Mango Out

Happy Monday Kiddies and away I go.

R&B star Chris Brown, who was arrested last weekend on suspicion of attacking a woman widely believed to be the pop star Rihanna, said on Sunday he was “sorry and saddened” about the incident, and was seeking counseling. The 19-year-old performer of such chart-toppers as “Run It!” and “Forever” has been in hiding since the alleged fracas with his girlfriend in a rented Lamborghini. He hired a public relations company that specializes in crisis management to issue a five-sentence statement in which he also said many media and blog reports have been wrong. “Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired,” he said. “I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person.” He did not mention his father, who was quoted on Friday as telling People magazine that his son was “very remorseful.” Police and prosecutors have not officially disclosed that Rihanna was the victim of Brown’s attack just after midnight on February 8. But unidentified police sources told the Los Angeles Times that Rihanna was the victim, and numerous media outlets have reported the same information. Remorseful? That’s the best you can do? Chris Brown you gone and done it now.

Well this is exciting. Selma Hayek wed French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault wed over the weekend in Paris, Usmagazine.com reports. French newsmagazine, Le Point reported the news as well. The couple called off their engagement in July 2008 but have appeared “on again” for a while. They have a daughter, Valentina, who was born in September 2007. Wow, I bet Frenchie will have a field day with those newly enlarged pregnancy fun bags.

M.I.A. boasts on her Celebrity MySpace page that her newborn son is healthy and the “most amazing thing ever on this planet. The 31-year-old recording artist famously performed at the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles on her due date, February 8.  “My baby was born Wednesday. He is healthy, fine, beautiful and the most amazing thing ever on this plant. Of course, I’m his mum,” M.I.A. wrote on her blog. “Me and baby are putting our tour dates for 2010 together and making mix tapes and figuring out a way to break out of the hospital.” M.I.A. didn’t announce the name of her baby boy, who is her first child with her fiancé, musician Benjamin Bronfman, Usmagazine.com said. Good for them. I mean did you see her at the Grammy Awards? She was ready to drop.

Tom Cruise proved there were no hard feelings towards ex Nicole Kidman’s new husband  Keith Urban by applauding a performance the country singer gave at a race car convention at the weekend. Urban played a set before the kick-off of the Daytona 500 car race in Florida on Sunday. And among the faces cheering on the star in the crowd was Cruise, along with his adopted son Connor, 14. An onlooker says, “Tom and Connor had a great day out and really enjoyed listening to Keith as he performed.” Cruise was married to Kidman for 11 years and they adopted the teen and daughter Isabella, 16, before divorcing in 2001. He went on to wed actress Katie Holmes in 2006 and the couple has a daughter, Suri. Kidman married Urban the same year and they have a seven month old tot named Sunday Rose. Wow, isn’t that like The Hamburgler becoming friends with Mayor McCheese?

Earlier in the night she may have called it “the horror that is Valentine’s Day,” but Katy Perry appears to have been struck by cupid’s arrow – which also seems to have hit her and Paris’s Ex, Benji Madden. Following her Valentine’s show at Hard Rock Hotel’s Wasted Space, Perry, 24, and Madden, 29, headed to Lavo – where the two conspicuously cuddled throughout the night, later prompting one observer to sense “some chemistry there.” Madden, in town to deejay, even danced for Perry during several songs – and at those rare times when their hands weren’t on each other’s legs. Wow, that is interesting. I have said it many of times before but the dating pool in young Hollywood must be very small.

Peter Gabriel has pulled out of the Academy Awards after producers said they wanted to limit his time onstage. Gabriel, whose song “Down to Earth” from Wall-E is nominated for best song, was asked to cut down his nearly six-minute song into a condensed version to be played as part of a medley, according to the Associated Press. Gabriel’s time onstage would have been just over a minute, he says. “I do think it’s a bit unfortunate,” Gabriel says in a video posted to his web site. “The songwriters, even though they’re a small part of the whole filmmaking process, we still work bloody hard and I think deserve a place in the ceremony as well.” Still, he plans to be at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. “I’m an old fart and it’s not going to do me any harm to make a little protest,” Gabriel says. “But the ceremony should be fun and I’m looking forward to it.” Wow, bitter much? Is it a fact that he is nominated in the same category as Miley Cyrus?

