NEW YORK — Aretha Franklin won't say what caused her latest health problems, but says she's had a "miraculous" recovery and is looking forward to performing soon.

"My treatments are going very well. My last CAT scan, my doctor at the CAT scan and everyone who sees this says that this is miraculous, absolutely miraculous," Franklin said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"I was talking to Smokey Robinson, my oldest best friend Smokey, talking about the fact that some doctors are not very well acquainted with faith healing. And Smokey said, `Well, they just don't know who your healer is.'"

The 71-year-old Queen of Soul has canceled several concerts and public appearances over the last few months due to unspecified health concerns. On Monday, she said she was unable to personally accept an award honoring her work with civil rights from Major League Baseball on Saturday in Chicago.

When asked directly what her health concern was, Franklin declined to go into specifics: "I'm not one to go into my personal health things."

But she said it was very common to women and "I just had to deal with it." She said it was partly related to the health concern she had about three years ago that led her to cancel shows at that time.

Franklin acknowledged that she had worries about her health.

"Anytime you have cancellations you should be concerned. But all prayer is good, and keep me in your prayers until I am 100 percent, not 85, and back onstage," she said.

Franklin said she's been spending her time resting, eating right and taking better care of herself, which has led to a decline in her blood pressure.

She said she's looking forward to performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in February but isn't rushing back to the stage.

"The most important thing is my comfort and going at my pace. Nothing is more important than my health," she said.

Franklin is also planning another album.

"I can't wait for that," she said. "They're working on the tracks now."

But she seemed most disappointed that she won't be able to go to next week's U.S. Open tennis championships in New York City, where she planned to make a bit of a fashion statement.

"I had really got this hot, hot, hot three-piece Escada short set to wear ... with some fine platforms but doggone it, I'm just not up to traveling quite as far as New York," she said. "It will have to wait. ... (though) I could very well still get there this year."

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Online:

http://www.arethafranklin.net/us/home

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Follow Nekesa Mumbi Moody on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

YouTube star turned Nickelodeon actor Lucas Cruikshank, who is best known for creating the hyper-active, over-the-top character Fred Figglehorn, has revealed he is gay by posting a coming out video on -- where else -- YouTube.

Cruikshank, 19, came out during a question and answer session with pal, actress Jennifer Veal, telling fans "I'm gay."

The actor broke out in a fit of laughter and said, "It feels so weird saying it on camera."

"My family and friends have known for like three years, I just haven't felt the need to announce it on the Internet," he explained, adding that he felt "so awkward."

Though coming out was clearly something Cruikshank wanted to do publicly, he seemed slightly frustrated that he had to do it at all. At one point he turned to Veal and asked, "How come you didn't have to make a video saying you're straight?"

Cruikshank isn't the only young actor to come out recently. Earlier this month, former "That's So Raven" star Raven-Symone came out on Twitter, when she wrote that she can "finally get married" and thanked the government for it.

In 1997, we were completely captivated by a young lady named Buffy Summers. And to remember the six years of excitement and drama she brought us, we're taking a look at a photo of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's house. Arguably, there haven't been many television shows (except "The Golden Girls" and "Friends" of course) where a house set the scene for so many major events in a character's life.

At 1630 Revello Drive in Sunnydale, California was a sweet bungalow style home where Buffy and her mother Joyce moved from Los Angeles. Over the course of the show, this is where she set up headquarters to fight the First Evil, where we saw her fall in love with Angel, where her mother died and where the most dramatic and powerful scene in the episode "Seeing Red" took place.

The real home that was used for the exterior is actually located in Torrance, California, and we're guessing it's demon and vampire-free. Let us know your favorite Buffy moment in the comments below.

Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

A 19-year-old named Luis Flores and his roommate Kyah Green have been arrested in Lake Mary, Florida by U.S. Secret Service agents for stealing the identities of such celebs as Kim Kardashian, Ashton Kutcher, Paris Hilton and Kris Jenner.

President Obama, are you listening?

Actions speak louder than words, and in these celebrities' cases, they're letting their marijuana paraphernalia do the talking.

Scroll through the slideshow below to find out which stars may be hinting at some new legislature through their ensembles.

The rumors are true: The first two episodes of "Homeland" Season 3 (premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime) are, in fact, Brodyless.

But that's just the first two episodes. The Huffington Post caught up with star Damian Lewis to find out where Brody has been hiding since that whole CIA bombing incident at the end of Season 2, and he had a few very juicy teases about the whereabouts and mental state of his "cockroach"-like TV alter-ego.

Keep reading to hear about Brody's inevitable "devastating" reveal, the state of his family and Carrie since he's been gone and his take on the Season 2 haters -- plus the promise that Season 3 will be darker and more grown-up.

First question: Where the hell is Brody?
Where's Brody? I'm right here, babe! [Laughs.] Brody's on the run. He's an international man of mystery -- you've got to remember that. He's on the run. We'll get to Brody, and when we do, it'll be devastating.

You all know from Season 2 that the longer you wait to have Brody and Carrie reunited, the bigger the reunion needs to be.
Uh-huh.

