Amy Winehouse may have tuberculosis.
Doctors fear her symptoms of coughing up blood, weight loss and lack of appetite point toward the deadly disease - more commonly known as TB.
The 24-year-old has been in hospital on a drip since she collapsed at home on Monday (16.06.08).
A friend of the 'Back to Black' singer told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Amy is in a bad way. Doctors are still struggling to control her irregular heartbeat but the chest condition has been really worrying them.
"She has been suffering horrible coughing fits and hurling up blood for a while but refused to be examined. Doctors now believe it is tuberculosis and are doing more tests to be certain."
Amy's family and friends hope the diagnosis could shock Amy into quitting drugs for good.
The pal added: "Things sound really bad but at least now they have found something specific it will be easier to keep her in hospital and free from drugs. The word tuberculosis might frighten her into getting herself well. It certainly should do.
"She needs to realise she will die if she doesn't clean up her act."
Amy is scheduled to play Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in London and the Glastonbury festival in Somerset this month.
Her spokesperson said the singer still plans to honour the commitments - but only if doctors will let her.
The spokesperson said: "At present she still intends to perform at her two scheduled dates next week.
"However the decision will be made entirely on the advice of her doctors and in her best interests. Amy has undergone more scans and tests and we are awaiting the verdict of her doctors."
Tuberculosis is transmitted by droplets in the air, and is usually more common in developing countries. Drug addicts, alcoholics and those with poor diets are more susceptible to the disease because of their reduced immune systems.
TB - which is on the rise in Britain - requires six months of medication and if left untreated attacks most organs, resulting in likely death.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Amy Winehouse's TB fears
Keira Knightley's naked confidence
Keira Knightley has no problem going nude in front of the camera.
The 23-year-old actress was happy to whip her bra off during a sex scene with Cillian Murphy in 'The Edge of Love'.
She said: "It was very simple. It was a sex scene and I never like them when they've got bras on. So when asked I said, 'alright
then'."
This isn't the first time Keira has stripped off in a movie. The British star previously filmed steamy scenes for 'Domino' and
'Atonement'.
While the actress is happy to bare her flesh on the big screen, she is terrified of singing in front of the cameras.
Keira, who has previously spoken about her reluctance to sing in 'The Edge of Love', is set to receive singing lessons for the role
of Eliza Doolittle in the remake of 'My Fair Lady'.
The actress is determined her vocal abilities will be in tip-top shape when she belts out the movie's classic songs, including 'The
Rain In Spain' and 'Wouldn't It Be Loverly?'.
My 'Fair Lady' is due to start shooting in 2010.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Charlotte Church pregnant
Charlotte Church is pregnant again.
The singer - who gave birth to daughter Ruby Megan Henson last September - and her rugby player boyfriend Gavin Henson
have announced they are "delighted" with the news.
Charlotte is due to give birth in November.
She told a friend: "I am thrilled. Me and Gavin want a big family and this second child will get us well on the way.
"The first labour wasn't as bad as I expected and it is going to be well worth going through it again for a beautiful family."
After turning her back on her partying ways to raise Ruby, Charlotte insists she will have no trouble giving up alcohol for the
duration of the pregnancy.
According to Britain's Daily Mirror she added to her pal: "I've even stopped drinking and just want to concentrate on Ruby and my new child now."
The 22-year-old star has confirmed she will continue filming the third series of her Channel 4 series 'The Charlotte Church Show' this summer.
Lindsay Lohan's Best flirt
Lindsay Lohan has been receiving flirty text messages from her ex-boyfriend.
The 'Mean Girls' actress - who is rumoured to be in a lesbian relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson - dated model Calum Best
last year and friends say he is desperate to rekindle their relationship.
A source close to Calum - who is in Los Angeles to film his new reality TV show 'Calum: The Best Is Yet To Come', which
sees the renowned womaniser try to stay celibate for 50 days - said: "Calum can't wait to see Lindsay - whenever they meet
they always seem to get on."
Lindsay is also believed to be keen to meet Calum - who is the son of late soccer legend George Best - as she still has a soft
spot for him.
The source added: "Lindsay couldn't get enough of his bedroom antics."
Last year, it was claimed Calum had dumped Lindsay because he didn't like her being sober, following her stint in rehab for
drink and drug addiction.
A source said at the time: "Calum called Lindsay and said he was finding her post-rehab existence dull and that he didn't want to
give up partying.
