<![CDATA[Defamer: Halle Berry]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/defamer.com.png <![CDATA[Defamer: Halle Berry]]> http://defamer.com/tag/halle berry http://defamer.com/tag/halle berry <![CDATA[ Dr. Berry Is Ready To Diagnosis You And You And You ]]>

Boomp3.com

There’s a new doctor in a Brentwood ready to serve all your psychoanalytical needs. Oscar winner Halle Berry has shifted into the self-help area as she continues to recuperate from recently giving birth. Berry’s decision to move into self-help was inspired by another self-help guru, Dr. Phil. Berry said, “I’m smarter than Dr. Phil. So, I could probably do a better job than him. Not to mention, I’m a lot more compassionate than he ever will be.”

[Photo Credit: Splash Pics]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

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Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:00:00 PDT Douglas Reinhardt http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5054948&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Kathy Griffin And Al Roker Lap Dance Their Way Towards A Legendary Moment In Live Television History ]]> For any of you out there who still don’t “get” Kathy Griffin, we now present you with a single clip that will effectively prompt a lifelong love affair with the red-headed, fast-talking, Scientology-bashing spark plug of an entertainer that she is. On the Today Show this morning, giggly Al Roker had the pleasure of speaking with Kathy about her upcoming hosting job of Bravo’s inaugural A-List Awards and not-so-innocently asked her if there was really anything she wouldn’t do on camera, considering her reputation as a truthiness-telling comedienne who never holds back. What followed was a delicious and epic moment in television history, during which Roker was given a lap dance, off-screen staffers were overheard gasping, and images of a Roker/Matt Lauer/Halle Berry threesome in “the big bed” were thrust into our collective imagination.

After lifting our jaw off the ground upon hearing Roker's response to the Griffin bump and grind ("Anyone got any cigarettes?"), we had to relocate our jaw once again as Griffin swiftly switched subjects to her hosting gig and, in a well-executed non-seguitur, finally said what has needed to be said about to-be rap star Ali Lohan for quite some time now. Explaining that she was given the job due to Ali and Dina Lohan's conflicting schedules (a joke, people, relax), she went ahead and launched our inner monologue right out into America's eardrums: "Yeah, Ali was busy doing her hip hop CD, because, you know, she’s white and 14 and lives on Long Island, so hip hop speaks to her." Oh Kathy. What was Woz thinking?

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Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:00:00 PDT Molly Friedman http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5013566&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Rare Good-Guy Publicist Shares Tips For Troubled Film-Biz Flacks ]]> jeremywalker1.jpgOn any given day, the snail trails of some rather wretched publicists are always likely to streak the floor at Defamer HQ. As such, we'd like to take a rare moment to recognize one of the genuinely great guys in the business: Jeremy Walker, who, we're distressed to learn, may be exiting stage left after a hiatus this summer — but not before offering up a candid, must-read reality check for Hollywood's increasingly defensive Publicity-Industrial Complex:

Publicity is really complicity. This is a simple concept that for whatever reason took me way too long to understand, but it first hit me on the set of Monster's Ball when, after I asked Halle Berry to approve some stills, she looked over a stack of contact sheets and said something like "You know, they're all fine to use however you want, but don't show them to my publicist because she'll just kill everything."
We are talking about photos that depicted Berry looking like hell, but that also showed her inhabiting a wholly unexpected character. At that moment I got the sense that Berry would be utterly complicit in the campaign, which she was, for which she was rewarded with an Oscar. You'd be surprised at how many actors (or, perhaps more accurately, their representatives) I've dealt with over the years who have not been able to grasp this.

Amen. Walker goes on to add that — gasp! — "[p]ublicity should not try to obfuscate" and that "lifestyle" publicists are probably best left to club promotion as opposed to shepherding films through competitive festival and theatrical marketplaces. We'd expect no less honesty from Jeremy Walker, which is all the more reason we'll so miss him — and sure, maybe even envy him from time to time — should he stay gone for good. Maybe he'll try consulting? Every studio in town could learn from a guy like this.

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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:45:00 PDT STV http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=383664&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Top 10 Best Dressed Oscar Girls Of Yore ]]> halle2003.jpgFor every swan dress there is a fire engine red body-hugger worn by the likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones, or one of those golden sparkle-y things that just melts all over Halle Berry's body. To prove we're not just big meanies when it comes to discussing Oscar outfits of yesterday, we've put together our Top Ten picks for the most exclamatory, drop-dead dresses ever worn on an Oscar red carpet, and even redeemed one member of the Worst Club by placing her at the shiny top of our Best-Dressed cake.

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10. Julia Roberts, 2001
9. Daryl Hannah, 1988
8. Hilary Swank, 2005

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7. Claudia Schiffer, 1995
6. Reese Witherspoon, 2006
5. Angelina Jolie, 2004.

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4. Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2004
3. Charlize Theron, 2004
2. Halle Berry, 2003

uma2006.jpgAnd our pick for all-time best-dressed, mostly because she looks so comfortable and glam at the same time: Uma Thurman, redeeming herself for ending up on our Worst Dressed List, in 2006.

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Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:24:55 PST Molly Friedman http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=359772&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Distractingly Buxom Halle Berry Talks About Her Movie And The Wildfires, We Think ]]>
Halle Berry's publicist deserves a nice raise; knowing that erasing the public's already fading memory of JewishCousinNoseGate would take nothing more than a plunging neckline and an eager gallery of photographers, he gave the front of her dress a final, downward tug and pushed her in front of the cameras at the London Film Festival, confident that by the end of her interview, the only thing anyone would be thinking about are the exciting ways that motherhood has changed her.

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Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:44:41 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=315035&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Guy Writes 512 Pages On His Fascinating Life, And All Anyone Wants To Hear About Is The French Pimp Chapter ]]>
· Dear ladies of The View: Don't feel special that James Lipton shared his French pimp story with you. He'll blab on and on about it to any talk show host he thinks can help him move some books. Aside to fill-in host Kassie DePaiva: Back in the day, Lipton would have turned you out so damn fast you wouldn't know what hit you.
· We've been told that if you watch these Harry Potter-inspired videos and animations, Naked Dumbledore makes an appearance. Do with this information what you will.
· RIP Peter "The Stomach" Hume, onetime Meatballs competitive hot dog eater.
· Pregnancy is really agreeing with Halle Berry. Or at least with parts of her.

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Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:00:44 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=314804&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Meet Hillela Bernstein, Halle Berry's Jewish Cousin ]]>
Stopping by The Tonight Show Friday to promote Things We Lost in the Fire, Halle Berry brought with her a couple mementos she probably now wishes had also perished in the blaze: Having recently discovered the funhouse-mirror filters on Apple's Photo Booth program—also employed to terrifying kaleidoscopic effect by Rosie O'Donnell—Berry pulled out several printouts of her morphing handiwork, including a big-nosed alter ego she described as "my Jewish cousin."

Then, upon realizing she might have just alienated the Far-Reaching Network of Jews Who Control Her Destiny, Berry asked, "Oh my God. Have I just, like, ruined my whole career?" She'd later request the offensive modifier be stricken from the broadcast, and publicly begged forgiveness for the regrettable lapse of good taste in pursuit of a talk show bit that did more towards illustrating how movie stars have a genuinely hard time filling their down time—just like us!—than eliciting any well-earned laughs.

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Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:32:18 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=314035&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Halle Berry and her nonfamous lover start ... ]]>  - DefamerHalle Berry and her nonfamous lover start building their family the old-timey, penis-in-vagina way. Back at the Tam Binh orphanage, a parentless four-year-old crosses Berry's name off his list of A-list actresses who might soon save him from a life of never appearing in the pages of Us Weekly. [Access Hollywood]

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Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:58:47 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=296370&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Leo DiCaprio Accosts Katsuya Patron For Rogue Blackberrying ]]> leo-nbc-pw.jpgPrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time Mike Tyson whipped out his own camera at the Farmers Market to request a photograph of you.

In today's episode: Leonardo Dicaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Avril Lavigne; Halle Berry and Yeardly Smith; Demi Moore; Forest Whitaker; Djimon Hounsou; Dolly Parton; Lily Tomlin and Teller; John Krasinski and Kevin Sussman; Chris O'Donnell; Jason Bateman; Kelis and Nas; Kim Kardashian; Scott Baio; Mike Tyson; Illeana Douglas; Zachary Quinto; Vincent Gallo and Thurston Moore; Andy Dick; Michelle Rodriguez; Michael McDonald and Andrea Bowen.

