Lauren Alaina to Drop Out of Finale of American Idol

I don’t watch the show, but this could definitely make for some interesting television this evening on Fox!

From TMZ:

Lauren Alaina may not get her shot to be the next “American Idol” because she has lost her voice …spies on the set tell TMZ … and it could be the break of a lifetime for Haley Reinhart.

We’re told during the rehearsal this afternoon, Lauren — who has been losing her voice — was supposed to sing three songs.  She got through the first, struggled through the second and was unable to perform the third.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage Dies

Growing up in the 1980′s, “Macho Man” Randy Savage was one of my idols. I loved waking up on Saturday mornings and staying up late on Monday nights to catch WWF (now WWE) on TV and see his feuds with Hulk Hogan, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and “Ravishing” Rick Rude.

His match against Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat may be the greatest match of all time!

RIP Macho Man!

From TMZ:

Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ … Savage was driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler when he veered across a concrete median … through oncoming traffic … and “collided head-on with a tree.”

Savage was transported to Largo Medical center, where he died from his injuries.

Savage’s wife was a passenger in the vehicle during the collision — but survived with “minor injuries.” She was transported to a different local hospital where she was treated. 

Comedian Greg Giraldo Dies

TMZ is reporting that comedian Greg Giraldo has died today at the age of 44. His death occurs five days after he was hospitalized for an overdose.

I always loved watching him on the infamous “Celebrity Roasts”. He definitely was a funny guy!

RIP!

From TMZ:

Greg had been hospitalized in New Brunswick, NJ after he overdosed on prescription pills last weekend. A source said the overdose was not a suicide attempt.

Giraldo was best known for his celebrity roast appearances. He had also been a judge on “Last Comic Standing.”

WWE Wrestlers Arrested

Uh oh. Two WWE wrestlers face charges in Northern Kentucky after a fight at a gas station.

Gregory Shane Helms (Hurricane Helms) and Christopher Irvine (Chris Jericho) have been charged with public intoxication.

Credit TMZ

From TMZ:

Cops say they responded to the gas station in Crescent Springs after receiving a complaint about two men fighting in a cab.

When cops arrived to the scene, they located Jericho and Helms, who were “manifestly under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.” Both men were then arrested — but cops say the wrestlers were cooperative with police.

Crescent Springs is roughly 20 miles from Cincinnati, where the two men participated in a WWE event on Tuesday night.

From WKRC:

Erlanger Police were called to the Shell station on Buttermilk Pike in Crescent Springs on Wednesday morning around 4:45 a.m. Police say someone called for help with two men fighting in a cab.

When officers got there they arrested 35 year old Gregory Shane Helms, also known as “Hurricane Helms” in the wrestling world. He and his companion, 39 year old Christopher Irvine, also known under the WWE name “Chris Jericho”, are charged with Public Intoxication.

Rush Limbaugh Hospitalized

Popular conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was rushed to a hospital in Hawaii this afternoon with chest pains. It has not been made clear at this point if he has had a heart attack.

From Reuters:

KITV television station said Limbaugh was in serious condition at Honolulu’s The Queen’s Medical Center after being treated at a hotel by paramedics, citing unnamed sources.

Hospital administration coordinator Wendy Rogers told Reuters she could not comment on the report. Due to patient confidentiality rules, it is up to patients to decide if they want information to be released, she added.

Limbaugh, a popular but controversial voice in American politics, was vacationing in Hawaii at the same time as Democratic President Barack Obama and his family.

From TMZ:

According to the report, Rush was in “serious condition” when he arrived to the hospital.

Attempts to reach a rep for Limbaugh were unsuccessful.

UPDATE #1: TMZ has confirmed paramedics did respond to the Kahala at 2:41 to attend to someone with “chest discomfort.”

UPDATE: 11:29 PM EST — Sources inside the hotel tell TMZ the hotel took drastic measures to get the mystery patient — reported to be Rush Limbaugh — out of the resort without being seen.

We’re told hotel security shut down a wing of the hotel and the guest elevators — the patient was transported using the employee elevator bank.

