Judge Denies Amanda Bynes's Bid to Fight Temporary Conservatorship


Judge Denies Amanda Bynes's Bid to Fight Temporary Conservatorship


Amanda Bynes


Vladimir Labissiere/Splash News Online






10/31/2014 AT 07:10 PM EDT



A judge has denied Amanda Bynes's attempt to wrest full control of her life back from her mother.

On Friday, the actress sent a lawyer, Art Santiago, to appear in court on her behalf to contest a temporary conservatorship placed by a judge earlier this month that gives her mother control over her medical and financial decisions until at least February next year.


With both of Bynes' parents, Rick and Lynn, present in the courtroom, the judge ruled that Santiago could not legally represent the star because he is not her court-appointed attorney, thus striking out her bid for legal and financial freedom.


Saying he's been in contact with Bynes for the past two weeks, Santiago told the judge he "convinced her to voluntarily take her medication" and has been "following her progress."


"I've been dealing with her for the past two weeks and believe I'm the only one she can trust," Santiago added.


The actress was released from a psychiatric treatment facility on Thursday, three days after a judge ruled that she needed to spend at least another month there.


Bynes, 28, contested her involuntary treatment three days after the court ruling in a mandatory hearing at the facility, during which a hearing officer deemed her stable enough to be released.


Bynes's mother, Lynn, was granted a temporary conservatorship on Oct. 22, allowing her control over the star's medical and financial decisions, but not her psychiatric treatment.


After leaving the treatment facility, Bynes was spotted roaming the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles late Thursday night wearing a dark coat and large sunglasses.


She also returned to Twitter, posting erratic Tweets that insulted her family's lawyer, her father, and sometimes-manager Sam Lutfi, who played a role in getting her into treatment.


Adds a source close to Bynes: "She said she was going to fight her parents in court because she didn't want them to control her life."


With reporting by LIZ McNEIL and GABRIELLE OLYA






A Letter to My Cat: Read Love Notes from Celebrities to Their Special Felines


If you could tell your cat how you feel about them, what would you say? Dozens of celebrities pondered this question about their furry soulmates for Lisa Erspamer's book A Letter to My Cat: Notes to Our Best Friends .


From Fred Willard to Kathy Ireland, all kinds of kitty-loving stars sat down and wrote out a love letter to their pet. The result, is a collection of funny, adorable and touching anecdotes that any cat owner can relate to.


Read on to see a pawesome selection of excerpts from A Letter to My Cat, and think about what you would write your own meower.


Photos and text reprinted from A LETTER TO MY CAT by Lisa Erspamer. Copyright 2014 by Lisa Erspamer Entertainment LLC. Published by Crown Archetype, an imprint of Random House LLC.






Amal Clooney Nominated for British Style Award: What Her Hairstylist Has to Say


10/31/2014 at 06:00 PM ET




When Amal Alamuddin started dating George Clooney we noticed immediately she had an eye for fashion and of course, that perfect hair. But it wasn’t until her three-day Italian wedding extravaganza that she really showed off her full style credentials. And it looks like the British Fashion Council couldn’t agree more.


Mrs. Clooney has been nominated (along with Kate Moss, David Beckham and many other stylish veterans) for the British Style Awards, to be handed out at the prestigious British Fashion Awards on Dec. 1.


Amal Hair, Max Coles hairstylistCourtesy Ani Sarpe; Venturelli/Getty


Max Coles, Amal’s longtime hairstylist at London’s Michaeljohn salon in Mayfair, says that the barrister’s style has always been consistent, since she first became his client several years ago.


In a recent interview, Coles described her style as “very glamorous, in a kind of bohemian, casual, chic way.”


The award which “recognizes an individual who most embodies the spirit of British fashion and is an international ambassador for London as a leading creative fashion capital,” has been previously awarded to Alexa Chung and Harry Styles.


Having recently styled Amal’s hair for their ‘second wedding party’ in England last weekend (prior to that he traveled with her to Greece on a work trip), Coles tells PEOPLE that her everyday hairstyle is a little different to what he created for the wedding weekend.


“It is very relaxed, down but more casual and less bouncy yet still high profile,” he shares.


And we have to say — Amal’s bouncy blowout definitely rivals Princess Kate’s. Now will just have to wait for the inevitable Amal vs. Kate red carpet faceoff!


What do you think of Amal’s style? How about her hair? Share your thoughts below!


–Monique Jessen






How Al Sharpton Dropped an Astounding 176 Lbs.


Al Sharpton Weight Loss: His Secret to Losing 176 Lbs.


Al Sharpton


Koi Sojer/Pacific Coast News






10/31/2014 AT 05:20 PM EDT



The Rev. Al Sharpton is truly a shadow of his former self.

In the past four-and-a-half years, the 5'10" civil rights activist has gone from 305 lbs. to 129 lbs.


"I actually lost more weight than I am!" Sharpton tells PEOPLE, adding that he did it without surgery.


The reverend, 60, has gone through several body transformations throughout the years, first losing 30 lbs. while on a 43-day hunger strike in jail in 2001 and then putting the weight back on during his presidential run. The real turning point for him was getting criticism from his daughter.


"Around 2006, my youngest daughter Ashley poked me in the stomach and said, 'Dad, why are you so fat?' That kind of hurt my feelings. I grew up in civil rights and politics, so I'm pretty thick-skinned, but when your daughter says it, I started being conscious."


The MSNBC host started losing weight by weaning himself off of meats and starches, then became more strict about his diet in recent years.


