Stacy Keibler, George Clooney take it public in Toronto

Stacy Keibler, retired professional wrestler, and George Clooney, continuing heartthrob, appeared side by side at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend. Clooney brought Keibler to the Vanity Fair-Fox Searchlight party for "The Descendants," one of two films that the actor has at the Toronto festival, and tongues wagged.

Perhaps it was wrestling-themed fate: Gorgeous George and the Legs of WWE. Keibler, 31, ambled alongside Clooney, 50, on her famed 42-inch-long gams, which earned her that World Wrestling Entertainment nickname. Keibler and Clooney see just about eye to eye; they both stand about 5-foot-11. That's in stocking feet, of course, not the heels that Keibler was wearing with the little black dress that revealed a long stretch of aforementioned leg.

As wags wonder about the possible success of this winsome twosome, film fans will be wondering about the possible success of the latest Clooney films.

Over the last few years he's had plenty of cinematic disappointments -- "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "The American" -- mixed in with such winners as "Up in the Air" and "Michael Clayton." Now he's trying his luck with the political drama "The Ides of March," for which he also served as director, and "The Descendants."

"Ides" premiered Friday in Toronto; "The Descendants" first screened Saturday. Clooney most recently dated Elisabetta Canalis, who will be seen this season on "Dancing With the Stars."

As the Los Angeles Times' noted in a recent post, "The Descendants" is fall's big wild card.  You could say the same of the Clooney-Keibler romance.

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-- Amy Hubbard

Photos: Stacy Keibler at "The Ides of March" premiere in Toronto on Friday. Credits, from left: Mike Cassese / Reuters; Evan Agostini / Associated Press

William and Catherine visit Birmingham, England, in wake of riots

Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, paid a special visit to victims of recent riots in their home country on Friday.

The couple visited Birmingham in England's county of West Midlands to see residents and business owners affected by the civil unrest that had spread there after starting Aug. 6 in London's Tottenham neighborhood. With three men dead in Birmingham, shops looted and fires damaging personal property, the turn of royal duty was designed for comfort but not publicity; the couple's visit wasn't announced in advance.

Catherine looked sunny but respectful in white and navy with gold brass detail. William walked beside her through the town, occasionally guiding her by the small of her back, both accompanied by Paul Sabapathy, lord lieutenant of the West Midlands. 

"They were very concerned about what the families had gone through and how they were coping with such a tragedy," a police spokeswoman told People.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, tour Birmingham with Paul Sabapathy, lord lieutenant of the West Midlands on Friday. Credit: Chris Jackson / Getty Images

With the newest Beckham baby name, a brief moment of hope for normalcy

David and Victoria Beckham have a new baby. Given that this is Posh Spice's infant we're talking about, the bambina probably has her own line of skinny denim by now, but that could not be confirmed at press time. What we do know is this: The baby has a name that's almost normal. Almost.

The first name, we have learned, is Harper. With all due respect to the creator of Scout Finch, as well as women who currently bear this name, Harper is only sort of obnoxious -- moderately chafing, as celebrity names go.

(By contrast, recall the all-out preciousness we suffered under the naming of the other Beckham children, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz; not to mention Gwyneth Paltrow's kids, Apple and Moses; Pink's new daughter Willow; Natalie Portman's baby son Aleph; as well as less recent tot monikers such as Peaches Geldof, Kal-El Coppola and, natch, those of the Jolie-Pitt brood, aka Those Who Shall Not Be Uttered Lest We Drown in All That Specialness.)

When we at the Ministry learned that the new Beckham baby was named Harper -- as opposed to Delphinium or Flypaper or Muse -- a bit of hope rose in our gnarled hearts. Maybe, we supposed, this was the signal of some new era in celebrity baby names. Maybe this next wave of celebrity spawn will spare us from all the twee, and bathe us in soothing monikers such as John or Hope or Fabio.

Then we saw Harper's middle name. It is Seven.

So much for moderation.

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-- Leslie Gornstein

Photo: Victoria Beckham, with cleverly named sons Romeo, left, and Cruz and ordinary-named hubby David Beckham in October 2009. Credit: Andrew Gombert / European Pressphoto Agency

 

Kim Kardashian upset she's on Turkish Cosmo cover

Kim Kardashian is upset over yet another magazine cover: This time the half-Armenian reality television starlet is upset that an image of her from an international photo shoot appears on the cover of the April issue of Cosmopolitan in Turkey.

The problem: The photo, reportedly used without Kardashian's OK, appears on the Turkish mag's cover during the same month many commemorate the Armenian genocide that took place from 1915 to 1918. 

"When I did this shoot for the international covers I had no idea that Turkey was planning to run my story on their cover THIS month, considering Genocide Remembrance Day is this month," the fourth-generation Armenian American wrote on her blog Monday, directing the spotlight instead to the Armenian Cosmo cover, which features an image of Kardashian from the same shoot.

