The Juice

Sienna Miller gets $79k in photo settlement

2008-11-21T13:24:02-05:00

Striking a blow for fame-hungry actresses regretting their notoriety everywhere, Sienna Miller scored a $79,000 out-of-court settlement from a photo agency she sued for alleged harassment. Can no one be followed 24 hours a day anymore?

David Sherborne, Miller's lawyer, said the settlement with Big Pictures U.K. Ltd. covers her complaints, the AP reports. The agency cannot photograph her at home on in her yard.

Allen Williams of Big Pictures U.K. Ltd. confirmed that the agency had reached a settlement with Miller and had no further comment to make, probably because they couldn't afford to. We'll remember this the next time the 26-year-old actress is begging for cheap PR.

[Photo: AP]

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Ashlee Simpson, Pete Wentz have a baby boy

2008-11-21T12:22:49-05:00

Ashlee Simpson finally popped Thursday night, giving birth to Pete Wentz's son, People says. And the name is a doozy: Bronx Mowgli Wentz. That makes the boy the 2008 Juice*y Baby Name of the Year favorite (nominations being taken now, awards coming out Dec. 19!

Wentz the younger weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 20 1/2 inches long, the mag says.

"Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy, and thank everyone for their well wishes," a spokesperson tells the mag.

We realize the initials make a nifty monogram of BMW, but seriously, why name your kid after the character in The Jungle Book? His name could have just as easily been Sebastian the Crab or Yellow Power Ranger.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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The 'Saved By Zero' commercial will kill you

2008-11-21T12:16:00-05:00

If you haven't heard, people really don't like Toyota's "Saved By Zero" ad. Now you know why.

Ben Affleck tours refugee camps in Congo while Jennifer Garner wins order against stalker

2008-11-20T15:33:29-05:00

It's been a long while since we've checked in on Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner (or Bennifer Redux, as we call them), especially since we stopped paying attention to Red Sox games. But the pair have been up to a lot, we've found.

Affleck has been talking to kids and aid officials in refugee camps in eastern Congo, his fourth visit since 2007.

"I'm not an expert in international affairs or diplomacy, but it doesn't take that to see the tremendous suffering here," he told the AP on Thursday in the capital, Goma. "It's not something that we as human beings can, in good conscience, ignore."

There's been an upswing in violence in the region between Laurent Nkunda's rebel loyalists and the nation's army, drawing attention to the region and bringing Ben back.

"I'm really glad that more people are paying more attention to (Congo) now but I'm really saddened that it's taken this uptick in violence to make that happen," Affleck said. "The primary reason I am here is to urge people to give money to the NGOs and charities doing hard work in eastern Congo on meager funds. And if people out there have an existing relationship with a charity, to urge that charity to get involved in eastern Congo. To let people know, 'Don't just read the horror stories in the newspapers and turn off.'"

Meanwhile, wifey Garner just got a court order against Steven Burky, a creepy fan with a documented mental disorder.

Burky has been writing her letters, following her to film sets and once knocked on the door of her L.A. home. In February he emailed a crew member on a set warning Garner of his wackadoo visions.

"The vision shows that a persecution may take place in broad daylight against Jennifer Garner for her faith in Jesus Christ," the e-mail read. "The vision showed Mrs. Garner surrounded by a mob in public. It also involves the possible emergence of a dark secret in America. The presence of illicit witchcraft going on in this country, and illicit sacrifices."

Garner pleaded in court papers that she fears for the safety of Ben, daughter Violet and her unborn child.

"Mr. Burky's repeated efforts to contact me, his delusional and paranoid letters, his appearance at my private residence, and his recent claims that I will be 'persecuted' in a manner that may result in my death are all extremely frightening," she wrote, the New York Daily News reports.

Burky has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from the family. Who needs to go to Congo to fear for your life?

[Photo: AP]

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Winona Ryder OD'd on Xanax during flight

2008-11-20T15:02:04-05:00

Time for your Juice* update on forgotten actresses: After yesterday's news that Winona Ryder was taken to the hospital following a flight to London from L.A., the U.K.'s Sun serves the skinny that the problem was taking too many pills. Surprises!

The 37-year-old apparently had a fear of flying and may have accidentally taken too many Xanax, the paper says. She allegedly collapsed twice during the 10-hour flight.

"She turned a deathly shade of pale," an unnamed passenger said. "It was scary."

The flight landed 22 minutes early on a priority landing (not emergency) and Ryder was taken to Hillingdon Hospital, where she was checked in under a false name.

