Fiona Apple cancels tour to care for dying dog

Fiona Apple has cancelled the South American leg of her current tour to care for her dog, an almost 14-year-old pit bull named Janet, who has a tumour in her chest. 

The announcement came as a handwritten letter that had been scanned and posted to her Facebook page. 

Janet was adopted as a puppy, after being used as a bait in dogfights. Through nearly 14 years, "Janet has been the most consistent relationship of my adult life, and that is just a fact," Fiona writes in the letter. "She's my best friend and my mother and my daughter, my benefactor, and she's the one who taught me what love is." 

"I know that she is coming close to the point where she will stop being a dog, and instead, be part of everything. She’ll be in the wind, and in the soil, and the snow, and in me, wherever I go. I just can't leave her now, please understand."

Soooo sad. 


Dead strange idea

Celebrities have posed in coffins to raise money for the Digital Death campaign, a project to raise awareness for Alicia Keys' charity "Keep A Child Alive," which provides care and support to families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. 

Elijah Wood, Ryan Seacrest and Kim Kardashian are among those who've pretended to corpse it. 

The images appear in a book, "Icons: The Celebrity Exposures of Markus and Indrani", available from Perseus Books.


Hot pics & clicks

* Lindsay Lohan attempts to channel Elizabeth Taylor for a private dinner to celebrate the premiere of Liz & Dick. And fails. She also mouths off: "Elizabeth was drunk on sets. I've never been drunk on set, ever. I did my time and I respect the law."

* There's even less of Miley Cyrus's hair than before ... 

* See Joanna Lumley share smouldering kissing scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of their new movie Wolf Of Wall Street by clicking here. 

* I love this old Vogue cover featuring Goldie Hawn that Dlisted dug up. She turns 67 this week.

* Mel B had lunch with Guy Sebastian and Ronan Keating on Sydney Harbour in honour of Ronan's charity Emerald and Ivy.

* Desperate to see The Hobbit? Watch an 8-minute trailer by clicking here. 

* Kathy Griffin tweeted this pic with the caption: "You guys didn't know today was pantless Tuesday?" 

Rihanna apologises for plane disaster

Rihanna has finally made an appearance for journalists and fans flying with her on her 777 Tour and apologised ... sort of ...

US Magazine reporter Ian Drew, who has been blogging on the plane, writes: "Days five and six of the wild tour (in Berlin and London, respectively) dissolved into a "hopeless" situation, I blogged on Monday Nov. 19. Most passengers were deliriously deprived of sleep, food and sunlight; members of the press were upset that Rihanna had been completely unavailable for quotes, photos or much of anything offstage following day one of the tour. One particularly despondent Australian shock-jock even streaked naked through the plane in protest; in London, one journalist handed out fake "Missing: Rihanna" flyers ...

"Coming to the back of the plane to address the group, the "Diamonds" singer sheepishly addressed her in-flight press corp -- plopping down in an aisle seat right across from me."

Rihanna told the assembled media: "I want to thank everyone for making this trip the sh--. I want to see the naked Australian!"

She added: "I know you guys got barely any dirt. But I had to be good. I still sound like sh--. It's impossible to spend time with everybody, and I'm sorry I didn't. But this was excellent and I would definitely do it again."

When asked how she'd do things differently next time she said: "I would do this next time with more people, more cities and sit back the the fans more. . . I had to preserve my health. Normally, I'd be back here popping bottles with y'all . . . I had to preserve my voice. I was worried about my body more than partying on the plane, so I had to just sleep whenever I could. I hope you guys had as much fun as I did."

Sorry Rihanna, I don't think they did. 

Elmo puppeteer resigns amid new sex abuse accusations

People magazine reports: "Kevin Clash, the voice and puppeteer behind Elmo on Sesame Street, has resigned. 

"I am resigning from Sesame Workshop with a very heavy heart. I have loved every day of my 28 years working for this exceptional organization," 52-year-old Clash said in a statement Tuesday. "Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work Sesame Street is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately." 