"He loves Lindsay but he's simply not in the same place anymore."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Nicole Kidman's baby tears
Nicole Kidman started crying the first time she saw her baby on an ultrasound machine.
The 'Moulin Rouge' actress - who is expecting her first biological child with husband Keith Urban - was so overwhelmed with
joy when she saw the image, she couldn't hold back the tears.
She said: "When I first saw the baby on the ultrasound, I started crying. I didn't think I'd get to experience that in my lifetime. I
like the unpredictable nature of it.
"To feel life growing with you is something very, very special, and I'm going to embrace that completely. I don't believe in
flittering around the edges of things. You're either going to walk through life and experience it fully or you're going to be a
voyeur. And I'm not a voyeur."
Nicole also revealed she loves all aspects of being pregnant.
She added to America's Vogue magazine: "The whole experience is so primal. But I'm glad I've learned to let things flow. I'm
now so much more capable of receiving love and giving it in a far different way. So to be given the blessing of a child at this
stage of my life, you just say, 'Wow, this was meant to be.' "
Paris Hilton's solo ceremony
Paris Hilton has ruled out having a double wedding ceremony with Nicole Richie.
The hotel heiress - who is dating Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden - was rumoured to be tying the knot at the same time as
Nicole and her fiance Joel Madden, Benji's twin brother, but insists she wouldn't want to share the spotlight on her big day.
She said: "I've been hearing that rumour. But no, I think we both would want to have separate weddings."
Paris added she is finding life "pretty perfect", being in a foursome with Benji, Joel and Nicole.
She told Ryan Seacrest on US entertainment network E!: "It is weird - we're dating twins but it's pretty perfect. We are all going
on tour this summer, so I'm really excited about that."
Benji also revealed he has never been happier, and is thrilled to be in a relationship with Paris.
He told Seacrest during an interview on KIIS-FM radio: "I'm so beyond happy. Paris is my best friend. I've never been so
happy. Nothing worries me in life anymore. When you find that best friend, that love, all your worries kind of go away. Your
work gets better and everything you do, you have someone supporting you, and she's that for me.
"I've never been supported so much. I'm a lucky guy. Her family is so nice to me. And now the four of us, we all - it's great, you know."
Keira Knightley's love snub
Keira Knightley says she never gets asked out on a date.
The 23-year-old actress - who is dating her 'Pride and Prejudice' co-star Rupert Friend - insists she is never approached by
prospective lovers, and wouldn't even notice if she was.
She said: "I never get chatted up. Honestly, I don't! And I'm so stupid that I wouldn't even realise if I was. I sometimes get a
look but that's about it!"
Later in an interview with BBC Radio 1, Keira's 'Edge of Love' co-star Sienna Miller - who stars with her in the new biopic of
Welsh poet Dylan Thomas - revealed she threw her across a room while shooting the movie.
Sienna said: "I was filming this scene where I was on top of Matthew Rhys, who played Dylan Thomas, and Keira had to come
and pull me off. But she literally ended up throwing me halfway across the room!"
Keira added: "I just don't know my own strength!"
Monday, June 16, 2008
Kate Hudson's love ride
Kate Hudson accompanied rumoured boyfriend Lance Armstrong to Canada at the weekend for a charity bike ride.
The 'Fool's Gold' actress and the cycling champion - who reportedly began dating last month - travelled to Ontario where Lance
was joined by 40 local residents for the 117-kilometre race to help raise over $1 million on Saturday (14.06.08).
The Ride With Lance event was held to benefit cancer research at two hospitals, Grand River Hospital in Kitchener and
Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.
Before the race, Kate and Lance - who has battled testicular cancer in the past - spent a romantic few days together.
They had a mini vacation in Muskoka where Kate's mother, Goldie Hawn, has a cabin.
On Friday (13.06.08), Kate took her four-year-old son Ryder out for lunch and ice cream in the trendy Toronto Yorkville
shopping district and was also spotted with Lance's children, Luke, eight, and six-year-old twin girls Grace and Isabelle, while
he prepared for the race.
Later that night, the couple were seen canoodling in the lobby of their hotel.
An onlooker said: "He was laughing and she was laughing and they put their arms around each other. It was sweet."
After Saturday's race, the actress joined Lance for a gala dinner at a country estate where they happily posed for photos.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Angelina Jolie: Pregnancy 'Great for the Sex Life'
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been inspired in the bedroom by her pregnancy.
