Renee Zellweger and James Franco Honored By Harvard

James Franco, who won recent acclaim for playing both a goofy pot dealer and Harvey Milk's lover, has been named Harvard's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year.

Franco will receive the award at a roast Feb. 13 by the Hasty Pudding -- the nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe.

Renee Zellweger was honored as Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club's 2009 Woman of the Year Thursday in Cambridge, Mass.

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Mother Of Octuplets Blames Difficult Childhood On Wanting So Many Kids

Nadya Suleman, the woman who gave birth to eight babies last week, admits that she has always longed for a big family as an only child.

"That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family, and -- I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up," Suleman said in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry on Thursday.

Suleman, who sat down with Curry on the same day she was discharged from the hospital, said she liked a sense of "self and identity" from a young age.

"I didn't feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment," she told Curry. "I felt powerless. And that gave me a sense of predictability. Reflecting back on my childhood, I know it wasn't functional. It was pretty dysfunctional, and whose isn't?"

Suleman's mother, Angela Suleman, had told Usmagazine.com exclusively that her daughter did blame her childhood on her desire to have so many kids.

"She was always upset I didn't have more," Angela told Us. But I don’t think she really knew. If she had brothers and sisters, I don’t think she would have been happier."

In the interview, Suleman -- who already had six children before giving birth to the octuplets -- used the same donor, a friend, for all 14 kids. All of the children were conceived through in vitro fertilization.

"I went through about seven years of trying -- through artificial insemination," Suleman said. "And through medication. And all of which was unsuccessful. And then the first -- IVF procedure from that-- from that facility -- it was successful. And then I just kept going in."

A first look at the exclusive interview will air on NBC's Today Friday.

Watch the full interview on Today this Monday and on Dateline Tuesday at 10 p.m. EST.
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American Idol's Jordin Sparks Will Sing At NBA All-Star Game

Season Six American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is heading back to her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, where she will sing the national anthem at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15.

Sparks, a 2009 Grammy nominee, will be part of an all-star lineup of performers, including Chris Brown, Juanes and John Legend.

It's a big deal for the "Tattoo" singer, who joins a list of national anthem performers including Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child.

Sparks's self-titled debut album featuring hit singles "No Air," "Tattoo," and "One Step At A Time," was just recently certified Platinum in the U.S., making her one of the few American Idol winners to achieve major success on the Billboard Hot 100, alongside Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

Sparks performance will air Feb. 15 on TNT.
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Michael Phelps Loses Contract With Kelloggs

Kellogg in not pursuing a new contract with Michael Phelps as a corn flakes spokesman after a photo showed him apparently smoking a marijuana pipe.

"We originally built the relationship with Michael, as well as the other Olympic athletes, to support our association with the U.S. Olympic team," a company spokeswoman says in a statement. "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg. His contract expires at the end of February and we have made a decision not to extend his contract."

Phelps also was suspended from competition and denied financial support for three months by USA Swimming, the sport's national governing body. "This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation says in a statement. "Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."

The 23-year-old all-time Olympic swimming champ with eight gold medals last summer has apologized. His rep said Thursday the swimmer "accepts these decisions and understands their point of view." "He feels bad he let anyone down," the rep says.

"He's also encouraged by the thousands of comments he's received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone's trust." Phelps's other sponsors, including Speedo, Omega watch and Visa, have stuck by him.
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'The Bachelor''s Stephanie Shares Her Thoughts on Her Ousting

Stephanie Hogan got quite the send-off on this week's "The Bachelor." Even though Jason Mesnick didn't present her with a rose, he told her, "I want to say this in front of everybody. You are the most amazing person I've ever met. And I think we are all better people because of meeting you. You're a beautiful person, outside and in. I'm so lucky to have met you."

And it wasn't just Jason who felt that way about the 34-year-old widow from Huntsville, AL. She won the hearts of both her competition and the audience at home.

"That was to my surprise," she says. "I went into it just being myself. People had told me it was going to be tough being in the home with so many other girls. I didn't seem to think it was difficult at all. I love getting to know people and what makes them tick. I can appreciate the positive as well as the negative in people."

Despite the fact that she isn't the one who won Jason's heart, Stephanie still feels that their friendship will endure.

"I had such a bond with Jason," she continues. "I think that he is an incredible man. Even though we didn't have that physical connection, that chemistry, I still think our friendship will remain strong. Who knows? There are so many avenues we connect on, especially being single parents with kids the same age."

