Will Smith pays tribute to James Avery

Author: West Kelowna
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Hilary Duff is not going to make a "provocative" return to music.

The former child star has taken a break for almost four years, but isn't planning a raunchy comeback like Miley Cyrus made in 2013, because it doesn't fit with her personality.

She told Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper: "The music has changed a lot since I was last recording. There are a lot of artists out there being really provocative, wearing certain clothes and performing in certain ways, but right now that's just not me.

"I've always tried to stay true to who I am and present that to the public because I think when you're not authentic, people can smell it on you. Besides, if everyone's doing the same thing then even being provocative isn't really provocative."

'Dignity' singer Hilary, 26, is glad she took a step away from the limelight to recharge and lead a normal life which has seen her marry her husband, former ice hockey player Mike Comrie in 2010 and have her first son, Luca, who is now 21 months old.

She added: "I think I was lucky that when a lot of my peers were reaching the heights of their careers, I decide to take a step back. I had been touring for four years, I was 19 and I just said, 'Enough.' There is so much pressure. I was employing so many people with my tours and paparazzi culture was getting out of control and I just didn't have any freedom to have a life.

"I stayed away for three and a half years - I met my husband, I got married. Taking the time to learn who I am and who I want to be really helped. Now I'm ready to jump back in."

Emma Roberts is engaged to Evan Peters.

The couple - who star opposite each other in 'American Horror Story' - are set to tie the knot after Evan proposed with a pink, gold and diamond ring over the Christmas period in New York City, according to Extratv.com.

The couple then celebrated their happy news by spending New Year in London.

Emma, 22, and Evan, 26 first met on the set of film 'Adult World' and he says they were instantly attracted to each other, even though they didn't get together until 2012.

He said: "I think we both had crushes on each other but we didn't know it. As soon as the movie was done we started hanging out and everything was perfect.

"She's amazing. She's so much fun. She has a great laugh, smile, she's a great kisser. And she's gorgeous."

However, the path of love has not always been smooth for the couple, as in July last year Emma - niece of actress Julia Roberts - was arrested when they had a fight in Montreal, Canada which left him with a bloody nose and a bite mark, and her with bruised legs.

The police had intervened after somebody else in their hotel had called for help, but Emma was released without charge.

The couple didn't break up over the incident, and friends later claimed they have a "pretty extreme" relationship but were "crazy in love" with each other.

A spokesperson for Emma said at the time: "It was an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding. Ms. Roberts was released after questioning and the couple are working together to move past it."
 

Will Smith has paid tribute to James Avery.

The star thanked the late actor - who died following complications from heart surgery on December 31, aged 68 - for mentoring him during his early career when he played the lead character in 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air' and James was his loveable Uncle Phil.

He wrote on Facebook: "Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery. Every young man needs an Uncle Phil. Rest in Peace."

Will also posted a picture of him with James and other members of the show's cast, saying it had been taken the last time they were all together.

Upon hearing the news of James' death, many stars rushed to pay tribute to him, including Alfonso Ribeiro, who portrayed Carlton Banks in 'The Fresh Prince...'

He said: "The world has lost a truly special man. I am very saddened to say that James Avery has passed. Even though he played my father on TV, he was a wonderful father figure to me in life. He will be deeply missed."

James - who also appeared in 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Star Trek' - is survived by his wife, Barbara, who was visiting him at the hospital in Glendale where he was being treated when he died.

Taylor Swift has been given the cold shoulder by Douglas Booth.

The '22' singer approached the British actor in at a party in Hollywood last November, but he initially rebuffed her advances.

A source told the New York Daily News newspaper: "Taylor kept on making an effort to flirt with Douglas, but he gave her the cold shoulder and was extremely dismissive towards her.

"She would get a drink and then approach him; she would chat with [actress] Hailee Steinfeld and then re-approach him; she was even trying to chat him up near the flowers on display. It was all very funny for those of us watching."

Taylor - famous for writing songs about her exes, who include John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Harry Styles and Jake Gyllenhaal - even complained to Hailee - who starred alongside Douglas, 21, in the 2013 version of 'Romeo and Juliet' - that the actor wasn't responding to her flirting.