"My Armenian heritage means a lot to me and I've been brought up to be incredibly proud of my family's background and culture so as an Armenian-American woman it is a huge honor for me to be on the first ever Armenian Cosmopolitan cover."

She added: "I have an amazing relationship with Cosmopolitan Magazine. World-over, Cosmo is known as a fun and inspiring magazine for women of all races, shapes, sizes, regardless of their political beliefs and I really hope that if I can bring awareness to the issue, then this in an accomplishment."

About 1.2 million Armenians were slain under the Ottoman Empire, which became the modern republic of Turkey. The Turkish government disputes that a genocide took place, saying instead that the killings were a crackdown on treason and political dissent, not an ethnic group. Armenia's Genocide Remembrance Day, a national holiday in that country, is April 24.

"Kim Kardashian is one of our favorite cover girls.  We were thrilled to have the opportunity to photograph her for the Cosmopolitan editions worldwide," Cosmo reps told TMZ.

The recent outrage comes on the heels of Kardashian's love-hate relationship with nude photos taken of her for a W magazine spread.

In Haiti, injured Wyclef Jean says he was shot

Wyclef Jean was injured in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday, the night before the runoff election that will finally determine Haiti's new president.

Despite initial reports from the singer and his camp saying a bullet grazed his right palm when he stepped out of his car to make a phone call, Petionville Police Chief Vanel Lacroix told Reuters that according to doctors, Jean cut his hand on glass.

The hip-hop performer told CNN he heard "the sound of the booms" and was "grazed by a bullet." Pras Michel, who was in the Fugees with Jean, tweeted Saturday night that Wyclef had been shot, but that "Everyone can relax Wyclef is fine... They can't stop us not one bullet or a machine gun!!!!!!!"

Jean was treated for a superficial wound at a local hospital and released with a bandaged hand. Messages on the @wyclef Twitter feed Saturday and Sunday read, "We have spoken to Wyclef, he is ok. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers -- Management."

The musician, whose personal campaign for the Haitian presidency was cut short when it was determined that he didn't meet residency requirements, was supporting rowdy pop performer Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly in the Sunday runoff against scholar and former First Lady Mirlande Manigat.

A first round of voting -- marked by disorganization, violence and alleged fraud -- was held in January, narrowing the field of candidates for the runoff. Official preliminary results of the voting will be released March 31, according to the Times' Ken Ellingwood, reporting from Port-au-Prince.

Jean has been very visible in supporting Haiti's recovery since the country was devastated by an earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010. He resigned from Yele Haiti, the foundation he co-founded in 2005, in August to pursue the Haitian presidency.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Haitian American singer Wyclef Jean, his injured hand wrapped in a bandage, gets some help casting his ballot in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday. Credit: Ramon Espinosa / Associated Press

Was Kanye West really booted from shows during Paris Fashion Week?

Hey, Kanye West, the diligent workers in the Ministry's Department of Not a Good Look have been running wild investigating the curious case of your Paris Fashion Week exploits -- in particular a claim that you attempted to attend a couple of shows with no invitation.

Needless to say, not a good look.

Reports have West rolling through the highly guarded runway presentations by houses Balmain and Alexander McQueen, where he was denied admission.

West had asked for a seat at Balmain's Le Grand Hotel presentation in advance and been shut down, according to the New York Post, but turned up anyway with his entourage at the March 3 show.

"Mr. West requested to attend and we let him know we would not be able to accommodate him. He chose to come to the door anyway and we kindly let him know we could not accommodate him," said a production representative for the show.

The same company handled the Tuesday McQueen runway, where West reportedly pulled the same stunt without even having asked for a seat in advance. Initially denied entry, West eventually got "venue management" to let him in a side door, "not through the front door."

While we wouldn't put these egomaniacal stunts past him, it's strange that someone like West -- a clothing fanatic, avid tweeter and walking billboard for global fashion -- wouldn't be accommodated. Also, he was photographed in the lobby of Balmain, right, something we can't imagine him submitting to if he was refused a seat.

Thoughts on the Kanye kerfuffle?

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-- Matt Donnelly
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Top photo: Kanye West attends Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show as an invited guest. Credit: Reuters

Bottom photo: Kanye West in the lobby at the Balmain presentation, where he was not on the list. Credit: Joel Ryan / Associated Press

Beyonce donated Kadafi-linked money to Haiti relief

Beyoncé revealed Wednesday that she had donated money she earned performing at a 2009 event linked to the family of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi. Queen B did it a while back; Beyoncé's announcement came after Nelly Furtado tweeted Monday that she'd be donating Kadafi-linked money earned for a 2007 show.

Beyoncé's five-song set at a private, celebrity-packed New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts drew online outrage in January 2010. The singer reportedly earned $2 million for the night.

