A bunch of celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Usher, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian and more, gave up their digital lives in order to raise money for Alicia Keys’ charity, Keep A Child Alive. They set the donation amount at ten dollars and asked fans to donate the cash to bring them back to life. They died on November 30th and it was a big to-do for World AIDS Day.
Well, December 2nd came and went and these celebrities were still quiet. I appreciated the silence, to be honest. Still, not a word was tweeted and they were still only at the half-way mark. We were unsure how long this was supposed to last, considering we didn’t think it was possible at all to tape Kim’s mouth shut for any length of time.
Then, yesterday, a beacon of light shone upon them in the form of billionaire Stewart Rahr. He donated the remaining $500,000 to resurrect the celebrities. Now, Kim Kardashian can go about famewhoring her wares on Twitter. She earns about ten grand per tweet…so this idea was actually costing her money.
A source close to the project said, “It’s the worst mismanagement of star power I’ve ever seen in my life.”
One source blamed servers that crashed for 12 hours on the first night for the slow-paced donations. Others blamed lack of promotion and overestimating the participants’ Twitter power.
Another source said, “Some stars thought the money would be raised in 24 hours, and were embarrassed that critics said it proves nobody cares about their Twitter presence.”
Usher was too impatient to wait for the $1 million mark and started tweeting in the early hours of Sunday.
Rahr, who recently sold his pharmaceutical distribution company Kinray for $1.3 billion, is a big donor to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and other charities. He said, “I heard through the grapevine that they were short on their goals, and I wanted to help. I sold my company, and I wanted to give back to others in the Empire State.” A rep for Keep a Child Alive had no comment.
Normally when we report on celebrity couples it consists of either a pregnancy or a breakup/divorce, so I figured why not be positive and focus on new couples that got together this year and are still going strong. Here are 14 new celebrity couples that Zimbio remind us who’ve hooked up this year and have lasted so far.
Worlds collided when tween sensation Joe Jonas and Twilight star Ashley Greene coupled up this summer. They’ve been doing everything from grocery shopping to traveling together and always look so darn happy while holding hands in front of the cameras. Darling, isn’t it?
Jessica Simpson has had quite a year: She met, began dating, AND got engaged to ex-football star Eric Johnson in 2010. They began dating in about May, and he popped the question in early November, right after Jessica’s ex-husband Nick Lachey announced his engagement to Vanessa Minnillo. Love is all around!
Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez are probably the hottest co-star couple to come out of Hollywood this year. They got together in August after working together on Stranger Tides, just months after Halle and Gabriel Aubry announced their split.
We are so happy Rihanna found new love this year! She and Dodgers player Matt Kemp have been going strong since May and have traveled all over the world together over the last few months. “I smile for real this time,” she said in an interview. “The smiles come from inside, and it exudes in everything I do. People feel my energy is different. When I smile they can tell that it’s pure bliss and not just a cover up.”
Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal have the rumor mill in overdrive these days. They’ve reportedly spent many a romantic weekend together, though there’s been no official word from either camp. If it’s true, this is one hottest, most unexpected new couples of 2010!
Kate Hudson and Muse rocker Matt Bellamy have been together since May. These two have often been spotted out and about with Kate’s son Ryder and it seems like things are pretty serious. Apparently Matt even gets along with his girlfriend’s mom, Goldie Hawn!
It took FOREVER (ok, 5 months) for Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough to confess that they’re an item. The big news came in November, when she gushed all about her man in an interview. She said he’s a “phenomenal” boyfriend and he constantly leaves her flowers and little surprises, even when he’s not around. Definitely a keeper!
Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner got way hot and heavy in 2010. Things between this couple (who haven’t even publicly admitted that they are a couple) got so intense that they got matching tattoos this year — more than once! Must be love.
Reese Witherspoon and Hollywood agent Jim Toth were first spotted together in February. They’ve never really spoken openly about their relationship, and they steer clear of the red carpet, but they’re often seen watching Reese’s kids on the soccer field. These two seem like a super down-to-earth, happy couple. We like it
Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was first linked to model Irina Shayk in May. The two have since kept mum about their relationship, but it’s pretty clear that they’re together. They’re one of the most beautiful couples around, no doubt.
