Making for quite the attractive match, Caroline Wozniacki took the court with Maria Sharapova at the US Open tennis tournament in New York City on Monday (September 6).

Certainly two of the best looking ladies on tour, the top seeded Dane ended up ousting her Russian counterpart in straight sets 6-3 6-4.

With Sharapova headed home, Wozniaki will next square off against unseeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

After the match, Caroline said of overcoming Maria, "Everyone has their strengths, their weaknesses. Someone is short, someone is tall. I think it doesn't matter when you're on the court."

Somber from her tournament departure, Maria told press, "My game needs to be more stable and not so up and down. Caroline was retrieving a lot of balls and I still had my chances. I was one for eight on break points."

HollywoodNews.com: Simon Cowell is leaving the British version of “X Factor” so he can focus on the launch of the U.S. redux of the music competition show.

Talking on ‘X Factor,’ Cowell exclaimed that he has a year’s commitment to the U.S. series, and that his work on the show will consume so much of his time, he won’t be able to concentrate on his British programs. Cowell will also not appear on “Britain’s Got Talent” and hinted that the show will get a brand new panel without him. Piers Morgan is a judge on that show and he’s set to take over Larry King’s talk show spot on CNN. Cowell is reported to have a $9.2 million deal with Britan’s ITV.

The Sun reveals:

Simon said he still had not decided if the UK’s X Factor could go ahead without him as a judge – but said it would have to switch dates.

He is due to start US X Factor in September next year – just as the UK show would be getting into full swing.

Simon said: “It will have to move. Do people want it back?

“I am going to sit it out for a few more weeks before I make a final decision. And it has to be fun. The minute it stops being fun, bye bye.”

An ITV source announced: “We expect he’ll be back on the ‘X Factor.’ It’s such a huge show and Simon is integral to it.

“We envision moving the show to October or November and screening the auditions while he does the live show in the States. Then he can return for the live shows in January.”

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HollywoodNews.com: Peter Jackson apparently offered the role of Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming “The Hobbit” to Martin Freeman – only to have the British actor turn it down.

U.S. audiences might be acquainted with Freeman’s work from the film “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” in which he played the lead role of Arthur Dent. Freeman also appeared in the U.K. version of “The Office.”

Freeman turned down the “Hobbit” role since he was already booked for 20 weeks as Dr. Watson in the hit BBC series “Sherlock Holmes.”

A Sun source exclaims: “It was one of the most difficult decisions of his career. MGM, who are making the film, only got a formal offer over in the last couple of weeks.

“It was too late for Martin because he had already signed up for another series of Sherlock. It was agonizing but he had no other choice.”

Currently, Jackson has organized auditions in London, New York and Sydney in effort to discover a fresh face to play Baggins.

The Sun source continues: “All the actors had to read four pages of script to the camera which is being shown to Peter Jackson.

“He is looking for a hidden gem now that Martin has ruled himself out of the job.”

The Hobbit is scheduled to open in 2012.

Pd

Photo Credit: WP Content

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HollywoodNews.com: Jennifer Hudson has had a rocky past, but time has healed her enough that she has decided that she is going to finally return home. Just two years after the tragic murder of her mother and brother, she is ready to move home to Chicago.

She said, “With the baby growing up, we want him to be around our family. We feel so secluded. Both David and I are the babies of the family, and we want to be home with our families as well,” reports Hollyscoop.

On a lighter note she adds that she has the “sweetest little baby in the world” and is looking forward to the chance to add an addition to her family. “I definitely want to have another one. I want to have a little girl, maybe in three or four years from now.”

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The trio looked to be having quite the enjoyable time together, as the former "Real Housewives of New York" star stopped along the way to try on a few hats from a vendor under the watchful eyes of her husband.

Having announced her decision to leave Bravo's "Real Housewives" despite a lucrative offer, Bethenny was on "Live with Regis & Kelly" today to talk about the decision.

Asked if she's missing the drama, Frankel replied, "I don't. I feel like it was a pyramid scam. And you're lucky to get out at the top and I don't want to go back in the bottom and get stuck in the middle."

As for whether what viewers watch is real, the 39-year-old tells, "The housewives are reality, but it gets sensationalized. But not because of the producers, because of the people. Some people are just who they are. I was completely who I was on the housewives. It's that the women try to outdo each other, slapping, pulling hair..."

HollywoodNews.com: Anyone who has watched “Keeping up with the Kardashians” or “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami” has seen Kourtney Kardashian’s rocky relationship with baby daddy Scott Disick play out. Not only has he had fits of rage, but he has humiliated her time and time again with his drunken fits.

While the couple have sorted things out for the moment, she admits that the road hasn’t been easy. She also told People that the rumors of them breaking up are “ridiculous.” She said, “We’ve been working on our relationship and we’re doing the best that we can. We’re in a really good place right now and taking it day by day and it’s good.”

