Robin Sachs, Ethan Rayne, from Buffy The Vampire Slayer died Feb. 1st.

The actor ‘s website announced the news today:

This is a post we never thought we would have to write…

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Robin Sachs.

Please join us in raising a glass to Robin – goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much. 

Di, Sharon and everyone at robinsachs.com

Sachs was also on Babylon 5.

Manti Te’o has left Twitter and just about everyone in American can agree on this development.  No word on if the move is permanent, but @MTeo_5 is ‘afk’.  Perhaps he’s ready for the spotlight to fade on his strange and twisty ‘Catfish’ romance with the girl who never was. 

The admitted hoax mastermind, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, made more news last week when his two-part interview with Dr. Phil was aired.  In that interview, Tuiasosopo claimed a history of molestation, a revelation that has stunned his family.  Did he impersonate a female voice to fool Te’o? Dr. Phil said, “They all say, with scientific certainty, that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is the female voice in those recordings.”

More than likely, Te’o was making a statement that he’s ready to move on and prepare for the NFL Draft.  His price tag has gone down in football circles and it’s time to get back to business.  For the time being, Te’o has to play for the love of football and not the love of a ‘girlfriend’.

Kids these days!

At 7 years old, Zora Ball has become the youngest person to create a mobile video game app.

The first grader used Bootstrap programming language to create the game.  Bootstrap is for the ages of 12 through 16 for learning algebra concepts.  Ball’s app was introduced in January at the University of Pennsylvania’s Bootstrap Expo.

Bell attends Harambee Institute of Science and Technology in Philadelphia and has an academically gifted older brother.  She demonstrated her abilities by reconfiguring the app at the expo.

Bobbi Kristina Brown will not be reading Cissy Houston’s book, Remembering Whitney.  

The only child of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown is boycotting the book tell-all that covers her mother’s drug abuse, marriage and allegations of homosexuality.  Bobbi took it to Twitter, urging her followers to join her boycott and believes that the book is disrespectful to her mother.

Touche’, because Cissy Houston doesn’t like the television show, The Houstons: On Our Own, which stars Bobbi K. Brown and other Houston family members.  She’s not letting Bobbi’s opinion keep her from promoting the book.

Cissy Houston Discusses Her Granddaughter, Bobbi Kristina

Three months after Whitney Houston’s death, members of her family started shooting the reality series The Houstons: On Our Own. It was the first time the public saw a glimpse of the tension between Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina—also known as Krissy—and Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston. Watch as Cissy tells Oprah why Bobbi Kristina didn’t want her to write a book about Whitney. Plus, Cissy addresses speculation that her granddaughter is on drugs.

Watch the first hour below.

A scandal puts Bombshell’s fate in jeopardy, while new talent is discovered in an unexpected place. “On Broadway” and “The Fallout” air back-to-back in a special premiere event!

On the first day of senior year, Jeff reveals some news that threatens to tear apart the study group. Meanwhile, Dean Pelton holds an elaborate competition dubbed “The Hunger Deans.

American Idol loves a good sob story and they seem to get more dramatic with each crop of contestants.  This production fail is what earned The Voice a spot in my DVR.  Fast forwarding is a great feature and I think half of them are lying.  

It’s been uncovered that an American Idol contestant who appeared on the January 30th episode is a war poser.  Matt Farmer received a golden ticket to California from Mariah, Keith and Randy and he was in the Army, but I guess he felt that he needed more drama to make it on camera and to Hollywood.  

First, he brought his little girl into the audition with him and said that with the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) he received after getting hit with a bomb, he wasn’t sure he could father a child.  

Farmer blamed editing at first, but the heat was on when the people he served with made phone calls to Stolen Valor and news outlets to set the record straight.  He then wrote, “I was told to keep quiet and not talk to anyone, and I have decided that what’s best for me and my family is to come out and end the insanity.”  “Again I apologize to everyone that I have come across and hurt or lied too.”  “I at no time was a sniper, was never deployed to Afghanistan, did a single tour in Iraq, and was never at any time hit or wounded by an IED.”

See the lies for yourself below.  To read more about this story, Stolen Valor’s Facebook page for all the details. 

That golden ticket was rescinded by production. 

But wait, there’s more!

Can these shows stop with the heartbreak competitions and focus on the singing?

