Nicole Kidman has a very revealing (for her) interview in October’s issue of “Vanity Fair.” The actress talks a bit more in depth about her marriage to Tom Cruise, and confirms some rumors that floated around the time of their divorce. People were always questioning what was “wrong” with their marriage since they never had biological children. That always annoyed the crap out of me – people can choose to adopt for a million reasons, most of them having nothing to do with anything being “wrong.” I think it was more fuel for the “Is Tom Cruise gay?” fire, just like Jamie Lee Curtis adopting was more fuel for the “Is she really a hermaphrodite?” fire. With the adopting doesn’t prove anything, people seem to think it bolsters their case. In Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s case, she confirms that she had a miscarriage when she was 23 which devastated her. She met Tom Cruise in 1990, when she was 23, so it was obviously very early in their relationship.

“Nicole Kidman has revealed how early on in her marriage to her ex Tom Cruise she became pregnant and lost the baby due to miscarriage. Kidman has never spoken about the miscarriage until now in her interview with Vanity Fair, and said that it happened when she was 23.

“However, Kidman was so desperate to have a baby that the couple decided to adopt less than two years later. She also admits how she’s wanted a child of her own since she was 17.”

[From the Cleveland Leader]

Nicole makes it clear in the interview that she really loved Tom and was willing to give up a lot to be with him, even if that meant her career. She never comes across as a victim of his reportedly controlling ways though.

“‘My agents told me, “Once you become Mrs. Tom Cruise, you do know your career is going to die,’” says Kidman, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in 2002’s ‘The Hours.’

“‘I was appalled,’ she says. ‘I was like, “Hello? I’m in love, and I don’t care if it’s shooting myself in the foot. I’d much rather be married and have a family.”’

“The couple ‘lost a baby early on, so that was really very traumatic,’ she says. ‘And that’s when it came that we would adopt Bella.’

“Cryptically, she adds: ‘There’s a complicated background to that, given that I never speak much about many things. One day maybe that story will be told.’”

[From the Associated Press]

You’ve got to give Tom and Nicole some credit for adopting because they really wanted kids. It wasn’t the trendy thing to do back in the day, and no one added on to their brood like they were picking out vegetables at the grocery store. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel badly for Nicole, even though she seems a bit too prim and slightly ice queeny. And I’m not even going to touch that Botoxed brow of hers – mostly because I’m afraid the toxin might leak through. But she seemed to give up a lot of herself to be with Tom. She converted to Scientology (though she later said she never believed any of it) which must have been difficult, given that her father is a very prominent Australian biochemist and a clinical psychologist – and Scientology labels all psychiatry a “pseudo-science.” She was willing to give up her career – though she’s had some great roles and seems to have done fine in that regard. You just get the feeling that she really lived under Tom’s thumb (so to speak). I’m not even going to touch the “Tom Cruise is gay” issue, but only because he sues the pants off of anyone who dares to suggest it. Nicole says she’s like to have a biological child with husband Keith Urban, who is slowly coming around to the idea. Even though the couple have had some struggles relating to his substance abuse, she seems a lot happier with him, and he seems all around less scary and controlling than Tom. Let’s hope they get what they want, and stay far, far away from Xenu.

Like Garfield the cat before her, Kelly Osbourne is coming out in support of the fuller-figured amongst us.

Kelly - famed for her curvy figure - told Britain’s Star magazine: “I just get depressed in Los Angeles. Because I’m not a size zero and tanned and blonde I get scrutinised.

“But I wouldn’t want to be so skinny. I feel sorry for the girls who aspire to be size zero. It’s OK to be different. I don’t understand why everyone is so obsessed with making themselves a clone.

“Everyone has become a sheep. These girls don’t eat, stick their fingers down their throats and do loads of speed - they’re killing themselves and for what? Their own vanity! It’s sad. I don’t think there’s anything trendy about looking like you’ve just come out of Auschwitz.”

News24

Comparing skinny people to concentration camp victims? Kelly must really need to boost her ticket sales for Chicago.

