Lindsay Lohan has laughed off reports she has a new man in her life - insisting she's just "friends" with her latest rumoured love interest.
The Mean Girls star, who split from her DJ girlfriend Samantha Ronson earlier this year (09), has fought off a string of dating rumours in recent weeks after she was linked to Jason Segel, Entourage star Kevin Connolly, and Gerard Butler.
I'm not dating my friend, people are nutso (sic), and it's not a way to start off the new year with rumours.
She was most recently rumoured to be involved with model Adam Senn, but Lohan is adamant she's still single.
In a post on her Twitter.com page, she writes, "I’m not dating my friend, people are nutso (sic), and it's not a way to start off the new year with rumours."
Robert Plant wants to spend New Year's Eve (31.12.09) in the arms of a woman.
The 61-year-old rocker - who has famously lived a life of sex, drugs and rock n roll excess - admitted he will be looking for love over the holiday season.
He said: "Where would I like to welcome in the New Year? In some warm, tantalising arms."
Although he is looking forward to celebrating New Year's Eve, the former Led Zeppelin singer isn't looking forward to the next decade because all it holds for him is "more attention to bladder control".
Where would I like to welcome in the New Year? In some warm, tantalising arms
He added: "I don't think I've aged gracefully. When you can feel the breeze of the Grim Reaper, there's nothing graceful about that fear, because I'm only a third of the way through the adventures I want to have."
However, the star has made some New Year's Resolutions - to improve his driving.
He explained: "I park my car by touch, using the wheels as a guide to when I've hit the kerb."
Singer Rihanna is upset as she won't be able to do her usual raunchy stage show in Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve because the organisers have told her to dress "conservatively".
"Rihanna is tearing her hair out over what to do. She wanted to put on her most eccentric and provocative show here. A huge part of her show is her sexy stage gear.
"But the dress code in Abu Dhabi does not encourage excessively revealing outfits," contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying.
Now Rihanna, 21, and her team are busy devising a new show complete with modest outfits which don't show off too much of her body and won't offend audiences in conservative Abu Dhabi.
The Pussycat Dolls singer has been dating the British Formula One ace for nearly three years, but they have reportedly not seen each other in three weeks and shelved plans to spend Christmas together.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Lewis and Nicole have had a few problems for a while now. They love each other dearly but have incredibly busy schedules.
"Nicole was in London last week and was desperate to hook up with Lewis but she was busy in the studio while he is on a European training camp and couldn't come back.
Lewis and Nicole have had a few problems for a while now. They love each other dearly but have incredibly busy schedules.
"Hopefully after a month apart, they will come to their senses and give things another go."
Despite the claims, a spokesperson for Lewis insisted the couple are "perfectly fine".
Meanwhile, Nicole recorded the theme song to forthcoming musical 'Love Never Dies' - the sequel to the hugely popular 'Phantom of the Opera', by composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber - while in London.
A source said: "Andrew is a huge fan of Nicole and her voice. He has always said she could become one of the biggest stars on the planet with the right songs."
Popstar Lady Gaga stripped naked for a sexy new photoshoot with rapper Kanye West. In the candid new photographs taken by acclaimed photographer David LaChapelle, GaGa, real name Stefani Germanotta, is seen lying in the rapper’s arms with one hand covering her breast, as West stares zombie-like into the distance with a raging volcano behind.
Other photos show her standing on crutches over sleeping naked people, dressed in an android-esque two-piece with matching helmet and arms, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The series also shows her fallen from the wheelchair, on a mirrored floor in a doll-like pose, with pink afro hair surrounded by pink flowers and a blue sky.
Meanwhile the Poker Face hit maker is this year's most listened to artist online, according to a leading music site Last.fm. The company, that reviewed tracks from full-length albums which had been streamed by visitors on the site to come up with their top ten, said tracks from Gaga's album The Fame were played more than 18.5 million times by the site's 35 million-strong community.
The 23-year-old singer had her songs played six million times more than her nearest rivals The Killers.
Black Eyed Peas' vocalist Fergie is said to have accidentally flashed the cast and crew of musical movie Nine when she kept flying out of her corset while doing a saucy dance routine.
Fergie, 34, real name Stacy Ann Ferguson, plays the part of vampish prostitute Saraghinain in the Rob Marshall movie, and she has to perform a vigorous all-singing all-dancing routine in the film.
According to WWD.com, Fergie's skimpy outfit could barely contain her assets, and the movie's costume designer Colleen Atwood was forced to rethink the star’s clothing after the embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.
"Fergie's dance was all about keeping Fergie in the corset. It was a really tiny corset and (it) didn’t have straps," the Daily Express quoted Atwood as saying.
"We had to add them in the end because, with all that dancing, she was just flying out of it," she added.
"Titanic" director James Cameron releases his first dramatic feature in 12 years this weekend, and there's almost as much buzz about its costs as the film's groundbreaking motion-capture animation.
Distributor 20th Century Fox first claimed that its costs on "Avatar" totaled $237 million but more recently refused to confirm any number. Most industry observers believe the picture cost a minimum of $300 million to produce.
Even at the lower studio figure, that's a lot of green stuff to expect to make back from a mostly animated picture populated by blue aliens.
Cameron appears unfazed by such pressures.
"I don't think it means jack s--t," Cameron said. "To be perfectly honest, I think the studio has generated the myth about its costs to help in the selling of the movie. I have seen this happen with 'Terminator' and 'True Lies' and 'Titanic,' and it helps the film become a must-see film. By the way, doesn't that mean it's a bargain to see such an expensive film for the same amount it costs to see any other film? It's the deal of the century!"
So just how much can "Avatar" ring up during its all-important opening weekend? Broad consensus has the sci-fi actioner -- starring Sam Worthington ("Terminator Salvation") and Sigourney Weaver -- fetching $80 million or more through Sunday, though Fox has been floating much lower figures to tamp down expectations.
