Queen Latifah Encourages Others to Honor Confident, Courageous Women

October 8th Deadline Nearing to Nominate Candidates for Confidence Awards Program

Each day, inspiring women across the country help other women gain confidence and self-esteem through community education, fund-raising, self-empowerment and volunteer programs. Queen Latifah is reminding women that they have less than two weeks left to nominate these often unsung heroes for the CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE AWARDS, a nationwide search to recognize women who personify and project the power of confidence. Entries for the awards must be postmarked by October 8, 2005.

"I encourage you to nominate a woman who has inspired you to feel more confident by being instrumental in creating or participating in programs that help women embrace the power of confidence," said Queen Latifah, CURVATION (R) spokesperson, inspiration and creative advisor.

"These awards provide a wonderful opportunity to honor someone for their efforts and contribute to their individual program or cause. I'm looking forward to reading the entries about the amazing work women are doing across the country."

Five finalists will be chosen by Queen Latifah and a panel of experts. The finalists will receive a $2,000 grant towards the program or cause with which they are affiliated, so that they can continue their work in building women's confidence.

The panel will choose one grand prize winner, who will be awarded an additional $10,000 grant to support her project or program. In addition, Wal*Mart has offered to donate an additional $5,000, adding another $1,000 to each finalist's prize. All finalists will be honored at a CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE AWARDS ceremony, hosted by Queen Latifah, in early 2006.

"I credit much of who I am today to the confidence I was given as a child. Strong, independent women like my mother and grandmother showed me the power of believing in myself. Now I want to pass this message on. By helping women build their confidence, we help them live more fulfilling lives," added Queen Latifah.

To nominate a strong, confident woman, visit http://www.curvation.com/ or mail in a completed entry form, available by calling 1-800-505-2378.

The CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE AWARDS is part of the multi-year, multi- part CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE initiative, which in turn is part of the extended partnership agreement between the Curvation brand and Queen Latifah announced by VF Intimates in June. CURVATION NATION, another component of CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE, is an online community where women who have embraced the power of confidence can inspire and share their ideas with an ever-widening community. Women who visit the CURVATION NATION website -- http://www.curvation.com/ -- can opt-in to receive CURVATION(R) product and event updates.

About the Company

VF Corporation is a leader in branded apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, intimate apparel, image apparel and sportswear. Its brands include Lee(R), Wrangler(R), Riders(R), Rustler(R), Earl Jean(R), Vanity Fair(R), Vassarette(R), Bestform(R), Lily of France(R), Nautica(R), John Varvatos(R), JanSport(R), Eastpak(R), The North Face(R), Vans(R), Reef(R), Napapijri(R), Kipling(R), Lee Sport(R) and Red Kap(R).

VF Corporation's press releases, annual report and other information can be accessed through the Company's home page, http://www.vfc.com/.

SECAUCUS, N.J., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Source: CURVATION PROJECT CONFIDENCE AWARDS

Demi and J Lo Next to Get Pregnant? Betmaker Odds Say 'YES!'

BetMaker posts odds that bootylicious star and Ashton wifey next to be expecting

What do Hollywood uber-couples Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger, and Luciana Barroso and Matt Damon have in common?

They're all either pregnant or just had babies! That's right, babies are the hottest fashion accessory in Hollywood, having displaced miniature dogs as the companion of choice for celebrities. Recognizing this baby trend, Betmaker today announced odds on which celebrity will be the next to have a bun in the oven.

Betmaker's oddsmakers think a J. Lo / Marc Anthony genetically-gifted offspring is just around the corner, giving 2 to 5 odds that J. Lo is the celebrity most likely to become pregnant. Newly-married Demi Moore is the next favorite at 6 to 4. Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Moore and Ashton Kutcher today announced that they are not yet pregnant, but that they're trying.

Hollywood sex kittens Mary Kate (15 to 1) and Ashley Olsen (10 to 1), Eva Longoria (15 to 1), and Jessica Simpson (10 to 1) are also favored to get pregnant. Rounding out the bottom of the list of celebrities as the least likely to get pregnant are the sultry serial-adopter Angelina Jolie (30 to 1) and Hilary Duff (30 to 1), and the steamy Bea Arthur (100 to 1).