On a typical day, Sharpton's breakfast consists of three slices of whole wheat toast along with a Juice Press "Doctor Earth" green juice and English breakfast tea sweetened with Stevia. Lunch is a basic salad with a banana and more tea.


"It's always the same salad: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, two or three [hard-boiled] eggs cut in and balsamic vinaigrette dressing," says Sharpton of his only solid meal of the day. "My doctor said to me, 'You've got to have some carbs and you need protein,' so he put me on whole wheat toast."


At night, he might have another piece of toast with a second Juice Press juice, this time opting for the brand's watermelon flavor. On weekends, he incorporates a small serving of fish for more protein at his doctor's suggestion.


'The Key to It Is Determination'


"I think the first week, maybe week and a half, I would get hungry every now and then. But the key to it is determination," says Sharpton of keeping cravings at bay and staying within the "normal" weight range per the National Institute of Health's BMI calculator.

And Sharpton says he doesn't miss any of the foods he has given up, even his formerly beloved fried chicken.


"I was a fried chicken junkie," he jokes. "I used to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but after about three or four weeks, I didn't have a longing for that either."


Sharpton also added exercise to his routine, walking on the treadmill for 20 or 30 minutes five days a week.


"I'm not trying to run the marathon, just tone up," he says. "[I work out] just to keep my blood flowing and to stay active. I didn't want to be flabby since I lost a lot of weight."


Sharpton has no plans on changing his new lifestyle, as he's enjoying the perks of weight loss.


"The best part is the energy and the focus," he says. "I feel like I'm totally in charge of myself. And I've been able to get a very nice new wardrobe! I can wear a lot of stuff that I couldn't wear before."


And that's why he says Saturday Night Live should rethink who plays him.


"Kenan [Thompson] needs to lose weight, or they need to get somebody in shape to do me," he says of the actor, who often portrays him on the show. "I might break into the studio one night and do Kenan because Kenan is too fat to do Al Sharpton. Kenan is doing an outdated Al Sharpton!"






Kate Hudson's Abs Are Her Best Halloween Accessory: See Her Hot Biker Costume


10/31/2014 at 11:13 AM ET




There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who spend months planning and designing their Halloween costumes (hi Lauren Conrad!), and those who scramble to find something to wear an hour before heading to a party (most of the PEOPLE style team.) If you fall into the latter category and are desperate for some dress-up inspiration, here are three celeb-inspired ideas to consider.


Kate Hudson biker Halloween CostumeCourtesy Kate Hudson


If you want to go sexy (and have been spending a lot of time at the gym this year): Want to show off your abs? Let Kate Hudson be your Halloween spirit animal. The star (who must have crazy will power when it comes to Halloween candy) showed off her insanely-toned figure in a custom leather Sons of Anarchy themed look created by Hudson Jeans. And yes, her mom Goldie Hawn was also part of her biker gang at the family’s annual Halloween party. See Hudson’s sexy crew in the photo below. (And Kurt Sutter, we think you should consider a spinoff starring these ladies.)


Ashley Madekwe Halloween costumesCourtesy Ashley Madekwe


If you have a wig laying around the house: Wearing some faux hair is the easiest way to feel festive. Ashley Madekwe has worn the same wig style (in three different colors) for the past few years. As for the costume, she loves to recycle cute clothes from her closet. A red polka dot dress for mini mouse, a white furry sweater and pencil skirt for a chic cat and a button-down shirtdress for a creepy, joker-style nurse (her choice this year).




RELATED VIDEO: Watch Our Editor Transform for the Day of the Dead – & Steal Her Halloween Look


Nikki Reed Unicef Masquerade BallDavid Livingston/Getty


If you’re feeling fashion-y: Throw on a great dress from your closet, a pair of heels and a fun lacy mask like Nikki Reed did Thursday at the Unicef masquerade ball.


Olivia Pope the Limited, Kerry WashingtonEric McCandless/ABC; The Limited


If you want to dress like your favorite TV character: And if that favorite TV character happens to be Olivia Pope even better. Put on your best business casual look, throw a great bag on your arm and make sure to walk with a little more attitude. Now would also be a good time to finally go to the mall and buy a piece from The Limited’s Scandal collection, like this check trench coat Kerry Washington wore on Thursday’s episode.


Whose costume MO is your favorite? What are you wearing this year? Share your thoughts below.


–Brittany Talarico (your fellow Halloween costume procrastinator)






Garth Brooks Reveals Details of His Album Man Against Machine


Garth Brooks Man Against Machine Listening Party


Garth Brooks launches his comeback tour outside Chicago Sept. 4


Daniel Boczarski/Getty





updated 10/31/2014 AT 02:55 PM EDT


originally published 10/31/2014 AT 04:15 PM EDT



It was all treats and no tricks for the crowd gathered on Halloween in the chapel-turned-listening room of Sony Records' Music Row headquarters in Nashville to hear a preview of Garth Brooks's first studio album in 14 years, Man Against Machine – hosted by the man himself.

The singer, dressed in a yellow Nashville Predators sweatshirt (a nod to the city he and wife Trisha Yearwood will soon relocate to from Oklahoma), talked about his time in the studio, why he didn't write many of the album's songs and how he picked a picture for the cover – "It was the only one in the session that I just had one chin," he confessed. "When people see me in person they'll wonder what happened."


He also poked fun at himself when he paid tribute to his wife. "My wife is the cool one. Wherever we go she knows everybody and everybody knows her. At home in Oklahoma, I'm Mr. Yearwood. When we travel, I'm just her arm candy."


