I just felt an unfamiliar pang of pity for Jessica Biel as I was going through these photos. Jessica is in New York now, promoting Total Recall… all by herself. Last night was the NYC premiere, and Jessica was the only headlining star to show up. No Colin Farrell, no Kate Beckinsale, not even John Cho. Just poor Jessica in her sad white, lace dress. She looks like Miss Havisham. This Elie Saab just screams “bridal!” to me… and it’s a sad look. Check out the original runway look with sleeves – wouldn’t that have looked much better on Jessica? It still would have been bridal, but at least it would have looked designer bridal and not David’s Bridal. That doily wrap isn’t helping either. She was aiming for “breezy, summery” and she ended up looking like she was the jilted, forgotten bride at a budget beach wedding.

Jessica is still sticking with her story that she and Justin haven’t even set a date for their wedding, by the way. There were lots of rumors that it would be this summer, very soon, like mid to late August. And the tabloids are keeping the hope alive that it will happen soon, because if not, they might run out of these “Sad Jessica Biel” stories:

Before Jessica Biel becomes Mrs. Justin Timberlake, she’s hitting some snags in planning her bachelorette party. Namely, that she doesn’t have anyone to invite.

“Jessica doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends,” says an insider. “Her plan right now is to fly to Colorado and meet up with a group of her hometown friends.”

Meanwhile, her hubby-to-be is planning a bachelor party that a source reveals is “going to make The Hangover look like Driving Miss Daisy.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Jessica doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends? On one side, I think that claim is BS – she’s friends with Jennifer Garner, and Jessica does charity work with a lot of women from Revlon, plus some other charitable organizations she’s involved with. On the other side… I could totally see how Jessica would end up alienating long-term girlfriends because A) Justin tried to sleep with them, B) Justin actually slept with them, C) Jessica thinks that Justin might sleep with them or D) Jessica talks about Justin too much and her girlfriends are tired of the same neverending conversation.

I’m also including a photo of Jessica in brown and black Giambattista Valli outside The Daily Show yesterday. I’m not a huge fan, but I like it better than the Elie Saab doily.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Ben Affleck is currently filming Runner, Runner in Puerto Rico with Justin Timberlake. It’s a thriller about a businessman who gets “caught up in the world of offshore online gaming,” something Ben is rumored to have a lot of personal experience with. He didn’t write this one and isn’t directing it, though. In Touch notes that while Justin is staying close to the set, Ben is staying in a different resort “a couple of miles away” in order make sure he’s not around all that partying and gambling. Is Justin meeting some locals too while his fiance is away promoting her movie? That’s the impression I get from this. (Well from him in general.) Here’s more:

While Justin Timberlake knocks down tequila shots and tosses poker chips at a party-friendly hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ben Affleck curls up with a good book? It’s true! Ben, 39, who has battled alcohol and gambling problems, is steering clear of his old vices as he shoots the thriller Runner, Runner with costar Justin.

Ben’s even staying is different digs – a low-key resort a couple of miles away in Rincon.

“Ben’s not stupid,” an insider says. “He’s not going to get caught up partying and gambling.”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

Good for Ben. He’s had his issues in the past, and he’s making sure to stay away from triggers. So does this mean there’s no love lost between Ben and Justin? Maybe Ben just can’t stand Justin. I know that Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel are friends after doing that Valentine’s Day movie together, so these two were probably acquainted before this. It just strikes me that Ben and Justin may not get along off set because they’re at different places in life. Maybe it’s one of those situations where Justin reminds Ben of how much of a douche he used to be.

Things seem to be going well for Affleck and Garner. She’s visited him on location and was spotted on the beach in Puerto Rico with him and the kids a couple of weeks ago.

Garner is back in L.A. now, and was photographed out yesterday headed to a business meeting. I’m not a fan of this navy dress. It looks good on her, but I don’t like this short kind of baby doll cut. Her shoes are cute though!