"Celebrity pregnancies are a hot topic. Celebrity families used to be off the radar, away from the eye of the press, and off limits to the rest of society; but in today's celebrity-crazy fandom, they're all the rage," said Betmaker's Tim Carter. "This bet -- and these odds -- give star-watchers a tremendous opportunity to become a part of the phenomena. The response so far has been tremendous!"

The full list of celebrities and odds is as follows:

Celebrity Odds

Jennifer Lopez 2 to 5

Demi Moore 6 to 4

Ashley Olsen 10 to 1

Jessica Simpson 10 to 1

Mary Kate Olsen 15 to 1

Eva Longoria 15 to 1

Both Olsens 20 to 1

Mischa Barton 20 to 1

Paris Hilton 25 to 1

Lindsay Lohan 25 to 1

Nicole Richie 25 to 1

Angelina Jolie 30 to 1

Hillary Duff 30 to 1

Bea Arthur 100 to 1

For more information -- and to wager on which celebrity will be the next to get pregnant -- visit http://www.betmaker.com/.

About Betmaker
Since 1996, Betmaker has been serving sports enthusiasts in practically every sport and on every continent by providing them with an unrivalled wagering and casino experience. In turn, this allowed them to build a solid reputation for delivering one of the most secure and customer oriented betting services on the Web. The Offshore Gaming Association calls Betmaker, "One of the best sportsbooks anywhere." And Gambling Magazine raves that, "Betmaker has a solid reputation, with first class customer service." Betmaker unveiled a newly designed Web site in September 2005 and introduced new virtual Poker Rooms to their customers.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Sept. 29, 2005 /PRNewswire/ --

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GLORIA SWANSON

"I have decided that when I am a star, I will be every inch and every moment the star!"

STARRLIGHT
by Steve Starr

In 1922, the stunning Gloria Swanson declared, "I have gone through a long apprenticeship. I have gone through enough of being a nobody. I have decided that when I am a star, I will be every inch and every moment the star! Everybody from the studio gateman to the highest executive will know it."

Gloria May Josephine Svensson was born to Joseph and Adelaide in Chicago March 27, 1897. Her maternal grandmother attended the birth and remarked to her daughter, "She's beautiful." Then she took the doctor aside to worriedly ask him, "But aren't her ears very large?"

Joseph was employed by the U.S. Army transport service. Gloria spent most of her childhood on army posts, moving to Key West at age eight and to San Juan at age eleven until at age fifteen her family settled back in Chicago on the second floor at what was 341 West Grace Street. There, Mother Svensson arranged singing lessons for her daughter, who also attended the Chicago Art Institute for a time. Joseph bought and operated the Relic House, located at 900 North Clark Street across from Lincoln Park, a "Refreshment Hall" and "Cafe and Beer Garden," which was built and decorated with wood, molten iron, ceramics and relics salvaged from the Great Chicago Fire in 1872, and there was an adjoining rental library. The bulding was demolished in 1929.

One day in 1914, Aunt Inga took Gloria to visit Chicago's Essanay Movie Studios at 1333-1345 West Argyle Street. Essanay was named after its founders, James K. Spoor and Gilbert Anderson, using their last names' initials, S &A. Inga was a friend of Mr. Spoor. While at the studio, Gloria asked if she could be an extra in a crowd scene "just for the heck of it." A director who thought the 16-year-old girl was vibrant and pretty expanded a role for her in the short film At The End of a Perfect Day.

Later that year, Essanay hired the young beauty as a "stock player," for four days' work at $3.25 a week. Soon she became a "guaranteed player," someone on call for any role at any time. Foreseeing movie stardom, Svensson renamed herself Swanson and appeared in dozens of short films before her first full length role in 1915 in the awkwardly titled The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket. The future fashion plate was thrilled at making enough money to buy all the clothes she loved.

