Health woes, job security scares, and new hair, oh my!
This week, young Hollywood suffered yet another loss, and while a majority of the general public was not familiar with the celebutant before her death, the revelations that followed have made certain we're not soon to forget this story.
Oh, and did you hear the one about Kate Gosselin's makeover? Important stuff...
1. R.I.P.: Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson passes away at the age of 30. Young Hollywood, including lifelong pals Paris and Nicky Hilton, is shocked by her sudden death, and turns to Twitter to mourn the loss of their friend. Those unfamiliar with Johnson learned a thing or 5 from our rundown of her life, while her reported fiancée, reality star Tila Tequila, demonstrated her own unique way of honoring her lost loved one. Unfortunately, the cause of Johnson's death will not be known for upwards of eight weeks, but that hasn't stopped friends from handling Casey's personal business, including Nicky Hilton reclaiming her friend's dogs from Tequila, and helping her family plan funeral arrangements.
2. Contract Killers? NBC demonstrated their strange brand of loyalty this week, announcing a huge scheduling switcheroo that will move formerly dismissed Tonight Show host Jay Leno back to 11:35 p.m., what is now new Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien's timeslot. As it stands, Jeno has job security at the Peacock net, but O'Brien may head for a little place known as Fox in the very near future. Somewhere Jimmy Fallon paces, David Letterman laughs, and Jimmy Kimmel thanks his lucky stars ABC is standing by him. For now.
3. Hairgate 2010: One-time reality mom Kate Gosselin caused a stir this week when she—gasp!—tried out some snazzy hair extensions. We mused about the manner in which her makeover might save the economy, and her ex-hubby's ex-ladyfriend Hailey Glassman even gave her seal of approval. Too bad Kate instantly ditched the new 'do.
4. 911: Howard Stern's funnyman sidekick Artie Lange was hospitalized after an attempted suicide. Stern was initially freaked out by the whole thing, but stood by his pal, asking listeners to focus on how great Artie is, not the negative reports being leaked. On a positive note, Lange has since been released, and is reportedly doing well. Diff'rent Strokes star Gary Coleman was also hospitalized after a minor stroke, but told E! News that he's A-OK and will be around another 40 years.
5. Blue With Envy: Avatar is officially unstoppable. James Cameron might be the king of the world, after all.
6. Award Show Fever: This week taught us so many things about the beloved awards show season. 1. Mariah Carey really likes to sip the bubbly. 2. The Director's Guild has a sense of humor—who knew? And 3. The People will always choose Johnny Depp.
7. Under Par: Tiger Woods is losing his roar, but not completely. Vanity Fair appeared to be going for a metaphorical cover this issue: Is Elin Nordegren's going to take the shirt off of her hubby's back? We can only hope. Meanwhile, Elin proves life can go on, preferably in a cute sweater.
8. Twilight-4-Evah: There's no escaping these kids. Robsten spent New Year's Eve together, Tay-Squared ignored each other at the People's Choice Awards, Anna Kendrick sparked a Pattinson-Clooney feud, and Jackson Rathbone needs to keep better track of his scripts.
9. Lost-mas No More: Our gal-pals over at Watch with Kirstin wrapped up their first (and last!) 12 Days of Lost-mas. Thank goodness President Obama checked his Google alerts and planned accordingly.
10. This & That: Laying off the self-promotion was certainly not one of the Kardashians' New Year's resolutions. Khloé told us way too much about her birth control habits, Kim flaunted yet another endorsement deal, and a new Kardashian was unleashed on the work force...the adorable duo of Russell Brand and Katy Perry got engaged on a New Year's Eve trip to India...Blake Lively joins Green Lantern...Sarah Chalke has a baby boy...a Real Housewife is headed for divorce...Rihanna isn't dating her Mexico make-out buddy, L.A. Dodger Matt Kemp...Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus are parting ways...Charlie Sheen has to go to court...Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood are getting married...Rachel Zoe is still scary skinny.
(Originally published Jan. 9, 2010 at 8 a.m. PT)
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