Dear Emma Thompson,

WTF? Are you poor?

Love, K

So, this is the new trailer for the completely unnecessary third installment for Men In Black. To my recollection, MIB II wasn’t even a hit… let me check that out… it did decent business, better than I thought, but it was by no means a super-successful sequel. So why do yet another MIB film? Because Hollywood has run out of ideas? Sidenote: I’m not a big fan of saying “Hollywood has run out of ideas” because I don’t think they have – I think there are a lot of extremely talented storytellers who work in Hollywood, people who would make wonderful, interesting, creative films if only the studios would fund those projects. But studios won’t fund those projects because the studios worry that no one will go see those kinds of films. The studio thinks you’re stupid. And sometimes, you prove them right.

So, anyway. MIB III. Will Smith seems like he’s carrying this bitch, and even then, he might be phoning some of it in. I feel for Tommy Lee Jones, that old bastard. He must have wanted a nice paycheck too. As for Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin… I don’t even know. Emma’s not poor, and neither is Josh. Josh seems like the kind of actor more likely to just sign on to something because it looks fun, which maybe this did…? But Emma… I expected more from her.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

On Wednesday, I covered some early excerpts from Star Magazine’s cover story this week, all about how Will Smith and Jada Pinkett are headed for divorce. The cover story in the print edition doesn’t cover that much more, but Star did compile an extensive timeline to “prove” that Will and Jada have been spending a lot of time apart over the past year, especially in the past few months. I won’t bore you with those details – suffice to say, Star seems to have accurately traced Will and Jada’s movements for months, and it doesn’t seem like they’re the portrait of a healthy marriage – Will is pretty much living alone in their Miami home, and he goes out partying with “the boys” a lot, all while Jada is in NYC and LA with the kids. Here are just some random pieces in the Star report that I found interesting:

Sources tell Star that Will and Jada’s marriage is over and they expect divorce papers to be filed. One source says: “They’ve been faking it for a long time and they don’t want to live a lie anymore. Living and sleeping separately – and now Will finally walking out on Jada – have pushed them to their limit. They’re done.”

An insider says: “Will and Jada are finished after 14 years. They’re still keeping up appearances because they worry divorce could hurt their careers, but there’s no turning back now. It needs to end.”

“They’ve been trying to work through it, but things came to a head in early November, when they got into a huge knock-down, drag-out fight. They put up a good front in public, but behind closed doors they really fight like cats and dogs.”

“Will is barely speaking to Jada as it is. But when they fight, he’ll storm out and go off to spend time with his guy friends… he and Jada are living separate lives.”

Jada’s great-aunt, Estelle Pinkett, tells Star: “Jada’s already gone through a lot of tragedy. Both her grandmother and father died not too long ago, and I know it was hard for her. I really hope that she and Will can work it out. They always seemed like a pretty compatible couple. And even if they’re having troubled, I just don’t think, in the end, that they’d be satisfied with anyone else. Marriage is hard work for anyone, so I hope they stick it out.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

In Touch has a similar story, only In Touch’s sources don’t make grand pronouncements claiming that everybody totally knows that IT’S OVER. ITW’s story is basically just restating that Jada and Will have been spending a lot of time apart, and then sources say it’s getting really hard on their kids. Bodyguards are now shuffling the kids around to and from school and various activities and stuff, and Jada and Will used to be very hands-on parents and they aren’t anymore.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

At the end of the day, I always end up admiring Star Magazine and The National Enquirer. They’re the two seediest tabloids in America, and they get decent scoops often enough that I often put stock in whatever they’re reporting. I also appreciate how ballsy they are in going after certain celebrities that most of the other magazines just refuse to touch. Back in August, In Touch Weekly shocked everybody by claiming that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were “separated” and headed for a massive split, all because Jada was fooling around with Marc Anthony when they worked together on HawthoRNe. In the following month, both Will and Jada stepped out and did some damage control, threatened to sue In Touch, and all of the “respectable” tabloids cleaned up the mess and claimed that Jada and Will were just fine, thank you very much.

