The list of celebrities that Carrie Underwood doesn’t respect must be getting pretty long. Yesterday she told website Just Jared that she thinks celebs should keep their politics to themselves, and she doesn’t respect them if they publicly support a candidate.

Carrie Underwood has a message for Oprah, Diddy, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and even Heidi and Spencer: Don’t publicly back candidates for office.

“There is someone I do support, but I don’t support publicly,” she tells TV Guide, as excerpted by Just Jared. “I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate.

“It’s saying that the American public isn’t smart enough to make their own decisions,” she goes on. “I would never want anybody to vote for anything or anybody just because I told them to.

“Music is where you go to get away from all the BS,” adds Underwood, who recently apologized for saying ex Tony Romo still calls her. “Whether it’s from politics or just the world around you, music should be an escape.”

[From Us Weekly]

I think it’s fine to keep your political opinions to yourself, but it is just as okay to shout them from the roof. Music is no one thing. It shouldn’t just be an escape. That’s one of many things it can be. It can also be about a cause, about a change, and moving people towards action. That’s pretty much the opposite of an escape.

Underwood would probably have a big problem with Beyonce, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Diddy. All of them have shown up in Philadelphia encouraging people to vote for Obama.

“Everyone is excited and it’s time,” the singer tells PopEater. “I feel like we have grown so much as a nation and we will continue to grow because of Mr. Obama.”

Beyoncé’s admiration goes beyond just the Democratic candidate himself, and extends to his entire family. “I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Obama, his wife and his children, and they are the American dream,” she says. “They are so elegant, so classy, so intelligent and everything that I want to be. They make me really proud of my country.”

The Grammy winner’s husband Jay-Z has already been a strong supporter of the campaign, performing at Obama benefits and rallies across the country.

[From OK! Magazine]

Jay-Z and Diddy both talked about how important Pennsylvania is to Obama, and encouraged everyone to get out and vote today.

“John McCain desperately needs Philadelphia, but you can tell him ‘You cannot have Pennsylvania,’” said Jay-Z.

But McCain does have a chance to win Pennsylvania’s 21 electoral votes, if voter turnout is low in urban centers like Philadelphia.

The star-studded cast of this block rally is determined to make sure that doesn’t happen.

They’re working hard to get new voters to the polls.

“It’s about the youth vote, it’s about the long lines and getting them prepared. The youth vote will decide the next president of the United States,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs. “They said we wouldn’t come out, they said we wouldn’t vote, but we’re going to shock the world tomorrow.”

[From ABC Local]

I remember actress Patricia Heaton complaining several years ago about how hard it is to be a conservative in Hollywood. Certainly they are in the minority, and I understand why a lot of people there would simply prefer to avoid political discussions completely. But I think Underwood’s assertion that celebs speaking about political issues that matter to them somehow makes them unworthy of respect is rather extreme. I seriously doubt many people who were going to vote for McCain will switch their vote around because Jay-Z and Beyonce like Obama.

Here’s Carrie at The American Idol Grand Finale 2008 in LA in May. Images thanks to Fame.

In all my life, I would never have imagined that Sean “P Diddy” Combs would ever have any illicit substances served at one of his fancy parties. Certainly not his super posh White Party, which has such specific rules as ladies being waxed and professionally manicured before they show up. But shockingly, Diddy had a plate of special brownies being passed around by waiters. Which was not good news for a desperately hungry Mark Ronson, who hadn’t eaten all day and gobbled three down before he realized something was odd.

MARK Ronson learned to watch what he eats at P. Diddy’s famed White Parties. “I hadn’t eaten all day, and I was starving. They were coming around with this bowl of brownies, and I grabbed three of them and just started scarfing them down,” the deejay tells Paper. After that, “every lyric sounded like it was the Cookie Monster yelling in my ear, and I started feeling really [bleep]y, but I had to play through the set. I couldn’t just go up to Puffy and say, ‘Sorry, I ate a [bleep]-load of hash brownies, I can’t do your White Party.

[From Page Six]

Poor Mark. I don’t care what kind of lifestyle you lead or whose party you’re at: when brownies are being passed around by waiters and you’re ravenous, the first place your mind is going to go to probably isn’t pot brownies. Though it sounds like Mark was so hungry he probably wouldn’t care. I love the image of Cookie Monster yelling in his ear. If that doesn’t keep all but the boldest toddler away from drugs I don’t know what will.

