Monday, March 31, 2014
14 Photos Of Celebrities With Their Stunt Doubles That Will Blow Your Mind
This week, it was revealed that Chandler Riggs, the 14-year-old boy who stars on "The Walking Dead" as Carl, has an unexpected stunt double: Emily Brobst , a 49-year-old woman . (Riggs also has another stunt double on the show as well.) What made the news strange -- beyond the obvious -- was the accompanying photo, a perfect visual representation of seeing double. Which makes sense, of course, because that's the magic of stunt doubles. They look just enough like their famous counterparts to fool audiences. Below, 14 amazing photos of celebs and their aerobatic doubles.
Tom Cruise, left, with his stunt double set of "Knight and Day."
Dwayne Johnson , left and his stuntman sighting on the set of "Pain & Gain" on April 14 , 2012 in Miami .
Anthony Molinari, stunt double for Mark Ruffalo, and Mark Ruffalo filming on location for "Now You See Me" on March 22, 2012 in New York City.
Taylor Lautner with his stunt double on the set of "Tracers" on June 24, 2013 in New York City.
Actor Andrew Garfield, right, rehearses a scene with his stunt double at the "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"movie set in Madison Square Park on June 22, 2013 in New York City.
Actor Andrew Garfield, right, rehearses a scene with his stunt double at the "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" movie set in Madison Square Park on June 22, 2013 in New York City.
Daniel Craig watches intently as his stunt double went through a fight scene on location in Panama City, Panama during filming of "Quantum of Solace."
Cameron Diaz and her stunt double seen during the shooting of the film "Knight and Day" on Dec. 9, 2009 in Seville, Spain.
Actress Jennifer Garner, right, and her stunt double Shanna Duggins attends arrivals to the after party for the 3rd Annual Taurus World Stunt Awards at Paramount Studios June 1, 2003 in Hollywood, Calif.
Julie Newmar, left, with her stunt double on the set of the "Batman" TV series on March 3, 1966.
James Bond actor Sean Connery holding his stunt double, Alf Joint, in a headlock during the filming of "Goldfinger."
Actress Abbie Cornish, left, took to the ice with her stunt double in New York City, New York on March 31, 2010 to film her newest movie "Limitless."
Chandler Riggs with his stunt double on the set of AMC's "The Walking Dead."
Sunday, March 30, 2014
'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts' Is Getting A Trilogy
It is thanks to Tsujihara that the "Harry Potter" world is making its return to theaters, convincing the author to bring her 54-page exploration of the creatures that inhabit the wizarding world to new life.
"When I say he made ‘Fantastic Beasts’ happen, it isn’t P.R.-speak but the literal truth," Rowling said of Tsujihara. "We had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call, and then I got out the rough draft that I’d thought was going to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting!"
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Zac Efron : Attacked After Midnight In Downtown L.A.
We're told cops were on patrol under the Harbor Freeway when they saw Zac and a man he identified as his bodyguard. Cops saw Zac and the other guy in a full-blown melee with at least 3 other people.
After breaking up the fight, cops questioned Zac. He told them they had run out of gas and were sitting in the car. Zac said while waiting for a tow truck they threw a bottle out the window -- he never said what was in the bottle -- and it smashed on the pavement near a group of transients.
Zac said the transients confronted him and the bodyguard because they believed the pair hurled the bottle at them. Zac says 2 of the transients attacked the bodyguard and when Zac got out of the car to help, he got cold cocked in the mouth. Zac said, "It was the hardest I've ever been hit in my life."
You'll recall ... Zac mysteriously broke his jaw in November, saying he slipped on a pool of water in his home. Zac was in rehab twice last year for cocaine abuse.
The area where this occurred is rough. Cops are on high alert for drug deals and gangs. One source says Zac was "obviously intoxicated."
Law enforcement tells TMZ ... no one was arrested because they viewed it as "mutual combat."
We contacted Zac's rep ... so far no comment.
Biggest lie to say is they ran out if gas!!! And they threw out a bottle!! Ok very predictable to see broken glass on streets, but now the reason why it's there? Sounds like Efron's people tried to score him some crack or whatever drug under the radar last minute that's why Zac was in the car. Now the fight doesn't sound like it's mutual, so obviously it was self defense. A bum instigated something with Zac, hope it wasn't a black bum,and that's when Zac defended the situation. What is cool is that Zac didn't do the typical celebrity thing and stay in the car, though he should have because his new movie and promo is coming up.
