And I just wrote the other day in this post here from Monday that:

“Holy sh-t. Jon Hamm hasn’t looked this good in a long time. Fresh and well-rested and…happy.”

Now we know one of the reasons. TMZ reported yesterday that he’s just come out of rehab. Hamm&rs…      

Celine Dion and her husband, René Angélil, in 2013
Celine Dion has always been open and honest about her personal life. When Celine was trying for a baby, she told the public about her fertility issues and multiple miscarriages. She had a successful pregnancy which resulted in twin boys, Nelson and Eddy, born in late 2010.

Last summer, Celine left her lucrative Vegas residency, citing her husband’s failing health and saying that she wanted to “devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband’s healing.” Celine has done just that. In a new interview with ABC News, set to air today, Celine revealed that her husband René Angélil’s throat cancer has progressed to the point where he needs a feeding tube to eat. Celine broke down as she explained that she feeds René, 73, three times a day. René had surgery which left him unable to speak or eat. Celine is also set to return to Vegas in August.

Dion, 46, revealed in an interview with ABC News’ Deborah Roberts that Angélil, 73, has to be fed by feeding tube because of his throat cancer.

“He can’t eat so I feed him,” Dion told Roberts during the interview in Las Vegas, at which Angélil was present. “He’s got a feeding tube. I have to feed him three times a day.”

Dion and Angélil have been married since 1994, after meeting 14 years prior. They have three sons together — a 14-year-old and 4-year-old twins. Dion has walked them through their father’s cancer battle.

“I really believe that children know it all,” Dion said. “We are afraid of explaining because we’re scared, because we’re worried.”

“If you tell the kids,” Dion continued, “like I said to my children, ‘You want to come and help me feed papa today…You want to help me out? Want to hold the water? You are a good feeder. Good job, Nelson. Good job, Eddie. Thank you so much. Come on, give a kiss to papa…’”

Now, nearly one year [after leaving her Vegas show] as Angélil continues his fight against cancer, Dion says the show, and their love, will go on. Dion will return to Las Vegas on August 27 with a brand new show.

“I’m doing it for him. I’m doing it for my fans,” Dion said. “We have a ticket to live. We have a ticket to ride. We’re living, so live. Let’s go.”

[From GMA.Yahoo.Com]

I wonder if Celine is returning to Vegas because she truly wants to or because she can’t get out of her contract and she’s taken her maximum one year leave. The last I heard, prior to her husband’s health crisis she had extended her contract until 2019. I do believe that Celine is caring for her husband on her own. She may have help from family, but she was also caring for her twins as newborns without outside help. (Her sister and mother had moved in with her to help at the time.)

The good news is that René was well enough to accompany Celine to the interview. ABC News has a photo of him and he looks like he’s doing ok. I hope this is Celine’s choice to return to Vegas and not something she’s doing out of obligation. I also hope her husband’s health is stable.

Incidentally, Celine was asked about fellow pop stars Mariah Carey also getting residencies in Vegas and she was very magnanimous about it. She said “I think it’s going to help all of us be the best of ourselves. There’s one Mariah. There’s one Britney and it’s wonderful not only for Las Vegas. This is a new, wonderful opportunity for us to be able to give our best.” She is so classy and I wish her and her family the best.

Here’s a clip of Celine’s interview:

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Justified Season 6, Episode 10 recap.

This is the most stressful season of Justified, bar none. There are just four episodes left and you can feel everyone getting that much more desperate as plans unravel. In this episode, things go sideways for pretty much everyone. Let’s start with W…      

Congratulations are in order for Brian Baumgartner and Celeste Baumgartner.

The Office star, 42, and his wife welcomed their first child – daughter Brylee Bea Baumgartner – on Feb. 19, he announced via Instagram Tuesday.

“My latest project. 9 months in the making. I am happy to announce the arrival of my daughter- Brylee Bea- healthy and very happy. She told me she looks forward to catching up on all the old episodes of The Office once her eyes adjust to life,” he captioned the Instagram image.

The proud new dad went on to share another photo via Twitter.

