MTV wants to spice up the drama on The Hills by bringing Lauren Conrad's former Laguna Beach nemesis, Kristin Cavallari, into the mix. Star magazine is reporting that the network is in talks with Cavallari, much to the chagrin of Conrad, who has threatened to walk from the show if they go through with the casting. While on Laguna Beach, the two blondes fought over Hayden Panetierre's recent ex-boyfriend, Stephen Colletti.
John Travolta, who had been tapped to play J.R. Ewing in an upcoming Dallas movie, has been dropped from the project and replaced by Ben Stiller. "John was given a nice seven-figure 'gift' to go away quietly," a source told the New York Post. A friend of the Golden Globe nominee confirmed that he was no longer involved with the movie but a rep for Stiller denies the Post's claim that he had accepted or had been offered Travolta's old role.
While training in the Ultimate Fighting Championship method for his role in The Grackle, Matthew McConaughey was injured. Although details of when and where the injury occurred are sketchy, the actor has been seen around town, sporting a bandage over his left eye.
The warrant against actor Daniel Baldwin for failing to show up at a court hearing earlier this month was dismissed by a Los Angeles judge on Monday (December 17th) because of a miscommunication. Baldwin was shooting the film Grey Gardens in Toronto on a court-approved travel permit at the time of the hearing. He told the judge, "I didn't know I was supposed to call the court myself. I plead ignorance." He is currently on probation for his 2006 cocaine-associated arrest at a Santa Monica, California hotel.
Bad news for the 2008 awards shows. The writers union has refused to allow its members to write for the upcoming Academy Awards or Golden Globe ceremonies. The board of directors of the Writers Guild of America, West, decided not to give the academy an interim agreement for writing services, according to a person close to the guild. Golden Globes will be presented January 13 and the 80th Academy Awards ceremony is set for February 24.
Tara Reid was hospitalized briefly in Bali after collapsing during a night out on the town. X17online.com is reporting that Reid sustained minor cuts and bruises after taking a spill while she was out partying. She was released and is resting at her hotel.
The embarrassment over tough-guy actor Mickey Rourke's arrest last month in Miami Beach for DUI while on a Vespa continues: The Miami Herald reports that the Breathalyzer machine used on him by police malfunctioned. His initial test showed a blood alcohol reading of .081, which is just over the legal limit, but a second test showed a reading of .074. Though the charges have not yet been dropped, his operator's license has been returned to him, according to his lawyer, Michael Grieco. Grieco told the Herald, "A lot of times, probably most of the time, it's good to be Mickey Rourke. This was not one of those times."
Actress Ali Larter and her longtime boyfriend, actor Hayes MacArthur, got engaged over the weekend. "It's true," a rep for the Heroes star tells People. "They're thrilled." No wedding date has been set.
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