David Letterman is old-school and he loves New York. So he did what will probably constitute as his “exit interview” from The Late Show with a lengthy Q&A session with the New York Times. It’s a pretty classy thing to do, especially since Letterman has never been the guy you go to for open self-reflection or lengthy discussions about the scope of his career. The brief times we’ve gotten a glimpse of “the Real Dave,” he seems like a humble Midwesterner, not looking for personal glory or trying to follow whatever trend. The NYT is pretty epic and to Letterman’s credit, he didn’t shut down or shy away from answering any questions, not even about his affair with a female staffer, not even about his harsh feelings about Jay Leno, etc. There’s even an interesting admission that Letterman wasn’t even consulted about his replacement. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

He’s more relaxed since he announced his retirement: “I think there’s a difference between regular-season hockey and playoff hockey. And I’m not in the playoffs. Yeah, I do notice a difference. When I was watching those interim shows they did on “The Late Late Show,” and I saw John Mayer hosting one night, I thought, “Ohhhh, now I see exactly what the problem is.” Because he’s young. He’s handsome. He’s trim. He’s witty. He was comfortable. So then I realized, I got nothing to worry about. I know I can’t do what Jimmy Fallon’s doing. I know I can’t do what Jimmy Kimmel is doing. There’s nothing left to be worried about. It’s all over, Dad, you’re going to be just fine. You’re going to a new place. They’ll be very nice to you, Dad. You’ll make a lot of friends.

He didn’t feel pushed out by Kimmel and Fallon: “No, they didn’t push me out. I’m 68. If I was 38, I’d probably still be wanting to do the show. When Jay was on, I felt like Jay and I are contemporaries. Every time he would get a show at 11:30, he would succeed smartly. And so I thought, This is still viable — an older guy in a suit. And then he left, and I suddenly was surrounded by the Jimmys.”

He wasn’t consulted about Stephen Colbert as replacement: “No. Not my show. When we sign off, we’re out of business with CBS. I always thought Jon Stewart would have been a good choice. And then Stephen. And then I thought, well, maybe this will be a good opportunity to put a black person on, and it would be a good opportunity to put a woman on. Because there are certainly a lot of very funny women that have television shows everywhere. So that would have made sense to me as well.

Whether it bothers him that CBS didn’t consult him: “Yeah, I guess so. Just as a courtesy, maybe somebody would say: “You know, we’re kicking around some names. Do you have any thoughts here?” But it doesn’t bother me now. At the time, I had made the decision [to leave] and I thought, O.K., this is what comes when you make this decision.

[From The NYT]

He basically says that he believes in Colbert and that he likes that Colbert isn’t some kid, that Colbert has helmed a late-night show before and he’ll be fine. I find it interesting that in Letterman’s mind, Jon Stewart was his first choice. I wonder if CBS did go to Stewart first and Stewart was already feeling like he was “done” with late night? Because it’s been feeling like Jon Stewart’s heart hasn’t been in late night for a while.

As I said, Letterman also talks about Leno and how CBS has been good to him over the years, especially when they could have fired him, like when he was having an affair with a staffer. The whole piece is worth a read.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

#nofilter #sparks @adambreuchaud @etienneortega @hannahluxdavis @brettalannelson @amylilfire

A photo posted by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff) on Apr 20, 2015 at 12:15pm PDT

Over the weekend, rumors circulated about Hilary Duff being on Tinder. No one knew whether the account was real or fake, but I assumed it was a publicity stunt like Hilary’s everchanging hair colors (she’s been pink, green, and grey in a matter of weeks). She’s harmless, but I think she’s a little stuntqueeny with talk of her overwhelming fame. She’s also usually more happy to see the paparazzi than she’d have us believe.

I’m giving Hilary a pass on this Tinder stuff though. This is an incredibly popular dating app, and she’s getting out there after trying hard to make her marriage work. Mike Comrie humiliated himself and Hilary by drunkenly offering money for hookups, and now there shall be a custody battle. She could use a distraction. You can see Hilary’s profile photo here (with a profile that reads “let’s get pizza“). Hilary confirmed her account during a talk with Ryan Seacrest. She’s been on a date already and is chatting with nine guys:

Yep, it’s her: “It’s totally me on Tinder. It kind of started out to be a joke with some of my girlfriends. I was like, ‘Explain this whole thing to me because it’s kind of blowing my mind.’ We were swiping and it started out to be kind of a joke and then I was like, ‘I’m gonna join Tinder,’ and they were like, ‘What?! No way you can’t.’ And I was like, ‘Why can’t I? Yeah, I absolutely can.’ I never thought anything was really going to happen. I was talking to a few of the guys and they were really normally.”

