Posts Tagged ‘Positively Latest News’

Lauren Graham is not only one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, but also one of the most talented. The star of NBC’s drama Parenthood has proven time and time again in her career that whether it be on the small screen, the big screen, or the theater, her acting chops are second to none.

Now we can add author to Graham’s long list of achievements, as the stunning actress has just signed a deal with Random House to be published!

Announced via Random House’s twitter, Graham, who has starred on the big screen in Bad Santa alongside Billy Bob Thornton as well as in one of our favorite movies, Evan Almighty alongside Steve Carell, has been signed on to be published with her first novel, entitled “You’ll Never Make It”. As described by the company, the novel “is semi-autobiographical about struggling actress in NYC in mid-90s who waits tables as she hopes for big break.” The book will be released both in digital and traditional format.

Graham, who rose to fame playing Lorelai on the long running television show Gilmore Girls, has been extremely busy as of late, with Parenthood completing it’s second season (with the season finale pulling major ratings), her charity work and a new movie in the works.

All of us here are incredibly impressed and can’t wait to read “You’ll Never Make It” when it’s released.

Be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

Veteran television personality Katie Couric has been announced to launch a new syndicated talk show in 2012, as reported by The Associated Press.

Couric, a decorated journalist who is currently the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, a correspondent for 60 Minutes and also hosts a web series on CBSNews.com, has been in discussions for her own talk show for quite some time.

With Oprah Winfrey announcing her upcoming retirement, Couric is another of several high profile journalists to throw their hat into the talk show ring. CNN’s Anderson Cooper has a show starting soon, and Martin Bashir’s talk show debuted on MSNBC in March.

The 54-year-old Couric, a mother of two, will be leaving her position with the CBS Evening News after nearly five years in June when her current contract expires. Couric currently earns $15 million a year with CBS, where she was first sole female anchor of a network newscast in history.

One person who definitely does not want Couric to leave her post is David Letterman, who last month told her “There’s a period of adjustment to get accustomed to the trust and build up faith in the character of the person presenting the news. And then you can’t just pull the rug out from under the viewers.”

Unfortunately for Dave, a CBS executive speaking under the veil of anonymity has confirmed that Couric will be out as soon as her contract expires, ending her hosting duties for the show.

With the void that Oprah will leave upon her retirement, a perky, personable and eloquent talk show host should be able to thrive and draw strong ratings; known as “America’s Sweetheart,” Couric fits this profile perfectly. With her strong background that has seen her work for CNN, NBC and CBS, coupled with her great attitude, incredible work ethic and vibrant personality, Couric is a shoe-in for success.

All of us here at Positively Celebrity are proud of Katie Couric for not only her on screen success, but also her behind the scenes work she does for cancer awareness and prevention, and wish her nothing but the best in her last few months at CBS and in all her future endeavors! We will be watching Katie’s new talk show, and can’t wait to see her conquer another media hosting opportunity!

Be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

The gang of the raunchy teen comedy American Pie are teaming up once again for a new installment of the series!

The cast of the first three American Pie films (Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Eugene Levy, Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Allison Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas and the hilarious Sean William Scott as Stifler) are reuniting for the fourth theatrical installment of the lucrative franchise, tentatively entitled American Reunion.

The franchise, which has grossed over $750 million worldwide for Universal from the first three movies alone, will be written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who collaborated previously on Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

American Reunion will catch up with Jim and the gang at their 10 year high school reunion. Lots has happened to the group in the decade since their graduation from East Great Falls High School, including one character becoming a reality television show star, another an international world traveler and one a YouTube celebrity!

American Reunion will undoubtedly be full of scenes that will make us laugh, cringe and maybe even tear up a bit. The movie is estimated to be released for 2012, and will surely be one of the biggest hits of next summer!

All of us here at Positively Celebrity can’t wait to be updated on how Jim, Oz, Stifler and the gang have been spending the last decade, and couldn’t be more excited on the news of American Reunion!

And be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XVII was an astounding success on March 19 in Phoenix, and helped to raise over $6.6 million to benefit the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. The star studded event has now raised a staggering total of over $70 million over its 17 year history.

This year’s Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix brought a broad mix of celebrities, sports athletes and VIP donors to the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, for a night to remember. On hand were (just to name a few) stunning race car driver Danica Patrick, actor Billy Crystal, the top 11 finalists from this season’s American Idol television show (who performed an incredible Michael Jackson medley), Rob Thomas, Bret Michaels, Kevin Costner and Halle Berry.

