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Celebrity Stalker Pleads Guilty To Harassing Ivanka Trump

2012-02-10T14:41:50Z

NEW YORK — A self-described celebrity stalker admitted Thursday to harassing Ivanka Trump by barraging her and her husband with bizarre tweets, emails and online videos.

Justin Massler, who for months had been deemed psychologically unfit for trial, pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated harassment and criminal contempt charges. He was sentenced to six months jail time that he had already served, plus five years of probation, during which he must continue psychiatric treatment and medication.

The Manhattan district attorney's office said Massler unleashed a slate of emails and tweets about his fixation with the NBC "Celebrity Apprentice" co-host, whose parents are Donald and Ivana Trump.

Massler said his "dream in life" was to marry Ivanka Trump, but at times his remarks turned more ominous, prosecutors said. He threatened to commit suicide in her Manhattan jewelry store and said he wanted to "talk some sense into" her husband, Jared Kushner, and "commandeer" the newspaper that Kushner publishes, The New York Observer, prosecutors said.

"I won't just be ignored," Massler wrote in an August email to the newspaper, according to a court complaint.

Massler, who is in his late 20s, also has said he would die before being caught and "would go down in a hail of gunfire," prosecutors said. Even after his arrest and a court order to stay away from Ivanka Trump and her family, Massler continued to try to contact them, prosecutors said.

The Reno., Nev.-based Massler – who had his name legally changed to Cloud Starchaser and told authorities his address was "a volcano in Hawaii" – is schizophrenic and has a history of psychiatric hospitalizations, said his lawyer, George Vomvolakis.

Massler was declared unfit about eight months ago to participate in court proceedings, but doctors concluded about three weeks ago that his mental state had improved enough under medication for him to return to court.

"When he's on his medication, he's fine. He's lucid, he's reasonable," Vomvolakis said.

Representatives for Trump, who is also a vice president at her father's real estate company, had no immediate comment.

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Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

10 Of The Longest Celebrity Marriages

2012-02-10T14:33:00Z

In honor of cupid's holiday, YourTango.com decided to take refuge from the bombardment of celeb couples calling it quits and the pre-nup analyses by taking a look at some of Hollywood's lasting partnerships. Standing both the test of time and the peering eyes of the public (not to mention the paparazzi), some of Tinseltown's longest marriages are the real deal. Which lasting romance tugs at your heartstrings?

For the rest of the longest-married celebs go to Yourtango.com.

Michael Lohan To Work At Burger King?

2012-02-10T14:31:50Z

Michael Lohan is finally gearing up to ask the burning question that may or may not have been on his mind for years -- "Would you like fries with that?"

Dustin Hoffman On The Academy Awards: 'It's Boring'

2012-02-10T14:26:24Z

Stars: they're just us! Even they think the Oscars are boring.

In a new interview with Maxim, two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman says what you've been thinking for years.

"It's boring!" he said, when asked about attending the ceremony. "It lasts forever, and don't think you're seeing spontaneous behavior. You see couples who are suddenly smooching, and, well, there's a guy sitting on the ground with the camera at their knees."

Hoffman claims he once wanted to play with that lack of spontaneity, but was persuaded to play nice.

"There was one particular time I knew I wasn't going to win, and when they'd train the camera on me as one of the losers, I wanted to be able to rip open my tuxedo shirt and just have stenciled on my chest, oh, shit," he said. "But my wife wouldn't let me do it."

Hoffman has been nominated seven times in the Best Actor category, most recently for "Wag the Dog" in 1997. He previously won for "Kramer Vs. Kramer" (1979) and "Rain Man" (1988).

The star's disdain for the Oscars was apparent even when he won for "Kramer Vs. Kramer" at the 1980 ceremony.

"He has no genitalia and he's holding a sword," Hoffman quipped upon receiving his Oscar, before adding, "I'd like thank my parents for not practicing birth control."

Hoffman can now be seen weekly on the HBO series "Luck." Wonder what he'll say about the Emmy Awards...

[Maxim via Page Six]

WATCH: Adele's First Post-Surgery TV Performance

2012-02-10T14:17:35Z

Anyone worrying about the effects of Adele's emergency throat surgery on her voice can rest assured: The soulful singer's still got it.

Though her upcoming performance at the Grammy Awards had been widely touted as the first televised post-surgery gig for Adele, CBS pulled a bit of a coup by airing a clip of Adele singing "Rolling In The Deep" for Anderson Cooper.

