MICHAEL CRICHTON DEAD AT 66 "Michael Crichton, best known as the author of Jurassic Park and the creator of NBC's ER, has died. He was 66. In a statement to Entertainment Tonight, his family calls his death unexpected, but said he had been privately battling cancer."
ZELLWEGER SHARES OLD MEDICAL HISTORY "Renee Zellweger is speaking out about a breast cancer scare she had years ago. During a self examination in 1996, she tells Self magazine that she found two small lumps in her right breast and got them checked out. Zellweger later learned she had fibroadenomas (benign breast tumours)."
Julia Roberts and Dave Matthews hosted a Stand Up for a Cure concert last night at Madison Square Garden. The sold-out show, which hosted celebrities ranging from Lindsay Lohan to, erm, Dina Lohan, benefited lung cancer research.
To see who was in attendance, click through.
It was only an amount of time until America's obsession with B-list celebs reduced the country to watching 'Til Death star Brad Garrett receive a prostate exam on national television.
IN THE CLEAR "Christina Applegate is free of breast cancer after undergoing a double mastectomy. 'I'm clear,' Applegate, 36, told ABC News' Good Morning America Tuesday. 'Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean. It did not spread. They got everything out, so I'm definitely not going to die from breast cancer.'"
SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS HER WAY "Christina Applegate has been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer. … 'Benefitting from early detection through a doctor ordered MRI, the cancer is not life threatening,' the Emmy nominated Samantha Who? star's rep said in a statement. 'Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery.'"
• Naomi Campbell says that whole incident where she spit on a police officer wasn't her fault, because someone besides the police officer called her a racial slur. Makes sense, if you're Naomi. [SH]
• Good news for Patrick Swayze: "My treatments are working and I am winning the battle." [ICYDK]
• Brittany Snow feels a connection to hookers. Don't we all? [INO]
• True to her "desperate" form, Jennifer Aniston hopped on a flight to Europe to stalk boyfriend John Mayer while he is out on tour. [PS]
• More fun with celebrity cellulite! [DListed]
SICK IN MANY SENSES OF THE WORD "At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, [Apple] announced a new 3G version of the iPhone in a push to target mainstream consumers. But a strong undercurrent at the event focused on the emaciated appearance of co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs. While Jobs looked especially gaunt in his trademark black turtleneck and faded jeans, other Apple executives spent more time on the stage during his keynote address — a notable move for an executive who typically spends much of his speech rallying the Mac faithful and introducing many products himself. This created a dilemma of sorts for those of us in the business and technology press, but it is also not the first time his appearance has caused concern. In 2004, Jobs successfully battled pancreatic cancer, and since then, there has been occasional speculation about his health after one of his public appearances. … Henry Blodget at Silicon Alley Insider apologized upfront for bringing up the personal subject, before wondering if Jobs has had a recurrence of the cancer that he successfully fought but kept hidden from investors until after his surgery."
THAT DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION "Paul Newman has responded obliquely to a number of published reports that say he is gravely ill with cancer. The 83-year-old Oscar winner's spokesman in Los Angeles, Jeff Sanderson, told Reuters: 'Newman says he's doing nicely.'"
Back in March, Patrick Swayze, that perfect marriage of a dancer's body and a ninja's fists, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he had just five weeks to live. But now, approximately three months later, the Road House star is still alive, beating the odds like he did so many commies in the propagandistic classic Red Dawn. Doctors have even cleared him to begin work on a new A&E television series, The Beast. Huzzah!
After the jump, you want it so bad it's like acid in your mouth.
CONTINUED »
American Idol Top 24 finalist Luke Menard, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma, had a special visitor prior to last week's Idol finale: winner David Cook.
David said the two became close during the show's Hollywood week and wanted to stop by in between rehearsals to "make sure that [Luke] understood that I love him and know that if there's anything I can do for him and his wife, sign me up, you know?" David's older brother Adam has battled brain cancer for 10 years, so the newest Idol said he is glad to be in the spotlight so he can bring attention to the issue and help others: "Any time one of your own is going through something as horrible as that, it makes everything else seem a little bit insignificant."
We really can't say anything bad about this guy.
[Source]
• Why did Dunkin Donuts pull this ad featuring Rachel Ray and her scarf? [HP]
• Patrick Swayze says he's responding well to treatment. No jokes, just sending good vibes his way. [People]
• Fans of Indiana Jones have too much time on their hands if they've already pointed out 40 mistakes since the movie's release last weekend. [ICYDK]
• Just as expected, Pete Doherty has killed one of his cats. Where the hell is PETA in all this? [DListed]
• Today's portion of the R. Kelly trial will deal with threesomes that may or may not involve an underage child. Good clean fun. [SH]
This little guy, Oscar, is one of the world's most popular dogs among Hollywood circles. He has been photographed with the likes of George Clooney and John Travolta thanks to his owner, Dennis Gill, who sold newspapers to celebrities in London. Oscar recently lost his three-year battle with cancer, but his legacy will live on through the animal lovers of the blogosphere.
[Source]
NOT A HAPPY DAY FOR ALL IDOLS "American Idol contestant Luke Menard has been diagnosed with lymphoma, a relative of the singer confirms. … Menard, 29, thought he had walking pneumonia when he first sought medical treatment for a persistent cough. After doctors ran several tests, they found a mass behind his heart and removed a node from under his left collarbone."
Doctor's said today that a malignant brain tumor caused Massachusetts senior Senator Ted Kennedy's seizure over the weekend. Though he is said to be "in good spirits," most patients with the type of cancer Kennedy has live between one and five years after their diagnosis.
Remember when Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and given just five weeks to live? Well, either his situation has drastically improved or his television cop drama, The Beast, is going to prove to be misnamed and very, very short lived.
A&E Television Networks will spend $650 million on new programming across TV and new media in 2008, up $50 million from a year ago and up 30% compared with 2006.
…
A&E … said it will launch a second scripted series in early 2009; the top contenders are "The Beast," starring Patrick Swayze, and "Danny Fricke," starring Connie Nielsen. The new series will join the upcoming "The Cleaner," which will debut in the summer. "Cleaner" star Benjamin Bratt was at the upfront, where A&E screened the first two acts of the pilot.
Guess that miracle cure worked!
GOOD TIMING "Ewan McGregor had a brush with skin cancer but says he is 'fine' now. The Scottish actor, 37, was promoting his latest film, the sex thriller Deception, when he revealed on the BBC that he was forced to have a suspicious-looking facial mole — one of several — removed from just below his right eye."
Editor