The superstar turned serious when it came to the music itself, noting that of the 14 songs on the album, he only had a hand in three. "When I was off, I was really off, being a parent 24/7," he said. "I wasn't writing. I didn't trust my pen yet on this album, I'm not there yet. So I went with the songs that I wish I could have written, that say what I want to say. This album is who I am right now."


One song in particular meant more than any other, and it was the only track of the 11 played from the album that he chose to grab his guitar and perform live with.


"Everyone knows how much I loved my mom," he said, pausing to take a deep breath. "Why no one has ever written this song before I don't know, why I never wrote it before I don't know, but I'm grateful Don Sampson and Wynn Varble did. It's a conversation between God and a little unborn baby. It took me almost a month to get it together to record it. My producer finally told me to man up and do it. I'm gonna try to do it for you now." By the time Brooks finished "Mom," there wasn't a dry eye in the room.


Like all Brooks albums, Man Against the Machine includes "a tribute to the men and women in cowboy hats, 'Cowboys Forever,' " and ends with an R&B-inspired scorcher. "My favorite song on the album is always the last one," Brooks said. " 'Tacoma' is last because nothing else could follow it. When you're square and white like me, you pretty much live your life that way so it's fun to let loose and wail on a song like this."


Brooks left the building shortly after the show for Lexington, Kentucky, where he'll spend the weekend with his cooler half, performing four shows in two days at Rupp Arena as part of the Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. Man Against the Machine is out Nov. 11.


Garth Brooks Reveals Details of His Album Man Against Machine| Country, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood





7 Easy Cocktails to Pair with Halloween's Scariest Movies


FRIGHT NIGHTS


Q: What's better than curling up on the couch on chilly, fall nights and scaring yourself silly by watching a scary movie?

A: All of the above ... while sipping a delicious cocktail.

Now that we're deep into scary movie season, we're giving you a list of the perfect horror movie/cocktail combinations so you can sip while you scream. Terror never tasted so good.






Richard Branson's SpaceShip Two Crashes, One Pilot Dead


Richard Branson's SpaceShip Two Crashes, One Pilot Dead


A full-scale replica of Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo


John Angelillo/Landov





10/31/2014 AT 03:10 PM EDT



A spaceship that is part of billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic crashed during a test flight Friday.

The SpaceShip Two rocket plane "suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss [of the vehicle]," Virgin Galactic said in a Tweet.


Two pilots were believed to be in the plane during the test flight over the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, and the Associated Press reports that there was one fatality and another person suffered major injuries.


Photographer Ken Brown, who was covering the test flight, told NBC News that he saw a midflight explosion and later found debris scattered across the desert.


The Associated Press reports that the incident happened after the spacecraft was released from the plane that carried it to high altitude. SpaceShip Two ignited its rocket motor and then exploded.


More than 700 people, including Ashton Kutcher, Kate WInslet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lance Bass have reportedly paid up to $250,000 for a two-and-a-half-hour ride into space on the rocket plane.






Ellen DeGeneres Dresses as Amal Clooney for Halloween - with Groom 'George' in Tow!


Ellen DeGeneres Is Amal Clooney for Halloween, George Dummy at Her Side


Ellen DeGeneres


Michael Rozman/Warner Bros






10/31/2014 AT 02:55 PM EDT



Ellen DeGeneres said "I do" – to channeling Amal and George Clooney at their wedding-day best.

The talk-show host unveiled her Halloween costume on Friday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, walking onstage decked out in full bridal finery as Clooney's new wife, replete with flowing black wig and veil.


But her most eye-popping accessory was a life-size dummy of the dashing Hollywood star – or, at least a dummy with George's grinning mug plastered on it.


"You can probably tell who I am, I'm Amal, the luckiest woman in the world, Mrs. George Clooney," DeGeneres cracked. "I like Halloween because it's the one time you can dress up however you want and pretend you're someone that you would never be in real life – for me, that's married to a man."


She also explained how she pulled out all the stops. "You know, I went all out for you people because I didn't even wear a wedding dress to my wedding," DeGeneres, who is married to Portia de Rossi, told the audience.


"This might be the sexiest costume yet, because what is sexier than a woman with a brain," she added, as the audience cheered on.


There was no shortage of pomp to herald DeGeneres's big costume reveal: Set to the strains of the ubiquitous "Bridal Chorus," Ellen-turned-Amal and her groom stood onstage flanked by a supersize replica of PEOPLE's cover story on the Clooneys' glamorous nuptials, as the comedian literally stepped out of the magazine.


Well, guess that covers the "something borrowed" part for DeGeneres!






Why Demi Lovato Chooses Scary Not Sexy Halloween Costumes


10/31/2014 at 09:00 AM ET




It’s the best day of the year for many of us: Halloween! Okay, it might not be your favorite holiday, but both Demi Lovato and the writer of this post have been planning costumes and carving pumpkins, so the excitement level is pretty high around here.


And we’re relieved to share that when we sat down with the pop star this week at an event, she shared her (very un-Hollywood) costume philosophy with PEOPLE: You can dress sexy whenever you want, but “you only get to use fake blood once a year!”


Demi Lovato Halloween costumeCourtesy Demi Lovato; Film Magic


“Last year, I wore a really long dress that was actually from my Let It Go music video. I ripped it up, and I stained it with (fake) blood. I was a zombie! To me, that’s more fun than having to worry about what you look like all night,” said Lovato, who loves all things spooky (she’s been posting Halloween-esque Instagram pics for months!).


