AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Toni Basil & Sonny Pederson

Another week and more controversy. Could this season get any crazier? I'm not sure we all successfully answered the true reason behind Len's personal vendetta against Derek, but it's glaring at this point. It's no longer a cute TV story that creates controversy once a season. If you want to be consistent on your judging, you have to do it for every pro even if they have a dancer with less talent. The only thing I'm hearing now as a viewer is Len's criticism of Derek. I rarely hear him offer constructive comments on how Amber is doing. How do you solve this before the end of the season? Tell me what you think in the comments below.

I loved having Anna and Toni Basil in studio. Two amazing women with strong opinions, does it get any better? Toni is always someone who tells it like it is. That's exactly what I want to hear on the judging panel on DWTS. Sonny Pedersen had some great insight on the show as well. 

I missed being in studio, but work in Detroit kept me from being there in person. I will be back in studio next week with our guest Witney Carson.

PHOTOS: Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala Red Carpet

 It's the annual Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala and I have to say it is a must for any So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing With the Stars fan. Next year, save up and come to LA for National Dance Day, you won't be disappointed. Another good note, the fans are able to watch the red carpet and grab photos of the dance stars as they went into the venue.

Here are a few of  my photos from the evening. My official article will be up on Press Pass LA next week, but I will give you some inside scoop from the red carpet.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!

 tWitch and Allison Holker are the King and Queen of dance. They stayed the longest on the red carpet and talked to EVERYONE. Total class. The dance world couldn't have better ambassadors. 

 NappyTabs!!!

 Look who they brought, little London, who was wheeled down the red carpet in his stroller. They talked about London loving music, so perhaps he's a future contestant on American Idol. 

 Alex Wong looked very handsome on the red carpet. He talked about the importance of influencing a future generation of Asian dancers. If you missed his ABTV appearance, watch it here. 

 Chehon is ready to be a huge face in the choreography/producing/directing world. He's determined and I believe him.  Watch his ABTV appearance here.

 How incredible does Mollee Gray look? We keep showing up at the same events lately, so I am sure I will have more scoop for you soon. Her red dress is by Ted Baker--gorgeous!

Watch her ABTV appearance here.

 Every time I interview Mary Murphy, I like her even more than I did the last time. She's so kind and thoughtful. She talked a lot about the format changes and how much she hated the first elimination.

 Allison being a good friend and fixing Mollee's hair.

 I love that we have such a strong generation of choreographers including Travis Wall. He was a fan favorite, people screamed for him in the crowd. 

 Jane Lynch looked beautiful. The Glee cast members did not answer any questions...totally understandable. They need their privacy.

 Honoree Chita Rivera. If you have never seen her work, watch this, she's a legend.

 Arthur Mitchell is the first black ballet dancer for New York City Ballet and the founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He paved the way for so many other black dancers in the ballet world. Watch him in the Balanchine "Agon" piece. 

 Adam Shankman, Nigel Lythgoe and Christina Applegate conferring on the red carpet.

 Adam is thinking...

 What are they talking about?!! This is when I asked Nigel when he was going to make Christina a permanent judge. He said he's tried but they have massive scheduling problems. Christina then looked over at me and jokingly signaled she wanted a lot of money. Then, Adam chimed in..."Wait, that leaves me off the panel if she's a permanent judge." 

There you have it...they've tried to get her permanently, but can't.

 Stacey Tookey...she's dying to get her hands on Makenzie for choreography. 

 For those that were asking, Mark Ballas' new album is expected to drop early next year.

 Chris Scott wants to choreograph on Fikshun this season...

 Lindsay Arnold and Sharna Burgess looked incredible on the red carpet. I even met Sharna's mom who is here on holiday. So sweet! Watch Sharna and Lindsay's ABTV appearance.

 Yep, that's Cat Deeley running late and running down the red carpet as the show was beginning.

 And that's the elegant Cat having a wardrobe malfunction.

Cory Monteith: Sober Cory vs. Addict Cory

Photo by Jeff Lipsky

When the news came down yesterday about toxicology reports showing that a mix of heroin and alcohol killed Cory Monteith, I received texts, emails and tweets looking for my reaction. I was on my way to set, so driving and texting is never a good idea.

I eventually posted this tweet:

In the past few days, I have been talking with people who worked with Monteith. Some considered him a work friend while others considered him a personal friend. What emerged was two different Corys: the sober Cory and struggling addict Cory.

Those who knew sober Cory talked about the professional who showed up on time, knew his lines and was nice to everyone.

Those who knew the addict gave me stories about him at parties where there were a lot of unsavory people doing illicit things.  Unfortunately, much of this occurred even as early as Season 2 of Glee.

