Michael Douglas, the defiant one

Michael Douglas, shown this morning in New York City, is said to responding well to chemotherapy and radiation treatment for his Stage 4 throat cancer. The Oscar® winning actor has roles in two movies released this year that will surely vie for Best Actor Academy Award® nominations. We expect to see him at the ceremony after he beats this.

Video: Michael Douglas reveals he has stage four throat cancer; blames cigarettes, alcohol and stress

Funeral for Farrah Fawcett's father

Funeral services are taking place this morning for Farrah Fawcett's father, who joined his Angel on Monday.

The Houston Chronicle reports that that James Fawcett died Monday at 92. After the 10 am service at the Brookside Champions funeral home in Houston, he'll be buried in the Houston National Cemetery.

James stood tall at his daughter's funeral in June 2009.


(TOP PHOTO: Studio 54, Sept 17, 1978 Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Getty Images)

Redmond O'Neal completes drug rehab

Farrah Fawcett's drug addict son Redmond O'Neal has completed a year-long court-ordered drug rehab program.

Redmond O'Neal's father, the troubled actor Ryan O'Neal, was not there to watch the 25-year-old graduate yesterday from the hardcore treatment.

Redmond was among a "class" of seventeen drug or DUI convicts in Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan's courtroom. He hugged the judge before speaking at the emotional ceremony.

"I just wanted to thank Judge Tynan and tell everyone how much I appreciate everything you have done for me," he said. "To the newcomers, you do this. That's it."

FATHER & SON MUGSHOTS OCT 2008 DRUG ARREST

The courtroom was filled with friends and family members of graduates.

Redmond's latest try at rehab try began last September after a stint in jail that stemmed from a January 2008 drug arrest and a probation violation.

Now that he's completed the program, Redmond's criminal record will be expunged and is free to move out of the court-ordered sober living facility.


He inherited about $4.5 million after his mother died in June 2009.

Hitchens' cancer presents no ironies

VANITY FAIR

Atheist Christopher Hitchens wrote the book God Is Not Great in 2007, and, while promoting his followup, a memoir, in June, was stricken and diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus that has spread to his lymph nodes.

He writes on VanityFair.com that "irony is my business and I just can’t see any ironies here," yet concludes that aiding his admittedly slim chances at survival are not only "a group of brilliant and selfless physicians" but "an astonishing number of prayer groups."

We wish Hitch the best.

A year without Farrah

Photographers were there as Ryan O'Neal brought Redmond O'Neal, his son with Farrah Fawcett and heir to her millions, to visit the actress' grave on the first anniversary of her death. The drug-troubled, often-jailed Redmond is said to be sober.

Click here for more

Farrah shares glory on foundation website

A year after the death of Farrah Fawcett, her Farrah Fawcett Foundation for alternative cancer research opens "officially" today, with a website that features photos only of the star, and oddly, one other woman in a determinedly Farrah-esque pose.

Some body to share Farrah Fawcett's grave?

While controversy swirls around her legacy and Farrah Fawcett rests in the Westwood Village Memorial Park behind the towers of Wilshire Boulevard, a new question has arisen surrounding the odd placement of her name on her headstone.

More than one observer has commented that Farrah's name is placed high on the stone, with lots of space below.

The reason for all that empty space? One reader has offered fascinating speculation:

"It may be that Ryan O'Neal is planning to be buried in the same plot with his name on the same stone. This would be why there's so much room left under Farrah's name. This would also explain why Farrah was not cremated as (Farrah's college sweetheart and late-life secret lover) Greg Lott and others know was Farrah's wish."


Fascinating! In fact, O'Neal could have gotten the idea while on a somber walk through the park, where he could have bumped into the grave of Farrah's fellow Seventies television icon, Carroll O'Connor, who generously shares his plot and gravestone with not only his wife, but his troubled, drug-addicted son--

Troubled, drug addicted son? All the more poignant reason for Farrah to make room.


