| Tom Cruise talks about Katie Holmes, CoS, couch-jumping & more with Playboy Posted: 15 May 2012 08:54 AM PDT 
There are good and bad things about the summer blockbuster season. One of the bad things: the movies aren't always very good, and many of the actors starring in those films kind of phone it in when it comes to promotion. One of the good things: bigger stars, bigger photo-ops, bigger publicity campaigns. I've been so focused on Snow White & the Huntsman, Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises that I often forget that Rock of Ages is also going to try to get some of the summer-blockbuster pie. Personally, I think Rock of Ages looks like a train wreck. But I'm not really into 1980s nostalgia, and I'm still not buying Julianne Hough as some kind of movie star. Which brings me to this – Tom Cruise's promotional work in support of Rock of Ages has begun. Cruise is "The Playboy Interview" for the June issue – you can read the piece online here. I have to say… I didn't hate the way Tom puts himself out there in this interview. He's always been known for being hyper-focused and intense, and he's still that guy. But I like that he doesn't have any problems discussing the couch-jumping and the Today Show incident, both from 2005. Some highlights from the piece: On turning 50 this year and looking so young: "I honestly have no idea. [laughs] I work. I'm always with family. I train, go without sleep. I just go hard… When I made Taps, really my first film experience, I remember lying at night in the hotel room, thinking, I love this so much. I'd wanted it since I was four, and there I was, thinking that if I did my best on Taps, maybe I could do this for the rest of my life. Turning 50, when I'm still doing this, is okay. On July 3 I'll be in Iceland, filming on my birthday. My family, my wife, they understand. It's who I am. I've spent many birthdays on a movie set, all great days. Work ethic and values: "I've always had the same values. Family for me has always been important. When I shoot, everybody comes. When Kate's shooting, I'm there with her and the kids. We're always together. I'm always around my mother and sisters. I always wanted to be a father, a husband. And I've always had a work ethic. I've had paying jobs since I was about eight years old—cutting grass, raking leaves, paper routes, selling Easter cards and Christmas cards." There was no drama when Jeremy Renner was brought in for MI 4: "No, because here's the thing: I had creative control and final cut on Mission Impossible. I brought Renner in. So there's a separation between what's happening versus what people say. This is something I learned growing up, moving and always being the new kid. There's what people say, and there's reality, and you can't worry about stuff like that. Do you wish they wouldn't say certain things? Yeah, you wish. Does refuting things help? Not really. There comes a point when you just have to go, You know what? Here's how I've lived my life: I've never been late to set. I make films I believe in. I feel privileged to be able to do what I love. You just have to keep going and remember that. The other stuff? I hear it, I read it, I get it. But life is not a matter of trying to prove anything to anybody." What he learned from the Oprah couch-jumping & Today Show incidents: "I agree with you, and I never meant it that way. When I go back and look at it, I find myself thinking, I don't feel that way. I get how it came across, but I don't feel that way, and I never have. Telling people how to live their lives? I saw how that came across and how pieces were edited… But it was important to me to take responsibility, take a hard look and decide where I go from here. That time was interesting. It was that moment when the internet had really spun out. It was a learning experience for all of us, how these things go. All you can do is learn and say, "This is the way it's going to go from now on. Here is the line." On the Church of Scientology: "What's interesting is, if I don't talk about my religion, if I say I'm not discussing it or different humanitarian things I'm working on, they're like, "He's avoiding it." If I do talk about it, it becomes, "Oh, he's proselytizing." Reviewing the whole thing and how things can be edited and misinterpreted, I decided, You know what? Here's the deal. I take responsibility for what happened, but everyone now knows that if I am dealing with humanitarian things, I will talk about that. When I'm promoting a film, I'm not going to get caught up in anything else, and that includes all my personal things." Standing up to bullies: "You have to. There's one thing you know with a bully. I don't care how big or mean they are. If you allow it, if you don't stand up to that.… And there are different ways to do it. There's the school yard, but sometimes just confronting them works. I learned hard lessons as a kid, and you think that once you grow up and aren't at school, it will be different. It isn't; it's just bigger. I was being evaluated by the world. You have language barriers. There are lots of ways to incite incidents through miscommunication. The internet has made it more immediate for false stuff. I've learned to just let it go or communicate where you can. Since the beginning of my career, you can find something with anyone." Suing over false stories: "They know I mean it, that if I have to, I will sue. You start with a letter saying, "Okay, you know it's not true. Apologize." There is a point with a lot of things when you just go, You know what? I don't want to waste my time with this. I'm busy. I'd rather spend this time with my kids and my wife, at home or on our movies, creating a life together. If you have kids, it is the most important thing to create good times." On Katie Holmes: "She is an extraordinary person, and if you spent five minutes with her, you'd see it. Everything she does, she does with this beautiful creativity. When she becomes interested in something, she doesn't talk about it, she does it. One week I said to her, "You've been up in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?" She smiled and then threw this thing on my desk and said, "I wrote this script." She wanted to try it, and she did. She wanted to try designing clothes, and now her line is wonderful and, to me, an example of how she just creates beautiful things in her life. She has a voice and warmth as an artist, as a mother. She's funny and charming, and when she walks into the room, I just feel better. I'm a romantic. I like doing things like creating romantic dinners, and she enjoys that. I don't know what to say—I'm just happy, and I have been since the moment I met her. What we have is very special.
