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Stone Temple Pilots Take It To Court

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LOS ANGELES -- The Stone Temple Pilots accuse former frontman Scott Weiland of misusing the band's name to further his solo career and want a judge to strip the rocker of his ability to use the group's name or songs.

A lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles accuses Weiland of being chronically late to concerts while the group was together and having his lawyer attempt to interfere with the airplay of the group's new single "Out of Time."

Weiland and Stone Temple Pilots parted ways in February, and the 45-year-old singer said at the time that he learned of his ouster from a statement released to the media.

The lawsuit sheds light on the band's breakup, accusing Weiland of interacting with band mates only through lawyers or managers and showing up late to the group's 2012 shows. It cites Weiland's addiction struggles and poor performances as detriments to the band's earning potential.

"The band endured much strife and lost significant opportunities because of Weiland," the suit states.

In a message posted to his website Friday, Weiland said his former band mates shouldn't call themselves Stone Temple Pilots either.

"First of all they don't have the legal right to call themselves STP because I'm still a member of the band," he said. "And more importantly, they don't have the ethical right to call themselves Stone Temple Pilots because it's misleading and dishonest to the millions of fans that have followed us for so many years."

The suit claims the band owns the rights to the name Stone Temple Pilots, and the band's songs, copyrights and trademarks. Weiland has used many of the band's hits in his solo shows, the lawsuit states. The band wants a judge to block him from even calling himself a former member of the band.

The band has been reconstituted with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park taking the frontman role.

Although he did not mention the lawsuit, Weiland disputed that he is using the band's name to promote his new shows.

"When I tour on my own, it's never as Stone Temple Pilots. It's as Scott Weiland," he wrote. "The fans deserve to know what they're getting."

The lawsuit claims that Weiland's lawyer called the head of programming at KROQ, a Los Angeles modern rock station, and said if the station played "Out of Time" it would be infringing on Weiland's rights.

"Enough is enough," the band's lawsuit states. "Without relief from the court, Weiland will continue violating STP's rights, misappropriating STP assets and interfering with the band's livelihood."

The lawsuit states the band entered into agreements in 1996 and 2010 that state that no former members can use the Stone Temple Pilots name.

The band's hits include "Vasoline," "Interstate Love Song" and "Plush," which won a Grammy in 1993 for best hard rock performance with vocal.

Weiland alluded to lawyers getting involved when the band's statement about his departure was released.

Phone messages left for Weiland's manager Andrea Pett-Joseph and lawyer Gary Stiffelman were not immediately returned Friday.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at . http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP


Lamar Talks Molly: 'Sometimes You Have The Trends That's Not That Cool'

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As the proliferation of the street drug molly explodes across hip-hop, Kendrick Lamar is one of the few rappers who have spoken out against the phenomenon. After including an anti-molly message in his latest video, for "B—, Don't Kill My Vibe," Lamar sat down with MTV News and lambasted the members of the hip-hop community whose fascinations with the drug -- a common form of MDMA -- are widely known.

"Sometimes you have the trends that's not that cool," Kendrick explained to MTV News after his recent performance at the Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. "You may have certain artists portraying these trends and don't really have that lifestyle, and then it gives off the wrong thing. And it becomes kinda corny after a while."

Lamar didn't pinpoint any particular hip-hop names during his comments, but the list of options is plentiful. Last year, Complex compiled a history of molly in rap music, and among the popular figures included were 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne and Wale.

"When everybody consciously now uses this term or this phrase and putting it in lyrics, it waters the culture down," Lamar continued. "So it's really just time to move on."

50 Cent also recently addressed the matter, in an interview with HuffPost Entertainment, saying, "When I write those things, about the lifestyle, I'm going to inject things that are around that apply to me. I'm not even aware of it at the actual point, it becomes clear to me afterwards. And it's a joke to me -- 'popped a molly I'm sweating, woo!' It was something that you go, 'Oh, OK.' It was just a good line."

Carrie Underwood Donates $1 Million To Oklahoma Relief Efforts

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Oklahoma-native Carrie Underwood is giving back to her home state.

