Gawker
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clips
Top Ten Moments of the Oscars
An on-stage musical extravaganza. Two epic gay rights speeches. Sean Penn's upset win for Milk. The 2009 Oscars were easily the gayest yet. More » -
mary-kate olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen Beats Coppers — Again
Mary-Kate Olsen WINS. Twice law-enforcement authorities have tried pressuring the dopey lil' actress into telling what she knows about the death of close personal friend Heath Ledger, and twice now she has successfully beaten them back — the only person connected to Ledger to successfully do so. Federal sources told first the Daily News and now the Post that U.S. prosecutors have withdrawn their investigation into the death of actor Ledger, forcing the Drug Enforcement Administration to drop demands to interview Olsen. That's a fairly humiliating retreat for an agency that just two days ago implied it would use a Grand Jury subpoena to force Olsen to tell what she knows after word leaked of frustration in its offices over Olsen's demands for immunity. Especially because the feds really did have a subpoena. Reports the News:
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By Ryan TateComment by it takes a lot to laugh: This is just like the plot of all of their tween straight-to-video movies. Maybe it's time to resurrect that genre. more » | Other threads
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mary-kate olsen
Deepening Mary-Kate Olsen Immunity Mystery
The Associated Press now has its own law-enforcement source stating that Mary-Kate Olsen is demanding immunity before she will talk with federal agents investigating the January death of actor Heath Ledger, as the Post reported this morning. The immunity request is now all but confirmed. Olsen's attorney didn't bother to deny it in a statement addressing a number of other questions raised by the Post story, such as whether Olsen helped Ledger procure OxyContin:
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superstition
The Curse of The Dark Knight
Remember Poltergeist, that 1982 horror film that was rumored to be plagued by a curse? What with the untimely deaths of two of its young stars, and reports of various odd occurrences on set. Can a movie be cursed? The Exorcist saw its fair share of mishaps, including injuries and the deaths of several crew members, as did Peter Berg's recent flop The Kingdom. And then there's Valkyrie. Well, it looks as though The Dark Knight, that Batman blockbuster mega-machine that's roiling in movie theatres currently, may be joining those ranks. Death and violence has surrounded three of its stars since the movie wrapped, Morgan Freeman's car accident last night being the most recent.
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Comment by RabbitDinner: Yes it's cursed. Now if you'll excuse me I have to check my horoscope and later I have a palm... more » | Other threads
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mary-kate olsen
Dodgy Olsen Demands Immunity In Ledger Doping
In the heated days of confusion and mourning immediately following the January death of Heath Ledger, many of the actor's admirers loudly proclaimed it absurd to raise questions about the role played by the actor's friend Mary-Kate Olsen in his death and aftermath. New York police concluded their investigation into Ledger's death without even interviewing the elfish young actress, even though, as the Post repeatedly pointed out, she was told of Ledger's death before emergency responders and even though her bodyguards may have arrived at his apartment just before paramedics, who Olsen did not bother to call. Having stayed on the story, the Post today reports that federal drug agents are pressing Olsen hard to cooperate in their investigation into how Ledger obtained the powerful painkiller OxyContin without a prescription — and into what happened to the bottle:
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By Ryan TateComment by waltzngmatlda: @arguablythemostfamous: ...you are correct and i did say that- at the end of it all, he made the choice. ... more » | Other threads
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the dark knight
Batman, ABBA and... Lou Reed? Summer's Biggest Weekend is Upon Us