"Our passenger services staff went with her to hospital," British Airways said, omitting its articles in a proper show of reservation. "We wish her well." She'll need those well wishes, if rumors that she had her stomach pumped at the hospital are true.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Madonna, Guy Ritchie reach settlement deal

2008-11-20T13:07:39-05:00

Guy Ritchie must want out of his marriage to Madonna pretty bad, because the Times of London says he's giving away any chance at her millions for custody of the kids. Is she that bad, Guy, or are you just that nice?

While Madge fans await an official notice from the Registry of the Family Division, the Times is saying sons Rocco, 8, and David, 3, will split their time between Britain and America, while Madonna's daughter Lourdes, 12, will live with her mom in the U.S. Lucky for those boys, huh?

That's a big concession from the Queen of Pop, who wanted all the kids to live exclusively in the States. But it's a bigger concession from Guy, who was entitled in principle to up to 50 percent of his wife's fortune. He's got his own (smaller) fortune to keep him warm, though. Better get those kids frequent flier cards.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Taco Bell calls out 50 Cent over promo lawsuit

2008-11-20T12:53:05-05:00

Taco Bell called 50 Cent a "self-described former drug dealer and hustler" trying to bolster his tough-guy image in court filings responding to a July suit the rapper brought against the fast-food chain for using his name to try to sell tacos, the New York Daily News reports.

"(Curtis) Jackson has used his colorful past to cultivate a public image of belligerence and arrogance and has a well-publicized track record of making threats, starting feuds and filing lawsuits," Taco Bell lawyer Robert Lehrburger wrote to a federal judge. "At the same time, Jackson holds himself out as a giver to charity and one who wants to give back to his community. This lawsuit is another of Jackson's attempts to burnish his gangsta rapper persona by distorting beyond all recognition a bona fide, good faith offer that Taco Bell made to Jackson."

That good faith offer was sending an open letter asking Fiddy to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent of 99 Cent for one day. If he showed up at a drive-thru and rapped his order, Taco Bell president Greg Creed promised to donate $10,000 to the rapper's favorite charity.

That didn't sit well with Mr. Cent, who filed the $4 million suit over copyright infringement for using his name in the promotion, in which he didn't take part (or even respond to). Taco Bell's lawyers said they were within their First Amendment rights.

"It makes me wonder why they would decide to use his name in their ad campaign if they think he's such a bad character," Fiddy's attorney, Peter Raymond, said. Well, they probably didn't think he was so bad until he sued them for seven figures.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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A quick break with Chinese Kung Fu Popeye

2008-11-20T12:15:47-05:00

Usually our movie knockoffs come out of Bollywood, but here's an awesome clip from a Chinese version of Popeye, spinach and all. Those mummies never knew what hit them.

Robert Downey Jr.: Salon's Sexiest Man Living

2008-11-20T12:07:21-05:00

Not to be outdone by People's selection of Hugh Jackman as Sexiest Man Alive!, Salon.com has chosen comeback kid Robert Downey Jr. as its "Sexiest Man Living." Uh-oh, it's time for a sex-off!

While People gushed that Jackman had a "Body of Doom" and was a loving father and devoted husband, Salon spouts off something about Downey's acting career. We don't read celebrity fluff for that.

"2008 thoroughly redeemed Downey, a man who commits to his roles the way he commits to everything, whether it's drugs, crazy behavior or comebacks," the site writes. "He starred in two of the biggest movies of this year, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, with performances so resounding that it's hard to imagine that he was ever anything less than a superstar."

Booooooo-ring. Tell the ladies what they want to hear, Salon: That he uses his six-pack abs to grate cheese for the omelet he cooks his wife Susan Levin every day for breakfast in bed before driving a Porsche to the orphanage to read the funnies to sick kids. That's what people want to hear, not "He wears his age and experience like a badge of honor and looks comfortable in his own gorgeous skin."

Although yeah, his movies are pretty good and he does have a sense of humor. Just sayin'.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Creepy tattoo questions plague Brad Pitt

2008-11-20T11:46:05-05:00

Think being a celebrity isn't tough? The biggest buzz coming out of Brad Pitt's interview with Oprah Winfrey is crazy fan Christina, who asked some creepy questions about his tattoos. The fact that Pitt refused to answer personal questions about why he got them and what they mean has drawn fire from some people, but we think that's because those people are as looney as Christina.

"My question is, how many tattoos do you have?" she asks. "I'm very interested in knowing the meaning, especially the Iceman and the new one that you have under the Daniel Pearl quote."(For the record, the iceman in question is Otzi, the 5,300-year-old European mummy found in the Alps. Watch the interview above.)

