smart.: 200509

Mandy Moore Blasts Rehab Rumor

I think Mandy was the only one who heard these rumors:

News Mandy Moore posted a message to fans on her official website furious with rumors that she was in rehab. The singer has been haunted online by a group of so-called fans at a site fraudulently claiming to be her official website at MandyMooreMusic.com, though it is uncertain whether that particular website was responsible for the allegations in this circumstance. "I am so overwhelmed by the absurdity of rumors and how on earth they could possibly get started," the singer writes. "It's unbelievable! Earlier this week, I was apprised of a wonderful piece of gossip that I was in rehab... nice! As I sit here at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Los Angeles drinking my English Breakfast Latte, (quite a distance from a supposed Connecticut rehab center I have apparently checked myself into), I am so saddened that people stretch as far as they do in attempting to spread gossip that, at the end of the day, is just downright hurtful. I know rumors and falsities will continue to exist and it's the world we live in... But c'mon people. If you're gonna spread trash and gossip, there should be a line drawn on issues that you just don't go near! Regardless, I'm not going to respond anymore publicly than here on my own website as it would probably make the originators of this ridiculousness happy and fuel their little fire. Yesterday, I just finished shooting the new Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) film, 'Southland Tales', here in L.A. I am in the finishing phase of my album which I couldn't be happier with and more proud of. Things are really heating up and I'm so anxious to get out there and share this music with you all. XO. MM." [Popdirt]

O.J. Simpson signs shirts

At a HORROR CONVENTION!

O.J. Simpson signs autographs Friday, Sept. 30, 2005, during an event hosted by the ``NecroComicon'' horror convention at Pacific Northridge Cinemas in Northridge, Calif.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paris Hilton has ended her five-month engagement to a Greek shipping heir, according to a published report. The celebutante-turned-model broke off the wedding plans with Paris Latsis, according to a report posted Friday on Us Weekly's Web site, which quoted a statement it said Hilton released to the magazine. ``I'm sad to announce that I've called off my engagement. Over the last couple months I've realized that this is the right decision for me. We remain best of friends, and I'll always love him. I hope people will respect my privacy during this emotional time,'' Hilton told the magazine. Hilton's publicist did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press. Hilton, 24 and Latsis, 22, became engaged in the spring. ``I'm so in love and grateful to have found such an honest and loyal person,'' she told Us Weekly at the time. ``I feel like we were meant to be, and I'm happy to have found someone to spend the rest of my life with. He's amazing in every way.'' Latsis gave the 24-year-old hotel heiress a 24 carat, $5 million diamond engagement ring. It was not immediately clear what would happen to the ring.

Mekhi Pfeiffer to play Al Green

TV and screen star Mekhi Phifer is gearing up to direct and star in a biopic about '70s soul singer, the Rev. Al Green. Phifer, 30, is already a veteran actor with nearly two dozen film credits, and is just finishing up his directorial debut, Easier, Softer Way, MTV.com reported Friday. The comedy stars Danny Masterson, Ronnie Warner and John C. McGinley in the tale of two stoners who take on Mr. Big. Phifer said he is very excited about the Green project since he has long been an avid fan of his music. The star of NBC's ER said he has already been working with the soul singer in preparation for the film. (Green) has full confidence, and he's like, 'Just do me right,' Phifer told MTV. We're just creating the story that we're going to show to the public, because it's so much, and obviously he's still alive. So it's just finding the right story that has the most impact. [WebIndia]

Gov. Ted Nugent reporting...

The Motor City Madman who regaled the 1970s with songs such as Cat Scratch Fever and Wang Dang Sweet Poon Tang wants to govern Michigan. Ted Nugent, 57, rocker, hunter and a Republican so conservative he makes moderates look liberal, tells the New York Times he nearly threw his hat into his home state's 2006 gubernatorial race. Right now, he says odds are 50-50 he will make a 2010 run for office. Even though Michigan needs me desperately -- the pimps and the whores and the welfare brats need to be introduced to my crowbar -- I think I would be better fortified and my family would be better fortified for the campaign, if I decided to do so, five years from now, he told the newspaper. His brother, former Revlon Chief Executive Jeff Nugent, told the Times he tried to tell his younger brother he has to rein himself in -- but to no avail. That is who he is and you can't change the stripes on a tiger, he said. I think it would be impossible for him to be elected with the views he's articulated. If he was capable of drawing back in 20 or 30 degrees from where he is, he could still be true to his beliefs but not be so outrageous. [Webindia]