The "See You Again" singer, 30, donated $1 million to relief efforts after the recent devastating tornado killed 24 people and injured 240 earlier this week. Underwood announced on Thursday (May 23) that she used funds from her "Blown Away" tour's concert receipts to donate to the Red Cross.

According to People, the country star said in a statement, "I have watched the devastation in my home state of Oklahoma over the past several days with great sadness. With the help of my fans who attended my concerts over the past year, we can offer the Red Cross a little extra help in comforting those affected by the recent tornados."

Following the news of the tornado, Underwood, as well as many other stars including Blake Shelton, Olivia Munn, Miranda Lambert and Kristin Chenoweth took to Twitter to send out prayers to the victims.

Shelton also announced that he would be hosting a benefit concert called "Healing in the Heartland," which will air live on NBC on May 29 from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

Celebrity Week In Review: Is Katie Holmes Finally Moving On?

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Between the Cannes Film Festival and the Billboard Music Awards, celebrities from all paths of Hollywood were busy this week.

Music's biggest stars, including Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and more stepped out for the BBMAs on Sunday, May 19, accepting awards for their hits and performing for their fans.

Meanwhile, movie stars like Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain and Marion Cottilard walked the red carpet at Cannes, debuting their upcoming flicks.

Some of the celebrity news this week came from A-list actresses like Katie Holmes and Gwyneth Paltrow. Holmes went out to dinner with her "Mania Days" co-star Luke Kirby in NYC on May 21, prompting rumors to swirl about their off-screen romance. Has Holmes finally moved on from Tom Cruise? We'll have to wait for an official confirmation.

And Paltrow got people talking after she revealed that she works out two -- yes, TWO -- hours a day. If you don't feel bad about yourself already, you probably do now ...

Also this week, Chris Brown rekindled his romance with Karrueche Tran, Ellen and Portia bought a new home, Jason Segel stepped out with a new woman, Brad Pitt revealed he's happier than ever and Jessica Simpson flaunted her big baby bump.

Check out the best photos of the week below:

You Won't Believe Chris O'Donnell's Favorite Show

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These days, our knowledge of celebrities too often originates with paparazzi images and snarky quotes by anonymous "insiders." After a while, it's easy to forget that stars are real people. That's why HuffPost Celebrity decided to launch its all-new #nofilter quick-fire question-and-answer series. Because how well do you know someone until they've shared their guiltiest pleasures?

Chris O'Donnell stopped by HuffPost Live Thursday afternoon to fill us in on his gig on "NCIS: Los Angeles," his days as a superhero's sidekick in "Batman & Robin" and more. But what really caught our attention was when the 42-year-old father-of-five revealed his favorite TV show to HuffPost Celebrity while answering some of our #nofilter questions.

(To be honest, his answer made us cheer and laugh at the same time).

What’s your guilty pleasure?
The cheeseburger I’m going to have a P.J. Clarke's before I go to the airport is one of my guilty pleasures. Probably some oysters and cold beer.

What’s always on your nightstand?
Glass of water … a big jumbo glass of water.

What’s something you do alone that you don’t normally do in front of anyone else?
Oh, that’s too embarrassing … no, I’m kidding [laughs]. I sing pretty loud in the car, I will tell you that.

What’s your favorite song to sing in the car?
Whatever mood I’m in. What’s that Tom Cruise movie with Cameron Crowe … “Jerry Maguire.” Remember when he’s trying to find a song and he’s all fired up and then he finally finds “Free Fallin’”? … a little bit like that.

What shows are always on your DVR?
I’m addicted, of all things, to “Survivor.” I love the TV show “Survivor,” which is ridiculous, but yeah. I like “American Pickers.”

WATCH: The Fresh Prince Is Back

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The audience at BBC's "Graham Norton Show" was in for a treat this week when Will Smith performed the theme to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" with some special guests -- take a look in the video above.

Smith was on the show with his 14-year-old son Jaden Smith when they got to talking about their individual music careers. Norton asked the father-and-son duo to perform, prompting Will to beatbox while his son rapped. The Smith men then launched into a rendition of the "Fresh Prince" theme, complete with DJ Jazzy Jeff on the turntables, and a surprise appearance by Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks on the beloved television show.

