Simon Cowell is refusing to see pregnant baby-mama-to-be Lauren Silverman until the drama surrounding their tryst dies down, according to reports. The X Factor judge, 53, is “happy to be on vacation,” a source says. Simon Cowell Refuses to See Lauren Silverman Regarding still-married Lauren Silverman , 36, the insider adds, “It’s obvious that the drama with [husband] Andrew that involved Simon, makes him a bit upset.” Cowell “has been in contact with Lauren since her divorce turned messy” but has told friends that “won’t see Lauren in person until things calm down.” Being accused of wrecking her marriage and the fact that he was blindsided by the pregnancy like everyone else have thrown him for a loop, too. “He cares about her; he’s been checking in on her and the baby. He wants Lauren to quickly figure things out with Andrew so they can move forward.” Until they do so, however, he’s going to keep his distance . What will happen after things finally do settle down? Are Simon and Lauren still together? Despite reports, the source says, “Simon still has no plans to move in with Lauren,” but he is determined to play an active role in raising the child. Cowell, who owns several properties in Beverly Hills, “can put her in one of [them when he’s working in L.A.] so he can spend time with his baby.”
Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid also confirm that the show will ‘continually’ pay tribute to the late Whitney Houston. By John Mitchell Simon Cowell Photo: FOX Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid spoke candidly to reporters Wednesday about the major changes coming in the second season of “The X Factor,” revealing that while replacements for Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger have not been secured, viewers can expect two female judges to join the panel this fall as well as two hosts — one male and one female. Addressing rumors that Janet Jackson and Britney Spears have been approached to step in for Abdul and Scherzinger, who were fired from the show in January, Cowell would not confirm whom producers were talking to but did not deny that Jackson was on the table. “You can probably count on two girls,” Reid added. “That we can confirm.” “There’s a load of speculation, some true, some not true. It’s true to say that a lot of more people have entered the frame this year. We were waiting to see who was going to contact us before we actually contacted people,” Cowell told reporters on the conference call. “We’re in that place right now, which is a good place to be in. We will meet a number of people over the next few weeks, mainly to explain to them that this is a big commitment when you do a show like this because of the mentoring aspect.” Reid also elaborated on talk that the late Whitney Houston was in talks to join the show prior to her tragic death on February 11 in Beverly Hills. “We love Whitney and we would have certainly considered it,” he said. “But the truth is, it never quite came to that. There was an entrance there, but we never actually had meetings about it. But, again, we’re both huge fans and we’re sad about the loss. But we didn’t really get that far.” The show will likely honor the “I Will Always Love You” singer when it returns this fall. “I was going to recommend that, that we do a Whitney segment because the music is so amazing and it’s so generational and such a challenge for singers,” Cowell said. ”I have a feeling, just a hunch, that you may see a Whitney tribute on ‘The Voice’ and ‘American Idol’ before us. If we decide to do it, we have to do it in a different way. The important thing is that we are going to continually pay tribute to Whitney on this show.” Rumors abound that a preliminary meeting about Houston joining the show was set to take place on February 13. Fans shouldn’t expect the new judges to be named before the show begins its open auditions in mid-March, according to Cowell, who noted that since the early auditions are not filmed, “we probably don’t need to have them by then.” He also confirmed that host Steve Jones would be replaced with two hosts. “I always wanted a boy and girl, and I think that’s going to happen now,” Cowell told reporters. “I think it’s going to be a lot more fun.” Once again, however, the judges did not name names regarding whom they are considering for the hosting positions. Cowell and Reid hit on a number of other topics, including the “Factor”/”Voice”/”Idol” sing-off he proposed on Twitter and Cowell’s current relationship with Abdul. Cowell said he felt his proposed sing-off “would be the music Super Bowl” and that he was “disappointed with the reaction back from the other two shows.” (“The Voice” judge Adam Levine told “Access Hollywood” he’s “not really interested.”) Both judges then joked that the real battle may have to play out on the music charts before Cowell added, “Maybe we’ll just have to compete in the Grammys moving forward.” Asked if he would ever consider working with Abdul again, Cowell admitted that he and the “Straight Up” singer remain friends and that Abdul has been “incredibly gracious and respectful” since she was let go from “The X Factor.” “I think it actually will happen,” he added. Who should “The X Factor” add to its judges panel? Leave your comment below! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘X Factor’ Judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid Whitney Houston: In Her Own Words
Image for Born This Way Ball revealed as Mother Monster releases Jo Calderone-featuring ‘You and I’ clip. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga in her “Born This Way” tour poster Photo: Interscope Lady Gaga is amping up her fans for the Born This Way Ball , set to kick off later this year. On Tuesday, she dropped a sketch of her gothic castle-themed stage design , and in the very early hours of Wednesday morning (February 8), she teased fans with a poster for the trek. The black-and-white poster, which includes touches of neon purple and turquoise, features an omniscient image of Gaga, decked out in her full “BTW” horned look, looking down from the sky. Underneath, in a castle that looks an awful lot like the one from the tour sketch, Gaga, wearing a piano dress, hangs with a group of suit-wearing dudes. And, for those paying close enough attention, Zombie Boy even makes an appearance, peeking out from one of the castle windows. In her long-simmering latest “Yo