He'll piss on you

R Kelly's estranged wife has dropped a restraining order against him - in the hope they can reconcile. Andrea Kelly obtained the protection order earlier this month after claiming the R'n'B singer physically abused her, leaving her fearing for her safety. However, she has now dropped the legal restraint, saying she wants to patch things up with her husband, whose full name is Robert Kelly. Her divorce lawyer, Donald C. Schiller, told America's Chicago Sun-Times newspaper: "Our client has retained civil counsel for the purpose of trying to work out their marital problems rather than proceeding in domestic violence court." Kelly, who is currently facing child pornography charges, also believes he can save the marriage. He said in a statement: "My wife and I had a heated argument, and we are now in the process of working it out. We hope that the press and public will give us the time and privacy we need to resolve this very personal situation." Andrea, 31, who wed the star in 1996, originally requested the restraining order after Kelly allegedly attacked her when she asked for a divorce. She said in court documents at the time: "Last summer I was slapped. We made up but I asked for a divorce and he pinned me down and continued to hit me yelling 'Don't you leave me. Why are you leaving me?' He says, 'I'm sorry, I'm not a wife beater, my hand was open. It's not like I did it for no reason. You made me do it.'" [TeenToday]

Courtney Cox may guest on DH

Courteney Cox is set to star in hit US drama 'Desperate Housewives'. The former 'Friends' beauty will play an escapee from a mental home in an upcoming episode, according to reports. Insiders claim fans of the raven-haired actress - who is married to actor David Arquette - will barely recognise her as she plays the disturbed woman. A source is quoted as saying: "Courteney Cox is coming to 'Desperate Housewives'. She is in negotiations to appear on the show." [TeenToday]

Jack Nicholson rejected?!?!

Hollywood lothario Jack Nicholson was left red-faced after trying to woo actress Anna Friel when the fiesty redhead told him he was old enough to be her grandfather. Nicholson, 68, first saw the beauty starring in Broadway musical Closer, and was determined to seduce the 29-year-old star. But Friel, who lives with actor David Thewlis and stars in blockbuster football movie Goal!, refused to be charmed. She says, "He was really flirtatious and I went, 'Give over! How many women have you said that to? You're old enough to be my grandad.'" [Handbag]

Jess, Brit, etc. forced out of homes for fire

New mother BRITNEY SPEARS was forced to evacuate her home on Thursday (29SEP05), as wildfires continue to rage through the hills of Los Angeles. The TOXIC singer, who gave birth to her son SEAN PRESTON on 14 September (05), fled her sprawling property, along with her husband KEVIN FEDERLINE, as firefighters battled to stamp out the flames and smoke engulfing a large area of the city. Pop couple JESSICA SIMPSON and NICK LACHEY were also among those who evacuated, as well as HEATHER LOCKLEAR and her husband RICHIE SAMBORA, LISA MARIE PRESLEY and BEAU BRIDGES. The flames, which are dangerously close to the set of hit TV show 24, have also threatened the homes of such stars as WILL SMITH and his wife JADA PINKETT SMITH, and CHARLIE SHEEN. Fire crews are currently working at a relentless pace to tame the flames. In 2003, California wildfires destroyed the ranch used for TV classic LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. [Contact Music]

I knew there was a method to the madness!

