I pretty much ignore these reality show couples because I get enough trashy gossip from the news without being subjected to the fattening goodness that is American reality television. It also seems like the celebrities that are created by these shows are somehow less worthy than your average actor, actress, or model, but maybe Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have ruined it for all aspiring reality stars.

As only a casual observer of the Dancing With the Stars relationship between Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff, it seemed real enough to me. After all, there were makeout bikini pictures and everything, and if that doesn’t spell relationship I don’t know what does. Lopez hooked up with his professional dance partner Smirnoff on the show last year and the two were seen everywhere together. There was even news this spring that they were moving in together, but all Lopez would admit was that “they were great friends” and had “a very special relationship.”

Lopez hasn’t changed his story, and instead of admitting that they’re no longer together, he’s insisting they were just friends the entire time and never lived together. Maybe this is true and a mountain was just made out of a publicity molehill:

“We [Karina and I] were always friends,” he told Life & Style at EA’s Need for Speed ProStreet video game launch party on November 14. “We were never dating. I don’t know where that rumor started.” Photos tell a different story. And weren’t they living together? “No, no, I live… that’s not the case,” he insisted. “I haven’t seen her. I’ve been out of town.”

[From Life & Style print edition, December 3, 2007]

These two hit every red carpet together and were often photographed holding hands and kissing, and Lopez says he doesn’t know how that rumor started. This is the guy who was married for two whole weeks, so it’s not like he’s has a high level of maturity. He’s also “just friends” with Eva Longoria, and has been the subject of gay rumors. It sounds to me like he’s just an asshole.

Lopez and Smirnoff are shown on 10/6/07 at his birthday party, so they must have broken up recently. They are also seen out at a 50 Cent show on 9/8/07, and holding hands in Paris on 7/7/07, which must have been for Eva Longoria’s wedding. Look at how she’s looking at him! I want to smack that guy across the face. You can say you’re no longer with someone, but don’t deny that you ever had a relationship, that’s cold!

Thanks to PRPhotos and Splash News for those pictures.

This is a strange little story, but here’s the skinny:

Allegedly, Mario Lopez stole at least one flower arrangement from the Southern California Home and Garden Show where he was booked as a guest on August 18.

Ben Widdicombe over at Gatecrasher says Lopez took the flower arrangement when HGTV’s “Red, Hot and Green” host Danny Seo was doing organic flower arrangement demonstrations and noticed some of his flowers were missing. According to Seo:

“Mario Lopez was also booked, and he took the flowers with him when he left! He outright asked a stagehand, ‘Can I take these for my girlfriend?’ and the poor kid was like, ‘Sure, I guess.’ He basically took my props as a gift for someone else!”

[Gatecrasher - NYDN]

I’m guessing the “girlfriend” is probably Karina Smirnoff, his “Dancing With The Stars” partner turned love interest, but why would Lopez actually steal flowers? Is he so cheap that he can’t buy a bouquet? At least Lopez had the foresight to ask first, so maybe Seo should be ticked at the stagehand who gave him the go-ahead in the first place.

[Header image: PR Photos]

Reliable news source In Touch is reporting that a witness saw Britney in a restaurant bathroom with a purse full of pills, including antidepressant Paxil and the antianxiety drug Xanax. Britney is said to have popped a Xanax right in front of everyone. You’re probably not supposed to mix those drugs, and you’re definitely not supposed to drink with them. At least they’re legal if she has a prescription for them:

On November 27 Britney dined at Dan Tana’s restaurant in West Hollywood – where she was also spotted carrying a glass of red wine out to her car before taking the wheel – and during a visit to the powder room a fellow diner caught a glimpse inside her handbag.

The source told In Touch Weekly magazine: “It looked like a pharmacy in there – I have never seen so many pills.

“There was a bottle of Paxil, an antidepressant, and a bottle of Xanax, which treats anxiety, that she took out and put on the counter.”

The directions for both these drugs state they should not be mixed with alcohol.

Taking some medication isn’t that damning. I mean Britney never goes home so she has to take her meds somewhere. She shouldn’t be drinking too, and driving, and neglecting her kids, but whatever. I was going to mention something about breastfeeding, but it’s not prohibited while you’re on Paxil and that seems to be a non-issue with little miss vag.

Oh I read a doubtful rumor yesterday that Britney was in talks to design her own panty line. She name-dropped Victoria’s Secret on her website, so it’s possible.

There’s also this explosive news that K-Fed is accusing Britney of banging Mario Lopez when she hung out in Vegas with him one weekend. According to The National Enquirer (as reported by Splash News, and it must be the print version because it’s not on their website) K-Fed says that Britney bragged about how she slept with Lopez, and that she spent a whole weekend holed up with him in a Vegas hotel:

Mario Lopez and Britney Spears met in the high rollers lounge at The Palms Casino when Britney was in town recording some tracks for her new album. This chance meeting led to a two day sex romp in Britney’s hotel room.

Honestly, I don’t know if any of this is true because they story comes from someone in Kevin Federline’s camp but here are some highlights of the story:

Kevin Federline is demanding that his baby son Jayden James is blood-tested to see if hard-partying Britney is putting him at risk by breastfeeding.

When she was introduced to Mario, she giggled, ‘I’ve heard so much about you.’ Mario replied, ‘I hope it was good.’ With a wicked grin, Britney said, ‘Oh, yes, it was very good.’

The pair headed to Moon nightclub where they put on a show on the dance floor. Britney was drinking a lot (of course) and her dancing with Mario became more and more suggestive. The two of them put on quite a show for the other patrons.

Afterwards, K-Fed heard that Mario was going around saying that Britney cried at the oddest time (gross).

Kevin says that Britney threw out that Mario was ‘better’ than he was (duh!)

And he said he wouldn’t be surprised if Britney slept with someone she just met – because that’s exactly what happened when he met Britney. (way to label your soon-to-be ex-wife and mother of your two kids a whore)

If this is true Lopez didn’t waste time moving on. He was seen kissing and groping his “Dancing with the Stars” partner, Karina Smirnoff.