I am not an Ellen Pompeo hater. Of course, I don’t watch Grey’s Anatomy, so that might have something to do with it? But I find her tolerable. I think she used to be just gorgeous, pre-Grey’s, but something about that show made her lose a lot of weight (which was sad) and begin thinking she was some kind of fashion girl (which she isn’t). So basically my current opinion of her is something like “meh”. But that was before I read these interview excerpts from her cover profile in Self Magazine.

Ellen Pompeo, who gave birth to daughter Stella Luna in September, covers the April issue of Self magazine. In the interview, Ellen, 40, talks about how motherhood has changed her body.

On her pregnancy weight gain:
“I went up a pants size during my pregnancy. I was in size 25 jeans and went to 26. I gained 26 pounds. I weigh 10 pounds more than I ever have. I love it.”

On criticism for being too thin:
“Everyone always told me I was too skinny before, and I thought, Oh, God, what if there are 14-year-olds who think I’m not eating, and then they don’t eat? Do I have a responsibility? Really, I don’t care if people think I’m too skinny. This is my body. If they don’t like it, screw it.”

On healthy eating:
“Take a few hours and prepare lunch for the week. On Sundays, I premake everything for salads. I boil a dozen eggs and parboil beets. I chop lettuce, cilantro, scallions and parsley and put it all in Ziploc bags. During the week, I just grab handfuls, add dressing, dump in a can of beans, some goat cheese, and I’m ready to go.”

On taking just four weeks maternity leave before returning to the Grey’s set:
“A lot of people couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t take my maternity leave. I make a good living, but I won’t always make this kind of money. I felt I needed to work while I had this opportunity.”

[From Huffington Post]

So she’s thrilled that she weighs ten pound more than she used to? And I’m guessing she’s still drastically underweight, although she looks very healthy and pretty in these photos, so maybe not. Sure, I generally agree with her “It’s my body” sentiments, but if you really feel that way, why go on the cover of Self and talk about how you went up one size while pregnant and try to convince us of how “healthy” you are? I feel like Ellen has Renee Zellweger Syndrome.

Self cover and additional pic courtesy of Just Jared.

Ellen Pompeo gave birth to her first child, daughter Stella Luna, just two weeks ago, and she’s already out and about and making public appearances again. And she looks fantastic. I cannot believe this woman looks like this after two weeks. There is a vague, maybe hint of a tummy but she’s hidden it well with her loose black dress. And I could just be seeing things because I want to. It’s really hard to tell. The only negative thing I can say is that those shoes are not-so-flattering. But that’s it.

Just two weeks after giving birth to baby girl Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery, a radiant Ellen Pompeo, with husband Christopher Ivery by her side, told PEOPLE “I feel great” as she stepped out Wednesday to attend the collection launch of Adidas Originals by David Beckham and James Bond in Los Angeles.

Donning heels and a black sweater-dress, the Grey’s Anatomy star, 39, said, “everything is fantastic” on the home front, and that the best thing about being a new mom is “everything. I’m the luckiest girl in the world!”

Though both Pompeo and Katherine Heigl, who recently adopted baby girl Naleigh, are still both on breaks from filming their ABC medical series, Pompeo says their daughters’ social calendars are bound to fill up.

On the agenda: Possible play dates, but only when Stella “catches up a little bit” in age to Naleigh. “She’s a lot older,” notes Pompeo.

[From People]

Ellen’s always been really tiny – supposedly her nickname on the Grey’s Anatomy set is “the pencil” so I guess it’s no surprise she’s lost weight so quickly. And she’s one of those women that seemed to gain weight mostly in her stomach and not all over. It’s more like she filled out to the size of a normal actress everywhere else. She even looks well rested. I have yet to have kids, but I’m envious and sort of grumpy about how great Ellen looks, nonetheless. Um, I mean congrats.

Here’s Ellen and Chris last night, and Ellen on September 9th, for comparison. Images thanks to WENN.com .

Ellen Pompeo and her husband Chris Ivery welcomed their baby girl at long last. Ellen’s rep tells Us Weekly that Ellen gave birth on September 15 – which was last Tuesday. Uh… someone didn’t stay on this for some kind of timely update? No paparazzo got a shot of Ellen entering a hospital last week? Very strange, right? I’m sure that Ellen and Chris just wanted their privacy, and wanted to enjoy the first week with their baby in peace.