The source added: "Taylor and Hailee were chatting about Douglas while they all touched up their makeup. Taylor was whining and complaining about his aloofness toward her. She looked like an animal circling its prey, when she tried to get his attention."

However, Taylor's persistence eventually paid off and she went on a couple of dates with Douglas in London, but he has now ruled out any chance of romance completely.

One of Doug's friends confirmed: "Doug is a young guy and is enjoying the single life. He was quite taken aback about how keen Taylor was. She has been in touch with him, but he just wants to be friends."

David Copperfield is engaged.

The 57-year-old illusionist has revealed he plans to marry 28-year-old French model Chloe Gosselin, the mother of his three-year-old daughter Sky.

Discussing his six-year relationship with supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who he dated for six years until 1999, he said: "Oh, that was a long time ago. Now I'm engaged and in a committed relationship with Chloe in my mind and my heart."

Chloe feels "lucky" to be with David, who she has been in a relationship with for six years, and loves to see the "amazing" bond he has with their daughter.

She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "David is such a good father. He and Sky are best friends and it's amazing to see how the relationship between them keeps developing and growing. I am so lucky to have found him.

"There are very few people in the world like David. I'm so proud of him."

And the brunette beauty is a fan of her fiance's work, and is always amazed by how "modest" he is about what he has achieved.

She said: "I'm so lucky to have found David. There are very few people in the world like him. He's spent more than 30 years at the top of his profession. He's achieved some extraordinary things.

"People come up to him, tell him they admire him, that he's a role model for them - and he just smiles, because he's truly modest,. It's as if he doesn't realize how smart he is, the talent that he has."
 

Lady Gaga claims she's been "betrayed" by those closest to her.

The 'Applause' hitmaker has hit out at "mismanagement" which left her without enough time to shoot a video for 'Do What You Want', her collaboration with R. Kelly from her latest album 'ARTPOP', and went on to suggest she was being overworked to make more money for other people.

She wrote on her Little Monsters website: "It is late because, just like with the Applause video unfortunately, I was given a week to plan and execute it. (sic)

"It is very devastating for someone like me, I devote every moment of my life to creating fantasies for you.

"All my most successful videos were planned over a period of time when I was rested and my creativity was honored.

"Those who have betrayed me gravely mismanaged my time and health and left me on my own to damage control any problems that ensued as a result.

"Millions of dollars are not enough for some people. They want billions. Then they need trillions. I was not enough for some people. They wanted more.

"I am very grateful to the photographers and designers who have always stood by me to make sure my fans are never aware of the things that happen behind the scenes, but unfortunately after my surgery I was too sick, too tired, and too sad to control the damage on my own. My label was not aware that this was going on."

The 27-year-old singer - who was forced to cancel a string of shows on her 'Born This Way' tour to undergo delicate hip surgery last year - is now confident her career is back on the right track.

Gaga insisted: "The next few months of ARTPOP will truly be its beginning. Because those who did not care about ARTPOP's success are now gone, and the dreams I have been planning can now come to fruition."

The singer's lengthy post assured fans her comments were not aimed at her record label Interscope, leading to speculation they were directed at her former longtime manager Tro Carter, who she split from last year.

She went on to ask fans to give her a chance and open their hearts so they can become "stronger as a unit", adding: "Let me be for you the Goddess that I know I truly am, let me show you the visions that have been in my mind for two years.

"I love you. Forgive me monsters. Forgive me ARTPOP. You are my whole world."

Harry Styles is taking Hebrew lessons.

The One Direction hunk is reportedly obsessed with all things Jewish and is determined to become fluent in the ancient West Semitic language this year.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "Harry's made it his mission to learn to speak and write Hebrew. His obsession started with his tattoos, but now he's becoming very serious about learning as much as he can. So far he learnt to write his name and One Direction in Hebrew."

The 'Story Of My Life' singer has been picking up tips on Jewish lifestyle from his director friend Ben Winston, and is particularly fond of kosher food, which conforms to the regulations of Jewish dietary law, kashrut.

The insider added: "Harry also loves kosher food. He regularly visits kosher restaurants on New York. He's even organised for One Direction to play in Israel this year. Ben has been helping him with Jewish cultural tips and Harry has even taken the prayers at their house on Sabbath."