Since starting counseling, the two have managed to sort a few things out. “I think [counseling] is really important and we always love going and feel so much better after. I think everyone should go. People are like, ‘It’s so expensive and this or that,’ but that’s more important than buying clothes or a handbag or shoes. It’s your life.”

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HollywoodNews.com: Vanessa Paradis is starry eyed about playing opposite her partner Johnny Depp in the romance project “My American Lover.”

Though it was already revealed this summer that the movie was being put together, Paradis offered the press some more insight about “American Lover” in which she portrays feminist writer Simone De Beauvoir and Depp, her lover Nelson Algren.

Paradis tells WENN: “They’re still writing the script but the idea would be amazing because it’s such a beautiful story. You only know when you’re really actually shooting.

“We’ve had plenty of opportunities to work together. But I don’t know that I could do it… It’s something that we don’t look for, otherwise it would’ve happened many times.

“‘My American Lover’ came along and it might happen just because the story is great and why not if we can, but we don’t push things. Playing in front of one of the best actors in the world that we have and someone I know so well will be challenging.”

Depp and Paradis originally starred in Terry Gilliam’s first incarnation of “Don Quixote” at the start of the millennium which shut down due to production problems.

Pd

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HollywoodNews.com: Now that Jesse James and Sandra Bullock have officially parted ways, he has finally gone public with his new girlfriend, Kat Von D. While the two look more like a fitted match both sporting tattoos all over their body, we can’t help but feel bad for Sandra.

The couple spent the holiday weekend together and then showed their love even more publicly as Von D kissed James goodbye as she dropped him off at the LAX airport, reports People. James is apparently on his way back to Texas where he can be closer to his kids to maintain their relationship.

What do you think of James’ new relationship?

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HollywoodNews.com: Justin Bieber has been known for pulling pranks on his rapper friends and on his touring crew, but they got the last laugh yesterday as they finally pulled off a prank on the singer himself during one of Bieber’s concerts.

While he was on stage, he was handed some flowers by what appears to be one of his crew members, dressed to look like a major fan. He then threw the flowers out to one lucky real fan in the audience. After the concert he took to his Twitter account and wrote, “all smiles over here…great way to end the first leg of the tour..but man they got me tonight. cant help but smile and laugh. it was a good one. the prankster got pranked. anyone got video of it?”

He added, “so not cool. haha. so got me. i was like what the?? lol. need to see video. good one guys…good one.”

Watch Bieber getting pranked below:

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HollywoodNews.com: Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” has apparently been seen by an internet blogger from the Home Theatre Forum website.

Meanwhile, there is also random speculation by the Austin Chronicle, that the Austin-based Malick might unveil “Tree of Life” at Fantastic Fest in September. The event hosted the world premiere of “There Will Be Blood” in 2007.

Jeffrey Wells as well as Filmstage.com picked up the blogger’s comments.

Apparently, per the blogger, “Tree of Life” is three hours long which comes as no surprise – it’s a Malick epic. There is also talk that there might be two cuts of the film, similar to what Malick did with “The New World.” The blogger is under the impression that the film will be released in October, but that information has yet to be revealed by the film’s distributor Apparition. “Tree of Life” was suppose to be shown to the New York Film Festival selection committee, but was pulled away.

Filmstage.com reposts the random blogger’s general comments:

“Saw Tree of Life the other night at work and it really is amazing or hypnotic, more like. I won’t give anything away here, but yes, it is long and there has already been talk in the news about Malick releasing it and then re-cutting it, and then re-releasing it, etc.

“The main bulk of the film is about [Sean Penn's character's] childhood, growing up in Texas (reels 3-7 out of 9!). The “creation” footage is outstanding, absolutely jawdropping, and does indeed feel like 2001 – a lot of the effects are practical and your eyes can see that, which makes it really fascinating to watch. I don’t have a problem with the creation footage being connected to his boyhood. Most boys love dinosaurs, after all, so that’s how I looked at it.

“The story is framed around the death of his middle brother (in Korea?? We never know) and is a reflection on the circle of life, the evolution of life out of the mess of the Big Bang, but also about life itself (the strained relationship with his severe father, a stunning performance by Brad Pitt, just stunning), and the end of the Universe. I still haven’t given anything away that hasn’t already been said in the press. The film just has to be seen to be believed! One feels like a child again, seeing the world through young wide eyes.”

Pd

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Spending a little time in the Big Apple, Jessica Simpson was spotted out and about in New York City on Monday night (September 6).

Looking quite adorable, the former "Newlyweds" babe headed out for a holiday weekend ending dinner after flying out east from LAX Airport earlier in the day.