On the heels of a second set of sex abuse accusations, reported by TMZ.com, Sesame Workshop also issued this statement Tuesday.

"Sesame Workshop's mission is to harness the educational power of media to help all children the world over reach their highest potential. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading education organization. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job and has resigned from Sesame Street," they said Tuesday. "This is a sad day for Sesame Street." 

Kelly Preston opens up about son's autism

Kelly Preston opens up about her late son Jett's medical condition on an upcoming episode of the US show The Doctors.

"[Jett] was autistic. He had seizures and when he was very young, he had Kawasaki Syndrome," she says. 

"I strongly believe as a mother, as does my husband, that there are certain contributing factors that lead to autism and some of it is very much the chemicals in our environment and in our food," she adds. 

Kelly believes Jett's autism was sparked by Kawasaki Syndrome – which usually affects children from ages 2 to 5 and can cause inflammation of the arteries – her "fast and hard" labor and the use of antibiotics while breastfeeding, which gave Jett thrush, an infection of Candida yeast which some studies have linked to the symptoms of autism. 

It can't have been an easy decision for Kelly to speak out. As a Scientologist, she would have been counselled to only treat the physical symptoms of Jett's autism, such as his seizures. Any psychological symptoms would have been addressed by auditing, not drugs. 

Hot pics & clicks

* "We smell the same," Nicole Richie tweeted yesterday, along with this picture her holding an elephant's trunk. 

* Prince William makes his bed! The royal has posted pictures of a normal day in his life as a flight lieutenant on his website. Click here for the rest. 

* Wow, check out the photoshopping on Madonna's new fragrance ad. 

* “I think every woman does want to be objectified," Cameron Diaz tells The Sunday Times. "There’s a little part of you at all times that hopes to be somewhat objectified, and I think it’s healthy."

Aussie journo streaks on Rihanna's plane

Aussie journalist Tim Dormer has grabbed headlines around the world after streaking on Rihanna's tour plane. 

Rihanna invited 150 journalists and fans to join her on a seven-day leg of her 777 tour, from Berlin to London. It should have been the trip - and story - of a lifetime.

But the passengers are hungry, fatigued and barely even see the pop star. So Tim, the host of Channel 10's The Hit list, decided to streak to spice things up. 

"I was just in the bathroom and was like, 'Hell it's 3am and we're on an airplane and have been flying for ages," he  told Yahoo.

"Plus I have a massive crush on Sydney, one of the air hostesses."

Not even Tim's bare white butt roused Rihanna from the first-class section.

"Crowd chanted 'Just one quote!,' 'I need a headline!' and 'Occupy 777' while Aussie journo stripped naked and ran around the plane," journalist Jason Newman Tweeted. 

Journalist Mary H.K. Choi added: "The Australian with the harmonica STREAKED the plane as the press corp chanted. #RIHANNAPLANE #WHEREHAVEYOUBEENALLTHISFLIGHT,"she Tweeted. 

Dormer has become very popular on Twitter, telling one follower who enquired if he'd be stripping again:  "I think I'm just ur average Aussie guy who likes to have fun, sometimes with my clothes off."

See the footage here. 


Hot pics & clicks

* Speaking of stripping, James Van Der Beek bares all on an upcoming episode of his TV show, The B---- In Apartment 23.

* Stop the presses! Heidi Klum has tweeted a pic of herself eating junk food with the caption: "Finishing off a great night at @theAMAs with a great friend, @desireegruber & a great meal from @McDonalds!"

* Selena Gomez has been spotted on Justin Bieber's arm at the 40th Annual American Music Awards after-party. Despite splitting and reuniting several times over the past week, the couple looked happy and comfortable together, even kissing several times. 

* Taylor Swift has been sent death threats by fans after rumours she is dating Harry Styles from One Direction. Among the tweets posted are: 'I’ll murder Taylor Swift. She will not date my Harry.' Another said: 'If u dating my harry, I kill u.'