Ellen and Chris named the little girl Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery. I kind of like it. Stella is a really popular name in Hollywood – there’s Stella McCartney, Stella Tennant, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths’ daughter is named Stella, as is Tori Spellings’ daughter. I like “Luna” too – it’s a cute middle name.

Meredith Grey is a mom! Grey’s Anatomy actress Ellen Pompeo and husband Chris Ivery have welcomed their first child, a girl, her rep tells Usmagazine.com exclusively.

“Her name is Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery,” her rep tells Us. “She was born Sept. 15 in Los Angeles.”

Pompeo, 39, and the music producer, 41 — who tied the knot at a small ceremony in 2007 — announced they were expecting in April.

“It’s a huge lifestyle change, and I take that very seriously,” she told Allure in 2008 of motherhood. “[Chris and I] enjoy our life so much. We go to Europe and sleep in. So when I have the baby, I won’t feel like we’ve missed any fun, reckless times together, like staying up all night drinking champagne and having sex until five in the morning and not having to get up until two in the afternoon.”

Her Grey’s costar, Jessica Capshaw, told Us Pompeo was ready to be a mom.

“She is so on top of it, and she is so excited, and she is very sweet about it,” she told Us in May. “She is doing her research.”

Added Capshaw, “She is exactly the way that she should be about it, which is really excited and hopeful but at the same time really pragmatic and planning. And I think that is the best way for her to be.”

The new season of Grey’s Anatomy starts Sept. 24. Her costar Katherine Heigl recently adopted a baby girl from Korea.

[From Us Weekly]

Congratulations to the happy family! I’m sure Ellen is over the moon – it felt like she was pregnant a really long time. I’m still kind of wondering why it took them so long to announce – do you think it’s for one of the bad reasons? Like, there might have been complications during childbirth, and Ellen is still hospitalized? I hope not, I really do. I’m also wondering about those reports that Chris has a 19-year-old mistress on the side – and maybe he and Ellen aren’t getting along these days. It’s all probably nothing. My thoughts and prayers are with the family, hoping everyone is happy and healthy!

Here’s Ellen Pompeo inside the Porta Via restaurant with Chris on September 9th. Header at Fall Fashion Week in New York in February. Images thanks to WENN.com .

You know the drill. It’s Star Magazine, so the chances are pretty good that this could all be bullsh-t. What I find interesting, though, is that this is gossip about someone who is rarely – if ever – mentioned in the tabloids. Sure, Ellen Pompeo gets a shout-out in a “Katherine Heigl is a diva” story, but Ellen, her pregnancy, and her personal life hardly ever make it into any kind of major gossip. For that reason alone, I suspect that there might be something fishy going on. So, here’s the story: Star is reporting that Ellen’s husband, Chris Ivery, has been having an affair with a 19-year-old restaurant hostess in Boston. The girl’s name is Rachel Artz, and she has given her confirmation of the affair to Star. Rachel claims that she and Chris were “intimate” several times, and that’s about it. The rest of the story is from a bunch of “insiders” and “friends”. Like, an “insider” claims Chris “promised Rachel that he’d make her a star.”

While Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo was glowing over the happy news of her pregnancy, her husband, music producer Chris Ivery, was practicing his baby talk on his secret lover — a sexy 19-year-old blonde!

In April, Ellen, 39, confirmed that she and Chris, 41, are expecting their first child, a daughter, later this year. But by late May, Chris had begun a torrid affair with restaurant hostess Rachel Artz in his hometown of Boston. “Yes, I had sexual relations with Chris,” Rachel acknowledged when she spoke with Star. “We were intimate several times.”

And while a rep for Ellen has denied all details of an affair, additional sources have told Star that over the course of three months, Chris and Rachel trysted several times — including at hotels in Boston and Miami, and a private residence in Martha’s Vineyard — while Ellen was home in Los Angeles. “Chris promised Rachel that he’d make her a star — that’s his lure,” says an insider.

A source tells Star, “Chris often took calls from Ellen in front of Rachel and talked about their baby-to-be.” Otherwise, the insider adds, “He didn’t seem to like Ellen much when he talked about her. He made her seem like a diva.”

