knew that. Leopold also says his sister Liberty "made some sacrifices for something she thought was worth it, now she knows, right? Five minutes from her home. Doubt it was worth it but it's life. ‘It might actually make things better in the long run. She wasn't that happy for a while, but our family is close, she'll be all right."

*Rupert Sanders’s father, Michael, spoke to PEOPLE and he sounds like a piece of work. Michael Sanders says: “From what I gather nothing really happened and it is all a lot of fuss about nothing. I should imagine it was something very brief. She is a very pretty girl and when you work that closely with someone for so long, sometimes things happen. [Rupert] is very honorable, hardworking and [a] dedicated father and filmmaker. Of course their relationship [Rupert and Liberty's marriage] will survive this. This is nothing – they will definitely survive all of this. It is all a lot of fuss about nothing.” Um… Michael Sanders sounds like a douche.

*Theory for WHY Kristen cheated: she was jealous of Rob's flirtation and friendship with his Remember Me costar, Emilie de Ravin. Kristen was "upset" that Rob and Emilie would go out to eat, and occasionally get a drink together when they worked together in 2009. Sure.

*Kristen and Rob are "not speaking" to each other, according to People Mag's sources.

*Kristen and Rob are still scheduled to appear (together!) at the MTV VMAs on September 6th. But don't you think one of them will cancel? Or both.

*A U-Haul truck was seen at the home Rob and Kristen once shared. It's said that both of them have moved out. One theory is that "Kristen apparently took the hint that Rob wants his space and moved her stuff out of the Los Angeles home they once shared together." But a source tells HL, "His best friend has asked her to move her stuff out of his LA home. She only moved in two months ago."

*Katy Perry is "offering Rob support". Because she wants to get in his pants. Just my opinion.

*Rob was "weeks away from proposing" to Kristen. A source told The Daily Mirror, "Robert hoped to marry Kristen and was making preparations to spring a proposal before she admitted cheating. He had bought the house in Los Angeles to be their home and saw them staying there for a long time."

*Kristen is now begging Rob to speak to her. A source tells a UK tab, "He's angry, hurt and upset and is sick of people taking sides already. He's hoping to get two months to himself without Kristen around just to think things through. She has sent him messages asking him to hook up in New York for crisis talks next week, but he wants to be alone."

So… basically, poor POOR Sparkles. And poor Liberty Ross. I think it's interesting that family members of Rupert and Liberty are coming forward and saying stuff on the record – and just FYI, Rupert's dad came out before Liberty's brother. And I think Liberty's brother is just repeating stuff Liberty told him, and I kind of believe the Ross side of the family more. I believe that Rupert and Kristen were having an affair for a while – this "momentary indiscretion" story is BS.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Olympics Opening Ceremony: the worst thing ever or not that bad?

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 07:22 AM PDT

I know this isn't the most timely post or anything, but just know that it took me a full 24 hours to come to terms with just how awful the London Olympics Opening Ceremony was. It was TERRIBLE. Granted, it was never going to be like the Beijing Opening Ceremony which – can we agree on this? – set the gold standard for opening ceremonies, forever. No one expected London to live up to Beijing, and people were already making noise about opening ceremony director Danny Boyle not even wanting to compete with Beijing. But a dance tribute to the NHS? For real?

Basically, the first half of it was cringe-inducing and embarrassing. There was that cheap little fake hill, there was poor Kenneth Branagh reciting Shakespeare whilst dressed like Abraham Lincoln, there was Mr. Bean and that "bit" that went on far too long, there was the whole too-bright beds and the flying flock of Mary Poppins ("Mind the Poppins!" said Arrest Development fans) and the nightmarish "British villain pop-up" collection and that creepy giant baby. Even Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira were like, "Um… WTF?"

But it eventually got better. While the "love story" thing was dumb, I liked the tribute to British music, and I did like all of the hymns and such. Artic Monkey covering "Come Together" was a highlight. And this is what everyone was talking about – the Queen, the corgis and 007:

Queen Elizabeth’s Olympics Helicopter Jump with James Bond from MYNAME1229 on Vimeo.

Is it just me or is one of the corgis a fatty? Someone needs to put the Queen's corgis on a diet!! Also: did it bother anyone else that James Bond didn't bow to Her Majesty? And did it bother anyone else that the Queen looked like she really, really did not want to be there? Even her pink hair feathers looked bored. I would have loved a live feed of the Queen's reaction shots to the worst parts of Danny Boyle's "vision" for the Opening Ceremony. Still, he got James Bond and Liz in the same room together, so he gets some points for that.

