As I covered a bit yesterday, Kristen Stewart is super, super-sad. Unbelievably sad. Spiraling into a depression. It might even be true. Or it might be some PR positioning to generate sympathy. Or both, really. As we already discussed, Kristen is allegedly “crying herself to sleep” and her friends fear that she is having some kind of “meltdown”. Most of the stories seem to be originating from this week’s “How Kristen Is Doing” story in Us Weekly. Well, I got the chance to read the whole story… and I’m still not able to bring myself to find her sympathetic. Like, at all. Do I think she deserves such far and wide condemnation? Of course not. But I also don’t think she’s particularly sympathetic either. More highlights from Us Weekly’s story:

*Kristen “can’t do anything. She is really so distraught.”

*But! Rob is “finally listening.” An insider says, “They are talking. Rob doesn’t hate her and he’s not mad… he just doesn’t get why she did it.” The question plagues him even as he keeps his cool through awkward interviews. Adds the insider, “He loves her and thinks about her constantly.”

*So what does Kristen tell Rob? “She insists that she and Rupert Sanders never had sex” and that Sanders pursued HER. “Rupert’s manipulative,” says the insider. “She didn’t go after this guy – he sought her out and she stupidly went for it.”

*Still, she’s pragmatic: “The heartache with Rob is so much to bear, but Kristen has always valued her career. She doesn’t want this to jeopardize her future in acting.”

*Rob is selling the Los Feliz home they shared. “He said there are too many memories.”

*Rob and Kristen’s friends think they’ll get back together eventually. “Right now their relationship isn’t defined. Rob’s dealing with a lot of indecision, but their mutual friends think they will get back together. Kristen, after all, has said she wants to have his children.” As for Rob, “He’s a great guy. This truly isn’t the end of them.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition]

The thing that caught my eye is the now-constant blame-shift onto Rupert Sanders. HE IS THE BAD MAN, Team Kristen has been saying. He manipulated her! He’s older! He’s powerful! She’s an idiot and he took advantage of her! He came on to her! Once again, she’s an idiot! She’s not to blame because she’s just a dumb kid! And of course, the ever important claim: THEY NEVER SLEPT TOGETHER. You know what? Stop it, Team Kristen. I have no problem believing that Rupert Sanders is a bad dude, a sleaze, a dirtbag, a manipulative POS. But Kristen really needs to own her sh-t. It takes two to tango, even if the tango partner is an idiot.

Meanwhile, Radar has a funny little story about how this scandal is making Kristen a more spiritual person. A source told Radar, “Kristen is trying to find some inner peace within herself. And she is reading a lot… Strangely enough, the one author that has really been resonating with her is Gandhi, who she decided to find out more about after watching Eat, Pray Love. She began reading a biography of his life, then turned to Gandhi’s own writing because she was seeking solace. The quote that particularly stands out for her is, ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’ While she doesn’t know if Rob could forgive her, that statement has tempered her own regret. The remorse she has isn’t completely gone, but Gandhi’s words have certainly helped her find peace with the whole situation. Kristen isn’t beating herself up over it, she’s accepted that everyone makes mistakes and she has to learn from it.” OMG. GIRL, DO NOT INVOKE THE MAHATMA’S GOOD NAME IN YOUR STUPID TWIHARD SCANDAL.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Interview Magazine.

I think it’s a good thing that Kristen Stewart has begun to emerge from her Twihard Exile. Some people are still pissed off at her, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look at new photos of her. Pop Sugar had the first exclusive pics of Kristen, but I think she was photographed again yesterday – are these pics new? Could be. Anyway, now that this week’s tabloids are slowly beginning to come in, let’s see How Kristen Is Doing. Because that’s a thing now – everyone has to have an opinion on How Kristen Is Doing.

*Allegedly, Kristen has definitely not been back to the house she once shared with Robert Pattinson. Sources say she’s been “bouncing back and forth” between her parents’ Woodland Hills home and her girlfriend Scout Taylor Compton’s house.

*Not that Kristen has been sleeping much! Kristen “cried herself to sleep every night”. Us Weekly gets even harsher – their source says: “She isn’t sleeping and she stays up all night crying. She’s close to a total meltdown.” Kristen “can’t do anything” and she’s “so distraught.”

*Kristen’s parents “are begging her to stay with them. Because they’re worried she can’t deal with this on her own.”

*Hollywood Life has a source close to Summit Entertainment who says that Robert Pattinson has already let it be known that he is “not interested” in speaking to Kristen or spending any time with her during the promotion of Breaking Dawn Part II. The source says, “Kristen Stewart is definitely still in love with Rob and is going through the motions of a breakup. She really wants him back but Rob is not interested in talking to her right now and that is certainly making things difficult for the plans on doing any press together for when Twilight comes out… Chances of them being in the same room is highly unlikely. They are going to have the timing of interviews timed out to prevent awkward encounters.”

[Via Hollywood Life, various stories]

I actually think Team Kristen is overselling her devastation a little bit, in the hopes that she’ll magically seem sympathetic if we think she’s just torturing herself in the wake of the scandal. I don’t think she’s really torturing herself – I think she feels bad, for sure, and she’s probably depressed and all. But I also think she’s preparing herself to move on. Either that, or she’s preparing herself to win Rob back during the publicity tour for Breaking Dawn. I actually think that might be a real possibility.

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter had an interesting, Twihardy, anonymously-written piece about The Dilemma of Kristen Stewart, and why people should back off and why Kristen’s apology – issued hours into the scandal – totally backfired. You can read the full piece here.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

This week’s tabloids are full of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson drama, of course, but I’ve noticed a new trend this week: the separation of Sparkles and K-Stew stories. In previous weeks, the tabloids joined stories about Rob and Kristen together, even though they were physically (and emotionally) apart. Now the tabloids are going full-steam-ahead with “How Kristen is Doing” stories and then, on a separate page, “How Rob is Doing.” Fascinating, I know. So, here are some of the stories about how Kristen is doing. The consensus: not all that great. The Enquirer has a decent story on Kristen’s new Shame-Spiral Diet. It’s sort of like The Zone, only replace meat with cigarettes and replace bacon with Red Bull.

Heartbroken and ashamed over her scandalous affair, Kristen Stewart has virtually stopped eating and is basically “living on” a dangerous diet of Red Bull and cigarettes, say sources. Friends are horrified at Kristen’s gaunt appearance and fear for her health as she apparently punishes herself for betraying Robert Pattinson.

“Kristen is a nervous wreck and existing on a diet of cigarettes, sugar-free Red Bull and the occasional bag of potato chips,” revealed an insider. “She’s been hiding out at the LA home of a producer friend and is looking pale and worn-out. Whenever anyone tries to push her to eat even a small bowl of soup, she either claims that she’s just had something, which isn’t true, or that she’s nauseous and there’s no chance of keeping anything down.”

“Kristen is grief-stricken and has hit rock-bottom. In many ways, Kristen living off cigs and Red Bull is a way of punishing herself.” Kristen has also refused friends’ pleas to see a therapist, said the source, adding: “Part of her just doesn’t want to feel better.”

[From The Enquirer, print edition]

Honestly, when you’re that age, you can get away with that kind of “diet” with little to no consequences. When I was in college, I lived on Diet Pepsi, cigs and chips as well. I still have a potato chip problem to this day. SWEET CARBS. Gah! What was I saying? Ah, yes. Here’s the thing: I always hate when a tabloid gets all hand-wringy about a young actress’s “radical” diet because in another week, they’ll be praising Kristen for her amazing “Breakup Diet” and claiming she never looked better. My point? Mixed messages don’t help any woman’s body image issues. And if Kristen wants to live on cigs and Red Bull for a month, just let her. It’s a phase. Let her smoke some weed and she’ll want something more substantial – like a Slushie and a hawt derg. Dude!

In Touch Weekly also has a story about all of the lies Kristen has told Robert about the length and extent of her affair with Rupert Sanders. Initially, she told Rob is was a one-time thing, then she told him the affair began in May, as she promoted SWATH. Now she’s admitting that it “was a torrid affair that went on for months, but Kristen’s been telling Rob it was only physical. But he knows she’s lying. He wants her to admit it was more than sex – that she developed feelings for Rupert.” Here’s something new we haven’t heard before: Rupert and Kristen text messaged each other all the time, and Rob asked Kristen if he could see the texts, and she claimed she’d deleted all of them. I have this image of Robert Pattinson investigating all of Kristen’s lies with the help of Miss Marple. For real. *raises monocle* It was Col. Mustard in the Mini Cooper! His weapon? The dong!

