Boy, that Halle Berry really is amazing. She’s an incredible actress, a good humanitarian, and apparently, someone who can work medical miracles. Berry has said that she’s worked her way up from type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) to type 2 (formerly known as non-insulin dependent). While lots of people with Type 2 do have to use insulin (which is why they don’t call it non-insulin dependent anymore), all people with type 1 have to use it. The diseases aren’t actually close friends that you can upgrade and downgrade between. People with type 1 have islet cells in their pancreases that are destroyed, and thus no longer produce insulin. People with type 2 do produce insulin, but either not enough, or their bodies are no longer sensitive to it. They’re obviously complex diseases, but there’s a nutshell. Berry’s claims have contributed to further confusion about diabetes. She has enraged the diabetic community by claiming that’s she’s worked her way up from type 1 to type 2 diabetes, and has weaned herself off insulin.

Pregnant HALLE BERRY has angered diabetes experts, after claiming she had succeeded in downgrading the severity of her disease with a healthy diet. The actress was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes early on in her Hollywood career, but recently (Oct07) alleged that she has reclassified herself as a Type 2 diabetic simply through good living. But medical experts are enraged with her claims and have accused her of “confusing” fellow diabetics with her comments. A diabetes specialist tells PerezHilton.com, “If you come off insulin, then you were always a Type 2. She is feeding into all the confusion in the world.” People diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes cannot reverse their condition because their pancreas is destroyed, whereas Type 2 sufferers still internally produce some insulin.

[From Contact Music]

Well if nothing else, it appears that Halle is a little misinformed and quite a bit confused. Being pregnant is a pretty good time to make sure you completely understand your diabetes. I would hope that if nothing else, Halle is under the care of a good doctor that specializes in diabetic pregnancies. One thing to note is that diabetes is very complicated and different for everyone; what applies to one person doesn’t necessarily apply to the next. Though it’s rare, some people can keep their blood sugar from spiking by eating incredibly low-carb diets. That would be hard for a type 2, and nearly impossible for a type 1. Though if Halle is no longer taking insulin, either she’s on an incredibly restrictive diet, or her blood sugar is getting pretty high. Though every body is different, it’s pretty clear that it’s medically impossible for her to have converted from one type of diabetes to the other. Hopefully she’s under good medical care and taking extra precautions during her pregnancy.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Halle at the “Things We Lost In The Fire” 2nd Rome Film Festival premiere on October 26th. Or at least a bed. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Johnny Depp has finally talked about his daughter Lily-Rose’s hospitalization last year. She was rushed to the emergency room and nearly died according to many sources. Production was halted on the set of Depp’s movie “Sweeny Todd” so that Depp could stay with his daughter. Though he and girlfriend Vanessa Paradis haven’t officially disclosed what sent Lilly-Rose to the hospital, several sources said she was suffering from sent Lilly-Rose to the hospital, several sources said she was suffering from Lily-Rose blood poisoning after stepping on a rusty tack. Celebitchy noted: “According to In Touch’s website (no permalink available) ‘Blood poisoning… spread through her body and has affected her vital organs’,’ and one of her kidneys was failing, although that no longer seems to be the case. She is said to be doing much better now according to Johnny Depp’s rep.” Depp talked with Entertainment Weekly about nearly losing his daughter.

Johnny Depp says his 8-year-old daughter is now healthy and well following her hospitalization earlier this year. “Now every single millisecond is a mini-celebration,” the 44-year-old actor tells Entertainment Weekly in its Nov. 9 issue. “Every time we get to breathe in and exhale is a huge victory. She pulled through beautifully, perfectly, with no lasting anything.”

Lily-Rose, the daughter of Depp and French singer Vanessa Paradis, was admitted to a British hospital to receive treatment for an undisclosed ailment about three weeks after Depp started work on “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” Tim Burton’s adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical about a murderous barber.