Here’s Mark at the Diesel 30th anniversary party held at the O2 arena in London on October 11th. Photographer: Lia Toby. Images thanks to WENN. Header of Mark and Diddy at the Belevedere Vodka Party in May. Images thanks to Fame.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is featured in the L’Uomo Vogue music issue, though he talks less about music than politics, the color black, and fashion. Diddy, who is the founder and creator of the Sean John fashion label, sets a theme for his feature with “Black on Black,” dressing himself in all black, in a black room, on black furniture, and in one picture, sitting with his 2-year old twin daughters on a black fur throw.

L’Uomo Vogue is a men’s version of Vogue, very fashion and style driven, and October is the Music Issue. To that end, Diddy’s feature in the magazine is about clothes, his businesses, some politics, and his music.

Famed photographer, Mark Seliger, shot Mr. Combs in a variety of styles from a variety of designers including Tom Ford, Roberto Cavalli, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren Black Label and Sean John, among others.

Sean “Diddy” Combs said, “The concept of “Black on Black” in this story represents a level of strength, a level of beauty, a level of sexy and chic that I really want to portray. It’s the future. And it’s not just a race thing; it’s almost a redefinition of the color. Think about how ignorant people actually make the color black represent something negative. Black is so beautiful, I see it in everything I am, as a person, as a man, as a fashion professional. Black is beautiful.”

[From WSJ MarketWatch]

It’s a wonderful statement, and it deserves to be heard. But it’s not what’s getting the attention. The photo of Diddy with his twins, D’Lila Star and Jessie James, is stirring up controversy because the girls are completely unclothed except for a black bowtie. People are upset that the girls are (un)dressed like boys, with the ties and nothing else, instead of bows in their hair or something. They are complaining about the poorly posed babies, saying it’s below normal Vogue standards. But mostly people are peeved that the girls are naked.

I have to agree that there is a time and place for naked-baby photos, the family photo album, for instance, but Vogue isn’t one of them. Especially a men’s issue. I mean, men who read a fashion magazine don’t do it for the cute baby pictures. It was just an ill-advised shot, bottom line, right down to the bowties and the little one on the right left in the I’m-tired-of-being-here pose. Plus, some clothes on those poor girls would probably save them some embarrassment in about 10 years.

Aubrey O’Day achieved fame on Diddy’s MTV reality show Making the Band, as the lead singer of girl group Danity Kane. O’Day has since done all she can to make a name for herself as a tramp. As we previously reported, Aubrey recently granted an interview to Complex magazine, and posed for some questionably hygenic pictures for the write up. Diddy has since decided that Aubrey isn’t what the mogul ordered.

Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day and D. Woods got the boot on Tuesday night’s live season three finale of Making the Band.

“Puff did not like [O'Day's] image…where her image was going for the group,” Dawn Richard – one of the three remaining bandmates – tells Usmagazine.com exclusively.

“It wasn’t a personal thing,” Richard continues, saying her sexy look (the singer posed topless in Complex last month) was alienating young fans.

“We had just did a signing with Dollhouse Teen, which is for 13, 14-year-old young girls,” Richard says. “So we can’t do that one day and then the next day do an obnoxious cover…. [Diddy] wants the fans, and he says he can’t do that if we can continue to go in the direction that we were going.”

Diddy pointed to O’Day’s attitude as a reason for getting fired.

“I just want to work with the young lady that I signed, not the person that fame has made her,” he said via satellite on Tuesday’s show:

[From US Magazine]

I’m not going to argue the decision. Aubrey O’Day outgrew the interesting phase about 10 minutes after she entered it, and that’s being generous. She has pushed her celebrity far past where it should have been by cultivating the image of not just a sexually liberated woman, but a tramp. It’s her schtick and just about all she has going for her. Her vocals are completely generic and Danity Kane will have no problem replacing her.

Replace? Yes, replace. Danity Kane will stay together and continue on without O’Day and one other member of the group. That brings this back to what I speculate is the real reason for the dismissals, Season 4 of Making the Band. Diddy wasn’t labeled a mega mogul for nothing.