Which means that since Brody is gone from the first two episodes entirely, the reveal is going to have to be huge.
Look, Brody has kind of passed from pillar to post, from one cell, one safehouse, to the next, as part of the escape procedure that they put in place for him. And Brody, when we see him, we don't know what kind of state he'll be in. Will Brody be living happily in a villa in the south of France, larging it up with a yacht and a bevy of Russian beauties? Or will he be imprisoned somewhere? Or will he be working on a plot against the CIA?

I think what happens to Brody and what emerges through this season is … thematically, it was always very strong in "Homeland" that Brody is a victim of war. He's a good representation of what happens when you send young men to war and what can happen to them over there. Obviously it's extrapolated for this, and it's taken to its Nth degree, but the logical conclusion is that a man can become poisoned and toxic as a result of an experience of war, and can infect everyone around them. That's kind of what we see from Brody this year.

And we've already seen bits of that for sure.
Yes, that's what we've been seeing from him for the first two seasons -- he's not a good influence, wherever he goes. Whether it's on homeland security and the political life in Washington; whether it's on his family life; whether it's on his romantic life with this other slightly unhinged, brilliant maverick person that he gets involved with … despite Brody being so damaged, Brody seems to survive, and a lot of people around him die. He's kind of got a cockroach quality to him. If the atomic bomb drops, Brody might just come scuttling out from under the rubble. It's going to be interesting to see what actually happens to Brody. But when you do meet him [this season], you'll find him in an interesting place. Not a healthy place.

Not a healthy place? Interesting. While we're not seeing Brody in these first two episodes, we're still hearing about him quite a bit, and seeing the aftermath of his disappearance on his family and on Carrie, who maintains that he had nothing to do with the bomb that blew up CIA headquarters …
Which she believes. But is it true, or is it just the deranged defense of a lover? This is "Homeland" -- everything is a double-edged sword.

He's so convincing -- to the point that we root for him even though he is, arguably, the enemy.
Well I think, certainly in the first season, he presented the threat. He was the central threat. Finally he stepped back from the edge, with the theme of that season, loosely, being that a real earthly human love is more powerful than an abstract ideology. That was what you were left with. He steps back from the edge because of a love for his daughter. Then in Season 2, it's complicated by a further plot where he seems to be wanting to help Carrie, but the guys get to him, then Carrie gets taken, then they manage to turn Brody and he seems to be working for the CIA. You thought, wow, he and Carrie are going to work this all out. And then, of course, that final episode the CIA blows up, and did he plant it?

This season, Brody necessarily has to go away, and he's on the run. And we do come to him -- we come to him very soon. But Brody has kind of entered the nine circles of hell. He is a man that's so damaged now by his experience, the last eight years of his life. From the moment he was brutally tortured, physically and psychologically by Abu Nazir, to a conversion to Islam, to coming back and having post-traumatic stress disorder and trying to reintegrate himself with his family, to falling in love with this woman who understands him better than the woman who's been with him most of his life, to his conflict about some sort of act motivated by personal revenge against his own country ... He is a very conflicted, very screwed up human being. I think you'll find in Season 3 that it gets too much for him. That's why I say you'll find him in an unhealthy place. But within Season 3, you'll also see some sort of recovery, and some sort of acts of penance. I'm not going to tell you what those are, but you'll see him somehow grow strong again …

What does strong Brody look like? Is strong Brody the one who wants to make his life right, or is strong Brody the guy who takes no prisoners and will snap your neck if you step out of line?
Well I would say, advocating for Brody, if he's in the stand -- I want Brody to be happy in whatever direction he chooses. As long as he is active, making decisions, strong, he's committed to an ideology, committed to a direction for himself and the people around him, that'll be good to see. Because for the last half of last season and the first half of this season, we experience a Brody who has become a tumbleweed. He's really being blown from one side to the next, and people are using him. He's not strong enough to resist. And there are so many extenuating circumstances -- emotional ones, not least his own family and his own daughter; the relationship he's trying to forge with her, unsuccessfully, and the niggling distraction of this compelling, beautiful, brilliant woman who seems to get him, and who he gets, which is Carrie. So there are a lot of distractions and Brody's very much lost his center. And you'll see that. That's played on even further in the opening half of Season 3. And you will, then, see him somehow pull his socks back up and get himself together.

He has to -- Carrie is crumbling again, his family is crumbling again. Although I'm fascinated by Dana's transformation since Brody has been gone. She has an amazing weight to carry in these first couple of episodes.
Reading it has been a trip -- it's great. Dana's story is very evocative of just how broken the Brody family is. She's rejected her father now. She's looked at, stared at, teased and bullied for having the last name that she has. She always defended her father, and it has become clear that her father lied to her, betrayed her and was never straight with her. That moment in Season 2 where he was a little more clear with her shows the immaturity in Brody. It shows his narcissism actually -- he shouldn't have dumped on her in that way. Truth is always better, but she wasn't ready to take it, and he sort of expected her to take it and handle it. It was an error of judgment and she doesn't bounce back from that.

People had issues with Season 2. Were you aware of that, and do you read critical and fan reactions?
Yeah, I read some stuff. I think they had problems with three or four episodes toward the end of the season, where there were plot jumps made in a slightly more rollercoaster-y kind of way. And because the first season had been so brilliantly taut, psychologically, it made Season 2 seem a little more cartoonish in places. But for my money, it was still never less than compelling and fabulous and interesting and brilliant. I thought it was great. "Homeland" has always worked from the premise that we're not here to give you a naturalist piece of drama. The very fact that the CIA are working on home turf as much as they're working means the whole thing is spurious anyway. So don't worry too much about that. As long as we commit to the story in a real and sincere way, we hope they can enjoy it.

