Muhammed Ali's daughter Khaliah says her weight issues stem from abuse by her uncle [FF]
Joe Cocker says drugs and alcohol hurt him. No duh. [FF]
Orlando Bloom talks about his broken back [FF]
Bo Diddly is recovering from his stroke [FF]
Jenna Fischer from The Office breaks her back! [FF]
Jerry Falwell ate himself to death, according to Larry Flynt [FF]
Milla Jovovich is eating for two [FF]
ZZ Top tour cancelled due to ear problem [FF]
Calvert DeForest, who appeared regularly as the character Larry "Bud" Melman on the David Letterman show, died on Monday at the age of 85. DeForest portrayed the so-unfunny-he's-funny character on the program from 1982 to 2002. The story goes that he was working as a file clerk when he was discovered by Letterman producers who had seen him in an NYU student film. And the rest, as they say, is history. DeForest left no survivors.
Letterman regular 'Bud' Melman dies [Yahoo News]
Luisel Ramos (above right), the young model from Uruguay whose death from apparent anorexia fueled the recent hubbub over size 0 models, had a sister. Eliana Ramos (above left), just 18 years old, was also a model, may also have been anorexic, and has also died of heart failure. Did she starve herself to death or did the sisters have a "genetic problem", as Pancho Dotto of the Argentine agency Dotto Models claims? Either way, these deaths are terribly tragic.
Catwalk girl, 18, dies six months after her model sister starved herself to death [Dailymail]
Surprise, surprise. Hollywood asks Norah Jones to lose weight for a movie role. [FF]
Emma Bunton is one hungry pregnant lady [FF]
Bruce Willis dies hard. I mean diets hard [FF]
First she refuses rehab, now Amy Winehouse refuses help for her extreme weight loss [FF]
Belinda Carlisle used to do a lot of drugs [FF]
Frankie Laine dies [FF]
TMZ has photos of the contents of Anna Nicole Smith's fridge found after her death in her Bahamas home. Slim-Fast and Methadone, the breakfast of champions. An autopsy revealed that no drugs were found in Anna's stomach, nor did she die of asphyxiation or blunt trauma. So ... what the heck happened? She reportedly had a fever and flu-like symptoms, and TMZ thinks it may have had something to do with plastic surgery ...
I'm pretty stunned and very sad for the 6-month old daughter she left behind. I won't have time for a longer post about this right away. Tomorrow I have some light-hearted distractions scheduled as posts, so enjoy those.
BREAKING NEWS: After being found unconscious in her hotel room, Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead on arrival at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL.
Anna Nicole Smith Dies [KWTX]
Anna Nicole Smith dead [CNN]
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James Brown, Gerald Ford and Peter Boyle all passed away this month. Brown, known as the "Godfather of Soul" died of congestive heart failure on Christmas Day in Atlanta, GA. He was 73. Ford, the oldest former U.S. President at 93, died December 26th at his home in Califorinia. The actor Peter Boyle, probably best known for his role as the father on "Everybody Loves Raymond" (though I discovered how much I liked him in his Emmy-award-winning guest role on "The X-Files"), died on December 12th in New York City.
Robert Altman, the legendary film director, has died at age 81. Altman's career spanned 6 decades during which time he created such movie classics as MASH, Nashville, and The Player. When Altman was awarded an honorary Academy Award earlier this year he joked that he had a good "40 years left" on the transplanted heart he received in 1995. Unfortunately for all of us, his lucky heart gave out on him on Monday night. He died of complications due to cancer in Los Angeles and is survived by his wife Kathryn, six children, twelve grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Director Robert Altman dead at 81 [Chicago Tribune]
Another model has died of complications from anorexia. 21-year-old Brazilian fashion model Ana Reston died last Tuesday in a Sao Paulo hospital weighing only 88 pounds at 5' 8" tall. Her mother has spoken out, saying no amount of money and no famous fashion brand is worth the life of one's daughter. No kidding.
