I think one of the biggest indicators that this year’s Oscars was a total snooze is the fact that one of the biggest post-Oscar stories of the week is about… Zendaya and Giuliana Rancic. No offense to those ladies, but where’s the A-list gossip? Thankfully, Star Magazine had a silly/fun breakdown of some random gossip that went down at the Oscars and Oscar parties. Some highlights:

*During the VF Oscar party, Natalie Portman “did her best to steer clear of Jennifer Aniston” because Natalie has “an allegiance” to Angelina Jolie. Reese Witherspoon apparently ran interference for Natalie when Nat almost bumped into Aniston near the bathroom.

*Speaking of Jennifer Aniston, she apparently got “straight-up drunk!” She “grabbed Selena Gomez’s butt and told Sofia Vergara she wanted to ‘eat her up.’”

*When Chrissy Teigen was backstage at the Oscars, Neil Patrick Harris said hi to Chrissy but she just rolled her eyes and kept walking… it was very bizarre,” says a source.

*When Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman walked the carpet, “People were speculating that they got his-and-hers Botox.”

*Jessica Chastain tried to chat with Meryl Streep backstage but Meryl “couldn’t have looked more put off.”

*Jared Leto “openly ogled” Behati Prinsloo right in front of Adam Levine.

*Sienna Miller “was horrified” when someone asked her if Robert Pattinson would ever get back together with Kristen Stewart. Sienna didn’t even respond, apparently.

*Scarlett Johansson went over to Lady Gaga and said “I would give away all my acting talent to be able to do what you did and touch a crowd like that.”

*At the pre-Oscars dinner, Anna Wintour “paid special attention to Rita Ora” which obviously means that Rita will get a Vogue cover, right?

*Khloe Kardashian was slamming back champagne before she went on air on E!. She might have been too drunk to host, really.

*Emma Stone sent videos and photos to Andrew Garfield (he wasn’t there) all night.

*People were buzzing about American Sniper’s notable snubs and “the buzz at the Oscar parties was that Clint got snubbed because of his staunchly Republican views.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

Is any of this true? Eh. I think some of these pieces of gossip seemed true-ish, like they maybe happened. Chrissy Teigen rolling her eyes at NPH, Khloe pre-partying too hard, Sienna Miller not wanting to talk about Sparkles, Jared Leto creeping on a model. All of that sounds legit. I don’t think Natalie Portman has any particular loyalty to Angelina Jolie, but God knows. And would Meryl Streep ignore Jessica Chastain?!

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere ???????? @jaredleto and #BenedictCumberbatch at the #VFOscarParty photo by @justbish

A photo posted by Vanity Fair (@vanityfair) on Feb 25, 2015 at 11:53am PST

Photos courtesy of Instagram, Fame/Flynet and WENN.

It feels like forever since I’ve written about Shailene Woodley. Did you miss her? Last year saw a fast and furious press run where Shai gushed about dancing with “hairy pits” and “war paint“ and introduced her sunshine vadge. There was a messier era where Shailene displayed confusion over the definition of feminism, which happened with a lot of starlets last year.

Shai covers the April issue of Glamour UK to promote Insurgent, which I’m not looking forward to watching. This second book was awful compared to Divergent, and it put me off reading the third book. This shoot includes some saucy photos, which you can see here. Shailene’s still wearing her short hair in an unflattering style. I don’t think she plans on growing it out. In this interview, she covers some decent ground. Is she hinting that 50 Shades producers pursued her for the lead role?

She gets into sex scenes: “I’m totally comfortable with nudity. I’m not sure it empowers me as an actress or anything, but if I’m going to do a movie with sex scenes, then I’m going to be naked, because I don’t know about you, but I don’t have sex with bras and panties on.”

European vs. US attitudes on sexuality: “Part of the reason I love Europe is that sexuality is no big deal there. You go to a topless beach and the dudes aren’t checking out your t*ts, because they’re just boobs. [In America] sex is something that’s not talked about — yet it’s in our faces more than anything else. In school, rather than teach you about sex, they tell you about abstinence, which doesn’t work.”

She was approached for Fifty Shades? “I wasn’t really interested … I’d already signed on for Divergent anyway,” she explains. “Also, I’d read the book and thought, ‘If somebody really can pull this off and make a movie out of it, they will be the biggest genius.’”

Her sister, Kate Rocknroll Winslet “When we started doing press for the first [Divergent] film, she sent me this beautiful email … Kate has become like an older sister to me. I know she’s got my back. I’ve got hers, too.”

[From Glamour UK]

This girl loves to get her kit off for movies. She’s raved about her marvelous rack before, and she feels more authentic taking it all off with her co-stars. I assume these dudes are fine with it, so why not?