“To say it was the darkest moment, that’s nothing,” Depp tells the magazine. “It doesn’t come close to describing it. Words are so small. But knowing that those people, Tim and the crew, shut down and stood by and waited … I didn’t know if I was coming back. I remember talking with Tim, saying, `Maybe you need to recast.’ Once we were given the all-clear, I had to dive back into the work,” he says. “I had to get back in there for Tim.”

[From the Associated Press]

It’s great the Depp has his priorities straight. He knew the only thing that mattered was being there for his daughter, and understood that his work didn’t really compare in importance. It’s also great of Tim Burton not to have recast Depp’s role. The early buzz on “Sweeny Todd” is that it will be great – but then again most Tim Burton stuff is. There was some gossip floating around for a while that Depp and Paradis were finally going to marry, nothing seems to have come of it. They seem to be a pretty secure family unit. It sounds like Lily-Rose has made a complete recovery, so congrats to them all.

Colin Farrell has revealed that his four-year-old son James suffers from a rare form of cerebral palsy called Angelman Syndrome. According to Wikipedia, Angelman Syndrome is “characterized by intellectual and developmental delay, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, unstable jerky gait, seizures, hand flapping movements, frequent laughter/smiling and usually a happy demeanor.” Farrell says that he is “incredibly blessed to have him in my life” and that he often only remembers something is wrong with James when he sees his son playing with other children.

“He said that his son had shown ‘amazing courage’ in the first four years of his life and that he is an ‘incredibly happy boy’ despite his condition. Ironically Colin – who has joint custody of James with his mother Kim Bordenave – proudly led the Irish team to Croke Park for the Special Olympics before his son was born. Colin – who has starred in such movies as Miami Vice and Phone Booth – said that James has ‘enriched’ his life ‘incredibly.’ And he said that he is dedicated to helping his son reach his own ‘individual potential’ and to be ‘as happy as he can be.’

“‘With my son the only time I’m reminded that there is something different about him – that he has some deviation of what is perceived to be normal – is when I see him with other four-year-olds. Then I go “oh yeah” and it comes back to me. But from day one I felt that he’s the way he’s meant to be.’ The actor spoke with pride about the barriers his son has overcome in the first four years of his life – and paid tribute to his ex-girlfriend Kim for being proactive in getting James the early intervention he needs. ‘He took his first steps about six weeks ago and it was four years in the making. All the work is his, he worked his arse off for four years.’

“‘And when he took the first steps it was incredibly emotional, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.’ He’s broken that barrier and its all about building on that now. Although Colin has been juggling a career in Hollywood since he first burst onto the scene in 2003, he is dedicated to spending as much time as possible with his son. Little James has already met with his extended family in Dublin and even Colin’s new girlfriend, Irish student Muireann McDonnell. ‘I have never thought of my son as being someone with a disability. It goes back to special needs and what is a disability and what isn’t.’”

[Form the Ireland Independent]

I have to say, I’ve never really thought of Colin Farrell as this super deep guy, but he’s done a lot of things recently that make me have a lot of respect for him. It sounds like he has an amazing attitude towards his son. He’s not trying to make James something he isn’t, and loves him as he is and just wants him to be as happy as he can be. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it must be to have a child with cerebral palsy, but it sounds like Colin doesn’t really see it as a heartbreak, and is just glad to have such a great kid. This on top of the helping homeless people makes me have a crush on him all over again.

Picture note by Jaybird: Header image of Colin and James. Thanks to ONYD for the images.

Bobby Brown called in to Lee Bailey at Eurweb to deny reports, confirmed by his lawyer, that he suffered a mild heart attack and was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday night. He said that his lawyer just got “bad information” and it was simple case of miscommunication:

“I heard that I had a heart attack earlier, but I didn’t,” Brown told Bailey during a phone call Wednesday afternoon.

Reports on TMZ.com, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press cited confirmation from Brown’s Atlanta-based lawyer, Phaedra Parks, who said Wednesday: “This morning they did diagnose him as suffering from a mild heart attack … they attributed (it) to stress and diet.”