Brazil mourns as anorexia claims another model's life [Reuters]
Recent celebrity Cesarean due to STD (isn't this old news, from the last birth?) [Faded Youth]
Mick Jagger's father dies [FF]
Rachel Weisz thinks drinking while pregnant is OK [A Socialite's Life]
Victoria Beckham's Diet Coke diet not working for Katie Holmes [FF]
Nicole Kidman visist Keith Urban in rehab [Just Jared]
Pete Doherty will never stop doing drugs [FF]
Ms Dynamite injured in reality show high speed crash [FF]
Chart-topping singer Gerald Levert died on Friday of an apparent heart attack in his sleep. He was 40 years old. Levert's career was a family affair, writing and producing for his father Eddie's group The O'Jays and singing with his brother Sean and friend Marc Gordon in LeVert. In recent years, Levert had launched a successful solo career.
R&B singer Gerald Levert dies at 40 [Detrioit Free Press]
Jack Palance, veteran screen actor and Oscar and Emmy winner, has died at 87. Palance's career spanned 50 years, starring in films such as Shane, Sudden Fear, Le Mepris, Young Guns, and City Slickers. At the age of 70, during the acceptance speech for his 1992 best-supporting-actor Academy Award (for his role in City Slickers), Palance dropped to the floor and performed one-armed push-ups. He was one tough guy, that's for sure. Remember how much he scared Billy Crystal?
Oscar And Emmy-Winner Was Perhaps Best Known For Comic Role In 'City Slickers' [Showbuzz]
Award-winning TV journalist Ed Bradley died on Thursday of complications from leukemia. Bradley was a reporter for CBS's "60 Minutes" for 26 years, a recipient of 19 Emmys and a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and a real "reporter's reporter", according to colleague Mike Wallace. Bradley began his career as a radio DJ and joined CBS News in 1971, covering the Vietnam War from Saigon and reporting from Cambodia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. In 1976 he became White House correspondent and joined '60 Minutes' in 1981. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City at the age of 65 and is survived by his wife, Patricia Blanchett.
CBS Newsman Ed Bradley Dies [IMDB]
Pioneering CBS and '60 Minutes' newsman Ed Bradley dies of leukemia at 65 [NC Times]
Adrienne Shelly was killed by a 19-year-old illegal immigrant who was doing construction work in her building and fought with her after she complained to him about the noise. After an altercation in which she slapped him and he punched her, Shelly fell, hit her head and lost consciousness. Thinking she was dead, her assailant hung her from her shower rod with a bedsheet in an attempt to cover up the accident. Medical examination has revealed that Shelly did not die from the blow to her head, but from compression to the neck from the hanging. The construction worker, Diego Pillco, has confessed to the killing and has been remanded without bail to Rikers Island.
I have no words to express how sad and tragic this is.
Actress Was Killed in Hanging Meant as Cover-Up, Officials Say [New York Times]
So, what's the latest with Anna Nicole Smith? Well, she now has pneumonia and it's been determined that her son died of a fatal mix of drugs (methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro). Also, it seems like it could actually be true that she is lying about who the father of her daughter is. But I'm going to leave that to others to speculate about ...
To make the news of Adrienne Shelly's death much sadder, The New York Post reports that she appears to have committed suicide. Although the cause of death remains unclassified, it's now revealed that she was found hanging from a shower rod in the bathroom of the West Village apartment she used as an office. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding her death to rule out foul play, while friends and family are in shock, claiming Shelly was a happy person and showed no sign of being troubled recently.
INDIE-FILM STAR 'SUICIDE' STUNNER [New York Post]
The husband of Adrienne Shelly found the actress dead in her office on Wednesday, and the cause of death is yet to be determined. Shelly, 40, was best know for her roles in several Hal Hartley films, including The Unbelievable Truth and Trust. In recent years the actress was more involved in writing and directing. Recently, she wrote and directed a film called Waitress. Shelly leaves behind a young daughter, Sophie, and a husband, Andy Ostroy.