Aubrey is shown at at Conde Nast event on 10/15/08 in NY. Credit: Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

Last week we reported that Diddy had recorded a vlog on YouTube in which he said he had to stop using his personal jet because the price of gas was too high and he couldn’t afford it. He made several references to the fact that he owned a jet and left no doubt that he was claiming he did, saying:

“As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to LA pursuing my acting career.

“Now, if I’m flying back and forth, like, twice in a month that’s like $200,000 or $250,000 round trip. **** that. I’m back on American Airlines right now, OK.”

Diddy implored his “Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters” to “please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it.” [Emphasis added]

The thing is, Diddy doesn’t own that jet. He just owns a percentage of it, like a time share. And he overestimated the cost of flying by like 100% considering that it costs about $100,000 to fly coast to coast two times, not $200k or more.

When rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs told the world via video that he quit flying in his private jet because fuel’s too darn expensive, dude forgot to level with his peeps.

There is no private jet!

A thorough review of federal records shows that no plane in this country is registered to a Sean Combs or any of the part-time Miami Beach resident’s numerous companies, including clothier Sean John and his music company, Bad Boy Entertainment.

One private aviation source scoffed: “It’s my jet this, my jet that. I have list of every plane with the name of the owner, and he’s not on it…”

The private aviation spy said Diddy’s math is off. Flying back and forth to the Left Coast twice would set him back $100,000, even with pricey fuel.

“The truly rich aren’t affected by oil when it comes to private planes,” said the private aviation source in Palm Beach. “Monthly payments on a $20 million-plane and crews are expensive.”

The hip-hopper’s publicist in New York said Combs, 38, swears Combs is the fractional owner of a NetJets plane.

That company sells flight hours on private jets and calls it “fractional ownership.”

[From Palm Beach Post]

Boo hoo Diddy, you can’t afford your timeshare jet anymore! Time to go fly first class where your ass is catered to and you get more leg room than an entire five person family in coach! Asshole. Most people would be super grateful to even fly business class and you’re bitching about first class. What a shame. Meanwhile my family is rich – they get a whole week beachside in Miami every year. They may as well own the entire resort according to Diddy’s logic. Next they’ll be complaining that they can’t afford to pay the gas for that cruise ship they own – or did a five day jaunt on to the Caribbean – what’s the difference?

Diddy is shown performing at the Toronto Film Festival on 9/5/08. Credit: Robin Wong / PR Photos

Diddy is a man with a big ego, believing that if sex was an Olympic event, he’d win gold. I actually believe this, since the prize usually goes to who comes first.

So I imagine it would be ego damaging for Diddy to have to fly commercial with the rest of us chumps who can’t afford the $200,000 it apparently costs him to fly cross country. He let loose his disappointment on a You Tube video. (Which is currently set to private.)

He said: “Gas prices are too ****** ******* high. As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to LA pursuing my acting career.

“Now, if I’m flying back and forth, like, twice in a month that’s like $200,000 or $250,000 round trip. **** that. I’m back on American Airlines right now, OK.

Laughing into the camera, he said: “Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines. Look.

“I want to give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters and all my brothers and sisters from all the countries that have oil, if you could all please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it.

“But right now, can you believe it, I am actually flying commercial. That’s how high gas prices are ok, so I feel you. Look, I’m at the gate right now.

“This is proof that gas prices are too high, we need to do something about it, so tell whoever the next president is that we need to bring gas back down.”

As he boards his flight Combs tells the people around him that he is trying to prove he has been forced to “fly commercial”, stating what an unbelievable situation it was before holding up his plane ticket for the camera.

Telegraph

I love that Diddy is lamenting his need to fly commercial, and appealing to his oil rich ‘brothers and sisters’ to bail him out. Diddy, try and relax, and remember what good you’re doing for the environment by flying commercial. Try the strategy for people trying to quit smoking and imagine how you might spend the money that you save. If this fails, try joining the mile high club with a hot stewardess to remind yourself just how special you are.

The Telegraph points out that Diddy is said to be worth around $346million, so I’m pretty sure that even the commercial flying Diddy is flying first class. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for him. Maybe when he’s queuing for one of those internet deals where you don’t get seat allocation, with his kids in tow all screaming with boredom while the couple sitting nearby complain about them, I’ll have a smidgen of sympathy. Unless he’s sitting near me.

