As y’all may recall, Prince launched a new website at www.LOTUSFLOW3R.com a couple of weeks ago after previewing some new music on the now defunct LA radio station Indie 103.1. This new site promised that fans would be able to LISTEN to new tracks by Prince and special guests, WATCH videos and exclusive content and BUY music, concert tickets and more. In the weeks since, the site has been changed a bit but the clandestine promo for Prince’s new projects has continued. A local LA reporter was invited, personally, to Prince’s home this past weekend to preview some of his new material LIVE. As a result, this reporter was able to hear firsthand what Prince’s new tunes sound like as he played them on HIS piano in HIS living room and walked away from the experience with a pretty amazing story to tell … as well as our first look at the album artwork for his new album LOTUSFLOW3R:

So, there I was, trapped in Prince’s bathroom while the sound of his band kicking into “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 pumped through the space between the door and the floor. I frantically twisted the lock and turned the knob trying to get out in time to witness the magic but the door wouldn’t budge. I checked my cell phone—no service—no chance for a 911 rescue call. What would I say anyway? “Um, yeah hi, I’m trapped in Prince’s bathroom on the bottom floor of his house and I’m going to miss him sing one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs, so could you bring a crowbar to Beverly Park?” Another minute of twisting the door handle only lead to red fingers and I pictured myself stuck in his bathroom for days surviving on gobs of cherry lip-gloss and two sticks of Juicy Fruit. I pounded my fists on the door and shouted for help but the music was too loud and I realized that no one could hear my screams. This was not a dream, this was really happening. Last Saturday night at 1am I was being held captive by Prince’s bathroom.

The amazing story goes on HERE and is a must read for Prince fans. The report confirms that www.LOTUSFLOW3R.com will be used to distribute music, concert tickets, etc. to fans when it officially goes live in March. I, for one, would die if I were ever allowed to bear witness to Prince’s genius in his own home. This new endeavor sounds brilliant … I cannot wait to see and hear what else Prince has in store for us.

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A whole slew of new promo images of Eliza Dushku in various states of dress (and undress) have made their way to the Internets ahead of the premiere of her new Joss Whedon TV series Dollhouse, which debuts on FOX a week from this Friday on the 13th. The official Dollhouse website has been updated with a gallery of promo images that have been made to look like Polaroid photos (methinks Joss is a Polaroid fan as well). Here are a few of these new promo images:

While these photos are hot and sexy there are other photos that are even hotter and sexier … and feature a lot less clothing. After the jump, check out another batch of promo photos that are a whole lot more nekkid …

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Britney Spears, who just filed suit against Adnan Ghalib and Osama Sam Lutfi (who retaliated by suing her and her parents for libel and defamation), appears to not be letting her legal woes get her down. Brit Brit was spotted here in SoCal making a quick trip to Starbucks to get her daily caffeine fix and she looked as if she didn’t have a care in the world. And look at that! Our dear Britney even managed to dig out her signature pair of Daisy Duke cut-off jeans for the outing! Here are a couple pics of Britney and her beloved Starbucks … which, apparently, she just can’t get enough of:

Months of intensive dance rehearsals and a new diet regime have finally paid off for pop star Britney Spears. But the singer clearly hasn’t given up all her bad habits as she was seen slurping on two iced coffees at the same time. Britney, who struggled to regain her form following the birth of her two children and well-documented health problems, paraded her new body in a pair of denim hotpants yesterday as she visited her local Starbucks in Hollywood. It was a rare public appearance for the 26-year-old, who has spent recent weeks holed up in an LA dance studio preparing for her highly anticipated comeback tour. Her toned and taut physique is the result of careful calorie counting and vigorous work-outs which she admits have been a struggle. But clearly even Britney realises, it can’t all be famine and no feast. She told the January issue of Glamour magazine: “I have had to work hard at getting [my body] back to where it used to be.” Britney is gearing up to kick of her 44-date Circus tour, which begins in New Orleans on March 3 and ends in London on June 14. She took to her blog this week to dispel reports the tour was in jeopardy because she couldn’t travel with her two boys. “Both Sean Preston and Jayden James will, in fact, be joining Britney throughout the duration of her tour,” read a message on BritneySpears.com. The singer’s former husband Kevin Federline currently has sole custody of her two sons. However, Britney has visiting rights and is said to be spending more time with the children. Her ex, former backing dancer Kevin Federline, 30, has primary custody of the boys, ages 3 and 2, but Spears has almost 50-50 access to them in visitation rights. “Britney is so excited to kick off her tour,” her blog says. “She has been enjoying every moment of rehearsals and is looking forward to performing in front of a live audience again.” Britney, 27, revealed on Twitter – a social messaging site – that she spent the weekend lounging by the pool checking out sketches of costumes. The singer also revealed more details about the tour, including a description of the elaborate stage pattern of a three-ring circus with multiple acts taking place at the same time. Designer Jamie King said: “It’s sexy, fun, explosive, and full of surprises. While avoiding such traditional circus elements as live animals, we’ve created something innovative and exciting using contortionists, dancers, lighting, fire and other special effects.”

