Vanity Fair’s September issue will be a dual cover – I don’t know if they’re going to issue two different magazines with two different covers, or if they’re going to put Farrah Fawcett on one side, and Michael Jackson on the other. The photos VF chose are lovely, for both stars, and the images mimic the other. Black-and-white photographs of Michael holding himself, circa 1989, then Farrah naked, embracing herself, circa 1976.

Vanity Fair has released an excerpt from Leslie Bennetts’ sort-of tribute to Farrah, “Beautiful People, Ugly Choices”. It doesn’t really seem so much a tribute as a “tell-all” about Farrah and Ryan O’Neal, with a lot of stories about drug usage, cancer, menopause and infidelity. Leslie Bennets even calls Farrah and Ryan “the Angelina and Brad of their day—dazzling sex symbol meets Hollywood hunk—until their stars were tarnished by drugs, infidelity, and family pathology.” Yikes. Here are some of the excerpts from the piece:

The truth was that Fawcett had always been more complicated than the clichés, the realities of her life far darker than the sunny image she projected. The gap between her public image and private reality was wide: “I’m always more comfortable when I have on hardly any make-up, my hair is brown and I’m very unattractive,” she said.

The work that brought her solace in later years was a love of art that had nothing to do with fame, a private passion that inspired her to sculpt female nudes with an obsessiveness that seemed like an attempt to understand the world’s fascination with her own body. The documentary [Farrah’s World] that became her last appearance violated every rule of Hollywood image-making; no other star had ever exposed herself to a viewing audience while moaning in pain, vomiting, and losing her famous hair to chemotherapy. But Fawcett’s final triumph was to integrate the public and the private at long last, imbuing her death with a larger meaning and finding redemption in baring her head along with her soul.

The Break-up: O’Neal cites several reasons for his breakup with Fawcett, starting with menopause. “I believe Farrah was going through some kind of life change,” he says. “I didn’t have a change of life. I was always a jerk. But they’re hard work, these divas; I was sick of it, and I was unappreciated. I just don’t think she liked me very much. So I excused myself, and I was lucky enough to meet this young girl. She was more a daughter to me than a lover, and my own daughter had flown the coop, so here was this replacement.”

Leslie Stefanson, a beautiful actress less than half his age, may have been a daughter substitute, but she and O’Neal were in bed together at his Malibu home when Fawcett made a surprise Valentine’s Day visit and walked in on them. “It was terrible,” O’Neal says. “I didn’t expect to see her down there. I tried to put my pants on, but I put both legs in one hole.”

Ryan being a “hopeless father”: “I had just put the casket in the hearse and I was watching it drive away when a beautiful blonde woman comes up and embraces me,” Ryan told me. “I said to her, ‘You have a drink on you? You have a car?’ She said, ‘Daddy, it’s me—Tatum!’ I was just trying to be funny with a strange Swedish woman, and it’s my daughter. It’s so sick.”

“That’s our relationship in a nutshell,” Tatum said when I asked her about it. “You make of it what you will.” She sighed. “It had been a few years since we’d seen each other, and he was always a ladies’ man, a bon vivant.”

[From Vanity Fair]

Yikes, Ryan hit on his daughter. That does sum up their relationship, doesn’t it? But it was certainly nice that Tatum came to Farrah’s funeral – the two women had a famously rocky relationship. Well done, Tatum.

As far as the Michael Jackson cover story, I’ve only skimmed it. I’m sure there are some juicy stories and never-before-told stories, but I think the Michael Jackson news has jumped the shark. Larry King won’t let anything go, and I’m so tired of seeing all of Michael’s sycophants now making the rounds on cable and network news. Here’s the excerpt from the Michael Jackson story, “The Boy Who Would Be King”, if you’re not too tired of this stuff.