* Check out Charlize Theron's buzz cut for Mad Max here.

* Hugh Grant poses for a photo with a fan while she breastfeeds ... really.  

Doctor Who battles evil snowmen in Xmas special

I love Christmas, being with my family, opening presents, eating fabulous food ... and watching the Doctor Who Christmas special (actually, that might just be my favourite bit, but don't tell anyone).

So I was beside myself to discover that the episode, which will air on Christmas night, stars Richard E. Grant as Dr. Simeon, an evil mastermind who commands an army of vicious snowmen.

It will also formally introduced to the Doctor's new companion, Clara, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Matt Smith is pretty excited about it all too: "For this year’s Christmas special we have the wonderfully villainous Richard E. Grant as Doctor Simeon. As well as lizards, Victorian assassins and deranged warriors from the future, who all return to convince the Doctor that he should board the Tardis again and save the world."

Click here for the prequel on youtube. See the ad for the Christmas special by clicking here. 

Justin & Selena's brief, bitter reunion

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's brief reunion has ended in tears. 

The pair enjoyed a 24-hour rendezvous at a swanky Beverly Hills hotel last week, then launched into the mother of all arguments and split again.

TMZ reports: "Bieber had a driver take him to LAX Wednesday night, where they picked up Selena ... and rolled over to her home. We're told Bieber spent the night at SG's place. 

"The next morning, the two hitched a ride to the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills ... but entered the building at separate times, presumably so no one would snap a shot of them together. " 

But it all fell to piece at a Japanese restaurant called Yamato, according to an observer. 

Just five minutes after entering the restaurant, the pair who split earlier this month after two years of dating, emerged again – with Selena looking visibly "mad," says the source. 

According to US Weekly: "They had just sat down and didn't order when they started to fight. Ten minutes later, they stormed out without speaking and she drove off in her car," the insider reveals of Bieber, 18, and Gomez, 20, who is said to have initiated the couple of two years' initial October split.

Stunned when Gomez stormed out of the restaurant, Bieber carried on "swearing and yelling" outside the eatery before following Gomez to her home and begging for her to allow him inside, according to the witness.

After leaving in separate cars, Bieber followed Gomez home, only be turned away at the door. TMZ.com posted photos of an angry looking Bieber outside a gated driveway.


Later that evening, Justin tweeted a cryptic message. "Things arent always easy," he wrote. "there is alot of pressure. im figuring it all out. im trying. but i care, i notice, i still hear u. #Beliebers" 

Katie keen for a Dawson's Creek reunion

James Van Der Beek spoofed the idea of a Dawson's Creek reunion on his show Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 earlier this season, but Jen, Pacey, and Joey failed to show. 

Now Katie Holmes has revealed she doesn't ruled out the idea of getting together with her former costars.

As a guest star on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, promoting her Broadway play Dead Accounts, she said she'd be open to revisiting the Creek with James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps. 

"I love everyone from the show," she said. "We have kind of talked about it here and there. But we're like, 'What do you do?' Because [in] our last episode, Michelle's character passed away ... I don't know ... Maybe we'll go on vacation - that [would] be fun - and just film it!"

"So if there was a good story, you would do it," Fallon clarified.

"Yeah, absolutely," she said.

Are Britney and Jason on the rocks?

Dlisted has expressed his distress that Britney Spears and Jason Trawick's relationship is looking rocky: "Radar says that the court-appointed romance between Brit Brit and Jason Trainwreck is almost as dead as her delivery on The X-Factor. Juicy Couture has stopped making a custom-made velour gown and UGGs have stopped bedazzling a pair of fleece bridal flip-flops, because Brit Brit and Jason's December wedding isn't going to happen. Some source says that Brit Brit is tired of Jason acting like he's her master even though there's a legal document on file that says he is. The source said this:

"Britney and Jason had planned to get married at the end of December, but they have been fighting non-stop so the wedding has now been called off. They are telling their friends it's being postponed, but they will probably never make it down the aisle. Britney doesn't think Jason is any fun and resents him because he acts more like a second father than a romantic partner, or equal. Britney and Jason have been sleeping in separate bedrooms for a very long time. She has been staying in a hotel during the week because of the live X Factor shows, and although Jason stays at the same hotel, he is in a room adjacent to hers. Jason feels like he is Britney's babysitter and it's pretty much just a business arrangement at this point. Jason does love Britney and the boys, but he just can't see himself spending the rest of his life with her.