Now Star Magazine is doubling-down on In Touch’s claims. According to their sources, Will and Jada are totally headed for divorce:

After 14 years of marriage, Will Smith, 43, and Jada Pinkett Smith, 40, seem to be heading straight for divorce, sources reveal in a new Star magazine report. Endless fights, Will’s nights out partying with the guys and sleeping in separate bedrooms have left the couple living two “separate lives.”

“They’ve been faking it for a long time and they don’t want to live a lie anymore,” a source tells Star magazine. “Living and sleeping separately — and now Will finally walking out on Jada — have pushed them to their limit. They’re done.”

The marriage is done. “Will and Jada are finished,” says another insider. “They’re still keeping up appearances because they worry divorce could hurt their careers, but there’s no turning back now. It needs to end.”

Sources expect that the couple will file for divorce quite soon — and that a nasty, drawn-out battle over their $520 million will follow.

In August, the couple fought off rumors that they had already split, and they tried to work on their issues.

“They’ve been trying to work through it, but things came to a head in early November, when they got into a huge knock-down, drag-out fight,” a source shares. “They put up a good front in public, but behind doors they really fight like cats and dogs. They’ve always had issues in their relationship, and now they’re bubbling to the surface.”

Will “has taken to spending many nights” in a different bedroom from Jada, notes an insider. “He’s barely speaking to Jada as it is. But when they fight, he’ll storm out and go off to spend time with his guy friends. He and Jada are living separate lives.”

Will has also been traveling all over the world with his guy pals, almost as to forget about his problems back at home. On Nov. 26, he was spotted at Drink! Win Bar in Port of Spain. Later that night, he was out until 4 a.m. at 51 Degrees. He “wasn’t wearing a wedding ring,” says a witness.

“Will feels like he’s living a lie for everyone else, but he knows it needs to end,” explains a source. “They can’t keep pretending.”

[From Hollywood Life]

It’s weird because Page Six just had a report about Will and Jada being out together in Miami a few nights ago – go here to see Page Six’s report. They were at a club called Liv, listening to DJ David Guetta. Anyway, it will be interesting to see how Will and Jada react to this story. If they just do the bare minimum of damage control – vague threats to sue, a photo op, a publicist’s denial – I will think that something is sketchy. I don’t believe all of the conspiracy theories about them, but I do think something weird is going on with their marriage. It’s been ages since Jada has given an interview about their sex life. THAT speaks volumes.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Jada is shown here wearing her ring on 8-1-11. Go to X-17 to see the ringless photos, which look staged

Photo agency X-17 and MSNBC’s The Scoop are making a big deal out of the fact that Jada Pinkett Smith stepped out without her massive pear-shaped diamond wedding ring. I did some forensic analysis (ha!) of older photos of Jada, and even when she’s casually dressed and out without Will, she wears that ginormous bauble. For example here she is at the LA Times Festival Of Books in April, wearing jeans and a jean jacket, but still with her ring.

In April with the ring:

I couldn’t find any photos of her without it at any of our agencies (which don’t have recent photos). I did find these photos of her ringless in late August, which could possibly be dismissed since she’s out exercising. Given the fact that she still isn’t wearing her ring, I would say that things are close to over between her and Will. Remember how they were rumored to be planning to sue In Touch for their split article last month? We haven’t heard anything about that since.

So did Jada cheat with Marc Anthony on the set of HawthoRNe? Marc has denied it, but I bet there was at least an inappropriately close “friendship” there. That can happen when one party wants out of a marriage, and it often blows up into an affair. An emotional affair can be just as devastating to a marriage, though, and whatever went on between Jada and Marc may have hastened the end of Marc’s marriage to J.Lo.

Are Jada and Will the next celebrities who are going to announce a split? I wouldn’t count on it. I bet they’ll keep it under wraps for as long as possible. It’s probably the best way to deal with it, given their kids’ ages (10 and 13) and how an announcement could affect them.