Well Kelly, I’m coming out in the skinnies defence. While many Hollywood stars may struggle to maintain their 90 pound frames, some people are naturally skinny! I’m one of those genetically blessed, but while the media may say be skinny, everyone I pass on the street feels they have a right to call me a ‘scrawny bitch’ or a Auschwitz victim! Meanwhile, if I walked up to heavy people and said ‘hey tubby’ that would be completely unacceptable.

I seem to have gotten carried away here.

Kelly also added this about celebrities and their lack of knickers.

“It baffles me. I can’t even wear a thong. I always have to have my granny knickers on. I don’t understand the whole no knicker-wearing trend.

“It’s a bit sickening, but that’s how desperate people are for attention. Instead of going out and doing something good, they’d rather show their vaginas to the world.”

News24

Memo to everyone talking about vagina flashes – in polite company it’s not actually the done thing to tell people about your undies. It’s not actually that far from showing them to people. And then that isn’t far from flashing your lady-bits. Maybe it’s just me getting old, but it doesn’t seem very ‘nice’ to talk about your knickers. Even if they are granny pants.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Kelly Osbourne is shown on 8/23/07 out in London. Photo thanks to Splash.

“Access Hollywood” has confirmed that Halle Berry is expecting her first child with her boyfriend of two years, model Gabriel Aubry. Halle has talked quite frequently about her desire to have a baby… though the pretty but empty seeming Aubry didn’t exactly appear to be the guy Halle would choose to settle down with. Maybe she won’t, and is just using him for his ideal DNA or something. Halle is three months along, and is expecting her baby on February 14th.

“Halle Berry is pregnant with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry’s baby, the 41-year-old actress confirmed to ‘Access Hollywood’s’ Nancy O’Dell in an e-mail on Tuesday. ‘Yes, I am three months pregnant! Gabriel and I are beyond excited, and I’ve waited a long time for this moment in life. Now the next seven months will be the longest of my life!’ she wrote to Nancy. ‘… You heard it from ME first!’

According to In Touch Weekly, Berry is due on Valentine’s Day. The magazine also reports that Berry will be carefully monitored during the pregnancy, not only because of her age but also because she is a diabetic. She reportedly is being treated by a doctor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. An insider told the magazine the actress began undergoing fertility treatments in February.

Over the years, Berry has made no secret about her desire for a family. Back in April, Berry sat down with O’Dell for a candid talk about Berry’s plans for kids. ‘Not that there’s not more to accomplish, but I think I arrived at a point in life that I realized I needed more to get me up in the morning. More than going to a new movie set. Or as much fun as getting the star was yesterday, I need something even more profound than that and that’s family. And that’s children,’ Berry said. ‘I need that like the air to breathe these days and I’m ready. I’m at a point where I’m really, really ready.’ Halle and Gabriel met in November 2005.

[From MSNBC]

Wow, if she says she’s three months along and is looking forward to the next seven months of pregnancy, Halle must be planning on a Bridget Moynihan-style 10 month gestation. I’m joking, I know she’s rounding. Or maybe really bad at math. The comment from an “insider” who said Berry had undergone fertility treatments is interesting, since she had previously stated that she would adopt kids if she didn’t get pregnant naturally. Oh well, to each his (or her) own. Halle was really close to her stepdaughter, Eric Benét’s daughter India. She’d made plans to adopt her before their marriage fell apart. Clearly children are really important to her, so it’s great she’s finally gotten something she’s wanted for so long. Congrats to them both!

Halle Berry is shown on 8/22/07 out in LA. Thanks to WENN for these pictures.

I hate American Idol. Fortunately, the country I live in isn’t a fan either, so last year’s NZ Idol winner didn’t even get a recording contract, just a car. Which was probably more useful to them, since no one was going to buy that album anyway. Then all the rejects from the previous two series, from when NZ Idol way in its heyday, got together and fought it out for $50,000. Unfortunately it wasn’t a Gladiator-style fight.

Anyway, it seems American Idol might finally have sucked the talent out of the pool, and is scraping the mildew at the bottom, according to Ryan Seacrest.

TMZ cameras caught the “Idol” host before his jog outside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC on Sunday — sporting an iPod and an inconspicuous Ed Hardy hat. When asked about the upcoming season of the juggernaut that is “American Idol,” Ryan said they “weren’t great … for 20,000 people, we only found a few good ones.” Is that a change?