Affleck and Timberlake are shown on set on 7-23-12. Garner is shown out yesterday, 8-2-12. Credit: Fame Flynet. I’m also including a photo of Ben in his tiny T-shirt on the fourth of July. Credit: WENN.com

Jessica Biel covers the August issue of InStyle Magazine to promote two big projects coming up soon. One, she’s got a supporting part in Total Recall. Two, she’s going to marry Justin Timberlake come hell or high water. It doesn’t matter than he screws around. It doesn’t matter that he’s rude. It doesn’t matter that she can’t trust him alone on a film set and she has to drop everything to run to him so he won’t screw around on her again. Jessica Biel is going to get married, damn it. So the InStyle interview reads more like a giant self-justification for why Jessica has decided to marry JT.

Jessica Biel may be one of the most stylish women in Hollywood, but that may be thanks to her fiancé Justin Timberlake. Biel, 30, tells InStyle in its August cover story that Timberlake, 31, helps choose her outfits – and picked out her gorgeous engagement ring without any input from her.

“I had no say whatsoever [in the ring]. I don’t micromanage,” she tells InStyle, on newsstands Friday. “He is fearless in his choices and has a real eye for design. And I’ll be honest: He has better taste than I do.”

Adds Biel, “When I walk out of the closet after getting dressed in the morning, I’ll go like this [turns palms upward as if to say, 'Well?'] And he goes like this [shakes his head no]. Then he picks again. It’s hilarious.”

Fashion feedback aside, Biel says her advice for having a happy relationship is “letting go of the little stuff. You can’t let it get to you.” Plus, being with an inspiring person is key to her happiness. “It is important to me to have a partner who is loving and fun – someone who inspires me,” she says. “And he must be a good person.”

Asked about whether she plans to raise children someday in Los Angeles, where she and Timberlake currently live in the Hollywood Hills, the actress who was raised in Colorado says, “I would like those future little people to have the experience I had, in some capacity. It was fun. I love Colorado; I’ve always thought that could be a possibility for me.”

In addition to being raised in the outdoorsy environment of her home state, Biel says she learned a lot about relationships growing up by watching her mom and dad.

“The best thing I learned from [my parents] is that you have to put your relationship first. You need to make time for your partner,” she says. It’s really easy to let that go by the wayside. It’s easy to say, ‘Hey, I’ll see you later. I love you.’ And you can’t do that.”

Biel finds this especially difficult because of the demanding schedules she and Timberlake have because of their work. “Justin and I have a rule that we don’t let a certain amount of time go by without seeing each other, but it doesn’t always work,” she says. “But from here on out, I want to participate in making smart choices for the relationship.”

Still, it’s important to the actress that she and Timberlake maintain some of their independence.

“In my earlier experiences with relationships, I was really vulnerable to somebody else’s personality, hobbies and way of life,” she says.

“But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become proud of the traits that make me who I am. Maintaining my individuality is really important to me because otherwise I can easily slip into somebody else’s life. So I’m glad I’m getting better at it. It’s a process, but it’s getting simpler.”

[From People]

First of all, don’t you love how Jessica has just completely stopped with the “Our relationship is private” line? That used to be her go-to line whenever anyone asked her “Hey, I heard your boyfriend is trying to dump you?” Or “Hey, is it true that banged Olivia Munn?” Now that she’s engaged, she’ll gush about Justin. As for her self-justification for WHY she’s marrying him – he dresses her like a Barbie doll? He doesn’t trust her style? He inspires her because he’s so fun? And she thinks about raising their babies in Colorado? Yeah, right. I have to ask… were the bangs Justin’s idea? Because they’re awful and they don’t suit her at all.

Photos courtesy of InStyle and WENN.

My vote for “Most Depressing Couple of 2012” goes to Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Yes, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were in contention, but I always come back to Biel and JT. Mostly because they’re both so oblivious, and both of them are walking into their marriage for the worst reasons ever. I guess JT is going into the marriage hoping that Jessica will finally STFU and let him do whatever he needs to do with whoever he wants. Jessica is going into the marriage because she really doesn’t have anything else going on, and she thinks maybe becoming Mrs. Timberlake will help her career. She certainly doesn’t sound like a soon-to-be bride looking forward to a wedding. At all. The tabloids have regaled us with stories about JT’s pre-nuptial douche-tastic behavior (like, refusing to give up his “bachelor pad”), and the subtext of every story is “Justin can get away with anything now because all he has to do is threaten to pull out of the wedding, or just buy Jessica some jewelry and she stops cramping his style.”