· 8/22/07 10:05pm - Brentwood - So I'm at Katsuya where on one side of my table is Leo Dicaprio, Tobey Maguire and random actor guy I've seen in some things but have no idea what his name is and on the other side is Avril Lavigne. Leo actually scolded me while I was using my blackberry telling me, "don't use that" pointing to it where I promptly rolled my eyes and kept texting. I guess paranoia is rampant post growing pains. I mean, c'mon no one in the room even looked up from their kiwi-flavored scallops with yuzu vinaigrette at him. I also don't want to point fingers or anything but when my friend went into the one toilet unisex bathroom right after Avril it was totally clogged where my friend came back to our table saying "I'm not getting blamed for that mess." I'd love to see that in US weekly's "they're just like us!" section.

· This may be too late but last Friday, the 17th, my wife and I had the most amazing dinner at La Terza on 3rd street. Dining next to us was Halle Berry with her enormous white male model boyfriend and some rumpled old dude. That would have been amusing, but sitting behind us was none other than the voice of Lisa Simpson, Yeardly Smith. Good thing I spent all that time watching "Herman's Head," or I wouldn't have known what she looked like! Anyway, who cares, the food was out of this world, Gino was in the kitchen and all I could think about while eating the most amazing roasted pork belly was "Trading Places."

· So, today (Aug. 21) I went to see "Superbad" at AMC CC. When I got into the the theatre, I saw that basically 2/3rds of a row was taped off with signs on the chairs reading "reserved for a birthday party." Interesting—the last time I saw seats taped off like that, it was for Bruce Willis & entourage at Pirates 2. My friends and I sat down in the remaining seats in the row. And, sure enough, when the lights went down, in came Demi Moore and the youngest Willis girl and her teen friends. No sign of Ashton or Bruce. When the movie was over, they dashed out so quick before the lights came back on that my friends didn't get to see Demi. At this point, I just want to know what kind of deal the Willis clan has with that theatre...

· On Wed, 8/15, lunch hour rush at Jerry's Deli across from Cedars, I alerted my out of town guests to keep their eyes peeled for celebs on lunch meetings. We were about to leave, and Forest Whitaker rolled up to the valet in an off-white Chrysler 300 (y'know, the baby Bentley). I would respect his privacy and not report it, but hell, Jerry's at noon? He wanted to be noticed.

· Aug. 21: Djimon Hounsou at the WeHo Equinox. Little bit of white in his goatee. Must be from all that give-me-an-Oscar fence-rattling.

· Aug. 23: Over here in Muppetland, aka the Jim Henson Studios, it's been a fun day. The Queen of Country, Dolly Parton stopped by looking fantastic.

· Thursday 8/23 Formosa Café - Lily Tomlin with a small group. Mostly kept to herself, but saw her craning to look at the old headshots as she walked through. Resisted the urge to tell her that I was obsessed with "Big Business" for about three months as a kid. Also saw Teller from Penn & Teller with another group.

· Sunday at Sunset Junction, I saw Kevin Sussman — aka Walter from "Ugly Betty" (and yes, I needed IMDB for that one) — walking down Sunset just past the exit gates with what I assume was his (kind of pretty) girlfriend. Then, later Sunday afternoon at the movie theater at the Grove, I was behind John Krasinski and a male friend in line to pick up tickets from those automated ticket machines that, for some reason, speak to you in an Australian accent. Anywho, John was dressed in a hoodie (notwithstanding the fact that it was at least 95 degrees outside), and John's friend was wearing extremely tight skinny jeans. I only provide such detail because I haven't had a good celebrity sighting in months, so I may be a little overly descriptive.

· Aug. 22 I'm at lax and chris o'donnell is here on the curb with 100 bags and a black lab. He is also wearing an extremely preppy outfit of khakis, pint plaid shirt, and boat shoes. Shorter than I thought and not really that recognizable. So weird to see the man whose robin costume inspired the first funny feelings in my 12 year old loins.

· On vacation in California last week, and managed a good mix of sightings in two days in LA:
~ Tuesday 8/14: Jason Bateman, filming on Dayton Drive and looking cute in a suit with portfolio bag on his shoulder. He's taller than I thought.
~ Lunch at the Farm: Kelis & Nas having lunch right next to us. Very low-key & polite to the wait staff. She's pretty and he's short (Sawed-off in the words of my boyfriend.) Adorable couple.
~ Kim Kardashian on Robertson leaving M.A.C. and being snapped by the paparazzi. She put a finger up to her mouth, like she was telling the paparazzi to keep her desperate presence a secret, while they took her picture. Please. She had on cute shoes, though.
I Love L.A !

· Last Saturday I was having a please-cure-my-hangover brunch with my sister and step mom at the Beverly Glen Deli and almost did a spit-take with my crab omlette when I spotted "I'm 45 and Single" SCOTT BAIO!! He was with a mixed gender group of mostly attractive, actory looking folks although my sister - who watches his show - claims that none of them are on it. Scott was in shorts and a t-shirt, trying to rock a hipster beachy vibe and was actually pretty cute. He doesn't look 45 at all. Definitely knew the entire place was staring at him and liked it. I couldn't decide if I was thrilled the cameras for his show weren't there as I was feeling pretty rough and not prime-time ready or bummed - who doesn't want to be on TV?

· I was at the Farmers Market last night (Aug. 23) having drinks with a friend. After we finished our drinks we walked through the market and crossed paths with three people near the fruit stand. I said "Excuse me" as I passed in front of them, looked up briefly to see who it was, and almost lost my mind. It was MIKE TYSON.

Now, I'm not a fan of the man, but when you see him and his tattooed face (and it totally looks like facial kudzu, I'm not kidding) in person, it's quite a surprise. I ran over to my friend and asked if she saw who we just passed. She didn't, I told her it was Mike Tyson, and she stopped in her tracks and declared that she had to get a picture with him. We hustled back to the fruit stand where he was posing for photos and my friend asked him if he wouldn't mind taking one with her. He obliged and I took the photo on her camera - no kidding!

But wait - there're more. After I took my friend's picture with Mike, he then took out his camera and said, "Let me get a picture of you!" And there you have it: Mike Tyson took a picture of my friend and me on HIS camera. Hilarious, no?

· Saw illeana douglas as VintageWeave Antiques across from the Grove this week. Obviously walked across the street from the farmers market as she was a carrying a big pink cake box from one of the bakeries there..she was holding it out like it was loaded with spun gold. Very friendly. Embarrassed to say that I got a rise from checking her out because Bug-Eyed Girl has a smokin' body.

· Late Entry - two weeks ago (8/10) I saw new Spock Zachary Quinto at the West Hollywood Trader Joe's. He was dressed stylishly in a WeHo hipster sort of way, skinny jeans, striped shirt, gelled semi-mohawk. He paused to take a picture of the girl he was with as she stuck her face through the cardboard character cut out at the checkout stand. I don't think it was his girlfriend, because I am pretty sure he prefers the men.

· took in a movie yesterday at the new landmark theater at the westside pavillion and afterward decided to scarf up a tasty burger at the apple pan across the street. upon entering and finding a seat, i looked up to see my favorite sleeze-bag actor and baby maker for rent vincent gallo. the "brown bunny" boy was seated alone by one of the registers eating something that required utensils. he had this kinda dazed vacant look as he sat and consumed his gruel or whatever it was in the bowl in front of him. if you did not know who he was, he looked like a homeless guy that finally begged up enough money to actually sit somewhere to get something hot to eat. pretty pathetic.

· Vincent Gallo and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore hanging out together around the bar at the Yeah Yeah Yeah's show at the Mayan Theater (8/22)

· Aug. 22 - Yay! My first real celeb sighting since moving to LA. four months ago. So, I met up with a friend for lunch at the delicious LUCQUES (I recommend the BLTA!) when I spy none other than sitcom-sidekick and Howard Stern guest Andy Dick sitting at the bar (in front of the windows, natch). He looks surprisingly healthy, the hair was a bit darker, no glasses, and he was in the company of two cute boys. I was staring inappropriately and he made eye contact and gave a friendly wave - I wasn't sure if he though he knew me or was just grateful to be recognized. I realized I was probably being rude and went on my way. The end.

· Michelle Rodriguez. Thursday morning. Sitting outside JambaJuice in the heart of Boystown/Weho. Sitting with a pretty young lady. Both in blue jeans & long-sleeve collared shirts (like men wear). Neither wearing a lick of make-up. Girlfriend sitting with legs demurely crossed. Michelle sitting with legs wide open. Leaning forward with one for-arm on the table. Kind of like how you'd imagine McSteamy (Eric Dane) would be sitting with a chick he wants to bang.

