Beaverhausen's Gossip Galore from The National Enquirer !

"The tragic death of John F. Kennedy Jr. was marked by deep sorrow — and intense family bickering over the funerals before the bodies were even recovered, according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s secret diary," reports the New York Post.

The tabloid takes its information from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s secret diaries, apparently. "The journal’s entries in the aftermath of the July 16, 1999, plane crash that killed Kennedy, 38, wife Carolyn Bessette, 33, and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette, 34, provide a rare eyewitness account of the intensely private scene at the Kennedy compound and the petty, tense squabbling over whether Carolyn deserved the royal Kennedy treatment."

Meanwhile,  I just read some juicy stuff from the National Enquirer that I purchased mid-week. Katy Curic's wedding is on hold because she's fighting over the pre-nup! Dolly Parton collapses "after rumored lesbian lover is injured in car wreck"! Priscilla Presley's boyfriend leaves her for Raquel Welch!

But the best gossip is about Barbra! According to that publication, 73-year-old husband James Brolin declared, "I want out!" after 15 years of marriage. He is reportedly "tired of his diva wife's controlling way, bossing him around, treating him like 'a second-rate citizen.'" Really? Barbra? I'm shocked!

Brolin complained that, "when she's not ordering him about, Barbra treats him like he doesn't exist," according to a family member. (Jason, is that you?)

Meanwhile, Brolin seems to be focusing on his acting career again, though "pals" say this contention could lead to a $390 million divorce.

As enquiring minds need to know, the paper also contained info on John Travolta's custody battle. According to The National Enquirer, his secret $220 million divorce from Kelly Preston now "explodes!" And it's about Travolta demanding custody of portly childen, Ella and Benjamin. According to The National Enquirer, the tension has erupted in the marriage as the 5-year anniversary of their son, Jett's, death approaches.

Kelly's trying to revive her career with an internet series co-starring Scientology friend, Michelle Stafford, from The Young and the Restless.

John got pretty restless about his ex's ignoring the children at the expense of reviving her moribund career. Hence the custody issue according to the Enquirer.

Doug Goterba, Travolta's former pilot, previously claimed he was the star's lover for six years and there are photos to support that allegation. In a recent trip to Dubai, Travolta "gushed over the local women, saying they 'are very beautiful and exotic in the best way.... And I like women who like men like me.'"

Fag hags, John?

"Cher Sex Cult Horror!"

While we wait for her new album, single (duet with Lady Gaga) and tour, Cher positively explodes onto the most recent cover of National Enquirer.  This rag is a Tea Party favorite, I'm sure, absolutely hostile to the idea of fact checkers. The ethos of the Tea Party is, indeed, partly inspired by this gossip-ridden, sensationalistic, American supermarket tabloid that has been around since 1926.

Since the Enquirer pays its sources (a no-no for legitimate press), you can be sure it's full of half-truths, quasi-truths and blatant lies. Once in a while, however, a gossipy little article will, after some fact-checking, end up as news, even appearing on the pages of The New York Times.

The latest cover has, as its banner headline: "Jessica Simpson's Dad Confesses He's Gay!" (Honeys, that asshole's been on my gaydar so long, he's past his expiration date!) "Pastor Joe has a boy toy half his age! Jess and Ashlee devastated! Mom files for DIVORCE!" (Duh!) Well, you can skip that article because the headline punches across every point to be made regarding that drama.

The Cher cover story is the main one, just beneath the logo. "CHER SEX CULT SCANDAL!" screams the headline for this one, next to an unflattering image of the star. Subheads add: "HER AGONY -- what she's hiding from fans" and "Torture! Brainwashing! Abuse!" and "Shocking Secrets Ripping Her Family Apart."

I bought the paper and went directly to the Cher article, licking my lips, only to find the front-page headlines had thoroughly misrepresented the story. Turns out that Cher's son, Elijah, is dating a young woman whose parents once belonged to a free-love cult. That's the Cher Sex Cult Scandal, everybody! Go home, show's over. "Cher's world is collapsing around her!" blares the first sentence of "Cher Sex Cult Horror!" Somehow, I seriously doubt that.

What I found far more interesting and believable was the article on the opposite page. "Streisand Success Has Liza Singing the Blues." Now this is a reason to buy the Enquirer.  After all, enquiring minds want to know!

Don't Go Near the Water: The Sequel

Back in January, I blogged about the reopening of the Natalie Wood cold case, segueing into other matters as is my wont.

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/01/dont-go-near-water.html

This week in July, the cold case heated up. Well, talk about a comeback! Natalie's in the news big-time even without anything new to promote.