(Video) This Tuesday on OWN, Lisa Ling turns the cameras of Our America onto her own life as she explores dealing with an aging parent.

Our America hits closer to home than ever before. For the first time, Lisa Ling turns the cameras on her own life and as she struggles to cope with the challenges of her aging father.

Tune in for an all-new episode of Our America with “Secret Lives of Seniors” on Tuesday, February 5th at 10/9c, only on OWN.

Preview: Lisa Ling Turns the Cameras on Her Own Life

Our America hits closer to home than ever before. For the first time, Lisa Ling turns the cameras on her own life and as she struggles to cope with the challenges of her aging father. Tune in for an all-new episode of Our America with “Secret Lives of Seniors” on Tuesday, February 5th at 10/9c, only on OWN.

Who had the Best Week Ever? 

If you haven’t heard of this hilarious show on VH-1, you should check out the highlights below for a round-up of the week’s pop culture news. 

I was heartbroken when the show went off the year a few years ago and was ecstatic to see the it was back.  It’s just three episodes into the new season with a great cast of commentators talking about everything in reality TV, entertainment news and pop culture.

Comedian, Nick Turner, hits on the finer points of the recent episodes of Vanderpump Rules, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Killer Karaoke

Bel Ami

Christina Ricci, 32, has announced that she’s engaged to dolly grip, James Heerdegen.  They met on the set of Pan Am.

Ricci, a former child star, has never been married before.  

Since the cancellation of Pan Am, Ricci has been in several projects.  She stars with Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman in Bel Ami. (Video)

Tomorrow’s the big day (for football fans) and that means a slew of new, hot commercials are rolling out.

Mercedes-Benz is introducing a new vehicle starring Usher and Kate Upton.

Here is a tease for Samsung, starring Seth Rogan, Axe Apollo and Allstate, starring Mayhem, that will debut during tomorrow’s game.

Reddit

What would Jesus do?

A Missouri pastor decided to pass on tipping her waitress at Applebee’s because the 18% gratuity for her party was more than the 10% that, “I give God.”  

The server snapped a photo of the pastor’s written explanation and fellow waitress, Chelsea Welch, uploaded it to Reddit.  Applebee’s management fired Welch after Pastor Alois Bell complained that her reputation was ruined by the posting. 

A friend of Bell’s told her that she was went viral and now the Truth In World Deliverance Ministries Church pastor says that her note on the receipt was a lapse in judgement.  Bell said that, “I’ve brought embarrassment to my church and ministry.”

The gratuity was not added by the server.  Applebee’s register automatically adds it for parties over 8.  The total bill for Pastor Bell’s party was $34.93.

Dan & Claire Marino

What did Dan Marino, a former Miami Dolphins Quarterback, give his wife for their wedding anniversary?  An official public statement confirming that he fathered a child out-of-wedlock in 2005. 

The NY Post broke the exclusive story just days away from Marino’s CBS Super Bowl broadcasting duties this Sunday.  Marino and Donna Savattere, a former CBS Sport production assistant, had a fling that resulted in the birth of Chloe.  Marino has been married for 28 years and fathered six children.  He moved Savattere and Chloe to Texas and paid millions in support. 

In a statement to the Post, Marion said, “This is a personal and private matter. I take full responsibility both personally and financially for my actions now as I did then.  We mutually agreed to keep our arrangement private to protect all parties involved.”

Here’s a sneak peek at the interview Dr. Phil conducted with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man behind the Manti Te’o hoax.

Part one of the interview airs Jan. 31st on the Dr. Phil Show.

Tuiasosopo claims that he was in love with Te’o and that the Notre Dame football player was not involved in the ruse.

Sad news from the Aspen, Colorado Winter X Games.  Caleb Moore, a Texas snowmobiler, passed away from injuries sustained in a crash last week during the finals.

The 25-year-old had been in critical condition after walking off the course following the incident.  Moore was attempting a back-flip when his snowmobile landed on him.  He developed bleeding around his heart and had surgery on Friday.  Complications developed in his brain over the weekend.  

Moore’s family released a statement today saying, “The family wishes to express their deep gratitude for all the prayers and support they have received from all the fans, friends and family around the world that Caleb has inspired.”

Caleb and his younger brother, Colten, have been involved in the X Games for three years, both winning medals.  Colten, 23-years-old, was also injured at the competition last Friday and has been released.