However, the 38-year-old singer said he went to the hospital for a simple pre-tour check-up – “I gotta make sure my vitals and everything is straight” – and next thing he knew, folks were reporting that he had suffered a heart attack.

“That’s what happens when you’re Bobby Brown,” he joked. “I just had some procedures done. The doc cleared me and said, you know, [go] do what I do.”

As for his lawyer Parks’ confirmation to various outlets regarding the supposed heart attack, Brown says: “She got bad information from somewhere else, and that just goes to show that people need to talk to each other more often in order to make things right.”

“But everything’s all right with me. I got a clean bill of health and everything’s fine,” he says. “I’m ready to get on this road and do these shows and take care of what I gotta take care of.”

[From Eurweb.com via ONTD]

Brown also said that he was worried about the effects of the supposedly false story on his children, who were upset and called him up crying. He is saying he’s ok and wants everyone to know.

This would be all pretty believable considering it’s the person who supposedly had the heart attack denying that it happened, except that it’s Bobby Brown and there was a video of him in the hospital with tubes coming out of him telling everyone he loved them but reserving a little hate for his ex, Whitney Houston. The video and pictures used to be on X17.com, and Oh No They Didn’t has the details:

Right before he went in, Bobby Brown delivered a heartfelt statement to his family, friends, former collaborators, and “whomever it may concern”. He seems genuinely frightened by his looming surgery - at one point, he even tells his kids what to do “if daddy ain’t coming home tomorrow”!

We’ve prepared a transcript of Bobby’s words:

“This is…uh, Bobby Brown…ah, I’m about to go under the knife. So, uh, whatever happens – I know, uh, nothing’s guaranteed, so – um, I want to tell my kids I love you. Sisters, my mother, my father, I love y’all dearly. Um…to whomever it may concern, um, this ain’t about nothing else, y’know, um, uh, had a heart attack, y’know and um,..Y’know this is, this is really messed up, I don’t know what’s gonna happen, so, um…Just know I love you all, y’know, and um…Take care yourselves, I love you. All my boys, New Edition, uh, peace, man.”

“Um…My little girls, y’all know what to do with life, y’know, if daddy ain’t coming home tomorrow, y’know. But hopefully I’ll be there soon. Um…y’all just take care of each other, ai’ght? Peace.”

Following his sincere missive to his friends, family, and, um, New Edition, Bobby Brown turned his attention to his secrets! The stricken star covered all his bases, from his love for girlfriend Alicia to the extent to which drugs contributed to his condition (”Drugs had nothing to do with this…I’ve been clean for two and a half years, so don’t worry about it!”).

His strongest statement, however, may have been reserved for his ex-wife Whitney Houston.

Second Clip:

Interviewer: “Any secrets you wanna tell?”
Bobby: “Yeah, man…Um…I’m in love with you, Alicia. Uh…Whitney (holds up middle finger). (Laughs.)

Bobby: No, uhh. Nah, no secrets. Um…mmm. Shit. And drugs had nothing to do with it, I’ve been clean for two and a half years, so don’t worry about it. I still drink a little alcohol every now and then, though. That’s basically it. And, man, make sure my babies get this, man. (Unintelligible).”

Bobby lies back, groaning, rubbing his head, then startles when he sees the camera.

Bobby:“Yo! What the fuck’s that?”

Man: “What’s up, man?”

Bobby: “Yo, man…Nurse!”

[From ONTD]

Both posts with the photos and videos of Brown in the hospital have been removed from X17online and now Bobby is denying he had a heart attack even though his lawyer confirmed it to multiple news outlets. I’m thinking he’s just upset that so many details were made public and that he talked so freely about it. X17 rarely cares about publishing stuff that celebrities don’t want made public, but if Brown never signed a release and the video was made in the hospital without his knowledge they may realistically fear a lawsuit.

