I was pretty surprised over how much debate there was yesterday on the Taylor Swift and Kanye West VMAs performances story. In my opinion, Kanye was still a douche and Taylor was still hurt by him crashing her acceptance speech at last year’s ceremony. Many of you said that Taylor had more than benefited from that whole debacle and that she should get over it. Her pain seemed as genuine to me as Kanye reveling in his assh*le status and telling us to drink to it. I liked how commenter Atticus wrote that Taylor is young, which explains how affected she was by the incident. “Taylor Swift was 19 when the ‘moon man hijacking’ happened. Of course it was a big deal to her, and of course she’s going to be dramatic about it – she was 19! Now she’s 20! When I read my journals from those ages I just shake my head and think, good Lord, the melodrama.” Now E! has a story that may show just how bothered Taylor still is by the whole thing. They claim that VMA producers were pushing for a duet between Kanye and Taylor on which to end the VMAs, but that Taylor hemmed and hawed and decided not to go through with it at the last minute. I don’t like Ted Casablanca’s bitchy take on this story, but at least the way he tells it makes sense:

If you thought Taylor Swift’s performance at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards—in which she replayed Kanye West stage-jacking from last year then crooned about how he’s still growing but remains innocent…uh, we think—was a tad uncomfy, you’re not the only one.

Certain MTV execs were not pleased with Ms. Swift’s performance—or lack-there-of, as it might be. Not only did her appearance leave some viewers scratching their heads, but Tay also shied away from a proposed duet between the two superstars—according to impeccable MTV sources. Keep in mind this was never an official duet planned by the hip network, but, merely one several key MTV players were very much pushing for.

For the record, MTV was gaga on everything Taylor. Certainly its president, Van Toffler, who said, “There was never a plan for Taylor Swift and Kayne to perform together and we were absolutely thrilled with her performance.”

Also, Swift’s reps claim likewise—that there was never any kind of a request or a push for such a joint performance. Which is unlike what other uber-inside MTV sources are telling us. But, alas, that’s what a goss column’s for, right?

Before we get to rest of the good dirt, trust us, folks in the Nokia Theatre, where the VMAs were held, were just as confused listening to T.Swift—wandering around her bizarre broken down home set sans shoes and singing a little ditty that everyone knew was addressed to the Kanye—as we’re sure you viewers at home were.

“The house is dead! The house is dead!” An überpowerful source that helped plan the night cried as Tay slowly walked back across stage after her performance to silence from the stunned crowd.

And not stunned in a good way, that’s for sure.

The whole performance was over-the-top melodramic—Taylor’s signature style, natch—for an incident that, in retrospect, really wasn’t a big deal. And from a gal who is supposedly totally over the whole ordeal, no less. Guess not, huh, Taylor?

‘Cause if Tay put the incident in her past, then she’d be up to show there are no hard feelings by taking the stage with Mr. West himself, which everyone at MTV and Team Kanye thought would happen.

Yep, despite what’s been reported, a performance was proposed for Taylor to take the stage and help Kanye close the show, finally putting to rest the ordeal that everyone else is so dunzo with.

The only person left to sign up for the onstage show of forgiveness (and, let’s be honest, a huge press moment for both of the two, no doubt) was Taylor. And she reportedly took her sweet time deciding…Like the entire friggin’ show.

Apparently, Tay refused to go on with Kanye, and she had people from MTV, Camp Kanye and her own folks working on overdrive throughout the duration of the show to see if she’d change her mind.

Guess she never did.

“Well, she’s a major-ass rising talent, girl’s got her right, right?”

[From E! Online]

Taylor asked us to forgive Kanye in her song, but she might just have been asking herself to do that, too. I think the whole thing really got to her, I think she had more than every right to let it get to her, and the way she’s handled it has shown what a sensitive caring person she is. Kanye is just a douchey showman and he knows that too. It doesn’t mean he’s a big old creep or that he had nefarious intentions. In no way do I think he should continue to be bashed for it. These two are who they are and they were both affected in their way by their very public run-in. All that considered, as Atticus and many of you wrote on that story, it’s time everyone moved on. It would have been nice to see these two publicly mend fences though, maybe to get some damn closure. US Weekly reports that they did this behind the scenes and talked in Taylor’s dressing room backstage. They quote a source that said “everything is good between them now.”