Poor Nicki has joined the no Grammy nominations club and she’s at peace with that.  Minaj’s Pink Friday album garnered the pop/rap artist three nominations last year, but now she can relax and enjoy the show, just like Justin Bieber.

Why the nomination chill?  The singer said in an interview, “I think that the Grammy’s had a different reason, that I do not want to discuss … and that’s just between me and them.” Minaj does want the Recording Academy to consider her in the future.  
Perhaps it was the rapid change in style that she took on her second album, Roman Reloaded?  Both albums have had commercial success, but Minaj has had to answer to claims of being a sell out to get on the pop charts.   

Is Minaj’s music style hurting her career?

New additions to Bon Temps have been announced for the 6th season of True Blood on HBO.  

True Blood fans are in for a treat with the additions of Creighton Burrell as the Governor of Louisiana, played by Arliss Howard who is known for Moneyball and Rubicon.  Creighton’s daughter, Willa, will be played by Amelia Rose Blaire from 90210.  

From the cult followed Friday Night Lights, Jurnee Smollett-Bell joins as ‘do-gooder’ Nicole Jannsen. 

Happy Birthday, Adam Lambert. 

The former American Idol 8 runner-up is turning his big day into a charitable event for the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF). 
Lambert is asking fans to donate $31 to the non-profit WAFF for his 31st birthday.  Fans can also record a short birthday message to him, billed as the world’s biggest birthday card.  

We Are Family tweeted that donations reached $16,000 by Sunday night.  The foundation is having a Celebration Gala in New York City on January 31st honoring Lambert with a Unity Award, Dr. Jeni Stepanek with the Mattie J. T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award and Daniel Stern with a Visionary Award.  Hosts will be Rosie Perez and Touré.  

Lambert will perform with music legends, Nile Rodgers and Chic. 

If you missed Saturday Night Live this past weekend, one of the highlights was Adam Levine, singer and The Voice judge, spoofing MTV‘s Catfish star, Nev Schulman.

Twitter buzz indicates that he did a great job. Judge for yourself!

Rock legend, Tina Turner, is officially seeking Swiss citizenship.  The Nutbush, Tennessee native has lived in Zurich, Switzerland for 20 years with her German manager/partner,  Erwin Bach.  

Formerly known as Anna Mae Bullock, Turner, 73, rose to fame with her ex-husband, the late Ike Turner, with hits such as Proud Mary.  She left the abusive relationship and forged a successful solo career with Private Dancer and her vibrant stage presence.  
Turner told Blick, a German newspaper, “I am very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. I could not imagine a better place to live.”  

Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries and several of the wealthy and famous call it home like Phil Collins, Roger Moore, Shania Twain and Boris Becker. 

Well, this picture is really going to change.

Army Wives is not down and out.  The Lifetime show has added several new cast members for the upcoming 7th season, currently in production.  

The addition of Jesse McCartney, Nashville actor Burgess Jenkins and Broadway star Joshua Henry was announced after Ashanti, Torrey DeVitto and Elle McLemore signed on late last year.

Now Brooke Shields is checking into to the new Joint Base Marshall (formerly Army post Fort Marshall) as an Air Force C-17 pilot.  Her character, Kat Young, will go toe-to-toe with General Holden over Army/Air Force issues.  This seems realistic as more real life military installations share space with other branches, hence the ‘Joint Base‘ name change.  

Sally Pressman, ‘Roxy’, is moving from her regular to recurring role and Kim Delaney is leaving the show.  

Will this re-birth of Army Wives be enough to keep it running past the upcoming season? Tune in for the premiere episode in March.
 

Suspense, anxiety, longing.  That’s not what Rick and our crew were saying here, but it’s what I’m feeling as the date fast approaches.  The Walking Dead returns February 10th on AMC.

From AMC “With his group in tatters, his sanity in question, and his own son questioning his every move, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) must somehow pull everyone together to face their greatest challenge — the Governor (David Morrissey). In order to survive, he must risk everything, including the group’s very humanity.”

Fellow TWD heads, enjoy. Looks like Michonne has earned a gun of her own!

