Celebrity News

Emmy Award-winning Kristen Johnston has become the latest celebrity to get nude for PETA’s campaigns — this time against horse-drawn carriages in New York City.

The ad, set to debut tomorrow in Central Park and appear on NYC cabs, is aimed at tourists looking to take a carriage ride in Central Park during the holidays. So what prompted Johnston to stand up (or lie down) against horse-drawn carriages?

Well, apparently the Third Rock from the Sun star watched the new movie Blinders, and was moved enough to comment, “I was blown away by the story and how these horses live—or actually, I should say, don’t live.”

“The horses go from this horrible job, where they’re pulling people through the streets of Manhattan all day, to this tiny jail cell in this building that’s like a cramped parking garage,” the 41-year-old celebrity adds. “I’d say to tourists considering coming to New York, there’s so much amazing stuff to do here. But please do something else. Go ice-skating, see a show, go shopping. I hope within the next year that there are no more horse-drawn carriages.”

Toronto will hold the world’s first Breast Fest Film Festival next week to raise awareness about breast cancer globally.

To be organised by Toronto-based non-profit organisation Rethink Breast Cancer, the November 21-22 festival will feature films, individual stories and discussions about the issues surrounding the disease.

By showcasing films about the emotional toll of the disease, the festival will use the powers of this media to engage and educate audiences about the disease, Rethink Breast Cancer said Tuesday. The festival will also connect people to each other and to the breast cancer cause, it said.

On the pattern of the Toronto International Film Festival, film screenings will be followed by panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions with film directors.

“So many people are touched by breast cancer, but each person’s experience is very different, resulting in a wide range of needs that are not always met through traditional support and education options,” said Rethink vice-president Alison Gordon.

“The stars of the Breast Fest Film Festival are the women and men who have shared their stories, through which we hope to engage and connect people, and encourage them to think differently about breast cancer,” she added.

The festival will open with the Canadian premiere of Living Proof, which highlights the importance of breast cancer research through the true story of Dennis Slamon of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) who helped develop the breast cancer drug Herceptin. Renée Zellweger is one of the executive producers of the film.

Next day, the winner of the Breast Fest Film Festival short film competition will be presented the Amazing Grace award – named after well-known Canadian filmmaker Grace Cianciotta.

Those touched by breast cancer will also share their stories at an international forum to be held November 22.

Scarlett Johansson is on the cover of the December issue of Allure magazine, and if these behind-the-scenes photos are any indication, it’s going to be one hot issue.

So stay tuned for the official magazine pics, which will hopefully have much more Scarlett to show off and for now, check out these hot behind-the-scenes pictures.

Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia has become the latest celebrity to strip off for an anti-fur campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). As apparent on the news photo, she is photographed covering her naked breasts with a rabbit, named Topsy.

“Try telling him it’s just a little fur trim,” the tagline on the ad campaign read. “Rabbits and other animals are often beaten and skinned alive for their fur. Boycott all fur.”

Natalie herself has no hesitation to speak her words against fur-wearer, stating “There is no kind way to rip the skin off animals’ backs. In the wild, animals are caught in snares and steel-jaw traps that slam down on their limbs-they often cut down to the bone and mutilate animals’ legs and paws.” PETA quotes her as adding, “Anyone who wears any fur shares the blame for the torture and gruesome deaths of millions of animals each year.”

Natalie Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit “Torn” back in 1997. It was one of the songs off her debut LP, “Left of the Middle.”

Kate Beckinsale exudes glamour and confidence as she posed for this month’s Elle magazine. The 35-year-old British babe did an amazing photoshoot and told the publication that she doesn’t understand people obsession with body image.

“I’m amazed that people obsess over my body image so much. Why do we encourage this war on women’s bodies? It’s a horrendous way to live, and I refuse to.” The actress also says she feels in better shape than ever. Well, we all can agree with that. Kate adds, “I’m entirely normal. I have my good days and my bad days. I am a lot more body confident now I’m in my thirties, and in better shape too. If someone turns up with cupcakes mid-afternoon, I’ll have one. And I’d hate to be one of those people who won’t allow themselves a slice of birthday cake.”

The Frida actress, Salma Hayek, who gave birth to daughter Valentina in September 2007, has revealed she can’t bring herself to stop breastfeeding.

She said: “I’m like an alcoholic. It is like, I don’t care if I cry, I don’t care if I am fat, I am just going to do it for one more week, one more month, and then when I see how much good it is doing her and I can’t stop. It is a very powerful thing, you know.”

The 42-year-old beauty has also confessed breastfeeding is very painful and dismissed claims it helps mothers shed their post-pregnancy weight.

Salma added to Britain’s Style magazine: “Let me tell you it is tough. You don’t know what pain I am in after two hours, how difficult it was at first.

“And by the way, the myth that says you lose all this weight when you breastfeed? That is so not true! It’s like, please, will everyone stop telling me I look really well.”

No stranger to doing raunchy poses for magazine spreads, Carmen Electra is reported to be featured in an all-new eight-page spread for Playboy’s forthcoming 55th anniversary January issue. People magazine is the first to break the news, which has since made its round all over the web.

Neither Carmen nor Playboy has verified the circulating report. In the meantime, it is widely believed that Carmen’s pictures will hit the web prior to the release of the special issue on December 12 later this year.

Carmen first posed for the men’s magazine in 1996. Her nude pictorial in the publication successfully catapulted her to stardom and led her to several high profile television appearances.

