ARMSTRONG ADMITS TO DOPING
As expected, Lance Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance enhancing drugs to win his seven Tour De France titles, although he insisted he’s been clean since 2005, and when he came in third during his 2009 Tour de France comeback he did so without drugs. Armstrong said he took testosterone (although he said he needed it because his cancer treatments caused him to run low on his natural supply), human growth hormone, blood doping and EPO. He said it was his “win at all costs” mentality and “arrogance” that led him to cheat. Said Armstrong, “I didn't invent the [doping] culture, but I did nothing to stop the culture ... and I am sorry for that." He denied he forced other riders to partake in a doping program, but also admitted to being “a bully.” Armstrong said he did not feel bad about cheating, and acknowledged that his supporters “have every right to feel betrayed.” As for why he decided to come forward now, Armstrong was vague. "I don't know that I have a great answer,” he said. “I will start now by saying this is too late ... I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times ... I am a flawed character."
FRIENDS WORRY BRIT CAN’T HANDLE VEGAS
It looks like Britney Spears’ Las Vegas deal is definitely going to happen. In fact, TMZ reports she’s such a wanted commodity, three Las Vegas properties are in a bidding war to sign her to a residency. But friends of the singer don’t think a long-term commitment to Vegas is a good idea, especially since her engagement to Jason Trawick just ended and she just departed X Factor. “I'm not sure just how good an idea Vegas is for Britney right now. If she can't handle the X Factor - how will she be able to perform five days a week in Vegas?,” a source told The Mail. According to insiders, Britney was so dependent on Jason, they worry she’ll have a hard time adjusting now that she’s on her own. They say she rarely went anywhere without Jason, and on the rare occasions she was seen alone, it was just to get coffee or go shopping near her home. Over time, the pair’s romantic relationship ended and they became more like friends. Radar reports that when Jason decided it was over, it was Brit’s father Jamie who brokered the breakup, deciding how to inform Britney and how to announce it. “Jason and Jamie wanted to make sure that Britney didn’t lose it, so they had to water things down for her a bit,” said the source.
Q-What Britney music video takes place on Mars and features the singer in a red latex cat suit? “Oops…I Did It Again.”
IDOL RATINGS DOWN
Promises of a Nicki Minaj/Mariah Carey feud wasn’t enough to help American Idol in the ratings. Wednesday night’s premiere drew 17.9 million viewers, a drop of 19 percent from last January’s debut. It was Idol’s lowest-rated and least-watched regular-season premiere telecast ever.
DEAR ABBY DIES
Pauline Phillips, the woman who created the popular “Dear Abby” advice column , died Wednesday. She was 94 and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Phillips, twin sister of another advice columnist Ann Landers (who died in 2002), started the popular column in 1956 and wrote under the name Abigail Van Buren. Her daughter Jeanne has been writing the column in recent years.
HANDLER IN TROUBLE OVER TODAY JOKE
Chelsea Handler’s bosses don’t always find her funny. The New York Post reports that Comcast, which owns both E! and NBC, wasn’t very happy about a joke she made about Al Roker’s recent admission that he pooped his pants at the White House. The Chelsea Lately host joked, “This isn’t the first time a Today show cast member was in the news about this sensitive subject. For years it was common knowledge that Matt Lauer spent every morning [s - - ting] all over Ann Curry.” Well, execs at the studio were not amused, and a source says, “Chelsea’s writers were warned to lay off Matt.” An E! spokesperson denied the story, telling The Post, “This is absolutely false and no such request was made.”
Q-Handler has written several books. What was the name of her first one?
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands
TAYLOR SWIFT’S BUSTY RUMORS
Has Taylor Swift gotten a boob job? Well, that’s what In Touch is speculating, suggesting that the country star has been “looking noticeably bustier in recent months.” The magazine enhanced a picture of Taylor at the People’s Choice Awards earlier this month, and claim they see what could be a surgery scar. A plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael Fiorillo, who didn’t treat the star, believes she went from an A cup to a B, and after looking at the photo insists, “you can see the implants.”
Q-What ex-boyfriend do Taylor Swift and Jessica Simpson have in common? John Mayer
FOX DOESN’T WANT SWIFT DATING HIS SON
Tina Fey isn’t the only one who doesn’t want Taylor Swift to date Michael J. Fox’s son. Prompted by Tina and Amy Poehler’s joke at the Golden Globe Awards, New York magazine asked Fox what he thought about the possibility of the country star dating his son Sam and he didn’t sound to thrilled. "I don't keep up with it at all," he admitted. "Taylor Swift writes songs about everybody she goes out with, right? What a way to build a career." Fox said that if Sam ever brought Taylor home he “wouldn’t even know who she was.” Of course that would change if she wrote a song about Sam, with Fox joking that after he heard, “Sam, You Piece of Sh-t,” he’d realize, “Oh . . . that was the girl you brought home!"
