Fatherhood certainly changes a man, but in Jay-Z's case it looks to be a simple upgrade.
"Yeah," Jay told GQ, envisioning strapping his offspring into the six-figure vehicle. "Wouldn't that be great? That would be a great picture."
Jay leads this year's crop of GQ Men of the Year, understandable thanks to his star-couple status and the groudswell around his and Kanye West's joint album, "Watch the Throne." Impending fatherhood got him reflective about his own experience as a child.
"My dad was such a good dad that when he left, he left a huge scar. He was my superhero ... ," Jay said of his father, who left the family. "So there was nothing he could say to satisfy me, except to hear me out. And it was up to me to forgive and let it go."
Other men making the cut include the recently blown away Justin Timberlake, and "Shame" actor and everyone's newest crush Michael Fassbender. The mag's traditional Woman of the Year honor will go this year to Mila Kunis.
GQ editor in chief Jim Nelson will host the annual Men of the Year bash Thursday at West Hollywood's Chateau Marmont. Stay tuned to the Ministry for party (and manly) coverage.
Photos: Jay-Z suits up and Michael Fassbender is anything but shameful on GQ's multiple Men of the Year covers, two of which are shown above. Credit: Nathaniel Goldberg
Scarlett Johansson is saying a bit more about the nude photos hacked from her smartphone in March -- particularly that it wasn't a vanity shoot, just for her husband at the time.
Johannson says that Ryan Reynolds was the intended recipient of pictures that showed her exposed backside and upper body, but we all know who got them: everybody.
"I know my best angles,” she tells Vanity Fair, adding, "they were sent to my husband ... there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not like I was shooting a porno."
"Although there’s nothing wrong with that either," she maintains.
While the culprit who lifted the shots from ScarJo, and several other famous females like Mila Kunis and Christina Aguilera, was nabbed by the FBI, the case of Reynolds and Johannson's quickie divorce remains a mystery. But "The Avengers" star shed a bit of light on the time after their split.
"I didn’t really know what to do with myself. It was such a strange time. There was nothing that was interesting to me. I had a very public separation. It was difficult. I felt very uncomfortable," she said.
Reynolds has since been linked to Blake Lively, while Johannson enjoyed a brief romance with actor Sean Penn.
It's a great moment for Harry Shum Jr., the impossibly pliable dancer who turned a few high kicks on "Glee" into a breakout role on the musical TV series.
He's also turned it into a fancy fashion editorial spread, it would seem, as we find the easy-on-the-eyes Shum starring in a new guide to winter style — and he chats about his early days hoofing for Beyonce, moonlighting for Steve Jobs and shining for Ryan Murphy.
"I'd rather dance in a corner than dance in a circle," the actor told GQ, though based on the photo that's above on the right, we're not buying into all that shyness.
But Shum does have a natural sweetness, plus killer moves that made him an easy fit for Mrs. Jay-Z (he was a backup dancer for Beyonce) and as one of the the jiving silhouettes from early iPod commercials.
Then there's the nickname he earned for himself on the set of the movie "Step Up 3D": The man with no bones.
As Mike Chang Jr. on "Glee," Shum has carved a romantic plot with Jenna Ushkowitz, a dramatic arc involving an overbearing parent who doesn't respect his son's right to boogie, and plenty of showy numbers with another resident dancer, Matthew Morrison. A lot has changed since his character's early episodes.
"It's been like a year and a half," Shum said, "since anybody's referred to me as 'the other Asian.' "
What is so gratifying about insights into the world of an actress, such as those offered at the 18th Elle Women in Hollywood honors Monday? The struggle for equality, the transcendence of performance, the bonds of sisterhood in a ferocious industry?
Perhaps it's simply the knowledge that, according to Reese Witherspoon, they share manicure-and-makeout sessions.
At least that was one of more than a few funny highlights from the event, toasting a pack of women who have pushed boundaries for their craft and gender.
Introducing honoree Jennifer Aniston, Witherspoon celebrated the "Friends" alum's rare combination of "sex appeal and complete loveability. You want to get your nails done with her, and then make out with her. At least I do."
"That's what we do sometimes on Saturdays," Witherspoon cracked, as the ballroom of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills erupted in laughter. "We get our nails done ... and then make out. That's because she's my friend and not yours."
