Tag Archives: Exclusive Interview

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Big Brother’s Lawon Exum Dishes On BB Houseguests!

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

I sat down with the only self-evictee in the 13-season history of Big Brother, Lawon Exum, and he dished all about why he nominated himself for eviction, what kind of special powers he was hoping for and how he feels about his fellow houseguests.

Lawon described what Big Brother slop tastes like, how many pairs of shoes he sneaked into the house, and Brenchel’s wedding!

No subject was left untouched! He told me what went through his mind when he found out about Keith being a pastor and Dominic being a virgin. And, yes, he confirmed that Jeff Schroeder is as hot as we all think he is.

Lawon even spoke about how he auditioned for Big Brother.

Watch it all here, in my exclusive 3-part exit interview with Lawon:

Lawon and me 🙂

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Bachelor Pad’s Erica Rose On Kissing Jake Pavelka

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

On the August 15 episode of Bachelor Pad, the beautiful Erica Rose was used as a human paint target during the “Target On Your Back” immunity challenge. Since that show’s airing, Erica sat down with me for a video interview (watch below) and opened up about her feelings after being voted as the least attractive female in the Bachelor Pad house. She also told me that some of the guys, including Michael Stagliano, have since talked to her about why they voted the way they did. Erica actually watched that episode with her mother who was outraged over the treatment of her daughter but Erica has received so much love via Twitter since the show aired, that she feels much better now.

In the interview which can be watched below, Erica also spilled the beans about this Monday’s upcoming episode (August 22, 2011) where she kisses Jake Pavelka. “Jake is a good kisser,” Erica said. “He was on The Bachelor, so he knows what he is doing.”

Erica said she doesn’t know why she was the only one in the BP house who was going after Jake considering he was the bachelor and not just a contestant like the rest of the guys. Erica also talked about how hooking up with Jake made things a bit awkward with Jake’s ex, Vienna Girardi, who is now a good friend of Erica’s. Erica also said that the on-going feud between Jake and Vienna’s current beau, Kasey Kahl, will send one of those men packing after Monday’s eviction. So much to look forward to tonight!

Watch my interview video with Erica below to find out if the romance between Jake and Erica is still on and what Erica’s future looks like (hint, she is about to graduate from University Of Houston Law School! And, she is realeasing her Dr. Phil inspired Stiletto Bikini Blast workout):

Here are some photos of Erica from her interview with Extra TV at The Grove:

Video: Pia Toscano Interview: “Trying To Find The Perfect Sound For My Album”

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Photo Credit: Parisa Michelle.

May 12, Hollywood, CA – The gorgeous Pia Toscano walked the red carpet at Samsung/AT&T’s “Infuse Your Imagination” event.

Pia gave CelebMagnet an interview (watch below), sharing her thoughts on the shocking James Durbin elimination on American Idol just moments before (She could not refer to James specifically since the episode had not yet aired on the west coast).
Pia also spoke about her upcoming album and the Idol tour. She said her album will be pop with an R&B flavor. About the tour, she is absolutely “giddy” about performing at the same venues where she watched Rihanna and Lady Gaga perform just a year ago.

Watch the full interview below.

Photo Credit: Wire Image

The Infuse Your Imagination event celebrated the launch of the Samsung Infuse 4G exclusively from AT&T – and featured a special private musical performance by Nicki Minaj. Full story/more pics from this event can be found here.
Photo Credit: Parisa Michelle
Photo Credit: Samah Sohrab

Photo Credit: Sama Sohrab

Jake Pavelka Gets Recurring Role on “The Bold And The Beautiful” – Exclusive Interview

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

Jake Pavelka, the former star on The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars and Drop Dead Diva, told CelebMagnet exclusively that he is filming several episodes of The Bold And The Beautiful in a recurring role of the pilot which he debuted earlier this month.

Pavelka, who is a commercial pilot in real life says, “I play a pilot and what’s ironic is that it’s harder to play a pilot than to be a pilot!”

On B&TB, Pavelka will be playing the Forrester family pilot  and was offered the role in part because producer Brad Bell flies planes as well. “Bell is a pilot and we have a lot in common.”

Don’t think for a second that his acting career will put an end to Pavelka’s flying days. He also told CelebMagnet that he is hard at work preparing for an aerobatic air show! He has buddied up with owner Rich Perkins and training in Livermore, CA.  Perkins, who used to fly the U-2 and was a senior flier of the T-38, and Pavelka are training for a two-ship air show which will debut shortly.  
As for his love life, Pavelka is still dating Meghan Jones who is a wedding planner in Dallas, TX and tells me, “Things are going great.” Pavelka was only too proud to show off phone pics of Meghan’s booth at the Dallas Bridal Show taking place this weekend.
What else is in store for Pavelka? He is looking to buy a home in Los Angeles and making this city his permanent home since it looks like his acting career is starting to take off…congrats on all fronts Jake!

