Hookup Buzz: Keanu & Winona, Jude & D-lister?
Who's wooing whom; plus, "I do" whispers hit Drew & Justin, Alba's wedding day blues, denials fly in Shania breakup, size matters for Scarlett & Xtina and more ...
May 22, 2008
Her love of designer duds runs so deep she was once caught getting sticky-fingered in Saks. He's been known to wrap duct tape around his shabby footwear.
But that diametrically opposed sartorial stance hasn't stopped Star from speculating that there's a love connection brewing between Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves on the Connecticut set of "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee."
"They are also always hugging on the set," a conclusion-jumping mole tells the tab. "The chemistry is really electric."
Other evidence of their supposed coziness (and by "evidence," we mean creative conjecture) involves hanging out in each other's trailers and at the actor's New York pad.
But don't start pounding out that "Matrix"-meets-"Heathers" fanfic just yet. (Speculative dialogue: "What is your damage, Neo?" "Whoa, Veronica, just take a blue pill and relax.")
It seems Reeves and Ryder's longtime association -- they faced off against a fangy Gary Oldman in 1992's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and reteamed for "A Scanner Darkly" in 2006 -- remains professional.
When contacted for comment on the "new couple alert" issued by Star, Keanu's spokeswoman was quick to reject the report, telling MSN Entertainment, "It is not true."
Don't believe the rep? How about an on-set source, who scoffs to OK! that it would be difficult for the co-stars to spend time in each other's trailers because they don't actually have their own on the indie drama.
And those public and frequent clinches they've purportedly been enjoying? Another source says they are also so much fiction, as Keanu and Winona haven't yet crossed paths on the set.
Anyhoo, in other hookup chatter, it's only been four years since Jude Law was anointed People's Sexiest Man Alive, and we're wondering how it all went so wrong, so fast.
Gone is the debonair thespian, apparently replaced by a guy who sucks face with would-be starlets on private property.
At least that's the word from the London Sun, which claims Law, 35, was recently spied "getting frisky" in a stranger's yard with Kimberly Stewart, 28, who's best known as Rod's daughter and Paris Hilton's onetime BFF.
"They were laying on the grass, rolling around and kissing," a peeping spy spills to the tab. "Their hands were everywhere. They looked like a couple of loved-up teenagers."
Word of the alleged garden grope-fest comes just as the Sun published snaps that appear to show the actor and father of three giving Kim a tonsillectomy as she reaches for his pants pocket -- presumably for loose change -- during a recent night out at a decidedly downscale Essex nightclub.
The tab says before their heavy petting at the not-so-hot spot, the pair joined Kim's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"-rasping dad and his wife, Penny Lancaster, for drinks at their nearby pad.
If the dating rumors pan out, it'll be hard to determine who's getting the short end of the romantic stick.
On the one hand, Law cheated on onetime fiancée Sienna Miller with his kids' nanny. On the other, Kim was once so smitten with former rocker-fiancé Cisco "Droopy Drawers" Adler that she got a tattoo reading "Daddy's Little Girl Loves Cisco," which she changed to "Daddy's Little Girl Loves Disco" after they broke up.
Like we said, tough call.
Meanwhile, in less head-scratching wooing news, the New York Post says Jeffrey Dean Morgan has rebounded from his fizzled engagement to Mary-Louise Parker with some help from Gina Gershon.
The two were supposedly spotted in a friendly if slightly infantilizing moment Saturday night at a Manhattan lounge.
"They were quite cozy," an eyewitness tells the paper. "They were sharing a burger and she was hand-feeding him Tater Tots."
Meanwhile, was John Mayer's ex a swing and a miss for Derek Jeter? According to OK!, the starlet-notching baseballer (he's previously been linked to Jessica Biel, Vanessa Minnillo and Scarlett Johansson) recently shared a "romantic meal" with "Friday Night Lights" brunette Minka Kelly at a New York restaurant.
But Minka is apparently keeping her options open, with a source telling the mag, "She's still playing the field."
Aisle-Walk Talk: Bridal Drew? Alba's Blues
Drew Barrymore and Justin Long still have another couple of months to go before they hit their milestone one-year anniversary, but a tabloid is already convinced they're ready to commit to an eternity together.
In Touch claims the perpetually puckered-up honeys engaged in a matrimonial-related discussion while lunching at a Los Angeles eatery on May 10.
"She said she wanted to find a wedding planner and he said they should look at engagement rings that day," a big-eared eyewitness relays to the mag. "But Drew said, 'You know what I like, surprise me.' They seemed very happy."
