Edie Falco reveals alcohol was once her 'nirvana,' plus more news

Edie Falco says alcohol ‘was the answer to’ and ’cause of’ all her problems

What at first seemed like a savior turned out to be the root of all that was wrong in Edie Falco’s life in her 20s. The “Sopranos” alum, 58, looks back on her decision to stop drinking at age 29 in a new interview with The Guardian, telling the outlet that booze “totally” helped her overcome her naturally shy nature — until she eventually woke up with the front door open to her apartment and realized the fun was over. “I was a non-drinker for years, then I had my first drink at college and I found nirvana. It was the answer to all my problems, and the cause of all my other problems,” she said. Asked if she tried other drugs, she admitted she had, but since she “didn’t have any money,” the particular upper she was “a a big fan of” was out of her price range. She said her drinking got to the point where she made romantic decisions based on a guy’s shared interest in alcohol and told herself she did a better job at work if she were hungover. Given her long and devoted sobriety, she said playing “Nurse Jackie” was tough. “I had a hard time with the idea of a comedy about addiction,” Edie explained.”I said to them, ‘If the last season isn’t about her going to meetings and getting help, she has to be dead at the end, so people know what it’s like.'”

Keep reading to find out how Britney Spears is ringing in her 40th and more …

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Britney Spears celebrates the big 4-0 with a trip ‘out of the country’

She’s 40 and free! Britney Spears entered a new decade on Dec. 2, capping off a harrowing but victorious year in which she finally brought her conservatorship to a close after 13 years. One day before her actual birthday, Brit kicked off her celebrations with her beau, Sam Asghari, at her side. Sharing a handful of cheeky photos that showed her wearing Daisy Dukes and towering red boots, she told Instagram followers, “Oh the precious joy today !!! Me and my fiancé are so excited to be going away ….” She also added a dig at the paparazzi who’ve taken unflattering photos of her in the past, adding, “… As you can see I’m not 800 pounds like the paps have me in pics 😂📷 … I’ve been working out and it’s real … whatever 🤷🏼‍♀️💅🏼 !!!! God thank you for being able to go out of the country !!!! I am blessed !!!!” According to a People source, the couple was headed to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Britney was “very excited,” having not visited Mexico in years.

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Dionne Warwick wades back into Taylor Swift, Jake Gyllenhaal scarf drama

Attention, Jake Gyllenhaal: Dionne Warwick’s postage offer still stands if it will inspire you to finally return Taylor Swift’s infamous scarf. The update comes courtesy of Drew Barrymore, who recently asked the 80-year-old music icon about tweets she posted last month following the release of Taylor’s extended version of the song, “All Too Well.” It’s long been assumed Taylor originally wrote the hit about her brief romance with Jake — a theory that only seemed more plausible with the new details in the longer version. One detail in both recordings involved a red scarf that was never returned by a former flame, presumably Jake. Cue Dionne: “If that young man has Taylor’s scarf he should return it,” she tweeted on Nov. 15. “It does not belong to you. Box it up and I will pay the postage, Jake.” Asked if the postage offer was serious, Dionne told Drew on her show this week: “Yeah, it is. I offered to pay the postage to get that girl her scarf back. … I felt that, first of all, what is he gonna do with the scarf? It does not belong to him. It belongs to her. Get the girl her scarf back.” Jake, you’ve been warned, buddy.

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Kaley Cuoco’s ‘Big Bang Theory’ ex sends love on her first birthday since Karl Cook split

On her first birthday since her split from husband Karl Cook, Kaley Cuoco needed a little extra love from friends — and that’s just what she got from pals including her ex and former “Big Bang Theory” costar, Johnny Galecki. On her 36th birthday on Nov. 30, Kaley, who announced her separation from Karl in September, shared on her Instagram Story, “Sometimes it’s okay to not feel totally okay. Even on ur bday,” according to E! News. Later, the actress shared pics from her visit to see her horse for “some magical pony kisses” and thanked friends for sending her an “overwhelming” pile of love. “The messages. The gifts. The calls. The check-ins. All of it. Meant the world to me,” she wrote. The next day, Kaley’s ex, Johnny, chimed in on the love chorus, sharing a photo of the two cozied up together. “Happy belated 48th birthday to my / worldwide adored, Mooks,” he wrote, teasing her about being much older than she is. Kaley and Johnny dated from 2007 until 2009 after meeting on set. She and Karl announced their split in September.