The annual event has brought together people from all walks of life for a night in honor of Muhammad Ali, with incredible live auction items as well as musical performances from the best in the business. This year was one of the best in the event’s history, with auctions such as a private dinner with country music star and actress Reba McEntire at her Beverly Hills home which went for $800,000, a dinner in Los Angeles with Billy Crystal and Limitless star Robert De Niro (a great movie which is out now!) which sold for $400,000, and a one week stay on Eustatia Island, a private island located off the coast of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands!

Halle Berry, Academy Award winning star of Swordfish and Monster’s Ball, received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entertainer Award, and also a hug and a kiss from the legendary pugilist. Former NBA and NFL owner Red McCombs received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Humanitarian Award, and Cristie Kerr, the top ranked women’s golfer in the world, received the Sports Achievement Award. Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons received the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Entrepreneur Award, and Parsons himself donated $1,000,000 to the organization as well as purchased over $1,000,000 in auction items at the event.

Gorgeous former American Idol winner and Grammy award winning singer Kelly Clarkson closed out the incredible evening with a multiple song performance that brought the house down. “I had such an amazing weekend! I got the chance to be a part of Fight Night in Arizona and I had such a great time! I can’t wait to come back next year! I made some new friends with some big hearts and it was just a very inspiring weekend. Please find a few charities and/or causes and give your time, heart and/or money because we are all so blessed even when we think we’re not,” the 28 year old singer said of the event.

All of us here at Positively Celebrity are amazed at the amount of donations that the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night event has brought in over the years, and can’t wait to see what stars will strut their stuff on the red carpet in Phoenix next year!

For more information on the event, please visit www.celebrityfightnight.org

Be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

Hollywood actor and director Ben Affleck recently traveled to Washington, D.C. with former presidential candidate John McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, to speak in front of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa about the country of Congo. The country is located in central Africa, and though its land is rich in valuable minerals, corruption, long running civil war and lawlessness has caused Congo to become one of the worst places in the world — rife with rape, murder and human trafficking.

The star of such movies as Chasing Amy, Paycheck, Daredevil and most recently, The Town, has been involved with Congo since 2005. Said Affleck to CNN on the region, “The more I traveled, the more I was struck about , the more I fell in love with the people, the more I was horrified by what was happening. And the more I did, I started to develop this idea of partnering with the Congolese people and wanting to empower community-based organizations there that were doing extraordinary work.”

In 2010 Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, a US-based advocacy organization for the people of Eastern Congo, and dedicated himself to bring awareness and change for the Congolese people.

On Tuesday, March 8, Affleck and McCain testified in front of Congress about all that he had learned and seen about Congo. The actor, who is married to Jennifer Garner and is a father of two, lobbied Congress to help protect the Congolese people and help to ensure that the November elections to be held within the country will be free of voter fraud and violence.

“This is an ambitious agenda, but it can be accomplished,” Affleck said. “The federal budget may be seen as a zero sum game but our morality, our sense of decency, our compassion for our fellow human beings, is not.”

“The United States government can and should play an active role in ensuring this November’s elections are free and fair,” the actor stated. “The last time Congo collapsed, armies came in from across Africa…Five million people died…We must learn from history and do our part to make sure this never happens again.”

“This is an ambitious agenda, but it can be accomplished,” Affleck said. “Come November, we must be able to look ourselves in the eye and say we did what our principals demanded—we helped democracy emerge in a place where tragedy was the alternative.”

McCain, who has traveled with Affleck to see the ravaged country of Congo added, “We are going to lose a generation of women and children in Congo unless we do something now. I am only a humanitarian relief worker. That’s the only thing I’ve ever done and that’s the only thing I know with regards to this region, but I only know what’s right. We can’t leave behind these women and children.”

All of here are proud of Ben Affleck’s hard work lobbying for the end of human rights violations in Congo, and wish the movie star nothing but the best in seeking support for the war-torn country. To learn more about his organization the Eastern Congo Initiative, please visit www.easterncongo.org

And be sure to check back for more of the latest celebrity news and features from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

Kim Kardashian has gone from Hollywood socialite to one of the most recognized and talked about celebrities throughout the world in a just a few short years. With her meteoric rise to fame, opportunities have come hard and fast — with Kim receiving countless public appearance requests, magazine exclusives and most notably, endorsement deals.

From Sephora to Bebe to GNC, the reality television star makes millions annually from her product backing ($3.2 million last year to be exact), but one particular endorsement stands out from the rest: Fusion Beauty.

