I jumped the gun with yesterday’s Eva Mendes story. Marie Claire just released the high-quality cover image, plus a few more pcs from the photo shoot. I still dislike the photo shoot, by the way. Eva is capable of looking dazzling, and she can really work the “bombshell” thing, but her styling here is just awful. Anyway, you can read her Marie Claire piece here, and here are some highlights – she’s promoting an indie film called Girl In Progress, where she plays a bad mother.

Her dog, Hugo: He’s Malinois (a Belgian variant of the German shepherd). We were supposed to take him for a walk, but a wintry drizzle has scuttled our plans — good thing, since Hugo doesn’t look like he takes well to journalists. “Couchez!” she orders him sternly. Hugo immediately lies down. “It sounds so pretentious,” Mendes admits, “but he learned his commands in French.” Cesar Millan, better known as the Dog Whisperer, sometimes dog-sits Hugo, she informs me. Hugo also wears a behavior-modification collar, which Mendes controls with a beeper.

On her modeling gigs: “I have taken the opportunities that have come my way and made the best of them,” Mendes says unapologetically.

Playing an unattractive character in Girl In Progress: It’s a first step, albeit a small one, in transforming a big-screen sex symbol to respected actress on par with, say, Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, her idols. “I have a girl crush on them,” Mendes admits. “I’d kill to have half the careers they’ve had after 40.”

Boundaries: They are “necessary not just to be a celebrity, but to be a healthy individual.”

Workout: “I run four to five times a week, mixing it up among distance running, intervals on a track, and running uphill on a treadmill.”

Diet: “I don’t eat meat and stopped eating chicken — my skin has gotten a lot better.”

Hair: “I have big, wavy, crazy hair, so it works best for me when I let it be. Here’s a trick I learned from my mother: If your hair is a little greasy and you don’t have the time to shampoo, put some baby powder at the roots and at the ends. It gives you that ’70s textured look.”

Imperfections and body image: “I feel it’s important to let women know that I have similar struggles. What I tell girls is what they don’t like about themselves now, they will probably end up loving as an adult, because that’s what happened to me,” Mendes says. “When I am complimented on things that I didn’t like when I was 13, like my overbite and my mole, that’s when you realize that your imperfections are why people love you.”

[From Marie Claire]

Eva also says something about Ryan Gosling in the magazine – she described working with him on The Place Beyond the Pines, saying, “He’s your dream costar. I have never felt so creatively satisfied on a film.” What about other kinds of satisfaction? Well, as many of you pointed out yesterday, Eva is in Bangkok, visiting Ryan as he works on a new film:

Does absence makes the heart grow fonder? Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling didn’t wait to find out! Eva traveled 8,000 miles to see her boyfriend, who is on location filming Only God Forgives in Bangkok, and Life & Style has all the details on their reunion.

“They walked hand in hand to dinner at Japanese restaurant Nippon Kai on Feb. 2,” an eyewitness tells Life & Style. “They were very quiet and everyone left them alone. And in person Eva is even more beautiful!”

The next night, the lovebirds continued to lay low by catching a movie together at the Paragon Cineplex.

“There were so many people there, but they looked like they were with a translator,” a second eyewitness tells Life & Style. “They didn’t try to hide themselves. Ryan was wearing a T-shirt and jeans while Eva wore a white dress.”

Obviously Ryan has more to offer than a movie ticket, so on Feb. 3 he took Eva out on the town to WTF Bar and Gallery – and surprised patrons and bartenders by not making a fuss or calling ahead of time.

“They just walked right in without making a scene. Eva sipped Red Bull while Ryan drank tequila,” says someone who sat near them. Adds another onlooker, “They were talking about documentaries!”

[From Life & Style]

Ah, you see. Eva won’t be letting go any time soon. This is the first time she’s ever been in a high-profile relationship, and I think she likes the attention it brings her. We’ll see how all of this plays out, though. I’ve really got to wonder what Ryan’s game is here.

Photos courtesy of Marie Claire.