[From Playboy] Tom also gets asked if he thinks he was ever hacked by the British press, and Tom says "maybe." But he also says that he puts that kind of stuff in "a minor pile of things I have to handle." There's also some stuff about his voice lessons and dance lessons for Rock of Ages, none of which inspires that much confidence that his performance is going to be incredible. Still… I like this version of Tom. I know he's crazy and the Church of Scientology is dangerous, etc, etc, but I always end up finding Tom to be kind of sympathetic. I can't help it. 
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
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| John Mayer doesn’t recall his racist Playboy interview: “It was a very strange time” Posted: 15 May 2012 08:50 AM PDT 
There are a few fleeting moments in (relatively distant) history when I’ve actually found John Mayer physically attractive, and I’ve felt incredibly guilty as a result. Thankfully — I’ve just now realized (from the above photo) that these brief instances of weakness only occur when John is looking vaguely Jack White-ish, which makes me feel a bit better about the whole situation. After all, Jack is a very decent fellow (or rather, a fine bloke) who takes great pleasure into turning women into rock goddesses, so I think the fact that I’ve been occasionally intrigued by douchebag John (again, only for a few seconds) can easily be explained away as such. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. By and large, these last few years without John sticking his face into paparazzi cams has been a blessedly peaceful run. It couldn’t last forever though, for now John is making the rounds to promote his new album, Shadow Days, which is the record that features a song about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston. So naturally, John’s trying to dance around those disastrous interviews wherein he rambled on about his white supremacist d-ck and Jessica Simpson-associated sexual exploits. Will it work? Well he’s claiming that he doesn’t even remember the Playboy interview and calls it “a very strange time.” Here’s a preview of his interview on today’s “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” with video below as well: 
It’s no accident that John Mayer has been avoiding the press for the past two years. Following two explosive interviews with Playboy and Rolling Stone in 2010, where he likened his chemistry with Jessica Simpson to “sexual napalm” and blamed his split with Jennifer Aniston on his frequent tweeting, Mayer felt the need to escape. “It was a very strange time and it sort of rocketed me into adulthood. It was a violent crash into being an adult,” Mayer, 34, said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday. “For a couple of years it was just figuring it all out, and I’m glad I actually stayed out of the spotlight. Because I think back then I would of said, ‘Give me two weeks or let me get out and do Ellen and let me explain myself.’ It was like, ‘No, idiot. Go away and be 33 and 34 instead of 28 for the fourth year.’” Mayer said he “had to go home for a minute” to heal from the backlash in 2010. “The plan that originally gets you out of high school and your hometown, in front of people, that plan was over. I had done it. I just sort of lost my head for a little while.” The “Shadow Days” singer — whose new album, Born and Raised, will be released May 22 — was forced to cancel his 21-city tour in March in order to remove a granuloma just above his vocal cord. (He first had surgery to remove the enlarged nodule in October 2011.) “It’s not a health concern whatsoever, but it has taken me out of singing,” Mayer told host Ellen DeGeneres, 54. ‘I tried to beat it the first time and couldn’t.” Mayer then explained how the medical procedure works. “They cut this thing out of your throat and then they inject your vocal cords with Botox, which freezes your vocal cords so that this thing can heal without smacking up against the other side,” he said. “I just need more Botox next time.”
