Miley Cyrus' cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has been voted the "Worst Cover Song of All Time," according to Digital Spy. The singer topped the poll compiled by Rolling Stone magazine, which asked readers to vote for their least favorite song covered by another artist. Avril Lavigne's version of John Lennon's "Imagine," William Shatner's take on The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Madonna's rendition of Don McLean's "American Pie" were also on the list. Britney Spears was on the 10-song list twice, with covers of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
Britney Spears said that she would be in school—teaching—if she weren't a singer, according to Digital Spy. She told Pop Justice, "Career-wise I'd probably be a teacher. I love kids and even in what I do now one of my favorite parts of my day is getting to meet my fans before the show. Especially the little ones. ... I'd specialize in reading and history." Spears is currently on her "Femme Fatale" world tour.
China has banned songs by Lady Gaga and the Backstreet Boys, according to Digital Spy. Officials have added tracks by the singer and boy band to a list of 100 songs that music websites must remove by Sept. 15 in a move to tackle "poor taste and vulgar content." Backstreet's "I Want It That Way" is on this list as well as six songs by Gaga, including "The Edge of Glory" and "Americano." Sites that don't delete the music will face prosecution.
Sara Gilbert—who played Darlene on the TV show Roseanne and is now one of the co-hosts of the daytime show The Talk—has split from producer-writer Allison Adler after 10 years and two children together, according to GregInHollywood.com . The two will share custody of their children: son Levi, 6, and daughter Sawyer, 4. In the initial press release announcing The Talk, Gilbert refrained from mentioning Adler, later telling reporters, "This is a talk show, so obviously I'm going to be discussing my life more and I felt that the first place that I wanted to do it wasn't in a CBS press release."
Speaking of The Talk, Kris Jenner and comedian/personality Sheryl Underwood will be on the couch, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Jenner—the matriarch of the famous Kardashian brood—will guest-host for two weeks early in the upcoming season, and may replace Sharon Osbourne on days she is unavailable. Underwood will join as a co-host. The news comes after reports surfaced that Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini would not be returning next season.
Chord Overstreet, who played Sam on Glee, will now co-star on the ABC show The Middle as a teacher, according to SheKnows.com . The Middle star, Patricia Heaton, tweeted on Tuesday, "For all you @GLEEonFOX fans, @chordoverstreet is playing Brick's 4th grade teacher this year on #TheMiddle!" Overstreet decided not to return to Glee, reportedly so he could pursue other opportunities.
Singer Rihanna has denied the existence of a sex tape featuring her with hip-hop artist J Cole, although adult film and magazine company Hustler claims to have a copy, according to Digital Spy. The "Umbrella" singer has said that she was "humiliated" and "mortified" when she first heard that naked photographs of herself had leaked online. However, she also admitted that she may take more nude shots of herself, adding, "When you're alone, and those horny moments come up, pictures can be very handy."
Actress Rashida Jones said that she kissed many women to prep for her role in the current movie Our Idiot Brother, Digital Spy reported. Jones, who co-stars on TV's Parks and Recreation, joked on Chelsea Lately, "I tried to kiss as many girls as possible—that's what we do. I'm an actor, I care about my craft." In the movie, she has kissing scenes with actress Zooey Deschanel. Jones is the daughter of legendary media mogul/musician Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton.
Actress Jaime Pressly has pled no contest to driving drunk, and has received three years probation, according to a Yahoo! News item. The former star of the TV show My Name Is Earl was also ordered to attend a six-month alcohol-education course. Police stopped her car Jan. 5; she reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of more than .20 (with the legal limit being .08).
The View's moderator, Whoopi Goldberg, has adopted a kitten that was thrown from a moving car on New York City's Verrazano Bridge, Yahoo! News reported. Goldberg has posted a photo of the kitten, name Vinny, on her Facebook page; she added that her other cat, Oliver, is "not too happy" about Vinny's presence.
