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An unauthorized Charlie Sheen room has closed its doors at one strip club.

Strip clubs aren't usually in the business of laughs, but a New York topless spot thought it would be a hoot to name one of its VIP rooms after an actor known for his nightlife escapades. Charlie Sheen's lawyer, however, thought otherwise, according to the New York Post.

"The Charlie Sheen Room" at Cheetah's was reportedly set up in 2011, shortly after Sheen made headlines over leaving "Two and a Half Men," having tiger blood and of course, "winning!" The room was wallpapered with photos of the actor, and guests who forked over $250 could dine inside -- eating sushi off of one of the club's "goddesses."

"We figured it would be comical," Sam Zerkha, president Cheetah's parent company, told the Post.

Sheen's lawyer Marty Singer wasn't laughing. He slapped the gentlemen's club with a cease-and-desist order. Zerkha said the lawyer claimed "the usage of (Sheen's) name would be detrimental to his persona. They said they would sue us for millions if we carried on."

That proved to be a persuasive argument. Even though Zerkha felt the room could only "elevate (Sheen's) image," he shut it down.

But the actor's lawyer wants to make one thing clear: The cease-and-desist action had nothing to do with protecting Sheen's already-racy reputation.

"You can't use any celebrity name to promote a business without permission," Singer said. "They had no right to use his name."

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Getty Images file

Jeff Hanneman of Slayer in 2011.

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman has been forced to pull out of the band's forthcoming world tour due to complications from a spider bite. "While Jeff's been doing some writing and has been coming to rehearsal over the past several weeks, he has decided he needs to take more time to continue his rehab," the band announced in a message to fans on their official website.

Video: Slayer on getting tight for Yankee Stadium

Hanneman contracted necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite over a year ago. According to the band's message, the guitarist came close to having his arm amputated, was put in a medically-induced coma to treat the condition and has had several operations and skin grafts to remove and replace his dead or decaying flesh.

Despite all of this, things have been looking relatively positive for Hanneman. "He's been in rehab doing exercises to regain the strength in his arm, but best of all, he's been playing guitar," the band reports. Hanneman, who had to relearn how to walk, joined the band on stage for their encore at the Big Four festival in California last year.

Slayer frontman Tom Araya hospitalized in Sydney

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt will fill in for Hanneman on the band's summer tour, which begins in London on May 25. The band is hopeful that Hanneman will return to record a new album later this year, but they made it clear they are willing to wait "as long as it takes" for the guitarist to fully recover.

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Six-year-old autistic piano prodigy Ethan Walmark talked to Ann Curry on TODAY Wednesday, or rather he wowed her with a live performance of his now virally-acclaimed rendition of "Piano Man."

After garnering more than 750,000 hits on YouTube in just a few days and drawing the attention of one very famous piano man himself, Billy Joel, Walmark enthusiastically told Curry he learned to play the piano, "Because I liked it! I like it so much!"

Walmark’s mother, Allison, and father, Michael, appeared with their son on the show, along with their young daughter and Tom Crowley, Ethan’s Behavioral Music Therapist, who accompanied him on the guitar. Michael and Allison first bought Ethan a piano when he was 12-months-old, and were surprised to almost immediately find him performing children’s songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Mary Had A Little Lamb” after a few takes.

Not merely technically-gifted, the boy’s creative ingenuity equally matches his methodical skills, as his flair and vocal melody give color to his talent on the keys. Joel even issued a statement saying, "I think I like his intro to 'Piano Man' better than mine. And this kid plays with a lot more energy than me. Maybe he could teach me a few things."

Curry asked Allison if she could explain where Ethan’s talent came from.

"I wish we could,” she replied. "I come from a musical family, but what he has, it’s a gift. You’re born with it; you can’t learn it. It’s in his soul."

According to his mother, Ethan learns songs from Elton John to Coldplay in a matter of days, and can do every Beatles song, his personal favorites being "Let It Be" and "Imagine." While Alison is not entirely sure how much autism plays a role in his unique abilities, the family is actively working to bring attention to the cause, currently fundraising for the charity, "Walk Now For Autism Speaks."

"He’s not just special needs, he’s special,” added Michael.

Donations for Walk Now For Autism Speaks can be made here.

What did you think of Ethan's performance? Did he inspire you? Tell us on Facebook.

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Stefan Wermuth / REUTERS

Sotheby's employees with Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream," which will be auctioned Wednesday.

The spring art sales got off to a solid start at Christie's on Tuesday, with works by Cezanne and Matisse each selling for $19 million as the auction house moved $117 million worth of Impressionist and modern art.

The sales continue on Wednesday at Sotheby's, where the star lot is the once-in-a-lifetime offering of Edvard Munch's seminal work, "The Scream." Sotheby's has estimated it at about $80 million, but many in the art world expect it could soar as high as $150 million, given its fame.

Tuesday's sale, relatively small at about half the size of typical evening sales of recent years, easily achieved its pre-sale estimate of $90 million to $130 million, with only three of the 31 lots on offer going unsold.

Christie's officials said they had chosen to assemble a tightly edited sale, focusing on top-quality works fresh to the market and in mint condition, and the strategy appeared to have paid off.

"We're thrilled. It was a great sale, and we had a marvelous sell-through rate," the highest for an Impressionist auction since 2006, said Brooke Lampley, head of Impressionist and modern art at Christie's New York.

