Barney goes to Hollywood!

I'm thrilled to tell you that my fave, Neil Patrick Harris, has been asked to host the 2009 Emmys!

The 61st Annual Emmy Awards will air on September 20 on CBS, the network that's home to NPH's How I Met Your Mother.

If you saw Neil host this year's Tonys, then you'll know he is absolutely up to the task. He's hilarious, endearing, and I just get can't enough.

Suit up for the Emmys, kids!

Update: At a press conference this afternoon, attorney Eric George said that Debbie "has not reached a final decision on pending custody," and she has chosen to keep silent "out of respect for Michael's children."

It would be a "distortion of the truth" to say she is going after custody, the lawyer said. He promised when Deb makes her decision, the media will be notified.

Debbie Rowe is going after the kids.

The mother of Michael Jackson's two eldest kids, Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, "is going to be pursuing custody of the children," her attorney, Iris Finsilver said. "Frankly, she won't have to fight for them," the lawyer told People.com. "She is the children's biological mother. She loves her children."

The kids, including Michael's youngest son, Blanket (who's biological mother is not known), are temporarily in the care of the pop star's mother, Katherine Jackson, who was named as guardian in Michael's will. But Debbie says she's willing to take custody of Blanket, as well, to keep the siblings together.

It looks like she will have a battle on her hands, though, as the Jackson family says they intend to seek permanent custody. "They will fight," says an insider.

In an interview with a Los Angeles television station today, Debbie said, "I want my children. I am stepping up. I have to."

It's going to get ugly.

Here is Michael Jackson's last performance.

Filmed just two days before his death, Michael looked top notch rehearsing for his sold-out This Is It tour, performing "They Don't Really Care About Us."

It's so sad -- especially if you had tickets for one of the sold-out London shows. It looks like it would have been legendary.

Jermaine Jackson went on the Today show this morning and shared his grief over his brother's death with the world.

"He went too soon," said Jermaine, of Michael Jackson, who passed away last week at 50. "I wish that it was me. I've always felt that I was his backbone, someone to be there for him. I was there and he was sort of like Moses. The things he couldn't say, I would say them."

Jermaine described what it was like to get the news from his devastated mother, Katherine.

"She was crying, saying he was dead. To hear my mother say, 'Michael is dead,' to feel and hear the tone in her voice to say her child is dead, is nothing that anyone can ever imagine," Jermaine explained to Matt Lauer.

"I tried to console her," he went on, "but I wanted to see Michael and I wanted to see my brother. To see him there lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me. But I held myself together because I knew he's very much alive in his spirit, and that was just a shell. But I kissed him on his forehead, and I hugged him, and I touched him and I said Michael, 'I'll never leave you. You'll never leave me.'"

Michael's children got to say goodbye to their dad, as well.

"I know it's tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first I was against it, but what do you say if you don't show them?" Jermaine said of the decision to let them see his body.

As for the rumors of Michael's possible drug use, Jermaine says that he would "be hurt" if they turned out to be true "because Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that."

But he also doesn't think it's impossible. "I'm not saying it's right, because it's not right," Jermaine said of the drug talk. "But in this business, the pressure, and things that you go through -- you never know what people might turn to."

There's not going to be much peace for Michael Jackson or his family anytime soon.

According to TMZ.com, Michael's body was filled with injection marks at the time of his death. It is speculated that the singer may have had an injection of the drug Propofol, a powerful anesthesia. The dangerous medication was found in MJ's house after his death, and various medical experts have said there is absolutely no medical justification for Michael to have had this drug in his home. It is used to put people under before surgery and is administered through an IV.

It seems Michael wanted to use the drug to cure his insomnia -- and that he had been a bit of an anesthesia junkie. Sources say the LAPD has asked the DEA to assist them in its investigation into multiple doctors who may have treated Michael and prescribed Propofol.

And, if it is found that a shot of the drug is what caused Michael to go into cardiac arrest and die, serious criminal charges could be filed against the doctor who gave it to him.

Uh-oh. Can you imagine needing anesthesia to sleep?

Well, it's not going to be this time.

According to Forbes, Angelina tops the list of actresses earning the most cash by making $27 million last year. Coming in second, of course, is Jen, who almost caught Angie with $25 mil.

On a much-less interesting note, Meryl Streep came in third with $24 million, followed by Sarah Jessica Parker with $23 million and Cameron Diaz earning $20 mil.

Soooo close, Jen. Maybe next time.

Okay, we're not even sure why Kate Gosselin even has a clothing line -- but it's getting delayed.

Along with her cookbook that has been put on pause, Kate's next endeavor, a line of duds for a company called Healthex, is at a stand-still.