Mad Men star January Jones and SNL cast member Jason Sudeikis got the dating rumors going at the ESPY Awards this summer. Apparently they were “making out” all over the place, and didn’t have a care in the world. Still no officially confirmation on these two, but we have to say they do make a pretty cute couple.
Parenthood co-stars Lauren Graham and Peter Krause started dating in April of this year. They’re not romantically involved on the show, she’s actually his sister! We’re sure they don’t dwell on that in their spare time.
Dianna Agron and Alex Pettyfer met on the set of their film I Am Number Four and reportedly began dating shortly after that. They’ve been spotted holding hands and looking mighty lovey-dovey, though they’ve kept mum on their relationship status.
Kirsten Dunst and Rilo Kiley drummer Jason Boesol started dating around the February mark. They make quite the cute indie kid couple.
I’m sure at least one of these will be over by the New Years Eve and the rest will probably be finished by Easter 2011.
Jessica Simpson went on Ryan Seacrest‘s morning radio show on KIIS-FM earlier today and of course he asked how she was coping with the news that her Nick Lachey got engaged.
Nick got engaged to Vanessa Minnillo last week and then we all assumed that Jessica was going to fly off the handle and have a Newlyweds DVD marathon while eating herself. But this is not the case, she says…
“I am extremely, extremely happy for him. I couldn’t be more happy for Nick. I don’t know where all those rumors came from. My mom actually called me and told me that everybody was saying that I was ‘saddened.’ And I was just in complete shock. You know, our relationship was over a really long time ago, so it would be nice if everybody could move on with us and really just celebrate the love between him and Vanessa. I do, and I wish them nothing but the best.”
Who else thinks that while she was saying all this she was sticking more needles in a voodoo doll of both Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo?
source: Jessica Simpson ‘Couldn’t Be More Happy’ for Newly Engaged Nick Lachey [People]
Forbes have release their annual list of the 10 top-earning men in Prime-Time television and as predicted they make way more money than their female counterparts do. Nearly double the $162 million combined total the women made during the same period of June 2009-June 2010.
10. Chris Meloni, Estimated earnings: $9.5 million
Though ratings for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit took a hit when it was bumped up an hour to make room for Jay Leno’s short-lived 10 p.m. talk show last season, the series remains the franchise’s strongest effort. Now that the Law & Order mother ship has concluded its lengthy run, the New York-based actor and his co-star, Mariska Hargitay, become the unofficial faces of the larger franchise.
9. Hugh Laurie, Estimated earnings: $10 million
As cranky Dr. House in Fox’s long-running medical drama, Laurie continues to lure ratings and fans. The only place he seems to fall short: the Emmys, where the 51-year-old Brit is a frequent nominee but never a winner. Over on the big screen, he has joined the long-gestating indie Oranges opposite Leighton Meester and Catherine Keener.
8. Patrick Dempsey, Estimated earnings: $11 million
As the best-paid man on set, Dempsey continues to send viewers swooning as Dr. McDreamy on ABC’s long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. When he isn’t donning scrubs at Seattle Grace, the face of Avon can be found revving up his race cars or beefing up his film résumé. Up next, a role in the latest installment of Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise.
7. Laurence Fishburne, Estimated earnings: $12 million
Though ratings have taken a tumble since he stepped in to replace William Petersen, Fishburne has something else to boast about: one of the richest TV deals around. Over on the big screen, the Academy Award nominated actor recently turned up in the Robert Rodriguez alien flick Predators. Up next: He’ll appear in Steve Soderbergh’s star-studded sci-fi thriller Contagion, shooting this fall. Off screen, it’s Fishburne’s daughter, a budding adult film star, who has gained the bulk of the headlines.
6. Kiefer Sutherland, Estimated earnings: $20 million
After eight highly rated seasons, Sutherland’s star vehicle ended its run in May. Though details are sparse, a movie version of the long-running 24 has been announced. What the show’s executive producer Howard Gordon has made public: his plan for Sutherland to give big-screen action stars Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Harrison Ford (The Fugitive) a run for their money. In the meantime, Sutherland–or rather, Sutherland’s voice–graced the silver screen this past spring as raspy alpha dog Bosco in the animated flick Marmaduke.