In a teaser clip for the show, Cooper asks her to sing the runaway single off 21 and she obliges without hesitation, launching into a typically rousing performance, sans any backing music.

It will be nice for Adele to find herself in the spotlight for her music again, recent headlines focused on disparaging comments about her weight from none other than designer Karl Lagerfeld. The singer responded and dismissed his comments by saying she represented real women, and Cooper himself has since also weighed in on the matter.

Adele is heavily favored to win a number of awards at this year's Grammy Awards, which take place on February 12. She's nominated for six awards (second only to Kanye West's seven noms), including album of the year, record of the year and song of the year.

Her album, 21, came in at number one on the Billboard albums chart this week, for the nineteenth nonconsecutive time.

Catch the 23-year-old singer chatting with and singing for Anderson in the video clip at the top of this post.

WATCH: Katharine McPhee Channels Marilyn Monroe

2012-02-10T13:56:37Z

It's the audition of a lifetime for Karen Cartwright on NBC's "Smash." The young aspiring Broadway performer, played by Katharine McPhee, is up for the role of Marilyn Monroe and she's bringing her A-game.

Karen is up against a Broadway veteran, Ivy Lynn, played by Megan Hilty. Viewers have already started picking sides, something Hilty said makes for great TV. "I've already gotten t-shirts sent to me," Hilty told HuffPost TV. "I plan on rocking my Team Karen t-shirt full force. Every show needs a good rivalry, right?"

In this preview from the second episode, "The Callback," (airing Mon., Feb. 13) watch McPhee's Karen turn into Marilyn Monroe before your eyes as she performs the original song "20th Century Fox Mambo."

"Smash" airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC.

Mary J.Blige Plays For AIDS Charity

2012-02-10T13:55:40Z

By ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES â Mary J. Blige brought out plenty of emotion as she performed in front of a packed house to support one of her favorite charities.

Blige sang several of her most famous songs including "No More Drama" and "Family Affair" at the Avalon nightclub on Thursday night to support the (RED) campaign that raises money to fight AIDS and HIV. She has supported the charity for years.

The singer gave a few emotional speeches where she talked about the importance of giving back.

"All those people we are rocking for are going to be just fine," Blige said before performing her hit single "Just Fine."

After her set, musician Skrillex acted as DJ, playing in a VIP area at the Belvedere-sponsored pre-Grammy event that also included singer Kelis, actress Malin Akerman and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

The Grammys will be held Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Movies Tickets Are More Expensive Than Ever

2012-02-10T13:50:47Z

Movies: Now more (expensive) than ever. According to the National Association of Theater Owners (via The Hollywood Reporter), movie ticket prices reached an all-time high last year, rising from $7.89 in 2010 to $7.93 in 2011. Thankfully for consumers, the increase wasn't as bad as the previous year, which saw ticket prices grow $0.39 between 2009 and 2010.

What's to blame for the increasing cost of attending the movies -- y'know, besides the increasing cost of everything, ever? Think of it as a trickle-down issue: studios are producing more and more blockbusters, which cost more and more money (see the budgets of "John Carter" and "Battleship" for examples); exhibitors are upgrading to digital projection and, often times, require 3D projectors to screen the blockbusters; and consumers are getting left with at least some of the bill. 3D tickets cost, on average, $3 more than regular tickets.

That's not to say all hope is lost: ticket prices dropped to $7.83 in the fourth quarter of 2011, which could mean a leveling off in 2012; after all, ticket prices have grown in every year since 1992.

Perhaps that lower national average at the end of the year is helping business: since the ball dropped on 2012, movie attendance has been in an upswing, and many early year releases have done better than anticipated at the box office.

[via THR]

Miley's Revealing Ensemble

2012-02-10T13:46:45Z

Miley Cyrus has certainly been aiming for shock value, as of late. The teen queen recently put in the hours to tighten and tone her body and now she's reaping the rewards, showing off her super-fit figure.

X17 Online caught Cyrus doing a little shopping in Hollywood Thursday, sporting a pair of revealing denim shorts and a black, strapless bustier. But the pretty woman rarely shies away from giving paparazzi an eyeful these days. On Tuesday, she stepped out for a Starbucks coffee run, clad in lacy garters and black shorts.

And how does the racy starlet get from point A to point B for her daily excursions? In her new $127,000 white Mercedes, of course.

Head over to X17 Online for more.

Life is good for Miley. Check out her sexy shopping trip below:

WATCH: Cooper Rips Karl Lagerfeld For Adele Comments

2012-02-10T13:43:32Z

Anderson Cooper hit out at designer Karl Lagerfeld on his Thursday show over Lagerfeld's comment that singer Adele is "a little too fat."