Here is Eva Mendes in Dolce & Gabbana on the cover of the March issue of Marie Claire Mag. Isn’t this hideous? Eva is a pretty girl… sometimes. I’m actually not one of those people who think that she’s the hottest thing, but she’s got a great body, and she does have expressions where she looks… better. Of course, all too often, Eva has a serious case of drunkface, and this cover seems to have caught her in all of her drunkface glory here. Is it Photoshop? Or is that just how she looks?

There seems to be a newish interview with Eva too, but before I get to that, I’d just like to point out something interesting – there’s been radio silence on Eva and Ryan Gosling lately, have you noticed? Ryan flew to Thailand for a film several weeks ago – that’s why he missed the Golden Globes. By most accounts, Eva did not go with him. She’s still in LA, and it seems like Ryan left her in charge of his beloved hipster dog George. I just thought it was worth mentioning – there hasn’t been any tabloid articled about Ryan and Eva for weeks, because they haven’t seen each other in weeks. Just my opinion: I kind of think Ryan might be over it? I hope he’s over it. Because this relationship isn’t helping his reputation as much as he thinks it is.

Anyway, here’s the latest Eva interview I could find. It sounds like these are old quotes, but I Googled them and I couldn’t find them in past interviews, so… who knows? She’s not that interesting, and she says similar things all the time.

Eva Mendes has “to work” to stay in shape. The gorgeous actress insisted she isn’t blessed with skinny genes and has to work out in order to stay toned. The 37-year-oldprefers to exercise and indulge occasionally rather than cutting out her favourite foods.

“[My philosophy] is to work out and eat what I want.,” she told Health & Beauty magazine. “I’m not one of those actresses who they don’t have to work at it. I do.”

The Ghost Rider star also named her favorite health-savvy snacks.

Eva admitted she loves sweets but usually opts for healthier options. But if nothing else works, the Latina sticks to dark chocolate.

“I really like brown rice and vegetable, and always have a couple of apples in my bag. I always drink a glass of water with squeezed lemon juice before bed and when I wake up,” she said. “I have a seriously sweet tooth, so I eat dark chocolate to satisfy any cravings.”

[Via Yahoo News]

Ugh, I hate dark chocolate! It’s too bitter. I wish my sweet tooth would be satisfied with dark chocolate, but it never is. My downfall will be peanut butter M&Ms. But other than that, I pretty much agree with her diet-and-exercise philosophy – work out, try to eat mostly good food but don’t do extreme diets or anything.

Marie Claire cover courtesy of The Fashion Spot. Additional pics by Fame/Flynet.

I’m not even going to recap some of dumb stories we’ve heard about Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes for several months now – just go to our Eva Mendes archives to review. Ever since every photo agency managed to get (posed) photos of Eva and Ryan in Paris over Thanksgiving, the speculation has been non-stop. What’s interesting is that the speculation seems to have one larger storyline: Ryan is deeply in love with Eva, he’s really serious about her, he wants to marry her, and Eva just sees him as a cute boy to bone. Incidentally, did we ever give them a joined name? Ryva? Evan? Gosdes? Menling?

Now Eva and Ryan – MENLING – have taken their very first tabloid cover. Who is pushing these stories? I don’t get it. Is it Team Eva? Or is it Team Ryan? Perhaps it’s some grand conspiracy involving flannel shirt manufacturers, liquor companies and Disneyland. Life & Style is all up on Menling/Ryva this week, explaining how Eva managed to capture everybody’s favorite hipster boyfriend:

Going from Ryan Gosling’s co-star in The Place Beyond the Pines to the actor’s serious girlfriend in a matter of months, Eva Mendes has become the envy of every girl by snagging Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor!

“Ryan is obsessed — he wants to see Eva all the time,” a friend tells Life & Style. “I don’t know what it is about her, but he’s into Eva hook, line and sinker!”

In the new issue of Life & Style — on newsstands now — the passionate relationship is chronicled from the couple’s instant chemistry on set to late-night make out sessions and exotic trips — Ryan swept Eva off her feet in Paris over Thanksgiving and introduced her to his mom, Donna, on New Year’s Day. And now Ryan’s even thinking marriage!

