Superstar siblings Charlotte, Samantha and Mark Ronson are featured in the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine … in their photoshoot, the sisters and brother channel the look of The Royal Tenebaums, behold:

Getting the Ronson siblings together is no easy task. After all, they have made being in demand an art form. Mark, 32, the hotshot music producer responsible for Amy Winehouse’s breakout album and whose own release, Version, went double platinum in the U.K., splits his time between London and New York when he’s not performing with the likes of Duran Duran or Jay-Z. Charlotte, 31, the downtown fashion designer who counts Kate Moss among her following, is busy working on her eponymous label and cohosting charity events. Her twin, Samantha, is an international DJ whose turntable skills are requested everywhere from Bel Air to Mumbai (though recently her most famous asset is Lindsay Lohan, whom she is rumored to be dating). “Not even on the high holiest of Jewish holidays do we all get together,” says Mark wryly. “But we get together individually whenever we can.” Even before tabloid targets Winehouse and Lohan entered the picture, the Ronson family was a source of intrigue. Mother Ann Dexter-Jones is a social darling who married Laurence Ronson, a British real estate heir and band manager, and then eventually remarried to Mick Jones of Foreigner. The couple (who recently divorced) moved the family to New York when the children were in grade school and had two more of their own: Annabelle, 21, is a Bard student and aspiring actress who serves as Charlotte’s top model, and Alexander, 23, is also a musician and DJ. “It would appear that we had a bohemian, rock ‘n’ roll upbringing,” says Charlotte. “And in many ways it was, but our mother was superstrict, and we also had the very English, proper nanny.” When asked about this, Dexter-Jones deadpans, “I used to be nicknamed Mummy Dearest” … The parallel between the Ronsons and the quirky prodigies, Chas, Margot, and Richie Tenenbaum, of the 2001 Wes Anderson-directed dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums isn’t just a clever concept. All are products of an unusual upbringing and artistic environment. “Samantha was and still is my renaissance child,” says her mother. “She always loved music and books and had a tremendous curiosity and intensity, whatever subject caught her imagination.” Though Samantha is recognized as a celebrity DJ, she originally broke onto the scene as a folk singer and songwriter. (Coincidentally, one of her tunes was featured in Lohan’s 2004 smash movie, Mean Girls.) Currently, she is remixing songs for Good Charlotte’s greatest-hits album and hopes to get her band up and running again. Lately, though, she has been in the spotlight for other reasons. When she discovered a small piece about herself and Lohan in Rolling Stone, she balked. “It’s like, ‘Oh, not you guys, too!’” says the typically press-shy Ronson. “I stay away from the tabloids. I don’t feel that I should personally have to defend myself to a magazine that I’m not a drug addict. I don’t do drugs. I don’t sell pictures of my friends.” When asked about Lohan, Samantha is polite but firm. “I’m not going to talk about Lindsay because she’s my friend, you know? She’s great. She’s also 22 years old. I think people forget that. With the Internet the way it is, one second we’re enemies, one second we’re best friends, one second we’re lovers, and then we’re broken up.” By press time, reports had trickled out on the Web that Samantha had changed her personal status on Facebook to “in a relationship,” while photos of her and Lohan holding hands had circulated. She is accustomed to the speculation. “Even the airport-security guy in Canada asked me, ‘So, is it true?’” laughs Samantha. “It’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m telling you.’” Charlotte adds, “The funniest thing was, I bought a bunch of those tabloid magazines and didn’t even notice that Samantha was on the cover of one.” Lohan, however, is unsurprisingly coy when she replies by e-mail: “I love the Ronsons. They’re close to my and I respect all the work they do. Samantha and my relationship is a private matter.”

First off … I love the pics. Secondly, I had no idea that Charlotte and Samatha were twins. Thirdly, I love all things Ronson. I had the fortune to see Mark Ronson live in concert last Fall and was totally blown away — the man is such a huge talent. I am quite familiar with Samantha’s DJ stylings and have been a fan of hers for a very long time … that said, I had no idea she was a folk singer. I gotta get my hands on her stuff. I am not all that familiar with Charlotte’s fashion work but I’m sure she’s quite a talent if Kate Moss is a fan. You can read the full Harper’s Bazaar article on the Ronson sibs HERE … it’s a great read. I knew the family was insanely talented, I had no idea they were so quirky.

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Another Sunday, another trip to the beach for the McConaughey family. Matthew and his babymama Camila Alves stuffed their newborn son Levi Alves into his baby wrapper and made their way out to the beaches of Malibu, CA this weekend for another fun day of Watch Matthew Surf While We Sit On The Sand. Here are a few pics:

Honestly, the rubber suit is the only thing that makes these pics sorta interesting anymore. Until Matty actually does strap little Levi to the front of his surfboard, there ain’t much more to be had from these sort of pics. Apparently Matthew’s brother Rooster, his sister-in-law and nephew Miller Lyte (named for the beer, seriously) were in attendance for the beach fun yesterday as well. I must say, tho, that I love that the fam continues to do everything together. It’s still pretty heartwarming.