From Gather.com:

Rush Limbaugh was admitted to a Honolulu hospital with chest pains around 3:00 PM local time today, which was a little before 8:00 PM in his home state of Florida. His condition was reported to be “serious.”

The 58-year old talk-show host was vacationing at the Kahala Hotel, a 345-room luxury resort with its own, private 800′ beach, just 10 minutes from Waikiki.  Paramedics treated him briefly before transporting him by ambulance to Queen’s Medical Center.

Limbaugh’s medical history does not include any known heart attacks. In 2001, he told his listeners that he had lost most of his hearing as a result of an autoimmune inner-ear condition.  This necessitated a surgical procedure to place an electronic device in his skull to restore his hearing.

Report: Brittany Murphy Died of Natural Causes

The Associated Press is reporting that a Los Angeles County coroner has ruled that actress Brittany Murphy died of natural causes.

From the Associated Press:

Murphy, 32, collapsed in the shower of the West Hollywood home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, on Sunday and was pronounced dead two hours later at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Her death “appears to be natural,” assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said.

Cops are investigating the “Clueless” starlet’s sudden death. An autopsy is planned for today or Tuesday reportedly against the wishes of Murphy’s hubby, Monjack, who told hospital staff he didn’t want one performed, according to TMZ.

The Hollywood stunner’s weight loss in recent years sparked rumors of eating disorder or drug use, which she denied. She reportedly suffered from flu-like symptoms and was vomiting in the hours before her death, according to TMZ.com. Meanwhile, friends and family showed an outpouring of support for the young starlet.

Were Tiger Woods Injuries Caused By His Accident…Or His Wife?

I’ve been wondering this all day since I first heard reports that Tiger Woods was in an accident outside his home early this morning.

It was about the same time that I read reports that Woods was supposedly cheating on his wife.

Now, check out this story on TMZ.com and decide for yourself.

From TMZ:

We’re told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up. We’re told it was then Woods beat a hasty retreat for his SUV — but according to our source, Woods says his wife followed behind with a golf club. As Tiger drove away, she struck the vehicle several times with the club.

We’re told Woods became “distracted,” thought the vehicle was stopped, and looked to see what had happened. At that point the SUV hit the fire hydrant and then hit a tree.

‘Balloon Boy’ Incident a Hoax; Charges to be Filed

Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Just days after the world watched a giant balloon fly through the Colorado sky, followed by the tearful family reunion with ‘Balloon Boy”, authorities have announced what millions of people already figured out on their own: the entire thing was staged by the publicity seeking parents.

When this first began, I, like most parents was shocked and couldn’t believe that something like this happened! I thought what I would do if that was my son or daughter. I’d be freaking out!

But now that it has come to light that this was in fact an elaborate hoax, it’s time to nail those parents by pressing charges, taking away their kids and sending them the bill for the taxpayers money that was spent on this “hoax”. Jail time would be nice too!

They seemed so genuine at first but this should be for the penalty if they deliberately set this whole thing up. You make the entire country worry about your child, only to have fooled us all. Now, it appears the final joke will be on the parents. I wonder if they knew when they came up with this idea that they could get in this much trouble.

Thoughts?

From CNN:

It was carried out by a couple who met “in acting school in Hollywood” and “put on a very good show for us,” Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County said Sunday. Authorities know there was “a conspiracy” between Richard and Mayumi Heene, he said.

“It has been determined that this is a hoax,” the sheriff said, adding police “believe we have evidence at this point that it was a publicity stunt” by the family in hopes of “better marketing themselves for a reality show at some point in the future.”

The dramatic announcement included an admission by Alderden that authorities misled the media on Friday when they said they still believed it was not a hoax.

In fact, after a comment on CNN’s “Larry King Live” Thursday night by Falcon, the 6-year-old boy, “it became very clear to us at that point that they were lying,” Alderden said. But in order to get to the truth, “it was very important that they maintain their trust with us.” So investigators misled the media while they carried out their “game plan” of gathering the truth.

From the New York Times:

The announcement, by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, indicated that the authorities had gleaned new information from the family of Richard and Mayumi Heene after interviewing them for hours earlier in the day.

