Abercrombie would pay 'Jersey Shore' cast to take off its clothes

The situation: Abercrombie & Fitch is too good for the "Jersey Shore" and is willing to make a "substantial payment" to cast members not to wear its clothes.

Abercrombie & Fitch, the Ohio-based clothing retailer that has previously been in hot water for its racy T-shirts, racy catalogs and questionable employment practices, asked "Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino in a statement Tuesday to stop wearing its digs on TV because his character may be sullying its name. 

"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans," an Abercrombie & Fitch representative said in the statement. "We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."

So that means no high-priced A&F graphic tees or college-friendly sweats for Pauly D, Snooki, JWoww, Vinny, Ron, Sammi and Deena either. Conveniently, the company's offer and the attendant publicity coincide with late summer's back-to-school shopping crush.

In an interview with New York magazine last summer, The Situation sounded off on the "Jersey Shore" effects on merchandise.

"The show went international, and I read that it's very big overseas, especially 'The Situation' -- my name, or my character -- is known worldwide now," he said. "Abercrombie & Fitch, their most popular shirt, they told me, is 'Fitchuation.' I mean, where did they get that from? Obviously from myself."

Sorrentino earned roughly $3 million last year from the show and pushing merchandise for various brands -- still, might it pay for the Sitch to ditch A&F during his "gym, tan, laundry" routine? Like, more than it would pay if he were hired as their spokesmodel?

Hey, we don't hear Ed Hardy complaining about the cast wearing its ornate digs on the show. 

The MTV series, which broke MTV's ratings record with its recent fourth-season premiere, is currently filming the antics of the hard-partying, gym-loving, partially Italian American cast in Florence, Italy.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photo: Abercrombie & Fitch has made an offer to Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino -- shown in a Cohesive & Co. suit at GQ's Men of the Year party in March -- and the rest of the "Jersey Shore" gang to stop wearing its "aspirational" clothes. Credit: Charles Sykes / Associated Press

Harry Potter fans take over Trafalgar Square for 'Deathly Hallows -- Part 2' premiere [Pictures]

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson traipsed the red carpet Thursday in London as the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" apparated in Trafalgar Square. Surrounded by droves of fans crowding into the British landmark, they headed for a screening of the eighth and final film in the franchise.

"It's a moment that you have to let yourself sit back and say 'this is really cool,' " said Radcliffe, who went through 160 pairs of glasses and wore out 60 to 70 wands playing the boy wizard. "The atmosphere is unrepeatable, so this is fitting."

Photos: 'Deathly Hallows -- Part 2' London premiere

Radcliffe, who took a break from his Broadway show to make the premiere, said he kept two pairs of glasses, one from the first film and one from the final film, that he would pull out if he ever felt "nostalgic."

"It's my whole childhood," said one fan, who was among an estimated 18,000 expected at the event.

Warner Bros. set up the massive premiere in front of the National Gallery and crews created a makeshift Diagon Alley to neighboring Leicester Square, where the cast would be viewing the film.

The day got off to a wet start as rain poured down on fans in a very British fashion, but the weather dried as the stars came out and fans waited eagerly to catch a glimpse of Radcliffe, Grint, Watson and the woman who imagined it all: J.K. Rowling, whose books have sold more than 450 million copies.  

"I knew I would one day I'd be standing in Trafalgar Square with people chanting my name, and I wasn’t even called J.K. then!" Rowling joked about the ultimate premiere.

"They're such British books. We just needed to stay true to the essence of the books and the Britishness because Hogwarts is in Scotland," added the author, who also served as a producer on the David Yates-directed film.

"Thank you for making glasses, spectacles and red hair very cool," producer David Heyman said to Rowling. "Thank you for encouraging a generation of young people to read. Thank you for allowing us to make films of your books."

"You just have to let yourself kind of revel in it because it won't happen again," Radcliffe said. "It's a day to be elated."

Over 10 years, Radcliffe's boy wizard faced dementors, Death Eaters, boggarts, backfiring spells, love and He Who Must Not Be Named, played by a serpentine and noseless Ralph Fiennes, with whom he'll have a final showdown in "Deathly Hallows -- Part 2."

"I got used to [not having a nose] now," Fiennes said. "Now it's strange to see myself with a nose!"

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2' final trailer arrives [Video]

Daniel Radciffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint's newest "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" trailer has hit the Web, and may we say: ultra-nostalgia alert.

The eight-film franchise comes to a close July 15, and filmmakers haven't wasted a frame in indicating that this. Is. It.

The trailer, which builds on the momentum of the previous teaser, comes off as a greatest-hits collection from the franchise. That is, only to say that all the greatest hits are going to be destroyed because of the pending showdown between Harry and He Who Must Not Be Named, which shakes the boy wizard to the core. Gone are the charm and wunderkind of the first films, replaced by an apocalyptic war zone that befalls the magical world. Watch it above.

