Essence Atkins, an actress featured on UPN sitcom Half and Half and WB’s Smart Guy, is getting married in a few weeks to a guy she met online. Essence initially didn’t post a photo of herself in order to ensure that she wasn’t recognized, and she contacted her future husband when results showed they were 97% compatible:

When it comes to Internet dating, you never know if the other person is gonna be a plumber, an actress or someone who wants you to put the lotion in the basket — but one lucky man found himself an actress … and he’s about to put a ring on it.

We’ve learned a guy named Jaime Mendez hit the Internet hookup jackpot when he met actress Essence Atkins — who started her career on “The Cosby Show” — on Match.com back in February 2008.

Essence tells us she liked the website because she didn’t have to post a picture of herself — and ended up sending Jamie a message on Valentine’s Day because they were 97% compatible.

The two were engaged one year later and are set to get hitched on Sept 26.

Beat that, eHarmony.

[From TMZ]

In terms of other future husbands initially not knowing that their dates are actresses, I love the story of how A.J. Langer, (Rayanne Graff on My So Called Life) met her future husband, a real-life English Lord and son of an Earl, in a bar in Vegas. He also happens to be a practicing lawyer, which makes him a doubly-good catch. Langer quipped “He didn’t know I was an actress. I didn’t know he had a castle.” Langer, 35, and her husband of five years, Lord Charles Peregrine Courtenay, have been married five years and have two children together, daughter Joscelyn, two and a half, and son Jack, three weeks.

My husband and I sometimes tell acquaintances we met “through friends,” but we usually admit to good friends that we met through Match.com. We’ve been married almost five years and have a son together. I can’t recommend online dating enough – you have to be careful and trust your instincts, but it’s a very targeted way to meet someone in your area who shares your values and is also looking for a longterm relationship. Congratulations to Essence and Jaime and best wishes for a lifetime of happiness together! Oh – and in terms of eHarmony I’ve heard some people say it’s good at filtering out people who aren’t committed to filling out a million forms, but I thought it was completely worthless. Maybe I’m one of those people who can’t be bothered answering so many questionnaires, and it’s possible it’s improved in the years since I used it.

So who else would benefit from some down low use of online dating services? A few single actresses and actors do come to mind.

Essence Atkins is shown at the premiere of Dance Flick on 5/20/09. I’m not sure if that’s her fiance or not. Credit: PRPhotos. Photo of Essence’s engagement ring credit: WENN.com/Fayes Vision

OK! Magazine’s cover story this week is “Twilight Wedding: Rob & Kristen Engaged!”. It’s a total waste, though. The cover promises that “weeks” after Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart “moved in together” Pattz proposed. Unfortunately, the actual story is based on the theory that “life might just imitate art.” Because SPOILER Sparkles wants to marry Bella or whatever. Oh, and apparently Kristen has been joking around on the set of Eclipse, calling Pattz her “husband”. Dude… she’s 19 years old! And she’s hardcore! Kristen’s not going to marry Sparkles, hand to God:

Devoted readers of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga know that Eclipse is the volume in which conflicted vampire Edward Cullen and reluctant virgin Bella Swan finally get engaged.

That means, of course, that at some point on the Vancouver set of the novel’s big-screen incarnation, Robert Pattinson will whip out a ring and ask real-life love Kristen Stewart, “Will you marry me?”

Life might just imitate art.

As if their millions of fans collectively willed it — the blistering-hot young actors are truly, madly, deeply in love. So much so that, as OK! reported last week, they’re spending nights together in Rob’s suite at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. And things have gotten so serious that on-set sources say the young superstars are even playing up their romance on set.

“If Kristen is looking for Rob, she’ll say, ‘Has anyone seen my husband?’’’an insider tells OK!. “And Rob loves to say, ‘Have you met my lovely wife, Kristen?’ It’s cute. They’re like a couple of love-struck teenagers.”

Amid intense are-they-or-aren’t-they speculation, Robsten had kept their relationship under the radar in recent weeks — but then burst out of the closet with an unabashed make-out session among legions of fans at the Aug. 15 Kings of Leon concert held in Vancouver’s GM Place arena.

