I’ve always been really surprised that there wasn’t more drama between twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I can’t imagine any sisters that don’t argue - I can only wonder how hard it would be to run a multi-million dollar business empire with your twin. The 21-year-olds have spent more time apart in the last few years and have been photographed actually hanging out with people besides each other. However their business interests have remained almost entirely intertwined. While it seems like the two have been nearly joined at the hip, apparently there’s been some trouble between them, and they’ve been fighting over business and real estate decisions.

“They’ve finally had enough of each other,” says a friend. “They just don’t see eye-to-eye anymore and are tired of constantly butting heads.” Now friends say the rift between the twins seems to be growing bigger by the day. “Ashley isn’t an angel, but she’s tired of having to take care of Mary-Kate,” says the friend. “One second Mary-Kate is maniacally happy, and the next she’s sobbing. Her mood swings are dragging Mary-Kate down, and finally, Ashley’s decided she doesn’t want to go down with her.”

But no matter how they feel, the twins can’t simply ignore each other, sources say. At stake is their $100 million personal fortune - also a bone of contention between the squabbling sisters, say the insider. “Ashley’s been considering separating their assets and trusts and getting her own business manger,” the insider says.

[From Star, April 7 2008, print edition]

The Enquirer also has a similar story, saying the pair are fighting over the company and have deep-seated resentments towards one another. Apparently Mary-Kate feels Ashley manipulated her into making bad business decisions, and regrets the twins’ choice to cut their parents out of their company Dualstar.

And one of the biggest rifts between the sisters centers on their decision to “fire” their parents - David and Jarnette, who are divorced - when they took charge [of Dualstar]. Although they both agreed to the move at the time, Mary-Kate now blames Ashley for pushing her into it, says a family insider.

Mary-Kate went along with the firing in part because she was angry that her family forced her into Utah’s Cirque Lodge rehab in June of 2004 to get treatment for an eating disorder. “Mary-Kate had some real issues with the family after they put her in rehab. But now she feels like that may have colored her decision to cut them out of Dualstar. Mary-Kate now regrets her decision — on the other hand, Ashley thinks it was the right move. That’s what Mary-Kate and Ashley mainly fight about.”

[From the National Enquirer, April 7 2008, print edition]

Neither magazine says if the girls’ parents are still speaking with them, though the Enquirer notes that their dad and stepmom have publicly criticized the way they’ve run Dualstar since firing their parents. Both articles are a great example of exactly why it’s not a good idea to mix business and family. Some manage to pull it off with amazing success, but it sounds like the Olsens are starting to unravel a bit. They also bickered about the sale of their Manhattan apartment – whether to sell it, and then for how much. Their identities have always been so wrapped up in each other – at least publicly – that it seems inevitable that they’d eventually want to carve out their own niche in the world. The fighting seems sort of unavoidable to me. It seems like Ashley’s idea to separate their finances could be a really good thing, and then they could try just being sisters instead of business partners.

Here are Mary-Kate and Ashley with Karl Lagerfeld and with Mario Testino and Claudia Schiffer at the Chanel Fashion show, during Paris Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2008-2009 ready to wear collection, at the Grand Palais in Paris on March 8th. Images thanks to Splash.

You know what young people love? A good coffee table book. Yes you heard me correctly. Though older generations are known for using them simply as decor, it’s nearly impossible to make a young person not flip though a coffee table book. In fact, the real problem is the way they make notes in the margins. Most young people don’t even flip through the books casually anymore, instead preferring to take them home and read them intensely, forgetting about sleep and food and work, becoming so wrapped up as they do in coffee table books. They return the book tattered, dog-eared and highlighted. Given this generational obsession with what was formerly seen as a mere place to rest one’s mug, you can see why the Olsen twins have decided to put all their energy into a coffee table book for young people.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have signed with Penguin Young Readers to write a new book, with the working title Influence, introducing them to the towering figures that have influenced the “Business Women, Designers and Global Style Icons.” Don’t look for Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir here, though — these are more the folks you’d find on PatrickMcMullan:

Influence introduces readers to respected artists, seasoned designers and others who have influenced Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen over the past decade. The book will feature influential figures including; Christian Louboutin, Lauren Hutton, Bob Colacello, Terry Richardson, Jack Pierson and Robert Lee Morris. A coffee table book, Influence includes exclusive photographs of Ashley and Mary-Kate from world renowned photographer Rankin, and a wide variety of other never-before-seen materials and interviews from Mary-Kate and Ashley’s personal collections.

These, according to Ashley, are “the most interesting, challenging, creative people we know — the ones who helped pave the way for us and our generation.” Adds Mary-Kate: “Ashley and I interviewed the people who have inspired us, with the hope that they will inspire and teach others.”