Last story – Kristen is now confirmed for the Toronto Film Festival. She’ll be there to promote On the Road. That should be happening in… three weeks or so. Will she stay in hiding until then? Will have to wait until Toronto to see her Amazing Red Bull Diet Body? You know some tabloid is going to frame it that way.

Photos courtesy of Fame, Flaunt Mag, WENN.

TMZ has a story up which is making me feel kind of… ugh. Throughout the Kristen Stewart-Rupert Sanders cheating scandal, there has been a constant debate/conversation about feminism, misogyny, “homewrecking” and the role of the media as some kind of morality police. While I definitely think Kristen Stewart has received the brunt of the criticism – unfairly – I do understand WHY that happened, and I always thought it had less to do with misogyny and more to do with fame. Rupert Sanders hasn’t taken as big of a public hit because he simply did not have a public profile before the scandal. Whereas Kristen was and is arguably one of the most famous women in the world. Most people think Rupert is a POS, of course, but Kristen is the one who riles up emotions and she’s the “newsworthy” one. Anyway, TMZ has a story in which sources close to Kristen claim she’s “furious” that she’s “taking all the heat” from the affair:

Kristen Stewart has publicly shown remorse over her affair with her “Snow White and the Huntsman” director, but privately she is FURIOUS she’s taking all the heat … sources directly connected with Kristen tell TMZ.

Our sources tell us … Kristen can’t believe the public isn’t painting Rupert Sanders as the bad guy. She’s grousing that he’s 19 years her senior and was “in a position of power over her” … being a director of a movie she had just shot and presumably someone she was going to work with again.

Kristen is also incensed that she’s being called the big cheater. Although she knows she shouldn’t have done it because she was in a committed relationship with Robert Pattinson, she feels Rupert is in a totally different and far more culpable situation, being married with 2 kids.

We’re told Kristen fears her career may be irreparably damaged — something she believes she doesn’t deserve as a 22-year-old single woman who made a stupid mistake.

[From TMZ]

Yeah. She’s partly right – Rupert is equally culpable in the affair, and he deserves more criticism, more of a career hit, more of public outcry. But this whole argument of “Rupert was in a position of power over her” – really? It reminds me of the People Mag story two weeks ago in which “sources close to Kristen” claimed that “Rupert had been infatuated with [Kristen] since the production [of SWATH], but she always kept it professional because she loved [Robert Pattinson]. She still does. It only became a flirtation recently, and she was lured into a brief situation that she never wanted.” I simply don’t buy Kristen as a victim, preyed upon by an older man who had a position of power over her. SWATH was Rupert Sanders’ first film as a director, and he pretty much only got the make the film because Kristen and Charlize signed on. I think Kristen’s playing the victim in the hopes of garnering some sympathy, and that pisses me off. Was Kristen young and dumb, and did she make a horrible mistake? Yes. Should she have to “pay” for that mistake by eating sh-t for a while? Yep. Will playing the “pity poor me” card too soon end up causing a backlash? Probably. Will she be fine a year from now? Yep.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

The header photo is a new pic of Jennifer Lawrence in the September issue of Vogue – Vogue profiled some of the coolest, most fashionable people under the age of 45, and J-Law made the list. And this photo is really… something. I love her body. I love that she looks strong. I’m including some photos at the end of the post of Jennifer coming from the gym too – crazy body.

Over the past year or so, there were lots of rumors about a potential “rivalry” between Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart, arguably two of the most well-known young actresses in Hollywood right now. Kristen spent the last four years as the romantic lead in one of the most successful franchises of all time – and Jennifer Lawrence just began another franchise which will make as much money, if not more. Jennifer also auditioned for the “Bella Swan” role, if I remember correctly, and it’s believed that Jennifer and Kristen are often up for the same roles, and that will probably continue for years to come. Kristen allegedly scored the lead role in William Styron’s Lie Down in Darkness, which Jennifer was very vocal about wanting too. But it will interesting to see how their personal lives diverge – Kristen’s personal life is a mess right now (do I really need to recap that?), while Jennifer is happily dating Nicholas Hoult, and they seem very stable and happy. Well, according to Radar, that’s by design. Sources say J-Law would never screw around on HER boyfriend:

There’s no love lost between Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart, as the Hunger Games actress aims a dig at her troubled rival, telling pals she would never cheat with a married man, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The 22-year-old Oscar nominated starlet, who is soon to reprise her role as the fearless Katniss Everdeen in the smash hit sci-fi film, is often hit on by older, married movie directors. However, unlike some, she claims that she definitely won’t ever be tempted to stray from her British actor boyfriend Nicholas Hoult.

