> STAR MAGAZINE...
> --It may be winter for everybody else, but it's apparently "fall" for
> Uma Thurman! According to a report in the Dec. 23 edition of the New
> York Daily News' gossip column Gatecrasher, the 36-year-old actress
> took a tumble on the Connecticut set of her film The Accidental Husband
> -- resulting in a broken wrist. "She was jumping to reach something
> and fell on her hand," a source told Gatecrasher. "The next day it had
> swollen, so she went to the hospital and had surgery. The production
> will have to be shut down for an extra week because of the broken
> bones." At press time, Star was trying to reach Thurman's reps for
> confirmation.
>
> --After already designing stylish clothing for Barbie, Hilary Duff (and
> Star) have learned that she will become one! Duff, who has recently
> split with Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden, will be transformed into
> the iconic plastic doll and will be on sale next month! "Hilary is a
> great role model to girls.
>The Red Carpet Glam Hilary Duff Doll will wear a
> polka-dot dress and red satin sash - and will be follow in the
> footsteps of fellow celebrities-turned-Barbie Beyonce Knowles and Reese
> Witherspoon.
>
> --Barbara Walters, the co-executive producer of The View, issued a
> statement Thursday to Star in response to the feud between The View's
> Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump. The statement, read: Barbara Walters,
> who is out of the country, but who has been fully informed of what is
> going on said: "Donald Trump is a personal friend of mine and has been
> a good friend to The View for many years. I'm sorry there is friction
> between Donald and Rosie. That said, I do not regret for one moment my
> choice to hire Rosie O'Donnell as the moderator of The View. I
> certainly hope and expect that this tempest will pass quickly."
>
> --Angelina Jolie made a stop at the trendy Kitson store in L.A. four
> days before Christmas, stocking up on presents for kids Maddox, 5,
> Zahara, 2, and Shiloh, 7 months. Angelina, dressed in white blouse,
> white skirt, brown boots, and holding a white handbag, entered the
> store through the back on Thursday, Dec. 21. "She wanted privacy," a
> source tells Star. "It's Christmastime and she's got three kids. She
> bought presents for all of them. Moms go shopping for their kids all
> the time and Angelina is a good mom. She's very hands-on." Angelina
> scooped up toys, books and clothes for all three children, but she
> wasn't the only celebrity at Kitson that day. "Denise Richards was also
> in the store at the same time with her two little girls. Angelina and
> Denise talked. They said hello. Angelina was in a good mood. She was
> laughing and taking everything in." Shopping spree over, Angelina left
> the store the way she'd come in, through the back exit. Denise,
> meanwhile, left via the front door. "Denise left with 12 bags," the
> source tells Star.
>
> NATIONAL ENQUIRER....
> --Kids, yes - Scientology, NO! That's the advice Jennifer Lopez is
> getting from her worried family after they heard reports the
> 37-year-old superstar was studying the controversial religion, say
> sources. "Jennifer, who's been a Catholic since birth, was told in no
> uncertain terms by her mother Lupe and other family members that
> exploring Scientology could backfire on her," a family source told The
> ENQUIRER. "They fear Scientology could damage her reputation."
> Scientology is considered a cult by some, and its followers believe the
> religion was founded by a space alien. "Not that her family doesn't
> respect others' beliefs, but they think Scientology goes against their
> core religious faith. Her mom told her that the Church of Scientology
> would love to have her as a member because they could use the publicity
> to recruit new followers," said the source.
