Imus Slammed by Rutgers Players -- "Why Us?"
Don Imus got an earful from the Rutgers student-athletes he labeled "nappy-headed hos" last night, as he met with them at the New Jersey governor's mansion, for the first time since he made the racist slur that cost him his jobs at MSNBC and, yesterday, CBS Radio. Adding injury to the insult debacle, N.J. Governor Jon S. Corzine was seriously injured in a car wreck on his way to the meeting.
According to Deirdre Imus, Don's wife, who was filling in for him this morning on WFAN, the shock-jock heard from each player on the Rutgers women's basketball team, their coach, some of their parents, and university administrators during the three-hour meeting at the New Jersey governor's mansion. The common refrain from all the players was, according to the New York Daily News, "Why us?"
Deirdre Imus pleaded with listeners to stop sending hate mail to the Rutgers team members – and invited them to send the hate to her husband instead.
J.Lo – Speaking in Scientology?
Jennifer Lopez may have let slip a little Scientology-speak during her appearance on "American Idol," leading people to wonder if she's more involved in the Church than she's letting on.
J.Lo responded to a question from Ryan Seacrest about Simon Cowell's acid tongue by saying she believed that "concentrating on the rightness brings more rightness." According to Rush & Molloy, "rightness" is a central tenet in the L. Ron Hubbard lexicon, and it's no wonder that Lopez has it on the tip of her tongue: Her dad, David Lopez, has been a Scientologist for 20 years, and one of her best friends, actress Leah Remini, is an avowed Church member as well. Still, Lopez has repeatedly denied being involved herself.
Courtney – Oprah's My Thin-spiration
Courtney Love is insisting that she hasn't had gastric-band surgery, as some are whispering, given her newly toned physique – and she's crediting Oprah Winfrey for her weight loss. "I couldn't get that surgery if I begged for it. I got my inspiration from Oprah losing so much weight on Slim-Fast," says Love on her website, as Rush & Molloy point out. Courtney's been spotted in the last couple weeks wearing tiny bikinis and sporting a very flat stomach, leading to all kinds of speculation as to how she dropped the pounds.
Party Favors: Britney Always Looks Good in Those Boots ... Gwen Stefani Says She's "Always" Dieting ... No Leather -- Always -- for Spider-Man
Britney Spears is no Imelda Marcos, apparently – all she needs is one pair of boots, as Us observes. The $170 Kenneth Cole boots – a relative bargain in super-celeb-land – made four separate appearances on Britney in one week, leading Us to wonder if she's spending more time with them than her own kids. ... Gwen Stefani tells People she's been on a diet since the sixth grade, and that when she was pregnant last year, she had to crawl into her brother's car and lay down in the back seat just to go to Target to avoid the glare of the paparazzi. ... "Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire says he's going totally leather-free – and he's on his way to becoming completely vegan. Maguire doesn't have leather seats in his car, remarkably enough.