Pick up the new issue of Star for all the steamy details of the affair — including Rachel and Chris’ pregnancy scare — and an exclusive photo of the teen temptress!

[From Star Magazine]

Here’s what I’ll buy for sure – that this Rachel girl is definitely confirming her sexual relationship with Chris Ivery. The rest of it, I’m not so sure of. Whether Rachel is being honest, or she’s just looking for attention, or if she’s just crazy, I don’t know. The weirdest thing (for me) is that I totally don’t buy for a second this whole “Ellen is a diva” claim. Ellen has always seemed like a sweetheart to me – totally low-key, professional, a little eccentric, maybe. But nice. Ellen is due any day now, and I really hope her husband isn’t as douchey as this report would indicate.

Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery are shown out on 8/28/09. Ellen Pompeo is also shown out with a friend on 9/4/09. Credit: Fame Pictures. Star cover via CoverAwards

The baby boom continues in Hollywood: this time, it’s “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Ellen Pompeo. She and husband Chris Ivery are expecting their first child. Ellen has spoken many times in the last year about her desire to have children with Avery. In an October 2008 interview with Allure, Pompeo said, “I’ve got to get on it, because the clock is ticking.” Looks like Ellen beat that clock.

Ellen Pompeo and her husband, Chris Ivery, are starting a family together, her rep, Jennifer Allen, confirms to PEOPLE.

“It’s great news,” says Allen. “They’re ecstatic.”

The Grey’s Anatomy star, 39, and Ivery, 41, a music producer, were married by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a low-key ceremony in November 2007. The couple met in a grocery store in 2003 and began dating six months later.

Pompeo, who’s recently been spotted shopping for baby gear around Los Angeles, is not the only Seattle Grace doctor having a baby in real life: Costar Chyler Leigh and her husband, Nathan West, are expecting her third child, a girl, in May.

[From People]

Congrats to the couple! I think they will make good parents. I do like Ellen and Chris together- they look great together and seem very into each other. The big question is, will Ellen’s pregnancy be written into “Grey’s”? It’s going to be tough to conceal a pregnancy on a woman as petite as Pompeo. Does that mean McDreamy is going to be a dad on the show? Could be interesting.

Ellen Pompeo is shown out at Whole Foods on 4/19/09. She is also shown with Chris Ivery at a Lakers game in Los Angeles on 1/25/09. Photos: Fame.

I love the way celebrities vacillate between over sharing every excruciating minute detail of their lives, and then insist on privacy. Case in point: Grey’s Anatomy actress Ellen Pompeo, 38, managed to keep her wedding to husband Chris Ivery totally secret – inviting no guests, not even family.

The only people in attendance were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris. And I can’t really fault Pompeo for that – I wouldn’t want TMZ showing up at my wedding either. And yet when there’s something to gain from it – like the cover of Allure magazine – suddenly Pompeo is okay with divulging all sorts of details a lot of people wouldn’t even tell their close friends.

Conveniently the topic at hand is babies. And I can think of few other subjects that will get you more attention and press than the starting the rumor mill going that you might be expecting. Though Pompeo doesn’t seem to have immediate pregnancy plans, just mentioning any word that starts with “bab” – it could be “babble” or “Babylon” even just “bubble” – will get the tabloids all atwitter at the thought of a possibly expanding womb.

Ellen Pompeo has babies on the brain.

“It’s a huge lifestyle change, and I take that very seriously,” she tells the October issue of Allure.

“We enjoy our life so much,” she adds. “We go to Europe and sleep in. So when I have the baby, I won’t feel like we’ve missed any fun, reckless times together, like staying up all night drinking champagne and having sex until five in the morning and not having to get up until two in the afternoon. But I’ve got to get on it, because the clock is ticking.”

[From Us Weekly]

This means that from now until whatever point in the future Ellen Pompeo reveals she’s pregnant, the tabloids will write nothing about her that doesn’t speculate about her possible fertilization. And that woman is thin as a rail, so she’s going to start showing within half an hour. The flip side is that because she’s so thin, if she ever eats three quarters of a hamburger all the tabloids are going to assume she’s two months along.