Fusion Beauty is a cosmetics company that was started in 2005, and quickly established themselves as a major player in the field. With products that include a micro-injected collagen lip plump, Fusion Beauty was a near-instant success, becoming one of the top product lines at makeup chain Sephora.

When Fusion Beauty found themselves looking for the perfect spokesmodel for their line it was clear that Kim K was the perfect choice from the get-go.

“With her gorgeously flawless complexion and seriously sexy pout she was an easy choice and a natural fit,” the company stated. “As a confident, passionate and driven woman, who is beautiful both inside and out, Kim is a perfect embodiment of our brand vision and will be a source of inspiration and empowerment for all Fusion beauties!”

What makes the pairing of Fusion Beauty and Kim Kardashian different from other endorsements for the incredibly beautiful star is that the two didn’t just join forces to sell cosmetics; they also partnered up with the Seven Bar Foundation, a non-profit organization started in 2001 whose mission is “to sustainably finance underprivileged women to start businesses through microloans…business fueling business to bring women to self reliance.”

The Kiss Away Poverty campaign was established, and $1 from the sale of every Lipfusion by Fusion Beauty product is set aside for the Seven Bar Foundation’s microfinance program to help women in poverty start their own business and free themselves of their impoverished state.

Kim is not only doing print ads for Fusion Beauty to promote their product line, but also is making public appearances, tweeting and doing interviews with magazines and television shows to get the word out on all that the company has to offer in both cosmetics and philanthropy.

“They give back, and me being an entrepreneur and trying to give beauty and fashion tips all over the place, I feel like it’s an even greater thing to help women get on their feet and to help women get out of poverty and get good jobs and get their lives together. So I just think it’s the perfect fit,” Kardashian told a group in Santa Monica, CA this fall.

Results from the campaign have been a smashing success so far. “We’ve helped women start a yoga studio, a lingerie line. I’m all about empowering women,” the flawless starlet recently told the television show Extra.

All of us here at Positively Celebrity are inspired by Kim and proud of her and the actions she is taking to help low income women get out of poverty and back on their feet! You can learn more about Fusion Beauty and their products at http://www.fusionbeauty.com and you can read more about the Seven Bar Foundation at www.sevenbarfoundation.org.

Be sure to check back for more great inspirational celebrity stories from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

It seems as if every week, a new story on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is being told on tabloids and being reported on television. From the pair splitting, to adopting new children to jet-setting all over the world to fight for causes, news on the couple comes hard and fast, from the most salacious to the most mundane.

One story that seems to have slipped under the radar though, is perhaps the most incredible of all: Brad Pitt’s work with helping rebuild New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina touched down on the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Ultimately it would be one of the most devastating hurricanes of all time, leaving a death toll of nearly 2,000 and causing roughly $80 billion worth of property damage.

Over 80% of New Orleans and the surrounding regions were ultimately flooded by Katrina, with the Lower Ninth Ward (one of the poorest areas of the city, and the largest of the wards) being one of the hardest hit. Over 4,000 homes in the Lower Ninth alone were demolished by the storm, displacing countless families.

In 2007, Brad Pitt was touring New Orleans when he was shown the Lower Ninth Ward. Shocked by the lack of repairs and rebuilding of homes a full two years after Katrina, the actor decided to take things into his own hands to help the people of the devastated region.

With advice from former President Bill Clinton and with backing by the local government, Pitt established the Make It Right Foundation, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the homes of the Lower Ninth Ward and helping bring residents back to the area.

The Make It Right Foundation has been an absolute godsend to the people of the Lower Ninth Ward. Since it’s inception in 2007, Make It Right has built over 50 homes in the area, and has pledged to build at least another 100 more.

The homes that Pitt’s foundation have built are not just utilitarian in their design, but incorporate the ideas of some of the best and brightest in architecture today. As a result, the Lower Ninth, used to simple “shotgun” style homes as seen before Katrina, is now dotted with modern, green housing that is stylish, affordable and eco-friendly (some of the features in Pitt’s homes include rainwater collection systems, geothermal wells and solar panels).

Pitt himself is extremely proud of the fact that his housing has been able to give people a home that is good for them, and the environment. “ the most high-performing clean neighborhood in the world, according to the Green Building council,” he said.

Pitt isn’t just raising money for the area, he also has moved with his family to NOLA (as the locals call the city), and absolutely loves it. “In New Orleans, the people are great,” the actor recently told the Times-Picayune. “We can just live and breathe and ride bikes. We can take our kids on bike rides, and local people just give us a shout out—and let us move on. It’s very free for us in New Orleans, very nice for us. It’s like Venice or Rome; an essential world city. So we feel honored to be involved with the community. Everybody treats us like neighbors.”