"It's great for the sex life," the actress, who is expecting twins, told Entertainment Weekly. "It just makes you a lot more creative. So you have fun, and as a woman you're just so round and full."
She also said that she and Pitt, her partner and the father of their four children, were surprised to learn they were having twins.
She also said that she and Pitt, her partner and the father of their four children, were surprised to learn they were having twins.
"It did shock us, and we jumped to six [children] quickly," she told the magazine.
Jolie also said that her doctor ordered her to stop lifting the kids, so the couple has "worked out a system where Brad just lifts them to me every time they want to come up. I just don't bend down. I'll scream, 'Honey!'' and he'll come running."
She holds no hard feelings toward her "Kung Fu Panda" co-star Jack Black, who revealed on national television that she was expecting twins.
"Poor Jack! Immediately when he saw Brad, he apologized. But we both told him very clearly that we had only waited because ... you wait until all results are in on their health, and that we were past that point and if somebody had asked me directly, I would have said yes."
So why haven't she and Pitt tied the knot?
"It's not a big intentional thing not to marry," Jolie said. "We immediately were a family when we became a couple, and children were the priority, and we're both legally committed to the children."
Pitt's most recent gift to Jolie? A gun-charm necklace designed by their son Maddox.
''Mad, our 6-year-old, draws lots of war scenarios,'' she explains. ''He's all into war and guns. So for Mother's Day he drew a machine gun, and Brad had it made into a necklace, which is really sweet. It's really cute. I think it's really good!''
If six kids become too much, Jolie and Pitt certainly have enough money to pay for more assistance. Jolie just took the third spot on Forbes' annual Celebrity 100 list, due to the $14 million she earned in the last 12-month period, and Pitt, who earned $10 million, is ranked tenth.
'Good mother' Jessica Alba
Justin Timberlake says Jessica Alba will make a "good mother".
The heartthrob singer believes the stunning actress - who gave birth to daughter Honor Marie on Saturday (07.06.08) - has the right qualities to become a perfect parent.
Justin, who starred in 'The Love Guru' with Jessica, said: "Congratulations Jessica! She seems very patient, and I would assume that's what it takes to be a good mother, a good parent for that matter."
Justin is also impressed with the choice of name Jessica and husband Cash Warren decided on for their little girl.
He said: "Honor Marie - that's a cool name. I'm happy for them. It's beautiful."
Jessica's other co-star Mike Myers also believes she has what it takes to be a good mom.
He said: "She'll be a great mother. She's smart, she's talented and she's one of the most down-to-earth people I've ever worked with."
The Love Guru' will be released this summer.
Paris Hilton's Cruise fan mom
Paris Hilton's mother Kathy stars as Tom Cruise's on-screen wife in new movie 'Tropic Thunder'.
The 49-year-old beauty - who is mother to socialites Paris and Nicky as well as sons Barron and Conrad - kept her appearance in the Ben Stiller movie a secret from her family, but "raved" about her new co-star when her cameo was finally revealed.
A source said: "She filmed last winter and didn't even tell her kids because she wanted to surprise them. She raved about Tom, saying he was so warm and friendly and made her very comfortable."
This is not Kathy's first acting role. She has also starred in numerous episodes of hit US TV show 'The Young and the Restless'.
Paris is also hoping her acting career will soon take off, after her appearances in horror movie 'House of Wax' and comedy 'The Hottie and the Nottie' were panned by critics worldwide.
'Tropic Thunder', which sees white actor Robert Downey Jr. play an African-American man, will be released later this year.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Sharon Stone still sorry
Sharon Stone has apologised again for her controversial comments about the Chinese earthquake.
The 'Basic Instinct' star - who suggested the devastating natural disaster in the Sichuan province on May 12 was "karma" for the Chinese government's treatment of Tibet - issued another apology on Wednesday (04.06.08) following her original statement of regret last week.
In her latest backtrack, she said: "There have been numerous reports about what I said in Cannes. I would like to set the record straight about what I feel in my heart and end all of the misunderstandings.
"Yes, I misspoke. I could not be more regretful of that mistake. It was unintentional. I apologise, those words were never meant to be hurtful to anyone. I am deeply saddened by the pain that this whole situation has caused the victims of the devastating earthquake in China."
Stone's original comments sparked mass outrage and were condemned by many commentators.