Will and Jada in June:

In February:

With the ring on 8/2/11:

There was a rumor going around last year that some dumb producer wanted to remake the comedy classic Overboard – I discussed it here. The rumor involved Jennifer Lopez taking the role that was originally played by Goldie Hawn, in one of her best comedic performances ever. Well, according to Us Weekly, Jennifer still wants to do Overboard, still wants to play the Goldie role, and now there are several new twists. One, Jennifer’s career is in much better shape, and this is much more likely to happen now. Two, Jennifer’s soon-to-be-ex-husband was maybe (but maybe not) boning Jada Pinkett Smith, who is married to a closet-Scientologist (like Jennifer), Will Smith. Three, Will Smith wants to make the movie with Jennifer now.

Spouse swap! Marc Anthony and Jada Pinkett Smith have already steamed up the screen on TNT’s Hawthorne – and now Jennifer Lopez is joining the Will Smith-produced remake of the 1987 romantic comedy Overboard.

“They have wanted to work together for nearly a decade,” says an insider. Now, with Jennifer’s career on the rise, she’s eager to take on the snobby heiress role that Goldie Hawn made famous.

“She can make fun of her diva reputation,” says one source. Adds another, “Will says if she pokes fun at herself, the public will really appreciate it.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition]

I did a few minutes of hunting on Google, and I found that Will’s IMDB page does not list Overboard as one of the films that Will is even mentioned for, as a star or as a producer. But! Will’s production company, which did the remake of The Karate Kid with his son Jaden, was signed on to Overboard last year, so it may still be a property that they’re developing. Now, Us Weekly doesn’t say that Will wants to star in the movie with Jennifer, presumably in the Kurt Russell role, but it’s implied, isn’t it? Ugh. How would you feel about it if Jennifer and Will starred in an Overboard remake? I feel ill.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

It took most of Tuesday, but FINALLY, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith released a direct denial of In Touch Weekly’s story. Yesterday, various media outlets got advanced copies of ITW’s big story this week, about how Jada Pinkett Smith screwed around with Marc Anthony on the set of HawthoRNe and how that affair led to Jada and Will’s split. Most of the day was full of unnamed sources coming out of the woodwork to proclaim that Jada and Will were fine, and Will’s son Trey even came out to deny the split story. Finally, Jada’s rep got her ass in gear and denied the Marc Anthony affair to Us Weekly, and then Will and Jada offered a joint statement denial:

“Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false,” the couple said in a joint statement Tuesday. “We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

[Will and Jada’s statement via People]

For what it’s worth, I think they’re still together. I’m not saying there isn’t something weird or fishy going on with their marriage – there totally is. I’m not saying that they’re not involved with the Church of Scientology, and that doesn’t make me question what kind of auditing/contract/Xenu-and-barley-water rituals are going down – they’re totally involved with CoS, and it’s sketchy as hell. What I’m saying is that I think Jada and Will are tight and committed to their family unit and the corporation around their unit.

So what was going on with ITW’s report? Why did it take most of a day to get an explicit denial? Why did In Touch treat this report like a sure thing, sending the story out as an exclusive to media outlets? I don’t know. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out in the lawsuit. That’s right – Radar reports that Will and Jada are already talking to lawyers:

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are the newest Hollywood couple rumored to be splitting, but after issuing a statement that they are not separating, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that the couple is utilizing their legal team regarding the false report.

“Will and Jada are not splitting and they’ve already got their legal team involved,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline.com.

“Like any other A-list couple they’re used to inaccurate reports sometimes, but when it comes to their marriage, they don’t appreciate anyone demeaning it.”

According to the source, the power couple has discussed the report with their legal team and will privately decide how to proceed.

“They’re good sports and they’re laughing about it, but they have to talk about it with their legal council to protect themselves,” the source said.

Will and Jada issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, blasting the report, that was published in In Touch Weekly magazine, saying: “Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

Sources close to the couple tell RadarOnline.com they’re happily married and hope the issue can be resolved with the help of their legal team.