But since that public PDA, they’ve been sneaking around after dark like — well, like a couple of vampires. “There are those subtle pats and glances on set, but they save the real kisses for after the sun goes down, late at night, when you see them disappear into their hotel,” another source tells OK!.

Why so shy all of a sudden? To paraphrase another sprawling screen saga (The Godfather): It’s business. Twilight’s producers have told Robsten to keep their love on the down low — at least until after the November release of New Moon, the second film of Stephenie Meyer’s series, in which Bella gets involved with hunky werewolf Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner.

It’s all about suspension of disbelief. The studio bosses “fear that if a romance between Rob and Kristen is confirmed,” the insider says, “Twilight fans won’t buy into the screen chemistry between Taylor and Kris.”

[From OK! Magazine]

Uh… yeah. I don’t think Kristen really gives a crap what the studio bosses want. I think she’s trying to keep her relationship with Pattz on the downlow because she feels that he’s beneath her, I really do. She seems slightly embarrassed about the whole thing, in my opinion. And besides that, if Kristen and Robert were truly and totally in love (it could happen), neither of them are the shouting-from-the-rooftops kind of kids. My guess is that they’re keeping their relationship as quiet as possible because they don’t want to be attacked by roaming gangs of hormonal Twihards.

ARGH! I’m going to go light a candle, pour myself a drink and have a good weep. Because my imaginary boyfriend John Krasinski is now totally off the market. People Magazine has confirmed with John Krasinski’s rep that John and British actress Emily Blunt are officially engaged. Sob. Wail. Emily and John have been dating since November of 2008 (although I thought it had been longer). John has previously dated Rashida Jones (daughter of Quincy) and Emily has previously dated Canadian crooner Michael Buble. Need I say it? It’s the real deal if People Magazine is confirming it:

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt will soon be husband and wife.

The Office star, 29, and actress, 26, who have been dating since November 2008, are engaged, his rep confirms to PEOPLE.

“We can confirm that John and Emily are engaged,” says the rep.

[From People]

Who wants to join me for a drink? I mean… a toast. Right. Why am I so sad? Is it because John has that quality that makes it seem like any girl has a chance? I will give him some credit – he seems to go for the nice girls. Emily seems like a very nice girl – yes, a bit of a potty-mouth (who isn’t?) but generally she seems funny, sweet, intelligent and talented.

Back in May, there were a couple of rumors that John was cheating on Emily with his It’s Complicated costar Lake Bell, but not many people believed it. He just doesn’t seem to have a douchey vein in his body. Sigh. Nice to see they still make boys like that. John will be seen next in the new season of The Office, starting in late September, and then he’s got the Christmas release of It’s Complicated, an ensemble romantic comedy (with Meryl Streep!). Emily will next be seen in The Young Victoria (as the young Queen of England) in November and some weird looking film called Wild Target (with Bill Nighy!). Congratulations to the happy couple.

Here are Emily and John in April. Images thanks to BauerGriffinOnline.

When I first saw the pictures of Vince Vaughn out to dinner in Los Angeles over the weekend, below, I had to do a double-take. I truly thought it was John Goodman at first. Vince hasn’t looked hot in a long time, but his rapid physical decline is a little scary. He’s put on a lot of weight, and that hairline just keeps creeping back, faster than Prince William’s. Yikes.

Anyway, it looks like Vince has found a girl who will stick with him through thick and thicker. His fiancée Kyla Weber joined him at dinner at Madeo, even though he was dressed like a bad Sopranos extra. On Sunday, Kyla and Vince went to his hometown, Chicago, where they took in a Chicago Cubs game:

Vince Vaughn may be a guy’s guy, but he still knows how to treat the ladies. The actor cheered on his hometown team the Chicago Cubs as they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday and he brought along his fiance Kyla Weber for all of the fun. A onlooker gave RadarOnline.com the rundown of Vaughn’s chivalrous sports etiquette so pay attention boys!

“Vince brilliantly walked the line between devoted sports fan and doting partner with Kyla. When he wasn’t clapping and rooting for his beloved Cubs, he had his arm around her in a really easy way,” the onlooker said. “He was constantly looking over at Kyla with a smile on his face.”