But Ryan O'Neal? Linked with Farrah through eternity? For now, it's only speculation, but at least Farrah gets top billing.

What do you think?

Farrah Fawcett makes it Playboy's Sexy 101

Rickety Playboy magazine took some heat last fall when it when it buried its tribute to the recently-deceased Farrah Fawcett in an October issue that featured cartoon character Marge Simpson on its cover (with Tracy Morgan getting larger typeface than the Charlie's Angels icon).


It now appears Playboy is making amends for its misstep by giving Farrah special mention in its upcoming special edition, "Playboy's Sexy 100," the annual "salute (to) 100 of the hottest women who have captured our attention over the past year -- from sexy celebrities who've graced the cover of Playboy magazine to toned athletes, reality TV babes and fresh faces you'll want to keep an eye on . . ."

And why not? Farrah's December 1995 issue sold four million copies, the best-selling of the decade.

Report: Rehabbing Redmond rebels, refuses role in dad Ryan O'Neal's sequel to TV special about his mom Farrah Fawcett

Gossip man Mike Walker, who has pretty reliable sources, reports in this week's National Enquirer that "drug addict Redmond O'Neal" is "fed up with the money-grubbing exploitation of dead mom Farrah Fawcett by ruthlessly abusive dad Ryan O'Neal" and "finally exploded and refused to star in Ryan's sequel to Farrah's Story, the hit TV documentary that featured shocking footage of jailbird Redmond shuffling in shackles to Mommy's deathbed!"

Walker goes a step further by adding that "Redmond-- desperately fighting his drug habit in rehab-- blames Ryan for the vicious snub of Farrah by the Oscars, which cut her out of its In Memorium segment."

Ryan is quoted by a "friend visiting him in rehab":

"My dad's pissed off so many people in Hollywood that they're taking it out on my mother!"


Redmond reportedly believes his dad is "using poor Farrah's memory to grub for money he badly needs. Redmond got $4.5 million in Farrah's will-- but Ryan got zero."

According to one of Mike's insiders, Red's "residual anger" at that deathbed scene has built after "friends and fellow jailbirds convinced him that Ryan shouldn't have shot that embarrassing footage.

"And now that he's out of jail, he's told Ryan not to visit him in rehab."

Sound true?

Farrah Fawcett planned Lee Majors reunion

Ryan O'Neal has claimed Farrah Fawcett in death, but had she survived, the icon actress would have reunited with her ex-husband Lee Majors.

Majors' manager Denny Bond says Farrah had been in secret talks about joining the former Six Million Dollar Man in a Las Vegas production of the play, Love Letters.


The pair, who split after six years of marriage in 1979, would have played ex-lovers who spend their entire lifetime trying to get back together.

Sez Bond: "We had many discussions with Lee and Farrah and we had planned on a Las Vegas opening and doing a Los Angeles charity performance for her soon-to-be established cancer foundation as the kick-off to the tour."


The show would have been produced by Craig Nevius, Farrah's television and documentary production partner who is a battle of lawsuits against O'Neal and company over his axing from Farrah's cancer documentary that became a tawdry (if Emmy-nominated) NBC News-affiliated special.

Sez Nevius: "Love Letters was the perfect stage play for the two of them. Lee would have played a conservative, no-nonsense politician who had been in love with his childhood sweetheart for decades.


"Farrah would have played his childhood sweetheart who grew up to be an eccentric, free-spirited artist. Farrah had a lot of ideas. She was excited about the whole thing. So was Lee."

Added one wag: "All that was left was to hire Greg Lott to run the souvenir stand in the lobby and the love would have been everywhere."


Farrah and Majors had been estranged for decades, but reconnected in the months before her death on June 25th.