Spoor and Anderson began to tire of lugging their equipment around to make movies on the wide expansive plains of Rogers Park and decided to open a west coast Essanay Studios. California beckoned most of the New York and Chicago film colonies with its orange groves, palm trees, and orchards, and with its refreshing climate which was conducive to year round filmmaking. While visiting Hollywood, Anderson discovered a comedian named Charlie Chaplin. He offered Chaplin a then enormous salary of $1,250 a week, luring him away from the Keystone Studios to Chicago to appear in his movies. Chaplin commuted to Essanay while he lived in the beautiful Brewster Apartments at Diversey Parkway and Pine Grove, with its elaborate grillwork elevators and frosted glass block floors in the atrium balconies.

In 1915, Gloria Swanson was given a small uncredited part in Charlie Chaplin's very first Essanay film, aptly titled His First Job. After a day of filming, Chaplin, and sometimes Swanson, stopped for a drink at the new, elegant Green Mill Gardens, later the site of the Green Mill Lounge, on Broadway at Lawrence Avenue, with its gorgeous outdoor sunken gardens that hosted cabaret shows during the summer months. Soon, Chaplin became a big star, but he disliked Chicago's winter weather and wanted to return to Hollywood where he was offered an astounding amount of money.

To keep Chaplin in Chicago, Spoor tried to blackmail him with photos of his mother, who was insane from syphillis and dying in a sanitarium, threatening to send the pictures to the Tribune if he didn't stay. When Chaplin resisted the blackmail and left Essanay, it was the beginning of the end of the once thriving studio.

After Chaplin left, other Essanay stars began heading west. The Uptown neighborhood surrounding Essanay continued to thrive as an entertainment destination which offered the elegant French Renaissance style 2,500 seat Riviera Theatre with its eight storefronts and 36 "Bachelor Apartments," the gorgeous Spanish Baroque style 4,381 seat Uptown Theatre, the spectacular Mediterranean style Aragon Ballroom, and the magnificent Rainbo Gardens, with the Rainbo Room that could accommodate 2,000 diners, 1,500 dancers, and famous entertainers and orchestras on its revolving stage. Lawrence Avenue was like a highway to the stars.

In Gloria's next film at Essanay, Swedie Goes To College (1915), she met Wallace Beery, a gruff, accomplished actor who first won fame a few years earlier in a series of comedic shorts playing the female Swedie, a 250 pound Swedish maid. A few months later, Beery left the studio for Hollywood, but before he traveled, he proposed marriage to Gloria. Wallace sent a postcard to Gloria urging her to come to California where the film industry was flourishing. With her mother in tow, Gloria joined Wallace and immediately landed a contract with Mack Sennett Studios. Although she thought Wallace, at twice her age, was old enough to be her father, he became her first husband. They eloped on her birthday.

When the ceremony was denied because Gloria could not prove she was of legal age, they picked up her mother and took her along for permission. On their wedding night, Wallace got drunk at a bar, went back to their hotel room, and brutally raped Gloria. He tore her nightgown, ripped her skin with his beard, and left her a cold, hurting, bloody mess. Though scared and horrified, Gloria was ecstatic when she found out she was pregnant. One day she awoke with severe abdominal pain and asked Wallace to get her some medicine from the local pharmacy. Her husband returned with a bottle, placed it on her nightstand, and suggested she take five capfulls. Gloria became horribly nauseated and passed out in pain. When she came to, a nurse was in her room at a hospital. A poison had aborted the child and nearly killed her. Their entire marriage lasted less than two months.

Beery and Swanson both began working in Mack Sennett comedies, known for their "Bathing Beauties." Though Swanson later realized that the split-second timing of these movies improved many of her skills, at that time she thought of them as vulgar and degrading. Amid her loud complaints, Sennett tore up her contract. Gloria then signed with Triangle Pictures, where she was soon bogged down in silly love stories. In 1919 she joined Artcraft Paramount Studios.

That same year, she married her second husband, Herbert Somborn, president of Equity Pictures, and they had a daughter named Gloria. Somborn later became the owner of the famed Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood. After a year of marriage, Somborn decided to divorce Swanson and gain publicity for himself and his small studio by accusing her of adultery with 13 different men, including director Cecil B. DeMille. The charges were ridiculous, since Gloria was only having an affair with one other man, director Marshall Nielan. Gloria decided to settle out of court, and they finally divorced in 1922. She never forgave Somborn, who died in 1934.