So you think it's back on track for Season 3?
I think Season 3 is even more hard-boiled and dark and grown-up than Season 1 or 2. Those first two episodes, it really explores the mental health of the characters -- not just Carrie. It starts in a very dark place -- you start at a mental institution -- and it's got a very unforgiving, darker shade to it, I think. It's right back in the wheelhouse of those hard-boiled conspiracy thrillers. All the paranoia, the dark ops of the intelligence agencies are at play. I was really happy when I read the first two episodes.

"Homeland" Season 3 premieres Sunday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.

What are you looking forward to most from the return of "Homeland"?

When you work for The Huffington Post, your job is to cover breaking news, not cry over it.

But that was my first impulse when I heard that Elmore Leonard, America's foremost mystery writer of the last century, had passed away at home Tuesday. He was 87 years old.

I never met him, even though he lived about 20 miles away. That just about kills me. I thought about knocking on his door a few times, but that seemed like an excellent way to get arrested. I shouldn't have missed his last book reading, I keep thinking. I should have tried to get an interview with him.

Really though, I should have written him a letter.

As a young journalist with a few amateurish short stories hidden in my sock drawer, I didn't have any pretenses that "Dutch," as he was called, would become my writing mentor or pen pal or friend. He was so beloved to so many. He had family and friends and admirers. I'm sure he was busy.

But have you ever actually told someone you never met how they played a part in the story of your life? I haven't.

As I get older, I understand that unabashed admiration, even if it's never recognized, has its own purpose. It's about taking yourself off the pedestal, admitting that our heroes we'll likely never meet or know can still shape who we become.

So if I had written that letter to Elmore, I would tell him about my first copy of Get Shorty I ever bought. There was really only room for a mattress in my tiny bedroom, but it looked out on an alley in downtown Detroit. I stayed up all night reading about cool Chili Palmer and bad Bo Catlett, who had lived in the Motor City and loved Marvin Gaye. I read through the dark and then watched the sun rise over those darkened streets, thinking about all the fights and schemes and stories that could have happened in the alley below.

In this letter that never was, that I can't seem to stop myself from writing, I'd try to make him laugh. I'd tell him about the time that two different guys I liked bought me first-edition copies of Get Shorty. I'd ask him, do I get to keep both books? I think he would have liked the thought of his novel playing Cupid.

He was the master of writing dialogue that sounded more real than eavesdropping. When I interview someone, I try to ask simple questions and let them talk. I would thank Elmore for teaching me to respect people that way, to listen. In his books, it's hard to tell the difference between good guys and bad guys. Whether his characters did good things or bad things, they always had their reasons. I can't think of a more adult lesson than that.

I would tell him I'm still not a terse writer, like he was, but I work at it. How I look up to him for never leaving Detroit, his adopted hometown, for New York or Los Angeles or some other glamorous place.

Elmore once said that other cities get by on their good looks, but Detroit has to work for a living. When he finally passed away Tuesday, he left his latest project -- his 46th novel -- behind. That unbelievable career doesn't even account for the screenplays he helped create, the short stories, his early life as an ad man. I would say, you hustled so hard; you were never too proud or too famous or too rich to keep pushing. You knew those words would come with a cost, but you paid that toll happily.

That was the profound lesson I learned today from Elmore Leonard -- just shut up already and write the damn thing.

Two months after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcomed little North into their lives the rapper was spotted out in Santa Monica flaunting his post-baby body.

On Monday, X17Online's photographers snapped photos of the 36-year-old rapper and first-time father as he exited his massive SUV, wearing khaki pants with a gray T-shirt, clutching a leather bag.

West reportedly just taped an appearance on Kris Jenner's talk show where he revealed the first photo of North West to the world. The episode is set to air on Friday, but no word on whether West also revealed how he got his pre-baby body back.

For more photos of Kanye West, click over to X17Online.com

With less than one day left in Spike Lee's Kickstarter campaign, the director has begun pulling out some big guns. Hours after announcing that Stephen Tyrone Williams had joined Zaarah Abrahams in the cast of the untitled feature comes word that Michael K. Williams will co-star in the film as well. Williams, best known for "The Wire" and "Boardwalk Empire," had supported Lee's Kickstarter campaign with tweets over the last few weeks and worked with the director on "Miracle at St. Anna."

From Lee's Kickstarter page, where the director announced Williams' involvement.

Ladies And Gentlemen, We Have Added A Great Talent To Our Stellar 2 Leads. My Main Man Brooklyn's Finest, Michael K. Williams Has Joined The Cast Of My Newest Hottest Joint. Who Can Forget The Wailing Warning Of "Omar's Comin'!!! Omar's Comin'!!!"? Michael Killed It. I Feel That His Portrayal, His Complexity And His Humanity Of Omar Will Go Down As One Of The Greatest Characters Cable TV Has Seen.

Lee's untitled feature hit its funding goal last week. Thus far, the campaign has reached $1,357,494 in pledges, about $100,000 more than its stated benchmark of $1,250,000.