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

At last, the tome that Lynne Spears has been working on for the past year (and was due for release months ago but had to be shelved due to daughter Jamie Lynn Spears’s untimely teenage pregnancy) is finally about to be released … and we now have our first look at the artwork for the new book Through the Storm:

Lynne Spears’ promised book has shaped up to be less of a parenting handbook and more of a juicy memoir of a Southern mother raising a pop star in the midst of paparazzi mayhem. Titled Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World, the 272-page book published by Thomas Nelson—and to be released Sept. 16—is sure to be a page-turner. According to prereviews from Barnes & Noble, the book describes how Lynne was an ordinary mother changed by the success of her daughter Britney and how it pushed the family onto the worldwide stage. The book also promises to reveal a rarely glimpsed side of Lynne, her celebrity daughters, son Bryan and ex-husband Jamie. “The stories Lynne shares reveal the heart of a mother who struggles to keep faith at the center of her life through its many unexpected twists and serendipitous turns,” the prereview states. The book retails for $24.99. According to BreatheHeavy.com, a Britney fansite, the publisher says the book sheds light on much more, even touching on Britney’s breakdown, Jamie Lynn’s pregnancy and the infamous Sam Lutfi. This is not Lynne’s first foray into the publishing arena. She coauthored the novel A Mother’s Gift with her daughter in 2001, way back when Britney’s career still seemed like a family blessing.

This from the book publisher:

Lynne was just an ordinary Southern mom when the overnight success of her daughter Britney shoved the Spears family into the blinding limelight glare. Through the Storm takes readers beyond the reach of the paparazzi and outside the narrow orbit of the Hollywood glitterati to share the inside story of the Spears family-as only a mother can tell it. In this openhearted memoir, Lynne speaks about Britney, Jamie Lynn, Bryan, ex-husband Jamie, herself, and their lives together from Louisiana to Los Angeles, including:

Sincere, self-effacing, sometimes spunky, Lynne’s memoir reveals the heart of a mother who has struggled through difficult times and how she has held onto her faith and her sense of humor as she tries to hold onto her family.

Oh yeah, this is one celeb memoir I plan on reading. As I understand it, Lynne’s book was initially supposed to be a parenting guide of some sort but methinks the publisher thought it better to retool the book as a memoir (especially for the flak that she took after it was revealed that Lynne sold the story of Jamie Lynn’s unwed teenage pregnancy to OK! magazine which prolly didn’t win her any votes for Mother of the Year). I don’t really think this book will be “juicy” per se but I’m sure it’ll have a lot of interesting information for Britney fans like myself to munch on. I know I’ll be reading.

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Aww, this is really cute. Britney Spears, lookin’ pretty smashing IMHO, stepped out on the town last night for dinner out with her peeps and was spied wearing a homemade necklace with her sons’ names on it. Sure, it may not have been the most stylish thing she could’ve worn but something about the way that Jayden and Preston are spelled out with these little letter tiles makes the bauble look all the more endearing:

Britney Spears showed off her tender side last night when she stepped out wearing a homemade necklace displaying the name of her two sons. The 26-year-old singer showed her love for her boys Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, 23 months, by wearing their names around her neck as she dined out in Los Angeles. The childlike design, possibly made by the boys themselves, displayed her eldest son Sean Preston’s middle name and youngest’s first name. The singer has been looking better than ever in recent weeks after bouncing back from recent health troubles. Looking tanned and toned, Britney showed off her svelte physique in tight black skinny jeans and a frilly vest top … Earlier in the day, Britney stepped out at the Lisa Kline boutique to indulge in a sport of retail therapy. Britney has been happy in recent weeks after finally agreeing to a custody settlement with ex-husband Kevin Federline. As part of the new agreement, Britney is allowed two visits and one overnight stay with her two sons, while Kevin retains primary custody. Her lawyer is hopeful the custody arrangement will be altered in the future to allow the singer even more time with her boys.

She looks great and I love the necklace. I still contend that it must be very hard for her to give up the fight for custody of her two sons right now but I believe that she will win back more time with her children as time goes on, as she continues to get better. It’s little touches like this that keeps her sons close to her heart and remind her what she is working towards … a happy and healthy future with her boys. She’ll get there.

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

Here are a few pics of his royal hotness Prince William chillin’ on a yacht in the Caribbean with his longtime ladylove Kate Middleton over the weekend as the pair canoodled on the boat in between bouts of wakeboarding, innertubing … and lurvin’:

Sporting a sexy black and white bikini she could have been any woman happily in love and spending quality time with her boyfriend on holiday. And Prince William looked equally as smitten as he and girlfriend Kate Middleton relaxed and soaked up the Caribbean sunshine. But it was sexy Kate who was turning heads as she showed off her svelte curves and impressive wakeboarding skills. Not one for lying back and sunbathing, Kate not only managed to wakeboard, but she and William also made a splash in an inflatable raft. The 26-year-old and her Prince Charming have been staying at a £5million luxury villa on the Caribbean island of Mustique during their much-awaited holiday. With its luxuriously appointed rooms, sweeping views over the western coast of Mustique and footpath to a pristine white beach, the Villa Rocina is advertised as a “dream” hideaway for honeymooners. It is the couple’s first holiday together in two and a half years and has fuelled speculation of an engagement. This is where Prince William took Kate last week for their third holiday on their favourite Caribbean island and, should he want to pop the question, he could not choose a more perfect place. Owned by Venezuelan millionairess Violera Alvarez, who rents it out for between £4,500 and £6,500 a week, the sprawling stone house was designed by the late British artist Oliver Messel to allow its occupants total privacy. The master bedroom suite, decorated in sunny yellows and blues, has a flight of steps leading to the beach. A staff of four servants preside over meals in the dining gazebo on a veranda, with breathtaking views over a seaside swimming pool and the azure waters of the Caribbean. The Royal couple … also enjoyed the use of the villa’s widescreen cinema and gym.

Aww … it sounds all romantical and stuff. I absolutely love seeing these two together. I’m really glad that little “break” they took last year turned out to be nothing at all … seeing them happily reconciled does much to warm the cockles of my heart. While the sight of some other couples together kinda gives me the skeevies, I’m glad that there are great couples like Wills and Kate out there to keep the romance alive. I think these two will end up making it down the aisle together one day … and boy, what a wedding ceremony that will be.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Now that the topless photos have made the rounds, now that the wife knows and now that the couple have been seen together again here in the States, it would appear that Sienna Miller and Balthazar Getty have no reason to keep their burgeoning relationship a secret any longer. The couple have been spending their time together in Malibu, CA lately and were spotted making their way out of a CVS Pharmacy with purchases in hand:

It’s unclear what the couple were shopping for at a drug store but … the possibilities are endless. It’s interesting that the couple walked out of the store side-by-side but then immediately put some distance between them once they realized they were being photographed … especially since the couple opted to have a nice public dinner together later on in the weekend, choosing to sit outside. After the jump, check out pics of Sienazar lunching together at Taverna Tony in Malibu yesterday …

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In what I hope will become a semi-regular event thruout the rest of the Olympic swimming competitions, it is my extreme pleasure to report that Michael Phelps won his second gold medal (and his 8th gold medal overall) of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China yesterday (today?) as his relay team made up of teammates Jason Lezak, Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones not only took the gold in the Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay race but they also set a new world record … by 0.08 of a second:

Would Michael Phelps’s bid for eight gold medals in the Beijing Games dissolve in a pool at the Water Cube on Monday? The answer was a resounding No. Not over Jason Lezak’s 32-year-old body. Lezak, swimming the anchor leg of the United States’ 4×100-meter freestyle relay, hit the water a half-second after Alain Bernard of France, who came into the race as the world-record holder in the 100-meter freestyle. “I knew I was going to have to swim out of my mind,” Lezak said, adding, “I had more adrenaline going than I’ve ever had in my life.” Dragging off Bernard, who was hugging the lane line that separated them, Lezak made up ground, but with 25 meters remaining it appeared as if he would run out of pool. Trailing Bernard by half a body length, Lezak put his head down and surged to the wall. A three-time Olympian, Lezak had been in this predicament before. He anchored the American 4×100 relay teams at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics that came up short. This time, he was part of a photo finish. When the water settled, the giant video scoreboard showed that Lezak had out-touched Bernard by 0.08 of a second. Phelps’s pursuit of Mark Spitz’s record of seven swimming gold medals in one Olympics remained alive with a little help from his mates. Lezak’s split of 46.06 seconds was the fastest anchor leg ever, by 0.73, and his personal best by over 1.2 seconds. “His last 50 meters were absolutely incredible,” Phelps said. “He had a perfect finish.” After Lezak touched, Phelps, who swam the first leg, raised his arms and let out a primal scream. Garrett Weber-Gale, who swam second, came up from behind him and swallowed him in a hug. The United States was timed in 3 minutes 8.24 seconds, shattering by nearly four seconds the world record that its B team had set the previous night. France won the silver in 3:08.32. Australia, benefiting from a world-record setting lead-off swim of 47.24 from Eamon Sullivan, was third … With his surge, Lezak kept alive Phelps’s drive to break Spitz’s record and collect a million-dollar bonus from Speedo. Asked if he would demand a cut if Phelps succeeds, Lezak grinned and joked, “We’ve already talked about that.” Phelps, 23, was timed in 47.51 on the first leg, an American record, nearly half a second faster than he clocked at the United States Olympic trials but behind Sullivan’s 47.24. Only the first relay leg can qualify for records because it comes with a traditional standing start.

Wow … I wasn’t able to watch the race live on TV last night (since I was at dinner with my peeps) but I did DVR and watch it afterwards … it was close, y’all … Phelps owes Lezak a big cut of his $1 million if he ends up winning all of his gold medals ;) Again, much congrats to the US Team for this win … and good luck, Phelpsie … just 6 more gold medals to go.

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