Swanson began rising to fame in Cecil B. DeMille epics. Always dressed in spectacular gowns and jewels, millions of fans could not get enough of her, whom DeMille first cast in Don't Change Your Husband(1919). Standing only four-foot-eleven, with dark chestnut hair and blue eyes, it was Swanson who brought the word "glamour" into common usage. In Male and Female (1919), the fearless, elegantly dressed Gloria, dripping in hundreds of pearls and bedecked with peacock feathers, allowed herself to be pawed at by a live lion. In You Can't Believe Everything(1921), the non-swimmer jumped off a pier into deep water to "save" her co-star. Her willingness to risk life and limb for the movies earned her great respect from directors. Gloria loved to titillate her fans with statements considered scandalous at the time, such as "I not only believe in divorce, I sometimes think I don't believe in marriage at all."

In 1922 Gloria starred opposite the famed Rudolph Valentino in Beyond The Rocks, of which publicity shouted that Swanson wears "...fifty luxurious new gowns." The movie became lost for 73 years until a print was discovered in Holland. Now restored, the silent film will be shown again in the United States in October, 2005.

In 1924, Gloria travelled to France to film Madame Sans Gene(1925), a successful endeavor in which she is often seen drenched in Art Deco jewelry. This was the first time a Hollywood star travelled abroad to film a story in its actual locale, at the Fontainbleu Palace. There, she fell madly in love with her handsome interpreter, the Marquis Henri Le Bailly de la Falaise de la Coudray by whom she became pregnant. To elude ruinous publicity she decided to end the pregnancy. It was the only regret of her life. She married the Marquis in Paris and became "Madame La Marquise."

The most famous star on earth was now an actual member of royalty, and their union made headlines around the world. The publicity was tremendous as they travelled to New York for the premiere, where they received a standing ovation. Then, following a huge Hollywood parade to welcome them home, they settled into Swanson's 22-room Beverly Hills mansion at 904 Crescent Drive, which was known for its enormous black marble bath and golden tub. Gloria became the Queen of the Screen as the number one box office attraction who sped around town in her regal, real leopard-upholstered Lancia. Everyone in Hollywood wanted to meet her Marquis, who was very well liked. However, Henri was impoverished, and Gloria put him on her payroll. It was famously reported that Gloria Swanson was the second woman to have earned a million dollars, and the first to have spent it.

Two years later, Gloria embarked on an affair with the married Joseph P. Kennedy, father of the future president, who told a friend, "I've won the most celebrated actress in America." Joseph also became her financial partner, allowing her to produce her own films for United Artists. He sent her husband to France to work on a project.

Gloria then starred in The Loves of Sunja (1927), which was a flop, and the successful Sadie Thompson(1928). Next came the lavish, lurid, sexually obsessed, ill-fated, never finished, severely over-budget Queen Kelly(1929), which was still in production when talking pictures arrived, helping to further doom the film directed by Erich Von Stroheim. Pressure from Kennedy's family and his longing to further involve himself in politics put more strain on their relationship, and Boston's Cardinal O'Connell personally visited Gloria to urge her to end her adulterous liason.

The pair severed their ties by 1930. Kennedy lost a fortune in their business endeavor, and later told his Aide, Harvey Klemmer, "A certain dame in Hollywood, whom you know about, wrecked my business, wrecked my health, and damn near wrecked my life." Meanwhile, Henri began an affair with movie star Constance Bennett, and he and Gloria divorced in 1931 That same year, Swanson married for the fourth time to sportsman Michael Farmer. They had a daughter, Michelle, and adopted a son, Joseph. They were divorced in 1934.

Swanson adapted easily to the coming of sound in movies, making her first talkie, The Tresspasser, in 1929. She could sing very well and displayed her vocal talent in Tonight Or Never(1931), and Music In The Air(1934). Yet her greatest film triumphs were behind her. That year, she moved to New York for a year where she worked at the Astoria Studios. Her reputation as a good actress and a clotheshorse continued to grow. A famous couturier, Captain Edward Molyneux, noted, "She is not only one of the best gowned women in the movies, but in the world." Swanson made only five films in the 1930's, and it was six years before her "comeback" in the disastrous 1941 comedy Father Takes A Wife. In 1946, she married her fifth husband, hard-drinking William N. Davey, a union that lasted just 44 days.

