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Actor attacks Michael Jackson
Rupert Everett, star of My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Next Big Thing, has told The Mirror he believes Michael Jackson is better off dead. 
“I think it was fortuitous that he died,” the actor said of Jackson. “He was supposed to be doing 50 concerts in London. It wouldn’t have mattered how good or bad he was. He wouldn’t have managed to do all of them and the press would have destroyed him.”
Rupert, who at 50 is the same age Jacko was when he died, called the singer a “freak”. “He looked like a character from Shrek. He was a black to white minstrel. He was crucified by that court case when he was accused of child molestation – that killed him.
“He personified the pain and anxiety of a black man in a slave country,” Everett continued. “We all watched as he changed from black to white. He was living performance art.”
The outspoken actor predicted that Michael’s untimely demise would spell the end of our fascination with celebrities. “You cannot divide the music from the person. I think his life – and death – is a great lesson. I think we are going to see the end of celebrity as we know it. Show business is not an honest profession.”
Celebs flock to photo exhibition
Last night I went to the launch of a new celebrity photo exhibition.
Stars including Amy Winehouse, Rod Stewart, Lindsay Lohan, Joss Stone, Kelly Osbourne and Mick Jagger have posed for the Hear The World exhibition, with all photos taken by Bryan Adams. Seems that, as well as being a bit of a rock legend, the London-based Canadian is an accomplished photographer. See the photos
Bryan was at the launch, as was Gareth Gates (that’s me with him in the photo). It was his first night out since the birth of his daughter, Missy, 14 weeks ago, and he looked fresh despite telling me about all the sleepless nights.
I also spied Gail Porter, Martine McCutcheon, Beverley Knight, Colin Jackson, Penny Smith (GMTV), Krishnan Guru-Murphy (Channel 4 News) and Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Carribean star and ex- girlfriend of Orlando Bloom). Oh, and the little girl who cried on Britain’s Got Talent (Hollie Steele).
The exhibition, an initiative by hearing system manufacturer Phonak, aims to raise awareness about hearing and hearing loss. It’s on at the Saatchi Gallery in London until July 26.
Beckham confronts Galaxy fans
David Beckham lost his cool with angry fans during his first home game back at LA Galaxy – a friendly against AC Milan on Sunday night.
Becks was confronted with a mixture of boos and cheers as well as taunting chants and banners as he played his first match back with his home team after a five-month loan to Milan. At half time the jeering became too much and Becks tried to jump over the barriers into the crowd to face the angry fans but was held back by security. One fan even tried to jump down from his seat to get to Becks, but was escorted away before he could.
The row started earlier this year when Becks insulted Galaxy fans by saying that he preferred playing for Milan as the quality of football was better there than at Galaxy. Although some Galaxy fans still cheered for Becks, he reacted to other upset fans as if he didn’t see it coming. He also tried to make the excuse that he was trying to shake a fan’s hand, which seems rather unconvincing!
Mischa Barton in psych ward
Actress Mischa Barton, most famous for her role in The OC, has been sectioned after police were called to her Los Angeles home.
US TV reports state the 23-year-old has been placed under involuntary psychiatric hold at LA’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Under a ‘5150 section code’, a person can be held involuntarily for up to three days if they pose a risk to themselves or others. It is the same order under which Britney Spears was sectioned twice in January 2008.
The hospitalisation means the British-born star has missed the New York premiere of her new film, Homecoming. Mischa’s spokesperson wouldn’t comment on the star’s condition but confirmed she was under doctors’ care: "Mischa has been hospitalised per the recommendation of her doctor and is resting in the hospital."
In December 2007, Mischa was arrested for drink-driving, marijuana possession and driving without a licence. She was sentenced to three years’ probation.
Peter Andre on This Morning
Peter Andre has given his first post-split TV interview, on This Morning with Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield, but refused to be drawn into the reasons he split from Katie Price. 
"I’ve purposely not spoken about this. I’m between a rock and a hard place… When you don’t speak, you only hear one side of the story," he explained. "But when you do speak, you have to think long-term… I know the kids are going to grow up, they’re going to look back at everything. I’m trying my best so they don’t have to say, ‘Dad, why did you say this?’"
"The main thing is, when someone hears me speak, I don’t say anything bad about the mother of my children."
Peter said he regretted living his married life on camera in the Katie & Peter ITV2 reality series. "It’s our fault… showing your life show publicly is a mistake sometimes. But I blame myself as much as anyone else," he told Fern.
Peter Andre’s life in pictures
Moving on: Peter’s life without Katie
Boy band member admits he is bisexual
Duncan James from boy band Blue has revealed he is bisexual, in an interview with News Of The World.
"I’ve been in loving relationships with men as well as women and I’m not ashamed. But even though I fancy men, I still fancy women too,” Duncan told the paper.
"Am I gay? Am I straight? Am I bi? That’s why I was so frightened about talking. Now, in my early 30s, I know who I am and I’m proud of who I am. I don’t want to hide anymore.
