Or so she says in an interview for April's Elle, which may have happened before their breakup. By Jocelyn Vena
Taylor Swift is on the cover of the April issue of Elle, and inside she reveals her thoughts on the hotness of her ex-boyfriend, "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner. But don't get too excited by the possibility that this interview might lead to a romantic reunion — it appears to have been conducted before Swift and Lautner went their separate ways.
The interview may have taken place in December 2009, when Swift was spotted wearing a hairstyle similar to one she's sporting in the accompanying photos (bangs and all). In addition to talking about her fears and her lyrical inspirations, she sheepishly shared that her "Valentine's Day" co-star was on her hot list. "Um, well ... Taylor Lautner," she said in response to a query about who she thought was hot. The two reportedlysplit up in late December.
Swift has never been shy about using her relationships as lyrical inspiration. "I like to categorize the various levels of heartbreak," she told Elle. "I've only had that happen once. A letdown is worth a few songs. A heartbreak is worth a few albums."
Swift, who kicked off the second leg of her Fearless tour on Thursday, also talked about her own level of fearlessness. "I overthink everything," she explained. "I overanalyze everything."
Sometimes for Swift, though, all that thinking can lead to success. For instance, she claims that the power of positive thinking ultimately pushed her to move to Nashville, where she realized her musical ambitions. "I just got it into my head that there was this magical place that I needed to go to because that was where dreams come true," she said.
But it seems that as her star rises and her popularity grows, so does the scrutiny Swift faces from the public and the media. She said that these days, people are waiting to see if she'll make a mistake.
"I've had countless opportunities to do some really bad things," she said. "And then people start combing through everything I do, trying to find the next mistake and misperception, which leads to more scrutiny.
"Like, if I go to a bar, even if I'm not drinking, who's to say that a source isn't going to say that I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing?" she went on. "So it's not only about your own moral compass, but the moral compasses of other people that you don't know."
B cuts the ribbon on the new Beyoncé Cosmetology Center at the Phoenix House in Brooklyn, New York. By Rya Backer
On Friday (March 5), Beyoncé spoke in downtown Brooklyn, New York, at the Phoenix House, a nonprofit recovery center for drug and alcohol addiction, to unveil a project she and her mother, Tina, have dreamed of and worked on for years: the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center.
According to the press release, the program is "a seven-month cosmetology training course for adult men and women." L'Oréal has donated all the products to be used at the center, and their spokeswoman Beyoncé, along with her mother, have pledged to donate $100,000 annually.
After brief remarks by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Tina Knowles, among others, Beyoncé graciously took to the podium to explain both her ties to the house — she first visited in 2007 as part of research for her role as Etta James in "Cadillac Records" — and her hopes for the program.
While Phoenix House provides varied vocational training, "I felt like they needed something that was geared towards women — something that would teach them skills that would give them hope even after the Phoenix House," Beyoncé explained about why she chose to fund a beauty school. Her mother also owned and operated a salon in Knowles' hometown of Houston.
"I saw that a salon was a place for women to socialize, share stories, cry, laugh and get advice," she continued about her experiences growing up around a beauty parlor. She was close to tears as she added, "Most importantly, I saw the joy it brought my mother, knowing she was a part of their transformation."
B admired the strength of the women and men who've chosen to go to Phoenix House, citing the stigma placed on the disease of drug and alcohol abuse, and that while none of them chose to be addicts, they have all "chosen to get better." As the speech ended and a brief set of photo ops — including the cutting of a ceremonial ribbon — began, Beyoncé took to the microphone one last time. "It's a very proud day for me and my mother," she beamed.
Pop star discusses her past, fame and fashion with the New York Times. By Joel Hanek
As she melds her pop music with performance pieces, Lady Gaga has managed to cultivate a sense of authority in art and fashion that goes beyond her enigmatic nebula of glamour and wigs. She did her best to maintain that authority, while also getting very personal, in an interview with the New York Times, fulfilling her new promotional duties for the M.A.C. AIDS fund and Viva Glam.
"It's hard knowing who to trust with your personal life," Lady Gaga revealed to fashion reporter Horacio Silva in a piece that will run in this weekend's T magazine. "When you cry in your room at night, you don't always know who to call. So I am very close to my family."