Also spotted in the fast-paced thrill ride are Harry's parents, baby Harry, Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Quidditch, Dementors, Death Eaters, fiendfyred Hogwarts, goblins, dragons, fights, flights and confrontations galore. There's tons of hand-holding, almost hand-holding and also a desperate kiss between Harry and his best friend's sister, Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright). 

Oddly, we didn't see any house elves, who seem to be replaced by knight statues in the battle of Hogwarts. (P.S.: Their story line is directly related to Ron and Hermione finally kissing, so we'll see how filmmakers have chosen to set that up.)

But the major goose-pimple-inducing line comes from the Boy Who Lived himself, and the epic music playing during its delivery doesn't do anything to calm our nerves.

"I never wanted any of you to die for me," he tells the ghosts of his parents and godfather and everyone else who's faced death and lost, trying to keep him alive.

Like we said: This. Is. It.

Is it July 15 yet??

What do you think of the newest trailer? Are you sad to see the series end? Tell us in comments.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Kim Kardashian: Keeping up with the wedding gift registry picks

Kim Kardashian apparently hasn't had time to lay in enough fine china on her way to reality TV stardom. And while most brides go modest for their second wedding, Kardashian is repeatedly proving that she isn't most brides, with her wedding registry choices the most recent illustration of that.

As if that honking 20.5-carat engagement ring wasn't enough.

The 30-year-old, affianced to the New Jersey Nets power forward Kris Humphries, has registered at the tony Gearys boutique in Beverly Hills, as well as relatively wallet-friendly Williams-Sonoma, though the latter has been removed from public view online. But her sumptuous Gearys wish list adds up to about $172,000 in luxury housewares, the New York Daily News reported.

The fashionista's already decadently furnished home, which she obsessed over after she and Reggie Bush broke up, has been seen on her reality series "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." 

Well, what do you buy a girl who has everything (and in this case is reportedly worth $35 million)? We asked ourselves a similar question when Prince William and the former Kate Middleton's royal wedding came around. Different women, different answers.

Kardashian and Humphries' Gearys registry cites  an Oct. 31 wedding date, but a source close to the couple said the bride won't be having Halloween ceremony. (Tell that to the circus of items she's zapped with that registry gun.)

"That's just a joke," the insider told E! News. "They're not announcing the real date just yet." Perhaps, Kardashian is able to keep some things a secret.

Now, on to her list of newlywed must-haves:

18 Hermes Balcon du Guadalquivir black cereal bowls -- $155 each
18 Hermes Balcon du Guadalquivir platinum presentation plates -- $670 each
24 Hermes American dinner plates -- $225 each
1 Christofle 1925 coffee pot - $1,650 Matching creamer and sugar bowl -- $1,710
2 Havana ashtrays -- $840 (that's a pricey place to put out a cigarette)
1 extra large Baccarat crystal vase -- $7,850
1 Baccarat crystal jam jar -- $380   
1 antique ebony tray by Baccarat -- $1,595
1 Baccarat mustard jar -- $175
5 $150 L'Objet gold napkin rings with crystal -- $175
1 candy jar -- $375
1 ice tong -- $195
1 Lalique Cactus flacon -- $450  (if you're wondering what a flacon is, consult a French romance from the 1800s)
$38,400 worth of Torchon dinnerware by Buccellati

Oprah Winfrey's 'Favorite Things' reportedly add up to $23.8 million

Oprah Winfrey's favorite thing must not have been money ... or she just had a few million dollars to spare, because the cost of her "Oprah's Favorite Things" audience giveaways adds up to about $23.8 million.

Oh, to be an accountant on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

The daytime diva wrapped her 25-year daytime talk show run Wednesday to the best ratings she's had since 1994. But Winfrey also wrapped the hopes of fans being the all-too-excited recipients in that giveaway-happy studio audience.

The total cost of the holiday freebies she's given away since 2002 comes out to about $23,809,050 -- we have Jezebel to thank for calculating that number.

Computations were based on the items' retail price and then multiplied by 300, the number of people usually in Winfrey's studio audience.

Some of those "Favorite Things," with individual prices shown, include:

Origins Perfect World White Tea Body Cream ($30)

Frontgate's Portable DVD Player ($400)

Croissants ($4)

Burberry coat ($700)

Burberry purse ($700)

BlackBerry 7105T from T-Mobile ($300)

$1,000 credit card

LG HDTV Refrigerator ($3,800)

Elfa Customizable Closet System ($1,000)

Tory Burch "Silver Anniversary" tote bag and flat shoes ($450)

Sony Vaio FJ Notebook ($1,500)

H&M swimsuit ($15)

"O's Guide to Life" ($30)

iPad with Scrabble app ($500)

UGG Australia sparkle boots ($175)

A 2012 Volkswagen Beetle ($22,000)

For the full list, click here.