Keeping busy on her Twitter account throughout the weekend, Jess paid tribute to her late dog Daisy - who was snatched up by coyotes a year ago.

Miss Simpson wrote, "This day last year my life changed because I lost my baby Daisy Mae — the best pup of all time. Give your dog some extra love today!"

Writing about her joy over finding someone to love the previous day, the 30-year-old tweeted about beau Eric Johnson on Sunday (September 5), boasting, “I met a wonderful man. Damn I’m lucky!”

By Scott Mendelson

HollywoodNews.com: Despite stupidly opening on a Wednesday (and siphoning off $3 million before the traditional opening weekend), “The American” grossed a completely predictable $13 million over three days and $16.4 million over the four-day holiday. This is no less than the ninth George Clooney vehicle to open to around $11-13 million since “The Peacemaker” in 1997. And, as I’ve written before, every time this happens, the pundits jump up and down about how Clooney may not be a real movie star. As I’ve also said before, true stardom is when it’s just your face on the poster, especially when you’re selling a somewhat uncommercial bit of cinema. That was certainly the case with “The American,” which is a slow and ponderous European-style thriller, with only just enough action to fill up the third act of a trailer (film-goers felt duped, as the Film received a D- from Cinemascore). The fact that it will end up with $19.4 million between Wednesday and Monday is a testament to Clooney’s sheer constancy as an opener for relatively cheap (the Film cost Focus Features just $20 million) and arty projects. For what it’s worth, if you know what you’re getting into, the Film is a relatively satisfying character-driven tone poem. It’s a B-movie classed up and pruned down to resemble an art Film.

The next major opener was Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete.” It was another case of hardcore interest in the geek world not translating into much mainstream interest. Once again, advertising a film as ’so bad that it’s good’ is a sure-fire way to turn off general moviegoers, and in the era of $10+ movie tickets, it’s a tough thing for any number of younger filmgoers to stomach as well. Still, with an opening three-day gross of $11.3 million and a $14 million four-day gross, the picture more than justified its cost (it had a $20 million budget, and Fox paid around $5 million to distribute it). At the end of the day, the cameo-filled comedic riff on 70’s exploitation was always destined to be more talked about for its nerd appeal and its immigration politics then seen in a theater. For what it’s worth, the Danny Trejo vehicle played to a 60% Hispanic audience. The geek-centric film is destined for cult status on DVD/Blu Ray and, if FX can cut the exceedingly violent and bloody film down to an acceptable TV version, a decades-long run on cable. Point being, don’t be surprised to see Machete Kills in theaters (or just on DVD) in a few years.

The last major opener was the Drew Barrymore/Justin Long romantic comedy, “Going the Distance.” Alas, the picture, along with the weak opening of her fantastic directorial debut “Whip It” last October, proves that Drew Barrymore no longer has the cache of her “Never Been Kissed”/”Charlie’s Angels” peak ten years ago, and that Justin Long isn’t yet an opener. The film got generally negative reviews, but those who liked it really liked it, so it’s $6.8 million three-day gross and $8.5 million four-day numbers will heartbreaking for a select few. The Warner Bros film cost $32 million to make, so it will likely be okay once international and DVD money rolls in. Last weekend’s openers were a study in audience satisfaction. The B-movie heist picture, Takers, basically delivered what its trailer promised, so it only dropped 44% for an $11.4 million three-day second weekend and a $13.5 million four-day gross. The $30 million caper has now grossed $39 million. I have to wonder how many kids bought tickets to the PG-13 Takers and snuck into the R-rated “Machete,” which makes their battle for second place a little more amusing. On the other hand, “The Last Exorcism” promised old-school religious supernatural thrills, but instead delivered a fauxumentary that dealt with religious fundamentalism in the Bible Belt. Cue 62% second-weekend drop, as the Lionsgate release grossed $7.6 million three-day gross and an $8.7 million four-day gross (expect a similar plunge with The American next weekend). Still, the dirt-cheap acquisition has already grossed $32 million.

To read more go to Mendelson’s Memos.

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HollywoodNews.com: Kim Kardashian is excited that another fashion icon is joining the ever-popular Twitter and already responding to Kim’s tweets.

Victoria Beckham recently signed up on Twitter and Kim informed all of her fans on her Twitter: “OMG one of my fashion icons has joined twitter! Fashion week is now every week with Victoria Beckham on here! Follow @vbfashionweek NOW!”

And then Kim got to act like a total fan of the mother of three after Beckham responded to the reality TV star: “OMG I love YOU! RT @vbfashionweek So kind, luv ur show! Love and light! @KimKardashian.”

Looks like these two are going to have a great Twitter friendship.

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HollywoodNews.com: Katy Perry may want to know everything about her future husband, Russell Brand, but she doesn’t want to learn about it through his autobiography.