Disney’s Newest Show “Shake It Up!” Premieres Sunday – Watch Exclusive Interview W/The Show’s Brandon Johnson

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

  One of the stars of Disney Channel’s newest show, Shake It Up!, R. Brandon Johnson (One Life to Live, Hannah Montana), gave CelebMagnet an exclusive video interview (below) all about the show which is set to premiere Sunday (8:30 p.m., ET/PT) and will be television’s first dance-driven sitcom.

Watch the interview:


Shake It Up!, a show about friendship and following one’s dreams, was created by Chris Thompson (Laverne and Shirley, Bosom Buddies, The Naked Truth) and executive-produced by Thompson and Rob Lotterstein (The War at Home, Ellen).

Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Channels Worldwide said about the show:

Newcomers Bella Thorne and Zendaya make for one of the most likable and engaging BFF duos we’ve ever seen. And while buddy comedies have been around since the start of television, what makes Shake It Up unique is that this is the first time anyone has incorporated dancing into the underlying premise of a sitcom.

Other cast members include Davis Cleveland (Good Luck Charlie, Desperate Housewives) as Flynn Jones, Kenton Duty (Lost) as Gunther Hessenheffer, Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam) as Ty Blue, and Caroline Sunshine (Marmaduke) as Tinka Hessenheffer.

Brandon Johnson and May May Ali (Muhammad Ali’s daughter) at the red carpet for Night of the Masters

Brandon Johnson (R) with Damion Hall (L)

Brandon Johnson and me 🙂

Tiya Sircar Of The Vampire Diaries and 17 Again Talks About What It’s Like to Work With Hollywood’s Hottest Men!

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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW.

 I first met actress Tiya Sircar at a birthday dinner for a mutual friend two years ago. Tiya was charming, sweet, funny and incredibly down to earth – so down to earth in fact that I would never have guessed she is one of Hollywood’s fastest rising stars. Yet, that is exactly who she is: A young actress on the fast track to stardom.

You have seen Tiya in some of the most popular TV shows, including House MD, Hannah Montana, Greek, Moonlight, Numb3rs, Privileged, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. 

She has played alongside some of Hollywood’s hottest men including Zac Efron (in 17 Again) and Justin Timberlake (in the upcoming Friends with Benefits). And she has completed three feature-length movies which will all come out next year.  Tiya currently plays Aimee Bradley alongside Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder on The Vampire Diaries. 

I recently met up with Tiya for coffee and she gave me the scoop on the special Halloween episode of The Vampire Diaries which airs Thursday night. Tiya says the episode is gonna be “huge, insane, full of carnage and blood! It’s gonna be an amazing show.”

She also gave me the low down on her upcoming movies, The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone and The Domino Effect, and spilled the beans on what it’s like to play alongside some of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men.

Watch the interview:


Elizabeth Kitt Of Bachelor Pad – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

Photo Courtesy of ABC

  The season finale of Bachelor Pad airs tonight and the winner of the $250K prize will be crowned.

We are down to the final six contestants and I spoke with one of those finalists, Elizabeth Kitt, and got the scoop on the game, the house, the Fantasy Suite, the challenges, the friendships and her relationship with Jesse Kovacs.

CelebMagnet: What was the most difficult part of living in the Bachelor Pad?
Elizabeth: The most difficult things for me were being strategic, playing the game without hurting my friends, and getting myself as far as possible. It was very difficult knowing everyone in the house had to be strategic. We came in the house with a lot of our friends. And none of us wanted to hurt each other but we also wanted to get ourselves as far as possible. I had a hard time deciding whether people in the house were being honest or shady. The first few days, I couldn’t sleep. I was so stressed. All of the strategy weighed so heavily on me in the beginning, that I decided after the first episode, I would stop being strategic and just play the game. My friends and I made a pact then that we would not discuss strategy at all, other than telling each other who we would vote off right before the vote. This “non-strategy” actually ended up working really well for us because it allowed for sanity for the “insiders” and kept us in the game for the long run. It also kept us from second-guessing ourselves and each other.