Vanity Fair covers via CoverAwards. Header image is supposedly circa 1991. Credit: WENN.com

Farrah Fawcett’s funeral program. Credit: Fame Pictures. Note: We do not run photos of funerals that are not open to the public

A private funeral service was held yesterday in LA for Farrah Fawcett, the beloved actress and icon who died from cancer last Thursday at the age of 62. Farrah’s longterm partner, Ryan O’Neal, and her best friend, Alana Stewart, were by her bedside in the hospital when she passed and both paid loving tribute at her funeral. Farrah’s son, Redmond O’Neal was granted a brief leave from jail to attend his mother’s funeral, where he was a pallbearer.

US Weekly’s details of the service are a little heartbreaking and it’s hard to read the touching poem from funeral program and think about this dear woman without getting choked up:

A private funeral was held Tuesday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles for actress Farrah Fawcett, who died June 25 after a long battle with cancer.

Her longtime partner Ryan O’Neal and best friend Alana Stewart both wore black as they arrived at the Roman Catholic cathedral around 4 p.m. PST for the private service.

Her former Charlie’s Angels costars, Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd (who replaced Fawcett on the hit 70s show) also attended, as well as actor Ernie Hudson and Garry Shandling. E! News reports model Cheryl Tiegs, novelist Jackie Collins, Dynasty star Joan Collins and Fawcett’s ex Lee Majors, with whom she recently reconnected after more than two decades of silence, attended as well.

See Us’ photo tribute to other stars who have died too soon

Along with dad O’Neal, Fawcett’s son Redmond, 24 – who was allowed to leave jail (where he is serving a sentence for drug-related charges) to attend the service – helped carry her casket, covered in yellow and orange flowers, inside the funeral home.

The program featured a photograph of Fawcett, in a sequined dress, smiling. Inside, the James Joyce poem “At That Hour” was featured:

Play on, invisible harps, unto Love,
Whose way in heaven is aglow
At that hour when soft lights come and go,
Soft sweet music in the air above
And in the earth below.

According to the program, the service opened with an “Amazing Grace” procession.

Redmond then gave the service’s first reading, with O’Neal next reading the 23rd Psalm.

The Richard Marx-Linda Thompson song “To Where You Are” played before Alana Stewart and Fawcett’s physician, Dr. Lawrence Piro, gave eulogies.

Fawcett passed away at age 62 at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., last Thursday — just hours before Michael Jackson. Fawcett was with O’Neal, Stewart and Piro at the time of her death.

“Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world,” O’Neal told Us after Fawcett’s death.

[From US Weekly]

While many people are worried that Farrah’s passing hasn’t received enough press in the wake of Michael Jackson’s unexpected death, the tributes are pouring in for her. People loved Farrah and only have kind, effusive words for what a wonderful woman she was and how she touched them. Farrah faced her illness as she faced life – with determination, strength and grace. By letting us see some of her final moments, she showed the public that our decades-long fascination with her was based on so much more than her supernatural beauty.

Bless you, Farrah. I’m not a religious person and most days I’m not sure what I believe, but I hope you’re in a better place now. You fought a long, hard battle and inspired so many people.

Many of you are pointing out that with all this focus on Michael Jackson’s sudden death, the tributes to Farrah Fawcett are being pushed to the side. The agencies have some very touching pictures of Farrah, a timeless icon and a gentle woman who was taken before her time. It may not be as shocking that Farrah passed – she bravely fought a long battle with cancer and many of us were prepared for the news, but it is no less sad.

Farrah’s family was praying for a turnaround and she never had the chance to marry her longterm love Ryan O’Neal. 62 is a very young age to pass and fans hoped that Farrah would be able to recover and that the reports that she was so sick were incorrect.

Friends and family remember Farrah fondly and are devastated by her passing:

The angels are in mourning.

“Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels,” said Jaclyn Smith after the death of her friend and Charlie’s Angels costar Farrah Fawcett.

Cheryl Ladd, who replaced Fawcett on the wildly popular ’70s show, says: “I’m terribly sad about Farrah’s passing. She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms.”

“I will miss Farrah every day,” says Kate Jackson. “She was a selfless person who loved her family and friends with all her heart, and what a big heart it was. Farrah showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness and was an inspiration to those around her. When I think of Farrah I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and, of course, her beautiful smile.”