I always think of Adrienne Shelly when I walk past the old brick wall on Mulberry Street in my now old neighborhood, where one of her Hal Hartley scenes was filmed. Her characters were an inspiration to my motorcycle-jacket wearing younger self, and her sudden death at such a young age is truly tragic.
Musician Freddy Fender died on Saturday at 69. We reported earlier that Fender was suffering from lung cancer, had previously undergone a lung operation and received both a liver and kidney transplant. The singer died at home in Corpus Christi, Texas with his family by his side.
Tex-Mex Singer Freddy Fender Dies at 69 [Yahoo! News]
According to the official toxicology reports, Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel died of a lethal combination of methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro. Methadone is a pain killer often prescribed to those trying to kick a heroin addiction, and Zoloft and Lexapro are both antidepressants. In related news, Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer Howard K. Stern, who was with Smith when she found Daniel dead, has revealed that he is the father of her new daughter.
Wecht: Meds Killed Daniel Smith [People]
Willie Nelson busted for smokin' weed [ABC News]
Jayne Mansfield's husband Mickey Hargitay, father of Mariska, dies [BBC News]
Tom Green breaks his leg doing stupid skaterboard stunts [TMZ]
Robbie Williams cancels tour dates due to stress and exhaustion [BBC News]
BBC'er Nick Knowles dislocates his shoulder [BBC]
Designer Michael Kors behind the too-skinny model ban [Celebrity Nation]
Steroid abuse, Gotti-style [Cityrag]
Did Gwen Stefani have eye work done? Say it isn't so. [Perez Hilton]
Sean Penn says weight contributed to the death of brother Chris [Fametastic]
WB Star Pablo Santos dies in plane crash [Celebrity Buzz]
Patricia Kennedy Lawford, sister of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, died on Sunday at her home in New York. Lawford, who was 82, was previously married to actor Peter Lawford. The cause of death is reported to be complications of pneumonia. Lawford leaves behind four children and ten grandchildren.
Patricia Kennedy Lawford, sister of JFK, dies at 82 [Reuters]
Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, has died at age 73. The tough-talking Democrat served as governor from 1991 to 1995, before being defeated by George W. Bush. Earlier this year it was announced that Richards was battling esophageal cancer, which she sucumbed to at her home in Austin Wednesday night. Known for her quick wit and trademark silver hair, Richards leaves behind four children and eight grandchildren. The flamboyant former housewife was known for many quips, but this one is particularly memorable: "Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
Ex-Texas Gov. Ann Richards dies [Houston Chronicle]
It's been reported that the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel may have been the result of an overdose of antidepressants. In any case, Daniel is now said to have died of "unnatural causes". Further details about the scene of the death include vomit and blood, which suggests Daniel may have overdosed, and his mother desperately trying to resuscitate him. This just keeps getting sadder.
Anna Nicole's Son: Death Likely An Overdose! [Perez Hilton]
Just 3 days after she gave birth to a daughter in the Bahamas, model and actress Anna Nicole Smith found her 20-year-old son Daniel dead in her hospital room. The cause is not know, but it has been suggested that he died of a heart attack. Neither drugs nor foul play are suspected in Daniel's death. Not matter what you think of his mother, this is truly tragic.
'Grandfather of Vogue' Willi Ninja dies [NY Times]
Today's bonus DUI brought to you by ... [BBC News]
How Oprah helped Queen Latifah quit smoking [Femalefirst]
Do YOU think Katie Holmes is looking better than she was? [Faded Youth]
Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter", was killed by a stingray earlier today while filming a documentary in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The wildlife expert was swimming above the fish when its barb came up, struck him in the chest and pierced his heart. Irwin was pronounced dead by emergency medics on his research vessel shortly after the attack. Stingray attacks are rare. There has been only one other reported case of human death by stingray in Australia, in 1945. Stingray venom is rarely lethal, and in this case it was the damage to Irwin's heart that proved fatal.
Irwin, 44, was well-known in Australia and around the world as a fearless naturalist, getting up close and personal with dangerous animals such as crocodiles and snakes in what some believed to be reckless stunts. He ran the popular wildlife center Australia Zoo in Queensland and his documentaries are enjoyed by audiences around the world. Irwin is survived by his wife Terri, and two children.