So, with the wedding full speed ahead for all of the wrong reasons, it would take something truly horrible to derail it, right? How about if JT has an on-set affair with a lovely English costar? Biel only has a problem with it because it might change the wedding plans!

Jittery Jessica Biel jetted to Justin Timberlake’s movie set – just to keep tabs on her fiancé! Biel flew to JT’s side because she fears another woman will try to steal him away before their wedding, say sources.

“Jessica worries because Justin is such a flirt,” a source told The Enquirer. “So she flew to Puerto Rico where he’s filming ‘Runner, Runner’ just to keep an eye on him. Justin is a charmer who can’t help but attract stunning girls. While Jessica thinks he’ll behave himself, she finds it hard to trust other women with him.”

Adding to the temptation, Justin’s co-star is British beauty Gemma Arterton! “Gemma is a brunette, and Jessica knows she’s Justin’s type,” added the source. “She told Justin she was joining him because she hates being away from him, and that’s true. But deep down she also feels that she needs to keep tabs on him before their big day. She doesn’t want her dream wedding ruined!”

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

Gemma is married, isn’t she? Yes, she is. Plus, she seems like a smart girl – too smart to get involved with JT. But I do believe that Jessica is worried about Justin’s “flirting”. God knows, he’s probably banged half of the female extras thus far. But it bugs me that Jessica isn’t thinking, “OMG, he might cheat on me and our relationship will never cover because I’ll never be able to trust him again.” She’s thinking, “OMG he might cheat on me and people might find out and then how can we have this huge wedding spectacle, and what if he breaks up with me after I find out about his affair?”

Interesting sidenote: Runner, Runner also stars Ben Affleck. Ben’s wife, Jennifer Garner, and Jessica are super-close. Garner is also coming to Puerto Rico (with the kids) to spend time with Ben – and probably to keep an eye on him too. I wonder what advice Garner gives Biel?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Do you know how much I love writing about jewelry? I wish I could write about jewelry every day. I wish more celebrities bought and gifted more jewelry, and they all issued press releases about the jewelry and we had lots of close-up photos of the pieces. Oh, and handbags!! I could spend all day on handbags and jewelry. Anyway, this is a story about jewelry, and it’s also a story about Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. I never thought of Justin as a big gift-giver, nor do I think he really has an “eye” for ladies’ fashion or jewelry – judging by his choice for Biel’s engagement ring, he likes really big, gaudy pieces. Apparently, Justin is getting into the spirit of things, though, and he gave Jessica some additional bling to celebrate their engagement:

As if the $130,000 engagement ring that Justin Timberlake dropped on Jessica Biel back in December weren’t enough, he just showered her with a prewedding gift fit for a princess: $250,000 worth of jewelry! JT presented Biel with a stunning diamond necklace-and-bracelet set worth more than many American family homes.

“She’s ecstatic, she looks incredible in the set,” says an insider, who noted that JT had been planning to give her the jewelry for months, even using a shopping trip in May to jeweler Eli Halili’s store in NYC’s SoHo to gauge her tastes.

Even her engagement ring can’t compare to his sparkly gift, which is “easily worth a quarter of a mil,” the insider says. But Jessica and her family are thrilled because to them the present represents a lot more than its dollar value.

“It’s like he has finally made up his mind and is ready to spend the rest of his life with this woman,” the insider claims. The gems are all part of a trend of Justin showering Jessica with rocks after what has been a rocky relationship. Over the past four years, Star has reported him straying with no less than four separate women.