The singer also touched on betrayal and the need to move on from elements of her past life, including drug use. "I left [my past] behind because I had to," she said. "For many reasons, like drugs. It's no secret that I have had problems with drugs in the past. And some places represent to me things in terms of my mental and physical health, so you learn to move on, to preserve what your mission in life is, and my greater mission is my fans."
Lady Gaga has consistently used the concept of fame as a motif in her art and music. "I believe in the glamorous life and I live one," she said. However, the artist also expressed her distaste in "celebrities" and explained how she tries to challenge the paradigm of fame with her fans. "I think I have changed the way they look at and devour fame. It's something that tastes a little too sweet but is not so difficult to swallow."
After discussing her "spiritual guide," the interview highlighted another unique thing about Gaga: She refers to herself in the third person.
"I talk about myself in the third person all the time. I don't live my life in the way someone like you does," Lady Gaga explained. "I live my life completely serving only my work and my fans. And that way, I have to think about not what is best for my vagina but what is best for my fans and for me artistically."
'Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?' Best Actress winner asks. By Gil Kaufman
The key to a memorable Oscar acceptance speech is a great first line. "The Blind Side" star Sandra Bullock nailed it on Sunday night when picking up her Best Actress trophy for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the football drama.
"Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?" Bullock joked with the audience, who rose to their feet for a standing ovation for the actress, who'd never been nominated before.
"I would like to thank the Academy for allowing me in the last month to have the most incredible ride with rooms full of artists that I see tonight and that I've worked with before and I hope to work with in the future, who inspire me and blaze trails for us. Four of them that I've fallen deeply in love with I share this night with and I share this award with."
Bullock, one of the most successful female actors in Hollywood history, went on to heap praise on her fellow nominees in the actress category, Helen Mirren ("The Last Station"), Carey Mulligan ("An Education"), Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire") and perennial nominee Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia").
"Gabby, I love you so much. ... Carey, your grace, beauty and talent make me sick. ... Helen, I feel like we're family. ... And Meryl, you know what I think of you, and you're such a good kisser." The latter was a reference to the time Bullock gave Streep a big kiss after they tied for best actress at the Critics' Choice Awards in January.
"I have so many people to thank for my good fortune in this lifetime, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I know. To the family that allowed me to play them, the Tuohy family, I know they're in here and you'll probably hear her in a minute. Maybe not. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ... do something different. John Lee Hancock, Gil Netter, Alcon, Warner Bros., the actors, everyone who's shown me kindness when it wasn't fashionable, I thank you. To everyone who was mean to me when it wasn't ... George Clooney threw me in a pool years ago. I'm still holding a grudge. But there's so many people to thank."
Bullock also took time to praise mothers who never give up on their kids and her own mother, Helga, for doing the same.
"I would like to thank what this film is about, for me, which are the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from," she said. "Those moms and parents never get thanked. I, in particular, failed to thank one. So ... if I can take this moment to thank Helga B. for not letting me ride in cars with boys until I was 18 because she was right.
"I would've done what she said I was gonna do. For making me practice every day when I got home. Piano, ballet, whatever it is I wanted to be. She said to be an artist, you had to practice every day, and for reminding her daughters that there's no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else. We are all deserving of love. So, to that trailblazer, who allowed me to have that. And this. And this. I thank you so much for this opportunity that I share with these extraordinary women and my lover Meryl Streep. Thank you."
While Ron Silver, John Hughes and Patrick Swayze got their due, Ricardo Montalban and Ed McMahon were also omitted. By Gil Kaufman
Every year, it seems, there are omissions from the "In Memoriam" tribute at the Academy Awards that get fans up in arms. Two years ago, it was troubled actor Brad Renfro, whose image was not among those shown during the show, following his death of a drug overdose the month before the 2008 program. His absence was explained at the time as an unintentional result of the limited space available during the segment.
Sunday night's Oscar show left one major name off the list: Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actress and former "Charlie's Angels" star Farrah Fawcett, who died in June at the age of 62 after a long fight with cancer. While her death was somewhat overshadowed by that of Michael Jackson, who died on the same day, Fawcett graced the covers of a number of magazines and was he subject of much public support in the months leading up to her death.
Also left out of the montage — which did include Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Brittany Murphy and Ron Silver — was Emmy-winning "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur, who died of cancer in April at age 86.
Others whose images didn't grace the screen as James Taylor played "In My Life" were longtime "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon and Ricardo Montalban, both known primarily for their television work, though Montalban also starred in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and a number of other comedies, including "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams" and "Cannonball Run II."