"Our project is on hold while she focuses on her family," a rep for the company told RadarOnline.com.

Really? A clothing line? Maybe hair products, I could see. Or even a line of baby-friendly products -- but a clothing line?

Just baffled.

Sometimes you can say never.

Michael Jackson will not be buried at Neverland Ranch.

The Jacksons, who had hoped to have Michael's funeral at his beloved home, were not able to obtain a residential exemption required for a burial on private property. And there will be no viewing there this Friday, as planned. 

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland," the family said in a statement. "Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

Sources say that this public funeral will most likely take place at on Tuesday, July 7, at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

Insiders say there will also be giant screens outside the facilities for those who won't be able to make it inside.

Do you think Michael should be buried at Neverland? It was his happy place.

Crack goes the heart of girls everywhere!

Kevin Jonas is off the market, ladies, as the JoBro has proposed to his girlfriend, Danielle Deleasa.

"She said yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row," the eldest Jonas told People.com.

Ever the romantic, Kevin surprised his girlfriend of two years by showing up on her doorstep in New Jersey and getting down on one knee. He had just flown on an overnight flight from Vancouver to pop the big question.

"It was tough performing last night, knowing that I was going to ask the biggest question in my life to the most amazing girl in the world," Kev said.

As for the rest of the Jonas family, they are just as thrilled. 

"Our hearts are filled with joy today and we are happy to share with you that our son Kevin has asked Danielle for her hand in marriage," parents Denise and Kevin Jonas Sr. said in a statement. "Her answer was yes, and it is such a blessing that she will be joining our family. Kevin and Danielle have not yet set a date. Family is very dear to us, and we hope we have raised Kevin to be a wonderful man and husband. Please join us in our family's celebration and in congratulating Kevin and Danielle. Thank you for all of your support." 

Brothers Nick and Joe were also so psyched about the nups that they Twittered, "Congrats big brother.....Dani welcome to the family, we can't wait to have you join us on the road!"

So, does this mean the purity ring is about to come off?

Bradley Cooper is playing the hot actress field.

After having an intimate dinner date with Jennifer Aniston a few weeks ago, Brad stepped out with Renee Zellweger Tuesday night.

The cuties dined at NYC's Antonucci, where they acted very much like they were into each other.

"She didn't really eat much, but he ate," a witness told People.com. "They were very flirty. Either he's being very gentlemanly, 'cause that's the way he is, or they're dating. He paid. He pulled out her chair, that kind of stuff."

But, just like Jen's peeps, a source close to Renee says she and Bradley are just pals.

So, what's the deal? Bradley is sexy and charming and single -- where is the love?

Yesterday reports began to swirl that Michael Jackson's will had surfaced, and that the pop star had intentionally left nothing of his fortune to his dad, Joe Jackson.

Now that the will, which was dated July 7, 2002, has been filed, here's what we've learned: 

- Michael left all of his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust

- He named his mother Katherine as guardian of his children - Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7 - and as the beneficiary of the trust.

- Diana Ross is named as the successor trustee to Katherine, if necessary.

- No charities are named as beneficiaries

- Joe Jackson was not specifically left out of the will

"There are no numbers in the will," says a source said. "The assets are going into the family trust."

Michael's death has sparked so many rumors and crazy stories -- we'll do our best to keep you up to date on what's fact and what's fiction.

-Photo by Getty Images-
"If I can't flaunt it at 20, come on! I mean I might as well show it now."

-- I Love You, Beth Cooper's Hayden Panettiere, on showing her goodies in her new flick

I wish Madonna would share her time machine with everyone else.

Check out how young Madge looks in the Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2009 ad campaign.

Okay, so I'm pretty sure her time machine goes by the name of Photoshop, but man, she looks like a porcelain doll in these new ads! Even with hours of retouching some of us could never look that good.

And, by some of us, I mean me, who is 16 years younger than the almost-51-year-old Material Girl.

Just amazing.

So, is Debbie Rowe the biological mother of Michael Jackson's two eldest children, Prince Michael and Paris?

According to her she is.

Debbie's lawyers felt the need to release a statement on Michael's ex's behalf, since yesterday's media blitz which questioned if Debbie was actually the kids' mom.

"We refuse to be drawn into addressing the various rumors and speculation swirling in the media," her attorney, Marta Almli, told E! News. "The vast majority of what is out there is untrue. Particularly hurtful and insidious is the most recent rumor--which is entirely false--concerning the maternity of the children. Ms. Rowe is the biological mother of the two oldest children."

As for who the daddy is, Us Weekly is swearing that Michael had no part in creating those children -- and that his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, is actually the pops.