Lagerfeld backtracked almost immediately after his statement was published, issuing another one apologizing and saying he had been taken "out of context."

During his nightly "Ridiculist" segment, Cooper called Lagerfeld an "Edward Gorey cartoon character" and wondered what context could possibly have made things better.

"She is a little too fat, but only in the brain!" he tried. "She has a really fat brain filled with knowledge!" Cooper then ran through some of Lagerfeld's more eye-opening statements, such as that women who really want to change their looks for good should just get plastic surgery. He also read a quote of Lagerfeld saying, "do we have to know your opinion?"

"I could not have said it better myself," Cooper said.

If there's one reason the CNN host is feeling particularly protective of Adele lately, it could be that he recently profiled her for an upcoming episode of "60 Minutes." She even sang "Rolling In The Deep" personally to him. That's enough to make anybody defend her for life.

Watch Adele sing to Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes":

PHOTOS: Actresses Who Became Directors

2012-02-10T13:42:03Z

Who says Hollywood's all about acting? In fact, more and more of the industry's hottest starlets are making the transition from the silver screen to behind the movie camera.Â

New CBS Pilot For Melissa McCarthy & Husband

2012-02-10T13:33:55Z

CBS has ordered Melissa McCarthy and husband Ben Falcone's comedy project to pilot. According to TV Guide, Falcone, who appeared alongside McCarthy in "Bridesmaids," will star in the untitled comedy.

The pilot follows a single man in his late 30s (Falcone), who has to move back home with his parents after losing everything in the real estate collapse. Falcone wrote the project with Larry Dorf. McCarthy will co-executive produce. Falcone can next be seen on "Up All Night" and "Happy Endings."

In other TV casting news ...
Jon Voight and Elliott Gould have joined the cast of Showtime's "Ray Donovan" opposite Liev Schreiber in the title role. Voight will play Ray's father Mickey, a recently freed ex-con who wants to reconnect with his estranged family. Gould is set for a recurring role as Ezra Goodman, a lawyer and Ray's mentor. [Showtime]

Alona Tal will star in The CW's "Cult." Tol, who viewers may remember from "Veronica Mars" and "Supernatural," will play an actress who plays a police officer on the TV series within the show. [TVLine]

Ethan Embry is returning to TV. The "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Brotherhood" actor has joined the cast of NBC's Western drama "The Frontier." He'll appear opposite Megan Ferguson, Jake McLaughlin and Bridget Regan. [THR]

Liza Minnelli isn't "Hot In Cleveland." Minnelli was set to film a guest spot on the TV Land sitcom, but has dropped out due to medical reasons. Minnelli was supposed to play Victoria Chase's (Wendie Malick) agent. [TV Guide]

WATCH: Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony Talk Working Together On 'Ellen'

2012-02-10T13:27:14Z

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony may no longer be man and wife, but that hasn't stopped them from collaborating on their reality show, "Q'Viva! The Chosen." The seemingly jovial couple talked about working together during upcoming episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

"We laugh a lot," Lopez told Degeneres, though director and choreographer Jamie King had a different impression.

"Not always," he said, laughing along with the couple. "I find myself in the middle, kind of refereeing, sometimes. It's fantastic."

The couple went on to discuss a playful slap Lopez delivered to Anthony while filming. Lopez claimed, "They put a sound effect in there for the live broadcast!"

All jokes aside, Anthony recently talked to "Entertainment Tonight" about teaming up professionally with his former wife, and he admitted they are working through some of their relationship issues on the show.

"We don't have communication issues, we just don't communicate," he told Nancy O'Dell. "When you don't do it, you don't have a problem ... The way it played out was really gratifying and really fulfilling. Now we're figuring out how this plays in."

Check out clips of the couple on "Ellen" above, and Anthony's "Entertainment Tonight" clip below!

Mark Sings For The Birds

2012-02-10T13:26:58Z

Months before skyrocketing to fame on the cast of "Glee," Mark Salling was a tree-hugging bird-loving acoustic-guitar-playing hippie-dippie park squatter -- and we got the footage to prove it!

You see, Mark -- an outspoken bird advocate -- is a member of the Echo Park Ornithology Club in Los Angeles.

PHOTOS: Hilary Duff Shows Off Huge Baby Bump

2012-02-10T13:20:32Z

Hilary Duff is mellow in a yellow Rag & Bone blazer as she runs errands on Thursday, February 9, in Los Angeles.