Welcome to another edition of Defamer Attractions, your weekly cheat sheet to everything new and noteworthy at the movies. This is a fairly easy installment for us, as will happen when the most anticipated superhero movie of, like, ever is threatening to run off with the biggest opening weekend, like, ever. As such, knowing that at least half of you are browsing this from a lawn chair in some long, twisting multiplex queue, let's skip the formalities: This weekend features one blockbuster, a melodic bit of counterprogramming, a primate-centric flop-in-the-making and a concert film for the manic depressive in you. As usual, our opinions are our own, but they are burnished to a soft, infallible glow. Off we go! More » -
kate holmes
Who Knew? The Top 10 Unlikely Vocal Performances From Non-Singing Actors
In light of Pierce Brosnan's brave, warbling turn in Mamma Mia—as well as recent news that Kate Hudson would veer off the Bongo Romcom highway to explore the musical theater side roads in Rob Marshall's Nine—Defamer videologist Molly McAleer has compiled a countdown of 10 Classic Musical Crossover Performances. We've ordered these from least to most successful; some of these actors-who-sing are arguably better singers than they are actors, and have gone on to cut their own records. Some are clearly better actors than singers. And some should probably just give up both and become something sensible like a dental hygienist or insurance broker. We have no doubt you have your own strong opinions on notable omissions; feel free to post video in the comments. More » -
the dark knight
Defamer Reviews 'The Dark Knight': Same Batman, Bleaker Bat Channel
After surviving months of Dark Knight hype, viral outreach and tastefully overblown praise for late co-star Heath Ledger, Defamer finally got its chance at a screening Tuesday to see what all the Bat-fuss was about. And as editor Seth Abramovitch and senior editor S.T. VanAirsdale discovered in their second installment of Defamer Instant Reviews, not everybody is ready to validate its Second Coming status quite yet. Is it good? Absolutely. Is it the best film of the summer? That's where things get complicated — on AIM, of course, because this watershed cultural moment deserves no less. More » -
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how we watch
The Scale of Celebrity Death
Tim Russert died. I'm not sure if you've heard. But, yes, the Meet the Press moderator and dedicated D.C. journalist passed away, at a too-young 58, last week and the media has been in a frenzy since. Jack Shafer at Slate (among many others, I'm sure) feels that the coverage is a bit overdone. Yes Russert was by all accounts a good guy and a good worker and just one of those decent people that feel in short supply, especially in Washington, especially in the media. But isn't it still a bit much? All the tributes and montages and teary testimonials. I mean, nearly every life deserves parades and fireworks and tears and montages when it ends. But, because this is on TV and people are being paid, somewhere, doesn't this seem all a bit circusy? Maybe that's cynical, but television has, to some extent, earned our cynicism. If this is indeed a "circus," then where does it rank among other notable, much-covered celebrity deaths? A writer for Psychology Today says it's the biggest death since John Lennon. We disagree. We'll put this all in some context after the jump.
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defamer
Heath Ledger's Nick Drake Video Hits The Web (Warning: Depressing)
One of the last things Heath Ledger left us with is a video for Nick Drake's "Black Eyed Dog." An admitted obsession of the actor, Drake was a British folk music prodigy in the '70s who suffered from debilitating depression, eventually O.D.ing on an antidepressant at age 26. Until now, the video managed to avoid getting leaked on the web, and was screened only twice: "Labor Day weekend at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle and a second time in October at 'A Place to Be,' an event honoring Drake held in L.A." Last night, Australian A Current Affair broadcast parts of the video. More » -
don't be glib
The Drugs That Killed Heath Ledger
Hey, everyone remember how Heath Ledger did all that cocaine and heroin at Hollywood "Drug Parties"? And how it killed him? Turns out, he was killed by legal drugs—perhaps ones given to him by doctors! The establishment killed him! Not, shockingly, all that deadly Mary Jane. No, the pills that did Ledger in are a bit more respectable, and all quite familiar to your standard self-diagnosing doctor-shopping members of the creative under- and over-classes.