But Zac is no stranger to the wild side. He's oblivious to the pretty boy soft reputation that Disney molded him into. He's a thug with a gym card and he doesn't mind punches, bloody guys and glory in fact he might like it a lot as a fetish.....weird celebrity fetishes do exist...
Just a guess... They didn't run out of gas, they ran out of cocaine?
He He
L'Wren scott leaves entire estate to Mick Jagger
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 02: L'Wren Scott attends the British Fashion Awards 2013 held at the London Coliseum on December 2, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
The Daily News says papers filed in Manhattan's Surrogate's Court on Wednesday estimated the value of the 49-year-old designer's personal estate at $9 million.
The filing said Scott's main asset was her Manhattan condo worth approximately $8 million. Other items included her jewelry, clothing, household furnishings and personal automobiles.
A small and private funeral service was held for Scott in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Scott committed suicide on March 17 in New York.
Mama June Sees a Hypnotherapist for Her Fear of Mayonnaise
In a clip from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo the 33-year-old decides to see a hypnotherapist about her lifelong phobia, but she doesn't seem to understand what the treatment entails.
"Hypnosis works supposedly by somebody getting into your mind and getting you relaxed or whatever," she says, before warning, "I mean, if this hypnotist brings out a shrunken head, I mean, if she tries to put, like, some, like, spell on me, I'm outta here."
Once inside the office she explains her problem with mayonnaise.
"When I was, like, growing up my babysitter kinda, like, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, mayonnaise sandwich kinda thing. And it was like ... " she grimaces.
"Even a jar and it's closed on me, that's like … bleurgh," she says, making a gagging sound.
"Close your eyes and I want you to think of mayonnaise," the hypnotist tells her with a straight face as she tries to take the unwilling patient back to her earliest memory of the creamy condiment.
Who will she visit to get rid of her blubber?
It is too bad she doesn't have a fear of all food.... this is clearly just a gimmick for publicity for this stupid show. A show I might add that I would NEVER EVER watch or let my kids watch. Because lets be honest, why would I want my kids watching a show glorifying how cute it is to be a SEVERELY overweight little girl. Sick that people are making money off this instead of helping them...
Conrad Murray : Delightly Lunch With MJ's Former In-Law
The man who killed Michael dined at Crustacean in Bev Hills ... with the guy who was once his neighbor. You see, James DeBarge was jailed in 2011 after being busted on drug and weapons offenses. Michael's former brother-in-law and
Murray were in the same cell block at L.A. County Jail.
The chick is Nicole Alvarez ... Murray's most recent baby mama.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay star Chris Martin to separate
The couple, pictured in January, said that 'while we
love each other very much, we will remain separate'
"It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," the couple wrote. The pair, who married in December 2003, have two children - Apple, nine, and Moses, seven. A spokeswoman for the Coldplay frontman confirmed the split, the Associated Press news agency reported. In the message on the actress' blog on the website Goop.com, the couple said they had "come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate".
The couple said they had been "working hard for well over a year, some of it together, some of it separated, to see what might have been possible between us".
"We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been," they wrote.
"We are parents first and foremost, to two incredibly wonderful children and we ask for their and our space and privacy to be respected at this difficult time".
"We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner."
Martin is set to appear as a mentor in the US version
of The Voice
Within minutes of the message being posted, the website crashed as readers
attempted to visit the site. The statement was also accompanied by a photograph of the couple, as well as
advice on marriage, divorce and spiritualism from two doctors. In a lengthy essay titled On Conscious Uncoupling, Dr Habib Sadeghi and Dr
Sherry Sami wrote about divorce as "a traumatic and difficult decision for all
parties involved".
"By choosing to handle your uncoupling in a conscious way, regardless of
what's happening with your spouse, you'll see that although it looks like
everything is coming apart; it's actually all coming back together," they
concluded.
Paltrow won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1998 for her
role in Shakespeare in Love
The announcement comes after Paltrow and Martin moved to Los Angeles last
year, having previously lived in London. In November, Paltrow spoke about plans to "uproot" her family again and
return to the UK. Paltrow, who won an Oscar for best actress in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love,
most recently starred in Iron Man 3.