What else did I like? Hm… David Beckham on the boat with the Olympic flame – that was nice. I liked the dude who took the flame through the tunnel with all of the construction workers who built the stadium – I thought that was a lovely moment. And that Olympic caldron is really cool – I liked it when it was a low "installation piece" thing with all of the leaves, but it looked amazing when the arms rose to form that tall caldron. Oh, and the fireworks were really well done – and you know why? There was British restraint! It wasn't like "OMG FIREWORKS EVERYWHERE!" (which is what we do in America). I like that they saved the fireworks and really made them count. And then Paul McCartney sang "Hey Jude" and that was pretty cool. I give the whole thing two-and-a-half Flying Poppins out of five.

PS… Here's the new teaser trailer for Skyfall, which aired shortly after the Queen and James Bond's little thing. Because that wasn't cross-promotional at all.

Photos courtesy of WENN, PCN.

Ryan Lochte wins gold in the first 2012 match against Michael Phelps

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 06:43 AM PDT

Does anyone else feel like this whole "Michael Phelps-Ryan Lochte: THE COMPETITION" media invention is a bit overblown? Before all of the stuff for the London Olympics began, I always heard that Ryan and Michael were friends – or, if not friends, then friendly and nice to each other. Now it's like everyone is trying to make this into the biggest rivalry ever. Anyway…

Phelps and Lochte went head-to-head in their first competition yesterday. Long story short, Lochte won gold and Phelps didn't even place. I know a lot of people are "over" Phelps for being over-hyped and for seeming like he doesn't even want to be there, but I still believe in Phelps. I think not even placing in the 400 meter individual medley was just the ass-kicking Michael needed to get his head in the game. Phelps isn't going to win eight golds this time around, but he's going to win some, and Lochte is going to win some, and it's going to be fine.

As for Lochte… he's incredibly cute. Did you see the video thing of what Lochte was doing to train for London? That enormous tire?!! Good God. But he's a beautiful swimmer, he has a gorgeous body, a sexy smile and he's a winker. I love a winker. However, I am not a fan of his diamond grill.

Lochte and Phelps will be in the 4 X 100 relay later today – so they'll be on the same team. Isn't this event where they won gold the last time? Phelps pulling out all of the stops and winning the gold by a hundredth of a second? Maybe it will happen again. And then Phelps and Lochte go head-to-head again on… Wednesday, August 1.

PS… Did anyone else watch girls' beach volleyball? We don't have any photos from that event, but I'm concerned about Misty and Kerri. I love those girls with all my heart, and that Aussie team almost kicked their asses.

Photos courtesy of PCN.

Duchess Kate’s pale blue Christopher Kane Olympic coatdress: lovely?

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 06:11 AM PDT

Here are some photos of the young royals on Friday, first for the Queen's heads-of-state reception at Buckingham Palace, and then at the Olympic Open Ceremony. As you can see, Duchess Kate wore the same outfit for both events. And why shouldn't she? It was appropriate for both occasions. Kate wore a fitted silk-satin coatdress by Scottish designer Christopher Kane. Kate wears a lot of blue in general, but I feel like she's been wearing shades of pale blue and ice blue a lot lately. Maybe that's just my imagination, but she's definitely developing more of an interest in paler, softer shades.

Last year, Christopher Kane was one of several designers criticizing Kate for her reliance on "High Street" fashion – Kane told WWD, "It's a shame she doesn't wear more designers. I don't really like the High Street getting so much of the credit. I understand that there would be an array because you need to relate to so many people in the market, but she is a princess. If I were a princess, I'd be like, 'Oh yeah, bring it on.'" Looks like she was listening?

Did you notice how many times the camera went to William and Kate during the Opening Ceremony? I swear, there were more cutaways to the two of them than the Queen. All of the royals looked pretty grumpy during the opening ceremony, but maybe they were just concentrating on the awfulness.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Michelle Obama in white & silver J. Mendel at the Olympics: adorable & fresh?

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 05:10 AM PDT

I really thought Pres. Obama was going to come to the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, but I guess not. It's fine because he sent Michelle Obama, and she quickly became the cheerleader-in-chief for Team USA. These are some photos of Michelle being received at Buckingham Palace just before the Opening Ceremony – note the way she looks at Queen Elizabeth. It's priceless. Michelle was escorted to the Palace and to the Opening Ceremony by the American ambassador to the Court of St. James (our ambassador to the UK, but that's what it's really called, FYI). Michelle's outfit is J. Mendel – I love it on her. Just enough sparkle, and still very summery. FLOTUS was in London for a full day before the Olympics started, meeting with American athletes, hanging out with David Beckham, and doing some interviews. Here are some highlights:

"Beyond proud” is how Michelle Obama told U.S. Olympians she felt while meeting with them on Friday morning, as the world awaits the evening’s opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Over breakfast at an east London sports center with some of Team USA – including women’s basketball players, fencing competitors and members of the track and field squad – the First Lady praised the inspiration they provide to those watching back home.