[From Radar]

It will be interesting to see if there’s some follow-through with a lawsuit. It’s hit or miss for celebrities to sue the American tabloids – Chris Martin never got around to suing Star Magazine about the report he was boning Kate Bosworth, but David Beckham did sue In Touch over the story that he boned an escort in 2007, but the case was later thrown out (but not before In Touch went to war with Beckham in the courts, and made it sound like they had even more stories about his many affairs). I eagerly await our copy of ITW this week so I can read the whole story, and then I’ll be able to judge whether or not ITW’s sourcing was any good. This might be a case like Brangelina suing News of the World for their false split story – NOTW ended up having to pay out to Brangelina.

UPDATE: TMZ has an interesting story this morning:

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are having significant problems in their marriage, but they have NOT made a decision to separate … at least not yet — this according to sources connected with the couple.

Reports have been swirling that the couple has separated. We’re told it’s “definitely a possibility” but they haven’t pulled the trigger. In fact, we’ve learned Will, Jada and their kids are going away together soon — as a family. Our sources would neither confirm nor deny if the trip is a last ditch effort to save the relationship.

We also asked our sources about the somewhat curious statement from Will and Jada, that their marriage is “intact.” Specifically, why didn’t they go the more traditional PR route and say they’re still in love and committed to each other? Our sources privately said, the language was carefully constructed.

[From TMZ]

Well, I think that still holds with my theory that their marriage is screwed up, but they’re committed to each other, and committed to being together. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Jesus! Just the other day, I was thinking about how slow it was going to be this week, and how we wouldn’t have much gossip until September, when the film festivals and Oscar campaigns begin in earnest. I actually thought to myself, “I wish some big couple would break up. Someone exciting.” Well… something might have happened. MIGHT. In Touch Weekly (via The Mail) is reporting that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated.

Just last month they opened the doors of their luxury Malibu home and happily posed for a revealing and intimate family photo shoot.

But Hollywood power couple Will Smith, 42, and wife Jade Pinkett-Smith’s seemingly picture perfect marriage has now come to a shock end, according to a new report.

The pair, who have been married for 13 years, are said to have decided to call it quits, according to America’s In Touch Weekly magazine.

This will be the second marriage to end for Men In Black star Smith who divorced former fashion design student Sheree Zampino in 1995 after three years together.

The couple had a son, Willard Christopher Smith, also known as Trey, who is now 18.

He later dedicated his 1998 single Just the Two of Us, to Trey. Lyrics included: ‘It didn’t work out with me and your mom/But yo, push come to shove/You was conceived in love.’

After his divorce, Smith found comfort in Jada, whom he had first met in 1990 when she auditioned and was rejected for the role of his girlfriend on his hit TV show, The Fresh Prince.

In 1997, they married in a lavish ceremony at a mansion near her hometown of Baltimore in front 100 friends and family.

[From The Mail]

When TMZ contacted Jada’s rep, Karynne Tencer, she said, “What? In Touch said that? I know nothing about this … Lord. I’m going back to bed.” So obviously, this is still in the “In Touch Weekly is reporting it, for what it’s worth” stage of gossip developments. Nothing has been confirmed, and if ITW’s story is untrue, I tend to think Will and Jada could possibly sue. If it is true, then what a coup for ITW, and I expect Will and Jada will release a statement to People Magazine or Us Weekly shortly.

UPDATE: Us Weekly got a denial from an “insider” who claims that ITW’s report is “100 percent not true…It’s total bulls***.” Radar also has some unnamed sources denying the report:

“This is absolutely not true,” a family member –who did not want to be identified – exclusively told RadarOnline.com Tuesday about the rumors that the couple has broken up.

“No way are they splitting up. They are totally together and are not separating,” the family member said.

Meanwhile, a separate source that works very closely with Smith at his production company, Overbrook Entertainment, exclusively told RadarOnline.com: “The rumors are not true. Not sure who the source was but they are wrong. All is good in their relationship.”

Reports that Will and Jada, the Hollywood powerhouse couple who have been married for 13 years, surfaced Tuesday and the report was quickly shot down by those close to them.

“They’re happy and married still,” the family member said when asked about the rumored split.

[From Radar]

OK, can I just say something? I thought the report from ITW was suspicious, but now I’m getting more suspicious because Jada and Will haven’t flat-out denied it. There is nothing around from their reps, no named sources going on the record about their marriage. It’s weird. Very sketchy.