Since she has returned home, Stephanie says she is focusing on her four-year-old daughter Sophia and her career as a medical marketing representative, so she hasn't gotten back into the dating pool. That could leave the door open for her to be the next Bachelorette.

"First of all, I think it would be a few months until they asked me. Nobody has said anything about that. I would evaluate that and see where I am in my life. I hope to have some good fellows come out of this. I could be dating someone at that time and, if it was serious, I would want to honor his wishes and not do it. If I were single, I would probably do it."

"The Bachelor" is down to the final four: Jillian, 29, an interior designer from Peace River, Alberta, Canada; Melissa, 25, a sales representative from Dallas, TX; Molly, 24, a department store buyer from Grand Rapids, MI; and Naomi, 24, a flight attendant from Carlsbad, CA. So who is Stephanie rooting for?

"I think I am going to have to watch the hometown dates and see how he connects," she says. "I did say one thing to Jason: You do marry the family. He did ask for one piece of advice off camera. He was putting me in the limousine and he said, 'What is one piece of advice? I trust you and I value your opinion.' I said, 'Just remember you have your hometown dates coming up and you do marry into the family. Just see where you fit in in all of that.'"

"The Bachelor" airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.
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Jennifer Aniston's 40th Birthday Party on 'Ellen'

Ellen DeGeneres throws Jennifer Aniston an impromptu birthday party for the 'He's Just Not That Into You' star's 40th birthday!

It happens on Friday, so tune in to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" when the talk show host presents Jennifer with a red velvet cake - and asks her how she feels about turning the big 4-O.

"I have to say really, I feel better than I ever felt in my life," she tells Ellen. "I did have a moment, though, over the weekend. My first like, 'Huh ... I don't want to (turn 40)'. I found a really long gray hair and it kind of flipped me out. It's not my first but it's the fact that it was so long. I was like, 'Oh, how many others are there and what does that mean?' It actually brought me to tears slightly."

Jennifer also shares that Courteney Cox and David Arquette will be attending a small party she is having on Saturday for her birthday, but for now that is the only "Friends" reunion she has planned.

That said, she tells Ellen, who takes Jennifer on a visit to a reconstructed "Central Perk" set, that she would be willing to do "Maybe…Like one (episode of 'Friends')."
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Steve Martin Tells Dave Letterman He Was On The Plane That Crashed Into The Hudson

Steve Martin sat down with David Letterman Monday and confided that he had been on the US Airways flight last month that made the heroic landing in the Hudson.

Martin, fresh off his turn as host of SNL, mentioned he's been distracted lately with that and "the plane incident."

Letterman then pulled out a picture and some hilarious fake video footage of Steve demanding "a VIP lifeboat".
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Sex And The City Sequel Is A Done Deal!

New Line Cinema spokeswoman Candice McDonough confirms that "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, her three co-stars and writer-director Michael Patrick King are signed for a sequel to last year's hit movie.

The film will reunite Parker and gal pals Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon.

In a statement, King says: "I'm very excited to work with these amazing actresses again and would love to give everyone more information about the sequel ... but I'm busy with my `Sex' life."

New Line parent Warner Bros. plans to have the sequel out in summer 2010.
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David Archuleta Performs In Florida

Grinning from ear-to-ear, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta takes the stage for a performance Wednesday at Vic & Angelo's pizza restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

The singer will kick off his first solo tour in Virginia Beach, Va., on Feb. 24.

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Ginnifer Goodwin Out Celebrating "He's Just Not That Into You"

A stylish Ginnifer Goodwin – in a Camilla and Marc frock – gets friendly with the equally fashionable Zoe Kravitz during a party for her movie He's Just Not That Into You Wednesday in New York City.

The Big Love star also joked with PEOPLE about her elaborate outfit, saying it took an "army of construction workers" to dress her.

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Ann Curry Will Talk With Mother Of Octuplets

The Octuplet's Delivery Team

Ten days after giving birth to octuplets, Nadya Suleman visited her babies as she left a Southern California hospital Thursday and headed for her first interview with NBC's Ann Curry.

"She's holding up pretty well," her publicist, Mike Furtney, tells PEOPLE. "We've done our best to keep her from being bombarded personally. She's beginning to get her feet a little more on the ground, both as far as her medical condition and mentally gearing up for what's to come."

Suleman, who has six other children, was speaking to Curry at an undisclosed location in the Los Angeles area Thursday morning.

