I feel like every day when I read news about Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry’s custody battle I change allegiances, although lately I’ve been firmly in the “team Nahla, her parents are whacked” camp. This latest story about Halle’s very serious death threats from a stalker has me feeling sorry for her and understanding why she would want to move overseas. (Until I read the counter argument, which is covered below.) Yesterday it looked like Halle was moving to France out of spite because she can’t legally strip Gabriel of visitation rights, but that might just be an added bonus for her. Not only is Halle’s stalker just out of jail, there’s also a crazy dude who wants to kill her (and Madonna) who just escaped from an insane asylum. It sounds like something out of a movie, but then so does most of Halle’s life. Here’s the story, from E!:

E! News has confirmed that the Oscar winner filed a request in family court to be able to move to France with her daughter Nahla because she fears for her life.

Two men, including one convicted of stalking Berry, are no longer locked up and the actress has no interest in finding out what their plans are now that they’re out.

But wait, how did her convicted stalker get out again?

Richard Franco pleaded guilty to stalking Berry and was sentenced to 386 days in jail, but was given credit for 193 days already served and then released Saturday after amassing 193 days’ worth of credits for work and good behavior.

He remains on five years’ probation and there’s a 10-year restraining order in place requiring him to stay away from Berry and her family.

“This person has invaded and trampled upon the most fundamental sense of security I have and I am extremely frightened of him and what he might do to me and those I love,” Berry stated in her criminal complaint against Franco.

Meanwhile, Berry’s camp has been informed that Robert Hoskins, a man who allegedly threatened to slit Berry’s throat—and who also allegedly threatened to slit Madonna’s throat and was shot by the Material Girl’s bodyguard in 1995—escaped from a mental institution last week.

[From E! Online]

Halle has been looking for a more secure mansion in Malibu, according to TMZ. Of course Radar has Gabriel Aubry’s deep thoughts on his custody battle, as per usual. They’re trying to call out Halle on her claims that she’s so scared and are saying that she’s using it as a convenient excuse. This rings true to me, but again I’m thinking that both sides are pushing back too hard and making it much worse than it needs to be.

Berry has formally petitioned to move to France with Nahla and her fiancé, Olivier Martinez, but she is going to have to go to battle with Aubry who has vowed to fight the move. Under current terms of their custody agreement, neither parent can move out of Los Angeles County without the other’s permission.

Aubry is absolutely stunned that Halle is attempting to whisk his daughter to a foreign country. “Gabriel feels that Halle is just being vengeful and vindictive by attempting to move Nahla to France,” an insider close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com.

“First of all, if Halle is concerned for her safety, why is she routinely seen around town without a bodyguard? Yes, she has had several stalkers over the years, but she has a top of the line security system at her house, and she can certainly afford to move to a safer location in Los Angeles in a gated community. Why would Halle want to take the father of her daughter out of her life and move to a foreign country? It just defies logic.”

[From Radar]

We haven’t heard any confirmation that Halle and Oliver are actually engaged, but this story suggests that’s the case. The “source” goes on to say:

“Halle will be getting married for the third time. Gabriel’s lawyers are going to argue that there is nothing to guarantee this marriage will last. What then? Nahla could be uprooted again, she isn’t luggage for heavens sake,” the source tells RadarOnline.com. “She needs her father in her life. Nahla and Gabriel are very, very close. He has always played a major role in Nahla’s life and the fact the Halle is attempting to sever that relationship disgusts him. He feels that Halle is disgruntled because she was unsuccessful in having restraining orders granted against him, and lost her attempts to have his custody of Nahla stripped. The timing of this is very, very suspect. Nahla would be very isolated in France, primarily because the lack of family and friends, and the language barrier.”

[From Radar Online]

I agree that Nahla should stay in LA where she speaks the language and goes to school. It does seem punitive of Halle to want to move overseas at this time, but the argument that she has two homicidal stalkers on the loose is a pretty powerful one.

I would be more on Gabriel’s side if he would just stop talking to the press. He probably doesn’t have any other recourse to all the stories Halle is putting out there, though. Poor Nahla, really.