UPDATE #2: Another Us Weekly report, and this time they spoke to Jada’s rep who didn’t outright deny the separation story, but did deny the alleged affair with Marc Anthony…? Apparently, ITW’s report claims that Jada and Marc had an affair, and THAT is what lead to Will and Jada’s separation. The rep says, “Everything about Jada and Marc Anthony is false… In regard to Jada and Will, I will not comment on their personal lives.” Meanwhile, Will’s son Trey went on Twitter and said, “Did WillandJada split? No they did NOT split ! False information ..its not true. Will and Jada getting a DIVORCE ..NOT TRUE AT ALL !! Everyone can think what they want ..even if its not true #Lame”

UPDATE #3: Finally, a real denial from Will and Jada, via a joint statement to People Mag: “Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith opened up their insane 25,000 square foot adobe-style home in Calabassas, CA for a cover spread in the upcoming issue of Architectural Digest. The home was of course custom built, and Will explains that it has no dead ends in order “to create an infinite cycle that represented what Jada and I hoped for our love.” Are your eyes rolling out of your head yet? Your mouth will fall open involuntarily when you see the Bing birds’ eye view of this property, which shows that it could easily serve as a full service resort hotel. [virtual globetrotting via ONTD]

The interior photos make the property look like a hotel, too with plenty of seating areas and props spread around. Will explained to AD that everything was built by hand.

Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, grace the cover of AD’s September issue, sharing with us their family’s highly personal retreat near Calabasas, California. The feature—which focuses on the home’s sophisticated common spaces as well as the children’s bright bedrooms—represents the first time the talented clan has been photographed together as a group.

The Smith home, designed by architect Stephen Samuelson, includes innumerable handcrafted elements to ensure a feeling of intimacy and love in the 25,000-square-foot house. And Will reveals that the idea behind the residence’s fascinating circuitous floor plan was “no dead ends…to create an infinite cycle that represented what Jada and I hoped for our love.”

The design of the home is anchored by “various interpretations of adobe in Persian, Moroccan, Spanish, as well as Southwest American cultures,” says Samuelson. The property has an undeniable spiritual quality, exemplified by Jada’s meditation room. “For Will and me this home was always a spiritual endeavor…we’re very earthy, organic people. We wanted to create a family retreat, something made by hand and as natural as possible, something that ties back to the land,” she explains. “Whatever it becomes, the craftsmanship will always represent our union and the love of our family.”

[From Architectural Digest, received via e-mail]

The slideshow on AD’s website has some more photos that make the house look even more like a luxury retreat, but there aren’t any photos of Willow and Jaden’s bedrooms yet. They’re saving that for the print edition, out August 9th. I’ll be sure to thumb through it the first chance I get. I really want to see those kids’ bedrooms. You know they’re better equipped than an average Chuck E. Cheese.

Will Smith’s estimated net worth is $188 million. He was the fourth highest earner on Forbes’ list of the highest earning actors for 2010, pulling in an estimated $36 million dollars last year alone. That’s not including whatever Jada is making and whatever their kids earn from their acting and singing careers.

For whatever reason — and I’m thinking that Paramount must have paid handsomely for this service in light of the impending release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon — GQ has published a so-called complete “oral history” of Michael Bay. Kaiser already covered the Megan Fox stuff, but GQ has finally presented its audience with the entire eight-page almanac, which is positively epic in its sweeping vision of douchetasticness and purports to “reveal the secret genius behind a true Hollywood visionary.”

Within this article, more than sixty people chime in to lend their support to “the most underappreciated man in show business.” Included in this ass-kissing plethora are fellow directors, producers, actors, and Bay’s mommy, all of whom are engaged in a quasi-heroic effort to both mythologize and humanize Bay. Here are a few highlights:

On Bay’s Directing “Style”

Ben Affleck: I think Michael is actually an auteur in the true sense of the word. Every movie he makes reflects his personal creative vision. You may like it, you may not–but those movies are him without compromise. There’s something to be said for sticking to your guns.

Steven Spielberg: He has the best eye for multiple levels of pure visual adrenaline.