CelebMagnet: Other than Kovacs, with whom were you the closest inside Bachelor Pad?
Elizabeth: Ashley Elmore. Ashley and I were on The Bachelor the same season – Jake Pavelka‘s. Ashley is a loyal friend. She is smart. She played the game safe and tried to stay under the radar. I tried to convince her to couple up – but she didn’t and obviously, she left the show when it came down to just the couples staying.

CelebMagnet: Did any one player surprise you?
Elizabeth: Wes Hayden surprised me. I went into the show not having heard anything positive about him. But, he’s a great guy who got a bad wrap. We all have a million sides to us, and only his bad sides were emphasized on The Bachelorette. He is a good guy with a genuine heart. He’s fun to be around and has a ton of friends off the show as well – speaking to how great a guy he is.

SEE PICTURES OF ELIZABETH KITTS’ MAKEOVER FROM BLONDE TO BRUNETTE

 CelebMagnet: Did you and Kovacs get in trouble for using the “Fantasy Suite?”
Elizabeth: No. Kovacs and I had not had a date on the show when we decided to go to the Fantasy Suite. We are both mature adults and did not think it would be in bad taste to take advantage of the Fantasy Suite. We both wanted to take full advantage of the opportunities presented on Bachelor Pad. I mean, how often will we again get the chance to leave behind our cell phones, jobs, TV, internet and just have each other? We became very close to people in the house. And it was just a fun time.

CelebMagnet: Why did everyone on the show start calling Kovacs by his last name only?
Elizabeth: Since there were three people with same first name, the producers asked us to call him by his last name. I don’t call him “Kovacs” in my normal days off the show.

SEE EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM THE BACHELOR PAD CAST PARTY

 CelebMagnet: So, the question we all want answered: Are you and Kovacs still together?Elizabeth: Well, living in the house, you really get to know someone well. The situation lends itself to an accelerated building of a relationship. If Kovacs and I ever had a shot at a relationship, it would have been at the house. After the taping of the show ended, he and I tried for a short minute to continue our relationship. Then he and I talked and it was clear he was not ready for anything other than a casual relationship and I want a commitment. So, we ended things but have remained friends and don’t hate each other. But we don’t hang out. It’s hard on me. I put my heart out there on the show and he would be so nice to my face. But then when the shows aired, I heard him say very uncomplimentary things about me on camera which I found very hurtful. Had I known while I was in the house what he was saying on camera, I never would have gotten closer to him.

I fell so hard for him before coming into the house. Our relationship had started before: We lived three miles away from each other, saw each other often, worked out together, and met each other’s families. But when the shows aired, I found out the other side of what he was thinking about me. He said I had a “screw loose.” He said lots of hurtful things and I did not deserve that. I never mistreated him or spoke badly of him. And I could never date a guy who speaks poorly of me.

CelebMagnet: So, you have watched all of the episodes now – What do you think of the other “insiders” (Tenley Molzahn, Kiptyn Locke, David Good, and Natalie Getz) going with loyalty and keeping you and Kovacs versus being strategic and keeping Peyton Wright and Jesse Beck?
Elizabeth: I had no idea all of that was going on. Like I said before, I was not participating in strategy. I didn’t speak badly about anyone. I was very go with the flow. After watching the shows, I was very surprised to see how many times I was on the chopping block. I knew that Tenley and Natalie had a stronger relationship and had a girl code between the two of them. But I had no idea they wanted me and Kovacs out. I am so glad they kept us because it would have been very sad to leave before the final six.

It’s also funny because I watched that particular episode with Tenley and Natalie – and luckily, it all worked out in the end.

CelebMagnet: What did you think of the challenges/games?
Elizabeth: A lot of us went into the house thinking we had to be in great physical shape for the challenges. But a pie eating contest? WHO can prepare for that? And I can’t tell you how gross the pies were.

The kissing game – it was funny. I was watching all of the girls kiss the guys before my turn. I knew who all were in relationships. So, I tried to kiss the men the way their girlfriends would kiss them to confuse them so they would vote for me as the best kisser. So, even if the games seemed juvenile, there was still strategy involved on how best to win.

The questions/voting game was hurtful and a low blow. We were not prepared for that.

The water balloon game: Dave’s a football player. Kovacs is a baseball player. I knew we would not win because football involves more finesse. That last throw from David to Natalie was a beautiful throw. They did a good job.

Overall, we were caught off guard that such elementary challenges were in the way of us making $250K.

CelebMagnet: What’s next in store for you?
Elizabeth: I live in LA. I am open to any opportunity. I’d be interested in show hosting. Currently, I am in sales and have been in sales since college. Who knows what the future holds for me….

John West Signs Record Deal with Mercury / Island Def Jam

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.

