ELMO PUPPETEER ACCUSER RECANTS STORY
Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash is off the hook. The man who accused Clash of having a relationship with him when he was 16 has recanted his story, saying now that he was an adult during their relationship. "[The accuser] wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship. [The accuser] will have no further comment,” read a statement from the man’s lawyer. In response, Clash released a statement saying: "I am relieved that this painful allegation has been put to rest. I will not discuss it further." No reason for changing the story was given, although TMZ is insinuating Clash may have paid the accuser off. The site claims Clash’s attorney met with the accuser’s attorney about an hour before the statement was released, and a 6-figure settlement offer was on the table.
ELMO PUPPETEER APOLOGIZED FOR SEX TALK
Meanwhile, yesterday TMZ released information about personal emails Clash sent to his accuser from his work account. The site reports that in 2010, Clash sent his accuser an email in which he apologized for constantly talking about sex. In one email, sent when the accuser was already at least 18, Clash writes, “I’m sorry that I keep talking about sex with you, it’s driving me insane. I want you to know that I love you and I will never hurt you. I’m here to protect you and make sure your dreams come true.”
WHAT MILEY HAD TO DO WITH THE SELENA/JUSTIN BREAKUP
Selena Gomez finally pulled the plug on her relationship with Justin Bieber, but this is not the first time they’ve split up. Sources tell Radaronline they’ve broken up several times before, and once Miley Cyrus was to blame. According to the site, Selena was furious when Justin shot an episode of the MTV show Punk’d with Miley because, “Selena is repulsed by Miley.” When Selena told Justin she was concerned about them working together, “Justin did the show anyway, which didn’t sit very well with Selena.” Adds the source, “He’s continually choosing work over Selena and she’s finally had enough.” Meanwhile, TMZ reports that Justin and Selena met in New York Sunday night to talk about their problems, but nothing was resolved and they did not get back together. Insiders say while Justin is still into Selena, he’s not sure he wants to reunite with her because he’s been having fun hanging out with supermodels.
MODERN FAMILY HATED WINTER’S MOM
Ariel Winter’s mother was so abusive the folks on Modern Family tried to get her banned from the set. According to TMZ, Chrystal Workman was “hated” by the crew, producers, actors and other mothers. Insiders say she would publicly berate her daughter about her looks, and control everything she ate. It got so bad, crew members actually tried to sneak food to Ariel when her mother wasn’t looking. Chrystal was also overly concerned about her daughter’s money, telling people Ariel needed more cash to pay for their house, as well as her agents, managers and publicists. Meanwhile, Ariel’s friends are saying that her mom was “flat out lying” when she claimed she found the 14-year-old in bed with her 18-year-old boyfriend Cameron Palatas. Sources tell TMZ, “Ariel is so innocent, she never even kissed a boy until her first kiss in a Modern Family episode.”
Q – Can you name the actors who play Ariel Winter’s parents on Modern Family? Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell
JERSEY SHORE’S VINNY GETS TALK SHOW
MTV is rewarding the most boring member of the Jersey Shore cast with his own talk show. EW.com reports that Vinny Guadagnino will star in a hybrid talk/reality series titled The Show with Vinny, where he’ll interview celebrities in his Staten Island home with his colorful Italian family.
BURKE INTERESTED IN THE BACHELORETTE
Dancing with the Stars hoofer Cheryl Burke has confirmed the rumors that she’s interested in appearing on ABC’s The Bachelorette. After Monday’s Dancing episode, Burke told Us Weekly, “I did meet with the execs but we’ll see what happens. There hasn’t been a firm offer, but if they offer it to me I would love to do it.” Burke says she’s so busy with Dancing, she doesn’t have time to meet someone. “It sounds crazy, but I’m so married to my work that I rarely meet new people,” she said. “Over the summer I dated a couple of guys and it turned out all bad. I just figured if someone were to make the choice for me I’d have a better chance of meeting someone good.”
Q-Burke was the first Dancing hoofer to win two consecutive seasons. Who were her championship partners? Drew Lachey and Emmitt Smith
KEIRA OKAY WITH SHOWING HER TINY BOOBS
Keira Knightley doesn’t have an issue with going topless on screen, especially since she believes there’s not much to see. “I don’t mind exposing my breasts because they’re so small – people really aren’t that interested,” she tells Allure. But she won’t go fully nude, explaining, “no bottom half!” Keira adds that studios tend to “pencil in” a bigger bust line for her in promotional shots, but they don’t always do a good job. “I was only angry when they were really, really droopy,” she said. “For King Arthur, for a poster, they gave me these really strange droopy t**s. A - I don’t have t**s anyway and B - they digitally made them, and I thought, ‘Well, if you’re going to make me fantasy breasts, at least make me perky breasts.”