Katy reportedly started his book ‘My Booky Wooky,’ but found it weird that she was hanging out with Brand, but also reading his personal stories, reports Digital Spy. So after putting the book down, she just asked the outrageous actor to tell her about his past experiences that are penned in the autobiography.

But she is telling fans to check out his second installment, Booky Wooky 2, because it is “full on” as she got to see him writing it first-hand.

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Bristol Palin has said she wanted modest costumes for Dancing with the Stars, and she does look modest in her first outfit -- at least compared to Audrina Patridge.

See all the first shots of the new Dancing with the Stars cast in costume!

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HollywoodNews.com: Miley Cyrus is making the most of her time while she is in Paris shooting ‘LOL: Laughing Out Loud.’

While taking some time out from filming, Miley was reportedly spotted out at the club VIP Room with costar Ashley Greene, states UsMagazine.com. She allegedly danced all night in a black lace top.

She reportedly wasn’t getting too crazy as she showed up with Greene and two bodyguards to enjoy her night out in Paris.

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There's no crying in outlaw biker gangs, right?

As Sons of Anarchy roars back for its third season, the leather-clad, gun-running testosterone that has fueled the series takes a bit of a backseat to resolving last season's cliff-hanger: the abduction of Jax's infant son, Abel.

Returning fall shows: Where we left off

"I just wanted to begin the season showing the emotional devastation of that," creator and executive producer Kurt Sutter tells TVGuide.com. "Even though these guys navigate in a fairly dangerous world, ultimately what happened to Jax is not in the outlaw handbook."

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By Sean O’Connell

HollywoodNews.com: The Academy Awards should be held in November.

Seriously. You are going to read so many columns dedicated to the annual Oscar race in September and October, you’ll think the industry’s celebration of film is imminent.

It’s not. We have a long way to go. But in early September, the marathon begins as three major festivals – Venice, Telluride, and Toronto – start hosting world premieres, luring movie buffs from all corners of the globe, and competing for industry attention with hundreds of Oscar hopefuls.

This year’s race officially began when Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” opened Venice to (mostly) raves. The process of discovering awards contenders continues through Telluride (Sept. 3-6), Toronto (Sept. 9-19), and New York (Sept. 24-Oct. 10) as audiences and Oscar pundits sail at high speeds through what we hope will be a number of awards-worthy films that open before the Academy’s December deadline.

There has been chatter, both official (in the Wall Street Journal) and unofficial (on movie-related chat boards), that 2010 has been a weak movie year. That’s nuts. I’d argue that quality exists if you know where to look. Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” challenged audiences who are used to turning off their brains in the summertime heat. “Toy Story 3” continued Pixar’s rewarding streak of emotional and technically stunning feature films. And indie darlings like “Winter’s Bone,” “Cyrus,” and “The Kids Are All Right” convinced adult audience members that things were all right at the box office, as well.

They’re about to get better. From now through December, the release schedule crowds with Oscar hopefuls vying for the attentions of Academy voters and — more importantly — movie fans. Mega-stars like Portman, Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Swank, Keira Knightley, James Franco, Matt Damon and others expect to be campaigning for top awards. We’ll have all of the news, notes, reviews, and interviews you can handle leading up to next year’s Academy Awards.

And be sure to circle Oct. 25 on your calendar, as that is when the first Awards Gala of the season, our own “Hollywood Film Festival’s Awards Gala,” attracts the top talent and the brightest stars to the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The New York Times said our fest is “the first mandatory stop … in the awards season,” while the L.A. Times calls us “a pre-Oscar showcase.”

At this stage in the game, we’ve probably seen half of the films that can be considered true contenders for next year’s Best Picture trophy. We expect to see plenty more in the coming weeks as our festival coverage ramps up. But today, we have a few lists of the pictures and talents we consider frontrunners and hopefuls. We’ll revisit the list weekly as titles eventually screen, or as news moves pictures ahead in (or out of) the Oscar race. It’s a long and exciting season. Buckle in with us and enjoy the ride.

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HollywoodNews.com: Last year, Jessica Simpson went through the tragedy of losing her dog when it was grabbed by a coyote.

In order to remember her dog, Daisy Mae, Jessica went onto Twitter and posted: “This day last year my life changed because I lost my baby Daisy Mae — the best pup of all time. Give your dog some extra love today!” reports UsMagazine.com.

The dog, who was a gift from her ex-husband, disappeared last year right in front of Jessica. The singer held out hope for some time, but eventually realized she would have to move on.

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HollywoodNews.com: Wyclef Jean and Sean Penn have been fighting for some time ever since Wyclef announced he was going to run for President of Haiti.

Now, Wyclef is reportedly making a new move and going after Penn in a song that he performed at Hot 97’s On the Reggae Tip Concert in New York City, states Just Jared. Some of the lyrics included, “I got a message for Sean Penn/ Maybe he ain’t see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine.”