First, I read in National Enquirer about the latest news on the investigation. Frankly, many a gossip piece in the Enquirer is later published as legitimate news from other, more reliable sources, including The New York Times. The Enquirer, of course, doesn't burden itself with fact checkers. Neither does The New York Post as a rule. Of the two tabloids, I personally find National Enquirer generally more reliable.

"Bombshell new evidence," Enquirer said of Natalie Wood's mysterious death, suggests it "could have been murder!" (Gasp!) The paper then recommends that Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken, the other two passengers on the yacht, Splendour, expect some "legal trouble brewing." Ya think?

Wouldn'tcha know, though, only a couple of days later, the gossip made its way into legit news sources.

"The mystery surrounding Natalie Wood’s death deepened this week as a report emerged that her official cause of death had been quietly changed from an 'accident' to 'undetermined,'" wrote New York's Daily News. "The change was reportedly made because the coroner's original ruling [in 1981] was too hasty and did not account for the fact that there may have been another cause behind the bruising Wood sustained." Getting the shit kicked out of her is the inference I'm getting here.

Los Angeles Times blogged: After the new investigation began, the captain of the boat, Dennis Davern, gave several television interviews expressing skepticism about the original investigation and saying he believed that Wood was a victim of foul play. Of course, Cap'n Dennis' trustworthiness leaves something to be desired (see link).

Co-author Marti Ruli, obviously licking his lips that sales for his book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, may rebound, is quoted in The Sun Daily as saying, "It would have been virtually impossible to acquire that many bruises in so many areas of her body with one fall." Is this one of the reasons "a publicist for [husband] Wagner said in November that his family supported the police probe, while warning against people 'trying to profit from the 30 year anniversary of her tragic death"?

But Lana Wood, Natalie's sister said, in an interview with TMZ: "[W]hen Natalie was in the water, [Wagner] had forbidden the captain from helping her and said: 'Leave her there, teach her a lesson'." She insists that good ol' Cap'n Dennis Davern told her that. "He (Dennis) said that everyone was quite drunk and that a fight broke out and that Natalie was in the water and he and RJ did nothing to pull her out."

According to retired stockbroker Marilyn Wayne, she tried to report the star’s 'last desperate cries for help" but was ignored. 


Meanwhile, I certainly hope this doesn't all bring back a barrage of tasteless Natalie Wood jokes from the '80s. Such as: 


What did Princess Grace have that Natalie Wood could have used? A good stroke.
What’s Natalie's middle name? Drift.
You wouldn’t get drunk and jump off a boat, would you? Natalie Would.


 Look to National Enquirer for further updates. 

Ta-ta!

Mondo Whitney

You learn a lot when you read National Enquirer, like how Adele dissed Jennifer Hudson when the latter diva offered the former her Weight Watchers weight-loss tips backstage at the Grammys. "Jennifer congratulated Adele on her six trophies," the Enquirer said. J-Hud added: "'I used to be heavy JUST LIKE YOU [emphasis added] and, gosh, Weight Watchers saved my life!'" Adele was reportedly outwardly gracious but privately annoyed. "'The nerve of that woman!'" Adele huffed to friends shortly afterwards. Well, it was cheeky if well intended!

But Whitney is the tabloid's main meal, starting with its outrageous, controversial cover picture of Ms Houston laid out in her coffin at what was to be a very private ceremony.

The first article on Whitney I came across in this horrifyingly informative rag was "WHITNEY FUNERAL SHOCKER as Aretha Stays Away: Queen of soul in a WAR OF WORDS with Houston Family." Yep, bad blood! Seems Miss Thing, who has claimed to be an "honorary aunt" and godmother to Whitney is neither! (Whitney's true godmother being Darlene Love.)

Dionne Warwick was stunned when she introduced Miss Ree only to look "about dumbfounded, waiting for her to appear." Well, it seems Aretha had appeared on Today with Al Roker just the day before. Although the frank Franklin spoke well of Whitney, the immediate family became furious about her comments that Whitney may not have gotten the family advice needed. Here's the interview (what's with that wig?):



Aretha's p.r. people said the diva cited "leg spasms" as the reason she couldn't make the church service. But, a few hours later, she went on as scheduled, at her Radio City Music Hall show.

The centerpiece of the Enquirer repeats and enlarges the Whitney-in-a-box photo for bad-taste value with a gratuitous write-up. Not one, but two, articles discuss Whitney's marriage and later relationship with Bobby Brown. "If it hadn't been for you, she'd be alive today," Cissy Houston is said to have accused the singer.

Well, Dj Buddy Beaverhausen confesses he doesn't know what to make of all this, though he was entertained. At least there was no mention, respectfully, of her medication/drug/alcohol abuse.

That comes next week.