Britney's parents are absolutely devastated that the wedding has been called off. Lynne is very close to Jason and views him as one of her children. Meanwhile, Jamie feels that Jason shouldn't have proposed to Britney if his heart wasn't in it, and feels a little betrayed. It doesn't help matters that both Jamie and Jason are co-conservators of Britney. The whole situation is just sad for everyone."

But The Daily Mail reports: "Britney's publicist Jeff Raymond, however, has brushed off the reports as 'desperate' - insisting to MailOnline the claims are untrue.

Mr Raymond did not give details of when the wedding would take place.

Lindsay's new movie SLAMMED

The Hollywood Reporter critic Tim Goodman has described Lindsay Lohan's performance in the telemovie Liz & Dick as 'half train wreck, half SNL skit' and denounced it as "spectacularly bad' in a scathing review.

"And the best part is that it gets worse as it goes on," he says. "By the time Lohan is playing mid-’80s Taylor and it looks like a lost Saturday Night Live skit, your body may be cramped by convulsions."

Hot pics & clicks

* George Clooney's squeeze Stacey Kiebler posted an image of herself on Twitter covered in mud during a visit to the Dead Sea.


* Check out Owen Wilson's super-cute toddler son here.

* Octomum has rechristened her brood The Rocktuplets and they've recorded a song called I'm Ready For Christmas. See the youtube video here. 

* Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr have had a son called Rocky James Prinze, 

Zac Efron: "I think I'm in love" with Rebel Wilson

                      

New besties Zac Efron and Aussie actress Rebel Wilson went to a Los Angeles Lakers game together this week and shared a series of tweets and pics from the event.

Zac posted a shot of himself kissing Rebel's cheek on his WhoSay account, captioning it: "She's a Laker fan too? I think I'm in love."

At halftime, Rebel wrote: "Hanging with main man Zac, freestyle rapping, etc." Then: "I had two hot dogs at half time! Wait, that wasn't supposed to be rude."

Lindsay's mum: I hate cocaine

Dina Lohan has told Entertainment Tonight that her daughter Lindsay Lohan lied when she said her mum was snorting cocaine the night they had fisticuffs in a limo and the police were called. 

Her exact words: 

"Absolutely lied. We were having an argument, it escalated. She just wanted to hurt me at that moment. You know, mothers [and] daughters, we fight. I hate cocaine. I don't do cocaine.

I'm so proud of her for telling the truth because it destroyed me. I mean, I cried for weeks. It just hurt me so bad and she knew how horrible that was, and she came clean and told the truth that she lied. I'm very proud of her for that, which is very difficult to have to do. There's so much more to the story than the public sees, and it takes its toll on my children and myself, and we're just trying to move forward."

Dlisted says: "White Oprah went on to say, "No, I really, really hate cocaine. I hate cocaine more than I hate working and that says a lot. Wait, do you have any coke on you? I'm only asking because I can't even be in the same room with the stuff. I don't even know what it looks like! But if you have any, give it to me and I'll throw it away in the bathroom. While I'm flushing that Satan powder down the toilet in the bathroom, you might hear me snorting and sniffling. That's just me having an allergic reaction to cocaine. Yes, I'm allergic to it. Cocaine even hates me! No, seriously, do you have any?"

Is Taylor still secretly dating a Kennedy?