But the good doc isn't talking.

"Dr. Klein is aware of media reports connecting him to Michael Jackson," his lawyer, Richard L. Charnley, told E! News.

"Because of patient confidentiality Dr. Klein will make no statement on any reports or allegations. Out of respect for his patients and adherence to federal HIPAA regulations, Dr. Klein asks that the media not contact his patients nor interfere with their medical treatments. Like millions of Michael's fans around the world, Dr. Klein is saddened by Michael's death and extends his condolences to Michael's family."

My head is just spinning from all of this.

Farrah Fawcett's loved ones gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to say goodbye to the actress who passed away from cancer last week.

Over 200 guests (the service was by invitation only), including Ryan & Redmond O' Neal, Kate Jackson, Marla Maples and Joan Collins attended the hour-long Catholic service, where Farrah's best friend Alana Stewart and her doctor Lawrence Piro spoke.

"Goodbye sweet girl," Alana said. "[Farrah] never felt sorry for herself during her illness ... she fought cancer furiously. She's the most beautiful angel in heaven. She always seemed so indestructible."

Ryan and son, Redmond, who was allowed to leave jail for the funeral, served as pall bearers, carrying Farrah's casket out of the church, and after, guests were taken by van to a reception where a band played Farrah's favorite music.

"The funeral was really just beautiful and so sweet," Lisa Fawcett, Farrah's cousin, told People.com. 

Hopefully they can all begin to heal now.

Plus: See photos of the stars at Farrah's funeral

Here's just a tiny glimpse into what's been going on outside of Michael Jackson's L.A. home within the last couple of days.

With the funeral arrangements set, and a public memorial and viewing being held at the Neverland Ranch on Friday, Michael's devoted fans will get their chance to properly say their goodbyes to the King of Pop.

I know you can't put a timeline on grief -- everyone experiences it their own way -- I just wonder how long this outpouring of love will go on for. 

The arrangements have been made.

According to CNN, there will be both a public and private funeral for Michael Jackson.

First the singer's body will be flown back to the Neverland Ranch for a public viewing on Friday, then, on Sunday, there will be a private memorial.

It has not been announced where Michael's body will eventually be buried.

Earlier today, fans gathered at the Apollo Theater in NYC to pay tribute to Michael -- a place where he performed as a child.

What a scene Neverland Ranch is going to be...

In a very deserving turnaround, Eminem is the one being made fun of in a new video.

Former object of his affection, Mariah Carey, dresses up like the rapper in her video for her song, "Obsessed," where she just might be singing about Em.

"You're so lame....Ooh boy, why you so obsessed with me? Ohh finally found a girl that you couldn't impress/Last man on the earth/still couldn't get this," sings Mimi.

The back-story on these two is shady -- Em says they dated, Mariah says he wishes. Either way, Em started by dissing Mariah's hubby, Nick Cannon, in his song "Bagpipes From Baghdad." So, all's fair in love and war, kids.

Here's the first photo of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's new twin girls, Marion and Tabitha, who were delivered by a surrogate on June 22.

The new little ladies will be adored (and protected!) by older brother, James Wilkie, 6 1/2.

So sweet!

Plus: See which other stars have had babies via surrogates

Is this girl on a roll or what?

After getting dumped by Bachelor Jason Mesnick, Melissa Rycroft has had one lucky day after another.

She tore up on the floor on last season's Dancing With the Stars, just snagged a gig with Good Morning America, and now has gotten her new boyfriend to put a ring on her finger!

According to Star, Melissa and Tye Strickland are engaged -- and she's thrilled.

"She has long wanted to be married -- she's a Southern girl at heart and can't wait to be a wife," a source tells the mag. "Tye was so supportive during her whole rise to fame and during her grueling rehearsals for Dancing With the Stars that she is certain he will be a good husband. He is nurturing toward her and that's what she needs."

Still, though, other sources say Melissa was afraid that the news would get out and people would think she was rushing into something too soon after getting her heart broken by Jason.

"Melissa doesn't want everyone to know yet that she is engaged to Tye because she doesn't want to be judged for getting engaged again so soon after her last fiancé, Jason, broke it off with her last March," the insider told Star.

"The last thing she wants is people saying that she must be desperate. She's been dating Tye for only a few months but she's known him for years, so she thinks he's solid."

Do you think it's too soon for Melissa to be planning another wedding?

In a slightly bizarre press conference yesterday, Michael Jackson's dad, Joe Jackson, accompanied by Rev. Al Sharpton, announced that there would be a public memorial for his son.

But that's it on that.