· Hey, if somebody can report on Mr. Belding at the Cat and Fiddle, can I chime in on my eehhh sighting as well? Sunset Junction on the Sunday the 19th. Saw Michael McDonald (nah, not of the Doobs / Steely Dan...much to my chagrin)...the one from MadTV. Hes tall, had a few people around him, and did not look in the mood for any Stuuuuaaaart-related requests. Uh, not that I'd do that anyway.

· Saw the girl who plays Julie Mayer (Andrea Bowen) on desperate housewives last night (Aug. 23) in santa monica at some crystal light charity thing. I was shocked to see a young hollywood start NOT out partying. Weird!

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Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:07:17 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=293327&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Drew Barrymore Jots Down Some Ideas At Beastie Boys Concert ]]> 449b066f2933e625c1de538e38dbcab5.jpgPrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time you spotted beloved East Side mainstay Kiefer Sutherland in his rightful place, mingling among the drunk and unwashed masses at Sunset Junction.

In today's episode: Drew Barrymore and Spike Jonze; Tobey Maguire and Kevin Connolly; Will Ferrell; Halle Berry; Kiefer Sutherland; Beck; Liev Schreiber; Tom Waits; Heather Graham and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje; Rachel Leigh Cook; Michael C. Hall; Jonathan Bennett; William Fichtner; Drew Carey; Joey Lawrence; William Mapother and Dennis Haskins.

· last night (Aug. 20), drew barrymore at the beastie boys greek theater show. standing in line, swathed in black, for refreshments, she scribbled furiously onto a yellow pad, her head as far down as possible so as not to be recognized. was she composing her own rhymes? journaling about the deep feelings that "brass monkey" elicit in her? writing a love letter to mike d?

· So I was at the arclight this Saturday and who do I see snuggled into Spike Jonze's shoulder? None other than Drew Barrymore, fabulous and adorable in a soft baggy sweater. They just walked by trying for the inconspicuous while she hid behind her hair and Jonze's mustache.

· Beastie Boys concert last night Aug 20. Well, the Beastie Boys for one, then Tobey Maguire walks in with cutie Kevin Connolly and random actor guy I've seen in some things but have no idea what his name is. Concert was great although a bit more subdued when I last saw them in the early 90's at Lalapalooza. I think I just dated myself. Anyway, Team MCA!

· Will Ferrell with wife and two kids in double-stroller (the baby having a cranky moment) on Sunday afternoon (around 3:30) at the Whole Foods on Fairfax and 3rd St. Was wearing a blue button-down shirt...with goofy/preppy print shorts. Really friendly, bought some organic diapers and tons of reusable Whole Foods bags...must have just seen the 11th Hour. After he left, the cashier who played it cool excitedly ran to the other cashiers to see if they noticed who was just in the store.

· I saw Halle Berry at Pace Restaurant in Laurel Canyon on Sunday night. I don't think she noticed me though.

· ok, last i looked, there are some who are Jonesing(sp?) for their Kiefer Sutherland sighting...
-Sunday night, Sunset Junction Festival is closing down the BuzzCocks inspired a real and ferocious moshpit, Chebi Sabah was oh-so Wunderbar, and now i'm so happily intoxicated that i'm just doing a drinkless walk-through of 4100 Bar on my way home... and there he is! with friends on the outdoor patio, partying appropriately. Monsieur Kiefer, i salute you.

and now that i know that you have to say "sighting" in the subject line, your readers shall hear of my encounters (going backwards now) with Miss Bilson (um, Rachel?)shopping alone and well at Rock n' Roll Gelsons (on Franklin, about two weeks ago), David Carradine (gently weaving somewhat on the sidewalk in front of La Poubelle that same afternoon), Colin Farrell cruising in a black 4-wheeler through SilverLake last Spring... Oh! and Monsieur Beck got my hopes up when he was walking around Sunset Junction with a small but lovely female entourage Saturday morning. did he play? Diz the MC said yeah he will ... but no.

· Sunset Junction — August 19. Around 6:30 at 4100 Bar. A sad-sack Kiefer Sutherland, sitting alone, playing with his cell phone. Maybe he was just hung over, but everyone else in the bar looked happier than this dude. I guess money, fame and a quasi-annoying, "high concept" TV series can't buy you serenity.

· 8/15 Turning into my doctor's office parking lot near Beverly & Robertson, my wife says "Watch out for the homeless guy."

Homeless guy? Pshaw! It's Liev Schreiber, my generation's Olivier, hobbling around with a cast on his foot, looking glum and scruffy. His sartorial sense, baseball cap, wrinkled, un-tucked shirt and khakis, reminded me of another screen legend: Robert Shaw in Jaws.

· 8/19 - saw tom waits and his son/grandson/whatever at beastie boys. he was very casual and quiet and rad and had corpse-ier skin than keith richards. we walked down the stairs behind him to go to the bar in hospitality and it seemed like everyone there stopped their conversations and stared at him. i saw the neanderthal-ish guy from justice in the pit as well but i don't think that's really a celeb sighting unless you stay up late looking at cobrasnake.

· Friday 8/17 Fred 62. Spotted Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) from Lost...big dude, didn't smile. Stood near the counter top for a while, but didn't see what he was up to. A little later, Heather Graham sat down in a booth with an older guy—looked like a business meeting...he had a lot of papers, seemed sort of "producer" like. She looked pretty. That is all. Boring, I know.

· Hi, Defamer. Yesterday, the 19th, I went to Sunset Junction early with my girlfriend. Around 1:30p we headed up to the Vista to catch the matinee of "Superbad" (so funny). I got into the concessions line to get us some junk food. Two people in line ahead of me, I noticed a shapely woman with colorful shoes, tight jeans and a form-fitting blouse. Her hair was kind of blonde-ish. I got a look at her face and, without a doubt, it was Rachel Leigh Cook, looking absolutely, stunningly beautiful (face, body, the whole package). She also had on a Sunset Junction wristband, so she must've done the same thing as my girlfriend and me. She was with a guy who looked around 40 —graying a bit, short hair. Sad (but lucky for him) that this guy is her (I assume) boyfriend. I hope to God the guy's loaded, because if not, she could do so, so much better (no offense — sorry old man).

· Friday night at the Village Idiot, Jonathan Bennett (AKA The Cute Boy in Mean Girls) with friends. He's cute in person, but I spent my entire meal trying to remember if I knew him from college or from the TV.

Sunday at Bristol Farms — Celebrity Sighting HQ — Michael C. Hall in the produce department. He gave me a weirdly aggressive "YEAH IT'S ME WANNA MAKE SOMETHING OF IT?!" glare. Dude, I was just looking for the jicama.

· Aug. 17 - On my husband's American flight from DFW to BUR, William Fichtner, whom he recognized only because "Blades of Glory" had been the in-flight movie on his connecting flight. Sitting in first class looking tan and, god knows I quote, "a little sweaty."

· HACK ALERT! Aug. 17. I just patronized Swinger's on Beverly, where I found myself privy to Drew "Cleveland Rocks!" Carey's blatant hit on a member of the wait staff (who was, I must say, patently out of his league). She feigned interest convincingly at some banal anecdote he was relating about The Price Is Right. His arm was in a cast. And that's that.

· Aug. 20 Tucker Carlson is out in front of the McDonald's on Ventura & Radford, having an animated cell phone conversation. Brooks Brothers-y, a little chunky, cuter than I'm comfortable with.

· Saturday, August 19th, LAX. Joey Lawrence with a woman and infant. He was bald, shiny, and copper as a new penny. I was underwhelmed enough not to stalk him to baggage claim.

· 8/21 - Holy shit - I just saw William Mapother (aka fucking ETHAN ROM from Lost) last night at Ralphs in Brentwood. He is one scary looking guy even in real life. Absolutely made my night.

· Just moved to LA yesterday and my inaugural celebrity sighting was Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins, right?) at The Cat and Fiddle. He was at the "Have fun moving to New Jersey, see you in nine months when you realize it's a terrible place" goodbye party for the comedian Steve Hofstetter. He caught me totally staring him down. I merited an eyebrow raise in acknowledgement.

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Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:29:17 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=291922&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Jack Heads North ]]> jack-pw.jpgPrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so send them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line so we don't lose them) and tell everyone about the time you spotted Sarah Connor at a 7-11.

In today's episode: Jack Nicholson; Patrick Swayze and Heath Ledger; Jake Gyllenhaal; Keanu Reeves; Halle Berry; Paul Rudd; Thomas Haden Church; Helen Hunt; Linda Hamilton; Jemaine Clement; Michelle Rodriguez; Eric Dane; Hanson and Frankie Muniz; Dylan McDermott; Dita Von Teese and Ashley Hamilton; Wood Harris and Gloria Alred.