The result, Lampley added, "was very much what we expected" after Christie's tried to tailor the sale to the realities of the current art market, which has recovered solidly after falling in the early days of the financial crisis.

"It's an extraordinary situation," she said. "The art market hasn't correlated to other markets. We see a lot more people choosing to put their money into art."

Cezanne's "Card Player," a recently rediscovered watercolor study, and Matisse's vibrant floral composition "Les Pivoines" were the sale's top lots, each selling for $19,122,500 including commission.

The Matisse nearly doubled the estimate, while the Cezanne was in the middle of its $15 million to $20 million estimate. Estimates do not include commission.

Other highlights included Picasso's "Le Repos," a small portrait of his sleeping mistress Marie-Therese Walter, which fetched just under $9.9 million and easily beat the high estimate of $7 million.

Monet's landscape "Les demoiselles de Giverny" sold for $9.6 million, but failed to make its low estimate.

Lampley noted the sale was marked by "particularly strong American bidding."

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"Biggest Loser" viewers had a variety of opinions about who should win the weight-loss competition before Tuesday night's big finale, but they were almost unanimous about who shouldn't win. As many of them told us time and time again, they just didn't want to see polarizing player Conda Britt take the top honor. As it turns out, eventual winner Jeremy Britt, aka Conda's little brother, felt the same way -- sort of.

During a Wednesday morning visit to TODAY, the lead "Loser" shared his perspective on besting Conda, which had more to do with old-fashioned sibling rivalry than any issues with gameplay.

"There's no one that I wanted to beat more than my sister, to be honest," Jeremy said with a smile.

But he didn't say it in a very strong voice: After Tuesday night's victory screams, Jeremy had little of that left. Still, with 199 pounds behind him, he managed to express his excitement about his new life and the reason he decided to put his old life behind him.

"I just realized that there were things my weight was holding me back from in life, and I didn't want to be held back from the things I wanted to do," he recalled from his pre-"Loser" days. "Of course, you want to hang out at the beach. Of course, you want to be an active person."

Which is why the 23-year-old is now "very thankful" for the show that he almost turned his back on weeks ago and looks forward to what lies ahead.

"For me, the rest of my life is just gonna be great from here on out," he predicted.

What do you think about Jeremy's win? Are you glad he beat his big sister? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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• Jeremy drops 199 pounds to win 'Biggest Loser' season 13
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Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Tyler Perry

More than 100 firefighters, 13 engines and 12 trucks responded to a four-alarm fire at Tyler Perry’s studio complex in Atlanta on Tuesday night, the source of which has yet to be determined.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an emergency call was placed at 8:41 p.m. when the first alarm was sounded, and a fire rescue team arrived minutes later. Upon their entrance, the second and third alarms went off, with multiple buildings involved in the blaze. At the sound of the fourth alarm, reinforcement teams were dispatched from three other counties, and the fire was brought under control approximately an hour after the first crew had arrived. Fire officials said there was partial collapse to the front area of one building.

"It was all in flames," Dorothy Ware, who lives in a high-rise apartment next door to the studio complex, told The AJC.

Ware said the flames “shot as high as nearby trees,” roughly equivalent to the height of a six-story building, and further remarked, "The building started popping. Whatever the fire was hitting, was blowing up. There were plenty of sparks coming over here where we are."

Perry and his staff were on site while the fire was extinguished, and left the premises around 11 p.m. with instruction not to speak with the media. No injuries have been reported at this time, though the fire forced dozens of senior citizens out of a nearby assisted living facility, reports CBS affiliate WSB-TV.

In a statement to Forbes, a spokesperson for Perry commented Wednesday, "Atlanta firefighters responded immediately to a fire which damaged the backlot façade of one of the buildings at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. We are grateful that there were no injuries, and that 99 percent of the damage is limited to the backlot facade. Mr. Perry wishes to express his heartfelt thanks to the Atlanta fire department for their professionalism in their quick response and limiting the damage."

According to Perry’s studio site, the multi-million dollar premises, located in Southwest Atlanta, cover 60 acres and include five sound stages, a 5-acre pond, a theater, chapel, commissary, a gymnasium, art department, and post-production facility. My Fox Atlanta reported Wednesday that fire trucks circled “what appeared to be the Ruby Dee-Ossie Davis studio, the Cicely Tyson studio and the Sidney Poitier studio,” and authorities told WSB-TV they believed the fire began on a four-story sound stage, which was severely damaged, but that they were investigating the matter.

The studio is reportedly functioning despite the blaze, and suffered primarily exterior damage, with some water damage on its interior.

Reports AJC, at least one fire truck remained at the studios at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston may no longer have been a couple when she died in February, but as he told TODAY's Matt Lauer in an interview that aired Wednesday morning -- his first interview since her death -- he still  misses her fiercely.

"Our relationship was great," he said. "I had 14 beautiful, beautiful years with that woman." And it's not just his revisionist history, he insisted: "I can honestly say that -- I love that woman with -- with everything that I am. And I believe she loved me the same way."

Still, Whitney and Bobby's relationship was, almost from the start, filled with conflict of one kind or the other. Brown says he never used hard drugs before meeting Houston, and said that she had used drugs before they were involved. "I worried about it when ... we first got together until I tried it," he said. "And when I tried it, for some reason, I have an addictive personality."

