Last week there was a story that Miley Cyrus was trying her darnedest to get fired from the Disney show that made her famous, Hannah Montana. TMZ has run several stories based on insider reports that she and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, are showing up late to the set and generally annoying the cast and crew. Miley is rumored to be bragging that she’s going to get fired from the show and released from her contract in order to focus on her more lucrative singing career. She of course denied that she was up to any such thing, but it sounded like typical publicist spin.

Now there’s a report that gruff-voiced Miley, just 15, is suffering from a nodule on her vocal cord. Nodules often affect singers and people who have to yell or use their voice in loud conditions like cheerleaders and announcers. They’re somewhat common among singers and are not damaging to one’s health, but can potentially affect a person’s voice and derail that singing career Miley may be pinning everything on.

“Miley’s voice started getting really hoarse in late August, and she was having trouble hitting high notes that she could hit before,” says the source. “Her concerned parents took her to the doctor, who diagnosed the beginning stages of a nodule. That’s obviously not good news, especially since she’s so young.”

Fortunately, her condition was diagnosed in its early stages. A rep for Miley denies it, but the source adds her doctor recommended three weeks of vocal rest, though she gamely insisted on performing briefly at the Sept. 5 Stand Up to Cancer and Sept. 14 Concert for Hope fun-raisers, and planned to go through with her Sept. 27 concert at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. Her doctor also suggested she take vocal lessons to relearn how to warm up her voice properly.

“Besides vocal rest, hydration is also very important, drinking lots of fluids and using a humidifier to help shrink the nodules,” says L.A.-based ear, nose and throat specialist Ali Namazie, M.D., who has not treated Miley.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 6, 2008]

Star has an inset feature which lists other singerswho have had nodules including Justin Timberlake, who had an operation to remove them in May, 2005, and Mariah Carey, who has suffered from nodules all her life. That explains why she sleeps in a steam room with 20 humidifiers and a bed covered with terry cloth. It sounds like Miley will be fine if she does the recommended treatment, but is she protecting her voice as medically directed? If she performed three times this month that’s hardly following doctor’s orders

Miley Cyrus is shown out at the Coffee Bean in LA on 09/20/08. Credit: CAD/Fame Pictures. She is also shown riding her bike with her brother Noah and her little sister Cody on 9/28/08. Credit: BOY/Fame Pictures

Sources say that Jennifer Lopez is staging a major comeback as an actress and singer. (Pause for laughter.) Lopez, who gave birth to twins Max and Emme eight months ago, has reunited with her former manager, Benny Medina, and is set to appear in two new films. She’s also planning to release a CD of her “greatest hits.” I just have one question: WHAT greatest hits?

Almost eight months after the birth of her twins, Emme and Max, Jennifer Lopez is back in fine form - and she can’t wait to show the world. On September 21, Lopez was in Athens looking more glamorous than ever as she posed for famed Greek photographer Styros Poros for Greek In Style magazine.

During the latter months of her pregnancy, Jennifer ducked out of the spotlight, putting all her energy into becoming a first-time mom. But now, a friend says, “J.Lo can’t wait to make a huge comeback.”

And she’s doing everything she can to make it happen. “She’s working all the time and has so many projects coming up,” says an insider. Jennifer, 39, will soon start shooting two movies - The Governess and Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - and will release a greatest hits CD in February.

Relaunching her career
What’s more, J.Lo has reunited with her former manager Benny Medina, with whom she parted ways in 2003. While their relationship is not yet professional - Benny is spending two weeks in Europe with J.Lo, her husband Marc Anthony and the twins - the friend says that they are very interested in working together again. “If Benny signed Jennifer, he could help her be a huge star again.”

[From In Touch print version, Oct. 6, 2008]

Well, since Mariah Carey dumped Benny Medina as her manager in favor of her new boytoy husband, Nick Cannon, what else has he got to do but revive J.Lo’s sagging career? Somebody’s got to give her some decent advice. She keeps doing crappy movies. Here’s the synopsis of “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, courtesy of IMDB: “Aspiring Lawyer Emilia Greenleaf (Jennifer Lopez) thought she knew what she wanted when she went after the sexy, married Senior Partner, Jack Woolf (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).” I smell another Gigli!