She went on one date: “We went bowling so we didn’t have to talk too much, but we did talk a lot actually. He was cool. He brought a friend and I had some friends there. He used to be in editing for reality shows. Now, he’s an actor and he just wrote a play. He’s an interesting guy. To be honest, I don’t really want an actor either … I think he has a few jobs.”

Why she’s on Tinder: “It’s hard to meet people in this business and I don’t want to date an actor.”

[From RyanSeacrest.com]

Hilary told Ryan she didn’t kiss this dude. I guess she didn’t like him that much. E! Online adds that Hilary isn’t into seeing “a shirtless, mirror selfie,” but “the first thing is obviously looks, which sounds super vain, but that is what you first go for: natural chemistry.” Hey, at least she’s honest about going for looks first! Instead of “sense of humor” or “sweet.” Those things are important, but physical attraction has to be there. Good luck to Hilary. Lots of guys would like a date with her. Hopefully she won’t run into Leonardo DiCaprio.

Here’s one more thing. Hilary had a mini-reunion with some Lizzie McGuire cast members (Lalaine and Jake Thomas). They went bowling!

So this happened last night… #LizzieMcGuire

A photo posted by Jake Thomas (@sirjakethomas) on Apr 28, 2015 at 3:17pm PDT

Was on the @todayshow this morning with @hodakotb and Kathie Lee ….they made me do it ????

A photo posted by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff) on Apr 3, 2015 at 7:37am PDT

Photos courtesy of Hilary Duff on Instagram, Fame/Flynet & WENN

The Avengers: Age of Ultron press tour is winding down as the movie hits theaters tomorrow evening, but there are still a few Avengers out making the final push for a movie that really does not need a final push. After last week’s super peppy press tour derailment, this week has seen (mostly) bet…      

Moment

A photo posted by Calvin Harris (@calvinharris) on Apr 29, 2015 at 12:41am PDT

This is amazing. I seriously love this so much. Just a few hours ago, Calvin Harris posted this ^^ Instagram of Taylor Swift’s two Scottish fold kitties, Olivia and Meredith. It’s brilliant because with one photo, Calvin confirmed SO MUCH. He confirmed that he and Swifty are happening and they’re doing overnight cuddlefests. He confirmed that they’re staying at her place in NYC, which is where Olivia and Meredith spend most of their time. He also confirmed that he gets along with Olivia and Meredith, even after a tabloid claimed that Calvin was allergic to kitty dander. I’d also like to think that Calvin just confirmed that he’s won over Meredith and Olivia by giving them treats on demand. Pretty soon Olivia and Meredith are going to be all, “Calvin is our daddy, let’s get rid of mom.”

Us Weekly’s source says that Calvin and Taylor “are going strong,” although I’d say that they’ll be over soon enough, probably within the first few months of Tay-Tay’s tour. Meanwhile, the NYDN’s Confidential had an interesting story about Calvin’s dating patterns and how there was probably some overlap between his last girlfriend and Swifty:

Don’t expect Taylor Swift to write too many songs about this little episode in her love life. Confidenti@l has learned that the “Shake It Off” singer’s boyfriend, Calvin Harris, was dating someone else when they first hooked up.

We’re told the EDM superstar confessed to a pal that he was cheating on model Aarika Wolf with the singer before ending their six-month relationship and moving on to Swift. As far as we know, TayTay didn’t know that Harris was otherwise attached when they first got it on.

“Calvin and Aarika met on the set of his music video ‘Blame’ in August, and they started officially dating in October,” said our insider. “They were full-on boyfriend/girlfriend for about six months; totally joined at the hip.”