This is the second time in recent months that wedding whispers have hit Drew, 33, and Justin, 29, who kicked off their very public saliva exchange program last August.
While making an appearance on "Oprah" in March, the sunshiny and seemingly loud-talking actress, who already has two divorces under her belt, was reportedly overheard talking about the possibility of a destination wedding.
"She's beautiful and funny," the sometime Mac guy swooned to the Big O of his squeeze. "The most compassionate person I've ever met."
Barrymore, for her part, opened up about her romantic contentment in the March issue of Vogue, gushing, "My cheeks hurt, I'm so happy."
In more concrete nuptial news, Jessica Alba went the unconventional route when she selected the "something blue" for her frills- and guest-free courthouse wedding to Cash Warren Monday afternoon in Beverly Hills, Calif.
People magazine reports the about-to-pop bride sported a ponytail and a long blue dress for the fake flower-festooned civil ceremony, while her groom styled a white shirt and brown pants.
"Jessica and Cash's ceremony surprised even good friends," an insider tells the mag, pointing out that it was the actress who pulled the trigger on the shotgun hitching. "She [used to feel] it would be OK to wait until after the baby was born to get married. But her traditional side must have really kicked in."
Either way, adds the mole, "Cash is a wonderful guy. And she really does love him."
Alba's brother blabs to E! News that he, too, was in the dark about the "I dos," and says the newlyweds are planning a more elaborate celebration after the baby arrives (they are said to be expecting a girl).
Also out of the loop was Jessica's dad, who tells Latina.com that the knot-tying is "good news," opining, "I'm glad for her. She's a beautiful girl. I'm her dad and I'm happy for her no matter what happens." (OK, so maybe he's kvelling about his new son-in-law on the inside.)
The newlyweds were sans rings but sporting big smiles as they stepped out together Tuesday night for a charitable soiree in Beverly Hills, where Warren and NBA buddy Baron Davis picked up a humanitarian award for producing a documentary on gang violence in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Pete Wentz has learned that being married to Ashlee Simpson is all about sharing with her family, who are tighter than his suctioned-on skinny jeans.
The swoopy-banged, flat iron-dependent flames are featured on the current cover of People, which reportedly shelled out more than a million bucks for the exclusive on their "Alice in Wonderland"-inspired wedding, but they're not alone.
In addition to Pete's Victorian-collared English bulldog, who looks mortified to be part of the proceedings, Ashlee's big sister Jessica receives prominent placement on the cover courtesy of a candid shot showing her bumping and grinding with her capricious quarterback beau, Tony Romo.
And speaking of sharing, the happy couple apparently has a refreshingly realistic attitude when it comes to romance.
"We have signed a pre-nup," Pete revealed during a chat this week with Ryan Seacrest, adding that his supposedly stork-awaiting wife is now legally Mrs. Wentz. "[We don't] know what she'll do with her stage name, that's up to her.
Another Woman Involved in Shania's Split?
Shania Twain's private life has always been just that -- private -- but the meltdown of her 14-year marriage to music producer Robert "Mutt" Lange has unfortunately forced her into the spotlight.
People magazine reports the low-key Canadian singer, 42, "is reeling" over rumors that her estranged husband, 59, with whom she has a 6-year-old son, Eja, is involved with a woman "she considered a close friend."
Insiders contend that Lange's ostensible closeness with one Marie-Anne Thiébaud, a secretary and house manager at the couple's Swiss chateau, led to the split.
"Mutt and Marie-Anne left their spouses for each other and are still in a relationship," a snitch tells the magazine. "Their two families would vacation and spend holidays together. Shania considered Marie-Anne one of her best friends."
Shania, who is reportedly being comforted by friends and family in her native Canada, "is devastated" by the breakup, says the source, who adds, "This came out of left field."
Another spy echoes the suddenness of the separation to the New York Daily News, asserting, "It took Shania by surprise. The divorce could get ugly. Shania may want custody of their son and alimony."
Lange and Thiébaud, however, are denying the two-timing claims.
The camera-avoiding producer tells People that his union didn't implode over something so clichéd as an affair with his assistant, insisting infidelity was "absolutely not the reason [for the breakup] ... It's literally just a growing apart, that's all."
As for the talk that he's seeing Thiébaud, Lange maintains, "It's not true."
Thiébaud is also defending herself against the other-woman charges.
"I know what you're ringing to ask me about," she said when reached by E! News at her home in Geneva, Switzerland. "But, when marriages break up they break up for all sorts of complicated reasons, it's never just one reason. And those reasons should be kept private."