News of the World reports Lilly Allen is facing criticism after suggesting that parents should let their kids try certain illegal drugs. “Parents should say, ‘Drugs might seem fun, but they do funny things to your brain. Some people react to it good, some don’t. Try it and see what you think’,” the 23-year-old explained. The pop singer, who just released her second album ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’, added that fame has helped keep her away from abusing ecstasy. “If I hadn’t been famous I’d have taken loads,” Allen admitted. “Wouldn’t be too wise right now” Wow, that Brit is a flippin genius.

And finally, Justin Timberlake wins style props in the March issue of GQ magazine.  The magazine picked the entertainer to lead a list of the “10 Most Stylish Men in America.” It singled out Timberlake for his impact on fashion, willingness to take risks and “knack for targeting trends” such as hats, three-piece suits, skinny ties and beards.  Timberlake, who launched his clothing line William Rast several years ago, tells GQ he considers model Kate Moss a style icon because she “could put a barrel on and it would be some sort of statement.” Yeah, I can see that. As long as they don’t mention Chris Brown as most stylish, I am a happy camper.

You Know The Drill

Mango Out

Happy Monday Kiddies and away I go. I will admit this will be a small update tonight. I don’t want to bum more people out with lots of stories about Chris and Rihanna. At least it will not be my lead story. 

Mandy Moore and rocker Ryan Adams have stunned the music world by getting engaged.  Few people knew the stars were dating again after their 2008 romance fell apart, and Moore started dating ex-boyfriend Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein as he recovered from a plane crash in South Carolina in September. Moore and Goldstein split in December and the actress/singer reunited with Adams, according to reports. The “Saved” star, who at 24 is 10 years younger than singer/songwriter Adams, was recently spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring on her wedding finger and a friend tells Life & Style magazine, “She is so excited… It’s been a whirlwind. She’s really happy.” Adams recently announced his plans to step back from music and disband his group The Cardinals to concentrate on other projects. Wow, I am actually really happy for her.

The departure of Katie Heigl and T.R. Knight’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy has been rumored long enough that co-star James Pickens, Jr. finally confirmed what we’ve suspected. When Us Weekly asked Pickens, who plays the Chief, if Heigl was scrubbing out for good, he said, “Yes, she is. Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best.” Heigl’s BFF Knight is also hanging up his stethoscope. “He’s going too,” Pickens confirmed. “He just wanted to pursue other career paths.” A source tells the magazine that “writers are scrambling to find a believable exit for George, one that would leave the door open for him to come back someday.” Reps for both actors as well as ABC and ABC Studios could not be reached for comment. Is it just me or is Katherine going to attempt to replace Sandra Bullock of the Queen of the Romantic Comedies ala 1996.

Well this totally sucks. New details have emerged about the midnight altercation between Chris Brown and Rihanna. “Chris knocked her around,” a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE. “Black eye, blood, bruises. She had to be treated by a doctor.” A police source confirms to PEOPLE that the singer suffered a black eye as well as “a swollen split lip and two red and purple contusions on either side of her forehead.” The source, who described police photos of Rihanna, added, “She looked distraught and in a lot of pain. Her eyes were closed because she was looking down.” Wow, he really is a douche.

Will Smith was voted the most bankable star in Hollywood in a survey of industry professionals by Forbes. The financial magazine’s Web site gives the actor a score of 10 out of 10 for his bankability in its first “star currency” list, compiled by surveying more than 150 industry professionals. Following Smith on the list: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, who all tied for second with a score of 9.89. Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson rounded out the top 10. Smith’s superior box-office clout has been long established. He’s known for “owning” the July Fourth Weekend with such hits as “Independence Day” and “Men in Black,” and has had few flops. The 40-year-old actor recently topped the annual poll by Quigley Publishing Co., which has surveyed movie exhibitors since 1932 on which stars generate the most box-office revenue. My question for you is where is Will Ferrell on that list? Nowhere to be found.