In early March, Calvin told a close friend that he had cheated on Wolf with Swift and didn’t know how to explain himself to the model. We’re told that the Scottish DJ and producer — who previously dated Rita Ora and was recently ranked as the richest DJ in the world, with a fortune of around $105 million — waited a while for the dust to settle before stepping out with his new lady. Harris and Swift were first seen together in public on March 25 at a Whole Foods, and turned on the PDA at a Kenny Chesney concert two days later.

“He ended up breaking up with Aarika, and then just pretended that the Taylor Swift stuff happened after (the breakup),” we’re told. “Aarika probably knows now that she was cheated on.”

Wolf, who is repped by Vision Models in L.A. and has 185,000 Instagram followers, certainly doesn’t seem to be Harris’ No. 1 fan. The source tells us that Wolf’s Instagram account was packed with pictures of him, but she has since deleted them all.

Sadly, our source believes, the heartbreak won’t even lead to a great romance.

“It’s awkward because Calvin’s friends are very much the late-night club and DJ crowd; Taylor doesn’t seem to fit in,” said the insider. “Calvin’s friends think he’s doing it because it’s good for his profile — and he kind of thinks it’s funny.”

[From The NYDN]

I do have my doubts as to whether this is a “real match” or more a strategic partnership – however brief – to meet their separate goals. Swifty needs a high-profile boyfriend every so often so she can write her blind-item songs about “somebody.” And Calvin needed to date a high-profile American girl after he made a hash out of dating a series of high-profile British girls (the Rita Ora debacle comes to mind).

Photos courtesy of Instagram, Fame/Flynet.

Grammy Award-winning singer Mariah Carey made her official Las Vegas arrival with a welcoming event at the Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino on Monday (April 27). Carey dished about ‘Dem Babies’ and her upcoming “Mariah: #1 to Infinity” residency in Sin City, which begins on May 6.

“They’re always with me. They’re with me or they’re with their father,” she told E! News of co-parenting her twins Moroccan and Monroe, who turn 4 on April 30, with estranged husband Nick Cannon.

The soulful singer, 45, went on to talk about keeping a united front for their kids.

“It is what it is and I would never just be like, ‘I’m going, you’re not going to be with me.’ They wouldn’t understand that,” Carey shared. “So they’re the most important thing to me. Their family is going to be here. They’re going to be great. They do their own thing.”

As for preparing for Vegas, the Heartbreaker hitmaker is keeping fans excited.

“The rehearsals have been going really well,” Carey shared. “It’s been mainly for me about the music and about how to incorporate the songs. Just because they were all number one records doesn’t mean they all make an easy set list…a lot of ballads and up tempos. So it’s difficult to make it work seamlessly.”

When asked about her weight struggles, Carey responded, “I’ve been trying to get there. I’m a regular person. It is what it is.”

Will she be looking for love in Sin City?

“Darling, who knows if I already have or have not?” she teased. “Anything and everything is possible.”

Ben Affleck was photographed in Toronto yesterday on the set of Suicide Squad. Nerd Assumption then is that Batman will be making at least a cameo in the movie. Is Ben Affleck Batman to Suicide Squad what RDJ Iron Man is to the Avengers? I’m too much of a geek neophyte to know whether or not that…      

Ben Affleck was photographed in Toronto yesterday on the set of Suicide Squad. Nerd Assumption then is that Batman will be making at least a cameo in the movie. Is Ben Affleck Batman to Suicide Squad what RDJ Iron Man is to the Avengers? I’m too much of a geek neophyte to know whether or not that…      

Comic D.L. Hughley was featured on Oprah’s Where are They Now on the OWN Network. I know Hughley from his sitcom The Hughleys, which aired on ABC and UPN from 1998 – 2002. He was also in The Original Kings of Comedy in 2000, with the late Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and Cedric The Entertainer, and now works as a host of a “nationally syndicated afternoon radio drive show,” The D.L. Hughley show. He’s 52 now but looks at least ten years younger, and judging by his Oprah interview it sounds like he’s learned quite a bit over the years.