>
> --Mario Lopez has waltzed out on his sexy "Dancing with the Stars"
> partner Karina Smirnoff. Only days after cameras caught the couple
> frolicking in the surf of Cabo San Lucas, Mario, 33, dumped the
> gorgeous 29-year-old Russian. But Karina wasted no time in getting her
> rhythm back. She was seen on Dec. 7 locking lips with a new guy at the
> Los Angeles nightclub Area! To add insult to injury, when photographers
> asked Karina what happened to her romance with Mario, she coyly
> replied: "Mario who?" Sources close to TV's toetapping twosome - who
> lost to ex-Dallas Cowboy running back Emmitt Smith and professional
> dancer Cheryl Burke in the "Dancing with The Stars" finale in
> mid-November - say the couple's last dance came after Karina accused
> Mario of "setting her up" to be photographed in Mexico. On Nov. 26, the
> pair flew down to Punta Mita for five days at Casa Armara, a seaside
> estate owned by "Girls Gone Wild" entrepreneur Joe Francis. "When the
> pictures of the two of them ran after the trip, Karina was furious,"
> said the source. "She felt the whole thing had been set up and arranged
> by Mario and his pal Joe to make a few bucks and get some publicity."
> Sources say that Karina's way of getting back at Mario was to be
> photographed having a good time with a mystery man named "Matt."
> "Karina and the guy posed for several shots," said the source. "She
> started kissing him and hanging all over him." But Mario doesn't seem
> too upset by the split with Karina. On Dec. 3, he was spotted at the
> Wall Street Cantina in Orlando with a sexy brunette.
>
> NATIONAL ENQUIRER/MIKE WALKER...
> --RYAN PHILLIPPE strolls into a swanky LA lingerie boutique and buys
> three lace-and-silk camisoles ($125 each), plus three of those hot new
> boy-style panties ($105 each). He tells the saleslady the sexy stuff is
> for "someone special!" Then, just minutes later, Ryan pops up at a
> posh kiddie store, where he pops for a pile of stuffed animals!...
> Okay, folks, I've reported - now you decide! Sounds like he's a
> generous dad - but was Ryan buyin' frillies for REESE WITHERSPOON,
> his estranged wife, or...what? I mean, are these gifts for making
> up...or making out?
>
> --That newfound friendship between TOM CRUISE and BROOKE SHIELDS just
> got cozier - My Favorite Alien now thinks he's got a shot at converting
> Catholic Brooke to Scientology...just like he did with Catholic Katie!
> After Tom apologized for dissing Brooke's dependence on drugs and
> psychiatry to treat postpartum depression, she promised to meet with
> Scientology reps and keep an open mind about the religion - which got
> her an invite to the Celebrity Wedding of The New Millennium!
>
> NY POST/MICHAEL STARR....
> --CBS has shifted its prime-time schedule around a bit. New sitcom
> "Rules of Engagement" (David Spade, Patrick Warburton) will premiere
> Feb. 5 at 9:30 p.m. - the former timeslot of "The New Adventures of Old
> Christine" (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). "Christine" will air Jan. 29 and then
> go away until March 12, when it returns to a new 8:30 timeslot. It
> replaces "The Class," which completes its one-season run March 5. "The
> King of Queens," currently airing Wednesday at 8, will replace "Rules
> of Engagement" beginning April 9 to begin the latter part of its final
> season.
>
> --Fans of "High School Musical," and there are lots of 'em, will be
> glad to know they can log on to
aolmusic.com to hear a track called "Be
> Good to Me" from "HSM" star Ashley Tisdale's new album, "Headstrong"
> (coming out in February). There are also photos of Tisdale and a
> webisode featuring her returning to her hometown as the guest of honor
> at her school's homecoming.
>
> --AOL will feature Neil Diamond today in an exclusive "Music Sessions"
> performance.
>
> --Tina Fey ("30 Rock") hosts the Writers Guild of America Awards Feb.
> 11 at the Hudson Theater (Millennium Broadway Hotel).
>
> --Jimmy Buffett, Tom Freston and Andy and Kate Spade are among the new
> investors in Plum TV.
>
> --DAMIEN Lewis has been sentenced to "Life," a quirky NBC drama pilot
> in which he will play a former cop who rejoins the force after spending
> years wrongly imprisoned. Lewis received a Golden Globe nomination for
> his role in the HBO's "Band of Brothers."
>
> NY POST/PAGE SIX....
> --THE New York Jets might be truly inspired to beat the Dolphins
> tomorrow in Miami after watching Sylvester Stallone training and
> fighting against all odds in "Rocky Balboa." MGM gave the Jets a DVD
> copy of the movie - which has received surprisingly good reviews - to
> screen on their chartered flight, along with "talking points" provided
> by the studio for Jets head coach Eric Mangini to share with his team.