At press time, producers of the Oscar telecast had not issued a statement about the actors who were not included in the tribute.
'The Hurt Locker,' Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique and some lesser-known flicks won big at the 82nd annual Academy Awards.
The 82nd annual Academy Awards are over and the winners have been counted. "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" squared off in a nomination-leading nine categories, and Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war story emerged the victor. Her David beat James Cameron's sci-fi Goliath with six wins to the three for "Avatar." Sandra Bullock and Jeff Bridges won for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively, while Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz took home statues for supporting actress and actor, all as expected.
Here is a full list of the winners:
Best Picture "The Hurt Locker"
Best Director Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Best Actress in a Lead Role Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Best Actor in a Lead Role Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Mo'Nique, "Precious"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Animated Feature Film "Up"
Best Art Direction "Avatar"
Best Cinematography "Avatar"
Best Costume Design "The Young Victoria"
Best Documentary Feature "The Cove"
Best Documentary Short "Music by Prudence"
Best Film Editing "The Hurt Locker"
Best Foreign Language Film "El Secreto de sus Ojos," Argentina
Best Makeup "Star Trek"
Best Original Score "Up"
Best Original Song "Crazy Heart"
Best Sound Mixing "The Hurt Locker"
Best Sound Editing "The Hurt Locker"
Best Visual Effects "Avatar"
Best Writing (Original Screenplay) "The Hurt Locker"
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) "Precious"
'Tomorrow, I'll be sorry that it's over,' Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz says. By Larry Carroll
HOLLYWOOD — In an Oscar evening celebrating the explosive rawness of "Hurt Locker," the massive megawattage of "Avatar," the fun-loving revisionist history of "Inglourious Basterds" and so many other memorable films of 2009, the eclectic ceremony was matched only by an electric environment backstage. Moments after accepting their Academy Awards, still-emotional folks like Jeff Bridges, James Cameron, Mo'Nique and Sandra Bullock spoke with the media while clinging tightly to their newly won golden trinkets.
"I don't think I ever dared to hope," said Kathryn Bigelow, director of "The Hurt Locker," moments after winning Oscars for Best Directing and the big prize for Best Picture — all part of its five wins that led the evening. "But I will say that what was extraordinary was the love from the critical community. That was like wind in our sails — it created a momentum that did not stop."
Also sailing to new heights was Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock. "I think it makes a great, inspirational story when you see what someone can rise to the occasion and do," she said of the inspirational elements of her film. "I've seen it day after day in New Orleans, and that's why I love that town so much."
"It was fantastic," beamed a still-euphoric Christoph Waltz who answered some press questions in German. "Tomorrow, I'll be sorry that it's over."
Mo'Nique, meanwhile, had a message for those who viewed her "Precious" character as so despicable that no one could possibly see her as anything but a monster. "Yes [I identify with her] in that last scene," explained the Best Supporting Actress winner. "And I'll ask you: Have you ever had a dark moment, when you were unlovable? And didn't you want somebody to love you through it? Everybody deserves to be loved, even when they're unlovable."
But that isn't to say that Mo'Nique wasn't eager to step out of the drama every day when filming had wrapped. "When [director] Lee Daniels said, 'Cut!' Mary Jones was left on the floor," she remembered. "This role was so not about my acting career — this role has shaped my life. If I'm just the dynamic person I strive to be every day, I've won." Jeff Bridges also had high hopes for what his new statue would accomplish. "Hopefully this award will help bring peace, understanding and prosperity to my world," he explained, saying that both the movie and music within "Crazy Heart" has the power to move mountains. "Movies are more than entertainment; they connect us — and music is the same way."
A particularly amusing occurrence came about over the weekend when Bullock received the Razzie for Worst Actress on Saturday evening for her movie "All About Steve," then won the Oscar for Best Actress less than 24 hours later. Backstage, she said she wouldn't have had it any other way.
"They are going to sit side by side, as they should. We are in the entertainment business, that's what we do. Take the good with the not-so-good," Bullock said of her diametrically opposed honors. "It probably means more that both happened at the same time, because it's the great equalizer.
"They'll sit side by side on a shelf," Bullock said of her plans for the two awards. "The Razzie, maybe, on a lower shelf." Nobody was giving anything but love to the "Hurt Locker" team on Sunday, however — and they gave it right back. "I would say, and I don't mean it to be simple, but don't give up on your dream. I've been making films for a while — it's only been 30 years," Bigelow laughed. "Be tenacious, work on stories you truly believe in — because then, no obstacle is too great."