Here’s Halle out alone and looking annoyed yesterday on 2-9-12. She’s also shown with Nahla and the Nanny on 2-2-12 and with Oliver on 1-29-12. Credit: Osvaldo/FameFlynet Pictures. Gabriel Aubry is shown with Nahla on 2-3-12. Credit: WENN.com

Macauley out with his brother, Kieran, on 8-18-10. The photos we are referring to are on ETOnline

We haven’t heard about former child actor Macaulay Culkin, 31, in some time, but from the looks of these pictures (see them on ET online and E!) he’s in a bad way. I have to admit that I sometimes get him confused with the kid from Star Wars, Hayden Christensen, in that I falsely remember that he used to be engaged to Rachel Bilson. That’s not him, obviously, he used to be engaged to Mila Kunis and they split up in early 2011. (I also sometimes confuse Bilson and Kunis, which I know is unforgivable to some of you, but it all makes sense to me now.)

Anyway Culkin was seen holding a Red Bull and looking super emaciated. He’s Demi Moore levels of thin, and he’s clutching her drink of choice too. ET Online reports that he may be up for a role in a movie called Service Man, “an uplifting military action flick,” which makes you hope that his extreme weight loss is for a role. Culkin’s rep denies that he’s set to star in the film, although producers say they’ve spoken to his people about it. The rep also claims that his client is super healthy. Of course he is. Here are the reports, which I’ve pieced together from a couple different sources:

After pictures of a gaunt Macaulay Culkin emerged exclusively on ET this morning, speculation as to whether or not this extreme weight loss was for a new movie project, titled Service Man, began to crop up.

And while TVGuide.com reports his rep as saying, “Mr. Culkin is NOT starring in Service Man, don’t take for face value everything you read on IMDb,” Entertainment Tonight has spoken with Goliath Studios, the UK-based production company behind Service Man and they confirm correspondence with Culkin’s manager about his possible cooperation in the project.

Although the film is currently on hold while the script is being rewritten, if Culkin chooses to participate in the project, the uplifting military action-comedy-drama would be his first big-screen role since 2007′s Sex and Breakfast. -ETOnline

---

“Macaulay Culkin is in perfectly good health,” his rep tells E! News. “For Entertainment Tonight—or any other media outlet —to speculate otherwise is reckless, irresponsible and destructive. We implore them to discontinue the rumor.” – E! Online

[From ETOnline and E! Online]

What kind of old-timey denial is that “We implore them to discontinue the rumor“? It’s so formal. I do hope that Macauley is ok, and that he’s not subsisting on Red Bull and ADHD drugs like Demi. I also hope he’s not sick at all. The Red Bull seems to suggest this is a deliberate weight loss, but you can’t judge from one drink I guess.

I didn’t realize that Macauley hasn’t been in a movie since 2007. According to IMDB he was in a TV series in 2009 called Kings, which I never heard of and was on NBC. (Go figure.) He did voice work on “Robot Chicken” from 2005 – 2010. I also vaguely remember that he put out a book. That was Junior in 2007 and it received mixed reviews. It must be hard to recover from child stardom and extreme family dysfunction and regain some sense of self, but it’s not like Culkin is destitute. His net worth is estimated at $15 million dollars.

McCaulay at the Oscars in 2010. He has such a baby face!

Photo credit: Optic Photos PacificCoastNews.com and WENN.com

Demi Moore is currently at an unnknown rehab receiving treatment for substance abuse issues and anorexia. Reports had her at the exclusive Cirque Lodge in Utah, but TMZ claims those stories are false and that no one knows exactly where Demi is. (She could be at Cirque and denying it in an attempt to preserve her privacy and keep the paparazzi away. I can’t blame her for that.) Radar reports that patients receiving treatment at Cirque aren’t allowed to weigh themselves or to know their current weight during weigh-ins with a doctor. Wherever Demi is, she’s hopefully detoxing and getting healthy.

