“Balloon boy” dad Richard Heene has been turned into an action figure.
The under-fire amateur scientist has been immortalised in plastic by Hero Builders as a movable figurine – complete with “I’m with Stupid” T-shirt.
US viewers were transfixed by the sight of a silver balloon floating through the sky in Colorado. It was feared that Heene’s six-year-old son Falcon was inside the balloon. He was later found safe at home, after apparently hiding in the roof-space above the family garage.
The Heenes now face criminal charges after police said the episode was a hoax designed to land the family their own reality television show.
Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have long been such close friends they treat one another like family.
So it makes it all the more amazing to find out that they ARE related – albeit only as 10th cousins once removed!
The New England Historic Genealogical Society has discovered that the Good Will Hunting stars share a common 10th great-grandfather, William Knowlton of Ipswich, a bricklayer who died in 1655.
They also found that Affleck had distant relations including Princess Diana and 16 Presidents, including Barack Obama.
“Ben is an 11th cousin to Obama,” genealogist Chris Child said. “We just found that connection this week. They share a common ancestor in the Hinckley family of Cape Cod.”
Both Matt and Ben are related on their fathers’ side, said Child’s colleague Rhonda McClure, whose speciality at the society is celebrity research.
“We suspected they might be related since both of them had ancestry going back to colonial New England,” said Child.
To mark next month’s unveiling of Whip It, Barrymore has asked fans to join her in suburban Detroit for a gathering to support the new flick.
Whip It was filmed in and around Michigan and centres on the world of roller derby. Barrymore, 34, will walk the red carpet and host the skating event on September 11 at Bonaventure Skating Centre in Farmington Hills.
Fans are asked to bring along their skates or rent them for a fee.
Barrymore also produced and acted in the movie, which stars Ellen Page as a small-town Texas teenager who becomes a roller derby queen.
Actor Neil Patrick Harris was fired up – literally – as he hosted the TV Land Awards in Los Angeles.
Things heated up for the How I Met Your Mother star after performing a hilarious spoof of famous shows including an impersonation of Baywatch beauty Pam Anderson, himself on Doogie Howser MD and a take-off of reality show Survivor.
Harris caught fire in rehearsals doing the Survivor skit when a smoke pack ignited his tuxedo, according to sources on the set.
Fortunately the star wasn’t seriously injured.
“He just had some welts on his back,” according to a mole.
“He didn’t have to be taken to a hospital or anything like that.”
The pre-taped show, which aired last night in the US, honoured TV shows and stars including Knots Landing, M*A*S*H, Married With Children, Home Improvement, Two And A Half Men, Magnum, PI, ER, Don Rickles and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Paris Hilton and her man Doug Reinhardt are vacationing in Amsterdam, Netherlands and she just made a recent entry on her blog to inform all those who care about her comings and goings about her new official Twitter. the [sics] are all her typos just fyi!
She writes:
“Hey Everyone! Greetings from Europe, just checking in. On a romantic trip with my boyfriend, its [sic] so beautiful her [sic]. We fly to London tomorrow, so excited, I ca’t [sic] wait! I’ve been asked a lot recently abut Twitter and supposably [sic] there are A LOT of fakes. So just to let everyone no [sic], My real name on Twitter is BabyGirlParis. Have a great day. xoxo Paris.”
Another recent tweet today:
“I am in Amsterdam with my man… having a blast!”
I wonder how she came up with “Baby Girl” ??? Me thinks it’s his little nickname for her. So touching isn’t it? So romantic.
Miley Cyrus’s new Hannah Montana movie opened in theaters all through the U.S. this weekend and raked in $34 million at the box office, easily putting it at #1.
This fantastic opening makes it the 2nd biggest Easter opening of all time, behind the $40.2 million take of Scary Movie 4 in 2006.
Congratulations Miley, she’s obviously doing something right. It’s a very entertaining movie, the kids love it.
Jesse McCartney sat down with Rap-Up.com to promote the re-release of his third CD, Departure.
Check out what he had to say:
On the inspiration behind his latest album, Departure: “The songs definitely have to do with a certain girl. Makes for good songwriting.”
On his eating habits: “I eat way too much junk food out on the road. I come back like 10 pounds heavier and out of shape. When I’m home, I try to eat healthy, try to take care…I love sushi. I like comfort food too. When I’m on the road, I’m eating pizza and chicken and all sorts of bad fried food. Fast food, the worst kind you can eat. When I’m home, I try to do a lot of cooking and I eat as healthy as I can.”
On teaming up with Toni Braxton: “I did a record for Toni Braxton called ‘My Ring’s Too Heavy.’ Three weeks later, Beyoncé came out with a record called ‘Single Ladies’ and it sort of has a hand and a ring theme behind it. No offense to Beyoncé, I think Toni’s is a little bit better in my opinion, but we’ll have to see what the charts do.”
I think that certain girl is Katie Cassidy. They dated for about four years. But recently, a few months ago, they broke up because Katie said Jesse was always away touring.
Kelly Clarkson has just completed shooting her new music video for her next single, “I Do Not Hook Up.”
Kelly had this to say on her blog,
“So I just got the video and it’s hilarious! Watching me crawl across a table attempting to be sexy in a fantasy is pretty funny to say the least I hope y’all like it. We had a lot of fun making it! Bryan Barber directed it and this was our second time to work together. He’s super cool and very colorful when it comes to videos!”
Barber also did Kelly’s “The Trouble With Love Is” music video, take a peek:
Tune in to the season premiere of The Hills to hear Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” and “Already Gone” featured, tonight at 10PM on MTV.
Organizers of the Calgary Stampede announced that Kelly will join Kenny Chesney as a performer at “The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth” this year!
Lindsay looking fabulous. The wonders of Photoshopping are aptly displayed here aren’t they?
In other news on Linds…
She’s back on the prowl as TMZ is reporting that SaMan changed the locks on her home over the weekend, their photographers took photos of the locksmith, and Lindsay herself just gave this statement to E! News:
Lindsay tells E! News that she has confirmed that she has split up with SaMan. For those of you who follow her Twittering, you’ll most likely know about how upset she was! Here is her brief little statement:
“We are taking a brief break so I can focus on myself.”
Wonder if what went down on the weekend has anything to do with this little time-out…
Lindsay was not invited to the launching of SaMan’s sister, Charlotte Ronson’s new fashion line with JC Penney over the weekend. Lindsay had to be escorted out of the building by security as SaMan left instructions she was not to be let in.
Sources told OK Magazine Linds even knew she wasn’t supposed to go, but tried anyways to get in and ended up being “restrained from coming in by five security guards.”
Posted by: Chatterbug 
Filled in: 
The debut of , director, is fast approaching.
I hope y’all like it. We had a lot of fun making it! Bryan Barber directed it and this was our second time to work together. He’s super cool and very colorful when it comes to videos!”