Rachel Zoe is back with a ‘bang’. She has her own fashion label now and is considering expanding her family.  Bad news for her Rachel Zoe collection, however.  It was dropped by Selfridge’s in Britain and from the floors of Saks Fifth Avenue.  The girl may be down, but she’s not out.

What’s in store for the season 5 premiere of The Rachel Zoe Project?

Stylist, designer and mom Rachel Zoe is set to debut her spring collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City with the help of her team and son Skyler by her side. But when a gossip column prints a story that her collection is failing, she must pull out all the stops for her first big show. . .while still making time to check out other designers like Prabal Gurang, Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, and Michael Kors. Can she rise above the fray and launch her career as a major designer, or will her critics get the best of her?

 

Mercedes-Benz

If you’re watching the Superbowl and you don’t like football, it’s probably for the commercials, right?

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is the home of this year’s Superbowl, so it’s no surprise that the car maker has landed prize ad time during the game.

Below is the super quick teaser for the ad introducing the Mercedes-Benz CLA Class and featuring Usher and Kate Upton.

Watch for the full length commercial on February 3rd.

Former America’s Top Model winner, Lisa D’Amato, was involved in a potentially career ending accident. 

She was doing a handstand against a crew member on the set of Cowboys and Indians.  They fell and her face bears the evidence.  Lisa was rushed to the hospital and then to a plastic surgeon.  Time will tell how well she’ll heal, but she’s doing it with humor and happily preparing for her honeymoon.  

Photos below were shared from Lisa’s Instagram account and are not for the soft of stomach, so you’ve been warned. 

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Lisa D’Amato FB

NFL-Trent Williams

The annual Pro Bowl, airing live this Sunday, January 27th from Honolulu, Hawaii will have an injured player on the sideline before the game even starts. 

Trent Williams, a Washington Redskins offensive tackle, was injured when a fight broke out at a Honolulu nightclub this morning. 

NFL-Matt Kalil

He required seven stitches from being hit in the head with a champagne bottle and was tasered.  Williams was a victim and not a participant in the altercation.  This would have been his first Pro Bowl. 

A league spokesman told Pro Football Talk, “Trent Williams was the victim of an assault at a nightclub in central Honolulu early this morning, and another individual has been arrested.”  “Due to an injury sustained during the assault, he will not play in the Pro Bowl and has been replaced by Minnesota Vikings tackle, Matt Kalil.”

NBC will air the Pro Bowl live starting at 7 pm ET this Sunday. 

Fox News Channel confirmed today that Sarah Palin is not returning as a paid contributor.  The former vice presidential candidate’s three year contract has recently ended.  

Palin’s appearances were cut back last year after her Facebook rant against the network during the Republican National Convention.  She had planned to comment on McCain’s speech at the GOP convention in August of 2012, but her time slot for that evening was cancelled and she posted the following: 

“I’m sorry Fox cancelled all my scheduled interviews tonight because I sure wanted to take the opportunity on the air to highlight Senator John McCain’s positive contributions to America, to honor him, and to reflect on what a biased media unfairly put him through four years ago tonight. Granted, our honored and esteemed war hero has gone through much more than the liberal media can ever do to him in their efforts to harm this patriot. I look forward to hearing his words to his fellow Americans tonight more than any of the other convention speeches. God bless John McCain. Thank you for everything. And happy birthday, my friend.The network maintained that the RNC schedule was the catalyst for the scheduling adjustment. “

Palin was hired because she was “hot and got ratings,” according to their president, Roger Ailes. 

US Weekly

Wednesday morning’s US Weekly magazine came as a shock to Brandi Glanville of  The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills show on Bravo. 

The cover story is fellow cast member, Adrienne Maloof, with the quotes “Brandi Tried To Destroy My Family, “The truth behind the explosive fight that TV couldn’t show! And why Brandi used Adrienne’s surrogacy secret against her.”  

Gulp

Brandi told The Huffington Post, “I’ve never tried to ruin anyone’s family. I was simply protecting my own, “I think Adrienne did a nice job of ruining her own family when she accused her husband of child abuse. She did this, not me.”

Did Brandi know that this was coming as she set off for New York City to appear on the Bravo show, Watch What Happens Live earlier this week? Did Bravo Andy know?

Interesting to see Adrienne using the press to get stories out just like she had accused another cast mate, Lisa Vanderpump, of doing.