Toting a running time of 2 hours and 36 minutes, "Avatar" starts its long march toward profitability with 12:01 a.m. Friday performances set for more than 2,000 mostly 3D locations. For the rest of the weekend, "Avatar" will play in some 3,400 theaters boasting almost 3,000 3D screens and roughly an equal number of 2D auditoriums.
"Avatar" debuts simultaneously this week in most foreign markets, with more than 5,000 3D screens in place internationally for the release.
"Avatar" is likely to draw best among male moviegoers, but it will bear watching how it skews in the age demo. Heading into the weekend, prerelease tracking surveys indicate a good chance the film will draw well among both younger and older males.
Bollywood's latest offering "Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year" is going great guns in the US with its review currently the number one most read movie story on the New York Times site.
The Times review, beating stories on the Golden Globe nominations and reviews of all US films, calls "Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year," with Ranbir Kapoor "a smart, focused Bollywood movie".
Shimit Amin, "who directed the delightful 'Chak De! India', about a girls' hockey team, dispenses with Bollywood's normal tangle of subplots and mashup of genres", it says. "There's music, but no big production numbers. Even romance is back-burnered. Instead, Mr. Amin sticks to the story at hand."
"Kapoor, a heartthrob who has quickly become a star playing cads, turns in a skilfully understated performance," says the review. "His Harpreet is an old-school hero: solid, righteous, compassionate. You can't help cheering for him."
In an equally flattering review, Film Journal International says: "David-and-Goliath workplace drama from India goes unexpected places, and hits satisfying chords."
The posters for the Bollywood import "promise a workplace satire or a light-hearted employee caper" it says. "Instead we get a sharply observed drama of an honest man trying to survive in the usual business world."
"In the exploding modern India, it's a very American story: How do you succeed in business without really trying to compromise your ethics?"
"Not all Bollywood movies are big, colourful musicals, of course, and this one offers only a couple of plot montages set against songs, it says, "But with uniformly excellent performances-particularly by (Naveen) Kaushik and (Shantanoo) Bhagyaraj as the conflicted and not-so-conflicted antagonists, respectively."
In addition, there is "a no-nonsense pace and storytelling sense by director Shimit Amin, and a truly universal and credible office mise-en-sc?ne, 'Rocket Singh' is instantly accessible to any stateside audience," the Journal adds.
Harpreet Singh, the protagonist, "may be a prisoner of the system, but he can proudly say, 'I am not a number. I am a free market'." it says.
English actress Keira Knightley has reportedly stripped off to pose naked for an acclaimed artist.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actress, who bared all to film a bath scene with Sienna Miller in their 2008 movie The Edge of Love, has allegedly been shedding her clothes during sessions at London's Halcyon Gallery for Mitch Griffiths, reports heraldsun.com.au.
"It's considered a great honour to be painted by Mitch. He is a highly respected nude painter and is painting a number of subjects for an exhibition next year. He is delighted Keira agreed to take part," said a source.
Twilight was all about the budding relationship between high school student Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart)and brooding, eternally-teenaged vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Bella's childhood friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), was no more than a tiny blip on the radar. But with the second installment of the Twilight franchise, New Moon, Jacob moves into the spotlight, comforting Bella after Edward and his family leave the area, leaving Bella devastated and lonely.
Taylor Lautner packed on 30 pounds of mostly muscle to fill out the role of Jacob, a member of the Quileute tribe who transforms into a wolf in order to protect his people from vampires. And when he pulls off his shirt to wipe away Bella's blood, it's sure to send female hearts racing. At the LA press conference for New Moon, Lautner talked about tackling a leading role this time around and playing a part of the wolfpack.
Can you talk about the changes Jacob goes through in New Moon?
Taylor Lautner: "When he transforms, basically my job was to continue what I started in Twilight, which was this extremely happy, friendly, outgoing guy, best friends with Bella. I had to continue that for the first half of the film, but as soon as I transform I snap and I become a completely different person. I’m dealing with my issues and it’s really hard for me."
Did that start with going to the gym and gaining 30 pounds?
Taylor Lautner: "Absolutely. Jacob transforms a lot in New Moon, not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. So it was a matter of getting to the gym and eating the right food and a lot of it. But also reading and studying the book and the character over and over and over again so I could have his character down as well because he changes in many, many different ways."
You have a lot of opportunities in the film to show off your new physique, including taking off your T-shirt...
Taylor Lautner: "And wipe [Bella's] blood?"
Can you talk about that scene and any others like that?
Taylor Lautner: "I start laughing so hard every time I see that scene. 'You’re bleeding? Okay, let me fix it.' It’s so embarrassing. Yeah. I mean, here’s the thing: there’s a reason that he’s not wearing clothes all the time. One, when he transforms, all his clothes get shredded. He can’t help it. And when he goes into the woods to get something to put on so he’s not naked, it’s just a ripped pair of jean shorts. He’s also hot. He’s 108 degrees. So that’s another reason. The thing is, I love this character, I love this story, and putting on the weight and not wearing much clothing was required by the role. A year from now, if I love a story and I love a character that requires me to lose 40 lbs. I’m ready to do it."
Can you be more specific? What did you eat, how did you exercise? Can you give a little more of a rundown?
Taylor Lautner: "Oh boy. You’re putting the pressure on me now. I was in the gym about five days a week, because it’s important to get your recovery time and not overworking yourself, because if you’re overworking yourself… I was trying to put on weight and if I was in the gym too much I’d be burning the calories I’m trying to take in. The most important thing was the eating side. Everybody thinks it was the actual getting in the gym. That was easy—I was motivated. So getting in the gym was easy for me. But the eating was pretty hard. It was just eating a lot. I found out that I had to consume at least 3,200 calories a day just to maintain. And I’m not trying to maintain, I’m trying to gain. So I had to eat more than that, and putting something in your mouth every two hours. And I’m busy. I’m downtown L.A., I’m from meeting to meeting. There’s not time for me to be eating. So I literally would have to carry a little Baggie of beef patties, raw almonds, sweet potatoes. So it’s not like every two hours I’m eating ice cream. It was difficult."
Did you have a personal trainer?
Taylor Lautner: "I do. I definitely had one that helped me out."
Some moviegoers who haven't read the books might wonder why Bella's not going for Jacob. Was there any concern about overshadowing Edward? Was that something you had to temper in your own performance? Because you were very winning.
Taylor Lautner: "Thank you very much. I think it depends on what kind of girl you are, what kind of guy you like. Edward and Jacob are complete opposite guys. They’re hot and cold. Literally. So yeah, I mean it’s just, I personally love Bella and Jacob’s relationship, how they begin with best friends and it starts to grow into something more and more. Both guys are in love with Bella. Both guys are always going to be there for Bella, and they’re protective. I just think it’s what kind of guy you like."
Can you talk about the stunt and wire work? How difficult was that to get used to?
Taylor Lautner: "The physical side was really fun. Some of it was challenging. I’d never ridden a dirt bike before. And yes, I rode the dirt bike for a total of about five seconds in the film, but for those five seconds I had to look as cool as possible. So it did require a lot of practice just, for safety-wise, so they’d let me do it. And the wirework, like when I run up the side of her house, that whole thing, the wires were there so if I slipped and fell I didn’t face plant into the ground. But it was definitely challenging. That stunt was really complicated. You need to be on. I’m using a little plug in the side of the wall to take off from and jump, so it’s really complicated and it required a lot of practice. Every single weekend I would practice that stunt for three hours a day. It was the last thing we filmed."
How was bonding with the other Wolf Pack guys?
Taylor Lautner: "The bonding with the werewolves was very fun. Those guys are characters. They’re a lot of fun to…did they just talk to you?"
Yes.
Taylor Lautner: "Oh my. I’m sure this was a fun room. They’re great guys. What’s so great is that they each fit their character perfectly. So on set we just had a blast, we had a blast when we were on set. They just made that so exciting."
They were talking about getting the wolf pack tattoo, are you in?
Taylor Lautner: "I don’t know, I’ll have to think about that. I’ll have to discuss it with my pack."
What is the strangest thing that has ever been written about you and also how do you balance letting the public and fans know who you really are outside of Jacob but also keep your private life private?
Taylor Lautner: "Honestly I try to stay away from what has been written about me because if you let that stuff get to you and it’s not true, it can drive you crazy. One thing that I have heard recently, which is not true, I definitely didn’t say it, I was quoted as saying I will never take my shirt off for a movie again. I didn’t say that. If I have to, if the character requires it, I will. Who knows, in 10 years I might do that. And like I said earlier, if a character requires me to lose 40 lbs. I’ll do it. It’s just what the character requires. So that was interesting to see. What was the second part?"
How you balance letting the fans know who you really are outside of Jacob but also keep your private life private?
Taylor Lautner: "Right. It’s difficult. It is. It’s definitely important to stay true to yourself and stay close to those people you were close to before, your family, your friends, and just not let that outside stuff get to you."
This movie is going to make you a bigger star. You’ve already got a lot of teen girls who idolize you. Going into this movie with a bigger role, how did you think about that and how did you prepare yourself for that?
Taylor Lautner: "I don’t think there’s any way to prepare yourself for this phenomenon, just because none of us expected it. When we were filming Twilight, we didn’t expect anything. We were just filming a movie that we wanted the fans to enjoy, and then it kind of just blew into this whole other world. So I don’t think that there’s a way to prepare for that. You could definitely say I felt a little bit of pressure trying to bring Jacob’s character and Jake and Bella’s relationship alive for the fans, because this movie definitely develops their relationship and sets up the love triangle. So it’s a very important story."
What is it like for you to see all the posters and billboards with your face on it? Is it kind of strange for you?
Taylor Lautner: "Yeah, of course. Yeah, I don’t think there’s a way to ever get used to it. It’s not normal to drive down the street and see your face up there. But it’s Twilight. It comes with the job."
We’ve talked about how the fans can be invasive in your life but what’s a touching and really sweet fan encounter you can tell us about?
Taylor Lautner: "Man, we have fans all the time that will just burst into tears, and that’s just moving. Like it must mean so much for them to meet us. It’s an amazing feeling to know that you can touch somebody that way. It also makes you sad. 'Don’t cry. Stop crying.' You don’t know what to do. You’re like, 'It’s okay.' It is, it’s hard, we feel bad for them but you’re also happy at the same time."
When would it help in your real life to turn into a werewolf?
Taylor Lautner: "Oh boy. I don’t know. I guess when you’re younger and you’re in school and you’re being picked on by some bullies, get in a fight with your little sister…I don’t know, that’s a good question. I don’t think that it would be a good situation. It could get very, very ugly."
Who would win between Shark Boy and Jacob?
Taylor Lautner: "That’s a good question. At the moment I’d have to say Jacob. We’re pretty strong and fast."
Last year you were teamed up with Edi Gathegi and Rachelle Lefevre to do the press rounds and you really showed what good friends you were. What’s it like to say goodbye to both of them and who else are you close to in the cast? Have you gotten to know Bryce Dallas Howard very well?
Taylor Lautner: "Yeah, it was definitely sad to see both of them go. All of us, the whole entire cast, loves both of them. They were great people. But Bryce is amazing. She’s extremely talented and a great girl as well. So we’re definitely lucky to be surrounded by an amazing cast.What was the middle part of your question?"
Who else are you close to?
Taylor Lautner: "Right. I wouldn’t be able to pick one. If I were to start I’d end up listing the whole cast. I do spend a lot of time with Kristen because all my scenes are involved with her. So Kristen and I are very close. I guess I’m close with Rob, too, because we spend a lot of time together as well. But the great thing about this series is the whole entire cast is so close, and it would be a nightmare if we weren’t. it would be impossible to make this series because the characters are so tight. So we’re really thankful that we all get along so well."