The song was an altered version of Wyclef’s 2004 song “President.” In the remake, he also insulted his former bandmate Pras as he openly disagreed with Wyclef’s presidential run as well.

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HollywoodNews.com: Kourtney Kardashian is constantly defending her relationship with Scott Disick and explaining if the two are together or not.

Now, the oldest Kardashian sister is setting things straight: “We’ve been working on our relationship and we’re doing the best that we can,” reports Hollyscoop. The reality TV star also reportedly commented that the two are doing well as they attend couple’s counseling together.

Kourtney feels that counseling is necessary just to keep a relationship strong and more worth the money than frivolous purchases.

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John Travolta has ended the case against two people accused of trying to extort him and his wife, Kelly Preston, following their son's death in the Bahamas, the Daily News reported Monday.

Judge declares mistrial in Travolta extortion case

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HollywoodNews.com: Although Lady Gaga has opened up about celibacy and the fear that sleeping with someone will take away her creativity, there is a guy who seems to keep Gaga interested.

Gaga’s alleged boyfriend Luc Carl appears to have a lot in common with the singer as his casual wear includes purple pants and leather vests, reports PopEater. There are even reports that he is considering writing a book called Drunk Diet as he writes a blog called the same thing.

But he’s also supportive of his reported girlfriend as protesters have voiced their opinions on Gaga, but then Luc Carl started a Twitter trending topic #GodLovesGaga. Sounds like he’s treating her right.

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Fresh off of a flight from Toronto, Katie Holmes was spotted out with husband Tom Cruise and the kids in New York City on Monday night (September 6).

The "Dawson's Creek" darling and her "Top Gun" hubby took Suri, Isabella and Connor out to eat at Serendipity 3 before trekking back to their Big Apple abode.

Prior to the family outing, Katie, Suri and Bella were spotted leaving Toronto via a private jet following work efforts on the new miniseries "The Kennedys".

As for the trip back to the States, Miss Holmes is gearing up to promote her new movie "The Romantics" - which hits theaters this Friday (September 10).

Also starring Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Adam Brody and Elijah Wood, the Galt Niederhoffer directed film sees "seven close friends reunite for the wedding of two of their friends. Problems arise because the bride and the maid of honor have had a long rivalry over the groom."

Last night’s episode was a good one, no?  We dealt with lots of baggage – figuratively and literally – so let’s get to it!

Tasked with coming up with a campaign for Samsonite, Peggy, Joey, Danny (ugh) and Rizzo (double ugh) presented a mock-up of a commercial that would star Joe Namath manhandling a Samsonite suitcase.  Don was not impressed.  He wasn’t the only one.  Sal’s Patio Cola dance from last season is the benchmark by which I measure all SCDP presentations.  Anyhow, Peggy was admonished while the boys shuffled off to smoke cigarettes and talk about dames, presumably.

Shortly thereafter, while most of the gang left to take in the infamous Cassius Clay – Sonny Liston “Phantom Punch” fight, Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss stayed behind to work on their submission reels for next year’s Emmy Awards.  Man, I thought some of this episode’s scenes were the most powerful of the entire series.

Don, after receiving the message he knew would come from California with word of Anna’s death, delayed returning the call and created a distraction for himself by sentencing Peggy to a night of toiling away together on the Samsonite account.  Unbeknownst to Don, it was Peggy’s birthday.  Peggy’s big dull dud of a boyfriend Mark planned a surprise party in her honor and after several delays, she finally told him she couldn’t make it.  He, in turn, broke up with her.  Good riddance.

When Peggy told Don that he was making her work on her birthday, the conversation became heated and landed on the topic of Peggy’s work on the Glo-Coat [sic] campaign, for which Don won the Clio.  Don’s advice to Peggy boiled down to stop being such a baby, your time will come.  Peggy retreated to the restroom to have a good old-fashioned Office Cry.

They two made up later over a moment of levity in Don’s office.  While brainstorming ideas for Samsonite, Don discovered the notes Roger recorded for his memoirs.  We learned that Bert Cooper underwent an unnecessary surgery that resulted in the loss of his testicles and Miss Blankenship was once the office vixen.  I’ll never look at you the same, Ida.

Don later took Peggy out for dinner to celebrate her birthday and began to volunteer little tidbits of information about his past.  The night continued at a bar where the conversation turned to dating.  Peggy alluded to Don having a type.  Don told Peggy she was pretty and datable.  She confided that both co-workers and family members suspected their relationship was far more personal than professional.  She talked about what she wanted out of life, and at the moment her career was more important than the traditional roles of wife and mother.  They talked about her baby.  For an exchange in a smoky, 60s version of a sports bar, it was awfully poignant.