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By PareeneComment by pinkchampagnetruffles: "So... is Tom Cruise right? Would Scientologist Heath Ledger still be with us, healthy and drug-free? Discuss." Or maybe it's a... more » | Other threads
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heath ledger
Heath Ledger Died of an Accidental Overdose
The New York medical examiner's office declared today that actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of anti-anxiety drugs and sleep aids. Autopsy and toxicology results find that Ledger wasn't under the influence of illegal substances at the time of his death at his SoHo apartment on January 22nd. "The medical examiner released results of the toxicology report Wednesday, saying Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine." [WNBC]
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By PareeneComment by Maya Twocents: @TheHonJudgeSmails: Omigod. Please get a commie for that. more » | Other threads
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defamer
Upset Actors Let 'ET/Insider' Know That Running Heath Ledger Video Could Lead To Immediate Red Carpet Embargos
According to ABCNews.com, a coalition of arm-twisting publicists and sympathetic, outraged actors including Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Josh Brolin and Ellen Page were behind a campaign that persuaded ET and The Insider not to air their $200,000 video revealing that Heath Ledger stood in the same Chateau Marmont bungalow as some cocaine following the 2006 SAG Awards. More » -
heath ledger
Shock Video Of Dead Star Doing Drugs At Party
So quite how shocking is tape of dead actor, Heath Ledger, taking drugs at a party at Chateau Marmont? From the promo clips broadcast last night on The Insider and shown here, not that much. The revelation would be a party at the eternally fashionable Hollywood hotel at which celebrities weren't on something. The tape isn't worth $200,000, even if The Insider were to go ahead with the full broadcast. The closest thing to a money shot is someone (the actor?) leaning down to snort cocaine from a table. But most of the video consists of images of John Belushi, to underline the point that celebrity and drugs can be a fatal combination, talking heads to ensure the viewer is as shocked as she should be, and Ledger wandering the room in dreamy slow-motion. My unthinking reaction: even in blurry amateur video, the Australian actor looked good. But that's the amoral coastal cosmopolitan talking.
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By Nick DentonComment by telenot: I think we all know what someone snorting coke looks like...I don't need to see Heath Ledger doing so. What... more » | Other threads
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midweek madness
This Week In Tabloids: Twins For Angelina, Trouble For Mary-Kate
Every Wednesday we do Midweek Madness, a delicious look at the latest artery-clogging celebrity tabloids; this week, newly-pregnant Angelina Jolie wins 3 of 5 covers, with the other two devoted to the late Heath Ledger — and his relationship with Mary-Kate Olsen. (Last week, Life & Style and Star had frighteningly similar covers; this week it's Life & Style and OK!.) Anyway, the news that knocked-up Angie has been craving crap like Oreos and Doritos made us hungry for junky snack foods, so join us (and the amazing Intern Sharon) as we look for sugary crumbs of gossip inside Star, In Touch, Us, OK! and Life & Style.. all after the jump. [Jezebel] -
scams
Hollywood's Guardian Angels Tom Cruise And John Travolta Duped By Fake Heath Ledger Father
In a shocking development in the Heath Ledger tragedy, the NY Post is reporting that an unidentified con man has been making calls pretending to be Heath's father. Not only did he convince the Manhattan funeral home that held Ledger's body to book him multiple rooms at the Carlysle hotel for him and his "family," he also took advantage of grieving A-list movie stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta. From their report: More » -
the dawn of technology
Christopher Plummer Thinks 'Parnassus' Can Be Saved Using Stills And Something He's Pretty Sure Is Called CGI
When we last checked in on the status of The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus, the Terry Gilliam joint that featured the final work that Heath Ledger committed to celluloid, the project looked to be in serious jeopardy. However, as we should have all learned by now, it's impossible to underestimate the power of creativity in Hollywood, especially when a $30 million production budget is on the line. According to an interview that Christopher Plummer gave to People (and since when is he on the radar of People, anyway?), the project hasn't been shitcanned quite yet: More » -
rumormonger
The Missing Three Minutes
The New York Post claimed yesterday that police were looking to interview Mary-Kate Olsen about the death of her friend, Australian actor Heath Ledger. Police spokespeople and the tabloid's competitors, including Gawker, may have been too quick to rubbish the line of inquiry. Today, The Post ups the pressure with a set of questions unanswered the hard-partying actress: "Why did she send her bodyguards to the scene? Why didn't she tell the masseuse who found Ledger's body to call 911? Why did she think her security guards could help in a medical emergency?" But there's more: an eyewitness account to be published in tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph, in Australia, claims Mary-Kate Olsen's bodyguards entered Heath Ledger's building three minutes before the arrival of paramedics at 3.33pm, not simultaneously, as previously reported. Which begs another question. The police discovered a wide array of prescription drugs in the Brokeback star's apartment, but no illegal substances. Would Olsen's bodyguards have had time, or instructions, to remove any embarrassing evidence? (TMZ.com sources still maintain police were present at all times one of Olsen's bodyguards was present. Hunh?)