Hughley has two daughters with his wife of 29 years, LaDonna, and they also have a 26 year-old son, Kyle. Kyle has Asperger’s Syndrome, something that Hughley has discussed in the past. In his Oprah interview he started crying when he discussed a milestone that Kyle recently passed. I got choked up watching this part of the interview (video is at the bottom of the post) and here’s what Hughley said:

[Kyle] graduated from college but everything has to be the same. He goes to work at the same time. He eats the same thing. The other day, three weeks ago, I had to get gas and he says “Daddy, I’ll do it.’ I’m a nervous wreck. He gives me the receipt and the keys. [starts crying] And I could not stop crying because he did something he was afraid to do… I just didn’t believe he could do it. He did it. And I held him and I said ‘you’re going to be alright.’ And I think sometimes I don’t know forsure, but he’s going to be fine.

[From Video from Oprah.com]

That really got me. You want the best for your kids and you do the best you can for them. You can tell how much Hughley loves his son and both wants to protect him yet help him grow. Gah!

Hughley was also open about the fact that he was a serial cheater. He’s been married for decades and his wife stuck by him throughout it all. He first discussed his infidelity in 2012. As deplorable as his actions were, he does deserve credit for talking about it with the press. He said “I always thought [cheating] was just part of being a man. I never thought it was a horrible thing to be or to do. I never felt like it was anything I was doing wrong. I think monogamy is what you give your woman so she don’t leave.

“Honestly what I attribute us being married that long is her ability to love me in spite of who I am.” I hope he realizes that being a cheater is not “who he is,” it’s a behavior he chose to engage in. It sounds like he’s a changed man and that he understands that what he did was wrong. It would be nice if he used the past tense throughout, though.

Here’s a segment from Hughley’s Oprah interview. Oprah.com has another segment in which he talks about struggling to make ends meet in the early days of his marriage.

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon’s relationship has always been full of drama. They were married once, years ago, and it ended in disaster. Then they got back together a few years ago and got remarried. Last July, Pam filed for divorce (again). Then they reconciled and Pam got the court to throw out the divorce filing, then they broke up again earlier this year and Pam filed for divorce again. The split seemed – at long last – to be the final break. Pam filed for a restraining order against Rick because he was threatening and harassing her online and in real life. Pam also said Rick had abused her (like, he tried to suffocate her during sex).

There were also stories that Pam was trying to get some of Rick’s money – several months ago, Rick won $40 million in a poker tournament and if Pam and Rick divorced in California, it could be considered community property, I suppose. Rick always maintained that he’s primary residence is in Nevada, which made for a sticky tax AND divorce situation. Basically, everything was a huge mess. But Pam and Rick worked it out – financially.

Pam Anderson is a million dollars richer today, and Rick Salomon is a lot happier … because we’ve learned they got divorced. Pam and Rick were in a nuclear battle — he filed for an annulment, and she filed for divorce. TMZ broke the story, Pam allegedly held Rick’s dog Bumblebee hostage for a week, and then launched into a tirade that he was bad at sex … which didn’t jive with various text messages she sent him.

But now we’ve learned Rick paid Pam just north of $1 million in return for the divorce. But Rick got something as well. Pam was challenging his Nevada residency, claiming he was a California resident who was trying to dodge taxes on a $40 million poker win. Nevada doesn’t have state taxes. Now that they’re divorced, Pam isn’t contesting Rick’s residency, so she’s off his back. And Bumblebee is back with him, so happy endings.

[From TMZ]

I find it odd (?) that an animal-rights advocate like Pam would take her ex-husband’s dog hostage for a week as part of financial negotiation. I’m not saying she mistreated Bumblebee, but taking the dog does seem like a really harsh move for Pam in particular. As for the $1 million payday… she probably could have gotten more if she held out for longer (or if she had kept Bumblebee hostage for more time?) but I think Pam’s financial situation is pretty bad these days, and she probably didn’t want to drag it out for months or years. A bird in the hand, etc.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

An expectant Hilaria Baldwin stepped out with daughter Carmen, 20 months, in New York City on Tuesday (April 28).

Sporting layers of gray tops paired with maternity jeans and shades, the yoga instructor, 30, pushed her tot in the stroller during their afternoon outing.

Later that same day, the mom-to-be Instagrammed a link to 8 easy prenatal poses at Fit Pregnancy.

And that evening, she shared a selfie with husband, 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin. The couple expect their second child together – a son.

“Had a romantic date tonight,” she captioned the sweet shot.

Had a romantic date tonight….

A photo posted by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on Apr 28, 2015 at 7:36pm PDT

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