Camaraderie abounded at the dinner, during which honoree and L'Oreal Paris ambassador Freida Pinto sang the praises of Legend Award winner Barbra Streisand, saying Streisand's track "Putting It Together" helps her persevere. But the focus of the event was work yet to be done for Hollywood females.
"I've learned ... that you need to just focus on the work," honoree Viola Davis told us. "When you show up to set worried about your weight, worried about the success of your last movie, worried about your image you can't do anything. You can't even leave the ground."
Echoing those same sentiments in her acceptance speech, after an introduction from her "The Help" costar Octavia Spencer, Davis saw the entire room on its feet as a standing ovation was kicked off by Anistontablemate Chelsea Handler.
Other honorees included Naomi Watts, radiant in Calvin Klein Collection, who told some interesting anecdotes about the nature of roles for women but made room to thank the men in her life: partner LievSchreiber and their sons, Sasha and Kai.
Elizabeth Olsen was saluted by her "Martha Marcy May Marelne" costar John Hawkes, Evan Rachel Wood by Robin Wright, DreamWorks honcho Stacey Snider by Jon Hamm, Michelle Pfeiffer by Adam Shankman and finally, Streisand by "The Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow -- to whom Streisand had handed the first best director Oscar ever awarded to a woman.
"[Let's] not wait for the phone to ring," Streisand urged her peers. "It's easier to relax, to not be judged, not to have pressure, no scrutiny, you don't have to face rejection."
Top photo: From left, Naomi Watts, Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Aniston, Elle editor-in-chief Robbie Myers, Stacey Snider, Freida Pinto and Evan Rachel Wood at the Elle Women in Hollywood honors. Credit: Getty Images
Bottom photo: Reese Witherspoon, left, cuddles up to her very kissable pal Jennifer Aniston at the event at the Four Seasons. Credit: Matt Sayles / Associated Press
We'd expect Beyonce to long for pickles and peanut butter during her pregnancy, but, happily for our purposes, the star has an even tastier craving: one for candor.
It seems that in her new role as a mom-to-be, Beyonce is just one big share party, offering insights about her long-private relationship with husband Jay-Z and her high-profile style influences.
"We took our time and developed an unbreakable friendship before we got married. I admire his ability to inspire others. To me, Jay represents the American dream. Jay's music has helped define our generation," she tells Harper's Bazaar.
"We focused three years on our marriage," she said, "and found that it brought us an even stronger bond and connection. But like anything great and successful in your life, marriage takes hard work and sacrifice. It has to be something both you and your husband deeply want."
On their daily lives, Bey added that "there's someone right there calling you out on your flaws and building you up when you need the support. If you are with the right person, it brings out the best version of you."
That best version of Beyonce is ever the multitasker: Due in February, the singer continues to release video after video from her disc "4," promote eponymous fragrances, recently hit New York Fashion Week and revealed to the mag that she's developing a maternity collection for her line House of Deréon.
Still more sharing? Bey name-dropped Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Gisele Bundchen as women whose style she admires. Digest all of this news, and a behind-the-scenes clip of her Terry Richardson shoot below, with or without pickles and peanut butter.
[For the Record, 12:30 p.m. Oct. 11: OK, we're going to make like Beyonce and be candid with you -- this post originally referred to the singer's pregnant-lady craving for "candidness." It now more elegantly refers to her craving for "candor," which is, of course, a real word. Thanks to @RogerWellington on Twitter for the candid critique.]
Rihanna, the 23-year-old Barbadian singer discovered by Jay-Z, has been named this year's sexiest woman alive by Esquire magazine.
Celebrating her glistening bod, fearless sense of style (which often consists of very little clothing) and boss-like attitude, the mag says she's transcended even Madonna in her pursuit of "carnal pop."
"At the end of a concert, I don't feel like I've been this sexy thing. Really, I don't even think about it," she says.
Clearly, someone does. In the nearly three years since her Grammys weekend assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, Rihanna has rewritten her narrative: from a victim out of an R&B standard to a multi-genre sexpot who (speaking of Madonna) has made unpredictability her one constant.
And nothing is more unpredictable then coming out in at least pseudo-support of Brown -- she says she's let go of past resentment.
"It's incredible to see how he pulled out of it the way he did. Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know?" she told the mag.