[From the Huffington Post]

While the Olsens do have some higher-end merchandise, most of their “young person” stuff is sold at Walmart. I’m not exactly sure those are the types of teenagers who are going to be interested in hearing about Christian Louboutin and Lauren Hutton. I’m also thinking they might not be the traditional coffee table book buying type. Not that a whole lot of people their age are, mind you. Sure once in a while they may grab a coffee table book from the living room, but it’s just to use as a flat surface to eat their dinner on. Yeah I do it every night, what’s the big deal? Certainly I might feel a tad more sophisticated if I ate my Cup ‘O Noodles on an Olsen Twin couture coffee table book, but I have a feeling that I’m the only one. Though the twins are known for their business savvy, I can’t help but think this might not be their biggest seller.

Here’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at the 2007/8 Chanel Cruise Show Presented By Karl Lagerfeld in Santa Monica on May 18th. Images thanks to Splash.

In the reports of Heath Ledger’s death Mary Kate Olsen’s name just keeps appearing. First it was that Heath was renting an apartment either currently owned or once owned by Mary-Kate (not true), then it became that they shared a New York bodyguard, then it was that the masseuse worked for both of them. However, People magazine has a whole new idea: they were party buddies, or possibly a bit more.

Certainly friends, definitely party pals and maybe more, Heath Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen first met over the summer of 2006, at the time he was living at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, People has learned.

More recently, “Mary-Kate and Heath were casually dating for three months before Heath’s death,” a source has told People. “They were hooking up, but neither were particularly interested in making it exclusive.”

As for what drew the two together, says the source, “They had a bond that was based on partying, and they had the same tastes in partying … like, in terms of where they liked to hang out in New York, what time they would want to go out. They just had the same sensibility.”

People

Since splitting from Michelle Williams four months ago, Heath Ledger has been linked to Kate Hudson, Helena Christensen, Lindsay Lohan and Gemma Ward. Where did he have time to get freaky with Ms Olsen? This is also the first word I’ve heard of their partying ways, and they were probably out in public places where they might have been photographed, and I haven’t seen a picture yet. So while the two of them probably were friends, I doubt it was anything more.

I think we can pretty safely assume that the masseuse, Diane Lee Wolozin, called Mark-Kate first as she knew that she and Heath were friends. Like a lot of people in an emergency situation she possibly freaked out and couldn’t make a decision.

Fortunately the police say that it matters little the time spent on the phone with Mary-Kate, as it seems that Heath had already passed at that point.

The Olsen twins have their apartment up for sale in New York’s Greenwich Village. It has twelve rooms, one of which is a 53ft entertaining room with a center fireplace. It has a private elevator, two 100 square foot walk-in closets, and views of the Hudson River.

According to the real estate website, the 5,725 square foot apartment has some of “the most spectacular water and city views in all of Manhattan through 53 large picture windows.”

Four additional bedrooms, a powder room, four full marble baths, plus 24 hour doorman, concierge and in-house valet.

Daily Telegraph

Sound tempting? The apartment will only set you back a cool $12 million, which is quite a tidy profit for the girls, who purchased the apartment when they were nine for $7 million. They have never lived there, but rented the property for $35,000 a month.

I wish I’d been so money-smart when I was nine, maybe I was. Perhaps the weak link here is that I simply didn’t have a spare $7 million in pocket money. Really, I wish mum had pushed me into showbiz somedays, instead of making me play basketball. Fortunately, I now have my own children to be overly ambitious for, I’ll show mum how it’s really done.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here are the Olsen twins at the Annual Free Arts NYC Art and Photography Benefit Auction on May 23, 2006. It seems like they’re really trying to carve out their own identities - between selling their joint apartment and rarely being photographed together anymore. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Mary-Kate Olsen and Paris Hilton’s longtime on-off-on-but-now-off boyfriend, Stavros Niarchos, were seen making out at the Chateau Marmont on November 12. Then the two former lovers headed to Hyde for some more public canoodling. All the tabloids are buzzing with the news this week, with Life and Style stepping it up a notch by declaring a feud between Mary-Kate and Paris. They’re probably just making it up, but it could be true since Paris was said to despise Mary-Kate, who was seeing Stavros when she scooped him up. Paris is being sued by a Party planner for threats she made against him after he supposedly told Stavros to dump Paris at that time and get back with Mary-Kate. (That lawsuit looks like it has either been abandoned or settled, although it’s hard to tell.)

