Daft Domain’s Celeb Blog

Following a brief health scare earlier this week, Winona Ryder bounced back and looked beautiful at the Marie Claire Prix de la Moda 2008 Awards.

The “Reality Bites” actress was glowing as she arrived at the Residencia De Francia in Madrid, Spain, sporting a muted pink one-shoulder dress and her trademark cute and cropped hairdo.

Now that she’s single, Paris Hilton is taking advantage of her extra time by spending it with friends and family.  And last night she was spotted out to dinner with sister Nicky.

The “Simple Life” starlet emerged from Los Angeles eatery Mr. Chow after a delicious dinner, brushed past the paparazzi and hopped into her Bentley.

Continuing to be the conscientious mother that she is, Gwen Stefani was spotted taking her adorable baby boy Zuma for a regular doctor checkup yesterday (November 20).

The “Hella Good” mommy carried her little one to a Beverly Hills Medical Clinic, with Zuma looking quite comfy snuggled in his mother’s arms.

She’s been a fixture of popular music for most of this decade, and Christina Aguilera is ready to showcase her career’s best at Sunday night’s American Music Awards.

The “Genie in a Bottle” songstress was spotted arriving at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday (November 20) for rehearsals, sporting a black frost free vest with black and white striped sleeves, red t-shirt, black leggings, and black boots.

The holiday movie season is upon us, and last night Reese Witherspoon helped usher in this very special time of year with the premiere of her new romantic comedy “Four Christmases.”

The “Sweet Home Alabama” sweetheart arrived on the red carpet outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood looking stunning in a navy blue strapless dress teamed with peep-toe slingback heels and a regal gold necklace.

The 'For the Record' is part of the big game plan for Brit's comeback, Rudolph explains.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias

Larry Rudolph
Photo: MTV News

Britney Spears' longtime manager Larry Rudolph has been by his client's side as she stages her comeback with the release of Circus and her documentary, "On the Record" (premiering on MTV November 30).

"I was very involved in putting [the film] together, so I saw the process," Rudolph told MTV News on Thursday night at a media preview of the film in Los Angeles. "It was a very interesting process. We made a deal from the very beginning — everybody sort of shook hands with the understanding that there were going to be no boundaries on this thing. We were going to make an open and honest film and that we weren't going to leave the good stuff on the cutting room floor.

"We went there with it," he added. "You see Britney in a light you're not used to seeing her in. She's intelligent, she's introspective, she's honest. By the end of the film you really understand who she is in a way that you just never imagined. ... It is so not a puff piece."

Rudolph, who is credited with shaping Britney's early career, wouldn't speak about how he and Spears reunited after a falling out in 2007. At the time, many speculated that she fired him for encouraging her to enter rehab.

Focusing the conversation on the doc, Rudolph insisted that it show everyone what he already knows about the singer: "She's got a unique set of talents. She's got a blend of certain talents. She's a great singer. She's a great dancer. She's got an amazing image. She's incredibly likable," he listed. "She's got this intangible thing that makes her a star."

"For the Record" is part of the game plan for reintroducing Britney, the pop star rather than the tabloid magnet, back to her fans, Rudolph said. The movie makes a case for Spears' future, by giving the audience "a good taste of the music and where she is and where she is going."

The next step in Brit's comeback is a video for the album's second single, "Circus," shot by "I'm a Slave 4 U" director Francis Lawrence, set to debut around the release of the album on December 2. "It is amazing," Rudolph said. "The video is extraordinary. It is really, really good."

Although Blackout came out only a year ago, Rudolph said that this was an organically right time for her to put out new music again. "It wasn't that there was a rush," he explained. "The album got completed on its natural timetable. And it just was the right time to put it out. So we decided to put it out on her birthday and make it a birthday present to her and to the world."

• Britney Spears

Long before marrying Pete Wentz, the singer wasn't sure she'd want her kids growing up in the industry.
By Jocelyn Vena

Ashlee Simpson in 2003
Photo: MTV News

Long before Ashlee Simpson married Pete Wentz and gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli, who was born late Thursday in Los Angeles, she was an up-and-coming pop singer who was trying to break out of big sister Jessica's shadow and make a name for herself in the music industry.

