Justin Timberlake's free NYC concert draws Kim Kardashian

Justin Timberlake isn't kidding about his Southern Hospitality — the actor opened up his restaurant by that same gentile name Wednesday in New York for a free concert.

To promote Free Sol, the band signed to his Tennman Records, Timberlake tweeted out news that he'd be jumping on the microphone this week despite his torch for acting.

"Wanna check out some live music tonight?? Meet me and @freesol at 45th & 9th at 11pm," JT wrote, adding the hashtags "#bbq" and "#youdontwanttomissthis."

That was enough to sell newlyweds Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, who came to the show with her sister Kourtney in tow, according to People. Also spotted was Timberlake's "In Time" costar Amanda Seyfried.

The band and their benefactor Justin performed several new tracks, closing down the show with a "soulful" a capella version of his hit "What Goes Around ... Comes Around." 

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Justin Timberlake walks the red carpet at the New York premiere of "Bad Teacher" on June 20. Credit: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters.

MTV VMAs: Lady Gaga dines, Shia LaBeouf sees 'Red'

Lady Gaga and other musical heavyweights have been lighting up Los Angeles this weekend at pre-parties for Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards.

Lady Gaga hosted a private dinner Friday at the Beverly in West Hollywood, welcoming Mary J. Blige, rapper Nas and "The X Factor" host Nicole Scherzinger.

The performer greeted her guests in a massive diamond bib, plunging red jumpsuit, beehive and sunglasses. The dinner was prepared by chef Ken Lee, and Ciroc offered a  Berry Bad Romance house cocktail to lubricate the evening.

Across town in Hollywood, Cafe Entourage played host to a party in honor of Drake. Joe Jonas made the ladies swoon, as did Jake Pavelka, Spencer Falls and Joe Slaughter.

Gaga's go-to choreographer, Laurie Ann Gibson, circulated among singers Kimberley Locke and Kristine Elezaj, while guests sampled XBox's latest, Just Dance 2 and Gears of War 3. As the evening progressed, folks headed a few blocks away to the Box, a pop-up of the New York City nightlife venue.

A scruffy Shia LaBeouf and his girlfriend, Karolyn Pho, came to party within the Paul & André space, in celebration of Project Red's collaboration with Belvedere vodka. Chelsea Handler, Jon Hamm, Marilyn Manson and Alessandra Ambrosio also attended.

On Saturday, Demi Lovato performed at Perez Hilton's One Night in Los Angeles concert, hosted by Carrera. Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick enjoyed date night at the Wiltern show while Gavin DeGraw seemed in good spirits backstage, despite his recent beating in New York City.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Shia LaBeouf at the Box pop-up in Hollywood. Credit: Getty Images.

Britney Spears' 'Femme Fatale' lures Lady Gaga to Atlantic City

Two pop stars walk into Atlantic City -- and though we wish a rabbi and priest were there too, it was no joke that Lady Gaga attended a Britney Spears concert this weekend.

In New Jersey's seaside gambling town, Spears brought her "Femme Fatale" tour to thrill locals and high rollers. Gaga counted herself among them Saturday night, clad in a leather bikini top and cap.

"I have a very special guest here tonight, Lady Gaga is here!" Spears told fans to deafening screams. Spears blew kisses at the "Bad Romance" singer as she shot up a hand and acknowledged the fans.

The sighting makes perfect sense to the Ministry, since before Gaga hit it big, she'd penned a few tracks for Britney, and Brit caught the "Monster Ball" when Gaga came through L.A. a year ago -- but some folks seemed to think the appearance symbolized the end of an alleged feud involving the two.

Fans erupted in a Twitter war back in February over which star was more popular, and that escalated into some she-said / she-said over Gaga's onstage comments about refusing to lip-sync in concert -- which some had taken as a direct shot at Spears. Whatever was really going on, it's apparently over now.

Watch peace unfold, below.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photos: Lady Gaga, left, and Britney Spears. Credits: Getty Images, left; Associated Press, right.

Lollapalooza sightings: Dave Franco, Kellan Lutz, Questlove

While the underage set partied for Sunday's Teen Choice Awards, music lovers and grown-up celebs hit the Windy City for the madness of Lollapalooza this weekend.

The annual music festival saw performances from Coldplay, Eminen and Foo Fighters as well as their famous friends. While James Franco enjoyed box office success with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," his younger brother Dave generated fanfare in Chi-town.

Gilt City hosted a "Better Than Backstage" party on the rooftop of Chicago's EnV Apartments, where Franco commanded tons of female attention according to an onlooker, one particularly excited gal almost falling in the pool to get to Dave.

Franco stuck close to his "Fright Night" costar Christopher Mintz-Plasse, moving on later to the city's popular Underground nightclub.

At the Hard Rock Hotel, the Miami "Express Yourself" Oasis suite was home to swag, cocktail soirees and a few live performances, attended by the likes of newlyweds LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian, Samantha Ronson, Taylor Momsen, Questlove, Kellan Lutz, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and hot new band Foster the People.

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Dave Franco at Gilt City's "Better Than Backstage" rooftop party. Credit: Francis Som.

Kanye West, Jay-Z party for 'Throne'; Paltrow hits the Hamptons

Feud between Jay-Z and Kanye West? What feud? The Ministry has all the latest star sightings, including a very harmonious promo appearance by Jay and Mr. West to promote their joint album "Watch the Throne."

Despite rumors of creative differences in planning their hotly anticipated tour for the album, Jay-Z and Kanye turned up Monday at New York City's Hayden Planetarium, nestled within the American Museum of Natural History.

The two men beamed at one another as they played tracks for a few lucky fans, including Jay-Z's wife Beyonce, her Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, rapper Nas and Beyonce's "Obsessed" costar Idris Elba.

The tension-free event doesn't mean the "Throne" tour will come without complication, however. Ticket demand and added dates have pushed a slated Sept. 22 start in Detroit to Oct. 29 in Atlanta, according to promoter Live Nation.

Gwyneth Paltrow goes buggy

Gwyneth Paltrow enchanted the Hamptons with mother Blythe Danner the day of the "Throne" preview, as the annual Baby Buggy Summer Celebration took place Sunday in the celeb beach haven.

Championed by Jessica Seinfeld, wife of funnyman Jerry, Baby Buggy supplies families in need with essentials to care for young children. Paltrow and Danner, Rachel Zoe, Gayle King, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos all came through, raising almost $300,000 for the cause.

Over on the Left Coast

Los Angeles has seen all kinds of summer sightings from off-duty celebs. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his on-the-mend son Christopher enjoyed some quality time recently in Santa Monica. The actor-turned-politician and his boy, hobbling a bit but in good spirits, were spotted together at the Fairmont Hotel.

Over in Malibu, close Kardashian family pal Brittany Gastineau hosted a day of girly glamour on a beachfront property for her mom Lisa and entertainment anchor Maria Menounous. "Entourage" star Jerry Ferrara stopped through with girlfriend Alexandra Blodgett while the ladies sipped VnC speciality cocktails and received Keratin complex dry shampoo treatments.

Also spotted out: Charlize Theron enjoying a business lunch at West Hollywood Italian joint Ago. Later on at dinnertime a newly single Kiefer Sutherland stopped through with two male pals ... Trace Cyrus relaxing at Hemingway's in Hollywood, telling friends he's kicking his smoking habit with a South Beach Smoke e-cigarette.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Kayne West and Jay-Z attend the exclusive listening event for "Watch The Throne" at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on Monday. Credit: Kevin Mazur / WireImage

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez continue romance spree — at Cheesecake Factory

Oh, the delightful metabolism of young love. The Ministry can't seem to avoid the eating habits of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, so we're embracing them like our own little dish of celebrity dating scoop à la mode.

While two weeks ago the lovebirds shared pizza in Las Vegas, Italian cuisine quickly turned to island fare as both splashed around in Maui and Bieber showed off his new tattoo.

Bieber and Gomez are back on the mainland now and were spotted at the Parks at Arlington shopping center in Arlington, Texas. They along with a bodyguard had shared a meal at the mall's Cheesecake Factory.

Lemonades, appetizers and a pizza were shared by all, topped off with Justin's "favorite" dessert, according to a witness — cherry cheesecake.

The onlooker said Bieber and his girl were more than happy to oblige fans looking for photos and autographs during the meal. The pair have even made a lasting impression — the restaurant indicates that the phones wont stop ringing with reservations specifically requesting to sit at the stars' table.

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Top right photo: Justin Bieber strikes a pose at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 22. Credit: Isaac Brekken / Getty Image.

Bottom left photo: Selena Gomez goes for a more glamorous pose at the same award show. Credit: Dan Steinberg / Associated Press

Sightings: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez share a slice; Tom Felton shops

Oh, young lovebirds Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, sharing a slice of pizza.

That's precisely what went down in Las Vegas on Sunday night, as the teens partied after their PDA show at the Billboard Music Awards.

Following the telecast at the MGM Grand, Bieber and Gomez sneaked off to the Cosmopolitan Hotel, according to an onlooker. The two got a tip that the property has a secret pizza joint that serves New York-style slices.

A hostess from Jaleo restaurant confirmed the hidden treat, and the couple ran off; later they were spotted wandering the property munching in their formalwear. The hotel also saw celeb diners Rihanna, Beyonce and Jay-Z sharing a table at Milo's, a Greek joint, where U2's Bono was just one table over.

The night before the awards, Billboard magazine hosted a pre-bash at Bank nightclub at the Bellagio to drum up excitement, attended by actress Jamie Chung of "The Hangover 2."

Back in Los Angeles, "Harry Potter" actor Tom Felton has been spotted around town, recently hitting up Rodeo Drive's Lacoste boutique for some summer shopping before a work trip to New York. 

