Just how close are Whitney Houston and the much younger Ray J?
Close enough that they flew to Las Vegas together.
But it's unlikely that Houston, 44, and Ray J, 27, qualified for a mile-high membership, because they weren’t alone when they hopped on a private jet this weekend. Also on board were Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and some of Ray J’s family, including big sister Brandy.
Once in Sin City, the two hit the Thomas & Mack Center Saturday for the Bernard Hopkins-Joe Calzaghe fight. After the boxing match, Houston and Ray J were spotted at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino trying their luck at a roulette table. But while they spent the night in Vegas, I'm told they were booked into different suites.
Looks like family time trumped their maybe romance on this trip.
Meanwhile, other celebs spotted at the fight that night include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jay-Z, Bruce Willis, Simon Cowell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael J. Fox, Chris Tucker, Pete Sampras and upcoming American Idol celebrity guest, composer Andrew Lloyd Weber.
Elvis may have left the building, but he’ll be in Hollywood Friday night.
That's when the wacky World of Wonder Storefront Gallery opens DepARTed, a new art show featuring a collection of works inspired by late celebs who died way too young, like the King.
Curated by actor Daniel Franzese, the show is dedicated to Brad Renfro, with whom Franzese worked in the 2001 film Bully.
Other celebs featured in the exhibit include Anna Nicole Smith (above, by Jason Mecier), John Ritter, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, Bruce Lee and even Diff'rent Strokes star Dana Plato.
Prices for some of the pieces start as low as $10.
The Planet Gossip satellites see everything, and I give you the best sightings from around the world—and occasionally even beyond it.
DIAMOND GIRL: Ashlee Simpson, showing off her engagement ring at the Condé Nast Traveller Hot List party at Mansion in NYC. Also there were Joan Allen, Adrien Brody and Alan Cumming.
DESERT HEAT: Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson, having dinner at Mister Parker’s restaurant and lounge at the Parker Palm Springs hotel in Palm Springs, Calif..
QUEER GUY: Thom Felicia, hitting Whiskey Blue at L.A.’s W Hotel while New York party queen Amanda Lepore was deejaying for Thursday’s Vinyl Vixens night.
MARGARITAVILLE: Vince Vaughn, celebrating a friend’s birthday at Velvet Margarita in L.A. a few tables away from professional skier Simon Dumont, who was chatting with pals about his upcoming appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
SHOP BOY: Gary Oldman, shopping at Jake on Chicago’s Gold Coast.
LADIES' NIGHT: Cynthia Nixon and girlfriend Christine Marinoni, having dinner at Koi in NYC.
Now click on my videoblog below to hear more, including sightings of Sean "Diddy" Combs at Pacha in NYC, Jay-Z at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and even my fellow gossiper New York Post’s Cindy Adams auctioning off lunch with her during the big ASPCA gala at the Plaza.
You’d think someone would have thought about launching a line of Dolly Parton makeup a long time ago. But apparently not.
Until now.
“I want my own cosmetics line,” Parton says in the new issue of Billboard.
And there's more, much more. In addition to penning the score for the upcoming Broadway musical version of 9 to 5, the legendary country crooner says she’s working on an autobiographical musical, a weekly kids' TV show as well as children’s music and books.
She just released her new album, Backwoods Barbie, on her own Dolly Records. “When I first came [to Nashville] I really was the backwoods Barbie,” Parton says. “Too much makeup, too much hair, the big boobs, country girl straight out of the mountains. It’s hard to take somebody looking like that serious, I guess, so I had to work double hard to prove myself.”
Victoria Beckham may be Posh, but she doesn’t mind the simpler things in life—like celebrating her birthday at Harry Morton’s Pink Taco restaurant.
When the former Spice Girl turned 34 yesterday, she and the family—hubby David and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz—headed to the Taco outpost at L.A.’s Century City mall at about 5 p.m. I’m told Mrs. Beckham didn’t eat any dinner, but David had chicken fajitas while the boys dug into some mac ‘n' cheese.Victoria, however, enjoyed some birthday cake after being serenaded by "Happy Birthday" and she blew out the candles. The Beckhams brought the cake in themselves and actually had the leftover pieces boxed up to take home. That takes the cake. Literally!
On the swag front, such as it is, there's no word if Victoria has any plans to wear the Pink Taco T-shirt given to her by restaurant staffers.
But the place does seem to be a favorite of hers. Victoria also threw a party at Pink Taco in early March for Brooklyn’s ninth birthday. David was out of town with his soccer team, but guests included Eva Longoria Parker and Heidi Klum.