Was Adrienne wrong for doing this? Is Brandi responsible for the Maloof family problems (besides the one that ends in ‘Stewart’.) Or did the Maloof problems pre-date Brandi’s being on the show?  What say you?
 

People

It’s about to be on and popping.  Jason Hoppy has filed his response to the divorce petition from Bethenny and it’s everything she’s asked of him with one special request.

According to TMZ, both parties want primary custody of Bryn, both parties want child support, both parties want the marital residence exclusively, both parties want medical, dental and life insurance provided for by the other and to be beneficiaries on each other’s life policies for Bryn.  You see what he did there?

Jason is also asking his estranged wife to cover the cost of his attorney and accountant.  

What happens next?  Mediation, settlement, court?

Hoppy’s response shows that he’s here to play ball.  May the best lawyer win.

Oh Chuck!

Peter Robbins, the voice of ‘Peanuts’ character Charlie Brown, started the new year with a restraining order from Dr. Lori Saltz, a plastic surgeon who Robbins claimed botched his girlfriends procedure.  He threatened to “break her in half.”

Less than two weeks later, Robbins allegedly skipped out on paying for a restaurant meal and was arrested.  He threatened a San Diego cop during this time and jailed.  

After returning from Tijuana, Mexico on Sunday, Robbins was arrested and held on $550,000 bail.  He faces six felony charges for the threats and stalking.  An arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, January 23rd.  According to current San Diego law enforcement records, he has not been released and has another court appearance on January 28th.  

Atari is filing for bankruptcy after 40 years in the video game market.  The logo and game titles will be sold off in a move to separate from its French parent company after a 50% dip in share prices over the past year.

Atari, born in 1972 and a gaming pioneer, has kept up with the changes and trends in technology by going mobile and digital with its products.  Atari Greatest Hits and Asteroids Gunner are part of their iOS and Android platforms. More games are in the post-bankruptcy plans.

That’s a long way from the days of the Atari 2600.  Who hasn’t heard of Space Invaders, Asteroids, Centipede, Pac-Man and Pong?

By the way, some Atari games are worth thousands today!

Before you meet the new designers, meet the new judge.  Zac Posen is coming on board in place of fellow designer, Michael Kors.  He oversees House of Z: Zac Posen and ZSpoke.  The fashion phenom has made his mark worldwide in the industry and is a formidable replacement for Kors.  Check out his collections here. 

Now on to the designers!

A team is only as strong as its weakest link…but only ONE Project Runway designer can be the winner, so who will play nice and who won’t this season? As 16 talented designers from across the country arrive to The Big Apple, they will have to prove they can create, construct and collaborate their way to Fashion Week for “Project Runway” Season 11 – Teams Edition, premiering Thursday, January 24, at 9.8c.

In the premiere episode, the designers will use New York as their inspiration to create their garments but discover working in teams for the entire season will challenge their patience and creativity. The designers will have to watch their backs while keeping their eyes on the prize as they work together to impress Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, NinaGarcia and featured judge Zac Posen and guest judge, Season 4 “Project Runway” winner Christian Siriano.

And the Season 11 designers are:

Amanda Valentine, 31 – Hometown: Nashville, TN; Resides in Lincoln, NE

Benjamin Mach, 35 – Hometown: Sydney, Australia; Resides in London, England

Cindy Marlatt, 59 – Hometown: Kent, WA; Resides in Kent, WA

Daniel Esquivel, 48 – Hometown: Dallas, TX; Resides in Austin, TX

Emily Pollard, 24 – Hometown: Richfield, OH; Resides in Falls Church, VA

James Martinez, 29 – Hometown: Dallas, TX; Resides in Fort Worth, TX

Joseph Aaron Segal, 30 – Hometown: Framingham, MA; Resides in Providence, RI

Kate Pankoke, 23 – Hometown: Eau Claire, WI & Parkland, FL; Resides in Chicago, IL

Layana Aguilar, 28 – Hometown: Valadares, Brazil; Resides in New York, NY

Matthew Arthur, 30 – Hometown: Hammond, LA; Resides in New Orleans, LA

Michelle Lesniak Franklin, 34 – Hometown: Portland, OR; Resides in Portland, OR

Patricia Michaels, 46 – Hometown: Taos, NM; Resides in Taos, NM

Richard Hallmarq, 39 – Hometown: Saramento, CA; Resides in Sacramento, CA

Samantha Black, 28 – Hometown: Bronx, NY; Resides in Fairfield, CT

Stanley Hudson, 45 – Hometown: Lynwood, CA; Resides in West Hollywood, CA

Tu Suthiwat Nakchat, 26 – Hometown: Chacheangsao, Thailand; Resides in Springfield, VA

The House Of Blues on Sunset Blvd. is the site of police activity tonight. 