TMZ

Actually, the bad auditions are the best part, so maybe things are looking up for the show.

Another sign American Idol is on the way out – low ticket sales for its Idols Live shows.

Reports of attendance and gross receipts for the first 30 of the 57 shows scheduled for the tour, as recorded by Billboard Boxscore, show this year’s crop of 10 Idol finalists is falling short of last year’s concert performance.

No sellouts were reported for the first 30 shows, and only one topped the 93% of capacity mark. (That was the show in Glendale, Ariz., Idol winner Jordin Sparks’ home turf.) Of the 2006 tour’s first 30 shows, 17 were sellouts and another 10 exceeded 93% of capacity.

Nearly half (14) of the shows were below 60% of capacity. (Lowest was 38.9% in Birmingham, Ala., hometown of 2006 winner Taylor Hicks and 2003 champ Ruben Studdard.) In 2006, the lowest-capacity figure in the first 30 shows was 89.3%.

The 2006 tour was the most successful to date, but 2005’s was a lot healthier than the current version. Of the first 29 dates of 2005, 11 were sellouts and four more topped 93%.

USA Today

What will happen if the whole enterprise shuts down? How will record companies find talent? What will Paula Abdul do for a living?

Tobey Maguire married his longtime fugalicious fiancee Jennifer Meyer over the weekend. She’s actually not that fug, even though people are always saying that – she’s just “real woman” pretty. Which means not perfect, so points to Tobey for keeping it real. Or whatever. The two have been dating since 2003 and have a nine month old daughter, Ruby. They were married in Hawaii in an intimate ceremony in Kona.

“Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer, who are parents to a 9-month-old daughter, have gotten married in Hawaii, PEOPLE has confirmed. Maguire, 32, and Meyer, 30, exchanged vows Monday in a sunset ceremony in Kona in front of a small group of family and friends, including Leonardo DiCaprio. The couple, who met in early 2003 and welcomed daughter Ruby in November, have kept their longterm romance fairly low profile.

“‘They are similar because they are very guarded around people they don’t know,’ a friend of Meyer, the daughter of Vivendi Universal Entertainment CEO Ron Meyer, told PEOPLE in 2003. Earlier this year, the Spider-Man star told reporters that he ‘loves being a dad.’ And his costar Bryce Dallas Howard praised both Maguire and Meyer for their parenting skills. ‘[Jennifer Meyer] is just an incredibly mindful parent. I mean, they both are,’ said Howard.

“Maguire, who has admitted to having a rocky childhood, has said that settling down and finding stability are important to him. ‘Growing up the way I did, I had a very serious ambition to make some money, to have some security and comfort in my life,’ the star told Parade in April. And becoming a father has led him to think about putting down roots outside of Hollywood, he said. ‘I’m at that stage where I have to start thinking about where I want Ruby to grow up and go to school…Even though L.A. is pretty laid-back, maybe it would be a good idea to try a different, less ambitious kind of atmosphere.’”

[From People]

Tobey’s one of those guys that just seems like he’d be a good dad. I know almost nothing about him, but he just has that look to him – something about the “I’m a good guy” expression. (We won’t count the smacking a camera out of a fan’s hand incident against him – I do it to my fans all the time). Celebitchy reported that Tobey is “notoriously tight-fisted” but that might be a good thing for his kids – perhaps they won’t fall into the traps a lot of celebuspawn find themselves in.

I was intrigued by the comments Tobey has made about his tough childhood, but couldn’t really find many specifics. Here’s a vague outline from Wikipedia.

“Maguire was born in Santa Monica, California. His father, Vincent Maguire, was a construction worker and a cook. His mother, Wendy Brown, is a secretary turned screenwriter and producer. His parents were 18 and 20 years old, and unmarried, at the time of his birth; the two married and subsequently divorced when Maguire was two. Maguire spent much of his childhood moving from town to town, living with each parent and other family members. During his childhood, Maguire entertained the idea of becoming a chef and to that end wanted to enroll in a Home Economics class as a sixth grader. His mother offered him $100 USD to take a drama class instead, and Tobey agreed.