Farrah Fawcett snubbed at The Oscars®

The image of Patrick Swayze led off the tributes and Karl Malden seemed to generate the loudest applause, but Farrah Fawcett was for some reason excluded from last night's Academy Awards® "In Memorium" segment. Farrah may be better known for her television work, but she also starred in classic films including Myra Breckenridge, Logan's Run, Sunburn, The Cannonball Run, Extremities, The Apostle and Dr. T and The Women.


(Michael Jackson, who died the same day as Farrah and whose film bio is far less substantial than Farrah's, was included.)

Restricted! Now how will Ryan O'Neal get footage of his drug addict son for his Farrah Fawcett sequel?

Controversial Hollywood actor and father Ryan O'Neal is being restricted from visiting his and Farrah Fawcett's son Redmond in drug rehab, while the young drug addict has been banned from any more home visits that could impede his recovery.

The young ginger O'Neal left his one-year program at the Impact residential drug treatment center today for a courtroom progress report in Los Angeles and to hear Judge Michael Tynan tell him:

"You were faking it the last time you were at Impact. You weren't sincere. You have to take a hard look at your life.

"Right now, pal, you are still in trouble. I'm going to ask Impact to eliminate any home visits, you agree with that Mr O'Neal?"

Redmond replied: "Yes your honor."


RadarOnline.com quotes Redmond as saying, "I'm doing better this time."

The 25-year-old also told People: "I'm doing great. I am focused on my recovery and plan not to let anything get in the way. I am doing my best to make my mother proud."

His attorney Richard Pintal added:"Redmond has kicked it up, and the progress report reflected that."

It was the father, Ryan O'Neal, who took the hardest shot in court when Redmond was denied home visits, along with being restricted from visiting with his son. This is especially difficult for the 68-year-old actor in light of his professed plans to include footage of Redmond amid his struggle with drugs in his planned sequel to the NBC special Farrah's Story.

Redmond's next court date is set for April 7th.

Money talks: Steven Tyler rejoins Aerosmith

Aerosmith announced on their website that after months hints that he'd quit, a stint in rehab and threats to replace him, Steven Tyler is back with the band and ready to tour.

The band is heading out with their "Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock" European tour this summer.


Tyler's been acting strange since he fell off a stage and broke his leg back in August. For a time, he huddled with Tabloid Baby pal Mark Hudson to work on his autobiography before being convinced to clean up his act. He and Joe Perry, meanwhile, rarely spend time in the same room, and they managed to get four of the five members together for the reunion announcement video on the website.


Most striking in the video is the obvious toll throat cancer has taken on bassist Tom Hamilton, who's been replaced on tour periodically in recent years by longtime Aerosmith and Tabloid Baby pal David Hull.


He is, however, still rockin'.

Love means never having to say Erich Segal is dead

The spirit of Erich Segal hung over our coverage of the events surrounding the final days and cancer death of Farrah Fawcett. After all, he wrote the book and then the film that gave Farrah's on-again, off-again contentious lover Ryan O'Neal his defining role. Along with Love Story, Segal also co-wrote the screenplay to The Beatles' Yellow Submarine animated film, which is getting a remake this year and has figured into our coverage of all the Beatle Fan Fest activity. And of course, he is another, along with novelist Robert B. Parker, person of note who would figure into our Death of The Day category today, were it not so crowded. Erich Segal wqs 72. he suffered from Parkinson's Disease for the past 25 years. Parker, who wrote the Spenser crime novels, was 77. Robert Urich, who played Spenser in the TV series, died of cancer, too. And Tabloid Obits is what we have become...

Vic Chesnutt committed suicide because he couldn't pay his medical bills

Vic Chesnutt was a performer whose talent as a songwriter and singer overshadowed the novelty of being a paraplegic, performing with a guitar in a wheelchair. He wrote of struggling through life and committed suicide this week, apparently because he couldn't pay his medical bills.

We've been following the health care debate in Washington, learning firsthand how difficult it is to heal and carry on or even get treatment at all while negotiating the insurance bureaucracy through Tabloid baby pal (one of our pals at Frozen Pictures) Brett Hudson's blog, and know far too many people without medical insurance not to know the corruption of America's health care system.