“It was a beautiful Sunday in the park which they shared with each other and another couple.”

[From Radar]

I can’t even begin to describe how surprised I am. Back in May, there seemed to be a string of stories about Vince being a big ol’ mama’s boy who refused to stand up for Kyla. There were multiple stories about Vince ignoring Kyla so he could still hang out with his buddies and act like he was still the Big Man on Campus. It looks like Kyla stuck with him through a rough patch – and they might be closer than ever. But we still haven’t heard anything about a wedding date being set, have we? They got engaged in March - but still no sight of a wedding gown. Will they just end up one of those permanently engaged couples?

Vince and Kyla are shown at Dodger Stadium on 8/23/09. Credit: Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers. They are also also shown outside Madeo in West LA on 8/22/09. Credit: Fame Pictures

On August 14, Kate Middleton and Prince William got all dressed up and went to a church wedding. Unfortunately for the British (and now American) media outlets, it wasn’t a royal wedding and “Waity Katy” Middleton wasn’t wearing white. Kate and Will were attending the wedding of mutual friends, and the whole incident has started a whole new round of engagement and royal wedding rumors.

Hello Magazine (England’s People Magazine) slapped Kate Middleton on their cover and threw in a gushy story about Will’s “sweetheart” who looked “picture-perfect in a cornflower brocade coat and oyster-coloured dress, teamed with a stylish fascinator and matching clutch.” While I think that blue is a lovely color on Kate, the coat looks totally cheap, like she bought the old upholstery and had it made into a cheesy coat. Maybe it was gorgeous in person, but it does not look like quality fabric in these pictures. Anyway, Hello also had this one frothy little observation from an “onlooker”: “If Kate dropped behind William for a second to greet a friend, he looked anxiously around until he found her gaze.” Oh, for the love of biscuits. ABC News has the groom telling Prince William, “You’re next!” Mm-hm.

Meanwhile, a new “report” is spreading through Britain. It’s rather lame, and I have no idea where it originated. People are now claiming that Prince William and Kate Middleton have an “understanding” that they will get married in 2011 or 2012. According to random sources, “Royal officials are said to be concerned that William needs to be established as an individual working royal in his own right before he is engulfed in the same way his father Prince Charles was by his marriage to Princess Diana, and believe delaying the engagement announcement will give him more time to do so.” These sources also claim that “It is now accepted among senior members of the family that William and Kate will marry. They are totally committed to each other. In the future it is hoped that Kate will play a supporting role, rather as the Duchess of Cornwall has for the Prince of Wales.” Uh… so Kate’s going to wait around for a decade to get married, and then once she’s married, she’s only going to take a “supporting role”. Puh-lease. I hope the Queen tells Kate (again) to get a real job in the meantime.

It’s not that I don’t think Kate will wait around for however long it takes. It’s just that I don’t think they have any kind of “understanding”. I think William likes Kate because she’s available, she drops everything for him, and she doesn’t pressure him to do anything or make any kind of promises. I know a lot of people who think Kate is the bee’s knees and that she and William are going to get married and have bald royal babies and all of that. I just think that Prince William would rather dither and string her along. I really think William is waiting for her to dump him, so he can move on. Am I wrong? Many reports seem to focus on how Kate looked very “relaxed” at the wedding last Friday, I guess assuming that she wouldn’t seem so relaxed if she thought William wasn’t in it for the long haul. That’s a good theory, but I have a competing one: perhaps Kate looks so relaxed because after eight years of waiting, she’s learned how to act for the cameras.

Here are Kate and Prince William at the wedding of Captain Nicholas Van Cutsem to Alice Haddon Patton at the Guards Chapel on August 14th. Images thanks to BauerGriffinOnline.

A vampire is getting married! Thankfully it’s not Sparkly McDiet-Coke-of-Vampires (aka Robert Pattinson). It’s none other than True Blood hottie Stephen Moyer, who proposed to girlfriend and costar Anna Paquin. The engagement news was released yesterday to People Magazine. Anna and Stephen have been dating since the first season of True Blood began filming in 2007. There are even some questions about whether there was some overlap between the end of Stephen’s seven-year relationship with British journalist Lorien Haynes, and the beginning of his relationship with Anna. Stephen and Lorien share custody of a daughter, Lilac, and Stephen has an older son, Billy, from another previous relationship.

