Maria Menounos Thinks Happiness Behind Jessica Simpson's 'Weight Gain'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maria Menounos Thinks Happiness Led To Simpson's Weight Gain | A-rod's Endorsement Deals In Jeopardy | Duffy’s Diva Outburst: Don’t You Know Who I Am! | Shane Sparks Slams Michael Phelps
Maria Menounos Thinks Happiness Led To Simpson's Weight Gain
Jessica Simpson has been the most talked-about starlet of the past seven days, given her purported weight gain and concert meltdown, but one lady who wasn't too surprised about all the attention was TV personality, Maria Menounos.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's a weight gain, and we're in the public eye," Menounos told Tarts. "If I gained 20 pounds, people are going to talk about me and it's unfortunate but it's the truth."
"I think she's beautiful and happy and that's kind of led to all of it," Menounos said. "She's comfortable, she's got her man."
Ah yes, its all Tony Romo's fault!
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A-Rod's Endorsement Deals In Jeopardy
Alex Rodriguez has swung himself into the hotspot after it was revealed he tested positive to performance-enhancing drugs in an anonymous test conducted in 2003, and although this won’t necessarily affect his career with the New York Yankees it looks set to hurt his off-field prominence as a pin-up.
"There is an incredible backlash due to the fact that he was supposed to save baseball from the whole Barry Bonds steroid incident and as it turns out he’s done the same thing," a key inside source told Tarts. "While there has been no official word of lost endorsement deals, the assumption is that he definitely will lose some because his image has been tainted."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A-Rod is currently under contract with Nike, who is taking the issue every seriously.
"Nike does not condone the use of illegal substances in sport and agrees with Alex Rodriguez that they should not be used," a rep for the company told Tarts. "We will have no further comment at this time."
Alex’s latest big-buck gig was a commercial for "Guitar Hero World Tour" alongside the now-controversial Michael Phelps and Kobe Bryant. But according to our insider, Rodriguez can most likely hang up his air-guitar as negotiations for more work with the family-friendly company look to be scrapped.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A rep for Rodriguez was not available for comment.
But just a day before the highest-paid baseball star hit headlines for the wrong reasons, Pop Tarts spies spotted him living it up at Bahamas hotspot Aura Nightclub. According to our insider, Alex partied until the early hours inside the VIP section, requesting Grey Goose/RedBull cocktails and looked to have "not a worry in the world." How quickly life changes …
Duffy’s Diva Outburst: Don’t You Know Who I Am!
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Duffy is still pretty new on the music scene, but it seems the Welsh singer-songwriter already thinks she is top of the pops. The 24-year-old turned up to L.A Reid’s ASICS Post Grammy bash House of Hype on Sunday night and made her presence more than known.
The 24-year-old refused to let photogs snap her from a side view while posing on the red carpet, but once inside we’re told she was quite "demanding" and then suddenly started screaming at a reporter who wanted to ask a few questions. According to a shocked eyewitness, Duffy’s outburst was all because the reporter didn’t recognize her earlier and she was well, peeved.
Duffy even pulled a Britney by arriving in one outfit and then changing into a new outfit a little later. But it seems she wasn’t alone in her divaesque ways. Apparently British babe Estelle lost her cool when somebody accidentally called her Adele.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also partying at the Island Def Jam showdown at swanky Beverly Hills steakhouse Wolfgang’s was Kayne West, Lionel Ritchie, Babyface, Ryan Phillippe and Abbie Cornish, Benji Madden and Chris Tucker.
Meanwhile over at the W Hotel’s Whiskey Blue Universal Motown was celebrating music night-of-night’s with artists such as Katharine McPhee, Busta Rhymes, Lil John and Akon. Pop Tarts spies overheard Akon expressing his shock regarding the Chris Brown/Rihanna fall-out and that is was so out-of-character …
Shane Sparks Slams Michael Phelps
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There is no denying that it has been a very rough week for Michael Phelps having had a photo of him smoking a bong circulate the internet, resulting in the loss of a multi-million dollar endorsement deal and a ban from competitive swimming for three months. But according to "America's Best Dance Crew" star Shane Sparks, karma works in mysterious ways.
"It's funny because you get paid 50 million dollars, and you can't stay off of drugs. I don't understand it. You work your life, trying to pursue your dream, and then you do something as stupid as that," Sparks told Tarts at last week's grand opening of brand new West Hollywood Steakhouse TONYS which also raised funds for the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "You would think that they would say, my life is beautiful so I'm stopping all of that stuff and I'm not gonna risk that, but what goes around comes around and he's paying for it now, but I just hope he turns himself around because sometimes you need tragedy to happen to realize what you have."
But on the flip side, actress Shannon Elizabeth was a little more forgiving on the issue.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't think he did it on purpose. I don't think he knew it was going to happen and any of us can get caught at the wrong moment, doing the wrong thing, or something that's made to look worse than it is, and I think his biggest mistake was doing it somewhere where it could be put out there where kids could see it," Elizabeth said. "I don’t think what he did was wrong necessarily. We've all partied and done things we shouldn't have done. It's just those darn camera phones that did him."
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