"I really like the music he's putting out. I'm a fan of his stuff. I've always been a fan. Obviously, I had some resentment toward him for a while, for obvious reasons. But I've put that behind me," she said.
Check out a video of Rihanna's Esquire cover shoot below, and give us your thoughts on her sexy, resentment-free self in comments.
Photos, from top: Rihanna dips and dives in a jeweled bikini for the London stop of her "Loud" tour on Oct. 5 (Credit: Joel Ryan / Associated Press); Rihanna is soaked and sticky as cover girl and sexiest woman alive (Esquire).
Johnny Depp is full of regret over a recent interview comment in which the "Rum Diary" actor likened the chore of sitting through a photo shoot to being raped.
"Well, you just feel like you’re being raped somehow. Raped.... It feels like a kind of weird –- just weird," Depp said in an interview with Vanity Fair, shot by fashion photog Terry Richardson.
Groups including RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, swatted the actor for such a comparison, saying that "while photos may feel at times intrusive, being photographed in no way compares to rape — a violent crime which affects another American every two minutes."
Depp realizes his poor choice of words and put forth an apologetic statement on Tuesday.
"I am truly sorry for offending anyone in any way. I never meant to. It was a poor choice of words on my part in an effort to explain a feeling," he said.
"I understand there is no comparison and I am very regretful. In an effort to correct my lack of judgment, please accept my heartfelt apology."
[Updated, 2:36 p.m. Oct. 6: RAINN contacted the Ministry with a reaction to Depp's statement, saying in an e-mail that the group "appreciates and accepts Johnny Depp's heartfelt apology. We hope to work with him to provide hope to victims of rape and make sure they get the help they deserve."]
Depp isn't the only celeb to make that comparison, incidentally: Kristen Stewart apologized last year for her choice of words after telling British Elle she felt like she was looking at someone who was being raped when she looked at paparazzi and red carpet photos of herself.
She said at the time that "violated" would have been a better word.
Jennifer Aniston is opening up about having a baby -- specifically, that there's no rush when it comes to her newfound love with actor Justin Theroux.
As covergirl for Elle's Women In Hollywood issue, 42-year-old Aniston got vocal about supposed pressure to have a child.
"It’s not what you read. There’s no desperation. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’m at peace with whatever the plan is," she tells the mag.
But that's about all she's telling. "Will you hate me if I say I don’t want to talk about my relationship?” she asked.
Fine Jen, we won't hate you, but only because you're in good company with this year's crop of showbiz women. Freida Pinto, Elizabeth Olsen and Barbra Streisand also made the cut. Pinto was asked about appearing in Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger," in which the director cast her as the "perfect obscure object of desire."
"For me, it wasn’t trivializing, but it would be if I did that in film after film. It gave me the opportunity of exploring the woman I’m not," she said.
Top photo: Jennifer Aniston listens to a breast cancer survivor tell her story at the Inova Breast Care Center in Alexandria, Va., on Oct. 3. Credit: Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press
Bottom photo: Jennifer Aniston on Elle's Women in Hollywood issue. Credit: Alexei Hay
Baseball's Matt Kemp may be known in the real world as a legitimate MVP candidate and one of the best things happening for the Dodgers this year. But here at the Ministry, we fancy Matt Kemp as the hazel-eyed outfielder who captured our attention -- and pop diva Rihanna's -- with a blitz of promise and press last year.
Thank heavens, professional success aside, he's still around, still sexy and still has things to say about RiRi.
In a new spread for Flaunt magazine, Kemp touches on what could be "his year," as well as the quest for love and the oft-ugly politics of Major League Baseball.
"I’ve been in love twice," he tells the mag. "Only twice. That’s enough at 26."
Kemp's courting of the "S&M" singer, which was the first public outing she made with another man after being assaulted by singer Chris Brown, sparked in December 2009. The pair heated up after New Year's 2010 with a trip to Cabo San Lucas, followed by a surprise birthday party Kemp threw for Rihanna that February.
"We hang out and have fun," he said that April. The couple broke up in December.
Fast forward to present day, and Kemp seems satisfied to be single. He's developed a palate for sushi (thanks, Hollywood) and has learned how to spend his $7-million salary sensibly.
"You’ve got to set a little budget for every month or two for yourself. If you go over that budget, it means that you have do less next month," he said of splurging on fashion favorites such as Lanvin gear and shoes. "It's all about saving money. But looking good at the same time."