Martin, whose band Coldplay are due to release their sixth studio album this
year, is set to appear as a mentor in the current series of The Voice in the
US. The couple married at a secret ceremony in December 2003, days after they
announced Paltrow was pregnant with their first child. They had already been together for a year, after reportedly meeting backstage
at a Coldplay concert.It's always a shame when young parents split. The kids deal with more pain than the parents. Celebrities' marriages have to pass through a gauntlet that we lesser known mortals don't have to deal with and it seems to be very destructive to so many of them.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Cheech & Chong Reunite For New Movie With Jay Chandrasekhar
It's been more than two decades since Cheech & Chong blew their signature weed cloud over the face of American cinema. But it's time to wake and bake: The world's most famous stoner duo are teaming up with director Jay Chandrasekhar (veteran of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe) for a new film, according to The Hollywood Reporter (via Celebstoner.com). A spokesperson for Cheech Marin confirmed the news to Rolling Stone.
"[Jay is] working on a script right now for us," says Tommy Chong. "We've had some preliminary meetings. It looks really good. It looks really funny. It will be about us going to a festival called the Burning Joint. All sorts of shenanigans happen. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Though the pair have appeared together in various films over the years, this would mark the first official Cheech & Chong movie since their 1983 sequel Still Smokin'. Given his stoner-friendly resume, which includes Broken Lizard vehicles like Super Troopers and Beerfest, Chandrasekhar seems like an ideal match. Chong hopes the as-yet-untitled project will begin filming this summer.
Chong also emphasized that he and partner-in-crime Marin were not involved in the making of 2013's Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie, though they did approve of the film.
"It was not done with our involvement," Chong says. "They animated the old records. I thought for what they had, it was great. We didn't have to write anything. All Cheech and I had to do was look at it and go yea or no. I liked it.
The duo also announced in a release that they have recorded a new song with veteran funk band War and will tour with the group this summer. "That L.A. Sunshine" will be featured on Evolutionary, War's first new studio album in 20 years. The tour kicks off April 5th in Corpus Christi, Texas, with additional dates listed on the pair's website.
Judge Joe Brown Arrested In Memphis For Contempt Of Court
Brown was appearing before Juvenile Court Magistrate Harold Horne, who warned the 66-year-old to calm down. When he did not, he was given two days in jail for contempt of court, before it was increased to three days in jail when Brown started yelling as he was removed from the courtroom, reports CBS News affiliate WREG Memphis.
Judge Joe Brown just got a taste of his own medicine -- the former TV judge was arrested after allegedly blowing a gasket at a Memphis juvenile court ... TMZ has confirmed.
Brown showed up to court Monday to represent someone in a child support case -- but was turned away by court staff, who informed Brown they had no record of the case in question.
Brown reportedly lost it ... becoming verbally abusive and was warned several times to quiet down.
We're told Brown -- who is running for D.A. of Shelby County -- was "playing to the peanut gallery" and "incited a near riot."
Brown reportedly ignored the judge and was subsequently arrested for contempt of court.
Brown was cited for contempt 5 times and ultimately ordered to spend 5 days in jail. He left under his own power and was screaming the entire time. Check out the audio from court ... it's wild.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Oscar Pistorius's Girlfriend Texted Him, 'I'm Scared of U' Before Her Death
"I'm scared of u sometimes and how u snap at me and of how u will react to me," Reeva Steenkamp texted Pistorius, in a message read in court by police Capt. Francois Moller.
In another message Steenkamp wrote to Pistorius: "I can't be attacked by outsiders for dating u AND be attacked by you, the one person I deserve protection from."
Moller said that from Steenkamp's phone he obtained more than 1,000 exchanges with Pistorius on WhatsApp and other phone messaging applications. Moller said he received as evidence two BlackBerry phones, two iPhones, two iPads and a Mac computer from Pistorius's house the day after the shooting death of Steenkamp.
The data on Steenkamp's phone would print to more than 35,000 pages, said Moller. Of the fraction of exchanges between the couple, he said that about 90 percent were what he called normal and "loving" exchanges.
In Steenkamp's message about being scared of the athlete, she also added: "You make me happy 90 percent of the time and I think we are amazing together." She goes on to talk about Pistorius snapping at her about chewing gum and talking in an accent, and then writes: "I just want to love and be loved. Be happy and make someone SO happy. Maybe we can't do that for each other. Cos right now I know u aren't happy and I am certainly very unhappy and sad."
