Nicole Kidman en-us Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:13:25 -0500 Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:13:25 -0500 The latest news on Nicole Kidman from Business Insider Business Insider This Cannes Photo Shows Why Nicole Kidman Is Such A Star Thu, 15 May 2014 11:50:00 -0400 Aly Weisman <p><span>Getty Images has partnered with Business Insider during the star-studded&nbsp;<a href="" target="_blank">Cannes Film Festival</a> to present a &ldquo;Photo of the Day&rdquo; series throughout the 10-day festival.</span></p> <p><span>Getty photographer&nbsp;Pascal le Segretain &mdash;&nbsp;one of the company&rsquo;s longest serving entertainment photographers who is shooting the festival for the 14<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;time this year&nbsp;&mdash; chose Nicole Kidman on the "Grace of Monaco" premiere red carpet as his favorite photo of the day Wednesday, despite the film getting <a href="" target="_blank">slammed by critics</a>.</span></p> <p><span><span>Pascal explains how he snapped the below image and why it's his favorite:</span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>&ldquo;Nicole Kidman was the embodiment of grace today in Cannes.&nbsp;Simple eye contact twinned with a natural elegance during the photocall made the picture authentic, giving an insight to what made Nicole Kidman the star she is.&nbsp;This moment of connection between Actress and Photographer creates a feeling of intimacy within the image.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><img src=" shot 2014-05-15 at 10.34.24 am.png" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman Cannes photo of the day" /></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="" >25 Photos That Show What It Would Be Like If 'Godzilla' Tore Through The US Today</a></strong></p> <p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Nicole Kidman Is Barely Recognizable In This Heavily Photoshopped Jimmy Choo Ad Wed, 02 Apr 2014 17:46:50 -0400 Aaron Taube <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman" /></p><p>Jimmy Choo's latest print ad featuring Nicole Kidman bears the actress' name in the bottom left-hand corner. That's a good thing, because people might otherwise have trouble realizing it's her.</p> <p>For its pre-fall 2014 campaign, the shoe designer has made the 46-year-old leading lady so pale and thin that she actually looks unhealthy. That's to say nothing of the bizarre, unnatural-looking nose Jimmy Choo Photoshopped onto her.</p> <p>Here's a photo of Kidman taken March 25 at a screening of her new movie, "The Railway Man":</p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman at The Railway Man screening" width="800" /></p> <p>And here's the Jimmy Choo ad:<img src=" kidman-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman" /></p> <p>The campaign is Kidman's second for Jimmy Choo and marks a sharp departure from <a href="">the first shoot</a>, which played up, rather than bleached, her red hair.</p> <p>The new campaign also includes <a href="">an artsy video of Kidman</a>, dressed in the same outfit as the print ad, going out to meet a guy riding a motorcycle in a mountainous desert.</p> <p><iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//"></iframe></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="" >Dior Photoshops Jennifer Lawrence So Badly, She's Almost Unrecognizable</a></strong></p> <p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> 23 Successful Actors Who Dropped Out Of High School Sat, 04 Jan 2014 11:38:00 -0500 Jennifer Michalski and Keertana Sastry <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="Mark Wahlberg" width="480" /></p><p>Sure Mark Wahlberg is a successful actor, having starred in big-time hits like "<a href="" target="_blank">The Departed</a>" and "<a href="" target="_blank">The Fighter</a>," but the Boston-bred star didn't earn his high school diploma until just this year.</p> <p>Back in September, Wahlberg&nbsp;<a href="" target="_blank">penned a column</a>&nbsp;for the Huffington Post, explaining his motivations for finishing his degree.</p> <p>"For almost a year, I've been taking classes and studying any chance I could get - on the set, traveling for work and at home," he wrote. "It has been both humbling and challenging, but I'm happy to report that I am officially a high school graduate, having received my diploma this summer."</p> <p>And Wahlberg isn't the only big name who didn't graduate.&nbsp;</p> <p>In fact, Walt Disney himself didn't finish high school, even <a href="%20" target="_blank">writing a letter</a> to his school principal saying how "disgusted" he was with his education there.</p> <p>There are many more actors just like Wahlberg and Disney &mdash; stars who left high school and found huge success in Hollywood.</p><h3>Jim Carrey dropped out of school to help support his family.</h3> <img src="" alt="" /> <p><p>He may be one of Hollywood's most famous comedians, with big-name hits like&nbsp;"<a href="" target="_blank">Liar Liar</a>" and "<a href="" target="_blank">The Truman Show</a>" on his r&eacute;sum&eacute;, but Carrey's life wasn't always such smooth sailing.