We can also file his diplomacy as a good look. When the subjects of his team's ownership mess and the trainwreck divorce of Dodgers duo Frank and Jamie McCourt was broached, he benched any comments.
"I don't really know the whole situation or who is to blame or whatever," he said. He's not alone.
"One thing I've learned: I can't worry about things I can't control, and in the front office -- that's one thing you can't control ... I just try to play my game and try to make everyone forget about the unfortunate situation that happened off the field."
The former Kate Middleton -- now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge -- will not play cover girl for American Vogue, despite a report Monday that Prince William's bride was being courted by editor Anna Wintour.
Rumor had it that Wintour was campaigning for the former Kate Middleton as a stateside cover of the fashion mag, leveraging her relationship with longtime Vogue photographer Mario Testino to get it done.
But sadly, "There are no plans for the Duchess to do anything with U.S. Vogue," a palace rep told People magazine.
The Testino connection would've been a safe bet -- not only a prize steed in Wintour's photography stable, he's a longtime pal of the royal family. His portraits of the late Princess Diana are treasured by many, along with the engagement portraits of Kate and William he shot last year.
Magazine competition over the princess bride has been stiff. The New York Post says British Vogue tried to get her for a wedding edition, which she declined. A collaboration with Wintour would've been her first cooperative editorial spread, save for another Testino shot that landed in the June issue of Vanity Fair.
"There’s nothing trashy or vulgar about her," Wintour has said of Kate's style. "She dresses her age and never looks out of place."
Photo: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, found a traditional white cowboy hat to be in vogue during her July visit to Calgary, Alberta, with husband Prince William. Credit: Phil Noble / Reuters.
<p><a style="display: inline;" href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef015391e8ad04970b-pi"><img class="assetasset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c630a53ef015391e8ad04970b" style="width: 600px;" title="Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, won't be on U.S. Vogue" src="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef015391e8ad04970b-600wi" alt="Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, won't be on U.S. Vogue" /></a></p>
<p>The former Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will not play cover girl for American Vogue, despite a report Monday that Prince William's bride was being courted by editor Anna Wintour.</p>
<p>Rumor had it that Wintour was campaigning for the former Kate Middleton as a stateside cover of the fashion mag, <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/anna_fights_for_kate_cover_MBwF1zRRAYrnFgE1PR1PhM" target="_blank">leveraging</a> her relationship with longtime Vogue photographer Mario Testino to get it done.</p>
<p>But sadly, "There are no plans for the Duchess to do anything with U.S. Vogue," a palace rep <a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20532087,00.html" target="_blank">told</a> People magazine. </p>
<p>The Testino connection would've been a safe bet -- not only a prize steed in Wintour's photography stable, he's a longtime pal of the royal family. His portraits of the late Princess Diana are treasured by many, along with the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/12/royal-engagement-photos-prince-william-kate-middleton.html" target="_blank">engagement portraits</a> of Kate and William he shot last year.</p>
<p>Magazine competition over the princess bride has been stiff. The New York Post says British Vogue tried to get for a wedding edition, which she declined. A collaboration with Wintour would've been her first cooperative editorial spread, save for another Testino shot that <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/kate-william-vanity-fair-mario-testino-us-road-trip.html" target="_blank">landed</a> on the June issue of Vanity Fair.</p>
<p>"There’s nothing trashy or vulgar about her," Wintour has <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/09/kate_middleton_expected_to_hav.html" target="_blank">said</a> of Kate's style. "She dresses her age and never looks out of place."</p>
<p>Least of all on the cover of Vogue, we'd say.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/mario-testino-royal-couple-kate-william-photo-talk.html" target="_blank">Mario Testino talks photographing royal couple Kate and William</a></p>
<p><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/08/obama-fundraiser-harvey-weinstein-gwyneth-paltrow-anna-wintour.html" target="_blank">Obama rubs fundraising elbows with Harvey Weinstein, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anna Wintour</a></p>
<p><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/01/royal-wedding-prince-william-kate-mario-testino-princess-diana.html" target="_blank">Royal wedding: Mario Testino on Prince William and Kate Middleton, remembering Princess Diana </a></p>
<p>-- Matt Donnelly<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/mattdonnelly" target="_blank">twitter.com/MattDonnelly</a></p>
