MediaTakeOut, a completely unreliable and often incorrect source, is reporting that Beyonce was the first actress considered for the role of Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant in the upcoming Sex and the City Movie. Beyonce made so many demands, including only being willing to wear fur-laden outfits from her mother’s poorly-designed House of Dereon label, that producers decided not to work with her.

According to our insider, Beyonce was all but assured the role. The source tells MediaTakeOut.com, “[Beyonce} read for the role and everyone loved her. She was perfect."

But once they began negotiating Beyonce's contract, the trouble began. Our source explained, "Beyonce's management was pushing [producers] to have her wardrobe consist solely of [House Of Dereon] outfits. We told [them] that we couldn’t do that, but [they] just kept pressing us.”

Then, our insider claims, Beyonce’s team threatened to walk away from the deal. The insider told MediaTakeOut.com, “I think it was just some kind of negotiating strategy [to act like] they weren’t interested, but it backfired. As soon as we started feeling that Beyonce was getting cold feet, we called in other actresses.”

And that’s when Jennifer Hudson came into the picture. Our insider tells, “We knew that Jennifer [Hudson] was interested so we had her read for the part. She was fantastic. She may not be as big a star as Beyonce but she has a strong following and she’s a talented actress … and most importantly, she didn’t have any crazy demands.”

[From MediaTakeOut]

It could be true, especially considering how well known it is that Beyonce is a diva. Still, if Beyonce was about to have a feature role in the film, you think the news would have been out that she was in talks. There were no google results that indicate that there’s a source for this story other than MediaTakeOut, so I doubt it’s true.

Jennifer Hudson was photographed on set yesterday looking silly in a black trenchcoat, Burberry boots and a Chanel tweed flap purse. I thought that purse was super ugly, and the purse afficionados over at The Purse Page agree with me:

She’s looking good as usual, save for…well, most of that outfit. I’m trying to divert my attention from the foul boots, but then I’m drawn to that purse. And that purse ain’t pretty. Usually Chanel can be relied on to save the day in a disastrous moment, but that doesn’t seem to apply to the line’s new Tweed Flap Bag, which features a clearly disastrous combination of fringe and embroidered pearl piping. Fortunately this isn’t real life - Jennifer doesn’t need any more fashion faux pas after the python bolero incident at the Oscars, does she?

[From The Purse Page]

A lot of the fashion on the Sex and the City movie will involve risky pieces that don’t necessarily work, and that’s an integral part of the plot and Carrie’s character. If MediaTakeOut is right about Beyonce getting passed over for insisting on using her own wardrobe choices, that means that producers wanted to make their own choices about which overpriced bad fashion to feature. Maybe House of Dereon stuff just isn’t hideous enough.

Thanks to WENN for these pictures.

Usher’s much-talked about wish for a son will come true – he told People magazine that he and new wife/possible man Tameka Foster are expecting a son. Earlier this month, Usher told Ellen Degeneres that he’s hoping for a boy and said, ““I think every man wants a son. He’s own little own doll. If it’s a boy, I’m going to name him Usher. I’m hoping to name him that. I’ve been playing with a few names. I’m the fourth. Usher Raymond the fourth. I just want to pass the name on. Maybe I’ll change the middle name.” All right… I wasn’t quite so aware that every man wanted his own little doll, but whatever. Apparently Usher will get just that. Usher Jr Jr Jr is going to have some serious roman numerals after his name.

“Newlyweds Usher and Tameka Foster are going to have a boy, he revealed to PEOPLE Tuesday.

“When asked what he is looking forward to most about being a new dad, Usher, 28, said his desires are pretty basic.

“‘I just want my son to fully be coherent and to be healthy, first and foremost,’ he told PEOPLE at the USHER for Men and USHER for Women fragrance launch party at Cipriani in Manhattan.

“‘I’ve found that it is a step-by-step process. You can wish for a million and one things. But I hope that my son has the same energy I had as a child,’ Usher said. ‘Hopefully, he won’t be as bad as me. I hope that he’s just a healthy son.’