After pursing his lips and obviously wondering where Christina has set up the camera in his house, Brad begs off showing the tats and says it's way too close to home for him to answer.

"If you have a partner, it's great fun, it's a great thing to go do together," Brad explains, "and it becomes personal and special in its own right, and I'd rather leave it at that."

Now we ask you, what's wrong with not wanting to tell anyone, even a self-described 17-year fan, why you had something permanently scrawled onto your body? Our money is on him telling Pax and Maddox they can't get their own, so he has to cover up. Meanwhile, he might want to check for surveillance equipment strategically placed by Christina.

Suri Cruise tops 10 hottest Hollywood tots

2008-11-19T15:03:49-05:00

Suri Cruise may be the biggest name in celebribabies, but Brangelina's brood runs away with the most medals in Forbes.com's "Hollywood's 10 Hottest Tots," which has to take the cake in the most useless designation category.

The 2-year-old Cruise kin is first in the second annual list, which lists the tykes younger than 5 getting the most media exposure. Whether that's by typing their names into Google to see how many hits they get or consult tea leaves and sundials, we don't know, but we'll sleep easy tonight knowing The Juice* has helped perpetuate this unhealthy obsession with children.

But out of the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie posse, Shiloh, 2, took second; Zahara, 3; took third and Pax, 4, took fourth. We're thinking they just got those places because of their ages. And what about twins Knox and Vivienne?

Coming in at fifth was Sam Alexis Woods, daughter of Elin and Tiger Woods; then we have Cruz Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham; Matilda Rose Ledger, daughter of Michelle Williams and the late Heath Ledger; David Banda, adopted son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie; Sean Preston Federline, son of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline (sorry, Jayden); and Sam Sheen, daughter of Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen. Wait, what? Nobody pays attention to what Charlie Sheen does.

[Photo: Yeah, this pic is six months old, but we think Suri looks especially intelligent here. AP]

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Winona Ryder fine after getting sick on plane

2008-11-19T14:40:58-05:00

Klepto '90s nymph Winona Ryder was briefly hospitalized in London on Wednesday after becoming sick on a flight from L.A., but is fine now, Reuters reports. Maybe Alien: Resurrection was the in-flight movie.

"She did fall ill on a flight and as a precautionary measure, was taken to a hospital," a flack for Ryder said. "She was there maybe an hour and was released. The bottom line is she is in good health."

The 37-year-old was taken to a west London hospital after the British Airways flight. We can only assume now that she'll be getting back to her busy career of doing nothing.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Kelly Osbourne is engaged to Luke Worrell

2008-11-19T14:35:21-05:00

The impossible keeps happening: the Rays make it to the World Series, Barack Obama gets elected and now Kelly Osbourne is engaged. Truly, it's a time of miracles.

The 23-year-old spawn of Ozzy has been dating 18-year-old model Luke Worrell for all of six months, and has been spotted by photo agencies wearing a ring on the tell-tale left hand, Us says. (We can't show you those, because those cost big bucks and if you haven't heard, the economy is in the dumps.)

But the big news is that Worrell has made it official on his Facebook profile, changing his relationship status to "engaged to Kelly Osbourne." HO NOES!!1! Of course, Us also spells his names Luke Worrall, and it is just Facebook, where everyone can be in a relationship with anybody. But hey, it's complicated.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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Britney Spears: Married 'for wrong reasons'

2008-11-19T14:22:06-05:00

The media onslaught preceding Britney Spears' documentary Britney: For the Record (Sunday, 10 p.m., MTV) rolls on, with a clip hitting YouTube in which the poplet admits she probably shouldn't have married Kevin Federline. Also, you shouldn't stick a fork in a light socket or drink bleach.

"I think I married for the wrong reasons," Spears says as Womanizer drones on. "Instead of following my heart and, like, doing something that made me really happy, I just did it because, for ... the idea of everything."

It suddenly occurred to us that a documentary exploiting Brit by discussing how she's been exploited may not be the best idea. Also, her comeback is showing us once again that popular culture rewards people who are obviously fake and always appear fabulous while being mentally ill. But then, The Juice* ain't the behavioral sciences division at Johns Hopkins, so tune in on Sunday already.

Hugh Jackman is People's Sexiest Man Alive!

2008-11-19T13:32:42-05:00

Hugh Jackman, the 40-year-old Aussie actor who has endeared himself to women and comic book fanboys alike, has been named People's Sexiest Man Alive! (need that exclamation point), the magazine revealed Tuesday.