Danielle Staub has been desperately trying to spin her exit from Real Housewives of New Jersey, claiming that she quit and that other networks want to offer her a spin off show on her own. Sources tell Popeater that Danielle was fired after both Caroline and Jacqueline banded together and told Bravo that if Danielle wasn’t fired they would leave. It’s still unknown who exactly will be on the show next season except that Danielle is off for sure. We’ve also been hearing rumors that Teresa will leave due to a conflict with producers over offering her nemesis sister-in-law a spot, failing to let her promote her cookbook on the air, or both.

Teresa recently told In Touch that she forgives Danielle for sending her into a screaming rage multiple times, as if it shouldn’t be the other way around. Teresa might not be so forgiving when she hears this latest news. Danielle told the super classy “Steppin Out” Magazine that she thinks Teresa is an ape. She also went on at length about Teresa’s looks and how she thinks Teresa’s husband, Joe, is cheating on her. What happened to all that crap Danielle always spews about staying positive? Radar Online has this report, and it’s pretty amusing.

RadarOnline.com has exclusive excerpts from her first post-show interview, with Steppin’ Out Magazine, including why she thinks Teresa looks like a character from Planet of the Apes!

“She needs a hairline revision,” Staub told editor Chaunce Hayden. “Planet of the Apes has nothing on her!”

Staub added, “She reminds me of Cornelius from Planet of the Apes. Could you imagine if her face is that hairy what her body hair must be like? It’s got to be out of control.”

Here’s a taste of Staub’s comments.

“I would not doubt that for a second. I hear that all the time. I was hearing those rumors before we even taped the show. Joe loves his strippers. Maybe that’s another reason Teresa hates me. She forgets I used to be a stripper. I’m not a stripper anymore. Don’t hate us all.

“If she was making Joe happy maybe he wouldn’t have to go some place else. I don’t know what goes on in their bedroom, but from what I’ve seen, Teresa is not exactly a turn on. Her forehead is disturbing. But it’s not even about her looks.

“Her personality and lack of compassion is what makes her ugly. It’s the way she speaks to her husband and overindulges her children is what makes her ugly. She’s teaching her children to be just like she is. Look at her kids. They’re gorgeous little girls, but their attitudes only show disrespect. I don’t care of that. I feel bad for them. They’re learning what they live.

“The mother is teaching them they are too good for everything except being treated like princesses. But it’s not reality. Teresa, you’re 11 million dollars in debt. How much of a princess can your kids be? Make them work. Give them structure. Her children want to be told what’s wrong and what’s right. They need boundaries and structure. That’s what I do for my kids. I give them structure and boundaries.”

“I said this from the beginning: In time everyone will be exposed. I don’t have to say anything. They’re exposing themselves. Dina is a liar. She lies and all the others swear to it. It’s almost as believable as Teresa’s husband Joe getting drunk after he had his car accident because he needed to calm his nerves. I’m very passionate about not letting him get away with that. I don’t think drunk driving is anything to be made light of. Bravo glorified it and that makes me sick.

“When Andy Cohn brought that up at the reunion and after Teresa told that crazy story he said, “Oh I can believe that.” Um… really? He smashed his car and Teresa claims ten of them shared just one bottle of wine. Meanwhile have you ever seen them without a glass of wine in their hands? But this one time they split one bottle of wine and Joe got drunk after he smashed into a telephone pole. Really?”

[From Radar Online]

Danielle goes on but you get the point. I can’t wait to see Danielle’s Steppin’ Out Cover. Teresa has to be doubly pissed – she was Steppin’ Out’s freaky cover girl in April. She could definitely use a hairline revision, but Teresa needs some more hair to cover up her scary joker mug. Maybe it’s true that Teresa will be off the show soon and we won’t have to be subjected to her two-head much longer anyway.