“Even when the cameras weren’t rolling, they were really affectionate with each other,” Nicole Sykes, who was an extra on the Altamont, N.Y., set of The Place Beyond the Pines on Aug. 19, tells Life & Style about the couple’s instant connection. “Eva was kissing Ryan’s head and cuddling with him while they sat on the ground. You could tell that she really liked him.”

Friends say Ryan is head over heels. “Eva’s wildly passionate and impulsive. He thinks of her as the female version of himself,” a friend tells Life & Style. But the friend adds that his protective mom and close-knit family are cautioning Ryan to put the brakes on his whirlwind affair.

“Ryan’s family is worried; Eva’s so LA,” shares the friend. “She’s so into the business and not a super-warm person.” And while Ryan has hopes for marriage in his future, by Eva’s own admission, Ryan may be setting himself up for disappointment with her. “I don’t believe in the institution of marriage,” Eva has said.

[From Life & Style]

Jezebel had a few more details from the cover story – apparently, when Eva first met Ryan, “she played it cool… getting to know him gradually.” Neither of them like fancy bars or restaurants, “they prefer grubby food and dive bars.” Amongst the biggest relationship problems? Eva chain-smokes and Ryan’s mom still compares all of his girlfriends to Rachel McAdams, and all of the non-Rachels come across badly by comparison.

Meanwhile, I really am wondering what the angle is. I simply don’t buy that Ryan met drunk-faced Eva, fell head over heels in love with her, and is preparing to spend the rest of his life cleaning out her ashtrays. Certainly, there’s an angle I haven’t explored, right?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

As we keep hearing, Ryan Gosling is completely IN LOVE with Eva Mendes, his girlfriend of about six months or so. Eva has met his mother. They spent the holidays together. They did a pap-friendly walk together in Paris. He records himself singing Eva’s favorite songs and then gifts her with the tapes. All in all, this relationship does seem to be moving fast, and Eva has managed to last much longer than Ryan’s usual Disneyland-Dong-and-Done relationships. How did Eva managed to avoid the fast track to become one of Ryan’s longer relationships since he and Rachel McAdams split? Is it because her PR game is really good and every week we hear more and more about how Ryan is SO in love with her? Unknown. But here’s this week’s story – according to sources, Ryan wants to propose! And Eva isn’t into it.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes were hanging out with friends at the Bowery Hotel in NYC on New Year’s. When Eva got up from the table, Ryan was overheard telling a friend his real feelings for Eva – “Ryan said he thinks Eva is ‘the one.’ He couldn’t stop smiling.”

Ryan has finally met the woman he wants to settle down with, and insiders say he can’t wait to pop the question. But Eva may very well be the one woman on the planet who’d say “No.” Though she’s all for long-term relationships, Eva has no interest in getting hitched, calling marriage “very old-fashioned.” And a friend admits it’s doubtful that even super sexy Ryan can get her to think differently.

“Eva’s a great girlfriend,” says the friend. “But she has no intention of being anyone’s wife.”

Making matters worse, Ryan is desperate to start a family – but Eva has no desire to be a mom.

“Eva told Ryan that she loves him but will never change her mind about getting married or having kids.”

But despite all of the warning signs, Ryan is forging ahead with his plan to put a ring on it. “Ryan really wants this to work,” another pal tells In Touch.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

The last time we discussed this couple, I blasted Ryan as the self-styled “cool RA” type. To clarify (for the non-Americans), in American colleges and universities, the RA (resident assistant) is the older student who gets paid to basically be a friend/advisor/baby-sitter to, say, a floor of younger students. Ryan lives in a small fishbowl where he is the “cool RA” – younger girls worship him and think that he’s the romantic hero (or anti-hero) of their dreams. Older gals see Ryan as an adorable boy-toy with substance. Now, do I think Eva would really turn Ryan down if he proposed? Probably not. That being said, I don’t think he’s going to propose. This is just a phase for him. I hope.

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News and WENN.