He does have some regrets, wondering to Lauer whether "I coulda done something different, you know to -- ensure that she had a longer life. But ... you have to want it, you know?"

The 2005 single-season reality show "Being Bobby Brown," which put an uncomfortable spotlight on their relationship and showed Houston's temper flaring, he says, was a "wake-up, because we were able to see what others were saying about us .... (to) see that our drug use had affected our relationship, had affected the love we felt for each other."

But Houston declined to appear on a second season of the show, and the pair separated in 2006; they divorced the following year. Still, said Brown -- who told Lauer he would be getting remarried "soon" -- he still has a lot of room in his heart for his late former wife.

"My fiancee knows how I felt about that woman," Brown said. "My kids know how I feel ... how I felt about Whitney. It's not a secret, you know? I was in love with her deeply."

Did what Bobby Brown said change your opinion of him and his relationship with Whitney Houston? Discuss on Facebook.

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Adam Taylor / ABC

Surprise! "Dancing" fans voted to save Maks and Melissa, and after a dance-off against Roshon, Jaleel and Kym (pictured) were sent packing.

The “Dancing With the Stars” judges may have the final say while the Dance Duel is in effect, but on Tuesday, it was the viewers who proved that they still have a very strong voice, dance-off or no dance-off.

After Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba on Monday took jabs at “Little House on the Prairie” star Melissa Gilbert and pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy for their Argentine tango, then gave the duo’s Team Paso effort alongside Donald Driver and William Levy surprisingly low scores for a great overall performance, fans of the show made sure their displeasure with the judges was heard. And we’re not just talking about the very loud boos from the audience after the team's total score was revealed.

Sure, Melissa and Maks’ Argentine tango earned only a measly 21 (no, she didn’t forget any of her steps to her incredibly challenging routine, though she looked rather stiff and terrified), and the group paso doble earned them an additional 26 points. The result? Last place.

As far as the fans were concerned, the judges were playing favorites with their critiques and scoring, and it wasn’t right. (Check out the rants against the panel on our Facebook page.) The solution? Vote! And boy, did they. Though Melissa and Maks knew they were in big trouble (the pro even tweeted that he knew the judges would send Melissa packing if she landed in the bottom two), the viewers came to the rescue, much to the surprise of the pair. Melissa was left stunned by the save while Maks cheered excitedly.

Slideshow: 'Dancing With the Stars' season 14 cast

Launch slideshow

So who found themselves standing in the spotlights of shame instead? Jaleel White and Roshon Fegan. The two men faced off in the Dance Duel with a rumba that was a bit problematic for both. The young Disney star had trouble bringing the sexiness to the steamy dance, while the former “Family Matters” actor seemed to lack chemistry with his partner. (But Jaleel did try to appeal to Bruno and Carrie Ann by showing off his six pack, something the scrawny Roshon isn’t able to do.)

The result? A difficult decision for the panel of judges.

“The duel is cruel because we’ve got to decide,” griped Len. “... It breaks my heart that one of you’s got to go.” (Maybe because he was expecting to say goodbye to Melissa and Maks?)

“Side by side, you guys are pretty much equal,” Carrie Ann noted.

“It really is a matter of taste,” Bruno said. “You both did very, very well.”

But kind words aside, it was obvious the judges felt Roshon did better -- supposedly based solely on this one dance, as the rules state -- because they voted unanimously to save him.

As Jaleel bid the ballroom and his fellow dancing hopefuls farewell, he shared that he was happy to have made it this far. “I really only thought I’d last about three dances in this competition,” he admitted. “I’ve made incredible friends, the fans have been incredible. I love Roshon Fegan! I’m happy they saved him. He has a bright future. Len, give him a 10!”

Are you surprised that the fans were able to save Melissa and Maks despite the judges' low scores? Will the panel learn anything from this week? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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NBC

Jeremy Britt, the season 13 champ!

Just two episodes ago, Jeremy Britt deemed a "Biggest Loser" twist so unfair that he wanted to leave the game rather than continue it and run the risk of competing alongside an unworthy past player who simply won his or her way back into the game. Of course, unlike some others, Jeremy didn't quit -- he was eliminated. And it was that very same "unfair" twist that allowed him to return to the game and in the end, win it.

On Tuesday night's season 13 finale, the 23-year-old stepped on the scale and made the most of the opportunity he almost walked away from by besting his fellow finalists, including former professional wrestler Kim Nielsen and the game's most polarizing player, his own sister, Conda, with a total weight loss of 199 pounds.

The $250,000 grand-prize winner started the competition weighing in at 389, meaning his triple-digit loss represented 51.16 percent of his body weight, not to mention endless hours on the treadmill and a season full of last-chance workouts.

"It feels great," Jeremy said of his experience, just before learning that he won. "I felt like I was supposed to be here … I fought for it."

As for Jeremy's closest competition, it was Kim who nabbed second place in the season of "No Excuses." The single mother of three lost 118 pounds, 46.83 percentage of her starting weight and all of the inhibitions that she packed on with the original added pounds.

"I don't know what my future holds," Kim said of her new life. "I'm ready for anything. I'm ready for everything."