[From People]

Usher wants his baby to be fully coherent? Like he’s hoping to have a discussion with the kid from the get go, or just that the kid’s eyes move? I think it was just an odd choice of words, but it leaves me wondering what he’s expecting from the kid nonetheless.

And for those of you wondering about wife Maneka Foster, and how she’s going to push a kid out of her penis, here’s some info on her pregnancy so far.

“‘Mom-to-be, Foster, 37, told PEOPLE she’s feeling “beautiful” but having odd cravings.

“‘I eat ice all day,’ she said. ‘It’s a weird thing. I love it. Now I’m thinking about ice. I want to find some ice.’

“Foster also admits that while she’s aiming for a natural birth, it might not happen.

“‘I don’t want drugs,’ she said. ‘I’ll try. I say that now. You call me about ten hours into labor. I’ll be asking for everything. Vicodin and everything.’”

[From People]

Tameka Foster wants some Vicodin? Look at the shock on my face. Damn girl, I know you mean that as a joke, but with your crazy-ass history of dating drug dealers, chilling in jail, and threatening to kill you sister-in-law, popping a few Vicodin before you pop the kid out doesn’t seem so far fetched.

Note by Jaybird: Here’s Usher & Tameka at the launch for his new fragrance yesterday in New York. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Ashlee Simpson’s coy dodging of nose job related questions has all been for naught – her mouthy father, Svengali Joe Simpson has confirmed to Fox News that Ashlee did in fact have a nose job last year. I know, pick yourself up off the floor, and we’ll carry on.

“After more than a year of coy answers from Ashlee Simpson regarding her May 2006 nose job, her father Joe has finally confirmed that his daughter went under the knife. In an interview with Fox News, Joe says he had no control over Ashlee’s decision to undergo rhinoplasty.

“‘Girls have their own ideas,’ he shrugged. ‘Anyway, there was a real problem with her breathing and that was cured.’”

[From UsWeekly]

Yes we girls do have our own ideas. The nerve! I love that it wasn’t “People have their own ideas” or “My children have their own ideas.” The problem is that girls have their own ideas, and it’s just so dang hard to tell them what to do anymore!

And if you’ve been sitting around wondering to yourself, “Why are Jessica and Ashely Simpson so much better than Paris and Britney and the other skanks? Well, Joe has an answer for that, too.

“Joe, who also serves as manager to Ashlee, 22, and her sister Jessica, 27, credits good parenting as the reason his daughters haven’t gone the way of Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears.

“‘We have a real family,’ he said. ‘You can’t just put these kids out in the world and they’re on their own. I can remember a time when Jessica was singing at Madison Square Garden and her outfit ripped before she went on. We were there for her.’

[From Us Weekly]

Why am I not surprised that Papa Joe was there for Jessica when her outfit ripped, exposing her bare, heaving bosoms? His accidentally uber-creepy remarks regarding Jessica’s boobs are legendary. Now he’s moving on to the nose. And what’s the excuse when Ashley was caught lipsyncing on Saturday Night Live, and then broke out into a jig?

“‘She’d lost her voice, and Jordan Schur [then the head of her record label] insisted she lip-synch,’ he said. ‘She’d never done it before. She didn’t want to do it. Anyway, she’ll never do it again. We just did a huge tour, and there was no lip-synching.’

“The former Baptist minister also denies claims that he’s a controlling father. ‘I don’t tell my girls who to date or marry or what to do.’

“He also has no hard feelings against former son-in-law Nick Lachey. ‘I have nothing against Nick,’ he told me. ‘But they got married very young. I told Jessica, “You’re going to hit an age when it’s all going to be clear to you — life that is — and you’ll know what you want to do.’” Joe added: ‘I do blame 50 percent of their break-up on the media.’”

[From Us Weekly]

Well that’s fair, because I remember this time when a bunch of reporters made Jessica say stupid things, and then made Nick get angry at her for being so stupid, even though he’s really vapid himself. So I could understand how the media contributed to their divorce in a really significant way. I’m putting Papa Joe on my list of people who should not talk.

