Pregnant Kate Middleton and Prince William have escaped dreary, winter London for a babymoon holiday on the ultra-exclusive Carribean island of Mustique. Expecting their first child together, the Duchess, 31, and Duke, 30, are kicking back in a luxury villa with a $30,000-a-week price tag – with her folks! The babymoon is a family affair , apparently. The couple flew out a few days ago to join Kate Middleton’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. With Kate completely recovered from the acute morning sickness that plagued the earliest days of her pregnancy, the twosome are ready to party. Well, within reason. She’s still carrying the royal heir(ess). But with Kate Middleton’s due date in July, and her health improved dramatically in the past few weeks, she’s earned a nice, fun babymoon vacation! Not to mention some much-needed family time. As long as there’s no repeat of topless photos that surfaced from their holiday in France – which we doubt, on the secluded island – all is well!
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival unveiled its lineup of 109 features including 69 world premieres Thursday. The festival, which overlaps with SXSW’s music and interactive programs, also includes 14 North American and five U.S. premieres. SXSW will screen eight films each in its Narrative Feature and Documentary Competitions. [ Related: ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ To Open The SXSW Film Festival ] As previously announced, Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi starrer The Incredible Burt Wonderstone will open the festival, taking place in downtown Austin, TX. The film will screen as part of SXSW’s Headliners section along with Harmony Korine’s Toronto debut Spring Breakers with James Franco and Selena Gomez, Stephen Finningan’s Hawking and Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead . SXSW veteran Joe Swanberg ‘s Drinking Buddies will screen in the festival’s Narrative Spotlight section along with fellow vet and Austin-based filmmaker Bryan Poyser’s The Bounceback and John Sayles ‘ Go For Sisters with Edward James Olmos. SXSW’s Festival Favorites section will have a good dose of Sundance offerings this year, including Austin’s Richard Linklater ‘s Before Midnight , Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess , Joseph Gordon-Levitt ‘s Don Jon’s Addiction , Yen Tan’s Pit Stop , David Gordon Green ‘s Prince Avalanche and Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color . “It’s an incredible privilege to sift through so much exciting work, and every year brings new surprises. Though trends emerge after the fact, not consciously while we’re programming, much of this year’s program embraces love and the need/search/desire for connection,” commented SXSW festival producer Janet Pierson in a statement. “Many films reflect importantly on our culture and include intimate looks at iconic figures, and we’re lucky to have a plethora of hugely entertaining and audience pleasing films. Even more thrilling is the opportunity to support so many filmmakers we’ve followed for years who’ve made enormous creative leaps in their work.” The 2013 SXSW Film Conference and Festival takes place March 8 – 16. Music takes place March 12 – 17 and the tech-laden Interactive component takes place March 8 – 12. For more information, visit their website . The 2013 SXSW Film Conference and Festival lineup follows with information provided by organizers). Narrative Feature Competition (This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,191 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere): Awful Nice Director/Screenwriter: Todd Sklar, Screenwriter: Alex Rennie Estranged brothers Jim and Dave must travel to Branson together when their father dies and leaves them the lake home. A series of hilarious mishaps and costly misadventures follow as they attempt to restore the house and rebuild their relationship. Cast: Alex Rennie, James Pumphrey, Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman, Keeley Hazell (World Premiere) Burma Director/Screenwriter: Carlos Puga On the eve of an annual sibling reunion, a troubled young writer is sent reeling with the arrival of an unexpected guest. Cast: Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Chris McCann, Dan Bittner, Emily Fleischer (World Premiere) Improvement Club Director/Screenwriter: Dayna Hanson When their big gig falls through, a ragtag, avant-garde performance group with a political message struggles to find their audience—and the motivating force behind their work. Cast: Magge Brown, Dave Proscia, Wade Madsen, Jessie Smith, Pol Rosenthal (World Premiere) LICKS Director/Screenwriter: Jonathan Singer-Vine, Screenwriter: Justin “Hongry” Robinson The story of a young man, D, as he returns to his Oakland neighborhood after two years served in prison for a robbery gone wrong… Cast: Stanley “Doe” Hunt, Koran Jenkins, Tatiana Monet, Devon Libran, Les “DJ Upgrade” Aderibigbe (World Premiere) The Retrieval Director/Screenwriter: Chris Eska On the outskirts of the Civil War, a boy is sent north by a bounty hunter gang to retrieve a wanted man. Cast: Ashton Sanders, Tishuan Scott, Keston John, Bill Oberst, Jr., Christine Horn, Alfonso Freeman (World Premiere) Short Term 12 Director/Screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton The film follows Grace, a young supervisor at a foster-care facility, as she looks after the teens in her charge and reckons with her own troubled past. An unsparingly authentic film, full of both heart and surprising humor. Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Keith Stanfield (World Premiere) Swim Little Fish Swim (USA, France) Director/Screenwriter: Ruben Amar, Lola Bessis Between surrealism, unusual characters, art and magic tricks, Swim Little Fish Swim is a dreamlike journey from childhood to adulthood. Cast: Dustin Guy Defa, Anne Consigny, Brooke Bloom, Lola Bessis, Olivia Durling Costello (World Premiere) This Is Where We Live Directors: Josh Barrett, Marc Menchaca, Screenwriter: Marc Menchaca A struggling family’s dynamics are challenged and a unique friendship is born when a small-town Texas handyman becomes caregiver to their son with cerebral palsy. Cast: Ron Hayden, CK McFarland, Marc Menchaca, Tobias Segal, Frankie Shaw (World Premiere) Documentary Feature Competition (This year’s 8 films were selected from 905 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere) 12 O’Clock Boys Director: Lotfy Nathan Pug, a young boy growing up on a combative West Baltimore block, finds solace in a gang of illegal dirt bike riders known as The 12 O’Clock Boys. (World Premiere) Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton Directors: Stephen Silha, Eric Slade A documentary about embracing your passions and becoming the person of your dreams, disguised as an inspiring biopic about pioneering filmmaker and poet James Broughton (1913-1999). (World Premiere) Hey Bartender Director: Douglas Tirola The story of the bartender in the era of the craft cocktail. (World Premiere) Los Wild Ones Director: Elise Salomon Wild Records is an indie label reminiscent of the early days of Sun Records. The label is based in LA and run by Reb Kennedy aka Mr. Wild Records and is comprised of young Latin musicians who write and perform 50s Rock n Roll. (World Premiere) The Short Game Director: Josh Greenbaum Each year, the world’s best 7-year-old golfers descend on Pinehurst, North Carolina to determine the next “world champion” and who might become golf’s next phenom. The Short Game follows 9 young golfers on their quest for greatness. (World Premiere) Touba Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi With unprecedented access and dynamic 16mm cinematography, Touba reveals a different face of Islam by chronicling Sufi Muslims’ annual pilgrimage to the city of Touba.(World Premiere) We Always Lie To Strangers Directors: AJ Schnack, David Wilson A story of family, community, music and tradition set against the backdrop of Branson, Missouri, the remote Ozark Mountain town that is one of the biggest tourist destinations in America. (World Premiere) WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL Director: Ben Nabors William Kamkwamba builds a windmill from scrap to rescue his family from famine, transforming his life and launching him onto the world stage. His success leads to new opportunities and complex choices, distancing him from the life he once knew. (World Premiere) Headliners (The section features red carpet premieres and gala film events with some major and rising names in cinema.) Evil Dead Director/Screenwriter: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriter: Rodo Sayagues Five friends, holed up in a remote cabin, discover a Book of the Dead that unwittingly summons up dormant demons which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left to fight for survival. Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore (World Premiere) Hawking (UK) Director: Stephen Finnigan A brief history of mine: a look at the life of Stephen Hawking (World Premiere) The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Director: Don Scardino, Story by Chad Kultgen & Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley As superstar Vegas magicians and former best friends Burt and Anton grow to secretly loathe each other, their long-time act implodes, allowing an ambitious rival street performer the big break he’s been waiting for. Cast: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, with Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini and Jim Carrey (World Premiere) Spring Breakers Director/Screenwriter: Harmony Korine Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work. Cast: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane (U.S. Premiere) When Angels Sing Director: Tim Mccanlies, Screenwriter: Lou Berney Michael despises Christmas. Now Christmas is getting even. Cast: Harry Connick Jr., Connie Britton, Chandler Canterbury, Fionnula Flanagan, Lyle Lovett, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Eloise DeJoria, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson (World Premiere) [More World, North American and U.S. Premieres in following pages.] —