Kristen Johnston on Cory Monteith: Death was "not shocking" >>

I've been talking a lot about the fact that the 31-year-old had two different lives. He was a closet addict. Many of his close friends did not know he had fallen off the wagon earlier in the year until he went to rehab. Those who knew of his recent struggles were aware that he had resorted to heroin. There was an intervention and he went off to Betty Ford to dry out and then completed the rest of his rehab at Eric Clapton's Crossroads facility in Antigua.

In the age of tabloid journalism where people sell their story to rat out celebrities, it's pretty incredible that we are only hearing about the Glee actor's addiction to heroin now. That is how loved and protected he was by his friends, castmates and family members.

Rob Delaney on his own addiction >>

For someone battling demons like addiction, every day is a war. Falling off the wagon is common.  Getting back on the wagon is hard. Detoxing and then using again changes tolerance levels, so overdosing is always a risk.

Monteith's story is a familiar Hollywood tale and one that I've already talked about, but it's also a good reminder to try and get help if you need it and if you want it. If you have a friend struggling with addiction, support them.  If you live in this crazy town of Hollywood like I do, hang out with people who will lift you up, not drag you down.

I'm already hearing stories about a young female star who has her own addiction issues. She comes from a Tinsel Town legacy family where addiction is familiar. Let's hope she finds the support and light that she needs...because the tabloid press is already sniffing around. (If you are a super sleuth, the actress made headlines this week.) UPDATE: I chose not to report on this story because she needs help, but TMZ revealed the young star whom I was referring to. You can read it here.)

I don't want to report on more tragic tales.

Cory Monteith: An all-too-familiar & tragic Hollywood ending

Last night I received a text from a friend just as the news about Cory Monteith's passing was breaking. This is exactly the same way the Heath Ledger news went down in 2008. In 1993, it was via a New York Post headline for the shocking news of River Phoenix's death. Sadly, the news of losing someone far too young in such a tragic way like Phoenix or Ledger will happen again and again. It's a familiar Hollywood tale.

While we don't know yet what caused Monteith's death since an autopsy won't be performed until Monday. (Toxicology tests can take weeks for the final results.) However, the public and media will speculate what might have happened.

On May 2, I wrote an article about the Glee star and his devoted girlfriend/co-star Lea Michele for SheKnows. The article discussed the united front the two were showing upon his release from his stint in rehab. It's really hard to even read that article now, especially with the adorable video that accompanies it.

Post-rehab Cory Monteith & Lea Michele show a united front >>

I've interviewed Michele before and she is a driven and focused young woman. She's not a familiar face on the Hollywood party circuit. Everyone I know who has worked with the young couple said that they were great together and that the Broadway star's positive influence was good for Monteith. From friends to co-workers, that rehab stint this spring was a surprise to everyone. No one had an inkling he was in trouble and that his former demons had resurfaced.

Addiction is a beast and it's even harder under the microscope of Hollywood, fame and fortune. The 31-year-old was always honest and open about his struggles. In Tinsel Town, it's really an admirable quality in a city that is filled with smoke and mirrors.

As he told Parade magazine in June 2011, "I don't want kids to think it's okay to drop out of school and get high, and they'll be famous actors, too. But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it."

Let's remember Cory Monteith as the talent that he was...youthful, hopeful and sweet to the core.

"Just the Way You Are"

My Top 3 Interviews of 2011

With 10 days left in the year, I am going to start doing a few "Best of 2011" posts to highlight some of my favorite moments of the year.  Today's feature is my favorite Top 3 interviews of 2011.  This was a hard one to whittle down since I had everything from the Oscars to the Tonys to countless other red carpets and gifting suites to choose from.  The interviews were chosen for particular reasons, whether they were funny or poignant, they just resonated with me this year.  Here are the Top 3:

1.  Joel Grey from Anything Goes at the Tony Awards:  I spoke about this interview at length in this post, but nothing was ever better than having the opportunity to speak to someone who was one of your childhood heroes.  I know, I know, I was a musical theatre geek, so I wasn't looking up to Molly Ringwald, it was Joel Grey.  Here is the unedited footage so you can see how it all went down at the Tony Awards while I was working for Starpulse:



2.  Josh Sussman from Glee at GBK Productions MTV Movie Awards Gifting Suite:  I think this was easily my funniest interview of the year, no one made me laugh more on camera than Josh.  He's just quick with a quip and he and his super cute girlfriend, Tess, are incredibly nice......even though he still owes me a Justin Bieber movie viewing! You can see it all here on Red Carpet Report:



3.  Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds at the press junket for The Change-Up:  I don't know if your day can get any better when you walk into a room and two really good-looking guys are waiting for you to sit down.  I thought my heart was going to belong to Ryan that day, but Jason was a big flirt who won me over.  I should have known better, I loved him on Silver Spoons. Here's my interview for iVillage:



So, there you have it, my Top 3 Interviews for 2011!  Who was your favorite out of my Top 3 or is there another interview I missed?  I would love to hear from you, so don't forget to leave a comment below.