Upon returning to the office, Peggy found herself dealing with not one drunk, but two.  Don, who had been drinking since receiving the message from California and Duck Phillips, of all people, who found his way to the offices of SCDP with the intent on leaving a homemade gift for Roger. [ed – he planned to poop in his office] Seeing Don in the office with Peggy, coupled with her rebuffing his advances earlier in the episode, Duck lashed out and called Peggy a whore.  That set Don off and in attempt to defend her honor he threw a punch, missing Duck by a mile.  The two rolled around on the floor in a mildly entertaining attempt at a fight.  It’s the thought that counts, Don.

Don and Peggy eventually passed out in Don’s office – his head on her lap.  He awoke to a vision of Anna carrying a suitcase.  For a moment I thought her appearance was going to inspire the Samsonite campaign.  “Samsonite!  So long-lasting it will survive the trip into the afterlife!”  Does Anna’s exit mean that we’ve seen the last of Dick Whitman?  Will Don choose to salvage Dick’s positive qualities and incorporate them into his life as Don Draper?

When Don finally called Anna’s niece the next morning, we got the news we expected to hear – that Anna had died.  Don was heartbroken and tearfully told Peggy that Anna was the only person in the world who really knew him.  Sniff.  Just thinking about such an enormous loss and then applying it to your own life is almost too much to bear.

Later, when Don shared his idea for the Samsonite account with Peggy, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and a knowing glance.  Was it a thank you?  A sign of solidarity?  Bottom line, Peggy is totally the New Anna, you guys.  They’ve been through a lot together, these two.  I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops from this point forward.

What did you think of last night’s episode?

HollywoodNews.com: Rihanna continues to ride an explosive career and is making sure to keep moving forward in that way.

As the young singer works on her latest album, she is being careful to not move backward with her music, reports Just Jared. Not only is her next single “Only Girl” going to be a bigger sound, but her whole album is going to be a bunch of “great songs.”

Rihanna wanted to make sure that this album isn’t like her others, but more along the lines of the evolution she is going through in her life and career.

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HollywoodNews.com: Ryan Seacrest continues to spend time with his girlfriend Julianne Hough and is apparently also making sure to support her with her career pursuits.

The couple reportedly just came back from a holiday trip to Cabo San Lucas, states Just Jared. But the trip couldn’t last too long as Hough had to reportedly head back to filming Footloose.

But luckily for the dancer, singer and now actress, Seacrest took some time to drop her off at the airport as she prepared to head to Atlanta.

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Taking a break from her "Battleship" movie-making efforts, Rihanna enjoyed a little fun in the sun in Honolulu, Hawaii over the holiday weekend (September 5).

Proudly showing off her bikini body (along with her numerous tattoos), the "Don't Stop the Music" songstress attempted paddle surfing and kayaking before opting to splash around the Pacific waters with her friends and family.

Meanwhile, RiRi has also found time in her busy schedule to partake in hula lessons - wanting to grasp the concept where the dance originated.

According to Daily Mirror reports, Rihanna became interested in learning how to hula after being told that the dance can "channel the love of the Universe."

The video - originally released with lyrics flashing on the screen, karaoke-style - details the singer’s failed pursuit of a gold-digger. “I guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough," he sings.

Last month, rapper 50 Cent got in on the fun when he created a verse from the perspective of the rich man who ended up with Cee Lo’s girl. “When the bills come your a** just can’t help,” he raps.

But the most recent version/parody of Cee Lo’s hit comes from actress/singer Whitney Avalon.

“After having Cee Lo Green's catchy anti-golddigger [sic] single ‘F**k YOU’ stuck in my head for a week, I wanted to pretend to respond to the song's allegations from the woman's perspective. Needless to say, in the spirit of the original, it contains explicit language,” Avalon wrote on her YouTube channel.

“And now I can’t fall asleep because you’re such a creep. You yell f**k you,” she sings.

Click here to check out Avalon's "Clearly Obsessed" video.

The pair are just back from a luxurious getaway to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, during which Ryan and Julianne hit the beach for some much needed relaxation after flying into town on August 4th.

Once finished up saying their goodbyes, Julianne headed off to hop aboard a flight to Atlanta, Georgia to continue work on the new movie "Footloose".

Meanwhile, Ryan made headlines over the weekend after a funny clip of the "American Idol" host hit the web showing him singing Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" alongside late night legend Larry King.

Wanting to focus on his family and baby-on-the-way rather than legal proceedings, John Travolta has dropped charges against two alleged extortionists in the Bahamas.

Being reminded of their son Jett's death during each and every court visit, the "Wild Hogs" actor and wife Kelly Preston urged the judge to call off the case.

Prosecutor Neil Braithwaite tells, “The Travolta family has said that this matter has caused them unbelievable stress and pain and they wish to put this whole thing behind them."