It’s true love for True Blood couple Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. The two are engaged to be married, reps for both actors on the HBO vampire series confirm to PEOPLE exclusively.

No further details were available.

Paquin, who plays telepathic Sookie Stackhouse on True Blood, is originally from New Zealand and won a 1994 Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as the precocious child in The Piano.

Moyer, from Essex, England, plays bloodsucking Bill Compton on the series. He also has two children from previous relationships: a son, Billy, born in 2000, and a daughter, Lilac, born in 2002.

Last month, Paquin, 27, said of her nude love scenes with Moyer, 39: “Obviously, if you’re already with that person then you’re not having to sort of get over the ‘Wow, I’m naked with someone that I don’t even know the middle name of!’ ”

For his part, Moyer has said of his lady love, “My girl is hardcore.”

[From People]

I think they’re a really hot couple, and congratulations to them. But I do wonder about Stephen. He seems to really love Anna, but I question if his devotion will last after True Blood goes off the air. He just seems like the kind of guy who moves on from women very quickly. But I’ll stop being such a Negative Nellie. I hope they’ll be fine, and I hope Anna gets the wedding of her dreams!

Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin are shown in the header on 7/22/09, they’re also shown in candids on 7/29/09, at an event on 5/2/09, and in stills from True Blood. Credit: WENN.com

Evangeline & Dominic in November, 2005. Credit: Bauergriffinonline

Star Magazine and the National Enquirer have very similar stories about Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan this week. Both are claiming that Evangeline and Dominic are engaged again, and this time they’re seriously planning for a wedding. The Enquirer’s version is a lot nicer – they go on and on about how Dominic and Lilly invited his parents to Las Vegas, and announced their engagement all over again:

After an aborted plan to marry two years ago, the on-again/off-again couple is so serious this time about saying “I do” that they recently invited Dominic’s parents to join them in Las Vegas – so they could get their blessing, say friends.

“Dominic and Evangeline have decided that now is the time to make it official,” revealed an insider. “They’ve been through breakups and makeups and feel that their love has stood the test of time.”

Dominic’s parent’s “couldn’t have been happier” with their plans to marry.

[From National Enquirer, print edition, August 3 2009]

I really like them as a couple. I respect that Evangeline, who could be some over-exposed professional “Hot Girl” like Megan Fox, chooses instead to be low-key, with a boyfriend that she seems to have a real connection to. I kind of think their engagement really is back on. They got back together in February of 2008, after a separation of only a few months. Star version of the whole engagement drama is perhaps having a Vegas elopement:

Lovebirds Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly are thinking of taking a trip down the aisle in Sin City! While [hanging in Las Vegas]… “they were in such great moods, they looked really sweet with each other and started talking about how much fun it would be to have a Las Vegas wedding,” a source tells Star. “They seemed tickled by the idea of eloping and marrying at some place like the Little White Wedding Chapel.”

[They] broke off their original engagement in November 2007 after three years together but reunited a few months later. They’re now stronger than ever.

“The distance between them has been a problem, since she’s shooting Lost in Hawaii and he’s in LA. But it won’t be an issue when the show ends. They can be in the same city,” says an insider. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they wed sooner, though. She can’t wait to be his wife!”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, August 3, 2009]

Yeah, I’m not sure. Evangeline is supposed to be pretty religious, and I could see her wanting and needing a big church wedding. But then again, maybe not. She’s obviously got a strain of dirty hippie in there too, so maybe a Vegas wedding is where it’s at!

Jennifer Love Hewitt seems like a relatively harmless person, so we should feel something in vicinity of “vague happiness” when hearing the latest JLH news – she’s engaged. Again. For like the millionth time. This time to Jamie Kennedy, that poor bastard. Don’t feel too bad for him though – it’s not like they’re ever going to walk down the aisle. Jennifer Love doesn’t get married. She just likes being engaged. Besides that, the whole proposal might have just been a bit for Jamie’s stand-up act:

Congrats to Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy. The lovebirds got spontaneously engaged on stage at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, Calif., Saturday night.