Given that there are photos of Brownin the hospital and a video of him saying he’s scared about surgery, it seems like he went through something serious medically and doesn’t want people to know about it.

Kylie Minogue seems to have found an incredible strength after battling breast cancer. After undergoing surgery on in May of 2005 in Australia, Minogue went through several rounds of chemotherapy, and appears to now be in good health. She seems to have a really great, balanced perspective on life, and even though she says her body isn’t what it used to be, it doesn’t seem to bother her all that much.

“Kylie Minogue is learning how to live with her new body post cancer, and it’s as much an emotional battle as it is physical. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, the singer opened up about her battle with the disease to British Glamour magazine in the November issue.

“‘When you are stripped of everything and you have to grow your eyelashes back, grow your hair back, it’s just astonishing,’ she said. ‘It’s hard to express what I’ve learned from that, but a deep psychological and emotional shift has obviously taken place.’

“The physical shift is most noticeable, and she remains upbeat. ‘As far as my body goes, I’ve shrunk to nothing … I’ve ballooned – my body is not what it used to be,’ she said. ‘But it is the body I am in.’”

[From People]

It never even occurred to me that you’d obviously lose other body hair besides the hair on your head when you go through chemo. It’s so sad and shocking to hear about so many young women dealing with breast cancer, and it’s a reminder that bad things still happen regardless of fame. We often sit around thinking our lives would be perfect if we were just a little bit famous, but then you remember you can still get cancer, still get into a car crash, or still lose your kids.

Kylie says that she’d like to start a family someday, but seems uncertain whether she’ll ever get married.

“Minogue, 39, split with her boyfriend actor Olivier Martinez earlier this year, but insists she is still optimistic for the happy-ever-after scenario. ‘I want to keep working on finding perfect harmony within my life and my work,’ the singer tells the magazine. ‘And a family, yeah, that’s still something I would love to happen.’

“She is careful to put any rumors of reconciliation with Martinez to rest. ‘I think he has a girlfriend, I’m not entirely sure, but it’s not true.’ But Minogue, who is currently not dating, adds wistfully, ‘I honestly don’t have a feeling one way or the other if I will walk down the aisle.’

“For now the singer is focused on reducing her working day to ‘like 9-5 hours,’ and spending more time in her garden. ‘What I believed before my illness has only been enhanced since, and that’s that beauty comes from within,’ she said.”

[From People]

Hopefully Kylie will remain cancer-free. I don’t know nearly as much as I should about breast cancer, and I couldn’t find any information about her long-term prognosis. Let’s hope she stays positive, as it sounds like she’s gained a lot of strength, and that’s incredibly important.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s several pics of Kylie post-cancer. Her body still looks incredible to me. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Farrah Fawcett’s cancer has returned, but she’s apparently stayed in pretty good health, everything considered. The actress is currently seeking alternative treatments in Germany, and is taping everything she’s doing for a possible documentary. The producer of her reality show “Chasing Farrah,” Craig Nevius, is currently with Fawcett overseas, and talked about the actress’s plans.

“‘She was declared 100 percent cancer free and then it came back,’ he says. ‘She was discouraged by the treatments she got here. The fact that it recurred after all that she went through was heartbreaking.’ He adds: ‘She has been in Germany. That’s true. She’s getting alternative treatments not allowed in the U.S.’

“Fawcett was originally diagnosed with anal cancer in September 2006. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she was declared cancer free by her doctors on Feb. 2, her 60th birthday. However, in May, doctors discovered that the cancer had returned. A malignant polyp, smaller than a pea, was found during a routine three-month checkup.

“The German magazine Bunte first reported that the actress is undergoing chemotherapy in the University Clinic in Frankfurt, combining the treatments with alternative healing methods in Bad Wiessee, in southern Germany. Contacted by PEOPLE, Ricarda Wessinghagen, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said: ‘I can confirm that Farrah Fawcett was here and was treated here, but I have no more information.’