“Some of my fondest memories growing up and as an adult involve watching the Olympics on TV,” Mrs. Obama told them. “My family would sit together for hours watching these men and women perform feats of endurance speed that would have us cheering at the top of our lungs.”

She added, “My brother and I would dream about how maybe one day we might be able to achieve something just as great for ourselves.”

Mrs. Obama also told those gathered how her father, an athlete himself, battled MS, which over seven years changed him from “a thriving competitor” (as a boxer and swimmer) to someone on crutches.

“The Olympics for him was a special time for him to watch amazing athletes perform on the world stage,” said the First Lady. “You never know who are inspiring: from a family on the South Side of Chicago to a young athlete going to pick up a soccer ball or start running after watching something you all do.”

Noting that “we are all proud of you all,” Mrs. Obama also had some advice. “Try to have some fun. Try to breathe and take it in. But also win!”

Later, swim star Summer Sanders described the scene at the American Ambassador’s home in London – where Mrs. Obama was also a special guest – as “the best backyard party in town.”

Spurred on by the University of Florida Gator Marching Band and whoops of approval from about 1,000 kids, many from U.S. military families based in the U.K. (and to whom the First Lady gave a special thanks), Mrs. Obama sprinted to a stage platform and said, “We are so incredibly proud of you, and anytime I get the chance to show you guys love, I do it.”

The children – who were joined by such athletes as David Beckham, Carl Lewis, Teresa Edwards and Shawn Johnson – were there for a day of sports and musical entertainment, all part of Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move program to promote healthy exercise and eating.
But the main message of the day was about making healthy choices and never giving up.

“We love you,” said the First Lady. “But we want you to take care of yourselves, help your families, turn off the TV, eat some vegetables – yeah, that’s part of it! – because we want you guys to grow up to have the future you deserve. Is that a promise?”

[From People]

I like Michelle's pep-talk: have fun, take it all in, but seriously, WIN.

And for a moment of bipartisanship, here are some photos of Mitt and Ann Romney, who were also at the opening ceremony. I know Mitt left soon after (he flew from London to Israel), but I believe Ann is staying because one of her horses (Rafalca!) is competing in dressage (with rider Jan Ebeling). Ann is really, really into the horse world, and I saw her interview with Matt Lauer (Mitt was there too), and you could tell how excited she was. Also: Ann is super-pretty. She has a really beautiful face. I know y'all are going to yell at me no matter what I say, so I just decided to be really superficial. Ann Romney is a beauty. And Michelle Obama is adorable.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Tom Cruise on David Miscavige: “He worships him like a god,” says CO$ defector

Posted: 29 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Over the weekend, Katie Holmes stepped out with a “male friend” who seemed to be just that, and you can see the photos at the Mail. Although Katie has officially cancelled her first scheduled red-carpet appearance since filing for divorce from Tom Cruise, she’s still leading her own life in New York City. She and her friend (honestly, the dude seems like a gay boyfriend, and I can attest from personal experience that every girl could use several of them) kissed each other on the cheek (Katie is described as “radiant” in the aftermath), and the tabloids are going wild. Meanwhile, poor little (lift-wearing) Tom is merely trying to do the best “dad” job he can do by inviting the tabloids to witness his Suri reunion in the face of such adversity. Now the Mail has provided us details of an “anguished” Tom in the days after Katie filed for divorce:

Tom Cruise refused to leave his hotel in the English countryside to return to New York last week as he continued to struggle with the aftermath of his marriage break-up.

The Hollywood star, 50, extended his stay at five-star The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire, telling aides he couldn’t face going back to the States after Katie Holmes filed for divorce.

Everything was packed and ready to go,” said a source close to the actor. “The jet had been refuelled and the flight scheduled but a call came in from his assistant saying he was refusing to leave. He was talking about not being ready to go back to America.”

Hotel sources say Cruise, who had been meeting executives at Pinewood Studios, eventually left early on Thursday. “He spent all his time in his room,” added the source. “It was the first time he had off work to just clear his head.”

