Celebrity divorces have been making headlines lately, and the ladies are discussing the hot topic of relationships in the public eye.

Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook have been commanding attention, as some of the more scandalous aspects of their relationship have been made public in their ongoing battle for custody of their children. Apparently Cook has engaged in some questionable sexual activities, including pursuing a relationship with an 18-year-old woman, which some feel has made him a target for media scrutiny.

New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez is also in the midst of a sloppy divorce; he and his wife have both been romantically linked to other celebrities, including Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. The rumors, which have been vigorously denied by some parties, are causing the rift between them to grow deeper and more gossip-worthy.

Whoopi feels that people should be honest in their reasons for wanting to leave a relationship, and should avoid using the media to attempt to manipulate their partner into a settlement. Sherri, meanwhile, thinks that the children are the people who truly suffer in such tumultuous times.

Celebrity couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been expecting a child; earlier today, the two welcomed a baby girl named Sunday Rose Kidman Urban.

Sunday Rose is the first child for the couple, although Kidman has two adopted children already with her former spouse, Tom Cruise.

Magician Lance Burton performed some sleight-of-hand entertainment on The View, including sawing Barbara Walters in two. Burton’s interest in magic began at age 5, after seeing Harry Collins perform in Louisville, Kentucky.

Burton now performs a live show at the Monte Carlo Tuesdays through Saturdays; he recently celebrated 12 years at that venue, though he’s been in Las Vegas for 26 years.

Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian, stars of the reality television show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, spoke on The View about their lives in the spotlight.

The sisters have grown up in the spotlight; their father, the late Robert Kardashian, was part of the OJ Simpson defense attorney ”dream team.” The reality show, which is now the highest rated program on the E! network, invites viewers into the Kardashian household, which now includes their stepfather and former Olympian Bruce Jenner.

The sisters shared their roles and personalities; as expected, Kim was named the sweetest sister, though the other two say that she is the one who needs the most protection and counseling. Khloe was called the sensitive, yet no-nonsense sister; she runs the women’s section of her family’s clothing store, while Kourtney runs the children’s department.

Although the sisters have been romantically linked to a number of male celebrities, the three agree that they have different tastes in men and they aren’t competitive with each other.

Bette Midler continued speaking with the ladies of The View about how her personal life is unfolding in Las Vegas.

Midler’s had an exciting year so far: her daughter, Sophie von Haselberg, recently graduated from Yale University. In another twist, Midler recently received her wedding photos from the Elvis impersonator who married her 23 years ago in the famed Caesars Palace.

Midler’s latest project, a CD called Jackpot – The Best Bette, debuts in August, and contains a selection of her popular works, as well as some unreleased material.

Bette Midler stopped by The View to talk about the offer she couldn’t refuse. Caesars Palace, where the ladies have been guests for the week, invited Midler to perform a permanent show called The Showgirl Must Go On. The offer was well-timed, as Midler no longer wanted to tour with a show. She says that she relates to one of her characters, “The Oldest Living Showgirl,” and is glad that she can entertain without the demands of traveling.

Midler says that The Showgirl Must Go On is the same as her old show, and includes the characters and jokes that her fans have grown to love. Still, she says that the show at Caesars Palace is a more feminine show, complete with feathers, glitter, and of course, beautiful showgirls.

Two of the stars from the hit MTV reality show, The Hills visited the show to discuss their new-found celebrity, as well as how accurate reality shows truly are.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are two of The Hills‘ four main characters; the two are now pre-engaged, and plan to continue their relationship through another formal engagement, and ultimately to marriage.

When asked how real the show is, Pratt responded that it does depict their lives as they unfold. The producers map out certain events and important locations, and the characters are tracked by GPS devices, but their interactions and situations are not scripted or planned.

In addition to her filming duties, Montag has also designed a line of clothing with Anchor Blue called Heidiwood; it caters to young women in their teens and 20s who are interested in fashionable and affordable clothing.

Guest Wayne Brady has recorded his debut CD, called A Long Time Coming, which will be on sale on September 16. The CD includes some of what Brady calls “old soul” (such as his cover of Sam Cook’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”) and original material, like his debut single, “Ordinary,” which he performed for the audience.

Brady also hosts a game show called Don’t Forget The Lyrics; he revealed that although he initially was hesitant to become involved with the show, he now appreciates the fact that, as the host, he is able to perform for the contestants and viewers.

Wayne Brady, a lifelong actor and comedian, appeared on The View to talk about his hit Las Vegas show, Making It Up. Brady performs the improvisational entertainment show at the Venetian Hotel, and says that the majority of the show changes nightly, as he tries to accommodate all audience requests and suggestions.

Brady cited the improvisational comedy aspect as the most difficult element of the show, but displayed his range of talents by singing a rendition of “Sex Machine” for the audience.