John Turturro: He likes blowing things up

George Lucas: Michael’s films are immediately identifiable.

Ehren Kruger (screenwriter): He’s like this cross between General Patton and Willy Wonka. He’s in command of a massive army, all in the effort to create the ultimate Everlasting Gobstopper.

Michael Bay: I’m, like, a true American.

A true American, really? That’s not even worth arguing over, so now let’s travel back to Bay’s (not so) humble beginnings:

On Bay’s Early Work Directing Music Videos:
Bay: This guy called me in from Capitol Records–he was a hard-ass marine, kinda scary in the meeting. He said, “If you can wrap this Donny Osmond video up for $165,000…” Meanwhile, I’m like two weeks out of school. The most I’ve ever spent is $5,000. I ended up getting paid $500. But I got to make my first thing.

Harriet Bay: I remember going out to watch him shoot it. It was in the Mojave desert, and there’s like 200 people. It’s this big deal. It was so exotic. It was the first time he got to use a helicopter. And he whispers in my ear, “Mom, can you believe I’m getting paid to do this?”

Fuller: The first time I saw Michael on a bigger set, he was doing a video, and there was the hottest blonde girl I’ve ever seen in my life, and she’s got a wind machine on her. She’s dancing, she looks hot, she’s wearing a short skirt. He’s shooting her from a low angle. And he looked at a few of us, and there was this look in his eyes, like he had reached nirvana. It was childlike wonderment.

Scott Gardenhour (producer): There was no question Michael would go on to do other things, and that they wouldn’t be small.

Bay: I had gotten movie offers and turned them down. I took my time. They sent me Saving Private Ryan, but I wouldn’t have known what to do with it.

Oh man, can you imagine what a sh-tstorm Saving Private Ryan would have been with Bay at the helm? Perish the thought.

On Why He Was The Go-To Director For Transformers

Adam Goodman (President, Paramount): Transformers are essentially cars that change into robots, and who better at shooting cars than Michael Bay?

Spielberg: I couldn’t think of a better director to turn a truck into a robot and make us believe it was really happening.

Bay: I thought it was a dumb idea.

Josh Duhamel: Michael poked his head [into a meeting] to say hello and started telling me about his next project, a movie called Transformers. And I go “Transformers? Like the cartoon from the ’80s?” and he’s like “Yeah, yeah,” and he’s all excited about it. And I was thinking, This is the worst idea ever.

Alex Kurtzman (screenwriter): It’s about a boy who’s really obsessed with getting a car. That’s when we saw Michael’s eyes light up like he was a 12-year-old again.

Shia LaBeouf: When I met Mike, I was a seventeen-year-old boy. He was my f&*#king god.

Finally, let us not forget that Bay is not just a directing machine but also flesh and blood.

On Michael Bay, Ladies Man

LaBeouf: I’ve only seen Mike with two women in the six years that I’ve known him. He wants a family and has the heart for it.

Roger Barton (editor): My wife tries to limit my outings with him.

Jon Voight: He has his girlfriends, all of that stuff. He’s an active guy with his gals.

Bay: Well, it was only two [blonds]. But that was two in a row. Normally I don’t go out with blonds.

Harriet Bay: I said, “Oh, Michael, I guess you’re going to be like Warren Beatty. He didn’t get married until he was fifty.” So Michael feels he’s got three more years to go.

Bay: It’s about finding a wife. I’ve had a lot of great girlfriends.

White: I just can’t see him with somebody over 35.

Bay: I’m a serious guy, but I don’t take myself so seriously. Some people are so serious. The persona comes from…I’m a frank guy.

John Malkovich: You know, it’s an incredible amount of pressure. And sure, somebody could say “He’s a junkie for that,” or “He likes the authority,” but I always think, God, that must be so lonely.

Shia LaBeouf: Mike is a vulnerable guy. He’s the guy who laughs at a joke, then asks you why it’s funny.

Scarlett Johansson: I ran into him leaving a party once and asked him if I could be the Easy-Bake Oven Transformer. He looked at me in all seriousness and said, “There isn’t one.”