[From Daily Mail]

Tom was so, so clueless within his marriage, and he remains so willfully blind to everything in his path. Like, we’re supposed to feel bad for Tom for wondering, “What’s happening?” Because you know, mean old Katie filed for divorce and felt compelled to use burner phones to hide her legal maneuverings from her soon-to-be ex-husband. Yet Tom is the one who yelled for four straight days when Katie dared to question the rules of the CO$, which leads me to believe that Tom wants what he wants, and the CO$ provides it. Anything else is unorthodox in Tom’s world. Also, the Mail has also provided a few strategically-placed photos of Tom with greying stubble because, you know, even the best plastic surgeon in the entire world can’t hide everything, right?

Poor Tom. Moving right along…

Last month, CB reported that Scientology head David Miscavige was literally “obsessed” with Tom Cruise, and indeed, that sentiment is what we have heard up until now — that the CO$ spied on Tom for years to bring him back from a decade-long (thanks to Nicole Kidman) defection and that Miscavige would do anything to get his prize Gollum back. Now there’s a new interview of a former Tom Cruise lackey, however, which comes courtesy of Tony Ortega of the Village Voice. I absolutely love reading accounts like this from people who previously worked quote closely with Cruise. Here are some excerpts:

Until now, I’ve never told [John] Brousseau’s entire story as a 32-year member of Scientology and the last person to escape from the International Base who is talking publicly about it. Brousseau’s tale is one of the most remarkable to come out of the secretive organization, and one that parallels so much of Scientology’s own development and controversies.

He and Miscavige were brothers in law. They were both young cameramen working for Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard during his movie-making phase. Brousseau was Hubbard’s personal chauffeur and helped maintain the cloak of secrecy when Hubbard vanished for good. He watched Miscavige transform Scientology and turn its base into a prison camp. He worked for Tom Cruise, which included serving in the household with Cruise and Katie Holmes. And having worked closely with both Cruise and Miscavige, he has choice things to say about the nature of their relationship.

For Christmas 2006, Tom Cruise took his family to a house that had been upgraded and transformed. It was his place in Telluride, Colorado, and he was there with his wife Katie Holmes, their eight-month-old daughter Suri, his mother, and his older children, Isabella and Connor. There was also a full set of people working to make sure that everything went smoothly, as well as the man wrangling them, who had also overseen the house’s upgrade. He was John Brousseau.

“I was making sure everything was beautiful and clean. I made sure the servants knew what they were doing. They had to learn how to make things go right without being visible — I learned that from Miscavige. I would show the staff that it’s not your job to bump into Tom in the hallway. It’s your job to make sure everything’s right, but be invisible. Anticipate his every move. You had to be there with a salt shaker before he even realized he needed it,” he says. “I was sitting there having meals with Tom and Katie and the family. It was like we were guests.”

I asked how the couple appeared to him. “They looked really terrific at that time. They were a hit, it was very evident to me. They were still gaga. At the end of the day, Suri was put to bed, Connor and Bella were in bed. Most of the help had gone home. I’d still be around. And Tom and Katie would go off on their own to chat. They seemed really genuinely happy.”

I asked Brousseau for his impressions of Katie Holmes. “Tom Cruise was the dream of her life since she was a little girl. The Church of Scientology wasn’t. That was just glued on to the package. They put Jessica Rodriguez on her and she must have thought, what the f#*k is happening? I didn’t marry a person, I married an entourage.”

Rodriguez — born Jessica Feshbach — was from a legendary family in Scientology. She became Katie’s “handler,” and was seen at every public appearance during those early years in the relationship. (We hear that Jessica is now gravely ill, and I’ve wondered if Jessica’s absence was a factor in Katie’s ability to secretly plan such a slick getaway from Cruise and the church.)

Brousseau left Scientology in 2010, but I asked him why he thought Katie acted the way she did when she surprised Cruise with her divorce filing. “The maternal instinct kicked in. And Katie’s parents pointed things out. And Katie had read sh-t. And Suri is six,” Brousseau conjectures. “You don’t f#*k with a mother’s child. She just figured the best thing was to yank her little girl out of there, and good for her.”

When Miscavige took Cruise to the base’s shooting range, Brousseau helped out. “I was the gun guy. I’d shoot the first couple of shells to make sure the gun wasn’t going to blow up. Then I’d hand it to Tom.” Brousseau says this was also when he first got to work for Tom, the first of many jobs making or repairing things for the actor. “I got to customize a Bluebird motor home for him. It had custom hard surfaces and upholstery,” he says. Another Sea Org member who was an audiophile made sure the vehicle had the latest hi fi equipment.

“Tom paid for everything. The church never bought stuff. When it came down to paying for stuff, Tom paid for it. But he didn’t pay us,” Brousseau says. As Sea Org members, Brousseau and the others who worked on Tom’s vehicles and properties were paid only about $50 a week by the church, even though their hours could reach 100 a week.