Header photo from 12/1/09. Photos below from 5/13/10 and 7/6/10. Credit: WENN.com

There’s a pretty interesting piece in this week’s National Enquirer about how Gossip Girl co-stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester are in a blood feud. Supposedly Leighton is jealous over the recognition and fame that Blakes has been getting lately. The most interesting part of this story is that Blake’s rep doesn’t deny this but merely says his client “has never been best friends” with Blake and just “goes to work and does her job” as if that’s enough to dispel the story that she can’t stand Lively. She tolerates her, and that’s about it. Here’s the Enquirer’s take:

“They don’t even acknowledge each other when they’re not in a scene together,” a set insider told the Enquirer.

“Leighton thinks Blake is an egomaniac who views her time on the TV set as slumming.

“And Blake feels stifled. She’s just ignoring her co-star because she knows bigger things are in store…”

When asked about the feud, Blake’s publicist told The Enquirer: “Blake and Leighton have never been best friends and never professed to be. Blake goes to work, does her job, and goes home.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, September 6, 2010]

The Enquirer goes on to say that Blake “asked Gossip Girl producers to kill off her character because of cast infighting.” (I hope that’s not a spoiler for our GG fans.)

Kaiser reminds me that while Lively has been on the cover of Vogue a head-shaking two times, Leighton is still struggling for recognition. It seems like we’re always talking about Blake’s fashion or boobs, while Leighton is barely mentioned at all in the press. I remember when she was hot sh*t too, and when it was all about how she was born in prison to a convict mom. She also had some sort of half-assed pop music career that went nowhere. Now it’s all about Blake and her upcoming role in The Town and maybe-fling with married Ben Affleck. No wonder these ladies are fighting. One’s career is on the rise while the other one is struggling. It’s not rocket science.

Photos are from the set of Gossip Girl on 8/17/10, 8/9/10 and 7/14/10. Credit: Fame Pictures

Look, Kim Kardashian added bangs to her cat-face! Honestly, in the thumbnails I thought it was Angelina Jolie, so… um, Angelina really needs to do something else with her bangs, for real. If I’m confusing her with Kim Kardashian, it’s time to make a hair change.

Anyway, remember earlier this week there was a story about Kim being a bitch to Paris Hilton? They were at the same event and Paris decided to “sing”. After Paris finished, Kim grabbed the mic and said, “Now let’s hear some real music!” Oh, BURN. Eh. Anyway, Us Weekly has more details on the blood feud (hopefully to the death) between these two former friends.

Best Frenemies Forever! Paris Hilton flew into a rage at Las Vegas hotspot Lavo on August 13 — when her childhood pal and protegee Kim Kardashian ignored and publicly mocked her, witnesses say in the new Us Weekly.

The icing on the cake? When Hilton, 29, learned that Kardashian, 29, had been flown to the special event via private jet.

“Paris got so mad!” a source tells Us. “She could not believe Kim got a jet and she didn’t. She used to get the jets.”

Later that night, the former Simple Life star — roundly ignored by other revelers — was “fuming” when Kardashian commanded attention from the crowd, a guest says.

The feud between the fellow “celebutantes”, pals say, has to do with Kardashian’s meteoric rise to fame, which has eclipsed Hilton’s own star power.

“Paris is upset at Kim — but it’s 100 percent jealousy,” a source says of Hilton, who went to pre-school with Kardashian and took her to her first Hollywood parties. “Kim is not only doing what Paris did, she’s doing it better, and everyone loves her.”

Counters another source: “Kim should thank Paris. Paris gave her her career.”

For more details on Kim and Paris’ frosty Vegas exchange, how their friendship ended, and how much Kim is worth now pick up the new Us Weekly, on stands now.

[From Us Weekly]

So basically they’re fighting over who is the biggest whore. That really is it – who can get the most stuff by having absolutely no talent other than being “pretty” and f-cking the right people. I kind of love that they’re feuding actually – it makes them both looks so petty and stupid and like the incredibly moronic wastes of time and space that they are. Plus, we get to use old photos and Kim probably hates that everyone gets to see her old face:

Header: Kim’s banged cat-face on August 20, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Bristol Palin and her Playgirl-posing baby daddy Levi Johnston shocked more than just the world when they announced their engagement on the cover of US Weekly. As Kaiser covered yesterday, they admitted in their interview that they hadn’t yet told Bristol’s mom Sarah, who has had a very public war of the words with Levi since his first split with her daughter. (Levi has since issued a vague apology.) In response to the news, Sarah gave a very terse statement that didn’t wish the new couple well or say she was happy or anything. It was downright disapproving. “Bristol at 19 is now a young adult. We obviously want what’s best for our children. Bristol believes in redemption and forgiveness to a degree most of us struggle to put in practice in our daily lives.”