</p> <p>Growing up in poverty in Ontario, Canada, Carrey and his siblings <a href="" target="_blank">worked as janitors</a> at a local factory. When Carrey's mother fell ill, the aspiring actor dropped out of school to help care for her.</p> <p>Though his family ended up taking residence in a VW bus for awhile, things picked up and the family relocated to Toronto, where Carrey began performing on the local comedy circuit.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the age of 18, Carrey found his first credit with TV series, "<a href="" target="_blank">The All-Night Show</a>."</p></p> <br/><br/><h3>Charlie Sheen earned his high school degree this year.</h3> <img src="" alt="" /> <p><p>Sheen attended Santa Monica High School (alongside buddies Sean Penn and Rob Lowe), but his poor grades and attendance got him&nbsp;<a href="" target="_blank">expelled</a>&nbsp;just a few weeks before graduation.</p> <p>But the now successful "<a href="" target="_blank">Two and a Half Men</a>" actor made sure to earn his degree &mdash; just this year, actually.</p> <p>Instead of taking classes to finish up his remaining few credits, the now 48-year-old&nbsp;<a href="" target="_blank">Sheen</a>&nbsp;<a href="">told TMZ</a>&nbsp;he got his credits because of charity work he did for the school.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sheen said he bothered to do it because he wanted to beat "a lifelong habit of never finishing things."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p></p> <br/><br/><h3>Christina Applegate dropped out of high school and found success on "Married ... with Children."</h3> <img src="" alt="" /> <p><p>Hollywood runs in Applegate's veins &mdash; her mother was an actress and her father was a record producer, so it isn't a big surprise that the "<a href="" target="_blank">Anchorman</a>" star decided to pursue acting at a young age, too.</p> <p>Having appeared in several movies while still at an elementary-school age, Applegate briefly attended Excelsior High School in Hollywood, <a href="" target="_blank">dropping out</a> during her junior year.</p> <p>Applegate was 15 years old when she landed a huge role as Kelly Bundy on "<a href="" target="_blank">Married ... with Children</a>."</p></p> <br/><br/><a href="">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> Here's The Gorgeous Dress Anne Hathaway Almost Wore To The Oscars Thu, 23 May 2013 17:35:00 -0400 Kirsten Acuna <p class="p1">We finally get to see the Valentino gown Anne Hathaway <a href="" target="_blank">snubbed last minute at the Oscars</a> earlier this year.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Hathaway ditched the dress after hearing&nbsp;her "Les Mis" co-star Amanda Seyfried was <a href="" target="_blank">wearing something similar to the awards show</a>.</span></p> <p class="p1">But Nicole Kidman benefited from Hathaway's dress diss, and just wore it at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of "Nebraska."<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><strong>First, here's the&nbsp;pale pink Prada dress&nbsp;Hathaway wore to the Oscars:</strong></p> <p><span><img src="" border="0" alt="anne hathaway oscars 2013" width="620" /><br /></span></p> <p><strong>A lot of people said it looked like an apron because of the tie in the back:</strong></p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="Anne Hathaway Oscars 2013" width="620" /></p> <p><strong>And here's the one she turned down, worn by Kidman:</strong></p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="nicole kidman cannes dress" width="620" /></p> <p><strong>Here it is from the back:</strong><img src="" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman Cannes dress " width="620" /></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="" >A deleted scene from "Star Trek Into Darkness" ></a></strong></p> <p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Here's That Awkward New Nicole Kidman Ad For Vitamins Mon, 06 May 2013 17:07:00 -0400 Judith Grey <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman swisse wellness " width="400" height="300" /></p><p>Australia&rsquo;s top multivitamin brand, Swisse Wellness, has launched a new campaign featuring Australian-born actress Nicole Kidman.</p> <p>The 45 year-old actress &ndash; wearing a white diaphanous, full-length sundress &ndash; is seen giggling on a swing, arching her back towards the sun and running slow-motion through an open field on the historic Terra House Estate, a bucolic property located on Australia&rsquo;s New South Wales coast.</p> <p>The relatively low-budget commercial was created by Noisy Beast, a boutique ad agency based in Melbourne.</p> <p>The creative director on the campaign, Stewart Byfield, <a href="">believes it is Kidman</a> &ldquo;as she&rsquo;s never been seen before &ndash; natural, down to earth, taking time out to care for her mind, body and wellbeing.&rdquo;</p> <p>And that's what makes the spot so weird. Generally speaking, businesses recruit celebrities when they embody the qualities that their brands are trying to project. Kidman is a sometimes brilliant actress known for her failed Scientology marriage to Tom Cruise, her <a href="">experimentation with Botox</a>, and for formerly being the face of Chanel No.5. She also maintains a frosty demeanor on-set, <a href="">according to Yahoo</a>.