After that initial encounter with Cruise at the Int Base in 1991, the actor made himself scarce, Brousseau says. “He was with Nicole Kidman at the time. But then, he sort of fell away after that. He was gone from Scientology for like ten years. That’s where Marty came in, to get him back in.” During that period, Brousseau also began to work more closely with Cruise. “In 2002, Marty was auditing him and getting him through his OT levels. And I went to his house on Alpine Drive in Beverly Hills. I was put in charge of a complete overhaul of his house,” Brousseau says. David Miscavige’s wife, Shelly, was overseeing the project, and was pushing everyone to hurry.

Brousseau says Cruise had been impressed with the way Miscavige lived at his rooms in the “Upper Villa” on the base, and his apartment in Hollywood. When Cruise complained that he couldn’t get his own place and staff the way he wanted it, Miscavige reassured him that he’d take care of it. “The result was people like me going and working for Tom, making his house perfect. We even landscaped the grounds, everything was transformed. I was the technical guy, directing people, getting the irrigation fixed, the windows, doors, gutters, even the light bulbs.”

After doing many projects not only on Cruise’s house, but also with his vehicles and his airport hangar in Burbank, Brousseau says he got to know the man pretty well. “He’s got more energy than the local grid. But he’s not very smart. He has so much energy, and he always has to be doing something with somebody.” That’s backed up by something a person who worked closely with Cruise for many years told me recently about watching him during his marriage to Kidman: “Tom can’t be alone. He goes nuts if there’s not someone else around him, someone he can bug about stuff. He’d walk around the house, saying ‘Where’s Nick? Where’s Nick?’ He was like a kid that way.”

Hearing Brousseau talk about all the work he was doing around Cruise’s Beverly Hills house in 2002, I had to ask: had Tom Cruise really been living in squalor before the Int Base crew arrived? “It was bullsh-t,” he says. Yes, they improved the place, but Cruise hadn’t been living in a dump to begin with. “Why did it need to be done? It was Miscavige.” Brousseau says he had ample opportunity to examine the two men up close. And it taught him that theirs was a very uneven relationship. “It isn’t the same both ways. Miscavige would throw Tom Cruise under a bus in a minute. But Tom thinks Miscavige is the greatest person in the world. He worships him like a god. Miscavige would pretend that Tom was his best friend, but you could see it was horsesh-t. Tom couldn’t see it.”

After his Christmas with Tom and Katie and baby Suri in 2006, Brousseau saw them only occasionally. Brousseau says he had bigger things to worry about. It had become, he says, the period of “Miscavige unplugged” as Int Base increasingly became a prison camp and more and more top executives were being “disappeared” — at the same time that Tom Cruise was being hailed by Miscavige as the church’s epitome of dedication. “The only thing I have against Tom is that he accepted this sh-t.”

Since he left Scientology, Brousseau has released photographs of the work he did for Tom Cruise — work that was unpaid, and that some have used to argue that Cruise and Miscavige benefited from inurement — enriching that violates Scientology’s tax-exempt status. “The reason I’ve released those photos is because I want Tom to wake up. I remember at the time, I was being told I was doing a good job on these things for him. But I was thinking, what the f%*k am I doing? How the hell is this helping humanity? Why am I being flown to Telluride to be the babysitter for Connor and Bella? What the f#*k was I doing?”

[From Village Voice]

This excerpt, which leaves out a lot of the COS-related discussion, only details Part One of the interview. Personally, I cannot wait to read Part Two, but I am delighted to see that Brousseau has already confirmed that Katie’s “maternal instinct kicked in,” which lends credence to the claim that Katie had snapped over CO$ demands over Suri. I mean really, they were actually telling her that she couldn’t discipline her own child. Nobody goes there.

In conclusion, past reports have confirmed to us that Tom has abused CO$ partitioners and gleefully accepted their free labor to plant wheat fields for he and Kidman to (also gleefully) run through. Tom probably believes that slave labor is romantic, but I think that he’s merely obsessed with Miscavige for what he can provide with little demand. This new account from Brousseau is quite interesting though — will Miscavige ever truly throw Tom under the bus for a new “face of Scientology” (John Travolta, perhaps)? At this point, I don’t think Miscavige even has that option. Nope. David famously accompanied Tom on his honeymoon with Katie, and so it follows that Tom and David will forever be thick as thieves together. Happily ever after.

Photos courtesy of Freedom Magazine and Village Voice

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Cele|bitchy

Cele|bitchy

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