>
> --DENZEL Washington doesn't overdress even for dinner at a Sutton Place
> mansion. "I wore these pants in 'Man on Fire' and the shoes are from
> the Broadway production of 'Julius Caesar,' " the affable actor told
> guests gathered at the home of China's TV star Yue-Sai Kan for the
> birthday of Bronx social arbiter Richard Turley. Washington and wife
> Pauletta were with teenage daughter Olivia, who sported a sprained
> wrist from a basketball injury. Patti LaBelle, thrilled that her CD,
> "The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle," went No. 1 on the charts, got
> up and sang "O Holy Night" and "I Believe." Cheering were Denise Rich
> (who co-wrote "Where Love Begins" on LaBelle's CD), Patti D'Arbanville,
> Anne Slater, Monica Crowley, June Haynes, James Toback, Donald Trump
> Jr. and Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. Yue-Sai, chairman of the Shanghai
> Film Festival, invited the Washingtons to next June's ceremonies.
>
> --BARBARA Walters had to mend wounded egos at "The View" holiday party
> the other night after she gushed ad nauseam over Rosie O'Donnell, but
> somehow forgot to praise the rest of her yakking yentas. As staffers
> and guests boozed and nibbled at Providence on West 57th Street, Babs
> took the mike and apol ogized for O'Donnell's absence, saying she had
> to attend a funeral. "She went on to say what a wonderful addition
> Rosie had been and how much Rosie wanted the show to succeed. It went
> on for almost too long, then she exited the stage," our spy said. "I
> saw Joy Behar walk over to [producer] Bill Getty and have a very
> animated discussion. A few minutes later Barbara interrupted the crowd
> again. She hadn't even mentioned Joy or Elisabeth Hasselbeck the first
> time around. She apologized and gave some lame speech about how the
> show would not survive without them. Her excuse for not mentioning them
> was that she hadn't prepared notes . . . I don't think it went over
> very well with Elizabeth or Joy." Earlier, Getty had revelers whooping
> when he quipped, "It has been a very interesting and exciting year.
> Meredith [Vieira] decided she wanted to leave, and we decided we wanted
> Star [Jones] to leave."
>
> --THE Giants are midgets when it comes to tipping, according to some of
> the strippers at Headquarters Gentle men's Club. "The worst offenders
> are the defensive line," a spy at the mammary mecca tells Steppin' Out
> magazine's Chaunce Hayden. "And Gibril Wilson is the ringleader of the
> group. They're taking out the girls, bringing them to parties and
> making them skip work." The Giants have "been practically living at the
> club and picking the girls off a lot more than they've been picking off
> passes," said the source. "They're here all the time and I'm sick of
> them. I hope they read this and get p-ed off and stop coming." The
> source speculates that the Giants, who have lost six of their last
> seven games, might have done better if they'd stayed home and rested
> instead of getting lap-dances. A Headquarters flack denied the team was
> persona non grata. Giants mouthpiece Pat Hanlon had no comment.
>
> --FOOTBALL studio hosts Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and Curt Menefee
> of FOX at one table at Mickey Mantle's trading barbs with Shannon
> Sharpe and Dan Marino of CBS.
>
> --CHAZZ Palmintieri and Billy Baldwin at Polpo Restaurant & Saloon in
> Greenwich drinking an Ascot Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from
> Connecticut.
>
> --HUGH Jackman jumping up with a microphone on a table at Home during
> the wrap party for "The Tourist" to thank everyone, including co-star
> Ewan McGregor.
>
> --RUDY Giuliani, Harrison Ford and Andrew Stein dining at Le Cirque.
>
> NY DAILY NEWS/BEN WIDDICOMBE...
> --Donald Trump needed some family help Monday at the glitzy opening of
> his Trump Park Avenue. A friend who used the coat check tells me: "I
> tried to tip the guy and he said, 'Oh, no thanks - we're his nephews.