"I don’t feel I should launch a big comeback with Blue hiding this,” the singer explained. “I don’t want to go back to the time in the band when I felt I had to keep certain things quiet. I want to be out and say I’ve had relationships with men as well as women. So doing this interview gives me the ability to go forward."
Duncan, who has a four-year-old daughter with an ex-girlfriend, says he is now single and looking: "Mainly I just want to be happy. I want to be in a long-term relationship and, most importantly, be in love."
Blue’s reunion tour kicks off next year.
Katie Price reveals miscarriage
So much for keeping a dignified silence – Katie Price’s exclusive interview with Piers Morgan (her first interview since she and Peter Andre split) was a no-holds-barred account of the couple’s personal life, their rows, their jealousies and the revelation that the pair recently lost a baby.
Katie wiped away tears as she revealed she had suffered a miscarriage in April, just before running the London marathon. “I was pregnant in America and the baby died… Emotionally for any woman, whether you’re in the media or not, to have a baby die, run the marathon – which is also a big thing on your body – and then your husband wants a divorce. That’s a lot for someone to take in.”
Katie addressed rumours her husband left her because she’d had an affair with Andrew Gould, her dressage trainer. “Pete had it in his head that I fancied him and he fancied me. So it grew and grew in his head until he ended up thinking something was going on,” the glamour model told Morgan.
She said there was "no way" she would get back together with Pete, telling Piers "I look at him now and think, ‘what on earth did I see in him?’" Katie also predicted that, once the divorce was over, she would be ready for a new man in her life: "I could be married next summer."
Did you watch the interview? Let me know what you thought – did Katie come across well?
Jade Goody’s ex parties with Bianca Gascoigne
Jack Tweed has befriended Bianca Gascoigne on the party circuit, and the two turned heads when they were photographed leaving London nightclub Movida together earlier this week.
Jack and Bianca both attended fashion label Lipsy’s Midsummer Party at the club, before jumping into a cab together and heading off into the night.
Jack has already caused controversy by not turning up to a memorial for Jade a few days ago, because he was at the video shoot for new girl band Bubble G. Jack’s mother Mary attended the event in his place, which was held in Bermondsey where the reality TV star grew up. The memorial for Jade included the unveiling of a black and gold headstone with a heart-shaped photo of the mum-of-two at the centre, with the inscription: “A Bermondsey girl who did so well. A star for all time.”
Publicist Max Clifford defended Jack’s no-show, saying he was only told about the event 24 hours before it took place. But the PR guru admitted he wasn’t impressed by Jack’s partying: “It’s a disaster waiting to happen, but nobody can make him listen to sense,” he told The Sun. “He’s got these mates who see him as a means of making a lot of money with clubs, bars and whatever. It appears to be a crass attempt to drum up a bit of money for themselves off Jade’s back, and it’s a crying shame.”
Jacko’s doctor is kids’ dad, says The Sun
The Sun is claiming that Michael Jackson’s doctor is the father of Jacko’s children.
The newspaper states that Dr Arnold Klein “failed to give a definitive answer” when asked about the paternity of the star’s oldest children, Prince Michael and Paris: “I can’t say anything about it, but to the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children,” he said. “I can’t answer it in any other way. I don’t want to feed any of this insanity that’s going around.”
The front page of today’s Sun features a photo of the doctor at Michael Jackson’s house last Christmas, happily posing with Jacko’s three children. Klein was Michael’s dermatologist for over 20 years, and Debbie Rowe was his assistant at his Beverly Hills clinic where she met the superstar and went on to marry him in 1996.
Twelve-year-old Paris provided the most touching moment of Michael’s memorial on July 7 when she took the microphone to pay tribute to her father. “Every since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.” If you didn’t see the memorial, watch video highlights here.
Bruno: The End For Baron Cohen?
A few of us went to a screening of Bruno last week. At one point, the Austrian presenter of “Funkyzeit” pitches a new show to a group of American TV producers. During Bruno’s video pitch, he presents a screen-sized male member swinging back and forth at us for perhaps ten seconds. We were sat in the third row and it was a large screen…
This was not the most explicit thing in Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest show. But it was the point that something occurred to me. It seems almost inevitable that this will be the last of Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary character-based releases. There’s really nowhere left for him to go.
There must have been long discussions at the regulatory authority about whether to let some of the scenes through. It really does stretch the 18 certificate to its limits. Whatever you do, do not take your Mum.
Besides the fact that Baron Cohen will not be able to ramp up the extremity next time round (for legal reasons), Bruno is the last character from Da Ali G Show, during which all three of his blockbuster film characters were created.
Cohen has a brilliant mechanism for success that completely shields him from the attention that a film star deals with. Interviews with Baron Cohen out of character are rare. During the in-character interviews, journalists have to submit questions so that they can be alligned with Cohen’s auto-cue answers. He’s found a brilliant mechanism for enjoying the success of fame whilst avoiding all the attention.
These films don’t have a long shelf-life. They shock and amaze everyone then are easily forgotten. The impression I get is that this set-up suits Baron Cohen just fine. He’s a star that will successfully avoid stardom. Thanks Ali, Borat and Bruno. You’ve been fun!
