December 26, 2012

Last month's report that Dan Stevens will leave "Downton Abbey" after third season has been confirmed. The actor, who plays Matthew Crawley on the period drama, has given the official word that he won't be back for the upcoming fourth season.

"We were always optioned for three years," he told The Telegraph. "And when that came up it was a very difficult decision. But it felt like a good time to take stock, to take a moment. From a personal point of view, I wanted a chance to do other things. It is a very monopolizing job. So there is a strange sense of liberation at the same time as great sadness because I am very, very fond of the show and always will be."

Katy Perry doesn't try to hide the fact that she's spending Christmas Day with John Mayer. After reportedly bringing him home for the holiday, she has just posted a picture of the "Your Body Is a Wonderland" hitmaker dressing up as Santa Claus. "Santa Baby," the California-born singer simply wrote in a caption of the photo.

The couple was earlier said to celebrate the holiday festive together with Perry's family in Santa Barbara. "They're happy together and with her family for the holidays," a source told PEOPLE. "John really likes getting to know Katy's family better. They've spent a lot of time together and really enjoy each other's company. John is entirely focused on Katy."

In the wake of Charles Durning's and Jack Klugman's death, a number of celebrities took to Twitter to pay their respects for the two Hollywood great actors. Among the mourners were fellow celebrities Whoopi Goldberg and Jon Favreau.

Whoopi re-tweeted a short note that read, "Charles Durning RIP wonderful actor." One day earlier, the "Sister Act" actress wrote, "R.I.P Jack Klugman, Oscar, Quincy a man whose career spanned almost 50 years. I first saw him on the Twilight Zone. Cool guy wonderful actor."

"Les Miserables" drew a lot of moviegoers on Christmas Day, thanks to the positive reviews it received days leading to the release date. The big-screen adaptation of the classic musical play topped Box Office on its first day in theaters, raking in an estimated $17.5 million. It surpassed the studio's expectation of $10+M tally on its debut.

Grabbing the headlines due to the controversy regarding its theme, "Django Unchained" also performed well on Box Office. It landed on second place with a projected $14 million, marking the top opening for an R-rated film on Christmas Day.

Despite rumor to the contrary, Weight Watchers is not mad about Jessica Simpson's second pregnancy. In fact, people in the weight loss company tweeted a congratulatory message to the singer who just gave birth to her first child seven months ago.

"Congrats to @JessicaSimpson, Eric and big-sister-to-be Maxwell!" Weight Watcher posted on their official Twitter account, referring to Jessica's fiance Eric Johnson and their baby girl. "Your WW family is so thrilled for you. What an amazing year you've had!"

Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis, more popularly known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds, has released an acoustic cover of the popular holiday tune "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Her video is the last of 12 installments in MTV/VH1/CMT Artist Platform's "12 Holidaze" series.

Asked about the acoustic cover, Diamandis disclosed that it was actually a toss-up between "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Amazing Grace", but the final choice depended on her vocal style. "It's down to what will suit your voice or the arrangement," the indie-pop/new wave singer said, before revealing that she has not had any formal training in music. "All the signs in my life were not pointing to me becoming a pop artist, so for me, I'm still learning what my song identity and voice is."

"The Hobbit" has just released the first installment of the trilogy, but one of its actors, Richard Armitage, is already raving about the epic Battle of Five Armies in the third film, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again". While the intense sequence hasn't been shot just yet, he envisioned what it would be like.

"It's been put aside until next year, thankfully," Armitage jokingly said of the filming. "It's this big thing looming over us. I'm predicting about ten weeks for the shoot because it's an extensive battle and each character is going to have their 'hero' moment on the battlefield. It's a manic fight in the air - the eagles are fighting bats - and on the ground, and I can't wait to see what Pete does with that."

Twenty-three-year-old country/pop star Taylor Swift and twenty-year-old pop/rock singer Miley Cyrus are saluted for their humanitarian works to help those in need. The two young stars land at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the top 20 list of "Celebs Gone Good" by DoSomething.org this year.

Among Taylor's countless contributions for good causes, her $4 million donation, which is the largest sum yet, to the Country Hall of Fame Museum gets highlighted. Miley gets a big applause of her own for her efforts to spread awareness to rescue animals from shelters and her support for Save The Music Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation among others.

"Doctor Who" is going on hiatus after airing its Christmas special, but not without teasing fans with what's coming next in 2013. A preview for the upcoming outings was released on December 25, featuring the Doctor on other adventures.

After reuniting with Clara Oswald in "The Snowmen", the Doctor will encounter the mysterious woman again. "Running away with a Spaceman in a box, anything could happen to you," he warns her about what could possibly happen if she tags along with him. She responds, "That's what I'm counting on."