</p> <p>Swisse Wellness, by contrast, is a company "<a href="">created out of a passion for wellbeing and natural medicine</a>". It's an awkward fit and the ad feels like it's trying too hard.</p> <p>The campaign was launched in Australia in April and is set to premier in the U.S. this month on the The Ellen De Generes Show.</p> <p><iframe width="600" height="315" frameborder="0" src=""></iframe></p> <p>Oddly, Swisse Wellness has yet to update its <a class="hidden_link" href="">YouTube</a> channel with hi-def versions of the ads.</p> <p><iframe width="600" height="315" frameborder="0" src=""></iframe></p><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> 13 Beautiful But Creepy Cinemagraph GIFs From The Nicole Kidman Movie 'Stoker' Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:24:00 -0500 Jim Edwards <p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><img style="float:right;" src=" shot 2013-01-17 at 5.05.02 pm.png" border="0" alt="Nicole Kidman" width="380" height="217" />Last year, we told you how cinemagraphs &mdash; GIFs in which only a small part of a still photo is animated, creating an eerie effect &mdash; would become the hot new creative vehicle for advertisers.</span></p> <p>In March, the new Nicole Kidman psychological thriller "Stoker" will launch, and a huge chunk of its marketing revolves around creepy shareable cinemagraphs and GIFs. <a href="">Mashable notes</a> that there's already a trailer out on <a class="hidden_link" href="">YouTube</a> that consists entirely of GIF imagery.</p> <p>The <a href="">Stoker web site itself</a>, though, is more devoted to cinemagraphs.</p> <p>Here's a selection of them: Give them a few seconds to load on each page.</p><h3>The movie's marketing concept is "Letters to India," the name of the central character.</h3> <p><p><img src="" border="0" alt="Stoker letterdrop_600" /></p></p> <br/><br/><h3>This is India.</h3> <p><p><img src="" border="0" alt="Stoker closeuphair_600" /></p></p> <br/><br/><h3>At the beginning of the movie, India's father dies.</h3> <p><p><img src="" border="0" alt="Stoker momfan_600" /></p></p> <br/><br/><a href="">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> 'I Catered Tom Cruise's Wedding And Didn't Get Paid' Thu, 13 Sep 2012 08:03:00 -0400 Jim Edwards <p><strong><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="Sinar Parman" width="368" height="276" />Sinar Parman joined the Church of <a href="" class="hidden_link">Scientology</a> in 1978 and worked as a personal chef to founder L. Ron Hubbard, his successor David Miscavige, and &mdash; on the days he visited Scientology's HQ &mdash;&nbsp;Tom Cruise.</strong></p> <p><strong>Parman says he became so close to Miscavige and Cruise that he was selected to cater Cruise's wedding reception. Parman claims he wasn't paid a fee for the meal and was stiffed on his expenses, he tells <a href="" class="hidden_link">Business Insider</a>.</strong></p> <p><strong>The incident was "one of the last straws" for Parman, who says he then quit the church and fled its California compound with his wife.</strong></p> <p><strong>His escape from the religion didn't last long &mdash; he claims the church's security personnel chased him down and persuaded him to re-enter life inside the secretive church. He remained inside Scientology for 20 more years before becoming disillusioned enough to leave permanently.</strong></p> <p><strong>Here's Parman's story, told in his own words, which we've edited lightly for brevity and clarity.</strong></p> <p><strong><strong><em>Note: We left two messages requesting comment from the Church of Scientology, but have yet to hear back.</em> </strong></strong></p> <p>I was born in Indonesia but I left there when I was 7 and when to school in the U.S. I went to high school in Los Angeles and then UCLA. I did a chef apprenticeship in Los Angeles because I didn't know what I wanted to do, but everybody needs to eat!</p> <p>At the same time I got into Scientology. I paid for a lot of courses at the mission and a lot of auditing. I had maybe paid for 400 hours of auditing [a type of counseling]. It was only $50 an hour. I felt like I had a lot of gains. So I changed my career; I wanted to be on staff in Scientology place.</p> <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="L. Ron Hubbard" width="352" height="251" />I was on staff at the Los Angeles Org starting in 1977. I was approached by some recruiters and was asked if I wanted to cook for L. Ron Hubbard at La Quinta.</p> <p>There were security procedures, certainly. You're not supposed to talk to reporters. If there are any people with subpoenas, you're taught how to handle it. There were also rattlesnakes at that time, so we were told how to kill rattlesnakes. In 1977 there was an FBI raid in Los Angeles, so this was 1978. It was basically a secret base. We all had to use fake names.