And with this smooch to fans, Taylor and the entire Twilight family is hoping that you will rush out and see The Twilight Saga: New Moon in theaters today. Already, the movie set a new box office record for midnight showings last night taking in over $26 million already:

The Twilight Saga: New Moon has set a box-office record for midnight screenings. Summit Entertainment estimated Friday that it earned $26.3 million after opening early in the morning. That would topple the previous midnight record, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It earned $22.2 million this year. The Dark Knight from 2008 is third with $18.5 million. New Moon is the second installment of the popular Twilight series. It opened at midnight in 3,514 theaters with a per-theater average of $7,476. Paul Dergarabedian is a box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. He says the midnight start “portends an opening weekend that could be one of the biggest of the year. “

And so … Taylor and his Twilight cohorts have done everything they can to get your butts in theater seats. I know many of you have seen the film already (and are prolly planning to see it again) but are any of y’all planning on seeing New Moon this weekend? Do y’all think it will be the biggest money maker of the year?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

As you can imagine, Mimi brought along her much younger hubby Nick Cannon and made sure to give him some sugar in between performances so that the folks in their general vicinity would know that they are still so much in lurve. After the jump, check out a couple photos of Mr. & Mrs. Cannon lovin’ all up on one another and watch video of Mimi performing her new singles Obsessed, I Want to Know What Love Is, H.A.T.E.U. and her classic track Make It Happen …

Try as I might, I still can’t get used to seeing these two as a married couple. The recycled 90’s look I can get used to, this marriage … well, I’m still workin’ on it. But I love me some Mimi so … let’s move on. Here is video of Mimi performing Obsessed:

And here are a few screencaps from Becks’s appearance with Matt Lauer on the Today Show just a couple of hours ago:

In his interview, Becks revealed that altho he spent over 6 months away from his family while he was playing with AC Milan in Italy, he did make time to iChat with his family often and had the fam visit him at 8 week intervals (for a week visit at a time). He also talked a bit about comments made by his Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan which were published in a new book called The Beckham Experiment that was written by author Grant Wahl … in the book, Donovan publicly questioned Becks’s commitment to his US soccer team and even called him “stingy”. In response, Becks called his teammates comments “unfortunate” and “unprofessional” but did reveal that the men have spoken and have “moved on” from the controversy (tho some people aren’t convinced that the guys have kissed and made up). He then made clear that he does want to be in the US saying, “Without a doubt, I want to be here … I want to be successful in the US.” The interview then moved on to discuss his latest set of Armani Underwear ads with wife Victoria Beckham and Becks revealed that he got a new tattoo in honor of his 10 year anniversary to Vicky B. (he got a band of 10 roses around his arm). After the jump, check out video of David Beckham’s interview on the Today Show in full …

After surviving in the jungle (and Four Seasons) in Costa Rica, Speidi flew to New York to talk to Al Roker on the “Today Show” — and now they say Al went on the offense! During their interview, Roker asked the “Hills” duo about their stint on “I’m a Celebrity,” and at one point told Spencer that people think he’s a jerk, and quizzed Heidi hardball style. “The guy was a bully — nobody has ever verbally berated my wife like that,” Spencer tells “Extra.” “He got very aggressive with me,” Heidi chimed in. Mrs. Pratt tells “Extra” that she was literally driven to tears by Al’s questioning about the drama on “Celebrity,” saying, “I felt like I was being persecuted.” Heidi adds, “Women should know… he’s not just gonna be, you know, normal and courteous to you.” Spencer admits that he was so upset that he almost threw a punch! “I was like, ‘this guy’s about to get hit.’ My heart was just pounding, ‘be good Spencer, don’t hit him in the face.’” After the interview, Roker wrote on his Twitter, “Heidi and Spencer are an interesting couple. famous for… being infamous. Bad and vacuous behavior. I think we’re at minute 11 of their 15.” Spencer replies, “Congratulations, you get to be talked about for a day. Must be cool.” Heidi adds, “I’m gonna pray for him ’cause I feel like the devil really got a hold of him.”