· 8/15. 2ish. Jack Nicholson. On Coldwater Cyn. Driving North. Why, in this heat would anyone be driving into the 818? But if Jack can do it, I sure can. But I was driving South and almost crashed into the church when I saw him in his hip ass convertible silver car. Didn't catch the model and make because he looked so cool in his sunglasses and aforementioned car. He is so cool that he may not have melted today in the 818...

· heath ledger was blonde and ponytailed at the spindrift show on 6th street tuesday night. whatever... he was unobtrusive and acted like a normal person, blah, blah, blah, but who cares about boring heath ledger when patrick fucking swayze shows up in pink pants a black and white tiger-print seventies-collared shirt and a platinum blond mullet of a wig? (a costume probably? he was filming next door.) anyway, he couldn't have been cooler, laughing and posing for pictures and signing autographs and doing a couple dirty dancing wiggles and a roadhouse kick for the ladies. then he waved and disappeared like a some kind of magical leprechaun who'd given us a pot of awesomeness. fuck yeah, patrick swayze. you rule!

· Aug 16 Hey, so my friend and I were enjoying the tasty delights of Loteria! (I can't figure out how to make my keyboard do the upside-down exclamation point) in the Farmer's Market and who should ALSO decide to partake but Heath Ledger, soon to be AKA The Joker, along with some pals and dragging a sleeping infant which assumedly was his. Dude was approximately 7 feet tall and in regulation gear (torn jeans, cool-guy shirt, bed-head), looking Lurch-like yet handsome. After lunch he proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time in the sticker store next door.

· I know this is late but I was out of the country. I saw the gorgeous and talented Jake Gyllenhaal at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn theater on Saturday August 4th for The Bourne Ultimatum screening. He had on a baseball cap, flannel shirt and jeans. He looked yummy and tried to be inconspicuous. He was met by a cute blonde. He stayed to the end of the credits as protocol requires at the Academy. Go Jake!

· Tuesday 8/14—Keanu Reeves on the corner of Sunset and Vine, heading towards Magnolia or Bowery Bar. He was graciously having his picture taken with squealing tourists, while wearing his official uniform of ill-fitting black blazer, scruffy beard, and motorcycle helmet.

I saw Halle Berry today (Aug 14) with her tall, gorgeous, hunk of boy toy boyfriend. They came into Pink Taco at Century City mall for lunch around 1:30pm. He was in jeans, a white t-shirt, baseball hat and very scruffy unkempt, unshaven look.

She looked gorgeous, long hair and in a deep brown baby doll top which made her look preggers. My friend and I both said at the same time, "Halle Berry! Is she preggers?" jinx

No one in the restaurant seemed to recognize them or even look up. They were escorted to a booth in the far back corner and had a quiet lunch.

· finally made it to Mozza last week, 8/8. saw PAUL RUDD with his wife, and another couple. we were waiting at the front for our table when they walked in. they also had to wait, but were very cool about it. no drama, no hollywood hissy fits. his wife is pretty, but sort of plain, in a mid-western/girl-next-door way. always liked him. like him even more now, knowing he likes 'regular' girls.

· Hi guys, 8/12 saw Thomas Haden Church at the Good Earth in Studio City. Wearing a light blue denim shirt which men with blue eyes should always wear. Dude is BIG - tall and built. He could use Tobey Maguire as a tooth pick. Nice deep rumbly voice, too. Was alone, looked like he was going to grab a bite and read the paper.

· Spotted: Helen Hunt, crossing Arizona St. in Santa Monica at about 8pm with a tall blond man (her husband?) on Wednesday, August 15th. She was wearing sandals, loose pants, and a sweater over a tank top. She looked too thin, with sunken-in cheeks. Oy! I remarked to my boyfriend, "Forget the homeless people in Santa Monica...somebody get HER a sandwich!"

· Thursday, 8/9 10pm - Stopped in to the 7-11 on Santa Monica Blvd/Overland the same time Linda Hamilton walked in. Wearing dark leggings and a cream colored zip up, no makeup, hair pulled back, over thin and over blonde, but didn't look too bad for being 50. She was chatty with the clerk and the guy next to her in line. Seemed fairly normal and nice.

· Gelson's in WeHo is celeb sighting central. In the past I've seen Amanda Bynes (at the salad bar, barely helped herself to anything), Macaulay Culkin (several times, one time walking home with bags) and now, two days ago (Aug 13) - JEMAINE CLEMENT, of "Flight of the Conchords"! I actually don't watch the show but hear it's hilarious. Mostly I just dig that guy's accent and look, very unique. Jemaine was using the ATM near the booze section. I'm telling you, if you have out of town guests who are dying to spot someone famous, the WeHo Gelson's is just the ticket.

· Friday, Aug. 10: Saw Michelle Rodriguez at Dominick's on Beverley, with a male companion. She looked put-together and was very low-key, except for her distinctive laugh and the fact that she looks like she could kick your ass without much trouble, even while smiling. Also, girl is definitely not concerned about the tendency of low rise jeans to create a plumber's crack situation while sitting on a bar stool. Whatever, my view could have been much, much worse.

· The garden at the Chateau, Thursday night. Across the patio sat Eric Dane, with what looked like business associates, including a Zaftig blonde in too tight clothes and a Gay suit. Rachael "raisen-face" Zoe held court at a center table doing her wrinkles no service with the endless ciggies and scowls.

· Aug 15: I am at the Hanson show (don't ask) at the viper room. At eleven (their supposed set time) the opening band was just going on stage. Pissed, I walk out to buy cigarettes at the liquor store two doors west, where low and behold Hanson is PRACTICING in a corner. The best part of this sad little story? Little Frankie Muniz is hanging out with them, sporting an equally small mohawk and a goatee.

· Saw ex-Practice star Dylan McDermott arriving at LAX Saturday morning (August 11) looking hot as hell in jeans and a button up shirt. He was wearing sunglasses of course (might as well have written I'M SOMEBODY on his forehead)....but he still looked damn good! Isn't he in his forties? Wow. Even cuter, he ended up standing behind me in the security checkpoint for Southwest Airlines! I guess he doesn't mind saving a buck or two - or going sans first class. He was with his adorable daughter and he had no problem carrying her pink roller suitcase. He was super sweet, acting enthusiastic about her fascination with airport security.

· Aug 15 Patio of the Chateau. Dita Von Teese out for a night with the girls. And, wow, while Ms. Teese looked amazing with ivory skin that glowed, perfect hair and a demure, yet sexy outfit, her five "girls" were kinda' plain, looking like mid-market Sherman Oaks wives at best. Little style and ver vanilla. Completely shattered by fantasy. Shouldn't she be surrounded by a pack of adoring Suicide Girls at all times? Also in the garden, a more than grown-up Ashley Hamilton, looking kinda' like John Taylor with tattoo sleeves. Ash, of course, paid his respects to Dita, but left alone five minutes later.

· Thursday, August 16, 10:50 pm Wood Harris at the 7-11 on Sunset and La Brea, buying Smart Water and Vitamin Water. Friendly and down-to-earth. He could've retired after Above the Rim and still been a legend: "I'm a mothafucking soldier!"

· I spotted uber lawyer Gloria Alred in line at the Fox Sponsored Boston Legal Panel at the Writer's Guild Theater on August 14. She looked great in a pink suit. The best part? She was waiting patiently in the long line with all of us commoners!

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Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:49:52 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=290834&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Agents Really Earning Their Ten Percent During Studio Stockpiling ]]> With the possibility of a disastrous™ writers strike (or, a little later down the line, a combined writers/actors/directors one) looming, THR notes that agents are sweating through their Armani as they try to panic-book clients into any movie that might provide a pre-labor-Armageddon commission. (One needs to look no further than the Reporter's singling out of Jim Carrey, who's collecting roles like a homeless man whose next meal is dependent upon his ability to accumulate a shopping cart full of "good enough" aluminum cans, to see how dire the situation is becoming.) Now that much of the top-flight talent is either booked or sitting the next few months out, the THR piece offers some big names who are still looking for jobs:

So who's available? Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Grant and Joaquin Phoenix are open for offers, as are Gwyneth Paltrow and Halle Berry.

While obviously not a comprehensive list, it should provide a nice starting point for studios desperate to rush into production any project already turned down by Tobey Maguire, a romantic comedy about a lovable stammerer, any project turned down by Matt Damon, a script with premature Oscar buzz that will eventually be released on 10 screens in late December to little fanfare, or any film in which some gratuitous nudity can be at least tenuously ascribed to artistic necessity. Also: Ben Affleck is probably available for a wide array of roles. There's no better time for a big comeback than during the hysteria of strike-insurance stockpiling.