For Kim, everything quickly included another honor, as she then won The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, a challenge first introduced by Michelle Obama earlier this season.

Slideshow: 'Biggest Loser 13': Before and after

NBC

See the amazing transformations of the contestants on the hit reality show. (SPOILER ALERT! Results are revealed with photos.)

Launch slideshow

That left Jeremy's sister Conda -- the one contestant fans of the show openly rooted against throughout the season due to what many considered bullying behavior -- in the third place spot, with 115 pounds down and 39.12 percent behind her.

Conda made no mention of her less-than-inspiring reputation, but had something to say about what was most important to her about the entire experience.

"Life for me is completely different," she explained through tears. "I came here to change myself. I came here for my daughter (Brooklyn). … I accomplished what I came here to do."

Of course, Jeremy and his fellow finalists weren't the only ones to take the scales and compete for prize money on finale night. The 14 eliminated players also returned for a shot the $100,000 at-home reward.

The top contenders for the honor were Cassandra Sturos, Emily Joy and Mike Messina. Cassandra lost 92 pounds, Emily lost 102, but it was Mike, who left the game in the second week of the competition and came back looking like a new (easy-on-the-eyes) man on Tuesday, who earned the win. After starting the game at 358, the early ouster lost 160 (a full 44.69 percent of his weight) and exclaimed, "My God, I'm happy!"

Not on hand for finale night? The "Losers"-turned-quitters who left the show before their time -- Joe Messina, who went the way of the voluntary exit in week 3, and of course, Mark Cornelison and Buddy Shuh, who walked away from the game amid the recent "twist-gate" hubbub.

As for those who weren't there, those that were and the rest of the drama this season packed, former aqua team player Adrian Dortch summed it up best.

"We might be dysfunctional, but we are family," he smiled.

What did you think of the final results? Is Jeremy a worthy winner? Did Mike's at-home win surprise you? Share your thoughts about the finale and the whole "No Excuses" season on our Facebook page.

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LOS ANGELES -- "The Hunger Games" and "Bridesmaids" will battle for the upcoming MTV Movie Awards as each landed eight nominations on Tuesday to edge out "The Twilight Saga," which picked up only two nods for the widely-watched television program.

Murray Close / AP

"The Hunger Games"

Post-apocalyptic action film "The Hunger Games," which has stormed box offices with $600 million in ticket sales, earned nods for movie of the year and best cast. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth landed in the best actress, actor and breakthrough performance categories, respectively.

Vote for your favorite film below

Not to be outdone in the hunt for MTV's golden box of popcorn trophy, female-led comedy "Bridesmaids" picked up nominations for movie of the year and best cast, while the film's writer and star Kristen Wiig scored best actress and best comedic performance nods.

Lawrence and Wiig will be up against Emma Stone, Emma Watson and Rooney Mara for best actress, while Hutcherson will be competing with Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling for best actor.

Joining "Hunger Games" and "Bridesmaids" in the best movie race is civil-rights drama "The Help," the final installment of the "Harry Potter" films, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."

"The Twilight Saga" picked up only one other nod in the best kiss category for stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, proving to be a snub after the popular series' third film, "Eclipse," led with eight nominations and five wins last year.

Universal Pictures

"Bridesmaids."

Stewart and Pattinson have strong contenders in the best kiss category this year from Lawrence and Hutcherson in "The Hunger Games," Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams in "The Vow," Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter," and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in "Crazy, Stupid, Love."

The MTV Movie Awards, which this year take place in Los Angeles on June 3, annually are among the youth-oriented cable TV channel's most-watched programs, and they serve as a launch pad for many of Hollywood's movie summer blockbuster films aimed mostly at young audiences.

Unlike film awards from industry and critics groups, the MTV show offers irreverent categories like best kiss and best fight, which this year includes nominees from "21 Jump Street," "Harry Potter," "The Hunger Games," "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" and "Warrior."

Fans vote online in 12 categories and a group of directors pick the winner of the breakthrough performance category, where Hemsworth will compete with Elle Fanning, Melissa McCarthy, Rooney Mara and Shailene Woodley.

New categories for 2012 include best movie cast, best music, best on-screen dirtbag and gut-wrenching performance, which features nominations from "21 Jump Street," "Bridesmaids," "Drive," "The Help" and "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol."

While MTV has yet to announce a host for the 2012 Movie Awards, New York indie-pop band fun. will be performing at the show.

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While it may be common knowledge that this summer’s blockbuster release, “The Dark Knight Rises,” will deliver the conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy, the latest trailer suggests it may also prove the demise of DC’s legendary comic book hero.

Released on Monday, the third trailer for the film is thematically centered on the fate of its star character, Batman (Christian Bale), and the insurmountable threat of Bane (Tom Hardy), the evil villain who may, at last, be able to surpass the protagonist in strength and intelligence. Of course, as Bane surmises, he plans for something far worse than death.

“Your punishment must be more severe,” Bane warns through his pseudo gas-mask.

Set eight years after the conclusion of “The Dark Knight,” Nolan’s highly anticipated adventure movie, out July 20, looks as mesmerizing in theoretical discourse as it does in high impact action sequences, with scenes cutting from shots of blown up bridges to children living in fear. Now featuring, for the first time ever, a flying Batmobile, the trailer indicates “a storm is coming” to Gotham City, and amidst falling snow, societal tyranny, and a shambling Wall Street, Batman appears to be abducted by Bane, his whereabouts unknown to even his closest alliances, his masked tossed into the river.

“I won’t bury you,” Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler (Michael Caine) says in the teaser. “I’ve buried too many members of the Wayne family.”

This latest clip also highlights the new roles of Anne Hathaway, as Catwoman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as Gotham cop John Blake. Playing the film’s anti-hero, Hathaway’s character subtly gives her own premonitions of what’s to come in the ambitious battle with Bane, while Gordon-Levitt emerges ghost-faced and without answers in Blake.

Most telling may be the final words uttered by Batman to Catwoman at the end of the two-minute piece.

“You’ve given them everything,” says the lady of the hour.

“Not everything,” Batman replies. “Not yet.”

Following the release of the trailer, fans tracking the film’s every move exhibited excitement online.

“Someone put me in a medical coma until dark knight rises is released,” tweeted musician Pete Wentz.

“MIND=BLOWN Going to be the best movie ever!!!!” wrote Logan Neubarth on Twitter.

Sam Johnson added, ”Genuinely have never been more excited for 'The Dark Knight Rises!' Gonna finish off the greatest trilogy ever made!”

What about you? Are you eagerly awaiting the new Batman movie? Tell us about the summer movie you can't wait to see on Facebook.

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Amanda Schwab / AP file

Jessica Simpson gave birth to a baby girl, Maxwell Drew Johnson, in L.A. Tuesday morning, Us Weekly can confirm. This is her first child with fiance Eric Johnson. According to a source, little Maxwell (she takes her middle name from her maternal grandmother, Tina Simpson, whose maiden name is Drew) weighed in a 9 lbs. 13 ounces.

PHOTOS: Look back at Jessica's growing baby bump!

After just six months of dating, Simpson, 31, and Johnson, 32, got engaged in November 2010. The pair -- who have yet to set a wedding date -- had planned to hold off on making it official until after their baby's arrival. Rushing down the aisle isn't a priority for the star and her former NFL player beau, anyway; during a March appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show, Simpson told the host that Johnson "feels like my husband already."

PHOTOS: Jessica and other stars who posed nude and pregnant

The Texas native was previously married to Nick Lachey from 2002 until their separation in 2005. (The duo famously documented their life together for MTV's hit reality show, "Newlyweds.")

PHOTOS: Jessica and Eric's sweet love story

Following her divorce from Lachey, the "Dukes of Hazzard" actress dated Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo from 2007 to 2009.

In 2011, both Lachey and Romo tied the knot with their current flames; Romo's wife, Candace Crawford, gave birth to a baby boy Hawkins on April 9, and Lachey's spouse, Vanessa Lachey, is currently expecting the couple's first child.

PHOTOS: Jess' craziest TwitPics

Simpson first shared her own happy pregnancy news with the world on Twitter last Halloween.

Tweeting a photo of her wrapped in a mummy costume, she wrote, "It's true! I am going to be a mummy!"

Since then, the "Fashion Star" mentor and Johnson have been counting down the days 'til their little one's arrival. In December, Simpson opened up to Us Weekly about her excitement for "mummy"-hood.

PHOTOS: See Jessica's nude Elle cover

"Eric and I love each other so much, and knowing that I love this baby inside of me is so amazing -- I love it so much and I haven't even met them yet," Simpson gushed. "I can't imagine how much love we'll have for it once it finally comes!"

As her due date approached, the bubbly, uninhibited singer spoke candidly about the not-so-pretty parts of pregnancy, dishing on her strange cravings (buttered Pop Tarts!) and embarrassing physical traits ("I just started calling myself Swamp Ass," Simpson told Jay Leno of sweating through her maternity Spanx.)

PHOTOS: Jessica's body evolution

Among the most outrageous? During a March interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Simpson made even seasoned comedian Kimmel blush when she admitted, "I feel like I have a bowling ball sitting on my hoohah. Apparently I have a lot of amniotic fluid, so whenever my water breaks, it will be like a fire hydrant!"

And speaking to Ryan Seacrest in an appearance on his radio show last month, the fashion designer opened up about her third-trimester sex drive. "I am definitely 'feeling intimate,'" Simpson told the host. "I'm kind of unstoppable right now. The Big O is, like, the biggest O ever!"

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Taking his craft too literally for most, a German actor has been banned from the stage after revealing plans to strangle two puppies in the name of art and protest.

The artist, whose name has not yet been revealed, was set to do a performance of a play titled “Death of Metamorphosis” on Friday in a small theatre in the Spandau district of Berlin. Reports The Local, the act would have involved him suffocating two puppies with cable ties. After the dogs’ death, a brief meditation would follow, accompanied by funeral procession music, and a giant gong.

The concept, a take on traditional Thai artistic rituals, was designed to oppose the slaughtering of Alaskan sled dogs and Spanish hunting dogs, both of which suffer similar fates. According to a writer known as sorchajack on Yahoo! Voices, following seasonal interest, Spanish hunting dogs are typically shot, “beaten to death, hanged or even set on fire. There are some that are just abandoned in the campo or countryside.”

The New York Times provided further testimony in a 2011 report investigating the “’execution style’ shooting of as many as 100 dogs that took place after a business slump in the weeks after the Olympics ended,” in British Columbia.