If the mini-reunion wasn't good enough, the performance also included gratuitous shots of Bradley Cooper adorably grinning along and Heather Graham doing some serious hairography to the performance, as the actors were also on the "Graham Norton Show" that day.

Snooki Flaunts Tiny Waist In Sports Bra

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Snooki wants you to know -- she's working out at the gym while your relaxing over Memorial Day weekend.

The "Jersey Shore" star took to Twitter to flaunt her incredible weight loss, posting a photo of her tiny waist.

The 25-year-old was down in Seaside Heights, N.J., yesterday as she and the rest of the "Jersey Shore" cast "re-opened" the boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy destroyed it in October. Snooki even had an exchange with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who she said, "just doesn't like us." "Us" meaning the GTL crew.

Still, Snooki proved that motherhood has truly changed her. Instead of staying in Seaside and partying, the reality star headed home to be with her son Lorenzo and work on her fitness.

Check out her fit figure below:

snooki body

Roman Polanski's Shocking Words On Women

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CANNES, France — Roman Polanski says the birth control pill has had a "masculinizing" effect on women and that the leveling of the sexes is "idiotic"

The director made the comments Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival, where he came to premiere "Venus in Fur," a film adapted from the David Ives play which stars Polanski's wife and toys with the subject of gender.

Polanski said the pill has "changed the place of women in our times" while talking to reporters. He further lamented that "offering flowers to a lady" has become "indecent."

The 79-year-old Polanski was famously convicted of having sex with a minor in a 1977 case. He was initially indicted on six felony counts, including rape by use of drugs, child molesting and sodomy, but pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Polanski, whose past films include "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby," fled the United States after a Los Angeles judge threatened further sanctions.

He's restricted by an Interpol warrant in effect in 188 countries, but he moves freely between Switzerland and France. He was freed from Swiss house arrest in 2010 after the government refused to deport him to the United States.

Polanski's new film stars his wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Mathieu Amalric as an actress and theater director rehearsing an adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's 1870 novella, "Venus in Furs." The film features Seigner as a strong, feminine actress who comes to dominate her director.

"Venus in Fur" is in competition for the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top honor, which is to be announced Sunday.


PHOTOS: This Week's Best (And Worst) Beauty Looks!

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Summer is finally upon us. And that means it's time to pull that hair up (yes, you will be sweating very soon). But don't worry, you'll find plenty of inspirational updos in our best beauty roundup. Jessica Alba stepped out this week in a high ponytail that is the perfect summer hairstyle. Meanwhile, Milla Jovovich and Brooklyn Decker kept it hippie-chic with loose, braided updos.

The celebs who landed on our worst beauty list were simply wearing too much makeup. It's summer -- not the appropriate time for heavy eyeshadow and dark lips. Unfortunately, Paz Vega did not get this memo when she overdid it with a dramatic smoky eye. Ginnifer Goodwin also had a mishap this week when her lip color clashed with her blush.

Click through to see which stars gave us summer inspiration and which need to change with the season. Do you agree?

Want more HuffPost Style beauty content? Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostBeauty. (For everything else check out our main HuffPost Style Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram @HuffPostStyle.)
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Do you have a beauty story idea or tip? Email us at beautytips@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

'I Knew That It Was Going To Be Almost Mission Impossible'

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CANNES, France -- "Manuscripts Don't Burn" tells the story of an Iranian author secretly writing his memoirs and authorities' attempts to destroy the manuscript – a topic the director, Mohammad Rasoulof, knows quite a bit about.

Rasoulof is also Iranian, his movies are banned in his homeland and he's been sentenced to jail by the Islamic regime there.

Still, Rasoulof, who managed to make it to the Cannes Film Festival to show his film, says "Manuscripts" shouldn't be construed as his life.

"It's not a documentary, it's fiction inspired by an event which is very much true. I mean, we know the details of the event because there are survivors, there is testimonies, writings, memories about that thing," Rasoulof said in an interview on Friday after the film debuted here.

"I have met some of those people, the key people involved in that. So it's very much a true story, a real thing, but from that point on it's an inspiration. I was inspired by a true story and then I tell my own story based on it."

