Congratulations, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. The fiercely private couple is still playing coy about whether or not they’re dating. But, take it from us, they are in fact engaged. Rumors that they might be betrothed have been floating around since April. Not true then. True now. “They’re telling friends they will get married,” says a pal, who heard the news directly from one of them. A wedding is bound to comfort Cruz’s Catholic parents, considering stubborn rumors that she’s pregnant. But she continues to deny she’s with child – even to friends. Despite a photo showing the smiling pair leaving an OB/GYN clinic in Madrid last month, they’ve been telling friends to hold off on the baby gifts. “They say the pregnancy stories aren’t true,” says another skeptical friend. Publicists for the stars declined to comment … While many reports have time-stamped Cruz and Bardem’s romance as starting in 2007, few know they first fell for each other in 1992 while making “Jamon, Jamon,” where their fiery sex scenes were improved by some real-life rehearsals. Cruz broke it off with Bardem after the film, but they teamed again for 1997’s “Live Flesh.” By the time Woody Allen cast them in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” both were older, wiser and international superstars. They fell in love all over again. Cruz’s convincing performance as Bardem’s virago ex earned her an Oscar. (He came home with one, too, for “No Country for Old Men.”) Some reports claimed they’d broken up last year, alleging she was mad at him for breaking a promise to take a year off from work. “Penelope is really angry because she turned down a few really good roles because she was so committed to their sabbatical,” one source was quoted as saying. Her brother Eduardo contended Cruz was also disappointed that Bardem wouldn’t go along with her plan to adopt a baby from India. Despite those reports, the two have remained inseparable, doing a very bad job of pretending to be friends. From the sound of things, they’re finally ready to give up their ruse.

Honestly, I’d hold off any rushing out to get any wedding gifts for these two … considering how fiercely private they have been about their dating life, I’m not sure I believe the couple’s so-called “friends” who insist the couple are engaged. That being said, I really do love these two together … they make a beautiful couple and I would love nothing more than for them to get hitched and start makin’ beautiful Spanish babies ;) Even if the couple are engaged, don’t count on hearing any confirmation at all … I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see if a wedding comes to fruition. Engagements can last years so … don’t hold y’all’s breath just yet.

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Madonna is preparing to marry her toyboy lover Jesus Luz, according to reports. The 51-year-old singer is lining up to defy critics of her nine-month relationship with the young Brazilian model and make him the next Mr Madonna before the end of the year. The extraordinary claim came from a biographer of Madonna’s, Randy Taraborrelli, writing in Hello! magazine today. Taraborrelli tells how Madonna speaks openly about her love for Luz, who is 22. She reportedly said of Luz: ‘He’s so sweet. He checks in with me all the time. I probably should do the same, but you know me. I think he gets it now that I’m a little – shall we say –self-involved.’ Taraborrelli writes: ‘The pop queen has been dating Jesus since January and it is thought the pair may marry before the end of the year. Madonna is crazy about Jesus and has been telling close friends and family that “I could definitely see myself marrying him. Yes, it’s definitely on the table”.’ Taraborrelli adds: ‘The pop star is said to want yet another lavish ceremony. “She knows that’s what Jesus wants,” said one of her relatives. “She has a lot of wonderful memories of both of her weddings. She doesn’t want to slip off and do it quietly. She definitely wants a big and rather fantastic affair”.’ Taraborrelli also quotes a friend who says: ‘He respects her, that’s number one. He has learned so much from her. He’s amazed at how well-rounded she is, the way she juggles her career with her life as a mother, for instance. He understands that she’s self-involved, too.’ The friend adds: ‘Of course, the sex between them is scorching hot. To be candid, it’s what’s driving things.’ The pair started dating after kissing for a magazine photoshoot in Rio de Janeiro [last year]. Madonna’s two previous marriages – to actor Sean Penn and director Guy Ritchie – both ended in acrimonious divorces.