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By Nick DentonComment by CaptainFantastic: @VoxPopuli: I believe the report was that no illegal drugs were found on the $20 bill. That leads me to... more » | Other threads
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news you can use
How Not To Die Like Heath Ledger
Thanks, health and public policy journalist Maia Szalavitz, for finally writing some Heath Ledger News We Can Use. Her service-y piece for HuffPo is called "What We Can Learn from Heath Ledger's Death: Don't Mix Downs!!!" In a perfect world, it would run in the crappy health section of every major Sunday paper, instead of "TEARFUL CHILD THANKS DEAD ORGAN DONOR" or whatever. Here's how to avoid dying like Heath Ledger:
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By PareeneComment by The Authority: And don't be Australian and date Helena Christensen. Michael Hutchence of INXS died in a lonely room under peculiar circumstances... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Frantic Masseuse Tells NYPD That Mary-Kate Olsen and Heath Were in 'Mutual Relationship'
Does merely knowing the same masseuse mean you're dating? That's what breathless stories in both the New York Post and Us Weekly are claiming. The Post is reporting that Heath Ledger's masseuse, Diane Lee Wolozin, made her first phone call to Mary-Kate Olsen immediately after discovering Ledger's lifeless body at 2:45pm on Tuesday (fifteen minutes before her scheduled appointment with him). Wolozin, a possible felon, allegedly told NY police that the two had a "mutual relationship," and that she'd called Olsen using Ledger's phone, where it was programmed in. Added to erroneous early reports that Olsen owned the apartment where Ledger was found and more recently, news that Olsen's bodyguard called the two "an item," we're starting to wonder if all this hubbub is a whole lot of sound and fury, without any real substance. More » -
too soon?
John Gibson Sews Up Heath Ledger Memorial Bad Taste Award
You know what really cracks up Fox News host John Gibson? The untimely death of Heath Ledger! The one thing John Gibson knows about Heath Ledger is that Heath Ledger kissed a boy in a gay movie for gay gays, and therefore, he was probably a total gay himself, in real life. Therefore, his death is hilarious! On his radio program the other day, the hero journalist mocked Ledger's death something like half a dozen times, opening his show with a hilarious quip about Ledger quitting us and wondering if perhaps the actor killed himself after witnessing the poor performace of John Edwards in the last presidential debate. It's funny 'cause the authorities no longer suspect suicide! Even the guests joined in, with funnyman Tom Sullivan calling him "Keith Bledger" and the lady cohost whose name we didn't catch wondering, mockingly, if Keith was perhaps a "deep thinker." Can you believe that wacky morning zoo crew went there? They're saying what we're not really thinking, because what the fuck? Listen and sputter! [Think Progress, MSNBC, Previously]
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By PareeneComment by fasthugger: Wow, and I thought most old lesbians had class. more » | Other threads
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dvds
Ledger's Sleeping Hits
Maybe that despised manager at Best Buy, who rushed to display of DVDs starring Heath Ledger, understood us better than we did ourselves. Amazon.com's chart of the most popular DVDs for sale, usually dominated by those recently released, contains three new arrivals: 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale and Brokeback Mountain — in 6th, 11th and 13th place respectively. All three movies on the online retailer's top 25 list star the Australian actor who died, of an apparent overdose, on Tuesday. (Of course more want to remember Ledger as high-school hero, or lusty knight, than as sad gay cowboy, the 28-year-old star's most critically acclaimed role.) After the jump, the chart.