The long message was sent after the two attended a friend's engagement party and apparently left early because she said he got upset and jealous. As Moller read the message, Pistorius, who had been looking at a book of the compiled messages, closed his eyes. His face became red, and tears fell to his lap. He then wiped his eyes with a white handkerchief and regained the composure he held through most of the day.
The double-amputee apologized for his behavior in replies to Steenkamp's message, according to the testimony.
RELATED: Oscar Pistorius Selling Home to Pay Legal Bills
Moller also read messages exchanged after a shooting incident at a Tashas restaurant about a month before the fatal shooting. Boxer Kevin Lerena and Darren Fresco testified that Pistorius asked Fresco to take the blame for a shot that went off after the loaded gun was passed to Pistorius under the table.
In the phone message exchange, the 27-year-old runner explained to 29-year-old Steenkamp: "Angel, please don't say a thing to anyone ... the guys promised not to say a thing," he wrote. She then replied: "I have no idea what you're talking about "
Investigators tried to access information on Pistorius's locked iPhone for months and met Apple officials in the United States just before the trial started on March 3. Pistorius said he forgot the password to his phone.
Earlier Monday a neighbor testified that she heard gunshots as well as screams from both a man and a woman on the night that the double amputee runner fatally shot Steenkamp.
Anette Stipp's testimony matched some of the evidence given by other witnesses earlier in the trial who said they also heard a woman screaming around the time that Pistorius killed Steenkamp before dawn on Feb. 14, 2013. According to Pistorius's version of events, he thought Steenkamp was in bed when he fired his 9 mm pistol. He did not describe any woman screaming.
The defense has countered that the neighbors actually heard Pistorius screaming in a high-pitched voice after he shot Steenkamp. Pistorius has said he shot his girlfriend by mistake through a locked toilet door, thinking that she was an intruder in his home.
ANY women who texts that she is "afraid of him" is in a relationship that is not going to end in a good way. He's known for his temper, jealousy and gun toting ways. He can play he was fearful for not having legs but he's the one who shot into a locked bathroom and told the security when they called "everything was fine". He knew what he did and 'WHO' he did it to. Don't be blind to this legless murderer, he's praying for empathy. He gets none from me!!! That poor girl had defensive wounds on her hands trying to block bullets.....the last terrifying moments in her life I can't even imagine.
Curious as to what's taken out of context. We know he shot her. That's a fact. It's just a matter of figuring out if it was an 'accident' or 'on purpose'. I think it'd be pretty plain if someone was in bed next to you or not. If I thought I heard a noise- I turn to my wife and say "Did you hear that?"- I don't hop out of bed- and shoot someone multiple times through a LOCKED DOOR!! If she woke up in the middle of the night and had to go to the bathroom- would she really lock the door??? I barely CLOSE the door let alone lock it if I get up in the middle of the night. To me this is proof that she was afraid of him- and that he has a history of snapping at her- and has fired weapons without thinking before. He is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in my 'Mind.'
Just my humble opinion
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Justin Bieber Posts Photos Comparing Himself to James Dean
Justin Bieber posted Instagram photos comparing himself to James Dean on Saturday.
One picture (see right and below) shows the teen superstar striking one of Dean’s most iconic poses.
"This is James Dean inspired. Don’t ask me if I smoke ciggys cuz I don’t," wrote Bieber.
Dean, of course, was a pop culture icon in the 1950s, best known for starring as the misunderstood, rebellious teen in Rebel Without a Cause – but his career was cut short by a fatal car accident in 1955.
A movie about his friendship with Life photographer Dennis Stock is currently in production with Dane DeHaan and Robert Pattinson .
One picture (see right and below) shows the teen superstar striking one of Dean’s most iconic poses.
"This is James Dean inspired. Don’t ask me if I smoke ciggys cuz I don’t," wrote Bieber.
Dean, of course, was a pop culture icon in the 1950s, best known for starring as the misunderstood, rebellious teen in Rebel Without a Cause – but his career was cut short by a fatal car accident in 1955.
A movie about his friendship with Life photographer Dennis Stock is currently in production with Dane DeHaan and Robert Pattinson .