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Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:12:12 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=287355&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ There Is No Sating Hollywood A-Listers' Hunger For Artisanal, Thin-Crust Pizza ]]> swank-mozza.jpgPrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers, and are posted several times a week, so them in often. Submit yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line) and tell everyone about the time you spotted a grocery-shopping Larry Birkhead getting a head start on Dannielynn's food-dependency issues.

In today's episode: Hilary Swank, Kate Bosworth, and Courtney Love; Nat Faxon; Penelope Cruz and Shakira; Halle Berry; Julia Louis Dreyfus; John C. Reilly; Cuba Gooding Jr; Dave Chappelle; Lionel Ritchie; Henry Rollins; Judd Apatow and Emmanuelle Chriqui; Ryan Seacrest; Paula Abdul; Larry Birkhead; Jason Bateman and Martin Short; Milla Jovovich; Jeremy Sisto and T.R. Knight; Kevin Connolly; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; Michael Cera; Adam Levine; John Cho; Rick Schroeder; Pat O'Brien, Dido, and Todd Louiso; Dita Von Teese and Andrew Keegan; and Jake "Body By Jake" Steinfeld.

· A triple header night at Pizzeria Mozza! Sunday night, as we walked up we noticed the paparazzi hiding in the bushes. My first comment to my boyfriend was "Great - I'll have something to email defamer about!"...First celebrity of the evening was Courtney Love, looking pulled together, cleaned up, sober. Really, she looked like just another LA blonde. She was heading to the back room, where apparently Gwyneth Paltrow was throwing a private party. Nope, didn't see Gwyneth. My boyfriend noticed Hilary Swank sitting against the wall at a regular table. She looks smaller in person...very pretty, but I would have been happier seeing her look like her Brandon Teena character. (YUM!). As we were leaving, Kate Bosworth came out of the private party room. Hat trick!

· This morning (June 10), at "Tiny World" (westside baby furniture/gear store) saw Hilary Swank hanging out with a guy checking out furniture. Hmm....

· At the Rose Bowl Flea Market this Sunday, I had the pleasure of
standing behind 'Superman Returns' star Kate Bosworth on line for the venue's obscenely usurious ATMs, whose huge, floppy hat was probably great for keeping the sun off her fair head, but not quite big enough to hide her from identification by fans. Skinny, but not "Kate Bosworth Eating Disorder Shocker" skinny. She was with a guy I didn't recognize, but whose undeniable handsomeness means he's almost definitely an actor/bartender or model/waiter.

Also saw Nat Faxon, who currently stars in virtually every commercial currently on television and who recently sold a screenplay or something. I swear on the life of my nonexistent children that I am not a publicist trying to drum up buzz for his career by saying I saw him at the world's most impressive crap-meet.

· 6/10- Saw Penelope Cruz at the John Mayer show at the Hollywood Bowl. She skipped Ben Folds set and was escorted to her seat right before John came on stage. She was totally in to the show and gushing over Mayer. Found out later that she was with Shakira.

· 6/9 - Saw Halle Berry at the John Mayer concert at the Hollywood. She was sitting in one of the lower level boxes. Was with a couple of other women - no guys with her. Very nice skin.

· 6/10 - around 4:00pm, saw Julia Louis Dreyfus at the new Westwood Landmark Theater. She was coming out of theater 10 (we were coming out from theater 9) and on her way to the bathroom. No makeup, very casual shirt and shorts. You couldn't miss her. She looked like she was with some family and friends.

· Saw a very thin looking John C. Reilly at Safari Sam's on Sunday getting his hillbilly on at the Porter Wagoner show. Go ahead, google Porter Wagoner. You know you want to.

· So I know Cuba Gooding Jr. is a hero and all, what with the incident at Roscoe's over Memorial Day. That being said, I saw Rod Tidwell at the Famous Pinks Hot Dog Stand this past Monday as I was giving my visiting parents a tour of the city. My Girlfriend actually spotted him in line behind us and asked me for a verification and once I recognized the man that gave us such great works as Snow Dogs and Boat Trip, I slyly told my parents who they were about to see. Now being fro out of town, I didn't want them to be the tourists that asked him for his picture or made everyone else aware of his presence in line, as he had been incognito up until then (playing with his crackberry mostly). I told then, they saw and played it cool as well, not making a sound about it. Then of course no more than two minutes later some people further back in the line saw him and starting pestering him for pictures and whatnot. He was very nice to everyone, despite the fact that his son had just joined him in line. In any event, my parents were excited to see a real celebrity, and while I was proud of them for not saying anything to him, I greatly wish I could go back and yell "show me the money" just to see if he'd look in our direction.

· First, there was Lionel Ritchie on my Heathrow to LAX flight on Monday. Looking dapper and bejeweled, he held court by the baggage carousel while a flunkie directed two British Airways baggage handlers which of the bags belonged to Mr. Richie. There were 17 in total. Then after waiting a good 10 minutes for a car to pick him up at the curb (during which time he graciously posed for cellphone camera photos and shook hands) he hopped in the passenger seat and was off.

· Then, yesterday while driving down 3rd street waiting to turn onto Robertson, Dave Chappelle pulled up alongside me in his silver Lexus convertible. He was driving very slowly, stopped when the light was still green, and generally looked disoriented.

· After that, while leaving the Trader Joe's WeHo, I saw a man who looked like an old, frail version of Henry Rollins. And then a woman walked by him and said "I love your shows" and he said "thanks" so I guess it was either really him or just an old man with his own performing career.

· The Grove. Emmanuelle Chriqui was standing outside the theater/restrooms following the 10:15 showing of "Knocked Up". Bad security there, btw. They made everyone wait outside with no supervision , and there were "cutters". And not the Amy Winehouse kind. We responded by cutting the cutters and it get all West Side Story. Anyhoo, she was with a group of people, some of whom looked like they were family. "Knocked Up" with your family? Okaaay. And I'm usually the first to say celebrity girls look even better in person, but she was not nearly as hot as she was on Entourage the following night. My friend assured me that she probably wasn't wearing make-up, but I just call 'em like I see 'em. Sorry, I forgot to say when this happened—it was last Friday night (June 1). And my friend talked to Judd Apatow before the film started; he was milling about in the hallway. There—I gave you a bonus, so don't bust my balls. :D

· Sunday, June 10: At trendy hard-to-get-reservations-at Pizzeria Mozza (Highland & Melrose), unshaven, t-shirted and jeans, Ryan Seacrest was sharing a lunchtime pizza with your typical skinny, blonde Hollywood-type young woman. Despite the close-together tables, (he was sandwiched between two other tables at elbows' distance), no one bothered him and he graciously thanked the people next to him with a fond goodbye.

· 6/10 - Bristol Farms, Bev Hills - I'm waiting for my soppresata panini like a commoner when I spot Paula Abdul standing right next to me. She was very well dressed and my first reaction to her was "just another rich Beverly Hills lady in a push up bra and fancy jewelry." I told her "the girls at the office are going to hate me for seeing you because THEY love you" (a slight hint that I do not watch American Idol). She gave me a sideways hug for this comment. I didn't know what to say next so I called her a "wonderful lady". God I need to work on my Jedi lying skills. I believe she was getting a turkey pesto sandwich - what this says about her is beyond me. Someone else can read into it. Also, I know what you want to know, NO she did not seem drunk. She seemed very lucid and very busy.

· I saw Larry Birkhead at Ralph's on Ventura in Studio City today (June 9). Cart was completely full; he was buying tons of cookies and doughnuts! Looks exactly like he does on tv.. best celeb sighting!

· June 9: Saw Jason Bateman and Martin Short at Cedars-Sinai. Jason is just as cute as on tv but Martin looks very decrepit.

· Saw Milla Jovovich at Nordstroms at the Grove. She was with a man-handler/agent type, really pretty.

· Sunday (6/8) at the Rose Bowl, amongst the unwashed hordes: Jeremy Sisto, mit entourage, and T.R. Knight, looking good, with a girl. Not shopping together, although both were probably thinking they could outsmart the canny old dude selling vintage Star Wars figurines.

· Last night around 7:30pm I was at the Bristol Farms on Doheny trying to figure out what wine to buy. As I come out of an aisle I am nearly run over buy Kevin (the suit) Connolly and his shopping cart, as he races (no exaggeration) the man was running around trying to get his groceries as quickly as possible. Despite my near death experience, it was a good sighting. He's pretty cute in person.

· Not even the most in-demand Mexican director can resist the powers of the Pinkberry. I saw Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu at the Pinkberry on Beverly on Saturday (6/9).