Two years ago, Rasoulof and fellow director Jafar Panahi were arrested in Iran for filming without a permit. The pair received six years In prison and were banned from filmmaking for 20 years on charges that included "making propaganda" against the ruling system, but Rasoulof's sentence was later reduced to a year on appeal. He is currently on bail.

His film "Goodbye" won a prize at Cannes in 2011, but the director wasn't allowed to travel to France to accept it. Somehow, he managed to get to Cannes this year to show "Manuscripts Don't Burn," which is competing in the sidebar competition, Un Certain Regard.

Rasoulof said he wanted to do the movie to explore the "dark points in the intellectual history of Iran.

"I've always been attached to understanding those dark points and getting in to those dark points and digging into them and trying to find out what, why and how of these dark points in the intellectual history."

"Manuscripts Don't Burn" was made clandestinely in Iran, and the names of its cast and crew do not appear on the credits.

Rasoulof said he knew from the start he had a big task on his hands.

"I knew that is was going to be almost mission impossible. There is going to be no legal permit, license, the government is going to be opposed to it, authorities and everything," he said.

He added: "We knew that the only way to do it is if we stick together. ... We heavily relied on ourselves and the team and that was the only way we could do it."

Much of the film appears to have been shot in Iran, but Rasoulof, who produced the movie himself, was staying tight-lipped about how he managed to get the film made without getting caught.

"Let me keep my procedures and secret thing," he said. "Maybe I want to use them for the next movie."

There was much speculation about the film in the run-up to the Cannes festival, which ends Sunday. When the Cannes lineup was announced last month, Rasoulof's entry was listed simply as "Anonymous."

Is The American Dream 'Bogus'?

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CANNES, France — James Gray's sincere melodrama "The Immigrant" has divided the Cannes Film Festival not for its politics or its audaciousness, but for its sentimentality.

Gray's 1920s Ellis Island tale, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard, has been called the most divisive film at this year's Cannes, where it premiered in competition Friday night. He made it, he says, aspiring to "the absolute commitment to the emotion of the moment."

"It's very unhip, by the way, to do that," Gray said in an interview Saturday at a hotel on the Croisette. "There is no postmodern irony, which I'm sure is totally infuriating to some. What lasts is what we're talking about. What lasts is extending our sympathies. That, to me, is what lasts."

Cotillard stars as a Polish immigrant who arrives at New York's Ellis Island (shot on location) in 1921 with her sister. After her sister is sent to the infirmary, Cotillard's character is taken in by a pimp (Phoenix), who puts her to work in his cabaret show.

Predictions for "The Immigrant," which the Weinstein Co. will release at an unknown date, have ranged from Oscar glory to awards afterthought. In Gray's classical, handsomely photographed approach, inspired by Puccini's "Suor Angelica" opera, critics have either gone with its intimate story of American passage, or they haven't.

Gray, whose films include "We Own the Night" and "Little Odessa," has become accustomed to dividing audiences. His reputation for years was greater in France than in his native United States.

That has gradually ebbed, but the baritone, intense Gray still feels somewhat out of step in a culture rife with irony and detachment.

"I don't think they're right," says Gray. "I think they're wrong. I think in the long run, the embracing of a kind of distancing, distanced, condescending approach to characterization, broken up – that's all bull----. And I think history will judge it terribly."

Gray, who also co-wrote the `70s crime film "Blood Ties" that premiered out of competition earlier in the festival, was inspired to make "The Immigrant" by his grandparents, both immigrants from Ukraine. Though they made a decent life for themselves in the U.S., Gray observed their melancholy for their home.

"I used to think to myself about my grandmother: `Your parents were beheaded in front of you. Why is it that you pine for that?'" says Gray. "But that told me that it was complicated. It's not easy."

"The Immigrant" seeks to puncture the myth of the American dream: It's promoted in the film by a magician, played Jeremy Renner. The film is neither a story of immigrants finding a glorious land of freedom or of being corrupted by cutthroat American life, but a combination of both.

"What I wanted to say is not that the American dream is bogus – because it's not in many ways – but it's a dream that requires struggle," says Gray, who notes the film has obvious contemporary resonance to today's immigration issues.

His greatest influence, he says, is another classically-minded filmmaker who took up grand American themes: Francis Ford Coppola. Gray, who saw "Apocalypse Now" as a 10-year-old, says, "I kind of owe my entire love of the medium to him."