If possible, it was even a bigger night than Best Picture would normally permit for the filmmaker — who, as Barbra Streisand explained while presenting, had become the first female director to ever win Hollywood's highest honor.
"I hope I'm the first of many. I love to think of myself as a filmmaker and I long for the day that a modifier can be a moot point," she explained, urging female filmmakers to "never think the possible is impossible. Never give up on your dream." As for the Oscar winners, well, their big dreams for the rest of the evening revolved around drinks, dancing, handshakes and dinner prepared by the world's finest chefs. Except for Bullock, who was already urging husband Jesse James to go with her on a fast-food run.
"I just want a burger and some food," the Best Actress winner grinned, clutching her Oscar and revealing her plans for the rest of the night. "I want to take these shoes off, not worry the dress will bust open and just eat food.
"Oh, and a nap," she added. "I'd like a nap."
Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' clip, featuring Beyonce, is set to premiere on E! Thursday at 11:30 p.m. By Jocelyn Vena
Attention, Monsters: Lady Gaga is set to premiere her "Telephone" video, which of course features Beyoncé, on Thursday. After teasing her fans last week with a photo of herself (barely dressed) from the video, it was announced on Sunday (March 7) during E! News' broadcast of the Oscars red carpet that Gaga will premiere the hotly anticipated clip Thursday at 11:30 p.m. ET on E! News.
Lady Gaga's official Web site announced that more details about the premiere will be made public Monday morning. The video, which is reportedly shy of 10 minutes long, was shot in California in February and was directed by "Paparazzi" director Jonas Aklerlund. The clip features collaborator Beyoncé as well as Gaga's pals Semi Precious Weapons.
Gaga, who appears in the video in a number of characteristic getups (including phones on her head, said the video picks up where "Paparazzi" left off. "What I like about it is it's a real true pop event," she told Phoenix's 104.7 KISS FM last month. "And when I was younger, I was always excited when there was a big giant event happening in pop music and that's what I wanted this to be."
In the video, Beyoncé reportedly breaks Gaga out of prison for what has been described as a Tarantino-inspired clip that even features the truck that Uma Thurman's character drove in Tarantino's "Kill Bill." When Gaga and Beyoncé collaborated on B's "Video Phone" clip, there were visual nods to Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs."
"I feel so bad for the 'Bad Romance' video 'cause the 'Telephone' video's so much better," Gaga said. "[Beyoncé is] really a great friend of mine. We have a lot of fun working together. We're so very different in our approaches, but somehow when we come together it's really magical. I'm very excited for everyone to see the video."
'It's the moment of a lifetime,' Bigelow says during acceptance speech. By Eric Ditzian
The big winner at the 82nd Academy Awards was not the man whose blue aliens have made $2.5 billion worldwide but Kathryn Bigelow, the director of "The Hurt Locker," which beat out "Avatar" for Best Picture and Best Directing.
Until Bigelow's Directing win on Sunday night (March 7), no woman had ever triumphed in that category. Only three women — Lina Wertmuller ("Seven Beauties"), Jane Campion ("The Piano") and Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation") — had ever been nominated for Directing.
"There's no other way to describe it — it's the moment of a lifetime," Bigelow said during her acceptance speech.
She went on to thank her fellow nominees and war journalist Mark Boal, who wrote the script based on his experiences covering the Iraq war. "I would not be standing here if it wasn't for Mark Boal, who risked his life for the words on the page and wrote such a courageous screenplay that I was fortunate to have an extraordinary cast bring that screenplay to life," she said.
"I'd just like to dedicate this to the women and men of the military who risk their lives every day in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world," she added. "May they come home safe."
Once married to James Cameron, Bigelow has directed films like "Point Break," "Strange Days" and "K-19: The Widowmaker." The Directing win was one of six Oscars "Hurt Locker" nabbed during the evening. Other wins included Film Editing, Original Screenplay and Sound Editing. Moments after the Directing win, Bigelow returned to the stage to accept the Best Picture statue.
"Perhaps one more dedication," she said. "To men and women all over the world who — sorry to reiterate — but wear a uniform, not just the military — HazMat, emergency, firemen. They are there for us, and we are there for them."
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