“Jennifer has a healthy rivalry with Kristen, but she thinks that the cheating scandal she got caught up in could have been avoided,” a source close to Lawrence revealed. “Recently, although she didn’t say Kristen’s name directly, she couldn’t resist having a subtle dig at her rival. She told a group of friends that she would never two-time Nicholas. Jennifer then went on to say that she has received attention from many older men, especially powerful movie directors in the past, and would never want to jeopardize her career by getting involved with a married man. She was clearly referring to Kristen’s liaison with Rupert,” the source said.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the bitter rivals were recently embroiled in a battle for the lead role in the big screen adaptation of William Styron’s novel, Lie Down in Darkness.

This time, it was Kristen that was rubbing her hands with glee as she beat her nemesis to the part. It was much needed relief for the 22-year-old actress after suffering the fallout for her affair with married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.

“Kristen is obviously down about what happened with her and Robert Pattinson, but she was thrilled when she found out she beat Jennifer Lawrence to a movie role,” a source told RadarOnline.com

“She is insanely jealous of Jennifer, not just because she feels The Hunger Games has stolen some of Twilight’s thunder, but because everyone was talking about her as such a beautiful actress. Kristen has never been comfortable in her own skin and feels threatened by Jennifer’s good looks. And the thing with Jennifer is, she isn’t just attractive, she’s a talented actor.

“Jennifer’s a threat to Kristen, she’s only a year younger, so chances are they will continue to battle it out for the same movie roles. The pair of them are very competitive too; they won’t give up any future roles without a fight,” the source said.

[From Radar]

Of course, the majority of this crap is just the media/gossip/tabloid world pitting two young women against each other, hoping for the next “great rivalry” like Aniston versus Jolie or something like that. But… I do think that Kristen and Jennifer do keep an eye on what the other one is doing, you know? There is a healthy sense of competition, and I don’t see how that’s anything to be ashamed of. Women shouldn’t be afraid to openly compete with each other in the professional world, but when it devolves into “She’s a trampire!” and “She’s fat!” arguments, it really doesn’t serve the greater good.

Photos courtesy of Vogue, WENN.

As many of you already noted in yesterday’s post, it’s not a sure thing that Kristen Stewart has been dropped from the sequel for Snow White and the Huntsman. More than 24 hours ago, The Hollywood Reporter (re: not a tabloid, an actual industry-heavy publication that often breaks news) reported that Kristen was out of the sequel, and that it was the studio that dropped her. THR’s sources seem to have come from the studio (Universal), and I made the point that it sounded more like Kristen wasn’t jazzed about the sequel, and the studio wasn’t jazzed about her, and they came to a mutual breakup. But now studio sources are scrambling, claiming that Universal has not made any decisions either way:

Still the fairest one of all? Kristen Stewart has not been fired or dropped from a planned Snow White and the Huntsman sequel, a rep for Universal tells Us Weekly.

Late Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the 22-year-old star — infamously caught last month cheating on boyfriend Robert Pattinson with the film’s married director Rupert Sanders — “will not be invited to return” to the franchise.

But The Hollywood Reporter got it wrong.

Clarifies a Universal spokesperson to Us: “We are exploring options to continue the franchise and no decisions have been made.”

Starring Stewart and Chris Hemsworth in the title roles plus Charlize Theron, the fairy-tale inspired action-fantasy film grossed nearly $400 million worldwide — making Stewart the only Twilight headline star to see major blockbuster success outside of the vampire franchise.

[From Us Weekly]

Universal Co-Chairman Donna Langley also released a statement: “We are extremely proud of Snow White and the Huntsman and we’re currently exploring all options to continue the franchise. Any reports that Kristen Stewart has been dropped are false.” Hm.

So how did THR (and Deadline) get it so wrong? Could it have been a case of some studio people mouthing off before any official decisions were made? Was it a case of sending out a test balloon to see how people would react to the idea of Kristen being dropped from the SWATH sequel? Or was it like I originally thought, that Kristen isn’t excited about the prospect of returning for a sequel, and the studio was making plans in case she doesn’t return? Whatever the situation, I’m not going to play the “pity poor Kristen” game with this one, because given her withdrawal from Cali and her current lack of visibility, I really think she’s the one making the decision to drop out of sight for a while.