</p> <p>I was shown around and I met Hubbard outside the kitchen of his house, which was called Rifle. He was bigger than his pictures. He had big mutton chop sideburns and a cowboy hat and dark sunglasses you could see it was him but he was bigger than life. I was in awe. I was a little bit shy. He said hello. I was like wow, I was starstruck. But he was fine. After that I started cooking for him. At that time he was on a fish diet. It was rough. In <a href="" class="hidden_link">Palm</a> Springs, Indio, there was nothing around. There was no fresh fish it was all frozen.</p> <p><strong>NEXT: Hubbard dies, and Parman gets a new boss &gt;</strong></p> <p><strong>In 1986, Hubbard died and Miscavige took over the church.</strong></p> <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="Sinar Parman" width="365" height="260" />David Miscavige took over in '87. In 1988 Miscavige persuaded me to become executive chef for the Gold Base, [near Gilman Hot Springs, Calif.] From '88 to about 1990 I was basically the executive chef. We renovated the main cooking and dining facilities at Gold Base. Three of us feeding 500 people. Miscavige didn't have a personal chef at the time. I was cooking for everyone.</p> <p>In 1990 when Tom Cruise came by I was assigned as his personal chef. He was doing training, doing courses, he was also getting some auditing. He came with his assistant, Andrea Morris. He had a nice luxury apartment renovated for him. Miscavige set up a whole bunch of facilities for Tom Cruise. He even made a couple of tennis courts. There was a rifle range operated just for Tom Cruise.</p> <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="David Miscavige" width="360" height="288" />Tom Cruise would come in and his cars would be taken care of. Washed, maintained, it was just provided to him, services beyond services. Miscavige got him hooked up with the Feshbach brothers for his investments. They were famous on Wall Street for investing in companies that were [in distress].</p> <p>Tom was a very nice guy. He was like, a lot of energy, he wasn't pretentious, he was really very cool. He liked a lot of pasta and high energy, complex carb meals. Not much on the red meat, but some of the larger meats, that kind of stuff. It was a very Hollywood diet. He had to keep fit. His body was everything because of his profession. Sometimes he'd like Chinese food, sometimes he'd like lo mein.</p> <p>John Travolta was there for a while and I cooked for him and also Kirstie Alley. They were cool people. Tom was Mr. Mellow but he liked to eat, let's put it that way. His hamburger was chopped filet mignon. He liked to have clear ice in his drinks, not that they were alcoholic. Little things like that.</p> <p>Kirstie Alley, she stayed there maybe a week. I had to make noodles from scratch, really thick just like her grandma made it. Chicken noodle soup, so many times. She loved it.</p> <p>I would do a menu based on their likes and dislikes.</p> <p>I couldn't tell what Nicole Kidman wanted. I was still trying to figure out that until the end. Some personalities you can't tell what they really like. Some days she liked it and some days she didn't. It wasn't definite.</p> <p>She was very much more reserved than Tom, not as outgoing. There was one dinner, one meal with Cruise and John Travolta and Kirstie Alley and they were like a raucous bunch and they would try to out-entertain each other. Three A-listers at the time and you get a really loud place, but she wasn't one of those. She was more reserved. I mean she was still laughing.</p> <p>There was no booze because they had to go into sessions.</p> <p>Tom stayed the longest time. He stayed there for months. He took off doing films, Days of Thunder, where he met Nicole. He took off for maybe a month and a half to film that in NASCAR country. Then he came and continued doing his thing there.</p> <p>He was here six to eight months. He was doing the auditor levels from 0 to 4, the lower area before you do any clear and OT levels. He started also some basics courses, &ldquo;Keys of Life&rdquo; and &ldquo;Life Orientation&rdquo; courses.</p> <p><strong>NEXT: Parman is asked to cater the Cruise-Kidman wedding &gt;</strong></p> <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="cruise kidman" width="360" height="319" /></p> <p><strong>A trip to Telluride on Cruise's private jet</strong></p> <p>[In 1990], David Miscavige told me, &ldquo;Hey you're going to cater for Tom&rsquo;s wedding in Colorado." After it was over it was, &ldquo;Oh Dave decided you were not going to be paid by Tom.&rdquo; It really ticked me off because you know what, my wife and I earned 50 bucks a week. [Staff members of the church work as volunteers for bed and board and a small amount of cash per week.] We had to go to Telluride in winter. It was a matter of buying new clothes for PR purposes, We went there in his private jet he paid for a rental car, hotel room, ski lift tickets, that kind of stuff. We had to go eat in Telluride for however long and it was expensive and we had to cover it personally on our credit cards.</p> <p>I figured when we get back, we get paid, and I&rsquo;d pay off my credit cards. It never happened and that's why I left. I left in 1991 with my wife. That was one of the last straws.