“Nevius declined to reveal the nature of the treatment in Germany, but did say, ‘She’s been documenting everything in a video diary’ for ‘what could be a very important documentary.’”

[From People]

I’m a big fan of alternative and complimentary medicine, though I think traditional medicine is still the best place to start. But in Fawcett’s situation, she’s already gone that route and wasn’t satisfied. I have a lot of respect for being open to other ideas and other forms of treatment. Hopefully Farrah will have kind of positive experience, even if she does eventually decide to go a more traditional route.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Farrah’s been laying kind of low lately, so there aren’t a lot of recent pictures. Here she is at the “Rodney Dangerfield Immortalized on the One-Year Anniversary of His Passing” event. Header image at Central’s Roast of William Shatner in August 2006. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Simon Cowell’s acid tongue may actually have saved a person’s life. Cowell is also a judge on “X Factor,” which is the UK version of “American Idol.” Contestant Jacqui Gray auditioned in front of Cowell and Sharon Osbourne. Both seemed to sense something was amiss in the singer’s voice, though it’s hard to tell without actually seeing the episode if they were just being very specifically mean, or were actually concerned for the singer.

“‘You have a very odd-sounding voice,’ Cowell, 47, told the nightclub singer after she finished her rendition of Labi Siffri’s ‘Something Inside So Strong.’ ‘Something happens to your throat when you sing. It is quite raspy. It sounds as if you have someone else in there, like you were choking on something.’

“Fellow co-judge Sharon Osbourne, 54, advised the 46-year-old mother of two ‘get it checked out,’ and then cut her from the competition. Luckily, Gray took their advice. ‘I thought I was suffering from a chest infection or swollen glands,’ she said. She went to an ear, nose and throat specialist who found a shadow on her lungs during a chest scan and diagnosed a potentially fatal lung disease.

“‘I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis and told if I had not got it seen to, it could have killed me.’ Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Cowell, said, ‘Simon was genuinely concerned about her voice and is glad she sought the proper medical attention and received the necessary care. He was happy to help.’”

[From Us Weekly]

Simon Cowell, brilliant diagnostician. I don’t know that I really buy the whole “Simon Cowell really cares/ Simon was really worried for her line” – I mean it is Simon Cowell, I doubt he could have resisted passing up an opportunity to make fun of something so specific. Either way, Jacqui Gray certainly doesn’t hold a grudge after being eliminated.

“Gray, meanwhile, may be the first contestant to be rejected by the judges and thank them afterwards. ‘I want to thank them both,” she said. ‘I may not have got through X Factor but they gave me something much more important than that…they really did save my life.’”

[From Us Weekly]

Now if only Simon could leave all the contestants a little better off than they were before they met him. A brain for one, a heart for another, courage for the one that ran out of the room crying. He seems to have this very unique ability to spot ailments that go undetected by less-evolved naked human eyes. So though I never thought I’d say it, today Simon Cowell is a Good Celebrity.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s Simon at various “American Idol” promotional appearances. Does his haircut make anyone else angry? It makes me angry. What man has a part down the middle and a flat top? Images thanks to PR Photos.

Despite being a bit estranged, David Beckham flew home to London today after learning that his father Ted had suffered a heart attack. Two years ago, Ted Beckham had written an unauthorized book titled, “David Beckham: My Son” that had reportedly caused a rift between father and son. However David still rushed home upon learning of his father’s condition.

“David Beckham flew back to the U.K. Thursday after his father, Ted Beckham, suffered a heart attack. The Los Angeles-based soccer star, 32, dropped everything and dashed to the airport as soon as he was told the news. ‘His father has had a heart attack and is currently being treated in [the] hospital,’ the athlete’s rep confirms. ‘David is flying back to be with him. He is obviously incredibly concerned and wants to be with him.’

“The elder Beckham, 59, from east London, suffered chest pains Wednesday evening. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman confirms that its dispatchers were called and arrived just after 9:20 p.m. Ted Beckham underwent an operation to unblock his artery, his son’s rep tells PEOPLE. A spokeswoman at the London Chest Hospital says the elder Beckham is in ‘stable’ condition. He is reported to be in the intensive care unit.”

