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Biggest Headline of 2008: Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds Marry in Secret

PopSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:00:59 PST

We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2008, and we'll be revealing more as the month comes to a close. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds got together in the Spring of 2007, after emerging from their crazy love square with Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake. Their relationship continued to gain momentum, as they traveled together and he went to Spain to pay her a visit on the set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona that August.

They managed to keep their relationship extremely private and were only photographed together a handful of times. Therefore, it was a bit unforeseen when Scarlett and Ryan announced their engagement this year on May 5. Later that day, Scarlett was all sparkles and smiles as she debuted her big diamond ring at the Costume Institute Gala in NYC.

Still, Scarlett and Ryan kept a low profile as they planned for the big day - so low that many of you thought they'd never actually make it to the altar. They managed to surprise everyone once again by pulling off a top secret ceremony at a remote wilderness resort just outside Vancouver on Sept. 27. We have yet to see them side by side since their wedding, but as they grow increasingly comfortable attending events together, hopefully in time we'll see lots more of Scarlett and Ryan showing their love in public.

Fame, Flynet and Source

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Furry Heroes Save the Day!

PetSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:15:01 PST

Let's talk about a warm, fuzzy feeling, 'cause I definitely get one from these warm, fuzzy creatures! In addition to all the things we voted on this year, I decided to recap some of the most heartwarming tales of rescue, assistance, and second chances. Check out this slideshow to remember these brave animals we met in '08.

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Biggest Headline of 2008: Paul Newman Passes Away

PopSugar — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:00:00 PST

We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2008, and we'll be revealing more throughout the month of December. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Early in 2008, rumors began to circulate that legendary actor Paul Newman's health was in decline. The stories persisted despite assurances that he was "doing nicely." As a friend let it slip that he was battling cancer, it began to appear that Paul was, in fact, seriously ill.

The chatter proved to be sadly accurate - Paul Newman passed away at his home in Westport, CT on September 27 after waging a private battle against cancer. As his family and friends remembered the actor and race car enthusiast, we took a look back at his storied life and career. The 10-time Academy Award nominee was famous for his many films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke and Road to Perdition. He was equally revered for his extensive philanthropy, which included the non-profit food empire he ran with his daughter Nell, Newman's Own, and his Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for seriously ill children.

Tributes continued to mount for the man who was unanimously loved in Hollywood for his kindness and charity, and Paul's memory is certain to live on.

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Biggest Headline of 2008: Michael Phelps Makes Olympic History in Beijing

PopSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:30:00 PST

An Olympic year is always a special treat, but last Summer's Beijing games were particularly exciting thanks to Michael Phelps. He arrived in China hoping to break Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in one Olympics, and before the races got started many of you had already proclaimed him as hot. In no time at all, Michael was taking home golds and swiftly beating his competitors, with an especially exciting relay that let him share his success with his USA teammates. After completing his first five events, Michael broke the record for most career gold medals with 11 to his name.

He didn't stop there, and we were glued to our TVs along with the rest of America night after night as we cheered on the golden boy. Race number seven almost cost him everything as Michael was beginning to feel the effects and exhaustion of the games, but he pulled out an incredibly close win and beat Serbia's Milo Cavi by just 0.01 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly. The next day was Michael's last race, and he made history by scoring his eighth gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay.

Once the Olympics were over, Michael became an instant celebrity. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, picking up endorsements and making appearances everywhere we turned. Michael didn't seem to have any problem soaking up all the attention from his female fans, and was quickly all over the tabloids as we speculated about his love life. In January, Michael is due to get back in the pool to start training for his next games, which means his 15 minutes of fame could last at least another 4 years.

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Nick and Mariah's Whirlwind Elopement

PopSugar — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:00:00 PST

When Mariah Carey picked Nick Cannon to play her love interest in her music video for Bye-Bye, little did we know what was in store. On April 30 we heard rumblings that Mariah and Nick had gotten engaged, though their relationship was still relatively private at the time. On the very next day, news spread that the two had eloped on an island. While everyone was still taking in the surprising story, rumors emerged about no prenup and that Mariah's engagement ring was recycled. Eventually we saw their wedding photos and spotted them on their honeymoon - it was clear that the marriage was real.