Vic Chestnutt wrote of struggling through life and flirting with death and had attempted suicide before. He was also a loud critic of the health care system and in recent interviews said that operations had left him deep in debt.

Earlier this month, he spoke with the LA Times for an article whose lead was "If you ever need a clear example of the institutionalized cruelty of the American healthcare system, ask Vic Chesnutt."

"There's an albatross that follows Chesnutt from the door of his home to every show he plays. Though he's currently insured, an accumulating stream of nearly $70,000 worth of unpaid hospital bills is threatening to swallow much of his livelihood as a songwriter. It's left him in an unprecedented condition-- one where he's at a loss for words.

"'I'm not too eloquent talking about these things,' Chesnutt said. 'I was making payments, but I can't anymore and I really have no idea what I'm going to do. It seems absurd they can charge this much. When I think about all this, it gets me so furious. I could die tomorrow because of other operations I need that I can't afford. I could die any day now, but I don't want to pay them another nickel.'

"...Chesnutt's very real ensnarement in the insurance system lends an uncomfortable yet deeply compelling undertone to his lyrical attempts to make peace with illness, his paraplegism and death. Chesnutt doesn't hold out too much hope for whatever healthcare bill makes it through the Senate, either-- 'What will pass will be weak, the powers that be will be happy and the insurance companies will be thrilled,' he believes."

Yeah, Vic Chesnutt was suicidal and his demons and death obsession were at the core of his artistry. But it sure looks like the health care system helped him over the edge.

Brett Hudson talks cancer on Internet radio

Brett Hudson, one of our pals at Frozen Pictures, is on the radio with quite an amazing story. Brett's entertained us as one of the Hudson Brothers, and behind the scenes with this television and film work, and over the past two years, inspired and illuminated us since he went public with his successful fight against two formidable foes: throat cancer and the American medical establishment. While he's kept us updated with his blog on the website for his documentary project, The Klinik, you can catch up as he talks about his experience and philosophy with Louis Velazquez online at the UCW Magazine Radio Show.

Click hear to listen to the entire ninety-minute interview with Brett Hudson.


And while you're at it, click here to listen to Lou's talk with Tabloid Baby pal Michael Lohan, star of Brett and Frozen Picture's legendary reality show pilot you can see on the right hand side of this page --->

(And Tabloid Baby pal Chris DeRose, too. That Lou is everywhere.)

Patrick Swayze's memoir is a tough read

When Patrick Swayze died, Simon & Schuster happened to be planning to publish the memoirs he wrote with his wife Lisa Niemi on September 29th. With the publication date still a "go"-- and with the timing, why wouldn't it be?-- the British tabloids are running excerpts this morning and with lines like "Chemotherapy was hell on wheels," it's brutal, honest and tough going:

FIGHTING cancer has been the most challenging and eye-opening experience I have ever had. It has sent me on an emotional journey deeper than anything I've felt before. Facing your own mortality is the quickest way possible to find out what you're made of. It strips away all the bullshit and exposes every part of you-- your strengths and weaknesses, your sense of self. Your soul.

***

Alot of things go through your head when you're handed a death sentence, starting with: 'Why me? What did I do to deserve this?' I'd been told in January 2008 that I had pancreatic cancer and had only months to live.

In the weeks after diagnosis, I struggled, with my wife Lisa's help, to make sense of what was happening. To counteract the anger and despair, I thought to myself: 'I've had more lifetimes than ten people put together and it's been an amazing ride.'

Then a funny thing happened. I couldn't accept what was going on. I was damned if this disease was going to take me before I was good and ready. I told my doctor: 'Show me where the enemy is and I will fight him.' Since then, that's what I've done, with every ounce of energy I have...

***

The next morning, the surgeon woke us to give me the diagnosis. When he told me I had pancreatic cancer, my first thought was: 'I'm a dead man.'