RELATED PHOTOS: Check out pics of Demi’s hair changes!


But if you already have a super-sexy costume planned, she totally gets it! The star has been working out like crazy during the tail-end of her tour (often twice a day, with the pics and the bod to prove it!), so she might just show a little more skin than usual. “I’m kind of getting some confidence with all the hard work I’ve put in, so I might go a little sexier this year,” she said. “But not like, Mean Girls slutty!”


What are you being for Halloween?! Are you going sexy, scary or both? Tell us everything in the comments section below!


–Loni Venti






Chase Bryant's Debut Video Shows He's Sexy - and Sentimental




10/31/2014 AT 02:15 PM EDT



Chase Bryant's video for his debut single "Take It On Back" marks an exciting new chapter in the singer's life – but it's also a nod to his past.

It's no coincidence the storyline of his first clip takes place on a train. The idea was inspired by his grandfather, musician Jimmy Bryant, who passed away from cancer when Chase was a kid.


"My grandfather was super into trains," Bryant, 21, tells PEOPLE. "He was fascinated by them and collected them his entire life. In fact, when he got really sick with cancer, for his last Christmas, my family and I made him this elaborate running train set with all the works.


"There were railroad tracks by my grandfather's house but trains didn't run through there very often. On the day my grandfather died – at the very moment it happened, I kid you not – a huge freight train came barreling down that track. It was so strange, but there was something very spiritual about it. So when I first read [director] Wes Edwards's treatment for [my] video, I knew this had to be the storyline we chose. In some way, I feel like I get to share this video with my grandfather."


And it's not just trains that Bryant remembers his grandfather for. "My grandfather was a huge influence on my life," the singer says. "He really helped shape who I am as a musician and as a person. He was a famous side player from Southern Texas and he played keys with Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly. He always said to me, 'You'll never be good at being anybody, but yourself.' I took that to heart. It's the main thing I think about when I'm writing songs and recording music. I want my music to reflect who I am as a person in my every day life. I want people to listen to my record and think 'Hey – I could hang out with this dude.'"


Here, watch a behind-the-scenes look at Bryant's video, out Nov. 4:






Amanda Bynes Returns to Twitter, Blasts Her Family and Sam Lutfi




10/31/2014 AT 02:00 PM EDT



Amanda Bynes is back on Twitter.

The former child star started posting on the social media site from her @amandabynes account again Friday morning, and the erratic Tweets are similar to those she sent before her trips to treatment.


Bynes aimed insults at her family's lawyer, Tamar Arminak ("You are corrupt"), as well as her father and controversial celebrity manager Sam Lutfi ("Sam Lufti is Ugly") in addition to posting nonsensical musings ("I am ug butt"). She also defended her mental state, telling followers she's headed to court today: "I am going to court today with my lawyer to prove that I am more than capable of handling my personal life and finances and I am enraged."


The troubled actress, 28, was released from a psychiatric facility Thursday before being spotted roaming the Sunset Strip, TMZ first reported. "She was sitting alone and talking to herself," a source tells PEOPLE. But "she was really nice and friendly to the staff," adds an onlooker.


Bynes entered the facility Oct. 10 after Lutfi and her parents set a ruse to fly her from New York City to L.A. Her hold in the facility was extended for two weeks Oct. 13, then for a month on Monday – but she was freed following a hearing on Thursday.


The starlet was put under an emergency conservatorship last year following a similar string of strange and dangerous behavior. Since leaving treatment, Bynes had been living with her parents, attending FIDM fashion classes and seemingly on the road to recovery until her September DUI arrest. Her mother, Lynn, obtained another conservatorship in court this week – which gives her control over Amanda's finances and medical decisions, but not her psychiatric treatment.


• With reporting by PATRICK GOMEZ






Lady Antebellum Gets in the Halloween Spirit to Celebrate Their Latest No. 1


Lady Antebellum Bartender Costume Party


Lady A's Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood with songwriter Rodney Clawson


Ed Rode





10/31/2014 AT 01:15 PM EDT



Lady Antebellum's love for Halloween was on full display when the trio celebrated their ninth No. 1 single "Bartender" at City Winery in Nashville on Wednesday.

"We thought we'd turn this into a costume party," said Hillary Scott, who twirled a rhinestone drum major baton during a live performance of their hit song. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood took the "Bartender" theme and ran with it, sporting beer barrels accessorized by a foaming beer mug hat for Kelley and some (a bit too much?) skin for Haywood.


This isn't the band's first time dressing up together – turns out it's a pastime. "We love when we have a show on Halloween," Scott shared. "One year, Charles came on stage as Ronnie Dunn, Dave was Kix and I was Reba. It was so much fun!"


Also having fun? The party's littlest guests! "So a pig walks into a bar…" could be the start of a bad joke, but it was the true story of Scott's 15-month-old daughter Eisele, who arrived sporting a bubblegum-pink Piglet outfit, erupting in giggles as her mama pinched her cheeks and said, "Oink, oink, oink."


"On Halloween, she'll be Roo, the baby kangaroo. We've got a Winnie-the-Pooh theme going," said Scott. However, the little lady isn't living up to her costume's namesake quite yet. "Eisele has been trying so hard to jump. Her feet never actually leave the ground, but she thinks she's jumping because her upper body moves!"


"Her vertical leap is just a tiny bit lower than her Uncle Charles," joked Kelley.


Lady Antebellum is among the performers on the 48th Annual CMA Awards, airing live Nov. 5 on ABC.