But whether "The Immigrant" will be the film that finally catapults Gray to greater renown may not have been answered at Cannes.

"At a certain point, you have to just raise the white flag and say, well, people have `this' in mind about what a movie should be and you have your own view," says Gray. "Either the world comes around to you or they don't."

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

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The Next Big Thing?

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Cara Delevingne may be starting a music career.

The 20-year-old model is reportedly looking to make the move to music. Delevingne is pursuing a record deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, according to The Sun.

“Cara is desperate for a music career and has had a lot of advice from Rihanna and Rita [Ora]," an unnamed source told the UK publication.“Now they have passed her demos to their managers Tyran 'Ty Ty' Smitha and Jay Brown, who run Roc Nation with Jay-Z."

The source continued, adding, “She’s hopeful the firm will take her on to their roster and help guide her music career. Cara met Jay-Z backstage at Beyonce’s London show earlier this month and they got on well. So there is a good chance Roc Nation will take her on.”

Delevingne, who is one of the most sought-after models in the world of fashion, recently expanded her work past runway shows and print campaigns. The British beauty nabbed a small role in the 2012 film adaptation of "Anna Karenina."

While the model has yet to comment on the possibility of a full-fledged music career, she has hinted at an interest in music in the past. Delevingne appears in the music video for Rita Ora's track "Facemelt" and even tests out her own vocals in one edit.

For more, head over to The Sun.

Front-Runner

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CANNES, France — Steven Spielberg will close out the 66th Cannes Film Festival with a nail-biter of a finale.

The festival's top award, the prestigious Palme d'Or, will be handed out to one of 20 films in competition Sunday night in Cannes. Unlike in recent years, there's no obvious frontrunner for the Palme. Spielberg is presiding over the nine-member jury that will choose the winner of one of cinema's highest honors.

Critical polls have ranked Abdellatif Kechiche's lesbian coming-of-age tale "Blue is the Warmest Color" the highest. Prognosticators have also predicted Asghar Farhadi's domestic drama "The Past" will take the Palme. And others believe it will go to the Coen brothers' 1960s folk tale, "Inside Llewyn Davis." (The Coens won the Palme in 1991 for "Barton Fink.")

Other films are in the mix, too, including Paolo Sorrentino's rollicking Roman party "The Great Beauty," James Gray's 1920s Ellis Island melodrama "The Immigrant," and Kore-eda Hirokazu's switched-at-birth drama "Like Father, Like Son."

But it will ultimately come down to what Spielberg and his jury – which includes Nicole Kidman and Ang Lee – think was the top film at Cannes.

Last year, Michael Haneke's "Amour" was the far-and-away favorite, and went on to win best foreign language film at the Oscars and earn the rare best picture nomination for a non-English film. In 2011, Terrence Malick's cosmic rumination "The Tree of Life" won the Palme d'Or.

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Bikini'd Rihanna Poses In A Bathtub

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Rihanna is at it again.

The singer took to Instagram to share a new bikini pic, posting a snapshot of herself posing in a "big ol tub."

Just last week, RiRi shared some photos of her new blond 'do, channeling Marilyn Monroe in wigs and sexy swimsuits.

But all these risque Instagram postings might have been triggered by Chris Brown's rekindled romance with model ex Karrueche Tran. The "Turn Up The Music" singer has been spotted with his former flame over the last few weeks, obviously moving on after ending things with Rihanna earlier this month.

Still, RiRi doesn't seem too concerned ...

rihanna bikini instagram photo

PHOTOS: Looks Like These Celebrities Chose the Wrong Footwear...

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Last week, we learned that high heels might not be responsible for some of the health problems we once accused them of. Perhaps thats why celebrities and commoners alike choose scary stilettos for both everyday and unorthodox activities (like exercising).

While many high-profile women admonish them (ahem, Sarah Jessica Parker, Arianna Huffington), some stars like Kate Upton are adept at multi-tasking in perilous pumps. We'll admit that high heels offer an enviable boost to height, glamour and confidence -- so much so that it often seems celebs don't want to take their magic footwear off. Bicycle race? Beach trip? Some of our favorite ladies sport the shoes through it all. We've rounded up the wackiest high-profile high heel moments below. Which activity is your favorite?