In November 2003, MTV News sat down with a 19-year-old Simpson, who admitted that, despite appreciating growing up in a music-industry family, she wasn't sure she wanted that kind of fate for her future offspring.

"Growing up in the industry has been sort of crazy and sort of been awesome for my family," she said. "Back in Texas we weren't as close as we are now. Usually when you're 14, you're like, 'Go away, Mom. Go away, Dad,' but I was going on tour with my family. They were all that I had. All of us are very different and loving of each other. Everyone's supportive."

With two parents in the entertainment industry, little Bronx seems poised to one day front a band like Dad's Fall Out Boy or even star in his own reality show like Mom or Aunt Jessica, right? Well, Ashlee seemed skeptical of that future five years before she would become a mother.

"I don't know if that's something I'd want for my kids to do," she explained. "But I think that if it's what they wanted to do that it'd be cool. Then, if not, go play soccer and have fun."

• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy
• Jessica Simpson

Bronx Mowgli Wentz was born late Thursday night.
By James Montgomery

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson welcomed a son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, into the world late Thursday night.

Little Bronx weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, according to a statement from the couple's publicist.

"Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy," the statement read, "and thank everyone for their well wishes!"

He's the first child for both ... and his birth was, shall we say, rather anticipated.

Several reports had Simpson going into labor last weekend, and though that information proved to be incorrect, Simpson was so close to delivering that Wentz opted to stay with her in Los Angeles rather than attend Sunday night's "Total Finale Live" in New York with his Fall Out Boy mates, though he did call in during the show.

Simpson and Wentz were engaged in April and married the following month. Almost immediately, rumors began to circulate that Simpson was pregnant, though in an e-mail to MTV News, Wentz dismissed those rumors as "a witch hunt." He later joked in a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest that "this baby is not confirmed."

Of course, that all changed within a few days, when the couple announced in a post on FriendsOrEnemies.com that they were, in fact, expecting a child. Wentz then wrote another e-mail to MTV News, explaining that he had denied Simpson was pregnant because "we wanted to wait until after the first trimester and get a clean bill of health from our doctors. ... Being a boy, I have no idea how to respond to such things, and my first instinct was to protect [Ashlee] and the baby."

• Ashlee Simpson
• Fall Out Boy

The rockers who call GN'R one of their biggest influences think the new LP is 'missing something.'
By Chris Harris, with additional reporting by Daniel Montalto

Hinder
Photo: MTV News

What made the original Guns N' Roses so intriguing was how dangerous they truly were. At the height of their career, they were a force to be reckoned with — an unruly gang of wild-eyed kids from the seedy streets of L.A., who churned out gritty rock and roll and always partied as if it were their last night on Earth. They lived for the moment, abused all manner of substances and had more than their fare share of the ladies.

Of course, Guns N' Roses existed during a completely different time, long before grunge got us depressed and emo made us nearly suicidal. Today, there's just aren't many bands who've even come close to matching the level of debauchery achieved by Axl, Izzy, Duff, Slash and Adler back in their heyday. But Hinder are trying their darnedest.

On Wednesday, less than a week before the November 23 release of GN'R's long-awaited Chinese Democracy, we reached out to the hardest-living rockers we know to gauge their thoughts on the new LP one of their biggest influences.

"The original Guns N' Roses inspired us — not Axl Rose being an a--hole," drummer Cody Hanson clarified.

(Read Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes' take on Chinese Democracy here.)

"We've heard some of the earlier stuff that's leaked, and the single, and I was just kind of like, 'Eh,' " frontman Austin Winkler said. "Axl's voice sounds great, but that was never a problem. It was him going onstage and working with those other guys that was the problem. I think somewhere Axl's got all these other different guitar players he's tried to work with and he was just whipping them, going, 'More like Slash! More like Slash!' That's what I'm picturing in my mind."

After hearing the first leaks from the record, Hanson said he knew it wasn't going to live up to the hype.