> We're just helping out.'" However, it seems the young man might have
> been even more closely related. "He did have several family members
> there, including his sons Eric and Don Jr.," said Kathy Sloane,
> managing director of agent Brown Harris Stevens. "If it was anyone, it
> was one of them." The refurbished building, at 502 Park Ave., was
> formerly the Delmonico Hotel.
>
> --Singer Jewel says a small-town Christmas is just perfect for her and
> her boyfriend of eight years, former professional bullrider, Ty Murray.
> "Ty and I have two traditions: We'll buy a Christmas tree that's in a
> pot, and we'll water it and plant it so it'll grow - we have several
> Christmas trees growing in our yard," she told us at the MasterCard
> Home for the Holidays event in Herald Square. "We also write each other
> love letters, so after we give each other gifts and everybody leaves,
> we'll open our love letters. That's my favorite part of Christmas,"
> says Jewel, who lives with Murray in Stephenville, Tex. "My boyfriend
> writes really romantic letters, if you'd believe it, since he's a
> cowboy."
>
> --Bad news for any pubescent players hoping to hook up with Cate
> Blanchett. Her character in "Notes on a Scandal" beds a teenage art
> student, but the Aussie actress says that kiddie pillow talk leaves
> something to be desired. "Personally, I don't know what you'd talk
> about with a 15-year-old," she told us this week. "Once someone opens
> their mouth, no matter how gorgeous they are, once they start talking
> about rugby, it kind of kills it for me."
>
> --Derek Jeter was surrounded by a bevy of women (none of whom was
> reputed gal pal Jessica Biel) at Tenjune on Tuesday night, but left
> solo. Also in the house, old-school rapper Greg Nice gave an impromptu
> performance with a shoutout to Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, who
> were hanging out with him at the club.
>
> --Don't read this if you're Sigourney Weaver's teenage daughter
> Charlotte, because Mom dropped a big chunk of change on Christmas
> presents at downtown boutique Girlshop.
>
> --Stevie Wonder celebrated the holidays with a private party at the
> West Village's Paris Commune and "much singing" on Wednesday, according
> to an ear-witness.
>
> --The Times Square Hard Rock Cafe has put itself on eBay, offering a
> "Sopranos"-filled private New Year's Eve party to the highest bidder.
> You and your 800 closest friends can enjoy open bar and food for a
> minimum bid of $100,000, with part of the proceeds going to VH1's Save
> the Music Foundation. Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico and assorted other
> Jersey wiseguys come with the package.
>
>
http://www.popbitch.com....
> --Coming to London from LA in 2007 - strawberry cocaine. Lindsay,
> Paris, Brandon and all the trashiest Sunset Strip club kids prefer to
> cut their gak with strawberry flavoured nesquik milkshake these days as
> they find the neat coke to be too harsh. (Particularly for breakfast.)
>
> --David LaChapelle is so certain that there is an apocalypse coming
> soon that he's already started making preparations. His first step is
> to have an enormous water-tank installed in his LA studio (holding
> 48000 gallons) just in case!
>
> 3 A.M. GIRLS/Eva Simpson & Caroline Hedley
> --WE hope it's not love on the rocks for Pirates star Keira Knightley
> and Rupert Friend. The 22-year-old has been seen out without her
> friendship ring and they're arguing more. We're told: "He wants
> commitment but Keira's not ready."
>
> --BAD news, ladies. It looks like Orlando Bloom's off the market again.
> The Lord Of The Rings pretty boy, 29, who split from on-off girlfriend
> Kate Bosworth earlier this year, was seen smooching a pretty blonde at
> super-hip Chelsea club Kitt's on Thursday night - and the pair left
> early to get to know each other better. A fellow reveller reveals:
> "Orlando came in with a group of six mates and they seemed in a
> jubilant mood, ordering three bottles of Krug champagne. "But he spent
> most of the night huddled up with the blonde girl. They seemed really
> close and very sweet together."
>
> LAS VEGAS JOURNAL/NORM CLARKE...
