Times Square Gossip

Jack Osbourne blames his drug and alcohol problems on his genes.The 21-year-old TV star, the son of rocker Ozzy and Sharon, is convinced he abused drink and painkillers because he inherited the genetics from his wild dad who has battled drink and drug addictions all his life. He said: "I blame genetics. Because dad was an alcoholic, that's why I am."Jack was sent to a rehabilitation clinic by his parents to be treated for alcoholism and an addiction to the prescription painkiller Oxy Contin in 2003 when he was just 17. The young star admits he turned to both substances to try and cope with mom Sharon's gruelling battle with colon cancer. He explained: "My problems peaked when mom was sick and dad was dealing with his problems the same way as I was, by drinking, so I had no one to turn to. I was just hanging out with my crowd drinking and doing drugs."Jack and Ozzy are now both sober and Sharon's cancer is in remission.

Denzel Washington says life changed when he turned 40 - because he learned to relax.The 'Déjà Vu' actor, who turns 52 on Thursday, allowed himself to be stressed out by work commitments when he was younger but that stopped when he hit the landmark age. He said: "I realised that worrying about everything wasn't going to change anything except give me an ulcer. For years, I was frantically busy and suddenly I realised I was already there and didn't need to sweat so much.The time to worry about flying is when you're still on the ground. When you're up in the air, it's too late."Washington insists he is enjoying life more than ever now he is in his 50s. He said: "My life's pretty good. No need to change anything. I'm living life to the fullest in may own way - keeping things simple." Denzel Washington

Anne Hathaway Anne Hathaway is not worried about gaining weight.The 24-year-old actress insists she has no intention of being pressurised by Hollywood into staying slim and already knows how she will cope if she puts on a few pounds. She said: "There has always been pressure on actresses, but I will never suffer, because if I gain weight I will just become a character actress."The brunette - who starred in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Brokeback Mountain' - has also revealed that she lets her boyfriend dress her. Hathaway admits her Italian lover Raffaello Follieri, who she has been dating since 2004, is far more fashion conscious than her and regularly picks out the outfits she wears. She said: "I go to my boyfriend for help to pick out everything. He is Italian so has the perfect taste."For me, style is just throwing on whatever's clean and I'll probably never change." Anne Hathaway in Brokeback Mountain

James Gandolfini insists all mafia characters have to be fat. The 45-year-old actor, famous for his role as a mob boss in 'The Sopranos', insists he is too old to exercise but it doesn't matter because he needs to be overweight to play Tony Soprano. He told Esquire magazine: "I should exercise, but I'm too old for that shit. I lost 30lbs to play my character in 'The Mexican', but people don't take to skinny mafia men, and I don't feel right when I'm thin. I was voted best-looking kid in high school but, as you can see, things changed."I used to say I was a 260lb Woody Allen. You can make that 295lb now."Despite being happy with the success he has achieved in 'The Sopranos', Gandolfini admits he gets tired of playing the same part. He said: "I can only take so much of Tony Soprano. I like the guy, but he takes up nine months of my year, every year, and that's not really me. I'm more of a soft guy." The Sopranos

THE first blow in what promises to be a long and protracted fight over James Brown's estate was struck yesterday when his widow was locked out of the home she and the soul legend had shared for the past ten years amid claims the pair had never been legally married. Just hours after the singer's death, Tomi Rae Hynie returned to the house in Beech Island, South Carolina, to find that its wrought-iron gates had been padlocked shut. "They've been robbing from him all of his life and they'll do it in death," she said. Although she admitted she did not own the deeds to the home, she insisted she and the couple's five-year-old son, James Jr, had a legal right to continue living there. "This is my home," Ms Hynie said outside the gates of the house. "I don't have any money. I don't have anywhere to go." Brown and Ms Hynie were married in 2001. But the singer's lawyer, Buddy Dallas, said Ms Hynie was already married to another man, ...

Kate Hudson with Matt Dillon and Owen Wilson Kate Hudson says Owen Wilson made her model bikinis for him on the set of 'You Me and Dupree'.The 27-year-old actress has revealed her co-star - who she has been romantically linked to since splitting from her rocker husband Chris Robinson - loved shooting a raunchy dream sequence with her, because he got to help pick out some swim wear for her to wear. She told Cosmopolitan magazine: "Owen and the directors came out and we were trying to pick out the bikini for the scene and they made me put on the same one a hundred times."One time Owen goes, 'I like that one - turn around!' And I was like, 'No, no, no!'"It was really funny. It was all in good humor. Some of the bikinis I tried on were super-trashy, well, most of them were, but we all decided that the black crochet one was the way to go."Kate has also confessed she starved herself before the scene in order to look her best. She added: "The n...