Brandy has something new to offer her loyal fans this holiday season as she unveiled a seductive and smooth new track titled, "How High". The previously-unreleased single, which did not quite make it to the final track listing of the soul singer's latest set "Two Eleven", presents a mid-tempo beat and a lot of those fine vocals from the classic R 'n' B chanteuse.

The track opens with a catchy laid-back beat mixed with some obvious electronic sounds. It then quickly picks up and turns into a mid-tempo song as Brandy dishes out her signature sultry vocals while singing about a past romance and reminiscing on some good ol' memories with her lover. As the "Wildest Dreams" hitmaker gets into the song's hook, more musical layering is added to the track with keyboards, drum beats, and backup vocals accompanying her catchy chorus lyrics.

Demi Moore was unfazed by Ashton Kutcher's divorce papers. The 50-year-old mother of three was recently spotted with a male as she went on a Christmas shopping trip in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 23.

The former wife of Bruce Willis wore skinny jeans, dark shades, a jacket and a beanie. Her male companion matched her look in denims, a brown vest and a dark long-sleeved top with aviator glasses put on his collar.

Black Sabbath's guitarist Tony Iommi has released a statement saying that his legendary metal band will tour "as much as we're able" next year. The announcement came via Iommi's official website where he posted a message informing about the planned tour. The respected musician also thanked fans for their continued support and made references to his ongoing battle with cancer.

The 64-year-old metal icon talked about the wonderful year he and his band had and acknowledged the encouraging support from his fans. "What a year! Certainly not the one I was expecting. Thanks to you all for your massive help and support, it was very encouraging," said the guitar master.

Amidst rumor that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart would spend holiday together, he was spotted hitting a local club in London without his leading lady in sight. The Edward Cullen of "Twilight Saga" movie franchise looked like he was having a good time though.

The "Cosmopolis" actor, who just finished a promo tour for "The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part II", went casual in a hoodie and a baseball cap as he came to the Sun Inn pub on Monday night, December 24. He looked relaxed as he shared laughs with his friends.

Among the positive reviews he got for his work on "Les Miserables", Tom Hooper was criticized for using a lot of close-up shots. In a new interview with Movieline, he addresses criticism that he relied too heavily on close-ups in the drama film.

"I find that discussion interesting," he responds, "I always give myself options. I didn't assume that the tight close-up was the best way to do a song." He explains, "The tight close-ups won out in the cutting room because, over and over again, the emotional intimacy was far more intense than when you go loose."

Although Harry Styles and Taylor Swift were spending Christmas holiday apart, he made sure he gave an unforgettable present for his leading lady. According to The Sun, he hired a singing telegram to serenade the country/pop singer while he's away to spend time with his family.

Instead of caroling a festive tune, the One Direction boybander reportedly got his band's hit "What Makes You Beautiful" sung in a country style to wish Taylor a very merry Christmas. "She has a great sense of humor. He knew she'd think it was hilarious," a source explained.

First footage of BBC America's "Orphan Black" has been made available for viewing pleasure. While the video doesn't quite explain the storyline, it does hint at the suspenseful plot and mystery on the new series.

"Ever get the feeling that someone looks... familiar? Then suddenly, it hits you," say several girls who resemble one another but have different names. "But who are they? What's going on? When did I become us?"

Lady GaGa had some pretty surprising gift for her fans on Christmas Day. The Mother Monster has just confirmed via her Twitter that she is preparing a documentary for a 2013 release which will talk about her life, career, her new album, and of course, her fans. Friend, frequent collaborator, and celebrity photographer Terry Richardson is set to shoot the docu-bio.

The "Born This Way" hitmaker sent out her message on her Twitter wall and said, "Merry Christmas little monsters! Terry Richardson @Terry_World is making a #LadyGagaMOVIE documenting my life, the creation of ARTPOP + you! Thank you for being so patient waiting for my new album ARTPOP I hope this gets u excited for things to come. I love you with all my heart!"

Singer-songwriter and actress Demi Lovato dedicated a moving rendition of the Alabama hit track "Angels Among Us" to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut last December 14. An anti-bullying spokesperson known for her charitable work and involvement in social and environmental causes, she's once again using her powerful voice to raise awareness for wearenewtown.org, an organization formed to raise funds for the victims of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting and their grieving families.

The music video for "The X Factor (US)" judge's cover opens with a loving dedication to the 20 school children and 6 adults who were killed in the shooting rampage. "We can never imagine what the families in Newtown, C.T. are experiencing right now. And while there is nothing we can do to replace their loss, we can stand together and support them during this difficult time," she says. "This song is in honor of those angels we lost on Dec. 14."