My new project. Healthy. Happy. Beautiful. Joy. Please welcome Brylee to the world… then never speak to her again. pic.twitter.com/KhDbRZo7CO

— Brian Baumgartner (@BBBaumgartner) March 25, 2015

The couple shared their exciting news with fans on the tenth anniversary of The Office.

My latest project. 9 months in the making. I am happy to announce the arrival of my daughter- Brylee Bea- healthy and very happy. She told me she looks forward to catching up on all the old episodes of The Office once her eyes adjust to life.

A photo posted by Brian Baumgartner (@bbbaumgartner) on Mar 24, 2015 at 6:11pm PDT

View Slideshow »»

View All Photos »»

Following Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed following a cancer scare, there was once again an outpouring of support and official statements online and on social media. Jolie announced her latest surgery with a NYT op-ed, which is how she did it in 2013 when announcing her double-mastectomy. I tend to think there was more of a stunned and shocked reaction back in 2013, but this time around everyone has seemed much nicer. I think most of us were prepared – in her 2013, Jolie said that she would undergo the salpingo-oophorectomy at some point, it was just a matter of when. So, here are some reactions to Jolie’s latest announcement:

*People Magazine did a weird write-up about how Brad Pitt “supported” Angelina during her surgery this time, but there isn’t any new information there, it’s just an assortment of old quotes.

*Some celebrities – many of whom have family history of cancer – posted links to Jolie’s op-ed. Mindy Kaling’s mom died of pancreatic cancer and Mindy posted about Jolie’s op-ed on all of her social media. Go here to read more about the celebrities reacting positively to Jolie.

*Calaneet Balas (cool name), the CEO of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, said: “By speaking out about her increased risk of ovarian cancer, Angelina Jolie has helped shine a spotlight on this deadly disease. In addition to being aware of their family history, we hope women will use this moment to learn the symptoms of ovarian cancer so they know the signs to watch for and when to seek medical attention.”

*Dr. Richard Wender, the “chief cancer control officer at the American Cancer Society” had more cautious words, calling Jolie a “very responsible communicator,” but saying Jolie’s announcement will “engender some fear. Some women may think, ‘Well maybe I’m a BRCA carrier and I should get tested.’” And? Why is that a bad thing? You can read more of his statement here.

*One of Angelina’s long-time doctors, Dr. Kristi Funk, released a statement too: “We continue to applaud Angelina Jolie’s willingness to share her journey with the BRCA gene mutation. Since the original release of her story, countless women around the world have been made aware of the gene and have been able to explore lifesaving treatment options to lower the risk it poses to their health. The best defense for BRCA gene mutation carriers against the threats it poses to their health and well-being is to educate themselves as much as possible on the risks and treatment strategies available. No single strategy works universally. Each woman’s life circumstances are unique and her treatment plan should be developed to reflect an individualized approach.”

As Angelina has said repeatedly, these were her choices, and her choices to make on her own behalf. The only thing she’s really encouraging is further discussion about women’s health and access to more and better health care for women. I’ll say it again: so badass.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Dear Gossips,

Deadline reported exclusively yesterday that Warner Bros and Bradley Cooper are working on a deal for him to direct the third (or is it fourth?) remake of A Star Is Born. Warner Bros has a short list of favourite actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, Ben Affleck. R…      

Blended star Drew Barrymore chats with Glamour about some of her beauty must-haves, and family life with husband, art consultant Will Kopelman, and their two daughters: Olive, 2, and Frankie, 11 months.

On her body wisdom: “After making two babies, holy cow, does your body do some crazy stuff! It’s hard to stay positive and love yourself. You feel like a kangaroo with a giant pouch; everything’s saggy and weird. But you think about how beautiful it is that you’re able to make children. When I lose sight of that, I exercise, read Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, and spend time with my kids. Then I start to see things that are bigger than myself.”

On her favorite feature: “My hair. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I destroy it time and time again, and it’s still there, semi-happy. I love playing with it; it’s like my personal plant—I keep getting to prune it.”