· Cute-as-a-button Michael Cera ("Arrested Development," the upcoming Superbad) was at Palermo's on Vermont yesterday (Sunday June 10th) afternoon. He is very young. And the gnocchi is totally decent there.

Monday, 6/11, 4:45 pm

· Waiting for the bus (I'm poor and new to LA) on Sunset and Vine when I see none other than Adam Levine of Maroon 5 speed by in a sleek-looking Mercedes SUV. Lots of gel in his hair. I'll have to call my girlfriend when I get to Crenshaw.

· Not much of a sighting, but today (6-11) sat next to Harold from "Harold and Kumar" fame (John Cho) while he lunched at Alcove with an Asian girl about his age, and perhaps her mother. Notable only because he discussed how freaked out he was by the fact that when he met with Larry David, the comedian looked exactly like he does on "Curb"—wore the same sort of clothes and spoke the same way. Later in the lunch, his friend asked him if Sacha Baron Cohen was really as brilliant as everyone says—Harold had apparently gone to a "Borat" party—and Harold said yes. Shocking revelations from the younger generation.

· My Saturday night was born with a Silver Spoon in its mouth (June 9). Around 9:30, I walked in on a bizarre "Phantom of the Opera" inspired masquerade costume ball going down on the first floor of wannabe posh lounge Empress on Sunset. Sitting quietly amongst the white wigs, purple masks, and glittering wardrobe was a (Rick Schroeder). Black shirt and normal pants, he was the only civilian dressed soul in a corner table of 8 friends from the 1800s. At 11:30, saw (Alfonso Ribeiro standing in a circle with 4-5 "dudes" drinking bottled beers in the back room (its not a VIP) at LAX. No, I cant get you in anywhere when you come to visit LA.

· I attended Largo both Friday and Saturday nights to see Jon Brion. Friday night won for Most Random Sighting - Pat O'Brien. Homeboy is tall, but so tanned and generally weather-beaten that I couldn't tell whether he still had a moustache from where I stood. Turns out he does. One of my friends scored a table right next to his. She said he looked uninterested through most of the show. I guess Botox will do that.

Saturday night we spotted Dido hanging around as well as Todd Louiso, who played Dick - the nerdy, mild mannered record store clerk in High Fidelity. He was accompanied by an attractive brunette in a classy black dress.

· Andrew Keegan at (6/8) Friday's Hollywood Bowl Morrisey concert. (hey, I like 10 Things I Hate About You!) He still looks all right. He was carrying a picnic bag.

Dita Von Teese on (6/9) Saturday at the Bossa Nova on Sunset having lunch with two older female companions, I'm guessing they were family members. She looked stunning in a burgundy red dress with white polka dots on it.

· Body by Jake (Jake Steinfeld) on a very delayed flight from JFK to LAX Sunday night.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:03:58 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=268244&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Short Ends: Snoop's Bad Day ]]> 21395904ed7bf28cd132d9b17376d1e0.jpg· Snoop Dogg was charged today with two felony counts for—shocker!—a past weapons and weed possession charge. In other Snoop news, Bill O'Reilly can still suck. His. Dick.
· "'We did it outside, so that was a lot of fun,' [Nicole] Richie, 25, said of the enema sequence." We'd beg you not to bother reading the rest of that story, but in the end, you're just going to do what you want to do.
· Three exclamation points doesn't even come close to relaying how we feel about the fact that Larry Birkhead is going to see Danielynn tonight.
· A once-tortured Halle Berry showing signs of mounting self-confidence.
· Hey! Shocking Cats! [via BWE]

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Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:49:14 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=251270&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Halle Berry Angry At 'Parade' For Printing Suicide Story She Can't Shut Up About ]]> halle-berry-star2.jpgRecent, overly appreciative Walk of Fame honoree Halle Berry has some cross words for Parade, which she accuses of dredging up an old suicide story that she only grudgingly shares with the press each time she has a movie to promote for the purpose of helping other potential ticket-buyers women struggling with the same desperate thoughts:

"It wasn't my wish to go into all of that again in this time of my life. I talked about it on Larry King Live and Oprah when it was relevant, and I felt like it was important to help other women and share it with them. Back in the day, I did feel empowered when I told that story and I felt, 'This might help somebody because I survived it and I learned a lot.' "
But it's just not where I am today and I really hate that it's been presented like it is... I'm in such a great time in my life right now it wouldn't be my wish to really revisit that period, but this outlet did and made it seem as if it were current again. Because I have a movie out some magazine has sensationalized some old material and it's not something that I want to talk about. It's 10 years old and I'm so past it."

Parade, indignant that Berry would so publicly push them away as they tried to envelop her in their warm, celebrity-cuddling embrace, has issued a statement of its own claiming that they've got Berry on tape willingly exploring (yet again) that dark day from her past:

"All of the quotes in the April 1 PARADE profile on Halle Berry came from a candid sit-down interview between Ms. Berry and PARADE writer Emily Listfield on January 25, 2007. Ms. Berry talked very freely (on tape) about the challenges she has faced in her life, including her failed marriages and suicide attempt. It is unfortunate that Ms. Berry has chosen to respond to media interest by backing away from what she originally told PARADE. Anyone who actually read the article is sure to see it as a very positive profile of a strong woman who has overcome many challenges in her life and is now on a clear path to happiness."

Despite Parade's statement, we find it hard not to side with Berry in her attempts to stand up to the reputation-assassinating, bullying Sunday paper insert obviously desperate to steal away housewives' eyeballs from equally scandalous headlines (2 FOR 1 BRAWNY PAPER TOWELS COUPON SHOCKER!) in the competing Ralphs weekly specials circular. How could she know that the reporter holding that tape recorder intended to use the inspirational tale of how she overcame her demons to help promote her upcoming movie, and wasn't just saving it for her personal use should the scribe ever find herself the victim of persistent suicidal ideation? Such a breach of trust certainly imperils the possibility of Berry ever again sharing the uplifting story during a future publicity junket, depriving millions of women of the now-happy actress's many past experiences that could save their lives.

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Mon, 09 Apr 2007 10:27:57 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=250788&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ A Grateful Halle Berry Invites Her Fans To Get All Up Inside Her On Her Special Day ]]>
Perhaps not fully realizing that a star on the Walk of Fame is an honor available to virtually any steadily working actress backed by a deep-pocketed company with something to promote, an overcome Halle Berry prostrated herself in gratitude upon her own slab of Hollywood immortality this morning, and on the last day it would be possible to do so without contracting a communicable disease from the filth of thousand vagrants, pressed her lips against the monument celebrating her myriad contributions to cinema.

According to our friends at the Wow Report, Berry was so moved by the ceremony that she invited all of her fans to a penetrative display of appreciation, saying, "I cannot tell you how good it feels inside me right now. I wish you all could be inside me right now to know how it feels." (Luckily, there was ample security on hand to prevent Angry Batman or Head-Butting Chewbacca to follow through on any cute ideas about an impromptu superhero orgy with the X-Men franchise's Storm.) Moreover, all in attendance were relieved to see their favorite peformer free of the life-devaluing demons that seem to plague her each and every time she has a movie about to premiere.

[Photo: AP]

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Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:10:22 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=249399&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Happy Suck Up To Halle Berry Day! ]]>
In an honor that is no way connected to Sony Pictures' promotional efforts for her upcoming release Perfect Stranger, junket-suicide survivor Halle Berry will today be granted show business immortality for a celebrated body of work that includes Catwoman, Swordfish, and a particularly poignant turn in B*A*P*S by receiving a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, an honor so rare that tourists spending a long weekend in the city may witness only one or two such induction ceremonies during their stay. Right about now, you're probably experiencing pangs of guilt over your failure to take out a full-page ad in the trades sucking up to the actress on her big day, hoping that your gesture of respect might lead to a future business relationship. Fret not: Her agents, lawyers, managers, and a couple of studios have filled Variety with enough expressions of conspicuous sycophancy that your thoughtlessness will hardly be noticed.

[All ads via Digital Variety]

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Tue, 03 Apr 2007 10:25:11 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=249273&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Defamer Casting: The Bald And The Beautiful ]]> perfectstranger.jpgDefamer is committed to connecting those individuals whose budding acting careers have been hampered by their striking resemblance to certain Hollywood superstars with exciting opportunities to finally put their unoriginal good looks to productive use. Just moments ago, this notice from a company handling a stunt marketing campaign for inevitable cyberstalking blockbuster Perfect Stranger dropped into our inbox, which we're happy to pass along to you, the reader who is often interrupted in the middle of a quiet night out by intrusive Catwoman or Striking Distance fans who mistake you for your more celebrated dopplegangers:

Halle Berry & Bruce Willis look-a-likes wanted to participate in a street marketing/publicity stunt campaign for the upcoming release of the PERFECT STRANGER movie. See http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/perfectstranger/ for info on the film.