[From Us Weekly] Aside from John’s botched vocal chord surgery (which really is a terrible thing for any singer to face), I don’t really get John’s explanation for his past behavior. At least he’s not still trying to blame his management because he couldn’t keep his verbal diarrhea from spilling out at every opportunity. But it really feels like he’s trying to explain his past douchebaggery away as just trying to be a 28-year-old dude for several years, and that makes no sense. Plenty of 28-year-old guys hold down real jobs, maintain families, and still don’t cave to the unyielding pressure of needing to say stupid sh-t and act like immature idiots. So basically John is still the same douchebag that he’s always been, and nothing (even slight humility) will ever change that. John didn’t say those terrible racist things because he was experiencing growing pains — that’s just how he really is as a person. He’s only sorry that we didn’t find his shtick to be charming. 
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN       |
| Kris Jenner sports a huge painful trout pout in promos for KUWTK: stunt or genuine? Posted: 15 May 2012 08:17 AM PDT 
The Kardashians have a long history of getting plastic surgery and procedures as some kind of plot for their reality show. We’ve seen Kim get Botox, Khloe get laser hair removal for her lady parts, and mom Kris Jenner get a facelift prior to Kim’s lavish wedding. In a new promo for the upcoming seventh season of the show, Kris is shown waking up looking like she’s stuffed a hotdog underneath her upper lip. We’re just going on The Daily Mail’s report on this, as I haven’t been able to find the actual video. The pictures tell the story pretty much, in that Kris has these lips in a scene that looks in no way contrived in which she wakes up with her makeup partially applied and several of her kids come piling in the room to gawk. Here’s more, thanks to the Daily Mail:
In a new trailer for the upcoming season, Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the family, is seen with a pout which looks suspiciously enhanced compared to her usual appearance.
Kris, 56, is seen looking shocked as she wakes up in her bed with a much bigger top lip. The leader of the Kardashian clan shows off her new look to daughter Kim, 31, and son Rob, 25, as the two siblings stand gobsmacked at their mother’s bedside.
Kris, who is still in her pyjamas and is wearing no make-up, appears horrified by her overnight transformation and tries to hide her mouth with her hand. The rest of the family hear the commotion and rush into the bedroom surprised by Jenner’s plump top lip. It is not clear from the 30 second clip whether the mother-of-six has really had a bad reaction to a cosmetic surgery procedure, or if she is playing a prank on her children.
Later in the trailer viewers are shown the Kardashians going on holiday to their favourite destination of the Dominican Republic.
[From The Daily Mail] 
Who is the girl in the bikini? She doesn’t look like one of the youngest Kardashian girls, so maybe she’s Rob’s girlfriend or something. 
The last photos we have of Kris are from May 10, below, and her lips look fug in frosted pink lipstick but they’re otherwise normal-sized. So I’m guessing this was either a stunt, or a reaction to a lip injection which soon reverted to normal. It probably doesn’t matter either way. These are the Kardashians, they’ll do just about anything to get our attention and it’s still working, goddamnit. Radar lets us know that the seventh season of the show “will feature 18 one-hour episodes, the most ever.” They may have some KANYE to fill that time. He appears in a new TV spot for the show (it’s unclear whether it’s this same one) and Kim semi-confirmed to E! that Kanye will be featured. She then took a veiled dig at her sister, Khloe. “I want to show my life. If we are having dinner and [Kanye] does show up, I’m sure we’re not going to go, ‘Stop the cameras!’ “I’m not going to be taking a bubble bath and drinking champagne or on a sex swing [on camera] like Khloé [Kardashian Odom] and Lamar [Odom] do. It’s not going to be like that.” Not until she gets even more serious with Kanye in a whole two months’ time. 