Judge also takes shot at ‘The Voice,’ asking, ‘How many artists have they discovered?’ By John Mitchell Simon Cowell Photo: FOX Simon Cowell is finally opening up about the cast shakeups on “The X Factor” as well as about rumors that two very famous divas are in talks to join Fox’s reality singing competition. Late last month, it was announced that judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones had been fired from “X Factor” and would be replaced in its second season. The announcement came as a shock to fans, but Cowell tells “Extra” in an interview airing Wednesday (February 8) that the decision was a long time coming and was ultimately made “at the beginning of the year — and we were told it had to happen straight away.” While her dismissal came as a surprise, Cowell says Abdul “was very gracious” about it. “She understands it’s business,” Cowell said of his real-life friend. “It’s never personal.” Scherzinger, according to Cowell, was “disappointed” with the producers’ decision to replace her. But the former Pussycat Doll insisted in a new “Access Hollywood” interview that she “had a wonderful experience on the show.” “What happened? Well, all I know is that I gave 110 percent to that show,” she said. “I know everybody’s talking about it, they’re saying good, bad, they love me or hate me, but the one thing you can’t say is that I didn’t give it my all.” Cowell also used his time with “Extra” to squash rumors that Beyonc
19-year-old from Florida receives a $5 million recording contract and a spot in a Pepsi commercial that will air during the Super Bowl. By Adam Graham Melanie Amaro performs on “The X Factor” finale Photo: FOX From early reject to grand-prize winner, Melanie Amaro was crowned champion of Fox’s “The X Factor” on Thursday (December 22), winning a $5 million recording contract and a spot in a Pepsi commercial that will air during next year’s Super Bowl. Amaro, a 19-year-old from Sunrise, Florida, beat out 30-year-old Columbus, Ohio, contestant Josh Krajcik for the title of “X Factor” winner. Chris Rene, the 28-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, came in third place. When the results were read, an emotional Amaro exclaimed, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” She was swarmed by members of her family, and “X Factor” host Steve Jones struggled to get a word from her. After performing Beyoncé′;’s “Listen,” Amaro said, “God is good,” and thanked her fans. “Thank you so much, thank you. I’m just, I’m so happy and I don’t know what to say,” she said. “This is something I’ve wanted for all my life!” Amaro’s victory was espzaecially sweet considering she was technically eliminated from the competition after Simon Cowell sent her home following one of the early rounds. Deciding he had made a mistake, Cowell paid a personal visit to her home and invited her to rejoin the competition. In the end, Cowell was pleased with his decision, as well as America’s choice of Amaro as its first “X Factor” winner. “We came here to find a superstar, we found a superstar. Thank you to everyone who supported the show,” Cowell said. He called Krajcik “a worthy runner-up.” Krajcik, the husky, self-described burrito slinger, congratulated Amaro on her victory. “Melanie deserves it, she has a wonderful voice,” he said. “I’ve had such an incredible experience here. I got to be myself and sing what I wanted to sing. I couldn’t be happier.” Earlier in the show, third-place finisher Rene said he felt “amazing” for getting the chance to participate in the competition. “I got to touch a lot of people’s hearts out there, and I just gotta say thank you,” he said. Rene’s mentor in the competition, L.A. Reid, called Rene — a recovering substance abuser who celebrated his eighth month of sobriety earlier this week — a “gentleman” and a “talent.” “This is how it turned out, it doesn’t matter,” Reid said. “This is my man.” “The X Factor” was one of the year’s most anticipated shows. It debuted in September with lofty expectations, with Cowell — who abandoned his judging position at “American Idol” to bring “X Factor” to these shores — predicting the show would attract 20 million viewers per episode. Instead, it pulled about half that, averaging 11.1 viewers over the course of the season, and criticism from viewers who questioned the show’s over-the-top production and the awkwardness of host Steve Jones. Thursday’s results show followed Wednesday’s performance episode, when the three finalists performed duets with superstar acts: Amaro with R. Kelly, Krajcik with Alanis Morissette and Rene with Avril Lavigne. Following the show, Cowell heavily endorsed Amaro to be the winner. Thursday’s two-hour episode featured a host of musical acts. Justin Bieber performed on the show, dueting with surprise guest Stevie Wonder on “The Christmas Song” and later with “X Factor” finalist (and Biebs superfan) Drew Ryniewicz on “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” 50 Cent also appeared on the show, performing his new single “Wait Until Tonight,” as well as his 2003 smash “In da Club” alongside Tony Yayo, “X Factor” rapper Astro and several members of the Los Angeles Lakers. Pitbull, meanwhile, appeared and did a quickie version of his single “International Love” and was later joined by Ne-Yo and “X Factor” contestant Marcus Canty on “Give Me Everything.” A countdown of the show’s top five most shocking moments rightfully named Rachel Crow’s December 8th elimination as the season’s biggest shocker, and Crow herself was brought out and joked about stealing host Jones’ job. She introduced Leona Lewis, who covered Snow Patrol’s “Run” over a package of the season’s most memorable moments. The top 12 finalists opened the show with a group performance of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory.” The top three contestants also performed holiday songs, with Amaro doing “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Rene crooning “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Krajcik taking on the Eagles’ “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Prior to the reading of the results, Amaro and Krajcik shared the stage together and performed David Bowie’s “Heroes.” What did you think of the “X Factor” results? Let us know in the comments!