</p> <p>I drove off in the night with my wife. I stopped at my parents house in LA. She gave me a bunch of cash to pay off my credit cards. We went up north thru Monterey, stayed in Lake Tahoe and stayed in Carson City where my wife&rsquo;s distant cousin had a business and I worked for him in a furniture store.</p> <p>But the church had, like, a couple of private investigators on us. I later found out they basically had my ID stolen. All the mail is opened, my personal mail, they know my bank, all the details of my credit cards, my date of birth, social security number, and my mother&rsquo;s maiden name.</p> <p>Suddenly five people showed up on our doorstep, in a house in Carson City. It was early in the morning, 7 or 8 a.m. Several guys come up and they're from Gilman, from Gold Base.</p> <p><strong>Parman and his wife say they were interrogated by the men at a motel for a week. They were persuaded to rejoin the church.</strong></p> <p>It lasted for maybe about a week. They went through all our luggage and belongings. I had personal notes from L. Ron Hubbard, Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley, and photos, and they took all that and that was never returned to me.</p> <p><strong>Parman stayed in the church through 2001. When asked why, he says:</strong></p> <p>I still haven't grasped it. I thought I would achieve my spiritual ends.</p> <p><strong>Related:</strong></p> <ul> <li> <h3><a href="">Tom Cruise's Ex Claims Scientologists Forced Her To Scrub Toilets With A Toothbrush</a></h3> </li> <li> <h3><a href="">This Is Why People Join The Church Of Scientology</a></h3> </li> <li> <h3><a href="">This Photo Of A Scientologist Allegedly Being Punished In The Desert Is Chilling</a></h3> </li> <li> <h3><a href="">This Man Alleges He Was Held For Months In A Scientology 'Reform' Prison</a></h3> </li> <li> <h3><a href="">Tour The Compound Where The Missing Wife Of Scientology's Leader Might Be Living</a></h3> </li> </ul><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> The Most Interesting Details From Vanity Fair's Bombshell Report On Scientology And Tom Cruise Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:03:00 -0400 Ashley Lutz <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="katie holmes vanity fair cover" /></p><p><em>Vanity Fair</em>'s <strong>Maureen Orth</strong> <a href="">wrote an amazing expos&eacute;</a> on how the Church of <a href="" class="hidden_link">Scientology</a> allegedly controls <strong>Tom Cruise</strong>'s life and relationships.&nbsp;</p> <p>We scored a copy of <em>Vanity Fair</em> at a nearby newsstand (the issue is currently only available in NYC) and read Orth's story.</p> <p>Here are some of her most interesting claims:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Orth reports that the church saw <strong>Nicole Kidman</strong> as a threat to Cruise's spiritual well-being. Cruise and Kidman's two children, <strong>Bella</strong> and <strong>Connor</strong>, then ages six and eight, were reportedly told their mother was such a person and said they "hated seeing her."</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>Penelope Cruz</strong> and Tom Cruise went their separate ways after she was dismissed by Scientology leader <strong>David Miscavige</strong> for maintaining her Buddhist beliefs.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The church was allegedly desperate to find Cruise an appropriate girlfriend because he was poised to donate millions to new buildings for Scientology and they feared an outsider could threaten the project. The church denies that there was ever such a project.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Scientology claims eight million people around the world practice the religion. Orth says the number could be as low as 40,000.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>When Cruise was married to Kidman, he "drifted away" from the church, <strong>Marty Rathbun</strong>, a former member, told Orth. The organization still had a staff that tracked the couple, "reporting every single detail going on in the house during the entire marriage with Nicole--how they were getting along, their disputes, what he was doing movie-wise, and his relations in Hollywood."</li> </ul> <ul> <li>David Miscavige, who is widely known as Tom Cruise's best friend, reportedly loves dishing about celebrities. His former aide told Orth "Miscavige's comments were usually about Cruise's sex life. He would roll his eyes and say, 'Jeez, can you believe it?'" The church denied Miscavige has ever revealed private information.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Orth reports that when the church was "auditioning" actresses to be Tom Cruise's new girlfriend back in 2004, they eliminated anyone who had participated in a threesome.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>When Iranian actress <strong>Nazanin Boniadi</strong> made the cut, Orth says that Scientologists persuaded her to end her relationship with her boyfriend. They then took her shopping at Saks and Burberry to cheer her up.