So even if Paris isn’t actively out for Mary-Kate’s neck, she’s probably pissed that she’s back with Stavros, even temporarily. Paris was most recently reconciled with Stavros late this summer, suggesting he’s her fallback boyfriend.

“They were super into each other,” clubgoer Susan McGinley tells Life & Style. Adds a second partyer [sic], Stacey Kives, “He was making moves and she was eating it up.”

The duo kissed passionately for a few minutes, says the first witness - and then Mary-Kate, 21, put her hand over her mouth and giggled.

One person wasn’t laughing. When Stavros’ on-again, off-again love Paris Hilton, 26, heard about the PDA, she was infuriated. “She thinks MK was publicly hooking up with Stavros just to piss her off,” says an insider close to Paris.

In fact, the insider says, Paris believes the hookup was all about revenge. Back in 2005, MK was in what she thought was a serious relationship with Stavros, 22, when the shipping heir started seeing Paris as well. “Mary-Kate has hated Paris ever since,” notes a mutual friend… Making matters worse, Nicky Hilton is now dating David Katzenberg, another one of Mary-Kate’s exes!

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

The article adds that the supposed insider claims that Paris is “totally over Stavros,” and that “she thinks he’s too young for her.”

And Mary-Kate and Stavros’ reconciliation may be more than just a fling - or not. They were also spotted out on October 24 at a fashion event, and Stavros “had his arm around her most of the night.”

Mary-Kate was most recently dating hockey player Sean Avery, but he was said to be cheating on her with his ex, Lake Bell.

MK is shown in the header image out on 10/21/07 in West Hollywood, thanks to Splash News. She is also seen in a ridiculous robe-looking coverup thing at the “7th On Sale” Black Tie Gala in NY on 11/15/07, thanks to WENN and PRPhotos. Stavros is shown outside of Hyde on 11/5/07, thanks to WENN.

Mary Kate Olsen, 21, is now single after ending a year long relationship with Max Snow last month. They were unable to make their long distance relationship work and were living on different coasts.

Now she’s said to be in a new romance with another actor who works with her on the acclaimed HBO Showtime series Weeds, 20 year-old Hunter Parris. They’ve been seen all over town together:

On screen, Mary-Kate’s character, Tara, shared some steamy scenes with Silas, played by 20-year-old Hunter. And off the set, the due has been seen out and about all over L.A., getting might cozy!

“They were at MK’s favorite hangout, Chateau Marmont, last week,” the source reports. “MK has a bungalow there, and they were sharing drinks and dinner.”

That was the second time the pair had a rondezvous at the famed… hotel. Just a few weeks ago, after the Weeds season premiere, they were there, “looking into each other’s eyes and having a great time…”

Even when hunky Hunter isn’t around, Mary-Kate can’t help cooing about him. “She was at artist Antony Micallef’s debut Los Angeles show… and I heard her saying Hunter is so cute and sexy - and a great kisser!” an eyewitness reveals. The young actor also seems to be good boyfriend material. Hunter even went shopping with Mary-Kate at Maxfield, one of her favorite L.A. stores!

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 8, 2007]

I was going to say they might just be friends if they were only seen out a couple of times weeks apart, but if he went shopping with her that clinches it. Mary-Kate’s rep says they’re just friends, and Hunter has denied that they are anything but friends, saying “It’s not true. She’s a very good actress and fun to work with. I’m sure we’ll laugh about it this week.” It seems like there’s something going on there given all the times they’ve been spotted together.

Here’s a scene from weeds featuring Mary-Kate and Hunter.

I don’t really pay much attention to either of the Olsen Twins because I never understood their appeal. They usually dress like freaks of nature, with that weird messy hair, giant witchy shoes, and purses that seem to defy the laws of psychics by staying attached to their arms while they remain upright.

I can kind of tell them apart, because I think Mary-Kate is supposed to be the punkier one, but it was never really a priority for me. Now that I’ve seen a clip of Weeds, though, (I live in Europe and it’s not here yet) I have to say that Mary-Kate is a decent actress and if she is dating that Hunter guy, good for her. He’s quite the hottie. If only she could get a hairdresser BFF maybe she could clean up her look a little.

Update: US Weekly reports that Mary-Kate says that “it’s not true” that she’s dating Hunter.

Mary-Kate and Hunter are shown in the header image in a still from Weeds found at TVGuide.com.

Everyone’s favorite former meth addict, Jodie Sweetin, (aka Stephanie Tanner from “Full House”) got married in Las Vegas this past Saturday. According to Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sweetin walked down the aisle for the second time at the famed Little Church of the West.