Duchess Meghan addresses major win in tabloid privacy battle

After a long fight with Britain’s Associated Newspapers group, Duchess Meghan has won the privacy and copyright infringement case she filed after the Mail on Sunday published parts of a private letter she’d written to her estranged dad in 2018. In a ruling announced on Dec. 2, the Court of Appeal in London sided with a previous judge’s determination that Meghan “had a reasonable expectation that the contents of the Letter would remain private,” according to the New York Times. In the letter, Meghan told her father, Thomas Markle, that his decision not to attend her wedding to prince Harry and to discuss their strained relationship with the press had broken her heart. After the first court sided with Meghan, the tabloid publisher appealed, offering evidence such as texts Meghan wrote where she acknowledged there was a chance of a leak. The appeals court win means that instead of going to trial with the case, the Mail will print a public apology and pay damages that have yet to be determined. “This is a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what’s right,” the duchess said in a statement. “While this win is precedent setting, what matters most is that we are now collectively brave enough to reshape a tabloid industry that conditions people to be cruel, and profits from the lies and pain that they create,” she continued, in part. “The courts have held the defendant to account, and my hope is that we all begin to do the same. Because as far removed as it may seem from your personal life, it’s not,” Meghan added. “Tomorrow it could be you. These harmful practices don’t happen once in a blue moon — they are a daily fail that divide us, and we all deserve better.”

Bradley Cooper fuels more Irina Shayk reconciliation rumors with sweet comment

For Bradley Cooper, having the support of his ex, Irina Shayk, at his “Nightmare Alley” premiere on Dec. 1 was “very special,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight at the event. His sweet comment about Irina, with whom he shares 4-year-old daughter, Lea, added fuel to recent rumors the two could be moving toward a reconciliation. Last month, they were spotted with their arms linked together in New York City’s West Village section. Lea was not with them for their cozy stroll. Bradley, 46, and Irina, 35, also reportedly spent Thanksgiving together before teaming up once again — with Lea as well as their friends, Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman in tow — for a holiday weekend performance of “The Nutcracker.” The Oscar winner and model reportedly dated for four years before calling it quits in 2019.

RELATED: Irina Shayk risks wardrobe malfunction at premiere, plus more celeb pics from Nov. 29 – Dec. 4

Bella Hadid explains Victoria’s Secret return after dramatic split

In 2020, Bella Hadid was among the Victoria’s Secret models who alleged they’d been subjected to harassment and inappropriate conduct by Ed Razek, a former top brass at the label’s parent company, L Brands. Though Ed denied the claims, he left the company, which said it would be rebranding. On Dec. 2, Victoria’s Secret announced Bella will join Priyanka Chopra Jonas and others in the new “VS Collective,” where they’ll serve as “ambassadors” rather than angels. Speaking to Marie Claire about her decision to give the brand another shot, Bella said she resisted for “almost a year and a half” before even “taking a meeting with the” company. She explained that over the course of “multiple meetings … they were able to prove to me that there are real protocols that are being put in order and put in line to make the best possible environment for us.” Bella noted that the changes include protective provisions in the models’ contracts to ensure “we don’t have to do anything, basically, that we don’t want to do.” She said that’s a big difference from other labels, many of which don’t even provide contracts. “… For them to tell us that we do have that power over our bodies and ourselves — and if we don’t feel comfortable with something we can speak out — that’s super important,” she said. Other celebs who’ve signed onto the new “collective” include Hailey Bieber, Naomi Osaka and Megan Rapinoe.

Aaron Paul and wife Lauren expecting baby No. 2

Aaron Paul and his wife, Lauren Parsekian are getting ready to become a family of four. On Dec. 1, Lauren, 34, announced her second pregnancy on Instagram. “We can’t wait to meet you baby! We love you so much already. ♥️🐣,” she captioned a sweet photo that showed Story, the 3-year-old daughter she shares with Aaron, 42, touching her mama’s belly. Julianne Hough and Sophie Bush were among the first of the couple’s famous friends to comment on the announcement, which they both did with heart emojis. The “Breaking Bad” and “Westworld” star and Lauren reportedly met at Coachella before tying the knot in 2013. Back in May, Aaron praised Lauren on social media as a “gift to this planet,” telling her on Mother’s Day: “Watching you take on this role as a mother has been such a blessing for me. You have done it with such ease and patience and the way our baby girl looks at you I [will] cherish until my last breath.”









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