An editor from US Weekly was on the Today Show this morning and she had several key details about the upcoming article that were interesting. The couple wants to plan an outdoor wedding within a month to six weeks. Bristol has her heart set on wearing a Carolina Herrera gown like the one she donned for her glamorous Bazaar photoshoot. She’s going to keep it classy, though, and plans on camouflage vests for her infant son and fiance. Bristol and Levi say they’re keen to have more kids but deny that they’re pushing the wedding because Bristol is pregnant. In fact they claim that they’re waiting to have sex (again) until they get married. Are they going to say that their next baby is premature when it arrives seven months after their wedding? Give me a break! Even if that’s true that they’re saving themselves, it’s a terrible reason to get married at 19.

There’s also speculation as to whether Sarah Palin will actually attend the wedding of her oldest daughter to a guy she once called a porn star. She hasn’t yet RSVPed, according to US’ editor, and given how much she dislikes Levi it’s unclear if she’ll show up. Popeater reports that Sarah is “furious“ about the wedding and “wants Levi to disappear.”

US Weekly has a new video (below) of Bristol describing the romantic rose-strewn way that Levi proposed. She looks starry-eyed and goofy as if she has no memory of the way he talked smack about her family to the press. As for Levi’s past indiscretions, Bristol tells US Weekly “I forgive him for what he did. He was young, mad, misguided. We’re moving on.”

Why are these two in such a rush to get married though? Is it because Bristol’s pregnant, because they’re dying to have sex again, or do they love each other and think it’s necessary to be married for Tripp’s sake? It could be for cash, too, considering that US Weekly admits that Bristol and Levi were paid for interview and photo session. I wonder how much their wedding photos will fetch.

Over the weekend, The Daily Mirror had an interview with Robert Pattinson, probably to promote whatever, I don’t know. Sparkles, blah, etc. Most of the interview is taken up with Edward Cullen bullsh-t (full piece here), but then Pattinson gets a question about the long-awaited (and long-dreaded) Kurt Cobain biopic. Back in April, there were reports that Courtney Love was trying to get the biopic made with Pattinson as Kurt and Scarlett Johansson as Love. However, Courtney dismissed those stories by bashing Pattinson, basically claiming that he really wouldn’t be right. So Pattinson wanted to set the record straight when he got the question. And in the process, he totally called out Courtney:

Mirror: Is it true you’re going to play Kurt Cobain in the Nirvana movie?
Pattinson: Sometimes these things just appear. I love Nirvana, but I love them a bit too much – I’d be embarrassed. And you see all these comments, like from Courtney Love, saying ’What the f*ck! He’s totally wrong for it’, and I’m like, ’I f*cking said no, you d*ck!’ I didn’t get offered it. For one thing, I’m too tall, and I can’t sing like him, I’m nothing like him!’ It’s ridiculous.

[From The Daily Mirror]

I didn’t think Pattinson had it in him! Sparkles is growing more and more ballsy, and if he’s calling out Courtney, you know he really doesn’t care about the part. If I was an actor, I wouldn’t either. Yes, it would be a juicy role, but Courtney has held onto the life rights forever, and you know you would have to deal with her and her crackhead drama for months while you were trying to make the film. But ScarJo hasn’t said anything – which makes me think she’s probably still trying to play Courtney. We’ll see. I kind of hope the film never gets made, honestly.

By the way, how much do love Sparkles’ bitchface?

Pattinson on June 24, 2010. Courtney on May 7, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Sex and the City 2 was not a complete and utter box office disaster, although it did nowhere as well as the first movie. The larger disaster – beyond the millions of dollars the studio won’t make back – is that everyone involved with Sex and the City ruined what could have been a quality brand/franchise. Remember the TV show? Sure, there were problems, but it was actually about characters, and there was some good writing and there was, you know, actual character development for all four women. For the films, not so much. So whose fault is it? The writer/director Michael Patrick King? The executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker? The fans, for not responding to two-and-a-half hours of screeching about shoes and orgasms and desert jokes? Eh. SJP apparently thinks Michael Patrick King is to blame, at least according to the latest reports:

Sarah Jessica Parker has reportedly fallen out with Sex And The City 2 writer and director Michael Patrick King after public reaction to the film.

