Blog Posts by Kathleen Perricone

Ripa and Strahan. (Getty Images)So much for waiting until the September 4 announcement. On Tuesday – two weeks ahead of schedule – the secret that Kelly Ripa’s new “Live!” co-host is going to be former NFL star Michael Strahan was leaked. Although reps for the morning talk show won’t confirm the news, multiple outlets are reporting that the lovable New York Giants defensive end beat out Josh Groban, Seth Meyers, Nick Lachey, and even Ripa’s own husband Mark Consuelos for the coveted job.

Strahan’s agent was spotted “grinning from ear to hear” just outside the building where “Live!” is taped on Tuesday, according to TMZ.

Strahan, 40, has appeared alongside Ripa, 41, multiple times since the departure of Regis Philbin last November. He finally got the chance to audition to be her permanent co-host in June – around the same time when, during an interview with “Magic Mike” star Channing Tatum, Strahan ripped off his pants and started dancing suggestively to “It’s Raining Men” to much applause from the female audience.

Read More »from Michael Strahan named Kelly Ripa’s new co-host: reports

Holmes and Cruise. (WireImage)No long, drawn-out divorce here: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are officially no longer a couple, just seven weeks after she first filed. A judge in New York City ruled on Tuesday that the five-year-union between the two Hollywood stars was over, a source confirms to People, adding that they remain amicable.

Ever since Holmes, 33, blindsided Cruise with divorce papers on June 29, just days before his 50^th birthday, the process to end their marriage has been a speedy one. On July 9, the two ironed out a settlement, which reportedly laid out the details of the custody of their 6-year-old daughter Suri (Holmes gets sole custody with Cruise having “meaningful” visitation), as well as their financials. The once over-the-top in love couple had a prenuptial agreement, and Holmes apparently didn’t get much money from the “Mission: Impossible” star in exchange for control over where Suri would go to school and how she would be raised (not in Cruise’s beloved Scientology).

Holmes and

Read More »from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are officially divorced

Lohan. (Amy Graves/WireImage)Lindsay Lohan just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. The “Liz & Dick” actress is suspected of being involved in a theft that took place at a Hollywood Hills home where she spent the night on Saturday following a party. When the owner woke up the next morning, the unidentified person realized several expensive watches and sunglasses were missing and detained everyone until police arrived to investigate, reports TMZ. When cops arrived, the owner of the multi-million-dollar home told them that he/she believed the thieves were two men whom Lohan brought along with her to the all-nighter (shockingly, she was also there with her 16-year-old brother, Cody). But when law enforcement attempted to question the 26-year-old about the crime, she refused to cooperate. “Am I a suspect?” she asked, according to TMZ. When the officer said “No,” Lohan took off.

But just because she won’t talk, doesn’t mean Lohan is necessarily off the hook. The burglary is still under investigation.

If Lohan is

Read More »from Lindsay Lohan questioned by police about theft at Hollywood home

O'Donnell. (WireImage)August has not been a very good month for Rosie O’Donnell. Just weeks after revealing that her fiancée Michelle Rounds was diagnosed with a rare disease, the comedian shared her own health scare on Monday when she announced on her blog that she had suffered a heart attack the previous week. O’Donnell, 50, credits her quick thinking – she popped a Bayer aspirin, which claims in its commercials to prevent the progression of existing cardiovascular disease – for saving her life. "They call this type of heart attack/the Widow Maker/i am lucky to be here," she wrote.

Mother-of-four O’Donnell says it all began on August 14 after she helped “an enormous woman” get out of her car in a parking lot in Nyack, New York. Hours later, her chest and arms were throbbing, she felt nauseous, and her skin was clammy. "maybe this is a heart attack," she wrote on her blog. "i googled womens heart attack symptoms/i had many of them/but really? – i thought – naaaa."

Although she did take a Bayer aspirin,

Read More »from Rosie O’Donnell feels ‘lucky to be here’ after heart attack

Book enemy, LC. (WireImage)Warning to all book lovers: the video below may disturb you. In it, Lauren Conrad cuts up a bunch of books with a utility knife all in the name of “crafting.” In fact, the former “Hills” star (and an author herself) caught so much backlash for the “book murders,” she took the video down not long after she posted it on Thursday. LC’s intentions were good: She wanted to show fans how to create a “Bookshelf Box.” At the start of the video, she explains, “This is a great way to display vintage books or slightly used books and also create a unique storage space.” Then she takes a knife out and starts desecrating a stack of Lemony Snicket books!

One by one, Conrad, 26, cuts the front and back covers off the books. Then, she removes all their pages, which she says could be used for a later project. (In the video, she admits she uses them to decorate her office walls). All of this is done just to get the spines of the books. Once she has them all lined up, Conrad shows crafters how to glue

Read More »from Lauren Conrad, book murderer?

Kovar. (WireImage)Another “Celebrity Rehab” graduate has died of apparent substance abuse. On Friday, the body of “Real World: Hollywood” cast member Joey Kovar was found at a friend’s home just outside Chicago. According to TMZ, a female friend discovered the 29-year-old’s body, which had blood coming out of his ears and nose. Friends and family also tell the site that they believe drugs are to blame.

Kovar is the fourth person who has appeared on Dr. Drew’s VH1 show to die in the past 18 months. In March 2011, former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr overdosed on prescription pills at a home in Utah, that May "Grease" star Jeff Conaway died in the same manner, and just this past June, Rodney King was found drowned in his pool after a night of drinking and smoking marijuana. Kovar was on the third season of “Celebrity Rehab” in 2009 for his addiction to cocaine and ecstasy.

His stint on the “Real World” was brief, but memorable. Halfway through the 2008 season, he entered rehab following scary

Read More »from ‘Real World’ and ‘Celebrity Rehab’ alum Joey Kovar dead at 29

Ann Curry may be gone from “Today,” but Al Roker certainly hasn’t forgotten her. On Thursday morning, the weatherman, Matt Lauer, and Curry’s replacement Savannah Guthrie were interviewing the U.S. women’s Olympic rowing team about one of their post-race traditions: flinging a teammate into the water. Since the ladies were in the Big Apple, Lauer joked that their tradition should be that “you throw her in the Hudson River." But the best laugh was saved for last, right before Roker threw to another segment, when he blurted out to Lauer that the women’s tradition “is different than our tradition, which is you throw one of us under the bus, but that’s another story." As the Olympians laughed awkwardly, both Lauer and Guthrie said through their teeth, “Mr. Roker!”

It’s been widely reported that Lauer, 54, was the one responsible for Curry, 55, getting the axe from the NBC morning show in June because he didn’t feel she was up to par and he wanted a new co-host. On her final day on

Read More »from Al Roker calls out Matt Lauer for Ann Curry firing on live TV

Jenny McCarthy has found herself singled out again. The former Playmate announced on Thursday that she has split from her beau of roughly four months, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher. "Brian and I have decided to turn our romance into an amazing friendship," the Windy City native said in a statement. "I will continue to be the biggest cheerleader for him. Go, Bears!"

Ever since the two were first linked in April after they were spotted on a dinner date in Beverly Hills, the 39-year-old model had tried to remain mum on the budding romance, except to coyly admit later that same month, “I’m giddy about someone.” Three months later, during an appearance on her pal Chelsea Handler’s E! show, McCarthy leaked a little more info about her 34-year-old boyfriend. “It’s going really good,” she gushed. "That's very exciting. I'm happy for you," Handler responded. "You were dating some real f--king losers."

[Related: Jenny McCarthy strips down for Playboy]

It’s true that McCarthy, whoRead More »from Jenny McCarthy splits from Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher