Happy Monday Kiddies and away I go. I must say, thank you for the kind words over the past 4 days, it was a trying time.
Ivanka Trump, the daughter of U.S. real estate mogul Donald Trump, married Jared Kushner, publisher of the New York Observer, in Bedminster, N.J., Sunday. People.com said about 500 guests attended the lavish affair at the Trump National Golf Club. The reception reportedly included a performance by Trump family friend Regis Philbin. ”She looks amazing,” Ivanka Trump’s publicist told People.com, noting the bride, an author and reality television personality, wore a Vera Wang gown inspired by the late actress and princess, Grace Kelly. Trump and Kushner dated on and off for about two years and were engaged for three months before tying the knot this past weekend, E! News said. Wait, this does not sound too gawdy.
Low-budget fright film “Paranormal Activity” scored a kill over the sixth picture in the perennial “Saw” franchise, with a pre-Halloween weekend box office draw of $22 million. Lionsgate’s “Saw VI” took in $14.8 million. The results were the worst in the series’ history — the first five “Saw” films had an average opening weekend of $29.1 million, according to box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. The horror series features a killer who calls himself Jigsaw and puts his victims in deadly contraptions to torture them. ”Paranormal” went into wider release by Paramount after playing to sellout crowds at midnight-only screenings over the past few weekends in a handful of markets determined by online balloting. Taking a page from the playbook of 1999’s underground smash “The Blair Witch Project,” the Viacom Inc unit is letting the fans do the marketing through such social-networking sites as Twitter. Its own marketing costs have been minimal. Paramount bought the $15,000 movie last year at the Slamdance Film Festival, an indie rival of the concurrent Sundance festival in Utah. Last weekend’s top movie, “Where the Wild Things Are,” which was adapted from the acclaimed Maurice Sendak children’s book, dropped to the No. 3 spot with $14.4 million. Eh, I could not care less. It sounds lame.
Tickets to Garth Brooks’ comeback shows have become a must-have item – his first 20 shows at the Wynn Las Vegas all sold out in less than five hours on Saturday. The singer/songwriter announced he was coming out of retirement recently with a residency at the Sin City resort. More than 140,000 people called the Wynn on Saturday – the day tickets for Brooks went on sale – and more than 5.4 million people visited the hotel and casino’s website. Brooks’ new five-year deal with casino owner Steve Wynn includes a series of concerts on select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Is anybody surprised? The guy is the highest selling artist of the nineties.
Patrick Swayze’s widow Lisa Niemi is set to break her silence six weeks after the actor’s tragic death, publicly sharing her grief at a women’s empowerment conference later this month. Swayze lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on September 14 at age 57, leaving behind his wife of 34 years. Niemi, 53, will participate in a round table discussion on Grief, Healing and Resilience at The Women’s Conference 2009 in Long Beach, California, which gathers women to be “educated, inspired and empowered to be Architects of Change in their own lives.” In her first interview since Swayze’s death, Niemi will join women’s activists including American actress Susan St. James in a discussion moderated by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wife, Maria Shriver. The Women’s Conference 2009 is scheduled for October 27. Hey, anything to keep food on the table.
Nicole Richie and her partner Joel Madden delighted kids in Los Angeles on Thursday by opening a new playground in the city. The couple created the Richie-Madden Foundation in 2007 to raise money for children’s charities, and the organization helped fund a new play park in conjunction with Beyond Shelter, which tackles homelessness and poverty. The pair was on hand to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the Richie-Madden Playground and spent some time talking to local kids. You know, it really does warm my heart when celebrities do good. Rock on Nicole and Joel.
Miley Cyrus has dismissed reports she has fallen ill with swine flu. The Hannah Montana star sparked concerns for her health after unexpectedly running offstage during a concert on September 29, and then canceling a show in Omaha, Nebraska the following night, due to illness. Cyrus’ co-star Cody Linley addressed her pal’s illness, insisting the 16 year old confided in him she had come in contact with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu. Linley told KTLA.com, “She just got really sick and she had to run off stage… The next day she told me she had the swine flu.” However, Cyrus has refuted the claims. Her spokesperson tells Usmagazine.com, “She did not have swine flu.” See my guess is Mono, from all boys she has been kissing.
Super Busty Jessica Simpson has sparked speculation she is dating Gerard Butler, after the pair was spotted on a night out in New York. The singer/actress was left devastated when American foot player Tony Romo dumped her on the eve of her 29th birthday in July, after almost two years together. Simpson vowed to continue her search for love, even admitting she’d date someone she found online – but it seems Lothario Butler has caught her interest. The pair visited Big Apple hotspot Soho House on Tuesday evening, along with Simpson’s hairstylist pal Ken Paves – but the stars only had eyes for each other, according to New York Post gossip column PageSix. Man that girl is getting passed around more than a joint at Woodstock.
He’s provided memorable moments on the Golden Globe awards in the past – and this year Ricky Gervais will have the chance to do so again. The British comedian will host the 67th Annual Golden Globes in January, PEOPLE has confirmed. “Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry, which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free reign as a host,” Gervais said Monday. “I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don’t turn down.” This marks the first time that the telecast has had a host since 1995. So am I the only one who does not think that Ricky Gervais is that funny?
The composer behind the hit musicals The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita is being treated for prostate cancer, it was announced. Andrew Lloyd Webber, 61, is expected to be back at work in a couple of months after tests detected the disease early, according to his reps. In a brief statement to PEOPLE, they said: “The condition is in its very early stages. Andrew is now undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year.” Eh, he is not my cup of tea. Get it? See he is British.
And finally, British singer Leona Lewis has reacted with dismay to some of the media chatter about the fact that she is still dating the same boyfriend she had before she found fame. Lewis, 24, has been with electrician Lou Al-Chamaa since she was 17 and calls him her “best friend” in a new interview. When she was asked about the “snide bewilderment” that accompanies references to their enduring love, she says, “It does make me angry. Because he’s a great person. And it doesn’t matter what you do in life, what your job is, where you come from.” Good job staying loyal and with the one who brought you to the dance.
You Know The Drill
Mango Out