Demi Moore has gone on the defensive about her parenting decisions and her daughters. Moore is currently promoting her film “Flawless,” and said she gets upset when people make fun of her children’s appearance. Which makes sense – no mom wants to see their kid getting teased.

She does, however, get upset about treatment of her daughters – Rumer, 20, Scout, 17, and Tallulah, 14 – in certain areas of the tabloid press.

She added: “It’s straight out cruelty. Things that are just mean and cruel, like saying that they’re ‘fugly.’ I’m talking about my 14-year-old, my 17-year-old, who aren’t choosing to be in the public eye. It’s very painful, as it would be for any parent to have anybody say unkind or hurtful things about your children.”

[From Exposay]

Rumer obviously does choose to live her life in the public eye because she’s an actress, so that’s a little different. Her looks have been mocked a lot, but I haven’t really heard anyone say anything negative about Scout or Tallulah, who are more private.

There is certainly a twisted unfairness that children – any children not just the ones with famous parents – are expected to be at least as attractive as their mom and dad, if not even better looking. Anytime I meet someone’s parents and it turns out they’re much prettier/more handsome than their child, I definitely notice. When the opposite happens it doesn’t even register with me. Certainly having two extremely famous parents like Demi Moore and Bruce Willis has got to magnify that.

Demi says that she doesn’t regret the time she took off from work to raise her daughters after she and Bruce divorced. In fact she says she didn’t even process it in terms of her career – she just knew that’s what she needed to do at the time.

Demi Moore says she’d never have traded her career off against her daughters. The “Flawless” actress devoted herself to raising her three children after her marriage to Bruce Willis fell apart in the mid 90s, but says she has no regrets about her decision to retire from the spotlight of Hollywood.

Demi, 46, said: “I don’t feel bitter or angry. At the time I wasn’t thinking of whether it was bad for my career. It just didn’t matter. I just knew that my children needed to be grounded… I wouldn’t trade what I have with my children, who they are today, for a bigger pay check or bigger career. I did take a long period off at what would have been my prime time for leading lady roles.”

[From Exposay]

She also says that as a child of divorce, it was really important to her to make sure she and Bruce still got along and they were all still a family. And to their credit both of them have done a really amazing job at that. I can’t think of any parents I know that have been able to do that for their children. Obviously taking time off was the right thing for Demi to do, because her family strikes me as very intact despite the divorce.

Photos of Demi and her family at the premiere of “The House Bunny,” in which Rumor had a role. Images thanks to Fame.

Britney Spears is really amping up the interviews in preparation for the December 2nd release of her next album, “Circus.” She had a long chat with Rolling Stone – who described the ordeal of interviewing her as a “rigorously micromanaged process.” Britney’s obviously trying to get some positive press and get the media to cover her in a more flattering light. Part of this involves discussing and explaining the past, which must feel awkward for her.

Britney seemed pretty candid in the interview. She talked about the struggles of dating, because she always needs to have security around her. So if she goes out with a guy and it turns out she’s not into him, Britney can’t make the graceful emergency exit the rest of us can.

[Manager Larry] Rudolph says, “Her job is to be Britney Spears, and unfortunately, that job bleeds into her personal life and creates this odd situation where she needs to have security people around her all the time.”

That goes for dates, too. Recently, Spears was accompanied by her assistant, Brett, and Rudolph’s colleague, Adam Leber. “Right when we got there, we just knew it was just bad,” Spears says. “He looked like an older version of Harry Potter, but skinnier. … So I had to get dessert first. And the other date I had, the guy was really, really tall and a lot older. … We’re trying to ask him questions, like, ‘OK, you’re into martial arts, so what kind of martial arts are you into?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, all kinds.’ … But you know how silly we are, so we were just cracking up.”

[From USA Today]

I imagine that going on a date with Britney Spears would be pretty nerve-wracking as it is. Having chaperones and security people around must make it feel like a job interview. I’m not sure I could come up with much to say either if I were in that situation. Celebitchy is wondering if the guy Britney was describing is Salvatore D’Angelo, who she went out on a date with last week. That could make sense except that in my opinion this guy is seriously hot, and could never legitimately be described as “Harry Potter, but skinnier.” He could be the second guy she’s referring to, but he doesn’t seem that much older than Britney. It sounds like she’s getting set up on dates since she appears to be surprised by the guys.