Diddy is shown at the Hancock premiere on 6/30/08. Credit: Starbux / WENN. He is shown below at Cannes on 5/19/08. Credit: Pixplanete / PR Photos

Star magazine is reporting that Sean Diddy Combs is going to be getting married, as announced at his son’s eighth grade graduation party.

America’s Star magazine is reporting that Diddy, 39, has asked the 21-year-old R+B star, real name Cassandra Ventura, to be his wife.

A source tells the publication that Diddy let slip his big news to friends at his son Justin’s recent eighth grade graduation party.

One insider says, “He told everyone to keep it extremely quiet because he didn’t want it to get out.”

Diddy first met Cassie after signing her to his Bad Boy Records label two years ago (06).

Showbiz Spy

Star magazine isn’t the most reliable of sources, as a man who is known for extravagant parties I doubt that Diddy would announce his engagement at a party for his son, when two parties would be more fun. Diddy has spoken of his desire to get married recently, saying that he has already picked out the church, and probably his outfit, so I guess all that left was the bride.

There is also some speculation that Cassandra is pregnant, which would make Diddy the father of a grand total of seven children, well on the way to having the ten he hopes for.

I’d actually love to hear Diddy’s wedding vows, because he’d have to call himself Sean Combs, which he says now only his mother calls him. Is that some kind of license to cheat? This man has multiple personas, Diddy and Puffy and P. Diddy and Sean John or ‘that rapper guy’ – which is what my Gran calls him, bless her heart, but she could mean Kanye or Eminem. Is he actually schizophrenic, will only one of his personalities be married? To the rest of us once you’re married it sticks, no matter what your nickname might be, but somehow I can see this being used as a loophole. Better get a pre-nup in all of your names, Diddy.

Congratulations to the couple, that Cassie is stunningly beautiful, she’ll make a perfect bride.

Cassie Ventura is shown at the BET Awards on 6/24/08. Diddy is shown at the Ironman premiere on 4/30/08. Credit: Fame.

Update: Diddy’s rep calls this story “a complete fabrication,” and Cassie is quoted as saying recently that they’re “not together, but we are definitely friends.”

After tearful testimony in which she described the moment she learned of her husband’s affair with a teenager, which she said “completely shattered” her world, Christie Brinkley told press waiting outside the courtroom that she wanted to send a message to the young woman her husband seduced. Diana Bianchi, now 21, was just 17 when Brinkley’s estranged husband Peter Cook, now 49, met her. He hired her to work in his architecture firm and once she was legal he pounced. Brinkley said she wanted to let Bianchi know she forgives her.

“I’d just like to say after two days of testimony that I can’t help but think about Diana Bianchi, and I want her and her family to know that I feel really badly for them,” said Brinkley. “I feel bad for her and I forgive her completely.”

“She was manipulated.”

[From People.com]

Wednesday Bianchi gave a tentative account on the stand of her affair with Cook. Cook gave Bianchi gifts of lingerie and cash, later paying her $300,000 not to reveal their affair to his wife. After her testimony, Cook approached Brinkley’s daughter with her ex husband, 20 year-old Alexa Joel, and reportedly said “I’m sorry for the pain I have caused you and your family.” The two then hugged.

According to the latest edition of the National Enquirer, aspiring singer Bianchi has been through a lot in the two years since ending her affair with a man nearly 30 years older. A friend claims Bianchi contemplated suicide and that she had issues with sexual addiction. She is also said to have dated music mogul Diddy, now 38, at a time when he was supposed to have been with his longterm girlfriend and mother of his twins, Kim Porter.

Diana’s friend told The Enquirer that music mogul Combs was Diana’s second celebrity conquest. “Diana met Sean at his recording studio when she went there with a friend who knew him. She told me that he just came up to her and started talking,” the source revealed.

“She said their affair started a few weeks later – and it went on while he was involved with the woman he was going to marry, Kim Porter. Diana said she thinks that she’s the reason they split up.”

A representative for Combs denied the affair, but Diana’s pal said she grew increasingly uncomfortable during the relationship because he was getting too involved.

“She said she was freaked out because he even sent people to her voice rehearsals and lessons to watch her,” said the source.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, July 14, 2008]

The Enquirer adds that the source passed a polygraph test. The friend also claims that Diana made a sex tape, took nude photos, and had battled a sex addiction that she’s sought therapy for.