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By Nick DentonComment by Moimeme: I own Two Hands. But on VHS so I can't do anything with it... :( more » | Other threads
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too soon?
Bad Taste Roundup
Above, a makeshift tribute to both the late Heath Ledger and the almighty dollar, found at a Best Buy in San Diego. It's the tip of the bad taste iceberg. Join us on a trip through the void where we once pretended to store the concept of our shared humanity, won't you?
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nyc
Heath Ledger's Geographic Appeal
Part of Heath Ledger's appeal, to a certain breed of cultural snob, was geographic. The Australian actor, who had come to Hollywood at the age of 19, received less attention from the paparazzi and the entertainment media complex when he crossed to New York. But, in exchange, he gained some cultural cachet.
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heath ledger
A Look Back At Heath Ledger Coverage 2008-
Everyone is pretty aghast at the untimely death of the handsome and talented 28-year-old Australian actor Heath Ledger. He was found dead in an apartment at 421 Broome Street at 3:26PM by his masseuse and pronounced dead at 3:45PM. Moments later reports of his death, each telling augmented with bits of speculation, started to circulate. As we noted, the New York Times' Sewell Chan was strangely all over the story though Radar seemed to the first to post the news at 4:36pm. Soon Maggie posted an item on Gawker, TMZ and PageSix.com both reported, erroneously "world exclusives" and the race was on. A scrum of cameras gathered outside 421 Broome St. Yes, one was ours.
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By Joshua SteinComment by spielarama: @dotorg greg: EW had a thing this morning about reporters ambushing Josh Hartnette (Ledger's friend) at a Q&A in Sundance... more » | Other threads
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heath ledger
Heath Ledger Spent The Christmas Holiday With His Model Girlfriend, Gemma Ward
Though recently spotted flirting with a roomful of celebrities in downtown New York, Heath Ledger was most recently linked to 21 year-old Australian model Gemma Ward. The blue-eyed blonde just wrapped her third feature film role (The Black Balloon, with Toni Colette) in Australia, but hasn't been spotted out and about at an event since November, when she attended a gala in Madrid solo. More » -
heath ledger
Time To Go Home
Past a crowd of hundreds of cameramen and onlookers, Heath Ledger's body is removed from 421 Broome Street, the building in Manhattan's Soho where he was found earlier this afternoon.
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By mcglynnComment by fivehole: @Michael Jahn: i thought the "27 years" rule only applied to musicians? more » | Other threads
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heath ledger
Heath Ledger's Final Project Was Being Helmed By Notorious Bad Luck Magnet Terry Gilliam
The last known photograph of Heath Ledger alive was taken Saturday night in London on the set of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the latest project from wildly talented yet notoriously cursed director Terry Gilliam. The auteur, who got his start as part of the esteemed Monty Python troupe, has suffered perhaps the worst streak of luck for any director not named Uwe Boll. His pockmarked career will, unfortunately, likely be remembered more for his role on big budget disasters like The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen and The Brothers Grimm (with Ledger in lead) than it will for creative triumphs like Brazil and The Fisher King. And then, there was the sad story of Gilliam's Don Quixote project, which was felled by floods and bad casting and subsequently turned into the total downer documentary Lost In La Mancha. As for the fate of The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (not to be confused with Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium), we are awaiting word. -
heath ledger
Inside 421 Broome Street, Site of Heath Ledger OD
So by now we've all seen what the building where Heath Ledger overdosed looks like from the outside. But over at Corcoran.com, the NYC-based real estate site, they have photos of what the apartments at 421 Broome look like on the inside. There is a three-bedroom loft space currently renting out for $23k a month. [Corcoran, 421 Broome] -
obit
Heath Ledger, Actor: 1979-2008
Australian-American screen actor Heath Ledger is dead. Ledger was an Oscar-nominated leading man with an admirable career both artistically and at the box office—he may currently be seen in 2007's art-house sleeper I'm Not There and he'll soon be opening across the nation as the iconic Joker, the lead villain in next chapter in the Batman film franchise. He died in Manhattan. He was 28.