And although Billboard offered music's brightest stars, L.A. hospital Cedars-Sinai celebrated its annual Sports Spectacular on Sunday, honoring athletes such as Blake Griffin, Lindsey Vonn and Troy Polamalu.

The gala, a fundraiser for genetic research, marked its 26th year, prompting NBA star John Salley to say that when it began, "[Arnold] Schwarzenegger hadn't even met his maid yet." 

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-- Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez attend the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar party. Credit: Carlo Allegri / Associated Press

Sightings: Jennifer Lopez's mike malfunction, Victoria Secret's bombshell babes

It's been a busy week of events in Los Angeles, with stars including Britney Spears and and Jennifer Lopez spotted working and playing.

Brent Bolthouse offered a sneak peek of his new venue the Beverly on Thursday as the lovely ladies of Victoria's Secret hosted the What Is Sexy? List: Bombshell Edition event at the space.

Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, Erin Heatherton, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio turned heads while lingerie-clad gals served cake pops and frozen delights. A nearby photo booth attracted the likes of Kellan Lutz, Paris and Nicky Hilton and Lucas Till.

SoCal music fans attended KIIS-FM's annual Wango Tango concert on Saturday, where guest host Spears made a splash in a red mini. Though Britney didn't perform, J. Lo and rapper Pit Bull attempted a rousing version of their single "On the Floor" -- until Lopez's mike went out halfway through.

With the "Idol" pressure on, she soldiered through choreography while the problem was addressed, then insisted on doing the number again from the top.

"No one holds mama down," Lopez told the crowd. Admiring Lopez backstage were "Glee" guy Matthew Morrison, Selena Gomez, LL Cool J and Ryan Seacrest, who swung through the VnC Cocktails green room.

The music played on Sunday at Chateau Marmont. Rock band the Kills had the privilege of being the first live music act ever to play inside the storied walls of the hotel, attracting names including Lindsay Lohan, Marilyn Manson, Ryan Phillippe, Sophia Bush and Adrian Grenier in celebration of DeLeon Tequila's two-year anniversary.

Need more sightings?

Jason Bateman, Elizabeth Banks, Christina Ricci, Jackie Collins and Patricia and Rosanna Arquette turned up at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on Friday to  celebrate the new novel "Beneath a Starlet Sky" by Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper. Guests sipped and shmoozed at the luxury storefront's J. Mendel boutique. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Jennifer Lopez performs at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Sightings: Stars race to Kentucky Derby party, Pacquiao-Mosley fight

Winning colt Animal Kingdom got some Hollywood love over the weekend as stars celebrated the Kentucky Derby with a satellite viewing party in Los Angeles.

Celeb lovebirds Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price were among those lured to a gathering at Palihouse on Saturday, joining others wearing suits and derby-day hats. The cute pair played foosball and sipped mint cocktails while mingling. Stone, rocking an In Add Minus seersucker suit, chatted up "90210" hunk Trevor Donovan at the Droid Charge Samsung-Verizon bash.

A flight away to Sin City saw boxing fans celebrating the big fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley. After Pacquiao's victory, the likes of Paris and Nicky Hilton and Kelly Osbourne with fellow "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Louie Vito hit the Cosmopolitan's Marquee nightclub to party. Kevin Federline was also spotted.

Sports excitement aside, the weekend was really about moms. Denise Richards is arguably a mom in need of serious credit this year, what with her raising two girls in the orbit of the Ma-Sheen.

With Richards hosting  Saturday at a private Beverly Hills residence, celeb families including those of Joanna Krupa, Amber Heard and Charlie O'Connell of "The Bachelor" marked the launch of Nintendo's 3DS game Nintendogs + Cats, with pets kindly invited as well.

The same day, single mom Christina Milian pampered herself at Joico's "On the Go Beauty" event, with mom Carmen in tow.

Not enough star sightings? Just last week, the stars of "Something Borrowed" gathered for an intimate dinner. At West Hollywood's Mezze, movie producers Hilary Swank and Molly Smith of 2S Films toasted film stars Colin Egglesfield and Ashley Williams, as well as the book's author Emily Giffin.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price enjoy a game of foosball. Credit: Angela Weiss

Brad Pitt, Courteney Cox spotted at a dinner together

Brad Pitt and Courteney Cox reunited for a friendly dinner Wednesday -- and, boy, we'd love to have been a lime on a margarita at that table!

At Eva Longoria's restaurant Beso, Pitt and Cox -- connected for years through Cox's BFF Jennifer Aniston, Pitt's ex-wife -- gathered to celebrate the birthday of Cynthia Pett-Dante.

Pett-Dante manages both Pitt and Cox. The vibe was super casual and very smiley, People said, reporting that "they hugged and kissed when they greeted each other" and "talked a lot."

While the famous two weren't seated together, the report insists they interacted a lot, and "it didn't seem awkward at all."

Pitt munched on a steak and had a beer, and at one point he sat at Beso's front bar with fellow patrons.

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photos: Brad Pitt, left, and Courteney Cox. Credits: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times, left; Frazer Harrison / Getty Images.