Prepare to Scream: Watch a Pack of Halloween Zombies Prank Unsuspecting Scaredy Cats




10/31/2014 AT 12:30 PM EDT



The Walking Dead has become a reality thanks to one prankster.

YouTube user SA Wardega decided to treat unsuspecting folks to the trick side of Halloween, with a little help from his undead friends.


In the video, jokers convincingly dressed as zombies are set up in the middle of country roads and inside elevators – all in the name of a good scare.


This pack of the living dead had no trouble being terrifying. Every unwitting victim that happens upon the blood-covered, brain-loving performers immediately turns and runs they other way.


But escaping zombies isn't that easy. Once these pranksters spy fresh meat, many of them give chase.


Take this is a friendly remember to wear your running shoes this Halloween, because you never know what's waiting for you just around the corner – or under a pile of leaves.






Chelsea Handler Accuses Instagram of Sexism for Yanking Her Topless Photo




10/31/2014 AT 11:45 AM EDT



Chelsea Handler's putting it all out there.

The comedian and former Chelsea Lately host recently posted a revealing picture of herself on Instagram – and then accused the photo-sharing service of sexism after it pulled the image down.


In the photo, Chandler is seated topless on a horse, spoofing a now infamous bucolic picture of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.


"Anything a man can do, a woman has the right to do better. #kremlin," she captioned the image, which was later yanked by Instagram.


Hander promptly fought back, this time sending out the image on Twitter (Warning: contains nudity ) along with the message: "Taking this down is sexist. I have every right to prove I have a better body than Putin."


Chelsea Handler Accuses Instagram of Sexism for Yanking Her Topless Photo| Bodywatch, Chelsea Handler, Vladimir Putin

Chelsea Handler's Tweet


Courtesy Chelsea Handler




She also reposted the photo on Instagram – which once again removed it.

The popular app is known for its no-nudity policy. "We removed your post because it doesn't follow our Community Guidelines," read a message Instagram sent Handler, which she then uploaded to her page as well.


"If a man posts a photo of his nipples, it's ok, but not a woman," Handler railed in the caption. "Are we in 1825?"


As for what she's up to professionally these days, Handler can be seen – clothed – on her newest one-hour stand-up comedy special, Uganda Be Kidding Me Live , streaming on Netflix.






What's Daniel Radcliffe's Latest Obsession?


10/31/2014 AT 04:00 PM EDT



Daniel Radcliffe moves from Broadway to the big screen yet again, starring in the fantasy thriller Horns and the 25-year-old actor revealed his latest obsession when he chatted with PEOPLE this week about "one last thing" ...

Last text with my mom

My mom and I have a very similar sense of humor. I sent her a photo of a pregnancy test someone had left in the checkout line. How do you walk around thinking, "I need this ... Eh, I'll have a bag of wasabi peas instead"?


Last TV obsession

I went through a heavy Ancient Aliens phase. It's so silly but brilliant. I was like, "How are they going to distort history to involve aliens in this one?" I feel like it has become the template for all other crazy History Channel shows.


Last thing I lost

I lose things a lot. At one point I think I lost probably three phones within one year. But I recently lost my iPod, and I thought it was gone forever. After about three months I found it in my bag in a pocket I didn't even know I had.


Last meal I cooked

I can cook some pasta dishes for myself, but not anything I would ever cook for anyone else. I would never be able to throw a dinner party on my cooking skills.






Nurse Breaks Voluntary Ebola Quarantine in Maine to Go for Bike Ride



10/31/2014 AT 10:15 AM EDT



A nurse who vowed to defy Maine's voluntary quarantine for health care workers who treated Ebola patients followed through on her promise Thursday, leaving her home for an hour-long bike ride.

Kaci Hickox and her boyfriend stepped out of their home Thursday morning and rode away on mountain bikes, followed by a state police cruiser.


It was the second time Hickox, who is halfway into the 21-day incubation period, broke quarantine. She left her home Wednesday evening briefly to speak to reporters, even shaking a hand that was offered to her. Hickox contends there's no need for quarantine because she's showing no symptoms. She's also tested negative for the deadly disease.


"I really hope that we can work things out amicably and continue to negotiate," she said Thursday morning while riding on a dirt trail.


However, as of Thursday, talks had broken down, with Gov. Paul LePage vowing to use “the full extent of his authority allowable by law” to keep Hickox away from the public.


"I don't want her within three feet of anybody," LePage told WCHS.


"There's a lot of misinformation about how Ebola is transmitted, and I can understand why people are frightened. But their fear is not based on medical facts," Norman Siegel, one of her attorneys, said Wednesday.


Hickox, who treated Ebola patients while volunteering in Sierra Leone with Doctors Without Borders, was the first person forced into New Jersey's mandatory quarantine for people arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport from three West African countries. Hickox spent the weekend in a tent in New Jersey before traveling to the home she shares with her boyfriend, a nursing student at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.


"I'm not willing to stand here and let my civil rights be violated when it's not science-based," she said Wednesday evening.


Word spread quickly around the town of 4,300 residents on the Canadian border. Fort Kent resident Priscilla Staples says some residents are "fearful" of Hickox's presence in the community, but she believes Hickox "has done nothing wrong and she has every right in the world to go for a bike ride."


Siegel said the nurse hopes her fight against the quarantine will help bring an end to misinformation about how the Ebola virus is transmitted.


"She wants to have her voice in the debate about how America handles the Ebola crisis. She has an important voice and perspective," he said.