New Year's Eve With Zac Efron

At the press junket for the film, New Year's Eve.

I had a pretty amazing birthday this year.  I had the opportunity to spend the day with Michelle Pfeiffer, Abigail Breslin, Hector Elizondo, Lea Michele, and Zac Efron from the movie, New Year's Eve.  Not a bad day on the job at all.  I headed over to the Beverly Hilton Hotel to ask the cast about their experiences on the set and if they believed in New Year's resolutions.  Not surprisingly, most did not share their New Year's resolutions because I think we all make a list each year and often fail or forget about the list.  If a celebrity makes that resolution public, I'm sure the tabloids would love to hold them accountable for it. I expected everyone to be excited about the Lea Michele interview, but I found out on Twitter that Zac Efron has some fervent fans.  So fervent, they call themselves "Zanessa" fans.

Now, let's talk about this for a moment: Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens met and dated during their High School Musical years.  They were a very cute couple and they lived in my neighborhood, so I saw them quite a bit with the paparazzi constantly on their trail.  Like many first loves, they broke up.  This happened about a year ago.  Well, the Zanessa fans relentlessly hounded me on Twitter to ask Zac about Vanessa when I'm supposed to be asking about New Year's Eve.  They called me a bad reporter.  Giggle and sigh.  I understand when fans get excited about their favorite stars, I think that is why it is so enjoyable to interview the Disney Channel stars.  However, at a certain point, you have to understand that these stars have a life and feelings and sometimes things should just be private.  Zac hasn't ever discussed the Vanessa break-up and I doubt he will beyond saying it was a lovely time in his life, she's a sweet girl, etc. (You know, the standard answers to the press.  So, foolish me for thinking everyone wanted to hear a Glee interview, they wanted a Zac interview.  I definitely learned something that day and it convinced me that having enthusiastic fans is pretty powerful in Hollywood these days.  I should have remembered that from my Angie Harmon Twangels encounter......maybe that's my New Year's resolution? Remember the fans, KB, remember the fans!!



Anyway, enjoy my interviews for iVillage with Zac and Michelle Pfeiffer, who is perhaps the most stunning celebrity I have ever interviewed and so NICE to boot,  as well as Lea Michele, who gave a great answer to her red carpet/Twitter disagreement with Modern Family star Sarah Hyland.



What's your New Year's resolution?  Let me know in the comments below.

Don't forget to enter my Holiday Giveaway!  You have until Sunday, December 18th to enter.

Photos from the 2nd Annual Thirst Project Gala

Seth Maxwell, founder of the Thirst Project, addressing the crowd.

Approximately 3 years ago, my fellow Kodak Theatre co-worker, Seth Maxwell talked about a charity he wanted to start to create solutions for the world water crisis.  I kept thinking back to that moment in our break room and just nodding my head.  The plans sounded grand and ambitious.  Now, fast forward to June 28, 2011 as I sit in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton.  The charity has raised over a million dollars and has created a clean water solution for over 50,000 people.  It makes me so proud to call Seth a friend.

My incredible red carpet producer, Leilani Gushiken

He inspired me to donate money to help build a well in Niger where children regularly drink dirty and contaminated water by their school.  It's hard to imagine, especially since I have a cat who drinks filtered water.  Does that seem fair?  Clean water is a right and if you are moved to donate, feel free to visit the Thirst Project page.

You will find the footage from the red carpet below.  It truly was an honor to host the live stream of the red carpet.

The Pioneering Spirit honoree, Michael Welch from the Twilight Saga.  He gave an incredibly moving speech.

 A few of my Glee pals presenting an award.  Josh Sussman is my favorite.  Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

My hot date, Byron Bryson.  Okay, we both came alone, but he kindly agreed to be my date after we were seated next to each other.  Isn't he cute?

The Thirst Project Gala

Tonight, I am honored to be hosting the red carpet portion of the live stream for the 2nd Annual Thirst Project Gala.  I hope you all have an opportunity to join me and the incredible celebrity hosts of the evening, Chyler Leigh of Grey's Anatomy and JR Bourne of Teen Wolf as The Thirst Project brings awareness to the plight of close to 1 billion people not having access to clean, safe drinking water.  Here are some of the stats:

1 in 8: The number of people who do not have access to clean drinking water

4500:  The number of children who die every day from diseases caused by contaminated water. (Approximately 1 child every 15 seconds.)

3.75 Miles:  The average distance a woman walks to collect water.  This task often falls upon young girls leaving them no time or energy for an education.

