TMZ Hooks Birkhead up With Stern!
After yesterday's paternity reveal, it seems that Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern had a hard time arranging a tete-a-tete between Dannielynn and Larry. Stern's people told us that Howard tried reaching Larry twice by phone to invite him over, but couldn't reach him. So Howard's camp asked TMZ to send word to Larry that he and his family were invited over. We did, and hours later Larry and his brood were at Howard's for an emotional but happy visit.
Sanjaya Could Win, Says "Idol" Music Director
Simon Cowell's worst nightmare could come true: Sanjaya Malakar could be the next "American Idol," if "Idol's" bandleader is to be believed.
"You know what? I think that he could win the show," says Ricky Minor, the show's musical director, to the New York Post. "He's got this huge smile, he's a handsome guy and is really likable. People are pulling for him." And Sanjaya may even be swaying Simon himself: On last night's episode, Cowell gave this assessment of Malakar's vocally slender but camera-devouring version of "Besame Mucho": "That wasn't horrible."
Imus Gets Hit Where It Count$
Don Imus is about to lose the support of some people that actually matter – to his bottom line. Staples, the office supply chain, is pulling its ad dollars from his show, as is the maker of HeadOn headache medication, after Imus' "nappy-headed hos" remark. What's more, Procter & Gamble isn't just pulling its ads from Imus' show, it's pulling out of MSNBC, which simulcasts Imus' radio show, altogether. But Imus, as the New York Times reports, has been losing advertisers for some time now, including AT&T in January and GM some time ago. The program has been generating over $50 million a year in ad revenue for CBS Radio and MSNBC.
Party Favors: Lohan Goes Wild -- On Camera ... Anderson Cooper: $50 Million Man ... Sean Penn Angers Hawaiian Locals with Vacation Spot
Lindsay Lohan might be clean and sober in her personal life, but in front of the camera she's diving right in to drugs, reports Entertainment Weekly. Lohan tells EW that she's set to star in a film called "Hippy," a "drug-addled world" created by director Chris Siverston, who directed Lohan in "I Know Who Killed Me." ... Anderson Cooper is in line for a big new contract from CNN, says Page Six, that will pay him a whopping $50 million over five years. ... Sean Penn has angered native Hawaiians by staying at Oahu's Turtle Bay Resort, which, as HollywoodInterrupted.com reports, is undergoing an expansion that locals claim threatens the coastline and desecrates burial grounds. "The idea that Sean Penn would pay to support what we've been protesting for 30 years makes me sick," says one outraged local.