Celebrity (Faux) Hair Happenings You Can't Miss on Angie, René and More!


10/30/2014 at 07:46 PM ET




It’s been a big week for celebrity hair changes. Vanessa Hudgens got a lob, Ashlee Simpson debuted a shorter do and we confirmed Ellen Page’s pixie cut. But you can’t trust every dramatic mane switch-up you see. Other big-name stars have been parading around with faux hair. Here’s what you need to know to be on top of your game.


Celebs Wearing Fake HairFameFlynet/Splash News(2)


Angelina Jolie ditched her signature brunette color for what looks like a honey blonde wig on the set of her latest film By the Sea , for which she wrote the screenplay and which also stars her husband Brad Pitt. The lighter shade is a dramatic change for the 39-year-old mother of six – and something tells us that off-camera she’ll stick to her rich dark hue.


Renée Zellweger, who recently spoke out about her new look to PEOPLE, was snapped on the set of her new film, Same Kind of Different as Me, in a much darker (and longer!) hairstyle thanks to a wig from the costume department.


RELATED: In Honor of Lauren Conrad’s DIY Halloween Costume, Let’s Revisit the Most Memorable Celebrity Mermaids


And finally, Sarah Hyland, who is always switching up her do for her role in Modern Family, is back to extensions, going to great lengths with her previously shoulder-grazing strands. We wonder if the star opted for some extra inches for TV purposes or if the long look is for a Halloween costume. Either way, she wears both styles well, although her usual lob works great with her petite frame.


What do you think of the faux hair looks? Should Angie go blonde for real? Share your thoughts in the comments below!


–Sarah Kinonen






J.K. Rowling Reveals Dolores Umbridge Was Based on a Real Person


J.K. Rowling Reveals Dolores Umbridge Was Based on a Real Person


J.K. Rowling and Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge


David M. Benett/Getty; Everett






10/31/2014 AT 09:30 AM EDT



Just when you thought Dolores Umbridge couldn't get any scarier, J.K. Rowling has revealed that the character was based on a real person.

"The woman in question returned my antipathy with interest," writes the Harry Potter author in an essay released Friday on Pottermore. "Why we took against each other so instantly, heartily and (on my side, at least) irrationally, I honestly cannot say."


Rowling, 49, goes on to say that the woman was one of her teachers long ago and that she, like Professor Umbridge, was a fan of "twee accessories."


"I particularly recall a tiny little plastic bow slide, pale lemon in color that she wore in her short curly hair," she writes.


"I have noticed more than once in life that a taste for the ineffably twee can go hand-in-hand with a distinctly uncharitable outlook on the world," she adds. "A love of all things saccharine often seems present where there is a lack of real warmth or charity. "


In addition to featuring Rowling's own thoughts on Professor Umbridge, the essay also includes a profile of the character's life.


Readers will be satisfied to hear that the vile teacher was "convicted of the torture, imprisonment and deaths of several people," in the wake of the downfall of Lord Voldemort's regime.






Widower Keeps Late Wife's Memory Alive by Dining with Her Photo


Widower Dines with Photo of His Late Wife


Man dining with his late wife's photo


Courtesy Madi Bash






10/30/2014 AT 09:45 PM EDT



What was supposed to be an uneventful stop at a Fremont, California, In-N-Out Burger for Madina Bashizadah turned into a lesson of the power of love.

While eating her food, Bashizadah noticed an older man who appeared to be dining alone – until she saw a photo sitting on his table.


"The older gentleman was sitting down enjoying his meal and I noticed that he had a photo with him," Bashizadah told The Huffington Post. "Automatically, I assumed she wasn't here with us and I started tearing up because it was such a beautiful moment, but heartbreaking at the same time."


Bashizadah, who posted a photo of the man on Twitter, discovered her assumptions were correct after other customers began to approach the diner and ask him about the couple in his picture. He explained the photo was of himself and his late wife, whom he was "happy and excited" to talk about. Endearing details of this widower's touching love story quickly unfolded as he spoke with the curious patrons.


"We found out that she was his sweetheart, his wife, who passed away five years ago. They met at 17, but the war had kept them apart," Bashizadah said. "He had searched for her for 10 years and one day as he was telling his barber the story, the barber calls his daughter in and it ends up being her. They were married instantly and it lasted for 55 years until she passed. He takes her photo everywhere."


Bashizadah isn't the only diner to come across the caring man and his beautiful story. Earlier in October, imgur user soulrose met the same gentleman and heard about the devotion he has to his wife, even after her passing.


The elderly man explained to soulrose that he kisses the photo goodnight each evening and still celebrates his late wife's birthday and their wedding anniversary. The man also imparted some kind and compassionate advice before their conversation ended.


"People are like candles," the man said, according to soulrose. "At any moment a breeze can blow it out, so enjoy the light while you have it."






Ashlee Simpson Has Switched Up Her Do: See the New Cut!


10/30/2014 at 04:04 PM ET




Quick: Close your eyes and think of either Simpson sister’s hair. You pictured long, loose, flowing, baby-blonde waves, right? Well, we’re delighted to inform you that both sisters are now sporting sassier, shorter dos — first Jessica, who went short on Saturday, followed by little sis Ashlee, who debuted an extensions-free coif at last night’s amfAR gala.


Ashlee Simpson haircutamie McCarthy/Getty; Christopher Polk/Getty




Both sisters walked down the aisle with their signature super-long locks earlier this summer, but they both seemed to be have bitten by the hair change bug at about the same time.