Candidates must bear a resemblance to Bruce Willis or Halle Berry. Experience in brand ambassadorship, promotions or marketing is preferred. Candidates must be reliable, professional, outgoing and cheerful.

To apply, send a photo (required) and list any relevant experience. If you qualify, we will be in contact to discuss specifics of the job and schedule an interview. Email us at streetteam@buzztone.com

We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

No other information about the gig was made available in the e-mail, but if your headshot fulfills their celebrity verisimilitude requirements, we're sure the street team organizers will get in touch to explain their ambitious plan to exploit the movie's online-stalking subject matter by luring potential moviegoers into steamy MySpace relationships with "Bruce Willis" and "Halle Berry," then dispatching the lookalikes to rough up their new loves during face-to-face meetings, leaving the "victims" with the uncanny, buzz-building feeling that they've been in a terrifying, dark-side-of-obsession-style encounter with actual famous people.

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Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:53:41 PST Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=242481&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Trade Round-Up: DreamWorks Admirably Color-Blind When Bankable Actresses Show Interest In Their Projects ]]> halle-berry3.jpg Halle Berry will star in Class Act, the true story of Terry Cahill, the sixth grade teacher who ran for Congress (and lost) with the help of her students. We were all ready to be uplifted, until we read further and discovered that Cahill is a white woman, and now are instead anxious about the coming protests from the perfectly employable Caucasian actresses whom DreamWorks is obviously trying to keep down. [Variety]
Dave Matthews will make the inevitable foray into acting that all rock stars attempt once they find there are no more co-ed groupies to conquer, appearing with Sissy Spacek in the family drama Lake City. But despite his attempt to separate his music from his new career by being credited as "David" Matthews, his collegiate fans still plan to follow the movie from theater to theater, assembling in lobbies hours before showtime to get high and perform clumsy renditions of his hits on bongos and battered acoustic guitars. [THR]
George Lucas has seen the future of the movie business, and it's not Hollywood's' current, wasteful, tentpole-driven strategy, but one where studios take the $200 million they budget for a single, crappy blockbuster and instead use it to produce 50 or 60 lower-budget, crappy movies. [Variety]
· Ludacris will play an angry elf in Fred Claus, the Vince Vaughn vehicle about the degenerate Claus sibling who nearly ruins Christmas. [THR]
Neal Mortiz's Original sets up two sitcom pilots at Fox, Think Tank and Macho Steve, whose comedic premises you can easily discern from their titles. [Variety]

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Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:24:06 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=205579&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Trade Round-Up: Global Warming Could Be Hotter ]]> al-gore.jpg· Audiences already seem tired of Al Gore telling them of the cataclysms that await us because of global warming. Maybe they can add a meteor the size of Texas hurtling toward Los Angeles in the second act and revive interest. [Variety]
· J.K. Rowling announces that at least two main characters will die in the seventh and final Harry Potter book, and that their names are "Harry" and "Hermione." OK, we made that last part up because it's probably going to wind up being Ron Weasley's twin brothers once her publisher offers her $250 million to do one more book. [THR]
· Halle Berry teams with writer Angela Nissel to develop
an HBO comedy series about "a biracial woman and her two friends as they tackle racial and financial issues post-college." We're not even going to try and make that sound more interesting. [Variety]
· Hell's Kitchen wins Monday night for Fox, beating NBC's Treasure Hunters. We should note that we're officially changing our allegiance from Team Busty Grad Students to Team Busty Miss USA. [THR]
· The director and writer of The Devil Wears Prada film will reteam to adapt further chick lit evil for the big screen, this time for a I Don't Know How She Does It movie. [Variety]

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Tue, 27 Jun 2006 13:56:17 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=183787&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Short Ends: Still More On The Chosen One ]]>  - Defamer· Gallery of the Absurd makes the heretical claim that the Chosen One might wind up something less than physically perfect, then follows it up with an equally heretical graven image of the baby that will one day save mankind.
· Also: Names Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Wanted to Name Their Baby But Decided Would Be Too Traumatic
· And one more: "A Hebrew name, Shiloh is 'generally understood as denoting the Messiah, "the peaceful one," ' according to Easton's Bible Dictionary, an 1897 work of biblical definitions." Nothing like getting a kid started early with those messianic expectations.
· After two failed marriages, Halle Berry no longer feels the need to be validated by a husband. Also, she doesn't fear eventually being a single mom, saying, "My mother was alone and raised me. And I think I came out OK," having already forgotten about the absent father issues that probably led to those aforementioned bad relationships.

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Tue, 30 May 2006 19:19:06 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=177223&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Hugh Jackman Uses Halle Berry As His Sailor-Teasing Bait ]]> Just two days after Ryan Seacrest's ass was extricated from a collapsed glass coffee table by some extremely secure firemen, "musical competition-emceeing heartthrobs surrounded by hunks in uniform" week continues with this photo of Tony Awards host and X-Men: The Last Stand star Hugh Jackman, with co-stars Kelsey Grammer and Halle Berry, in a morale-raising PR stop aboard the USS Kearsarge. At one point, USA Today reports, Jackman told the crowd, "Not everyone can get their photo with Halle, [but] I do have Halle's phone number here." The ruse instantly served its purpose, with all 1500 voracious servicemen pouncing on Jackman at once in a chaotic attempt at collecting the exclusive digits. White pants, caps, and scarves flew every which way, until all that was left was a massive, groaning mound of twisted male limbs. Minutes later, a battered Jackman crawled out with a wholely satisfied look on his face, the crumpled, blank piece of paper still clutched in his sailor-sullied hands.


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Thu, 25 May 2006 14:43:37 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=176430&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ 'X-Men' Ladies Forced To Answer Reporter's Obvious Superhero Questions ]]> storm-xmen - DefamerThe X-chromosome-abundant cast members of X-Men: The Last Stand sat down for some frank, mutant girl talk with the AP in support of the movie's premiere at Cannes. Among their revelations: Anna Paquin suffers from a crippling case of superpower envy, while Halle Berry, still mistrustful of men, only wishes her character Storm could find some true romance:

Paquin: I still never get to do anything. Three movies, absolutely no action. It's kind of amazing. [...]

Berry: Well, you got a great love story. I didn't have that. I got no action and no story. I had nothing.

Paquin: I had some gloves. [...]


AP: What kind of superhero would your moms have been happy to have you bring home as boyfriends? [...]

Berry: I don't know. I'd just like one to tell the truth. I'd be happy with an honest one.

Romijn: Honesty Man!

Berry: Could you at least not lie? Tell the truth all the time?

One can hardly blame Berry for constantly allowing her own man-hate to bubble up to the surface. After all, her own ex-man, Eric Benet, aka Sex Addicto, was barely able to contain his powerful mutant ability to sleep with anything that moves.

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Mon, 22 May 2006 19:03:04 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=175556&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ When Movie Promos Turn Ugly: Halle Berry Accuses DJ Of Racism ]]> berry-bbc - Defamer"Are we having a racist moment here?" Those are the words that brought a BBC radio interview to a screeching halt yesterday by Halle Berry, there to promote X-Men: The Last Stand with her co-star, Hugh Jackman. By way of flashback, let's piece back together what led up to it, with the help of the AP:

The exchange began when Hugh Jackman, Berry's X-Men: The Last Stand co-star, jokingly suggested that Moyles might take the role of his body double if he ever landed the part of James Bond.

"I could definitely do that," Moyles said before adding, "Put your hands in the air!"

A somewhat puzzled Jackman replied, "Are you some kind of Brooklyn Bond?"

Moyles replied: "I'm a black American guy. A big, fat, black guy. Put your hands up in the air."

The interview continued, though the DJ later said Berry was "ratty" — British slang for grouchy.

We think we see where she may have been coming from, though the radio host claims this was not an issue of racism, but of his limited ability with comedic foreign accents. It's hard to explain that to someone you've inadvertently offended, however, and once the damage was done, there's was no turning back. Even the DJ's heartfelt apology, "I never meant to offend you, skinny black actress without a gun," did nothing to alleviate Berry's unwaveringly ratty mood.

