George Clooney

To the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Gala on Monday, May 5, themed “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” Gossip Girl star Blake Lively wore black gloves and a snug black Ralph Lauren gown involving feathers. She said that her favorite superhero was “Spider-Man. Cause he’s awesome! He gets to swing around, and, I don’t know....” Accompanied by her onscreen (and rumored offscreen) boyfriend, actor Penn Badgley, Ms. Lively had come straight from a photo shoot and had done her hair in the car. “I have no idea what I look like,” she said, adding: “I’ve always seen pictures growing up, being a teenager, and thought, ‘I’d love to go to that, a night just to dress up in ball gowns.’ And here I am!”

Here everyone was, at least in fashion and showbiz and society circles. Oh, to have the superpower of invisibility and be able to flit up the stairs and into the great halls beyond!

Vogue editor and hostess Anna Wintour was the first to arrive, at 6:33 p.m., wearing a Chanel gown adorned with what appeared to be seahorse tails and accompanied by daughter Bee Shaffer, who required two men, including the formidable Vogue editor at large André Leon Talley, to carry the train of her voluminous blue Nina Ricci dress up the stairs.  read more »

There’s a simple explanation for why George Clooney’s Leatherheads (no. 3) performed well below expectations this weekend: it just wasn’t that good of a movie. Were 21 (no. 1) or horror flick The Ruins (no. 2)—both outgrossed Leatherheads here in the city, with 21 managing to more than double Leatherheads' receipts—that much better? No, at least not according to the critics, who panned each film in equal measure. But when a movie like Leatherheads caters directly to an older audience—one that has actually heard of Preston Sturges and one that presumably relies on reviews in choosing how to spend their anemic Social Security check—it’s much harder to counter what’s written in the papers or on Web sites. The truth, however, is that Leatherheads probably isn’t that bad of a movie; it’s just that its prospective patrons have higher standards.  read more »

Jay-Z and Beyoncé really did get married on Friday! Well, we think. Mary J. Blige supposedly confirmed the news to her fans while performing in North Carolina over the weekend and witnesses have been leaking details to US Weekly and People.com. [NY Daily News]

Socialites coping with recession: Ivanka isn't the type of person to buy Ferraris and large hats, Claire Bernard will walk her own dog, Arden Wohl thinks it's one big lie. [Intelligencer]  read more »

Every time we think the weekend box office can’t surprise us, something comes along to make us say … really? Last weekend, the surprise prize went to 21, the blackjack movie we know, logically, we can’t truly judge without seeing, but yet we still feel like we kind of can. Doesn’t the preview tell us all we need to know?  read more »

Did George Clooney pop the question? [Marie Claire UK]

All this while he avows that he is "gay, gay" (and not "gay, gay, gay"): "That third 'gay' was pushing it."[People]

Matt Damon's rep confirms he and his wife Luciana are expecting. [People]  read more »

Plenty of leading ladies relied on the expert advice of their stylists to “play it safe” on the red carpet at last night’s Oscars. (During a brief interview, Jennifer Garner, who looked insanely chic in a black Oscar de la Renta ruffled gown, mentioned her beauty-bestie Rachel Zoe several times.) Sarah Larson, on the other hand, looked to blast-from-the-past actor George Clooney, her boyfriend of seven months, to ensure her ensemble was sufficiently wowable.

“I curled her hair,” Mr. Clooney deadpanned to Us of how he helped Ms. Larson prep for the big night. Contrary to comedian Kathy Griffin’s recent claims that only D-list celebs show up super early to red carpet events, the Best Actor nominee, who graces the cover of the current issue of Time, showed up two hours early, allowing the couple enough time to chat with every news outlet stationed along the publicity gauntlet set up outside L.A.’s Kodak Theater. Mr. Clooney, it seems, isn’t just a master coiffeur, he also bragged of being Ms. Larson’s “seamster.” (The brunette beauty wore a beaded, silver-and-pink Valentino gown to the awards show.) “The ironing of the beads works very well,” he added to the whisper weekly of his work on the frock. “I sewed all the beads back on myself.” Despite the apparent ease with which he completed Ms. Larson’s look, his plan for the rest of the evening, he said, was to “drink.”

With his charitable, bright-yellow “LIVESTRONG” bracelets, cycling phenom Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor, launched a fashion trend that—like Mr. Armstrong—refuses to quit. Now, the message-bracelet boom has reached a new phase in its development.

George Clooney’s cousin, a designer named Cynthia Holvey, has launched her own line of do-good wrist-huggers—the “Cynthia H. Eco-Bracelet.” After seeing Al Gore’s "Live Earth" concert, she was inspired into action. The $48 bracelets, made from organic cotton and recycled scrap metal, are etched with the suggestion “MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

On her Web site, Ms. Holvey admits that she “was always a shining star among her powerful and affluent family.” But don’t jump to any conclusions—“[L]ike any Hollywood families, her story would be one of great highs, terrible lows and a chance for redemption.” (She doesn't elaborate.) Since her Web site seemingly makes no mention of where the proceeds will actually go—to, say, an environmental charity—one can only hope the money will allow Ms. Holvey to buy a new bedroom air purifier or perhaps a nice sweater.

From the release: “Cynthia H Designs message bracelets have been worn by celebrities like Hilary Duff, Hilary Swank and more. Recently star of NBC's Heroes Greg Grunberg just purchased the bracelets for his cast mates as holiday gifts.” Really? Will someone please send us a picture of Jack Coleman wearing his?

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's Anna Wintour! “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” the name of a forthcoming exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, will also be the theme of the museum's annual Costume Institute gala, where guests are likely to encounter quite the spectacle, reports WWD. Nathan Crowley, who is probably best known for his set designs for movies like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Batman Begins and The Dark Night, has been hired as the museum’s creative consultant for an exhibit, which will launch on May 5, the same night as the costume fête. The exhibit’s superhero theme will also dictate the look and feel of the party—the aesthetics for which Mr. Crowley—along with Raul Avila—will decide. Giorgio Armani will be the gala’s honorary chair, alongside co-chairs George Clooney, Julia Roberts and, of course, Ms. Wintour.

We checked in today with celebrity life coach Patrick Wanis, Ph.D., in order to hear his expert opinions on what Hollywood people should be doing with themselves right now.

Again this week in the romance department, rumors and announcements surrounding novel couplings have proven their power to flabbergast outsiders. Last time we checked in with Mr. Wanis, he offered a bleak outlook on the prospect of Lance Armstrong and Ashley Olsen finding true love together. But this week, after hearing confirmation of singer Rihanna and actor Josh Hartnett’s relationship, Mr. Wanis was hopeful.  read more »

Having recovered from his motorcycle accident, George Clooney parties in Litchfield, Conn. with Bill Murray, Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman. This, after he unwraps at Lollipop. [Page Six]