RELATED PHOTOS: Let’s talk haircuts! Vote on star cut and color changes here


But while Jessica’s new cut is angular and bold, Ashlee’s is a familiar look for her, just minus a few inches (or eight). She also appears to have new face-framing layers cut and a slightly darker blonde wash from roots to tips. And though we never know in Hollywood, it appears to be all her own hair.


Are you loving her shorter, shaggier look? Do you miss the long look? Share thoughts below!


–Alex Apatoff






How Andy Cohen Found Love - with His Dog




10/30/2014 AT 07:10 PM EDT




Last fall, Andy Cohen realized something was missing from his life.


"I was lonely," the talk show host and producer tells PEOPLE. "I wanted a companion."


What he never expected was to find it with a rescue dog named Wacha.


In an excerpt from his new book, The Andy Cohen Diaries, the 46-year-old host of Watch What Happens Live recounts his first year with the pup, now two-years-old, from celeb playdates to potty-training mishaps to TV stardom.


"He's the model of how every famous person should act," Cohen says. "He's just himself."


So now that he’s found love with his canine pal, does Cohen worry he won’t find the real thing? "Not at all," he says. "If anything, Wacha has opened my life up to more."


Read the excerpt below:


Thursday, September 19, 2013


I really need a dog. I need something to take care of and think about other than myself or my job. Seeing a giant waterbug in my bathroom tonight sealed the deal. Can dogs kill bugs? At least we could go through the terror together. Going to start browsing rescue dogs.


Sunday, September 29, 2013


Stayed up until two in the morning looking at dogs online. I fell in love with a beagle-hound mix. He looks perfect – kinda like a Ralph Lauren Snoopy. And he would go in my apartment – he literally goes with the furniture!






FBI Most Wanted, Alleged Cop Killer Eric Frein Captured


FBI Most Wanted, Alleged Cop Killer Eric Frein Captured


Eric Frein (inset). Pennsylvania State Trooper searching woods near Snow Hill Road in Price Township


Butch Comegys/Scranton Times & Tribune/AP; Inset: ennDOT/Pennsylvania State Police/AP





10/30/2014 AT 07:05 PM EDT



Pennsylvania State Police, ending a seven-week manhunt, have captured a man accused of ambushing two troopers, leaving one dead and seriously injuring the other.

Eric Frein, 31, was taken into custody Thursday, state police said. They released no details of his capture.


Frein is charged with opening fire outside the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and seriously wounding another trooper.


Police said they linked him to the ambush after a man walking his dog discovered his partly submerged SUV three days later in a swamp a few miles from the shooting scene. Inside, investigators found shell casings matching those found at barracks as well as Frein's driver's license, camouflage face paint, two empty rifle cases and military gear.


Saying Frein was armed and extremely dangerous, officials had closed schools and urged residents to be alert and cautious. Using dogs, thermal imaging technology and other tools, law enforcement officials combed miles of forest as they hunted for Frein, whom they called an experienced survivalist, at home in the woods.


They pursued countless tips and closed in on an area around Frein's parents' home in Canadensis, Pennsylvania, after he used his cellphone to try contacting them, and the signal was traced to a location about 3 miles away. At times police ordered nearby residents to stay inside or prevented them from returning home.


Trackers found items they believe Frein hid or abandoned in the woods – including soiled diapers, empty packs of Serbian cigarettes, an AK-47-style assault rifle and ammunition and two pipe bombs that were functional and capable of causing significant damage. They also discovered a journal, allegedly kept by Frein and found in a bag of trash at a hastily abandoned campsite, that offered a chilling account of the ambush and his subsequent escape into the woods. The journal's author described Dickson as falling "still and quiet" after being shot twice.


Police spotted a man they believed to be Frein at several points during the manhunt, but it was always from a distance, with the rugged terrain allowing him to keep them at bay. Police said he appeared to be treating the manhunt as a game.


Frein allegedly held anti-law enforcement views for many years and expressed them both online and to people who knew him. But the source of his alleged vendetta remains unclear. His criminal record appears limited to a decade-old misdemeanor case involving items stolen from a World War II re-enactors event in upstate New York, for which he spent 109 days in jail.


Police found a U.S. Army manual called Sniper Training and Employment in the suspect's bedroom at his parents' house, and his father, a retired Army major, told authorities that his son is an excellent marksman who "doesn't miss," according to a police affidavit. Authorities believe he had been planning a confrontation with police for years, citing information they found on a computer used by Frein.


Frein belonged to a military re-enactor's group, playing the part of a Serbian solder. He had a small role in a 2007 movie about a concentration camp survivor and helped with props and historical references on a documentary about World War I.


The FBI named him to its 10 most wanted list.


His 18-year-old sister, Tiffany Frein, earlier acknowledged that her brother "did something messed up" but told NBC News that he is "not a psycho."


Frein is charged with first-degree murder and various other offenses, including two counts of possession of weapons of mass destruction filed after police discovered the pipe bombs.


At his funeral, Dickson was called a devoted husband and father and "impeccable" ex-Marine who took his work seriously but also enjoyed making wooden toys for his young sons and finding humor in everyday situations. Trooper Alex Douglass was shot in the pelvis and critically injured in the ambush, which took place during a late-night shift change.


Douglass remained hospitalized until Oct. 16, when he was discharged to a rehabilitation facility.