Kennedy was entertaining the crowd for over two hours before he pulled Hewitt up to tell jokes and sing. A witness relates that an audience member yelled out, “Marry her!” — and Kennedy “got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.”

The glowing actress said yes even though he didn’t have a ring. “It was a standing ovation,” said our source. Let’s just hope it was the one line of the night that wasn’t a joke.

[From Page Six]

I would f-cking kill a guy if he proposed to me during his set at the Laugh Factory. What am I saying? Jamie Kennedy is the victim here! Poor Jamie. No, no. I’m sure they’re quite happy together. Poor bastard.

Anyway, that’s not the only funny Jennifer Love Hewitt story we have today! It seems Jennifer Love was invited to be apart of Monaco’s TV festival, and she got to attend a formal dinner with Prince Albert II of Monaco, who is like “the king” but Monaco just calls their king “prince”. Anyhoodle, Jennifer Love decided to make a fool of herself by trying to convince the people around her to wear fake vampire fangs as she took pictures of them. What is she, five years old? When she tried to convince Prince Albert to do this, he shot her a “die please” look and denied her:

At a Monaco TV festival, JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT got a snooty royal snub from Prince Albert II of Monaco – who practically bared his teeth in refusing her addle-brained plea to pose for a photo wearing vampire fangs she’d fashioned from wisps of white paper!

Turns out the “Ghost Whisperer” star gets a bloody kick out of persuading celeb pals like KATE WALSH, MATTHEW FOX, KIM KARDASHIAN, etc., to pose for her personal vampire photo collection of goofballs willing to sport sculpted paper fangs that clip onto the choppers for that oh-so-trendy “Twilight” look.

And speaking of nasty LOOKS…Prince Al, a good-natured guy back when I knew him in his Hollywood playboy days, shot Jennifer a royal stare that turned her cheeks blood-red.

In a voice to chill a vampire, the Prince purred: “I don’t want to be shown in that light.”

[From National Enquirer]

Meh, they both seem like a-holes, don’t they? It’s not like Prince Albert is some paragon of virtue and propriety. He’s got illegitimate kids all over the world, and he doesn’t seem to be in any rush to provide a legitimate heir to the Monaco throne. So, most likely, Prince Albert’s nephew Andrea Casiraghi (son of Princess Caroline) will likely take the throne when Albert passes. Considering Jennifer Love doesn’t want to be anything other than be engaged, and Prince Albert doesn’t want to legitimize anyone or anything, the two of them would have been a perfect match. Too bad they hate each other now. This is what fake vampire teeth hath wrought.

UPDATE: People is reporting that Jennifer and Jamie’s reps are denying the engagement story in total. As for the story that they’re both idiots… well, I guess that has not been confrimed or denied.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are shown on 6/11/09, 4/7/09 and 4/5/09. Credit: WENN.com

We all have dodgy uncles, don’t we? The person doesn’t even have to be an actual uncle, it’s just the person who never knows when to shut up, when to not reveal personal stories, when to avoid the press. It’s the person who sees you and says flat out “You should get pregnant so he’ll marry you, like you did with the last one” as you’re introducing your new boyfriend around. It’s the person who tells your boss about why you really got fired from your last job. It’s the person who offers an undercover reporter hookers and blow. Sometimes, I’m kind of that person in my family. I have problems differentiating between “internal family jokes not for public consumption” and “a funny story”. That being said, I’ve never offered a reporter hookers and blow, so I’m at least better than Kate Middleton’s dodgy uncle.

It’s generally accepted that Kate Middleton hasn’t made any “wrong steps” on her road to becoming Prince William’s wife. She hasn’t participated in any interviews knowingly or unknowingly, she hasn’t been the victim of any upskirt photographs. There isn’t any homemade porn in her past, and she’s proven she can keep a secret. So after some-odd seven years as Prince William’s on-again girlfriend, it’s surprisingly to learn that there’s a chink in the armor, and we’re only hearing about it now. An undercover reporter from News of the World was sent in to talk to Kate’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith. The results were rather astounding:

Kate Middleton’s uncle allegedly supplies drugs and arranges vice girls.