The jewelry seems to have a palliative effect. “The whole Biel clan is really excited… no one more so than Jessica, who finally – after all the heartache and tears – has landed the man of her dreams.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

You know what I got from that? Justin can (continue to) do whatever he wants with whoever he wants just as long as he continues to give Jessica nice jewelry. Is that an acceptable trade-off? If Jessica was hoping for true love, a love of commitment and mutual respect and fidelity, I would say it’s a crappy tradeoff. But I think Jessica is fine with Justin doing whatever and whoever, so maybe the jewelry is just a bonus. Would you have sex with Justin Timberlake for $250,000 worth of diamonds? I might consider it, honestly.

PS… If you’re like me (a total jewelry wh-re), check out this blog.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

The tabloids have been all over Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake’s wedding plans, and the gossip surrounding them. Last weekend, JT and Biel had their engagement party, and I tend to believe the reports that the wedding is definitely going down sometime soon. Most of the tabloids believe that it will be an LA wedding, with all of Jessica and Justin’s friends (and all of the people they want to impress). Everyone is so focused on the wedding plans, I guess no one is asking, “Hey, should these two people even get married?” No. No, they should not. Anyway, In Touch claims the wedding will actually go down in Italy, not LA. And Justin is the wedding planner!

Jessica Biel’s wildest dreams about to become true as her doting fiancé finalizes plans for her fairy-tale wedding. After their star-studded engagement party on May 26, “Justin and Jessica are getting married in Italy,” a close friend tells In Touch, adding that the couple has their eye on the Palazzo Margherita, an exquisite boutique hotel owned by director Francis Ford Coppola in the southern town of Bernalda.

“They originally had the Palazzo in mind for the rehearsal dinner, but they fell in love with it.”

While many groom leave all of the details to the bride, the 31-year-old has become the ultimate wedding planner, choosing the romantic spot with Jessica, 30, for what an insider spills is slated to be an October ceremony.

“Justin picked Italy because it’s very special to them,” the friend explains. “They’re vacationing there a lot and have beautiful black-and-white photo from their trips all over their home. They absolutely love it there.”

“She is the single-handedly most significant person in my life,” Justin has said about Jessica.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

While I don’t know for sure, I do think that this version could be a possibility. They do love Italy, and I think Justin thinks so highly of himself and his place in the Hollywood food chain that he can get a massive wedding party to Italy to celebrate his nuptials. So… it’s a possibility. I also think Justin probably is planning a great deal of the wedding – or Justin is getting everything he wants and he’s the groomzilla and Jessica barely gets to decide anything. These two… ugh. They’ll make it down the aisle. But all bets are off after that.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and Pacific Coast News.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake’s wedding plans continue unabated, despite the fact that they should both be running away from this wedding at full speed. But come hell or high water, Jessica is getting Justin down the aisle and she will put up with any and all acts of douchebaggery to become “Mrs. Timberlake”. I tend to think the tabloids are right in this situation – the wedding will be going down this summer, probably in California.

Over the weekend, Jessica and JT threw themselves a huge engagement party. It was a cocktail party with the men in suits and the ladies in black dresses (like a funeral) except for Jessica, who wore “a leopard-print halter dress cinched at the waist with a hot pink belt and matching shoes.” Wolfgang Puck catered. Some of the guests? Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Trace Ayala, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia DeRossi and Amy Adams. An insider tells Us Weekly, “Jessica and Justin were mingling both separately and together throughout the party… Jessica seems to be very close with Justin’s friends and vice versa. You can see that they have been dating for a long time and really know each others friends and family well. The party was a fun celebration and a preview of what’s to come with the wedding.” Jessica has really won her prize, hasn’t she?

Yes, she has. In addition to becoming “Mrs. Timberlake”, Jessica also managed to get Justin to sign on to her latest film – as a songwriter and singer! Jessica will star and produce The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea this year, and Justin has signed on to compose original music for the film, and serve as music supervisor. It will be JT’s first musical work since 2009. The film shoots in the fall, lending more support to the idea of a summer wedding. Also: despite Biel’s recent trip to Italy to meet with designers, sources close to Biel are still claiming that she wants a wedding gown designed by Monique Lhuillier. The same designer who did Britney Spears’s wedding gown to Kevin Federline.

Last story: Jessica has a new interview with a French magazine, and she’s talking about how she thinks “nothing will change” once she’s a married lady. She’s probably right.