Sunset Blvd was closed by police as they search for a suspected gunman who ran into the House Of Blues after a robbery next door. Steel Panther was set to perform before the incident. 

Police have drawn AR-15′s and sniper rifles. 

Barbara Walters is recovering in the hospital after falling on a stair at the British Ambassador’s residence on Saturday, Jan. 19. The TV veteran cut her forehead as a result of the incident but appears to be in relatively good shape otherwise.

“Out of an abundance of caution, she went to the hospital to have her cut tended to, have a full examination and remains there for observation,” said ABC News senior vice president Jeffrey W. Schneider. “Barbara is alert (and telling everyone what to do), which we all take as a very positive sign.”

Walters, 83, is in Washington, D.C., to cover President Barack Obama’s second Inauguration. However, word is  that because of her injury, she will not be able to contribute to ABC’s reporting tomorrow.

Big Rich Atlanta premieres on the Style Network on Jan. 23rd.  Mother-daughter duos like on Big Rich Texas who consider themselves part of the Atlanta elite.  Oh, and Ashlee, the “Park Avenue Princess” AKA “Boss Bitch” (see her clip below the following one).  Looking forward to this girl!

There’s drama, one-upping and an assault, y’all!  Are you tuning in?  I swear there are boom mic’s and cameras lined up all over the ATL with the productions they’re churning out.   

Renee shares the letter from Junior with Ramona. She’s convinced that he’s coming to get her.  How did such a threatening letter make it out of prison? Is Junior still in Witness Protection?

*As mentioned in our January SpreeCast chat with top reality casting guru, Doron Ofir!*

Now Casting: TUG OF WAR – The next great competition reality series by the producers of BIG BROTHER!!!!

Get ready for the greatest nostalgic adventure and the best summer of your life!

Doron Ofir Casting, the legendary casting company, is teaming up with the master producers of Big Brother and throwing down the gauntlet.

This is the challenge you’ve been waiting for – an all-new competition adventure show with a huge six figure prize!

We are seeking the biggest personalities, the greatest storytellers, the most unlikely candidates and the fiercest competitors to put together the ultimate cast for the premier season of this incredible recreation/survival series!

If you want to be considered, you must apply now!

Prepare for the fantasy summer experience you’ve always wanted and the chance to win a prize that could change your life forever.

The only requirements are you must be at least 25, appear under 40, fun, competitive and ready to disappear to an idyllic location to participate in a series of mental, social, and physical challenges.

Apply here

Prince will be the recipient of an Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards on May 19th.  His Purple Highness is also scheduled to perform at the show in the Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The 54-year-old super talent has had a wildly successful career in the music industry with 10 platinum albums and 30 Top 40 singles to his credit.  

Prince’s best known works are the album and movie, Purple Rain, I Wanna Be Your Lover and Little Red Corvette, but that list doesn’t even touch his contributions to the music industry.  The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee can’t be pinned down to a genre which has made him a legend to music lovers over the past 35 years. 

Colombian singing sensation, Shakira, is expecting her first child with Gerard Pique very soon.  They want to use this opportunity to help disadvantaged children through UNICEF with an online baby shower.  Donations will go to providing babies with such things as polio vaccines and therapeutic foods in impoverished locations. 

Shakira, a judge in next season’s The Voice, is a goodwill ambassador for the UN Children’s agency. 

This is great!  Take the publicity and attention from your pregnancy to do something for others.  Check it out here.

Who could forget the slap heard ’round the world from last summer’s most viral (and violent!) video?

If you’ve been wondering what happened to Mellie, the self-proclaimed black sheep of the Stanley family, wonder no more! She’s back — along with big sis Nettie, cousin Kayla and sister-in-law Laura. The women make up the rowdy ensemble of Gypsy Sisters, premiering Feb. 10.

