Mad Men has conquered the world of TVbut starting this summer, it will set out to take the top spot in the realm of toys. According to MSNBC.com, four of the hit series' characters will be in plastic when Mattel unveils a line of dolls inspired by the show. Dolls of Joan Holloway ( played by Christina Hendricks ) , Roger Sterling ( John Slattery ) , Don Draper ( Jon Hamm ) and Betty Draper ( January Jones ) comes with accessories ranging from necklaces to a briefcasebut do not, for obvious reasons, include two signature indulgences of the characters: cigarettes and alcohol.
In an interview with CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, singer Annie Lennox stressed that HIV and AIDS are the leading killers of women of reproductive age worldwide, according to CNN.com . During the talk, Lennox said, "The world needs to wake up and realize that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has changed its face since the 1980s. It has been affecting women and children at an enormous rate. As a woman and a mother myself, I want to contribute to keeping this issue on the table. HIV is invisible."
Out actress Cynthia Nixon and The View's Joy Behar were honored March 13 at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York, according to a press release. The GLAAD Media Awards aim to "elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) issues, people and allies that have increased awareness, understanding and respect for the lives of LGBT people." Among those who attended the event were Michael Urie, Sigourney Weaver, Meredith Vieira, Rosie Perez and Dustin Lance Black.
Colony Capital LLC, a private-equity firm owned by billionaire Thomas J. Barrick, will assume the debt of photographer Annie Leibovitz after she bought back control of her property, according to Business Week. Art Capital Group, which had control of Leibovitz's real estate and photography, stated its loan to her had been satisfied. Last year, Leibovitzwho was involved with writer Susan Sontag until her death in 2004renegotiated a $24-million loan to get her homes and photos back.
In the movie Chloe, Amanda Seyfried plays a prostitute hired by Julianne Moore to tempt husband Liam Neeson, who is possibly cheatingbut it a love scene with Moore that Seyfried found riskiest, according to People.com . Seyfried said, "The risk factor came with the fact that the nudity could potentially create some damage with my American audience. [ Still, ] I had to do it. It was clearly the riskier choice but I think the better choice." Moore, 49, called Seyfried, 24, "quite impressive."
Björk is working on an ambitious film project with Michael Gondry, the French director behind such movies as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and the upcoming The Green Hornet, according to IMDB.com . The Icelandic singer and Gondry are teaming up on a 40-minute "scientific musical" that will screen in museums. Gondry has also directed seven of Björk's videos, including "Army of Me" and "Human Behaviour."
Sir Ian McKellen has posted on his Web site that he will start shooting The Hobbit this summer, according to EmpireOnline.com . However, film company New Line has not officially greenlighted the movie, which is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings films, which starred the openly gay McKellen as the wizard Gandalf. On the site, McKellen also stated, "Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth."
On the March 17 episode of TV's Ugly Betty, Betty's nephew, Justin ( played by Marc Indelicato ) , kissed another guy for the first time, according to Advocate.com . The show has gradually revealed more about Justin's sexual orientation, with creator Silvio Horta saying that during the show's final season, he wanted Justin to deal with who he really is. In the episode, the same-sex kiss takes place backstage after Justin's school play ends.
Teen singer Miley Cyrus ( star of Hannah Montana ) said that she received a flood of hate mail last year after expressing her support of marriage equality, according to Jam.Canoe.ca. Cyrus said that she tweeted, "Jesus loves you AND your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! That's like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz ( sic ) he's gay and that is WRONG and very sad! Like I said everyone deserves to be happy ( sic ) ." Cyrus told Parade magazine, "There has been so much controversy sometimes about what I've said or done because I believe there are no mistakes because God is the only one who can judge us."
Figure skater Johnny Weir has proposed his own touring show with singer Lady Gaga, according to CrabbyGoLightly.com . Weirwho was recently rejected as a participant on the Stars on Ice toursaid, "Right now, just artistically and creatively, I'd love to have my own show and my own tour and involve some big musical acts, like maybe getting Lady Gaga."
Brett Claywell is speaking out about how he and fellow actor Scott Evans were let go from the soap opera One Life to Live three months after becoming the participants in the first gay love scene on daytime TV, according to charlotteobserver.com . TV Guide reported that the openly gay Evans ( who played Oliver Fish ) and Claywell ( Kyle Lewis ) supposedly "failed to resonate with the mainstream audience." Claywell said he found out about his termination very suddenly: " [ T ] he same day I'm submitting my Emmy reel, [ executive producer/lead director ] Frank [ Valentini ] tells me that they're no longer continuing the storyline and that I've filmed my last day."
The reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta now has some Sapphic drama. According to US Magazine, Kim Zolciak, one of the show's stars, has a new girlfriend: DJ Tracy Young. Zolciak, 31, recently stepped out with Youngwho remixed Zolciak's song "Tardy for the Party"at the Blacks' Annual Gala in Miami Beach.
Oprah Winfrey has settled a lawsuit filed by Nomvuyo Mzamane, the ex-headmistress of Winfrey's South African girls' school, according to People magazine. Mzamane claimed that Winfrey defamed her with remarks made back in 2007, when the school was weathering a sex-abuse scandal. A Harpo Productions statement read, "The two parties met woman to woman without their lawyers and are happy that they could resolve this dispute peacefully to their mutual satisfaction."