'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin killed [BBC News]
[More on Steve Irwin at Wikipedia]
Has Vince Vaughn slimmed down? [Popsugar]
Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano dies [AP]
Paris goes into the hospital, and out again [The Superficial]
Rockabilly singer Singer Gene Simmons dies [AP]
Steven Seagal porks up
[TMZ]
Glenn Ford, the veteran character actor, died Wednesday at the age of 90. Police were called to the actor's Beverly Hills home and although the cause of death was not immediately reported, he was said to have died of natural causes. Ford had suffered several strokes in recent years, and his health did not permit him to attend in person a recent 90th birthday tribute to him held in Hollywood. The star was best known for his roles in The Big Heat, The Blackboard Jungle and Gilda. He is survived by his son, actor Peter Ford.
Movie star Glenn Ford dies, aged 90 [Times Online]
Did George Clooney have malaria? [Femalefirst]
Some jerk tore off Catherine Zeta-Jones' tonenail [Femalefirst]
Sheryl Crow worries about cancer returning [Fametastic]
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton treated for throat cancer [E Online]
Linda Ronstandt surgery halts tour [BBC News]
Jazz trumpeter Mayard Ferguson dies [NY Sun]
Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry miscarries [BBC News]
Lee Otway gets hurt in Love Island punch-up [BBC News]
Actress Joyce Blair dies [BBC News]
Johnny Duncan, a country singer know for songs such as "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime" and "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better" died of a heart attack on Monday in Texas. He is survived by his wife Connie Duncan, four daughters and one son.
Country singer Johnny Duncan dies at 67 [Denver Post]
Character actor Bruno Kirby has died of complications due to leukemia. The star of "When Harry Met Sally" and "City Slickers" was 57. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Sellers.
22-year-old Luisel Ramos collapsed and died of heart failure while participating in a fashion show in Montevideo last week. While unexpected heart failure is known to cause sudden death in young women, Vivrlatino reports that her father told officials that the model hadn't eaten for several days, presumably in preparation for performing during fashion week. This could clearly have contributed to her death, if her electrolytes were out of wack.
Uruguayan model dies on the catwalk [Vivirlatino]
Singer Arthur Lee, the "first so-called black hippie" and founder of the 1960s progressive rock band Love, died of leukemia last Thursday. He was 61. After spending some time in prison in the 1990s, Lee had recently returned to performing. Love's album Forever Changes was named the 40th greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Love singer Arthur Lee dies at 61 [BBC News]
23-year old model Audrey Lindvall (below in salmon pink, her sister Angela in hot pink) was hit and killed by a truck while riding her bicycle in her home state of Missouri on Wednesday. Audrey was the sister of model/actress Angela Lindvall. TMZ.com reports that Audrey lived in New York but was planning to move to Los Angeles to study ecological architecture. I didn't realize Angela Lindvall had a sister, but I've liked Angela ever since I saw CQ (arguably not the best movie and certainly not the best performance, but she looked fantastic in those Emma Peel jumpsuits). Then I read that she was a young mother and she and her husband lived on a tugboat in the Hudson River, and I knew she was cool. I'm sorry to hear she has lost her sister.
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June Allyson has died at the age of 88 of respiratory failure after a long illness. Known for her roles in both television and film, the actress starred in "Little Women" and episodes of "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote". Allyson was also a spokesperson for Depend undergarments in her later life. She leaves behind her a husband, David Ashrow, and a daughter, Pamela Allyson Powell.
The Emmy-winning actor Benjamin Hendrickson who starred in the soap opera As the World Turns was found dead in his New York home over the weekend of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Hendrickson had been suffering from depression since the death of his mother in 2003. Hendrickson was 55.
Aaron Spelling died today in his home, following a stroke for which he was briefly hospitalized. He was 83 years old. The television producer had two children with his wife Candy: daughter Tori and son Randy.
TV producer Aaron Spelling dies at 83 [Yahoo News]