Britney also says that Sean Preston has said the F word and both of her kids are saying words like “stupid” – and that they learned them from K-Fed.

She turns serious on the topic of her children. Despite losing custody of her sons, Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2, to her ex-husband Kevin Federline, Spears has been able to see them more often, thanks in part to the conservatorship.

“Every time they come to visit me, I think about how they’re such special people,” she says.

She is critical of her ex and says the children “are starting to learn words like ‘stupid,’ and Preston says the f-word now sometimes. He doesn’t get it from us. He must get it from his daddy. I say it, but not around my kids.”

[From USA Today]

Kids legendarily pick up on the naughty words as much as the good ones. Just saying it once or twice but reacting in a certain way tips them off. I doubt Britney is able to completely keep herself from saying the F word around her kids but use it elsewhere. It’s bound to slip out a time or two if she uses it at all. But I’m all for blaming K-Fed; we hardly ever get to say anything bad about him anymore.

Britney has her entire album streaming on her website, which is a really unusual move. You can listen to all of it here. I tried… it’s a little repetitive for me. But considering all the hype and publicity, I’m guessing it’ll still sell really well.

Here’s Britney her dad Jamie arriving at LAX airport yesterday. Images thanks to Fame.

The National Enquirer has all the details on what actually went down at Britney Spears’ family home last weekend. Britney’s son Jayden was hospitalized with what was initially reported to be a seizure, and then turned out to be a food allergy. Earlier in the afternoon the family had picked up some fried chicken from a fast food restaurant, and they claim Jayden had a reaction to that, but both the Enquirer and Star say it was a shellfish reaction brought on by some cajun crawfish that Jayden’s grandfather Jamie had cooked that afternoon. The Enquirer has more details about what went on that afternoon:

Dad Jamie, a first-rate cook, had prepared a southern-style Sunday dinner with all the fixings, and everyone was getting ready to eat. But as the hungry family gathered at the table, Jayden didn’t respond to calls to join them, says the source. “Jayden didn’t answer back. His grandmother Lynne went running to get him, followed by Britney. They found him in the living room, sitting near the sofa – limp and unresponsive.

“He couldn’t talk or look at anyone who was speaking to him. It was as if he was asleep and couldn’t wake up.” A horrified Lynne picked him up and he was as limp as a rag doll. She shrieked and a screaming Britney tried to grab her son, but Lynne pulled back and clutched him to her chest. She knew it was urgent to rush the baby to the hospital. She had gone through a similar episode with her son Bryan when he was 7. Britney grabbed for the phone and called for an ambulance. Told it would take a half-hour to arrive, the family decided to rush the boy to the hospital themselves.

[From the National Enquirer, Nov. 24, 2008, print ed.]

Though the family clearly did the right thing and K-Fed’s lawyer publicly proclaimed that he was impressed with Britney’s parenting during the episode, the Enquirer states that K-Fed is in fact livid with her – and the entire family – because they took so long to let him know what had happened.

Jayden’s dad was back home in Los Angeles enjoying a quiet Sunday with no knowledge of the scary drama unfolding at the hospital 2,000 miles away. “No one called Kevin until nearly midnight Louisiana time – hours after the interrupted diner,” said the source. “Britney insisted on staying with her on and asked for a bed to be brought into Jayden’s room.

“Lynne and Jamie made the call to Kevin. By this time it was too late to get a commercial flight, and Kevin was stuck until the morning before he could get a flight to Mississippi. He is furious – absolutley livid it took the family hours to let him know what had happened to Jayden. He feels betrayed by the Spears family.”

A representative for the family said doctors treating Jayden concluded that he had a reaction to something he ingested. But the source says the youngster has no known allergies and is a finicky eater – not likely to experiment with new foods.