Again, I find this contention that Madonna & Child are planning to wed dubious at best. After all, back in May Maddy denied that she and Jesus were in any official relationship … I cannot believe that she would be so stupid as to get married one year after getting divorced. But, again as I mentioned above, anything is possible. I guess we should be watching Jesus’s new My Space profile for news should the couple run off and get hitched! What do ya’ll think … will they marry or is Randy Taraborrelli a needy moron hungry for attention?

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I mean … I’m happy for Anna and Stephen and all but … I can’t say I’m too impressed with this ring. It looks like a mood ring that someone would buy at a museum gift shop for about $1.50. Unless this cloudy stone is some sort of expensive moon rock, I can’t say that I believe that Mr. Moyer spent much of his hard earned True Blood money on Anna’s ring. BUT, it’s not the rock that’s important … it’s the sentiment and lurve behind the rock that matters. Again … much love and congrats goes out to the happy couple on their upcoming nuptials. Here’s hoping Anna’s actual wedding ring is a bit more substantive ;)

[Photo credit: Splash News]

HMMM … well, at least that’s a nice ring. And as they say, where there’s a ring, there’s a guy with really great taste in jewelry … which still makes the whole Bilson engaged to Christensen thing still seem a bit weird. I gotta say … I never really saw Hayden Christensen as a ladies man … but, well, I guess he is. Seeing this ring on Rachel’s finger just drives home the fact further that she and Adam Brody will prolly never get back together again :( Ah well … she looks happy. A rock that big would make anyone happy, right?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

I mean, what better way to celebrate ones upcoming nuptials than with a pizza party! I mean … it’s not like they chose to celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese or anything … it was, like, a serious grown-up place and everything. I understand that Danielle and the JoBros partied with 30 of their closest friends. Sounds like fun, don’t it?

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

Kevin Jonas surprised his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa by showing up at her doorstep in New Jersey early Wednesday morning and dropping down to his knee to ask her to marry him. Presented with a cushion-cut diamond ring that Jonas designed with Jacob & Co., Deleasa couldn’t believe what was happening. Then, “She said yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row,” the oldest of the Jonas Brothers tells PEOPLE exclusively. Jonas, 21, and Deleasa, 22, who met in May of 2007 while vacationing with their families in the Bahamas, haven’t set a wedding date yet. “It still feels like a dream,” she tells PEOPLE.

I, uh, suppose congrats are in order for the happy couple. It seems almost Biblical that folks this young would choose to get married but the Jonas Bros. are kind of a religious bunch. Head over the People.com HERE to read the rest of this amazing tale … including how the couple met and fell in love. This is … good news, yes?

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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! In the June 29 issue of Star, we exclusively report that after two failed marriages — one that last only 55 hours! — Britney Spears is preparing to walk down the aisle again, this time with her agent turned lover, Jason Trawick. After more than three years of casual hookups, Brit and Jason took their relationship to the next level while they were on vacation in the Bahamas last month. That’s when Brit and Jason shared a special night together during which Jason popped the question! “He didn’t exactly get down on one knee, but Brit didn’t care. She said yes, and they opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate,” says an insider. “Jason held Britney for a long time and kissed her cheeks. They talked about their future for hours and didn’t go to sleep until after 3 a.m.! They just wanted to be alone together.” Britney is already thinking about a December wedding — after her Circus world tour wraps this fall — and wants her big day to far outclass her previous ceremonies. For her first nuptials, to childhood friend Jason Alexander, her outfit consisted of a baseball cap and cutoffs! And she feels her wedding to Kevin Federline was a”trashy” affair. “When she marries Jason, she wants it to be like a fairy tale,” says a friend.

Well … before we break out the bubbly and start offering our congrats, there is more to this story. US Weekly contends that according to a “source” of their own, the Star report of Britwick’s upcoming nuptials are completely untrue:

Britney Spears is not engaged to her longtime agent Jason Trawick, a source close to the singer tells Usmagazine.com. “This is absolutely not true,” the source tells Us. “Britney is not engaged” … Her rep could not be reached for comment.

