Two teens from Chicago are to blame for a brush fire that started in the Hollywood hills east of Los Angeles on Friday. The 150 acre fire destroyed 2,500 acres, sent smoke billowing over downtown LA and led to widespread panic and the evacuation of 200 residents in Hesperia. There has been only minor damage to buildings so far, and no fatalities, but the smoke was extremely uncomfortable for people in the area. Smoke was seen rising over the famous Hollywood sign, and some feared that it might be destroyed, but the fire was about of a 1/2 a mile away and the sign is now considered fire-proof as it is made of painted steel. Smoke drifted into the Warner Brothers and Universal studios nearby.

The boys, aged 16 and 17, were friends from Illinois who were staying at an Oakwood apartment building near where the fire started. The father of one of the teens was in California for a training assignment for his job.

The teens admitted to officials that they started the fire, saying that they were setting sticks on fire when it spread up the hill and out of control.

The 150-acre blaze started near a corporate housing complex east of Universal City, south of the Warner Bros. studios complex in Burbank.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said two teens from Illinois were in custody and told authorities they caused the fire.

“They’ve admitted that they started this fire,” the mayor said at a news conference. He said they were “old enough to know what they were doing.”

The teens walked into a Burbank police station in midafternoon and were turned over to Los Angeles police Friday, police Lt. Ron Caruso said.

The 16- and 17-year-old boys, who were visiting Los Angeles with their parents, had been staying at the housing complex, the mayor said.

They have been arrested on suspicion of reckless setting of a fire and released to their parents, said Ron Myers, a fire department spokesman. They could be charged after prosecutors review the case Monday, he said.

For several hours smoke roiled into the sky behind the famous Hollywood sign that stands on the south face of the hills, but the flames made no move down the south face and by late afternoon the landmark appeared to be well out of any danger.

Both boys have returned to Illinois and face a hearing in 60 days. You know they had to get the hell out of there before their neighbors made them steam clean the entire apartment building. They could get up to three years in juvenile detention if they’re found guilty. Experts say a lack of rainfall and a very dry winter contributed to the quick spread of the fire.

As of Sunday the fire was 50% contained, and was expected to be fully controlled by Sunday night. Over 200 firefighters and 5 helicopters fought the fast-moving fire.

Pictures thanks to The LA Times and Canyon News. Some were user-submitted where noted.

I know it’s out-of-character for me to write something nice about a celebrity. I’m sure I will get “deep-fried” for this post but here goes.

Alec Baldwin did a nice thing for a soldier who is leaving for Iraq. Baldwin was moved by a story he read in the New York Times about Private Resha Kane’s last day with her family before going to training camp for Iraq. He felt so strongly about the story that he has offered to pay for her college when her service in Iraq is finished.

Baldwin tracked down the soldier’s mom to offer his help.

“I didn’t know what to say,” said Patricia Kane, Resha Kane’s mother. “And then I asked him if he could send me his autograph. I’ve never met a star, let alone talked to one on the phone.”

This hurts me to report this as I think Baldwin has been kind of a jerk with some of his comments about the war in Iraq. Everyone is against the war but I think he has crossed the line at times.

I’m ready. Go ahead and tell me what you think.

Brian Bonsall was the cute little kid that “Family Ties” resorted to in an attempt to boost ratings its last three seasons. His career didn’t really take off although he did get starring roles as that annoying kid in the Disney movie Blank Check in 1994 and in 1992’s Mikey. He was also seen in seven episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” from 1992 to 1994.

Now 25, he lives in Boulder Colorado, where he plays the drums in a punk band called Thruster. He never quite recovered from serving as the Scrappy Doo of “Family Ties” and has been busted at least twice for DUI.

The latest on the troubled child actor is a domestic violence charge. His girlfriend says he poured a drink on her while she was sleeping and put her in a choke hold. Bonsall claims she tried to knife him and he was just defending himself:

Bonsall, 25, was being held in the Boulder County jail Friday on charges of second-degree assault and false imprisonment. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney, and a listing for an agent could not be found.

Bonsall was arrested Wednesday after his girlfriend told police he poured an alcoholic drink on her face while she slept, put her in a choke hold and threw her onto a bed when she tried to leave, authorities said.

Bonsall told investigators he pushed the woman down in self-defense after she cut his arm and face with a steak knife, but she denied that, police said.