5. Charlie Sheen, Estimated earnings: $30 million
For its fifth consecutive year, Sheen’s long-running CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men rounded out the television season as the No. 1 comedy in total viewers. After publicly flirting with the idea of departing the hit show, he negotiated the genre’s richest contract, and is back to donning bowling shirts as eternal bachelor Charlie Harper. Off screen, domestic troubles with his real-estate-investor wife, Brooke Mueller, have kept Sheen in the courtroom and the tabloids.
4. Steve Carell, Estimated earnings: $34 million
As The Office’s awkwardly endearing boss Michael Scott, Carell lures viewers and critical affection for a network in need of both. He generated headlines this spring when he announced this coming season would be his last. Guessing who will replace him has become a favorite parlor game among TV fans in recent months. Over on the big screen, the former Daily Show correspondent starred opposite Paul Rudd in Dinner for Schmucks and lent his voice to the part of protagonist Gru in the animated flick Despicable Me.
3. Donald Trump, Estimated earnings: $50 million
The Apprentice once again helped keep The Donald relevant while raking in extra cash for the billionaire. Trump, who landed at No. 153 on the Forbes 400 with a net worth of $2.4 billion, continues to expand his brand, promoting his golf courses through the Golf Channel and producing beauty pageants. The real estate mogul also reaps millions from his books and speaking engagements. The Trump stamp can be found on products ranging from alcohol to neckties and high-end mattresses.
2. Ryan Seacrest, Estimated earnings: $51 million
He hosts American Idol, the American Top 40 radio countdown, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, E! News and ABC’s New Year’s Eve special. In addition to lucrative deals with Clear Channel Radio ($15 million a year), Idol parent CKX ($15 million) and the Comcast Entertainment Group ($15 million), Seacrest also develops and produces TV shows, including E’s Keeping up with the Kardashians and ABC’s Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The Atlanta native also shills for Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Microsoft’s Bing, and is in the initial stages of launching a new cable network with talent agency CAA and entertainment giant AEG.
1. Simon Cowell, Estimated earnings: $80 million
Cowell made much of his bounty from American Idol, the top-rated series he chose to walk away from this past spring. (Come January, new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez will attempt to fill his shoes.) Also padding his wallet: fees from the Got Talent and X Factor franchises, along with profits from his lucrative record label. In 2011 the Brit who TV fans love to loathe will add another potential cash machine, when his latest singing competition show, The X Factor (finally) crosses the pond.
Legend has it that Orville Redenbacher paid an advertising agency a pretty penny for advice on what to name his popcorn company and they came back with “Orville Redenbacher.” It worked out pretty well for him but, in hindsight, he could have come up with that name on his own.
It seems the folks at TBS went through a similar process for naming Conan O’Brien’s new show.
There’s been much speculation about whether Team Coco would keep things simple, by using some variation of O’Brien’s name (The Coco Show!). Or maybe they’d go crazy and riff on the after-hours time slot (Up Late with Conan) or O’Brien’s new status as an Internet icon (Conan 3.0). In the end, simplicity won out — although, sadly, Conan’s first choice for a name wasn’t available. “I wanted one word that captured my essence, and ‘Oprah’ was already taken,” O’Brien tells Vulture. So enough Ryan Seacrest–esque stalling: Just what is the title? We’ll let the redheaded one tell you himself, via video.
Yup, the name of O’Brien’s third late-night show is … Conan. Show insiders tell Vulture that O’Brien and team pretty much settled on this name weeks ago, but like so many things in Hollywood, choosing a name isn’t always simple. You have to clear the title legally, to make sure nobody else has the rights to it, and that’s even true when the name is your own. For the last few weeks, O’Brien’s army of lawyers and TBS have been doing their due diligence making sure it’s okay to use “Conan” as the show’s title. One stumbling block could have been the Conan the Barbarian franchise, which has included comics, books, films, and, in 1997, a short-lived TV series called Conan. But now, it’s clear that all issues have been worked out.
The suspense was killing me.
Source: NY Mag – “Conan O’Brien Announces the Name of His New TV Show on Vulture!“
The Huffington Post have put together a list of the 4 biggest winners and losers in the celebrity and media world for this week, first up is the winners:
Oprah: Kitty who? It was the week Oprah took New York by storm: starting with the Costume Institute Gala on Monday, where she walked the red carpet with Oscar de la Renta and partied down with Diddy and Pharrell right through Oprah’s Best Life Weekend, celebrating ten years of O Magazine with a live show from Radio City Music Hall and a New York charity walk on Sunday.