Joe said funeral arrangements have not yet been made for the entertainer, as they are waiting for the results of the second autopsy, but that he knows Michael would have been overwhelmed by the support already shown for him.

"The family and I are very proud to see all of you come out here and help us with this whole situation. I wish Michael could be here to see all this. Michael was a superstar. He was loved in every country and the U.S...but one thing Michael didn't know, he didn't know how strong this could be."

"There's going to be a tribute at the Apollo. People are planning museums in Gary, Indiana," Al Sharpton said. "There's all kinds of things the family is going to consider. As a family they came out of Gary and they gave the world a whole new glow and they must be careful to protect that glow."

Joe also commented on his wife, Katherine, getting custody of Michael's children.

"We love those kids still," he said. "We're going to take care of them and give them the education they're supposed to have. We can do that. And we have the area enough and the premises large enough to be able to extend to them all the help that they might need."

Here's the weird part -- Joe used his time with reporters to also pitch his new record label, Ranch Records.

Um, ew. 

Is that tacky or what?

Pills, pills, and more pills. That's what's coming out of Michael Jackson's home.

Chief Investigator Craig Harvey told reporters yesterday that the Los Angeles County Coroner's officials have confiscated various prescription drugs from MJ's place.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter and his team were spotted leaving the deceased superstar's home yesterday with two large plastic bags. They removed "additional medical evidence as part of our work with the LAPD," Harvey said.

The Los Angeles Times is also reporting that the cops are looking for other doctors that had prescribed Michael his meds.

We already know that Michael's live-in doc, Dr. Conrad Murray, says he wasn't supplying Michael with OxyContin or Demerol, but what we didn't know was that the good doc had been working without board certification at the time of MJ's death. His most recent license expired in 2008.

Whoops.

Still, Dr. Murray's lawyer says his client did everything he could to help at the scene.

"The doctor rode with Michael Jackson to the hospital," Murray's attorney, Edward Chernoff, told Larry King Live. "He was in the hospital room. He worked with the doctors at UCLA to try to revive him. After he was pronounced dead, the doctor stayed in the hospital, spoke with the family members that were there at the time."

So, if he's not in trouble, why does he need a lawyer, Larry asked.

"You have a lot more faith in the justice system if you don't think he doesn't need a lawyer," Chernoff answered.

Comforting.

Jon & Kate Gosselin are finally using their heads and have agreed to stop trashing each other publicly.

"During this very difficult time we will be working to focus solely on the needs of our family," the Gosselins said in a joint statement. "This includes no longer commenting publicly or reacting to media stories and speculation.

"Our goal is to do the very best for our children and that will be done as privately as possible. We appreciate the understanding, support and well wishes from so many. Thank you."

Wow! Doing something to protect the children from the media frenzy you've created over your divorce? What a novel idea!

Speaking of novels, the release of Kate's upcoming cookbook, to have been titled, Love Is in the Mix: Making Meals Into Memories, has been delayed. It was originally scheduled to hit bookshelves in November, but -- since the back cover had promised an "inside look at one of America's most famous close-knit families" -- there's going to have to be a rewrite or twenty.

Such a sad day.

Redmond O'Neal, who is currently serving a jail sentence for violating his probation on drug charge, will be able to attend mom Farrah Fawcett's funeral today, says his lawyer.

"That's an absolute yes," William Slattery told People.com.

Redmond will get a pass out of Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, Calif., for the invitation-only service, being held at Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Red had previously been allowed to visit his ailing mother a few times while she was on her deathbed.

Our Lady of Angels -- how fitting.

The August issue of Vanity Fair (on sale July 7) features the dearly-departed Heath Ledger, as friends of the actor tell the magazine what Heath's final days were like.

Cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, who was working with Heath on his final film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, says Heath had taken himself off illicit drugs and alcohol.

" [He] used to smoke marijuana on a regular basis, like probably 50 percent of Americans." But once it became and issue, Heath "went clean as a whistle," Nicola said.

Vocal coach Gerry Grennell, who worked and lived with the actor during the filming of The Dark Knight, concurred. "Heath would happily go to the bar, buy a round of drinks for friends, and come back and have a soda or juice, never once drinking alcohol."

Gerry said he was much more concerned with Heath's insomnia -- and the measures he was taking to get some sleep. "I'd say, 'If you can possibly bear it to stop taking the medications, do, because they don't seem to be doing you any good.' He agreed. It is very difficult for me to imagine how close he came to not taking them."

"Everyone has a different view of how he passed away," Gerry told the mag. "From my perspective, and knowing him as well as I did, and being around him as much as I was, it was a combination of exhaustion, sleeping medication ... and perhaps the aftereffects of the flu. I guess his body just stopped breathing."