“The nomadic nature of his school-age years began to take a toll on Maguire emotionally, and finally, after yet another relocation to yet another school, Maguire dropped out of his freshman year of high school and never returned, deciding to focus himself on his blossoming acting career. By 2000, Maguire had taken the GED to officially graduate from high school, noting that during his high school days, he’d reached a point where ‘I wasn’t doing school. I was showing up, but…not really giving myself.’

“By the mid 1990s, Maguire was steadily working but becoming caught up in the hard-partying lifestyle of some of his fellow teen actors. In 1995, Maguire requested director Allan Moyle to release him from his part in the movie Empire Records. Moyle agreed, and all of Tobey’s scenes were deleted from the final film. Maguire then sought help for an underaged drinking problem from Alcoholics Anonymous; he has been sober ever since.”

[From Wikipedia]

It sounds like he’s someone who’s worked hard for what he has, and isn’t going to let that slip away from him. There’s definitely been several stories about him being cheap and controlling, but it seems like his history explains that. How many people become famous and then throw all their money away on cars and drugs? It makes sense that security would be important to him, and I’m guessing that getting married was a big part of that. Congrats to the newlyweds, may they have many years of carefully timed babies and meticulously planned budgets in their future.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Tobey and Jennifer are shown at the Spiderman 3 Premiere in NY on 4/30/07. Images thanks to PRPhotos.

We all say things that we live to regret. Like ‘Sure, it’s safe to put that in the microwave’.

So, Paris Hilton might be regretting this statement if she’s not up the duff next year.

“I wanna have like a family and a guy,” she tells (Joan) Collins, a lifelong family friend, in the Q&A. “Y’know, it just upsets me because I’m not anything like what people say about me, and this cartoon character that they’ve made of me is just completely false. It makes me mad that I’m such a good person and I’m treated like that by some people, I just don’t get it.”

Still, the 26-year-old isn’t letting the haters get her down—or get in the way of a good plan.

“I just started working out and it feels great,” she said. “It gives me so much energy. I want kids next year, so I’ve got to get my body ready.”

E! Online

Now, I’m sure Paris Hilton is clever enough, but I’ not sure she’s thought this through. Seriously, just because Nicole Richie is pregnant does not mean you should have a baby too. At least Nicole has a boyfriend, as opposed to being a single ex-jailbird, famous for having a sex tape. Paris, if you want a man by next year to make babies with, you had better start thinking like a mother-in-law! No mother is going to want her son procreating with you.

Hopefully Paris will be better at taking care of a baby then she is at taking care of her dogs. Remember when she put posters up trying to find her dog Tinkerbell, but it turned out she’d left it at her grandparents house? A mother-in-law would remember, Paris, and bring it up on every family occasion.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Paris is shown at the Play For Good Foundation Gala in Mallorca, Spain on 9/1/07. She is wearing two different outfits but the pictures are credited as the same event. Thanks to PRPhotos.

Studies appear in the news all the time. Today scientists revealed that Rock stars are more likely than the general population to die young. The results of this study were a bit of an ‘oh, der’ moment for me.

Overall, 100 stars died between 1956 and 2005 and long-term drug or alcohol problems accounted for more than one-quarter of the deaths.

Jimmy Hendrix died after taking a cocktail of wine and nine sleeping pills; Janis Joplin and Doors frontman Jim Morrison died of suspected heroin overdoses; and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. All were aged 27 when they died.

The findings were based on 1050 North American and European musicians and singers who rose to fame between 1956 and 1999.

These stars were featured in the All Time Top 1000 albums list, selected in 2000 and covering rock, pop, funk, R&B, electronica and new age genres.

The study also examined how long the pop stars survived once they had achieved chart success, compared with the life expectancy of the general population, when matched for age, sex, ethnicity and nationality.

It found music stars were more than twice as likely to die early and even more likely to die within five years of becoming famous.

The average age of death was 42 for North American stars and 35 for European stars.

Sydney Morning Herald

Apparently some of the deaths can be attributed to ageing rock stars not being able to afford health insurance in the US, and not getting treatment for ailments brought on by their hard partying youth.

