Morning Briefing:
Federline wants to save the pennies: In a somewhat surreal appearance in New York's Times Square yesterday, Kevin Federline helped kick off a charity drive for various as-yet-unnamed children's organizations called "Save the Penny," sponsored by Virgin Mobile. "I'm here with Virgin Mobile to bring the power back to the penny! I feel good about the penny!" Federline shouted to the gathered crowd, before donating the first penny to the fund. During a TV interview afterward, he proudly told the cameras, "I just gave all my pennies to charity!" As the black SUV chauffeuring him drove off, though, it rear-ended a pedicab. While the driver and the cabbie sorted things out, the Naked Cowgirl -- a Times Square topless-but-for-pasties singing performer -- approached the car, and someone from the back seat slipped her two bucks. As Lowdown writes, "The pennies may be for the kids, but in K-Fed's world, the bucks are for the naked ladies." (Lowdown)
The two Coreys, reunited at last: The same people who brought you "Wife Swap" announced on Wednesday that their next project will bring together those irrepressible but mostly forgotten '80s teen heartthrobs, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. The show is less reality TV than a "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-type comedy -- as Variety reports, "'The Coreys' picks up with Feldman living the comfortable suburban life with his wife Suzie and son, until circumstances bring his old pal Haim back into the picture. Episodes would follow Haim -- single and the total opposite of Feldman -- as he shakes life up for the Feldmans." (Defamer, Variety)
"Gun" gives Eminem a reason to live again: It was announced last week that Eminem would be taking to the movies again with a role in "Have Gun, Will Travel," and it seems the news came at a good time. Since divorcing his wife, Kim, for the second time and losing a close friend, rapper Proof, to a barroom gunfight, Eminem has reportedly been suffering from depression. "He has been shut up in his house depressed," a source tells Rush & Molloy. Until the movie role came along, "he gained a ton of weight and didn't feel like working on anything." His spokesman confirmed the depression part -- "He is depressed as anyone would be if they lost someone that close," referring to Proof -- and went on to sound an oddly Scientology-like note, insisting that Eminem is dealing with his depression without using antidepressants. (Rush & Molloy)
Also:
Reese Witherspoon is suing Star magazine over its recent cover story claiming she's pregnant with her third baby. She's seeking unspecified damages and claims in the suit that "this fabricated tall tale was brazenly published as a prominent and conspicuous cover story for the purpose of garnering the maximum attention to the tabloid" as part of a "callous effort to boost the tabloid's sagging sales." (TMZ) ... Janet Charlton's Hollywood, a brand-new gossip Web site, debuts with a story about Justin Timberlake dumping Cameron Diaz to go "sow his wild oats" -- are we too cynical for somehow doubting its veracity? (Janet Charlton's Hollywood) ... As the world waits with growing impatience for photographic evidence of baby Suri Holmes-Cruise to appear, Us Weekly has performed the public service of creating a counter to keep track of how long we've waited so far for the inevitable tabloid photo spread -- as of today, 65 days and counting. (Us Online) ... TV producer Aaron Spelling, the man who brought you everything from "Charlie's Angels" to "Melrose Place" to daughter Tori, suffered a stroke over the weekend but is now at home recovering, according to his publicist. Spelling is 83, and his rep said they did not yet know the severity of the stroke. (People) ... On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to review its current media ownership rules, and will be taking a look at the laws that limit the numbers of radio and TV stations one entity can own. (Associated Press via Yahoo! News) Hair metal fans, rejoice! Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe have announced they'll be touring together for the first time starting in September. (FemaleFirst)
Money Quote:
Anne Hathaway on Stanley Tucci's aggressive elbows on the set of "The Devil Wears Prada": "He would just smack me in my boob and elbow me. If you're a girl, you know that hurts, so, after about the fourth time, I finally said: 'Stanley, can you please stay away from my tits?' He got really flustered and said: 'What do you expect? You're flinging those melons around like it's harvest season.'" (Page Six)
-- Scott Lamb
Turn On:
People with unusual talents face off in the series debut of "Master of Champions" (ABC, 8 p.m. EDT) and Biography presents "Famous: Scarlett Johansson" (11 p.m. EDT). Also, on the centennial of Billy Wilder's birth, TCM premieres "Billy Wilder Speaks" (8 p.m. EDT), a series of interviews recorded for German TV in 1988.
On the Talk Shows:
Larry King (CNN, 9 p.m. EDT): FBI chief Robert Mueller
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): NBA MVP Dwyane Wade, Bill and Judith Moyers
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Meryl Streep, Yellowcard
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT): Kevin Spacey, Taylor Hicks
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Kate Beckinsale, Tyrese Gibson
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Regis Philbin, James Marsden
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT): Geena Davis, Louis C.K., Jeff Corwin
Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT): Adam Sandler
Stephen Colbert (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Doug Brinkley
-- Lamar Clarkson
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