• Kanye West does comedy, promotion with Absolut. Drink responsibly. [AHH]

• The Hughes brothers are trying to create the next big crime show on HBO now that The Wire is gone. [C&D]

• 50 Cent is not content to let Lil Wayne be the big seller of 2008. [MTV]

• Really, Lauren London? [SR]

• Tyler Perry vacations with Oprah and Gayle. [CL]

That somebody would select James Frey’s new book Bright Shiny Morning as a must-read this summer shouldn’t be all that surprising — the reviews have been generally positive. That the somebody would be Gayle King, special friend to Oprah, is. When Good Morning America’s Diane Sawyer asked her to recommend some sunshine-y reading material, King plugged two books: Scott McClellan’s What Happened, and Frey’s Morning, adding that she even liked A Million Little Pieces.

Frey spectators would be right to question King’s motives.

CONTINUED »

It's Tribeca film festival time, and the NY-based stars put on their best outfits (yes, that's Russell Simmons' best outfit) for the annual Vanity Fair Party that kicks off the events. After the jump, a flawless Iman, an uncharacteristically-clean-looking Zoe Kravitz, and more.

CONTINUED »

OPRAH MIGHT FINANCE GAYLE KING'S LIFESTYLE, BUT THEY ARE NOT GAY! Gayle King really doesn't want gay rumors to discourage men from asking her out on dates. It's hard enough finding a man as it is, she told Dave Letterman recently.

King laughed off reports she and best friend Oprah Winfrey were more than friends. After joking about how she got all dolled up to be on the show ("are you looking at my breasts?"), King, divorced with kids, told Dave she has a hard enough time getting a date on a Saturday night without men thinking she's already spoken for. "Now I have to explain: Look, I'm available!"

Thanks to her gazillionaire, platonic best friend, finding a date is probably the only thing that's hard for her. She's certainly had no problem finding an apartment in Manhattan. [HP]

A note to my best friends, who, by virtue of being my best friends, should be reading this:

I am perfectly willing to brave rampant lesbian rumors in order to become your kept woman should any of you ever become the richest black woman in the United States. Just putting it out there, girls.

The arrangement has certainly worked out for Gayle King, who just moved into a $7.1 million "full-floor sky palace" in Manhattan that is owned by Sophie's Penthouse, LLC. Incidentally, Sophie's the name of Oprah Winfrey's dear, recently-departed cocker spaniel.

Though they're separated and have each taken up with younger, hotter significant others, it doesn't mean that Kimora can't throw Russell star-studded surprise 50th birthday parties. Lots more pictures after the jump, including some heartwarming bonding between Djimon Hounsou and Russell. They should be a lesson for broken families everywhere!

CONTINUED »

What's up with Beyonce attending every male celebrity's fragrance launch? Is it in some sort of contract somewhere? Anyway, she seems to have settled into the brown — in a good way — and Usher and his mama seem to have settled whatever differences they had involving the new wife, Tameka. Or maybe this means she's out of the picture?

We should be so lucky.

More pics from last night's party after the jump.

CONTINUED »

Tisha Campbell on the Duane Martin and Will Smith gay rumors:

When two brothers are successful or have influential and powerful friends, we have to emasculate them. On the real, we even did it to Oprah and Gayle. We have to get over that because at the end of the day who really cares? We have Katrina, autism and children killing one another in my hometown of Newark. I don’t know what the obsession is with celebrities, but maybe it helps people feel better about their own situation. We just know that it’s something that comes along with being in front of the camera.

Jennifer Hudson serenaded music legend Clive Davis at an awards ceremony in his honor last night.
Because she looks gorgeous — pretty wig hair, cute makeup, and her dress is a beautiful color — I will forgive the fact that something is not right in the bust area. There's a possibility her boobs supposed to look like that, in which case it's just a bad dress for a woman with her bra size. More pics of Clive's red carpet after the jump.

CONTINUED »

There's no better way to make annoying gay rumors go away than to address them. Constantly. In the latest issue of O, Her Highness and Gayle give a joint interview, during which they try to dispel the gay rumors but end up just reminding everyone of them.

Lisa: Well, let’s get right to it! Every time I tell somebody, “I’m interviewing Oprah and Gayle,” the response is always the same: “Oh. [Long pause] Are they…you know…together?”

Oprah: You’re kidding. People are still saying that?

Lisa: Every single person. And I say, “No, I don’t think so.” And invariably, they respond with something like “You know, you’re very naive.”

Oprah: I understand why people think we’re gay. There isn’t a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it—how can you be this close without it being sexual? How else can you explain a level of intimacy where someone always loves you, always respects you, admires you?

Gayle: Wants the best for you.

I, for one, don't believe that Gayle and Oprah are lovers. As friends, there are still some boundaries. If they were actual girlfriends, O would definitely buy Gayle some better hair.

[QT]

Oscar De La Renta and design duo Proenza Schouler tied for best womenswear designer at last night's Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. I don't have much of either in my closet, unless you count a silk kimono dress I managed to snag from Target before the entire Proenza Schouler Go International line flew off the shelves. But I digress. An eclectic mix of celebs, models, and designers showed for last night's awards.

Of course, Diddy threw the afterparty.

[WP]