Of the decision to let Tarino Lightbourne and Pleasant Bridgewater walk free, John released a statement telling: "The long-pending status of this matter continued to take a heavy emotional toll on my family, causing us to conclude that it was finally time to put this matter behind us. Therefore, after much reflection I concluded that it was in my family’s best interest for me not to voluntarily return to The Bahamas to testify a second time at trial.”

HollywoodNews.com: Jennifer Aniston has reportedly been enjoying her time out on the town with a number of different men who are always rumored to be new love interests.

Now it’s being reported that the actress was out to dinner with ‘Cougar Town’ star Josh Hopkins, states People. The two were allegedly at Madeo and sat at a “private table.”

Apparently, those who were there thought Aniston appeared to be having a lot of fun and just enjoying Hopkins’ company. Sounds like she’s having a great time with friends or possible dates.

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Blurry set-based photos are usually reserved for anticipated summer blockbusters, be it Johnny Depp in “Pirate” gear  or Michael Bay blowing up Chicago for a third “Transformers” film.

But David Fincher’s anticipated American adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” carries the box-office influence of a summer tent-pole film. (If it succeeds, it will guarantee two more Salander adventures, at the very least.) And so we have our first look at Rooney Mara as she’ll look when playing the hardened, cyber-punk, private investigator.

The photos come to us courtesy of the Rooney Mara Network (via The Playlist). Six photos posted to the “Dragon Tattoo” message board show Mara training to ride a motorcycle. They also give a pretty good look at the actress’s newly shorn and jet-black locks. But then again, we already kind of knew what Salander is supposed to look like:

Fincher’s “Dragon Tattoo” co-stars Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgard, and Robin Wright. It’s scheduled to open on Dec. 21, 2011.

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Spending the evening on the red carpet, Lily Allen and Gemma Arterton attended the UK premiere of "Tamara Drewe" on Monday night (September 6).

Held at the Odeon Leicester Square in London, England, both ladies looked elegant as Miss Allen showed off her baby bump while Miss Arterton dazzled in white.

Both doing their fair share of interviews as press efforts push forth, Lily talked with Daily Record about the nerve-racking early months of pregnancy as she carries boyfriend Sam Cooper's baby.

She said, "I came off the pill and, weirdly, a week later it happened. But then it was really difficult – I had complications. I had about a week and a half of really heavy bleeding and had to have lots of scans. I've been living in fear for the past three months."

Meanwhile, Gemma dished on how she'd love to play "Wuthering Heights" singer Kate Bush if she were to make a musical biopic film.

Chatting with ITN, she said, "Kate Bush, maybe, in the future. There are a few people [I'd like to play], but they're still living. I just think it's weird playing someone who's still alive. If they're rock stars they can be quite scary, people like Courtney Love. I love Kate Bush and I reckon I could do a good Kate Bush impression but she's still alive - good!"

HollywoodNews.com: As Kourtney Kardashian grows her fashion empire with her sisters, she’s ready to make the big move to New York.

The reality TV star wants to open the next DASH boutique in the Big Apple as it seems like the ultimate location, reports UsMagazine.com. The oldest Kardashian sister is hoping to make this “dream come true” despite how busy she is right now.

Kourtney not only has two DASH boutiques to run, but a new son as well, and a book coming out with her sisters around Thanksgiving. Maybe somewhere in between she will find time to make the NY boutique happen.

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Schimmel, his son and his daughter, 19, were traveling in his daughter’s car on August 26 when she swerved to avoid an oncoming car, the New York Daily News reported Saturday. Schimmel’s daughter is in stable condition. His son was released from the hospital shortly after the accident.

After losing his 11-year-old son to cancer in 1993, suffering a heart attack and being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and hepatitis C, Schimmel, a frequent guest on “The Howard Stern Show,” turned to humor to cope with the perils of life. He penned “Cancer on $5 a Day (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life” in 2008.

Entertainment Weekly reported that some of Schimmel’s fellow comedians tweeted their condolences.

“The world lost a true comedian, one of the greats. He turned his pain into laughs. He was fearless. RIP ROBERT SCHIMMEL,” Marlon Wayons wrote.

“Robert Schimmel was one of the funniest and nicest guys in comedy,” Jimmy Kimmel wrote.

“Robert Schimmel was one of the first people in comedy to call when my folks were fighting cancer. No ego no bs no small talk just inspiration,” Dane Cook wrote.

He is survived by his five children.

To read our previous preview columns, punch “TIFF” into our search window. Today, “The Damned United” director Tom Hooper recruits an all-star cast of Brits to illustrate how a king overcame his speech impediment.

The King’s Speech

The Plot: In 1936, unorthodox speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) agrees to help King George VI (Colin Firth) overcome his dreadful stutter.

