Times Square Gossip

JOHN TRAVOLTA IN DRAG In the wee hours of Saturday morning on the soundstages of the new movie version of Hairspray, the fat lady sang, to a pre-recorded track. And then it was over for John Travolta. The Grease star wrapped his return to the musical genre. Travolta said goodbye to the generously proportioned Edna Turnblad — the same role created by the late Divine in the 1988 John Waters film and by Tony winner Harvey Fierstein in the smash Broadway show. Travolta's version is expected in theaters next summer. "It's good," said the exhausted actor of finally being freed of Edna's cumbersome body. "The effect that I caused is fun and all, but it's a lot of work, man." Travolta wanted to make Edna sexier and real, not a campy drag act. That required four hours of prep time before putting in eight hours of performing in padding and silicone prosthetics. "You feel like you are coming out of a prison. It's such a relief to get air again to the ...

Small actor Alec Baldwin is demanding his narration of a new documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger be removed because it contains footage of Nazi rallies. 'The Departed' actor agreed to record the narration for 'Running With Arnold', which focuses on the 'Terminator' star's rise to political power as the governor of California, after reading the script. However, Baldwin was horrified when he went to record his dialogue and saw footage of Nazi rallies and information linking friends of Schwarzenegger and his father to the fascist party included in the film. In a posting on the Huffington Post website, Baldwin - who is a supporter of Schwarzenegger as a politician - writes: "I was somewhat dismayed by some of the images. The filmmakers hammer Schwarzenegger over his private behaviour and his record as governor. But Schwarzenegger deserves to be treated fairly and the film's images of Nazi rallies were over the line. "Baldwin wrote to the makers an...

Anna Nicole Smith was admitted to hospital yesterday with pneumonia.The former Playboy Playmate was taken into hospital in the Bahamas as a precautionary measure as she recently gave birth. Her new attorney, Wayne Munroe, said: "She has a slight case of pneumonia. We've had a sudden change of weather here due to a cold snap."Before she was taken ill Anna Nicole, 38, spoke out for the first time about the death of her son Daniel, who passed away at her bedside in September shortly after the birth of her new daughter Dannielynn. The former model says she would have died in order that her 20-year-old son could live. Anna Nicole told TV show 'Entertainment Tonight': "I don't understand why God took him and didn't take me."She added her new daughter reminds her of her son, saying: "She looks like Daniel. If I didn't have Howard, or my baby, I wouldn't be here."The blonde actress is currently in a paternity dispute over her new daught...

A new Borat book has been shelved because it contains 100 photographs of naked Kazakhstan women. British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who created the fictional reporter Borat, wants the book to accompany his new movie 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' - but US publishers fear stores will not sell it. Cohen has reportedly hired models to pose as Kazakhstan women in various states of undress and some photographs are said to be extremely explicit. British publisher Boxtree has agreed to release the book in the UK - where Cohen's Ali G book was a bestseller. However, the Ali G book failed to sell in the US because it contained some rude photographs - and publishers fear the same thing will happen with the Borat book. Kazakhstan Embassy spokesman Roman Vassilenko is furious with Cohen's depiction of women. He fumed: "Kazakhstan is a moral country, and women have always played an important part in society. The only true ...

Reese Witherspoon split from husband Ryan Phillippe because he allegedly cheated on her, it has been reported. A spokesman for the Oscar-winning actress announced the couple's mutually agreed separation on Monday, but it has now been claims that Ryan's affair with 24-year-old Australian actress Abbie Cornish (left) is the reason for the split. A source told Us Weekly magazine: "Ryan admitted it was true and said, 'We need to just end this.' Reese literally had no choice."Ryan, 32, met Abbie on the Texas set of their independent film 'Stop Loss' and it has been reported the couple were extremely open about their relationship during filming. The source said: "Ryan did not go out of his way to hide the fact that he was having a fling with his co-star Abbie Cornish. Besides the fact they were spotted making out in a sushi restaurant together, she was spotted many times leaving his loft apartment."Reese, 30, accompanied Ryan to the premiere of his...

Courtney Love has revealed she took LSD when she was just four-years-old.The singer, the widow of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, insists taking the hallucinogenic drug at such a young age had improved her mind. Courtney, 42, told Rolling Stone magazine: "Because I was given acid at four, I think my mind was freed. "The wild rocker also spoke about selling part of her stake in Nirvana's music for $50 million dollars. She said: "Before that, I'd saved $4,000. We were almost ready to apply for food stamps. I sold 25 percent of the music to a guy named Larry Mestel who's been great, fucking great. Some of his ideas are a little cheesy. The last thing we want is 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' selling Coca Cola."But if you look at my daughter, and that's who that music is for - that music is for her, ultimately - if it ends up having to be fucking sugarwater, that's what it ends up having to be."I pray to God it doesn't, and I don't...

Tom Cruise was sacked by his film studio because he is no longer a sex symbol.The 'Top Gun' star was dropped by Paramount Pictures earlier this year and Sumner Redstone (left), the chief of Viacom - the company which owns Paramount - has now revealed why they made the decision. Redstone claims he made the decision not to renew the Hollywood star's multi-million dollar contract because his wife Paula started to dislike Cruise. He said in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine: "Paula, like women everywhere, had come to hate him. The truth of the matter is I did listen to her."His behaviour was entirely unacceptable to Paula and to the rest of the world. He just didn't turn one woman off. He turned off all women, and a lot of men."Redstone also cited Cruise's erratic behaviour, including the infamous 'couch-jumping' incident on Oprah Winfrey's chat show and his bizarre Scientology beliefs, as another reason.He added: "He was embarrassin...

Michael Jackson is collaborating with Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am on his new album. The eccentric singer invited the rapper-producer to join him in a recording studio in Ireland to work on some tracks for the forthcoming LP. Jackson, 48, told TV show Access Hollywood: "I like what he is doing and thought it would be interesting to collaborate or just see how the chemistry worked. I think he's doing wonderful, innovative, positive, great music."The 'Bad' singer has not released a new studio album since 2001 but says he has never stopped writing music, and since being cleared of child molestation charges last year is desperate to put out a fresh record. Jackson said: "I am always writing a potpourri of music. I want to give the world escapism through the wonder of great music and to reach the masses."The music legend is often promising new records, including a benefit single for Hurricane Katrina victims which never materialised. Jackson is currently st...