As for her “music” career, her last CD, “Brave,” was a mess. Though its first single, “Do It Well,” hit number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, the CD itself peaked at #12 on the Billboard charts for one week before dropping into obscurity. The album prior to that, “Como Ama una Mujer,” her first Spanish language CD, did slightly better, peaking at #10. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2003 to find her next number one hit, “All I Have,” a duet with LL Cool J. So, where are these “greatest hits” going to come from?

Jennifer Lopez is shown at a Dolce and Gabbana party in Milan, Italy on 9/25/08. Credit: WENN

You know it’s a good day when you’re blessed with three stories about projects dreamboat Johnny Depp has signed on for. The news came out earlier today that Depp, 45, had signed on to play the Mad Hatter in a 3D live action animated adaption of Alice in Wonderland, to be directed by Tim Burton. Now there’s news that Depp has signed on for another Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, something that seemed to inevitably be coming based on the enormous box office take of the last three episodes. He’s also set to play sidekick Tonto in a Lone Ranger film to be put out by Jerry Bruckheimer. I’m not one to criticize Depp on the big screen in any capacity at all, but doesn’t Hollywood have some new ideas on how to capitalize on his hotness? Tried and true may be safer in these troubled economic times, though.

Depp announced the dual roles for Disney by appearing on stage at a Disney event at LA’s Kodak theater wearing both his Pirates costume and a Lone Ranger mask. Why are there no pictures of this?

It appears the gazillion dollars the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies raked in weren’t good enough for Walt Disney. Franchise star Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow for a fourth installment of the franchise, according to Movieweb.com.

Disney also announced Depp will play iconic sidekick Tonto in Jerry Bruckheimer’s big screen take on “The Lone Ranger” as well as The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s forthcoming “Alice in Wonderland” remake.

The announcements came Wednesday during a Disney Studio Showcase at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Depp appeared in full Sparrow regalia, while wearing a black mask in a nod to his Lone Ranger role.

I always thought of Depp as the kind who has some shred of integrity when it comes to choosing roles. We all know the “Pirates” flicks paid him a ton of money, but films like “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” showed there was still more to him than mumbling like Keith Richards for two hours.

[From Lehighvalleylive]

The last Pirates movie made no sense to me and I found it kind of interminable. I probably wouldn’t go see another one unless it got great reviews. Depp has expressed his gratitude to the Pirates series in interviews and has mentioned several times that he’d be open to doing another one. Keira Knightley has pretty much ruled out reprising her role as Elizabeth Swann in another sequel. Orlando Bloom also indicated that he’d like to walk away from the series, saying in May, 2007 that “I’m looking forward to taking on some completely new challenges. I’ll be sad to see it go, but it’s time to do something new for me. The great thing about this film is that, as a trilogy, there’s closure.” As long as there’s boatloads of cash to be made and the star is up for another sequel, there’s no such thing as closure in Hollywood.

It is now confirmed by MTV that Britney is going to do something to open the VMAs, which air this Sunday. They still maintain that she’s not going to be performing, but will be presenting. Earlier reports had a full dressing room allocated to the pop star, which would seem excessive for someone just making some introductions, but this is Britney.

What could she be doing? Is it a skit of some sort, a joking intro to another performance? Britney pretty much fell flat in last year’s opening segment and she’s got something to prove, but needs to be careful about it:

It’s Official! Britney Spears Will Appear At VMAs This Weekend
‘I’m excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated,’ singer says.

Will she or won’t she? For weeks, that’s been the buzz, and some of the most hard-core Britney Spears watchers have weighed in with opinions about what an appearance at this weekend’s VMAs might do for the singer’s career.

Well, now it’s official: Britney will appear at Sunday’s VMAs, which take place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and begin at 9 p.m. ET. Although the pop star will not be performing, she will open the show.