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| Zooey Deschanel cast in the Broadway show ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’: good choice? Posted: 15 May 2012 08:07 AM PDT 
These are some photos of cast of The New Girl at yesterday's Fox Upfronts. I don't understand why this show doesn't get more love. It's surprisingly smart and well-written, and over the course of their first year, they worked out all of the storytelling kinks and it's one of my favorite shows at this point. It's one of my "must-watch" shows, something I usually reserve for PBS’s Masterpiece and Mad Men. Through the show's great writing, I've grown to love Zooey Deschanel, and previously she annoyed the ever loving f–k out of me. The Carven outfit that Zooey wore to the Upfronts is a good example for WHY I don't really care for her as a person. I mean… this whole thing is a retro hipster disaster. But I still love her. Sigh. Incidentally, did you hear about Zooey and Loretta Lynn? They sang together in Nashville (Zooey tweeted some pics) and now it looks like Zooey is going to appear on Broadway AS Loretta in the newly-announced production of Coal Miner's Daughter. Loretta Lynn "personally introduced" Zooey in Nashville and Lynn is co-signing the casting choice too: "It’s a long way from Butcher Holler to Broadway in New York City. I never imagined I’d see Coal Miner’s Daughter on a movie screen, and now I can’t believe it’s going to be on a stage for people to see." Broadway musicals are a HUGE commitment and my first thought was "OMG, what will happen to The New Girl?" Producers for the Fox show say that there will be no conflict, and considering this is all in the early stages, I'm guessing that the production won't happen until next year, maybe? As for the choice of Zooey to play Loretta Lynn… as I said before, I don't hate it. Zooey has a nice voice – I don't think her voice is strong enough to mimic Loretta Lynn's voice, but Zooey is a professional singer and I'm assuming she'll have a voice coach too. 
I'm including some photos of some of the other cast members of The New Girl, Hannah Simone and Jake M. Johnson (who does not photograph well at all). 
Photos courtesy of WENN & Zooey's Twitter.
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| Kristen Stewart vs. Charlize Theron: who looked better at the UK ‘SWATH’ premiere? Posted: 15 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT 
These are photos from last night's premiere of Snow White and the Huntsman. I know I'm supposed to be all excited about Charlize Theron's Dior gown, but I'm really not feeling it. Obviously, I hate Kristen Stewart's Marchesa monstrosity too, but I feel like both looks are failures in their own ways, and both reflect rather poorly on the women. (By the way, I'm barely acknowledging Chris Hemsworth – it's not that I dislike the man or anything, it's just that he's simply not as interesting as the ladies.) So, Kristen in Marchesa. Obviously, this thing is just awful. Marchesa is always awful, always tacky, always budget, and often Marchesa gowns look like glorified ice skaters' leotards. But!! Jennifer Lawrence wore a horrible Marchesa gown during the promotion of The Hunger Games, and I find myself feeling the same way towards K-Stew now – she's young. She was told to wear this by some studio stylist, probably. Maybe this was a teachable moment for her sartorially. I also find it interesting that Balenciaga is not dressing their current and newest "face" for the SWATH promotional trail. I'm sure she'll be wearing Balenciaga for the Cannes Film Festival, but it would have been nice to see a preview for this premiere. Something nice: I like Kristen's makeup here. As for Charlize in Dior – she's one of the (bitch)faces of Dior, obviously. She has her pick of Dior gowns. I would imagine that Charlize and Kristen coordinated on some level – I mean, what are the chances that both women would wear black gowns with sheer skirts? Obviously, Charlize's gown has much better construction and it's just a more flattering look… but I still don't love it. I think the completely sheer skirt is kind of tacky. And I think her styling is overdone. I've always said that Abbie Cornish looks like a budget Charlize… but now Charlize looks like a budget Abbie Cornish. WTF? 
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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| Britney Spears and Demi Lovato announced as X Factor judges, how will they do? Posted: 15 May 2012 05:33 AM PDT 
We’ve heard the announcement that Britney Spears will be joining the American version of “X Factor,” and there were rumors that Demi Lovato was in talks to also become a judge. Last night both stars joined Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid at the Fox Upfronts to make the official announcement. Spears and Lovato will be replacing first season judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. TMZ has video of the upfronts, with both Britney and Demi making brief prepared remarks on stage. Britney’s voice falters a little bit and she looks scared to be there. It’s kind of hard to watch, and I’m hoping that Simon and the other higher-ups at X Factor make sure that she’s comfortable and supported while she’s on the show. She’s only done her own press very rarely and it may take her some time to get accustomed to being on television. Here’s more, thanks to the Detroit Free Press:
It’s official: Britney Spears and Demi Lovato will be judges when the second season of the U.S. edition of “The X Factor” debuts this fall. “I’m a huge fan of the show and now I get to be a part of the action,” Spears said during Fox’s upfront presentations to advertisers in New York City. While details of the two stars’ new contracts weren’t revealed, reports over the last few weeks suggested Spears would be signing a $15-million deal. Spears and Lovato will sit alongside Simon Cowell, the show’s creator, and music executive L.A. Reid. The two pop stars replace former judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, who, along with host Steve Jones, were fired by Cowell following the conclusion of the singing competition’s first season. “I’m absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us,” Cowell said. “Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world; she’s talented, fascinating — and I believe she knows exactly how to spot ‘The X Factor.’ “Demi’s had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She’s young, confident and enthusiastic,” the outspoken TV personality said. “I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience.”