Note by Jaybird: Here’s Ashley at the VMAs on September 9th, and post nose job. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Poor Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. They’ve been seriously inconvenienced lately when dropping off their oldest son Maddox at Manhattan’s ultra-posh Lycee Francais school. People are asking them for pictures, autographs, or just having the general nerve to say their names. But if nothing else, these are random street hooligans, right? Well, no. They’re other Lycee Francais parents. A little embarrassing. Considering how fancy the school is, you’d think the parents would be a little more annoyed by the Brangelina hubbub than the other way around, but sadly that’s not the case.

“The New York Observer reports that the Lycee’s director of operations, Dan Cooke, had to ask parents to leave Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie alone. He wrote in a letter, ‘Regretfully, I have seen some parents taking pictures, asking for autographs, talking to the media and even shouting at Ms. Jolie and Mr. Pitt for recognition. Therefore, in the best interests of the school and safety of your child(ren) I must ask for everyone to please respect the family’s privacy and discontinue these practices.’

“Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have made concerted efforts to ensure that the chaos [sic] that surrounds them is kept to a minimum when dropping son Maddox, 5, off for classes. Cooke explains in his letter:

“‘I’m sure you are aware the school has received much media attention recently during the arrival and dismissal times because of the presence of celebrities Ms. Angelina Jolie and/or Mr. Brad Pitt. I want to make you aware that before the first day of school I met with their security team to discuss the best manner in which for them to drop off and pick up their son. Our foremost goal was to cause the least amount of disruption to the school and to ensure the security of all of our students and families.’”

[From US Weekly]

I expected Upper East Side parents to have a bit more decorum about them, just not give a damn, or if nothing else be righteously annoyed by the Brangelina spectacle. Turns out they’re just a bunch of screaming girls at a Beatles concert like the rest of us. Too old a reference? Okay, turns out they’re just a bunch of screaming girls at a Justin Timberlake concert. That could really make those parent open houses awkward. Someone says hello to Brad Pitt, Brad’s security team knocks the parent over and confiscates their cell phone… and their camera… and their binoculars… okay I guess these people really are freaks.

It actually is enough of a problem that Maddox has become afraid of the paparazzi and all the screaming at school lately.

“A source tells the Observer that the constant attention of the paparazzi (and eager parents) has already had an effect on adopted son Maddox. The normally happy Mad got scared and started to cry when his kindergarten class was asked to bring in a picture of themselves.”

[From US Weekly]

Maybe he’s just crying because he’s got that silly Mohawk in all those pictures and he’s too embarrassed to bring one in? I’m kidding, the Mohawk is adorable. He’s probably actually crying because all of the family photos are in Us Weekly.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Angelina and Brad picking Maddox up from Lycee Francais. You can see that it looks like there’s a lot of students lined up to look at them, though no visible parents. Images thanks to the Daily Mail.

Ever since I saw Bridget Jones’ Diary I’ve wanted to be friends with Renee Zellweger/Bridget Jones. She is just so very cute, and she has great clothes that I know she would lend me, even if I would only fit into her Bridget size wardrobe.

Now, I have yet another reason to be friends with Miss Jones.

Renee Zellweger has a big heart. Wendy Faracino, a Bobbi Brown makeup artist at Saks Fifth Avenue in Southampton, was on her break and looking at a pair of Manolo Blahniks when Zellweger strolled up and the two began talking about shoes. Barely 15 minutes after she went back to work, Faracino was approached by the shoe department’s manager with a gift-wrapped box. “These are compliments of Renée Zellweger. She wanted you to have them,” he said. Inside were the Manolos she’d been admiring.

New York Post

Now, I know this is hardly the biggest act of philanthropy a celebrity could perform. Colin Farrell recently set up a homeless man with a new wardrobe, house and cash. Brad and Angelina have been known to throw a dollar or two at worthy causes. But somehow this seems like the ultimate in PR. Not that I’m suggesting that PR is why Renee bought the gift, but because it is almost within reach of us non-celebs. Like giving money to someone short of change in front of you in line, or helping someone carry their bags to their door, or just something anyone could do. Sure, most of us wouldn’t be able to gift a pair of Manolos, but it’s a small gesture.