Harry's Hebrew body art - the name of his older sister Gemma written on his arm in the language - and decision to mark religious holiday Yom Kippur sparked fan speculation that he was secretly Jewish last year, but his dad Des Styles took to Twitter to set the record straight.

He wrote: "No idea where the rumours came from but, categorically, Harry is 0 % Jewish. Not at all.(sic)"


 

Charlie Sheen claims he has got married.

The 'Anger Management' star said today (05.01.14) he married his porn star girlfriend, Brett Rossi, while on their trip to Iceland over the New Year.

Posting a picture of them together outside the former French consulate building in Reykjavík - where a 1986 Cold War summit was held between then US president Ronald Reagan and USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev - Charlie wrote on his Twitter page: "this is the house ware M Gorbachev R Reagan did some epic. it's also where S and I GOT MARRIED! c #RumorMilUhPede. (sic)"

'S' is a nickname for Brett, 24, who also goes by the name Scottie.

If Brett and Charlie have married, she is the 48-year-old star's fourth wife, after Donna Peele, whom he wed between 1995 and 1996, Denise Richards who he married in 2002 and split from in 2006 and Brooke Mueller who was wed to Charlie from 2008 to 2011.

Earlier today, Charlie had paid another romantic tribute to Brett, uploading a picture of her sniffing a rose, and writing: "jus wen ya thot the "idea" of a perfect rose was bred by an ordained magistracy of all things groovy SHE arrived. (sic)"

Charlie is also father to four children: Sam, nine, and Lola, eight, with Denise and four-year-old twins Bob and Max with Brooke.

Meryl Streep collected an Icon Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival last night (04.01.14).

The awards were the first of the New Year but are a more low-key event than the glitzy ceremonies which follow, with winners announced in advance, lending a more relaxed atmosphere to other events.

Picking up her trophy - only the second Icon Award given by the festival in its 25 year history - Meryl told the crowd: "My four children remind me everyday that I am not an Icon.

"I don't feel like an icon. Most of the days I feel like 'I can't.' [But] I feel like I'm an example now in my dotage of the fact that you just can't put those old gals out to pasture. We've got a lot of stuff still to say."

Other stars to be awarded at the event included Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, '12 Years a Slave' director Steve McQueen and the cast of 'American Hustle'.

Matthew was given his trophy for his lead role in 'Dallas Buyers Club', but says he was also very proud of his performances in 'Mud' and 'The Wolf of Wall Street'.

He said: "I had a sensational year of acting," adding how he was blown away by the quality of many movies made in Hollywood during 2013.

He added: "We put out a damn good product. We've got challenging films. We've got stories of isolation, survival, history, con men, scams. A lot of these films, they walk that tightrope. They have that combination of two very hard things to have - import and entertainment."

U2 received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award, which was collected by the band's guitarist The Edge and singer, Bono, who made an impassioned speech talking about Hollywood's humanitarian strengths, Nelson Mandela and the worldwide AIDS crisis.

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2014 Awards Gala, full list of winners:

Meryl Streep - Icon Award

Tom Hanks - Chairman's Award

Bruce Dern - Career Achievement Award

Steve McQueen - Director of the Year Award

Sandra Bullock - Desert Palm Achievment Actress Award

Matthew McConaughey - Desert Palm Achievment Actor Award

Julia Roberts - Spotlight Award

'American Hustle' - Ensemble Performance Award

Lupita Nyong'o - Breakthrough Performance Award

Thomas Newman - Frederick Loewe Music Award

U2 - Sonny Bono Visionary Award
 

Rihanna burned Chris Brown's New Year apology letter to her.

The 'Fine China' singer wrote a letter to his pop star ex-girlfriend - whom he was convicted of assaulting in 2009, but later reconciled with at various points between 2012 and 2013 - apologizing for the way he has treated her, but she was less than impressed and set fire to it.

A source told Hollywoodlife.com: "She put Chris to bed last year for good. As [she and her friends] smoked, Rihanna pulled out this fake ass letter. She put it in the middle of the bed on top of a big candle holder, and put her burnt ashes on it. They all started to put ashes on that letter until it burned.