[From The Detroit Free Press] As opposed to Britney, Demi looked and acted much more confident on stage. Demi has done plenty of interviews recently and I don’t doubt that she’ll be able to handle herself on X Factor. As Bedhead mentioned, Demi may have problems going in front of the camera and dealing with the criticism and scrutiny that go along with that. She’s mentioned that she feels “fragile… in front of the camera” when she’s acting. How is she going to feel as a judge on an unscripted show? I’ll be honest, I’m worried about Britney. She’s a shy person and it’s going to take some coaxing and the right environment to help her out of her shell. Is Cowell capable of creating that environment? Here are photos from the Fox Upfronts, as well as a Twitpic of Britney in the white dress she wore to make the announcement. (More photos of her in that dress are here.) It wasn’t flattering on her. She needs to move away from the tight short numbers she sported at the beginning of her career. This eggplant-colored v-neck dress is somewhat better. Also, I’m not a fan of Demi’s bleached hair. She switches up her haircolor often, so it’s possible she’ll change it again soon. I actually like Demi’s bright patterned dress, even with that weird trailing piece at the front. It’s contemporary and it works on her. TMZ just reported that Demi’s X Factor salary is in the low seven figures. Britney received a reported $15 million for just this single season. 
         Photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet  |
| LeAnn Rimes considered taking out a restraining order on “unstable” Brandi Posted: 15 May 2012 04:29 AM PDT 
Brandi Glanville had MURDER in her eyes the first time she saw LeAnn Rimes holding one of the Cibrian children. Or so said Brandi in an interview that got a lot of play yesterday – you can recap the story here. As Celebuzz pointed out, this was actually not the first time Brandi had used the word "kill" or "murder" in regards to LeAnn. In a 2011 radio interview, Brandi had said, "The first time I saw my baby sitting in her (LeAnn's) lap, I wanted to kill her… I wanted to murder her." Still, Brandi took to Twitter yesterday to clarify some points. I don't think she's "clarifying" as much as "reiterating" though: 
[Via Brandi's Twitter] My take was and is that Brandi was simply verbalizing her gut reaction to seeing LeAnn, the self-styled "bonus mom," co-opt Brandi's entire life. LeAnn's Single-White-Female-ing of Brandi Glanville is very real, y'all. Anyway, LeAnn managed to make yesterday's story even more dramatic by getting Celebuzz to quote an "unnamed source" who claims that LeAnn once considered taking out a restraining order on Brandi. I mean, obviously. LeAnn Rimes is said to be 'haunted' at Brandi Glanville's "I am going to kill you" threat, Celebuzz has exclusively learned. We can also reveal that Glanville, a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, made other threats so serious that Rimes, married to Glanville's ex-husband Eddie Cibrian, seriously considered asking a Los Angeles court to issue a restraining order against her. "Brandi has told LeAnn to her face multiple times that she would kill her if she could," a source close to the situation told Celebuzz. "LeAnn is scared of Brandi and believes she is unstable. LeAnn's own mother is concerned for her daughter's safety too and regularly calls her to tell her so."
[From Celebuzz] Hahaha, "LeAnn is scared of Brandi and believes she is unstable." CRAZY BITCH PLEASE. Granted, Brandi is no Mahatma Gandhi, but I think even Gandhi would have thrown LeAnn's crazy stalker ass a bitchy side-eye. I can't believe LeAnn, the perpetual, pathological narcissist, has the nerve to even THINK someone else is "unstable". What must it be like to live in such a delusional bubble? 
