December 20, 2012

Simon Cowell and Carmen Electra's PDA in September was not without reason. The former has confirmed to Ryan Seacrest on Wednesday, December 19 that they are dating but added that they are not exclusive.

"Girlfriend?" Cowell said with a laugh in a call in to Seacrest's morning radio show, before adding "She's not my girlfriend. We're people who date. She's adorable, isn't she?" Seacrest then moved on from the topic to the departure of L.A. Reid from "The X Factor (US)". He said, "I'm going to miss him, because he's a good guy, but he has to go back and run the record label."

A new version of the classic TV series "The Twilight Zone" is in the works with CBS TV Studios at the helm of the development of the modern-day revival. While there are no writers yet and no network is set yet for the new edition of the TV classic, science-fiction "X-Men" director Bryan Singer has been tagged as the show's executive producer, exciting expectant fans of the popular sci-fi series.

The original 1959-64 edition of "The Twilight Zone", created and hosted by Rod Serling, is considered as one of the best shows of all time. Succeeding editions of the show, the '80's revamp from 1985-1989 and the short-lived UPN revival from 2002, however, have struggled to keep audiences.

In less than a week, "Django Unchained" will greet moviegoers as it opens Stateside on Christmas Day. Building the anticipation to the release of the spaghetti Western film, lead actor Jamie Foxx takes some time to promote the movie on Vanity Fair, where he discusses his vision if there's a chance to reprise his titular role in a possible sequel.

"I would definitely be interested to see where Django and his wife go," Foxx says of what he wants the sequel to be. "Or just other adventures. There's stories of John Brown, the abolitionist -maybe he runs into John Brown or Harriet Tubman."

Camilla Belle's budding romance with Tim Tebow ended quickly after it started. The "10,000 B.C." beauty and the New York Jets quarterback called it quits after dating for two months only. "It just didn't work out," a source told Us Weekly.

Belle, 26, and Tebow, 25, were first spotted getting cozy when bowling with some friends at Latitude 30 in Jacksonville, Florida on October 30. "They were grabbing kisses and holding hands," an eyewitness said back then. They were having a great time together."

Blink-182 collaborate with rapper Yelawolf for their latest release, "Pretty Little Girls", taken from their current EP, "Dogs Eating Dogs", out in stores now. The EP features four other tracks besides "Pretty Little Girls", namely: "When I Was Young", "Disaster", the first track released from the EP "Boxing Day" and the carrier track "Dogs Eating Dogs".

Plans of working on an EP came about after they had parted ways with Interscope Records. "It's a great time in our band right now," bass guitarist/vocalist Mark Hoppus told CBS Local. "We're better amongst ourselves than we've been in years. It's a real positive, excited energy between the three of us. Getting a chance to become independent after being on a label for whatever it's been, 17 years now �� it's a really cool position to be in."

James Marsden, 39, has welcomed his third child, a baby boy named William Luca Costa-Marsden. His ex-girlfriend, Brazilian model Rose Costa, gave birth to the bundle of joy on December 14 in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirms the happy news.

James dated Rose briefly after he split from his wife Lisa Linde in 2011. The "30 Rock" star was no longer with Rose when rumors about her pregnancy emerged this summer. Still, he's reportedly very supportive and helped pick the name for the baby.

"The Voice" mentor Blake Shelton, who has coached two back-to-back winners on the top-rating TV singing competition, was beaming like a proud parent when her ward, 23-year-old Cassadee Pope won over runner-up Terry McDermott and soul singer Nicholas David, to end up as season three's big winner in a two-hour live finale show telecast Tuesday night over NBC. The star mentor was instrumental for the pop-rocker's win, as she had become a strong finalist when he had made her dish out country songs in the competition.

According to Shelton, Pope started to gain ground in the show when she sang his wife Miranda Lambert's song "Over You". She then continued singing country songs throughout the competition, putting her own pop-rock twist to them, and even singing a country star Faith Hill's "Cry" in the finals.

Detailed info of the juvenile who made hoax calls about false home invasions in Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher's residences started to unravel. The culprit, according to TMZ, is a 12-year-old boy who preferred to sitting in front of his computer all day than going to school.

There's reportedly a plan to remove the boy from his home to a more stable foster environment because his family is "incredibly dysfunctional." The teen allegedly lives only with her mother in Southern California, and Children's Services have visited them several times.

After having been named by Billboard as its top artist for 2012 just a couple of days ago, Adele adds another feather to her cap by topping Forbes' annual list of the thirty brightest music stars under 30 years old. The publication annually lists the thirty brightest stars in fifteen different categories, including music.