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Cruise and Holmes were reportedly happy in the beginning of their relationship. A former Scientology aide told Orth "They would be sitting by themselves late at night, talking and laughing and kissing, a picture-perfect couple who seemed genuinely happy."</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Holmes' father, <strong>Martin</strong>, reportedly wrote a prenuptial agreement that filled five bankers' boxes. <strong>Marc Headley</strong>, a former Scientologist, said he heard that Martin never approved of the Church and helped protect Katie's rights.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>The <em>Vanity Fair </em>issue with the full story is scheduled to hit newsstands nationwide on Monday.</p> <h3>DON'T MISS:&nbsp;<span><a href="">How Scientology's Obsession With Hollywood Led To The Religion's Crisis &gt;</a></span><span><br /></span></h3><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Katie Holmes Used Disposable Phones To Plot Divorce [Report] Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:34:00 -0400 Aly Weisman <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="katie holmes" width="400" height="300" /></p><p>While <strong>Katie Holmes</strong> "blindsided" <strong>Tom Cruise</strong> by filing divorce papers two weeks ago, the actress had carefully been plotting her separation from her A-list husband behind the scenes for months leading up to the split.</p> <p>One source told the <em><a href="" target="_blank">LA Times</a></em>:</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Katie Holmes&nbsp;set the wheels in motion for her divorce from Tom Cruise using&nbsp;a throwaway cellphone provided by a friend to initially talk to her lawyers&nbsp;and avoid her husband knowing about the conversations ... The move allowed her to prepare her legal case without Cruise and his staff knowing she was about to exit the marriage and left him shocked at the sudden divorce.</em></p> <p>And <a href="" target="_blank">according to <em>US Weekly</em></a><em>,</em> Holmes was also using the phones to call Cruise's ex-wife, <strong>Nicole Kidman</strong>, to seek her advice.</p> <p>"They've spoken over the last few weeks," an insider told the magazine. "Nicole has been supportive, saying she's been through it too and to hang in there ... She has been a private friend not many people know about."</p> <p>But the friendship isn't a new one&mdash;the two women have reportedly been speaking since 2006, according to <em>Us Weekly</em>, when Holmes wed Cruise, becoming stepmother to Kidman's estranged teenage children.</p> <p>"She pulled it off brilliantly," one insider told<em> </em><a href="" target="_blank"><em>US Weekly</em> </a>of Holmes' plan. "This was all played so well."</p> <h2 style="overflow: hidden; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">SEE ALSO: <a href="" target="_blank">Katie Holmes gets primary custody of Suri, will enroll her in New York private school &gt;</a></h2><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> How The Scientologists Recruited Tom Cruise Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:47:00 -0400 Ashley Lutz <p><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="tom cruise profile " /></p><p>Before <strong>Tom Cruise</strong>, the Church of <a href="" class="hidden_link">Scientology</a> targeted up-and-coming stars, promising A-list roles and business connections in exchange for their services.</p> <p>But back in the '80's, Tom Cruise was one of the biggest superstars in the world and didn't need the church.&nbsp;</p> <p>Bringing Cruise in required elaborate scheming that included building a tennis court and paying a full-time staffer to counsel him, according to the book&nbsp;<a href=";tag=thebusiinsi-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0618883029">Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion</a><img src=";l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0618883029" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" />&nbsp;by <strong>Janet Reitman</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are some claims from the book about how the church lured Cruise in:&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Cruise first joined the church through his first wife, actress <strong>Mimi Rogers</strong>. Her dad was one of the most powerful Scientologists.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Although Cruise was initially skeptical about the religion, leader <strong>David Miscavige</strong> was determined to land him, saying "this guy is so famous, he could change the face of Scientology forever."</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-They gave Cruise the special treatment, according to Reitman. Before inviting him to a secret compound, they repainted the buildings, landscaped gardens and cleaned every building. Workers were instructed not to talk to or look at the star.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Miscavige took Cruise out to lunch on a ship founder <strong>L. Ron Hubbard</strong> had built, rode dirt bikes with him and took him to watch movies in the bases' screening room.