"The Gloria Swanson Hour" premiered on televison June 15, 1948, filmed before a live audience in New York, in which she interviewed eight to twelve persons. She divided her weekly hour into four sessions: "Glamour On A Budget"-usually a session with her secretary who would find wonderful accessories at a great price, "Chef's Holiday"-where Gloria would interview New York chefs who would describe or cook a dish, "Design For Living"-with experts who would present new objects for the home, and "Trends"-all about the social gatherings and fashionable events around town.

In early 1949, she left her show to begin work on her fifth "comeback" in film. In 1950, nine years after her last movie was released, she made a triumphant return to the screen as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, the story of a faded silent movie queen who murders her much younger lover, played by William Holden. Gloria was perfectly cast, still beautiful, and sensational playing the unstable star. In one scene she did a brilliant personification of her friend Charlie Chaplin, an impersonation which she had performed years earlier in Manhandled (1925). Cecil B. DeMille played himself, alongside his favorite female star.

It was in this film that Gloria uttered her most famous line, "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Erich Von Stroheim, who directed her in Queen Kelly in 1928, was given the role of her loyal butler and first husband. Gloria basked in her reprised and revered stardom. One critic raved, "Gloria Swanson's portrait of an aging movie queen is one of the screen's great masterpieces. Unquestionably! Here is a performance of such depth and magnitude that it defies description."

However, it forevermore annoyed Gloria that people believed she was the same personality as Norma Desmond. The only similarity to Norma was that Gloria was equally glamorous and grand. Gloria lived in the present, never in the past as Norma did. She told the press, "I never look back. I always look ahead. I never regret. I have excitement every waking minute." Swanson's next role in Three For Bedroom C (1952) was a dismal failure. That same year she appeared on Broadway in a revival of Twentieth Century.

Gloria established a successful line of cosmetics she named "Essence of Nature," which were made of only natural ingredients, and promoted a line of clothing she designed called "Forever Young." She continued to work on stage and television throughout the rest of her life. In 1960, the fantastic Eliot Elisofon photo published in Life Magazine of Swanson elegantly gowned and bejewelled, standing dramatically with arms outstretched amid the rubble of the demolished Roxy Theatre in New York, was the inspiration for the story of the 1971 Stephen Sondheim musical Follies.

The magnificent Roxy had opened in 1928 with The Loves of Sunya, which starred Swanson in her first collaboration with Kennedy. She returned to Broadway in 1971 to appear in Butterflies Are Free. In 1974, she filmed a televison movie, Killer Bees, and in 1975, she played herself in Airport 1975. In 1976 she married for the sixth and final time to William Dufty, an author who collaborated on more than 40 books, and also wrote Sugar Blues about the dangers of sugar in the diet. Gloria never tired of promoting her own dietary ideas while traveling everywhere with her own pressure cooker and assortment of natural bread, herbs, and teas.

Gloria often visited Chicago, where she stayed at the Ambassador East Hotel. When the elevator operators were replaced with automatic cars, she was fearful of riding in them and began to stay instead at the Belden-Stratford Hotel. Orchestra leader Stanley Paul was a friend of Gloria and invited her to his suite in the Ambassador. Knowing how fearful she was of the automatic elevators, he met her in the lobby to escort her personally. While riding upwards, their car suddenly stalled for a minute. Gloria turned pale and froze with fear.

In her later years, the still glamorous star, a beautiful icon from the early days of film wrote ".....all the puritanical hypocrisy of the 1920's even cost me a baby's life, when I had to abort my child by the Marquis in 1925 to avoid scandal and save my career." In 1980-1981 Swanson embarked on a grueling cross-country promotional tour for her autobiogaphy Swanson On Swanson. Her book received phenomenal reviews---"Sparkling....Movie stars' memoirs don't get any better." and "the most revealing book ever written by a movie queen." Swanson said of herself and other Hollywood royalty: "We lived like kings and queens, and why not?"