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, Fame/Flynet and LeAnn's Twitter.
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| Angelina & Brad are renting (not buying) a huge mansion in Surrey, England Posted: 15 May 2012 04:21 AM PDT 
When I wrote about Jennifer Aniston's $40,000-a-month rental yesterday, the Pity Party Patrol came out in full force to claim that Brangelina NEVER gets the kind of mild criticism Aniston ENDURES for their respective excesses. I beg to differ – we always cover Brangelina's real estate rumors, especially when the alleged purchases/rentals are crazy and/or expensive. Most recently, we discussed the rumor that Angelina Jolie bought Brad a motherchucking WATERFALL for his birthday. We also discussed the possible real estate purchases/rentals that the Jolie-Pitts might be undertaking in England, as the family settles down so Angelina can film Maleficent. Now E! News reports that the early reports (that the Jolie-Pitts bought a UK mansion outright) are false, and they are in fact renting a big mansion. I'm including some of the aerial photos below, and here's E!'s story: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt just snapped up one fancy rental home. While the betrothed actors didn’t buy the Whornes Place estate in London, it turns out the über-famous couple is temporarily residing in another “palatial” home in the area. And it looks like they’re settling in. Despite reports Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie forked over $16 million to reside in the Whornes Palace in the West London town of Richmond, E! News has learned exclusively the charitable pair is renting a huge mansion in one of the most “exclusive areas” in the United Kingdom. “[Brad and Angelina] have decided to settle into one property rather than move around because they are going to be in London for 15 months,” a source told E! News. “It seems better for the whole family if they have a proper base. They have been moved into a palatial mansion that resembles the White House on the exclusive Wentworth golf course in Surrey. It is in a beautiful, gated community, one of the most exclusive areas in the U.K.” But, Jolie and Pitt aren’t the first celebrities to reside in the stunning home, which sits 21 miles outside of London. The estate has had its share of star-studded residents, including Elton John and Fergie, the Duchess of York. And there’s plenty of room for Jolie to stretch her legs. “The house has eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms, staff quarters, a gazebo in the garden, an indoor swimming pool and a playground for the children,” the source said. “They have also hired a full time chef.” Meanwhile, there’s still no word yet on when the newly engaged pair, who moved into the home a week ago, will tie the knot. But, their new digs certainly would make for one fine place for a wedding. We’re just sayin’.
[From E! News] There's no mention of how much this rental costs per month, but I can imagine that it would be in the tens of thousands (per month). I should also note this – considering Angelina is the big-name "star" of Maleficent and the studio wants to keep her happy, I'm guessing that the studio is probably paying for all or part of the Jolie-Pitts' living expenses. I don't know what Angelina has in her contracts – she might get a general "living allowance" stipend, or the studio might pay for everything flat-out. (Sidenote: I'd still really like to know what happened to the converted farmhouse Angelina bought in England back in 2001. Did she sell it?) By the way – Brangelina should be in the South of France within the next few days. Brad's film is competing at the Cannes Film Festival. So… Brangelina red carpet sighting! It will be Angelina's first red carpet with her engagement ring. 
Real estate photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and archive images of Brangelina in England courtesy of WENN.