You may remember Jackman as the guy who starred in Swordfish and saw Halle Berry topless, or as a pretty damn good Wolverine in the X-Men movies. Or, if you're Mrs. Juice, you've seen him in the cornball Meg Ryan opus Kate and Leopold, as a sexy time-travelling Brit, or in the trailers for Australia as a sexy Outback drover. Wow, what took them so long to make this decision?

People's description says it best:

At 6 ft. 2 in., all scruff and biceps, Hugh Jackman looms large in the epic Australia, which he says kept him "dirty 95 percent of the time" and left people stammering, "Oh ... my ... God," according to costar Nicole Kidman, who adds, "Women's jaws drop when Hugh walks into a room."

Jackman's wife of 12 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, calls his perfect form "the Body of Doom –- but I like what's inside": a romantic who sings ballads at home and makes pancakes for Oscar, 8, and Ava, 3. A hard body with a soft center.

Sorry, Matt Damon, but "Body of Doom" wins over some silly secret agent stuff. And we can't help but notice Brad Pitt manages to make it on the cover again. Including Zac Efron brings to mind Cookie Monster's "one of these is not like the other things" song.

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Gene Simmons rings bell at NYSE opening

2008-11-19T13:20:34-05:00

Gene Simmons was in the Big Apple today to ring the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange, signaling the start of another round of bloodbath trading. Apparently the people deciding who gets to perform this ritual thought the lead singer of KISS was worthy (and he even got to shill for Family Jewels). word has it they're having a hard time finding folks willing to do the deed, since the markets have been in such a freefall, but how much worse could it get if the Bat Demon is kicking off the day?

[Photo: Getty Images]

1998 Redux: 'The Matrix' runs on Windows

2008-11-19T12:41:00-05:00

This rip on The Matrix and Microsoft woulda been funny about 10 years ago, when it was relevant. But now, it's a slightly funny throwback to a simpler time, when dot matrix printers and floppy discs still roamed the Earth. Maybe the Family Guy folks wrote it, since it has so many old jokes.

Tyra Banks helps Isis King get her sex change

2008-11-18T18:01:48-05:00

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As devoted America's Next Top Model junkies, The Juice* rooted for transgendered contestant Isis King (who ended up being so self-conscious she got booted off the show this fall), so it's great to hear Tyra Banks offered to help the contestant get the sex change surgery on Tuesday's episode of The Tyra Banks Show.

Banks introduced King (nee Darrell Walls) to Dr. Marci Bowers, a gender reassignment surgeon who has undergone the surgery herself. Bowers is paying for the procedure, which King had been unable to get because of the $20,000 to $35,000 cost.

"This is not happening!" King said on the show. "... (I feel) like I'm about to wake up."

We have video previewing the announcement above, in which Isis explains that putting off the reassignment surgery was something that tore her up inside.

"It's hard. I try not to think about it because it is something I'm really passionate about," she said. "I feel like I really was born in the wrong body, and it's just the one thing that makes me feel uncomfortable."

Next episode: Tyra helps ex-contestant Marjorie get assertiveness training.

FLASH: Taylor Swift was a dork in high school

2008-11-18T17:43:19-05:00

Taylor Swift says that her upbringing on a Christmas tree farm made her a social pariah that had few friends and made her plot revenge against everyone she knew by striving to become a hot 18-year-old country singer. Well, not that last part, but you just know she did.

"It was basically a shunning –- and that’s never a good thing, you know?" Swift says in the December issue of Women's Health. "A lot of girls thought I was weird. Actually, the word they liked to use was annoying. I'd sit at their lunch table and they'd move to a different one."

And making it big in the music scene hasn't helped, for some reason.

"It's funny -- I thought my contact list in my phone would grow if I was in the music industry," she says. "But I had more people in my phone book when I was in high school!"

Yeah, Joe Jonas was in your contact list, and he dumped you via telephone so he could start dating Camilla Belle. What's that tell you about giving out your phone number?

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'South Park' creators making 'Mormon Musical'

2008-11-18T14:07:57-05:00

South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are setting their ridicule reticles on Mormonism, with a new musical comedy about the faith. No, really -- it's slated for a 2009 Broadway release, the New York Post says.

Mormon Musical, which was co-written by Avenue Q creator Robert Lopez, will start rehearsals next month and star Xanadu's Cheyenne Jackson (pictured), who called the show "hilarious -- very acerbic and biting." We weren't exactly expecting a family show.

"It offends everybody but does what South Park does best, which is by the end it comes around and has something great to say," Jackson says. Time to check if any of their South Park voice cast are Mormons, lest they quit a la Isaac Hayes.

[Photo: Getty Images]

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