  The world-famous Third-Street Promenade in Santa Monica is known for two things: Shops and talented unsigned street performers.  If you’ve walked the Promenade any time during the last four years, chances are, you have stopped in your tracks and been mesmerized by the soulful voice of one of those amazing street performers, John West, only to then be charmed by his charismatic personality between songs.
For the past four years, this Louisiana-native has been doing what he calls the “Humble Hustle”: Performing with just his guitar days on end on The Promenade as a way to “share” his music with the 1000’s of passersby who would never have otherwise heard his music and to sell CDs and tickets to his venue shows.
I myself randomly found John’s music on John’s MySpace page back in the day when I lived on the east coast and when MySpace served as the gateway to finding great unsigned artists. I had never heard of John before, but fell in love with his music on the very first note delivered through my computer speakers.
A year later, and while on a trip to LA in 2007, I was at a gathering at the LA Baha’i Center and noticed a handsome, tall smiling guy walk in. I recognized him immediately from a far. This was definitely fate lending a hand in the making of a great friendship as John is not a Baha’i like I. But he happened to be there that night because he is one of the most open-minded and open-hearted people I have ever met; open to all kinds of experiences and people, so, he goes wherever he is invited and feels the love.
John gave me a couple of his CDs that night when he found out I was on a trip with none of my own music and we became good friends instantly and remained in close contact despite our distance. When I needed a performer for a youth-empowerment conference I used to plan in Washington, DC, it was John who flew out to perform, without hesitation. And for free. All to help a good cause. And when I could not make a decision on whether to move to LA or stay on the east coast, it was John who picked me up in his convertible while I was in LA for another visit and drove me to the beach in Malibu by way of the scenic Pacific Coast Highway–only to let me see where it was that my soul needed to be.
I tell you all of this so you know why I am so absolutely ecstatic and and proud of the announcement John West will be making today. An announcement for which he has been preparing for many years: He has just signed a record deal with Mercury / Island Def Jam. You may have heard of some of their artists: Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, The Killers, just to name a few. So, John will be in good hands and company.
How did this all come about after so many years of the Humble Hustle? John’s manager, Ben Ricciardi, had recently arranged for a showcase for John with Atlantic Records in New York, but it was Island Def Jam that stole John away. John met with Atlantic and several other labels while in NY, each of which had a hard time trying to categorize his sound. “Is John pop, blues or something else?” they asked.
While waiting to hear back from all those other labels, and as his last stop in NY, John met with British-born Dave Massey, the head of the Mercury Records division of Island Def Jam late on a Thursday night. John says about that meeting, “I love British people. They get it. They get that it’s about the music. Dave was the first record executive who got my music immediately-he wasn’t about categorizing my music; he just liked my voice and my songs and came up with a vision for how to proceed. He asked me to come in the next day to meet the rest of the label for what is called a ‘Same Day Signing.'”  A Same Day Signing is when an artist comes in, showcases his music and is signed the same day. A recent artist who had a Same Day Signing with Mercury /Island Def Jam was Rihanna. Pretty amazing road to be on for John.
Needless to say, John is “excited!” He says giddily, “I couldn’t be more grateful.” When I asked him how things will change moving forward, he was quick to tell me: “Nothing has or will change. I am still the same person I was last week; the same 10-year old kid at heart. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Getting a record label deal is like running for office and winning the bid. Your job only starts with the win. I now have to get into the studio and write great songs.”
John already has a library of 40-50 songs. He will have to go through each and pick the ones he likes and make stylistic changes to fit his evolving sound. He describes his library to date as: “It’s just my voice and my guitar with a soulful sound, because that is who I am.” But recently, John wrote a pop song for anther artist and he liked the experience.
“Writing for another artist opened a whole new creative door for me and gave me an ear for a pop sound.” That experience also gave John the confidence to add a bit of pop into his already urban/soul sound and land somewhere in the middle. He describes his music now as “urban-pop-chill-feel good-love songs.”
John finished our chat by saying, “Now is not the time to rest. My team and I will collaborate together as a family but will have to hustle even harder; the ‘Humble Hustle’ continues.”
You can next find John playing August 28th at the Sunset Strip Music Festival with such acts as The Smashing Pumpkins, Common, Fergie, Slash, and my other good friend, Andy Grammer.

CelebMagnet Readers Can Help Plan A Wedding! VOTES NEEDED!

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CelebMagnet is not exactly the place you would expect to find a post on a bridal designer, but since that is exactly who you are reading about right now, then, that designer must be a very special person. And indeed, she is, both to me and to the world of fashion.