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| Michael Fassbender covers GQ, confirms relationship with Nicole Beharie Posted: 15 May 2012 04:21 AM PDT 
GAH. I just had a spiritual experience reading Michael Fassebender's GQ cover profile for the June issue. This is Fassy's first appearance on the cover of a major American men's magazine. Sure, he's been profiled by tons of magazines, and GQ even named him the "breakout of 2011" but for the most part, Fassy's covers have been in European publications. So this is his arrival in the American media. It feels good too. Especially when the full cover story (here) is so detailed and interesting, and when the photo shoot (here) is super-sexy. Here are some delicious highlights: Mm, paddles: In the middle of [his London apartment] is a mini Ping-Pong table, borrowed from his British agent, who lives nearby. “Now that it’s here,” says Fassbender, “it’s not going. This table has been the best contribution for fun I’ve had in a long time. This table has seen some action…” He pauses, laughs. “That sounds wrong.” But has it? I say, gently pushing. “Just the paddles,” he deflects, and of course he then realizes that this sounds wrong, too, in exactly the same way. All of the dong jokes: “It’s fun to a point,” he says of these situations he has been facing, “and after a certain point you worry that it kind of detracts from the movie. But there’s nothing I can do. I just have to laugh it off. I can. Pretty much. Because I take my work seriously but I can’t take myself too seriously. I’m in such a crazy privileged position—shit, this is the pinnacle of the dream when I was 17…. Nobody wants to hear really how difficult it is.” Why he didn't get nominated for an Oscar for Shame: Usually for movie pissing the liquid you see is actually coming from a hidden tube, but he was nude. For the first two takes, he wasn’t able to do anything, but he announced on-set before the third that it would happen, and it did. “Actually pretty proud,” he says. And then he laughs and says—more blurts out, really—”That peeing cost me an Oscar.” He is not entirely serious. Nor will he endorse Steve McQueen’s slightly broader stated view: “In America they’re too scared of sex, that’s why he wasn’t nominated.” “I don’t know—I don’t think so,” says Fassbender. “Steve is a passionate man. There’s not much filtering with Steve, and I love him for that.” But he’s starkly honest in acknowledging that there was a concerted campaign to get him nominated—”They promised me paradise!” he blares—and how his expectations were raised. Disappointment that he wasn't nominated: “At the beginning people [say], ‘You’re going to be going to the Oscars,’ and you’re like, ‘Whatever, doesn’t matter, don’t think so.’ But after a while it does penetrate. After a while you’re like, ‘Anyway, so I’m going to the Oscars…’ ” He laughs. “And you start to believe it. And I did. I thought I was going. And then I found out I wasn’t and I was upset. I was very upset by it. The first reaction was ‘What the f–k…?’ ” He sounds frustrated that he had let himself get sucked in. “It’s a vanity thing. It does become important to you. And it shouldn’t.” On reflection, he decided that he had learned something about misplaced priorities. “A good little lesson.” On his blonde hairstyle in Prometheus: Fassbender also dutifully adopted the Peter O’Toole-esque hairstyle required, albeit with less enthusiasm. “Perfect for the character,” he notes, but as Michael Fassbender he hated it. “I don’t think peroxide-blond hair is a beneficial look for me,” he says. “I just looked at myself and I was like, ‘Five-pound rent boy.’ ” (Or, translated into American: $8 male prostitute.) He cooks: He mentions that he has recently started cooking again. “If there’s friends around, I’ll cook. Or if I have a girlfriend. But on my own I kind of fell out of the habit of it, and it’s a shame really because I know it’s good for me. It’s something quite therapeutic.” His relationship with Shame co-star Nicole Beharie: “I’m seeing Nicole, we’re trying to see each other as often as possible,” he acknowledges. “That’s kind of difficult when she lives [in New York] and I live in England.” He says they got together during the film’s promotion. “Nothing happened while we were filming. We started talking more on the promotion thing. So, yeah, it just sort of unfolded like that.” Presumably that’s why he’s now back in New York for a couple of days, though he doesn’t say so.
[From GQ] I suggest all of the Fass-loonies go and read the piece, because there are some interesting anecdotes and even some new sides to Fassbender that I didn't know he had. Like, Fassy is quite capable of being kind of bitchy – he was talking about a rude interviewer who just wanted to talk about his dong and how she had written something about how he was probably up for showing it off, and Fassy has a bitchy insult for that woman. He also hates hovering waiters. Just FYI. 
Photos courtesy of Mario Testino/GQ.