Added Jackson, “Today when you think of Farrah remember her smiling, because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered.”

Fond Remembrances
From pinup, to TV star, to entertainment icon, to hero: Fawcett is being fondly remembered by both Hollywood and the style community.

Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner called Fawcett, who died of cancer at age 62 Thursday morning, the “Marilyn Monroe of the 1970s” whose famous poster “defined what one thinks of as the All-American girl.”

“Men fell in love with her and women wanted to look like her,” says Hefner of his magazine’s cover model. “She had a magic that never went away. She became a part of the pop culture.

Griffin O’Neal, son of Ryan, said, “I never looked at her as a ‘star,’ or a ‘Charlie’s Angel.’ I looked at her always as this wonderful Southern Belle, a lady. I was fascinated by her. I loved her. She was the most gracious, wonderful person. I always wondered why she was around this family. ‘Why are you here?’ She was such a beautiful person. Especially in the latter days.”

He went on to say, “It was incredible watching her battling to help [her son] Redmond. She had the patience of a giant. I’m so worried about my brother. What’s he going to do without her? Farrah was part of my family. My heart is broken. I will miss her forever and ever. She was so kind and gracious.”

Charlie’s Angels costar John Forsythe said, “Though I did not know her well, Farrah left an indelible mark on me and the public during her one-year reign on Charlie’s Angels. She put up a gallant fight against her unforgiving disease, and I send my deepest sympathy and prayers to her family and friends.”

Former Husband Mourns
Fawcett’s former husband, Lee Majors, says, “She fought a tremendous battle against a terrible disease. She was an angel on earth and now an angel forever.”

Hairstylist Jose Eber, who created Fawcett’s famous blonde mane, says, “She was blessed with the most amazing hair anybody could have.”

“Her hair had its own personality,” he says. “In my business, doing hair for so long now, very rarely do you see a person who has hair with such perfection. And it was all natural.”

Although Fawcett was known for her beauty and glamour, Robert Duvall, who starred with her in The Apostle, notes that “Farrah had an outstanding talent, better than most feature-film actresses that I’ve seen. She was great to work with and will be missed.”

David Pinsky, an entertainment marketing executive and a longtime friend, says, “It has been a true pleasure to call Farrah my friend for the past 15 years. While we may have met because of who she was, we became friends because of who she is – a good-hearted, funny and generous soul. I will miss her terribly but her spirit lives on inside her son Redmond.”

[From People]

The LA Times reports that Farrah could earn a posthumous Emmy Award for her touching documentary on her cancer battle, Farrah’s Story. There are tributes planned for Farrah tonight on TV on Dateline NBC and 20/20, with 20/20 focusing on Farrah according to their website and Dateline including information about Michael Jackson’s passing, with the title “Hollywood loses two American icons.”

I hope that Farrah is on some magazine covers too this week. RIP Farrah. You will be dearly missed and never forgotten.

Photo credit: WENN.com and Fame Pictures

Farrah Fawcett died this morning in at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Her longtime love Ryan O’Neal was at her bedside, as were several other of her closest friends. She has been battling cancer for three years, and has been in and out of several hospitals in that time. Earlier this week, there were reports that she was being hospitalized again, but I honestly thought it was most likely something routine. Farrah was 62 years old, and she is survived by her son Redmond, aged 24, and her fiancé Ryan.

I could go on and on, but People Magazine has a really great write-up on Farrah’s life and work, so here you go:

Farrah Fawcett, who skyrocketed to fame as one of a trio of impossibly glamorous private eyes on TV’s Charlie’s Angels, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 62.

Fawcett died at 9:28 a.m. PST on Thursday at St. John’s Heath Center in Santa Monica, Calif. She was with longtime partner Ryan O’Neal, friend Alana Stewart, friend and hairdresser Mela Murphy and her doctor Lawrence Piro. She had recently returned to St. John’s for treatment of complications from anal cancer, first diagnosed three years ago.