But before I tell you about the designer, let me give you some context behind my post.

My story begins with Allison Kornberg, Assistant Editor at LA Times Magazine. Allison is also a bride-to-be. A very brave bride-to-be. How so? Well, in order to avoid becoming a “bridezilla,” you know, the type of bride-to-be who focuses so much on the event that she becomes difficult and obnoxious, Allison is letting her readers and the public in general plan every aspect of her wedding. 

Whenever a decision has to be made about any detail of her wedding, Allison puts the decision-making reigns in her readers’ hands by giving them three options to choose from. 129 days and counting into the wedding planning “by committee,” Allison has had the theme (French), date (May 2011), the location (at the beach), and the party attire (formal) all chosen for her, by her readers. She will also be hiring a wedding planner. All because her readers told her so.

Pretty darn brave if you ask me.  After first hearing about this story, I said to myself, there is no way that Allison is going to let the public decide her bridal dress for her; I mean, isn’t what dress to wear the single biggest decision a bride can make? Well, that is of course after the choosing of the groom part is done (don’t worry, she DID choose the groom all by herself). But Allison just announced on KTLA-TV (Los Angeles) that even the bridal dress is not off limits. During that TV appearance which you can watch below, models showed off the three dresses from which the public can chose.

THIS is where all MY readers come in: I am encouraging all CelebMagnet readers to vote for the incredible dress designed by my favorite wedding designer, Nanaz Hatami, the fashion guru behind Aalia Bridal. That dress is the one pictured above and is also the second dress shown in the video above. The dress is a French-inspired piece (which would fit in well with the theme chosen for the wedding) and is made up of petal shaped pieces resembling a rose, so the bride can stand out on her big day.  Click here to vote for the dress designed by Nanaz for Aalia Bridal.

Want to know a little bit about the designer, Nanaz Hatami? I have known Nanaz for a couple of years; and she and my parents have been close family friends since childhood. Nanaz is a down-to-earth, sweet, creative, sharp, fun and witty lady. She has designed evening, cocktail and bridal gowns for celebrities all over the world. I was lucky enough to be at an Aalia photo shoot last year, and I fell in love with so many of her designs that I told her the one and only reason I will ever get married is so I can wear one of her one-of-a-kind designs on my big day. She is that good.

So, here is your chance to help Allison pick her dress and help my friend Nanaz win the contest to dress Allison on her big day.  Click here to vote for the dress designed by Nanaz for Aalia Bridal.

I asked Nanaz what inspired her to design the dress that was chosen by Allison as one of her top three choices and Nanaz responded, “All my life I was inspired by Hollywood’s classic looks from the ’50s and ’60s and Valentino’s touch.”  Nanaz’ favorite actresses were Ava Gardner and Audrey Hepburn. When I asked her why those two, she said, “They were always beautiful and they introduced a classic elegance.  Anything they wore became extremely popular because the two were always ahead of the curve. That’s how I feel about Valentino too.  He is a genius.”


And, here is another reason why I love Nanaz: She is always thinking of others. Whether or not you vote for her, she has has kindly offered my readers a special deal.  Anyone who contacts Nanaz and mentions CelebMagnet will receive a free designer veil with the purchase of a wedding dress. Not getting married but invited to a wedding? NO WORRIES! In that case, mention CelebMagnet and receive 20% off of any cocktail or evening dress of your choice.

Vote away guys. Her dress is the best and fits the theme. You only have two weeks to vote! And, thank you 🙂

Katelyn Epperly Of American Idol Performs At The Grove [Video] EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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  Katelyn Epperly was just ever-so-slightly edged out of American Idol‘s Top 12 last season by some much less talented singers. Oh, what could have possibly been had she not been shockingly ousted some four months ago on March 11.

We will never know how far she could have eventually gone had she secured one of the all-important Top 12 spots for herself. Perhaps her voice could have helped avoid some of the dull drab associated with Season 9 after her and other notable early ousters.

I recently caught up with the extremely poised and beautiful 20-year old singer, songwriter and pianist when she performed at The Grove; Katelyn’s first show in Los Angeles since her run on Idol ended.

Ironically, The Grove is adjacent to the studios from where Idol is broadcast. That proximity did not seem to phase Katelyn as she gave one moving vocal performance after another, to an audience which continued to grow in size as Katelyn sang on.

I will let Katelyn herself tell you what she has been up to since her Idol days in this video interview:

You can keep track of her shows by following her on Twitter: @iamK_Epperly. Meanwhile, enjoy these videos; they are the songs she performed at The Grove July 18, 2010.