aretha franklin
People
1:50AM Maureen OConnor | Amy Winehouse pulls the plug on her entire concert tour. Chris Brown accidentally tweets a private message for Rihanna. Kanye West hides the fact that he has girly alcohol preferences. Tuesday gossip says no, no, no. More »
Amy Winehouse Gives Up
1:50AM Maureen OConnor | Amy Winehouse pulls the plug on her entire concert tour. Chris Brown accidentally tweets a private message for Rihanna. Kanye West hides the fact that he has girly alcohol preferences. Tuesday gossip says no, no, no. More » 
People
Death Hoax Swarm Kills Adam Sandler, Owen Wilson, Charlie Sheen
1:23PM Adrian Chen | It’s a massacre’s-worth of celebrity death hoaxes! Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, Aretha Franklin and others have been felled by bogus death rumors in the past few days. Let us mourn. More »
People
Christina Aguilera: Yes, Those Are My Sexy Naked Pictures
2:54AM Maureen OConnor | Christina Aguilera says she fell prey to a nefarious computer hacker. Blake Lively and Ryan Gosling seem to be dating. Michael Lohan makes a video of himself getting Botox, because, why not? Thursday gossip has a complicated relationship with fame. Christina Aguilera confirmed and released a statement about her naked sexy picture scandal (NSFW here) which just happens to coincide with Xtina’s sexy naked movie picture Burlesque, descent from the A-list, and post-divorce rumspringa. Aguilera’s publicist says a nefarious computer hacker stole the pictures, which were “taken in the privacy of Ms. Aguilera’s home and were used only in a personal exchange between the star and her stylist.” Has the world no respect for the sacred bond between a star and her stylist?! It’s the priest-penitent relationship for celebrity idolators. Apparently the pictures are from April 2010, around the time Xtina shot her catastrophic Not Myself Tonight video. Christina’s publicist says they nefarious hacker will be punished. [TMZ, People, NSFW Fleshbot, image via Getty] Meanwhile, this picture supposedly depicts a scar from Christina‘s purported “transaxillary endoscopic breast augmentation,” i.e., “when the doctor shoves a whole new boob in through a tiny slice in your armpit.” [DailyMail, image via Getty] Blake Lively and Ryan Gosling, which is notable because Blake confirmed her split from costar Penn Badgley after being confronted about an “undercover” outing to Disneyland with Ryan, which was itself a bizarre event, because going to Disneyland is probably the worst place for a celebrity to go on an undercover date, right after Hollywood Boulevard and the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, right? [E!] Stephen Colbert on his college years: “I had a chest like a baby duck.” [Northwestern via Atlantic] Taylor Swift‘s first Cover Girl ad is out, featuring a boatload of smize. Does this mean Taylor’s going to make a cameo on America’s Next Top Model, which offers a Cover Girl contract as its grand prize? Yes, that’s a good rumour, let’s start it: Taylor is totally making a cameo on the next season of ANTM, start wetting your nude-hued seamless model panties now, children. [People] An excerpt from Gwyneth Paltrow‘s latest GOOP newsletter: “I don’t know how it is where all of you are, but I am freezing my arse off. I will be relying heavily on my cozy winter boots to get me through to spring, however far off it may seem. Here are some of my favourites. Love, gp” Love you and your toasty toes, too, Goopy-Poo! [HuffPo] Jenny McCarthy and her bodybuilder boyfriend broke up, but “remain good friends.” Please. You don’t rebound from your marriage with a bodybuilder just to be friends. [Us] “Jessica Simpson, Eric Johnson Will ‘Definitely’ Have a Prenup.” Allow me to snort like an indignant 14-year-old girl whose mother just told her blow jobs can transmit STDs, too: NO DUH, why would you even TELL ME that, what do you THINK I am, DUMB? Eric says he is “not a gold digger.” [Us] Angelina Jolie has “no plans at the moment” to make or adopt new babies, “but we’re always open.” [Us] Michael Lohan and Kate Major brought TV cameras to film a Botox shooting session. Has a more depressing sentence ever been written in all the English language? [TMZ] Following a recent hospitalisation for broken ribs, Aretha Franklin has revealed that she has cancer. The National Enquirer says it’s incurable pancreatic cancer, but the Queen of Soul hasn’t publicly confirmed or denied it. [Fox411]
Music
Aretha Franklin Has Pancreatic Cancer
8:56AM Brian Moylan | Legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin, who underwent surgery last week, has pancreatic cancer, according to family members. More »
People