The interview will air on Today and Dateline in coming days.

In the past few days, Suleman has "spent a lot of time with the kids and held them," says Furtney. "That's part of the medical recommendation or regimen or whatever you want to call it. All mothers and their newborns like to start that as early as they can."

Also she's finally had time to seriously consider what her life will hold for her with 14 children.

"She's very bright and I think the realization is hitting her now," says Furtney. "She's thinking about how it compares to her former life. That was then and this is now."

She also plans to return frequently to the hospital to visit the babies, who are expected to remain there for weeks. "The little ones are doing great," says Furtney. "They're just marvels."
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Stars Shine At Academy Awards Luncheon

Amy Adams is nominated for her supporting role in "Doubt."

Kate Winslet Is Nominated For Her Role In "The Reader."

"Milk" star Sean Penn is up for Best Actor.

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American Idol Pressure Forces Some Early Favorites To Crack

The claws came out, the tears flowed and one contestant saw evil in Paula Abdul's eyes during American Idol's group round, which may have been created for no other reason than to show us just how hard it is to play nice with others.

About 30 people blew it tonight—some rather surprisingly—including Emily Wynne-Hughes, Rose Flack and David Osmond and Deanna Brown, all of whom were oohed and aahed over early on.

Even Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell came undone in the end, felled by the very high heels that helped carry her to Hollywood.

But while some frittered away their last few minutes of fame griping and sniping at each other, others continued to promote their cause.

The group that dubbed itself White Chocolate, for instance—India Morrison, Justin Williams, Kris Allen and Matt Giraud—utilized their time wisely, polishing their "I Want You Back" vocals and coming up with cute choreography.

And the Rainbow Coalition—Danny Gokey, Jamar Rogers, Taylor Vaifanua and a talent to perhaps be named later—wowed the judges with their harmonious a capella version of Queen's "Somebody to Love."

Also among the lucky: Nate Marshall, Jasmine Murray, Jeremy Michael Sarver, Adam Lambert, Matt Breitzke, Jesse Langseth, Anne Marie Boskovich, Nick Mitchell and Jorge Nuñez.

Idol returns next Tuesday with the contestants' final solos, not to mention the inevitable crop of fresh faces they've been hiding from us.
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Holly Madison Explains Why She Left Her Job At Playboy

"I quit for several reasons," the 29-year-old -- who served as the magazine's "Playmate Editor" -- blogged on her Celebrity MySpace page Wednesday night under the title "Annoying!!!!"

"One: I moved to Vegas, and that job doesn't pay enough to make a commute worthwhile," she writes. Beau Criss Angel -- whom she's been dating from her October split from Hef -- performs his illusionist show five nights a week at the Luxor Hotel.

She continues: "I never cared about the salary when I got the job. I made my money doing Girls Next Door, and I did the job because I loved it."

Madison also says she "no longer found it challenging" finding the babes to fill Playboy's pages.
"It got to be routine, which was sad for me, since I was initially so passionate about the job and the creative aspects involved," she says.

Plus working with her ex "was awkward. Not that anyone tried to make it awkward or didn't treat me fairly...it just was."

Madison defends her gig as real.

"It annoys me when people call the job fake, as if it was just a set up for the show. If I had wanted a fake career for Girls Next Door, I would have stuck with the jewelry line because that required very little of my time," she says. "I spent way more than full time directing shoots, editing, making mock layouts and approving retouching."

She continues: "So as you can imagine, when one is trying to move on with their life, it isn't beneficial to spend so much time on something that doesn't pay much and, sadly enough, is no longer rewarding to you.
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Denise Richards And Jewel To Join Dancing With The Stars

Actress Denise Richards will put on her dancing shoes and join the cast of the ABC reality competition Dancing With the Stars.

“She’s really excited and can’t wait to start practice!”

The mother of two has a busy year ahead — her E! reality series Denise Richards: It’s Complicated was also picked up for a second season.

And Jewel may be famous for her voice, but she'll soon be known for her fancy feet!

Sources say that the crooner cutie has signed on to the eighth season of the dance competition series.

“Jewel is so excited about being on the show. She loves to dance,” a friend says.

The songstress, who wed retired rodeo champ Ty Murray last summer, is also looking to shape up as she boogies down.

“She’s thrilled because of what the show has done for past contestants’ bodies,” the friend adds. The complete list of stars on the ABC reality show will be released on February 8.
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