Granted, many of the items were donated by their respective companies, including the Pontiac G-6's she screamingly distributed in 2004. But we hope the giveaways will continue in some form at OWN.

As for the hostess with the mostest, she plans to take it easy for a while.

"Staying in pj's all day," she tweeted Thursday. "Getting hair braided ... for summer vaca[tion]. Reading all ur emails!"

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

'Jersey Shore's' Ronnie and The Situation reportedly brawl in Italy

"Jersey Shore's" Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino got into an all-out fistfight in Italy, according a report.

Though the cause of the Monday night brawl is unclear, it may have been sparked by a fight between Ronnie's on-again, off-again girlfriend Sammie Giancola, TMZ reported. All that Ron-Ron Juice must have gotten him amped because Sitch got pummeled quite a bit. We imagine their cameramen got it all on tape.

Ronnie's knuckles were cut and bleeding and Sitch's eye was surrounded by red marks poorly concealed by a hoodie, the site reported. The two arrived separately at their apartment hours after the brawl. See the photos here.

The Situation has earned a reputation as "The Snitchuation" on the show because of his frequent tattletale tactics and instigating innuendos. Some "Shore" fans have probably been waiting for this moment for a while, but we're not sure if that warrants a beating.

The cast is shooting the fourth season of the hard-partying MTV reality show in their ancestral land, filming the series in Florence, Italy's Renaissance City. And Ronnie and Sitch aren't the only ones wreaking havoc in the old country.

Deena Cortese, the self-proclaimed "blast in a glass," was spotted plunging into Florence's Arno river after climbing a ledge, and the cast has incited a crosstown pizza battle, according to the New York Post. Florence's Mayor Matteo Renzi has barred the meatball-lovers from filming in bars, clubs and drinking in public. They also can't film at historic landmarks like the Uffizi Gallery and Boboli Gardens.

It remains to be seen how that will affect the next season.

Do you think "The Situation" deserved his beating? How do you think the next season of "Jersey Shore" will compare to previous seasons? Tell us in comments.

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-- Nardine Saad
twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photos: Left, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images. Right, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino. Credit: Charles Sykes / Associated Press. Lower left: "Jersey Shore" cast in Italy. Credit: Fabrizio Giovannozzi / Associated Press

Princess Beatrice's wedding hat for sale on EBay; minimum bid more than $8,200

Princess Beatrice's royal wedding hat is officially going once, going twice on EBay. The terrible topper she wore to her cousin Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton landed on the auction block Thursday.

The starting bid: 5,000 British pounds -- that's about $8,229, with only one bidder so far in the 10-day auction. We'll try not to pass too much judgment on this person's fashion sense (or common sense) since the sale is benefiting a good cause.

"I'm amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted," the princess said in a statement. "It's a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities. I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."

The proceeds on the world-famous, custom-made Philip Treacy hat, which has its very own Facebook page, will go to UNICEF and the British charity Children in Crisis, Buckingham Palace said.

"I've been surprised by the overwhelming response to 'the hat!' I'm delighted, flattered and touched by HRH Princess Beatrice's decision to donate the hat to charity," said designer Treacy. "I hope that people all over the world will be generous and that this hat will benefit many. 'A hat is a symbol of positivity.' "

Beatrice's mother, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife of Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Andrew, also made the announcement on Wednesday's Oprah Winfrey show.

The heinous headpiece is, of course, preowned. But shipping is free (probably because the flesh-toned beast is capable of sprouting wings and flying to its new owner) and will arrive within 10 days after the buyer's payment clears. 

But buyers, beware: "No returns accepted." Drat. There's also no word on whether the atrocious eyesore will give the wearer mystical powers of a bovine nature.

Bidders who really want the cockamamie concoction, er, festive fascinator, must e-mail the seller in order to be placed on a pre-approved list. Bidders have only until May 22 before it's going, going, gone.

Would you buy this hat? Would you even want this hat if it were free? Let us know in comments, which as of today we are handling with a little help from Facebook. Just click on the gray talk-bubble button at the top right of this post to get started.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photo: Princess Beatrice wearing her Philip Treacy antlers, er, fascinator, at the April 29 royal wedding. Credit: Gero Breloer / Associated Press

Hayden Panettiere and boxer Wladimir Klitschko break up

This post has been corrected. See the note below for details.

Hayden Panettiere and boxer Wladimir Klitschko have ended their two-year relationship.

"Even though we've decided splitting up is best for both of us, we have an amazing amount of love and respect for each other and remain very close friends," Panettiere told People.  

And maybe it is for the best. Spelling their complicated names together was proving to be a brain buster.

The "Scream 4" actress, 21, and Klitschko, a Ukrainian boxing champ who, at 35, is 14 years her senior, said that the long-distance thing just wasn't working out.