“He eats mashed potatoes, spaghetti, corn and chicken,” said the source. “He loves cookies and candy. Kevin feels if Jayden did ingest something as the family is reporting, then there was a lack of supervision. Britney had a nanny, her dad, her mom, and sister Jamie Lynn there to help with the boys. Kevin made it clear to Britney it will be a long time before she will take the kids on a trip again.”

[From the National Enquirer, Nov. 24, 2008, print ed.]

If K-Fed really is upset with the family it sounds like he’s overreacting. From pretty much every account they did the right thing and took immediate action. Just because Jayden is a picky eater doesn’t mean he won’t put something into his mouth, and it could be food as easily as anything.

I do understand him being upset that it took him so long to get a call, and the Spears definitely should have phoned him right away. I’m guessing they probably didn’t want to alarm him until they had some clue as to what the problem was, and whether it was minor or serious. But no matter what, it should have been the first call they made. Hopefully K-Fed can get past it and maintain good family relations. It sounds like everyone was just trying to do their best.

Here’s Britney and her father Jamie picking up from a school in Encino on October 10th. Images thanks to WENN.

President-elect Barack Obama is going to be under a lot of scrutiny for at least the next four years. And not just when it comes to the country, but also in terms of his parenting. While there have been many children in the White House, young kids have been a bit of a rarity. Obama has said he thinks he’s a “cool dad” to Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 – and it’s clear that he places a huge priority on his family.

The new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now, details the special bond between Obama and his daughters, and how the President-elect is the first leader who acts like a modern dad too: sharing parenting duties, attending school conferences and squeezing in the occasional date night with his wife, Michelle.

Case in point: before jetting off to the White House Monday, he kissed his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, goodbye and dropped them off at school. During the campaign, Michelle told Us: “He’s an incredible husband and father. Not sure if the world knows yet, but they should!”

Adds Michelle’s former colleague, Paul Schmitz: “The Obamas are true to their word when they say they’re going to balance work and family.” So how will they actually do that? Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin says it may be easier now than it was on the trail: “The family is more together here than during the campaign,” she tells Us.

So how will life for this once normal family from Chicago be changing? Earlier this week, Michelle began visiting potential schools for the girls ahead of the January 20 Inauguration. And even though they’ll have a chef whipping up their favorite treats – and a personal movie theater – in the White House, they’ll still be focusing on, “homework, chores, dance and soccer,” Michelle told Us before the election. “We have to put [children's] education…first,” Michelle has said.

“I think I’m a pretty cool dad,” Obama told Us earlier in the campaign.

[From Us Weekly]

The Huffington Post has a really great gallery of pictures of the Obamas having special family moments with their daughters. It really is great to have a father of young children in the White House – Obama serves as a role model not just professionally but also as a parent.

Michelle Obama will be featured in the upcoming issue of OK! Magazine. She’s getting just as much attention as her husband in terms of her parenting. It’s hard not to wonder how in the world they both manage to have such busy careers and still make enough time for their kids, but it’s clearly they’ve definitely figured out how to manage it.

In related news, the Obamas are also big sellers. The magazines that didn’t feature Obama last week (most notably OK!) sold a small fraction compared to the magazines that did. Us Weekly and People sold approximately one and two million issues respectively. That’s a pretty huge difference – one that OK! is obviously trying to make up for. They apparently thought Suri Cruise was a better bet than the next president of the United States.

Photos from Barack Obama’s flickr used under Creative Commons license. Credit: David Katz/Obama for America

Celine Dion gets a lot of slack for that fact that her son René-Charles, 7, has very long hair for a little boy. While longer hair for boys seems to be in fashion and other celebrity kids like Kate Hudson’s son, Ryder, also have long hair, Dion says it has nothing to do with her tastes and that René just hasn’t wanted a hair cut so she hasn’t forced him:

Celine Dion doesn’t let society dictate what’s right for her household. “We decide as a family what’s good for us,” she shared during her recent appearance on Oprah, which aired on October 28. And that includes hairstyles. Celine admitted her son, René-Charles, 7, has never had a haircut – because he doesn’t want one. “I’ve asked him, and he says, ‘I like my hair like that,’” she says.