She’s played everything from a distressed publicist to a noblewoman on the big screen, and now Jessica Biel is looking at a completely new role in real life: housewife.

“To me, nothing will really change, because I’m almost never home,” the Total Recall actress, 30, tells the French magazine Gala in a translated interview. “But when I am home, I enjoy cooking.”

Some specialties she might serve up to soon-to-be husband Justin Timberlake?

“I especially love making cupcakes,” she says, while admitting that when she attempts to customize recipes, “it’s a total disaster, but I’ve also had some pleasant surprises, like recently when I managed to make zucchini fritters.”

Overall, once they tie the knot (possibly over the summer), “I don’t think our marriage will change anything,” she says. And while that may turn out not to be true, she does think “it will be a challenge finding a balance between my private life, family and work, and I’m ready.”

She also describes herself as “someone who lets things happen naturally,” saying she is not sure if she wants to have a child right away.

“For me, getting married doesn’t mean we should limit ourselves to some predefined idea. Rather, it’s an opportunity to explore new things in life, ” says Biel.

And while fans may ogle Timberlake’s good looks and hot moves, for Biel, there are three distinct qualities she finds admirable in her future husband, 31: “The ability to communicate well … to be able to express his feelings. Then, loyalty. And, finally, honesty.”

[From People]

Oh for the love of God. Jessica, girl. We need to talk. No, scratch that. I’m not going to waste my breath. But it feels like “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” This is what she wants, and I don’t think she’s really given it much thought beyond the wedding. The simple thought of “What will Justin Timberlake be like as a husband?” is enough to give me a panic attack, and I’m not the one pledging myself to this douchebag.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Jessica Biel has a Twitter! And it just took me way too long to find it – you can see her feed here. She began tweeting right before the Met Ball, and has now tweeted two photos and several cheesy movie titles using the word “t-tties”. Just before the Met Ball, she tweeted “I can’t zip up my dress. Welcome to my world! #MetBall” with this photo:

Jessica Biel on WhoSay

Now, I don’t hate the idea of celebrities on Twitter. At this point in time, I consistently get good stories and gossip from celebrity Twitter accounts. I don’t think Jessica will be a LeAnn Rimes-level tweeter, but I hope she won’t be just some boring shill like Jessica Simpson, who constantly tweets stuff about Fashion Star. Personally, I’m looking forward to Biel’s musings. Maybe she won’t seem so boring and vanilla when we can read her drunken Twitter ramblings.

Also, Us Weekly (and People Magazine) report that Jessica and Justin’s post-Met Gala activities included ring shopping! You know I can’t help myself around jewelry stories:

The lord and lady of the rings! Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were one of the most jaw-dropping couples on the red carpet at Monday’s Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. (Biel wore a plunging white Prada dress with cascading jade green stones; Timberlake looked handsome in a black Tom Ford tuxedo with a satin shawl lapel, evening shirt, satin bowtie, cufflinks and leather “Chelsea” boots.)

Over the weekend, however, the recently engaged couple were their more typical low-key selves in the Big Apple at jewelry boutique Eli Halili in Soho — where Biel, 30, and Timberlake, 31, tried on wedding bands.

Set to wed this August, the couple of five years spent over a half an hour Saturday in the shop with jewelry designer Eli Halili trying on wedding bands and perusing other pieces in the shop, including one-of-a-kind ancient rings and precious stone necklaces.

Although they didn’t select their wedding bands during Saturday’s jaunt, the twosome did drop $6,500 — buying a $2,200 ring (a 24 carat gold ring with a labradorite semi-precious stone) and two necklaces ($2,500 and $1,800, respectively).

No confirmation yet on what designer New Year’s Eve actress Biel will select for her wedding gown.

“Monique Lhuillier has sent over some sketches,” says a Biel pal. “She’s Jessica’s first choice.”

As for the venue? The couple have reportedly been mulling locations from California to Italy. “It will be a big wedding,” a source told Us. “They have lots of people they want to invite.”