The latest issue of US has an article that suggests to me that Demi is not taking responsibility for her addictions, or at least that her family is still in denial about it. It squarely places blame on her ex Ashton Kutcher as somehow triggering Demi’s latest problems. Here’s part of US’ report:

Just one week [prior to Tallulah's 18th birthday party on February 3], [Demi], 49, checked into rehab, a source confirms to Us, to seek treatment for substance abuse and an eating disorder. “Her friends and family wanted her to get help,” says a Moore source. Now Bruce, 56, and Moore’s daughters, Tallulah, Scout, 20, and Rumer, 23, are holding accountable the one person they consider responsible for her troubles – her estranged husband, Ashton Kutcher. “Bruce and the girls hate Ashton,” says another insider close to the actress…

“Her family and friends are happy Ashton is out of her life…

“This think Demi’s breakdown is his fault.” (Another source counters that Rumer, who has visited Kutcher on the Two and a Half Men set postsplit, is still close to the actor.)…

[The friendship between Bruce and Ashton] “was all a show,” the source asserts of the Die Hard actor’s friendliness. “The hatred is long-standing.”

Still, Kutcher, 34, may have made himself too scarce in recent weeks. “Ashton hasn’t been there for her,” says another insider. The one time he went to her house after her hospitalization, she wasn’t even there. But another pal defends Kutcher: “He hasn’t seen her because he doesn’t want to give her the idea that he wants to get back together…”

“Bruce is concerned about Demi,” says a Willis soure. But even he is limited. His wife, Emma Heming-Willis, 33, who is pregnant with their first child, “doesn’t want to expose their baby to any of that drama,” says the source.

[From US Weekly, print edition, February 20, 2012]

I buy that Ashton was an ass to Demi and that he cheated on, lied to and left her. We have no idea what went on in that relationship behind closed doors, or how bad it was. It’s understandable that Demi’s family hates Ashton now. Ultimately Demi is responsible for herself, though. Plenty of women go through infidelity and public humiliation and deal with it in much healthier, constructive ways. Most of those women don’t have a fraction of Demi’s means or opportunities. This is a cop out by Demi’s people. She needs to get more distance from this before putting out the next planted story.

Family photos are from The House Bunny premiere on 8-20-08. Other photo of Demi is from 9-23-11. Credit: WENN.com. Ashton is shown out in LA on 1-3-12. Credit: LRR/FameFlynet Pictures

Jennifer Garner is by outside appearances happily married to her husband of nearly seven years, Ben Affleck. She’s also very pregnant with her third child and is reportedly due in just a few short weeks. This is her second marriage, as she was married to Actor Scott Foley from 2000 to 2003. In a new interview with The Sun, Garner says that she found divorce “crushing” and suggests that she married too young. Outlets are focusing on her comments about divorce and marriage, but she does go into detail about her upbringing and how she got her start in acting, which you can read at the source.

Everyone reaches maturity at different times. I wish I’d known to wait for marriage until I was 30 or over.

I did marry in my twenties (to actor Scott Foley, whom she divorced eight years ago) and I found divorce a crushing experience.

I thought the divorce statistics would never apply to me. I was beyond heartbroken when they did. But I got up and got on with it. I also kept my belief in marriage.

I did not have a fairytale vision of the future but still believed I would find someone to commit to and raise kids with.

Ben is not only my husband, he has helped me in every way. He is the base of my life.

He is an incredibly loving and generous man. I expected he would be a great dad and he is. But what really surprised me was how, when something goes wrong, he is so much calmer than I am.

The great thing about growing older is that you do become more confident. If I have to dress up for something, I wear something true to myself, otherwise it feels like a costume. So my policy is to wear a dressed-up version of something I would normally wear.

I don’t dread it any more. It is a reality of the job. I always try to keep it simple. I love being the age that I am and am looking forward to being 40.

I have figured so much more out about life and feel the older women get, the more beautiful they get. We become ourselves — which is something you can’t teach anyone at 18.”

[From The Sun.co.uk via OK! Magazine]

There’s been a lot of gossip that Garner isn’t exactly the faithful type. We’ve heard that she cheated on Foley with actor Michael Vartan from Alias, whom she hooked up with in 2003 either before or after her divorce. Then there were rumors that she was unfaithful to Vartan with Affleck, as she started dating Affleck in 2004 seemingly right around the time she split with Vartan. Whatever went on, at the least she was relationship hopping. She seems like the type of woman who feels that they need to be in a relationship all the time. She has that in common with Ben’s ex, Jennifer Lopez.

It is nice to hear Jennifer gush about Ben. They speak about each other sparingly but when they do you can tell that they have a lot of respect and love for each other. You do get the sense that they’ve weathered storms together like so many other couples, but that they’re in a good place now. Maybe she’s also telling us, in a roundabout way, that divorce is not an option for her again.