Gloria Swanson died in her sleep April 4, 1983. The New York Times honored her with an editorial entitled "THE GREATEST STAR OF THEM ALL. "

Sources

Swanson On Swanson by Gloria Swanson
The Films Of Gloria Swanson by Lawrence J Quirk
The New York Times Directory of the Film
Celebrity Register edited by Cleveland Amory with Earl Blackwell
Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger
Gods & Goddesses of the Movies by John Kobal
Stanley Paul
Gloria Swanson websites

Steve Starr is the author of "Picture Perfect"--Art Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946, published by Rizzoli International Publications. A designer, artist, and chronicler of movie stars, he is the owner of Steve Starr Studios, specializing in original Art Deco photo frames, furnishings and jewelry, and celebrating its 38th anniversary in 2005.

Starr's personal collection of over 950 gorgeous, original Art Deco frames is filled with photos of Hollywood's most glamorous luminaries. A portion of his collection containing images of stars who contributed to movie musicals of the 1930's-1940's is on exhibition at the Harold Washington Library Center, 8th floor, just below the Winter Garden through September, 2005. Admission is free. The show, like his column, is named STARRLIGHT.

View the studio at www.SteveStarrStudios.com. Visit the Steve Starr Satellite Studio at the Ravenswood Antique Mart, 4727 North Damen Avenue, in Chicago, 60640, 733-271-3700. You may email Steve at SSSChicago@ameritech.net.

Photo of Steve Starr, July 25, 2002, by Albert Aquilar.

Ray Charles Post Office Building, Near Site of Historic Studios, to Be Named in Honor of Music Legend

The legendary Ray Charles, who would have been 75 years-old on Sept. 23, will soon have a post office named in his honor, at 4960 W. Washington Blvd., near the site of his original and historic Los Angeles studios, it was announced by Congresswoman Diane Watson (CA-33).

President Bush officially signed the Ray Charles post office bill into law on Tuesday, July 12, 2005.

An official naming ceremony for the "RAY CHARLES POST OFFICE BUILDING" will take place at 2PM on Wed., Aug. 24, 2005.

"Despite his enormous success, artistically and financially, Ray Charles was a humble man," says Joe Adams, Charles' manager for more than 45 years.

"He was a man of the people, so this is a wonderful tribute; he loved America and it's fitting that the country recognizes him as a national treasure."

"Ray Charles was a giant among artistic giants," said Congresswoman Diane E. Watson (CA-33rd), the author of federal legislation designating the postal facility as the Ray Charles Post Office Building. "It is my hope that the Ray Charles Post Office will be only the first of many posthumous honors for this great American treasure."

Since 1964, Charles headquartered his worldwide business offices and recording studios on Washington Blvd., just a stones throw away from the soon to be re-named postal facility.

Over the years, numerous music luminaries from around the globe have recorded at the Washington Blvd. locale under Ray's supervision and some of his greatest hits, such as "Georgia On My Mind," which was among his many Grammy(R) Awards, were made in these historic studios, which are now planned as the Ray Charles Museum.

The city recently designated the building as a cultural landmark.

Scenes for the recent film, "Ray," starring Jamie Foxx, were also shot there.

An exhibit of Charles memorabilia concludes next month at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will relocate to Nashville for a year-long exhibit saluting Charles' multi-genre career, starting in March, 2006, at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On Sept. 22, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, will induct a collection of Charles artifacts into its permanent collection.

Charles, who died June 10, 2004, at age 73 years old, was posthumously awarded eight GRAMMY(R) awards for "Genius Loves Company," the hugely popular duets album on Concord Records which has sold nearly four million units.

An accomplished pianist and songwriter, Charles was considered the creator of the soul music genre, a unique R&B forerunner to rock n' roll and other musical offspring. Charles starred on over 250 albums in a variety of musical genres.

Among his memorable hits are "What'd I Say," "I Got A Woman," "Georgia," "Born To Lose," "Hit the Road Jack" and "I Can't Stop Loving You."

A CBS TV concert, "Genius, A Night To Remember," which aired in Oct., was just nominated for an Emmy(R) Award.