SEPTEMBER 29--While we knew that Tinky Winky was gay, TSG was unaware of the Teletubbies cocaine connection. When federal officials in New York yesterday announced the arrest of 22 members of an international drug cartel, they revealed that cocaine shipments seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were labeled with a sweet portrait of the colorful cartoon quartet. The below photos, snapped by ICE investigators, show the ring's distinctive branding of its product. Frankly, we always suspected that degenerate Laa-Laa was hoovering up its PBS residual checks. This, of course, is not the first time an iconic image has been appropriated by drug dealers. Remember the Harry Potter bust? Or the time they got bin Laden? [Smoking Gun]

Fantasia was illiterate during Idol

Sept. 30, 2005 — Fantasia Barrino's debut, platinum-selling album included the song, "Truth Is," and that sentiment is the overriding theme in her memoirs. Two years after winning "American Idol" as a high school dropout and struggling single mother, the 21-year-old is riding high with her success. She's about to go on tour, is embarking on an acting career, and is publishing her memoirs which reveal dark secrets from her past. The singer, known to her fans as simply Fantasia, admits that while charming American television viewers and wooing the judges to become a pop star, she was hiding the fact that she was barely able to read or write. "You're illiterate to just about everything. You don't want to misspell," Fantasia told "20/20." "So that, for me, kept me … in a box and I didn't, wouldn't come out." Her illiteracy kept her from even trying to get a job before her stint on television. "I was so ashamed and I was like, 'What will people say about me?' I can't get a job," she said. Fudging Her Way Through the Lyrics The singer describes herself as functionally illiterate, and is brutally honest about her challenges in her new memoir, "Life is Not a Fairy Tale," which she dictated to a freelance writer. Reading even simple things, she acknowledges, is difficult. She can barely make out or pronounce unfamiliar words. So how was she able to perform on the scripted portions of "American Idol"? Fantasia said she would fake it and apologize if she pronounced something incorrectly. "Somebody would say, 'You know, it's pronounced this way' and I'd be like, 'Oh, I'm sorry, you know, I'm country, you know." [ABC]

Blind item

Eccentric. Not too tall. Balding. And very particular about how his wife behaves. Equality apparently doesn’t exist in this marriage. At least not in the way you would expect. Spouse, slave, sex object, servant…she does it all. And we are almost talking dark ages. She washes his feet, she cuts his toenails, and she gives pleasure whenever she is beckoned. And I mean whenever, wherever. A business meeting at a nice restaurant. He’s getting a bit tense. Things aren’t necessarily going his way. He gives his wife a look, gets up to go the john, she joins him a few minutes later. By the end of the bathroom visit, he’s relieved, she needs mouthwash, and we proceed like nothing ever happened. Except it happens all the time. So who’s the master? [Lainey Gossip] I have no idea! Any guesses?

Jessica A. high during filming

Screen siren JESSICA ALBA was forced to film scenes for new movie INTO THE BLUE while high on drugs, because she suffers from terrible sea sickness. The SIN CITY beauty was initially keen to star in the diving movie but was soon struck down by constant nausea. And she admits the whole crew became spaced out on the medication. She says, "I get terribly seasick. "I took Tramevin every day - everybody did. We were all stoned." [Contact Music]

Dakota Fanning, Charlotte's Web stills

Fanning on not reading her reviews: "We know what we want people to get out of a movie, and that's just somebody else's opinion." Fanning on box office: "I don't think that's really for me to worry about, but it's exciting when people tell you that they really like a movie, because that's what we strive for." Fanning on having a PG movie on the horizon: "Some of my movies are for adults and this is one that all my friends can see without having to ask!" Fanning on how much money she makes: "I don't think about it at all, so I don't know anything about that." A lawyer handles her earnings rather than her parents, who shun all photo ops lest they shift the spotlight from their daughter. (Lindsay Lohan should be so lucky.) [Telegraph]

Whitney wears dentrures

If you're familiar with Bravo's reality show, "Being Bobby Brown," then you probably know that whenever Whitney Houston is around, something crazy is bound to happen. The R&B diva recently sang at a party for a Russian billionaire alongside Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias. Since Whitney was involved in the event, of course it didn't quite run smoothly. According to British gossip newsletter, Popbitch, Houston's handlers called the party organizers just two hours before she was due to sing with a huge problem: all of Whitney's teeth had fallen out. Luckily when you're playing a show for a billionaire, money is no object. The organizers were able to track down a private dentist who conjured up a set of false teeth for Houston. Now that Whitney wears dentures, she has a whole new potential career on the horizon: Efferdent spokeswoman. [The Bosh]