24-year-old Adele made the list on the success of her second album "21", which has sold over 23 million copies worldwide. The "Rolling in the Deep" singer leads the other acts in the coveted list that includes British-Irish group One Direction and R'n'B superstar Rihanna. One Direction are included in the list following the back-to-back success of their first two albums "Up All Night" and "Take Me Home", while Rihanna's string of sold-out shows and lucrative endorsement deals make her a shoe-in for the "30 under 30" list.

"Once Upon a Time" has already found an actress to play young Cora for the upcoming season 2 origin episode. Deadline reports that Rose McGowan has officially been set to guest star in the said outing, playing a younger version of the Evil Queen's mother.

The older version of Cora is portrayed by Barbara Hershey. The new casting marks McGowan's return to magic drama genre after she previously starred in "Charmed" for five years. She also portrayed a sorceress in a 2011remake of "Conan the Barbarian".

Miss USA Olivia Culpo was crowned 2012 Miss Universe during a televised beauty pageant at the Planet Hollywood casino in Las Vegas. It marked the first time an American wins the title since Brook Lee was declared the winner in 1997. It also became the U.S.'s eighth win since the competition started 60 years ago.

Olivia made it to the top 5 along with Miss Venezuela Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon, Miss Australia Renae Ayris and Miss Brazil Gabriele Markus. The 20-year-old beauty from Rhode Island answered her final question from one of the judges, Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette.

"You shall love, whether you like it or not," so it says in the first international trailer for Terrence Malick's latest creation "To the Wonder". Overall, the trailer is studded with beautiful shots of natural landscapes and people sharing love to one another. Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurylenko and Javier Bardem are all highlighted in it.

A follow-up to Malick's "The Tree of Life", this new film is a romantic drama which focuses on a man who reconnects with a woman from his hometown of Oklahoma after his marriage to a European woman falls apart. Affleck plays the said man, while Kurylenko stars as the French woman. McAdams portrays another woman who divides Affleck's affection, and Bardem plays a priest seeking a spiritual fulfillment.

Christina Aguilera will be awarded with a People's Voice award by the People's Choice Awards on January 9, 2013, to recognize her achievements in the music industry and her ability to reach millions of fans around the globe. She is also nominated for Favorite Celebrity Judge at the prestigious awards event for her work as one of the mentors in the popular singing competition "The Voice".

The 32-year-old songstress also headlines the line-up of artists that are set to perform, including country music singer Jason Aldean. Aguilera's fellow coach on "The Voice", Maroon 5's Adam Levine, was also nominated for a People's Choice award. Other nominees as announced last November 15 include pop superstar Justin Bieber, actor Channing Tatum, actress Jennifer Lawrence and "The Amazing Spider-Man" lead Emma Stone.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has been moved to earlier timeslot and its late-night show rival "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" follows suit. The ABC show will air at 11:35 P.M. (25 minutes earlier) starting January 8, 2013, while the NBC show is going to occupy the 11:34 P.M. slot (one minute earlier than its current schedule).

In a recent press conference, Jimmy Kimmel said he was not worried about the move made his rival show. "It tells me that they are a bit concerned," he said. "I'll be curious to see how long that goes on. That's a trick designed to bring up their ratings in the first month. What really matters is how you do in May and that's when we'll know where we stand."

After starring in Lee Daniels' thriller "The Paperboy", former Disney heartthrob Zac Efron is set to tackle another gritty role in his new movie. It has officially been announced that the "Hairspray" actor is set to star in Peter Landesman's "Parkland", which is inspired by the notorious assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Details of Efron's role are still scarce, but he is set to star opposite a host of acclaimed actors, including Oscar winners Marcia Gay Harden and Billy Bob Thornton, and Oscar nominees Paul Giamatti and Jacki Weaver. Serving as the producers are Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Exclusive Media will support the financial.

Getting closer to "The X Factor (US)" finale, the top three contestants gave their all-out performances on Thursday night, December 19 to boost their vote in order to win a $5 million recording contract. The final performance show was opened with Simon Cowell paying tribute to the victims of the school shooting tragedy in Newtown before the top 13 went back to the stage to deliver a rendition of "You Are Not Alone".

The first finalist to perform on the night was Carly Rose Sonenclar. She gave a jazzy rendition of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good", which was the same song she performed during her audition. L.A. Reid liked the performance and said that Carly topped everything she's done. Demi Lovato agreed, gushing, "I think it's so cool to see somebody so young be able to command the stage."

Thousands of fans bid their final goodbye to Jenni Rivera in a public memorial service celebrating her life and legacy at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Wednesday, December 19. Her red casket sat at the front of the venue amid dozens of white roses as her family and friends including fellow Mexican singers Joan Sebastian and Ana Gabriel paid their tributes.

"We're not here to mourn her death, we're here to celebrate her life," said Jenni's 21-year-old son Michael Rivera. He called the memorial a "graduation of a singer, entertainer, philanthropist and more than anything a mother, the best mother." He additionally said in between the video tributes, "She's a fighter and she knows it's in all of us."