You know, there’s practically an international countdown for your 18th birthday.
Taylor Lautner: "Oh boy."
Have you even thought about making any plans for that day, how you might celebrate?
Taylor Lautner: "I haven’t even begun. We are so busy, it’s taking one day at a time. I don’t even know what room in this hotel I’m going to after this. No, that’s very interesting and I wasn’t aware of this countdown. It’s a big day, so yeah, as soon as I finish this maybe I’ll think about that."
Can you talk a little bit about working and now living in Canada, and tell us a little about the next movie?
Taylor Lautner: "Canada is great. I’ve spent a while there. I’ve spent six months out of this year. The first time we were there it was really rainy and dark and cloudy. It was snowing. And that was difficult weather-wise. But filming Eclipse, it was beautiful. It’s just one of the most beautiful cities and I’m definitely going to miss it a lot. Filming Eclipse, Eclipse was my favorite book so I was really excited to start filming the movie. I just love that it’s the height of the love triangle. Twilight develops Edward and Bella’s relationship, New Moon develops Jacob and Bella’s, and in Eclipse the three of them are physically together. It has one of my favorite scenes ever in that movie. The tent scene, where Edward is forced, and I guess it was a choice of his, to let me sleep in the same sleeping bag as Bella just so she doesn’t die, because she’s shivering to death and I’m warm. I’m the only thing at that moment that can keep her alive. It’s a funny scene. There’s a lot of ribbing going on between Jacob and Edward. It’s going to be a really good movie and visually stunning. David Slade is incredible visually."
In the movie you show up half-naked in the rainy forest. Can you talk about behind the camera how cold it was and how challenging it was not to shiver?
Taylor Lautner: "Yeah, the challenging thing is Jacob is supposed to be extremely hot, so he’s not supposed to feel cold at all. And the worst scene for that was the rain scene, the breakup scene where Bella first sees Jacob after his transformation. We’re standing on this little hill right behind Jacob’s house and it was 35 degrees and it was pouring rain on top of us, not regular rain, rain tower rain, which comes straight from the springs. And the scene was very long. It took four minutes to film the scene. And we filmed the same scene all day long. So it was really, really rough. It was hard. And as soon as we’d call cut, we’d run over to a heater quick and wrap ourselves in blankets and we’d have like two minutes off before we’d have to go do another take. So the weather was definitely extremely challenging. I just had to take myself to another world so during the scene I wasn’t sitting there shivering. It was hard. Sometimes I’d catch myself and I’d have to stop."
In the movie you speak a little Spanish to Bella. Do you speak any Spanish at all and are you going to speak more Spanish in Eclipse?
Taylor Lautner: "I don’t speak much Spanish. I took it in school; yeah, that was about it. I think it’s just Jacob’s personality. He’s really outgoing, he’s random, and it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with his character, just the fact that he’s friendly and you never know what to expect. I didn’t speak any Spanish in Eclipse. That was a bummer. But at the end of this one I did speak a little bit of Quileute, when I was leaning in to kiss her in the kitchen, and I’m not gonna tell you what I said. I’ll leave that to you to figure out. But it was really cool. There’s only like four people left in the world that actually speak Quileute so we were able to talk to one of these ladies. It was really interesting."
What did you think of your wolf when you got to see it on screen? And with you being so busy and this being the end of your teenage years, how are you trying to sort of relish and make sure that this all isn’t a blur in five years?
Taylor Lautner: "I must say I’m having the time of my life. It couldn’t be a better end to my teenage years. I’m doing what I love and I’m spending time with the people that I love. So it’s great. I’m definitely never, ever going to forget this. What was the first part? The wolf. I was blown away. I was really excited. Because when I’m filming, the famous trailer shot when I’m running through the field and I jump up and try and fly in midair, I’m attached to wires and I’m running and I let the wires pull me up in the air and jerk me to a stop and I just have to freeze there and let them convert my body into a CGI wolf. The whole time I’m like, 'I hope I look cool.' And yeah, after I saw the final version last week, after I saw the wolves, it was amazing. And the fight scene that comes right after that, the fight between Jacob and Paul wolf, was so cool. I thought they were extremely powerful and looked very real."
Aside from the physical, how has being part of this phenomenon transformed you?
Taylor Lautner: "Really, I’d have to say the biggest transformation would be my schedule. I’m really, really busy but it’s a lot of fun. I just got back from South America yesterday and here I am today for three days. And then I go to Europe. So I’m really, really busy, but it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a great experience. I’m really excited to be part of this thing."
You’re filming a movie with Taylor Swift. Has she written a song about you? Do you want her to write one for you?
Taylor Lautner: "That’s a scary thing. I don’t know if she has. I have no idea. That movie was a lot of fun and it comes out pretty soon after New Moon does. It’s going to be fun, there were a lot of fantastic actors in it. I got to work with legendary director Garry Marshall and Taylor was great as well so I’m excited for everyone to see that."
What’s it called?
Taylor Lautner: "Valentine’s Day."
Was it hard to squeeze that in with your schedule?
Taylor Lautner: "It was hard, yeah. We had a very short break between New Moon and Eclipse and I knew that I wanted to be part of this film somehow, just to work with Garry and the entire cast. So I was able to squeeze a short thing in, quickly."
What about you and Taylor Swift?
Taylor Lautner: "What about us?"
Is it a publicity thing because the film is coming out, or are you really dating?
Taylor Lautner: "The very funny thing is that all of you have seen every single move I make so I guess I can leave it up to you to decide."
TWILIGHT star TAYLOR LAUTNER will reprise his role in the hit movie's sequel NEW MOON- after impressing author STEPHENIE MEYER and director CHRIS WEITZ with his dedication to the part.