Q-In Love Actually, Keira plays Juliet, a woman whose husband’s best friend is in love with her. The best friend is played by an actor who is now famous for AMC’s The Walking Dead. Who? Andrew Lincoln
KIDMAN TALKS CRUISE
It’s been 12 years since she was married to Tom Cruise, but Nicole Kidman just can’t stop talking about it. In the latest issue of DuJour magazine, Nicole explains that it took her a long time to get over their breakup. “I fell madly, passionately in love,” said Kidman, who was 23 when she married Cruise. “I was reeling with Tom. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for him.” Because of all the media attention surrounding their relationship, Nicole says they “were in a bubble,” adding, “We became very dependent on one another.” She says before their split in 2000, she thought “our life together was perfect,” and she was surprised when it ended so abruptly. “It took me a very long time to heal,” she says. “It was a shock to my system.” She also never thought she’d find love again, but then she met current husband Keith Urban. “My life changed,” she said of meeting the country star, who she calls “a wonderful, caring man.” She adds, “We don’t ever like to be separated.”
Q-Nicole won an Oscar for the 2002 film The Hours, where she played what real-life writer? Virginia Woolf
WILDE SELLING LA HOME TO BE CLOSER TO BEAU
Former House star Olivia Wilde has put her LA home on the market for close to $2.5 million. The 3,284-square foot Spanish-style property, which Wilde purchased in March, 2011, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a library, a media and screening room. Wilde recently bought a pad in New York to be closer to her boyfriend Jason Sudeikis, who she’s been dating since last Christmas.
SHANNEN CALLS COPS ON SUICIDAL TWEETER
Shannen Doherty is devoted to her fans. TMZ reports that the former 90120 star called the cops Sunday after receiving suicidal tweets from a fan. Police in New Jersey report that Doherty, who lives in LA, contacted officers after a woman threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get a call from the actress. Shannen, who had reason to believe the fan had a gun, somehow got her to reveal her address and officers were immediately sent to the woman’s home. The 27-year-old fan insisted to officers that she wasn’t going to harm herself. Cops also say they found nothing that would make them suspect she was a danger to herself.
Q-What actor played Shannen’s twin brother on 90210? Jason Priestley
SCOTT WOLF A DAD AGAIN
Scott Wolf and his wife Kelley have added to their family. Kelley, a former star of The Real World: New Orleans, gave birth to son Miller William Wolf on Saturday in Los Angeles. This is the second son for the couple, who married in 2004. Their first, Jackson Kayse, is three.
TAMERA MOWRY WELCOMES A BABY BOY
Tamera Mowry is a new mom. The Tia & Tamera star and husband Adam Housely welcomed son Aden John Tanner Housley on Monday. This is the first child for the couple, who married in May, 2011. Tamera’s twin sister Tia became a mom in June, 2011, when she and husband Cory Hardrict welcomed to son Cree Taylor.
AFFLECK TO BE HONORED WITH MODERN MASTER AWARD
Argo director Ben Affleck will be honored with the Modern Master Award at the 28th Annual Santa Barbara Film Festival, taking place January 24th through February 3rd. The award is the highest honor handed out by the festival, and “was created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through his/her multi-faceted accomplishments in the motion picture industry.” Past winners include: Michael Douglas, Jodie Foster, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Penn, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Clint Eastwood.
Q-Argo is the third film Affleck has directed. What was the name of his directorial debut? Gone Baby Gone [The Town was the second]
GAROFALO WAS MARRIED FOR 20 YEARS BUT DIDN’T KNOW IT
Comedienne Janeane Garofalo revealed over the weekend that she’s been married for the past twenty years but had no idea. The New York Post reports that during the New York Comedy Festival reunion for The Ben Stiller Show Saturday, Garofalo explained that she married Big Bang Theory producer Rob Cohen in Las Vegas as a joke back in the 90s. “Rob and I got married, for real, which we had to have a notary dissolve not 30 minutes before we got here tonight,” Garofalo said. “We were married for 20 years until this evening.” Seems they got married at a drive-thru chapel, but didn’t think the marriage was real because they never filed the papers with the court. But evidently they were wrong. Said Garofalo, “apparently now that [Rob] is getting married for real, his lawyer dug up something.” As for their dating history, Garofalo joked, “I’m sure I was terrible,” to which Cohen responded, “I will confirm that.”
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
Sean Penn is in talks to star in the potential action movie franchise Prone Gunman. He’ll play an international operative who is betrayed by the organization he works for and must go on the run across Europe.
Boy band One Direction will release a 3D concert/behind-the-scenes flick on August 30th, 2013. The film will be directed by Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock. [See Spotlight On for more.]
TV TIDBITS
Matthew Lillard has joined the cast of the FX drama pilot The Bridge. The series revolves around a pair of detectives from the U.S. and Mexico who work together to track down a serial killer operating on both sides of the American/Mexican border. Oscar nominee Demian Bichir (A Better Life) plays the Mexican detective, while Diane Kruger plays his American counterpart. Lillard will play a cocky reporter.
Liza Minnelli will guest-star as herself in an episode of Smash this season. Minnelli will sing an original song with series regular Christian Borle. Smash returns to NBC February 5th.