The newlyweds returned from their vacation ready and willing to take part in all of the publicity. They posed for every photo op, gave interviews talking babies, and revealed they want to get married every year. Nick threw a Six Flags celebration for friends and family of the couple while Mariah gushed about how Nick saved her. Mr. and Mrs. Cannon traveled all over the world shooting music videos and posing for the paparazzi. At the end of the year, there were pregnancy rumors coming from all over. Most of you didn't think these two would last but with maybe a third addition to the family on the way in 2009, they might stay together longer than anyone expected.

Source, Splash News Online, and NPG

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Miley Cyrus's VF Scandal

PopSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:30:31 PST

We've been counting down the biggest headlines of 2008, and we'll be revealing more as the year comes to a close. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Miley Cyrus continued to skyrocket to fame in 2009, becoming a worldwide superstar that some compare to Britney Spears. However, Miley found herself in the midst of a scandal after posing for a Vanity Fair photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz in April. The main photo of Miley draped in a bed sheet with her bare back exposed had parents very upset that the then-15-year-old Disney role model was setting a bad example for her fans. Her parents made it seem like they had left the shoot early, although VF claimed the opposite and defended the photo, while Annie argued that the picture was just "misunderstood."

Miley issued an apology to her fans saying that the shoot was "supposed to be 'artistic'" but that she was now "embarrassed." Disney thought the magazine took advantage of the teen star and even vowed to keep Miley out of the spotlight until the storm passed, which had intensified after personal photographs of Miley were leaked on the Internet. She also got in a bit of trouble when she and a friend made a video mocking Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Since then, things have calmed down for the young singer, and in a recent interview she stated she'd love to work with Annie again and maybe even take up photography herself.

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Biggest Headlines of '08: 90210 Gets a Spinoff

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:30:03 PST

Lots of remakes were announced this year, but maybe none was crazier than the CW trying a new take on the teen classic Beverly Hills, 90210. The news about the spinoff was one of the first new shows to be announced after the writers' strike, and at first, it seemed like everything was full of promise. The man behind the spinoff was Rob Thomas of Veronica Mars fame, and the first descriptions of the characters got us pretty excited to see who would play the key roles.

The casting news came fast and furious, and we hung on every bit, from the picks of a Degrassi star and Lucille Bluth to the return of Jennie Garth and - probably the biggest news of all - Shannen Doherty as Brenda. In general, we were pretty pumped to see what would come of the remake. Even after Thomas left the show, the news seemed good: the new showrunners had worked on another favorite, Freaks and Geeks.

To relive what happened next, just

We got our first look at the show in May, and in July, I spent some time with Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, and even Joe E. Tata as Nat (who kissed me!). With the first promos and photos, our collective excitement was closer to a 9 than a 0.

But then the premiere date came, and the two-hour episode was not the amazing piece of TV we'd been hoping for. In the immediate aftermath, my expectations were exceeded, but as the weeks went on, odd plot twists and a lack of characters we loved had us falling out of love with the show. Hope is not lost, though: I still think the show can be fixed, and with a new executive producer on board, I'm curious to see how things shape up for '09. The CW is certainly hoping this spinoff will be a success - it's even contemplating adding a Melrose Place remake, too.

Photos courtesy of The CW and Source

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Jay-Z and Beyonce Secretly Wed

PopSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:14 PST

We've been counting down the most biggest headlines of 2008, and we'll be revealing more throughout the month of December. We hope you enjoy this look back at some of the posts and stories that created the most buzz throughout the year.

Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z had been together for six years before their hush-hush wedding in April. Rumors had been flying for years that they were finally going to make things official, and they reached fever pitch after reports emerged that they'd applied for a marriage license in New York State. Jay-Z was seen sharing a toast with friends after a show in Toronto on April 3, leading many to believe the big day was at hand. On April 4, (4/4/08 - Jay-Z and Beyonce share the lucky number 4) everyone was expecting a ceremony, especially since Beyonce's Destiny's Child bandmates released a video that looked possibly like a bachelorette party. Later that day, the story was confirmed - Jay-Z and Beyonce had tied the knot at his NYC apartment in front of family and friends, including Solange Knowles and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The celebration didn't last long, and by the next day Jay-Z was off to his next concert in NC. The obligatory pregnancy rumors were quick to follow, but so far it doesn't look like there's a little Carter on the way - though Jay-Z and Beyonce were said to have purchased a new family home in suburban NY. It wasn't until August that Beyonce finally gave everyone a peek at her blingin' wedding ring, a sure sign that she and Jay-Z are increasingly comfortable showing their love in public. Their wedding was a long time in the making, but hopefully the good times are just beginning for Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Splash News Online, Film Magic, Bauer-Griffin Online, Startraks Photo and enewsbuzz