Justin Bieber Wears A Moustache, And Other Signs Of The Apocalypse
2:48AM Maureen OConnor | Justin Bieber toys with the outward indicators of sexual maturity. Jermaine Jackson owes $US100,000 in child support. Lady says she didn’t boink Eva Longoria’s husband. Aretha Franklin goes under the knife. TGIFriday gossip. More »
People
Katy Perry Has A Love-Hate Relationship With Google
12:36AM Maureen OConnor | Katy Perry obsesses over her Google Alerts, but hates herself for it. Laurence Fishburne isn’t speaking to his porn star daughter. George Clooney’s girlfriend knows you’re jealous of her and will rub her happiness in your face. Wednesday gossip cometh. More »
Music
Condi Rice Plays Piano For Aretha Franklin
7:01AM Jim Newell | Famous war-loving ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is generally considered the greatest pianist in (White House) history. Last night she brought her skills to Philadelphia, backing Aretha Franklin at a fundraiser. Look at her go! Why aren’t they constantly touring? More »
People
11:55AM Brian Moylan | [Michelle Obama ambled down her block to the Smithsonian today to donate her inaugural gown by Jason Wu to the museum's collection where it will not be upstage by Aretha Franklin's hat. Image via Getty]
Public, A Dress
11:55AM Brian Moylan | [Michelle Obama ambled down her block to the Smithsonian today to donate her inaugural gown by Jason Wu to the museum's collection where it will not be upstage by Aretha Franklin's hat. Image via Getty] 
Music
10:53AM Jess McGuire | If you’re following me on Twitter, you’re already well aware of my new found obsession with the following song, and probably completely irritated by it. But you best deal, girlfriend! I need to “express myself” on Defamer Australia before I can move on! More »
George Michael & Aretha Franklin – ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’
10:53AM Jess McGuire | If you’re following me on Twitter, you’re already well aware of my new found obsession with the following song, and probably completely irritated by it. But you best deal, girlfriend! I need to “express myself” on Defamer Australia before I can move on! More »
Flotsam & Jetsam
3:32PM Jess McGuire | Remember after Obama’s inauguration when the whole world just went wild over Aretha Franklin’s stunning choice of headgear for the occasion? Some might have thought a couple of months may have lessened the average joe’s desire to own a similar piece of cranial accoutrement, but you’d be wrong.
Reports the NY Times:
… the hat’s creator, Luke Song, has more than 5,000 orders for the spring version of the Aretha Hat (he declines to make a replica of the actual model), available in a variety of pastel colors and selling for $179 apiece. And more orders are bound to pour in because Mr. Song learned this week that Ms. Franklin has decided to lend her hat to the Smithsonian, where it will be on display until it moves to a permanent place in Mr. Obama’s presidential library.
While the nation had no idea what would be on Ms. Franklin’s head, Mr. Song knew it would be one of three models she had picked out. He learned which one only while watching her sing at the inauguration on the television in his crowded workroom. “I’m so glad she chose that one.” he said. “It was the one I was pushing her to wear.”
And check out how much money Luke Song might make from his association with the Queen of Soul! More »
Folks Are Still Going Wild For Aretha Franklin’s Inauguration Hat!
3:32PM Jess McGuire | Remember after Obama’s inauguration when the whole world just went wild over Aretha Franklin’s stunning choice of headgear for the occasion? Some might have thought a couple of months may have lessened the average joe’s desire to own a similar piece of cranial accoutrement, but you’d be wrong.
Reports the NY Times:
… the hat’s creator, Luke Song, has more than 5,000 orders for the spring version of the Aretha Hat (he declines to make a replica of the actual model), available in a variety of pastel colors and selling for $179 apiece. And more orders are bound to pour in because Mr. Song learned this week that Ms. Franklin has decided to lend her hat to the Smithsonian, where it will be on display until it moves to a permanent place in Mr. Obama’s presidential library.
While the nation had no idea what would be on Ms. Franklin’s head, Mr. Song knew it would be one of three models she had picked out. He learned which one only while watching her sing at the inauguration on the television in his crowded workroom. “I’m so glad she chose that one.” he said. “It was the one I was pushing her to wear.”
And check out how much money Luke Song might make from his association with the Queen of Soul! More »