The singer — who has been nominated for many VMAs but has not yet won one — will be on hand to see if this year is her year. She’s nominated for three awards: Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Video of the Year for “Piece of Me.”

“MTV has long played an important role in my career,” Spears said in a statement. “How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I’m excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated.”

It’s unclear exactly what Britney has up her sleeve, but based on the singer’s previous VMA appearances (check out some of Britney’s past VMA performances right here), it’s sure to leave people talking.

“Britney has done everything from perform with a snake, lock lips with Madonna and prove that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas,” said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music/ LOGO/ Films Group. “I can’t wait to see what she does to kick off this year’s show.”

[From MTV.com]

Maybe Britney will co-host the whole thing along with comic Russell Brand. They did appear in promos together, and there was a story from a hairdresser preparing looks for Britney that she would have at least three different styles for the show. My money is on co-hosting and some kind of mild introduction that pokes fun at herself over the years. Britney has shown that she’s a decent actress and I think she could pull it off.

Britney is shown shopping on 8/28/08. Credit: Fame.

Angelina Jolie was interviewed recently by German-language weekly news magazine Focus. She was asked specifically if she would be interested in doing a European, as opposed to a Hollywood, film, and she said yes, and that she would even like to do a film in French once her skills in the language improve enough in a few years. She said she’s not as much of a movie buff like her partner, Brad, and that she’s either sleeping while a film is on or is getting up and taking care of the kids. Angelina admited that she’s a restless type person and doesn’t often sit still.

BERLIN (AFP) – Hollywood star Angelina Jolie said she would relish the chance to act in a European film and may even be ready to take a French-speaking part in a few years, in an interview with a German magazine.

“No one has asked me yet,” she told the Monday issue of Focus news weekly when asked if she would like to work on the Continent.

“It would really interest me — there are more and more great films coming out of Europe and other cultures.”

The 33-year-old American, who has nestled into a sprawling estate in the south of France with her six children, said that she and her partner, American heartthrob Brad Pitt, had been learning French for two years.

“When I can really speak it, maybe I’ll try out for a French film in a few years,” she said.

Jolie told Focus that she rarely watches films on her own time.

“I find it difficult to sit still for two hours,” she said.

“I would rather read something or learn something or travel to experience something new.”

She said Pitt, 44, was the real movie buff of the family.

“When we watch together, I usually fall asleep or press pause so I can take care of the kids,” Jolie said.

[AFP as published on News.yahoo.com]

That would be a definite motivation to learn a language if you had a job where you need to speak it convincingly as an actress. Before people start the inevitable “she should stay in France then” talk, she was asked by a German paper if she wanted to do European films, and she said yes. There are surely plenty of directors in Europe who will be contacting her after this interview. I wonder if she’s planning to stay in France or if the rumors that she’s moving back to the states with her family is true.

Angelina saying she has trouble resting is similar to something a commenter here once mentioned about seeing her in an airport unable to stop moving around. It would explain why she’s so thin if she’s constantly burning calories like that.

Wanted opens in Germany on September 4, which is why Jolie is doing interviews with German news outlets.

Angelina is shown in Cannes on 5/15/08. Credit: Solarpix / PR Photos

About six weeks ago there was a story that ticket sales for Katie Holmes’ Broadway debut in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons were lower than expected. You would think that all photos out of Katie grinning maniacally while taking her daughter out past a two year old’s bedtime would help generate publicity and advance sales for the play, but it hasn’t helped. Katie Homes does not seem to be a big box office draw and sales are still low for the play. The economy isn’t the reason, according to MSNBC, because other celebrities have managed to sell out shows recently. The play also features seasoned stars John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson.

One needs to look no further than the successes of “A Chorus Line” and “Spamalot” for proof that celebrities sell Broadway tickets, but in the case of “All My Sons,” that rule might not necessarily apply.