Biggest Headlines of 2008: Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Year

PopSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:30:31 PST

It was a year of ups and downs for Madonna, who spent the first half of 2008 focusing on her new album before her music was eclipsed by her personal drama in the press. She started things off by taking Lourdes and Rocco around India and continued to raise money for Malawi with her celebrity friends. In February Madonna showed off her first endeavor as a director when her film Filth and Wisdom premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Her debut was a milestone for the pop star, but the buzz quickly shifted to her new album, Hard Candy. She and her little black ensembles were all over the magazine covers and her collaboration with Justin quickly became a big hit.

Madonna's success continued and was marked by her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but by March there were whispers of problems with her marriage to Guy Ritchie. They battled the gossip with hand-in-hand dinner dates, but the speculation was far from over. Madonna hit the road on her Sticky and Sweet tour once Hard Candy was released in May. When she wasn't busy up on stage, she stuck by Guy's side at Cannes but by Summer the divorce rumors were back and bigger than ever. To look back at the rest of Madonna's year just

Not long after Madonna was spotted at Yankee stadium with her kids in June, word spread like wildfire that something was going on between her and Yankee Alex Rodriguez and that both she and Guy had already hired divorce lawyers. Madonna's rep was quick to deny the reports and rumors, and as if on cue, Madonna and Guy were spotted holding hands a few days later in NYC. In early July Alex Rodriguez's wife filed for divorce, which didn't help matters.

Her marriage controversy was put on the backburner for a bit when her brother Christopher Ciccone published a tell-all about Madonna, which bothered her more than the affair rumors. Madonna and Guy continued to keep up the appearance of being a happy couple, celebrating her 50th birthday together in August and appearing together on red carpets for Guy's movie Rocknrolla before it was his turn for a birthday bash.

While everything seemed to be fine on the surface, the year-long questions about their relationship were about to be answered. The rumors about Madonna and A-Rod continued and they were spotted having dinner together in October just a few days before Madonna and Guy officially announced their divorce on October 15.

The split wasn't about to slow down Madonna's touring schedule, and she had friends in her corner on stage and off. It didn't take much time for the rumors about their divorce settlement and child custody to get ugly. The couple reached a divorce settlement in mid December, and went their separate ways. As Guy keeps busy with Sherlock Holmes, Madonna is still performing on stage night after night. She's been spotted with Alex a handful of times in the past months, and despite rumors that they're getting closer, A-Rod claims that there's nothing romantic between them. It was a roller coaster year for Madonna to say the least, but we might have to wait until 2009 to find out if she and A-Rod are more than just friends.

Source, Source, Splash News Online, Source, and Flynet

Biggest Headline of 2008: Model Diversity Takes Center Stage

FabSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:22 PST

The issue of model diversity, or lack thereof, thrived in 2008. Good! The first concern was raised in February when a survey concluded that out of 1,584 modeling slots at New York Fashion Week, only six percent went to black models, six percent went to Asians, and one percent went to Latinas. Note that this was after Diane von Furstenberg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers, had urged designers to diversify their model selections the month before. At the end of the month, it was refreshing to see Hermes feature South Asian beauty Lakshmi Menon in its 2008 Spring ad.

To read more about the fight for diversity in the modeling industry,

In April, more progress was made when Vogue Italia announced its quarterly July issue would feature almost all black models - this was groundbreaking. In late June, the Vogue Italia Black Issue was released and featured models Naomi, Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede, and Sessilee Lopez; each of whom had her own cover. If you haven't checked it out, believe me when I say it was all black, all fabulous.

Fast forward to September during the Spring showings at New York Fashion Week. Although there were more multicultural shows, the issue remained. This time, Bethann Hardison spoke on the epidemic and held a discussion, "Race on the Runway," which was attended by models and industry leaders. The battle is far from being over, and change is slow, but sure. Let's hope next year will bring us more Fab face diversity in the modeling industry.

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