> --"Ocean's Thirteen" star George Clooney, back in Las Vegas on
> Thursday, reshooting a scene with producer Jerry Weintraub at Mix
> Lounge at Mandalay Bay. After wrapping the three-hour shoot at 4 p.m.
> with director Steven Soderbergh, they flew out on a private jet. There
> are reports that the movie will open June 8. No word yet on where.
> Weintraub told me in August that he was considering holding the
> premiere at Bellagio, where much of "Ocean's Eleven" and "Thirteen"
> were filmed.
>
> --Dennis Rodman, shopping for eyeliner Wednesday in the cosmetics
> section at Walgreens, Tropicana and Decatur. Later, he was in the
> Seamless strip club, spreading joy in the form of the $100 bills he
> tossed in the air for the dancers. Rodman was in town to announce that
> he will be a member of his Bad Boy All-Star team, which will face the
> Harlem Globetrotters on Feb. 17 at the Orleans Arena on NBA All-Star
> weekend.
>
> --Siegfried & Roy, joining a group of 80, mostly friends and employees,
> at a Christmas party at the Hofbrauhaus on Wednesday night. Siegfried
> led the entire main room in singing "Silent Night" at the end of the
> party. There was even a Klaus in the haus -- that's Klaus Gastager, one
> of the co-owners.
>
> --Matthew Lillard of "Scooby-Doo" and "Scream," at Blank Space, the
> modern design furniture store at Mandalay Place.
>
> --I hear Mario Lopez, runner-up on "Dancing With the Stars," will host
> the Miss America telecast Jan. 29 on the CMT network at the
> Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. Lopez follows James Denton of "Desperate
> Housewives." Lopez was married to Miss USA 1996 Ali Landry for two
> weeks in 2004 until she learned some scandalous details about his
> bachelor party at the Palms.
>
> --Oscar winner Jamie Foxx has a film in the works that had its genesis
> in Las Vegas, when he lived here during the 1990s. Following up on a
> conversation we had four years ago, I asked him on Friday if the
> project, based on a Vegas stripper he knew who turned into a serial
> killer, was moving ahead. He confirmed he's producing it and has a
> script for the film, which is titled "Gone By Sunday."
>
> --Former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees changed her tune on Saturday,
> admitting the raunchy photos of her were taken three years ago, not
> five. Rees, 22, apologized during a news conference in Clearwater,
> Fla., saying, "So many of us don't realize how our actions, even one
> night of poor judgment, can affect the rest of our lives." She added,
> in a prepared statement, "These images were from an isolated incident
> during my teenage years, long before my consideration to compete in the
> Miss USA program. While I take full responsibility for the photographs,
> I just want everyone to know the truth: This incident does not
> represent who I am."
>
> --Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, who has plans to open a stud-farm
> brothel in Pahrump, spotted shopping for power drills and air filters
> Friday at Home Depot on Decatur Boulevard.
>
>
http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/......
> --Is Oprah downsizing? Oprah is leaving her ten million dollar sprawl
> of five connected condos at the Water Tower Place in Chicago and moving
> to an older building at ultra exclusive East Lake Shore Drive. She had
> 10,000 square feet at her old place and the new six million dollar
> condo is half the size. "The condo she's moving into has views of the
> lake from every room and takes up an entire floor. The building is very
> exclusive and private - "old money" - no riff raff. She'll have more
> privacy there." A source told us. "It's about as exclusive as you can
> get in Chicago." But we hear a main reason she's moving is because of
> her beloved five DOGS - the new building is more dog-friendly. She got
> complaints from her neighbors in the old place. She wants nothing but
> the best for them.
>
> --There IS an explanation for this look. Josh Hartnett drives his
> handlers mad because he INSISTS on cutting his OWN hair! He's done it
> forever and they can't get him to stop. When he's working on a film he
> allows the stylists to do their thing, but as soon as he's left to his
> own devices, he chooses to pull out the nail scissors. Josh is making a
> valiant attempt to maintain normalcy in his life and not allow
> Hollywood or his success to change him in a bad way. He still says his
> home is in Minneapolis (although he has New York digs) and get this:
> When he goes home he does his clothes shopping at Sears. As if we
> needed another reason to love him. PHOTO:
http://snipurl.com/15pyl
>
> --We hear that Ed Begley, Jr. spent Monday trying to convince car
> loving Jay Leno to get rid of his gas guzzlers and purchase a hybrid.