Jodie Sweetin, who played Stephanie in “Full House” during the sitcom’s eight-year run, got married Saturday at the Little Church of the West. Sweetin, who overcame a crystal meth addiction that cost her five teeth, married Cody Herpin, 30, of Los Angeles. Sweetin, 25, joins a long list of celebrities who married at the chapel, best known for the site of where Elvis and Ann Margret exchanged vows during the filming of “Viva Las Vegas.”

[From the Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Hopefully this marriage will work out better than her last one. Sweetin famously admitted to “Good Morning America” last year that she had developed a meth problem that cost her, (in addition to the five teeth) her marriage to her police officer husband. Sweetin claimed that after “Full House” ended, she felt a sense of loss and didn’t know what to do with herself. She tried to be normal by going to a regular high school and college, and ended up married at age 20. She quickly became bored with her life and wasn’t getting any acting jobs, and ended up experimenting with drugs and getting addicted to meth. Sweetin went on a major three-day bender, after which her friends and family (and former Full House costars including the Olsen twins, Bob Saget and John Stamos) staged an intervention. She then attended Promises (way before Britney and Lindsay made it trendy) for a six week treatment.

It seemed like she was doing a decent job of getting her act back together. Naively, at the time I wondered why she went on “Good Morning America” to announce her addiction when she’d fallen under the radar – it wasn’t like the paparazzi were stalking her or she’d gotten arrested by the cops. Then I realized it was a good story and got her back into the news, which is what she needed if she wanted to resurrect her acting career, as she claimed. Currently the gigs aren’t coming in droves, though she is the host of the prestigious “Pants off Dance off” where contestants strip down to their unmentionables while dancing to music. I smell an Emmy coming that show’s way! No wait, that’s not what I smell.

I remember seeing pictures from Jodie’s 2002 wedding, and it was the most traditional looking event I’d ever seen, complete with the poofiest veil worn since 1989. Candace Cameron was her maid of honor, and Candace’s daughter was her flower girl. It was one of those weddings that makes you think, “Hey, this girl won’t be shooting meth anytime soon.” But I guess that’s part of my naiveté. Let’s hope this works out better.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Jodie Sweetin is shown in the header image on 6/28 at a Pink Taco Restaurant opening in Century City, California. Thanks to WENN for this picture.

Celebrities are channeling Gidget these days, stepping out in minidresses with a classic 1960s silhouette. I’m definitely a fan of this shape; it’s not the most sophisticated of garments, but it’s certainly a fresh, playful look. And because a lot of these dresses have long sleeves, you can still show off your legs during the winter months without getting hypothermia. (It’s worth a shot, anyway.)

So how are the stars adapting this style to suit their personal mojos? J Lo. updates her burgundy number with rich-looking accessories and the usual bronzed-to-perfection skin, while Sienna (seen here shortly before her latest breakup with Jude) is pure 1960s fashion icon thanks to the graphic-splash neckline on her dress. Last but not least is one of the Olsen twins (I’m afraid I’ve lost the ability to tell them apart) in the pages of Teen Vogue, wearing a decidedly Austin Powers-esque go-go girl shift.

What will be next in the retro parade?

There’s plenty of news of A C-Listers getting shut out of events this morning. Like Paris Hilton, The Olsen Twins were turned away at the door. Unlike Paris Hilton, they were invited to the party but simply failed to RSVP:

The party probably sucked anyway. The French aren’t known for their hospitality, and I’m speaking from personal experience here.

Maybe they weren’t let in because summer is barely over and Mary-Kate was wearing fur. Is it just me, or does Ashley look like she had some bad work done on her face?

Here they are at the Balenciaga Paris Launch in New York recently. [via]

Nicole Richie has been seen out with toned legs, suggesting she’s been eating a little bit and using the leg press at the gym. She’s also been photographed with two different mystery guys, one semi-hot and one weird.

Now comes news that she got wasted at a party with an out of control Mary-Kate Olsen and proceeded to puke all over the floor. Nicole didn’t miss a step, though, and continued right on as if nothing had happened.

At least have the decency to go into the bathroom to puke. The few times in college I drank to the point of no return I somehow managed to make it into the bathroom in time. Of course I had more body tissue to absorb all that booze. Nicole probably has the alcohol tolerance of a child. (I was going to say toddler, but thought that sounded sick.)

Here is lovely Ms. Skin ‘n Bones filming a segment with Tyra Banks for her talkshow. Commenters on JJB note that her head looks huge and it seems to be “carrying all 80 pounds of her,” that she’s “gonna have so many health problems in a few years,” and that “she’s already bald.” What with drinking so much and not eating, it’s not much of a stretch to think she’ll have health problems. At least she gained a smidgeon of weight.

Thanks to Hollywoods Best for these pictures.