Hope For Haiti Telethon

George Clooney, Haitian-born Wyclef Jean and Anderson Cooper will host the “Hope for Haiti” benefit for victims of the earthquake. More than 40 celebrities are expected to attend, along with performances by Bono, Sting, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.

The event, organized by MTV and Clooney, will be held in New York and will broadcast January 22. The telethon will air on over a dozen network and cable channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, MTV, CNN, VH1.

“Hope for Haiti” will benefit the Red Cross, UNICEF, Oxfam American, Partners in Health and Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation. Songs from the performers will be available on iTunes.

All proceeds will also go to the relief effort in Haiti.George Clooney says “Hope for Haiti” will hopefully “show the people of Haiti that the whole world is paying attention.”

Gorgeous George

Over my little Christmas break I got the chance to see Jason Reitman's Up In The Air.  I wasn't sure what to expect, it seems that anything overhyped will invariably let you down and the reviews for this movie have been pretty great.  I wasn't disappointed.

Full disclosure:  I've been in love with George Clooney since, oh, about the age of 7, so I might be a tad biased.  Still, George love aside, I thought the movie was entertaining and certainly topical considering the current economy.  The film is funny and has a lot to say about the need for human connection.

I'm not exactly a movie buff, but I know what I like and I was entertained by this movie.  George's character Ryan Bingham spends most of his life on the road in his role as a corporate downsizing expert, doing the occasional speaking engagement where he urges others to unload their metaphorical life backpacks of the connections and responsibilities that they've accumulated.  I think it says something about Clooney that he can make such a character both relatable and pretty likable. I also thought that Anna Kendricks was really great as the uptight young efficiency expert who (lucky her!) gets to head into the open skies with Clooney.  

{I thought some gratuitous Clooney would be just the thing to brighten up a cold winter day}

Have you seen Up In The Air?  What are your thoughts?

Alla Prossima

Could This Be Considered "Biological Warfare"?!

This might just be another fairy tale from the pages of Life&Style, but if it's not, I will be holding auditions next week to replace George Clooney's place in my cold, black heart. Life&Style says he might, just might, be dating the CDC's favorite spokesperson, Paris Hilton.

Whip me, because this is hurtful.

The two have apparently met up twice just before Christmas. A "friend" of Hilton's (ain't it always the "friend"?) said they had drinks at the Whiskey Bar alone. The friend said, "Paris and George sat and talked together for ages. They didn't seem to be aware of anyone else in the room."

Some other source said the two also had dinner at Dan Tana's the next night.

Clooney Back To ER?

Paging Dr. Ross STAT! The Producers of ER are trying to secure George Clooney's return for the shows final season. Producers already got secured cameo's from Anthony Edwards as Dr. Green, and Noah Wyle as Dr. Carter.

Storylines have already been written for Eriq Lasalle's Dr. Benton, Alex Kingston's Dr. Corday, Laura Innes' Carrie Weaver, George Clooney and Julianna Margulies' Dr. and Mrs. Ross. Whether any of them come back is still up in the air. Of the original big stars Sherry Springfield as Dr. Lewis is the only one not invited back, and Gloria Reuben's Jeannie Boulet appeared last season.

A return from Clooney would produce big ratings for the shows last season, as well as give closure for fans. Clooney says he has never been approached by anyone from the show, yet his publicist says he would NOT appear. Only time will tell if we get appearance from George Clooney, but either way this will be an exciting final season for the award-winning series.

Clooney & Pitt Do Press In Venice

Their new film, "Burn After Reading," is one of the most anticipated films of the 2008 Venice Film Festival! Brad Pitt and George Clooney joined the rest of their co-stars Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand along with directors Ethan and Joel Coen for some press for the film after arriving on the scene by luxury boat. It's nice to see the pair of friends together again in Italy.

The film is the brothers' first since the Academy Award winning No Country For Old Men The film is set for release on Sept. 12th.

George Clooney and Cindy Crawford in Italy

Talk about living the celebrity lifestyle! Supermodel Cindy Crawford was has been spotted on George Clooney's yacht in Sardinia, Italy on Tuesday. They were all spotted in St. Tropez, as well.

Crawford and her husband Rande Garber have been the guests of the “Ocean’s Thirteen” star all week, as they’ve relaxing and swam around the Mediterranean Sea in his luxury boat. I'd love to be a fly on the wall of that boat and see what their week has been like! What a perfect vacation.

So when's the next time we'll be seeing Clooney on the big screen? His next film he's working on is Burn After Reading which is about two dimwitted gym employees, played by Clooney and Brad Pitt, who find a disc with a CIA agent’s book manuscript. The inept duo schemes to sell the disc while the disc’s owner, played by John Malkovich, tries to get it back.

Wacky espionage antics ensue and according to the cast at least, the comedy is most closely comparable to the Coen’s best film, The Big Lebowski.

Is George Clooney single?

According to reports, George Clooney, 47, and his girlfriend of nearly a year, 29-year-old Sarah Larson, have ended their relationship.

"I do not comment on George's personal life," said Clooney's rep, Stan Rosenfield. But sources told In Touch Weekly and People that the two had called it quits.

"George is relieved to be single again," an anonymous source told In Touch, which was first to break the news. "He thinks Sarah is sweet and that is why it was so hard to break up with her."

The two reportedly met when Clooney was celebrating his birthday at the Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas several years ago. Larson was a Vegas cocktail waitress and go-go dancer at the time. They started dating when Clooney returned to Vegas for the premiere of "Ocean's Thirteen" last June.

The insider told In Touch that it was their vastly different backgrounds that contributed to their decision to break up: "The truth is that they had little in common and he just doesn't want to be tied down," the source said.

Oscar winner Sydney Pollack dies

Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack passed away Monday afternoon in his Pacific Palisades home in Los Angeles after a nine-month bout with cancer. According to his publicist, Leslee Dart, the 73-year-old Hollywood mainstay was surrounded by family at the time.

Also an occasional actor, Pollack's career reached its apex during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved success with his gender-bending film "Tootsie" and the period drama "Out of Africa," and worked with some of Hollywood's best actors, including George Clooney.

"Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better. A tip of the hat to a class act," Clooney said in a statement from his publicist.

"He'll be missed terribly," Clooney added.

Other A-list actors Pollack worked with include Sally Field and Paul Neman ("In Absence of Malice"), Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn ("The Interpretor"), Robert Mitchum ("The Yakuza"), Tom Cruise ("The Firm"), Robert Redford ("Three Days of the Condor" and "The Way We Were") and Barbra Streisand ("The Way We Were").

"Having the opportunity to know Sydney and work with him was a great gift in my life," Field said in a statement. "He was a good friend and a phenomenal director and I will cherish every moment that I ever spent with him."

In his later years, Pollack spent more time in front of the camera. He appeared in the films "Husbands and Wives," "The Player," "Death Becomes Her," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Made of Honor." He also played Will's father on "Will & Grace" and made appearances on "The Sopranos," "Frasier" and "Mad About You."

Pollack is surved by his wife, Claire; two daughters, a brother and six grandchildren, according to MSNBC. His son Steven died in a 1993 plane crash.

Is George Clooney returning to 'ER'?

NBC's medical drama "ER" has been renewed for its fifteenth season - and people are wondering if former star George Clooney will return.

The answers have been mixed, so far.

According to star Scott Grimes, there's an "85 percent chance" that Clooney will be back, a statistic based on a positive run-in with the cast that lasted for several hours.

But executive producer John Wells told reporters and the press last week: "I love George. He’s a friend of mine. [But] I would doubt very much that he would come back to the show."

Celebrity Fashion News

Several celebrities are joining in the trend to start their own fashion lines. Lindsay Lohan is apparently turning her obsession with leggings into a money-making venture. Lohan is designing her own line of leggings, confirmed her representative. We'll just have to see how long the pant-less fad continues to have legs (pun intended).

Rachel Bilson is taking on a perhaps more legitimate sounding designing gig. The "Jumpers" actress will collaborate her own Edie Rose line with DKNY Jeans. The sportswear collection, which will hit major department stores in September, will include jackets, dresses, jeans and knits.

Whitney Port, Lauren Conrad's friend and co-worker on "The Hills," is also making a foray into the designing world, following in the footsteps of LC's successful line and Heidi Montag's upcoming Heidiwood collection. The former Teen Vogue intern is teaming up with her pal, Adrienne Baravetto, to create a 17-piece collection to retail in upscale boutiques this fall. The contemporary clothing line will feature a lot of navy and pink, multi-colored jackets and tie-dye and sparkly dresses that run approximately $100-$500.

Finally, George Clooney's girlfriend, "Fear Factor" winner Sarah Larson, is now taking a stint on the catwalk. Larson modeled swimsuits for designer Ashley Paige at L.A. Fashion Week. "She was our special guest model, and yes she was booked as a model two days before the show. Of course we knew it would be press-worthy, but more importantly she's a fan of the label and she was a perfect fit for the show. She was a total delight to work with and she was professional. Just like any other model," Paige told People.

Clooney honored for humanitarian work

George Clooney was named a United Nations "messenger of peace" today for his humanitarian work, particularly his advocacy for refugees in Darfur.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said the actor is being "recognized for focusing public attention on crucial international political and social issues."

Clooney and pals Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle raised awareness and money for the refugees through their "Not On Our Watch" charity. Clooney and Cheadle were also recipients of the Peace Summit Award in December for their work for Darfur.

Who you callin' a diva?

It is reported that George Clooney and Fabio got into an altercation in a West Hollywood eatery. As the story goes, George and Fabio's dinner parties were seated in close proximity to each other in the restaurant. It just so happens, that a member of Fabio's dinner party was a photographer. As the photographer began taking shots of Fabio, George being a diva assumed that the photo's were being taken of him and he asked the photographer to stop. At this point Fabio went over to the table and confronted George, this is when push came to shove, but the altercation was broken up by waiters before it escalated out of hand. I think I am going to have to side with George on this one, besides, why would you want pictures of Fabio eating in the first place?

Clooney breaks rib in motorcycle accident

George Clooney was treated for a broken rib and scrapes after he and a companion collided with a car on Friday afternoon. Clooney and Sarah Larson were riding a motorcycle on a narrow road along the Hudson River across from NYC.

They sped up to pass a driver on the right who was making a righthand turn, said Weehawken police Sgt. Sean Kelly. The accident is still under investigation, but Kelly said it is illegal to pass on the right in the state of New Jersey.

Stan Rosenfield, Clooney's spokesman, described a different situation. "The car signaled left. George was riding to the right. The driver decided to make an abrupt right turn and clipped George," he said.

Rosenfield said Clooney and Larson, who suffered a broken foot, were both treated Palisades Medical Center and released.

Clooney was in the area filming the comedy "Burn After Reading" with Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand, but his injuries will not interrupt the schedule, Rosenfield said.