"Rihanna said, 'Good riddance,' and continued to entertain her guests."

Chris is currently in rehab for anger management in California and was comforted over Christmas by his new girlfriend, Karrueche Tran.

Meanwhile, Rihanna - who has been romantically linked to Drake, Matt Kemp and A$AP Rocky since initially dating Chris - is looking forward to a drama free year with no hassle from men.

A source said: "She wants to have a happy, stress-free year, and she's done with bull***t from men in her life.

"She's gone through some [stuff] last year, and the year before, and she's over games."
 

Madonna has come under fire for posting pictures of her teenage son with a bottle of alcohol.

The 'Die Another Day' singer put a picture on Instagram of 13-year-old Rocco with two friends, posing with bottles of vodka and gin, captioned: "The party has just begun! Bring it! 2014 (sic)."

Madonna is currently holidaying with her family, skiing in Gstaad, Switzerland, where the legal drinking age is 16.

While Rocco is seen posing with the bottle of spirits, he is not seen drinking it, and Madonna says he didn't consume any alcohol.

She wrote: "No one was drinking we were just having fun! Calm down and get a sense of humor! Don't start the year off with judgment! (sic)"

However, Instagram user Abbiesturm was upset, writing next to the picture of Rocco: "I work in addictions and see tragedy daily. I care enough about even Madonnas child to speak my view that it is poor judgment to glorify substances to children."

Madonna also raises Lourdes, 17, and adopted David Banda and Mercy James, both eight, and has previously admitted she wishes she were a tougher parent.

She said: "I think I am [tough], but honestly I don't think I'm as tough as I should be. I think I need to be maybe tougher. It's hard though. Everyday is a negotiation."
 

Katy Perry has a super healthy backstage rider.

The 'Unconditionally' star gave a concert at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to see in the New Year and her rider demands included lots of vegetables and fruits.

According to TMZ.com Katy asks for: "Fresh vegetables AT ALL TIMES - including spinach/broccoli/celery/beets/carrots/kale, etc.

"Two large baskets of fruit - one must be tropical.

"Dinner must include a vegetarian option ... plus Quinoa or couscous. ALL meals must be low-fat and health conscious and cannot contain MSG."

Katy has separate requirements for her own dressing room, including fresh organic fruit - which must be sliced - veggies such as cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with ranch dip as well as granola, dried figs and whole grain tortilla chips with hummus and guacamole to dip them in.

Katy allows herself one small indulgence to celebrate finishing a show, in the form of wine, listing "two bottles of Pinot Grigio and one Argentine Malbec" among her requirements.

The 29-year-old star is also a fan of keeping fit, and last year started channeling her energies into going spinning - a regime of tough indoor cycling classes - at the gym instead of going out clubbing.

A source said: "Katy believes the workouts have really been soothing her brain.

"A few years ago she would have released the energy by hitting the clubs and dancing the night away. But she's getting older now and wants to do things healthily."

Ben Stiller found it ''weird'' directing a sex scene.

The actor-and-director helmed 1994 romantic comedy 'Reality Bites' starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke and admits it was strange to give them direction while shooting an intimate bedroom scene.

He told Empire magazine: ''I had to direct a love scene with Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke in 'Reality Bites'. I hadn't done a lot of love scenes as a director. That was weird. I knew them both, but they took care of it ... they did well on their own.''

The 48-year-old star also reveals he was inspired to go into acting after seeing Steven Spielberg's hit killer shark film, 'Jaws'.

He enthused: ''I have to say the biggest influence for me is probably 'Jaws'. I saw it when I was 10 years old when it came out in 1975. I just think it's the perfect movie, one of the best ever. When you look at it in terms of what's going on on the screen, it's very simple stuff, not a lot of crazy action, but those characters and that situation and the filmmaking are amazing.''

Stiller - who recently suggested he may quit acting to move into directing full time - is full of praise for young Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal after seeing him in 'Prisoners'.

He said: ''I find Jake Gyllenhaal a very interesting young actor - very dark, handsome, magnetic. I like him.''

Justin Bieber has posted an intimate picture with Selena Gomez.

The 'Hold Tight' singer further fuelled speculation he has reconciled with the 21-year-old beauty by posting a dark snap of them with her holding her arm around him and a big smile on her face.