The woman was initially taken into custody but then released, police said.

It sounds like someone is overcompensating for being typecast as a cute child actor. Why does it seem like all the kiddie stars get into trouble? I guess we just don’t hear about the ones that go on to careers in engineering or teaching.

Here are pictures of Bonsall before and after, courtesy of TeenIdols4You and his band’s myspace. He’s the shirtless blonde one. You can tell by the twin piercings he has in his lip. Header image of Brian’s mugshot is from his Wikipedia page.

I should have followed I Don’t Like You in That Way’s lead and just added unrelated bikini pics to this post.

Marie Osmond and her husband of over 20 years, music producer Brian Blosil, are getting divorced. Osmond filed the paperwork on March 20th.

Osmond’s husband’s temper is said to at the root of their problems. He is rumored to have a short fuse.

They have a large family, with eight children. Five are adopted, two are their biological children, and one is Marie’s from her first marriage. The Mormons tried to make it work especially for their youngest son, 7, but just couldn’t hold on any longer.

Marie’s pals say she called it quites because she could no longer take his frequent foul moods and temper tantrums.

“Brian’s a screamer. He can be the sweetest guy in the world and then turn on a dime. Marie put up with it as long as she could. Then when she finally started making plans to separate, Brian went on his own to counselling.

“The next time he blew up about something, Marie told him that was it. She wanted out. She held firm, and a few weeks later they were living apart…”

Added a family friend, “Initiall Brian was in shock. He never thought Marie would file.”

Six months after she gave birth to her youngest son in 1999, the couple actually split, but they gave it another try for the baby’s sake, said the friend.

[From The National Enquirer print edition, April 9, 2007]

They issued a joint statement saying that their children are their priority and that they will be there for them.

Marie Osmond has a collection of sickeningly cute dolls called “Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Collector Dolls” that are the top-selling line on QVC. (Thanks to Lynn and Alex for the tip)

Last year in August it was rumored that she attempted suicide, but she says she just had a bad reaction to prescription drugs.

Here are some of Osmond’s dolls. Pictures are from her website.

The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards hosted by Justin Timberlake were messy fun. Movie, television and music stars like Tobey Maguire, Steve Carrell, Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Rihanna, Jessica Alba, and Gwen Stefani were in attendance.

Here’s a link to a video of Tobey Maguire and Steve Carrell getting slimed as they present favorite animated movie. The award went to Happy Feet, which was accepted by Nicole Kidman. She removed her jacket before hugging the messy presenters. Kidman was at the ceremony with her two children, Isabella and Connor.

Other winners at the 20th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards included:

Movies:
Favorite Movie: The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Favorite Female Movie Star: Dakota Fanning
Favorite Male Movie Star: Adam Sandler
Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie: Queen Latifah/Ice Age: The Meltdown
Favorite Animated Movie: Happy Feet

Music:
Favorite Music Group: Black Eyed Peas
Favorite Female Singer: Beyoncé
Favorite Male Singer: Justin Timberlake
Favorite Song: Irreplaceable (Beyoncé)

Television:
Favorite TV Show: American Idol
Favorite Television Actress: Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana
Favorite Television Actor: Drake Bell/Drake & Josh
Favorite Cartoon: SpongeBob SquarePants

Sports:
Favorite Athlete: Shaquille O’Neal

Other:
Favorite Video Game: SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Favorite Book: Harry Potter (series)

And here are pictures of the attendees. [via] and [via]

If Nicole Kidman is pregnant, she sure isn’t showing yet. I’m not liking Jessica Alba’s hair. The color looks a little drab on her.

Assorted

Hilary Duff

Mandy Moore

Jessica Alba

Gwen Stefani

Nicole Kidman

Rihanna

Avril Lavigne, known for spitting at the paparazzi in three separate incidents and them blaming them for it, blames Britney for her downfall. She says you can’t complain about the paparazzi because it’s part of the job. I guess spitting on them doesn’t count as complaining:

Avril told The Sun: “What’s happened to Britney is all down to who she is as a person.

“If you want a piece of this business you have to be able to deal with it.

“You can’t complain about pressures, the paparazzi, the madness because that’s the job.

She also says that no one really knows when she’s drunk despite the fact that there are many pictures of her out wasted with her friends:

Avril said that she likes to have a drink and party too, but that she can handle it and “no one really gets to know”.