I wonder how long Pete Doherty’s got? Except I am unsure as to whether he counts as a star. He’s a celebrity, in the manner that he is famous for doing models and cocaine, but he is not technically a rock star. Perhaps scientists could waste some time on a study into what makes someone a genuine bonafide star?

You know, if I had realised you could study the lives of rock stars, I might have done a doctorate. My friends are studying more useful things for their PhDs, like endangered lizards and how to preserve Australia’s coastline, and getting paid reasonably to do it. I would love to get paid to study Pete Doherty’s star power. Or the odds of Amy Winehouse living to be 30.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image is the “Forever 27″ poster by Scott Lobaido from Allposters.com.

Jude Law was arrested for what was said to have been an attack on a paparazzo outside his home in West London. The photographer claims he was just waiting at the bus stop nearby, all innocent like, when Law recognized him and went up to him, trying to grab the camera from him, even though he was not taking pictures at the time.

According to the photographer, Law called him a pedophile and said that he was trying to get pictures of his children. He then tried to grab the camera, and the man is said to have “minor injuries” as a result.

The guy called the cops, who came and arrested Law. He was bailed out of jail and must appear in court in October.

This is very similar to an incident last year in which Law went off on a paparazzo and called him a pedophile for trying to take pictures of Law’s kids, who were there with him at the time.

The photographer said: “I was at a bus stop near Jude’s house but I wasn’t taking pictures of him. My camera was still in the bag.

“He was by himself when he recognised me and started accusing me of being a paedophile and that all I wanted to do was take pictures of his children. I was shocked at his behaviour.”

A police spokesman confirmed that officers attended the incident. “Police were called out in the Maida Vale area after reports of a disturbance and inquiries are being made.”

Law was taken to Marylebone police station on suspicion of causing bodily harm and bailed to return next month.

Law has spoken in the past about his attempts to protect his children, Rafferty, 10, Iris, seven, and Rudy, four, from the public glare.

[Daily Mail]

The article goes on to recount when a director helped Law channel his anger for a scene in which he was supposed to hit a windshield. He was told to imagine the windshield as the paparazzi, and he hit it the windshield so hard it cracked.

You can understand the guy trying to protect his children’s privacy and flipping out about it but it doesn’t sound like the kids were even around. Maybe we’re not getting the full story and the photographer was taking pictures of Law’s children 10 minutes before he came out and tried to get his camera. The must be a lot more to it if he was just coincidentally outside of Law’s house at a bus stop, toting his camera.

Ex trashy lovers Jude Law and Sienna Miller do have a lot in common. Sienna called photographers “f’ing rapists” while she was at the launch of her new clothing store and could have used some good publicity. It’s clear that Law and Miller share the same regard for the paparazzi despite the fact that they helped make them famous.

Who the hell has R Kelly paid off, and how much did it take? There is no way any person with 1/39483rd of a brain would believe that yet another delay has happened for a good, legally justifiable reason. The man who has been waiting for trial for over five years now (imagine how many delays have contributed to that… I’m not even going to count, it makes me so mad) has been granted yet another delay because the lead prosecutor of his case had a baby. Now that fact, in and of itself, makes sense. I mean you don’t pop out a 7 pound creature and just waltz back to work. But generally, babies are something people plan and predict. They’ve had nine months to either work around the birth, or postpone the trial ahead of time, so it at least looks legitimate. But did the judge do that? No, he acted like the baby was a total surprise, and postponed the case just two weeks before it was set to finally go to trial. I will officially now state that, in my opinion, Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan has been bribed. Gasp. Five years is bullshit, and everything about this trial is bullshit. Most of the other delays were bullshit, but a freaking baby? This was a condition he was likely aware of for a least a few months – why postpone now!?! I am livid, absolutely livid. Please be livid with me.

“In a case that has been a saga of delays and false starts, R. Kelly’s trial was postponed yet again on Tuesday, with no trial date in sight more than five years after child pornography charges were filed against the R&B singer. The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State’s Atty. Shauna Boliker, gave birth last week, prompting the judge presiding over the case to indefinitely postpone the trial less than two weeks before its scheduled start on Sept. 17.