That’s made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I think I’m going to find an old lady to help her across the street.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Renee Zellweger is shown looking much cuter and friendlier at the Miss Potter premiere on 12/10/06. She looks a lot better with a little more essential weight.

“Hairspray” actress Brittany Snow has admitted to an extreme eating disorder, cutting, and depression in a recent interview with the website “Half of Us.” Snow talks about her struggle with weight, which began at the age of 12 when she started the “Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type” diet, after it was recommended by some of her “Guiding Light” adult costars. Wonderful influence. She got a lot of compliments on her weight loss, and the feeling of acceptance and encouragement became addictive. Eventually, she was down to 85 pounds and worried she still wasn’t thin enough.

“Brittany Snow’s descent into the dark world of eating disorders began when she landed the role of Susan Lemay on TV’s Guiding Light, the actress, now 21, tells MTVU.com. ‘I remember looking around at all these women who were on the soap opera who were working out and dieting,’ Snow says. Taking their cue, a 12-year-old Snow tried her first diet, called Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type. ‘I took it to the extreme,’ the Hairspray star admits, which included a two-month stint when she ‘lived on pineapple.’

“After losing 10 lbs. on the diet, Snow says she heard compliments and felt accepted from those around her. Soon it was a feeling she couldn’t get enough of. ‘It kind of progressed into this thing where I needed to always be dieting and losing weight and more weight,’ she says in the site’s interview series Half of Us, which addresses mental health issues and ways to get help. ‘It became my life and I didn’t have any friends and this was definitely my best friend and I held on to it really tight.’

“At 15, Snow was stepping onto the scale 10 to 15 times a day and weighed only 85 lbs. ‘I knew that was a really low number and I knew that my hair was falling out and I had really weird skin. My face looked really weird and I was getting this fuzz on my face and I was always cold – always to the point of uncontrollably shaking,’ she says. But ‘I was more scared that 85 lbs. wasn’t good enough. I wanted to be lower.”

[From People]

Brittany Snow is one of those sorta famous actresses that I never really thought much about, and she’s very pretty in a small, petite person kind of way. I never noticed just how tiny she was until I read this story, and really started looking. That would mean she was obviously struggling with anorexia through much, if not all, of her time on “American Dreams.” Snow says she finally reached the end of her rope when she started cutting herself.

“Rock bottom came when Snow began cutting herself. ‘I would look at the scars and what I had done to myself and that would convince me not to eat,’ she says. ‘I also was crying for attention and I also really wanted someone to see my scars and help me and give me a hug.’

“By 19, Snow was in rehab and things took a turn for the better. She stopped cutting and got help for her depression. ‘But the eating stuff was still really hard to deal with,’ she says. ‘It’s still a struggle.’

“Her advice to girls who are going though a similar situation is to take baby steps. ‘It’s very important to talk to anybody. Maybe the first step is just to talk to a friend about it,’ she says. ‘Probably they’ll relate in some way.’”

[From People]

That advice sounds very sensible. I imagine that for someone struggling with something as complex, private, and scary as anorexia, making a full-on confession might seem too overwhelming. The idea of baby steps makes sense. It’s amazing that Brittany could have had so many people around her who either didn’t notice or didn’t say anything.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Brittany Snow is shown in a white dress at fashion week on 9/5/07. She is at a party for her Vegas Magazine cover on 8/24/07 in the photos where she is wearing a pink dress. Thanks to PRPhotos.

Paris Hilton is such a do-gooder. Remember that time she saved the litter of puppies from the fire? And that other time she grabbed the starving nuns and orphans from a bus careening out of control? And that other time she drove drunk on a suspended license when she wasn’t wearing any underpants? Talk about a heart who’s love knows no bounds. Well Paris figures she’s done all the good she can in Los Angeles, so she’s moving on to the next most logical place… Rwanda. Talk about baby steps. Yep, instead of giving any of her money or actually being helpful, Paris is going to just be there, and by her being there it’ll bring attention to the problems and somehow solve them. Just because she’s there.