I find it to be sort of a paradox that Ellen Pompeo would go to such lengths to keep her wedding private but be so open about baby thoughts. It seems like maybe she’s wanting a bit more press or something, which makes me wonder what’s really going on.

Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery are shown at a Calvin Klein party during fashion week on 9/7/08. Credit: MLM/Fame Pictures

Ellen Pompeo got married last Friday – and she didn’t exactly go the route of fellow Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl, who’s been planning (and talking about) her lavish outdoor wedding to singer Josh Kelley for what seems like years. Since she announced her engagement to music producer Chris Ivery last year, Pompeo has made it clear that she didn’t want a big fancy wedding, and claimed that the couple would probably just elope. She’d never give a date or any wedding details… I thought she was just been sneaky and trying to keep the paparazzi away. It turns out she was serious, and really didn’t want any kind of wedding at all. The pair got married at New York’s City Hall this past Friday. The only witnesses were Mayor Michael Bloomberg and First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris. I know some mothers that are going to be piiiiiiiiiiised. Seriously.

There’s at least one TV heroine out there who doesn’t need any writers to help craft her happy ending.

Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo tied the knot with music producer Chris Ivery in a brief civil ceremony held at New York’s City Hall Friday. “They are over the moon,” Pompeo’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, said of the newlyweds. According to Allen, the low-key ceremony lasted just a few minutes and was conducted by a city clerk. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a fellow Boston-area native, and First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris served as the couple’s witnesses and were the only people present for the civil vow swap.

It’s the first wedding for both. “I’m very happy for her,” Ellen’s father, Joseph Pompeo, told People, adding his famous offspring informed him after the ceremony of his father-in-law status. “She just didn’t want a big thing.”

In keeping with the under-the-radar vibe of the nuptials, the newlweds have opted out of a honeymoon trip, though last month Pompeo told People magazine she and Ivery were planning a trip to Bologna, Italy, “very soon.” In the meantime, they were spotted Sunday night celebrating courtside at a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

[From E! News]

Both Pompeo and Ivery are from Boston, and grew up within a few minutes of each other. They never met until they both lived in Los Angeles in 2003, supposedly at a grocery store. I don’t buy that. That’s like hearing a couple met when they were seated next to each other on a plane and fell in love. It’s cute as hell – everyone wishes that would happen to them, you know, you both reach for the same orange, your hands touch, you laugh, apologize, and then get married – but I’ve yet to meet anyone that’s actually happened to. I’m guessing they met online. Celebrities are known to be desperate that way.

Chris Ivery has a somewhat shady background that Pompeo’s friends and family were said to be a bit worried about. He has at least 12 criminal convictions for drug dealing from 1987 to 1998, and served three months in jail for possession of cocaine and pot with the intent to supply. He then served some time for trafficking in cocaine, in addition to 14 months in federal prison for eight more drug charges. Pompeo has clearly stated that she already knew about Ivery’s past and has no problem with it. She’s been with him for four years, so it’s not like they rushed into anything. Let’s hope his past really is behind them and they have a happy life together.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Ellen and Chris at the Paramount Pictures 2007 Golden Globe Award After-Party on January 15th. Header image of Ellen with some craaaaazy hair at the Emmy Awards on September 16th. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Many actors are joining the striking writers on the picket lines. At first it seemed to be filled with writers/actors like Tina Fey and several cast members of “The Office” who are also writers. Jon Stewart has said that his production company will continue to pay the salaries of the striking writers on “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Production has ceased on “The Office” after Steve Carell refused to cross the picket line. Now several actors are joining the writers and picketing alongside them, including the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy.” I think all their “Mc” cuteness is really annoying, but I would love to see McSteamy all fired up and holding angry picket signs.

The cast of the top-rated medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” joined striking Hollywood writers on a picket line Wednesday and said they were shooting scenes for their last scripted episode. Stars Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley, spent their lunch breaks outside the Prospect Studios, where “Grey’s” is filmed. “We’re supposed to be going until the end of May and right now our last shooting day will be Tuesday or Wednesday,” Knight said. “As actors, we’re paid a different way than the writers, but there’s also the crew to keep in mind. They are out of work as of next Wednesday.”