Nicole Scherzinger puts last week’s drama behind her to focus on Josh Krajcik and her results-show performance. By Jim Cantiello Rachel Crow performs on “X Factor” Photo: FOX MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello is exclusively covering “The X Factor” rehearsals. Read on for his fly-on-the-wall backstage report! LOS ANGELES — One week after one of the most dramatic eliminations in reality-TV history, the energy on the “X Factor” set is still uneasy. Rachel Crow’s sunny presence is noticeably absent from backstage, with the remaining four contestants taking the semifinals deadly serious. The $5 million contract is on everyone’s minds, and they’re not letting anything distract them — not even Rachel’s shocking exit . Meanwhile, the judge who facilitated Rachel’s booting, Nicole Scherzinger, was still visibly upset days after the results show. Her main-show interview, normally shot right outside the stage doors, was relocated to a quiet third-floor area for extra privacy. She couldn’t even talk about the incident in complete sentences until Tuesday. But now she’s focused on making her remaining contestant, Josh Krajcik, the first U.S. “X Factor” winner, as well as prepping a brand-new single she’ll be debuting live on Thursday night’s results show. The million-dollar question: Will the audience that booed Nicole a week ago be receptive to a performance? We’ll know soon enough! Nicole doesn’t have to stress about any more hairy decisions. From here on out, the judges have zero voting power. It’s just America’s vote, and the contestants are nervous that they won’t have their mentors in their corner when the results are revealed. Adding to the stress: a mystery bug that’s making its way around the crew. Both Chris Rene and Marcus Canty have suffered through the X-virus in previous weeks. Now the show’s last remaining female, Melanie Amaro, has been floored with it. She was more than 30 minutes late to press interviews on Monday and she barely got through her interviews with the main show, yet when it was time to hit the stage for rehearsal, you’d never know she was battling a bug. Musically, expect some exciting things from all four contestants. Chris Rene is trying his hand at a new instrument. Josh is determined to put his unique stamp on a song we’ve all heard on reality singing competitions several times before. Despite being in the bottom two three weeks in a row, Marcus refuses to give up and is rehearsing harder than ever. And Melanie has been practicing a power note that may shatter your windows. And finally, “The X Factor” was able to secure private dressing rooms for the remaining four contenders, but the show won’t let their egos get too big. After two days, they had to give them up for another production. The Cowell giveth and the Cowell taketh away. Catch Jim on “The X Factor Pepsi Preshow Live,” streaming at 7 p.m. ET tonight on TheXFactorUSA.com !