Source: Ray Charles Enterprises
LOS ANGELES, July 27, 2005 /PRNewswire/ --

Tammy Faye Messner Announces Her Cancer Has Returned as WE: Women's Entertainment Premieres Documentary of Her Previous Battle

TAMMY FAYE: DEATH DEFYING Premieres Monday, July 25 at 10pm ET

Beloved television personality, Tammy Faye Messner, has announced that she is once again battling cancer. Tammy will begin treatment in August and believes she will beat the disease as she has before.

As Tammy prepares for treatment, WE: Women's Entertainment will premiere the inspirational documentary TAMMY FAYE: DEATH DEFYING, Monday, July 25 at 10:00pm ET.

The 90-minute documentary, taped over a six-month period in 2004, explores former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner's battle with inoperable, stage 4 cancer. Following Tammy from diagnosis, through treatment, to remission, the show offers viewers a personal look at one woman's courageous fight to survive, and now a glimpse of what she is about to face once more.

Regarding the special, Tammy said, "I'm glad that WE is showing the documentary now because there are so many people out there facing diseases like Cancer and AIDS, and if my story can help them get through it, then I want to do it, no matter the outcome."

"WE is about helping women connect, and so many of our viewers can relate to the fight Tammy Faye is going through right now," said Kim Martin, General Manager of WE: Women's Entertainment. "Her spirit and positive attitude during her battle with cancer are an inspiration to everyone and WE is proud to be the network sharing her story with America."

Throughout DEATH DEFYING, the cameras follow Tammy Faye to countless doctor visits, chemotherapy treatments, visits from friends and family, and quiet moments with her husband of more than 10 years -- Roe Messner. Viewers will also observe Tammy's persistent research of optional remedies, from holistic medicine to newly available traditional therapies supported by her unshakable spiritual connection.

Tammy Faye commented: "When I was diagnosed with cancer I immediately knew that I wanted to share my story with others, especially women. My goal is that other women fighting to survive will find the faith, courage and hope they need to go on from seeing my story."

WE: Women's Entertainment is the only cable network dedicated to helping women connect to one another and the world around them.

With quality original programming including the hit series "Bridezillas," unique movie packages like "Three Men and A Chick Flick," topical specials and its public affairs initiative WE Empowers Women, the network supports women and appeals to their interests in pop culture, relationships and personal style. WE: Women's Entertainment is a subsidiary of Rainbow Entertainment Services and is currently seen in over 55 million homes.

Source: Women's Entertainment
NEW YORK, July 21, 2005 /PRNewswire/ --

Books about Tammy Faye Messner from Amazon

Nick Carter Prepares to Sue Accuser and Legal Team Over Frivolous Lawsuit

It has been reported that Nick Carter is named in a lawsuit filed against his sister, Bobby Jean Carter.

The suit is supposedly filed by BJ Carter's former roommate who has attempted to capitalize on the Carter name by naming Nick Carter and his father Robert Carter in the suit. Nick Carter's attorney and publicist comment below:

"The claims filed against Nick Carter by the accuser are absolutely without merit. It is obvious that the only reason Nick Carter was named in this lawsuit was so that she could get publicity, since her lawsuit does not contain any claim that Nick Carter personally engaged in any wrongful conduct harming the accuser. We are confident that the court will promptly dispose of these frivolous and fictional claims against Nick Carter," said Martin D. Singer, Esq., Attorney to Nick Carter.

Carter's publicist, Juliette Harris adds, "Nick Carter has nothing to do with the accuser and has been named in her suit because of his fame. After the case is completed he plans on filing for sanctions against her and her counsel to stop her and others like her from attempting to capitalize on his name. Additionally, there are no business relationships between Nick and any of the Carters therefore no associations should be made."

Source: "it" girl public relations, on behalf of Nick Carter

LOS ANGELES, July 21, 2005 /PRNewswire/ --

The Pitt-Jolie-Aniston Debate Turns into a Tale of Two Tees -- Who Sides With Whom and Why

As the Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston controversy continues, a tee shirt war is being waged as women proudly sport t-shirts emblazoned with “Team Aniston

Tommy Hilfiger Europe to Unveil New Commercial Complex in Milan

Tommy Hilfiger Europe B.V., a subsidiary of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation (NYSE: TOM), today announced the opening of its new office, showroom and retail store complex at the prestigious Piazza Oberdan in Milan.