Woman Dressed as a Zombie Arrested Twice in Three Hours for Drunk-Driving


Woman Dressed as a Zombie Arrested Twice in Three Hours for Drunk-Driving


Catherine Butler in her Halloween costume


Gates Police






10/30/2014 AT 06:30 PM EDT



It was a not-so-happy Halloween for one reveler who partied a little too hard in upstate New York.

Catherine Butler, 26, was arrested not once, but twice for driving while intoxicated early Saturday morning, police in Gates, New York, say.


The Rochester resident, who was dressed in a bloody zombie costume, was first stopped at about 2 a.m. with a blood-alcohol level of more than .08 percent, according to a press release from the Gates Police Department.


But just three hours later, Butler ended up arrested for another instance of DWI when a different officer "observed a car swerving in and out of its lane," the release reads.


Police are baffled as to how she got back to her vehicle.


"We don't know how she got behind the wheel again," Lt. Jon Ballard tells PEOPLE. "We released her to a friend who was sober, but somehow she got back to her car."


Following the second arrest, authorities took no chances.


"The second time, we took her right back to her house," Ballard says.


Butler has two previous DWI convictions, one in 2011 and another in 2006, according to police.


She is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18.






Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Ryan Gosling Reveal Their True Screen Passions


Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Ryan Gosling Reveal Their True Screen Passions


Jake Gyllenhaal and Mila Kunis, from What I Love About Movies


ADAM CRUFT; BEC WINNEL






10/30/2014 AT 06:15 PM EDT



Talk about an all-star cast: Kristen Stewart, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Radcliffe, Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren, Viggo Mortensen, Ryan Gosling and more … all together, between the covers.

That is, they share equal billing and page space in What I Love About Movies , a sprightly new compendium that Opus Books is publishing next week, just in time for holiday gift giving.


Compiled by David Jenkins, editor of the U.K. movie magazine Little White Lies , and writer-critic Adam Woodward, the book takes one question – "What do you love about movies? – and poses it to 50 different bold-faced names involved in the screen biz.


"It's hard for us to fathom the ramifications of this question," Jenkins explains in his introduction, "as we are essentially asking these people, why did you dedicate your life to the creation of transitory entertainments which drift through the public consciousness like so many scattered autumn leaves?"


Besides the actors, the book's roster also includes directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, Alexander Payne, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers, Pedro Almodovar and Francis Ford Coppola, and illustrates each of their responses with a new portrait of them. (See Gyllenhall and Kunis's above, while the cover rendering of Jude Law shows his head crowned with celluloid.)


Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Ryan Gosling Reveal Their True Screen Passions| Books, Helen Mirren, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kristen Stewart, Mila Kunis, Ryan Gosling, Steven Soderbergh, Tim Burton, Viggo Mortensen

Jude Law, on the cover of What I Love About Movies


Mario Zucco




"I love being able to see the world from someone else's perspective," is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's take on the question, while, in a posthumous tribute (the book is dedicated to him), Philip Seymour Hoffman admits, "There's something that happens when you're in a dark room watching something that has a certain impact on you that reaches a very deep, subconscious part of you."

"I love the anarchy," posits actress Juliette Binoche about making movies, just as Helen Mirren adores "the intimacy [of] the experience of watching a movie."


For Viggo Mortensen, it's all about "The places you will go."


And while Jake Gyllenhaal suggests, "Movies are the closest things we have to dreams," Alfonso CuarĂ³n, director of Gravity , one of the most solitary experiences ever captured on screen, offers this worldview: "As we go through the mystery of existence, films can't make us feel less lonely, but they can make us feel that it is okay to be alone."


Then again, as we all well know, a book is always your very best friend.






T-Pain Performs Without Auto-Tune, Sounds Pretty Good, Actually (VIDEO)


10/30/2014 AT 02:15 PM EDT




It's probably the most shocking musical about-face since Kiss took off their makeup.


T-Pain wasn't the first musician to take an Auto-Tuned vocal track to the top of the charts, but the alien-sounding warble quickly became his trademark.


But 10 or so years after his heyday, Mr. Pain wants to set the record straight. "People felt like I was using it to sound good," he told NPR's All Things Considered . "But I was just using it to sound different."


So, T-Pain took to NPR's "tiny desk" concert series – long a venue for acoustic-based acts – to flip the script. He performed a selection of his songs au naturel to commemorate both his 30th birthday and his upcoming greatest hits album.


His performance is pretty great, which suggests that all this time, T-Pain never needed Auto-Tune. Turns out, Auto-Tune needed him.






T-Pain Performs Without Auto-Tune, Sounds Pretty Good, Actually (VIDEO)


10/30/2014 AT 02:15 PM EDT




It's probably the most shocking musical about-face since Kiss took off their makeup.


T-Pain wasn't the first musician to take an Auto-Tuned vocal track to the top of the charts, but the alien-sounding warble quickly became his trademark.


But 10 or so years after his heyday, Mr. Pain wants to set the record straight. "People felt like I was using it to sound good," he told NPR's All Things Considered . "But I was just using it to sound different."


So, T-Pain took to NPR's "tiny desk" concert series – long a venue for acoustic-based acts – to flip the script. He performed a selection of his songs au naturel to commemorate both his 30th birthday and his upcoming greatest hits album.


His performance is pretty great, which suggests that all this time, T-Pain never needed Auto-Tune. Turns out, Auto-Tune needed him.






Amazing Pop Culture Pumpkins for Halloween


OPRAH WINFREY


The only thing missing from this carving? A few truffles to celebrate the TV host's bucket list trip to Italy, where she went hunting for the special, pricey fungi.