“It’s not the typical sort of hot spot she’s used to, but Paris Hilton says that she’s planning to hit the road to Rwanda. Apparently making good on her post-jail promise to help others, the socialite, 26, tells E! Online about her African ambitions, ‘I’ll be going in November, after I get back from filming my movie. There’s so much need in that area, and I feel like if I go, it will bring more attention to what people can do to help.’

“Though a trouble spot of notorious proportions – an infamous 1994 genocide in Rwanda claimed about a million lives (in a nation of 9 million) – the country’s multitude of problems doesn’t seem to worry Hilton, who vows to pay calls upon a variety of beleaguered regions. ‘I want to visit more countries where poverty and children’s issues are a big concern,’ she says. ‘I know there’s a lot of good I can do just by getting involved and bringing attention to these issues.’

“Hilton reportedly will visit Rwanda at the invitation of Scott Lazerson, whose year-old Playing for Good charity assists celebrities and high-profile business personalities in getting involved with organizations that benefit those in need. Hilton’s Rwanda trip will also cap a busy September, during which she’s been in Toronto filming her upcoming movie Repo! The Genetic Opera, partying at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas and hitting a slew of Emmy parties in Los Angeles.”

[From People]

Well to be fair, I once did the same thing. I went to a Denny’s, and just by my being there at 3:30 in the morning near a major college campus, it just magically filled up with people holding checkbooks And I kept telling them to chill, and not to pay so much attention to me but to focus on the issues here… a very questionable Moons of My Hammy… and they were all so star struck that I completely overshadowed the real issue. That’s what I’m afraid is going to happen with Paris. I’m afraid it’ll be more photo-op than actually providing food for the starving and legs for the… legless. I just don’t even want to imagine the potential faux pas that we Americans will forever be held accountable for. Though I would enjoy it if she forgot to wear her underpants again, and somehow came back with a uniquely Rwandan strain of herpes to add to her collection.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Paris is shown at the amfAR Rocks Benefit on 9/24/07 thanks to PRPhotos.

Who says someone who was once crazy is always crazy? Evan Rachel Wood, aka Marilyn Manson’s girlfriend/[I had a bunch of really specific, filthy names to stick here, but I thought better of it] has decided to get her weird, completely indecipherable tattoo repaired. Why would she do this, you ask? Doesn’t Marilyn Manson encourage unnecessarily weird things? Why yes he does, but apparently even he can’t stop Evan Rachel Wood from fixing a bunch of leaves that appear to look like a ferret. I bet Manson totally gets off on that.

“Evan Rachel Wood says she enjoyed filming ‘Across the Universe’ so much, she had a tattoo inked in tribute to the Beatles-themed musical romance. Now the 20-year-old actress plans to get the tattoo covered up ‘because nobody can figure out what it is,’ she tells People magazine in its Oct. 8 issue.

“‘It’s supposed to be a strawberry with leaves in the shape of a bird, but everybody says, `Is that a ferret sticking out of an apple?’”

[From the Associated Press]

Yeah, ferrets and apples are just totally stupid, bizarre, and flat out un-sexy. Now Marilyn Manson’s skeleton of a little Chinese boy is totally normal though. I find it unusual that she’s drawn the line where she has, but whatever. And what about Wood’s other tattoos, you ask?

“Wood says she has three tattoos. Her favorite is the one she received on Valentine’s Day from her boyfriend, 38-year-old goth rocker Marilyn Manson.

“‘It’s a lightning bolt - for David Bowie, who inspired me to act and sing - and a black heart,’ she says. ‘That was my present (from Manson). Somebody came to the house. We both got black hearts. It represents mad love.’

“Wood says her parents aren’t OK with the tattoos.

“‘It took me a while to tell my mom about this last one,’ she says. ‘But she’s cool with it now. I even told her I was getting the Beatles one covered up. She’s like, `Great, just call me when you’re done.’”