Shailene does have a point about the futility of teaching abstinence in schools. Teenagers are going to do whatever they want no matter what, so parents and teachers may as well teach them the practicalities. That’s just common sense.

Photos courtesy of Glamour UK, Lionsgate & WENN

It’s startling to realize that Duchess Kate is probably due in less than two months. Kensington Palace has maintained that Kate is due in April, and various sources claim that she’s only got seven weeks left. Kate is winding down her schedule too, after what can only be described as a “flurry” of public engagements in January and February. To her credit, I will say. She finally realize that she should do work ahead of her annual family vacay to Mustique. It was just announced that Kate will likely do her last public appearance – before giving birth – on March 11, in Margate. Go here to read more about that.

This week’s issues of Star Magazine and the National Enquirer have stories about Kate’s pregnancy and birth plan. Star’s story bothered me, mostly because I feel like it’s bad karma to start a rumor or gossip about the potential for pregnancy complications. Star says that Kate was secretly rushed to the hospital in mid-February because she thought she was going into labor. She allegedly stayed in the hospital overnight and she was fine. Perhaps Braxton-Hicks contractions? Meanwhile, the Enquirer says that the Queen yelled at Kate and ordered her NOT to do a home birth:

The Duchess of Cambridge was determined to break with tradition and deliver her first daughter in a maternity unit set up in the family apartment in Kensington Palace, royal sources told The National ENQUIRER. But when word reached Queen Elizabeth that a guest bedroom was to be equipped with every device that might be needed in an emergency, the monarch put her foot down.

“Kate was determined to have the baby in the comfort of [her] home with William present,” the palace insider said. “She consulted medical experts and they drew up plans to install all the equipment in a room close to William and Kate’s master bedroom. But they didn’t anticipate the Queen’s reaction.”

“The Queen was horrified and pointed out they must not take risks with a baby who one day will be second in line to the throne,” the source added. “It was a shock to Kate that the Queen was so concerned. Her message left Kate in no doubt that this wasn’t so much a request, but an order!”

The little princess will now come into the world in the Lindo Wing of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, under the care of surgeon and gynecologist Dr. Alan Farthing. After that, Kate will take charge.

“She’ll look after the baby herself without the aid of maternity nurses or nannies for at least six months,” revealed the insider. “She and William have vowed that the baby will be raised by Mom and Pop – just like any regular couple.”

[From The National Enquirer]

It was said that when Kate gave birth to George, she did it without drugs or an epidural or anything. She was doing prenatal yoga and she apparently had a relatively easy, uncomplicated natural birth. I would think that she’s probably doing the same this time around – staying fit, watching her diet, doing yoga, etc. And yes, Kate probably knew that having a home birth wasn’t an option for her in this day and age.

Last story – Radar says that Anna Wintour really, really wants Kate for the September issue of Vogue this year. A source told Radar:

“Anna knows landing Kate for the September issue would be a huge coup, especially since Prince William’s wife has never done a magazine feature for a US publication. The focus of Kate’s feature would be her numerous charity endeavors, which Anna has conveyed to Kate’s staff. Anna has offered Kate full control over the accompanying photo shoot” and would let her pick the photographer, journalist and location for the piece. “Anna has been trying for the last two years to get Kate to agree and she’s always refused.”

[From Express]

I have no doubt that Wintour would love Kate on the cover for any month. But Kate is pretty prohibited in what she can agree to do – she didn’t even appear on British Vogue ahead of her wedding. I seriously doubt Kate would agree to an American Vogue cover under any circumstance. Which is too bad, because I bet the article and editorial would be hugely gossip-worthy.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Margot Robbie covers the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK to promote Focus. This seems like a waste of a good cover for such a lame looking film, but I certainly don’t mind seeing more of Margot. She’s wearing a Stella McCartney dress on the cover that (surprisingly) isn’t awful. Very springlike.

The interview (so far) isn’t worth discussing. Margot mostly talks about stuff she’s covered elsewhere, such as slapping Leonardo DiCaprio during her Wolf of Wall Street audition. You can read that stuff here. Margot’s been doing the press rounds and taped an episode of The Graham Norton Show. The episode airs later today, and Margot talks about how she once endured an on-set, spaghetti-eating competition. FYI, this is a gross story:

“It’s revolting but I did an eating competition to see who could eat the most in an hour. It was a bucket load. I was working on Neighbours at the time and they said, ‘Lunch break’s over, you’ve got to go to set,’ and I couldn’t move. The nurse had to be called and she gave me the stuff they give toddlers if they swallow poison. I projectile vomited 1.8 kilos of spaghetti and then skipped on to set – I felt fine.”