“A spokesman for Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan cited doctor’s orders in announcing the decision, a move that has added a familiar air of uncertainty to the case. This was the closest that the trial had come to starting. But it was no secret that Boliker was scheduled to deliver a baby last week, which had led to speculation at the courthouse that the Sept. 17 date was unrealistic.

“Kelly, 40, was indicted in June 2002 on child pornography charges. Officials say he videotaped himself having sex with a girl whom prosecutors say may have been as young as 13. In the more than five years since he was charged, Kelly’s career and popularity have soared. He has produced several hit CDs, gone on tour and recently released the latest installments of his highly successful video serial ‘Trapped in the Closet.’

“Gaughan has issued a gag order that bars the prosecution and the defense from talking about the case. The snail’s pace of the criminal case against Kelly may shake some people’s confidence in the ability of the courts to deal efficiently with cases involving wealthy defendants, legal experts said.”

[From Metromix]

I really am both red and blue in the face right now. If I were the type to have bulging veins and flared nostrils when upset, I’d look like a bull at the moment. How is this possible? How is this not getting more media coverage? R. Kelly tapes himself having sex with a 13 or 14 year old girl, then gets to have six albums, some movies, and tour the country before he so much as sits in a defendant’s chair? Can money really buy your verdict? I don’t think this guy is just spending a lot of money for great, manipulative lawyers. I think he’s bribed someone, or multiple someones. But part of me thinks he hasn’t, because no one would be stupid enough to think they could delay a trial this long, and for such ridiculous reasons. Either there’s a lot of money changing hands, or the level of incompetence is absolutely through the roof. Either way, everyone involved should lose their jobs. I’m that mad.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s R. Kelly at BET’s 25th Anniversary Show. Images thanks to PR Photos.

In her first show on “The View” on Tuesday, Whoopi Goldberg defended dog fighter/football player Michael Vick, saying that he came from the Deep South, and dog fighting was part of the culture there.

“‘He’s from the South, from the Deep South … This is part of his cultural upbringing,’ Goldberg said of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, whose recent fall from grace has been one of the most stunning in the history of U.S. sports.

“‘For a lot of people, dogs are sport,’ Goldberg said on the show. ‘Instead of just saying (Vick) is a beast and he’s a monster, this is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned.’

“Veteran ‘View’ co-host Joy Behar took immediate issue with Goldberg.

“‘What part of the country is this? … How about dog torturing and dog murdering?’ she asked.”

[From Reuters]

Whoopi, I love you, but that’s waaaaaaaaaaay off base. First off, there’s reason to believe that dog fighting is considered barbaric by most of the country.

“Goldberg’s comments were denounced by Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, who disputed that dogfighting was a cultural fixture of the South or any other region.

“‘To suggest that there is some ethnic group or racial group or regional group that finds this acceptable is just not accurate,’ he told Reuters, adding that public opinion polls show opposition to dogfighting ‘is a universal value in America.’ He noted that dogfighting is outlawed in all 50 states, and a felony in all but two — Idaho and Wyoming.”

[From Reuters]

Secondly, just because something terrible is considered okay in one region doesn’t mean it is acceptable behavior. There were a lot of things that used to be considered okay in the Deep South that weren’t as common in the rest of the country. If we sat back and said, “Well it’s okay there so don’t be mad” the south would be a very different place today. And it couldn’t have been considered that okay, because Vick has pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges, and admitted that was involved in an interstate illegal dogfighting ring called Bad Newz Kennels. Vick also admitted that he helped kill dogs that underperformed.

Whoopi seems reasonably intelligent, so part of me is wondering if she really believes this, or is just trying to stir up some publicity for her new gig. If so, it’s clearly working – tons of papers and blog have picked up the story. There certainly aren’t a lot of people out there willing to defend Michael Vick right now, so that gets her some attention. It seems like she’s trying to make it clear that she’s going to continue Rosie O’Donnell’s role as instigator of controversy – though to what extent remains unclear.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Whoopi at the 6th Annual Tribeca Film Festival - Vanity Fair Party on 4/24/2007. Images thanks to PR Photos.