Morning Briefing:
Another Miss title scandal: Miss Nevada USA, Katie Rees, wasn't as lucky as Miss USA, Tara Conner (who entered rehab on Thursday) -- after some naughty photographs of Rees surfaced online this week, the Miss USA organization said Thursday it was stripping Rees of her crown. The photos, taken five years ago, show a 17-year-old Rees in various semi-topless poses with other women at what looks like a bar. Pageant co-owner Donald Trump, who publicly spared Conner earlier this week, wasn't directly involved in firing Rees. According to a spokesperson, he has better things to do: "Mr. Trump runs a billion-dollar real estate company, besides owning the pageant." (TMZ)
Trump vs. Rosie, Round 2: Proving that yes, he's very busy with that real-estate empire, Donald Trump spent a good part of Thursday on various TV and radio shows attacking Rosie O'Donnell for the comments she made about the Miss USA scandal earlier this week on "The View." Some of his choice quotes (via People): On "Larry King," Trump called her "disgraceful, a horrible human being, a terrible person -- a loser." On Fox News, he said, "Barbara Walters, in my opinion, rues the day she put that animal on her show." And on "Good Day L.A.," he took shots at her sexual identity: "Maybe she wanted to put the crown back on Miss USA's head. I think she's very attracted to Miss USA so she probably wanted to put the crown on her head herself" -- which echoed the catty statement he made on Day 1 of the debacle: "I imagine it would be pretty easy to take her girlfriend away, considering how Rosie looks." O'Donnell, for her part, didn't pick up the gauntlet again on Thursday's "View," though she did bring a very special guest with her. "Look who's here today -- Kelli!" O'Donnell said, introducing her partner. "I was afraid to leave her home in case somebody with a combover came and stole her from me." (N.Y. Daily News, People, TMZ)
Anna Nicole's baby called for testing? According to her ex-boyfriend and putative baby daddy, Larry Birkhead, Anna Nicole Smith was ordered by a California judge to submit her baby, Dannielynn, to a DNA paternity test. "Los Angeles Superior Court has ruled today that Anna Nicole Smith and 3-month-old baby daughter Dannielynn are ordered to submit to paternity testing," said a statement from Birkhead's rep. A spokesperson for the Superior Court declined to comment, citing paternity case confidentiality. Birkhead is trying to get custody of the girl, though Smith has claimed the baby's father is her former lawyer and current beau, Howard K. Stern. Smith's lawyer wouldn't confirm or deny the ruling either, saying only, "Any kind of allegation that she's blatantly refusing DNA tests is off the mark and not an accurate depiction of the legal process at this time." (Associated Press)
Also:
Jessica Simpson is so unhappy with her recent botched performance of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" as part of the Kennedy Center Honors that she has asked CBS to cut her number out of the show's broadcast on Dec. 26. (People) ... Diddy double daddy: Kim Porter, Sean Combs' longtime girlfriend, gave birth to twin girls on Thursday in New York, D'Lila Star and Jessie James. The couple already has a son, Christian, 8. (BBC News) ... She has sworn off acting, but Madonna is apparently gearing up to direct -- she has reportedly signed on to helm "Blade to the Heat," a boxing film loosely based on the 1959 bout between Emile Griffith and Benny "Kid" Paret. (Cinematical) ... In addition to the lawsuit he's facing from paparazzi over copyright infringement, gossip blogger Perez Hilton may now be facing a suit from aggrieved "Amazing Race" winner/Lance Bass boyfriend Reichen Lehmkuhl, who only vaguely describes the suit: "It is not clear how the lawsuit will be structured, but we are committed ... the goal of this lawsuit is to result in the stopping of your name being used in connection with untruths and gossip on the Internet." (TMZ) ... And just in time for the holidays, season's greetings from Nicole Richie, the Vicodin elf. (From Gallery of the Absurd)
Money Quote:
Naomi Watts on her love-hate relationship with the rom-com genre as whole: "I look at those romantic comedies, and I see actors with perfect hair and six-packs, and I feel myself being numbed, and I get angry because I see so much money spent on these things. I don't mean to sound righteous here. There is need for it, because there are times when I am in a hotel room and need to be numbed ... I keep saying to myself, 'Oh, God, I'm sick of playing these dark, harrowing roles. I want a big paycheck, so put me in some dumb romantic comedy any day.'" (Allure via Associated Press)
Turn On:
There's a bit of a letup in the onslaught of season specials on Friday night, though CBS is airing "The 8th Annual A Home for the Holidays With Rod Stewart" (8 p.m. EST). Elsewhere, "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 8 p.m. EST) has its season finale, and the game show "Identity" (NBC, 8 p.m. EST) comes to an end.
On the Talk Shows:
Larry King (CNN, 9 p.m. EST): Evangelical preacher Joel Osteen
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Clive Owen, Edward Norton
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST): Cate Blanchett, Jay Thomas, Darlene Love
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST): Dustin Hoffman, Abigail Breslin, African Children's Choir
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST): Carson Daly, Michelle Trachtenberg, Nellie McKay
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST): Dominic Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Twisted Sister
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST): Matthew McConaughey, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Hall & Oates
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