[From the Associated Press]

That last part really leaves you wondering… how exactly does one introduce a nearly-twice-your-age Marilyn Manson to your parents? “Mom, this is Marilyn, Marilyn, this is my mom Marilyn.” That’d make me happy if Evan Rachel Wood’s mom’s name really was Marilyn. I don’t want to sound like a fussy old grandma… but I’m close enough already, so I’ll just say that Marilyn Manson is so gross. If my daughter brought him home, I would have a bounty on his fake white pasty face before he even took off his coat. Alright grandma’s done. For now.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Evan Rachel Wood is shown on 9/10/07 at the Toronto Film Festival, thanks to PRPhotos. Picture of Wood’s tattoo is from EvanRachelWood.info.

Music producer Phil Spector wears his crazy on his sleeve just like Michael Jackson. He just looks the part of a rich, unbalanced eccentric, but despite all the circumstantial evidence that he shot a B movie actress at least two people thought it was too much of a logical leap to declare the guy a murderer. After a trial that lasted five months, and deliberations for eight days, the jury said it could not reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. The jury announced for a second time that it was hung on whether to find Spector guilty of second degree murder, and said they were divided 10-2. It is unknown which way they were leaning.

After a week of deliberation in which they remained deadlocked 7-5, the judge was considering giving the jury the option to consider an involuntary manslaughter charge, but it was not offered to them. Spectors lawyers said that would make the appeals case stronger and the judge agreed.

Spector was being tried for the February 3, 2003 murder of a B-movie actress that he picked up when she was working as a hostess at the House of Blues that night. Spector asked 40 year-old Lana Clarkson to come back to his mansion for a drink. She was found the next morning, dead in a chair in his foyer from a shot to the mouth. She had a .38 revolver at her feet and someone had tried to clean up the blood with a diaper.

Spector’s chauffeur testified that he saw him in the driveway that morning and that he said “I think I killed somebody.”

Spector’s lawyers claimed Clarkson committed suicide and was depressed in the months leading up to her death. A friend of the victim testified that she said “I don’t want to live anymore… I want to end it.” Prosecutors note that Clarkson had her purse over her shoulder, indicating that she was shot when she tried to leave.

According to evidence submitted by the defense, the blood spatter pattern on Spector’s jacket shows that he was too far away to have put the gun in Clarkson’s mouth and pulled the trigger.

Spector has a history of threatening women and it’s possible he killed Clarkson, but at least two people thought there wasn’t enough hard evidence to convict him of second degree murder.

Spector is known for his crazy permed giant afro hair, but changed his look to a bowl cut toupee in March before jury selection. He is shown in the header image with his wife, struggling actress and singer Rachelle Short. They were married in September, 2006.

Sometimes you read something in the news that absolutely turns your stomach, and death threats issued to an unborn baby would have to be one of those things.

Halle Berry has received racist death threats to her unborn baby.

The Oscar-winning beauty - who recently announced she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry - has been forced to hire security guards after allegedly receiving several disturbing letters from an anonymous writer.

One note warned she and her child would be “cut into hundreds of pieces”.

A source close to the actress - who has a white father and an African-American mother - told Britain’s Daily Mirror: “Halle does not normally use security but she has taken on a couple of guys to make sure.”

On a lighter note, Halle is only four months pregnant, and already she has partner Gabriel Aubry pampering her feet and satisfying her cravings.

The 32-year-old model told People magazine: “She does crave pickles. And any bread. Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s salt and pickles.”

He revealed: “She loves foot massages. I do all of that stuff.”

Sydney Morning Herald

Halle has also filmed an appearance on Oprah, where she shows off her baby bump, and talks about taking 33 pregnancy tests. She says she knew she was pregnant, but they kept coming up negative. Did she just take 32, and then the 33rd came up positive and she was like ‘yay!’ I would have just kept taking them until they came back negative again. Or gone and got a doctor to do a blood test, but then I don’t have paparazzi taking my picture every time I leave a doctor’s office and speculating on the size of my belly.

Halle also told Oprah that she’d love to have another baby as soon as possible after she has her current baby, and that she doesn’t plan on finding out the gender of her baby until he or she is born. It doesn’t matter whether the baby is a boy or a girl, it is going to be sooooo cute.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Halle Berry is shown on 8/22/07 out in LA.