[From In Touch, print edition, November 17, 2008]

She’s right that it’s every family’s prerogative if they’re going to have their boys get haircuts. Little Ryder Robinson’s dad Chris has long hair so you can see how Ryder would want to have a similar hairstyle. René-Charles’ dad, René Angélil, 66, is a bald guy, but wherever he got his inspiration for long hair if his mom and dad don’t mind indulging him that’s their decision. He doesn’t look comfortable, but who knows with kids and in these pictures he’s dressed up in a suit and getting dragged to a formal affair. Not many kids would look happy in that situation. It’s not something I would chose for my child and I have a hard enough time getting my son to take a bath without worrying about caring for long hair, too. Wash and wear hair is one advantage of having a little boy.

Celine Dion, her husband, René Angélil,, their son, René-Charles, and Celine’s mother, Therese Tanguay, are shown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy when Celine was presented with the French Legion of Honour at the Elysee Palace in Paris on 5/22/08. Credit: WENN

Being grown in Pamela Anderson’s womb has got to be a challenging thing. I don’t even want to know what’s going on in there. And then after what I’m guessing is a crazy nine months, you come out into the world and the first thing you see is Tommy Lee’s face. And then Pam’s. This is just in the first few minutes of your life, and you realize this shit is real and these are your parents. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

If any two kids are going to have it rough, it’s Pam and Tommy’s two sons. And unfortunately the obvious has happened – they’re getting teased at school for their parents’ legendary sex tape.

Pamela Anderson says her wild past is starting to come back to haunt her and her children. The former Baywatch babe – who has two sons with ex-husband Tommy Lee – says her boys are being teased by their classmates over her colorful past and her sex tape shame with their father.

She says, “They’re starting to get to that age where they are defending mommy.

“Brandon was upset yesterday because some kids said some things at school. Kids can be so mean but I knew this would come.

“I just explained that we are good people and we’ve never done anything to hurt anyone. I just want them to enjoy school and enjoy life.

“They’ve seen a lot in their little lives but they’re great kids.”

[From Showbizspy via GossipRocks]

As easy as it is to make fun of Pam and Tommy, I feel really badly for their sons. Those kids haven’t done a thing wrong, but the teasing about the sex tape is just going to get worse the older they get. I’m sure there are perks to having rich and famous parents, but frankly I can’t imagine that any of those things would make up for the feelings I imagine a child would naturally have if they were mocked about their parents’ sex lives. I mean think of the shudders that overcome you when you imagine your own parents having sex. I had to stop and recover for a good five minutes after nearly falling ill just writing that sentence. But most of the time we can push those thoughts out of our minds – unless it’s on videotape for the whole school to see.

There’s certainly nothing Pam can do about the tape except make to have an open dialogue with her sons and be respectful and responsible towards their feelings. And never, ever keep a video camera in the house.

Here’ s Pamela with her unusual date while at London Fashion Week on September 18, 2008. I don’t get why her kids would be embarrassed by her. Images thanks to Bauer-Griffin.

Get out the banjo, here’s one you don’t hear every day. Actor Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son Jack was arrested for possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official. I was under the impression that moonshine was best left to the Great Depression and old James Taylor songs, but apparently it holds a great deal of appeal to the teenage spawn of semi-famous actors.

Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son has been busted for allegedly possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official.

According to Ashville, N.C., news station WLOS, Jack Pullman and his friend, Allan Gaddy, also 19, were arrested Monday and face numerous charges including resisting officers, assaulting a government official, underage drinking and possession of moonshine. The two were released from jail the following night.

Pullman – who starred in Independence Day, Sleepless in Seattle and many other films – has issued no comment.

[From People]

The Pullman family must be so proud. Times must be tough if young Jack is resorting to the shine. I’m pretty sure even an average, broke teenager can normally get someone to buy them a six pack. But apparently young Jack thought it best to go the homemade route. Moonshine is technically any alcohol brewed illegally, though it’s generally pretty foul. According to Wikipedia, it can have a host of unsavory flavors.

…it sometimes contains impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol. The off flavors come from improper brewing, while methanol may result from inexpert distillation or be added by unscrupulous producers to increase the apparent proof. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States and Appalachia.