Ticket sales for the show, which stars Katie Holmes and Patrick Wilson, are thus far “definitely off from what the production hoped,” according to a source close to “Sons.” It’s hard to know what exactly is to blame.

“You can’t say it’s the economy,” says the source, “because there are shows, like ‘Mamma Mia’ that are selling out.” One possibility bandied about is that audiences are too nostalgic for Holmes’ “Dawson’s Creek” persona to clamor for tickets. “It’s not that Katie’s bad in the part. She’s good enough. The producers are just getting the feeling people still want to view Katie as sweet little Joey Potter.”

That said, Jackie Green, a publicist for “All My Sons,” says that chatter about tepid ticket sales and rumors of a shorter-than-expected run are entirely untrue. “That information is totally false. There is a healthy advance for the show, and there is no chance of the run being shortened,” says Green. “Sons” opens Oct. 16 and runs through Jan. 11.

[From MSNBC's The Scoop]
All My Sons is a drama, and those type of more serious plays may not be as easy to sell out as fun musicals. Julia Roberts Spring 2006 turn on Broadway in the drama Three Days of Rain was a huge success, with all 16 performances selling out and over $2 million in ticket sales. Roberts was the highest paid woman in show business from 2001 to 2005, and it might not be fair to compare her to Holmes, who is now best known for being Tom Cruise’s wife. Holmes’ last feature film, Mad Money, was a commercial and critical flop and only managed to take in $24 million, enough to barely break even.

The play opens October 16 and has a nearly three month run. We’ll have to see if sales pick up next month and if Katie’s performance is well received. I liked her in Pieces of April, and she could manage to pull this off to acceptable acclaim. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.

Katie Holmes is shown outside rehearsals on 8/19 and 8/20, and out with Suri on 8/20. Credit: WENN

Orlando Bloom with controversial performance artist Tracey Emin “at the launch of her new exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, Scotland” 8/3/08. Credit: BARM/Fame Pictures

Orlando Bloom made his career playing eye candy in huge Hollywood films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Troy and Kingdom of Heaven, but now that he’s on the other side of 30, Orlando seems to be re-evaluating his career.

The final film in the Pirates trilogy, released in 2007 to nearly universal critical disdain, was the last time Orlando was seen on the big screen. He has a small part in the film anthology New York, I Love You, out in 2009, and has been rumored off-and-on to star opposite Liam Neeson and Yun-Fat Chow in the Johnny To film The Red Circle.

Despite being rumored to go naked in Equus, Orlando instead took a small part in the London production of In Celebration last summer.

Since then, he’s been in the news mostly for his environmental work with Global Cool and his relationship with Victoria’s Secret supermodel Miranda Kerr.

Finally, it seems Orlando may have a new film in the works. It won’t be a huge Bruckheimer blockbuster, but a smaller film about the siege of Sarajevo by Bosnian Serbs in the early nineties. The film is based on the book Fools Rush In by Bill Carter, and would be directed by Brazilian director Andrucha Waddington.

Orlando told reporters in Sarajevo, “A film is a very specific and personal account of Bill Carter’s experience in Sarajevo during the war and we would very much like to make the film here.”

He hopes to begin shooting the film by the end of the year. The Sarajevo mayor has promised financial support.

Orlando would not be playing protagonist Bill Carter in this film. I haven’t read the book, so I’m not sure which character he would be playing or who would play Carter.

He is also reported to be producing. He has a previous producer credit on the 2004 film Haven, in which he also had a role.

It’s possible these smaller roles are Orlando’s choice. He was reportedly burned out after making back-to-back sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean. Smaller stage and film roles, as well as producing, are a way to get back to his acting roots.

On the other hand, the reign of a Hollywood pretty boy is always short-lived. Nearly every article on Ben Barnes of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian fame tagged him the second coming of Orlando Bloom, and Jake Gyllenhaal is playing the title role in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a role seemingly tailor-made for sword-and-sandal vet Orlando. Maybe these smaller roles are all he can get.