In total, the Make It Right Foundation has astoundingly raised over $40 million (including $5 million of Pitt’s own money) to help rebuild and repopulate the Lower Ninth Ward. It is clear that the organization is doing all they can to ensure that their mission statement, which states “our primary goal is to provide high-quality, energy-efficient housing to families in need, and to improve the development of communities in which they live,” is being followed.

Slowly but surely, the locals are returning to the Lower Ninth, and are happily trying to regain a normal semblance of life as they had it before the levees broke. “It’s a dream come true, seeing all this come back,” Kermit Ruffins, the famous New Orleans local singer and trumpet player, says of the rebuilding. “To see people back home, enjoying the neighborhood again. It’s a beautiful thing.”

All of us here at Positively Celebrity are extremely proud of Mr. Pitt and all that he has done for NOLA, and are looking forward to seeing the Lower Ninth being rebuilt bigger, better and greener than ever! For more information on the Make It Right Foundation, and to donate to the organization’s cause please visit www.makeitrightNOLA.org

Be sure to check back for more great inspirational stories from Richard Munassi right here at Positively Celebrity!

This season, many celebs are sportin’ a similar look: The baby bump!

According to the Associated Press, 38-year-old actress Christina Applegate is expecting her first child with fiance Martyn Lenoble. Congrats!

She’s glowing! Actress Ali Larter is now about five months pregnant, according to People Magazine, and she and her husband Hayes MacArthur are very excited to welcome their first child into the world.

Superstar singer Alicia Keys, 29, is one hot mama-to-be! She recently got hitched to hubby Swizz Beatz on Saturday July 31 and according to the Associated Press, the couple is expecting their first child together, due later this year.

Another musician to join the baby club is 25-year-old singer Lily Allen. She announced to The Sun newspaper that she is three months pregnant and she and her boyfriend Sam Cooper say they are very happy.

Maybe all the pregnant stars will coordinate baby play-dates!

“They say the neon lights are bright….”

Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) in Broadway revival of “Promises, Promises,” 2010.

Maybe it is the recent success of the hit musical phenomenon Glee that is now making everyone want to become a ‘triple threat.’ Whatever it is, the stage is now the place to be. More and more celebs seem to be making their way to the Great White Way to be a part of the magic that is Broadway.

According to the Associated Press, cast members from the Bravo show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” will be making their Off-Broadway debut this September in “My Big Gay Italian Wedding.” Teresa Giudice, Ashley Holmes, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo and Lauren Manzo will be joining the cast of the musical comedy for four performances running from September 1 – 4, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Marriage Equality New York.

Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) at the Broadway opening of “Promises, Promises,” April 2010.

As for a ‘West-Side Story,’ a star-studded version of the Pulitzer prize-winning musical RENT will open this weekend in LA.  According to Playbill.com, the production is directed by Neil Patrick Harris and cast members include Vanessa Hudgens, Aaron Tveit, Skyler Astin, Tracy Thoms, Nicole Scherzinger, and Wayne Brady. The performances will run August 6 -8 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Vanessa Hudgens will be making her stage debut playing Mimi Marquez in RENT this weekend.

Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) showed off her dancing skills on “Dancing With the Stars” last season, now she will prove she really is a triple threat in RENT performing as Maureen Johnson.

Wayne Brady at the Los Angeles Premiere of Broadway musical “In The Heights,” June 2010. He will be playing Tom Collins in Neil Patrick Harris’ version of Rent.

Be sure to check out more great posts from Jessica Crilley right here at Positively Celebrity!

Betty White must be having the best year ever. She hosted Saturday Night Live, got nominated for an Emmy, had a hilarious super bowl ad that went viral, landed a role in a brand new sitcom Hot in Cleveland, and now she is cashing in on her success. But don’t worry; this ‘golden girl’ is definitely not selfish!

According to the Associated Press, the 88-year-old actress posed for a 2011 calendar that will go on sale this September and all proceeds will go to her favorite charity, the Morris Animal Foundation. The fabulous calendar features photos of her with animals and some with half-naked men. Go Betty!

Now she revealed to US Magazine that she will also be producing a clothing line of hoodies and T-shirts with Jerry Leigh Apparel. A portion of the proceeds will benefit her philanthropic organization as well.

The apparel, which is available for $48 at Hoodiebuddie.com, includes colorful Warhol-like photos of Betty and one says ‘Long live the queen!’

What do you think? Will you be buying a Betty White hoodie or calendar?