Who's to blame for Desperate Housewives' recent ratings slip? Star James Denton believes ABC may have something to do with it.
Denton thinks the network could have done a better job at marketing the return of the series on Sunday after it was sidelined for three months due to the writers' strike. "They didn't promote it," the actor said at last night's Cool Comedy-Hot Cuisine fundraiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation in Beverly Hills. "Nobody knew we were back. I couldn’t believe the lack of promotion."
Housewives isn't the only show Denton thinks ABC isn't giving any love to. "Grey’s has the same issue," he said. "They don’t promote them any more either."
Viewership for the Sunday premiere hit a record low for an original Housewives episode, down 15 percent from its average of 18.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Then again, it's not like Denton is completely distraught over viewership: "Sixteen million is a victory after all that time off."
—Additional reporting by Laura Lane
Bradley Cooper seems to have a thing for Hollywood ladies.
After calling it quits with his wife of four months, Jennifer Esposito, in May, the Wedding Crashers funnyman was linked to Cameron Diaz.
But that didn’t last too long. I’m hearing now that Cooper is romancing another actress.
I’m told Cooper, 33, is dating British beauty Rhona Mitra, 32.
Cooper recently wrapped He’s Just Not That Into You with Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore. Mitra, who has starred on TV hits like Nip/Tuck, Boston Legal and The Practice, is currently shooting Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.
Cooper’s rep said she has “no idea” and Mitra’s rep said he had “no clue” if the two were dating.
When Elton John calls, the celebs come running.
Sir Elton and his partner, David Furnish, along with British GQ Editor-in-Chief Dylan Jones and Alfred Dunhill menswear line, cohosted a party last night honoring British actors in Hollywood.
Who did I see? David and Victoria Beckham, Kate Beckinsale and her director hubby Len Wiseman and Eva Longoria all arrived together. They stayed for about an hour before heading off for dinner at Longoria’s new Beso restaurant in Hollywood (video, below).
Oh, and you can probably forget those tabloid tales suggesting Beckinsale and Wiseman have hit a rough patch in their marriage. They couldn’t have been more lovey-dovey!
Also on hand was Sharon Osbourne, Fantastic Four’s Welsh hottie Ioan Gruffudd, original supermodel Cheryl Tiegs and lovebirds Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger.
What is going on with Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon?
They were reportedly getting cozy in Las Vegas this past weekend, and now I just spotted the two of them together at the Beverly Hills Hotel!
The pair were sitting in the backseat of a very large black Bentley stopped at the entrance of the hotel, which was preventing other cars from coming and going. Not sure what the deal was, but the two stayed put as a couple of gals from their entourage kept getting in and out of the car.
Carey, 39, and Cannon, 27, never left the luxury sedan and were finally whisked away by their driver around 8:30 p.m.
The songbird performed earlier on the night on American Idol. None of my sources saw Cannon at Idol, so it's unclear if he was there.
People magazine reported earlier this week that Carey and Cannon hung out in Vegas on Monday night after taking a private jet to Sin City together. They appeared quite friendly at Privé at Planet Hollywood, where Nick was deejaying.
The two met in March, when Cannon made a cameo in one of her music videos.
The Planet Gossip satellites see everything, and I give you the best sightings from around the world—and occasionally even beyond it.
DESPERATE 'DO: Eva Longoria Parker, getting her locks styled at best buddy Ken Paves’ salon in West Hollywood.
ITALIAN JOB: Diane Keaton, having lunch at Mario Batali’s Mozza Pizzeria in Hollywood after standing outside with fellow diners before the place opened.
HOOP DREAMY: David Beckham, Mario, Evan Ross, Adam Levine and Andy Garcia, cheering on the Lakers as they beat the Sacramento Kings at the last regular season home game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
ROYAL FANFARE: Prince, chilling upstairs in the VIP room at club Goa in Hollywood, where DJ Eque paid tribute to the rock star by playing his tunes all night.
CROWD CONTROL: Fergie, hitting Chateau Marmont in L.A. with an entourage in tow, as Cameron Diaz had dinner with a pal at one table and lovebirds Sienna Miller and Rhys Ifans did the same at another.
ICE AGE: Carmen Electra, downing Siku Glacier Ice Vodka cocktails with rocker boyfriend Rob Patterson during her birthday party at Temporary Spaces in Hollywood.
FOOD STOP: Andrew Keegan and Shawn Pyfrom, with friends at separate tables dining at 3rd Stop in Los Angeles.
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