French fashion house Christian Dior was so appalled by what she said they dropped her from all their advertising campaigns in China.
Speaking about the earthquake, Stone, 50, initially said: "I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, 'Is that karma? When you're not nice then the bad things happen to you?' "
China has occupied Tibet since its invasion in 1950, claiming the neighbouring nation is rightfully part of China. Since the occupation began, people have campaigned to liberate Tibet and to end the human rights violations.
Paris Hilton 'pregnant'
Paris Hilton has sparked pregnancy rumours.
The hotel heiress - who is currently dating Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden - seemed to be sporting a swollen stomach as she arrived at Los Angeles' Crown Bar in a tight green satin dress recently.
An onlooker said: "Paris definitely looked a lot bigger than she usually looks. She is either pregnant or had eaten a massive meal!"
The 27-year-old beauty has made no secret of her desire to have children.
Speaking earlier this year, she said: "I do want a baby, pretty soon. Not yet because I'm so busy, but next year."
Sources close to Paris also claim her best friend Nicole Richie giving birth to daughter Harlow - her first child with her boyfriend and Benji's twin Joel Madden - has reignited her desire to start a family.
A source said: "Paris has seen how happy Nicole is and really wants to have a baby in her own life. She is so happy with Benji and thinks he would make an amazing father."
However, Paris' spokesperson has denied the pregnancy rumours, saying they are "false".
Britney Spears' 'hot' cameo
Britney Spears looks "hot and blonde" in her cameo appearance in the Pussycat Dolls' new video.
The troubled singer - who has been working hard to get back on track following her alleged breakdown earlier this year - shot her scenes for the girl group's latest track 'When I Grow Up' in California on Wednesday (04.06.08).
A set source said: "It was carefully planned out.
"In the scene shot, Britney is driving in a car. They all wave at each other as they are passing in traffic - that is it. It is genius and you will love it! Of course, Britney looks hot and blonde."
The Pussycat Dolls filmed the part of the scene in a blue convertible Chevy Imapla.
The insider added: "They are singing and in traffic - looking hot.
"It is a very short sequence, but Britney had a lot of fun with it. Britney really likes the Dolls' music and when she saw them on the MTV Movie Awards at the weekend, she was totally down to do the video."
This is not the first time mother-of-two Britney has teamed up with the group.
She once appeared with the Pussycat Dolls as part of a special performance for her older brother Bryan's birthday.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Entertainment Tonight’ Sticking With Report on Jolie’s Twins
Five days after “Entertainment Tonight” reported that Angelina Jolie had given birth to twins, it is starting to look more and more as if the syndicated show — which is on every weeknight, primarily on CBS affiliates — made a serious mistake.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, about three months before her reported due date.
A law firm representing Ms. Jolie says that an impostor claiming to be the actress’s assistant misled some news organizations. According to Ms. Jolie’s camp, the birth report was false.
The law firm, Lavely & Singer, sent a letter of warning to roughly two dozen news media outlets on Monday.
“A random individual has engaged in a scheme to intentionally harm my client and deceive her fans, the public and the media through illegal and tortuous impersonation of Ms. Jolie’s longtime assistant, Holly,” the letter said.
The letter did not specifically mention “Entertainment Tonight,” but it seemed to be a response to its report.
For news organizations, many millions of dollars hinge on the pregnancy of Ms. Jolie, whose partner is the actor Brad Pitt. As most people know — or perhaps cannot avoid knowing — the couple has four children, three of them adopted, and is expecting twins this summer.
The first photographs of the twins will undoubtedly sell for seven figures, and online reports say that the bidding war is already well under way. News about the newborns will also drive viewers and readers to entertainment television shows, Web sites and magazines (as it apparently has already).
On Friday morning, after seeing a spike in Google search traffic about Ms. Jolie’s pregnancy, an “Entertainment Tonight” producer e-mailed a person she believed to be Ms. Jolie’s assistant. The person responded by BlackBerry, saying she had been in the room for the birth.
The ensuing “Entertainment Tonight” report, published online just before noon on Friday, was quickly picked up by The Associated Press and myriad other outlets, large and small. Publicists for the show circulated the story widely, complete with a requirement that other outlets must mention “tune in to ‘Entertainment Tonight.’ ”
Part of the surprise came from the fact that Ms. Jolie’s due date has widely been reported as Aug. 19, so the twins’ arrival, if true, would have meant that they were born very early.