Check out these acrobatic celebs:

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.


Fergie Flaunts Baby Bump In Curve-Hugging Gown

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Fergie is obviously embracing her pregnancy curves.

The first time mom-to-be flaunted her blossoming baby bump in a tight black Tom Ford gown at the 2013 Life Ball on May 25 in Vienna, Austria. And the 38-year-old wasn't afraid to spice up her look, showing off her toned legs in a thigh-high slit.

Josh Duhamel's wife hung out with Kelly Osbourne at the event, which is Europe’s largest fundraiser for HIV and AIDS causes.

As for her pregnancy, Fergie says she's lucky to have an "amazing" man by her side.

"He sings and talks to my belly all the time!" Fergie told E! of Duhamel. "He's very complimentary. I'm very lucky that he's really good to me."

Check out Fergie's baby bump below:

pregnant fergie

Chris Brown And Karrueche Tran Living Together Again

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Call her crazy ... but Karrueche Tran and Chris Brown are full-on LIVING TOGETHER ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... they hooked up days before his 24th birthday earlier this month and she's been staying at Chris' Hollywood Hills home ever since.

Though she's keeping her own apartment -- smart -- she's already moved most of her clothes and other personal belongings to his pad.

PHOTOS: Nicole Kidman Won Canned Over With Her Gorgeous 'Do

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While serving as a judge on Cannes' Grand Jury, Nicole Kidman has been stealing the show away from the fest's films on the red carpet.

The glamorous actress wore a funny feathered Chanel dress to Saturday's "Venus In Fur" premiere, but we were more distracted by the 45-year-old's tresses. Nicole pulled her hair back into a loose, swirling braid reminiscent of the twisted rosette hairstyles we saw on Rodarte's fall 2013 runway.

The perfect accent to her low-backed gown, Nicole balanced out her updo's tight plaits by keeping loose volume on the crown of her head. With a look so delicious Styleite dubbed it a "cinnamon roll," Kidman has us totally convinced us that braids aren't just for milkmaids anymore.

Marvel in Kidman's magnificence below. Think you could replicate this 'do?

PHOTOS:

nicole kidman braided hair

nicole kidman braided hair

nicole kidman braided hair

We could look at Nicole all day long:

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.

Will Smith Says His Kids Are Not His Property

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TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. — Will Smith has a new outlook on teenagers: Parents do indeed understand.

The rapper-turned-actor says he's "grown a lot" since writing the Grammy-winning 1988 hit that humorously declared they didn't.

All three of his children now at least dabble in music and acting, most notably 14-year-old Jaden, who stars with his father in the new sci-fi film "After Earth," opening Friday. Even in the midst of a globe-hopping promotional tour for the movie, Smith recognizes the downside to making stardom a family affair.

"I think that the major risk of this particular business is strictly emotional," he said in a recent interview. "The business has almost a narcotic quality. So it's almost as if you're introducing a narcotic into your kid's life.

"So for (wife) Jada (Pinkett Smith) and I, the most important thing is that they have to stay focused and grounded on the fact that they are giving. You don't make movies for your ego. You make movies to transfer information, to bring joy, to add value to the world."

At an "After Earth" promotional event at the under-construction Virgin Galactic spaceport in the New Mexico desert, Smith does everything he can to playfully poke at his son's ego.

When Jaden loudly drops a water bottle during a TV interview, he's quickly reprimanded: "You're kidding, right? You're kidding. That's the most unprofessional thing I've seen you do."

Smith reaches over to shield his son's face from bright camera lights, taunting the teen as a "super mega movie star, towering over you like a shadow over you. And you're living in his shadow. And you've got to do interviews in his shadow."

Jaden, obviously accustomed to the teasing, responds with calm confidence and some of dad's hammy humor, saying he lives "naturally" in the spotlight.

"You have to try to put your shadow on me," said Jaden, who rode his skateboard through a hall between interviews. "But eventually your arm gets tired and it falls away and you let me go back to my natural state."

His father nods in mock sincerity. "Oh that's deep. You are a deep being," he says.