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Finding out that Cruise, the action hero, was afraid of guns, Miscavige took him to target practice until he was comfortable. "Cruise was so grateful, he later sent Miscavige an automated clay-pigeon launcher," Reitman writes. Miscavige had the whole shooting range redone for the next visit.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Before long, Cruise began flying back and forth to the base by helicopter on the weekends. He was allowed to "audit," or read the thoughts of, a younger boy on the base.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-While Scientologists usually only provided rice and beans for dinner, they pulled out all the stops for cruise. "There was more food in that kitchen than I had seen all year," a former Scientologist told Reitman. "Sandwiches, snacks, drinks, three types of entrees, rice, vegetables, fruit. And this was just snack food."</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-When Cruise fell in love with his co-star <strong>Nicole Kidman</strong> and brought her to base, staffers renovated a VIP condo for Cruise and filled the entire place with balloons. They also spent $200,000 building a tennis court so the couple could pursue their hobby.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-The church then sought out upstanding members to serve as Cruise's housekeeper, cook and nanny, a service they'd perform for free. They were instructed to keep daily reports on his life. Details would include any conversations you heard, anything they watched or who they talked to, Reitman says.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Seven years after he started studying the religion, leaders promised Cruise they'd share the deepest secrets of Scientology, such as the prophet Xenu. "He freaked out and was like "what the f--- is this science fiction s---?...and took a step back."&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-For a time &nbsp;after this, Cruise removed himself from the Church, spending two years in London working on the film "Eyes Wide Shut" and only sending Miscavige Christmas and birthday gifts.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-By 1999, a desperate Miscavige sent charismatic <strong>Marty Rathbun</strong>, now an anti-Scientology blogger, to "retrieve" Cruise. He was successful and convinced Cruise to continue training. After a couple of years, he had become a full-on zealot.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-Cruise began promoting Scientology in earnest, saying that Hubbard's methods had cured his dyslexia. He fired his publicist and replaced her with someone from the Church of Scientology.&nbsp;</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">-By 2004, his allegiance was complete. "Scientology was 'the s--- man,' Cruise told Rolling Stone's Neil Strauss in the summer of 2004. 'Some people, well, if they don't like Scientology, well, then f--- you. Really, f--- you. Period."&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>DON'T MISS:</strong> <a href="">21 Other Famous Scientologists &gt;</a></h3><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> CANNES FILM FESTIVAL: Here Are 10 Films That Will Soon Be Making Waves Wed, 23 May 2012 11:10:00 -0400 Keertana Sastry <p class="p1"><img style="float:right;" src="" border="0" alt="The Paperboy-Nicole-Kidman-Cannes" width="400" height="300" /></p><p>We're smack in the middle of the <a href=""><span class="s1">Cannes Film Festival</span></a> at present and dozens of films are vying for the honor of the best film award: the Palme d'Or.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">Out of the 70-plus feature films screening in France this week, we have a list of ten that you'll want to watch out for this coming movie and awards season.&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">Dozens of big celebs are coming to the festival with exciting new features. <strong>Nicole Kidman</strong>,<strong> Brad Pitt</strong>,<strong> Kirsten Stewart</strong>,<strong> Matthew McConaughey</strong>,<strong> Bill Murray</strong> and more have new movies to promote but they don't all have hits on their hands. Here are the most intriguing films in and out of competition at Cannes that everyone should keep an eye on.</p><h3>1. "Amour (Love)"—Directed by Michael Haneke</h3> <p><p class="p1">This film is getting rave reviews for it's touching portrayal of a man in his eighties who is losing his wife to the after effects of a stroke. "Amour" premiered Sunday and critics are already saying Haneke could get his second Palme d'Or (he won it previously in 2006 for "The White Ribbon.")</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src=""></iframe>&nbsp;</p></p> <br/><br/><h3>2. "De Rouille Et D'Os (Rust and Bone)"—Directed by Jaques Audiard </h3> <p><p class="p1"><strong>Marion Cotillard</strong> heads this French film about two people with different disabilities (one physical, one emotional) who try to connect with each other. The actress is said to be a powerhouse and the director has already had great success with his 2009 film "A Prophet."