The 18-year-old actor played Jacob Black in the vampire franchise's first outing, adapted from Meyer's cult series of books.
Studio bosses initially doubted Lautner's ability to return to the role in the forthcoming New Moon - as his character's physical appearance transforms so dramatically.
But he won over the movie's bosses after proving his determination by heading to the gym and working out furiously to bulk up for the film.
And Weitz and Meyer are adamant they have the right man for the job.
In a statement on Meyer's website, Weitz writes: "I'm very happy to announce that Taylor Lautner will be playing Jacob Black in New Moon and that he's doing so with the enthusiastic support of Summit Entertainment, the producers, and Stephenie Meyer.
"The characters in Stephenie's books go through extraordinary changes of circumstance and also appearance; so it is not surprising that there has been speculation about whether the same actor would portray a character who changes in so many surprising ways throughout the series. "But it was my first instinct that Taylor was, is, and should be Jacob, and that the books would be best served by the actor who is emotionally right for the part."
Meyer agrees: "I'd just like to add that I was very much a part of this decision. My first priority was always what was best for New Moon - what was going to give us the best possible movie. I'm truly thrilled that Taylor was the one who proved to the director, to Summit, and to me that he is the best possible Jacob we could have."
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner appeared together on Jimmy Kimmel Live Friday night! They sat down to chat with Jimmy about New Moon and answered some questions from the fans in the audience as well.
Rob Pattinson's and Kristen Stewart's rooms sit side by side on the thirtysomethingth floor of the Sheraton hotel in Vancouver ("the Couve," as Kristen calls it), where they are filming Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight saga. They spend a lot of time in their rooms in the sky -- two Rapunzels of sorts entertaining themselves behind closed doors -- because it's really, really hard to go out. "There are like 15 different exits in this place," observes Kristen of the tactics she and the rest of the Twilight cast use to avoid the paparazzi. She adds, "Rob is more frustrated with it, but he's 23 and I'm 19. He had a couple more years to be an adult and to be independent, whereas just as I was getting to the age when it's normal to go out by yourself ..." She pauses. "But it's boring because this is all I fucking talk about."
Rob talks about it too. "Do you mind if we sit outside?" he asks as he stands in his hotel room, looking longingly out the window. "I need some air." It's a cold, gray day, but who is to deny him some freedom? (And chivalry is not dead, girls. A young man will still lend you his jacket. Maybe because he is British.) Rob doesn't just face paparazzi, he gets clawing, shrieking girls too. New Yorkers may remember he was clipped by a cab while fleeing from the ladies on the set of Remember Me this past summer. "But at least that's an experience, something new," he says. "If it's just screaming -- and I know this sounds so ridiculous -- that gets old. But sometimes when there's literal chaos, it's like being in a war zone, and that's kind of exciting. You're just running through the crowd of people chasing after you and no one knows what's going on." Rob has laid low for a few days -- a disturbance in the Force so great that Perez Hilton (home of some of Rob's 15,200,000 Google hits) felt compelled to post, "Where is R-Patz?!" "If I'm not out, I've had a heroin overdose," Rob observes. "It's one thing or another."
At the moment, there is only one thing anyone cares about regarding these two, who, as Twilight's Bella and Edward, manifest all of our vampiric romance fetishes: Are they dating or what? Well ... it's clear that Rob and Kristen are close -- very close. Okay, who is the most romantic then? "I have a no-bullshit detector," says Kristen, "so I'd have to say Rob is. I think romance is anything honest. As long as it's honest, it's so disarming." Rob chuckles when asked the same question. "Um, I don't know. What did Kristen say?" You. "No. I'm better at faking." This is followed by a very long laugh.
The two first met at the 2007 auditions for Twilight, what they both assumed was going to be a cult vampire movie -- not a $380-million-grossing global phenomenon complete with their own Barbies. They were thrown into a bedroom scene -- well, a scene in a bedroom, anyway. "It wasn't like we had to lie down together," Kristen says, "but we were very reactive. We had a very responsive, palpable thing." Robert notoriously took half a Valium beforehand. "I was calm and collected, and then we do this thing where we're pretty much making out. I've since tried to do it at another audition, but it completely just collapsed." He adds, "Kristen was very different from how I expected the girl who played Bella would be. I was kind of intimidated."
Even though she was born and bred in chillaxed Los Angeles, Kristen is an intense young lady -- and the shock of unruly black hair she currently has (a legacy from her role as Joan Jett in the upcoming The Runaways) does nothing to dispel that perception. Some Twilight fans were upset about their Bella turning into a noir-haired badass, but rest assured she'll be wearing a wig in Eclipse. "I think it's ridiculous that you need to look a certain way to be conventionally pretty," she declares, then smiles, "but now that my hair's grown out and shaggy, it sort of looks a little funny. I'll admit that." Kristen swears like a sailor and feels everything 200 percent. "She's a unique girl," says Rob simply. "You really don't meet many people like Kristen."
Today, in the hotel's Constellation Suite, Kristen is sitting on the concrete terrace in her uniform of jeans, a white tank under another tie-dyed one, and a hoodie. "I'm like, fuck, I'm not wearing a neon-colored tube top or something pink," she says, putting her at odds with many in her red-carpet, The Hills-ian peer group. Ask her who made her top and she has no idea. A look at the tag, though, reveals something called Born Famous Couture. She looks mortified, then cackles. "I did not buy this, I promise."
Of the two, it seems Kristen wears the pants. (While she will admit to one girlish thing, a love of Chanel, her dream outfit is a custom Brooks Brothers suit.) When she ventures into a dress, it might just be covered in metal, like the Rock & Republic mini she wore to the Teen Choice Awards earlier this year. "Everyone was like, 'Look at your spiky skirt!'" she says with a grin, "and I was like, 'Spiky skirt? They were bullets, mofo!'" She gets some stick in the media for not suffering fools. "People think I'm trying to be rebellious, but that's the last thing I'm doing," she says. "But I would hate myself if I tried to satisfy the people who have a problem with the way I speak about myself, so it's okay."