> That must have been a tough sell! Only Jay knows how many vehicles he's
> collected, but while Living With Ed (showtimes) was filming in Burbank
> environmentalist Ed was doing what he could... Ed'll be happier when
> hybrid owner Leonardo DiCaprio appears on the show soon... More celebs
> lined up for Ed; publicist and friend, Tommy Garrett, Hilary Swank are
> already scheduled.
>
> --While trolling the internet for gift ideas we came across Vincent
> Gallo's site where he seems to be cleaning house and selling everythng
> he doesn't want any more -without having to pay eBay. We were amused to
> read that his childhood fantasy crushes included Tuesday Weld,
> Charlotte Rampling, and Susan Blakely, - we already knew he's selling
> "fantasy nights " with himself for $50,000. But besides the sex and
> sperm, Gallo is selling some collectible items from his closet. You can
> still buy the blue leather fringe punk rock jacket that Gallo bought in
> London when he was 16 for $2500. But it's an extra-small. Other cool
> items include the Hopalong Cassidy bedspread that Gallo used on his bed
> for THIRTY YEARS (still available for $3000,) and his childhood Nixon
> campaign button which sold for $250. OUR favorite object was the
> inflatable Charles Manson doll that went for only $100.
>
> --Will the Golden Globes committee have a hard time booking A-list
> celebrities as presenters now that they are no longer handing out
> $40,000 gift bags? We suspected the stars might be a tad less
> cooperative. The Hollywood Foreign Press gave up the goody bag practice
> not so much because of Edward Norton's recent comments in New York
> magazine about the "shameful" practice, but because they are being
> forced to pay a million dollars to the IRS for LAST year's swag bags!
> But like everything else, there's a way around this dilemma. Before the
> Globes event, big companies have rented suites in the Beverly Hilton
> hotel that will be turned into "gift boutiques" for celebrities. Now
> the stars can pick out whatever they want, still tax free, and the
> Globes people have nothing to do with it.
>
> ASSOCIATED PRESS....
> --NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Songwriter Dennis Linde, who wrote Elvis Presley's
> last major hit, "Burning Love," has died. He was 63. Linde died Friday
> of a rare lung disease, his daughter Lisa Marsden said Saturday.
> "Burning Love" was a hit for Presley in 1972. He also wrote "Goodbye
> Earl," a hit by the Dixie Chicks in 1999 and "Callin' Baton Rouge," a
> Garth Brooks hit in 1993. Linde was born in Abilene, Texas, and became
> hooked after his grandmother gave him a $14 guitar. Friends remember
> him as a man with a quick wit who blended quirky lyrics with up-tempo
> melodies. He was also a reclusive homebody who would rather spend time
> with family than appear at music industry functions, including those
> honoring him with awards. "He was the quintessential mystery man of
> Nashville because he didn't go to all the functions," Scott Siman, an
> artist manager who had known Linde since the 1970s, told The Tennessean
> newspaper. "If you ever saw Dennis Linde it was amazing, because you
> didn't get that opportunity very often." His other songs included "It
> Sure Is Monday" recorded by Mark Chesnutt, "Janie Baker's Love Slave"
> by Shenandoah, "John Deere Green" by Joe Diffie and "Queen of My Double
> Wide Trailer" by Sammy Kershaw. He was elected to the Nashville
> Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and selected as BMI's Songwriter of
> the Year in 1994. Funeral arrangements were incomplete, but the family
> said they planned a music celebration of Linde's life after New Year's.