The new commercial complex will house offices, showrooms, a retail store, and an adjacent concept entertainment space. This marks the Company's first step in increasing its presence in Italy since it acquired the rights to full distribution and management of the Tommy Hilfiger brand in Italy from former distributor Fincom, SPA in March 2005. This also marks the introduction of the Company's first retail location in Milan.

"We are proud to present our new home for Tommy Hilfiger in Italy, and see this as the next significant step in establishing a stronger presence for the Company in the Italian market. We believe a central Milan headquarters for our wholesale and retail operations in Italy will truly anchor the Company's position in this most critical of fashion markets," said Fred Gehring, Chief Executive Officer of Tommy Hilfiger Europe.

"With the start of our first direct selling season in the showroom in July, followed by the opening of our first Milan retail store in September, this is the first step in developing Italy into a significant European market for the Company."

The complex is located at the historic Piazza Oberdan, in a landmark building measuring approximately 1,500 square meters in total.

The expansive showroom will serve as the central wholesale operation for Italy, and is constructed in an atrium-inspired glass space featuring moveable, architectural elements to accommodate the following Tommy Hilfiger product divisions: Men's Sportswear, Women's Sportswear, Hilfiger Denim, Childrenswear, and several licensed businesses.

The adjacent retail store, measuring approximately 160 square meters, is scheduled to open in mid-September of 2005, and will carry Men's and Women's Sportswear, Hilfiger Denim and select accessories.

The Milan store design will be unique to the Tommy Hilfiger global retail portfolio, representing a marriage of local architectural elements with modern, American influences. The product presentation is inspired by Italian merchandising traditions, and incorporates a mix of antique and modern materials, such as high gloss fixtures and industrial steel paired with aged chestnut flooring. The concept entertainment space will evolve in its functionality from time to time as inspired by seasonal themes and events.

Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men's and women's sportswear, jeanswear and childrenswear. The Company's brands include Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld. Through a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company also offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrance, and home furnishings.

The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and other countries in the Far East, as well as the Company's own network of outlet and specialty stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Source: Tommy Hilfiger Europe B.V
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 15/PRNewswire/ --

Products can also be purchased through Entertainment Magazine affiliates (see below).

Click for more Tommy Hilfiger merchandise selections from amazon.com

Angelina Jolie 'Out-Hits' Jennifer Aniston, According to Leadpile.com

Angelina Much More 'Friendly' Than Jennifer on the Web

Hollywood Superstar Angelina Jolie may not only have attracted the attention of Brad Pitt, but she also has attracted much more attention than Jennifer Aniston from Web surfers throughout the United States.

http://www.leadpile.com/, one of the Nation's leading providers of internet marketing and click traffic monitoring reports that Angelina Jolie has become one of the most "hit and clicked Hollywood superstars" on the net.

Andy Jacob, CEO of Leadpile.com says, "Our study shows that last month alone, the interest in Angelina Jolie skyrocketed and totally blew away the number of people surfing for Jennifer Aniston by a huge margin. Angelina out clicked Jennifer by 5 to 1, and that indicates she is five times more popular to web surfers than the former "Friends" star.

Jacob says, "It looks like Angelina not only has grabbed the attention of Brad Pitt, but she also grabbed the attention of web surfers throughout the United States, and is becoming one of the most highly recognized and sought after names on the net. Our research shows that Angelina Jolie has certainly captured the attention of people who simply cannot get enough of her."

Leadpile.com, founded in 2002, specializes in providing internet traffic and marketing leads throughout the United States. The company has built its expertise by monitoring internet traffic and providing services to internet customers by matching them with Partners to handle their needs.

Source: Leadpile.com
PHOENIX, July 13, 2005 /PRNewswire/ --

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Celebrity Profile Television Series 'Autograph ' to Debut This Week

Soleil Film, Inc. announced today that its award winning celebrity profile series, "Autograph," is making its debut this week on the Colours Telvision Network, which airs on Channel 9407 on Dish Network.

CEO, Kenneth Eade, commented, “This distribution deal represents an important milestone for Soleil Film and our shareholders, as we are now beginning to realize the fruits of our labor in the form of consistent and recurring revenue streams.