For more on the project, head to Kickstarter. Earlier coverage of Stephen Tyrone Williams' casting announcement can be found here.

A little over a week ago, Dr. Sanjay Gupta aired a one hour CNN special on medical marijuana. The impact of his special and an op-ed that he wrote for CNN - where he apologized for his past opposition to medical marijuana - has been incredible!

In the run-up to Gupta's CNN special, his op-ed made national news and was shared more than half a million times on Facebook. Just a few years ago, he came out against medical marijuana. Yet in his op-ed he expressed regret for not studying the issue more closely and for believing the government's propaganda.

Dr. Gupta's show also played a critical role in improving New Jersey's medical marijuana law. A major focus of the special is a young girl who needs medical marijuana to relieve her constant, debilitating seizures. Coincidently, there is legislation under consideration in New Jersey to expand its medical marijuana law so that minors can access it. The issue was sympathetically covered by Gupta, and within days, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was being asked about the legislation. Just a few days later Christie committed to signing it.

The latest manifestation of Gupta's impact came today when President Obama's press secretary was asked whether Gupta's change of heart has caused the president to re-examine his position on medical marijuana. As you might expect, Obama's spokesman sidestepped the question, claiming he couldn't respond because he hadn't read Gupta's column.

But Gupta - who was Obama's first choice to be U.S. Surgeon General upon taking office in 2009 - has generated so much news that it's hard to believe that folks at the White House haven't followed it.

I've worked at the Drug Policy Alliance for 14 years - and more people, even folks who don't follow drug policy, have asked me about the Sanjay Gupta special than almost anything else I've worked on over the past decade and a half. It is clear that Dr. Gupta's work is changing hearts, minds and ultimately lives.

Tony Newman is the director of media relations at the Drug Policy Alliance (www.drugpolicy.org)

Despite speculation that Mayim Bialik's divorce was caused by attachment parenting -- the controversial style of parenting she and estranged Michael Stone practice -- the actress confirmed on Tuesday that her parenting style had nothing to do with the split.

"There's all sorts of marriages, people break up for all sorts of reasons. We don't need to blame attachment parenting for this one," Bialik told Good Morning America

She went on to say that attachment parenting may have actually helped her two sons cope with her divorce.

"I think in a positive way it makes them very amenable to understanding the complexities of human relationships. People have said, 'Wow you've done like an attachment parenting divorce,'" she added.

This isn't the first time Bialik has stated that attachment parenting had nothing to do with her divorce. In the announcement she posted to her blog in November 2012, she wrote that divorce is something faced by every type of parent.

"The hands-on style of parenting we practice played no role in the changes that led to this decision; relationships are complicated no matter what style of parenting you choose," she wrote.

Bialik and Stone married in 2003, and Bialik filed for divorce in Novemeber 2012. The two share custody of their children.

Click through the slideshow below for Bialik's take on attachment parenting, adapted from her 2012 book, "Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way."

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter.

I'm supporting Mencap'sLearning Disability Week (19 - 25 August). The charity is calling for people with a learning disability and their families to share their stories and is asking the question; who is your real-life superhero?

My Mum is My Super Hero

My name is Sarah Gordy and I am an actress. I also happen to have Down's syndrome.

I was in the show called Upstairs Downstairs, which I loved. It was a drama series on BBC One and it was on from 2010 to 2012. After the series I got to appear on TV chat shows and talk to newspapers in the UK. I've been in TV dramas, short films, radio plays and on stage.

I am lucky my mum is just right for me. I love to hear stories about when I was little and look at pictures. My mum did massage on me when I was a few days old and exercise has always been part of my days.

Mum found out I was not using all vitamins in my food so I take pills and I learned nursery rhymes for my little grey cells! I am lucky that we had a swimming pool in the garden when I was little so I swim like a fish. My sister Catherine is 16 months younger than me and the best place for making cakes and stories was the kitchen table. We made plays for our parents and did dance numbers. My sister is wonderful.

At school I was good helping kids on stage so I always got a part in plays. I am happy acting and helping.

My mum is my best teacher - she helps me become a character and learn lines. It is hard learning lines but it is worth it. My friend Susan Brown played my mum in Peak Practice; she then played Mistress Quickly in King Henry IV and I went to see her. Before we went my mum taught me about King Henry IV parts one and two. It was my first time with Shakespeare. I loved it so much and after the show I talked to David Bradley and Michael Gambon. David is my favourite - he said I understood. I now have 41 Shakespeare DVDs.

I have a web site with professional stuff on it if you like www.sarahgordy.com I will be doing a lovely thing on TV soon but it is secret still.

When I want to work at something my mum says "I will see what I can do." I love her.

A few months ago we were obsessed with Kate Middleton's uterus. I actually heard someone describe the pre-birth months referred to as 'The People's Pregnancy'. That actually happened. No, we don't OWN her body, what is in it or comes out of it.

Now the world appears to have unattached the general gaze from her Royal reproductive system and is, once again, obsessed with Jennifer Aniston's baby making status.

Jennifer's on a promotional road trip at the moment promoting her brilliant new comedy, We're The Millers. She is also in a stable relationship with her fiancé Justin Theroux. On a few occasions she has been photographed with her hand on her general under-boob-kind-of-top-of-stomach-or-maybe-the-stomach-itself region. That's not a medical term for it by the way.