This girl was 17 when she met Peter Cook. She may have technically been legal when they started their year-long affair, but a married man in his late 40s should know better than to take advantage of a girl who has barely graduated high school. He also treated her like a hooker by giving her cash and gifts. This whole situation is sad and while a lot of people say that Brinkley shouldn’t have made the divorce proceedings public as she has two young teenaged children with this man, you understand why she would make that choice.

If this story about Bianchi’s affair with Diddy is true, shame on him for cheating on Kim Porter with her. Diddy’s arrangement with Porter seemed to have been one of mutual convenience, but maybe that’s all he’ll offer a woman.

Photos thanks to Splash.

Puff Daddy/P.Diddy/Diddy/Puffy/Sean John is now going by, er…oh, let’s just call him by the name his mother gave him. He says that she is the only one who still calls him Sean. Sean Combs is online saying he isn’t Puff Daddy today, he’s Diddy. Or happy. Or schizophrenic.

He’s also looking at settling down. Or at least one of those personalities is. I hope it’s a woman who likes babies, because he’s aiming to have ten children. He already has 6, by four different women.

“I definitely want to get married,” he tells me. “I’ve already chosen the church: St Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. I want to have more kids, too – I want to have 10 in all.”

He and Lopez still keep in touch, he says, although he hasn’t seen her since the birth of her twins, three months ago. “I have spoken to her and I’m quite sure that our kids will be friends later on.”

Then P Diddy the brand takes over, and all sincerity is lost in a tirade of machismo. “Yeah, I get on well with all my exes – I love everyone. And I love women… I’m an eye man, you know? A woman with beautiful eyes is a woman I could look at forever.”

At first I thought he might be tired of his womanizing ways, but I suspect it might be that he wants to cultivate a more respectable image. Sean Combs wants to meet Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

I ask whether anyone still leaves him starstruck. “I’m totally jaded,” he says. “Although actually that’s not true, there is one person I really want to meet: the Queen of England. I don’t know why I’ve never met her.” He looks affronted.

“She’s never invited me to the palace – not yet, anyway.”

Both quotes are taken from the Telegraph, which has a very interesting interview with Sean Combs.

Sean Combs, the Queen generally meets with citizens of her empire. You are an American, which isn’t part of Britannia, so you’re unlikely to get invited to high tea. You probably also need to spend some more time in England, Queen Elizabeth is 80 years old now, I don’t think she spends a lot of time traveling to countries that aren’t part of her realm. It tires her out. And you definitely aren’t a contender for a knighthood, in case you were wondering.

Diddy is shown at the CFDA Fashion Awards on 6/2/08 and at the Cannes Che premiere on 5/21/08, thanks to PRPhotos.

At this point, we may need a flow chart to keep track of the numerous moniker changes made by hip-hop producer/mogul Sean Combs. First, he was “Puffy.” Then, he was “Puff Daddy.” Then, post J.Lo era, he became “P.Diddy,” which was later shortened to “Diddy.” However, for his fashion label, he goes by “Sean John.” And when he’s doing film or TV roles, he uses his actual name, “Sean Combs.”

This is what we in the marketing world would call “brand confusion.” A classic example would be back in the 80s when Coca-Cola came out with two versions of Coke- New Coke and Coke classic. People got so confused over which one was the original Coke, sales of both beverages plummeted. (See, I DID pay attention in marketing class!) It looks like Combs may have finally realized that, and has decided to take back his original stage name.

So long P. Diddy, Diddy, Sean John, and Puffy.

Sean Combs has started using his Puff Daddy namesake again – over a decade after he achieved stardom with the moniker.

“They call me Puff Daddy… he’s back,” the mogul raps on the remix of O’Neal McKnight’s single “Check Your Coat.” (McKnight is Combs’ former stylist.)

“Yeah you heard me right – I said Puff Daddy,” he continues. “I’m about to back on that Puff Daddy sh*t.”

Combs also posted on his MySpace page: “This is your boy Puff Daddy!!! Yes Puff Daddy.”

[From Us Weekly]

I bet this guy goes through a fortune in monogrammed towels and stationary. I don’t know what prompted this most recent name change, but hopefully this one sticks. Sean, let me give you some advice: Real legends don’t have to change their name. You don’t see Cher changing her name every 6 months, do you?

The artist with multiple names is shown on 6/7/08 at the Tribe Hyper Club as part of Formula One week in Montreal. Thanks to WENN.