LMAO!! When Speidi have reached the level where they get into public feuds with someone like Al Roker … you know they’ve made it! But, lest you think that the dynamic duo spent all of their time talking about Roker, they did talk about other issues — like Spencer’s plan to become President of the United States of America:

“When I’m in the White House as the President of the Unite States, this beautiful amazing, county then I’ll be like, ‘Okay, I’ve done what I’ve dreamt my whole life to be.’ That was the game plan to become the most famous person on the planet, so when I’m campaigning, people will know who I am. No one knew who Obama was and now he’s the President. Just imagine what I’m capable of….I plan to be the President of the United States in the next 20 years.”

As well as plans for the couple to launch their own record label:

“Ready for this. Exclusive. Heidi and Spencer are about to sign….our own distribution deal for each of our records through Warner Music Group. Heidi and Spencer. Speidi have their own record label now with distribution through Warner Music, so we’re both going to put out albums…”

Lord have mercy, heaven help us all. I think I’m more interested in going back to that Al Roker interview. In case you missed it (or just want to see it again), you can see the full Speidi interview on The Today Show to see what all the hub-bub is about …

Today’s performance was the first that the band has done publicly in 5 years! I believe the band will next be seen on the May 11th ep of Gossip Girl where they will portray the fictional 80’s band Snowed Out (say the name outloud to get the joke) … then the band will embark on their much anticipated “reunion” tour this Summer. But for now, let’s just enjoy their performances of the three songs they performed this morning. After the jump, check them out in full …

The Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets last week told TODAY’s Ann Curry in an exclusive interview that growing up as an only child, she had always dreamed of having “a huge family.” She also denied charges that she was irresponsible to have so many babies — especially with six other children already at home. “People feel, you know, this woman is being completely irresponsible and selfish to bring these children in the world without a clear source of income and enough help to raise them,” Curry told Nadya Suleman in a segment that aired Friday on TODAY. “The world outside is saying, ‘What are you doing?’ ” “I know I’ll be able to afford them when I’m done with my schooling,” the 33-year-old single mom replied. Calm, poised and articulate in the glare of the media spotlight, Suleman added: “If I was just sitting down watching TV and not being as determined as I am to succeed and provide a better future for my children, I believe that would be considered, to a certain degree, selfish.” Suleman, who said she holds each premature infant 45 minutes each day, said she was hoping to have one more child after having six previous children, all of whom are under the age of 7. She said she had six embryos implanted, two of which resulted in twins. Curry reported that although Suleman has received disability payments from the state of California, she said she refuses to accept welfare payments. Suleman and her children live with her mother, Angela Suleman. “All I wanted was children. I wanted to be a mom. That’s all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children,” she told Curry. Curry said that Suleman said she intends to return to college in the fall to complete a master’s degree in counseling. Suleman had worked in a state mental hospital from 1997-2006, but spent much of the time after 1999 on disability after injuring her back in a riot at the facility. Suleman said she is a good mother. “I’m providing myself to my children. I’m loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally,” she told Curry. “Everything I do, I’ll stop my life for them and be present with them. And hold them. And be with them. And how many parents do that? I’m sure there are many that do, but many don’t. And that’s unfortunate. That is selfish.” Suleman said she was fully aware of the risks of carrying eight fetuses. “Those are my children, and that’s what was available,” she said. “It’s a gamble.” … Suleman said she went to the same in vitro fertilization clinic to have all 14 of her children. All were conceived with donated sperm from the same father, Suleman said. Suleman told Curry that the father is a bit overwhelmed right now, but she is hoping that he will want to get to know his children when he is ready. “How did an only child end up with 14 children?” Curry asked Nadya Suleman. “That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family, and I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up,” she replied … The divorced single mom told Curry she tried to get pregnant for years before finally succeeding. “I went through about seven years of trying, through artificial insemination, through medication. And all of which was unsuccessful. And then the first IVF procedure from that facility — it was successful. And then I just kept going in.” While it hasn’t been revealed which doctor implanted eight embryos at once into Suleman, the octuplets’ birth has sparked an ethical debate in the medical community … The entire exclusive interview will air along with exclusive video of the babies on TODAY Monday, Feb. 9, and on Dateline at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Wow! I don’t even know what to think about all of this. Judging from her comments alone, it seems like this woman has quite a few issues that she is trying to deal with by giving birth to all of these babies. Her intense desire to have a large family isn’t odd, in and of itself, but her need to have them all at a very young age (under the age of 7) and all by herself — and she still plans to go to college — is very odd. On the other hand, I’m not sure that anyone else has a right to dictate how she lives her life and how many children she should be allowed to give birth to. Trust me, I understand the ethics involved … well, maybe not fully (because there are so many) but I’m not sure that I like the idea of US citizens being dictated rules of procreation. It’s all so complicated and … messy. I just don’t really know what to think. After the jump, check out video of Suelman’s appearance on The Today Show and hear the woman speak in her own words …