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| John Travolta’s accuser, John Doe #2, is willing to take a quick $250K payout Posted: 15 May 2012 04:20 AM PDT 
MASSEUR-GATE: Day 9. With the news yesterday that John Doe #2 (the masseur in Georgia who claimed John Travolta assaulted him in a hotel suite) was not going to pursue a court case open to the public, and would instead go for a closed-door mediation session, many of us tried to read the tea leaves and determine if Doe #2's case is really strong or really weak. Considering John Travolta's lawyers have been relatively quiet about Doe #2's claims, and considering the confidence of Doe #2's lawyer, I keep thinking that there's something there. Now Radar has a new statement from Doe #2's lawyer, where the dude is basically trying to negotiate a settlement publicly. Which… does not bode well, I'm afraid. It makes it seem like Doe #2 just wants a quick payout, and it's rather crass to acknowledge it in a public forum. The lawyer representing the Atlanta based masseur that is suing John Travolta for sexual assault and battery, tells RadarOnline.com exclusively that his client would settle the matter quickly for $250k. The unidentified masseur, made the blockbuster claims against Travolta, several days after another anonymous man filed a similar lawsuit against the Grease star, both men are seeking $2 million dollars in damages. Travolta’s powerhouse pit bull attorney, Marty Singer has denounced the claims of both masseurs. The second masseur is being repped by Okorie Okorocha, the same attorney who filed the initial sexual battery lawsuit against the Oscar nominated actor. According to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday morning in Federal Court in Los Angeles, the second alleged victim claims that while working at an unspecified resort in Atlanta, Georgia on January 28, 2012, he did an in-room massage on Travolta. “My client will settle for $250k to make this go away quickly and without having any further action being taken in this case,” Okorocha tells RadarOnline.com exclusively. “My client wants his life back and for that to happen at this point we would be willing to accept a settlement. I have been speaking with Marty Singer about establishing the ground rules for arbitration/mediation in this case. We haven’t agreed on anything yet, or which private judge will hear the case. I want it to be one judge, Marty Singer would like more than one judge. These are sticking points that we can work out if this case doesn’t settle. I haven’t discussed any settlement figures with Marty yet but I anticipate we will be having those discussions very soon. “Look my client is a very tall man, weighs about 300 pounds and is also a personal trainer so a private judge could absolutely look at him and wonder how much in damages he really suffered. If this could settle quickly, well, obviously, that would be the best result for all parties involved,” Okorocha says. Marty Singer could not be reached for comment.
[From Radar] Ugh. This sucks. Even though Masseur-gate was depressing and gross, I was kind of hoping that the story kept dragging on for months and months and more men came out of the woodwork with grosser and grosser claims. Now it seems like both John Doe #1 and #2 are basically con artists looking for a quick buck, and they both hired a hack of lawyer. Meanwhile, remember accuser #3, Fabian Zanzi? He was the dude who claimed Travolta propositioned him on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Well, Zanzi is adding to his story and now Travolta's lawyers are going after him, and this story is getting more convoluted. See if TMZ's report makes any sense (they have video of the guy here as well): John Travolta asked a room steward on a Royal Caribbean cruise line to give him a neck massage in his stateroom back in 2009 … this according to an official incident report obtained by TMZ, but the documents don’t mention anything about any overt sexual overture on Travolta’s part. The steward, Fabian Zanzi, claims he was delivering something to Travolta’s stateroom when the actor asked him for a neck massage. Although the report doesn’t expressly name Travolta, we’ve confirmed the actor was indeed the guest in question. Fabian claimed he obliged — and Travolta “then told him he was a beautiful person and invited him to return to visit him later that night.” Fabian claimed he refused because of a strict company policy banning RC employees from fraternizing with guests. Fabian reported the incident and was disciplined for the neck massage, which is a violation of the no-fraternization rule. He subsequently left the company. Fabian now says the encounter was much more than described in the incident report, claiming Travolta opened his robe and gave him a big hug while his penis was erect … and offered him $12,000 for sex and silence. Travolta’s attorney Marty Singer tells TMZ, “The incident report now confirms Mr. Zanzi fabricated his story about my client. He never stated that my client did anything wrong. Obviously, if he had engaged in any inappropriate conduct he would have reported it to his supervisors.” A rep for Royal Caribbean tells TMZ, “Fabian Zanzi worked for Royal Caribbean International from October 2003 until May 2011 on various ships. In June 2009, Mr. Zanzi was working as a Room Service Phone Operator onboard Enchantment of the Seas.” The rep claims Fabian was NOT fired by the cruise company, but rather resigned on May 18, 2011 — two years after the alleged incident.
[From TMZ] Eh, whatever – I don't think the "incident report" in 2009 is conclusion proof that this guy is lying about the incident NOW, especially considering Zanzi was "disciplined" by his employer for the neck rub. Maybe he didn't want to confess to the entire incident because he didn't want to be "disciplined" for being propositioned by a client. I don't know. Whatever. Zanzi's story isn't all that interesting to me. 
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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