&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src=""></iframe></p></p> <br/><br/><h3>3. "Moonrise Kingdom"—Directed by Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums," "Rushmore")</h3> <p><p class="p1">Two young lovers run away in 1960s and a mob of people chase after them from a Boy Scout leader (<strong>Edward Norton</strong>) to the local sheriff (<strong>Bruce Willis</strong>) to their parents (<strong>Francis McDormand, Bill Murray</strong> and more). The movie has classic Wes Anderson all over it and could be the next cult darling in the vein of "The Royal Tenenbaums."&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" src=""></iframe></p></p> <br/><br/><a href="">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> Nicole Kidman Is Selling A Stunning Piece Of Australian Beachfront Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:37:00 -0500 Luke McKenna <p>Australian actor Nicole Kidman is about to auction off a rare plot of beachfront land on the far south coast of New South Wales, four hours south of Sydney.</p> <p>The&nbsp;<span>1009-square-meter</span><span>&nbsp;block&nbsp;is one of three that the Bewitched starlet&nbsp;</span>bought<span>&nbsp;</span><span>along the immaculate Rosedale Beach</span>&nbsp;for $4 million eight years ago, according to <a href=";utm_campaign=a4bfe493c4-January_23_20127_4_2011&amp;utm_medium=email">Property Observer</a>.</p> <p>She recently sold the first two lots for $3 million, and hopes the final piece of land will bring in $1.2 million when it goes under the hammer on February 11.&nbsp;</p> <p>It boasts 21 meters of beach frontage along Knowlman Road &mdash; which is just 30 seconds from the water &mdash; and stunning views of nearby Jimmy's Island.</p> <p>Here are some shots from real estate company <a href="">LJ Hooker</a>:</p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="nicole kidman beach property" /></p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="nicole kidman beach island" /></p> <p><img src="" border="0" alt="nicole kidman beach australia" /></p><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Nicole Kidman Drops Out Of Star-Studded Woody Allen Movie* Wed, 13 May 2009 12:16:00 -0400 Hilary Lewis <p><img style="float:right;" src=";maxX=215&amp;maxY=161" border="0" width="215" height="161" /></p><p></p> <p><strong>UPDATE: </strong><a href=";jump=story&amp;articleid=VR1118003504&amp;cs=1"><em>Variety</em> reports</a> that the reason Kidman dropped out was because of a scheduling conflict caused by her work producing and co-starring in <em>Rabbit Hole</em>, which is filming on the East Coast this summer.</p> <p><strong>EARLIER:</strong> Nicole Kidman has <a href=";jump=story&amp;articleid=VR1118003504&amp;cs=1">suddenly dropped out of Woody Allen's upcoming movie</a> starring <span class="content">Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin, <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em>'s Freida Pinto</span> and Nicole's BFF Naomi Watts.</p> <p>When she signed on to the film earlier this year, it put to rest rumors of her retirement from acting that surfaced while she was doing press for<em> Australia</em>. But just because she's abandoned Woody Allen, she hasn't forsaken acting. She's still doing <a href="">the upcoming <em>Rabbit Hole</em> with Aaron Eckhart</a>, among other projects.</p> <p>No reason has been given (yet) for Kidman's move.</p><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Nicole Kidman Signs On For Star-Studded Woody Allen Film Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:59:02 -0400 Hilary Lewis <p><img style="float:right;" src=";maxX=206&amp;maxY=154" border="0" width="206" height="154" /></p><p></p> <p>Disproving rumors she was retiring from acting that surfaced when she was doing press for <em>Australia</em>, Nicole Kidman has <a href=";cs=1">joined the star-studded cast of Woody Allen's latest film</a>.</p> <p>The still-untitled movie already boasts Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, <em>Slumdog Millionaire</em>'s Freida Pinto and Nicole's BFF Naomi Watts.<a href=""></a></p> <p><a href=""><br /></a></p><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> Happy Belated Birthday, Wendi Deng! Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:20:00 -0500 Hilary Lewis <p><img style="float:right;" src=";maxX=200&amp;maxY=175" border="0" alt="wendidengap120908.jpg" title="wendidengap120908.jpg" width="200" height="175" /></p><p>Yesterday was <strong>Rupert Murdoch</strong>'s third wife <strong>Wendi</strong>'s 40th birthday. Rupert did what any good husband would do and <a href="">booked the top floor of the Gramercy Park Hotel for a six-figure bash</a> featuring <strong>Nicole Kidman</strong> and <strong>Keith Urban</strong>, <strong>Barry Diller</strong> and <strong>Diane Von Furstenberg</strong>, <strong>Billy Joel</strong>, and <strong>Arianna Huffington</strong>. Oh, and Chinese pianist <strong>Lang Lang</strong> was going to play a 20-minute set.</p> <p> was it? Did it actually happen? And if so, how come we haven't seen pics of Nicole and Keith in New York from yesterday or today? If you were there or knew someone who was, tell us all about it. Use the comments, e-mail me ( or call our anonymous tip line (866-994-TIPS).</p><p><a href="">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>