Nearly a year after a breakdown, Britney Spears says she feels as if she has matured. To be exact, “I feel like an old person now,” she says in Rolling Stone’s next issue, out Friday. “I do! I go to bed at, like, 9:30 every night, and I don’t go out or anything.” Spears turns 27 on Dec. 2, the same day her album, Circus, hits stores. “This is going to be the album that cements her legend status,” says her manager, Larry Rudolph. Indeed, the pop star has come a long way from her two trips to hospital psychiatric wards this year, the magazine says. After the last trip, in early February, her father, Jamie, filed for legal conservatorship so that he and attorney Andrew Wallet would oversee her finances and personal affairs. Interviewing the star is a “rigorously micromanaged process,” according to Rolling Stone. “We were never left alone together, and my questions had to be submitted ahead of time for approval,” reporter Jenny Eliscu writes. Rudolph says, “Her job is to be Britney Spears, and unfortunately, that job bleeds into her personal life and creates this odd situation where she needs to have security people around her all the time.” That goes for dates, too. Recently, Spears was accompanied by her assistant, Brett, and Rudolph’s colleague, Adam Leber. “Right when we got there, we just knew it was just bad,” Spears says. “He looked like an older version of Harry Potter, but skinnier. … So I had to get dessert first. And the other date I had, the guy was really, really tall and a lot older. … We’re trying to ask him questions, like, ‘OK, you’re into martial arts, so what kind of martial arts are you into?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, all kinds.’ … But you know how silly we are, so we were just cracking up.” She turns serious on the topic of her children. Despite losing custody of her sons, Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2, to her ex-husband Kevin Federline, Spears has been able to see them more often, thanks in part to the conservatorship. “Every time they come to visit me, I think about how they’re such special people,” she says. She is critical of her ex and says the children “are starting to learn words like ’stupid,’ and Preston says the f-word now sometimes. He doesn’t get it from us. He must get it from his daddy. I say it, but not around my kids.”

Altho the interviewer was closely monitored while talking with Britney, it sounds like this article will offer much info that might not be included in her new documentary Britney Spears: For The Record (debuting on MTV this Sunday night). It feels like Brit Brit is airing all of her dirty laundry in an effort to show the world that she is serious about making a comeback by offering us (almost) full disclosure. It’s a bold step, it absolutely sounds like an idea that svengali manager Larry Rudolph came up with. The man is a genius, he made her a star in the first place, he can make her a star again.

This morning, The Today Show interviewed this RS interviewer about this issue of Rolling Stone and offered a preview of the magazine photoshoot as well. Here are a few screencaps of Britney’s Rolling Stone photoshoot:

After the jump, check out all of the photos that will be included in this new issue of Rolling Stone magazine and watch the Today Show feature in full …

The photos are pretty amazing, she looks great. I love the mask one … it’s so apropos, I think. Here is the full Today Show video feature:

Angelina Jolie said just one word: “Yeah.” It was delivered in a soft tone, adorned with a small smile and a wistful look as if she were already considering the joys of adding yet another child to her brood. There are six children now in the household she shares with partner Brad Pitt, and, Jolie told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Thursday in New York, the question isn’t whether they will adopt another child, but when that will happen. Born July 12, Jolie’s twins, Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline, are just three months old. “You can’t even start the process until any new children are at least six months old,” Jolie said, explaining that adoption agencies want to see how new children are fitting into a household. So the question, she said, is, “When is the right time to bring another child in?” According to the tabloids, the Pitt-Jolie partnership has been strained by the addition of the twins to four other children ranging in age from 2 to 7. If that is true, Jolie gave no sign of it. Lauer did not address the reports directly. Instead, he told Jolie of something she said in 2005, before she settled down with Pitt: “I’m better alone.” But Jolie doesn’t believe that anymore. “I met the right person,” she said, referring to Pitt. She started to add something, but caught herself, saying, “I’m not going to say anything that’s going to embarrass me. I don’t like being without him. I don’t love being alone like I used to be.” With six kids, that’s not a problem. Jolie all but melts when she talks about them. The twins, she said, are doing great, and the other children have welcomed them into the family. “We have so many children that they’re not really stunned anymore when kids come home,” she said. Her oldest, Maddox, 7, “is like the professional big brother. He’s done it so many times.”