Here’s Garner out yesterday with her daughter Violet, 7. That girl is so adorable! She’s also shown the day before with daughter Seraphina, 3, equally adorable and sassy. Photo of her with Ben is from 1-9-12. Credit: Pablo/FameFlynet Pictures

Watch the video on Poptent.com

When I first heard this story I didn’t get the chance to see the video and was just relying on E!’s report, which focused on widdle 17 year-old child bride Courtney Stodden’s hypersexualization in this new commercial. She’s a one note parody of a person, so it’s not surprising that they’re having her shake her tits and talk about being wet. What did surprise me is the rest of the commercial, which includes a stereotypical Asian dude with a bad accent and an arguably stereotypical black dude. It’s a truly bad commercial that vacillates between being offensive and so bizarre it’s campy. Here’s E!’s report, I don’t want to recap this video:

Courtney Stodden better watch out for Ursula!

The 17-year-old teen bride channels her inner woman of the sea in a new commercial for FreeCreditScore.com.

After two teenage boys “catch” the mermaid with their fishing hook, she says in standard, seductive Stodden-style…

“O-M-G! I’m all wet,” she exclaims, shaking the water off her body.

Clearly pleased with what they reeled in, one of the boys declares, “I scored” as Stodden adjusts her hair and shimmies her shoulders.

[From E! Online]

“I scored”?! The girl is 17 years old. Any company that hires her for something other than a cautionary message should be boycotted. To be fair, freecreditscore may not even use this commercial. It originated on a collaborative website called PopTent, where users submit videos for projects to make commercials. This video was submitted by user StarMarc in response to the iScore assignment. As far as I can tell, it has not be officially accepted by the company and there are other submissions pending. (It is listed as one of 11 “staff favorites,” but I could not find a “winner” of this $7,500 assignment.) This was a publicity stunt by Courtney’s people to make it look like she got an actual commercial gig, and it worked.

FYI, those “free credit scores” are not free on that website and come with recurring charges from Experian for a credit monitoring service. I got fooled by that “free credit score” scam a few years ago and had to call them to cancel. (The phone operator practically mocked me and told me I should have known I would be charged.) That site has been sued twice for deceptive marketing practices. Under federal law you are entitled to get a free credit score every year from the three major credit reporting agencies, and the site where that is truly free and legit is Annual Credit Report. So don’t get fooled by nasty Courtney shilling for some scam of a service, or better yet see it as the warning that it truly is. Stay away, slimy jailbait ahead.

I think this “commercial” will lead a lot of companies to question whether they want to use PopTent at all, or else suffer the negative repercussions of being associated with underage famewhores. Poptent did help lead to the awesome John Stamos Oikos headbutt commercial that was shown during the Superbowl, though.

After Sandra Bullock went through all that heartbreak with Jesse James (and arguably Ryan Reynolds, many people didn’t buy them as a romantic couple, but I did!) a lot of us were rooting for her to find a decent non-douchebag non-famous type. If this latest report is accurate that may have happened for her, hooray! OK! is claiming that Sandra has found love in the arms of a producer named Jonathan Komack Martin. Bullock’s rep issued a surprisingly specific denial that the two have been “best friends for 15 years” and that “he co-produced the ‘George Lopez’ show with her and is part of her and her son’s life. He is Ryan Reynolds’ producing partner and they are all very good friends. In addition, the recent photo of them was taken after being followed for two and a half hours to Palm Springs for a memorial.” So he’s just her buddy and they’ve been friends for over a decade, or did it recently develop into something more? Does the guy play for the other team? I’m getting that impression from the rep’s statement. Here’s more, thanks to Hollywood Life.

Is there a love triangle between Sandra, Ryan, and his BFF Jonathon? An insider says that she’s definitely moved on from Ryan and that she’s getting her mojo back by spending lots of time with the ‘new’ guy!

Sandra Bullock, 47, has a new lease on life — not only because she’s mom to son Louis, but also because she’s found someone who treats her right and makes her laugh, reports OK! Magazine.

On Jan. 22, Sandy and Ryan Reynolds‘s BFF, Jonathon Komack Martin, were snapped stepping out of a white Porsche to attend a private party in L.A. An insider says that Jonathon was “very attentive” and “didn’t leave her side all afternoon.”