"I heard the stuff that was leaked, and I know the mixes weren't there, but, being musicians, you can hear through that stuff — you still hear the songs, and to be honest, the songs just aren't there," he said. "It almost sounds too artsy; there's something about it. It's not what it was. It's just missing something, and it sounds overproduced. ... I guess that's what happens whenever you've got 20 years to sit in the studio."

Hanson admitted he was surprised to discover a release date had finally been set for Democracy, but he was still excited for Axl's return.

"It is great to hear that voice on the radio again," he said. "Without the band, though, to me, it's not really Guns N' Roses. It was all about that energy that that group of guys had together, and without that, I don't know, man. It's kind of pointless and a wasted effort. Axl was never GN'R by himself. Look at the other guys — they've moved on, and Slash is still one of the biggest icons in rock and roll. So, GN'R definitely wasn't just Axl."

According to Winkler, Hinder were approached to open for Guns on a recent tour, but they decided to turn down the offer. "We knew what would happen," he said. "Axl wouldn't go on stage if he didn't have his lamb or something. We didn't do it, and it turned out way better for us."

Looking back on Rose's numerous tour cancellations and hasty moves to boot bands from the bill, which , Hanson said they decided against the tour for the sake of their fans.

"Our fans are extremely important to us, and if we had to cancel a bunch of dates and leave them hanging, we would have been pretty pissed off," Hanson said. "So, we decided it was not in our best interest to do the tour."

• Hinder
• Guns N' Roses

The year teen pop broke was also a big one for Lou Bega, Tal Bachman, LFO.
By Gil Kaufman

Britney Spears in 1999
Photo: Joey Terrill/ WireImage

The pressure had been building up behind the scenes for longer than most music fans realized. But when the teen-pop explosion burst onto the charts in early 1999 it felt like the music world had been blindsided overnight by a flood of squeaky-clean acts who would dominate the charts for years to come.

And in some cases, those ripples are still being felt today. It's hard to believe it now, but over the course of a few months between late 1998 and early 1999, radio and MTV were inundated with the debuts and breakthroughs from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and countless other boy bands and teen singers who would rule the charts well into the 2000s, and in the cases of Britney and Christina, continue to lord over them today.

Of course, that bum-rush of teen acts and copycat bands also produced a bunch of groups that were barely a blip on the screen then, or now (Five, Natural, 3Deep, A1, Another Level, C-Note, BBMak or Dream Street anyone?), not to mention some other pop flashes in the pan, some of whom survived and some of whom are named Lou Bega.

Here are what some of the survivors and also-rans are up to:

Lou Bega
Why you know that name: The German-born Latin music revivalist had a hit with a summer 1999 remake of the 1952 instrumental "Mambo No. 5," to which he added an indelible string of women's names (shout-outs to Angela, Pamela, Monica and Jessica). The song hit #1 across the globe ... and then Bega was hardly ever heard from again.

Len
Why you know the name: This Canadian one-hit-wonder, brother-sister act graduated from their early punk roots to a fizzy pop sound on You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, featuring the bop-tastic hit "Steal My Sunshine." But their next LP wasn't released outside Canada, and they've been talking up their upcoming album for several years now.

Sixpence None the Richer
Why you know the name: The Christian group hit #1 on the pop charts a year after their 1997 self-titled album was released when "Kiss Me" was used on "Dawson's Creek" and in the teen flick "She's All That." They followed it with a cover of the "There She Goes," the legendary one-off hit by the La's, which was added to the 1999 rerelease of Sixpence's album. The band broke up in 2004, and singer Leigh Nash went solo, later forming an ill-named side project called Fauxliage. And then the group got back together in 2008 to release a new EP, a Christmas album and tour the U.S. and Europe.

Orgy
Why you know the name: The synth-rock band signed to Korn's Elementree Records, released their debut, Candyass, in 1998 and broke through with a grim cover of New Order's "Blue Monday." They released another album that fizzled, toured on the Family Values outing, put out their third album on their own label and have been threatening to make another album for several years.