The office did not identify the specific charge or charges on Saturday, but said a Class 3 misdemeanor charge was possible, according to The Associated Press. False reporting of a crime falls under that class of misdemeanor.

The sheriff, Jim Alderden, said a Class 3 misdemeanor “hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances.” He added, “We are talking to the district attorney, federal officials to see if perhaps there aren’t additional federal charges that are appropriate in this circumstance.”

The A.P. reported that Larimer County authorities had a warrant and began conducting a search of the Heene home on Saturday night.

From TMZ:

Alderden says they plan on filing charges against Richard and Mayumi Heene soon — one of which would be contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a felony. The other charges could be conspiracy, false reporting and attempt to influence an officer.

The most significant charges they face could result in a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The kids will probably not face charges, Alderden says, because of their age. Alderden says Child Protective Services has been notified and will be conducting an investigation.

Alderden says the hoax was a “planned event for two weeks.”

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs New Anti-Paparazzi Law

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, of California, has signed a new bill into law that will fine paparazzi for taking photos that invade a celebrity’s right to privacy and also targets media outlets who purchase the photos.

Good! I have to agree with this one. Although I believe that public figures and celebrities have “somewhat” given up their right to privacy, the paparazzi has gotten too far out of hand.

The question is: where does is the line between following celebrity gossip, and the paparazzi, drawn. Should we punish Web sites such as TMZ? Should Perez Hilton not be allowed to speak his views? I think it’s pretty obvious that this law is being put in place to stop the “over the top” incidents that seem to make the news every so often (or every day if you watch the news sometimes).

From CNN:

Throngs of photographers often jockey to get the perfect shot of a celebrity, but that doesn’t mean it’s welcomed. Britney Spears famously had enough one night, taking an umbrella to a photographer’s SUV.

In 1998, Schwarzenegger himself had his car swarmed by paparazzi while he was picking up his child from school.

Jennifer Aniston received $550,000 and an apology from a photographer who used a high-powered telephoto lens to shoot her in the backyard wearing only panties.

While paparazzi may get a bad rap for their methods, celebrity columnist Ben Widdicombe said things are not always what they seem.

“A lot of times the shot you see in the magazine is actually orchestrated by the celebrity themselves,” said celebrity columnist Ben Widdicombe. “Celebrities like Britney Spears, for example, are infamous in the industry for letting their assistants tell the paparazzi when they’ll be leaving the gates.”

Celebrity photos can be big business, especially when it comes to major milestones. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher reportedly pocketed $3 million from OK for their 2005 union. Eva Longoria and Tony Parker received $2 million from OK for photos of their lavish Paris, France, wedding.

David Letterman’s Secret Bedroom

According to the New York Daily News, David Letterman kept a secret bedroom atop the Ed Sullivan Theater that he used for his romantic rendezvous with his favorite flings.

From the article:

A Letterman show source dished that he kept a secret bedroom above his set in the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. “He doesn’t have to come out,” a staffer said. “He has a suite upstairs.”

An ex-”Late Show” staffer said Letterman kept a room insiders dubbed “the bunker” that was open only to his favorite young female underlings.

Letterman, 62, admitted on the air Thursday that he had had several affairs, apparently while dating longtime love Regina Lasko, who he married in March. The two have a son, Harry, 5.

A longtime assistant said he had the ability to cast a spell on the ladies.

Also today in the same article, one of Letterman’s former flings became known to the world.

From the article:

An ex-”Late Show” intern unmasked herself Saturday as one of David Letterman‘s former flings – and sources revealed the randy funnyman keeps a bachelor pad atop the Ed Sullivan Theater.

“I was madly in love with him at the time,” said Holly Hester. “I would have married him. He was hilarious.”

The NYU alum, who it appears went on to become a top Hollywood producer, told TMZ.com that the relationship started in the early ’90s when Letterman called and asked her on a date to the movies.

A year-long, secret romance ensued, she said, until the funnyman called it off because of their age difference.

Outside what is believed to be Hester’s country home in Sebastopol, Calif. – in ritzy Sonoma County – a middle-aged man lashed out at a Daily News reporter last night. “Get the f— out of here. We’re being offered a lot of money for this s—,” he said.