[From People]

And where is lovely wife Victoria Beckham, you ask? Well she was supposedly on “business” in Japan, but rushed to join her husband. And when they say business, I assume they mean the business of shopping, as that appears to be all Victoria does. And Japan would make a lot of sense – it’s a virtual treasure trove of Victoria Beckham-sized outfits.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s some old, but cute, Beckham photos from last September. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor has undergone surgery for a leg infection.

Doctors are hopeful that the operation would prove successful and that her leg infection had not spread to the bone, her husband said.

“She was in great pain,” the prince told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Gabor, one of three glamorous sisters who stole the Hollywood limelight in the 1950s and ’60s, was forced to use a walker after being injured in a 2002 auto accident and suffered a stroke in 2005.

In a widely publicized incident in 1989, she slapped a Beverly Hills police officer who had pulled her over for a traffic violation. She was ordered to serve a brief stint in jail.

Reuters

I always think of Zsa Zsa Gabor as being an early version of Paris Hilton, mostly because she was famous for just being a socialite, before deciding to become an actress. Also they’ve both spent time in jail. Actually, she was briefly married to Paris’ grandfather Conrad, but now is married to 8th husband Prince Frédéric von Anhalt, who was one of the men in the running for the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby Dannielynn.

Unfortunately, the surgery was for an infection in her leg, not to get her philandering husband removed. At age 90, although Zsa Zsa has never confirmed her exact age, any surgery is a big undertaking, good luck Zsa Zsa.

Amy Winehouse sure isn’t good about keeping things hidden from the press. Other celebrities get into fights with their spouses, maybe do some drugs, or God forbid cut themselves – they do it in private. X17 isn’t generally there to grab photos. Amy Winehouse and her husband have a fight? The whole thing’s documented, because they chase each other through the street. Amy cuts herself, and then walks through London holding a blood-soaked rag. Totally normal, right?

“There are fresh concerns for troubled singer Amy Winehouse after she was spotted in the streets with blood dripping from her hand. The 23-year-old boozer was seen clutching a blood covered cloth to stop bleeding from a wound to her hand. She was photographed as she climbed out of a taxi in Chelsea, London. Winehouse, who has been open about her self-harming in the past, tried to conceal the injury in a blood-soaked hankerchief, which was dripping onto her shoes. An onlooker said: ‘Her hand looked to be in a right state, she tightly gripped it with a piece of material but you could still see the wound.’

The Rehab singer shocked fans last month after fleeing London’s Sanderson hotel in the early hours of the morning, covered in blood and scratches after a scrap with her husband. Winehouse opted out of rehab following the last bloodied encounter, fleeing Britain for a holiday with Blake in St. Lucia. The couple’s troubles looked to be behind them after she and Blake, 25, arrived hand-in-hand at her comeback performance at the Mercury Music Awards earlier in the month.

[From Metro UK]

Cutting is one of those psychological disorders I’ve never been able to fathom in the slightest. But it’s really sad and upsetting that Amy has done this for so long, and still hasn’t had help for it. Though to be fair, she’s done a lot of bad things for a long time without getting treatment. The cutting thing was always kind of weird to me, because she was so vocal about it. Part of me wonders how much of this is shown in an effort to get attention. I’m not saying she’s necessarily doing it for attention, but that she might be showing it for that reason. She’s just acting out so much in public that I have a hard time believing it’s all totally legitimate. I’m sure her issues and her pain are, but her way of handling her issues is bordering on exploiting it. Amy was recently dropped as the singer for the new “007” theme song. Producers cited her issues as the reason they didn’t want to work with her. In a short time, all that attention is going to lead to tiny apartment and a dead-end job… at best.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Amy out with husband Blake Fielder-Civil at the Century Club in London for her birthday this past Friday. Images thanks to PR Photos.