So who’s this “new” guy?

From what we know, Jonathon’s the son of a TV sitcom producer and a successful Hollywood producer himself. And he’s actually not really new to the Oscar-winning actress; in fact, they were introduced 15 years ago and even co-produced together on the George Lopez show.

But whatever Sandy’s true feelings are towards him, her lips are zipped.

“She’s being extremely secretive, though, which is typical,” says the insider. “Even when probed, she won’t reveal much more than saying what a great guy Jonathon is.”

So how does Ry-Ry, 35, feel about his producer friend being stuck to the hip with his former rumored gf? “Ryan isn’t annoyed or angry about Sandy spending so much time with Jonathon, but it’s a surprise to him,” reveals the insider.

Unlike Ryan, who’s been busy dating 24-year-old Blake Lively, Jonathon’s been a dependable companion for Sandy to lean on.

“She’s been pretty down for months. But these days, there seems to be a spring in her step,” explains the insider who feels Jonathon’s kept her smiling. “Sandra can trust Jonathon and right now that’s what she needs most. She’s just been so let down in the past, she really needs a good guy who can be there for her.”

[Details from OK!, writeup by Hollywood Life]

I so want this to happen for Sandy, but it sounds like all they’ve got is the detail that this guy attended a party with her and was by her side, which was explained away in detail by the rep. Who knows what’s true or if OK! is only going by the paparazzi photos and doesn’t have any other source. I like that she’s got her private life on lockdown, and I like that she hasn’t jumped into another relationship and is focusing on being a mom. I don’t think there’s much to this story, but I would be happy if I’m wrong. Sandy deserves some good lovin’ and I still find her awesome. JJ didn’t taint her in my eyes.

Update: Sandra gave a really sweet statement denying this story to Gossip Cop. She said:

”For over a decade now, I have been so lucky to have Jonathon and Ryan as my friends, and I agree with the reports that they are both very handsome and a great catch!”

She continues, “But the only man who has stolen my heart is my son. And for now I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

[From Gossip Cop]

That was really nice, and I believe her. Oh well.

Jonathon Komack Martin and Sandra Bullock are shown on 8-1-11 at the premiere of The Change Up. She’s also shown at the same premiere with Ryan Reynolds. Sandra and her son Louis are shown today in LA, where she was taking him to school. Credit: WENN.com

I used to have a lot of love for Jennifer Love Hewitt. She just seemed like a goofy, sweet person who would tell you about her issues with men. Then it became clear that she wouldn’t spare any details. She went on to write a book about relationships, and she would make sure we knew about every guy she was dating, to the point where it was surely detrimental to her relationships. Now she’s tweeting a lot and seems somewhat up her own butt, but she’s still nice enough and comes across as genuine. One of the things that Hewitt is tweeting about is this recent rumor that she’s back with her ex-fiance, comic Jamie Kennedy, who was three or four boyfriends ago by my count. She’s vague about it, and just denies that it’s true. But come on, why would E! be reporting this unless she put the rumor out there somehow? It’s not like she’s followed by paps she doesn’t call. Here’s the story, thanks to E!:

Natural brunette Jennifer Love Hewitt —who is no stranger to changing up her hue—debuted some lighter locks over the weekend.

But is the 32-year-old actress pairing her new hair with an old flame?

It sure looks that way!

A source tells E! News exclusively that Hewitt has rekindled her romance with actor Jamie Kennedy. The Ghost Whisperer costars enjoyed a year-long romance that ended with a high-profile split in March 2010.

Late last year, Hewitt split with actor Jarod Einsohn. Fortunately for the star, her old beau was conveniently unattached as well.

“They are dating again,” the source tells us, adding that the reunited couple has been enjoying sleepovers at Kennedy’s L.A. condo.

Hewitt’s Twitter feed certainly has been lovey-dovey the past month. She’s retweeted Love Quotes and Megan Fox’s parody Twitter account’s uplifting messages about romance and choosing to “look beyond the imperfections” in order to be happy.

Hewitt’s rep had no comment.