Woot! I totally love that old Britney is back! Sigh … I remember those days, not so long ago, when the most scandalous thing that Britney Spears did was indulge in TWO Starbucks coffee drinks … those were the days before K-Fed, before the barefoot public bathroom trips, before the head shaving and mental breakdowns … those were the good days. And here we are again … Britney has been working really hard on her upcoming tour (which kicks off in just under a month) and I LOVE that she’s getting back into her old, harmless habits. I would happily fund her Starbucks addiction if it meant that she stayed on the straight and narrow. I really foresee great things ahead for our dear Britney. My guess is that this upcoming tour will be really good for her! I can’t wait :)

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

CSI: star William Petersen was on hand to be honored with the 2,379th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a special ceremony here in Hollywood, CA yesterday afternoon. Altho Petersen has *just* been written out of the CSI: storyline, he was the principal star of the top-rated series since it debuted on CBS back in 2000. Here are a few photos from yesterday’s WoF ceremony:

William Petersen will receive the 2,379th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, 2-1/2 weeks after his final appearance on the hit CBS series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Marg Helgenberger, Petersen’s “CSI” co-star, and William Friedkin, who directed Petersen in the 1985 film “To Live and Die in L.A.” and the 1997 television version of “12 Angry Men,” was scheduled to join Petersen in speaking in the late-morning ceremony in front of the famed Musso & Frank restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard. “Billy Petersen created, in Gil Grissom, a man of such brilliance and curiosity that it stimulated curiosity in all of us who watched him,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said in a statement. “Because Billy can say more with a look than most actors can with an entire monologue, Grissom’s humanity always shined, whether he was bringing closure to a victim’s family, sharing a meal with a bug, or an intimate moment with Sara Sidle. From the moment he picked up his crime scene kit, Billy didn’t just play Grissom, he was Grissom. And that is the magic of Billy Petersen.” Born Feb. 21, 1953, in Evanston, Ill., Petersen discovered acting while attending Idaho State University on a football scholarship. He left school in 1974 with his wife, Joanne, and followed a drama professor to Spain’s Basque Country, where he studied as a Shakespearean actor. Petersen has an extensive list of movie, television and stage credits. He appeared in the films “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Manhunter,” “Cousins,” “Young Guns II,” “Fear” and “The Contender.” His television credits include the mini-series “The Kennedys of Massachusetts” and “Return to Lonesome Dove” and the made-for-television movies “12 Angry Men” and “The Rat Pack.” Petersen made his Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Night of the Iguana.” He has appeared in regional stage productions of “A Dublin Carol,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Time of Your Life,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Fool for Love” and “Speed-the-Plow.” Petersen left “CSI” last year after 8 1/2 seasons, in part to concentrate more on the theater, although he remains one of its executive producers.

Despite Petersen’s respected theater credentials and his previous film work, he is really only known for his role as Gil Grissom on CSI:. I am a newer fan of CSI: (having only started watching in the past couple of years) but I have watched all of the seasons in full (thanks to Spike TV) and remain a fan of the show. Laurence Fishburne has been added to the cast of the show in place of Petersen and while I’m a Fishburne fan, I’m still warming up to his character on the show. BUT, I’m getting off track. Fellow CSI: castmates Marg Helgenberger, Jorja Fox (who, too, has been written off the show) and Eric Szmanda were among the guests on hand at yesterday’s ceremony to honor Petersen. Congrats are in order, I think. Since someone as singularly known as William Petersen is worthy of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, who do y’all think should be the next person to get one?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