Brian Williams: The “NBC Nightly News” anchor broadcast from oil spill-ravaged gulf region Monday night, while his competitors Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer were dolled up at the Costume Institute Gala. He then rushed back to New York to cover the Times Square bomber arrest. Bonus: he turned 51 on Wednesday.
Rick Stengel: It would have been enough for the TIME Managing Editor to simply have hosted the TIME 100 gala Tuesday, featuring Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin and Taylor Swift. But then the announcement that his main rival, Newsweek, was going up for sale allowed him to brag about his magazine’s sustained profitability.
Conan O’Brien: Finally able to make his case, Conan broke his silence on “60 Minutes” — and delivered ratings to boot. And he effectively got his message across: he’s a good Catholic boy who would never have done that to Leno.
Now let’s take a look at the ones we really care about, the losers:
Jon Meacham: It was supposed to be a good week for the Newsweek editor, who’s launching a new show with Allison Stewart on PBS called “Need To Know.” But then the Washington Post announced it would be selling his magazine, leading the history buff to go on a sad-sack media tour explaining why the world needs Newsweek. Unfortunately, many of his staffers are now saying that Newsweek needs a new editor.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck: The conservative “View” co-host brought ESPN anchor and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Erin Andrews to tears this week by lashing out over Andrews’ skimpy dancewear and seeming to side with the stalker who peeped into her hotel room to see her naked. She cried the next day, offering up a tearful public apology for her comments.
American Idol: It’s still the #1 show in the country, but there were big and dangerous warning signs for “Idol” this week: on both Tuesday and Wednesday, it hit ratings lows it hasn’t seen since 2002, the year it launched (in the summer, no less). It may have just been a boring Frank Sinatra theme week, With Simon Cowell gearing up to leave at the end of this season already, it doesn’t bode well for the show’s future.
Conan O’Brien: Yes, he made his case on “60 Minutes” — but it may have backfired. The more time he spends complaining about how Big Bad Leno stole the “Tonight Show” from him, the less America remembers why they loved him on it…and the less they look forward to his launch this fall on TBS. Plus, NBC made a splash by saying that he lied during the “60 Minutes” interview.
I guess Conan O’Brien should pat himself on the back, he made both the winners and the losers list, like they say in Hollywood – any press is good press.
Somebody out there thought it would be hilarious to make my worst nightmare come through by putting Ellen DeGeneres on another television show.
Yep just like the title of this post reads – Ellen will be replacing Paula Abdul and become the fourth judge on American Idol once the audition rounds finish up.
Speaking on her day time chat show she said..”I’m thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol. I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote. Hopefully I’m the people’s point of view because I’m just like you. I sit at home and I watch it. … I’m not looking at it in a critical way from the producer’s mind. I’m looking at it as a person who is going to buy the music and is going to relate to that person. I’m going to have a day job and a night job. The times we’re living in … we’re all doing that.”
Now, I’m all for working hard for your money but is she actually serious in her last statement? Sure people have two jobs but Ellen the thing is, we all don’t get millions for each job.
There has been no word from Paula Abdul, most likely because she is probably high from raiding her medicine cabinet.
During the audition process the show had guest judges which included Shania Twain, Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas and Kristin Chenoweth.
Bosses for Idol, which returns in January, released a statement saying “Ellen has been a fan of the show for many years, and her love of music and understanding of the American public will bring a unique human touch to our judging panel.”
I know Ellen DeGeneres is the second coming to some people but I just don’t like her which is why this is my worst nightmare. Also what exactly are her qualifications when it comes to the music business?
I hope you’ve had your breakfast because this picture of Victoria Beckham almost made me throw up in my mouth.
This is Victoria greeting fans at the first American Idol Season 9 auditions in Denver on Friday, no she is not replacing Paula Abdul… she is just one of many judges who will take Paula’s place throughout the new season.
As for how she got on a source said “it didn’t go too well, She tried to hard to be ‘nice,’ but came off as icy and wooden.”
What else did they expect her to be like? By the way, Idol bosses paid Victoria Beckham over $250,000 for the one day of auditions.