[From E! Online]

Do you think they’re rebound friends with benefits? That’s the impression I’m getting from this story and her tweets, like this one “the rumors are not true, the day was good,and sweet dreams will be awesome!” These two did part on good terms a couple of years ago, and it seemed to be about the fact that Hewitt wanted to get married and Kennedy wasn’t ready to commit. (I remembered that they were engaged, but that was just a rumor.) I don’t think it will last. At least she’s being somewhat realistic about it, even if she’s putting it out there. She needs to get publicity for something I guess.

Also, here’s her new hair, which you can’t really see in this photo. It’s got blonde streaks in it. (Another photo is here.) I like her better as a brunette. In the header image her hair looks just like Kim Kardashian’s new ‘do, down to the color. So maybe it was a good idea to switch it up anyway.

This photo is from 11-6-09.

Header image from 1-4-12. Credit: LRR/FameFlynet Pictures

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’” Taylor Armstrong is all over the place promoting her memoir, which details the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her late husband Russell, who committed suicide last August. I haven’t really wanted to cover that story as we’ve heard a lot of the details already and it’s just sad and scary to imagine. Plus I don’t like Taylor at all. I hate that she was a victim and I’m glad that she’s no longer subjected to that, but it’s hard to see her practically selling the story. That’s pretty much what Brandi Glanville told Taylor on last night’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reunion show. This was the second of a three-part reunion series in which they scratch up old wounds and create new ones. Just watching the video clip that’s online is giving me a headache as I hate drawn-out “he-said” “she-said” fights, which is basically what this whole show is about. Here’s Radar’s report:

The tension mounted during a segment in which host Andy Cohen asked the ladies questions from viewers. When one wanted to know what Brandi’s issue has been with Taylor this season, things got tense in a hurry: Brandi told Taylor she’d run into Russell, who told her it was actually Taylor who made him send an email threatening Camille Grammer with legal action for discussing their marital issues.

Taylor shot back at Brandi, questioning her credibility by pointing out she slit ex-husband Eddie Cibrian’s tires.

“I own them too!” Brandi said. “I just took the tires and I put the knife into his motorcycles, and then I told him, ‘Don’t ride them, you’re probably going to get hurt.’”

Brandi then threw a stiff jab, insinuating Taylor’s been trying to capitalize off Russell’s death.

“When does the book come out anyway? How long has it been?” Brandi said in a snarky tone, before noting it took a “hot minute” for Taylor to begin marketing her memoir.

Kyle Richards repeatedly jumped to Taylor’s defense throughout the exchange, reminding Brandi, “Somebody died here!”

Brandi replied, “Yeah, exactly: then let him rest in peace!”

Kyle, calling Brandi “Angry Spice,” reminded her she should be considerate of Taylor considering she was left a single mom when Eddie ditched her for LeAnn Rimes.

“She’s been through enough this year — be a little sympathetic,” Kyle said.

Elsewhere in the episode, Taylor said she found a briefcase found next to Russell’s body that contained data on about 10 different bank accounts, a Rio de Janeiro office and flash drives she’s reticent to open based on legal worries.

“Um, he had a lot of things going on that I didn’t know about,” Taylor said.

When Cohen brought up that Russell’s business partner killed himself shortly after Russell did, Taylor said she’d have felt better knowing Russell was killed by someone else than so distraught as to take his own life — implying she felt that scenario was feasible.

[From Radar Online]

I love how Brandi was all “yeah, I slit his tires. I warned him ahead of time, whatever.” Then she tells Taylor that it’s been a “hot minute” since Russell died and Taylor gets all indignant acting as if she’s single-handedly solving the issue of domestic violence. It’s like Taylor believes taht every victim out there depends on her famewhoring. Look, I agree with Brandi and I like her style. She tells it like it is. I don’t think she should have brought up the email that Russell sent her in which he claimed Taylor made him threaten Camille. That’s old news, but Brandi knows she’s got to bring the drama if she wants to stay on reality television. She’s doing her best to hang in there and keep her job. I know that I would hate having co-workers or a job like that, even if I didn’t have to see those catty bitches every day. I can’t even stand watching them on TV at this point.