Chad Ochocinco made headlines for the wrong reason on Christmas Day. The former NFL star became talk of the town as a homemade sex tape featuring him and two females hit the web. He confirmed that the steamy video did exist but it's not new. He said the video was filmed three years ago in a hotel room in Florida.

The story was sort of confirmed by Evelyn Lozada. Saying she's aware of the existence of the video a long time ago, Chad's former wife denied rumor that she knew one of the females. "LMFAO @MediaTakeOut. Those chicks in the video are not my 'friends,' and the video is old news over here in my circle. Merry Christmas, f**ks!" she tweeted.

FX is gearing up to debut a new series in 2013 and has released new promos for it. Titled "The Americans", it centers on the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President.

Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings' arranged marriage grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but one of the new previews hints that Elizabeth never lets her guard down, even to her longtime partner. The other sneak peek, meanwhile, sees her recalling the time she was first assigned the mission.

The Backstreet Boys opened for this year's Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade with a high-energy performance of the track "It's Christmas Time Again". The new holiday track marked the group's reunion on stage as they sang with the Disneyland Castle as their magnificent background. The performance, which took place in Anaheim, California on Tuesday morning, December 25, made parade goers cheer and dance to the boys' upbeat lyrics and high-energy musical number.

The fivesome had some cute and fun moments with classic Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and really showed how much they enjoyed coming together for the parade. The setting was even perfect for the group's performance as clouds cleared up and the crowd cheered and clapped to their new holiday song. The boys still proved that they can wow an audience with their first live gig since reuniting with band member Kevin Richardson April this year.

J.J. Abrams was one of the names who emerged as potential directors for "Star Wars Episode 7". He, however, has ruled out the possibility of him doing the new installment of the successful film franchise and revealed the reason why.

"There were the very early conversations," he tells Empire Magazine (as quoted by Comic Book Movie), confirming that he was offered to direct the upcoming "Star Wars" movie. "...and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek'."

Rihanna and Chris Brown reignite rumors that they're back on together again after recent report suggested she froze their reconciliation because he met up with his ex Karrueche Tran. RiRi and Breezy were caught on camera watching the Lakers take on the Knicks in Los Angeles.

TMZ reported RiRi and Breezy arrived at the Staples Center on December 25 in a same car but got out of the vehicle separately. They later reunited inside the venue and looked comfortable and relaxed as they sat side by side in the front row. They shared some laughs and a big bucket of popcorns.

Jessica Simpson has indirectly confirmed that she is pregnant with child number two. The singer/actress posted a photo of her firstborn, daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson, sitting in front of a sign drawn on sand, which says "Big Sis".

The rumor of Simpson's pregnancy has actually circulated late last month after she was spotted with fuller figure following 60 pounds of baby weight loss. However, she remained quiet and preferred to announce it cryptically like she did with the first pregnancy. Last year, she posted a photo of her dressing as a mummy for Halloween, writing "!!!ANNOUNCEMENT!!!"

The mocked homeless man which appeared in Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's wedding video held a press conference to let the singer know that he is still unhappy with his apology. Backed up by famed celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, the man who is identified as Eddie, wants Timberlake to visit him personally and apologize in his face.

"I just want Justin Timberlake to come and talk to me about the things he can do to help us people that's down and out and that's lost things in our lives and not back on track," Eddie read from a letter during a press conference held Monday, December 24.

Character actor Charles Durning has died at the age of 89 at his Manhattan, New York City home. His longtime agent, Judith Moss, confirmed that the double Oscar nominee died on Monday, December 24 of "natural causes".

Durning is survived by his children Michele, Douglas and Jeannine from his first wife Carole. According to the Associated Press, the family planned to have a private family service and burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Durning was also married to his high school sweetheart Mary Ann Amelio.

After a few months of dating, Katy Perry is ready to bring boyfriend John Mayer home for Christmas. The couple has been spending the holiday festive together, planning to celebrate it with Perry's family in Santa Barbara.

This is not the first time Mayer meets the family. "They're happy together and with her family for the holidays. John really likes getting to know Katy's family better," a source told People. "They've spent a lot of time together and really enjoy each other's company. John is entirely focused on Katy."

Dylan Walsh and his ex-wife Joanna Going have agreed on a divorce settlement that requires him to give half of the money he earns from "Nip/Tuck" royalty. The celebrity couple did not sign a pre-nup when they got married in 2004, six years before he filed for divorce for "irreconcilable differences".

A judge signed the divorce decree last week, also entitling Going to half the royalties from a couple of movies, a "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" episode and others. According to the documents obtained by TMZ, Walsh has also agreed to give an extra $118,376 because he made out with more than Going.