On her selfie secret: “You don’t always have to look stunning on Instagram. I’ve been makeupless, pregnant, and stuffing food in my face in many pictures; that makes it all the more exciting when I do do something more attractive. I don’t like it when everyone looks so perfect all the time. Where’s the humor in that?”

For more from Drew, go to Glamour…

Antonio Banderas is 54 years old now, which is hard for me to believe. It seems like only yesterday that he was hitting the sheets with Angelina Jolie in Original Sin. I don’t mean to discount his many other mythical roles, and he’s a talented voice actor too. He made a fantastic Puss in Boots, and he’s reverting back to kiddie fare for a bit. Antonio’s promoting his role as the only live-action character in The SpongeBob Movie. He played his pirate role part across from brooms and tennis balls, and then the special effects guys added his co-stars after the fact.

Antonio sat down for an interview. He reveals himself to be a closet SpongeBob fan, which is cute. Dakota Johnson comes up in conversation, and then Anthony talks about aging in Hollywood. He admits things are much harder for women than men, who can go the silver fox route. All of this dovetails nicely with Kristen Scott Thomas’ recent discussion on aging and takes the opposite view of clueless Russell Crowe.

Why he did this movie “My daughter [Stella, Banderas and Griffith’s 18-year-old] and I love SpongeBob, and I’d be a fool to turn down the chance to share the screen with such an iconic presence.”

On stepdaughter Dakota Johnson: “We all knew in the family that she’s a great actress, and surprisingly not only a good dramatic actress, she’s very good with comedy,” notes Banderas, who says he hasn’t watched Fifty Shades yet. “We’re very confident that she is driving her career properly.”

On aging gracefully: “If you take life in a natural way and you accept the passage of time, which is impossible to stop – never pretend to fight the impossible and the certainties that come with existence. I try to be as natural as possible. I understand though, especially [for] women, the tremendous pressure that they receive in a place like Hollywood, where thousands of new girls arrive every year all fresh and new, and when you’re getting to a certain age, they can feel the push of these things … It’s more cruel unfortunately for women than men. There’s a social convention that allows men to grow older and not be so criticised and pushed about beauty, and for women it’s different. It’s ridiculous, but that’s the way that we created image around ourselves.”

[From Nottingham Post]

This is a solid analysis from an actor who’s witnessed the effects of aging — upon himself and in the Hollywood workplace — firsthand. Antonio’s also paid close attention to what his ex-wife, Melanie Griffith, went through during various stages of her career. They couldn’t make it work as a married couple, but he’s said he’ll always love her. Antonio’s correct about how aging is “more cruel” for women, and this isn’t just a Hollywood issue. It’s a societal construct. Women are expected to stay wrinkle free with lovely hair, but men are allowed to go grey. It sucks.

Here’s something different. Antonio’s preparing to start fashion school. For real! Antonio will attend London’s Central Saint Martins, where Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen and Stella McCartney all learned the ropes. Antonio says that fashion school is “something that has been on my mind for a long time, and I need knowledge to take steps in that territory in the future. It makes me feel actually very young to put the elbows on the table again and try to understand another reality.” He plans to continue acting but wants to eventually launch his own line. To think, a celebrity who wants to learn a new trade instead of simply placing his name upon a line. Antonio’s no Yeezus.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

Pop superstar Britney Spears covers the latest issue of PEOPLE with her sons Preston, 9, and Jayden, 8, and opens up about her hit Las Vegas show and new beau, producer Charlie Ebersol, 32.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” Spears, 33, gushes to the mag.

Britney currently stars in Planet Hollywood’s Las Vegas show, which has grossed nearly $50 million in ticket sales in a little more than a year. But her greatest passion is her kids.

“My kids come first in my life, bottom line,” says Britney, who co-parents the boys with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.

“Homework is a priority,” she says. “We have a reward system that helps motivate them: if they get so many As, they get one toy a month.”

The proud mom went on to gush about both of her boys.