Homeland' Star James Reborn : DEAD FROM SKIN CANCER
Rebhorn's wife Rebecca tells us the actor was diagnosed with melanoma in 1992 ... and he's been getting treatments ever since.
We're told his condition drastically worsened recently and he began receiving hospice care at his New Jersey home.
Rebhorn has been acting for 5 decades ... he was awesome as Claire Danes' perpetually worried Dad in "Homeland."
He also appeared in "Meet the Parents," "Scent of a Woman," and "Independence Day." He was also the lawyer who put Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine behind bars in the "Seinfeld" series finale.
His wife Rebecca says James insisted on working despite his condition ... right through his theater performance in January.
He was 65.
Just read the other day they found cancer on a 3,000 year old skeleton. That is how long we suffered from this crazy disease.
To his family and friends, much sympathy.
RIP and thanks for the memories. My condolences to his family, friends and fans.
The PICs
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Noah
Best of all, Aronofsky’s most vocal critic to date is Ken Ham, the founder of Kentucky’s Creation Museum, where Adam and Eve frolic with dinosaurs. Not only is Ham almost as unpopular among fellow Christians for his eccentric beliefs (yes, evolution is true, but it only began 4,500 years ago, after Noah’s flood) as he is among scientists, there’s his name. In Genesis, Ham is Noah’s middle son, the one who saw his father naked and had his own son cursed for his folly.
The story of Noah, four terse chapters in Genesis (the prophet never even speaks), is one of the foundational myths of Western culture. It’s never left popular consciousness, even if it has been dialled down to the level of children’s fable in modern times. Victorian Christians were dismayed to realize that the flood story was much older than the Bible. In 1872, George Smith, a preternaturally talented decoder of ancient Babylonian (the ability to read millennia-old wedge-shaped cuneiform writing inscribed on clay tablets requires more than linguistic talent) translated a new-found tablet. It described how the gods of Babylon, angered by human behaviour, decided to wipe out the lot of us by flood, saving only one good man and his family, and the creatures needed for a new world. Smith was absolutely gobsmacked and elated.
Aronofsky, though, has—in a literal sense—stuck to the standard Biblical script. The director has said he “completely accepts the Genesis text as truth—just like if I were to adapt any book.” But Genesis is not any book, and it’s not surprising that Paramount, to Aronofsky’s open displeasure, tried alternative endings on test audiences; none, evidently, made a great enough difference with restive (if not rebellious) Christians and Jews for the studio to go to war with its director. It’s his cut that prevailed in the end.
And his cut that gained the evangelicals’ sober acceptance, helped considerably by Genesis’s own imprecision about the antediluvian world. Noah’s is the Bible’s second creation story, set in a landscape that was, as Aronofsky has pointed out, as much Middle Earth as Middle East. “There were giants in those days,” whose “wickedness” was “great in the earth,” reads Genesis 6:4-5. Giants, perhaps, but no rainbows, created by God only after the flood. The mysteriously menacing and colourless Biblical world was a boon for Aronofsky, who was able to paint it in bleakly grey tones and people it with strange beings without contradicting a single line of Scripture.
The world gone wrong that Noah faces is being destroyed by anthropogenic climate change. In the graphic novel Noah, a companion piece to the film co-authored by Aronofsky, the prophet battles men attempting to kill an animal, in a time of drought and starvation. That’s the core of Ken Ham’s rejection of the film: Aronofsky’s heretical Noah, played by Russell Crowe, is the world’s first environmentalist, one who values animals over people.
At least Aronofsky has latitude, though, something not available to Ridley Scott for his Exodus, starring Christian Bale as Moses, and due in theatres in December. The story of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian slavery has miracles, of course, but they take place against a recognizable backdrop of ordinary humans.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Death of designer L'Wren Scott is ruled a suicide
NEW YORK (AP) -- The death of fashion designer L'Wren Scott, the longtime girlfriend of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, was suicide, the New York City medical examiner's office said Wednesday.
An autopsy completed on the body of 49-year-old Scott found that she died of hanging, according to Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner.
Scott was found dead in her Manhattan apartment Monday morning. Police said her assistant found her kneeling with a scarf wrapped around her neck that had been tied to the handle of a French door. There was no note.
The Stones canceled their seven-date tour of Australia and New Zealand in the wake of Scott's death. Jagger called Scott his "lover and best friend" in a Facebook tribute and said he was struggling to come to grips with her death.