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Fri, 19 May 2006 13:18:58 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=175108&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Trade Round-Up: Apple Wins! Apple Loses! ]]> apple logo - Defamer· A bright red "breaking story" tag lets us know that we're supposed to care about this more than other news right now: The Beatles (Apple Corps) have lost their trademark case against Apple Computers, but plan to appeal. You can continue to indulge your iTunes addiction without interruption. [Variety]
· Benicio Del Toro is onboard and Halle Berry is in "negotiations" to join him in the highly buzzed about DreamWorks project Things We Lost in the Fire, about a recent widow who invites her dead husband's "troubled best friend" to live with her. We suspect that sweaty, troubled-best-friend-sex will be crucial to the grieving process. [THR]
· All is not lost for M:i:III, which takes in $70.3 million abroad. South Koreans seem especially excited for Tom Cruise's return to blockbusterdom. [Variety]
· TiVo is launching a service which will allow its users to search for and watch "extended commercials" from one minute to one hour in length. Meanwhile, they're perfecting technology that will summon a representative from one of their featured advertisers to a viewer's home with a single button press, where the rep will kick the targeted consumer in the genitals while shouting their product's jingle through a megaphone. [THR]
· News to us: M:i:III wasn't the only movie screening at last week's Tribeca Film Festival. [Variety]

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Mon, 08 May 2006 12:20:49 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=172287&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Halle Berry Finally Ready To Pretend She Wants To Adopt A Child ]]>
In this era of Angelina Jolie-instigated family-building tyranny, all celebrities are now forced to publicly consider (if not ultimately commit to) the adoption option, or suffer a public tarring as a privileged, callous enabler of Third World poverty and overpopulation. But even in the face of this pressure, Berry's interest seems half-hearted at best; while she seems to remove an initial contingency to her intentions by quickly acquiescing to a firmer commitment ("I will adopt if it doesn't happen for me naturally...I will definitely adopt. And I probably will adopt even if it does happen naturally."), she doesn't even bother to specify a suitably exotic ethnic background for her theoretical child. We'll believe she's not just cynically milking the idea for the publicity benefit when she announces her plan for voluntary sterilization, leaving herself no choice but to fill her empty home with the joyful cries Bengali street urchins.

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Mon, 01 May 2006 17:35:03 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=170811&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Halle Berry Still Can't Shake Cat-Stink ]]> halleberryharvard.jpgHalle Berry has managed to turn a regrettable post-Oscar career move the cinematic equivalent of scoopable litter known as Catwoman and turn it into a cottage industry of award collecting and self-mocking good PR. First she shows up at last year's Razzies to collect her award, announcing, "I want to thank Warner Brothers for casting me in this piece of shit." Now, those ivy and crimson-clad cross dressers of Harvard's Hasty Pudding club are still flogging a dead feline:

Halle Berry had to write "I will not make 'Catwoman II'" on a chalkboard four times Thursday in order to earn her pudding pot as Harvard's Hasty Pudding woman of the year. [...]


Before she was given the traditional brass pudding pot during a roast at Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theater, Berry danced suggestively with a Harvard student dressed like a French poodle, which Berry's presenter's dubbed Dogman. [...]

Earlier Thursday, Berry rode in a silver Bentley convertible in the traditional parade through Harvard Square, flanked by two male Harvard students dressed in drag.

Berry, no stranger to heavily stubbled drag queens from her days on Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day set, has proven herself to be more than a good sport. Let's hope that with her final waltz of humiliation with "Dogman," she can finally bury her big mistake in the backyard and get back to the business of making other crappy movies for which she'll later publicly apologize.

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Fri, 17 Feb 2006 12:25:26 PST Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=155605&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The New Sex Addict In Halle Berry's Life ]]> halle.jpgWe must admit, even since Halle Berry showed up at last year's Razzies to collect her worst actress award for Catwoman, she's occupied a place in the empty cavity where our hearts should be. So when we heard she had hitched her love train to the caboose of male model du moment Gabriel Aubry, we had mixed feelings: Were we glad she had finally moved past her two-timing, "sex addict" ex-husband Eric Benet? Of course. But should she have fallen for South Beach's sweetest, chewiest piece of gummy-boy man-candy? According to Page Six, probably not:

THE women of South Beach have two words for Halle Berry: Watch out! Berry's new man, Versace model Gabriel Aubry, is so popular with the opposite sex, said our source, "he makes [Berry's ex] Eric Benet look tame." Benet is a self-confessed sex addict. While Berry went to pal Angela Bassett's baby shower last weekend, Aubry was in Miami where he drove his vintage Camaro convertible and "chased young women" around the clock. A source said, "He wants to be famous, and he will use Halle to get there. He has a place on the beach and he pretty much chases whatever is around."

It was one thing when Berry had to put up with Benet's dalliances, which were limited to nubile girls susceptible to his "not Lenny Kravitz but the next best thing" dreaded rock star allure. But when it comes to the thong-chasing Aubry, we fear the persistently put-upon actress is about to experience a whole new level of infidelity, especially when she starts cluing in to the fact that the topless, bronzed Brazilians she keeps running into rummaging through his refrigerator can't all be his "scene partners."

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Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:53:43 PST Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=151827&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ UPDATE: Realtors Render Agents Obsolete: Bruce and Halle Edition ]]> halle.jpg...And this little piggie ran aaaall the way home, but then the sixth little piggie walked over to the neighbor's house, and got an A-list star who probably needed to get his mind off of things anyway to sign on to her latest project:

Two former neighbors are now future co-stars. Bruce Willis says Halle Berry brought him the script for the thriller Perfect Stranger, which is expected to start shooting in January.

"She knocked on the door and said, `I'd like you to take a look at this,' and I'm doing it," Willis told "Access Hollywood" in an interview to air Thursday night.

"I do have a little crush on Halle," he said with a laugh.

We have always maintained that realtors were the ones who really run Hollywood, and let us be so bold as to predict that within a few years, all movies and television will be cast the neighborhood-watch way. Perhaps even the famed Julie Newmar-Jim Belushi feud could be resolved by having the two co-host a holiday variety hour!

UPDATE A well-placed operative has sent us an extremely enlightening report that doesn't exactly flow with the tidy 'lovey-dovey neighbors' pablum we've been spoon fed by the press.

It's after the jump:

Bruce Willis is trying to keep his head above water and not fade out into old age and oblivion. So when he heard Halle Berry was committed to doing the movie, he wanted her glow to shine on him and make him look hot and in the center of things and still viable as a movie star opposite the leading lady of the moment. So I guess, in a sense, she is the reason he is doing it...but it's not like she called him and begged him to be in it. In fact, they just spoke for the very first time only a few weeks ago...way after they were both cast.
While the 'just-coming-over-for-a-cup-of-sugar-and-a-feature-deal' story gives good soundbite, we can't help but wonder if this closer-to-the-source report is also closer to the truth. ]]>
Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:10:00 PDT Seth http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=133960&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Short Ends: Halle's Six Berries ]]> halle-berry-toes.jpg· Wow, now that you mention it, it kinda does look like Halle Berry has six toes. Once again, Berry establishes an almost unattainable ideal of physical perfection.
· The LAT's Richard Rushfield blogs the Hollywood Film Festival's premiere of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and discovers that no one should ever leave Val Kilmer and Robert Downey, Jr. in front of an audience without adult supervision.
· Trump: Martha Stewart is making my show bite the doily. Guess the salad-tossing experiment isn't working out quite as well as they'd hoped.
· When you get bored of watching Desperate Housewives on that tiny iPod screen, you can always look at naked chicks with lots of tattoos.
· Lindsay Lohan's a busy girl, what with the change of hair color and the 5 ayem trips to 7-11 to sit on the floor and read her bad press. Where does she find the energy?

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Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:54:21 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=132318&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Hot Property: Halle Berry To Fill New Home With Babies? ]]> halle-berry2.jpgWhere else besides the LAT's "Hot Property" column, the weekly chronicle of notable celebrity real estate transactions, would you expect to find a brief discussion of some of the single-parenting options available to the modern, empowered actress?

This Catwoman is preparing to nest. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, who starred last year as Batman's comic-book paramour, announced in May that she was ready to have a child. Now, she has purchased a nearly $6-million home in the Hollywood Hills from Frankie Muniz, star of Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle."

The 37-year-old Berry, who is single, may follow in the footsteps of actress Angelina Jolie and adopt a child, or else have a baby through artificial insemination. Berry, twice divorced, said on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she had no plans to marry again.

How can any article addressing the single-parenthood choices of the rich and famous ignore two of the hottest baby-procurement methods of the moment, surrogate motherhood (which eliminates the need for a "break" or the clumsy incorporation of a pregnancy into a movie or TV story line) and the black-market (no troublesome adoption boards, plus instant gratification)? Either of these options sound like an easier way for Berry to fill that big, empty house with the joy of children's laughter while sparing her acting career a heat-killing hiatus.

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Mon, 01 Aug 2005 10:17:23 PDT Mark http://defamer.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=115260&view=rss&microfeed=true