See, that’s how you spoil your baby mama! Apparently $65K in Cartier love bracelets was just the beginning cuz Yeezy and Kimmy Cakes were spotted spending them dollars at Cartier, Hermes, Lanvin and Ermanno Scervino in Paris Friday evening. Get it how ya live… right? Hit the flip for more flicks
The balls on this guy! Lance Armstrong plotted to use his cancer diagnosis as a defense if he was ever questioned about using steroids! Via NYDailyNews reports : A former teammate of Lance Armstrong testified in a sworn affidavit that Armstrong planned to use his testicular cancer as his “card to play” if his doping sins ever caught up with him, according to a source. Jonathan Vaughters, Armstrong’s U.S. Postal teammate, said in his affidavit that Armstrong blamed the spread of his cancer on the fact that the International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport’s governing body, didn’t detect high levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Armstrong’s body when it tested the cyclist. The drug, known as hCG, is taken by males who are steroid users to boost their natural testosterone levels and prevent testicular atrophy. According to a Daily Mail report, which printed portions of Vaughters’ affidavit, Vaughters said that during a U.S. Postal training camp, “I had a conversation with Lance in which he told me that the UCI should have detected a high level of hCG in his doping controls when he had cancer but failed to do so . . . Lance said, ‘If I ever have a doping problem, I have this card to play.’ ” Last week, Armstrong admitted to doping during his two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey, and said the PEDs were behind his seven Tour de France victories, titles which have since been stripped from him by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. USADA’s reasoned decision on Armstrong, released last year, includes information from numerous affidavits from his former teammates. Armstrong told Winfrey that he did not think PEDs were responsible for his cancer, which he was diagnosed with and battled before his Tour victories. This guy truly ain’t isht! Just think about all those people fighting cancer who thought this guy was a hero, when he was actually a zero! SplashNews
Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. That was the word that came flowing out of Lance Armstrong’s mouth in his much-hyped sit-down with Oprah Winfrey tonight, as the disgraced cyclist admitted in multiple one-word answers that YES, he used performance enhancing drugs in all seven Tour de France races he won. Lance Armstrong Admits to Drug Use From EPO to testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone, Armstrong confirmed that he took it all, despite numerous brazen and bullying denials over the years. Why come clean now? “That is the best question,” he replied. “It’s the most logical question. … I will start my answer by saying that this is too late. It’s too late for probably most people, and that’s my fault. I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times, and as you said, it wasn’t as if I just said no and I moved off it.” Admitting he’s a “flawed character,” Armstrong said “all the blame here falls on me,” adding a qualifier: “But behind that picture and behind that story is momentum. Whether it’s fans or whether it’s the media… it just gets going. And I lost myself in all of that. I’m sure there would be other people that couldn’t handle it, but I certainly couldn’t handle it, and I was used to controlling everything in my life. I controlled every outcome in my life.” Armstrong went to deny the USADA’s classification of his program as the most “sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping” campaign in sports history. “It definitely was professional, and it was definitely smart, if you can call it that, but it was very conservative, very risk-averse, very aware of what mattered,” he said. “One race mattered for me. But to say that that program was bigger than the East German doping program in the ’70s and ’80s? That’s not true.” So, where do you now stand on Lance Armstrong? Do you forgive his drug use? Yes, he came clean No, why would I? View Poll »
LeAnn Rimes is worried that Eddie Cibrian might cheat on her. And Jennifer Lopez can sort of relate. The singer opens up in the latest issue of People and initially praises boyfriend Casper Smart for helping her “heal” from her latest divorce. But she also expresses concern over the couple’s 18-year age difference, telling the magazine: “I ask him, ‘Why don’t you go find a young girlfriend and get out of here? What do you want with me?’ And you think, ‘How long is this gone be?’ You think, ‘Okay, in 10 years I’m going to be like this and you’re going to be like that…’ Forget 10 years from now, though. Have you seen these Jennifer Lopez bikini photos ? Could Casper really do better? And is Lopez content with the relationship? It certainly sounds that way: “The truth is we don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re loving this moment right now. We make each other happy.”
