The L.A. County DA has charged Chris Brown with felony assault and making a threat.  The arraignment is today at 3:30.  Dude could go to jail for nine years.  Pray!

A couple of months ago, I read a New York Times article about famed photographer Annie Leibovitz’s financial woes.  She was borrowing tons of money and using the rights to her photographs as collateral-basically she’s in serious financial distress.  I could not fathom how such an acclaimed artist could be in such a hole.  Now, I get it.

Annie’s partner, writer Susan Sontag, passed away in 2004 and left her entire estate to Leibovitz.  Apparently, this has put her in a position of huge financial strain:

Same-sex couples do not have the same privileges as straight married couples when it comes to inheritance. If your partner passes away and leaves her estate to you, you have to pay up to 50 percent of the value of your inheritance in taxes. However, if you and your partner were recognized as a married couple, you wouldn’t have to pay a dime.

So basically, Annie has gone into huge debt in an attempt to hold onto these properties and assets.  I had no idea about this aspect of the importance of the legalization of gay marriage and I am ashamed at my naivety.  I just really…Did.  Not.  Know.

This rumor has been flying around for a couple of days but hey, now that the ever-reputable US magazine says it’s true, it must be.

In addition to US‘ journalistic integrity, Bridget Marquardt let it be known on live television that fellow bunny Holly Madison is set to replace the injured Jewel on the season opener of Dancing With The Stars, March 9th. Marquardt said on Fox’s Strategy Room “I’m so excited for her.  She’s wanted to do it for so long.  It just never worked with her schedule and Hef was always like ‘I don’t want you to do that,’ and now it’s her time, so I’m really happy for her.”

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Maria Conchita Alonso, Sean Penn’s co-star in the 1988 movie Colors, has two words to say to the actor who just won his second Academy Award:  Shut up.

I recently wrote a piece on my own blog concerning something a friend said that was upsetting to me.  One of my commenters was quick to point out that if I was Latina, I could have threatened to cut her when she pissed me off.  My completely broad-based observation?  Latinas are passionate and seriously, you will always know where you stand.

Exhibit A:

Actress MARIA CONCHITA ALONSO has blasted her COLORS co-star SEAN PENN for his outspoken political views about her native Venezuela, insisting he should “shut up” and stop showing his support to the country’s “killer” president, Hugo Chavez.
Milk star Penn has voiced his admiration for Chavez on numerous occasions – the actor visited the politician in 2007, when he was writing an article about the leader, and caught up with him again in 2008.
In a 2007 interview following his first trip to the South American country, Penn said: “The first thing I’m going to say is that we know more lies about him in the United States than we know truth. If you want a soundbite from me about Chavez, then I would say that, for the moment, he’s much more positive for Venezuela than he is negative.” And while Alonso, who appeared alongside Penn in the 1988 film, admits Penn is a great actor, she is angry he is publicly backing Chavez, who has been criticised for his controversial leadership.
She tells TMZ.com, “He’s an amazing actor, I can’t take that away from him. It’s just that he has no clue at all what’s going on in Venezuela. He’s praising Hugo Chavez, who’s a killer and a dictator. I tried to put aside his political thing that he has no clue (about), so he should just shut up about what he doesn’t know.” And the Latina was particularly incensed when she saw Penn win the Best Actor Oscar at last month’s (Feb09) Academy Awards.
She recalls, “I put it on mute. I was watching in my room… So when his turn came, I mute it (sic). When he comes on stage (to collect the prize), I was like, ‘No!’”

For video of Alonso being not so diplomatic, click here.

I really need to learn how to work my DVR.  I’m bummed out that I’m missing out on Jimmy Fallon Late Night.  Last night Jimmy danced off with Cameron Diaz and see?  Even Hollywood can’t stop talking about Octo-mom.

As if logging thirteen years as “Wife Of Eddie Murphy” wasn’t enough, model Nicole Murphy has new relationship dramz to contend with.

After bouncing back from the 2006 end of her marriage to Eddie, Nicole celebrated her freedom by hooking up with ex-Giant (that’s an NFL football team, bitches) Michael Strahan.  Background:  He’s a little crazy.  During his own 2006 divorce trial, he was accused of using high-tech spying equipment to track his wife and videotape his sister-in-law undressing.

Anyway, Nicole and Michael have been dating for a couple of years now.  For the past year, she’s also been having a friendship with Universal Records A&R exec, Demetrius Spencer.  A friendship that included proclamations of love, vacations and general sneaking around.

On February 20, Nicole brought her Escalade to a dealership where a hidden GPS device was found.  Oh, Michael.  You think you’d be good at this Inspector Gadget routine by now.  Strahan showed up at the garage a few minutes later yelling and screaming, ripped the GPS off the car and left.  Sigh, oh dear.

Lesson:  Don’t cheat on a dude who has a history with tracking devices.

Nicole has reportedly ended her , uh…friendship with Spencer.  No word on the status of her relationship with Strahan.