>
> --PALM BEACH, Fla. - Donald Trump is suing this oceanside town for $10
> million after being cited for flying an oversized American flag over
> his Mar-a-Lago Club. Attorneys for the club filed a complaint Thursday,
> saying that flying the flag is a constitutionally protected expression
> of free speech - and that the large flag is a proper match for the size
> of the real-estate mogul's patriotism. "A smaller flag and pole on
> Mar-A-Lago's property would be lost given its massive size, look silly
> instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to
> appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump's and the Club's
> members' patriotism," the lawsuit says. Town officials said Trump
> violated zoning codes when the lavish club hoisted a 15-by-25-foot flag
> atop an 80-foot pole on Oct. 3. The citation was for having a flagpole
> taller than 42 feet, for not obtaining a building permit and for not
> getting permission from the landmarks board. A phone message left at
> the mayor and town council's office was not returned Saturday. In the
> lawsuit, Trump's attorneys accuse the town of selectively enforcing its
> ordinances. Other locations in the town display flags that violate
> statutes, the lawsuit alleges. All damages awarded to the club would be
> donated to veterans of the war in Iraq, the lawsuit said. Trump had
> until Nov. 27 to apply for approvals or else he faced a Dec. 21 hearing
> that could have resulted in fines costing $250 per day. It was unclear
> Saturday whether that meeting took place. "The day you need a permit to
> put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country,"
> Trump said in October.
>
> --Cris Judd has a new dancing show. So does Jennifer Lopez. So how does
> Judd feel competing with his ex-wife? "I would never wish for something
> to be a failure," the 37-year-old dancer-choreographer told AP
> Television in a recent interview. "Everyone's trying to get by and
> everyone's trying to do their best and you can only hope for the best
> and you can wish for the best for someone," he continued. "So,
> hopefully both shows will be successful and they can both coincide and
> we'll have a great time." Judd's show is the reality competition Dirty
> Dancing on the Women's Entertainment cable channel, airing Wednesdays
> at 10 p.m. ET. Lopez is producing MTV's DanceLife, about six aspiring
> dancers struggling to make it. The eight-episode series premieres Jan.
> 15 at 10:30 p.m. Judd's show was inspired by the '80s classic Dirty
> Dancing, starring Jennifer Grey as rich girl Baby and Patrick Swayze as
> poor dance instructor Johnny. The premise: Eighteen women compete at a
> summer camp for a dance contract and the right to play Baby - to
> whichever professional ballroom dancer becomes Johnny - during the
> finale. Judd said things can get steamy on the dance floor. "It can get
> sexy," he said. "You're with this person almost 24 hours a day and
> you're doing everything together and dancing can get heated especially
> when you dance with a partner and you're dancing sensual..." Lopez, 38,
> married first husband Ojani Noa in 1997 and divorced a year later. Her
> second marriage to Judd in 2001 lasted for nine months. In 2004, she
> tied the knot with singer Marc Anthony.
>
> --Naomi Watts, who's tackled emotionally wrenching roles, has a
> love-hate relationship with the idea of starring in a romantic comedy.
> "I look at those romantic comedies, and I see actors with perfect hair
> and six-packs, and I feel myself being numbed, and I get angry because
> I see so much money spent on these things," the 38-year-old actress
> says in an interview in Allure magazine's January issue, on newsstands
> Tuesday. "I don't mean to sound righteous here," she continues. "There
> is need for it, because there are times when I am in a hotel room and
> need to be numbed. ... I keep saying to myself, Oh, God, I'm sick of
> playing these dark, harrowing roles. I want a big paycheck, so put me
> in some dumb romantic comedy any day." Watts has starred in such films
> as King Kong,Mulholland Dr. and The Ring. She acts opposite Edward
> Norton and her boyfriend, Liev Schreiber, in the romantic drama The
> Painted Veil, slated for limited release on Dec. 29. Watts isn't afraid
> to go for serious and demanding parts. "It's very liberating; it feels
> like you are getting rid of something," she says. "Not that I'm this
> horrendously dark person that always needs to go through something, but
> I think we all have a dark side. "There is no one that is absolved of
> that, and you either face it or you don't, and through my work I
> embrace it. I take it on."