About a month ago, I discussed the working theory I had about Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, and I was surprised with how many of you cosigned. My theory is basically that Ryan realized that he had spent the last year taking many, MANY women to “Disneyland” (in his pants) and he was starting to seem like a Gerard Butler-esque womanizer. So Ryan decided that he just needed to settle down for a bit, have a real girlfriend and a real relationship, just so he wouldn’t destroy his fanbase of women who think he’s boyfriend material (when really he’s just one-night-stand material). So, Ryan and Eva Mendes happened. And they keep happening, in public. We’re getting lots of tabloid stories about Eva and Ryan being loved up (Ryan thinks Eva is The One!), and Ryan and Eva even did a Funny or Die video together:

So, it’s not like they’re being low-key. Every photo agency got pics of their saunter around Paris during Thanksgiving, and *somebody* is really trying to get and maintain interest in Gosling and Mendes as a couple. Anyway, this Us Weekly story is just a little thing, but it really annoyed me to see Ryan and Eva described as “private”. Bitch, please.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes ditched their low-key MO when they got under the covers to play husband and wife for Funny or Die’s December 20 “Drunk History Christmas” video.

“It was fun watching this couple that’s so private be so affectionate,” says a source. “They were getting into the spirit.”

A source close to Mendes, 37, says she’s thrilled to be wooed by Gosling, 31. “He even sings covers of her favorite songs and sends them to her.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition]

“He even sings covers of her favorite songs and sends them to her.” OMG. Gosling is That Guy. AAAARRRGH. NO. I would have fallen for that move when I was 18 years old. Eva is two decades past that, and she’s still falling for it? Dear God, how drunk is she? And now I think less of Gosling, taping himself making cover versions of “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” whilst wearing his hipster ensembles, sitting beside his mohawked, hipster dog on a retro bean bag. Gosling is That Guy. That Guy needs to sack up and move beyond these “I’m the cool RA that all of the freshman girls have a crush on” moves. You’re 31 years old, Ryan. You are not the cool RA.

Photos courtesy of PCN, screencaps of Funny or Die video.

Why do I keep forgetting that Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are a couple? We have all of these convenient photos of them together, taken conveniently during their Thanksgiving holiday in Paris, and they’re conveniently starring together in an as-yet-unreleased film. Why do I keep forgetting that? Maybe it’s because Ryan has been single or single-ish for so long, and I’ve got the mindset that he’ll be taking his latest piece to Disneyland any moment now? Maybe it’s because I think Ryan isn’t so much “in love” with Eva, but he just realized that his Disneyland whore parade probably wasn’t keeping his female fan base happy? Or is Eva the one pushing this relationship? That’s what Star Mag would have us believe – they claim that Eva is totally into Gosling and he’s all “meh.”

On the menu for Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes: plenty of PDA! Golsing, 31, and Eva, 37, were simply sizzling during a dinner date at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge on Dec. 2.

“They were making out during their meal and also outside the eatery,” an observor tells Star. The passionate evening follows a lovey-dovey late-November trip to Paris. But since they’ve only been dating since September, is it all too much, too soon – for Ryan at least?

“Eva was more touchy and affectionate than Ryan,” says the observor. “He looks into her, but she seems even more into him.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Sure, I’ll buy that. I think Ryan plays at the wide-eyed puppy-love stuff, but he’s probably not all that affectionate and romantic when it comes down to it. Anyway, In Touch has a story about Ryan and Eva too – apparently, Ryan’s friends don’t care for Eva, and they all hope he’ll get back with Rachel McAdams. Code Red: Ryan Gosling’s friends are all chicks who have seen The Notebook too many times.

Ryan Gosling sure seems happy with new love Eva Mendes, but it looks like his buddies aren’t quite as overjoyed. A friend tells In Touch that Ryan’s pals haven’t warmed up to Eva and hope he will rekindle his romance with Rachel McAdams, whome he dated for more than three years before they split in 2008.

They like Rachel a lot more – she was as close to Ryan’s friends as she was to Ryan himself.