In a new interview with Popeater, Kelly Clarkson (who is beginning the promo rounds for her new single My Life Would Suck Without You and new album All I Ever Wanted) addresses the rumors about her sexuality and goes on the record about how she feels about former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken and his coming out late last year. In this new interview, Kelly sets the record straight (literally) and claims that not only is she NOT a lesbian but she could NEVER BE a lesbian:

Get it straight: Kelly Clarkson isn’t gay. “I get that all the time,” she tells AOL’s pop culture news site, PopEater.com.. “People are like, ‘Are you secretly a lesbian? Because I’d really love it.’ “Lesbians tell it to me all the time,” she goes on. “I’m like, ‘I’m glad it works for you, and I wish I liked women like that because often times, men are very hard for me, but I happen to like boys.’” Clarkson goes on to say she “could never be a lesbian. I would never want to date [someone like] myself, ever. I’m a crazy person. I need some kind of stable, quiet man.” But she has no problem with gay people, she says. “I don’t really care if you’re black, white, yellow, gay, straight, crazy, whatever,” says the singer. “As long as you’re cool and you like the music, and you’re coming out to have a good time at the shows, I don’t really care.” As she prepares for the release of her fourth album (out March 10), she says she wants to focus on her career, not dating. She says she doesn’t think it’s weird she’s never been in love, either. “I recently got back from this European promo tour…and every interview kept focusing on that….I’m like ‘Well, maybe ya’ll just fall in love too quickly. Have you ever thought about that?’” Says Clarkson, “I was like ‘I don’t think it’s very odd. I’m 26-years old,’ and I just think I’d rather have quality than quantity.”

Not that I expect Kelly’s comments on her sexuality to quell the rumors about her but I think it’s great that she goes on the record and has her say. I, too, have heard the stories about Kelly and her rumored girlfriend … but, honestly, it really doesn’t concern me. I’m sure she’s well aware that this question is bound to come up now that she’s back on the promo scene (and will likely come up again). I can absolutely understand why lesbians would want to claim her as their own, she’s a very beautiful and talented girl. In the end, I think it’s best that we just focus on her talent and her music and leave her private sex life to herself … whatever that may be. I, for one, believe what she says … do y’all?

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The fabulous Whitney Houston made her way to SoCal earlier this week and has, apparently, settled in like an old pro. Whitney was spotted making her way out of a medical center here in the greater Los Angeles area yesterday afternoon. She must’ve been a very good girl because the doctor gave her a lollipop on her way out:

It seems curious to me that one of the first things that Whitney Houston would do after traveling cross country from her home in Atlanta, GA is go to a medical center. Tho, if she is planning a permanent move to SoCal, it makes sense that she might get affairs like this in order as soon as she can. I doubt that she is sick or anything like that … but it still seems a bit weird. Whatever is going on, I am very pleased to know that Whit is here. I am really hoping that she’s in town (permanently) to resume work on her new album. Perhaps her visit yesterday had to do with her vocal cords, making sure they’re in tip top condition. It is really great to see Whitney Houston again … she looks fab and I can’t wait to see more.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Earlier this week we saw photos of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in Brazil and we got an eyeful of Tom’s bulging muscles that couldn’t help but show thru his very tight, very thin sheer shirt. Yesterday we saw photos of Katie and daughter Suri Holmes-Cruise enjoying an afternoon away from Tom’s watchful eye (but, alas, the ladies weren’t able to make a successful getaway). Today, the best photos yet … Tom Cruise — shirtless by the pool, behold:

And by “best”, I mean “UGH!” I had a feeling that Tom’s penchant for the sheer shirt might lead to something along these lines. Surely, one cannot fault him for disrobing in order to enjoy the lovely Brazilian sun (or for sucking in his gut cuz he knows he is being photographed) but … the mere thought of Tom Cruise in any state of undress is … unsettling … which is why I’m making all y’all endure my unsettlement along with me ;) Tho, I must confess, there was once a time when the sight of a mostly nekkid Tom Cruise wasn’t a scary thing … quite the contrary. At any rate, I understand that TomKat have already left the country and, presumably, are fully dressed once again. And for that, we give thanks.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]