For some reason this means we can ask her about what's going on with her vagina and Justin's penis and all the sperm and eggs that they generate. What ARE they planning to do with those? WE MUST know apparently! Jennifer has been being very tolerant, again, but the whole babies question has been getting on her nerves, understandably. She said during a recent interview in Australia that if and/or when/if ever she and her other half have an announcement to make, it'd be nice if they could announce it rather than having someone steal it as a scoop. I think that's fair.

As much as I'm sure we'd all like to know, ultimately, it's none of our business. When we get down the nitty-gritty, and if we're really honest with ourselves, we're just being nosey... even if we're being well-meaning. Jennifer's a lovely woman, I'm sure she'd make a great mum but... it's also, ultimately, still none of our damn business. I've asked her the question myself in the past and been amazed that she didn't just tell me to shove my question right up my arse. She would more than entitled to.

But Jennifer is 44-years-old! That clock MUST be ticking and that timer on the baby bomb could go off! THIS IS UTER- AGEDDON! EVERYONE PANIC!

So here's the thing.

I've hit an age where I constantly get asked if my wife and I are going to have children. Friends ask us about it and we're okay with talking about it because they are in our circle - I imagine Jen's inner circle have that privilege too. It's the same with my GP when he asks, he's in the circle - I expect the same is with her OBGYN.

Recently, people I have been coming across more and more people, people that I don't really know, who think it is perfectly okay to ask me if I have kids, then tell me that it's 'Okay' that I don't... and then ask how my wife feels about that and what our plans are. I'll break this down.

Firstly, I don't mind about being asked if I have kids or not, totally no biggie. It's like being asked if you like cheese. Not at all intrusive.

Secondly, I know that it is 'Okay' not to have kids. I don't need anyone to tell me that you condescending arse ... but I'm glad you find that what my wife and I do with our genitals is acceptable to you and gets your seal of approval even if it doesn't result in a life. And no, our dog is not a substitute for a child. Someone, not too long ago, asked me if I still could. YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE STATUS OF MY SPERM?!

Thirdly, my wife and I talk. We revisit the subject just in case we do want to rethink. We haven't made independent decisions that we've failed to inform the other of. So yes, she's okay with it. Thank you for checking that maybe I was laying down the law and denying her the right to have kids like some kind of gyno-tyrant.

But maybe if it's okay for people to ask me then maybe I should ask them back?

Them: "Do you have children?"
Me: "No, no we don't."
Them: "Oh... that's okay... Are you planning to?"
Me: "I know it is... and no."
Them: "How does your wife feel about that?"
Me: "Haven't asked her. I am denying her my genitals and all their contents."
Them: "Pardon?"
Me: "You heard me. I'm a dick-tator. So... will you having sexual intercourse in the near future? Maybe to have a child or just for fun? It's okay if you are."
Them: "PARDON?"
Me: "Oh I am sorry... I thought we were entitled to discuss each other's sexual activity because, ya know... your getting busy-ness is my business."

So what I'm saying is... Women, when people ask you if you're going to have kids - whether you're a celebrity or not - and it really grinds your gears... I get it. It happens to guys too. It is equally annoying. People, I think, mean well but still... we know our clocks are ticking.

Thankfully, unlike Jennifer, every time my wife leaves the house there won't be people staring at her stomach in the street or on the tube wondering if sometime in the last few months we combined nature's flour, eggs and milk to start a family. If she's bloated one morning or looks like she is 'glowing' or she touches her stomach at least her picture won't end on a morning chat show to be mulled over, or as a story on a showbiz website or as a front page splash on a magazine at a supermarket checkout wondering if it was as a the result of sex or IVF or if it could be twins... or maybe someone mocking up a photo of what the baby might look like.

My wife and I love kids, we love our nephews, our Goddaughter, our friend's kids... having our own is a totally different thing and it is our decision and our business and we have our reasons.

So, Jennifer Aniston - have kids, don't have kids, your choice... with YOUR being the key word. It's totally up to you - and also Justin. I'm sure you know this already. But maybe next time someone asks you, try my response.

But then they'd call you moody and probably say it could be down to your hormones being out of whack because... MAYBE SHE'S PREGNANT! OMG!

By the way, Jennifer's new movie is We're The Millers. It hits UK cinemas on 23 August and is very, very, VERY funny.

Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa celebrated their marriage Sunday night with a big party (they officially tied the knot July 8), but the bash really started the night before the wedding when the bride got her twerk on.

Rose posted a video of herself twerking on Instagram with the caption, "Only bad b*tches twerk the night before their wedding." And twerk they do! Watch the video above to see the bride show everyone how it's done.

The couple got engaged in March 2012 after dating for just over a year. They welcomed their first child together, Sebastian Taylor Thomaz, in February 2013.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Come on guys! This is his house. These are his rules. And he can't stop. He won't stop! But remember, it's his party, so he can do what he wants. He knows that "Only God can judge ya" and to "forget the haters cause somebody loves ya."

Thank you to buffcorrell for inspiring us all to let loose and party like Miley!

Yea, yea, yea, yeaaaaaaaaaah.

Zippy.

