New York- Two years after breaking box office records with their first feature film, the Sex and the City gang hopes audiences are ready to get carried away again – this time all the way to Abu Dhabi.

On the same majestic dunes that Peter O’Toole famously crossed in Lawrence of Arabia almost 50 years ago, Parker and her costars – Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, and Kim Cattrall – mastered the art of strutting through the desert in stilettos. They also learned to ride camels…while decked out in really, really expensive clothing. “Kim and I had this camel that without any warning would just sit down whenever he wanted. And we were dressed like lunatics!” Parker says. “Designer couture on camels. And I mean Couture. I had some vintage Dior pieces from the couture archives on a camel.”

Unlikely as it may seem, the idea to send the ladies on an exotic five-star vacation sprang from the recession. “We were in the middle of an economic downturn, and I realized that during the Great Depression, the movies’ job was to go to a bit of an escapist’s bend,” says King, who took over as show-runner on the HBO series after creator Darren Star stepped down in 2000. “So I thought, let’s take everybody on a big, fun trip. Because I don’t think people want to see Carrie Bradshaw selling apples under the bridge.”

The lack of fan scrutiny spared everyone from resorting to fake-out tactics, such as the day King sent Cattrall to the New York set in a wedding dress. John Corbett (Aidan) even managed to stay in Morocco for two weeks without a word of it leaking to the press. “I couldn’t believe that I got to go there and the paparazzi never caught me,” says the actor. “The whole time we were there, one guy got a shot off, but I had a little bag I was carrying and I got it up in front of my face. That was the only photo- a big, tall guy with a bag in front of his face.”

MORE ON SATC 2!

Most people know very little about Scientology aside from the fact that Tom Cruise, John Travolta and other celebrities are a part of it, and that it’s had its fair share of controversy over the years. A new book is looking to pull back the curtain on the mysterious religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard, and the author certainly knows her stuff. Amy Scobee is a former Scientologist who was in the church for more than two decades, and worked in the all-important Celebrity Centers portion of the organization. In her just-released book, ‘Scientology: Abuse at the Top,’ Scobee details all of the troubling things she saw that made her flee what she once called her trusted religion, but now refers to as a “dangerous cult.” Scobee spoke exclusively to PopEater over e-mail about her shocking book, her time with Tom Cruise and other Scientology bigwigs, and the (her words) brainwashing, systematic violence and slave labor camps she saw during her 27 years there.

Tom Cruise is by far the most known Scientologist. What types of interaction did you have with him during your time there, and what can you say about him as a person?

I met Tom Cruise and members of his family. I did a project to locate Scientologists for him to hire in order to fill specific positions in his household — such as executive housekeeper, maid, cook, nanny. Personally, I do not have much respect for Tom at all for a few very important reasons. First of all, I think he has abused his “power” as a well-known figure to gain special favors from Scientology. I know of several examples of this, including the fact that I was personally assigned to select his personal entourage, which had nothing to do with my job at the time. I was a full-time staff member in the Sea Organization. I did not get paid for that service, I did not get thanked for that service. I was at the International Management base in Hemet when he came to do Scientology services for an extended period of time. The staff members there were not set up to service a celebrity at that property. People were pulled off their own jobs to cater to him. I knew of people [Sea org members] doing his laundry, supervising him in the course room, supervising his counseling, the music studio conference room was converted to a course room for him, many staff members were utilized to establish audio-visual facilities in his home. Many staff members had to stay up day and night, because on the 500 acre property there were some brown patches on the lawns — it’s in the middle of the desert in Hemet. Those brown patches could be seen by helicopter per David Miscavige, and Cruise was going to arrive via helicopter, so we laid sod for days — night and day.

The other factor is that Tom Cruise has proclaimed David Miscavige to be a “LEADER OF LEADERS” and announced to all Scientologists attending the International Association of Scientologists Event in 2004 that David Miscavige was the best leader and said that he should know “because I’ve met them ALL.” That’s an arrogant statement, plus David Miscavige viciously beats his staff members. So to give Miscavige all this praise puts in concrete to Scientology followers to listen to this “leader” who has NO BUSINESS being in that position because he’s DANGEROUS.

More shocking details here!

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen was today blasted by anti-violence campaigners after boasting she carries a flick-knife everywhere and even carried it on a plane.

The American actress, 16, told how she has a knife collection and ‘relaxes’ by opening and closing a switchblade.

She said: ‘I have a knife collection. I have my favourite black knife with me all the time. It’s a switchblade.

‘It relaxes me to flick it. I close it and open it.’