Sources say the insomnia was a result of the souring of Heath's personal life with Michelle Williams.

"Heath was always blaming himself [about the relationship], asking 'what did I do wrong?'" Heath's friend, director Terry Gilliam said. "Once it started going south, it went very quickly. He was overwhelmed by lawyers, and there were more and more of them, as if they were breeding." 

Custody issues surrounding their daughter, Matilda, made the situation that much worse. "There were definitely heated conversations," says one source, "and emotions were high."

On top of it all, Heath was extremely driven by his love of acting -- but didn't ever want to sell out.

"He was a private person, and he didn't want to share his personal history with the press. It just wasn't up for sale," his friend and agent, Steven Alexander revealed. "That's part of the reason he initially tore down his career. He wasn't motivated by money or stardom, but by the respect of his peers, and for people to walk out of a movie theater after they'd seen something that he'd worked on and say, 'Wow, he really disappeared into that character.' He was striving to become an 'illusionist,' as he called it, able to create characters that weren't there."

Such a talented but tortured soul.

Uh-oh -- is it time to start worrying about Britney again?

The pop princess has dyed her goldilocks back to brown -- and every time she does that it's usually to match her darkening mood.

But maybe she's just in need of change -- or her new guy likes brunettes.

Do you like Brit's new 'do?

It wasn't a bump on the head that caused the sudden death of Billy Mays.

According to the coroner in Tampa, Fl, the TV pitchman died of a pulmonary embolism. The preliminary autopsy report also says that the Oxiclean guru had evidence of heart disease. The medical examiner concluded that Billy "had an enlarged heart, a thickening of the wall of the ventricle which takes blood to the heart."

Final results of the autopsy and cause of death will not be known for several weeks, but it is known that the knock to the head that Billy received while on a flight home from Pennsylvania was not relevant. There was no evidence of head trauma and internal and external injuries did not exist.

Unfortunately, dying from natural causes doesn't make anything easier on his loved ones.  

Somewhere Kevin Bacon is doing his Footloose dance.

Businessman Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison today, for swindling a bunch of people, including Kevin and his wife, Kyra Sedgewick, and other celebs like Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, out of millions of dollars.

Federal investigators have identified 1,341 investors who trusted Madoff -- and now who have losses exceeding $13 billion.

Before receiving his sentence, Madoff attempted to apologize in court.

"I live in a tormented state for all the pain and suffering I created," he said. "I left a legacy of shame. It is something I will live with for the rest of my life."

"Saying I'm sorry is not enough. I turn to face you. I know it will not help. I'm sorry," he said to the victims in the courtroom. 

"How can you excuse betraying thousands of investors?" he asked. "How can you excuse deceiving hundreds of employees? How can you excuse lying to and deceiving your wife who still stands by you?"

You can't, and unfortunately the 150 years doesn't get the cash back to all those people.

Paris, Prince and Blanket have been staying with Michael's mother, Katherine -- and that's the way the Jacksons want to keep it.

[There isn't] anybody who thinks that there is someone better" than Katherine Jackson to have custody, said the family's attorney, Londell McMillan, on this morning's Today show. "She is a very loving host of other grandchildren."

The family lawyer also said that, despite reports, they have not heard from Debbie Rowe, the biological of Michael's two elder children.

"Ms. Rowe's only thoughts at this time have been regarding the devastating loss Michael's family has suffered," Debbie's attorney, Marta Almli. "Ms. Rowe requests that Michael's family, and particularly the children, be spared such harmful, sensationalist speculation and that they be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace."

With whom do you think Michael's kids belong?

Britain's The Sun claims to have gotten their hands on a copy of Michael Jackson's autopsy report -- and the findings are not pretty.

According to the paper, Michael weighed 112 lbs at the time of his death from cardiac arrest last week, had no hair,  and was found with nothing but partially dissolved pills in his stomach. The report claimed Michael had tons of scars as a result of 13 cosmetic operations, that the bridge of his nose had disappeared and the right side had caved in. He also had unexplained bruises on his knees and shins and bruising to his back.

Michael's body also suffered broken ribs from the paramedics' attempts to try and revive the singer. In addition, there were four injections around his heart, presumably from the medical workers attempts to jump start his heart with adrenaline.

"He was skin and bone, his hair had fallen out and he had been eating nothing but pills when he died," the paper quotes a source as saying. "Injection marks all over his body and the disfigurement caused by years of plastic surgery show he'd been in terminal decline for years.

Official reports aren't due for another four to six weeks, but this info is enough to make me not want to hear anymore.