*Celebrities vs. Paparazzi*

For this weeks blog, I figured we would take a break from Celebs doing drugs and beating their significant others, to Celebrities fighting for their privacy. It is no surprise that when someone reaches a level of fame, that they will undoubtedly be stalked by reporters and photographers. It is the price they pay for being in the limelight. However, some Celebrities can handle it better than others.

Who can forget the infamous moment when Britney Spears buzzed all of her hair off? Most people thought that she buzzed it off because she was on drugs and was trying to eliminate any trace of drugs so that Kevin Federline wouldn't get full custody of their kids. As if randomly getting rid of her hair wasn't crazy enough, Britney also had an altercation with the paparazzi. Here is the video....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJhl3pYXqY

Although it is very hard to see, Britney clearly shouts "F$&# you!F$&# yourself!" Now at the time of this incident, Britney had been in the limelight for a decade. Obviously she knows that she will be hounded wherever she goes. However, this was right after she went crazy and cut all of her hair. I don't know whether I feel bad for her in this video, or feel like she brought this on herself. I guess I really have to put myself in her shoes. I do know that I would hate to have people following me and taking my picture all the time. At first, I would probably love that people think I'm so special that they have to take my picture and ask me questions, but then I would definitely hate it.

Another celeb who went psycho on paparazzi was singer Bjork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYyyqIZTvYY

Now Bjork hasn't really been in the 'spotlight' in quite some time now. If you listen clearly to the video, the reporter actually says 'Welcome to Bangkok.' Apparently Bjork doesn't like people being polite and welcoming her anywhere. I think that there are definitely times when reporters and photographers deserve what they get, but in this case, I don't think that particular reporter deserved to be attacked.

Finally I want to talk about a celeb who has recently been in the tabloids for attacking paparazzi......Sean Penn. Now Sean has had very strong opinions about the paparazzi for years, and he has had no problem showing those opinions. In 1986 he had gone to his hotel and found a reporter in his room. I think that he then did what I would have done in this situation, which is hang the reporter over his balcony by his ankles. Okay, maybe I wouldn't have gone that far. But I can understand how he might react that way. He probably had a mixture of feeling pissed off, and scared of this random guy who is in his hotel room.

Last October Sean had another big altercation with a photographer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5fpWpXHuVo

I'm not completely sure what he was really upset at this photographer for, but I do know that this incident occurred just a couple of months after his wife Robin Wright(or as we know her, Jenny from Forest Gump), filed for divorce. I really want to give Sean the benefit of the doubt and say that he was just going through a rough time from his split with his wife. However, I'm sure Robin didn't just wake up one morning and decide that she wanted a divorce without any warning. Most couples split up or divorce because they have had so many disagreements and arguements that they cannot go on being together. I guess Sean just felt the stress of being in the public eye, and having his business broadcasted everywhere...So what does he do? Makes a public scene with a photographer....Great job buddy!

So I guess I do feel bad for celebrities who have paparazzi follow them all day and night. But I do also feel like it comes with the territory, and celebs know this. I think that if they try hard enough, then celebs can bare the paparazzi long enough to get away from them, and let out there agression or anger in private.

Thanks for reading,

Samantha

*Nicole put down the pipe*

Many Celebrities have shown us that even though they have fame and fortune, their lives can still be out of control. One case of this would be Nicole Richie. Nicole's story is a little different though, because she has managed to turn her life around in a positive way since her legal issues.


I'm sure most of you know that Nicole is the daughter of singer Lionel Richie. She moved in with Lionel when she was 2, and was adopted by him when she was 9. Nicole started going to therapy when she was 3 years old, and continued to attend weekly sessions throughout her early childhood. The reasons for these sessions are due to her family life-before Lionel came in to the picture. There is still debate on who Nicole's birth father is. Some reports say that Nicole's real father was part of Lionel's band when he performed. I assume that they figured the therapy would help her cope with whatever emotional issues she might have been feeling when her birth father was out of the picture. After Nicole was adopted, news surfaced that Lionel Richie had been having an affair, which I'm sure turned their household upside down.


So from an early early age, Nicole had to deal with being a kid, having an adoptive father in the spotlight, dealing with Lionel's affair, and dealing with her estranged birth parents. I guess it was safe to assume at the time that Nicole might end up being effected by all of this. Most people didn't really know who Nicole was until she starred in the reality show 'The Simple Life,' with Paris Hilton. The funny thing about Nicole being on the show, is that she had just left rehab when she first appeared on the show (which is one reason she claims that she was a little heavier in weight). She was arrested when she was 20 for a DUI, and had lost control with drugs, so she decided to make a move and go to rehab.


Unfortunately, rehab didn't help her for that long. She was arrested after a 'brawl' in 2002, and then in 2003, she was arrested for possession of heroin. Oh, and I forgot to mention that when she was busted for heroin, she was driving with a suspended license. She ended up posting a $10,000 bail so that she could continue to film the reality show. As if she hadn't already learned her lesson, Nicole was arrested in December of 2006 because several witnesses had spotted her car driving the wrong way on an exit ramp. After she was pulled over by a cop and failed a sobriety test, she admitted that she had taken vicodin and smoked marijuana beforehand. About 6 months later, she was sentenced to 4 days in jail, but due to overcrowding only served 82 minutes.


Nicole also had rumors going around that she was anorexic or bulimic. She claimed that she did not have an eating disorder, and that she looked a lot smaller then when she was on The Simple Life because she had gained weight from rehab right before appearing on the show. The funny part is that Nicole checked in to weight-loss rehab in 2006 because she had gotten down to about 87 pounds. Now I don't know if she had gotten that skinny because she wasn't eating, or because she was using heroin. Either way, she ended up leaving rehab after less than 4 days because she wanted to go shopping. Finally something clicked and she re-entered rehab in 2007. I suppose the second time around did the trick, because there haven't been any more reports of her eating or dieting habits.


Somehow, Nicole ended up cleaning up her act and focusing on a more important thing, family. She started dating the lead singer of Good Charlotte, Joel Madden. It is really odd to think that her relationship with Joel, an ex-heroin user himself, is the one that helped her get her head on straight. I suppose that Nicole decided to grow up when she found out that she was pregnant in 2007. She now has two children and seems like a completely different person. I think that she is proof that people are not perfect and we all may stumble off on a bad path. However, she has shown that people have the strength to get their heads on straight and give up bad habits for the ones we love. I'm not saying she is a saint for quitting heroin or anything, but she is definitely showing how much she cares about her family by getting her priorities straight.




Here is the happy family. Nicole, Joel, their son Sparrow, and daughter Harlow.


Thanks for reading,
Samantha

*Terrence's Troubled Past*

In this weeks Hollywood Trailer Park, we have Terrence Howard. I don't think that a lot of people know about his legal past, but fear not, you're about to find out! Terrence has been acting since the early 90's with his work in The Jackson Five movie, "The Jacksons: An American Dream." I just want to add really quickly that if you haven't seen that movie, then go rent it! Moving on....I think that he probably became a pretty well-known actor with his roles in Crash, Hustle and Flow, and Four Brothers. Personally, when I think of Terrence Howard, I think of a very successful and attractive man who probably has a great family life. However, this might not be the case.

In September of 2001, Terrence was arrested for assault against his estranged wife, Lori McCommas. He had been separated from his wife for almsot 2 years. One night they were on the phone with each other and Terrence threatened to come over and hurt her. He was a man of his word, and ended up coming over to her house, broke in and punched her in the face. After police came, Terrence was straight forward with what he had done, and did not deny anything. He pleaded guilty for disorderly conduct.

None of this information had been released until February of 2009. I'm not exactly sure why this case had not been reported on until 7 years later. Terrence has been climbing up in fame for a while now, and i would have thought that his arrest would have come out a long time ago. So what caused this information to leak out? It was none other then the infamous Chris Brown/Rihanna incident. I'm sure all of you know about how Chris Brown attacked Rihanna. After that fiasco occured, Terrence commented to a reporter by saying, "It's just life man. Chris is a great guy. He'll be alright. And Rihanna knows he loves her, you know? They'll be alright." I guess he could relate to Chris Brown, and now we know why.

The interesting thing about this whole thing is that even after the attack against his wife in 2001, the divorce from her in 2003, Terrence and Lori got remarried in 2005. And of course, they are now separated again. I don't know why they don't just get divorced and keep it that way. I assume that they have some sort of obsession with each other and can't just let go of this relationship. Maybe they are worried about the well-being of their three children, but I think that it would be more beneficial for their kids if they just get divorced. The kids are watching this unhealthy yoyo relationship, and I think that it will effect them negatively, if it hasn't already.

After making the comment about Chris Brown, Terrence took back his comment because he said he didn't know what Chris had been accused of. He stated that he would not have made such an 'insensitive' comment. I'm not sure if I believe that statement yet. I feel like he can definitely relate to Chris Brown and that he just retracted his comment to look better. Of course he doesn't want to seem insensitive, but I think that most of the time, the first thing that someone says about something, is how they really feel. I have a hard time believing people who take things back. I don't want to rule Terrence out as being a bad guy, because I think he is an exceptional actor. I also know that the assault happened in 2001, and it has been 9 years. People grow up, and I think Terrence has grown up.

So I hope that at least some of you didn't know about Terrence's legal history. If you did, I hope I provided some additional information for you. Here is a photo of Terrence and Lori, and Terrence and his three children.

Thanks for reading,
Samantha

*Did Sheen have a shank?*

Charlie Sheen is a well known actor, most recently recognized for his role in the comedy sticom 'Two and a Half Men.' He has been acting since the mid 80's, and comes from a family of actors. For some reason, this guy can't get out of his own way. It is one thing for a celebrity to get into trouble once. I feel like we are all entitled to our 'stupid' moment, even Celebs. But it seems that anywhere he goes, drama follows him. He had a daughter when he was 19, 'accidentally' shot his fiance at the time in the arm, dated a couple of porn stars, had an accidental overdose of cocaine, was sent to rehab, married actress Denise Richards and had 2 more daughters, divorced Richards who accused him of being violent and using drugs, married a second time to Brooke Mueller and had twin boys, and most recently got arrested (on Christmas Day nonetheless) for domestic violence against Mueller. That.......was a mouthful.

This seems to me like a conceited man who grew up spoiled in an 'actors' household. His father, Martin Sheen was acting in TV and films before Charlie was born. I think that at a young age, Charlie figured out that he was on a higher level than everyone else, or that he was more privelaged. Some people might completely disagree with me, but I think he is full of himself and believes he can do whatever he wants. He knows that whatever happens, he will still be rich and famous. We see young teen celebrities like Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears, celebrities who have been famous since they were little, getting into trouble and spinning out of control. It is different when you are a middle-aged man, and you are still finding your life out of control.

Who really knows if he threatened Brooke Mueller and had a knife or not. She has a criminal past with two arrests for driving under the influence and cocaine. Maybe it is a match made in heaven. I think it is a recipe for disaster. The night the alleged 'domestic violence' took place, both Sheen and Mueller had beend drinking. However, Sheen's alcohol level was .04, while Mueller's was .13. So was Brooke telling the truth? Or is all of this just the alcohol talking? The truth may never come out about what happened that night.

I honestly don't think it's fair the way some of these Hollywood actors behave. They can be on top of the world, and then just waste what they have. Instead of doing something they love and enjoying their lives and their families, they have to create these obstacles for themselves. All of these things have major effects on their families, and makes their lives more difficult. One would think that Charlie is tired of this kind of publicity and embarrassment, but something tells me he really just doesn't care.

Here is a photo of the 'then' happy couple and their new twin boys. They are both under a court order not to see each other, but are scheduled to attend a hearing on February 8th to discuss the incident further.

Thanks for reading,
Samantha