Despite the artist’s supposedly honest attempt to shed light on the controversy, his plans were thwarted when he was brought before an administrative court in Berlin on April 27, and a judge shut down the proposal, citing animal protection laws that forbid the dogs from being harmed during live performance.

In response, the artist countered that Germany’s constitution "unconditionally guarantees artistic freedom."

The argument did not hold up in court, however, nor was it well received by the public.

"Another example of a "modern" taking things to unnecessary extremes in which they themselves become what are supposedly highlighting as hateful," comments reader AClassicRed on The Local. “I can't speak for how dogs are treated in Spain, but I am a North American Indian who taught in the Indian Education system and served as president of an association there for two elected terms. Some of these people, artists or whatever, so-called educated who like to think they are the ultimate in "humanity" and "humanitarian" have behaviors and [thought] processes which are really rather warped and so ignorant on true situations it is absurd."

Bigfoot76 concurs. "Unfortunately 'Art' is being twisted into too many perverse definitions. If things such as this were to be allowed, it opens the floodgates to even worse possibilities. Society generally labels killing/mutilating/torturing animals as juvenile delinquency."

Hard not to agree with the court's ruling. But at what point do you think does art ceases to be art? Tell us on Facebook.

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It's been a season of big personalities and even bigger drama on "The Biggest Loser," and now the end is almost here. With the various highs and lows and all that walkout business in the past, the only remaining mystery on the show is who will win the top honors and earn the "Loser"-winner title.

Host Alison Sweeney stopped by TODAY on Tuesday to talk about the odds for finalists Kim, Conda and Jeremy.

"While (Kim) absolutely has a willpower of steel, and I would never count this woman out, the question becomes 'Does she have more weight to lose in time to get ready for tonight's finale?'" Sweeney summed up.

It's a good question considering that the last time viewers saw the remaining contestants, the former professional wrestler was in the weight-loss lead with very few pounds left to shed.

If she isn't "The Biggest Loser" on Tuesday night, that honor will go to one of two players who aren't exactly fan favorites -- the brother-sister duo who've earned their share of criticism this season.

Conda ran afoul of fans early in the game because of what many considered bullying behavior, but Sweeney believes her determination could work in her favor for finale night.

"I think she feels a little bit like her brother has helped her through the season. …That's her perception," the host said. "So if anything, she going to work so hard to prove that she deserves to be there and standing on her own two feet."

But it's Jeremy, who recently insisted that a twist allowing one past player to return was unfair -- until he became that player, who Sweeney considers the one to watch.

"I think in some ways, you could say by the numbers, he's the one to beat," she revealed. "Jeremy has the weight to lose. He stayed steady through the entire season."

"Loser" fans will find out if he stayed steady all the way to the finals when "The Biggest Loser" finale airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Who are you rooting for in "The Biggest Loser" finale? Share your favorite on our Facebook page.

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REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a special message to actor Jason Segal.

Next up for Jason Segel: "Forgetting Hillary Clinton?"

Between dancing up a storm in Colombia and embracing her texting Tumblr alter-ego, Hillary Clinton has been rapidly padding her pop culture resume. But as Secretary of State, she has to draw a line somewhere, and unfortunately for Segel, the cut-off is big screen comedies.

The writer-actor had mentioned a few times that he'd love to work on screen with the iconic Washingtonian, telling Us Weekly in March that he felt she had a knack for comedy and that he tells people Clinton is the mysterious, titular mother is in "How I Met Your Mother." Always one to keep her ear to the ground -- she has to monitor chatter from around the world, after all -- Clinton caught wind of Segel's messages and penned him a sweet yet crushing rejection letter, which reads as follows (via Politico):

"I was delighted to read about your interest in sharing the big screen with me. As you can imagine, I am a little occupied at the moment, but perhaps someday I can help you forget Sarah Marshall ... again. My only condition is that there be Muppets involved, and that is non-negotiable. In the meantime, you have my best wishes for continued success with your career."

In that case, Segel better get back involved with that Muppets sequel, which he has ceded to his co-writer Nicholas Stoller. Perhaps Judd Apatow, Segel's long-time producer, was able to convince Clinton otherwise, though, at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

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Joel Ryan / AP file

Alexander Skarsgard believes he's the man for the buzzed-about lead role in a "Fifty Shades of Grey" film adaptation.

Alexander Skarsgard is tall, blond and handsome and the latest name fans are rallying behind in the hopes he’ll play the title character when “Fifty Shades of Grey” makes the leap from novel to big screen feature.

The “Battleship” star had not heard of the book when he sat down to talk about his new action sci-fi film at the junket in Hawaii over the weekend, but after Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson informed him about the erotic role, Alexander laughed.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: "True Blood’s" sexy swede: Alexander Skarsgard

“Where do I sign?” the “True Blood” hunk smiled.

Shaun made sure to prep Alexander on many facets of the character, created by E. L. James, and he reacted to one of the more titillating details, one that he’s already dealt with on his hit HBO show.

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“He’s got a sex chamber? My character has that on ‘True Blood.’ He’s got his little dungeon,” Alexander said, referring to vampire Eric Northman.

“I was born to play that part,” he added with a grin, of Christian.