Jagger's bandmates voiced their support for him amid a trying time.
Keith Richards said in a statement Wednesday that "no one saw this coming" and that Jagger has "always been my soul brother and we love him."
"We're thick as thieves and we're all feeling for the man," he added.
Charlie Watts said the band's priority is the 70-year-old Jagger.
"Needless to say we are all completely shocked but our first thought is to support Mick at this awful time," he said. "We intend to come back to Australia and New Zealand as soon as it proves possible."
"This is such terrible news and right now the important thing is that we are all pulling together to offer Mick our support and help him through this sad time," Wood said. "Without a doubt we intend to be back out on that stage as soon as we can."
Scott had been Jagger's companion since 2001. The Rolling Stones frontman paid tribute to his girlfriend Tuesday on his Facebook page writing, "I will never forget her."
"I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way. We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves. She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me."
The fashion label founded by Scott had been heavily in debt and was reportedly about to fold.
Former New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn said in an essay on the paper's website that Scott had been planning to announce that she was closing her business.
Scott canceled her London Fashion Week show last month, citing production delays.
Scott launched her high-end fashion label in 2006. First lady Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz were among the big names to wear her designs.
Accounts filed by Scott's LS Fashion Ltd. in London show the company had liabilities that exceeded assets by 4.24 million euros ($5.9 million) as of Dec. 31, 2012.
The company's long- and short-term debts totaled 6.75 million euros against assets, capital and reserves of 2.51 million euros, according to the accounts, which were filed in October.
Scott was adopted by a Mormon couple and grew up in small-town Utah. She made her way to Paris after high school where, aided by her 6-foot-3 height (some say 6-foot-4) and striking looks, she found work as a model for some prominent photographers.
But she became more interested in working with clothes than modeling them and eventually made her name as a top stylist in Los Angeles and a costume designer for films including "Ocean's 13."
New Trailer For Paul Walker's 'Brick Mansions' Released
The debut date for Paul Walker's final fully completed film, "Brick Mansions" is rapidly approaching, and the film's latest trailer is seriously upping the hype.
The late Paul Walker plays undercover cop Damien Collier in the Parkour-heavy action film, which is a remake of the 2004 French film, "District B13." The trailer contains as many explosions and insane jumping-off-buildings moments as a person could hope for, all of which is set to a dramatic rendition of the song "Stand By Me." "Brick Mansions" is the last movie that Walker completed filming before his death in November 2013.
Check out the trailer above for a peek at the drama and action that will unfold when the flick hits theaters.
"Brick Mansions" is set to release on April 25.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Fashion designer L'Wren Scott, girlfriend of Mick Jagger, found dead
By TOM HAYS and JOCELYN NOVECK
NEW YORK (AP) -- L'Wren Scott, who left her small-town Utah home as a teenager to become a model in Paris, then a top Hollywood stylist and finally a high-end fashion designer best known as the longtime girlfriend of Mick Jagger, has died in what was being investigated as an apparent suicide.
Scott was found dead in her Manhattan apartment at 10 a.m. Monday; no note was found and there was no sign of foul play, police said. The designer had texted her assistant 90 minutes earlier and asked her to come to her apartment but didn't say why. She was found kneeling with a scarf wrapped around her neck that had been tied to the handle of a French door, police said.
Her spokesperson requested privacy for her family and friends. Just last month Scott, who was believed to be 49 but had not disclosed her precise age, canceled her London Fashion Week show, due to reported production delays.
Jagger's representative said the singer was "completely shocked and devastated by the news" of her death.
Scott, whose elegant designs in lush fabrics were favored by celebrities like Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, Penelope Cruz and first lady Michelle Obama, was a fixture on Jagger's arm since she met the Rolling Stones frontman in 2001. On red carpets, the striking 6-foot-3 designer towered over her famous 5-foot-10 boyfriend.
In 2006, five years after they became a couple, Scott founded her eponymous label, with an initial collection based on the "Little Black Dress." She became known for designs that had a vintage feel and bared little skin, like her famous "headmistress" dress - prim, with three-quarter sleeves, but also close-fitting and stylish.
Madonna was one of those who wore the dress. "This is a horrible and tragic loss," the singer said in a statement released by her publicist. "I'm so upset. I loved L'Wren's work and she was always so generous with me."
Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue, called Scott "a total perfectionist, someone who absolutely embodied everything her marvelous clothes stood for: strength of character combined with a confident and powerful style. In person, L'Wren was always unbelievably generous, gracious, kind, and so much fun. Her old world American manners and charm were from another time, but her sensibility was always fiercely modern."
And supermodel Naomi Campbell, a close friend, wrote on WhoSay that Scott was "the epitome of elegance and femininity yet still had a girlish quality. I will miss her honesty and I will miss her friendship. My heart goes out to Mick and all who loved her and were loved by her."
In 2009 Scott introduced a shoe collection, and in 2010 she collaborated with Lancome on a makeup line and a fragrance. In 2011 came a handbag line, in 2012 an eyewear collection, and late last year, a collaboration with Banana Republic for a line of affordable clothes.
Though her studio is based in London, Scott presented her runway shows in New York until recently. They were exclusive A-list affairs like few others.
In February 2012, for example, the designer welcomed guests into the wood-paneled, chandeliered banquet hall of an Edwardian building in Chelsea. Guests were offered white wine in tall glasses as they entered, then were seated at a long table. Before them were plates of caviar, served with a baked potato and sour cream. Fiddling with the lighting and the technical details was none other than Jagger, who also stood next to Scott during post-show interviews.
Adding to the sense of luxury, Scott was known to send huge bouquets of roses and handwritten notes of thanks to reporters afterward.
Her clothes were luxurious, too, making ample use of velvet and satin. There were bolero jackets and tea-length dresses, long capes - lined in feathers, perhaps - and high-waisted pencil skirts.
Scott's designs were "very (much) based on her own personal style ... a very interesting style that combined the strict and the sexy," said Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. "Not sexiness like body exposure, but sexiness like a very strict governess. They tended to be covered up yet form-fitting and beautifully constructed, beautifully made." Steele said Scott's clothes were "were more sophisticated than the average red carpet gown" and added that Scott "had a very precise vision of what she wanted them to look like."
Scott was adopted by Mormon parents and raised in Roy, Utah, which had a population of less than 10,000 at the time.
As a teenager, she developed a love of clothes and made her own on the sewing machine, according to biographical notes from London Fashion Week. She made her way to Paris after high school where, aided by her height and striking looks, she found work as a model for some prominent photographers.
But she became more interested in working with clothes than modeling them, and eventually made her name as a top stylist in Los Angeles and also a costume designer for films like "Ocean's 13."
Scott also designed a huge wardrobe for boyfriend Jagger to wear during the Rolling Stones' "50 and Counting" anniversary tour. The band is currently on its "14 On Fire" tour, scheduled to play six concerts in Australia beginning Wednesday in Perth, according to the RolingStones.com website.
Among the stars who wore Scott's designs was actress Olivia Wilde.
"L'Wren Scott was brilliant, elegant, kind, and generous," Wilde wrote on Twitter. "What a tragedy."
Scott is survived by a brother, Randall Bambrough of Ogden, Utah, who declined comment.
Associated Press writers Mesfin Fekadu and Leanne Italie contributed to this report.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
[UPDATE]Kevin Spacey responds to Toronto mayor attack: Rob Ford Has Picked A Fight With Kevin Spacey, Of All People
The reason for their displeasure?
Spacey cracked several jokes at the mayor's expense when he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Mar. 2 shortly after a brief cameo by Ford.
"That's the first time I've had to follow a Ford," Spacey quipped. "And one that was so banged up."
When Kimmel thanked Spacey for sharing a dressing room with the mayor, Spacey responded, "Well, he threw up all over it, but those are the chances you take."
Ford has been under great pressure to resign since he admitted smoking crack last year, and several videos have emerged that showed him seemingly drunk or high. His antics have made him the target of late-night television comedians and embarrassed Canadians. City Council stripped him of many of his powers but does not have the authority to remove him.
Undaunted, Ford has vowed to run for re-election this fall.
The Ford brothers took on Spacey during their show on YouTube named after the mayor's supporters, who he refers to as "Ford Nation."
Rob and Doug Ford complained that they were told they could not talk to, or have their picture taken with Spacey.
"In my opinion, he's an arrogant SOB," said Doug Ford, who however prefaced his comments by acknowledging that Spacey is an "incredible actor."