[From Us Weekly]

I had to Google images of labradorite to see what that stone looks like. It’s kind of pretty – I’m not sure if I’d like a labradorite ring, though. I don’t know… I’d have to see it. I hope Biel tweets a photo of it. As for the possibility that Biel would wear Monique Lhuillier… I seriously doubt it. Biel will not wear a wedding gown designed by the woman who also did Britney Spears’ wedding gown to Kevin Federline. My guess is that Biel will go with someone like Valentino or Giambattista Valli, who Biel is trying to become the “muse” of.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake walked their first red carpet as an engaged couple at the Met Gala. I’ve been trying to think about all of the insults I could hurl at them, but honestly, I think they’re both doing pretty good for who and what they are. Do I wish Jessica Biel would stop trying to make these “shaggy dog” bangs happen? Yep. Do I wish her hem wasn’t so confusing? Yep. Do I wish that Justin had given Jessica a prettier engagement ring? Yes. Do I think Justin is smug and full of it? Of course. But for what they are – an attractive couple who fancy themselves “fashion royalty” while consistently missing the mark – they’re okay.

Jessica’s dress is Prada. I actually kind of like it. Right? It’s simple – perhaps too simple for the event, but it flatters her figure, and I kind of love the bejeweled pattern. I like how she put together her look too – the lime green Prada clutch and the pink shoes are lovely with the dress. Basically, my only problem is with those God-awful bangs. Can you feel my eye twitching? Bangs like this always make me twitchy. Rose Byrne was doing a very similar hairstyle throughout this year’s awards season… so not only does Biel look awful, she’s not even ORIGINALLY awful.

As for Justin… eh. Meh. I don’t get why girls are on his jock, ever. But I’m glad that he and Jessica did the red carpet together. That’s a nice move.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Are you ready for another episode of the Ill-Fated Wedding That Should Never Be? That is, everyone but Jessica Biel seems to realize that marrying Justin Timberlake is a bad idea. Hell, even Justin knows it, so I don’t understand at all why he’s going through with the marriage. Maybe he won’t though, and I wouldn’t wish being left at the altar on anyone, but it really might be the best thing for this couple to just break up now before things get really ugly. After all, when a man proposes just to get his lady to STFU, you would think it’d be easier to just break up with her and cut off all contact. Unfortunately, logic does not prevail where this pseudo-romance is concerned.

Since the engagement, we’ve heard that Justin and Jessica are fighting over the prenup, the size of the wedding, and even the ring itself. Further, Jessica’s parents hate Justin for very good reason, and it doesn’t seem like he has any intention of giving up the good bachelor life. Now this week’s issue of Star has a story about how Justin really wanted to invite his ex-girlfriend, Cameron Diaz, to the wedding because they’re still very good friends. Naturally, Jessica is having none of this nonsense and refuses to let Cam attend the wedding:

After four years of on-and-off romance, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are finally making it official. But since getting engaged, the couple have been butting heads over the details of their big day. And there’s one demand jealous Jessica just won’t drop: No invite for Cameron Diaz!

“Jess considers Cam her love rival,” a pal of the couple tells Star. “It burns her up that Justin has stayed friends with Cam after breaking up. When they were going over the invite list Jess crossed Cam off and told Justin, “That woman’s not coming to my wedding!”

And Cameron — who split from JT in late 2006 — isn’t the only persona non grata at the nuptials. “Jessican warned Justin to not even think about inviting another ex, Britney Spears. And she’s even limiting Justin’s party friends.”

Now Jessica’s bridezilla behavior has Justin worried about life after the “I do”s. “He’s putting on a brave face, but he feels like he’s marching to the gallows,” says the insider. “Justin bitches about Jess behind her back all the time. If the wedding planning is any gauge, their future together hardly looks bright.”

[From Star, print edition, May 7, 2012]

I believe this story probably went down precisely in the manner described. Isn’t it funny how Jessica would consider Cameron (who has clearly moved on with a number of men) to be “her love rival,” yet fails to be outwardly jealous of any of the numerous women with whom JT has cheated while they’ve been together. Seriously, this wedding either needs to not happen or happen right away so we can start the divorce countdown.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet