Celebrities: January 2008 Archives

It seems a much-needed intervention may be in play after Britney Spears was admitted to UCLA in the early hours of this morning (January 31). The troubled singer was physically removed from her Studio City home by police after the authorities received a call from her psychiatrist. The Los Angeles Times reports she is currently on a "mental health evaluation hold."

Once Britney is released, her mother Lynne, whom TMZ reports is "upset with the shrink," plans to take her home for some much needed R&R. Britney's lawyer, Michael Flanagan, speaking to PageSix.com, said, "Lynne is extremely concerned for her daughter and would like to take Britney back home to Louisiana and get her out of Hollywood."

"Brit has an amazing support system in Louisiana," Flanagan continued. "Lynne was holding up reasonably well, but her first priority and concern right now is with her daughter and helping her through this very tough situation that she is in."

We're very glad to hear that Britney may be going home. Back in September 2007, our in-house astrologer Maria had urged the singer to "Move back to Mississippi or somewhere completely out of the limelight." In the same story she also predicted Britney would loose her children.

What Britney needs right now is solitude. She needs to learn to love herself again, away from the distractions of Hollywood, and the industry that is earning a living off her very public demise there. With friends, relatives, lovers and TV doctors that are all too willing to sell her out for the publicity and windfalls an association, however vague, brings, we hope that Britney rebuilds a relationship with her mom. And indeed, we hope that Britney's mom takes enough time out from pitching books and reality TV shows about being a celebrity mom to actually be one.

Get well soon Britney.

The Scientology fun continues with Crossing Jordan actor Jerry O'Connell parodying Tom Cruise's bizarre AIS Freedom Medal of Valor award acceptance video, in which the Mission Impossible star refers to his religion as "rough and tumble", "wild and wooly", and a "blast" (click HERE if player fails to load). Meanwhile fellow Scientologist John Travolta has come to Cruise's defense, telling a People reporter in Australia this past weekend that, "[Tom] has – we all have – the right to practice how we feel."

Acclaimed Brokeback Mountain actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment today. His was discovered in an unconscious state by Ledger’s housekeeper and a masseuse who entered his bedroom at 3.31 p.m. After attempting to revive him, they called the authorities who pronounced him DOA at the scene. A New York Times report states that pills were found near the body. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow. Ledger was just 28 and is survived by his 2-year old daughter, Matilda Rose, whom he had with former fiancée Michelle Williams.

Things are getting very silly now. Some wag has mixed Will Smith into Tom Cruise's "rough and tumble", "wild and wooly", "blast" of a Scientology ride. (If player fails to load click HERE to view video.)

Meanwhile TMZ has video of Cruise visiting Jerry Seinfeld at his NYC garage. Apparently Cruise was checking out Seinfeld's Porche (and we all know what that's a replacement for). Seinfeld has previously admitted to a youthful flirtation with Scientology (see story).

In an earlier post we told you about the bizarre Tom Cruise / Scientology video, which has been doing vanishing acts all over the internet, most likely as fast as Church of Scientology lawyers can send out DMCA notices to stop its proliferation. Gawker.com nailed down a copy of the video and posted it on their site yesterday, hosting it on their servers to avoid it self-destructing. "It's newsworthy; and we will not be removing it," they stated.

Predictably, today Gawker got a letter from The Church of Scientology's attorneys demanding that they remove the video from their site. The lawyers claim the video, which was filmed in 2004 when Cruise was honored with a Freedom Medal of Valor award at an International Association of Scientologists event, was stolen from one of their churches. Gawker's lawyer has responded claiming it is "in the public interest" and that therefore their "use is fair." In the meantime, TMZ has tracked down and posted another segment of the video, so expect the legal notices to keep flying.

Now you see it, now you don't. A video of an interview with Tom Cruise about his controversial faith, that was intended for Scientologists's eyes only, has been yanked off YouTube more times than a Viacom video clip.

The video was apparently uploaded to YouTube by a "consortium of church critics." After receiving a tip from investigative reporter Mark Ebner, The Huffington Post put the clip up on their site on Sunday at 10 pm. Within half an hour of posting the clip was yanked from the video sharing site. Since then it has surfaced again on several sites, including PerezHilton.com. Hilton posted it on Tuesday morning, and by noon, like a Mission Impossible tape, it had self-destructed again.

When someone puts this much effort into trying to stop you watching something, naturally it makes you want to see it more. Eager surfers should keep their eyes peeled, since who knows where and when it'll surface next (at time of writing Gawker had posted a viewable version). Fortunately for the curious, gossip mag US Weekly were taking notes, and have published a transcription of some of the highlights:

Tom Cruise: ...I think it's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it's something that you have to earn because a Scientologist does... has or she the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions. Being a Scientologist, you look at someone and know absolutely that you can help them.


"Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident it's not like anyone else because you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one that can really help.


"That's what drives me... I know that we have an opportunity to really help for the first time, effectively change people's lives and I am dedicated to that. I am absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that.


"We have a responsibility....


"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, we are the authorities on improving conditions... we can rehabilitate criminals.


"...We can bring peace and unite cultures...


"Traveling the world and meeting the people that I've met, talking with these leaders in various fields, they want help and they are depending on people who know and who can be effective and do it and that's us. That is our responsibility to do that.


"It is the time now. Now is the time... Being a Scientologist, people are turning to you, so you better know it, you better know it and if you don't, go and learn it, but don't pretend you know it. It's like we're here to help.


"If you're a Scientologist, you see life, you see things the way they are, in all its glory, all of its complexity and the more you know as a Scientologist, you don't become overwhelmed by it.


[very scary, psycho laugh.....and more bizarre rambling]


"Look, I wish the world was a different place. I'd like to go on vacation and go and romp and play and just do that, you know what I mean. That's what I want it to be. There's times I'd like to do that, but I can't because I know, one you know, I have to do something about it.


"I have to do it because I can't live with myself if I don't, and that really is it.


"I'm carrying my load...but I still need to do more."


"So it's our responsibility to educate, create the new reality. We have that responsibility to say, 'Hey, this is the way it should be done because we do it this way and people are actually getting better.'


"And let's get it done. Let's really get it done and have enough love and compassion and toughness that you're really going to do it and do it right.


"I have to tell you something - it is rough and tumble, and it's wild and wooly, and it's a blast, it's a blast, it really is fun because, dammit, there is nothing better than the going out there and fighting the fight and suddenly you see things are better.


"I want to know that I've done everything I could everyday, and I think about those people out there who are depending on us. I think about that and it does make me feel that we've got more work. I need more help, get those spectators either in the playing field or out of the arena. Really, that's how I feel about it.


"I do what I can, and I do it the way I do everything. [laughs] There's nothing part-of-the way for me."

The Huffington Post reports that Will Smith "has joined the ranks of Hollywood power players actively recruiting for the Church of Scientology." Apparently the actor gave crew members who worked with him on his recent project "Hancock" (a comedy which is scheduled for release in July 2008) a gift card for a Scientology personality test. The wrap gift was particularly bizarre given that these initial tests, which serve as a recruiting mechanism for the church, are free anyway.

Smith, who is a close pal of Scientologist Tom Cruise (whom biographer Andrew Morton claims is effectively the church's second in command), has not admitted that he's a member of the church, but did make some complimentary remarks about the religion in an interview with Mens' Vogue last November. "In all of the experiences I've had with Tom and Scientology, like 98 percent of the principles are identical to the principles of the Bible," Smith told writer Hudson Morgan. "The Bible talks about your spirit being immortal, that you were created for existence beyond your physical body. Well, that's no different from Scientology! I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is thetan that the definition becomes any different." Yeah, right Will.

Scientology’s policy of targeting stars dates back to the mid fifties (see previous story). To help them achieve their celebrity stalking goals they opened a Celebrity Center in Hollywood on Franklin Avenue. The grand Norman revival style building was originally built as a long-term residential hotel for actors, and once served as home to the likes of Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was bought by the church in 1973 for $1 million. New Yorker reporter Dana Goodyear recently ventured inside the church's Celebrity Center. In Goodyear's fascinating feature, Hilary Royce, Scientology's community liaison, explains, "The celebrity is a special public...We've got to help them."

We can only conclude that fawning over celebrities with a special Celebrity Center is one of the other 2% of ideals that Smith doesn't consider “identical to the principles of the Bible,” since we're pretty sure Jesus didn't have a special VIP section at the Sermon on the Mount. But hey, we weren't there, so we could be wrong, perhaps J.C. wasn’t all that egalitarian after all.