Either way, it’s probably a good move. Orlando doesn’t have the force of Leonardo DiCaprio, so he’s better off following in the footsteps of another dethroned pretty boy, Josh Hartnett, and taking small gritty independent roles, but staying away from dating Scarlett Johannson.

Of course, the Lord of the Rings fangirl in me doesn’t care if he makes Japanese hair-care product commercials for the rest of his life, as long as he dons the tights and bow again as Legolas in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Rings prequels.

Note by Celebitchy: Here’s Orlando Bloom’s Uno hair get commercial. It also features Japanese actress Chiaki Kuriyama.

Thanks to Orlando News for the tip.

Orlando is shown in header at the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, Scotland on 8/3/08 with artist Tracey Emin. It was the opening of her new exhibition. Credit: BARM/Fame Pictures. Other photos thanks to Allmoviephoto.

Mariah Carey sure seems to have taken her role of domineering wife to heart. Since she and husband Nick Cannon got married after only dating a few weeks, Mariah has been controlling his life and using him as her personal errand boy, if you believe a lot of the published reports. She has long been said to be displeased with Nick’s career. Well, “long” in terms of the course of their relationship. Mariah seems to think Nick should give up on his singing and acting career and become a model.

Love might be blind, but even smitten newlywed Mariah Carey can see that her husband Nick Cannon could use a little help getting a job.

“Mariah wants him to at least have the status that DJ AM had when he was dating Nicole Richie,” says a friend of the singer, who spoke to Life & Style magazine.

Cannon, who starred in “Drumline” and more recently “Roll Bounce” with fellow rapper Bow Wow, has been working DJ gigs lately but Carey thinks Cannon is capable of much bigger fame.

“She wants him to start modeling,” says the source. “She wants him to start meeting with well-known designers.”

Cannon reportedly is OK with Carey’s involvement in his career. “He’s not upset; he thinks it’s a great idea,” the source reports. “He knows Mariah wants him to become more famous.”

[From MSNBC’s The Scoop]

I’m not sure if this applies to male models, but for female models starting out at the age of 27 is a little late. Certainly not impossible though, and Nick does look a few years younger than his age. And he’s reasonably famous, so it doesn’t sound out of the realm of impossibility. But you’d think if that’s what his passion was, that’s what he would have been doing. It kind of sounds like he’s abandoning his real goals – singing and acting – for a career Mariah thinks will be a sure thing.

Various reports say he’s okay and totally not okay with Mariah’s meddling. She certainly knows something about resurrecting a career, and if Nick wanted guidance in that arena she’d be a good person to go to. It just isn’t clear whether or not he’s asked for Mariah’s input, or if she’s forcing it on him.

Here’s Nick at the DJ booth at the opening of Christian Audigier The Nightclub in Las Vegas on July 4th. Header of Mariah and Nick leaving Mr. Chow’s restaurant in L.A. on July 18th. Images thanks to WENN.

Kevin Federline is going to have a lot more time to spend with his sons. Britney’s ex was supposed to head to Broadway in September to play three bit roles in the musical Legally Blonde. Instead he’s been dumped because of his demands, and there’s now a casting call to fill his parts. Federline was set to move to New York with his boys while he worked on the show, but will have to stay put in LA instead:

“The producers gave Kevin his walking papers,” an insider tells Star. “Kevin was acting like a Broadway diva, and he hasn’t even stepped onto the stage yet!”

An emergency casting call has been sent out to fill Kevin’s trio of roles, including a dim-witted UPS delivery man, the insider adds. Until recently, Kevin had been planning on taking sons Sean Preston and Jayden James to live in NYC in September while he worked on the Tony-nominated musical adaptation.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, July 28, 2008]

Given the lack of details, it’s possible all that Star knows is that Kevin’s roles are now open in the show, and maybe his Broadway gig didn’t work out for another reason. I can believe that he wanted special treatment, though. He gets paid tens of thousands to show up at one party in Vegas and it must have been a pay cut for him to go to Broadway.