The Wolverine—a superhero movie starring Hugh Jackman—may not begin filming until next spring, according to MTV.com . There are apparently two factors involved in delaying the start of filming: Japan's weather and Les Miserables. Because of Japan's unpredictable weather, the movie may shoot at least part-time in Canada. Also, producers are wondering about when Jackman will wrap up shooting the musical adaptation of Les Miserables, which hasn't apparently started filming yet.
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg are starting a new eatery in Boston called Wahlburgers, according to a Hollywood Reporter item. The name was the biggest obstacle because it had been previously trademarked. Brother Paul will be the restaurant's chef.
Amy Winehouse's Back to Black has become the biggest-selling album in the United Kingdom this century, according to the Hollywood Reporter. A surge in sales since Winehouse's death has helped her second album overtake James Blunt's 2005 release, Back to Bedlam. Sales of Back to Black stood at 3.26 million copies as of Aug. 25.
America's Got Talent has announced its musical guests for the remainder of the season, and it's a diverse list, according to the Hollywood Reporter. David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Def Leppard, former finalist Jackie Evancho, Cirque du Soleil and Tony Bennett (with Queen Latifah) are among the acts appearing on the competition show starting Aug. 31.
Singer Chris Brown is involved in yet another alleged anti-gay incident, according to Taletela.com . While in Las Vegas, Brown reportedly called bouncers "faggots" and told one of them to "suck [his] d--k." Brown later tweeted, "To everybody: never go to club XS in Vegas! They are d**ks!...that s**t wack… It was wack." The club's bouncers reportedly tried to prevent Brown's security from entering because of the dress code.
Openly gay ex-NYPD detective Mark Anthony Caruso is one of the cast members of Survivor's newest season, set in the South Pacific, according to Instinct Magazine. Caruso even has a profile on the website Bear411, where he writes that his favorite activities include the gym, traveling, sports, movies, music and beaches; he also calls himself "Papabear."
Jamaican singer Mista Majah P has released the world's first pro-gay reggae album, according to a press release from the Peter Tatchell Foundation. The album, entitled Tolerance, contains 11 songs—including tunes supporting marriage equality and same-sex adoption. The tracks also feature attacks at the anti-gay biases of reggae singer Beenie Man and Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Majah P, an ally of the gay community, said that he hopes the CD "will break down the homophobic stance that certain reggae artists and heads of government have taken towards the LGBTQ community."
A day before MTV's Video Music Awards, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine lashed out at the network on Twitter, according to USA Today. Levine tweeted, "the VMA's. one day a year when MTV pretends to still care about music. I'm drawing a line in the sand. f--- you VMA's." He later posted, "i may be a pop singer. but every once in a while the angsty teenager in me just blurts out some raw honesty. it's a reflex."
Speaking of the show, Beyonce's pregnancy announcement topped the headlines at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, according to CBS.com . Lady Gaga also made a bid to steal the show, as she dressed as a man, complete with a cigarette and slicked-back hair. She attempted to kiss Spears after the latter won an award; however, Spears stopped it from happening, recalling her lip lock with Madonna when she said, "I've done that already." Multiple winners included Spears, Adele and Katy Perry, who won for Video of the Year for "Firework." There was also a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse that included Tony Bennett and Bruno Mars.
In another VMA-related item, out singer Adam Lambert took to Twitter to air his own views on the show, according to Lez Get Real. Commenting on Lady Gaga's appearance as alter ego Jo Calderone, Lambert posted, "Gaga looked like Ralph Macchio last night. Ha. Bitch got BALLZ. Long live performance art."
Beyonce's pregnancy announcement (which, by the way, established a record by prompting 8,868 tweets per second) may have affected production of her Clint Eastwood-directed remake of A Star is Born, according to Deadline.com . The musical was slated to start production as soon as next February; however, her pregnancy will probably push the date back—which might be a blessing, as it would give the studio more time to find another male co-star. Eastwood's first choice, Leonard DiCaprio, isn't filming the movie.