Comedienne Rita Rudner made her appearance on The View this morning to promote some of her latest projects. Her book, entitled I Still Have It…I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fiftysomething, shares some of Rudner’s reflections on aging. She told Barbara that the worst part of being 50 is being 54, while the best part is that people who have dyslexia think that she’s 45. Still, Rudner, who recently adopted a daughter, says that there are some benefits to being an older mother, despite the fact that young children have seemingly boundless energy.

Rudner says that she likes Las Vegas because it’s a “small town with the best of everything.” Her performances from Nevada have been recorded on DVD, and was released today on the compilation, Live From Las Vegas.

]]> http://www.livebloggingtheview.com/2008/06/25/guest-rita-rudner/feed/ http://www.livebloggingtheview.com/2008/06/25/guest-jessica-simpson/ http://www.livebloggingtheview.com/2008/06/25/guest-jessica-simpson/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:42:20 +0000 judith http://www.livebloggingtheview.com/?p=497

Pop star Jessica Simpson is branching out: she says that she’s always wanted to sing country music, and is embarking on that journey with her upcoming album, Come On Over. The title track from that CD has already been successful, crowning Simpson the ‘Highest Charting Debut Solo Artist’ on Billboard’s Country Singles Chart.

Simpson is also active in other areas; her designer shoe line is highly sought after among the ladies of The View, and will likely be joined in popularity by Fancy, her perfume line that is scheduled for release in August.

Jessica Simpson’s personal life is also hectic, as she’s dating professional football player Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, her sister Ashlee recently got married and is expecting a child.

Former President Bill Clinton is still focused on making his mark in the 2008 presidential election. Although his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, lost the race for the Democratic Party nomination, Bill is eager to get a Democrat in the White House this November.

Clinton has thrown his support behind Senator Barack Obama; some suspect that the move may be a ploy to bolster Hillary’s bid for the vice-presidential spot. Others wonder whether Bill’s involvement will hurt Obama’s odds, since he was perceived as a distraction during his wife’s campaign.

Barbara Walters will be signing copies of her memoir, Audition, at the Forum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from 1pm until 3pm today.

The book has topped several bestseller lists; fans in the area will have the opportunity to meet the media mogul.

Gans demonstrated his talents by performing songs he arranged specifically for the co-hosts; he sang as the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis duo in his song for Whoopi, and as Nat King Cole for Joy. He also did his impression of Rod Stewart for Elisabeth, sang as Stevie Wonder and Clint Eastwood for Sherri, and performed as Frank Sinatra for Barbara.

Danny Gans has been called the greatest celebrity impressionist on the Las Vegas Strip. He does over 100 impressions in his show at the Mirage, and has been voted Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year for 11 consecutive years.

Gans recalled some highlights of his show, including performing an impression of Regis Philbin while the host was in the audience; Gans also named opening for George Burns as one of the best encounters of his professional career.

David Archuleta, the American Idol runner-up, spoke with the ladies of The View about his life after the show. He says he’s been too busy with music to pursue a romantic relationship; the only rumors that persist are those about his cloying father, Jeff, who was banned from the American Idol backstage area for assuming too much control over the show.

Archuleta cites Eva Cassidy as one of his greatest musical influences; he also performed “Stand By Me” on the show.

He will join winner David Cook and the other 8 finalists on the American Idols Live tour, which begins on July 1.

David Cook, who won the most recent season of American Idol says that he has been incredibly busy since the season finale; aside from recording his first post-Idol album, Cook is also preparing to tour with the other finalists from the show.

Cook performed his debut single “The Time Of My Life” for the Las Vegas audience; he will sing the song in over 50 cities on the American Idols Live tour.

Radio personality Don Imus doesn’t seem to be able to stay out of trouble when discussing race.

After a 2007 faux pas, in which he insulted members of the Rutgers University basketball team, Imus’ media credibility plummeted; Imus has refueled that particular fire and re-established himself as a commentator who cannot see past race when discussing the legal troubles of Adam “Pacman” Jones.

Jones, a professional football player, was suspended for the entire 2007 NFL season for his involvement in an altercation in Las Vegas, which left one man paralyzed. Imus seemed unable to resist ascribing Jones’ difficulties to the fact that he is black; the host later referred to the incident a misunderstanding.

Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Debi Mazar all star in the HBO hit Entourage; the show follows a group of young men as they try to make a living as actors in Hollywood.

The cast of Entourage and the co-hosts of The View will cross paths again, as one of the upcoming episodes features the stars appearing on The View for promotional purposes.

The fifth season of Entourage starts on September 7 on HBO.

R&B sensation Rihanna visited The View to chat with the co-hosts about her rise to fame. Her ambition has garnered her a Grammy Award for her hit song, “Umbrella,” and has fueled rumors about her involvement with singer Chris Brown. Rihanna denied the gossip, saying that she and Brown are good friends, but are not dating.

Rihanna’s hit CD, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded was recently released as a CD/DVD combination; the CD includes some new songs, including “Take A Bow,” which she performed for the audience this morning.