Welp, it looks like big brother Maddox is gonna hafta prepare himself to welcome a new brother or sister very soon. Not that I have anything against all the adopting that Brangelina have done but it really must be a bit weird for the kids to have their family situation changed so dramatically whenever a new child shows up. At least when the fictional Brady Bunch characters had to deal with a bunch of new siblings they only had to deal with one major change all at once … and week after week we saw the fallout and hijinks that came from their situation. Now, of course real life is different from fictional TV situation comedies but my point is that the kids have to have some problems when their home life is constantly changing. Kids have problems when their home life never changes so … I dunno. I don’t know how I, as a kid, would’ve handled getting a new sibling (or two) almost ever year. In any event, it’s clear that these kids have heaped on them an immeasurable amount of love and devotion from both of their parents. In the end, I guess that’s all that matters. So now the question becomes when and from whence will come the newest member(s) of the Brangelina brood? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Lynne Spears, whose daughters Britney and Jamie Lynn found both fame and infamy in a dizzyingly short amount of time, said her new book is an attempt to set the record straight. “I think there was the tabloid version of our lives,” she told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira in an exclusive interview Wednesday. “I wanted people to see our family as we really are.” Spears had begun the book, “Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World,” five years ago as a collection of poems and memories. But when controversy and scandal erupted first around Britney and then around Jamie Lynn, she decided she needed to tell the story the way it really happened to real people. “I have sat for hours thinking and thinking about everything that’s happened,” Spears, 53, explained. “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been a wild ride for everybody.” Spears came to the conclusion that it was the mixture of Britney’s superstar celebrity status and the 24/7 coverage of the paparazzi, 17 of whom were assigned full-time to chronicle her every move, that spawned the “storm” in her title … The first hint of that ugly side came in 1999 when Britney, then just 17, appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine as a precocious woman-child dressed in little more than her underwear, hugging a stuffed toy and holding a telephone to her ear. The photos raised eyebrows. Spears said the family was simply overwhelmed. “The Rolling Stone interview, we were so in awe. She’s just beginning. She’s just coming on the scene. We didn’t really know what we were doing. “We were in shock at what was going on, and we were in awe. We didn’t have any choice in the pictures. We had no one that could tell us what we were supposed to be doing.” Lynne was having her own problems. She and Jamie Spears filed for bankruptcy in 1998. Jamie was an alcoholic, and the couple eventually divorced. Finally, Britney’s life started to fall apart. “It was so crazy at that time. I don’t think anybody was trying to sit and think what was going on,” Spears said of the darkest time, when Britney was committed to a hospital for psychiatric problems and Jamie Lynn was 16 and pregnant. “We were praying very hard, because it seemed like we were having no control over anything that was happening. We were trying.”

As I said, I’ve already read the first 6 chapters of the book (it’s a thin book, btw) and Lynne has already talked about her late sister Sandra, her marital problems with her then-husband Jamie Spears (ie. his drinking problem), that fatal accident where she killed a 12-year old boy and how her eldest child Bryan almost died — twice. I gotta say … the book is fascinating. I don’t expect to read any “dirt” on the Spears family in this book … in her prologue, Lynne warns off potential readers that her book will not dish on her famous daughters … but I am interested to hear Lynne’s side of the story that we think we know so well. Already she has painted a portrait of a family caught up in a whirlwind of fame — granted, it’s a whirlwind they happily and diligently pursued. I’m very interested to read her whole story.

After the jump, check out Mama Lynne’s entire interview with Meredith Vieria on The Today Show this morning and hear from the lady herself …