Legendary singer Sir Tom Jones had to cancel a festival concert in Monte Carlo after being taken to a hospital, Digital Spy reported. A spokesman told The Mail, "I received a call at 8.10pm informing me that the event had been canceled because Tom Jones had been taken to hospital." Others who performed at the festival at the Salle des Etoiles included Bryan Ferry and Sting.
While promoting her fashion line, Queen Latifah intimated that Kate Middleton should "loosen up" regarding her fashion sense, according to Digital Spy. While launching her line on the Home Shopping Network, Latifah said of Middleton, "I'd probably give her a pair of my skinny moto jeans and a fresh moto jacket with a cool tank, and I'd probably get her a nice pair of Ralph Lauren boots, throw her on a cool-ass motorcycle and tell her to go." However, when it comes to Pippa Middleton, Latifah said that Kate's sister is "still kind of up-and-coming to me. She should get to wear whatever she wants."
Darren Criss, who plays openly gay student Blaine on the TV show Glee, is no longer attached to star in Michael Hornburg's upcoming project, Downers Grove, according to Digital Spy. Less Than Zero author Bret Easton Ellis, who has written the film's screenplay, recently suggested that Criss was in line for a role in the movie. However, Criss is not apparently in the film, which stars Hayden Panettiere, Rebecca De Mornay and Twilight's Nikki Reed.
BBC Worldwide Sales and Distribution, announced today that comedy phenomenon Absolutely Fabulous will return to television with three brand new specials, with BBC AMERICA and Logo serving as joint American co-producers for the series. Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will reprise their celebrated roles as Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, respectively. The duo last teamed up for the BBC AMERICA comedy, Clatterford in 2006.
The new cast of Dancing with the Stars has been revealed—and transgender activist Chaz Bono and gay fashion stylist Carson Kressley (who reportedly replaced Ryan O'Neal at the last minute) are among the new dancers. Among the 10 other dancers are former talk-show host Ricki Lake, Wilson Phillips singer Chynna Phillips, attorney/TV personality Nancy Grace, actor David Arquete and Kim Kardashian's younger brother, Rob. The 13th season of Dancing will start Sept. 19.
Speaking of Dancing, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has issued a statement praising ABC for selecting Bono and Kressley for the show. Also praising the CW for featuring transgender woman Isis King and lesbian Kayla Ferrel for the next cycle of America's Next Top Model, GLAAD stated, "With both gay and transgender contestants represented, ABC and the CW have created primetime firsts that reflect the growing acceptance of gay and transgender people in America today."
However, on the flip side, Dancing with the Stars' message board filled with anti-LGBT comments upon news of Bono's inclusion, Reuters reported. One person posted, "[W]hen I heard that Chaz Bono was going to be on, I was sick. Not that I have anything personally again her/him, I just don't want that lifestyle choice continually flaunted in the media, esp. ABC." Bono will dance with a woman.
The band Foo Fighters strip and shower together in a comedy video for its upcoming tour, according to Digital Spy. The clip sees Dave Grohl and the band stop at a gas station; however, they then go to the shower room and strip—except for their cowboy boots. Each band member has a slo-mo routine (literally dropping the soap, in Grohl's case) as a janitor catches them. The uncensored video is at hotbuns.foofighters.com .
The syndicated daytime show Divorce Show aired its first case involving a lesbian couple Aug. 30. Judge Lynn Toler resolved a case involving Lela Keys and Lakisha Dennis, who were legally married in California before the anti-gay-marriage initiative Proposition 8 was re-instituted. The couple had been together for eight years.
Singer Sinead O'Connor has taken to her blog and Twitter to find a mate, according to the Huffington Post. She has issued a call for a "sweet sex-starved man" (although she is also considering women) who is into anal sex. Her list of requirements includes "Must be blind enough to think I'm gorgeous" and "Must not be named Brian or Nigel."