That's my one-word description of the energetic pilot for "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the most eagerly anticipated new show of the fall season (it premieres Sept. 24 on ABC).

ABC screened the pilot for the media at the recent Television Critics Association press tour (where the show's producers and actors took questions about the show), and earlier the network showed the pilot to fans at Comic-Con. Shortly after viewing the enjoyable pilot at the press tour, I spoke to "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." executive producers Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen about the show's roots and its future.

Don't worry, I didn't discuss plot specifics with Whedon and Tancharoen, who previously worked with the show's executive producer Joss Whedon on "Dollhouse" and "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." Jed Whedon and Tancharoen, who co-wrote the pilot with Joss, talked about some of the philosophical underpinnings of the drama, how the show's mythology will work and how much -- or little -- it will tie into Marvel's cinematic universe.

Whedon and Tancharoen also worked on my beloved "Spartacus," so I know they know from putting a tight-knit group of characters through emotionally difficult and physically dangerous experiences. They won't, of course, be able to show people being dismembered on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (oh well), which faces pressures that could pull the show in quite different directions: No doubt ABC and Marvel want the producers to establish "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." as a bright, action-filled, family-friendly extension of the Marvel brand -- yet many TV fans are hoping the ensemble drama, which features the return of Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, is a rich, complex and worthy successor to much-loved Whedonian fare such as "Buffy," "Angel" and "Firefly."

In the conversation below, which has been edited and slightly condensed, Jed Whedon and Tancharoen discuss the many cooks in the Marvel/ABC kitchen, the burden of expectations and the serious side of "S.H.I.E.L.D."

What do you see as your primary next steps, as far as deepening the world and enriching the characters? How will you make the show more and more Whedon-y, if you will?

Tancharoen: Well, I think our tagline is "Not all heroes are super," and we say it a lot, but it's about the real people living in this extraordinary universe. We're going to dive deeper into that. Our team of six, they are real people without superpowers, and they operate within this big, government-like organization; and week to week, they'll come up against these threats and challenges that are beyond what we're able to handle. Everyone has the question, "How do you make a Marvel show on television when the expectations are so high with what you've seen in the movies and stuff?" But I think when you boil down the show, at its core it's about being human, and that's something everyone can relate to.

Jed Whedon: Yeah. Initially, obviously, we need cool stuff and Marvel moments. But we really want everybody to fall in love with these people, and we think that if they do, people will show up to watch it. There will obviously be a lot of commercials for this show.

Tancharoen: There already have been many commercials for this show. [laughs]

Whedon: We're confident there'll be eyes on it, but our job is to--

Tancharoen: Keep them there.

Whedon: And so we feel that the characters -- and hopefully people will agree -- will keep you coming back. And that's generally true in television. You don't watch the medical shows to see what sickness they're going to deal with, you watch it for the people and see how they deal with it. So that's how we're approaching it.

The idea behind the show, to some degree, seems to be about deconstructing the superhero mystique and digging in to what that means and how that functions in the world, and also, judging from the pilot, you are interested in exploring how people react to the power and methods of S.H.I.E.L.D. Are those going to be ongoing themes in the show?

Tancharoen: Well, that is something that we're exploring. Because, yes, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job is a lot harder now that people saw the battle of New York [in "The Avengers"]. They saw an alien portal onto our universe. They saw a huge battle in the streets of New York with aliens and a big--

Whedon: Gods.

Tancharoen: -- green monsters and a god.

Whedon: Superheroes, the cat's out of the bag.

Tancharoen: Yeah, and so there are consequences to that. People are rattled and yeah, so that's what will be explored.

Whedon: And S.H.I.E.L.D.'s job description has sort of changed. They were supposed to keep these kinds of things secret, but that ship has sailed. Now their job is more about helping people deal with this and navigating all those new questions. What happens when there are gods in the world, what happens to regular people? It's not just people wanting to be famous now, they want to be super and there are a lot of questions that come along with that alien invasion. And so that's a lot of stuff that we explore.

Will there be a Big Bad for the season? Is that something we'll see on this show: a villain having a big arc that grows, or will it be more mini-arcs or standalone episodes?

Tancharoen: I don't think we can't be too specific about that but yes, we will have --

Whedon: Recurring elements.

Tancharoen: Yes. There will be threats. How vague can we be? [laughs]

Whedon: Yeah, one of the things that, you know, we've talked about just initially getting into it is, as you start it, you want to tell these self-contained stories. It's a little bit like the "X-Files" model: You can come each week and see [that episode] and not have seen everything, but if you have, it's a richer experience. And as we move forward, those things will start to weave together more and more. But we do want to always have every episode have its own beginning, middle and end, and feel like its own [thing].

Well, "X-Files" or "Lost" would also have straight-up, hardcore mythology episodes, too. There would be, like, five monsters-of-the-week episodes and then in the sixth, it would be much more about the bigger mythology.

Tancharoen: I'd say it's similar to "X-Files."

Whedon: Yeah, we definitely don't want anybody ever to watch an episode and have to have watched all the others. That's definitely a goal of ours. But we think there's a way to do that, [similarly to] the way that they've done it with [Marvel films] where it's just a better experience if you have been keeping track. And also we're pretty sure that we will be asking enough interesting questions that people will want to hear the answers. At least that's our goal.