The movie, also starring Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis, underperformed at the US box office and received a mixed response from fans and critics.

A source told the National Enquirer: “Don’t look for Michael on future projects – SJP feels he’s lost his hit-making touch.

“She felt unsure about the script from the start, especially the whole ‘the girls drop in on Dubai’ twist, but Michael assured her they had a blockbuster on their hands… and told her to trust him. She did – but she won’t make that mistake again.”

[From Digital Spy]

What’s funny to me is that historically, SJP has been very eager to take credit for SATC’s successes, as she constantly reminds the world that she is The Star of the series, as well as the executive producer, and that she got approval over the script (not to mention the schedule). But now that there’s a failure, she’s all “I didn’t have anything to do with it, it’s his fault!” If this report is true, SJP completely sucks for throwing King under the bus when she was a vital part of making SATC 2 happen.

Meanwhile, most industry insiders now acknowledge that the franchise is dead. While SJP happily talked about the possibility of a third film a few months ago, no one wants to touch it at this point. It’s dead. Thank God.

SATC posters courtesy of HuffPo & ScreenCave.

These are some new photos of Jude Law and Sienna Miller in London last night. Sienna’s shorts look… strange, right? I’m sure they’re comfortable, but I’m thinking they look like pleated velour? And she can’t even see through her fringe – and she looks totally sh-tfaced. Damn, bitch needs to get it together. Anyway, over the past few weeks, the British tabloids have been terribly excited at the prospect of a good old fashioned catfight between Jude Law’s former wife and his current girlfriend. It all started when Jude and Sienna Miller took his and Sadie Frost’s three kids on holiday. Sienna took either Iris or Rudy to get her or his haircut, and Sadie got royally pissed off at Sienna, and tweeted something about “I think ya should get ya own child and then cut their hair!” After that, a Cold War started brewing between Sadie and Sienna, and rumor was that Sadie had “banned” Sienna from any activities with the kids. Now The Daily Mail is reporting that Sienna was the one to broach détente:

Actress Sienna Miller has set up clear-the-air talks with Sadie Frost.

The star, who was seen at Glastonbury yesterday, is keen to make amends with her boyfriend Jude Law’s ex-wife following a bust-up over Jude, 37, and Sadie’s children.

When Sienna, 28, took their daughter Iris to the hairdressers for a style overhaul, Sadie, 45, Tweeted: ‘I think ya should get ya own child and then cut their hair!’

‘Sienna doesn’t want any animosity, so she’s organised lunch with Sadie and is open to any rules laid down about the kids,’ I’m told. ‘They will meet up within the next week or so.’

[From The Daily Mail]

There are other theories floating around that Sadie is just pissed because Sienna and Jude are planning a wedding, and Sadie is… jealous, I guess. In fact, almost all of the British sources are in agreement about how Jude and Sienna are planning to get married in a “low key” ceremony in France this summer. According to Marie Claire UK, they want to do it in a small town in the Loire Valley, and Sienna really wants Jude’s kids to be in the wedding – not the baby, that he had with Samantha Burke, of course. Do you think they’ll finally go through with it? I’m giving it a 50-50 chance. I could see them doing it quietly this summer, but I could also see one or both of them screwing it up again. Both have self-destructive tendencies, so anything goes.

Jude and Sienna on June 28, 2010. Credit: WENN.

Since I don’t follow sports and sports entourages at all, I only know who Vanessa Bryant is because of Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case of 2003, where Kobe was accused of assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee, and Kobe came out with Vanessa and claimed it wasn’t assault, he just cheated on his wife. Kobe later gave Vanessa a gigantic, $4 million purple diamond ring for sticking by him, et cetera. Anyway, Vanessa has been a Laker wife for a long time – they’ve been married since April 2001 (they met in 1999, when Vanessa was 17 years old). I guess Vanessa has become like the grand dame, or the Marie Antoinette, of Laker wives. Vanessa says who is worthy and who is not amongst the players wives and girlfriends. And Vanessa has declared that Khloe Kardashian is unworthy.