Momsen, who is currently in London promoting her band The Pretty Reckless, went on: ‘I flew from New York to Los Angeles and still had a couple of knives in my purse. I thought I took them all out but they got tucked up in the folds.

‘I took them through security, took them on the plane, opened my bag to get my wallet in LA and they fell out. I was like ‘holy s***’,’ the 16-year-old added.

But her words were condemned by campaigner Lyn Costello who said her comments were ‘warped’.

Momsen, who is in the UK to promote her band The Pretty Reckless, made her comments in an interview with the Metro newspaper.

Source

After weeks (maybe months) of speculation, it’s looking like Matt Lauer and his wife of twelve years, Annette Lauer are in fact splitting.

The National Enquirer reported that Matt Lauer had been having an affair while he was in Vancouver, BC covering the Olympics. According to a source at the Today Show, Matt moved out of his family home two months ago, and Annette is no longer wearing her wedding ring.

More from RadarOnline:

Suspicions were first sparked when Matt stood Annette up for Valentine’s Day, choosing instead to stay in Vancouver, where a source says Matt was often spotted boozing and flirting with women – in particular two pretty Canadian broadcasters.

To add fuel to the fire Matt decided to stay behind in Canada after the Today Show crew returned to New York at the end of the Olympics.

Annette, reportedly was informed of her husband’s flirting by the wife of another staffer, got the names of the two female broadcasters he was spotted getting especially cozy with, and confronted Lauer upon his return home.

Lauer denied all accusations, insisting the women were just friends, but after two non-stop days of fighting finally moved out into his own digs.

Matt hasn’t always been the model husband. Matt reportedly carried on an affair until just before his 1998 wedding. In 2006 – while pregnant with their third child, Annette filed for divorce feeling she could no longer trust her husband.  (She later withdrew the petition).

According to the show insider, “Matt is trying to keep this [split] on the down low.” In addition, sources say that Lauer’s NBC bosses are pressuring the presenter to maintain his image as a solid family man to appeal to his largely female audience.

The source goes on to say, “Matt is still very involved in his children’s lives. He goes to the family apartment after he finishes his Today duties to see the kids – and picks them up from school.

“For their sake, he and Annette plan to continue getting together on weekends – and they’ll go to their house in the Hamptons.”

Source

Sean Penn pleaded no contest to vandalism on Wednesday, effectively ending a case in which the Oscar-winning actor was videotaped kicking a celebrity photographer. Penn was not present in court and entered the plea through his attorney. He was sentenced to three years of informal probation and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service, said city attorney’s spokesman Frank Mateljan.

Mateljan says those hours can be completed through Penn’s earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti.

He was also ordered to undergo 36 hours of anger management counseling and stay 100 yards away from the photographer.

Continue Reading…

This according to my Inspector-Gadget-like detective work (and some other sources).

Gwen Stefani is expecting her third child with rocker husband Gavin Rossdale, according to reports.

I’d like to show Exhibit A: Pants Unbuttoned! She must be pregnant! Exhibit B: Sea-Brand bracelet – which is KNOWN for stopping morning sickness.

The pop star is already mom to sons Kingston, three, and 20-month-old Zuma and has previously expressed her desire to add another tot to her growing brood once she gets a break in her busy work schedule.

But Stefani has recently been spotted sporting a fuller figure and snaps of the No Doubt singer in New York last week show her with what appears to be a baby bump.

An eyewitness tells Star magazine, “She was pulling at her shirt to keep it away from her body. It seemed really strange – but then, when she turned to the side, I could see why. She definitely had a baby bump!”

Stefani has also been photographed wearing a Sea-Band bracelet, usually associated with expectant mothers – as it helps to relieve morning sickness.

Stefani has been donning the accessory because the nausea she has been experiencing has been worse than ever before, reports OK! magazine.

An insider says, “Gwen is having a really rough time this pregnancy. She had all-day morning sickness for a while with Zuma, but she’s sicker this go-round and has been feeling exhausted and dizzy.”

And the couple’s publicist has failed to put a stop to the rumors. When approached about the story, the stars’ spokesman Dave Tomberlin offered WENN a firm “no comment”.

Stefani and Rossdale wed in 2002.

Source, Fame

Get a closer look below!

Kim Kardashian and her sisters Khloe and Kourtney sign autograph after autograph during the launch of their new jewelry line “Kardashian Collection by Virgin Saints + Angels” at the Kitson boutique on Robertson Blvd. today.

So which one is the angel? Better yet – which one is the virgin saint?

Fame