Meanwhile, to make matters even worse for Kristen, all of Robert Pattinson’s friends are encouraging him to completely dump her. Us Weekly claims Tom Sturridge and his baby mama Sienna Miller (who knows a thing or two about homewrecking) have been “begging Rob to end it for good… they think she will hurt Rob again.” Kristen’s friends told Us Weekly, “Her friends think she doesn’t know how to deal with this” because Rob is the one playing noncommittal and let’s-play-it-by-ear. Ah, how the tables have turned.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

First off, I want to mention that I didn’t choose to use this photo of Kristen Stewart in the Reem Acra boob dress as any sort of “scarlet lady” reference. It’s just that there aren’t exactly any new KStew photos floating around lately (since she’s still largely in hiding), and I still do think that she looked completely lovely in this dress. Also, I hope that the recent news of Kristen Stewart being reportedly dropped from the SWATH sequel has more to do with money (as in, Kristen’s huge salary requirements) than any sort of reputation damage because it would really be a d-ck move if the studio canned the scorned woman and let douchebag Rupert Sanders keep making money from the franchise. Now onto the actual story.

Jodie Foster has penned an essay for the Daily Beast in the wake of the groping scandal, but while she defends Kristen, Jodie keeps the essay very general in terms of child stars and the pressures they face from both the media and the public. She makes no mention of Kristen getting it on with a married director, and Jodie also doesn’t make it a point to call out Rupert Sanders either. Still, Jodie makes a few valid points. After all, she herself rose to child-star fame in Taxi Driver, and Jodie worked with a 12-year-old Kristen very closely while they filmed Panic Room together. Certainly, Jodie’s intentions are good here, but she seems to be arriving at an erroneous conclusion that former child stars should be given a free pass and, as such, should be forgiven for shady moves that they make well after they reach adulthood. At age 22, Kristen is no longer a child star, and she (just like Rupert) surely knew that what happened in the back of that Mini Cooper (and likely elsewhere) was wrong. Apparently, Jodie doesn’t see it that way:

On her own career: “I have been an actress since I was 3 years old, 46 years to date. I have no memories of a childhood outside the public eye. I am told people look to me as a success story. Often complete strangers approach me and ask, How have you stayed so normal, so well-adjusted, so private? I usually lie and say, ‘Just boring I guess.’ The truth is, like some curious radioactive mutant, I have invented my own gothic survival tools. I have fashioned rules to control the glaring eyes. Maybe I’ve organized my career choices to allow myself (and the ones I truly love) maximum personal dignity. In my era, through discipline and force of will, you could still manage to reach for a star-powered career and have the authenticity of a private life. Sure, you’d have to lose your spontaneity in the elaborate architecture. You’d have to learn to submerge beneath the foul air and breathe through a straw. But at least you could stand up and say, I will not willfully participate in my own exploitation. Not anymore. If I were a young actor or actress starting my career today in the new era of social media and its sanctioned hunting season, would I survive? Would I drown myself in drugs, sex, and parties? Would I be lost?”

She wouldn’t do it today: “I’ve said it before and I will say it again: if I were a young actor today I would quit before I started. If I had to grow up in this media culture, I don’t think I could survive it emotionally. I would only hope that someone who loved me, really loved me, would put their arm around me and lead me away to safety. Sarah Tobias would never have danced before her rapists in The Accused. Clarice would never have shared the awful screaming of the lambs to Dr. Lecter. Another actress might surely have taken my place, opened her soul to create those characters, surrendered her vulnerabilities. But would she have survived the paparazzi peering into her windows, the online harassment, the public humiliations, without overdosing in a hotel room or sticking her face with needles until she became unrecognizable even to herself?”