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heath ledger
On The Scene Of The Heath Ledger Overdose
At ten minutes to 5pm here in New York, only a few news crews had reached the scene of the loft building at 421 Broome Street, where Heath Ledger was just found dead. Just a handful of passersby were gawking at the small police presence guarding his door. But by 5, a pack of 15 paparazzi had arrived, acting far calmer than the usual frenzied pap scene, respectfully obeying the NYPD's orders to stay back. Almost everyone there, reporters both on-air and from various print outlets, collectively believed that the actor committed suicide using sleeping pills; a bottle of prescribed sedatives were allegedly found next to his bed. More » -
breaking
Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead In New York
"A New York Police Department spokesman says the actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at a downtown Manhattan residence," according to the AP. The Times says a masseuse and a housekeeper found his body at 421 Broome Street.
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By MaggieComment by TheHonJudgeSmails: @shehatesme: You always brighten my day. more » | Other threads
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heath ledger
Breaking: Heath Ledger is Dead. OMFG.
Holy fucking shit—this just in: Heath Ledger is dead. From PageSix.com: More » -
defamer
All Those Loose 'Brokeback' Ends To Be Tied Up In Sequel?
Who could ever forget the final scene of Ang Lee's tragic Brokeback Mountain, in which Heath Ledger's Ennis Del Mar [spoiler alert if you've been meaning to Netflix it!] clutches a shirt belonging to the gay-sheepboy love of his life, as if touching him for the very last time? As shattering as that moment was, however, something called for a coda—perhaps just a brief shot of a smiling Ennis, finally at peace serving daiquiris to vacationing tourists at the Key West bed n' breakfast he opened after Jack Twist's death. We may not have to rely on our imaginations for that kind of closure, however, as OK! Magazine reports that a Brokeback sequel is on the way: More » -
gossip roundup
Farewell, Heathchelle
- Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger amicably split a few weeks ago, a source confirmed to Us Weekly on Labor Day (sneaky!). Was it her haircut? His male pattern baldness? Did the height difference eventually prove insurmountable? [Us Weekly] More »
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By Emily GouldComment by raincoaster: @atipofthehat: I'd buy a video of that. more » | Other threads
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gawker underminer
Gawker Underminer: Boerum Hill Heartbreak
Live from the pages of The Underminer: The Best Friend Who Casually Destroys Your Life, we invited everyone's favorite frenemy to chime in from time to time on various hot topics. That's right, The Underminer has a Gawker column now. But keep trying! You'll get one someday! You trouper! Brooklynites Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams have hit a rough patch in their relationship.
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By malboComment by SchmatSchmaymon: Clare - he's so gay, when he's not reviewing for the Times he's getting recommendations from HX: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/out-and-... more » | Other threads
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defamer
Hollywood PrivacyWatch: No Special Seating For Ashton Kutcher And Demi Moore At 'Superman'
PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers. Send yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line) and let everyone know about the time you saw Tobey Maguire doing the Vincent Chase thing in the lobby of the Century City AMC. More » -
luke wilson
Hollywood PrivacyWatch: Luke Wilson Four Bud Lights Short Of A Six-Pack
PrivacyWatch celebrity sightings are submitted by our readers. Send yours to tips[AT]defamer.com (please put "sighting" or "PrivacyWatch" in the subject line) and let everyone know about the time you saw Kiefer Sutherland lingering for an uncomfortably long time in the deli meats section of your local market. More »
heath ledger
New York, 2:39 PM
Sun Jul 5
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