Morning Briefing:
Richie dumped? Another entry into the celebrity split-up journal for 2005 -- Nicole Richie and fiancé/ubiquitous celebrity-event spinner Adam "D.J. AM" Goldstein have called off the wedding. Us Weekly broke the news Wednesday afternoon, with confirmation from Richie's P.R. person: "They have decided to break off the engagement. The decision is mutual." Or maybe not so mutual after all -- as gossip site Perez Hilton reports, sources near the couple say it was all Goldstein's decision, the only question is why. "Adam was fed up with Nicole," one source told the site. "Her issues with her weight, I'm reluctant to say 'anorexia,' caused her behavior to be very erratic and moody lately." Another said it was Richie's on-the-side dalliances that ended the engagement: "A.M. has a residency in Vegas, where he goes to spin every weekend, and when the cat's away, the mouse will play. Adam found out that Nicole was 'partying' when he was away, and he does not tolerate that." (Us Weekly, Perez Hilton)
Twenty-fifth anniversary of Lennon's shooting: Thursday marks 25 years since John Lennon was shot outside of his New York apartment by Mark Chapman. There will be the expected vigils and small Lennon-remembrance concerts in Liverpool, England, Lennon's birthplace, as well as in New York and London, where Virgin Megastores will turn off the noise for a one-minute silence. The anniversary is marked with a certain amount of controversy, too, with the BBC airing a documentary on the shooting that relatives of the slain singer say glorifies his killer, and the court case over releasing the final 10 pages of the FBI's secret files on the singer -- thought to detail his contacts with leftist organizations -- still being fought in California. (BBC, The Scotsman, Reuters via Yahoo! News)
A proposal a day keeps the Jolie at bay: The fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie haven't gotten married yet has nothing to do with a lack of trying on Pitt's part, at least according to British mag Closer, which says Pitt asks for her hand every day. "She's happy with Brad and doesn't want to jinx the relationship," a friend tells the publication. "Angie is addicted to her independence. There'll be a marriage eventually, but Angelina will say when. She's already had two failed marriages and wants to be 100% sure this time." (Closer via FemaleFirst)
Moss proves everyone wrong: Writing about the revival of Kate Moss' modeling career with a bit of a we-knew-it tone, the Associated Press outlines the Moss rebound, giving particular credit to the French. French Vogue put Moss on its current cover under the tag line "Scandalous Beauty." "If you use Kate Moss as a symbol of freedom, of transgression, you have to be honest," Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of French retail giant PPR (it owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent), told Vogue. "You can't use her image to convey those kinds of messages and then be surprised that she breaks the rules in her private life." Of course, Moss played the P.R. game pretty sharply, too, publicly apologizing and heading off for a stint in rehab. Her latest smart move? Pinning her errant ways on her ex, troubled British rocker Pete Doherty. "He's a user in every sense of the word. He makes me sick," the model said of her increasingly unstable ex. "Yes, I loved him, but I was taken in by his little-boy-lost routine. He has nearly cost me everything." (Associated Press via Forbes, The Scoop)
Also:
In case there were any lingering doubts about Donald Trump's views on the female form, they were put to rest during his appearance on Howard Stern's radio show yesterday when Trump talked about the effect his wife's pregnancy is having on her body: "You know, they just blow up, right? Like a blimp -- in the right places. In her case, the right places. I mean she really has become a monster -- in all the right places." (Page Six) ... Rob Reiner has decided not to run for governor of California against Arnold Schwarzenegger after all. (Associated Press via Yahoo! News) ... The breakup of the Britney Spears/Kevin Federline union has progressed another notch: Spears has reportedly started dropping the D-word. A source tells People the real reason Federline recently fled their Los Angeles house is, "She wanted a divorce." (People) ... So now they're concerned: Michael Jackson's family is apparently thinking about heading en masse to Bahrain to stage an "intervention" because his pill popping has spiraled "out of control." (N.Y. Daily News)
Money Quote:
Keira Knightley on her Imelda Marcos-like attachment to shoes: "I have shoes I've never taken out of the box. I even have shoes that don't fit. I look at them and go: 'Oh it doesn't matter that I can't wear them -- they're so pretty!'" (U.K.'s Grazia magazine via The Sun)
Turn On:
Worried about the kids today? Fear not, Al Roker's on the case with "Al Roker Investigates: Kids, Cards and Dice" (Court TV, 8 p.m. EST), a look at children who are addicted to gambling. And Jennifer Aniston and 50 Cent are on the "Late Show With David Letterman" (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST).
-- Scott Lamb
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