[From GQ]

The article then goes on for several more miles of unbelievable buttkissing from all angles. While this may seem like a lot of excerpting, believe me when I say that it doesn’t even scratch the surface. If you have the stomach for it (not to mention an excess of free time), the rest of the article will figuratively “blow” your mind in its blatant disregard for any reality outside of explosions and slo-mo running sequences. There is, however, an interesting tidbit about why Bay feels that he really made Will Smith the movie star that he is today because of Bad Boys. While that may or may not be true, one thing is for certain: Michael Bay really is King of the Dipsh-ts. And he might very well be the guy with the pretty blonde dangling from his arm, but there’s no question to the fact that she was paid to be there.

Photos courtesy of Fame Pictures

I don’t know much about author Terry McMillan, but I did read How Stella Got Her Groove Back and I have a vague memory of the 1998 movie. McMillan’s 24 years younger Jamaican boy toy, her romance with whom was chronicled in the book, has since left her for a man and probably only married her for his green card. That’s not related much to this story and I just found it interesting when the news came out.

Anyway McMillan tweeted recently that Willow and Jaden Smith are pretty arrogant for a couple of little kids and that they’re being “pimped and exploited.” McMillan went on to talk about her own son, who is around Willow’s age and is in the fourth grade. Willow, 10, of course has a singing career and is slated to star in a remake of Annie, produced by her dad Will. Jaden, 12, has starred in several movies including The Pursuit of Happyness and last year’s Karate Kid remake. You can read McMillian’s entire statement about this on Bossip and here’s a segment:

The Smith children already act like child stars. There’s an arrogance in their demeanor and behavior. I find it incredibly sad. It feels like the Smith children are being pimped and exploited. Or, they’re already hungry for fame. What about 4th grade?

A lot of A-list movie stars shielded their children from the Hollywood-world until they were old enough to decide. Look at those who didn’t. Look at Lindsay. Phoenix. To name but a few. They miss out on childhood. It’s more important than fame.

[Via Bossip]

I agree with her in principle. There is something stuck up about the Smith kids, but it’s not very nice to call them on it. They may act like they’re happy to have Hollywood careers but that’s the only life they know. If their parents encourage them to have careers in the spotlight that’s what they’re going to do. They’re just little kids and it’s not their fault.

After this quote got picked up by the media, McMillan half apologized in a post in which she blames people for paying attention to her. She’s able to express herself better than most, but she’s giving us the same “there’s a war on,” “it’s your fault for paying attention to the inflammatory things I say” argument that countless celebrities have used before her.

I apologize for using the word pimp and exploit in referring to the Smith children. It was insensitive of me and wrong. Twitter is not the best forum to express some things. I didn’t know folks would take my opinion so personally. It is amazing, though, how fast an unflattering comment gets retweeted versus one that’s flattering. I’m done with this issue. My opinion isn’t going to change anything.

There are a lot more important things going on in the world right now. My Mama used to say: “They’ll talk about you if you do. And talk about you if you don’t. Let ‘em talk.” Some folks look for a reason to criticize you. They’re getting off on it and are saying much worse things than I did. I’ve got work to do. I hope everybody who has something important to do today besides worry about the Smith children, does it.

And for those of you who were so offended by what I said or thought I was being disrespectful, unfollow me.

[Via Bossip]

So McMillan isn’t apologizing for calling out the Smiths or for calling their kids arrogant, she’s apologizing for her choice of words and blaming other people for paying attention to her. I wouldn’t be down on her if she would have either owned her comments or offered a sincere apology. As it is, she’s upset that people are calling her on it. She did bring up an important point though. The Smith kids should be in school. They’ll have plenty of time for their careers once they’re finished with their education. They don’t seem very grounded at all, but look at their parents. Will and Jada are two of the richest and most famous people in the world and they live in a rarefied bubble. They’re raising their kids to be little mirror images of them and even named them after themselves.

Photo of Terry McMillan below is the most recent I could find and is from 2007. Credit: WENN.com. Willow and Jaden are shown with mom Jada on 11/21/10 and also with dad Will on 7/25/10. Credit: WENN.com