Khloé Kardashian is feeling unloved — not because of her husband, Lamar Odom, but because of one of his Lakers teammates’ wives.

According to an insider, Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, “hates” Khloé and her entire family, whom she sees as attention-grabbing fame-seekers. And instead of hiding her feelings, Vanessa refuses to have anything to do with the 26-year-old.

“She won’t sit anywhere near Khloé at Lakers games,” the insider reveals, adding that because of Vanessa’s dislike of her, Khloé has been shut out of the tight-knit circle the other Lakers’ wives have formed.

“At a dinner for the wives, Vanessa didn’t want to invite Khloé,” the insider shares. “She said Khloé is a ‘fake wife,’ and she didn’t want fake wives there.”

The feeling is mutual. The insider says Khloé and Vanessa have “gotten into fights” in the past. And at the Lakers’ NBA Finals game on June 17, Khloé brought Lamar’s two children, as well as her mom, Kris, and siblings Kim, Rob, Kendall and Kylie — and they all stayed far away from Vanessa.

[From In Touch Weekly]

Yes, I barely care. But it seems like this is some Seinfeld-Lady Gaga bullsh-t of one jackass calling the other jackass a donkey or whatever. Vanessa sounds like an a–hole, and we already know that Khloe is an a–hole too, but she’s also “America’s A–hole” you know? Nobody puts Khloe in the corner. Mainly because she won’t fit. I’m also wondering if there isn’t more to this? Maybe there’s some hidden backstory that would make this make sense/make me care. Like maybe Khloe f-cked Kobe? Or maybe Kobe has a thing for Armenian girls and Vanessa is pissed? Who knows?

Oh, but Kobe and Vanessa did go to Lamar and Khloe’s wedding. Here’s the photographic proof:

US Weekly is reporting that former BFFs and expats Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow are no longer speaking to each other. It’s all due to competing egos and changing lifestyles now that Madonna ditched her British husband and Goop is sticking with hers. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this rumor, and there’s plenty of circumstantial evidence to support it.

Gossip Cop refutes this report in their typical “the rep denies it, so it must be false” way, but it has a ring of truth to me. US Weekly gives a vague quote from Gwyneth’s May Vogue UK interview in which she hinted at trouble with a friend, “I’m having a situation right now with a friend where I’m feeling pretty angry.” From that quote, it could be anyone and the issue might be minor. However, Gwynnie took a direct jab at Madge in that interview, saying that it was a good thing Madonna was no longer working with their trainer Tracy Anderson, because Madonna “keeps people waiting – it takes up your whole day.” Gwyneth also devoted a whole issue of Goop to “friendship divorce” on February 25.

A source close to Madonna, 51, and Gwyneth Paltrow, 37, tells Us Weekly the dear pals, BFFs since 1999, are dunzo.

“They don’t speak,” says the insider. “I can’t tell you exactly why they had the falling out, but Gwyneth can be jealous and competitive.”

Although Madonna’s rep denies the “breakup,” the source says things went downhill slowly for the duo after Madonna split from Guy Ritchie in 2008, leaving “Gwyneth and Madonna with less in common.” (Paltrow’s been wed to U.K.-born singer Chris Martin since 2003.)

And to be sure, both women have a history of bagging their besties: Madge fell out with Sandra Bernhard around 1991; Paltrow cut ties with Winona Ryder in 1998.

In fact, Paltrow (who once called the singer “like an older sister”) hinted at a new feud in May’s British Vogue: “I’m having a situation right now with a friend where I’m feeling pretty angry.”

[From US Weekly]

I’m thinking this is true. Madonna dropped Tracy Anderson as her trainer in October of last year, and just a few months later we heard that Madonna and Gwyneth had a falling out over some business issue. That earlier report noted that they are “both Type-A personalities” and we surely know that’s true. They were probably glad to get rid of each other once their mutually aggrandizing relationship was no longer working for them. They both have enough people around them blowing smoke up their asses to fill the role they once played in each other’s lives.

Madonna and Gwyneth are shown after a workout in April, 2008. Credit: WENN.com