Under the picture, posted on Instagram, he wrote: "Love the way you look at me."

The pair originally dated for two years until breaking up at the start of 2013, but are said to have spent New Year together in Mexico and were pictured earlier this week riding Segways near his house in Calabasas, California.

Justin, 19, previously poured his heartache over the split from Selena into songs for his albums 'Believe Acoustic' and 'Journals'.

Speaking about writing the track 'All That Matters' from the latter album, Justin said: "I was definitely in love. [The breakup] affected us, especially when we are in front of so many people. It's such a public thing. It's just hard for the both of us. But, you know, she's a great woman. I love her to this day... I think we're going to be the greatest friends."

Meanwhile 'Spring Breakers' star Selena cancelled a number of tour dates at the end of last year as she has reportedly been suffering from auto-immune disease Lupus, and friends said she was in a "bad place".

A source said: "Dealing with her breakup from Justin has still been affecting her and she's been in a bit of a bad place recently.

"Her family stepped in and basically advised her to either go to therapy or stay with them so they could watch over her. Her team agreed that family time would be best."

'Gone With The Wind' actress Alicia Rhett has died.

The star was one of the oldest surviving members of the cast of the 1939 US Civil War epic, and died of natural causes at her home in Charleston, South Carolina, aged 98.

Bill Trawick, CEO of the Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, where she had lived since 2002 said: "Truly a beautiful woman, her passion for the arts and love of Charleston were unrivaled... Alicia was a kind and gentle lady."

The actress was appearing in local theatre productions when she was spotted and cast in 'Gone With the Wind', in which she played the character of India Wilkes, sister of plantation owner Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) who finds herself at odds with one of the main characters, Scarlett O'Hara - played by Vivien Leigh - when she steals her lover, Charles Hamilton.

After starring in the iconic movie, Alicia didn't embark on a Hollywood career, instead opting to move back to Charleston in 1941 and devote much of her time to sketching and painting.

Other surviving cast members from 'Gone With The Wind' include 97-year-old Olivia de Havilland, 93-year-old Mary Anderson and 81-year-old Mickey Kuhn.

Ke$ha has entered rehab for an eating disorder.

The 26-year-old singer said she wants to accept herself for who she is, and admitted she has struggled to embrace her own body despite being a "crusader for being yourself".

She told People magazine: "I'm a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself but I've found it hard to practice.

"I'll be unavailable for the next 30 days, seeking treatment for my eating disorder ... to learn to love myself again. Exactly as I am."

The 'Timber' hitmaker is said to be undergoing treatment Timberline Knolls near Chicago, the same facility where Demi Lovato found help.

Despite admitting she needs help, the star has previously spoken about her body in a bizarre but positive way, explaining she uses her boobs to write songs by dangling them over her piano.

She recently said: "What I do is I turn off all the lights and I walk over to the piano naked. Then I gently lower myself and my boobs.

"They go on the keys and I just let them tickle the ivories. They really just go crazy."

Cate Blanchett won't have cosmetic surgery to reverse the ageing process.

The 44-year-old actress isn't worried about getting older and has no intention of having any cosmetic procedures to try and make her look younger.

Cate told the latest French issue of Marie Claire magazine: "[I'm not scared of growing old.] Should I be? What for? Who would want a face that hasn't seen or lived properly, hasn't got any wrinkles that come with age, experience and laughter? Not me, anyway. We're all travelling in the same direction."

The 'Blue Jasmine' star also opened up about her and her husband Andrew Upton's three sons, Roman, Ignatius and Dashiell, describing her kids as "magnificent boys".

And Cate insists it's important to her that they remain grounded despite their privileged upbringing.

She said: "If they know how to cut wood, light a fire, ride horses and will always help an old lady cross the road, then we won't have done too badly as parents."

Cate is originally from Melbourne, Australia, and now lives with her family at the 1877 Bulwarra sandstone mansion located in the harbour-side Sydney suburb Hunters Hill.

The Academy Award-winning actress is proud to be an Australian and believes she and her countrymen are "good company" and great fun.

She mused: "I don't think Australians are any less pretentious than other people. But it's true that we're generally good company and we don't pay attention to social class."