Joe Simpson will serve as executive producer of daughter Jessica’s new NBC sitcom , but the two still aren’t on speaking terms … that’s not awkward at all. When the singer-actress-designer tapes the upcoming show, a semi-autobiographical comedy based on her life, Joe will not be on set, reports say. Just like when she filmed NBC’s Fashion Star, Joe, who still serves as her manager, will be there to oversee production, but only if she’s not there. The estrangement stems from the Joe Simpson gay rumors and the end of his marriage to Jessica’s mom Tina; they separated in 2012 after 27 years. “Don’t be fooled that because Joe is executive producer for Jessica’s new show she has now forgiven him for cheating on Tina,” a family source said. “In fact, they still don’t talk and Jessica doesn’t want anything to do with him.” “He won’t be on set when she is. Jessica will film scenes and Joe will have to review it later on a recording and discuss the show with other producers.” “He’s her manager now. That’s it.” “If Jessica had it her way, Joe wouldn’t be involved at all. However, she’s still under contract to be managed by him so there’s nothing else she can do.” Jessica and fiance Eric Johnson reportedly spent much of their recent Hawaiian getaway fighting over her father, who Eric believes she should lay off of. “It’s something they can’t see eye-to-eye on, and it really spoiled the trip for a lot of family members who felt uncomfortable in their presence,” a source said. “Jessica is keeping Joe at an arms-length following the scandal and won’t forgive him for what he did to Tina. She just doesn’t want anything to do with him.” The Simpson family patriarch has been linked to several people – both younger men, Bryce Chandler Hill and Joey Anderson – in the past year.
The Kim Kardashian Pregnant and Special and In Need of Extra Attention Tour continued last night, with the reality star and her sister stopping by The Late Show with David Letterman . And Kim actually showed a bit of sass during the interview, telling the host he can no longer make jokes about her 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries … because it’s actually been a year-and-a-half now! Considering the two aren’t actually divorced, that is. Watch Kim talk about the baller now, while Kourtney Kardashian gets in the best dig of all: If Kim were going to marry for publicity, wouldn’t “she pick someone that people knew?” Kim Kardashian on The Late Show – Kris Humphries Update And that Kanye West fella? What’s his deal? Kardashian talks about her baby daddy in the following exchange: Kim Kardashian on The Late Show – What’s Kanye Like?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stripped Lance Armstrong of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the wake of his doping scandal. A letter sent to the disgraced cyclist Wednesday, just 24 hours before the interview in which Lance Armstrong admits doping airs on OWN, asks for it back. The IOC did so after the 41-year-old legend failed to appeal a decision by the International Cycling Union stripping him of his seven Tour de France titles. Cycling’s governing body, citing a wide-ranging report from the U.S. Anti-Doping Administration, disqualified all of Armstrong’s results dating back to 1998. Armstrong was given 21 days to appeal; he did not, but did not offer an admission of guilt – until this week’s sit-down with O – saying he simply wouldn’t appeal. “We were waiting for confirmation from the UCI that he hadn’t appealed against his disqualification,” an IOC spokesman said of its decision to reclaim the medal. The first installment of an extensive interview Armstrong gave Oprah Winfrey earlier this week is set to air tonight only on OWN. You don’t want to miss it.
It has been confirmed by the Associated Press: In an interview taped tonight with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his days as a professional cyclist. Lance Armstrong Admits to Drug Use: Report The rumor of such an admission has been circling for days, with Armstrong apologizing over the weekend to members of his Livestrong foundation. It remains unclear exactly what Armstrong told Winfrey – the interview airs on OWN Thursday night – which will be important in terms of the lawsuits that have already been filed against Armstrong. The former world champion was stripped of all seven Tour de France titles last year after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a 1,000-page report that painted him as a drug user and drug pusher, someone who manipulated the system and pressured fellow riders to follow his methods. Led by Armstrong, the U.S. Postal Service team carried out “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen,” according to Travis Tygart of the USADA. Through years of allegations, Armstrong both denied any kind of drug use and reacted combatively against those who leveled the charge against him. Why come clean now? He supposedly wants to be free to compete in sanctioned marathons and triathlons . Teased Oprah in a Tweet not long after chatting with the disgraced athlete: “Just wrapped with @lancearmstrong More than 2½ hours. He came READY!”