“She’s fun and a fellow Canadian,” the pal says.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

Yeah, I guess I’m one of the few people that actually LIKES Michael Sheen and Rachel McAdams together. I hope Rachel and Michael are solid, and I hope they get married some day soon. They seem like a “real” couple – she’s pretty and family-oriented, he’s intelligent and eccentric and talented. Sorry, Notebook-fiends, but I prefer Rachel with Michael. It seems like an adult relationship, as opposed to whatever boy-drama Ryan has going on.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Over the holidays, we (and everyone else) had photos of Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling, looking and acting loved up all over Paris. Well… maybe not so much. Their physical chemistry seemed totally “off” – it could have been because both Eva and Ryan were very aware of the paparazzi. Or it could be that Ryan and Eva aren’t so much “loved up” as “in some kind of contractual fauxmance.” Here’s what I believe: I believe that Gosling is a much bigger dog than most girls like to acknowledge. I believe that Eva has issues, of the substance abuse variety, and of the “all she has to offer is a sexy body without much talent” variety. I don’t know what you get when you put that all together, but I’m sure it’s not “love”. Still, someone is trying to sell us a great romance. According to In Touch, Ryan thinks Eva is “The One”. Srsly?

While in Paris, “Ryan held her close, and kept leaning in to kiss her,” an onlooker tells In Touch of the affectionate couple, who spent the Thanksgiving holiday touring Paris. “He looked so happy and so in love.”

According to a friend, Ryan is so smitten with his co-star Eva, he’s boasting to pals that he’s found “The One.”

“Ryan is telling everyone that he’s very serious about Eva,” the friend says. “He is head-over-heels and plans to settle down with her.”

What’s the rush? Another pal explains: “Ryan doesn’t take dating lightly. He falls in love very deeply.”

But while most girls would be all too eager to rush down the aisle with the world’s hottest bachelor, Eva, who recently split from filmmaker George Augusto after nine years, isn’t exactly on the same page as her beau.

“Eva really likes Ryan, but she may not be as serious about him as he is about her… he’s moving so fast!”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

I’m working on a theory (in my gossip laboratory) that involves Gosling realizing that being “attached” to so many ladies within the span of a year probably wasn’t good for business. After all, he has his Notebook-level heartthrob status to maintain, and he’s still got to work on getting more women to see more of his films. So why not take a half a year off from shuffling his latest pieces to Disneyland, and just settle down with one girl – ANY girl – for six months or so? Gosling’s appeal to ladies isn’t that he seems like a fun one-night-stand – most girls like to fantasize that he’s boyfriend material. So maybe that’s what this is all about. I don’t know, it’s just a theory. Because if you’re asking me to believe that Ryan Gosling is thinking about how much he wants to marry Eva Mendes… well, I’m not buying it.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Is it okay if I forgot that Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes were together? It just slipped my mind. To be fair, there hasn’t been much gossip about them in the past month and a half. Ryan and Eva got together in September, when they were working together on some film. Ryan took Eva to Disneyland, which is how we knew that they were bangin’ (he takes EVERY hookup to Disneyland). Later, there were some tabloid reports that Ryan was actually serious about Eva, and that it wasn’t just a quickie wham-bam-Disneyland adventure. Now things are looking even more serious – these are photos of Eva and Ryan in Paris during the long Thanksgiving holiday. Eva is filming in Paris, and Ryan came to visit her, and they went on a romantic/gothic stroll in a cemetery.

Ryan Gosling sure knows how to make a girl feel special! The 31-year-old actor surprised love of two months Eva Mendes on the set of Holly Motors in Paris, France Friday, two insiders confirm to Us Weekly.

“Ryan flew out to be with Eva as soon as she wrapped Holly Motors,” one source says. “The film was a fairly small production and Eva was good about being focused and without many distractions on set.”

A second insider adds that Mendes, 37, “was totally shocked” when Gosling showed up unannounced.

“They were talking all the time so she had no hints that he was coming,” the second insider tells Us. “She was really homesick and missed him, even though she practically just left to shoot!”

The following day, the paramours snuck in a few kisses while strolling arm-in-arm through Pere Lachaise cemetery. The Beyond the Pines costars first began dating in September.

Gosling’s exes include Rachel McAdams, Sandra Bullock and Kirsten Dunst. Mendes quietly ended her long-term relationship with producer George Gargurevich over the summer.