"Kristen doesn't take any slack," Rob says. "She sticks to her guns -- and that's difficult to do." He also thinks she's a better actor than he is. "I don't really know how to act. I'm kind of guessing everything. ... Even though I can conceptualize stuff, she can actually do it. I can make something so complex and then be like, That was pout 27." He reckons she's a better judge of character too. "She'll decide on someone a lot quicker. She has a lot more self-esteem than I do, so she's like, 'You're an idiot and I don't want to talk to you,' and I'm like, 'I'm an idiot too!' So I'll talk to an idiot for like three days before deciding."
That handicap aside, Rob is gloriously handsome. The planes of his face work beautifully in 3-D, 2-D, probably 1-D too. But in person, he doesn't have a whole lot of game. He is self-deprecating to a fault. (During the interview, he refers to himself as an idiot a half dozen times.) He also maintains, in all seriousness, that he's never broken up with a girl; they've always broken up with him. "Eventually, the girl is like, 'I know it's got nothing to do with me. You're an?...?idiot.'"
In the corner of Rob's hotel room sits a stack of boxes. "Most of it is my dirty washing from New York," he says shamefacedly. "I didn't do any washing the whole time I was there. I just put it in boxes and shipped them up here." When his clean laundry runs out, he steals socks and underwear from sets. I find a suspicious lump in his jacket pocket, which turns out to be a pair of black socks. "Oh, God!" he says, bursting out in laughter. "See? I'm a klepto."
Famousness, it seems, hit Rob before he could coordinate his infrastructure. The most functional parts of his hotel room's decor are a couple of guitars and a box of Ray-Bans. "Do you want a pair?" he asks, thrusting them into my hand. "I've got 16." At least he's prepared to withstand the glare of the spotlight. He chuckles and says, "My dad says he likes to bask in my glow."
Rob might want to stash some of those sunglasses, because the excitement about next summer's release of Eclipse, in which Bella and Edward get engaged, might, yes, eclipse New Moon. The tabloids are excitedly reporting that Rob and Kristen are "Engaged!" based solely on them calling each other "husband" and "wife" on set. So it seems only appropriate to hit them with a newlywed game of sorts. ...
Who spends more time on their hair?
Kristen: "Rob."
Rob: "I have weird personal-space issues, and so I can't stand people -- um, I'll do anything to not have any touch-ups."
Competitive?
Kristen: "Rob. In a very childish way, in every aspect of his life. He'll literally start talking in a different voice if he's won something. He sounds like a five-year-old."
Rob: "I'd say it was even. She said me? Really? When I really win things, it's just like..." [Kristen is correct: He makes a noise like a five-year-old.]
Athletic?
Kristen: "I'm definitely claiming that one. Rob can barely jump rope. I call him Flippy because when he does his stunt rehearsals, he flips around [makes a gesture like a penguin]. And, God, when he tries to run ..."
Rob: "Kristen. You notice it in the film; she looks so much more athletic than I do. And I'm supposed to be the superhero."
Egotistical?
Kristen: "I'd have to say him. I hope he says him too actually. Like every time he looks in the mirror and he twists his hair. Actually, he could give a fuck about his hair. I hope that sarcasm translates."
Rob: "It's kind of a tie. We're both pretty proud people. Her ego is more solid than mine, but mine has soared to such peaks, it's ridiculous. Mine's more erratic, but it can get to a point when it's, like, godlike. Only in my eyes, of course. Sometimes just when I say hello the right way, I'm like, Whoa, I'm so cool."
Who Googles themselves more?
Kristen: "Rob."
Rob: "She would say me, but I reckon it's her. If either one of us catches the other one doing it, we're like, Jesus Christ, is that what you're looking at? And the other one's on their phone pretending to text. I look up my competition more than she does. I'm incredibly shallow. I think she just looks at herself."
Who's the better musician?
Kristen: "Rob. He's a great singer. Heartbreaking."
The most outgoing?
Rob: "I was once, but not so much anymore. Kristen's a little more open now."
Better sport?
Kristen: "Who can hang? Definitely me. He's very sensitive. He's got a fragile ego."
Superstitious?
Kristen: "Rob. He's a little bit more paranoid, so that feeds into superstition more."
Rob: "I am. I believe a lot in karma and stuff. Like when I end up with egg on my face, I'm like, Fate! I was born doomed. But I think it's more being an idiot than superstitious."
But perhaps it pays to be a little paranoid. Whatever it takes for Rob and Kristen to live their hothouse lives as normally as they can -- until the November 20 opening of New Moon, anyway. In the interim, CNN will report whenever Rob gets a haircut (it already has), and girls will get mad at Kristen for not wearing pink tube tops and taking their dream man away. They both fantasize about what they would do if nobody could see them. "I'd like to say something noble," Rob says, fiddling with his hair, "but I'd probably spy on people to hear what they think of me -- and then hate them for it afterward." Kristen is, as ever, a little blunter: "I'd go for a walk."
Actress Tara Reid, who was left with a scarred stomach after a liposuction procedure went wrong, has posed topless for Playboy magazine to prove that her body looks fine.
She said, "It wasn't a good surgery, it happens sometimes. I got it fixed and now I'm OK, and I want people to know that I'm OK. I've been OK now for the last five or six years but people only show old pictures which is so unfair and that's part of the reason why I did the Playboy shoot - to show the world this is me and this is what I look like."
Reid, 34, had been offered to strip for the publication several times in the past but she had always turned down the opportunity.
"I have been offered to pose for the magazine in the past but I didn't really think it was the right time. I was younger and I am in my 30's now and I feel that I am at the best age in my life - mentally, physically and spiritually," she said.
"So many unbelievable stars have done it throughout the years and I figured, 'Why not?' "
A Hindu statesman has advised Lindsay Lohan, who is currently in India for a BBC documentary, to take a dip in the holy Ganges so that the Mean Girls star can 'rediscover herself'.
After a much-publicised struggle with booze and prescription drugs Lohan, 23, is finally getting back to some serious work. She is currently making a film on women and child trafficking in India for the BBC. And some feel coming to India can help Lohan in more ways than one.
"Lindsay Lohan should rediscover herself by taking a dip in the holy Ganges. It is believed that bathing in the sacred Ganges purifies one of all sin and its waters confer immortality," the Telegraph quoted Rajan Zed, as saying.
And what does the star feel about the subject of her documentary? "Trafficking is a big issue here, I'm (here to do) what I can, and I will continue to do so as long as life when time permits it," she wrote on her Twitter page.
Later Lohan added: "Over 40 children saved so far. Within one day's work. This is what life is about. Doing this is a life worth living. I'm only one person. Let's not start judging and looking for negatives that don't exist."
Jason Biggs and Simon Curtis are all smiles as they support the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s continuing work and dedication toward saving Uganda’s gorilla population.
Both Jason, 31, who attended with his wife, Jennifer, and Simon, 23, traveled to Africa as part of the campaign to track endangered mountain gorillas.
Earlier this year, Jason and Simon toured Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and raised awareness and funds for mountain gorillas
Lady Gaga has admitted that she has no confidence when it comes to men and that she feared sex in the past.
The singer said that the songs in her new album ‘The Fame Monster’ is inspired by the time when she was experiencing a phobia of intimacy.
“Each song represents a different monster I have encountered on my travels; a fear of sex, a fear of alcohol, a fear of love, a fear of death, it goes on…” Contactmusic quoted her as telling MTV.
“I’m so proud of my new music but I feel during all this time – while my dad was having open heart surgery – it was a really difficult time for me personally and that is what this album is all about.
“I’m just really happy being single at the moment, working on my music and travelling. I think there is a time for that but it’s just not now for me. And anyway, I have no confidence when it comes to men,” she added.
She concluded: “Something that I have or fear is never being able to enjoy myself.”
The singer-and-actress fell during her performance at last month’s American Music Awards and injured her famous derriere in the process.
She said: "I have a bruised bone. What happened was one of the dancers' backs was slippery from sweat and lights and everything. We never bargained for that because they always had T-shirts on in rehearsal.
"So they were bare-backed, didn't have shirts on for the performance, and when I stepped on their backs my feet got wet. So when I landed, it just slipped from under me."
Jennifer was performing her new song ‘Louboutins’ and credits adrenaline with helping back onto her feet so quickly.
She added to US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres: "That's kind of what I felt the rest of the performance, ‘Did I fall?’ It happened so fast. I was up and all I could think was, 'I have to get to the next beat. I have to do this dance solo right now.’ I had no time to think about it."
"Then I get to the back, and one of the dancers was like, 'Are you OK?' 'Oh my God that's right, I fell.’ It was awful, but you know, it happened."
‘Idol’ star Underwood hosts ‘All-Star’ lineup for holiday special
Christmas variety shows never played much of a role in Carrie Underwood’s Oklahoma home as she was growing up.
Yet the fourth-season “American Idol” winner embraces them whole-heartedly in “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” (tonight at 8 on WFXT, Ch. 25).
The multiplatinum-selling artist will be joined by such guests as Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Kristin Chenoweth, Christina Applegate and fellow “Idol” winner David Cook for two hours of songs and skits.
But don’t expect the young country superstar to tip her hat to the likes of format forerunners Andy Williams, Bing Crosby or even the Rockettes.
“I think I kind of just missed some of the variety stuff,” she said during a recent conference call with reporters. “I’ve seen the Mandrell Sisters before, but it wasn’t something we all gathered around to watch. I missed that era, and I’m glad to see that there’s other people doing their stuff, too, and I think it’s really great family programming.”
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old said she does have a few Christmas traditionsshe likes to keep alive.
“Of course, Santa would come on Christmas morning,” she said. “But we had records. It was just like a choir or something. We had these old records that I would always play for Christmas. I have them now - thank God my mom didn’t throw them away. I have them now and I still like to play them.”
Underwood said spending time with country legend Dolly Parton was a “dream come true.” The two perform a duet on the show - she’d go no further than to say it’s a Parton classic - and interact in a few funny moments.
“I’d never met her before this,” she said. “So I was excited to be able to get to talk to her and obviously get to sing with her. It felt like such a special moment for me in the show to be able to perform with her.”
When Parton arrived on the set, Underwood realized it was time to take a back seat.
“When Dolly’s there, you just step out of the spotlight and let her do her thing, because no matter how hard you try, she’s going to steal the spotlight,” Underwood said. “It’s great. It’s the way it should be.”
The special marks the second time Underwood has worked with Paisley in recent weeks. The two co-hosted the Country Music Awards last month.
“Brad and I have a bit of a history together,” she said. “I got to co-headline a tour with him not too long ago. I feel like the more we’re around each other, the more we get comfortable with each other and things just get better and better.”
The two do perform together on the show, but not in the traditional sense. Paisley could not be in Los Angeles for the taping, so Underwood said the producers “did something kind of cool to bring two locations together.”
Viewers can expect to hear Underwood’s latest chart-topper, “Cowboy Casanova,” as well as a collection of more traditional holiday standards.
“It’s a big mish-mash of awesome music,” she said.
Legendary actress Bina Rai, who charmed Indian audiences with her performances in Anarkali and Taj Mahal, and won a Filmfare award for Ghunghat, died of a heart attack in her Mumbai home on Sunday. She was 78.
Bina was married to actor Prem Nath, who was well-known filmmaker Raj Kapoor's brother-in-law. She is survived by two sons - Prem Kishan and Kailash Nath.
