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Mr. Blackwell Dies

Richard Blackwell – the original Hollywood fashionista whose cutthroat comments on stars’ wardrobes made him a household name, is dead this morning. According to news reports, the 86-year-old fashion guru died Sunday of complications from an intestinal infection. Prior to his passing Blackwell spent more than 50 years using his trademark sardonic, and at times acerbic, personality to poke fun at Hollywood’s most famous celebrities. His popular Best and Worst Dressed Lists became staples in the entertainment world and he took no prisoners. In January 2007, Blackwell took aim at then BFFs Britney Spears and Paris Hilton calling them “two … Continue reading →

Leona Helmsley Dies

Leona Helmsley died this morning in Connecticut. Better known as the “Queen of Mean” for the way she treated her employees, Helmsley reportedly died of heart failure. She was 87. According to her publicist, Helmsley was not in pain when she passed away at her summer home in Greenwich. Which is not to say that her life was void of suffering. The billionaire made headlines in the late 80s during her trial for tax evasion. That’s when she uttered the now infamous phrase: “Only little people pay taxes.” The line stuck with her for decades and made her a household … Continue reading →

Joel Siegel Dies

Did you see the tribute ABC did to Joel Siegel this morning? It made me tear up even though I had seen most of the footage when it aired last night on 20/20. For those of you who are having a hard time placing the name, Joel Siegel was Good Morning America’s longtime film critic and former WABC entertainment correspondent. He died Friday after a decade-long battle with cancer. He was 63. His friends and colleagues at ABC called him a “brilliant reviewer” and a “great reporter.” Diane Sawyer called him a “gladiator” and Charlie Gibson referred to Siegel as … Continue reading →

Famous Entertainment Reporter Dies

Did you watch “Live With Regis and Kelly” today? If you did, you may have heard the sad (and shocking) news that the show’s longtime entertainment reporter Claudia Cohen died of cancer last Friday. Frankly, I was floored. Decades ago when I worked at the television station that aired the show I watched it religiously. Subsequently, I got used to seeing Cohen on the air and enjoyed the banter she shared with Regis Philbin, Kathie Lee Gifford, and more recently, Kelly Ripa. So when Regis announced that Cohen died Friday of cancer I was stunned. For those of you unfamiliar … Continue reading →

Heartbreaking Loss for Christian Singing Superstar

There are no words to describe the gut wrenching pain Grammy award-winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his family are experiencing today. An unimaginable tragedy struck the tight-knit group yesterday when Chapman’s youngest daughter was killed in the family’s driveway… by her teenage brother. While all the details of the devastating accident have yet to be confirmed, according to updated police reports that were released just hours ago, Chapman’s 5-year-old daughter suffered fatal injuries when an SUV driven by her brother accidentally struck her. Police say the girl, named Maria Sue, was playing in the driveway of her family’s … Continue reading →

Celebrity Updates: Fabio vs. George Fallout and “Hannah Montana” Sky High Ticket Prices

George Clooney is a “low-class scumbag.” At least according to the famous longhaired literary lover Fabio. As you’ll recall from my previous blog, the actor (best known for his role in those butter substitute commercials) and movie star George Clooney recently got into a scuffle at a Beverly Hills restaurant after the former “Facts of Life” star allegedly insulted some of Fabio’s female companions. The romance novel icon stunned diners at the upscale eatery when he exchanged fighting words with Clooney before both men started to get unflatteringly physical with each other. Now Fabio is going on the record, defending … Continue reading →

The Passing of A Political Legend

She may not have signed peace treaties with other countries or adopted policies that had an affect on our global economy, but yet Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who was married to President Lyndon B. Johnson, still found a way to leave her mark on society. And today many of those people who were touched by her work are in mourning after learning that Johnson died in her sleep. She was 94. According to a family spokesperson, Johnson died in her Austin, Texas, home of natural causes. Last month she was admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms, … Continue reading →

Celebrity Updates: “The View” Feud and “Spicy” Refusals

The world of entertainment is fluid (to say the least), which is why blogs about certain celebrities tend to require updates on a weekly basis (save for Britney Spears in which case it’s an hourly basis). The following are new takes on subjects from my previous blogs featuring the ladies of a certain ABC chatfest and a reality star in the making. “The View’s” Youngest View Much has been written about the growing animosity brewing between “View” co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O’Donnell. Some media reports have the ladies clawing at each other during commercial breaks. While other reports (including … Continue reading →

Justin and Jessica—“Just Friends”

I must admit when I heard that Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz decided to call it quits I was a bit surprised. After all, the couple had professed their “love and admiration” for each other on numerous talk shows throughout their four year courtship. Sure, there was the nine-year age difference, but they seemed (by all accounts) to be at peace with their relationship. Then came the breakup and that nasty Golden Globe post party incident. According to several entertainment magazines, the exes got into a heated argument at Prince’s Golden Globes afterparty when Diaz reportedly saw Timberlake chatting with … Continue reading →

Odd Couples?

It was a battle heard around the world: Tom Cruise vs. Brooke Shields. For those of you who missed it–Cruise slammed Shields for using medication to treat her postpartum depression. Shields received a much overdue apology from Cruise this summer. Now, the media is making much ado about a reported friendship that has blossomed between Shields and Cruise’s fiancée, Katie Holmes. From PEOPLE magazine to the entertainment news program “Access Hollywood,” Tinseltown is buzzing about how lovely the two ladies are to each other. PEOPLE has even revealed that the two had a girl’s night in at Shields’ home where … Continue reading →