By Mark Gray
8:36am PST, Feb 2, 2018
Engaged
Drew Carey and his girlfriend, marriage therapist Amie Harwick, are engaged, People reported on Jan. 31. Little else is known about the engagement between the 59-year-old "The Price Is Right" host and the 36-year-old author of "The Next Sex Bible for Women." They were first pictured together in Las Vegas in June 2017. He's shared other images with her since then on social media. This will be Drew's first marriage.
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Suicide
Former "Glee" star Mark Salling died this week after committing suicide just weeks before he was due to be sentenced to four to seven years in prison after striking a plea deal in a child porn possession case. The actor's body was discovered hanging in a wooded area next to a riverbed near his home in Sunland, Calif., on Jan. 30. Hours before he was found, his family reported him missing. "I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment," a statement released by his lawyer read. "He is survived by his mother and father and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected."
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Baby confirmation
On Jan. 30 — more than a month and a half after it was reported that Kirsten Dunst was expecting her first child with fiance Jesse Plemons — she confirmed the news herself. The "Fargo" actress proudly showed off her baby bump in Rodarte's newly released Fall/Winter 2018 portrait series. She appears in two of the magical look book images, which show her sweetly cradling her baby bump. The Los Angeles Times asked the actress' rep if this was an official pregnancy confirmation, and the rep replied, "The photos speak for themselves."
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Person of interest
More than 36 years after the mysterious drowning death of actress Natalie Wood, there is an official "person of interest" in the case: her then-husband, actor Robert Wagner. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators told "48 Hours" that they want to speak to Robert, now 87, about that fateful night. In 1981, while aboard a yacht with her husband and co-star Christopher Walken off the coast of California's Santa Catalina Island, Natalie somehow ended up in the water and drowned. Her 1981 death was originally ruled an accident, but it has long been shrouded in mystery (and has been plagued by conspiracy theories). "As we've investigated the case over the last six years, I think [Robert is] more of a person of interest now," LASD Lt. John Corina told CBS News. "I mean, we know now that he was the last person to be with Natalie before she disappeared." The officer alleged that Robert has changed his story multiple times, "and his version of events just don't add up." Many have long thought that Natalie was the victim of abuse. The lieutenant said, "I think it's suspicious enough to make us think that something happened."
Lawsuit dismissed
A wrongful death civil lawsuit against Jim Carrey has been dropped, reports revealed on Feb. 1. Jim had been in a long, drawn-out legal battle with the family of Cathriona White, his ex-girlfriend. Cathriona died of an intentional drug overdose in 2015. Her mother and estranged husband blamed Jim for her death and sued him. He countersued and said he was being extorted. Now, though, both lawsuits have been dismissed with prejudice, which means neither side can refile (typically this means the case was settled out of court). "The case and all claims against Jim Carrey have been dismissed," a rep for the actor told ABC News. "He is extremely grateful to everyone in his life who supported him throughout this challenging episode."
Back in jail
DMX is back in jail (again) after failing several drug tests, which violated his bail terms in his tax evasion case. On Jan. 30, TMZ reported that a judge ruled DMX was a flight risk after he tested positive for opiates, cocaine and oxycodone. He was taken into custody on the spot. Under terms of the bail, he was required to abstain from drugs and alcohol. In fact, he was supposed to be completing rehab. However, in late January, video surfaced of him at a St. Louis airport bar. In the video, he appeared to be under the influence, and witnesses said he was drinking. The rapper has reportedly been arrested 20 times for a variety of crimes over the years.
Sexual assault claim
On Jan. 28, former "Charles in Charge" star Nicole Eggert made sexual abuse claims against former co-star Scott Baio. She claimed he started molesting her when she was 14 and that they had sex when she was 17. Scott's wife disputed the allegations and Scott then went on Facebook Live and said, "Nicole is making up these claims about me." Both say that they had sex, but he says it was not only consensual but also after she was 18. "I remember her coming over to my house and seducing me," he said, claiming that "any red-blooded" straight American man would have reacted the same way. On Jan. 30, Nicole told Megyn Kelly on "Today" that Scott initiated everything. "I was a willing participant to an extent," she said. "There was a lot of manipulation that went into it. It wasn't a 'Hold me down, rape me' situation. … but I was 17." On Jan. 31, Scott went on "Good Morning America" and again denied the allegations. He even said he's so confident in his innocence that Nicole should pursue legal action and get cops to investigate. Well, guess what happened next? She filed a police report in Los Angeles. "He asked for it," she told TMZ.
Valentine surprise
Haters gonna hate, right? Kim Kardashian West has a slew of celebrity friends. She also has a slew of famous critics. Well, they're all getting a valentine from her this year. No kidding. Kim is launching a new line of KKW Kimoji Hearts fragrances in BFF, Ride or Die and Bae just in time for Valentine's Day. She's already sent gifts of the perfume to a few people, but others have yet to receive theirs. In her Instagram story on Feb. 1, Kim shared a photo of everyone who will be getting a gift. Pals Chrissy Teigen, Paris Hilton and La La Anthony are getting one. So are "haters" Taylor Swift, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bette Midler and Blac Chyna, among others. "I'm going to send them to my lovers, to my haters, to everyone that I think of because it's Valentines Day, after all." Petty? Genius? A little bit of both?
Watching the weight
Gordon Ramsay feared his wife would leave him several years ago because he just got to be too heavy, he revealed this week. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the acclaimed chef said he once weighed 250 pounds and that it almost sent his wife, Tana, packing. "Tana was not impressed with the way I was," he said. "I look at the pictures and think, 'How did Tana stay around?' Because Tana has got better-looking and more gorgeous." He said he felt sorry for himself because of his weight and was doing nothing to fix it. It was then that Tana gave him the ultimatum: lose the weight or lose her. "It was painful," he said, adding that it was a "big wake-up call." He's now down 56 pounds, and he and his wife often compete in triathlons.
Splitsville
"Modern Family" star Julie Bowen and her husband, real estate investor Scott Phillips, are separating after 13 years of marriage. The duo shares three sons: Oliver, 10, and twins John and Gustav, 8. Neither parent has commented publicly on the split, which comes after a 2017 report that claimed the two were "living separate lives." The exes, who were notoriously private, last attended an event together in 2016.