Wild and wonderful West Virginia is the setting for the blinged-out brouhaha. Mother hen Nettie is keeping a close eye on Mellie, whose behavior lately has been anything but proper for a young, single gypsy woman. Mellie’s making a living and searching for love. Meanwhile, Kayla’s house is a nonstop circus since she’s taken in Laura’s family.

When the four women get together — whether it’s for a little fun or for some serious family business — the fists come out. Grab your bleach and your tightest dress. You’re going to want to look good for this premiere. Watch the sneak peek below!

Gypsy Sisters starts Sunday, February 10 9|8c.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish welcomed their second son on Friday, January 11th.  Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John was born via surrogate to the couple, married since 2010. 

They told Hello! magazine:  “The birth of our second son completes our family in a most precious and perfect way. It is difficult to fully express how we are feeling at this time; we are just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement.”

Elton and David also have son Zachary, 2-years-old.

Congratulations guys!

NOW CASTING: MTV’s Roommate Stories

People

That’s right, the Anger Management star is expecting a grandchild from his 28-year-old daughter, Cassandra Estevez. 

Charlie’s been on the radar for his own tantrums and out of control behavior, so maybe this news will center him even more.  He revealed the news on Monday night’s ‘s David Letterman show, telling Dave that “It’s like the world’s going to crack in half.”  The proud father of five is happy about the news, but still getting used to adding ‘grandfather’ to his list of credits. 

Cassandra Estevez was born to Sheen and his former high school sweetheart when he was nineteen-years-old.  He has two young children with actress Denise Richards and three-year-old twins with his troubled ex-wife, Brooke Mueller.

Estevez married Casey Huffman in 2010. 

Oxygen

A reality show got the kibosh due to strong public outcry.  All My Babies Mamas (how was this even a thought) will not see the light of day.  Sorry, Shawty Lo.  TVFishbowl covered the growing controversy about the one-hour special earlier this month. 
Oxygen released a statement today saying, “As part of our development process, we have reviewed casting and decided not to move forward with the special.  We will continue to develop compelling content that resonates with our young female viewers and drives the cultural conversation.”

Rapper, Shawty Lo, sought to show case his family of 11 children that he made with 10 women.  I’m not sure how this is programming that would interest the primarily female audience of the Oxygen network.  The premise caused outrage from social media, cultural and parental organizations.

 
The Parents Television Council President Tim Winter said, “Every time we think that the television industry couldn’t stoop any lower, sadly one of the networks steps forward to prove us wrong. This new project in development at Oxygen is grotesquely irresponsible and exploitive, and we urge the network to cease any further work on it immediately.” 

ColorofChange.org also advocated against All My Babies Mamas, lambasting Oxygen network’s fall from its original concept of empowering women to exploiting them with their “cheaply produced” programming.  ColorofChange released a statement today about the recent developments:   “After multiple conversations with Oxygen Media executives, the company informed us via email that a decision was made to cancel “All My Babies’ Mamas” late this afternoon. We thank Oxygen Media for taking this important step. The tremendous response from over 40,000 ColorOfChange.org members, coupled with national outrage from Black folks, sent a clear message that exploitative television shows like “All My Babies’ Mamas” are unacceptable.
The airing of a reality show like All My Babies’ Mamas would have reinforced many of the stereotypes about Black men and women that have power to influence public policy. Research shows that exploiting persistent racial stereotypes that marginalize Black Americans have real world consequences.”

I wonder what’s coming next?  Do you think this special should have aired?

Cate Cameron/AMC

The Killing is returning for season three.  This is great news for the show’s fans who thought it was over.  

Writing for the new season began a few weeks ago and production starts at the end of February.  Mireille Enos (Sarah Linden) and Joel Kinnaman (Stephen Holder), will continue with the series, while a few regulars will not.  

AMC’s president, Charles Collier said, “We have always believed in The Killing and remain extremely proud of it, which is why we all worked so hard to find a scenario that could give it new life.”

The Killing will explore a new murder case that brings Linden back into the role of detective to help Holder.  Hopefully, the show will not make the same audience mistake twice; leading them to believe that the Rosie Larsen case would be solved by the end of first season with no pay off.   

It was so refreshing to have the Scandal family back on my screen.  All but Sally.  The writers knew what they were doing by making that character so unlikeable. Who can root for her or Hollis?

