Mary J. Obliges a Fashionable New Fan
Mary J. Blige may have been living the high life for quite some time now. But despite a plethora of chart-topping hits, collabos with some of the hottest artists in the industry and respect from fellow musicians, the R&B singer hasn’t forgotten where she came from.
Following in the footsteps of Renée Zellweger, Mary J. gave an ordinary girl some serious star fashion treatment.
Last week, Mary J. was at the Diane von Furstenberg store in NYC when she overheard a a girl having a problem at the register. According to Page Six, the customer had a dress on hold that she loved, and the bill was $900. She thought it was only $500, and she couldn’t afford it. Blige told the saleswoman, “Go get the girl. I want to pay for the balance on the dress.”
The customer at first declined Blige’s offer but relented after Mary said, “I know what it’s like to want something and not be able to have it. I insist.” The girl reportedly wanted to send her a check for the balance, but Blige said, “Just enjoy it. I’m blessed, so let me do this.’”
Mary J. may be the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, but kudos to her for remembering what it was like before she wore the crown.
You like Army Wives. You really like it.
Isn’t it interesting how in the days of waning network ratings year after year we keep getting reports of basic cable shows setting new ratings records. This time, Army Wives second season premiere set a new series high with 4.5 million viewers. I’ll give kudos to Lifetime for really knowing how to support a season premiere; major networks take notes. The day before the premiere, which was this past Sunday, they marathoned the last ten episodes of the first season. They’ve also made the entire season available online, with ad support.
Is it because more and more of us have these channels than ever before? Or maybe we’re just spreading out across the dial more than ever before? At the same time, though, there’s more freedom off the network channels to show more edgy fare. Shows like The Shield and Mad Men are a bit too strong in content for the likes of ABC, and sometimes the sheer intensity and quality of the storytelling eclipses much of free TV fare. Or maybe it’s just because Catherine Bell is so freaking hot … sometimes. Seriously, sometimes she looks like that up there, and other times she looks like a boy who’s been lost in the woods for a few weeks. Still, at even a 50/50 shot I think it’d be worth the chance.
Moss Beach Distillery epically fails at duping the Ghost Hunters
It’s not often that I write up about an episode of Ghost Hunters, but this one was quite different than the rest. Unfortunately I’m not talking about something spectacular the GH team caught on video or a wild EVP recording.
During the second half of the ’Widow’s Watch’ episode, Grant, Jason and crew headed out to the Moss Beach Distillery in Moss Beach, California, to investigate reported sightings of a mysterious “Blue Lady” ghost. Spencer Gray, the exec chef at the restaurant, gave the team a hammy tour of the place, pointing out the various places where sightings and sounds had been reported.
As the team conducted their investigation, Grant and Jason caught on very quickly that the whole place was rigged with props and gags to make it sorta seem haunted — a hidden speaker and glowing face behind the mirror in the ladies bathroom; pneumatic triggers to move the chandeliers at timed intervals. There was likely more, but they didn’t waste time finding out.
Needless to say, Jason and Grant were completely bull. I think what we saw on-camera was a dumbed-down version of what their real reaction was when they discovered the clowns at the distillery pulled a fast one on them. When they confronted Gray during their usual reveal session, they kept their composure as they gently expressed their disappointment that they weren’t told about the gags. Gray’s response was that it must have “slipped [his] mind,” all while not doing a very good job at hiding his smug smirk.
I honestly don’t know how Jason was able to restrain himself from reaching over that table and taking Gray by the nose. Not only did the team waste their night at this place (and on the other side of the country), but Grant nearly broke his ankle trying to see what the hell was in the ceiling. I’m left wondering if Sci Fi will sue the restaurant for pulling that crap and then lying by saying they simply forgot to tell the team about the gags.
Kudos to the GH team for keeping their cool, even though I bet they left a few holes punched in hotel room walls in frustration. As for the Moss Beach Distillery folks: what the eff?
Ryan Phillippe & Abbie Cornish Go Public
He’s not exactly shouting it from the rooftops, but Ryan Phillippe finally seems comfortable publicly acknowledging his relationship with Abbie Cornish.
In a first-time display, the actor stepped out with his Stop Loss costar yesterday for an awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, followed by an intimate night of jazz in Hollywood.
Ryan, 33, has been linked with the 25-year-old actress since 2006, when they shot the Iraq drama. Despite rampant reports of on-set romance, he’s denied that it’s the reason he split with wife Reese Witherspoon.
Phillippe accompanied Cornish to the Avalon Hotel, where she was honored as a breakthrough talent by Australians in Film (AiF).
Following Abbie’s kudos, she and Ryan hit Hennessy Jazz Night at Teddy’s in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
“They were very close all night,” a source tells of the couple, who sat together and took in the live band alongside Danny Masterson and Balthazar Getty.