ABC says Nicollette Sheridan is leaving “Desperate Housewives.” The 45-year-old Sheridan plays vamp Edie Britt on the comedy-drama about domestic life on Wisteria Lane. The network did not say Wednesday when Sheridan’s role would end. Her departure was first made public by TV Guide magazine. A call to Sheridan’s publicist was not immediately returned. “Desperate Housewives,” a top 20 show and one of ABC’s most successful series, stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria Parker. Um, is that show still on the tele? I have not watched it in years.

And finally, Country star Kenny Chesney fired back at reports his ex-wife Renee Zellwegger divorce plans came as a complete shock to him, insisting the media slant on their break-up made it look as if it was all one-sided. The couple split and quickly divorced just four months after a whirlwind romance led to a beach wedding in the Virgin Islands in 2005. The actress cited “fraud” as the reason for the divorce, prompting gossips to speculate about exactly what caused the split. But Chesney insists there’s no great mystery – he just couldn’t commit to a marriage and his music career at the same time. He tells Playboy magazine, “I didn’t have any clue as to what true marriage meant… It was a scary moment for me.” But he’s keen to point out that he and Zellweger mutually agreed to split, insisting reports he was stunned when the actress filed for divorce were all wrong: “That’s false, very false. I was not taken by surprise. “We knew it was going to happen. Somebody had to file the papers. I was fine with her doing it.” The hitmaker also reveals it was only weeks into the marriage that both he and Zellweger knew they had a big problem – and he started to notice “fear” in the eyes of family, friends and bandmates. He adds, “My band, my crew, everybody on the road – they were acting differently. I’d go to a concert and there would be helicopters circling, trying to get a picture of me and her together. “I never really had any kind of attention from the paparazzi. It went from zero to the complete other end of the spectrum… I thought it would be like that all the time… I panicked… I ran… I pushed her away… I just didn’t want to be married to her anymore.” And I thought it was because he was balding.

You Know The Drill

Mango Out

Happy Monday Kiddies and away I go.

I should probably start off with some happy news. After breaking up 4 years ago, Blink 182 announced Sunday at the Grammy Awards, that they will be getting back together. “We used to play music together,” they told the audience. We decided we’re going to play music together again.” Travis Barker and band mates Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge released a statement, “To put it simply, We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.” OH it is on Bitches…Can not wait.

OK, now for the sad, slightly disturbing news. TMZ is reporting that Rihanna has been identified as the alleged abuse victim of Chris Brown. TMZ.com reports that the victim’s name on the crime report is Robyn Fenty — Rihanna’s real name. TMZ.com also reports that despite the report saying a deadly weapon was used, there was no deadly weapon. The site reports that a foot or other body part can be considered a deadly weapon depending on the circumstance. Bail was set at $50,000 Sunday evening as the Brown was booked on suspicion of making felony criminal threats, LAPD sources told the Los Angeles Times. Brown, 19, turned himself in to police Sunday evening at the Los Angeles Police Department Wilshire Division station. “He was very professional and didn’t appear to have injuries,” said Sgt. Bridget Pickett, adding, “He’s a good looking young man.” Speaking of Chris Brown, Wrigley said Monday it is suspending its Doublemint gum ad campaign featuring him, after his weekend arrest. Wow that is messed up. Come on Chris, no matter what happened, you never hit a girl or woman. And to think he had a squeaky clean image. Key word is had.

Golf champion Tiger Woods and his wife are celebrating after welcoming their second child. The 33-year-old’s model wife Elin Nordegren gave birth to a son this weekend the San Diego Union-Tribune. The couple, who married in 2004, has a one-year-old daughter Sam Alexis. Am I the only one who is singing Ebony and Ivory right now?