"We had a great time together, but it's not that easy to manage a relationship between two continents," he told the mag. "I have a lot of respect for Hayden as a person and as a friend, and I believe we'll keep our friendship even after the separation."

Really? Are you sure it wasn't the spelling problem? Also, we think by "long distance" he also meant the glaring height difference between him and the petite actress. He towers at 6-foot-6, while she hovers at 5-foot-2.

Panettiere was spotted shopping in Beverly Hills while the IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight world champion was off training for a heavyweight showdown with David Haye on July 2 in Germany, the Daily Mail reported. He was recently featured in the documentary "Klitschko," which followed the boxing careers of him and his brother Vitali Klitschko.

Panettiere, who played the controversial role of Amanda Knox in a Lifetime film that aired in February, will also voice Little Red Riding Hood in "Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil," and will costar with Josh Hutcherson and Alfred Molina in the drama "Carmel" out later this year.

[For the record, 4:40 p.m. May 12: The post originally said Panettiere would star in an upcoming Lifetime movie about Amanda Knox. That movie aired in February.]

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-- Nardine Saad
twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photo: Hayden Panettiere and boxer Wladimir Klitschko at the InStyle and Warner Bros. 68th annual Golden Globe Awards post-party on Jan. 16. Credit: John Shearer / Getty Images

Princess Beatrice to auction royal wedding hat; mom Fergie talks about snub

Princess Beatrice's hat will probably go down in history as one of the hallmarks of the royal wedding of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton -- and now it may go down as the most serious bit of royal wedding memorabilia available for purchase.

"She's putting it up on EBay to auction it for UNICEF and for children in crisis," her mother Sarah Ferguson told Oprah Winfrey in an interview that aired Wednesday.

The fascinator, custom-made by London-based milliner Philip Treacy, apparently pushed the 22-year-old's en vogue button, but Ministry commenters and the 136,000 members of "Princess Beatrice's Ridiculous Royal Wedding Hat" Facebook page did not agree.

The stiff-ribboned topper with a confounding hole at the center will go to the highest bidder -- likely someone who is either an avid royal memorabilia collector or as absurdly clueless as Bea's stylist.

No word yet on when it'll go up for auction or what the asking price will be, but the Treacy monstrosity's contemporaries can sell new for $3,300 a pop, so those who are interested might start saving up immediately.

Photos: Festive royal wedding hats

Aside from discussing Beatrice's hideous headgear, the Duchess of York opened up to the queen of daytime about her royal wedding snub. The original Fergie -- no Black Eyed Peas attached -- was married to Prince Andrew for 10 years before a scandalous divorce resulted in her becoming a persona non grata. She was also plugging "Finding Sarah," her new reality series that will air in June on OWN, Winfrey's new network.

"I was not invited," she told Winfrey about the snub, which made her miss the festivities with daughters Eugenie and Beatrice. 

"It was so difficult because I wanted to be there with my girls ... to be getting them dressed and to go as a family," she said. (And maybe to tell Beatrice not to wear antlers?) 

"I went through the phase of feeling so totally worthless and that [it] was quite right they didn't invite me," she said. "Why would they, why would they invite me?"

"In fact, when Andrew went with the girls, we were talking all morning and he was saying, it's OK. Just remember we had such a good day. Our wedding was so perfect."

Before April's big event, Ferguson's 1986 ceremony was the most recent royal wedding to take place at Westminster Abbey.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Top photo: Princess Beatrice in her infamous Philip Treacy hat. Credit: European Pressphoto Agency

Bottom photo: Sarah Ferguson with her daughters, Princess Beatrice, left, and Princess Eugenie in 2009. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

 

Lady Gaga: 'Judas' video leaks online hours before world premiere [Video]

Lady Gaga has been teasing to the premiere of her "Judas" music for weeks, much to the chagrin of little monsters and devotees of Christianity everywhere -- but hours before its Thursday world premiere on E!, the high-drama video leaked online.

Lady Gaga plays a biker-chick iteration of Mary Magdalene, echoed on her "Born This Way" album cover, and the video includes her interpretation of Magdalene's role in Judas' betrayal of Jesus. She even jumps in a bathtub with them to ceremoniously wash Jesus' feet. The singer has already said the video "is not supposed to be a biblical lesson."

 "I don't view the video as a religious statement," she said. "I view it as social statement. I view it as a cultural statement. ... It's a metaphor."

You can expect a lot of dancing in the pop video peppered with numerous tight beauty shots of Mother Monster. There's even a lipstick-shooting firearm!

An uncut seven-minute video will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday -- or simply watch it above. Blasphemy or brilliance? Tell us in comments.

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-- Nardine Saad
Twitter.com/NardineSaad

Photo: Lady Gaga. Credit: PR NewsFoto / Interscope Records