The only thing I'd ever heard about pancreatic cancer was that it's incurable and it kills you quickly. I stared at him in shock. I had gone in for a simple gastrointestinal procedure, then all of a sudden - surprise! You could be dead before springtime!

Fear sliced through me. What had happened? I had been so excited about the upswing my life was on. Now it seemed like a cruel joke. I couldn't be dying, I had too much to live for. I couldn't face the idea there was a disease inside me that would grow, mutate and kill me. I didn't know where to find the strength to deal with it.

Neither did Lisa. She has always been so strong, so determined and capable. We had been together through so much. But after the surgeon left, she broke down and cried.

She crawled into the hospital bed with me, buried her head in my neck, and said: 'I can't do this, Buddy. I can't do it. You can ask me for anything else, but please don't ask me to do this.' I held her and we wept.

She pulled herself together and has helped me through every aspect of this disease with good humour and boundless love. But at that moment, as she lay sobbing in my arms, I felt alone. I knew I'd have to find a way to fight this thing, but the thought of it exhausted me.

***

Chemotherapy was hell on wheels and it got worse the longer it went on, but I knew if it was a matter of pushing through the pain and discomfort - I could do it.

The cancer also caused trouble with my digestive system, giving me debilitating cramps. I spent many nights curled up in the foetal position on the bathroom floor. I felt nauseated and bloated most of the time. There was one side effect of chemo I'd dreaded, but it didn't happen. I did not lose my hair.

***

It's a fact that Swayze men have never lived to ripe old ages. My father died at 57. My paternal grandfather also died young, and most of my uncles never saw the other side of 40.

In some ways, I've always felt I was living on borrowed time. I've cheated death more times than I can count. There's something in the Swayze makeup that loves risk and God knows I've embraced my share over the years. After I passed the age of 30 with my body and mind still intact, I always felt I'd got away with something.

There are days when I feel determined to live until a cure is found. And there are days when I'm so tired, I don't know how I can keep going. But I have to keep moving forward as if there's a long future for me. As if this is beatable.

I'll be damned if this son of a bitch is going to beat me. It's trying to kill me, but I'm going to return the favour. I have never given up in a fight, starting from that day in junior high when five boys attacked me. And I'm not going to give up now. I have so much to live for. So much I want to accomplish.

It goes on like that, with his wife telling the story of their long relationship as well. Honesty, bravery and dignity from a guy no one had a bad word about.

Click here and here to read more.

Did chemo kill Patrick Swayze?

Cancer survivor Suzanne Somers is quoted this morning saying that cancer-riddled Patrick Swayze was killed by chemotherapy treatments. She told columnist Shinan Givani: "They took a beautiful man" and "put poison in his body. Why couldn't they have built him up nutritionally and got ten rid of the toxins?" Somers has a kook reputation that dates back to her wacky decision to quit Three's Company at the height of its success, but she has been at the vanguard of alternative cancer treatments.Tabloid Baby pal Brett Hudson has written vividly about the cruel effects of chemotherapy on his blog on The Klinik documentary project website, and also about the importance of combining traditional treatments with nutritional, complememntary and alternative therapies. When it came to going beyond the American medical establishment, Swayze, alas, came late to the game.

Swayze lived

Once Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a lot of us figured he was a goner, but if he proved one thing in the time since, it was that he was never dying. He worked, he lived, he kept the hope alive, and was determined and strong enough throughout that more tha a few people were worried because he wouldn't give up the cigarettes. Swayze underwent the CyberKnife and the results of the state-of-the-art radiation treatment surprised him so much that he considered himself to be a miracle. The cancer was too advanced and he started the alternative treatments too late, and in the end, everybody dies. He spread the word about the CyberKnife, though, and now more people know enough to seek it out. He also starred in some great films like Red Dawn and Point Break, and one that made the Tabloid Baby's list of the Top 50 movies of all time.

Click here to visit The Klinik website.