Photo credit: Fame, WENN and Pacific Coast News

Leslie Carter is the woman in the middle

We haven’t covered this story yet because it’s sad. Just thinking about it is getting me teary-eyed, particularly these latest details. Leslie Carter, 25, died at home with her parents last week from a reported overdose of prescription drugs to treat mental illness. Leslie is a member of the semi-famous Carter family that was featured in the “House of Carters” reality show on E! in 2006. She was married and leaves behind a 10 month-old daughter. TMZ reported that prior to her death Leslie was living with her family in upstate New York in an attempt to quit using medication she had become dependent on. Her family had left her alone for just an hour and when they returned she was unresponsive.

One of Leslie’s brothers, singer Nick Carter, 32, didn’t make it to her funeral over the weekend. He told TMZ that his family didn’t let him know when or where it was, and plus he had a concert to give. Nick also gave a statement to E! acknowledging the “complicated dynamic” in his family:

The show must go on? Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has missed his own sister’s funeral. The singer gave a concert in Philadelphia and hosted a party at an Atlantic City resort on Saturday night, the same evening that funeral proceedings were held for little sister Leslie Carter.

“I wanted to be at my sister’s funeral, but my family has always had a complicated dynamic. I love my family. I want to thank everyone for all of their compassion and support that I have received during this most difficult time. There are so many emotions for me surrounding the loss of my sister. I am trying to stay healthy, positive and focused,” Nick, 32, said in a statement to The Insider.

Separately, Carter told website TMZ that he had wanted to attend the funeral in New York (which was attended by brother Aaron), but that his family had not disclosed the details.

Leslie died suddenly on February 1 from a reported overdose of prescription drugs meant to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Stepmother Ginger Carter told the police that the 25-year-old Leslie had a “long history of mental illness” and that she had appeared depressed the morning that she died.

“Our family is grieving right now and it’s a private matter,” a spokeswoman for the family had said in a statement after news broke. “We are deeply saddened for the loss of our beloved sister, daughter, and granddaughter, Leslie Carter. We request the utmost privacy during this time.”

The troubled Leslie appeared on the family’s reality show, “House of Carter,” in 2006 and aspired to be a singer like her famous older brothers.

[From Huffington Post]

At Nick’s concert he did dedicate a song to Leslie, and some audience members held up pink paper hearts for her. How sad that their family doesn’t get along well enough for Nick to go to his own sisters funeral, or is that a cop out because he was otherwise busy? Couldn’t he just have flown there, and would his family have turned him away at this time? This is tragic story, both in terms of a young woman dying and her family not pulling together after her death. I hope that Nick can reunite with his family somehow. I know in some families there’s just too much to overcome and that even a tragedy can’t make up for the past. With their history there’s probably more than one feud going on.

Header image is from 2006. Other images from 2010 and 2011. Credit: WENN.com

I started going gray when I was in my early 20s. That’s when I discovered the many wonderful products Clairol puts out, some of which have since been retired, with my red-blonde shades the first to go. (Damn you, Clairol, for discontinuing Hydrience! Nice ‘N Easy lives up to its name, though.) I understand why women chose not to dye their hair, and to embrace their natural color. My mom is completely gray and she rocks it. It makes no sense to me that a younger woman would purposely dye their hair gray, though, but Kelly Osbourne seems to have done it. Her purplish gray and then all gray color looked like a home dye fail and correction rather than a deliberate attempt at avant garde color. She gave some convoluted reasoning on The Talk about how she’ll be too old at 30 to try different hair colors.

Kelly recently appeared on The Talk with her grey hair, and was naturally asked why she’d chosen to dye her hair such an “unfavorable” color.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I’ve always wanted to be young and have grey hair. To me, I’m 27, I’ve got three years left, the way I look at it, to have fun with it, because once you’re 30, you look like a right idiot walking around with like rainbow, bright color hair and all different things like that.”

[Quotes from The Talk via Evil Beet]

Kelly just manages to insult people whenever she opens her mouth. I find her almost as annoying as her mom, who by the way has been trying to work a Ronald McDonald haircolor for at least the past 10 years. Was that quip about being too old for rainbow hair a subtle dig at her mom? I doubt it, but I’m secretly hoping Sharon takes it the wrong way and starts feuding with Kelly. As bitchy as it sounds, it would be fun to see them start fighting with each other instead of turning their forces outward on whomever dares to speak out against either of them.

Somewhere, Christina Aguilera is stumbling hungover out of bed and slurring about how she never had such ugly hair as Kelly.

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Photo credit: WENN.com