[From Wikipedia]

That’s just to dissuade anyone in case you thought brewing your own alcoholic beverages would be a good way to pinch a few pennies in these lean times. It isn’t going to taste like that cognac you’ve been craving.

Here’s Bill Pullman filming a documentary on location in Ipanema on Tuesday. Images thanks to WENN.

Running Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s family probably requires some sort of expert with an MBA or something. It’s one complicated setup. The family of 8 requires up to 20 cars for their clan and team of childcare professionals and security personnel – along with up to six nannies at a time! That’s one per kid. According to MSNBC they’ve tried to keep it real and make do with as few as four, but ultimately weren’t able to do it.

What does it take to keep the Jolie-Pitt household running smoothly? A fleet of cars and a half-dozen nannies, for starters.

“We’ve provided them with more than 20 Volkswagens while they’re here in Berlin,” Mya Walters, a public-relations manager for the car company, told Life & Style magazine.

The magazine reports that the Pitt-Jolie Berlin digs also have a dinner table that seats 16 — that’s just a couple extra seats when you factor in their own family of eight and the six nannies the couple sometimes requires

During their recent trip to New Orleans, the magazine reports that they tried to make do with four nannies, but needed to fly in an additional two to combat the chaos.

Don’t judge: it’s all for the sake of the family. Family friend Wyclef Jean said, “They make plenty of time for the kids, they’re great parents.”

[From MSNBC’s The Scoop]

One nanny per kid seems sort of excessive. I could certainly see how 2 or 3 might be necessary when they’re at home, but damn. Six is a lot. It makes sense that they might need that many nannies anytime the kids are out in public or there’s a safety issue. One adult per kid (and how many bodyguards?) probably makes sense. Obviously they can afford it and have the right to raise their kids however they want, and it probably minimizes what would otherwise be an extremely stressful situation.

Here’s Brad and Angelina loading up the kids in Nice, France on October 8th. Images thanks to Bauer-Griffin.

It’s really no surprise that Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter Bella is just as bad ass as her dad. Billy Bob did the requisite Hollywood/celebrity family man thing and took 4-year-old Bella to the pumpkin patch along with girlfriend (and Bella’s mother) Connie Angland. Billy Bob may not have racked up as many kids as ex-wife Angelina Jolie, but he seems pretty content with what he’s got going on.

After rumors of “Manure” co-stars Billy Bob Thornton and Tea Leoni being more than just friends, Billy Bob spent the afternoon with his daughter Bella and her mother Connie Angland at the pumpkin patch. It’s as if Billy Bob wants to show the public that he is a devoted father and faithful family man. Both reps for Billy Bob and Tea Leoni have denied rumors of being romantically involved.

[From Fame Pictures]

Always nice to see how they can tie in marital infidelities with family fun, even if it is a leap. Bella is easily the most awesome celebrity kid I’ve seen so far. Billy Bob and Connie clearly let her do her own thing and nurture her own identity. She looks like she has a ton of personality – it’s hard to believe she’s only four. Here’s the family at the pumpkin patch yesterday. Images thanks to Fame.

Pretty much no family makes for cuter pictures than the Affleck/Garner clan. The threesome went shopping yesterday and were nauseatingly cute as usual. Really, I’d be jealous if they didn’t seem so genuinely happy and appreciative of each other. A couple websites make fun of how often Ben and Jen bring Violet with them and imply that parents are showing off their cute kid to lure the paparazzi. I think their intentions are pretty good and they’re just going about living their lives the way they want to.

Violet Affleck is easily the happiest celebrity kid around. She normally has a grin on her face just like any other regular kid. She doesn’t seem (rightfully) afraid of the paparazzi like Suri Cruise sometimes does, and she never looks miserable like Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen’s poor daughters. Clearly Ben and Jennifer do a good job of making Violet feel safe, secure, and happy. And that happens to make for super cute pictures too.

Here’s Jennifer Garner picks up Violet from school and going shopping with Ben in Brentwood on Thursday. Images thanks to WENN.