KIM AND KOURTNEY RESPOND TO MARRIAGE FRAUD ACCUSATION
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian were on the Late Show with David Letterman Wednesday night, and the host grilled Kim on her current marital status. After joking, “You’re married to two guys, right?,” Dave asked, “You’re still married to your former husband… When are you gonna wrap that up?” Kim replied, “Well, I’m trying… I’ve been trying for almost two years now.” She then went on to explain that her ex-Kris Humphries was suing her for fraud, claiming she only married him for the publicity, but sister Kourtney had a very good argument against Kris’s claim. Said Kourtney, “I think if she was going to do it for publicity, she’d pick someone that people knew.”
COOPER TALKS DATING GIRLS
Anderson Cooper confirmed he’s gay last year, but now he’s opening up about his past relationships with women. “I have had a little bit more experience in other areas other than with guys,” he revealed on his talk show. “I don't have much experience, but the few times when I would go on a date with a girl - like when I was 12 - there was a lot of sharing, and a lot of talking, and a lot of asking how I am. Some of my best friends now are girls who allegedly dated me at 13 and 14…but they thought we were dating, and I was sort of, you know, hoping to meet their brothers.” As for the differences between dating a man versus a woman, Cooper explains that women “share a lot,” adding. “I have a friend - I send her one text and I get 20 texts back. Guys don't want a million texts. It's exhausting.”
FORMER IDOL JUDGE EXPECTING
Former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi is going to be a mom. Kara told People that she and husband Mike McCuddy are expecting a baby boy via gestational surrogate in a few weeks. "We are eagerly awaiting the healthy and happy birth of our son Greyson James Carroll McCuddy," says the 42-year-old, who struggled with fertility issues and multiple IVF treatments. "We made a personal decision to try with a surrogate. I asked someone we knew, a friend. And on the first try, it worked."
Q-In addition to Idol, Kara was a judge on what Bravo talent competition? Platinum Hit
PRINCE ALBERT NOT HAPPY WITH GRACE KELLY MOVIE
Prince Albert of Monaco is not happy with the upcoming Grace Kelly movie starring Nicole Kidman. Grace of Monaco takes place in 1963, during the six months the princess helped save the city-state from a French coup. Producers claimed they had the blessing of the family, but Prince Albert, Kelly’s son, released a statement blasting the film for its “major historical untruths.” "The Princely family wishes to emphasize that this film is by no means a biopic," the palace said. "It recounts one rewritten and needlessly 'glamorized' page in the history of the Principality of Monaco and its family. The Palace of Monaco cannot accept that the producers of this film imply they have received Their Highnesses' support in any way whatsoever, since this is not the case."
Q-Grace Kelly won an Academy Award for what film? The Country Girl
SMALL FIRE AT BREAKS OUT AT OSBOURNE HOME
A fire broke out at the California home of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne Thursday morning. The Beverly Hills Fire Department responded to a call when a candle, left burning by Sharon, “flared up.” There was no damage to the property. Sharon later Tweeted, “I want to say Thank You to everyone at the Beverly Hills Fire Department for coming to our aid and taking such good care of us this morning.”
CHRISTENSEN DEFENDS SCIENTOLOGY
Parenthood actress Erika Christensen feels that people have the wrong idea about her religion, Scientology. "[People assume] we're some kind of closed group and we're just the Hollywood religion and we worship rabbits," she told her Parenthood co-star Joy Bryant during a chat for Bryant’s Across the Board web series. Asked to explain her thoughts on Scientology, Christensen said, "If I had to sum it up, the goal of Scientology is giving the person back to themselves. Like, your own power of choice." As long as you agree with the church.
Q-Christensen played a high schooler with a Fatal Attraction-like crush on Jesse Bradford in what 2002 movie? Swimfan
MISCELLANEOUS MOVIE NEWS
Brett Ratner’s Hercules flick, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, will hit theaters August 8th, 2014.
Fox Searchlight is re-releasing Beast of the Southern Wild into theaters starting today. The film will open in a limited number of cities - New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC, Dallas, and Seattle - as part of a build up to the Academy Awards. The movie, which originally came out June 27th, received four Oscar nominations last week, including one for Best Picture.
Warner Bros. is reportedly interested in bringing Gremlins back to the big screen. The 1984 original, starring Phoebe Cates and Zach Galligan, centered on cute creatures that turn evil if you feed them after midnight.
Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard will star in Match, based on the 2004 Broadway play. The film stars Stewart as a reclusive former choreographer who is visited by a young couple (Gugino and Lillard) who wants to learn about dance in the 60s.
TV TIDBITS
Some familiar faces will be returning for the final episodes of The Office. Mindy Kaling (Kelly) and B. J. Novak (Ryan) are expected to turn up this season. But one person who won’t likely be back is the comedy’s former star Steve Carell. “At the moment we don’t have any plans for him to come back,” said executive producer Greg Daniels.
Breaking Bad’s Betsy Brandt (Marie) will play Michael J. Fox’s wife in the actor’s upcoming NBC sitcom. The semi-autobiographical comedy stars Fox as a husband and father of three dealing with his family and career, as well as Parkinson’s Disease.
Syfy has cancelled the series Alphas after only two seasons. The one-hour drama revolved around an unlikely team of ordinary people with superhuman abilities.