"All monies paid to Beyoncé for her performance at a private party at Nikki Beach St. Barts on New Year's Eve 2009, including the commissions paid to her booking agency, were donated to the earthquake relief efforts for Haiti, over a year ago," a statement on Beyoncé's website said Wednesday. "Once it became known that the third party promoter was linked to the Qaddafi family, the decision was made to put that payment to a good cause."

For New Year's Eve 2010, Beyoncé was in Las Vegas, where hubby Jay-Z and Coldplay performed an invite-only concert at the just-opened Cosmopolitan hotel.

Furtado on Monday tweeted, "In 2007, I received 1million$ from the Qaddafi clan to perform a 45 min. Show for guests at a hotel in Italy. I am going to donate the $."

With violence sweeping Libya, the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on Kadafi and his family Saturday, and a prosecutor with the International Criminal Court said Thursday that Kadafi, his sons and those in their inner circle could be held responsible for crimes committed by their security forces against revolutionaries.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo: Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles sit courtside in February 2010, watching the Los Angeles Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in Texas. Credit: Matthew Emmons / US Presswire

John Galliano apologizes, will face trial over alleged anti-Semitic remarks

John Galliano has been ordered to stand trial on charges related to anti-Semitic remarks he's alleged to have made at a Paris restaurant last week, French prosecutors said Wednesday, even as the 50-year-old designer spoke out for the first time about recent events.

Galliano strongly denied the claims made against him, but said in a statement obtained by All the Rage that "I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light." (Read the full statement here.)

Suspended by fashion house Dior in the wake of a Thursday altercation in which anti-Semitic and anti-Asian remarks and threats of violence were alleged, Galliano was fired Tuesday after a 2010 video surfaced Monday in which the designer was saying, among other things, "I love Hitler."

Dior fragrance spokesmodel Natalie Portman, who won a best actress Oscar on Sunday, said Monday that "as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way."

On Wednesday the designer referred to "seeking help" and said "all I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people's forgiveness." Unnamed friends told the New York Times that Galliano had been persuaded to go to rehab. At Fashion Week, a spokesperson for the John Galliano clothing line declined to comment.

Galliano, who is British, was in Paris for Fashion Week. If convicted -- anti-Semitic speech is a crime in France -- he could face up to six months in prison and more than $30,000 in fines.

Dior's Paris runway show is still set for Friday; Galliano's line may or may not be seen Sunday.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: John Galliano poses at the end of his Dior Haute Couture runway show during Paris Fashion Week in January 2010. Credit: Jacques Brinon / Associated Press

 

John Galliano fired by Dior in wake of 'I love Hitler' video

Designer John Galliano went from suspended to fired at fashion house Dior after a 2010 video in which he said "I love Hitler" went public Monday, and Oscar winner Natalie Portman later declared herself "shocked and disgusted" by his words.

"In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish," Portman said in a statement Tuesday, "I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way." The "Black Swan" star is the face of the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance.

"People like you would be dead," the designer slurred to patrons at a neighboring table in the video, posted on the Sun website. "Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be ... gassed and ... dead." He also told those who made the video -- who were French and Italian, not Jewish, the Sun said -- that he had a problem with them because they were ugly. 

The Tuesday firing comes only days ahead of Friday's Dior show during Paris Fashion Week.

"In light of the deeply offensive statements and conduct by John Galliano [in that video], Christian Dior has commenced termination procedures against him," the company said in a statement, also quoting Chief Executive Sidney Toledano: "We unequivocally condemn the statements made by John Galliano which are in total contradiction to the longstanding core values of Christian Dior."

The British designer had been suspended by the company after he was questioned and released by police Thursday for allegedly making anti-Semitic and anti-Asian statements to a woman and man in Paris' La Perle restaurant and threatening to kill the man. Prosecutors and police said Friday that Galliano's blood alcohol levels were high.

Randy and Evi Quaid fear for themselves -- and others

 

Famous fugitives Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, spoke out together in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Monday, describing a conspiracy of business people who "follow us, they tail us, they tag our cellphone, they hack our computer" and warning Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Mel Gibson to be very afraid that they will be next.

"We are refugees ... Hollywood refugees, seeking to be left alone by the criminals in America," said Evi, who answered Andrea Canning's query about whether they're mentally ill or on drugs with her own question: "Do you think we are?," before clarifying, "No. Not even vaguely."

The interview took place in Vancouver, B.C., where the couple fled to recently. Warrants were issued for their arrest after they missed a Santa Barbara court date related to felony vandalism charges. Though Evi has been declared a Canadian citizen, Randy's status is still uncertain. They posted increased bail of $500,000 each to remain free until their next hearing, set for Tuesday in Santa Barbara.

Are they faking it? "Why would we fake -- we're just trying to find some safety and security in this and we're being pursued by these people, but we're not faking it, we're confronting it," Randy said.