Their film is set in a future where nature has turned on humans and survivors were forced to start a new civilization on another planet. Jaden plays a trainee trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, a famous military leader played by Smith. When the two crash-land on an inhospitable Earth, Jaden's character must prove his own abilities to survive, and save his father in the process.

"It is very allegorical in a way, right?" said screenwriter Gary Whitta, who developed the story with Smith and co-wrote the film with director M. Night Shyamalan. "Jaden I'm sure looks up to Will and is like `Wow, my dad is like the biggest movie star in the world. How can I ever live up to that?' But he's trying."

Smith, 44, and Jaden first co-starred together in 2006's "The Pursuit of Happyness." Smith produced his son's hit 2010 remake of "The Karate Kid" with Jackie Chan, which made over $350 million worldwide. (Smith's last movie, last summer's "Men In Black 3," earned over $600 million globally.)

Smith said he wants his family to be successful in the entertainment industry across generations, and has searched Hollywood history for models.

"I've looked for a lot of years. The Barrymores got really close to what I see in my head for my family," Smith said, referring to the clan of theatre and film actors famed in the 1930s and now represented by Drew Barrymore.

Smith's daughter Willow, now 12, appeared in two movies but has focused on music. After causing a stir with the pop smash "Whip My Hair" three years ago, she's backed away from the spotlight but continued to release songs online. Smith's other son, 20-year-old Trey, has taken up DJ work and posts electronic dance songs and mixes online. Jada Pinkett Smith is an actress, author, singer-songwriter and businesswoman. She and Smith started Overbrook Entertainment, which has produced many of Smith's films, including "After Earth."

Smith makes no apologies for encouraging his children to follow their parents toward cameras and microphones.

"I grew up in a family business. So it's like everybody works together and that's how the family bonds and communicates and how we eat," he said. "In my mind, I'm a warrior and I'm teaching my son how to hunt. And how else would I teach my son how to hunt other than bring him with me and we're in an interview and this is what I do and this is the business I work in. To me, I can't imagine what the other option is."

That said, he approaches parenting differently than his own father, a former Air Force pilot who enforced strict discipline on Smith and his siblings.

"The major difference is I'm trying to release the sense of ownership," Smith said. "With our kids, Jada and I believe that it's their lives and we are helping them with their lives. And they're not our property. They are people that are deservant of our respect and consideration in the same way that any other human being should be."

Beyond acting, Jaden learned his father's early raps and now writes his own. While he isn't looking to replicate the one-time Fresh Prince's every move, it's clear he has internalized Dad's long-term outlook on the family business.

"If I wanted my career to be exactly like his, then people would keep telling me for the rest of my life, `Wow, you successfully pulled off your dad's career. Congratulations!'" Jaden said. "If I was doing just what he did, then my son would feel like he had to do just what I did. I want my son to feel like he can be a classical pianist if he wants to."

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Pat Gallagher: 20 Post-50 Celebrities Who've Served In The Military

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Memorial Day is traditionally the day we remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. On this special day, The Huffington Post also would like to bring attention to those who are still living to say "Thank You" for your service! Here are 20 post-50 celebrities -- that are, thankfully, still alive and well -- who took the pledge to serve America so that every person could savor their freedom while enjoying "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

There is nothing more honorable than to serve one's country. If you would like to recognize a member of your family, a friend, a co-worker or a neighbor -- alive or deceased -- who dedicated his or her life to the service of our country please offer a special Thank You Tribute in the comments. We can't say the words "Thank You" enough. We want to know your names!


Drew Carey

Before comedian Drew Carey made a name for himself in stand-up comedy, becoming a household name starring in his own comedy sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and began his stint hosting the popular game show, The Price Is Right in 2007, Carey served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ice-T

Actor (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) and rapper (first hip-hop album, Rhyme Pays) Ice-T (aka Tracy Marrow) served four years in the U.S. Army in the 25th Infantry Division after he graduated from high school.

MC Hammer

After attending college, rapper MC Hammer (aka Stanley Kirk Burrell) joined the Navy as an Aviation Store Keeper 3rd Class, serving three years.