“True Blood” will return for its fifth season on June 10, and joining the fold is Christopher Meloni, who Alexander said is a great addition to the cast.

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“He’s amazing,” Alexander said of the former “Law & Order: SVU” star who returns to HBO (he previously starred in prison drama “Oz”) in the new role of Roman, who is part of “True Blood’s” Vampire Authority.

“It wasn’t easy. His first day was basically him coming in. It was five pages of dialogue. Half of it was in Aramaic,” the Swede continued. “That was like, ‘Welcome to the show, Chris.’ But he’s a trooper, a really amazing actor -- obviously -- and a great guy. We’ve had a lot of fun together on the show.”

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Big screen gentlemen: Hollywood’s leading men

Another star Alexander had fun with is Rihanna, who he joins for several scenes in her feature film debut, “Battleship,” which hits theaters on May 18.

“She’s pretty amazing,” he said.

But the actor noted that he wasn’t surprised by how easily Rihanna took to acting.

“I was honestly not surprised. Just like, watching her on stage, or her videos, you can tell [from] her energy and her charisma and personality, you know that she’s gonna be great in that part,” he said. “I knew that and she really is.”

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Joan Marcus / AP

Steve Kazee, left, and Cristin Milioti are shown in a scene from "Once," in New York.

Updated 7:50 a.m. PT: NEW YORK -- The low-tech musical "Once," based on the love story of a Czech flower seller and an Irish street musician in Dublin, got a leading 11 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, proving sentiment can sway nominators just as much as special effects.

Two other musicals — "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It" — each got 10 nominations as the Tony committee spread the wealth. Unlike last year's "The Book of Mormon," no monster single hit dominated the nominations.

"Peter and the Starcatcher," a play about the origins of Peter Pan, earned nine nominations and the now-closed revival of "Follies" and the new Disney musical "Newsies" got eight nods each.

Joe DiPietro earned a Tony nomination for writing the book to "Nice Work If You Can Get It," which stars Matthew Broderick and Kelli O'Hara, who also got a nomination as a leading actress in a musical. The frothy musical smarty integrates classic Gershwin songs such as "Sweet and Lowdown," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "S'Wonderful," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "They All Laughed" and "Fascinating Rhythm."

The musical is the first since DiPietro won two Tonys for writing the still-running "Memphis" but he's not jaded.

"The Tonys are always a big deal," he said. "I wrote for a long time and no one seemed to care and then I suddenly started getting produced. When I won my Tonys, it was childhood dream time coming true."

"Other Desert Cities," a play by Jon Robin Baitz that moved to Broadway after critical acclaim at Lincoln Center Theater, earned five nominations, including best play. Stockard Channing and Judith Light both earned acting nominations.

"My psychology is such that I can't jump up and down. I suppose that makes me Jewish and of the theater," he joked after the announcement.

"Once," with songs by Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard, was originally a low-budget movie made for about $150,000. The film earned $20 million, thanks in part to an original score that included the sublime, 2007 Oscar-winning song, "Falling Slowly."

The musical captured the film's spirit and earned Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti best actor in a musical nominations. It also earned nods for best scenic design, best book of a musical and Elizabeth A. Davis got a nomination for an actress in a featured role.

The Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS from the Beacon Theatre on June 10. Neil Patrick Harris, the star of "How I Met Your Mother," will be the host.

Broadway's most expensive show, the $75 million "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," got only two nominations, for best scenic design and costume.

The best new play category includes "Clybourne Park" by Bruce Norris, "Other Desert Cities," "Peter and the Starcatcher" by Rick Elice, and David Ives' "Venus in Fur." Plays that didn't make the cut included Katori Hall's "The Mountaintop," Nicky Silver's "The Lyons," David Auburn's "The Columnist" and Theresa Rebeck's "Seminar."

In the musical revival category, "Follies" and "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" will compete against two Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice works: "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita."

The best leading actor in a play Tony will pit James Corden from the British import "One Man, Two Guvnors," Philip Seymour Hoffman from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," James Earl Jones from "Gore Vidal's The Best Man," Frank Langella from "Man and Boy" and John Lithgow of "The Columnist."

The battle in the female leading actress play category will be fierce, with competitors including Nina Arianda of "Venus in Fur," Tracie Bennett of "End of the Rainbow," Linda Lavin of "The Lyons," Cynthia Nixon in "Wit" and Channing.

In addition to O'Hara and Milioti, the nominations for best leading actress in musical include Jan Maxwell of "Follies," Audra McDonald for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess," and Laura Osnes of the now-closed "Bonnie & Clyde."

Have you seen a Broadway production you want to rave about? Tell us on Facebook.

Reality TV regular and Skinnygirl entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel may have sold her famous Skinny cocktail creation, but she hasn't put the trim title behind her yet. In fact, she's giving it a new twist with her latest effort.

Frankel, a three-time bestselling author with nonfiction books "A Place of Yes," "Naturally Thin" and "The Skinnygirl Dish," has written her first novel, "Skinnydipping," and during a Tuesday morning TODAY visit, she promised it'll offer her fans something they need -- a change of pace.

"I've been on reality television for 8 years," Frankel said of her work on "The Real Housewives of New York City," "Bethenny Getting Married?" and "Bethenny Ever After." "I've been on a lot of my reality -- my first three books were prescriptive in how to lose weight and how to get the most out of life. 'Skinnydipping' is just fun, refreshing.... It's just a palate cleanser."

‘Skinnydipping’: A look inside Bethenny Frankel's novel

But it isn't a career change for the small screen celebrity. Despite adding fiction to the mix, Frankel "keeps it real" and semi-autobiographical in her book, writing about the familiar life of a reality TV star. As for her own future, she plans to continue to juggle her businesses, keep in close contact with her fans, and of course, get more face-time on TV.

"I have incredible fans," she said. "I have a great relationship with them, whether it's on Twitter, emails or letters, I know exactly who they are. We are in a relationship. It's why I wanted to do a talk show. I have a talk show (coming up) on Fox this summer. It's for them, so we can have a conversation, rather than just watch me living my life on television."

And Frankel knows just what she wants that conversation to focus on.

"I think it is my message to say, 'Yeah, we're not perfect. We're flawed. I'm flawed but I'm having fun.... We have some not-so-good moments, but all in all, you can really get to where you want to get to. And we'll do it together,'" she explained.

But only some of Frankel's loyal followers will be able to carry on that part of the TV "relationship." That new talk show opens in limited markets.

"It's in Minneapolis, Dallas, Phoenix, L.A., New York and Philadelphia," she said. "No one take offense. We'll be everywhere next year."

"Skinnydipping" hits bookstores Tuesday.

See more from Frankel Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET on "Bethenny Ever After" on Bravo.

Will you read Frankel's first fiction effort? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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Ryan O'Neal talked to Matt Lauer on TODAY Tuesday about his admission that there "was violence at times" in his relationship with the late Farrah Fawcett, and addressed the effect that volatility had on his kids.

O'Neal, who had a child, Redmond, with Fawcett, and has three children from a previous relationship, gave a mock-choke over his coffee cup when Lauer asked about them. The children — Tatum, Griffin and Redmond — have all had their share of addiction struggles, and Griffin and Redmond have both been incarcerated. Another child, Patrick, a sportscaster, has managed to stay out of trouble.

“Were you a bad parent?” Lauer asked.

Excerpt: Ryan O'Neal reflects on life with Farrah

“Looks like it, doesn’t it? Sure looks like it," O'Neal said. "I suppose I was.” He credits his failings as a father to a lack of being “trained.” He also said that his adult children aren't kids anymore, and that they are now responsible for themselves. "Griffin is 45, Tatum is 49, who’s the other one? Redmond is 27. They have to take hold of their own existences.”

The children had trouble at an early age. At 6 years old, Redmond walked into a room where O’Neal and Fawcett were embroiled in an argument. In his recently released memoir "Both of Us: My Life With Farrah," O’Neal writes that Redmond was in his Winnie the Pooh pajamas and holding a knife. He threatened to stab himself if the two didn’t stop fighting.

“He couldn’t stand it,” O’Neal told Lauer. “It stopped us, I must say. We put a stop to that. And we moved the knives up higher, harder to reach.”

Reports Monday said that Redmond, who is currently in a court-ordered rehab stint, was angry about the memoir's account of his drug arrest in 2008. In an exclusive statement to TODAY, Redmond disputed those reports. "Not one of the statement attributed to me on Monday about the book are close to true," he said. "I haven't even read the book. But I am now aware of what's in the book about the 2008 incident and arrest. Nothing my Dad has written about that upsets me at all." 

Kathie Lee 'stunned' by Ryan O'Neal interview

O’Neal, Fawcett's companion of nearly 30 years, admitted that he is “hard to live with. She got tired of that, I’m sure.” 

O'Neal says his memoir was “a way to keep the line between (he and Fawcett) going. I still felt she was nearby when I wrote this. She was close.” O'Neal dismissed the accusation that the book is unfair because Fawcett can't defend herself about the stories he has written. “She loved me,” he said. “I couldn’t write a book if she hadn’t.”

According to the memoir, Fawcett became tormented by her own aging, often spending hours in the bathroom staring at her face. “Well it was possible she was just trying to keep away from me and stayed in the bathroom, I don’t know,” O’Neal told Lauer, saying Fawcett was “a little” insecure, but everybody was. “We were all in the bathroom for too long,” he said.

TODAY

In his memoir, O'Neal writes of the sometimes-volatile relationship he and Fawcett shared for nearly 30 years.

Fawcett died of cancer in 2009, and the disease has dogged O'Neal, too: After successfully battling leukemia, he was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer last month. He feels "innundated" by the health problems, he told Lauer, and said he has not yet started treatment.

O'Neal was scheduled to appear on TODAY Monday, but cancelled, having suffered what he said was his first-ever panic attack. “I don’t know what was wrong,” he told Lauer. “Terror, perhaps. I don’t know; I just broke out in a terrible sweat.”

And though he wrote in his book that "Farrah and I did get physical with each other when we fought," he said that towards the end of Fawcett’s life, there was no more fighting; there were “no more knives.” He finally asked Fawcett to marry him, but the priest called to perform a wedding ceremony arrived too late, and she was read her last rites instead. “I’m not over it yet,” O’Neal said. “I got some relief writing the book ... but that was rough.” 

O’Neal said in the end Fawcett was “so strong and brave and never afraid for a minute. She always believed she’d be here on the show with us today. Now it’s just me.”

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