Reports have surfaced suggesting Taylor Swift faked her break-up with Conor Kennedy:

“Taylor and Conor are pretending to everyone that they’ve split up, and so far they’ve done a really good job of convincing friends – and even the press – that it’s true,” a source told Showbiz Spy. “The lovers hatched the scheme because the Kennedys were putting huge pressure on Conor, saying he needs to concentrate on getting through high school and into a top college."

Hot pics & clicks

* Jonah Hill tweeted a photo of himself pretending to lick the cover of People magazine, featuring Channing Tatum as the Sexiest Man Alive. He captioned the pic: "@channingtatum you've always been the sexiest man alive to me! (Congrats pal!)" 

* Check out Kristen's Stewart's see-through bodysuit on the red carpet by clicking here. 

* Psy joined Madonna on stage at her New York concert on November 13 for a Gangnam-style duet.

* On an upcoming episode of Modern Family, Phil throws a boys’ night that turns into an accidental gay tryst with guest star Matthew Broderick.

* TMZ is reporting that: "Russell Brand was tooling around Hollywood in his Range Rover at around 9 AM, when he accidentally smashed into a homeless guy's shopping cart, filled with recyclables and other stuff. But Russell knows when he makes a mess -- he quickly jumped out of his car and helped the homeless guy pick up the stuff and place it back in the cart. The homeless guy wasn't hurt -- and went on his merry way."

* Ellen DeGeneres throws a "bridal tea party" on her show to celebrate Keira Knightly's upcoming nuptials. 

Who's the sexiest man alive?

People magazine has crowned Channing Tatum its "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2012. Meh. He doesn't do it for me. I mean, Magic Mike was stirring, but ... nah. 

Channing admits he's startled by his win too: "My first thought was, 'Y'all are messing with me,'" he tells People. The actor, who is married to actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum adds. "I told Jenna after we'd been in the bathtub washing our dogs because they'd gotten skunked."

"She was like, 'What?'"

"Yeah, she calls me [the Sexiest Man Alive] now." 

Jenna adds: "People know him to be fun and sexy, but they don't know how emotionally deep and spiritually open he is. He is such an open-hearted person; what you see is what you get." 

Sex abuse claim against Elmo puppeteer recanted

Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo on Sesame Street, was granted a leave of absence from the program last week following an accusation from an unidentified male that he had sex with him at age 16. 

On Tuesday the law firm that represents the accuser released a statement to the Los Angeles Times, recanting the claim. 

The accuser "wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship," the statement from Andreozzi & Associates says. "He will have no further comment on the matter." 

Dlisted says: "Before you start thinking that the accuser got a little visit from the Sesame Street Mafia (Snuffleupagus, Count Von Count, Rosita and Telly Monster),TMZ is hearing that he might've been paid off. TMZ's sources (aka those Elmo-hating hillbilly Muppets at Fraggle Rock) say that the accuser's lawyer and Kevin's lawyer met today to talk about money. Apparently, Kevin Clash put a 6-figure settlement on the table."

Madonna strips for Hurricane victims

While performing at New York's Madison Square Garden on Monday, Madonna stripped in exchange for fans donating money to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

"I went down to Rockaway Beach yesterday with my children, and we saw what was going on there, we saw the destruction," she said. "It was really sad, but we also saw amazing acts of humanity. People sharing with other people, people working hard, cleaning houses, handing out food, blankets, giving love."

She then encouraged the audience to throw cash at the stage as she performed a slowed-down version of "Like a Virgin".

"If you are going to look at the crack of my a--, you better raise some cash!" she yelled to the crowd.

Janeane: I didn't know I was married for 20 years

(A refresher: Janeane Garofalo starred in one of my favourite twentysomething movies, Reality Bites - she's the one above in the yellow tights - and The Truth About Cats & Dogs.*) 

Dlisted reports: "Anybody who was born after 1994 is probably like, "Who's Janeane Garofalo?" and that's the same question her husband of 20 years asked recently. We all have a secret husband we forgot we were married to and Janeane Garofalo found out about hers last week. During a reunion for "The Ben Stiller Show" at The New York Comedy Festival on Saturday, Janeane told the audience that she was married to one of the show's writers for 20 years and didn't know it.