Thiébaud, 37, who says she no longer works for the reclusive couple ("I am retired"), then suggests the media should bother someone else.
"If you're looking for a person that broke up a marriage," she huffs, "then you have the wrong person. I'm not that person."
In Defense of Scarlett's Rock, Reputation
Someone wants to make darn sure the world knows Ryan Reynolds' fist wasn't as tight as his abs when it came to decorating the fourth digit of fiancée Scarlett Johansson's left hand.
A snitch helpfully informs TMZ.com that the sparkling solitaire the starlet has been showing off is bigger and pricier than initial reports suggest.
Seems contrary to chatter that the bauble is a measly 3 carats and came with a chump-change $30,000 price tag, it's actually more than four carats and cost the actor $120,000.
Yes, we, too, are relieved Johansson, 23, has received a diamond as impressive as her décolletage, because big, expensive rocks always guarantee long, happy marriages, especially for squeezes given to public squabbles.
Right?
Meanwhile, did ScarJo's betrothal cause a hitch in her planned appearance at the Cannes Film Festival to promote her latest Woody Allen flick, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which received a warm reception from critics?
An insider tells the Los Angeles Times there's no truth to rumblings that Scarlett's so-called "diva demands" over her hair, makeup and hotel resulted in the studio scrubbing the trip.
Instead, the hammered-out arrangements purportedly fell apart when Johansson revealed her altar-bound status on May 5.
"Within 24 hours of the announcement of her engagement, the studio reneged on the agreed-on terms for Scarlett's appearance at Cannes," the source tells the paper. "It was insane. She was backed up against a wall. Finally, she personally made the decision not to go."
But was the about-face sparked by the filmmaker, who has said of his current favorite leading lady, "She is unlike anyone who has come before her, and while she is a much stronger actress in every way, there is a tiny bit of Marilyn Monroe in her zaftig humidity."
When asked if there was a chance Woody was "annoyed" by Scarlett's engagement, the mole responded, "Yes."
As for the studio, it blames "scheduling conflicts" for her absence and decries the diva 'tude rumors as false, pooh-poohing to the paper, "These reports circling about Scarlett are simply untrue and unfair."
Quickies: Xtina's Cup Quake, Davis' Nixed Drinks
If you're ever caught on a sinking ship with Christina Aguilera, don't panic: Turns out her lingerie can double as a life raft. The cleavage-flaunting chart-topper reveals to Us Weekly that her already titanic talents have reaped the benefits of breastfeeding 4-month-old son Max. "It's kind of hilarious! I've never fit into an E-cup before," she marvels. "I look at my husband and go, 'Guess what size this bra is?' And when I tell him, he's just amazed. We keep the tags that prove it, to look back for memory's sake!" The chanteuse is featured on the cover of the mag touting the 40 pounds she's dropped post-baby through the combination of a protein-heavy diet regimen and exercise, although she fesses up to having a weakness for sugary goodness. "Oh my god, candy!" exclaims Christina. "I had a huge craving for candy toward the end of the pregnancy, from Starbursts to Skittles. I actually took a picture of myself with my big belly in a little lingerie top, surrounded by bowls of the candy I like."
Speaking of things sweet and stacked, all eyes were on Kellie Pickler -- or at least certain heaving parts of her -- at the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night. "It's been two years since my first record came out. I still have my sassy and girly side, but I've been growing a lot, in many more ways than one," the "American Idol" warbler told FoxNews.com as she cheekily gestured towards her enhanced assets. "Let's just say I feel much more mature now." Not surprisingly, "Idol" exec producer Nigel Lythgoe fully supports Pickler's trip down mammary lane. "She's acquired two accoutrements that [naturally] photographers and men love," he enthuses. "I'm not sure what it cost
her, but obviously it was well worth it."
Kristin Davis is also baring all -- emotionally, at least -- as she stumps for the "Sex and the City: The Movie". "I'm a recovering alcoholic," the chestnut-locked looker tells Health. "I've never hid it, but I've been sober the whole time I've been famous, so it wasn't like I had to go to rehab publicly." But she says her sobriety has turned what should be a nice perk of her best-known role into "a lot of confusion," admitting, "I get sent many a Cosmo! I never drink them ... Why risk it?" And like her baby-craving alter ego Charlotte York Goldenblatt, Davis, 43, declares that she "would love to have children" and "would still like to find a man and have a baby with him." She then bubbles in a very Charlotte-like way, "I haven't given up."
http://entertainment.msn.com/music/hotgossip/5-22-08_5