Despite a carrier single "Locked Out of Heaven" that is currently at the no. 1 spot in the Hot 100 charts, Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox" debuted only at no. 2 in the Billboard 200 charts this week. Even if its 192,000 units gave Mars his best sales week ever, the album's sellings wasn't enough to edge out Taylor Swift's 208,000 sellings for "Red" which maks her no. 1 again this week for a fifth non-consecutive week at the top spot.

"Unorthodox Jukebox" debuted with record sales that exceeded expectations, as forecasts pegged within the range of 140,000 to 150,000. It had eventually reached 192,000 units sold, thanks mainly to the busy shopping weekend that saw fans trooping to the stores to pick up a copy of Mars' second studio album. His first studio effort, "Doo - Wops & Hooligans", debuted at no. 3 in the charts in Christmas of 2010, with 84,000 copies sold.

Shortly after John McCain publicly criticized Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty (2012)", more senators slam the Osama bin Laden hunt movie by urging Sony Pictures to add a disclaimer to the film. In an open letter written for the studio on Wednesday, December 19, those senators insist that the critically-acclaimed movie starring Jessica Chastain is "grossly inaccurate and misleading."

"Zero Dark Thirty is factually inaccurate, and we believe that you have an obligation to state that the role of torture in the hunt for Usama Bin Laden is not based on the facts, but rather part of the film's fictional narrative," so they state in the letter which is addressed to Sony's Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.

Sam Donaldson got into trouble with the law earlier this month. The 78-year-old ABC News anchor was taken into police custody on December 1 on suspicion of driving under influence following a traffic violation.

Sam was pulled over by a cop in Delaware just before 8 P.M. after he drove his car onto the shoulder of the road. The newsman later failed a field sobriety test performed by the officer when signs of intoxication were detected.

"Pain and Gain" finally unleashes its very first trailer. Staying true to its title, the promo video is jam-packed with scenes of Mark Wahlberg and some other buffed men exercising hard and flaunting their huge muscles. Also highlighted in the trailer is Wahlberg's bromance with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who plays Wahlberg's partner in a crime scheme that goes terribly wrong.

A passion project of director Michael Bay, "Pain and Gain" is based on a 1999 Miami New Times article. The film follows a group of bodybuilders who engaged in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder in Florida. Made with a budget of a mere $20 million, this film marks the "Transformers" helmer's smallest budgeted feature since his first movie "Bad Boys" in 1995.

Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy welcome a new addition to their family. A representative confirms to PEOPLE that the celebrity couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Cyrus Michael Christopher Dancy, on Monday, December 17.

She gave birth to the bundle of joy a bit early than the due date. She told Anderson Cooper last September that she was due at the "beginning of next year." She and her husband refused to reveal the sex of the baby back then. "It's important to keep a little something to ourselves because we're so public and stuff," she reasoned.

Ian Watkins of Welsh rock band Lostprophets was denied bail on Wednesday, December 19 after charged with serious sexual offenses against children. The 35-year-old singer, along with two unnamed women, were arrested on Monday for "conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity" with an underage girl and possession of extreme pornography.

"A Pontypridd man has been charged with sexual offenses against children and is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court today," a police spokesman said. "The 35-year-old has been charged with conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a female under 13 and possession/distribution of indecent images of children. In order to assist their investigation, South Wales Police has named the man as Ian Watkins, a member of the rock group Lostprophets."

Ke$ha's "Die Young" is not the only song pulled out from the airwaves. Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks" is also yanked from the playlist of Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

"Pumped Up Kicks" happens to contain lyrics which will be inappropriate in the current situation. Some of the lines said, "He found a six-shooter gun in his dad's closet, with the box of fun things…he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you" and "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

According to Christina Milian, Chris Brown is still dating Karrueche Tran despite his revived relationship with ex-girlfriend Rihanna. Milian said during an interview with "The Wendy Williams Show" on Friday, December 14, "You know what, from what I've always known, she's his girlfriend."

Brown actually confirmed his split from Tran in October, saying "I have decided to be single to focus on my career. I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna. I'd rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives." However, he was still seen hanging out with her in a number of occasions including Halloween.

Just a day after it was reported that Ricky Gervais is a viable candidate to replace Jason Segel in "The Muppets Sequel", the British comedian stepped forward with a confirmation. "I have just signed up to play the lead in the next Muppet Movie," he tweeted on Wednesday, December 19.

Gervais also joked, "I have the biggest trailer but Kermit will spend some time in my sink." It is still unknown what role he will play in the movie but it was said to be on a par with the one played by Segel. "Modern Family" star Ty Burrell has also signed up for the follow up of the 2011 movie as a bumbling Interpol inspector. Christoph Waltz was previously touted to play this character.