Mel Brooks

Emmy, Oscar, Grammy and Tony winner Mel Brooks served as a corporal in the Army during World War II, where he was assigned to the Battle of the Bulge.

Chuck Norris

The Walker, Texas Ranger star was in the United States Air Force. "While stationed in Korea, he trained in Tang Soo Do and later created his own form of martial arts called Chun Kuk Do."

Dennis Franz

The four-time Emmy winner Dennis Franz -- Detective Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue -- was drafted after college into the Army where he served 11 months in Vietnam with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. "It was the loneliest, most depressing, frustrating time," he said in a 1995 interview. "It was life-altering. I came back a much different person than when I left, much more serious. I left my youth over there."

Montel Williams

"The motivational speaker and former talk show host, Montel Williams, enlisted in the Marines after high school, but later found his gift for public speaking while serving as a lieutenant for the Navy. He served for 22 years, leaving with the rank of lieutenant.

Bill Cosby

One of the most famous TV dads in the history of television -- Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show -- served four years as a hospital corpsman in the Korean War while in the Navy.

Tom Selleck

The Magnum, P.I. actor "played a private investigator in Hawaii and Vietnam veteran on TV, but in real life Tom Selleck was a soldier in the California Army National Guard. He was called to duty in 1965 during the Watts Riots."

Kirk Douglas

Actor Kirk Douglas served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and became a Communications Officer in antisubmarine warfare. In 1944, the Spartacus actor received a medical discharge for war injuries.

Gene Hackman

"In 1946 at 16 (he lied about his age), the future Unforgiven star left home to join the Marines, where he reportedly served four-and-a-half years as a field radio operator."

Clint Eastwood

"Drafted in 1950, during the Korean War, Clint Eastwood was stationed at Fort Ord in California, where, thanks to his lifeguard training, he served as a swimming instructor. He saw the most action on leave: In 1951, a bomber he was in crashed in the ocean near Point Reyes. He and the pilot swam three miles to shore, a more-than-adequate prep for his role in Escape From Alcatraz."

Don Rickles

Comedian Don Rickles served as Seaman 1st Class in the U.S. Navy, 1941-46 WW II. Rickles, who enlisted in the Navy after high school graduation, served on the USS Cyrene, a torpedo boat tender, in the Pacific.

Mickey Rooney

Actor Mickey Rooney: Sgt. USA 1944-45; The Andy Hardy actor left a successful acting career and served with Patton's 3rd Army in WW II earning a Bronze Star.

Kris Kristofferson

"Kris Kristofferson joined the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of Captain. He became a helicopter pilot and completed Ranger School. During the early 1960s, he was stationed in West Germany as a member of the 8th Infantry Division."

Carl Reiner

The brilliant comedian Carl Reiner, who was responsible for creating The Dick Van Dyke Show, served in the military as a teletype operator and a French translator during World War II. He also joined an entertainment unit and toured the Pacific performing for his fellow servicemen.

Hugh Hefner

The creator and publisher of Playboy magazine enlisted in the Army as an infantry clerk in World War II after he graduated from high school in 1944. "During Basic Training he won a sharpshooter badge for firing the M1 and made it through "Killer College," in which troops went through maneuvers while throwing real grenades. Posted at Camp Adair in Salem, Oregon, and Camp Pickett in Virginia, Hefner contributed cartoons for Army newspapers."

Mr. T

Before he became a member of the A Team, Mr. T (aka Laurence Tureaud) was a "member of the biggest team of all -- the U.S. Army... After leaving school Tureaud enlisted in the United States Army in the mid-70s, and served in the Military Police Corps. In November 1975 he was awarded a letter of recommendation by his drill sergeant, and in a cycle of six thousand troops he was elected "Top Trainee of the Cycle" and promoted to Squad Leader."

Pat Sajak

"GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM"... Yes, Pat Sajak actually said those words when he was sent to Vietnam in 1968, landing a job as a DJ on the Armed Forces Radio Station there. Listen to the Wheel of Fortune host talk about his stint in Vietnam here.

Tony Bennett

Singer Tony Bennett "was called up for the Army in 1944 during WWII. After basic training, Bennett was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division (the "Blood and Fire" Division) where he served in France and Germany."

Earlier on Huff/Post50:

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