[From The Graham Norton Show]

This is complete TMI, right? Graham Norton episodes can get a little messy, but this is more than what we usually see from the show. I don’t know the context of Margot’s answer, but anything involving projectile vomit speaks for itself. Some of y’all complain about Jennifer Lawrence’s tendency to talk about farts and poop, but this is somehow worse.

Anyway. I don’t know how Margot possibly stuffed 4 pounds of pasta into her stomach. Maybe she’s exaggerating. I love pasta and never stick to just one serving, but 4 pounds really is a bucket full. Let’s wash away that visual with this photo of Margot wearing a Valentino dress with overdone eyelet patterns. She looks exquisite.

Here’s Margot in NYC yesterday. This coat reminds me of Yeezus fashion.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & David Slijper/Harper’s Bazaar UK

Sean Penn still hasn’t apologized for his Oscar “joke”. When he was presenting the Best Picture Oscar to Birdman, Penn quipped, “Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?” As I said at the time, Penn is actually friends with Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and they worked together on 21 Grams. And for what it’s worth, Inarritu thought the joke was “hilarious.” But people were still offended. And Sean Penn offered no apologies, half-assed or sincere.

I wonder if reporters will ask him about it while he promotes his new film, The Gunman. So far, this week, no one has asked him anything. We’ve been saying for months that Penn seems especially chilled out now that he’s with Charlize Theron, but I would imagine that if an enterprising journalist really pushed him about the joke, Penn would probably punch the journo. Meanwhile, Penn IS giving interesting quotes, just not about the Oscars. Penn spoke to the Shortlist this week about acting as a craft, a career and a living. Some highlights:

Penn doesn’t think much of actors these days: “I think many actors have disgraced their craft and are left to celebrity status in many cases. They’re mostly the punks for what the studio wants to do.”

He did ‘The Gunman’ for the money: “Listen man, you get divorced, you pay a few fines and you get involved in something where it’s hard to get people to dig in their pockets and you have to dig in your own, and you’ve got kids, and by the time you finish directing a movie you’ve paid for it more than you’ve been paid for it. There are a lot worse ways of making a living than doing something that fascinates you, and acting does fascinate me.”

Being famous versus being an actor: “I think acting today, by and large, is more associated with a fame-building game than anything to do with a gift. It’s supposed to be a giving and not taking industry, and today it’s more about the take.”

It’s not weird for a man his age to play the lead in an action film: “President Obama’s biggest surprise when he met the Seals who went into Abbottabad to get Bin Laden was that they were old. It’s also a conversation about who’s going to the movies these days. Maybe older people go the theatre more and will identify [with someone my age], while kids are looking at movies on their laptops.”

[From Shortlist via Channel 24 & The Irish Independent]

I enjoy the fact that he doesn’t see the hypocrisy of slamming actors for being studio chore-monkeys while admitting that yes, he signs on to movies just because he needs the money. I guess Sean Penn is the only one allowed to sell out in the name of craft, in the name of art. But when other actors try to balance studio projects to pay the bills and smaller, important work, suddenly they’re “punks” and “celebrities” (the ultimate pejorative, I suppose).

And I wonder what Charlize Theron thinks about that? She’s one of those actor/celebrities balancing small projects, studio projects and lucrative endorsement deals. Incidentally, when Sean and Charlize were in France for the Cesars, he spoke to a French outlet about Charlize. The reporter referred to Charlize as his girlfriend and Sean corrected him, saying: “No, no, excuse me, Charlize is not my girlfriend. She’s the love of my life.” God, they’re really doing this, aren’t they?

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Ryan Phillippe is coming to TV after all. You’ll recall, he was originally supposed to be in Golden Boy for CBS a couple of years ago. Then he dropped out and Theo James stepped in. The film opportunities however haven’t been all that great. So now it’s ABC’s Secrets &…      

Ryan Phillippe is coming to TV after all. You’ll recall, he was originally supposed to be in Golden Boy for CBS a couple of years ago. Then he dropped out and Theo James stepped in. The film opportunities however haven’t been all that great. So now it’s ABC’s Secrets &…      

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know that I have a thing for Sam Rockwell. (And Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb.) You know how Brad Pitt almost always has an eating scene in his movies? Sam Rockwell is always dancing. And his dancing is the sex.

Think back to Charlie…      

If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know that I have a thing for Sam Rockwell. (And Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb.) You know how Brad Pitt almost always has an eating scene in his movies? Sam Rockwell is always dancing. And his dancing is the sex.

Think back to Charlie…      

Hugh Jackman is currently promoting Chappie. He was in Paris today for the photo call. The other day, during our Oscar all-nighter, Duana told me about an article that was written about Birdman. The writer hated it. And the title of his piece was:

Is Birdman the first Best Picture winner that…