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Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz Matthew McConaughey has tipped ex-girlfriend Penelope Cruz for Oscar success.The 'We Are Marshall' actor insists he is still good friends with his former lover and was blown away by her performance in her latest movie 'Volver'. He said: "I just saw 'Volver', in fact. She's going to get an Oscar nomination - or she should. She's incredibly excited about that film."Matthew, 37, also spoke about his admiration for another close friend, cycling legend Lance Armstrong. He gushed: "Lance has been a great friend. ( A VERY GOOD FRIEND) He's one of the great new relationships I've found in the last couple years."He's a great man. ( YOU LIKE MATT?) You look for people or ideas who are inspiring and he definitely is. (HE IS BABY !) "The pals are often spotted working-out together, (SHIRTLESS TOO) but Matthew insists despite his vigorous exercise regime he still doesn't stand a ch...

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts family Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their three children have been named 'Family of the Year'. The attractive couple - who met on the set of their movie 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' - were awarded the accolade by People magazine recently. Angelina, 31, revealed she "is the disciplinarian" of the two when it comes to their children - Maddox, five, 23-month-old Zahara and Shiloh Nouvel, who was born in May. She said: "Brad can be, but if Z doesn't get the bottle from me, she'll quickly run to daddy."Angelina also gushed that she and Brad, 43, are very proud parents. She added: "Somebody said to us recently that they were happy kids, and we talked about how much that meant to us to hear. And they're good kids. God knows how we managed to do that - but they're good kids."Asked which child ran the roost, the 'Tomb Raider' star replied: "I bet if you asked Brad, he'd say Zahara. Mad is very ...

Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon’s scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America’s history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93. “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age,” Mrs. Ford said in a brief statement issued from her husband’s office in Rancho Mirage. “His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.” The statement did not say where Ford died or list a cause of death. Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments — including an angioplasty — in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. President Gerald R. Ford

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Rod Stewart struggles to make love to fiancée Penny Lancaster if there's music playing in the background.The 61-year-old rocker has confessed he finds it difficult to concentrate on the job in hand if he can hear a song playing, and admits he needs to concentrate a lot more in the bedroom than he did when he was younger. Rod, who is a renowned womaniser, told British radio station Heart: "I'm not one for having music on, or the TV, or any distractions for that matter. I just like a few candles around the place otherwise I lose my concentration. To be a good lover takes great concentration. Penny is a lucky lady, but I'm also a very lucky man. She's heaven sent."Rod is not the only male star who cannot perform between the sheets if there is music playing. Justin Timberlake recently admitted he can't make love to girlfriend Cameron Diaz if he can hear a song playing - because he loses his focus. He said: "I have trouble having sex to music because I...

Eva Longoria will open this year's Harrods winter sale.The 'Desperate Housewives' actress admitted she was "absolutely thrilled" at the prospect of opening the exclusive London department store to bargain hunters. She said: "I am absolutely thrilled. It is such an honor and a privilege to be asked to the opening of the sale at the world's most famous department store."The beautiful brunette, who plays Gabrielle Solis on the hit US show, will be accompanied on December 28 by Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed. Previous celebrities to open the famous sale include former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 2002 and actor Richard Gere in 1994. Eva, 31, recently got engaged to lover Tony Parker. The couple are due to tie the knot in a French castle on July 7 next year, and Tony, 24, admits he can't wait to marry the stunning actress. He said: "I am so happy. I've wanted to do this for some time. Eva really wanted to get married in France. It's a be...

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Matt Damon is planning to work with Ben Affleck again.The best friends shot to fame when they co-wrote and starred in 'Good Will Hunting' together, but after Damon's career rocketed and Affleck starred in a series of flops, it was widely believed they had gone their separate ways. It now seems 'Bourne Identity' star Damon is considering reuniting the pair. Damon said: "Ben and I found a project to co-direct that we might be able to get off the ground. We're just kind of on the hunt for something good."Directing feels like a natural extension, having written and then acted for all these years. It just feels like I've got to try it."Damon, 36, has made millions playing Jason Bourne in the Bourne trilogy, as well as starring in a string of box office hits, including 'Ocean's Eleven','The Departed' and 'The Talented Mr Ripley'. Affleck recently said he had given up hoping for success after his...

Kylie Minogue will not perform at the Glastonbury Festival next year. The singer was tipped to headline the closing day, but festival organiser Emily Eavis - who runs the musical extravaganza with her father Michael -has revealed Kylie will be too busy touring to attend. Emily said: "Kylie has a lot of touring up her sleeve and I think if she was going to do Glastonbury, she'd rework her show and I don't think it's going to be possible in that time frame. It's just not going to happen."The 'Showgirl' tour takes up so much of her time. And its so exhausting for her, it would be too much to headline Glastonbury as well."The news has upset Kylie's close friend Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears,who planned to 'marry' his boyfriend Chris at the event. Jake - who asked Kylie to perform at his wedding - has postponed the nuptials and cancelled the circus performers, dancers and fireworks he had booked for the big day. Now Jake is planning to...