‘It had to be said because I think everyone at home was thinking that,’ Cowell tells MTV News of his harsh critique. By James Dinh, with additional reporting by Jim Cantiello Simon Cowell Photo: Ray Mickshaw/ FOX Simon Cowell has never been one to bite his tongue. However, it appears as if the British music mogul has had a change of heart about some harsh words he dished to 15-year-old contestant Astro on last week’s “X Factor” elimination episode. The finalist had offered the audience a rather bitter response to his bottom-two placement by refusing to sing for his life. MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello sat down with Cowell recently and chatted about the much-talked-about results show, which sent 42-year old songstress Stacy Francis packing and saved the teen rapper. “I gotta say, on the night, I was really annoyed, and not for anything else other than for him,” the judge said. “And then I watched it back that night, and then I felt sorry for him.” While Cowell admitted that he felt “a bit” bad that he came down so hard on the pint-size MC after the broadcast, he explained that it was necessary because “everyone at home was thinking that.” “I think if I had been light on him, I think it would have been worse for him because I think it made him aware of how he was coming across,” he continued. And as viewers saw, Simon was anything but light on the contestant during the elimination round. After Astro announced that he didn’t want to perform before the judges’ make-or-break decision, Cowell responded by saying, “Look at me, and think about your mum watching the show. Because you are showing disrespect to your mom. You are showing disrespect to the audience at home, and I don’t like people with this attitude.” Astro appeared to be in better spirits the following day when he took to Twitter , writing, “Good morning #teamASTRO I had a ‘fight the system’ moment last night. Sorry if I disappointed you guys. I WILL make you all proud next week!” Do you think Simon was too harsh on Astro last week? Let us know in the comments. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘X Factor’ Judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid Related Photos ‘X Factor’ Top Twelve Performances
‘Are we on ‘Dancing With the Stars’?’ the actor recalls thinking at the time. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Photo: Summit Entertainment Considering all the moments in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” Taylor Lautner might feel nervous about, we would pick the imprinting scene to be right at the top. Lautner has said in the past that the imprinting scene was a particularly “tough” challenge for him, but MTV News recently found out that there’s one thing that gives the teen heartthrob even more anxiety: dancing — specifically the complex, emotional dance his character Jacob shares with Kristen Stewart’s Bella at her wedding reception. “I was extremely nervous, especially when they told us there was going to be lifts and stuff,” Lautner told MTV News about hearing the news that he had to learn choreography. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? Are we on “Dancing With the Stars”? No.’ I thought it was going to be a simple slow dance, which it was in the end, but there were a few little lifts I was nervous about,” he admitted. “But in the end, it turned out well. It’s a very beautiful scene, visually, and everything that’s going on in it.” It turns out Lautner wasn’t the only one worried about dancing. Jackson Rathbone and Ashley Greene had to pull off a particularly challenging maneuver that had some startling consequences. “We had to get a new Ashley Greene,” Rathbone joked when asked about how he and Greene managed to master a full flip. “I broke Ashley. No, she was amazing. She was an amazing trouper letting me do it, because it’s dangerous, it’s scary. We had rehearsed it a bunch, and then on the day, she was in the heels, so we had to rehearse in the heels to make sure everything was kosher. It was good. We hit it.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Taylor Lautner Related Photos ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Premiere
‘For [Simon Cowell] to just beat me up like that, I don’t understand,’ singer tells MTV News after Wednesday night’s episode. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Jim Cantiello Stacy Francis performs on “The X Factor” Photo: FOX It seems that every reality-show singing competition has to have one polarizing contestant who makes headlines every week for something. “X Factor” appears to have found its lightning rod in former professional singer Stacy Francis, who ripped it up with judge Simon Cowell on Wednesday night’s rock-themed performance episode. The 42-year-old Brooklyn native and single mother, who is being coached by Nicole Scherzinger, was lambasted by Cowell for her sleepy rendition of Meat Loaf’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” which he said was “the sort of thing I would expect someone to sing at the Hilton Hotel with people turning their backs, eating peanuts.” MTV News spoke to Francis backstage after the show, and she admitted that Cowell’s slings and arrows bewildered her. “I just want a fair judgment, and I don’t feel like it was fair,” she said. “I feel like because I’m not in Simon’s category, he beats me up every week. I don’t know if I can really take on what he says as an artist and really say, ‘OK, how can I make this better?’ ” On a show where the judges usually save their harshest fire for each other, Cowell went all in on Francis, saying, “I thought the song was a horrible choice. I like rocks; that was a pebble.” Indeed, Francis, standing at a feather-covered mic stand while wearing leather gloves and a sparkly silver dress, emoted her way through the lesser-known Loaf tune while accompanied by a grand piano, mirror-ball effects on the giant onstage videos, lots of ground fog and a wind machine. She took issue with Cowell’s criticism that the song was too cabaret, noting that the audience seemed to love it. “For him to just beat me up like that, I don’t understand; I don’t get it,” she said. “I sang a Meat Loaf song, which is a rock song, and he said he didn’t love it. Melanie Amaro sang an R.E.M. song, and he loved it. It was the same tempo … I don’t know, I was very confused about it.” Francis said it seems to her that the other females in the competition have an advantage because they are in Cowell’s category and he doesn’t give them as much grief. “My first audition, he told me he loved me and he loved my voice and he loved everything,” she said. “All of a sudden, I’m the worst thing in the competition. I don’t understand it. That’s very confusing, and I think it’s very unfair.” As for judge Paula Abdul’s comments about some of Francis’ vocals being flat, the onetime member of the group Ex-Girlfriend said, if anything, her vocals sometimes go sharp because she pushes too hard, but rarely flat. “I don’t think that I ever go flat, so that’s weird,” she said. “To me, [Abdul] has one group in the competition that’s left so she would love to see any other contestant [leave] except her only one. I don’t know if I’m getting a fair evaluation as an artist or if it’s just the bickering amongst the judges because they wanna win.” Share your review of Stacy Francis’ performance in the comments below! Related Photos ‘X Factor’ Top Twelve Performances