Maybe Avril means that no one gets to know because she’s not in rehab like Britney. Apparently a lot of pictures don’t count. At least she doesn’t have any children to ignore yet.

Avril also recently said in an interview with Jane magazine that she’s “the best thing that ever happened” to her husband, Deryck Whibley, and went on to tell a story about how she kneed a guy in the balls in a CD store.

Here are pictures of her at the LA airport on 4/1 and signing autographs in Cologne, Germany no 3/30, thanks to ALavigne.com.br.

There are also older pictures of Avril from October out drunk with her friends.

Woody Harrelson’s dad recently died in federal prison at the age of 68. He was serving two life sentences for the 1979 murder of a Federal judge.

Woody’s dad, who went to jail when Woody was seven, was a high paid hitman who raked in over six figures for murder for hire. He may have had a hand in over 50 unsolved murders:

Woody Harrelson’s father took a dark secret to his grave - the convicted hit man may have pulled the trigger in as many as 50 unsolved murders…

“He would only kill for money,” said Jack Dean, a retired Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshall.

“He wasn’t a homicidal maniac - he just had no qualms about killing people.”

Despite the evidence, Woody… never believed his 68-year-old father was guilty. But organized crime historian Kenny Gallo told The Enquirer: “Everyone in the underworld knew who Charles Harrelson was.

“Charles was paid $250,000 by a drug dealer after the judge was killed - but no one believes that the money was simply for the murder of one judge.

By 1982, Charles had reportedly taken credit for at least a dozen contract killings, said Gallo.

“And some mob enforcers said he was responsible for more than four times that number!”

[From The National Enquirer print edition, April 9, 2007]

The article goes on to say that Harrelson’s dad was writing a book about his life that remained unpublished at his death. The elder Harrelson said his memoir would provide the truth as to how many people he really killed.

Woody helped his father fund appeals and paid lawyers’ fees throughout the years, but the evidence against him must have been too great. He lost his Supreme Court appeal in 2004, with justices declining to hear his case.

Harrelson’s dad claimed to have been involved in the Kennedy assassination, and some say he was one of the homeless people photographed on the “grassy knoll” that day.

If all that is true it would make for some interesting reading if his book is every published. The Enquirer’s source speculates that Woody will get the unfinished manuscript and says that it would be a fascinating movie.

The National Enquirer’s Stars with Eating Disorders issue is full of the usual stick-thin subjects like Nicole Richie, Ellen Pompeo and Portia De Rossi, but they also add a few stars who have gained some weight or are fit and don’t really deserve to be ridiculed. Mandy Moore must have an eating disorder since she’s a whole size 10, they reason, and Kelly Clarkson is also up for scrutiny for a maybe-12. Barbra Streisand and Clay Aiken are also included since they’ve packed some on.

Poor Pierce Brosnan’s wife, Keely Shaye Smith, stars front and center as she did in the 50 Worst Beach Bodies issue. She’s an easy target as she’s a heavier woman and is willing to wear a bikini around the paps.

Athletically-thin stars like Gwen Stefani, Katie Holmes, and Jennifer Aniston are featured, with experts warning of over exercise. It seems the celebrities can’t ever win.

Here’s how they justify including just about everyone in this pictorial:

While some of TinselTown’s most recognizable beauties are withering away from crash diets and diseases such as anorexia and bulimia, others are putting their lives at risk by overeating.

“There are a lot of celebrities who have made it to the top not on their talents alone, but also by maintaining a certain image,” says Dr. Cocores….

“But when image becomes more important than health, and people starve their bodies of the proper nutrients, the results are often fatal.”

Fitness guru Jonny Bowden agrees, but is quick to point out that eating disorders can go in the opposite direction and involve overeating, which can also lead to life-threatening conditions.

“Binge eating is a disorder that can be just as fatal,” says Bowden.

[From The National Enquirer print edition, April 9, 2007]

So there you have it. If you’re famous, you better stay ar the exact right weight or someone will pick on you. And even if you do stay there, they’ll find something else to point out.

Eating disorders are a serious problem, and super-thin or obese celebrities aren’t healthy role models, but when the definition is expanded like this it kind of defeats the purpose.

These are original scans for Celebitchy from The National Enquirer.

There’s a story that David and Victoria Beckham’s new NBC reality show, which will feature tiny Victoria front and center, is in jeopardy due to a lack of appearances by the Beckham’s famous friends.