The Director: Tom Hooper (“The Damned United”)

The Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall

The Scoop: It sounds like such a small story. But oh, that cast! Last weekend, “The King’s Speech” charmed the pants off audiences and Oscar pundits at Telluride. It will look to build on that positive buzz by pulling into Toronto for a series of screenings this week (though, as a fellow journo pointed out, it’s press screening up against Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” on Friday morning, making for an almost impossible decision). That’s not to say it’s all peaches and cream for “Speech.” Backlash is inevitable, as when Cinematical’s Eugene Novikov tweeted, “Everyone chill the fuck out. You’ve seen this movie 500x, just w/ misfit football team instead of the king of England.” But for every semi-negative reaction, there’s an overwhelmingly positive response, as when producer Frank Marshall reports via Twitter that “THE KING’S SPEECH emerging as one of the favorites from Telluride Festival…”

Awards Potential: If you believe the hype, the sky’s the limit for “Speech.” Best Picture sure seems possible, especially with Harvey Weinstein guiding the film’s Oscar campaign. Hooper might have a hard time cracking the top 5 for Best Director if his competition stays stiff (Eastwood, Boyle, Fincher, Aronofsky are just a few major names in the race). But from what I am hearing, Firth, Rush and Carter are fantastic, and all must be considered real contenders in their respective categories.

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HollywoodNews.com: Although the Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag sex tape appears to be put to rest for now, he is being asked to turn over another person’s sex tape.

Pratt has been accused of stealing Playboy Playmate Karissa Shannon’s sex tape from her home, reports TMZ. And now Shannon wants the property back as it allegedly includes footage of her with her boyfriend, actor Sam Jones.

Shannon is reportedly demanding that the tape be returned or she will seek legal action against the former reality TV star.

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The singing legend, who is coming off of recent back surgery, looked to be in high spirits as he sampled the drinks and dancers at local hotspot Reina.

Earlier in the day, Bono and friends - including fellow U2 member The Edge - grabbed up a bite to eat at the House Cafe.

The trip comes as the band's manager Paul McGuinness has started a crusade against Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for their lackadaisical approach to curbing illegal downloads.

"I am convinced that ISPs are not going to help the music and film industry voluntarily," Sarkozy wrote for a new GQ article. "Some things have got to come with the force of legislation, President Sarkozy understood that point when he became the first head of state to champion laws to require ISPs to reduce piracy in France."

He added, "In Britain, the major political parties have understood it, too. Following the passing of new anti-piracy laws in April's Digital Economy Act, Britain and France now have some of the world's best legal environments for rebuilding our battered music business."

He was passionate in his play to get on the Presidential ballot in Haiti, and though he was unsuccessful, Wyclef Jean isn’t content to sit back and let his critics get the best of him.

The Fugees rapper took aim at Sean Penn, who was very vocal in dismissing Wyclef’s presidential bid, during an interview over the weekend.

Wyclef declared, "I got a message for Sean Penn: Maybe he ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine."

As for his former bandmate Pras, Jean said, "I got a message for Praswell, even though you don't want to support me, I got love for you, even though you only kicked 8 bars in the Fugees."

HollywoodNews.com: Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s hook up who alleges that things between them are real is now dealing with another ‘Jersey Shore’ girl who may be a little out of control.

Jeff Miranda is claiming that Snooki’s castmate Angelina is after him in a “fatal attraction” way, reports RadarOnline.com. After reportedly sending him many text messages claiming that she wants him, Angelina has also allegedly thrown a microphone at him doing damage to his mouth.

Miranda claims that Angelina doesn’t get why he wants to be with Snooki, even though Angelina reportedly has a boyfriend.

Snooki has recently remarked that she is single and did not accept Miranda’s recent proposal on a magazine cover.

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Lutz, who plays vampire Emmett Cullen in the hit film series, was so upset after seeing disturbing YouTube video footage of a giggling Bosnian girl throwing six helpless puppies into a river that he took to Twitter yesterday to express his anger.

"I've never been so disgusted before. That video is so incredibly disturbing and plain out wrong," wrote Lutz, an animal-lover who posed with his rescued mutt Kola for a PETA ad urging fans to adopt pets from shelters.

The 25-year-old actor went on to praise "Transformers" producer Michael Bay, who reportedly offered a bounty for the girl's arrest, tweeting, "Thank you for that, and everyone who is not standing for this. That cruelty and any cruelty to animals helpless or not is unacceptable. I can't get the crying puppies out of my head."

According to reports, the troubled girl, who has been identified by Bosnian police, faces paying up to $6,400 in fines for her actions, thanks to a new animal protection law. Lutz, for one, couldn't be happier.

"I'm so grateful that she has been found and even more grateful for the new law!" he said. "Thank you all for taking a stand and using your voices against such actions as this. You all are my heroes!"