Whether or not they still consider themselves a couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie totally conquered the headlines this week as a team.
Not that either one of them did anything. But the beauteous parents of six haven't been seen together since Christmastime and Brad has skipped the red-carpet season, despite Inglourious Basterd's glorious showing.
Hmm, curiouser and curiouser...
We've also got Jay on Oprah, a look at the SAG Awards, Idol chatter and seven days' worth of news squished together, all right here in your Week in Review:
1. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been together for nearly five years. (No one will ever know the true date on which Brangelina was conceived.) They have six kids, three adopted and three of their own. And they're unarguably lovely to look at. So is that why it seems as if the tabloids aren't willing to rest until they've broken up? The duo have thrived in the face of breakup rumors before, but their lack of face time on the red carpet this awards season—and now Angie's skipping the Oscars!—have inquiring minds wondering more than ever before. E! News did its best to dismantle a report that Jolie cheated, but the glossies are quite persistent. And you know who gets to share those covers when Brangelina are said to be in trouble... (Hint: It's not Jon Voight.)
2. Instead of endearing himself to fans with an appearance on Oprah, who acknowledged that America has "taken sides," Jay Leno further antagonized on-again late-night rival Jimmy Kimmel with that whole "sucker punch" comment. Calling his retirement announcement years ago a "white lie" and admitting to not calling Conan since he re-took over the Tonight Show might not have helped, either.
3. Johnny Depp is A-L-I-V-E (gosh-dang Internet hoaxters) and, as far as we're concerned, doing very, very well.
4. Brittany Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, says he blames Warner Bros. Pictures for causing the grief that led to his 32-year-old wife's cardiac arrest, saying Murphy never recovered from being fired off of Happy Feet 2. The studio dares the grieving widower to sue, calling any suggestion that they contributed to Murphy's death "demonstrably false, reprehensible and defamatory." Aside from the fact that she wasn't under contract and therefore couldn't be fired, according to WB, no lawyer we talked to has ever heard of such a claim going the distance in court.
5. So much promise, so much buzz... in 2006. Without further ado, Ugly Betty's cancellation was confirmed this week, its 22-episode season getting pared down to 20 and the window for securing Chris Gorham's return growing just a little smaller. And here's hoping Betty finds a new orthodontist who's not in love with her so that those braces can come off!
6. In further tube talk: We—and you!—loved Neil Patrick Harris on American Idol...Samantha Harris is leaving Dancing With the Stars...peep the first four minutes of Lost's season premiere...Victoria Beckham's headed to The View...Jason Mesnick's going to marry Molly Malaney, the one he almost let get away, on, you guessed it, TV!...Mad Men's cast is in flux.
7. Inglourious Basterds was the big cheese at the 2010 SAG Awards and The Hurt Locker was praised by the PGA. Avatar, though not a showcase for actors, continued to just make cheese, surpassing Titanic to become the top-grossing film ever...See if you can spot next year's Oscar-buzz films, and catch up with Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Ryan Gosling, James Franco, Katie Holmes and Orlando Bloom with our 2010 Sundance Film Festival coverage.
8. Legal Wrangling: Case dismissed for Kanye West...Michael Lohan arrested again...The alleged John Travolta extortionists will be retried starting Sept. 6...Nancy Kerrigan's brother was locked up for allegedly assaulting their dad, who died suddenly...Michael Douglas' son, Cameron, copped to drug charges, is looking at a minimum of 10 years in prison...Pete Doherty was fined rather than imprisoned for bringing heroin to court...Someone broke into Susan Boyle's home...Adrian Pasdar celebrates not being on Heroes anymore with a DUI bust...Nancy Grace doesn't always get her way when it comes to being on camera...Kiefer Sutherland was roped into a cattle con...Andy Dick was accused of molesting a barkeep...Gary Coleman was locked up and bailed out by movie producers who now get to keep Coleman's penis in their film.
9. Miscellany: Hollywood continues to help Haiti...Mrs. Kardashian Odom goes to Washington...Chris Pine and Olivia Munn are done...Taylor Momsen has a chip on her bony shoulder...Brooke Mueller is resting, not rehabbing...Charlie Sheen moved home...The Game denies being Tila Tequila's baby daddy...Will Ferrell welcomes son Axel...Matthew McConaughey debuts daughter...The Duggars appreciate kid No. 19...Taylor Swift is penning greeting cards...Carrie Underwood's on Super Bowl "Star-Spangled Banner" duty...Tim Tebow's on Super Bowl ad-controversy duty...Miley, J.Hud and many more team up for a new "We Are the World"...Renée Zellweger's close call...Rachel Zoe denies having an eating disorder...Rihanna says goodbye to an inspirational friend...Jesse James and Sandra Bullock call out the dog finders...R.I.P., J.D. Salinger, Howard Zinn, Zelda Rubinstein, Pernell Roberts and James Mitchell.
10. Be sure to take our 2010 Grammy Prediction Quiz and check out our carpet-to-party Grammy Awards coverage this Sunday! Rihanna, who's nominated for two for "Rock This Town" with Jay-Z, isn't bringing a date, but she'll be far from alone! That show is going to be packed with the music biz's biggest names, thespian spouses (Kidman, Duhamel, et al), fashion choices that take on lives of their own (Ga-ga-ooh-la-la) and jaw-dropping talent. From the Black Eyed Peas to Taylor Swift to Eminem to Green Day to the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute (and possibly his kids), we can't wait for all the live goodies.
(Originally published Jan. 30, 2010 at 8:18 a.m. PT)
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Before she gets all dolled up for the Grammys, check out Rihanna and various other celebs looking like normalish people in our Big Picture gallery.