“Rob and I got married, for real, which we had to have a notary dissolve not 30 minutes before we got here tonight. We were married for 20 years until this evening. We got married drunk in Vegas . . . We dated for a year, and we got married at a drive-through chapel in a cab. [We thought] you have to go down to the courthouse and sign papers and stuff, so who knew? We were married, and apparently now that [Rob] is getting married for real, his lawyer dug up something.”

* PS Wikipedia also tells me: "Director Cameron Crowe ... offered her the leading lady role in Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise if she could lose weight; after trimming down, however, she learned that Renée Zellweger had won the part instead." Nice.

Mariah Carey is a non-nappy-changing diva

Mariah Carey's hubby Nick Cannon has revealed on Anderson Live that his wife isn't keen on doing diaper duty.  

He told the show's host: "It's a good time! Right now, the kids run the house. We are just running and chasing after them and then my wife is being the diva that she is. I am trying to keep up with them."

When the host asked if Mariah was "a big diaper changer" and "who changes the most?" Nick laughed and replied, "Me".

He added: "I mean we all do it but for some reason I get that duty a little bit more. I am not scared of it. I go in, I put the gloves on. Real men change diapers!"

Miley's wedding dress secrets

Ellen stars Sophia Grace and Rosie had Miley Cyrus to tea during their regular slot on the show this week and managed to wheedle some wedding details out of the singer.

Sophia Grace asked: "What will your wedding dress look like?"

"I’m going to guess something much like yours," Miley answered. "Like you have on now. A little frill, maybe no colour.

"Probably just white, but something you know, poufy. We got to have the pouf, you know so you look real small here (pointing at her waist) and then all pouf."

Am I being too PC thinking the small waist thing isn't something you should say to a small child?

PS Miley copped a storm of Twitter abuse overnight for tweeting: "Nothing makes you feel uglier than someone saying your beautiful on the inside." She defended herself saying: "Everyone calm down. I was kidding about that! Inside joke. If your offended by that you obviously don't get my humor. Sorrrrrrals!"

Courtney and Brian's lunch date

When Courtney Cox and David Arquette separated, rumours swirled that the reason was her relationship with Cougar Town co-star Brian Van Holt. The fires were stoked when David accused the pair of having an "emotional affair". 

Now Courtney and Brian have been spotted heading to lunch together on their day off from filming the show. Could this mean love or are they just friendly co-star? See the pics here .

Hot pics & clicks

* Lady Gaga wore a Statue of Liberty costume on stage in Brazil earlier this week in support of Hurricane Sandy victims.

* The Daily Mail newspaper is describing the trailer for Lindsay Lohan's new film, The Canyons, as trying "to disguise what's blatantly some pretty awful acting under the stylings of a kitschy '50s style thriller but doesn't quite manage it." See the trailer by clicking here. 

* Eva Longoria shared a photo of herself with celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves on WhoSay showing off a messy cropped hairstyle similar to Miley Cyrus's pixie cut. She captioned the pic: “You guys like the new hairdo??” She set the record straight a few minutes later,  tweeting: “Ok I’m kidding, it’s a wig!”

* Kelly Osbourne comforts Hurricane Sandy victims as a volunteer for The Salvation Army. 

* Jon Bon Jovi's oldest daughter, Stephanie Rose Bongiovi, has been arrested at her university, Hamilton College, after an alleged heroin overdose.

* US Magazine has reported on the outrageous behaviour of Brad Pitt's kids every time they visit his hometown pizza parlor: "The brood goes bananas at Arris' Pizza!

"The place shuts down for the entire night and the kids raise a ruckus," says the insider of Maddox, 11, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 6, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 4. "They jump on tables and even throw food at each other!"