“She’s gone. She now belongs to the ages,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE. “She’s now with her mother and sister and her God. I loved her with all my heart. I will miss her so very, very much. She was in and out of consciousness. I talked to her all through the night. I told her how very much I loved her. She’s in a better place now.”

Added O’Neal: “She was with her team when she passed … Her eyes were open, but she didn’t say anything. But you could see in her eyes that she recognized us.”

Though O’Neal recently said that he and Fawcett planned to wed, they did not tie the knot. “There just wasn’t time and Farrah wasn’t in any condition to do it,” says O’Neal.

Friends and family plan to honor Fawcett with a funeral service at a Catholic cathedral in Los Angeles in the next few days.

Like so much about Fawcett’s life – including her bumpy relationship with O’Neal – her heroic struggle to beat the disease was closely followed by her legion of fans.

“I’ve watched her this past year fight with such courage and so valiantly, but with such humor,” Fawcett’s Charlie’s Angels costar Kate Jackson told People in November 2007.

O’Neal, in particular, remained a steadfast supporter of Fawcett, who, despite her frailty, spent the last months of her life filming a TV documentary chronicling her illness, including several trips to Germany to undergo experimental treatment. Fawcett is survived by her son with O’Neal, Redmond, 24, who is currently serving a jail term in California after repeated drug offenses.

Redmond was not there at Fawcett’s side when she died, but spoke to his mother on the phone and told her “how much he loved her and asked her to please forgive him that he was so very, very sorry,” O’Neal tells PEOPLE.

Blonde, blue-eyed and petite – and with a trademark mane as flowing and famous as the M.G.M. lion’s – the Corpus Christi, Texas, native was born Feb. 2, 1947, the younger daughter of an oil-field contractor and his homemaker wife.

A magnet for male students at the University of Texas at Austin, Fawcett eventually set off for Hollywood. Quickly noticed by casting agents, she began landing small parts in forgettable movies, such as 1970′s Myra Breckinridge, based on a gender-bending novel by Gore Vidal. Her role: an ingenuous blonde.

In 1973, Fawcett married actor Lee Majors, forever known as Col. Steve Austin on TV’s The Six Million Dollar Man. Three years later, she appeared in the cult sci-fi film Logan’s Run and began her stint with costars Jackson and Jaclyn Smith on Charlie’s Angels. Well-coiffed and scantily-clad, the threesome created an instant sensation, with a weekly following of 23 million fans.

Fawcett moved on after just one season. By then, she was already a phenomenon, having donned a one-piece red bathing suit and a perfect smile for her legendary pin-up poster, which sold a still-record 12 million copies.

“I became famous almost before I had a craft,” Fawcett told The New York Times in 1986, four years after her divorce from Majors. (By then, she was already involved with Ryan O’Neal.) “I didn’t study drama at school. I was an art major. Suddenly, when I was doing Charlie’s Angels, I was getting all this fan mail, and I didn’t really know why. I don’t think anybody else did, either.”

It took some serious dramatic TV roles, including that of a battered wife in 1984′s The Burning Bed (which earned her an Emmy nomination), as well as starring in small-screen biopics about pioneering photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White and ill-fated Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, for Fawcett to bounce back.

“What would you do if someone said to you, ‘You’re so popular right now that you can be on the cover of every magazine, but if you do that, you might get overexposed and a backlash will develop’?” Fawcett told The Times after she had emerged from one of the valleys of her career.

Still, she said of fighting for survival in Hollywood, “That’s life. Everything has positive and negative consequences.”

[From People]

That statement from Ryan, “She’s now with her mother and sister and her God. I loved her with all my heart” actually made me choke up. This is very sad… rest in peace, Farrah.