Pop stars, country stars, a rodeo star and a U.S. Olympic gold medalist are in the lineup for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, ABC said Sunday. When the show begins its eighth season March 9, the cast will feature singer Lil’ Kim, stuntman Steve-O, Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell, former NFL great Lawrence Taylor and Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson. The lineup will include, as well, country singer Chuck Wicks, actor Gilles Marini, actress Denise Richards, Apple Inc., co-founder Steve Wozniak, Go-Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle and comedian David Allen Grier. Also competing will be real-life married couple, rodeo star Ty Murray and singer Jewel.  The network dropped the names throughout its prime time programming Sunday night, with host Tom Bergeron revealing the lineup between segments of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. The first live in-studio interview with a new cast member is scheduled for Good Morning America Monday. A cast member is also expected to drop by Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday, ABC said. Am I the only one who is exciting to maybe see Steve-O take a crap on the dance floor.

Usher’s publicist said the singer’s wife, Tameka Foster, is in stable condition after suffering complications from routine surgery in Brazil. The couple married in August 2007 and are the parents of two boys, the younger of whom is 2 months old. Foster also has three sons from a previous relationship. Usher is currently with her at the hospital. No further details will be released, and the family requests privacy at this difficult time,” the recording artist’s representative told Usmagazine.com. Access Hollywood said Foster had recently undergone cosmetic surgery. Usmagazine.com said Usher scrapped his scheduled performance at Saturday night’s pre-Grammy Gala because of the family emergency. Good for him, knowing his priorities.

Nothing like a good Stephanie Judith Tanner update. Jodie Sweetin has tested clear of drugs, her attorney Wilma Presley tells PEOPLE. The drug test had been ordered by an Orange County, Calif., court for both the Full House star and her estranged husband Cody Herpin. “Her test is good, it’s clear,” Presley said. Herpin also tested clear of drugs, his attorney Robert Benevente said. “Cody voluntarily took a hair follicle test and tested clean.” Both Sweetin, 27, and Herpin, 31, accompanied by their lawyers, arrived in court for a custody hearing Monday. The judge asked that the attorneys for both sides briefly meet in private before resuming the hearing. After the hearing resumed, Sweetin’s lawyer argued that the court should be sealed for Zoie’s privacy. The judge postponed that issue to a Feb. 25 hearing. Presley said that by mutual agreement with Herpin, Sweetin is changing her legal separation filing to a full divorce. Good, stay straight Stephie.

During the summer of 1980 there was arguably no teen star more popular than Christopher Atkins. His movie, The Blue Lagoon, was one of the most buzzed about films of the year and his star power went from zero to sixty after it came out.   “I was recognized all over the planet. Everywhere. It boggled my mind,” Atkins, 47 tells PEOPLE in its latest issue. The actor, along with six other former teen idols, examines fame on VH1’s Confessions of a Teen Idol. Looking back on his younger days, Atkins offers a bit of advice to today’s heartthrobs namely The Jonas Brothers. “I have a saying: He with the most stories wins because if you have stories you’ve had adventures and if you’ve had adventures you’ve lived life,” Atkins says. “There is a fleeting aspect to fame … so just live. And even when it’s gone, have fun.” Good job, that is leading by example.

And finally, Drew Barrymore may have stopped into the Velvet Grip tattoo parlor in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, but she wasn’t there to get inked. Barrymore had her tongue pierced! The star of the upcoming He’s Just Not That Into You was heard explaining that she’d been wanting the standard stainless-steel barbell accessory for seven years, a source reports. “She was really cute,” says the source. “When she was filling out her release form, one of the questions was, Do you have a history of passing out? She said jokingly, ‘Only when self-induced.’ ” Barrymore brought along two friends to hold her hand during the painful procedure. Wow, 1999 called they want their lame forms of rebellion back.

You Know The Drill

Mango Out