Gary Goldsmith also reportedly boasted about his niece Kate and her boyfriend, Britain’s Prince William, visiting his luxurious mansion on the party island of Ibiza, Spain, in 2006.

He told undercover reporters from Britain’s News of the World newspaper: “Yeah, so they all turn up with their M16 to guard them. My first words to Prince William were, ‘Oi, you f***er! Did you break my glass pyramids?’ He and a pal had been throwing balls around and broke all these ornamental pyramids I had loads of them. My friends were teaching William how to mix music on DJ decks. Yeah, it was brilliant. And they told him he needs to shout, ‘The King’s in da house!’ He’s a very friendly guy.”

Gary also claimed William, 27, made lewd comments about Kate’s breasts in front of her mother Carole Middleton.

He said: “They were talking about boobs at the time, around the table at my sister’s house. William said that more than a handful is a waste! He had to wear the hanky of shame. I made him put on a napkin!”

Gary claims Kate and William are also planning to return to his Spanish home next month and has hinted the couple will soon reveal their plans to wed.

He added: “They’re talking about an announcement later this year. I’ll be giving her away. I’ll be the Duke of Slough. I’m going to be up front. I want a speaking part.”

Gary has also been accused of offering the reporters a range of illegal substances and bragging he could fix them up with prostitutes for £600 ($983.82) a-night in Ibiza.

When one reporter said he was living in London, Gary reportedly replied: “You need me as a friend. I have a company that delivers to your door. And I can get cocaine to your door here too.”

After Gary had called an alleged drug dealer called Sharon who lives in Ibiza, he said: “She will deliver to wherever you are.”

Carole is believed to be furious with her brother for bragging about handing out drugs and speaking about the future king of England. A source said: “Carole is spitting fire. She never thought he would do something this stupid and betray the whole family.”

[From All Headline News]

No one looks good here, but the scandal isn’t going to be devastating, for many reasons. First, Prince William has his own “dodgy uncles” and then some, so who is he to judge? Secondly, I really think Kate has earned enough brownie points in the British media that she’s not going to take the hit on this. It’s pretty clear she’s not to blame, and this uncle will most likely be persona non grata in the many years to come. I’ve got to wonder about what Uncle Gary said about the wedding, and about Prince William’s behavior though… does it sound right? It this a clever way of putting some pressure on an engagement, with this dodgy uncle coming out and claiming that they’re already sort of engaged? If that’s the case, Kate is really clever. Props to her.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are shown out on 8/15/08. Credit: Splash News

In Touch is claiming that Jamie Lynn Spears has broken off her engagement. They’re not always the most accurate source, but this is one story that I’m really crossing my fingers on. They claim that Jamie Lynn realized she isn’t ready to get married. She hasn’t broken up with Casey Aldridge, but she has given back the engagement ring he gave her on her 17th birthday.

Britney Spears’ younger sister Jamie Lynn has called off her engagement to boyfriend Casey Aldridge after deciding she is too young to marry.

The 18-year-old actress accepted Aldridge’s proposal early last year when she was pregnant with their daughter, Maddie Briann.

However, according to In Touch Weekly magazine, the Zoey 101 star has changed her mind about marrying her teenage sweetheart and is happy just being boyfriend and girlfriend. The younger Spears has even returned her diamond engagement ring to Aldridge.

A close pal tells the publication, “Casey proposed when Jamie turned 17. He gave her a gold band with numerous diamonds and one larger stone, but now she has given it back to him.”

“Jamie wasn’t ready to get married. It’s been more than enough for her to adjust to new motherhood for now.”

[From In Touch via Starpulse]

Obviously one response to Jamie Lynn not being ready to get married was that she probably wasn’t ready to have a baby either. But she handled that situation gracefully and has been living a very private life for the last year. By about 75% of the reports, Casey Aldridge was no prize. I can’t imagine how any marriage at Jamie Lynn’s age could last in the long run. I know sometimes they do, but I wouldn’t be betting on this one in particular.

Jamie Lynn and Casey are definitely still together though. TMZ has photographs of them taking Maddie out for pizza yesterday – with Casey smoking a cigarette right next to the baby. Hopefully a breakup announcement will be coming in 3…2…1…