It’s unknown just how well or how badly Farrah Fawcett is doing in her battle with cancer. Last we heard, she was still in good spirits, but from what I understand her pain and lucidity comes and goes rapidly. By her side in the cancer fight is long-time love Ryan O’Neal. I’ve never been a huge fan on Ryan, but his devotion to Farrah has won my respect. He seems to be that fantasy many of us have of the kind of love the vows signify – “In sickness and in health…”

I’d always thought of Ryan and Farrah as ex-husband and ex-wife, but as it turns out, they never got married in the first place. They were engaged, and lived together on-and-off through the years, but they never made it official. Ryan is determined to change that – he has proposed once more to Farrah, and she has accepted. Ryan told Barbara Walters the happy news for 20/20, in an interview that will air on Friday (story via US Weekly):

Ryan O’Neal says he and longtime love Farrah Fawcett are tying the knot.

“I’ve asked her to marry me, again, and she’s agreed,” O’Neal, 68, tells Barbara Walters in an exclusive interview on ABC’s 20/20, airing Friday, June 26.

O’Neal says the 62-year-old Fawcett – who was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 – is now “fighting for her life.”

But he says they “will” wed “as soon as she can, say yes. … Maybe we can just nod her head.”

“I promise you, we will,” he told Walters. “Absolutely.”

The actor says he and Fawcett have even joked about what he’ll wear for the ceremony, kidding that he’ll dress “like a gigolo. You know? And a little thin mustache and slicked-back hair. I don’t know. We have fun, we tease about that.”

The two — who have a 24-year-old son Redmond (who is now in rehab following previous drug convictions) — began dating in 1980 and have lived together.

“I used to ask her to marry me all the time,” O’Neal tells Walters. “But … it just got to be a joke, you know. We just joked about it.”

In May, O’Neal told NBC News that he has fallen more in love with Fawcett as he watches her bravely battle cancer.

“I know this, that in the last two years I loved her more than I’ve ever loved her – ever,” he told Meredith Vieira. “She’s so much more of a woman … powerful, courageous, fearless and all those adjectives. And I look at her with awe.”

[From US Weekly]

I’d be lying if I said this didn’t choke me up – and I’m a pretty hard egg to crack. I hope they do get married, and Ryan gets the wedding memories of the woman he loves. That being said, they’re complicated people who’ve led complicated lives – but they’ve found each other, and they’re giving each other so much peace. And I can’t snark about that.

Here’s Farrah and Ryan in a PR photo from 1991. Images thanks to WENN.com .

There are a lot of reasons I hope Farrah Fawcett won’t die. Really, I hope most people won’t die. And Farrah seems like a nice, good person who’s had a horrible battle with cancer. No one deserves to go through that. One of the many bad parts of being a sick celebrity is not only that people are all up in your personal medical business, but there’s also a quiet, unofficial countdown to your death.

We’ve been incredibly careful here not to talk about any rumors regarding Fawcett’s health unless it’s been confirmed by someone official – same thing goes for Patrick Swayze. And while everyone has their own way of handling death, a particularly tacky and offensive little quip from Melissa Joan Hart was just repeated by Page Six.

MELISSA Joan Hart should learn to keep her voice down. The former “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star was overheard off-camera at KTLA in Los Angeles on Friday saying how she’d been hoping last week that cancer-stricken Farrah Fawcett wouldn’t die — and thus bump Hart off the cover of People magazine. Hart is on this week’s cover posing in a bikini after recently losing 42 pounds. Hart appeared on KTLA to promote her new ice cream and candy store.

[From Page Six]

While Page Six isn’t always 100% reliable, I tend to believe this story because why make up something like this? Especially about Melissa Joan Hart? That’s about as random C list as you can get.

What a tacky, crass thing to say. You could easily argue that Melissa said it as a joke, since the Post doesn’t give any context in that regard. But even if she was, it isn’t funny. Even dark humor has a time and place, and right now isn’t the time. I can’t figure out which is worse – if Hart said this as a joke, which would be insanely insensitive – or if she really meant it, which would be out-of-this-world mean spirited. Either way, whatever good press she got for her weight loss and People cover is going to rapidly dry up.

Photos of Farrah out and about in L.A. in February. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .

Farrah Fawcett looked frail as she was being wheeled into an L.A.-area hospital on April 5th, but the actress has been released and, according to friends, is doing much better. She even threw long time partner Ryan O’Neil a birthday party. While her delinquent son Redmond told the judge in his drug possession case that his mom only weighs 86 pounds, close friends of Farrah’s insist that she’s on the mend and not as bad off as others are saying.

Farrah Fawcett is in a life-or-death struggle with cancer – but the star is well enough to throw a birthday party for longtime partner, Ryan O’Neal, a friend of the actress tells PEOPLE.

“There will be cake and champagne,” says Fawcett pal Alana Stewart, describing the small celebration for O’Neal’s 68th to be held at Fawcett’s home Monday evening. “Ryan has really been there for Farrah in such a wonderful way.”

Stewart also clears up reports that the actress is down to only 86 lbs. Fawcett’s son, Redmond O’Neal, 24, told a judge last week during a hearing stemming from drug charges that his mom “weighs about 86 pounds.”

Says Stewart, “Farrah is not 86 pounds. Redmond is young and overreacted a little. Farrah has lost weight, but not that much. No, no, no.”

Stewart describes Fawcett as being in good spirits since she was released from the hospital on April 9 for internal bleeding not directly related to her cancer. “I just saw her last night and she looked better,” says Stewart. “She had color in her face and was talking and laughing.”

Along with birthday wishes, one topic of conversation that is sure to come up between the Fawcett and O’Neal: Their son Redmond, who is being held in jail without bail but will likely return to rehab following an April 30 hearing.

“They are hoping for the best outcome for Redmond,” says Stewart. “He’s not a hardened criminal by any means. He’s a kid with a drug problem, who is very much wanting to get sober and have a life. Redmond is a sweet, funny bright kid and he and his mother are very, very close.”

[From People]

Glad to hear that Farrah’s condition isn’t as dire as it appeared. It’s nice that she can throw parties for people, and try to help her son get some help, but then I wonder- who’s taking care of Farrah? It sounds like she is the glue that holds her family together. I hope they realize and appreciate that – and they make sure not to lean on her too much while she is trying to get well. Someone should be throwing a party for her!

Photos of Farrah out and about in L.A. in February. Credits: Fame

Sad news: “Charlie’s Angels” icon Farrah Fawcett has been admitted to the hospital and is in reportedly serious condition. No details have been released, but Farrah has been battling cancer for a number of years. Farrah is reportedly unconscious and in critical condition. Sources say that her family is with her.

Farrah Fawcett has been hospitalized and is in bad shape, sources close to family and friends tell RadarOnline.com exclusively.

She has been battling cancer for three years and recently returned from Germany, where she had experimental stem-cell treatment. Sources told RadarOnline.com that she is critical but stable in a Los Angeles-area hospital. They also say she is unconscious and has been hospitalized for days.

Long-time love Ryan O’Neal has been by Farrah’s bedside, as has troubled son Redmond, who bolted from rehab earlier this week.

Farrah, 62, was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 and later pronounced cancer free at a press conference.

It is not known whether she will survive.

[From Radar]

Farrah was THE sex symbol of the 1970s. Her poster became fodder for many a teenaged boy’s fantasies, and her fluffy, layered hairstyle took on a life of its own. That’s right – before “The Rachel,” there was “The Farrah.” She married “Six Million Dollar Man” star Lee Majors in 1973, but the couple split in 1979, and she began dating Ryan O’Neal in 1982. They have one son, Redmond, who has been in the news lately for his drug busts. Ryan and Farrah have been on-again, off-again for many years but they seem to be the loves of each others’ lives. Farrah has been battling anal cancer and it seemed like she had it beat for a while. I hope things aren’t as bad as they sound, and she pulls through okay.

Here’s Farrah looking tired but upbeat on Feb. 23. Get well soon! Credits: Fame.

