Steve Granitz/Getty Images

Director Lee Daniels insists he never thought that his new movie, Precious, would have much success.

In fact, he never even thought it would be released in theaters.

"I thought it was going to go straight to DVD," Daniels told me last night at Precious' AFI Fest 2009 presented by Audi premiere in Hollywood. "I mean, who was going to want to see a movie about an obese black girl learning how to read?"

But then he got a call from Oprah Winfrey…

Keep Reading

George Pimentel/Getty Images

There's no real official start date for awards season here in Hollywood, but it definitely feels like it's taken off already.

Not only were the Hollywood Film Awards earlier this week, but AFI Fest 2009 presented by Audi opens tomorrow night with the animated Fantastic Mr. Fox with voices by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman.

Precious producer Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Kate Beckinsale, Tom Ford, Eva Mendes, Julianne Moore, Robert De Niro and Michael Cera are just a few of the bold-faced names who are expected to show throughout the week-long festival.

But you don't have to be a Hollywood insider to see the fest flicks. A limited number of free tickets are available for the public on AFI's website.

Victoria Beckham treated her and David's sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, with a weekend by the sea.

The four were spotted in Friday night checking into the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, California. After having breakfast the next morning at Maryjane's, they headed to Sea World where they were given—what else?—a VIP tour. Later on, they spent time at the hotel's rooftop Float pool followed by dinner at Nobu and dessert at Pinkberry.

In other weekend happenings...

Keep Reading

We know Gilles Marini can act, we know he can strut his stuff on the dance floor and we know he poses quite nicely for the camera. But can he sing?

According to him, yes!

The multitalented Mr. Marini is working on an album. Yes, an album...

Keep Reading

Bill Boatman

Happy Anniversary, Mariah and Nick!

Mimi and the hubby celebrated their first year of marital bliss last night in Las Vegas.

Read on to find out what they did, where they were doing it, and why Mariah cried!

Keep Reading

Larry Busacca/WireImage.com

Can ya believe it's been nearly a year since Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon stunned everyone with their surprise wedding?

The two plan to celebrate their one-year anniversary with a party in Las Vegas on April 30. A source just slipped me a copy of their invitation, which is gold and features white script lettering.

Festivities kick off at 11p.m. and go "until Dawn" at the Palms' Moon nightclub, according to the invite.

Dress code? "Hot!"

No word on whether Ms. Mariah will be performing on the big night.

Ginsburg/Spaly Inc.

Mariah Carey isn't pregnant.

And we didn't need her publicist to issue a denial telling us that. Ms. Mariah used Twitter to set the record straight.

The golden-voiced hitmaker began twittering yesterday about her holiday weekend after paparazzi shots of her from Easter Sunday led to some pregnancy speculation. Reports also claimed she and hubby Nick Cannon visited a fertility clinic on the holy day.

Keep Reading

Steve Granitz/Getty Images

What on earth was Mariah Carey doing at the Independent Spirit Awards yesterday?
Believe it or not, the songbird had a very good reason to be there: She costars in Push, an indie drama directed by Lee Daniels. Not only was the flick a hit last month at Sundance, but Carey is actually getting good reviews!

Also appearing at the Spirits was my fave reality TV host, Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef. She wore a white knot in support of gay marriage. "I'm trying to find a gay man to marry because I think they’re perfect," Lakshmi cracked. "But seriously, I think it's very important for anyone who wants to get married to the person they love should be able to do so and get all the benefits."

I Twittered from the carpet, so keep reading for scoop on which hottie's pants were too long, what Teri Hatcher said about Nicollette Sheridan's Desperate Housewives depature and which megarich star snatched a swag bag.

Keep Reading

Perkins; Andrade; PacificCoastNews.com

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon may not be poppin’ out babies right now, but it’s gonna happen.

“We’re definitely into planning a family and stuff but when everything calms down and we get the time,” Cannon told me earlier today after finishing up a workout at Gatorade’s G Gym at Village at the Yard at Sundance. “We’re just running and gunning now and enjoying being newlyweds.”

Also on the couple’s agenda? Working together! But not on a musical collaboration. So what gives?

Keep Reading

Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage.com

Mariah Carey wasn't happy with her fans last night.

No, not the 5,000 or so people who showed at the Hollywood and Highland mall in L.A. for Mimi's free concert, but the electric ones responsible for keeping her hair billowing throughout the gig.

"My hair keeps sticking to my lipgloss," Carey said at the end of her first number. "You got to turn up the fans!"

Carey, who was performing as part of the Samsung AT&T Summer Krush concert series, also had something of a mic problem.

Keep Reading

Blender

Leona Lewis may be looking a bit sexed up on the new cover of Blender, but she's no bad girl in the making.

In fact, the “Bleeding Love” hitmaker doesn’t smoke, drink or wear leather or diamonds.

“When I was 18, I had a few glasses of Alcopop—they’re bubblegummy drinks with a bit of alcohol—and it was gross,” Lewis says. “I’ve tasted champagne, which is gross. And I tasted wine, which I don’t like. I might be quite boring.”

Boring, Ms. Lewis, has never looked so good.

Michael Rozman/ Warner Bros

I was the first to tell you that Ellen DeGeneres was going to have a big birthday party Saturday night.

Well, she did. And the guest list at the Warner Bros. studio lot's carnival- and casino-themed soirée was star-studded...

Keep Reading