Fact: The top 24 American Idol contestants were selected this week.

Rumor: The following is a list of those finalists, according to one show source. How do you feel about these choices (some of whom are yet to audition on an episode)?

Top 12 Girls
Asiah Epperson
Alaina Whitaker
Alex Lushington
Amanda Overmyer
Amy Davis
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Joanne Borgella
Kady Malloy (pictured)
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramielle Malubay
Syesha Mercado

Top 12 Guys
Chikeze Eze
Colton Berry
Danny Noriega
David Archuleta
David Cook
David Hernandez
Garrett Haley
Jason Castro
Jason Yeager
Luke Menard
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico

Britney Spears' right hand man, Sam Lutfi, was grilled hard by Mark Vincent Kaplan, K-Fed's lawyer, yesterday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The goal, from Kaplan's perspective, was to learn how Lutfi injected himself into Britney's life, what her behavior is like, and how that impacts her kids.

The deposition, which ended just before 6:00 p.m. PST, covered a wide range of issues. Sources say Kaplan asked about the meds Britney takes, where she goes, what she does at home, what she drinks, and on and on and on.

Kaplan also asked Sam Lutfi about his relationship with the celebrity photo agency X17 and specifically whether he and the train wreck have a financial deal where they help X17 get pictures of Britney Spears and in return get ca$h.

This would be one hell of a blow to Britney's chances of ever seeing Sean Preston and Jayden James again if true. X17 has denied there's any deal.

Kaplan asked that sponge Lutfi about his own income and where he gets it, etc. Further probing Lutfi's shady past, Kaplan also asked about the six lawsuits in which he was reportedly sued - Sam said most were against his father.

TMZ reports that Lynne Spears, Britney's mom, has no idea where Sam Lutfi came from and how he got into her daughter's life in the first place.

All those details may finally come to light soon. Stay tuned ...

Diana Wolozin, the masseuse who discovered Heath Ledger when the actor was found dead Tuesday, spent nine minutes making three phone calls to Mary-Kate Olsen before she called 911, the Associated Press reports.

She called Mary-Kate Olsen a fourth time after paramedics arrived.

Police sources say the calls are not relevant to their investigation since they believe Heath Ledger was dead when Wolozin arrived.

Foul play has been ruled out.

Both the New York Post and New York Daily News have reported that Ledger - whose funeral is set for today - had been dating Mary-Kate.

Certainly friends, definitely party pals and maybe more than that, Heath Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen first met over the summer of 2006, at the time he was living at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, People has learned.

More recently, "Mary-Kate and Heath Ledger were casually dating for three months before Heath's death," a source says. "They were hooking up, but neither were particularly interested in making it exclusive."

As for what drew the two together, says the source:"They had a bond that was based on partying ... they had a lot of the same tastes in partying ... like, in terms of where they liked to hang out in New York, what time they would want to go out. They just had the same sensibility."

In other news, Fox News' John Gibson has issued an "apology" for ridiculing the death of Heath Ledger the other day. It's far from sincere.

In the following clip, FOX News reporter John Gibson appears awfully apologetic for his crude remarks regarding the death of Heath Ledger. He feels terrible about the lack of respect he showed earlier this week.

NOT!

What a pompous fraud. Check out the "apology" now:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ8sFzuWouo&eurl=http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/videos/john-gibson/[/youtube]

According to a less than reputable celebrity gossip tabloid, Angelina Jolie has been bitten by the pregnancy bug that's inflicting so many Hollywood beauties

We'll try to find out if the female half of Brangelina really has been drinking the same water as Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Camila Alves and Jamie Lynn Spears.

But, for now, Star magazine is reporting that Jolie canceled a long-scheduled trip to Europe because she's knocked up. With twins!

"Brad and Angelina are absolutely ecstatic," a source said. "But I still think there will be more adoptions to come."

There are also reports that Angie has been making visits to the OB GYN office of the doctor who helped Nicole Richie through her recent pregnancy. We've heard they don't serve any food in that waiting room.

Mathieu Schreyer is better known as "Mr. French" to those that follow this DJ.

We're guessing new girlfriend Rosario Dawson might refer to him by the same moniker, but for different, tongue kissing reasons!

Seen, here, Schreyer and his cute girlfriend pose for the camera during a shopping trip in Venice, California yesterday. Later, the DJ probably saw Rosario Dawson nude! Lucky frog.

The 28-year-old actress had previously been romantically linked to horror film director Eli Roth and Sex and the City star Jason Lewis for two years.

Jessica Simpson is pissed about the OK! magazine article we told you about yesterday, which suggested she got (almost) dumped by Tony Romo.

She's reportedly taking legal action against the celebrity gossip rag.

Titled "Jessica Dumped!" and appearing in the February 4 issue, the article claims Tony Romo dumped Jessica Simpson after his team, the Dallas Cowboys, was eliminated from the NFL playoffs by the New York Giants.

Simpson's lawyers say the article is "utterly false" and "based on nothing more than rumor, gossip and innuendo." The article also claims Jessica's sister Ashlee Simpson has even attempted to "distance herself" from Jess.

The attorneys say that's B.S. too.

A dejected Tony Romo dumped Jessica, or tried to, according to reports.

Simpson's lawyers have sent a letter to OK!'s Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Ivens, claiming OK!'s article is completely bogus, adding that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are still together and that Ashlee and Jessica remain close.

The attorneys say the article is a "smear campaign" and has subjected Jessica Simpson to "public contempt, ridicule, aversion or disgrace."

Actually, her lack of talent and faltering career have taken care of that. But still, if that stuff's not true, they've got a decent point.

With Britney Spears nude, crazy and on the prowl (for what, who the hell knows), spies and interns for The Hollywood Gossip report that road signs like this one have begun popping up around Hollywood and greater Los Angeles ...

Okay, not really.

But maybe area highway departments should consider it. Between Britney Spears' craziness and the pack of paparazzi following her and the chaos stemming from that circus, SoCal motorists and pedestrians alike should be on notice.

NOTE: We found the above image randomly while browsing the Internets. If you created this gem or no who did, let us know so we can link over and give credit!

We added 25 new celebrity pics to our gallery today. Some usual suspects, some new faces, some ugly, some hot. Here's a sampling ...

Continue Reading...

Lauren Conrad is going to have a new roommate, and it's very a familiar face for fans of Laguna Beach and The Hills.

No, Heidi Montag has not come crawling back. Lauren Bosworth ("Lo" to real fans) is reuniting with her high school BFF!

The Hills' co-star and Lauren's current roommate, Audrina Patridge, recently said in an interview that Lauren "Lo" Bosworth will be moving in with the two of them when they settle into Lauren's new house.

"New year, new house, new jobs, new boys, new everything," Audrina Patridge told Us Weekly about the new episodes of The Hills. "It's gonna be fun!"

Lauren Conrad and Lauren Bosworth have always been close friends. Now LC and Lo will be roommates, according to fellow roomie Audrina Patridge!

Here's some background on Lo, from what we know (as avid Laguna Beach / Hills watchers) and from what our low-paid, hard-working interns dug up ...

• Lo has one brother and one sister.
• During the first season of Laguna Beach, Lo was a senior.
• She made periodic appearances on The Hills in its third season.
• In high school, she had more strict parents and was relatively more conservative than some of her fellow cast members.
• She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, Lauren transferred to UCLA for her junior year. She is, or was, majoring in communications and art history.
• Lauren Bosworth has stated that she does not have any online profile of any sort and that any baring her name are all fake.
• [Which, come to think of it, means the girl we added as a friend three weeks ago and have been corresponding with is totally full of $--t!]