"Her funeral will take place in Banganga [in South Mumbai] on Monday at around 4 p.m. We are waiting for my brother Prem Kishen. He is on his way back from abroad," Kailash, also known as Monty, said.
Bina, who went on a hunger strike to convince her parents to allow her to act in movies, entered Bollywood with director Kishore Sahu's film Kali Ghata in 1951. Later she featured in movies like Vallah Kya Baat Hai (1962), Bandi (1957), Changez Khan (1957), Durgesh Nandini (1956), Marine Drive (1955) and Aurat (1953).
But she is still remembered for her roles in Anarkali (1953) and Taj Mahal (1963). Her last film was L V Prasad's Daadi Maa that was released in 1966.
Her son Prem Krishen, who had tried his luck in Hindi films with Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, is a successful TV producer and has made hit serials like Gul Gulshan Gulfam and Junoon.
Bina's granddaughter Akanksha, too, entered films with Yeh Mohabbat Hai, but the film didn’t work at the box office and she decided to bow out.
Her grandson Sidharth, however, is a successful TV director. He wielded the megaphone for the hit TV serial Sanjivani.
Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) has opened up a shop.
Called “A.R. Rahman Store” on his official website, this online shop presently sells only seven items but promises to expand the inventory to “include exclusive presale tickets, merch, DVDs and more”. But currently one can only shop with Canadian Dollars, Euros, British Pounds, and US Dollars.
Under “Soundtracks & Scores”, it is offering ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ (2008), ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’ (2007), ‘Bombay Dreams’ (2002), and ‘Original London Production: The Lord Of The Rings’ (2008); while offerings in “Albums & Compilations” include ‘Vande Mataram’ (1997), ‘Between Heaven And Earth’ (2004), and ‘The Best of A.R. Rahman: Music and Magic From the Composer of Slumdog Millionaire’ (2009).
Tracks listed under his latest “The Best…” compilation include Rand De Basanti, Khoon Chala, Barso Re, Tere Bina, Mayya, Ghanan Ghanan, Radha Kaise Na Jale, Dheeme Dheeme, So Gaye Hain, Gurus of Peace, Yeh Rishta, Ae Nazneen Suno Na, Shakalaka Bady, Warriors in Peace (Hindi version).
Former American supermodel Cindy Crawford has revealed she wants people to think of her as a sexy older woman, known as a "Milf".
The 43-year-old has said she hopes people still think she's sexy, even though she is now mother to two children, reports contactmusic.com.
"I don't want to be a cougar, I want to be a Milf. I hate that word cougar and what it represents. Milf is a word I absolutely love," she said.
"I like that tag because I think there is a worry for all models that the moment you have kids the perception of you is going to change," she added.
A Milf is an abbreviated slang term used to describe a sexy woman who has children while a cougar is meant for an older women who seeks out and enjoys the company of younger men.
Twilight’s Taylor Lautner has been cast as the superhero Max Steel.
Deadline reports the 17-year-old will play a “19-year-old extreme sports junkie recruited by a secret agency after an accident infects his body, leaving him with superhuman powers.”
Let’s hope this isn’t another Speed Racer!
Taylor has been rumored to be dating country cutie Taylor Swift, both of whom star in the upcoming movie Valentine’s Day.
ARE YOU EXCITED to see Taylor Lautner on the silver screen again - Yes or No?
Penelope Cruz was terrified of singing in new film 'Nine'.
Speaking on the red carpet at the London premiere of the musical movie in Leicester Square last night (03.12.09), the 35-year-old Spanish actress admitted her singing was a bit rusty because she hadn't done it in public for years.
Singing was terrifying because it was new and because it was my first time.
The 35-year-old star told BANG Showbiz: "Singing was terrifying because it was new and because it was my first time.
"It was like doing theatre, but I only did theatre as a student in Spain."
Penelope - who plays seductress, Carla Albanese, who seduces Daniel Day-Lewis' character, director Guido Contini, in the film - also revealed her sexy look in the movie was aided by some very good costume designers.
She said: "The woman who designed the costumes for every one of us, I think she really must be one of the most amazing artists."
Penelope was joined on the red carpet by several of her co-stars, including Nicole Kidman, 42, Kate Hudson, 30, and Dame Judi Dench, 74.
Judi admitted she was surprised by how well all the actresses got along, saying: "They're wonderful, I mean every single one, I swear you're going to be surprised. They're going to surprise everyone."
Actress Penelope Cruz has admitted that she can't stop kissing Meryl Streep.
Speaking to her Nine co-star and fellow Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, the Spanish star said she thinks Meryl is the best there is.
"We only know each other from seeing each other at awards ceremonies or those kinds of events, but whenever I see her, I always go up to her and start kissing her," Penelope said in the latest issue of Interview Magazine.
She added: "I don’t even say anything - I just kiss her. She must think I’m some crazy person."
The Spanish stunner believes that Meryl is the best actress there is, reports The Daily Telegraph.
"There is nobody better," she said. "I watch her movies over and over again. I saw Silkwood again a couple of weeks ago, and it made me just want to kiss her feet."
Veteran rapper Keith Murray is taking time out of his tour of Africa to visit children affected by Hiv and Aids in Mozambique.
The hip-hop star travelled to Africa earlier this week (begs30Nov09) and has lined up a number of charity events in recognition of World Aids Day, which took place on Tuesday (01Dec09).
(But) I think talking about it helps. As part of his trip, Murray will speak to youths to raise awareness about the deadly disease and meet kids in two orphanages.
The campaign is particularly poignant for Murray, 37, because he lost both his mother and sister to the illness when he was in his early 20s.
He tells HipHopDX.com, "The impact that Hiv and Aids can have on a person and a family is something that I know on a very personal level, which is why I was so determined to make this trip. "The most painful part is watching people close to you go through it and feeling that there's nothing you can do to help.
(But) I think talking about it helps". Murray's mum died after contracting Hiv from a blood transfusion when he was 20, and his sister passed away three years later.