Concerning her private life, Carmen recently told People that she’s in no rush to wed her fiance, Korn guitarist Rob Patterson, insisting she and Rob are just enjoying life as an engaged couple. “That’s the thing this time - we’re going to avoid everyone else’s pressure and go at our own pace,” she was quoted as saying. “It’s funny, everyone else puts so much pressure, asking when we’re going to get married. But right now, we’re just taking things really slow.”

Kelly Brook isn’t interested in relying on a man for money.

But the former “Strictly Come Dancing” star insists he must be good in the sack.

‘I’m financially and emotionally secure, so all they need is to be loving, have good manners and be good in bed,’ she says.

Kelly, 28, is currently dating England rugby star Danny Cipriani, 20.

And she says she’s enjoying herself after her split from fiancé Billy Zane, 42.

‘I’m going to do what I want, see who I want, regardless of whether they’re in the limelight or they’re so young,’ she tells The Sunday Times.

Kelly is currently starring in West End show Fat Pig

Taking up an important role in the night’s festivities, Adriana Lima was a stunner at the 2008 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel on Saturday (November 15).

As she made her way to the catwalk with her 34 fellow supermodels, Lima had the honor of wearing the luxurious $5 million Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra.

Designed and decorated by jeweler Martin Katz, the bra was made with white and black diamonds and rubies, and will be available for purchase in the company’s catalog.

Before the show, Lima told press, “I always wanted to wear the Fantasy Bra. It’s the first time that Victoria’s Secret makes a black diamond bra. A woman could definitely buy it if they love it and men too.”

Sienna Miller has been awarded damages by two newspapers over claims they breached her privacy.

The actress will receive £35,000 from The Sun and News Of The World after suing them over ‘intrusive articles and photos’ published in June and July.

The stories appeared around the same time Sienna started dating Balthazar Getty, 33.

Tom Crone, News Group Newspapers’ senior lawyer, admitted the papers were at fault.

‘We acknowledge that, on the specific facts and circumstances of this case, you had a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of the information and the photographs that we published in The Sun and the News Of The World,’ he said in a statement.

‘We also accept that we should not have published such information or such photographs.’

In September, Sienna, 26, who is now single, was awarded £15,000 damages from the Daily Star over the publication of paparazzi snaps.

Meanwhile, her lawyer Mark Thomson has confirmed she is still pursuing claims against photo agency Big Pictures.

So the new Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko is all over the world lately with her starring role in most anticipated Bond film, “Quantum of Solace.” Any girl who gets cast as a Bond girl deserves a great sex appeal rating, and Olga Kurylenko is definitely one of them.

Check this out for the latest Maxim Magazine Germany December 2008 issue, featuring new bond girl, Olga Kurylenko.

Rihanna fainted on stage during her concert yesterday at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

She was performing her song “Umbrella”, which was the grand finale of her concert. She had just come down from flying around on a harness. Her boo Chris Brown joined her on stage for the final performance of the evening. She was observed bending over and signaling that she wasn’t feeling well.

Poor thing then ran off stage, where paramedics went to administer medical aid to her. Chris, ever the pro, wrapped up singing the song and then rushed backstage to be by her side.

UPDATE: “It was very hot at the venue, so after Rihanna’s set was over, she went off stage to sit down, catch her breath and have some water,” her rep tells E!. “She is perfectly healthy and will be at her show tomorrow.”

Heidi Klum shows her wild side, dancing around in her underwear and performing the dance moves of Joel Goodsen, a character made famous by Tom Cruise in the 1983 movie “Risky Business”, for the latest commercial of computer game “Guitar Hero: World Tour.” In the more-than-30-second ad, which can be watched after the jump, she is seen donning black underwear and playing a guitar to Bob Seger’s classic track, “Old Time Rock & Roll.”

At the beginning of the ad, Klum is seen wearing a white shirt and a pair of white socks. She moves her head back and forth to the music with both of her hands busy rocking her guitar. Then she sheds off her clothes and starts moving around in what looks like a living room, stepping her feet on the table and throwing herself into to the sofa, still busting out her best rock star moves.

The ad is directed by Brett Ratner, who most recently directed the music videos for Miley Cyrus’ hit single “7 Things” and Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body.” “He (Ratner) really wanted to have it exactly like Tom Cruise did this … It was harder than I thought it was gonna be,” Klum says on doing the “Guitar Hero: World Tour” ad with Ratner that left her with bruises and burns all over her legs.

Klum is one of the many other superstars who’ve been booked to film ad for “Guitar Hero: World Tour”, which is due for release in New Zealand later this year.

“Titanic” star Kate Winslet is furious over tabloid reports that racy photos of her in the latest issue of Vanity Fair were vigorously airbrushed to make her look thinner.

Several British newspapers have questioned whether Winslet’s enviably svelte figure in the photo spread for the December issue of the magazine has been digitally enhanced.

Feral speculation or not, the indignant star has hit back at the mounting retouching claims. “Kate is furious at suggestions that her body has been airbrushed,” her rep tells people.com.

“She is in terrific shape and what you see is how she looks or she would never have agreed to pose for those shots.”

Jaime Pressly and her DJ fiance Eric Cubiche are no longer together. The actress confirms their separation to Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell.

“We are taking a break from our relationship but we are together everyday with Dezi and still love each other very much,” Jaime tells Nancy about her and Eric’s broken engagement, and their son. “As you know we have been friends for over 10 years and will remain close friends as we both adore our son and want to make sure he knows we both love him more than life.”

Jaime, 31, and Eric, 33, were friends for more than nine years before they then began dating. They had been together for a year and a half when he proposed to her in October 2006. Jaime gave birth to Eric’s son, named Dezi James Calvo, in May 2007.