He then added: "Kevin, why don't you get off your high horse and be real and take pictures with people?"
Calls and emails to Spacey's publicist seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Rob Ford then softened the criticism, and cautioned that maybe Spacey "does take pictures and we're not aware of it."
In a tweet sent Saturday morning, Spacey responded to the Ford brothers' attacs, writing, "When did Mayor Ford start doing what people tell him to do? All you had to do was ask, guys. Here’s your pic." A photoshopped picture accompanying the tweet shows Spacey smiling between the two brothers.
Rob Ford Has Picked A Fight With Kevin Spacey, Of All People
The reason for their displeasure?
Spacey cracked several jokes at the mayor's expense when he appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Mar. 2 shortly after a brief cameo by Ford.
"That's the first time I've had to follow a Ford," Spacey quipped. "And one that was so banged up."
When Kimmel thanked Spacey for sharing a dressing room with the mayor, Spacey responded, "Well, he threw up all over it, but those are the chances you take."
Ford has been under great pressure to resign since he admitted smoking crack last year, and several videos have emerged that showed him seemingly drunk or high. His antics have made him the target of late-night television comedians and embarrassed Canadians. City Council stripped him of many of his powers but does not have the authority to remove him.
Undaunted, Ford has vowed to run for re-election this fall.
The Ford brothers took on Spacey during their show on YouTube named after the mayor's supporters, who he refers to as "Ford Nation."
Rob and Doug Ford complained that they were told they could not talk to, or have their picture taken with Spacey.
"In my opinion, he's an arrogant SOB," said Doug Ford, who however prefaced his comments by acknowledging that Spacey is an "incredible actor."
He then added: "Kevin, why don't you get off your high horse and be real and take pictures with people?"
Calls and emails to Spacey's publicist seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Rob Ford then softened the criticism, and cautioned that maybe Spacey "does take pictures and we're not aware of it."
Friday, March 14, 2014
Ted Williams & His Golden Voice : He has come a long way
'Now, he lives with his long-time girlfriend in their own place.'
'This is the house, let me show you, I couldn't believe, Robin, that I have a fireplace! Whoa! A homeless man with a fireplace.'
It's been a long road, and Williams says he has a lot of titles, including former drug addict. He admitted he started drinking again when he was first discovered, but says he's been sober for two years now.
His voice was featured in a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese commercial. 'Kraft homestyle macaroni and cheese ... you know you love it.'
Williams has also reconnected with family members since his life took a turn for the better.
And he's written a book, fittingly called "A Golden Voice." It's advertised as an honest recollection of his life on the streets and his struggles with addiction. But the book has heartwarming moments too.
'It is a deeply American, from-the-heart comeback story about the power of hope, faith, and personal responsibility. '
We're glad to see Williams has been doing so well, and we certainly hope he got to enjoy every bit of that fireplace this winter.
The man with the "golden voice" used his unmistakable gift to escape homelessness and is now using his fame to help others still living on the streets.
After panhandling on the streets for 17 years, Ted Williams’ life took a turn for the better when a reporter from the Columbus Dispatch posted a video of his sultry announcing voice that quickly went viral. Williams has since gotten a contract with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, reunited with his mother, moved into an apartment and is working on kicking his alcohol and drug addictions.
Now that he's gotten back on his feet, Williams wants to make sure that those struggling without shelter, as he once did, get the same chance to start over, NBC reports.
"Some people just really, really look at me with admiration and they’re like, ‘God, if you can do it, I can do it,’" he told the news outlet. "I think, God, if I fail what is that person going to do?"
The determined advocate recently launched the Ted Williams Project, which supports homeless communities by providing basic necessities to shelters and outreach programs, according to the nonprofit’s website. It’s working on paying for such critical items as sheets, towels, mattresses and blankets and also granting "wish-list" items to shelters.
But Williams made a habit of giving back even before he launched his organization. Soon after he became an Internet sensation two years ago, he visited a man with whom he once shared a tent on the streets of Columbus and offered him a wad of cash, according to TMZ.
It’s no surprise that Williams is focusing on helping others change their fate, considering the painful memories of his past are still quite vivid in his mind.
"I thought it was the most degrading thing," Williams told NBC of how he viewed begging on a highway. "I thought it was the lowest form of homelessness."
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