Not that I put much stock in either report but … my gut tells me that our dear Britney prolly is not engaged. Until we hear an announcement from her directly, I’m gonna hold off on buying my wedding gifts for the couple. That being said, I would love it if Britney got married to Jason Trawick … I think they would make an absolutely adorable little family. What do y’all think … engaged or not?

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Now that Lauren Conrad is off “The Hills,” Star reports, her boyfriend, Kyle Howard, has proposed, and “Lauren barely let him get the words out before she said yes.” Not least because she wanted to get engaged at the very moment that Heidi Montag was vomiting in the Costa Rican jungle.

Aww … while this is a sweet story, I have huge doubts that there is any validity to it at all. LC strikes me as a very level-headed person and the notion that she would get married at this point in her life seems unlikely to me. And, let’s be real here … Star magazine is not really a bastion of reliable news reporting. Even still … I can only imagine what kind of lavish wedding that LC would have if she really were to get hitched. I’m fairly certain it would be the kind of wedding that would blow the Speidi ceremony out of the water. And I’d bet hard cash that LC would not be inviting the Pratts to her nuptials. But … alas … I fear this rumor is merely just that … a rumor. Let’s hold off on the wedding gifts for now.

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While rallying for gay rights in New York this weekend, Cynthia Nixon announced her engagement to girlfriend Christine Marinoni, the Sex and the City star’s rep confirms to E! News. The couple has been together since late 2003, shortly after Nixon split from her longtime companion Danny Mozes. The exes share custody of their two children, Samantha, 14, and Charles, 7. Nixon shared the news with audiences during the Love, Peace and Marriage Equality rally in New York City.

The actress and Marinoni became engaged last month and are currently working to support the new gay-rights bill proposed by New York Gov. David Paterson. The goal is to achieve equality for same-sex unions. Access Hollywood first reported the engagement. Nixon and the rest of the Sex and the City gang are set to start filming the movie’s sequel this summer.

This is very happy news. I’m thrilled for Cynthia and Christine. The couple have been together for so long and have previously announced that they didn’t want to get “pretend married”. Now that there are 5 States in the US that have legalized same-sex marriage, with New Hampshire on the verge and NY working towards the same, I guess the time was finally right for the couple to start making plans for their nuptials. Much love and congrats to their entire family! I can’t wait until they’re finally able to get ‘er done.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Trent was asked about the possibility of releasing any unreleased music and he revealed that there isn’t an archive of unreleased NIN tracks for him to release. He mentioned that if an artist does have a library of unreleased tracks like that then they should release them … he then suggested that Prince release some of his unreleased music because, according to TR, his last few albums “have sucked”. Reznor then laughed off his comment and said, “I may be happy and engaged but I can still be a prick.” This is the first public acknowledgment that Trent has made about his engagement to West Indian Girl singer Mariqueen Maandig. As a very private person, I know it’s a big deal for TR to talk about his private life like this … my guess is that he mentioned it before the question could be asked of him. I was lucky enough to meet the beautiful Mariqeen at the Star Trek premiere here in Hollywood, CA last week when Trent introduced her to me:

Believe me, nothing would’ve pleased me more than to share their good news with the world but it was not my place to make any announcement. It was only after Mariqueen herself made the announcement online that I offered my public congratulations :)

Trent clarified that “Nine Inch Nails is not done” and that the hiatus to come after this year’s NIN/JA 2009 Tour is just so that he can be “stationary” for a while. He wants to ensure that NIN is a “precious thing” and putting it aside for a while will keep it from getting beat down to death with endless touring. He revealed that he doesn’t want to become a “parody” of himself and that he needs “to take a breath and reconnect” with himself. He then talks a bit about the style of the NIN/JA Tour setlist-wise and promises that there will be a few surprises (including cover songs). The entire interview is long and really interesting to watch, mainly because of TR’s very thoughtful answers. It can be downloaded HERE and I will post a streaming embed of it when it becomes available. The NIN/JA 2009 Tour starts this Friday night in Florida … who’s going?

UPDATE: After the jump, watch the video interview in full …