On working with Kristen: “In 2001 I spent 5 months with Kristen Stewart on the set of Panic Room mostly holed up in a space the size of a Manhattan closet. We talked and laughed for hours, sharing spontaneous mysteries and venting our boredom. I grew to love that kid. She turned 11 during our shoot and on her birthday I organized a mariachi band to serenade her at the taco bar while she blew out her candles. She begrudgingly danced around a sombero with me but soon rushed off to grip and electric department’s basketball game. Her mother and I watched her jump around after the ball, hooting with every team basket. ‘She doesn’t want to be an actor when she grows up, does she?’ I asked. Her mom sighed. ‘Yes … unfortunately.’ We both smiled and shrugged with an ambivalence born from experience. ‘Can’t you talk her out of it?’ I offered. ‘Oh, I’ve tried. She loves it. She just loves it.’ More sighs. We watched her run around the court for a while, both of us silent, each thinking our own thoughts. I was pregnant at the time and found myself daydreaming of the child I might have soon. Would she be just like Kristen? All that beautiful talent and fearlessness … would she jump and dunk and make me so proud?”

On Kristen, post-scandal: “Cut to: Today … A beautiful young woman strides down the sidewalk alone, head down, hands drawn into fists. She’s walking fast, darting around huge men with black cameras thrusting at her mouth and chest. ‘Kristen, how do you feel?’ ‘Smile Kris!’ ‘Hey, hey, did you get her?’ ‘I got her. I got her!’ The young woman doesn’t cry. F–k no. She doesn’t look up. She’s learned. She keeps her head down, her shades on, fists in her pockets. Don’t speak. Don’t look. Don’t cry.”

[From Daily Beast]

Okay, I can see how this essay happened, for Jodie obviously adores Kristen and wants to add some kind words into the shuffle and hopefully mitigate some of the fallout that has been aimed at Kristen. However, she’s really framing the issue wrong. The venom aimed at Kristen has little to do with the fact that she is a very famous former child star at all. It’s got everything to do with the fact that she’s consistently coveted an attitude — and pretended to be above it all — while still boning her Hollywood director like a clichéd starlet. Also, Rupert is married with two kids, and yes, he is a total douche.

At the same time, it’s great that a prominent female is speaking up for Kristen. But I also find it problematic that she’s receiving support from Jodie, who isn’t exactly a great judge of character. Case in point: Jodie’s defense of KStew is unavoidably tainted by the fact that she’s also provided unwavering support for woman-beater Mel Gibson and child-rapist Roman Polanski. So yes … dilemma.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN

Oh no! Bad news for Kristen Stewart. It looks like her career really IS going to take a hit after she Mini-Cooper’d her married director, Rupert Sanders. In the immediate wake of the Sanders-Stewart scandal, it was widely reported that Kristen was still attached to a sequel of Snow White and the Huntsman, and although Sanders wasn’t contractually obligated to direct the sequel, he could and might do it. Well… not so much, for some of it. The Hollywood Reporter says that SWATH will be getting a sequel, and that Rupert Sanders might have something to do with it… but Kristen Stewart will not be returning. It’s just going to be about “The Huntsman” now. Which means another vehicle for Chris Hemsworth:

Universal has decided to shelf its planned Snow White and the Huntsman sequel and is instead focusing on a solo Huntsman movie starring Chris Hemsworth. Kristen Stewart will not be invited to return if the follow-up goes forward.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the sequel to June’s Snow White, which starred Stewart, Hemsworth and Charlize Theron, is being reconceived as a spinoff movie. It’s unclear whether director Rupert Sanders will return, though one source with ties to the production says he will.

However, screenwriter David Koepp, who had been hired to pen the continuation of the original film, is being settled out of his rich contract, according to sources, as the project is being transformed into something other than the movie that Koepp had been hired to write.

“The studio is currently exploring options to continue the franchise,” a Universal spokeswoman says.

The move comes in the wake of Stewart, 22, and the married Sanders, 41, apologizing publicly for a romantic affair after compromising photos of the duo were published in July. (Stewart was dating her Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson.) While it might have been awkward for Stewart and Sanders to reunite for a sequel, it is not clear why the decision to move forward without Stewart was made.
It is highly unusual for Hollywood studios to drop stars of franchises between the first and second installments. The original plan, according to sources, was to make two films featuring the Snow White character and a third film spinning off the Huntsman, similar to how Fox’s X-Men series has spun off Wolverine.

It’s far from clear whether a Snow White follow-up will ever get made. The movie was a modest hit for Universal, grossing $389.2 million worldwide on a budget of about $170 million. But Stewart, one of Hollywood’s top stars thanks to the Twilight franchise, commands a hefty salary. Declining to pick up her option would shave millions from the budget of a second movie.