When I think about the shows you and Joss have worked on -- "Spartacus," "Dollhouse," "Buffy," "Angel" -- they're not necessarily family friendly, in that an 8-year-old can't sit down with Grandma to watch them. But presumably that's what Marvel and ABC want with this show. Does it feel limiting in any way to have to work around that but yet want to get into some meaty character stuff?

Tancharoen: We don't feel limited thus far. And I do feel like, because this is Marvel's first live-action show, it feels like people are a little bit more open to the darkness and exploring certain themes.

Whedon: And ABC has definitely been very clear, [saying] "Don't think about it as an 8 p.m. show." You know, obviously, if we go crazy, they'll say, "Let's be reasonable here."

Tancharoen: There will not be any "Spartacus" moments on this show.

Whedon: But our job [is to figure out how to do] those dark moments, how to do big, superhero things, how to find creative ways to do it that fit within the Marvel universe, or within the budget, or within the time constraints. [The job is to] find a creative way to do it so you can still explore all those same themes without having to necessarily, graphically show them. You can still explore them, and there are creative ways around that.

This is a show with a lot of machinery, though, in that you've got Marvel involved, and you've got ABC involved, and it's probably the biggest launch of the fall season. You've potentially got a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Is it hard to manage all those different interests and agendas and still make a good TV show?

Tancharoen: I think it's been nice to discover that we're all trying to make the same show. Yes, there are many people involved. There are two studios [ABC and Marvel], but we're all trying to make the same show.

Whedon: There hasn't been a fight over that. That's the big fear. You'll negotiate little things, but everybody's heading in the same direction on this, which is very lucky.

Tancharoen: And there's always the challenge of the Marvel audience and the ABC audience being able to merge. And I think, because it is a Whedon show, there's always the humor, so [maybe both audiences will enjoy that].

Whedon: Yeah. As long as we have the emotions and the cool Marvel stuff, I think we'll be hitting the right notes.

One of my favorite parts of both "Dollhouse" and "Spartacus" were the characters' relationships, and that doesn't necessarily mean people who were together as couples, but there were always various attractions and tortured histories and so forth. And ABC has obviously got a ton of shows with, you know, betrayals...

Whedon: Do they? Do they have that? [laughs]

There is some revenging on that network.

Tancharoen: We have three pretty girls and three pretty boys.

Whedon: Yeah, obviously that's a part of it, but that's a part of everything. That's a part of any good show. That's what happens in life. You put six people on a plane together and something's going to happen.

Tancharoen: Something's going to happen, but we're also into the slow burn. Any sort of hook-up or romantic thing will be well earned. It's not just going to be, like, making out in two seconds.

Whedon: And if it is, there will be repercussions.

There's obviously a lot of cool tech in this world, but time and again, I see shows that operate in the sci-fi or supernatural realm using devices or things that allow the characters to magically resolve a situation or fix a problem. How do you make it so that the resolution of a problem doesn't amount to "and then a wizard fixed it"?

Tancharoen: We care a lot about that. Everything is derived from actual science, and you know, a big rule about Marvel is keeping things grounded, and that's something we're completely conscious of going into every story.

Whedon: We have two characters who are obsessed with it on the show. Fitz and Simmons are there in order to make it not feel like that. It's like Bond having to hang out with Q all day. Bond just uses the thing but Q is saying, "Do you understand how I designed that? Do you understand how much time and energy went into that thing?" We care about it. It also raises a question with Thor and other worlds. There are things that are not able to be explained.

Tancharoen: But in "Thor," they even said what you perceive as magic is science that you have yet to understand.

Whedon: Right. And so we will deal with two scientists facing things like a hammer that only one guy can pick up and trying to piece that together in their minds and get a grip on a world that doesn't make sense.

So many of the shows in the Whedon-verse have that fractured, ad hoc family vibe. Is that what you're going for here? Or will there be a more defined lead in the form of Agent Coulson in the early going?

Whedon: Just terms of leads, obviously Coulson is someone that everybody knows. And Skye [Chloe Bennet's character] is the person in this world who doesn't know what what the rules of S.H.I.E.L.D. are. So we're going to have to explain it a little to the audience.

Tancharoen: Right. She, like the audience, is going into this big, new world and asking questions about it. But yeah, Coulson is definitely at the centerpiece of all of it.

Whedon: And then as we get further, it can develop into more of an ensemble piece as people know more about these characters and start to root for each of them. But we're [also] trying to really make it an ensemble show with everybody in every episode.

Let me be the 400th person today to ask you if there will be references to events that have occurred or will occur in the Marvel universe. You know, what characters and events will be tied in to "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."?

Tancharoen: We're open to any opportunity.

Whedon: Yeah, they all have an open invitation to swing by -- any Avenger.

I suspected you might sort of defer that and you might say, "We want to define our own show and we want to do our own thing for a while."

Tancharoen: Well, there is of course that, but yes, if the opportunity arises for some synergy, we're open to that.

Whedon: We're open to it, but of course, the goal is to establish something that doesn't depend on that. We think of the movies as sort of the web series to our show. [laughs] We are trying to weave between the films and we are trying to play in the same universe. So if something crazy happens in the films, we're hoping to play some of the fallout or maybe tease some of that. We are in constant contact with features and trying to live between the films. But yes, we do want to establish something that can exist on its own.