[From Us Weekly]

So… they’re really together, aren’t they? And they’ve been together for three months now, at least. Well, part of me is glad to see that Ryan is still capable of having a three-month long relationship with a woman. I was starting to think that The Gosdong was like a more boyish version of Gerard Butler – both men seemed to have a constant stream of hookups that never went anywhere, but Gerard just takes ladies back to his hotel room, where Ryan takes them to Disneyland. Anyway, Ryan in a relationship with Eva Mendes… I’m still not seeing the relationship potential, and they don’t really make me hot as a couple. She always seems so drunk and so full of herself, and Ryan seems so “sensitive”. Meh.

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

Ever since we heard that Ryan Gosling took Eva Mendes to his special place – his pants AND Disneyland – I’ve sort of been ignoring them as a couple. From what I can see, they are still together and they’re keeping it pretty low-key. Some of you think the pairing is hot – I don’t. I mean, I definitely understand how Ryan Gosling + ANYBODY is going to be hot, and yes, I understand how Eva has sex appeal and she has a bangin’ body. But she also has permanent drunk-face and I have concerns that she actually IS drunk most of the time. Plus, at the end of the day, what do Ryan and Eva have to talk about? How much difficulty she has with everyone always telling her that she’s sexy? That’s all she ever talks about in interviews.

Anyway, In Touch had a nice little story about Eva and Ryan… apparently, he’s a Feeder. Sigh… he really is the perfect man.

Shakespeare claimed music was the food of love, but Ryan Gosling isn’t taking any chances. The Drive actor has gifted his new love, Eva Mendes, 37, with free food – for life – in the form of a VIP card for Tagine, the Moroccan restaurant that he co-owns.

“Eva and Ryan are both foodies, so he surprised her with the unlimited gift certificate,” a friend of the actor tells In Touch.

“He’s looking for something permanent, and he’s hoping that he has found it with Eva. She’s everything he wants.”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

I don’t buy that he’s “looking for something permanent” – I think he’s looking for a relationship, maybe, but he’s also enjoying the single life. He just doesn’t want to admit that he’s a Gerard Butler-style pick-up artist. He’s sensitive! He takes girls to Disneyland! NO. He’s still more Butler than boyfriend-material. Also, “She’s everything he wants.” Puh-lease.

Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have been working together on A Place Beyond The Pines, which, I believe, is the same movie where Ryan had to bleach the hell out of his hair. Eva plays Ryan’s girlfriend in the movie. And now he’s boning her. It must be, because according to Lainey’s sources, Ryan took Eva to Disneyland.

I posted an article on August 19 that included photos of Ryan Gosling on set with Eva Mendes, positing that they seemed so hot together, I’d totally be down if they hooked up. Mickey Mouse was listening.

OF COURSE he took her to Disneyland. He takes them ALL to Disneyland. They were there together on Saturday. He had his hand on the small of her back whenever they’d be entering a gate and at one point she had her hand lightly on his ass while they were waiting for a pick up. Am told by several people who saw them that they seemed very comfortable together. And that he would lean over frequently and say sh-t to her, like super closetalking in her ear, in a way that implied there was some intimacy between them. God I hope so. God I hope to see it myself one day. And if it sounds perverted, that’s because it is.

Anyway, am told they left in the same ride.

Will he bring her to TIFF? It’s not really his style. He’ll probably come with his mother and sister, the usual dates. But if he and Eva are a thing right now, I want to see it soon. Because something this hot, and they are super f-cking hot, you worry that it’ll blaze out before long.

[From LaineyGossip]

Yeah… I don’t like them together. I worry about Ryan and his Year of Random Biscuits. He seems to be going out with everybody this year (Olivia Wilde, Blake Lively, Kat Dennings, maybe even Emma Stone). And it never lasts very long and he always takes them to Disneyland. It’s a turnoff (for me). I mean, I get that he’s young and unattached and he likes girls and he’s going to date some high-profile ladies. But it still feels like he’s “pulling a Butler.” Meaning that Ryan’s becoming kind of a man-whore. And the Disneyland thing is just kind of weird. Take a girl out to dinner. Take me to the movies. Let’s go for a walk or something. Don’t make me wait in line with screaming children.

Plus, I’ve never really “gotten” the Eva Mendes thing. She’s kind of crazy, and she has permanent Drunk-Face.

Photos courtesy of WENN.