Universal is looking for a new writer, and insiders hope to start filming in July when Hemsworth, who also stars in Marvel’s Thor series, becomes available.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

The wording on this is very weird. At first, I really thought it was the studio completely behind this decision, but after re-reading the report… I’m not so sure. I think Kristen Stewart might have gone to the studio with some qualms about the sequel, and they were like, “Eh, maybe we just won’t have you in the sequel anyway” and Kristen rolled her eyes and said “Whatever, dude.” It just feels more like a mutual split rather than a studio bouncing Kristen from a sequel. It feels like Kristen is trying to pull back from roles that will “look bad” – like playing a trampy little thing in Cali, or working with Rupert Sanders again in a SWATH sequel.

Maybe she just needs or wants some time off. Which might not be the worst thing. Whenever a young actor gets in over their head, I always suggest it: take a year off, get out of LA, get out of your own headspace. Go travel the world, do some charity work and come back in a year, refreshed and ready to work. Kristen should do that.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Kristen Stewart had already begun to do some photo shoots to promote her role in On the Road, plus some added promotion for her gig as the face of Balenciaga’s new perfume, Florabotanica. Unfortunately for all of us, these meager photo shoots and the odd quote here and there will probably be all we hear from Kristen for the next two months, and I want to be clear: all of this stuff happened BEFORE she was caught publicly grinding on Rupert Sanders. I’m including scans from a photo shoot Kristen did with Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund for the September issue of Marie Claire (I believe the shoot went down in Cannes), plus a nice photo in the issue of the September Vogue with Balenciaga’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere. I seriously doubt anything untoward happened between Kristen and Nicolas. But I’m itching to hear more about Kristen’s working relationship with Garrett Hedlund. Because… yeah, I could see that.

Meanwhile, we’re now about 36 hours away from Robert Pattinson’s first public appearance (on television) since the cheating scandal. Tomorrow night, he will appear on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and while I doubt the interview will be some kind of weepy, emotional confessional, I suspect we’ll have a better idea of how Rob feels, and whether or not he and Kristen are still together. That’s where a lot of the speculation has been this week – are they still together? Eh. Rob and Kristen weren’t listed on this year’s Forbes list of “Highest Paid Celebrity Couples” (which was released last week) – many saw their exclusion as some kind of sign, and they were right. A spokesperson for Forbes told HuffPo, “Stewart and Pattinson were, in fact, left off of the list because they are broken up.” GAH! Does Forbes have inside information? Probably not. Because a lot of outlets are claiming that Rob is considering giving Kristen another chance:

Robert Pattinson is making his way through the typical stages of heartbreak, and a source close to the Twilight star exclusively tells RadarOnline.com he’s over the anger phase and is even contemplating a reconciliation with Kristen Stewart.

“Rob was super angry for the first couple of weeks. Angry at Kristen for ruining what they had, angry at her for the public embarrassment, angry at Rupert [Sanders],” the source revealed. “But he’s starting to wind down and really think about what he’s going to do regarding his relationship with Kristen. He goes back and forth…”

According to the insider, Rob has been leaning on a select group of friends for support — and they’re giving him conflicting advice!

“There’s definitely some friends who think he should just move on from Kristen, but then there are others who still think Rob and Kristen really have a special connection and want him to give her another chance,” the source said. “He has a lot to think about and hasn’t decided either way right now.”

Rob, 26, has his first public appearance scheduled for Monday when he goes on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote his new flick Cosmopolis, and the insider said he’s nervous.

“Rob’s always been a bit of an awkward nervous guy, but his appearances in New York next week have him frazzled,” the source said. “He’s keen on promoting his new movie, but he really doesn’t want to address his personal life or the cheating scandal because he’s just not ready yet and doesn’t want to say anything he’d regret.”

[From Radar]

I still don’t think we can judge the state of their relationship at this point. Rob loves her, he wants to believe her, he wants to get through the Breaking Dawn promotion with as little drama as possible. After they finish out the year… all bets are off. I think I might enjoy it a little bit if Rob feigned lovely-dovey feelings for Kristen for a few months and then unceremoniously dumped her as soon as the film promotion was over.

Photos courtesy of Vogue, Marie Claire.