The report prompted swift denials from Ms. Jolie’s representatives.
Despite everything, “Entertainment Tonight” is sticking to its story. “We are waiting to see how this story plays out,” Linda Bell Blue, the show’s veteran executive producer, said in a statement on Monday, which was repeated on Tuesday.
But sometime before Monday, the article was removed from the “Entertainment Tonight” Web site. The show’s spokeswoman would not comment on the decision to delete the record, and the show has not acknowledged the denials.
Although “Entertainment Tonight” pumps out light fare, it does have a respected place in the world of infotainment, so the apparent mistake left some analysts wondering about a risk to its reputation. Many tabloids have a history of rushing to press with flimsy stories that turn out to be fake, but “Entertainment Tonight” has historically acted with caution.
“Entertainment Tonight” is a moneymaker for the CBS Corporation, although the company does not release financial details. The show, which has been on the air for 27 years, draws an average of 6.5 million viewers every night, twice as many as its most popular rival, “Access Hollywood.” And much of its brand is built on credibility.
The producers know how damaging a blunder can be. The show “can never afford to be wrong,” Ms. Bell Blue told the trade publication TV Week in 2004. “If it means we’re not first on a story, then we won’t be first. We make sure it is right.”
But that was before the Internet became a major player in the gossip game. Since then, sites like Time Warner’s TMZ and Yahoo’s OMG have made the format of a half-hour evening show seem sluggish.
Is it possible that Ms. Jolie has indeed given birth and that the news is being withheld for some reason? Yes, but as a person close to her said, when Ms. Jolie’s baby Shiloh was born in 2006, the event was confirmed almost immediately.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Charlize Theron's naked wish
Charlize Theron wishes she could see people naked without them knowing. The 'Hancock' actress confessed: "I think it would be fun to see people naked. It could be scary as well.
"But it would be fun to be able to walk down the street and be able to see people nude without them knowing.
"I think that's the element that makes the difference. When we're nude we tend to suck it all in. Just to see some dude taking the garbage out would be good!"
The 32-year-old actress, who lives with her boyfriend Stuart Townsend, also revealed she is flattered by polls which put her among the 'Sexiest Women Alive' but insists she doesn't take them seriously.
She added: "I think everything in life has to be taken with a giant pinch of salt, especially in this industry. It's a great compliment.
"They could have something a lot worse. I'm not jaded about that, it's really sweet.
"But there's no such thing as the sexiest woman alive."
'Hancock', which also stars Will Smith, opens in cinemas worldwide in July.
Rihanna no diva
She said: "People really thought I was going to get out of my head andbecome some super diva chick and to this day that never happened.
"I don't ask for extravagant things like flowers flown in, or the room to be all one colour."
The 'Shut Up And Drive' singer will never to follow in troubled singer Amy Winehouse's footsteps by "doing a Winehouse" and abuse drugs.
She also said seeing her father go through crack cocaine addiction when she was young has put her off illegal substances for life.
She added to Britain's The Guardian newspaper: "Because I've seen up close what an effect those things can have on someone, I would never want to put myself in that situation.
"It would be very careless and just not smart at all."
Rihanna's single 'Take a Bow' is out now and her album 'Good Girl Gone Bad' will be reissued on June 2.
Manager denies Jolie birth reports
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are parents to four children.
Brad Pitt's manager has denied reports that Angelina Jolie has given birth to twins in France.
"It's not true. It's a rumour," Pitt's Los Angeles-based talent manager, Cynthia Pett-Dante, told Reuters in a statement.
She declined further comment.
However, Entertainment Tonight is standing by its report that Jolie has given birth to twin daughters in France, attributing the story to an unidentified person close to the actress.
"The source says she was inside the delivery room," the program said in its broadcast.
"[The source] tells 'yes, the babies were born' and 'yes, mother and daughters are fine'."
There has been no immediate comment from Jolie's Los Angeles-based manager.
Just two weeks ago, Jolie publicly acknowledged she was pregnant with twins during an interview at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jolie and Pitt already have one biological daughter together, Shiloh. She was delivered by caesarean section a year ago in the southern African nation of Namibia.
The Hollywood couple also are the parents of three adopted children - daughter Zahara, three, from Ethiopia; son Pax, four, from Vietnam; and son Maddox, six, from Cambodia.