Said Oh, who plays Dr. Christina Yang: “This matter is way too important not only for our writers, but ultimately everyone who makes movies, everyone who makes entertainment here in this town and again for the rest of the world.” Other cast members included Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr., Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane and Katherine Heigl, who portrays Dr. “Izzie” Stevens. “You’ve got to have a story,” Heigl said. “You’ve got to have a story in order to perform anything, to have any ideas on where to go and what to do, and where the character, story lines, arcs, everything. They’re everything. We can’t do it without them.”

“It’s really a big tragedy to be out here striking at all,” said Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd. “I think there are going to be a lot of people affected by this, that have families, that live paycheck to paycheck, that upsets me profoundly. But at the same time, I do feel that the writers deserve a better break on the deals they have been getting.”

[From the Associated Press]

The Writers Guild of America strike began Monday when negotiations fell through with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The main sticking point is over how much writers are paid when shows are available on the Internet. Considering how hard they work and how integral they are to the very foundation and success of a show, most writers deserve a lot more than they’re getting. Equally important, though far less principled, (okay so not so equally important) is what happens when writers strike: more reality shows. Remember when all that crap started? You know why? Writer’s strike. You don’t need writers to make someone eat a bunch of bugs while balancing on a bar 300 feet off the ground over a pool of snapping sea turtles. Or whatever it is they do on reality TV. So let’s hope the producers give in soon, for the sake of the writers, the rest of the production staff who aren’t getting paid, and the rest of us who might have to watch incredibly crappy TV. Or we could just read. You would think the writers would like that, too.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Sandra Oh and Katherine Heigl joining the picket lines during their lunch. Header image of Ellen Pompeo.

Ellen Pompeo, the star of Grey’s Anatomy, is ripping on the media for giving so much attention to idiots like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. She points out that the extreme amount of publicity given for such bad behavior teaches young girls that that’s how they should act, because that’s the behavior that will get them positive attention.

“’I just think the media should take this country in a different direction,’ the 37-year-old actress tells the new issue of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine, on newsstands Aug. 15.

“’We’re so focused on the wrong things. We’re teaching young girls that this is what they should be focusing on: rich and famous girls who are rich and famous for nothing.’

“In an apparent reference to coverage of Paris Hilton and her ilk, Pompeo says: ‘What are we doing to this younger generation? It’s not very responsible.’”

[From the Washington Post]

She also chides the media for its speculation about her weight. Not to do exactly what she’s complaining about, but she does seem unnaturally small. Apparently it’s hard to tell if you look at pictures of just her, but it’s pretty obvious when you see her photographed next to normal-sized people.

“Pompeo, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ also calls the media ‘irresponsible’ for ongoing speculation that she has an eating disorder.

“’I just worry about the girls who look up to me – I don’t want them to think I starve myself or don’t eat, and that to be like me that’s what they have to do,’ explains the actress, who says she is naturally slender.”

[From the AP]

I really don’t buy the “naturally slender” line. But that’s probably because, if that’s the case, I am insanely jealous, so I’d rather believe she does really bad things to be so thin. In other news, Pompeo says that she and her fiancé, Chris Ivery, will set a wedding date at some point, but haven’t yet. They’ve been together almost four years.

“’I swear we’re going to get married at sometime,’ she says. ‘We’re just trying to fit it all in. It won’t be a big ceremony – we want one thing to ourselves.’

“Does she see children in her future?

“’I do,’ she says. ‘With the show, I just don’t know if it’s entirely fair to myself and to everybody else right now. We’ll see what happens.’”

[From the AP]

While her thoughts on the empty socialites aren’t exactly unique, she’s right. Giving them too much attention encourages a negative cycle. They’re just like little kids. If you give them praise for doing something bad, they’ll keep doing it. Any attention we give them for their crotch-flashing, nipping-baring ways will just encourage them to continue acting like morons. Though I’m pretty sure Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Britney Spears will act like morons no matter what, the rest of us can at least do something better with our time. Like steam about how unnaturally thin Ellen Pompeo is.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Ellen at the 2006 ABC Upfront Presentation and at the Garden State Premiere. Header image is at the Bourne Ultimatum Los Angeles Premiere on 7/25/2007. Images thanks to PR Photos.