Some celebrities cash in with wedding or baby photos while those in need of fame try to revive or launch struggling careers with reality shows. Television legend and 70s pinup Farrah Fawcett has figured out a way to turn the most harrowing heath crisis of her life into a documentary that will earn her at least $2 million. If there’s any celebrity story or event that is worth that much money, Farrah’s battle with cancer is definitely it:

She worked a financial deal with “Entertainment Tonight” earlier this year where the show followed her around to treatments and showed Fawcett’s friends videotaping her ordeal. Now, the footage shot by Fawcett’s pals is being sold to NBC for “over $2 million,” said a source. Craig Nevius, the documentary’s producer, said, “We are negotiating with one of the big three networks, but no deal has been signed yet.” Presumably, footage would air on both “Today” and “Dateline.”

[From The NY Post via Huffington Post]

That’s wonderful for Farrah and should help her have a comfortable retirement. Farrah underwent experimental treatments for cancer, including targeted chemotherapy in Germany that is not yet available in the US.

Farrah was first diagnosed with anal cancer in October, 2006. She announced that she was cancer free in February of last year, but the cancer sadly returned and she went to Germany on the advice of her friend, the singer Cher. In February of this year Cher told Access Hollywood that Farrah had beat the cancer again and was cancer free following her treatments:

Stunning news from the legendary diva about Farrah’s condition and, in fact, it was Cher who encouraged her friend to seek treatment in Germany.

“It is a completely different kind of treatment,” Cher explained. “She had the cancer and then it went to her liver and so what they do there is, instead of giving you chemo all over, they do a thing called (chemo)embolization where they take whatever chemo that they were going to give you and they put it directly into the tumors into your liver and then when they shrink down smaller enough they do a thing called Cyberknife and they go in and they just take it out.”

[From Access Hollywood]

Now we’re about to have a glimpse of what Farrah went through to fight cancer. That footage is priceless. Good job Farrah, and congratulations on beating cancer.

Farrah Fawcett is shown at the airport on 5/29/08, thanks to Splash.

The UCLA Medical Centre has been under scrutiny because of confidential details of celebrity treatment being leaked to the media, most notably the medical details of Britney Spears’ breakdown (her psychiatric records were supposedly closed to generally employee access) and Farrah Fawcett’s cancer treatment. Now it seems that at least one employee, Lawanda Jackson, is going to face criminal charges about the incident.

The indictment refers to an unidentified national media outlet, but a source familiar with the matter confirmed that the paper was the National Enquirer.

According to the indictment, Jackson received at least $4,600 from the publication through checks made out to her husband. The agreement lasted from about 2006 until at least May 21, 2007, according to the indictment.

Jackson faces up to 10 years in prison if she is convicted of the charge. Such charges involving the disclosure of medical records are rare.

LA Times

While anyone in the public eye gives up a certain amount of their privacy, it is absolutely wrong to violate someone’s medical records, particularly for the paltry sum of $4,600.

We reported in March that 13 UCLA staff members had been fired, a further six were suspended, and another six doctors had been disciplined for looking at Britney Spears’ files. This was not the first time staff had snooped at records, they looked at Britney’s medical files (psychiatric files are closed to all other areas of the hospital) when she was hospitalized in January for a breakdown, and also when she gave birth to her first son Sean Preston in 2005.

The hospital tried to claim that it was an interest in a ‘particular person’ referring to Britney, but since then it has also been revealed that Farrah Fawcett’s files were looked at, the information sold to the National Enquirer, and this is the case in question today. Lawanda Jackson is the first employee to be charged with leaking information to the media, despite the hospital’s previous statement there was ‘no evidence to suggest that any employee leaked information or sold it’.

The hospital has a PIN number system that shows who is looking at medical records, but doesn’t have a system in place to stop people from looking at the records. While it would be great to be able to trust all of the hospital’s employees, someone like Lawanda Jackson might just sell the information if they need the money badly enough. The LA Times reports she was $37,300 in debt in 2001, when she filed for bankruptcy.

UCLA should make all medical records private, not just a celebrity patient’s information. If you were undergoing an acrimonious divorce, or were involved in a car accident, or any kind of incident that might get you attention from the media, you would not want your personal history up for sale to the highest bidder either.

Photos are of Britney’s breakdown in early January, thanks to Splash.