Gah! There are 20 million new Kristen Stewart and Twihard Meltdown stories this morning. FOR WHY? What’s surprising is how many of this morning’s stories are not tabloid-related. Yesterday, we covered several of the reports in this week’s tabloids, most of them revolving around whether or not Robert Pattinson would take Kristen Stewart back, or whether they’ve even broken up at all. I still don’t know… but I tend to think they’ll play nice until Breaking Dawn promotion is over, don’t you? Meanwhile, here are some of the stories floating around:

*Shortly after the affair with Rupert Sanders broke, Kristen seemed to score a part in the film Cali. Alex Pettyfer was circling the project too, potentially as Kristen’s love interest. But! Gossip Cop says that Kristen is no longer going to appear in the film, and that Amber Heard has been offered Kristen’s role. Maybe it was just a bad project (it didn’t sound good, honestly), or maybe Kristen is just going to devote herself to making Sparkles love her.

*Kristen has pulled out of the London premiere of On the Road, which was scheduled for August 16, a week from today. A source tells Radar, “Kristen won’t be doing the red carpet for On The Road – she’s too ashamed to show her face in public right now… she’s running scared at the moment. There’s also the dilemma of standing next to her co-star in the movie, Tom Sturridge. He’s very close to Rob and Kristen thinks it would be awkward for her to promote the movie on the red carpet alongside him. Kristen is very proud of her work for On The Road, she grew up reading Kerouac novels and this is a production she always wanted to star in. If she appears at the London premiere, it will detract people from the movie itself and Kristen doesn’t want that at all. She wants her performance and this film to be recognized for what it is – a great adaptation of a classic book.” Is this unprofessional or simply pragmatic? I think it’s both. On one side, it would have been a huge drama and “event” if she had come to the premiere, and she would have pulled focus in a bad way. On the other side… extra attention for the movie, and she would have made the professional move, you know?

*Kristen and Robert appear on the cover of this week’s Entertainment Weekly – I showed the cover yesterday. It’s basically a preview of Breaking Dawn Part 2, and the interviews with Kristen and Rob were done at Comic-Con, just a week before the scandal broke. Kristen was full of it, per usual:

Just days before the cheating scandal erupted, Kristen Stewart said she knew a lot of actors who could affect an artificial public persona – but she wasn’t one of them.

“I’ve never been able to fully form this thing, this persona, that some people are so f—ing good at. That’s an art. I know a lot of actors [who can do that] and you guys aren’t them,” she said, gesturing to Lautner and Pattinson.

“I don’t like people like that,” Stewart told Entertainment Weekly at San Diego’s Comic-Con in mid-July. “People who are a complete non-person but somehow through the lens seem like they are on and interesting and engaged. … I don’t want anyone leaving and saying, ‘God, that girl is so fake.’ ”

She added: “People tell me to make it easier on myself and to play a character when I go out on carpets and stuff. But you know what? I’d rather be me.”

Stewart was interviewed by EW while sitting next to Pattinson and their costar Taylor Lautner to promote the latest Twilight installment, Breaking Dawn: Part 2.

The magazine reports, “Nothing seemed amiss” and that the trio “were particularly relaxed.”

About 10 days later, Stewart, 22, admitted to cheating on Robert Pattinson, 26 with her married Snow White and the Huntsman director.

[From EW & People Mag]

She doesn’t want anyone calling her fake? Too bad. I think she’s the fakest of fake bitches. She’s always been this “affected” and trying-too-hard to be a hardcore, hipster chick. And considering she was in the midst of “faking” a loving relationship with Rob Pattinson while she was screwing around with Rupert Sanders… yeah. FAKE.

And to end this on a nicer note, Sparkles has been receiving lots of gifts, flowers and chocolates from fans in the wake of the scandal. So what does Sparkles do? He donates them to hospitals. A source tells Radar, “Robert has been incredibly touched by the support he has received from the Twihards since news of Kristen’s affair with Rupert broke. He’s been inundated with boxes of chocolates, roses, notes that have slammed Kristen and asked how he is, as well as bizarre marriage proposals. However, his kind-heart has got the better of him, and in a selfless act he decided to send all the gifts he received to local hospitals and senior citizens’ homes. Robert didn’t feel like he deserved any of the presents and didn’t want them going to waste. So, he decided to redirect them to places he felt warranted receiving such gifts.” Nice. I bet he kept some of the chocolates, though. Sparkles has a sweet tooth, and he loves his M&Ms.

Photos courtesy of VF and WENN.