“Preston is very opinionated, very expressive, and if he doesn’t like something, he’s going to tell you,” she shares. “But he has a huge heart, he’s a good kid and he has manners … Jayden is sweet, very soft-spoken, kinda funny. He’s adorable — a momma’s boy.”

The boys have started doing regular chores, including washing off their plates, taking out the trash and helping the family’s three dogs.

“Preston just asked for a high allowance – like $10 a week or $20 a week – but we’ll see!” she says.

As for her new beau, he also helps out with the kids – and the boys really like him.

“They relate to him really well and they have fun together,” says the mom-of-two, who started dating Ebersol about six months ago. “He’s refreshing to be around and really light-hearted.”

Britney has new single, a collaboration with Iggy Azaelea, dropping on May 5.

“[I’m in a] real good place,” she says. “I’m very blessed.”

I don’t even know what to say about this Deadline article that went viral as soon as it was published yesterday evening. The article is called “Pilots 2015: The Year Of Ethnic Castings – About Time Or Too Much Of Good Thing?” But it could really be called “Where aren’t there more white people on television? WAAAHHHH!!!” You can read the offensively bad article here.

First, some background: several main networks and cable networks began revamping their programming, schedules and diversity casting a few years back. Fox and ABC have had tremendous success with their revamped diversity policies and programming, with hit shows like How To Get Away With Murder (with Viola Davis as the lead), Scandal (Kerry Washington) and Empire (Taraji Henson and the almost entirely black cast). Those hit shows have become a “trend” and now every network head has suddenly realized: OMG, non-white audiences consume TV as well. So the 2015 pilot season is littered with “the next Empire” or “the next Scandal” or “the next Fresh Off the Boat,” etc, complete with a wide-range of ethnically diverse actors and actresses in lead and ensemble roles.

So, what’s the problem? It’s been a long time coming, right? Finally, television programming is starting to look as diverse as America. But not to Deadline. Deadline posits that “the pendulum might have swung a bit too far in the opposite direction.” Seriously. Woe is the white actor.

Instead of opening the field for actors of any race to compete for any role in a color-blind manner, there has been a significant number of parts designated as ethnic this year, making them off-limits for Caucasian actors, some agents signal. Many pilot characters this year were listed as open to all ethnicities, but when reps would call to inquire about an actor submission, they frequently have been told that only non-Caucasian actors would be considered. “Basically 50% of the roles in a pilot have to be ethnic, and the mandate goes all the way down to guest parts,” one talent representative said.

In one instance, after a number of actors of different ethnicities tested for two roles in a pilot this year, two Caucasian actors ended up being the top choices for the two remaining regular parts. However, because of a mandate from the studio and network, one of the roles had to diverse, so the pilot could only cast one of the top choices and pass on the other to fulfill the ethnic quota. “They need to say the best man or woman wins,” one rep suggested.

Because of the sudden flood of roles for ethnic actors after years of suppressed opportunities for them, the talent pool of experienced minority performers — especially in the younger range — is pretty limited. That has led to a feeding frenzy, with a number of straight offers locking in ethnic talent before they could be snatched by another pilot.

This is not to say that there weren’t other hot commodities this pilot season; star names were in demand as usual, as were hot young guys and girls and occasional foreigners with that “sparkle.” But the big trend this pilot casting season was the huge spike in the number and prominence of roles that went to minority actors.

[From Deadline]

Part of me thinks it’s sad that people are fighting about this because the white power structure that controls so much of Hollywood film and television still believes that “ethnic programming” is just a trend and they’re just trying to ride the wave. But I’m sure there are people within Hollywood’s overwhelming white power structure who are genuinely upset that in the 2015 pilot season, white actors are only being cast, like, most the time. When it used to be 95% of the time! Anyway, Pajiba had a great summary on the backlash to the “Whitelash” against minority casting decisions – go here to see.

Dear White Actors: At least you still have HBO, Showtime, Netflix, more than half of all cable and standard networks and, oh right, like 98% of the leads in all films. Woe is the white actor, y’all. Won’t anyone think about Bradley Cooper?!

Photos courtesy of WENN.