The much-hyped reality show is due to be broadcast on US channel NBC in the summer, to coincide with David’s mega-money transfer from Real Madrid to Los Angeles Galaxy football club.

An insider said the docusoap – similar to The Osbournes, which followed the antics of Ozzy, Sharon and their family – was likely to be pulled because none of the Beckhams’ US celebrity buddies would appear in it.

‘So far, all that’s been filmed is Victoria house-hunting and her quest to find schools for the kids, which hardly makes scintillating viewing,’ the source said.

‘David and Victoria are not well known out there and they have not yet been able to convince any of their celebrity friends to come on.’

It was rumored that Tom Cruise was telling Katie Holmes not to appear on the show with her fashion-mentor and BFF, as he didn’t want her playing Ethel to Posh’s Lucy. I’m not sure if all this is true about the show being scrapped, and it could be just speculation by someone.

The article goes on to say that Victoria was only paid almost $600,000 for the series and not the whopping $19.6 million that was reported earlier.

If that’s true it might explain Victoria and David’s reluctance to buy a home in LA. They’re said to be stalling as the price usually goes up quite a bit once homeowners hear that the famous British couple is interested.

David Beckham was said to be starting at another woman while out to dinner with his wife recently. He was busted checking out a model at the next table most of the night.

The Beckhams are shown with their dumb matching duck ‘dos at the Sport Industry Awards on 3/29. [via]

Britain’s questionable News of The World tabloid claimed to have contacted Pax’s grandparents about a week ago. There was some speculation as to whether their daughter, Pax’s mom, would try to get him back ntow that he’s been adopted by rich and famous Angelina Jolie. Although Pax’s mom abandoned him at the hospital when he was born, they said their daughter is a heroin addict and it is likely she will try to take advantage of the situation to get money.

I wasn’t really buying it. Although News of The World had a picture of an older Vietnamese couple it was unclear how they found them considering that Pax’s parents were unknown and that authorities had not been able to contact them.

Now News of the World claims to have spoken to Pax’s mother, who they say told them that she would love to see her long-abadoned son again, but that she gave up rights to him a long time ago and won’t try to get him back.

Our reporters traced frail mum Dung to a deprived Ho Chi Minh City slum and she told them she is convinced her son is now going to a good home.

And even though Dung did not sign adoption papers, she has vowed NOT to pursue Angelina or movie star boyfriend Brad Pitt for money or for the return of her boy.

Last week we revealed how drug-addled Dung abandoned her son when she fled hospital just two days after giving birth to him.

His grandparents later signed adoption papers to hand the boy over to Angelina’s care.

They told us of their fears that daughter Dung may hound the Hollywood couple for cash or even demand her son back.

But speaking to NotW reporters in a dingy Ho Chi Minh City cafe, Dung broke down and confessed she would not have been able to bring up her son.

Admitting she had not even recognised his picture in the newspapers, she said she would love to see her son again and tell him she is sorry she had to give him away.

Despite her guilt over abandoning her newborn, Dung says she is happy for him now and is convinced he will be better off living with the movie star couple.

She added sadly that she dreamt that he would one day visit and call her Mother, but that that is impossible.

Dung also revealed how her baby’s father, who she would not name, dumped her when she fell pregnant.

According to Dung’s pals, She then fled the family home after falling out with her father and earned a living as a hostess and bar girl in a seedy bar.

Dung now lives to support her heroin addiction which, she says, she is desperate to give up.

I think they’re just trying to cover their asses after making up that story that they somehow found Pax’s grandparents. If they wanted to make it believable, all they had to do was explain how they found them or claim some kind of Vietnamese insider information. As it is, I doubt any of this is true.

Plus, at the time I reported this the header image on the article said “Angelina Jolie Trying to Adopt Baby No. 4″ Pax is baby No. 4. It’s possible it’s an older header that was mistakenly placed there, as it was named jolie_header.jpg. The article referred to a photo of the woman, which must have been in the print version and not online.

On the off chance this is true, I hope this woman finds some solace in the fact that her son is going to a good home. It’s really doubtful that some random British paper would have been able to find her in all of Ho Chi Minh city so soon after he was adopted by Angelina Jolie.

We haven’t seen Angelina, Pax or Brad out in some time. It’s likely they are staying at home to work on getting to know each other.