Bye Bill Cosby! Seeing him kiss Olivia made me cringe so I’m glad he showed his true self and she put an end to whatever that was between them.  

The only thing that didn’t sell me was the water boarding scenes with Huck.  The punishers were way too happy to serve up the punches and it wasn’t getting them anywhere but closer to a dead suspect. The ONLY one they had.  Yes, I was eye rolling.  

I think Mellie and Liv were playing out a few Sister Wives moments tonight! What were they going to do if they lost him? Liv giving Mellie the verbal hysteria slap? I think Mellie has accepted the pecking order in Fitz’s eyes.

Harrison always works his targets like a champ.  Having more scenes with him in it makes me look forward to them getting back to the ‘case of the week’ routine.  Even Abby and Quinn were working their jobs and being 100% less annoying.  I was pleasantly shocked that Quinn got her assigned guy to say what she had instructed him to in front of the press. Props, girl.

So close to Quinn and Liv having the talk about Hollis, Cytron and her late boyfriend, but foiled again.  Welcome back Fitz! We see who you spoke to first.

Oh excuse me.   I was just stifling a yawn.  This couple never seemed real to me so I’m not at all surprised that Britney and Jason Trawick split. She’s taken her talents elsewhere, so that puts Jason, her former agent, out int he cold. 

I think this was a different kind of ‘beard’ fauxmance.  He’s served his purpose of making her appear normal after her breakdown  restoring confidence in her brand for television and a return to the studio.   Is she Ok?  That’s yet to be seen.  Britney, 31, is  still not in charge of her financial decisions.  Trawick, age 49, and Jamie Spears, her father, have full control.  Jason expects to be removed from this position post-breakup

So much going on with homegirl this week! Bounce back, B. 

Now Casting: ‘Aftermath’ Casting: Fantasy Apocalypse Boot Camp

From Doron Ofir:

You may remember last month I posted a casting call for couples and families looking to receive disaster preparedness training, yeah, so looks like it’s happening, and now we need to talk about it. Please share this too. Here’s the spiel:

Aftermath is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a few select candidates to receive the highest level of elite training from experts in the fields of survival, disaster preparedness, self defense, and leadership. This educational documentary series is currently looking for families, social groups, couples, and organizations to attend a 3 day fantasy apocalypse boot camp to master the skills to help them deal with the scenario of their choice.

Whether you’re looking to prepare your family for the next big hurricane, or ready your bowling team for a zombie attack, if you can present your case, you and your group will be flown to our elite training facility where you will receive the training you desperately need to survive and thrive in the aftermath. Get Ready.


The deadline on this is really tight, so I need you to reach out to me immediately to start the process. I’ll have an application for you to fill out and then we’ll have to do a short Skype interview. Contact me immediately at castingninja@gmail.com with your questions. If this isn’t for you, I’d appreciate it if you shared it on your timeline, because you probably know someone who really does want this training. So once again, Please Share, Email immediately, Survive the Apocalypse, thanks. 

LINK IS UP

Fill out the app here to save time.

Britney Spears is not returning for season 3 of X Factor.  Rumors were swirling last month that she didn’t deliver the wow factor that the audience and execs expected. 

Kevin Reilly of Fox said “Maybe some people were waiting for more drastic displays of some nature that never came, so for those expecting that, it didn’t happen. … She’s just an interesting figure who’s lived a unique life, and I thought she brought some of that.”

In plain English it means that she was boring, hired for her name and the ratings suffered.  The execs heard the complaints,  including the ones on social media sites.  LA Reid already announced that he was leaving the Simon Cowell series.

Who should replace Britney and LA Reid on X Factor?

Beyoncé’s February GQ cover photo and pictures were ‘leaked’ on the internet via Instagram.  The singer/actress is pictured in football themed attire just in time for her upcoming Superbowl halftime performance. 

She’s looking hot and fit.  I’m sure she has been working out hard in preparation for her big year of performances and the release of her directorial debut on HBO. 

Also impressed was singer/host, Nick Cannon, who was moved enough to tweet and then delete.  Good catch by International Business Times.  The internet is forever, Nick.

Was that his doing or wife Mariah Carey’s request?  Nothing sinister in the tweet, but Mariah also showed off her post-baby body this week in Australia.  

Both women look fabulous and healthy.