Tal Bachman
Why you know the name: The Canadian singer/songwriter released the top-10 hit "She's So High" from his self-titled debut, produced by Metallica homie Bob Rock. The son of Randy Bachman, lead guitarist/singer of 1970s rockers the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, released another album in 2006 that failed to chart in the U.S. Most recently, he can be seen in the Bill Maher documentary "Religulous," talking about his break with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Smash Mouth
Why you know the name: These chilled-out San Jose, California, pop rockers had a minor hit in 1997 with "Walkin' on the Sun," but busted it major in 1999 with their signature tune, "All Star," from their Astro Lounge album. The bouncy pop song made it into a string of movies ("Shrek," "Rat Race" and "Mystery Men") and then things got kinda quiet. They released another album, shelved one after that, and despite the departure of most of their members, they're now reportedly working on a new album, even as singer Steve Harwell is pulling a Hootie and prepping his solo country debut.

Everlast
Why you know the name: In 1998, the former lead growler for early '90s Irish-American rap crew House of Pain ("Jump Around") released his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which mixed hip-hop beats and rhymes with blues and acoustic guitars, spawning the inescapable ballad "What It's Like." His similar-sounding 2000 follow-up, Eat at Whitey's, didn't catch on, nor did a more country-tinged 2004 album, White Trash Beautiful, and his recently released Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford had not caught fire at press time.

The New Radicals
Why you know the name: Talk about a one-hit wonder. This Los Angeles band blew up with their Marilyn Manson/ Courtney Love-baiting power-pop hit "You Get What You Give" in early 1999 from their only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too. Reclusive leader and main songwriter Gregg Alexander broke the group up less than a year after the album's release and has quietly written songs for other artists since, including the 2002 Grammy-winning "The Game of Love" for Santana.

LFO
Why you know the name: The Lyte Funky Ones hit the jackpot on their self-titled debut with the 1999 song "Summer Girls," but faded soon after. Singer Rich Cronin appeared on VH1's "Mission: Man Band," and former hardware store clerk Devin Lima releasing his rock-edged debut with his new band, Cadbury Diesel, in July 2008.

98 Degrees
Why you know the name: Featuring future "Newlyweds" star Nick Lachey, they debuted in 1997 but, like many boy bands of the era, hit their groove in 1999 with hits including "I Do (Cherish You)" and "The Hardest Thing" from 98 Degrees and Rising. After one more album, the group went their separate ways in 2002, with Lachey going on to marry and divorce Jessica Simpson and release two solo albums, with another one due in 2009. The group has continued to discuss a comeback, but no plans have been announced yet.

And now, some names you might still recognize:

Jessica Simpson
Why you know the name: Like Katy Perry, Simpson started out in the Christian pop world, but crossed over into teen pop with her 1999 debut, Sweet Kisses, which spawned the hits "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "I Think I'm In Love With You." Less successful than Christina or Britney, Simpson released two more albums, married Lachey, appeared on "Newlyweds," divorced Lachey and moved on to roles in a series of flop movies such as "Employee of the Month" and "Blonde Ambition." After her 2006 pop album, A Public Affair, failed to catch fire, Simpson switched genres and had a top-20 hit in 2008 with her debut country single, "Come on Over."

Eminem
Why you know the name: It's hard to think of a time when Marshall Mathers wasn't in our lives, but the Detroit rapper burst onto the scene in 1999 with his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which spawned the hits "My Name Is," "Guilty Conscience" and "Role Model." Em went on to world domination and a string of three huge albums before taking a hiatus in 2005 following a stint in rehab for a dependency on sleeping medication. He's laid low for several years, but is plotting his return in 2009 with an album called Relapse.

Kid Rock
Why you know the name: Fellow Detroit rapper Rock had been kicking around the industry for years, releasing albums on small labels, when he smashed the big time in 1998 with Devil Without a Cause. After a slow start, the disc blew up and became one of the best-selling rap albums of all time (11 million copies) thanks to hits — and "TRL" favorites — like "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy" and "I Am the Bullgod." Rock has continued to spin off hits with his signature country rock/hip-hop sound, most recently defying the odds (and iTunes) with the 2 million-selling Rock N Roll Jesus.

• The Class Of '99: Britney, 'NSYNC, More

• Britney Spears
• *NSYNC
• Eminem
• Jessica Simpson
• Kid Rock
• Len
• Orgy
• Lou Bega
• LFO