So, join me on this important evening as we honor Michael Welch from The Twilight Saga for his time, energy, and dedication to such a wonderful cause.

Live Stream Begins at 5PM PT/8PM ET on UStream.

You are welcome to tweet me questions for any of the celebs expected to attend (lots of Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Teen Wolf, and American Idol peeps are on the list.) on Twitter or leave a question in the comments below.


Chyler Leigh and JR Bourne host the 2nd Annual Thirst Gala from The Thirst Project on Vimeo.

GBK Productions Gifting Suites: MTV Movie Awards

I hit the GBK Productions Gifting Suite on Friday in honor of the MTV Movie Awards for Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV.  I arrived with a bit of a margarita hangover, so I wasn't sure how the day was going to go.  Luckily, I ran into some friendly celebs who made my job easy and the day extremely fun.  I kicked off the afternoon with an interview with Ross Matthews from The Tonight Show ("Ross the Intern") and Chelsea Lately.  I just love him. He's fun, he's cute, and you just want to hug him.  Other notables included Layla Kayleigh from America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC) who made me bust a move on camera which was only slightly embarrassing.  Finally, be sure to check out my interview with Josh Sussman from Glee.  He's my newest and unexpected crush and he asked me out on camera.....in front of his adorable girlfriend, so I guess it was scripted reality. Sigh.

Here's a short highlight video of all of the interviews where I dance, utter the word "poo", and find out whom everyone was rooting for at the show. For individual interviews, see the captions under each photo and click on the celeb's name.  Let me know what you thought of last night's MTV Movie Awards--a total hit or a total miss?

Layla Kayleigh liked my moves.  She's expecting me to join ABDC next season with my geriatric crew. 

Ernie Hudson had me at Ghostbusters.  He was so kind and lovely.

Steve-O.  Uh....he staples his balls to his thigh.  Yep, I said balls.  

I can't get enough of Glimmer Body Art.  I am never getting a real tattoo, so I am happy with my glittery stars.  Thanks for the kit, ladies! 

Frankie Muniz and I talked Indy Light racing where I managed to drop the Toyota name.  I'm a good spokesperson.  

Josh Sussman from Glee has a lot of hardcore fans on Twitter.  They started chatting with me en masse yesterday and they adore Josh as much as I do.

Amber Stevens from Greek was on trend with her color blocking orange and green.  I'm not sure I could get away with that outfit, but it looked great with her tall, long legs. 

Tyler Blackburn from Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family.  Are you ready for Season 2? 

The GQ/Glee Controversy

Well, the controversy of the week belongs to GQ Magazine and the cast of Glee.  Someone has to be a part of a media's salacious story of the week and I imagine Lea Michele and Dianna Agron are wishing it would go away or that the cast of Hellcats would do something tabloid-worthy.  If you missed all of the controversy, the Parents Television Council "denounced the makers of the TV show 'Glee' for a hyper-sexualized GQ photo shoot that will be featured in the November issue.”  Words like "pedophilia" have been thrown around in the press and Dianna Agron took to her blog and apologized to those that are offended by the shoot. 

Many people have weighed in on the photos adding that the cast members involved in the shoot are all in their 20's and that Glee really isn't a show for the young set.  I think what people are failing to realize is that they are missing the real point of this controversy.  We get it:  GQ is a men's magazine, Glee is a hot, and sometimes racy, show, and parents to need monitor what their kids are watching on TV or reading in magazines.  The real tragedy is the handlers for these young stars.  I am sure there was a network publicist or an agent/assistant/manager to one of these young stars on set that day.  Who decided that Lea Michele posing with her crotch open to the camera in white panties would be great for her career?  I realize at 24 years of age, she is an adult, but she has been thrust into the spotlight and things are happening around her quickly.  That is when you need a strong advocate on your team and they failed the young stars of Glee that day.  

Look, I think that the Dianna Agron pictures aren't that bad. She is dressed like every video vixen from the 1980's and Cory Monteith gets off easy because he is a guy.  It's Lea Michele who really gets stuck.  Her body looks amazing, but she really needed someone in her corner that day.  Unless you have a contract to pose for Playboy or Penthouse, you should never spread eagle in front of the camera.  I actually feel bad for her.  If you want to know what happens to young Hollywood, it starts with all of the handlers saying "yes" to everything for fear jeopardizing their young star's career and the cash flow that is coming in so quickly.  When people learn to say "no", you have a career like Anne Hathaway, not Lindsay Lohan.  The bottom line, young actors have to start understanding show business is just that:  a business that is dying for you to put on a show.  

Take a look at more of the photos from the November issue of GQ.  Weigh in. I want to know what you think:

**All photos are property of GQ Magazine.