Kevin may have proven to be the more responsible party during his divorce from Britney, but we called him a douche bag when he was with her for good reason. This is the guy who bragged about having expensive watches and nearly 100 pairs of sneakers right before Britney surprised him with divorce papers. He made a piss poor attempt at rapping and kept defending himself, saying his fame as Britney’s husband was holding him back. He hasn’t morphed into a great guy overnight. He’s also making $20,000 a month from Britney in child support and doesn’t need to do much work at all to support himself. K-Fed is not about to go to Broadway and work his ass off like everyone else because in his mind there’s no point.

Kevin Federline is shown getting his “Father of the Year” award at Club Prive on 6/13/08. Credit: PRN/PRPhotos

TMZ claims to have an insider source that confirms what a lot of you have suspected about Guy Ritchie and Madonna’s marriage - they’ve been going through the motions for a while and are milking it for maximum publicity and profitability.

These two are said to be waiting to officially split until her “Sticky and Sweet” European tour is complete. They’re hoping that the continued speculation about their marriage will help Madonna sell as many tickets as possible and that she’ll continue to land on the front pages of the glossies. They even waited to visit divorce lawyers to ensure maximum buzz. When her tour is over and she has enough piles of cash to ensure that their children are set for life they plan to part amicably. It’s all business for Madonna’s personal life as well as her well-controlled career:

Never forget — Madonna is the master at using the media to her advantage, and the current are-they-or-aren’t-they divorcing drams is no different. Now we’re hearing Guy and Madge’s peeps have been planning this for months, hoping the hubbub will sell more tickets to her upcoming tour.

Well-placed sources tell us the Ritchies plan to officially split in November or December — after the Mrs.’ upcoming “Sticky and Sweet” world tour. Why? Big bucks. The concerts are expected to earn close to $300 mil worldwide, and they’ve decided to ear mark that to provide for their three children’s future…

There is a whole PR strategy that has been in place for some time. We’re told the Material Girl will be “very visible” in the months leading up to the tour to “generate a lot of publicity.” That’s when “news” of the marriage’s demise would slowly leak out, causing tongues to wag — and Madonna to be on the cover of papers and mags around the world.

The marriage, we’re told, has been effectively over for some time. The couple are friends, and have realized that it is in both of their interests to make a pile of cash from this tour. No working things out here — our spies say rumors of reconciliation are “garbage.” One person told us, “She is simply playing the media — and the public — as usual.”

[From TMZ]

TMZ talks a lot of shit about people, but their sources are usually solid and they had the scoops in the Heath Ledger case before the other news outlets. They don’t seem to make up stories based on hunches like the gossip rags and I would bet they have good reason to publish this. It makes sense, too.

Meanwhile Alex Rodriguez’s wife Cynthia officially filed for divorce in Miami today. She cited her husband’s “extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct” and said he “emotionally abandoned his wife and children.” Cynthia Rodriguez is seeking custody of their two children, Natasha, 3, Ella, 2 months, along with child support and alimony. Madonna is not named in the divorce papers, but as we reported earlier today her lawyer told the media that Alex’s “relationship with Madonna was the final straw for Mrs. Rodriguez.”

Third baseman Rodriguez has a 10 year contract with the NY Yankees worth $275 million. He has a prenuptial agreement with Cynthia, but she may contest that. The couple owns a 6 bedroom home in Miami worth $12 million and an apartment at Trump Plaza in NY worth $7.4 million. [Details from AP via Huffington Post]

We’ll have to wait a few months to see if this news about Madonna holding to her failed marriage for the sake of her tour is true. In the meantime Alex Rodriguez’s divorce will get a lot more media attention because of his alleged relationship with the pop star.

Photo credits: Header is of Guy Ritchie and Madonna leaving Harry’s Bar on 3/18/08 the last time there were rumors of a split. Photos below are of Guy Ritchie, David Banda, and Lourdes Leon outside the Kabbalah center on 7/5/08, thanks to Anthony Dixon for WENN.