Will most of the threats originate from otherworldly dimensions or other planets or things like that?

Whedon: They're going to come from all over the place.

Tancharoen: Yeah, it's not just otherworldly.

Whedon: And, you know, on Earth there have been the origins of a couple superpowers in scientific experiments, either successes or experiments gone wrong. But [the threats are] going to come from all over. There's enough to deal with in a world where those things exist. You know, if a house got stepped on by a giant, it's a huge tragedy. It doesn't have to be about the giant. So while we will be tapping into all the supernatural stuff, there's plenty of human stories to be told in that world where this stuff exists.

Even so, are you having to invent a new monster of the week, if you will, or a new threat? Is that fun?

Whedon: That's the best part.

And when you introduce new elements or characters, can they migrate back into the comics?

Whedon: Hopefully, in success.

Tancharoen: Yeah, if people actually respond to who we're creating, then yes, maybe they'll live on in other areas of the Marvel universe. But we approach each story with theme and emotion first. And then we asked the question, you know, "What would serve that theme?" And if it's a character that we need to invent or a character that already exists, that's cool, too.

What is it about this job is radically different from things you've done before?

Tancharoen: I think the expectation is there. On "Dr. Horrible" that was something -- I think that's the first time we officially worked together with Joss, and that was just a--

Whedon: And the amount of expectation was the opposite of this. Because no one even knew it was happening and we were going to release it on the Internet.

Tancharoen: Right. And then there was "Dollhouse," where no one really knew what to expect from that show. So this is a highly anticipated show. There are many, many eyes on it. There are many people involved. So this scale is just much larger. But as far as the day to day and what we're doing creatively, that's the same, because we always come from a place of keeping it fun. I mean, you've seen us make our stupid videos on the Internet. I think if we always check in with each other, the size and scale of everything doesn't feel as daunting.

Today marks the day millions of teenage girls have been dreading for the past three years: A member of One Direction is engaged to be married. Zayn Malik popped the question to his long-time girlfriend Perrie Edwards, and I feel as if every emotion I've ever felt has been tossed into a blender and made into the most tear-filled smoothie ever.

My natural instinct is to be thrilled for Zayn. He was the first voice (and face) that caught my eye when I was first introduced to One Direction back in 2011. He was special to me then, and still is now, and of course I want him to be happy. Perrie is an incredible girl -- as a member of insanely talented girl group Little Mix, she is ultra-chic, well-dressed, and beautiful inside and out. If this is the woman he wants to marry, I am more than okay with it. They both deserve someone who is over-the-moon in love with them, and after reading Zayn's interview with Fabulous magazine in which he stated, "I'd fly 10 planes to go home and see her," this is obviously the case. Need further proof? Check out Zayn's Perrie-inspired tattoo.

However, I can't deny that, despite my acceptance of "Zerrie," I am still kind of torn up about the engagement. The notion that 1/5 of One Direction will be permanently off the market gives me actual goose bumps. If you're a fan of 1D, you love them all equally, but there's always going to be a special place in the deepest chamber of your heart reserved for one special boy. When I look at Harry, I feel like I basically know him -- I've spent so much time, energy, and money staring at him, learning about him, figuring out what he likes and what he doesn't, that I would be crushed to pieces if he was getting married. It would be really, embarrassingly painful, and I probably wouldn't leave my bedroom for a couple of days. It isn't about the girl, or the ceremony, or the tuxedo (okay, it might be a little bit about the tuxedo, because they all look really good in suits). It's the fact that the daydream that has kept me going through basically my entire high school career is being destroyed, all by a diamond ring. If you fall asleep every night creating scenarios in your head of you and Zayn holding hands, talking on the phone, kissing in the rain... your whole illusion is being blown to bits. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Zayn isn't even my favorite boy, yet it still feels, in my melodramatic state, kind of traumatic.

The tricky thing is this: Of course, we want One Direction to be happy. When they smile and laugh in interviews, it's like the sun shining on a kitten's face. What's hard to admit is that we want to be happy, too. We want these illusions and daydreams to become reality for us. We want to be the girls holding their hands. We want to be the ones walking down the aisle to the tune of "Last First Kiss." Are you kidding me? I would (to the chagrin of my parents) give up my college tuition to move into a beautiful mansion in the countryside of England and raise a family with any member of One Direction. It's just not possible. I am a "normal" girl living in suburban Illinois who can barely look at an average high school boy, much less an international British heartthrob. We can't count on hope when it comes to 1D. We can be happy, but in a different way. We don't have to give up our daydreams; we just have to allow a little wiggle room. We have to keep them as daydreams. Sure, my heart might break into little smithereens when Zayn and Perrie have their first kiss as husband and wife, but I know that they'll be really happy, and that makes me happy, too.

As I write this, I've transitioned into a new stage of grief. I'm scared. I already worry about One Direction's well-being enough as it is, but now I'm at a new level of panic. The first thing my mom texted me when she heard the news was this: "He is too young to get married. Live a little Zayn!" My dad expressed similar feelings, wondering how long the relationship would even last between two 20 year-olds. It is a kind of terrifying thought. I don't want Zayn and Perrie to rush into something as permanent as marriage, but similarly, I don't doubt their relationship. I think it's hard to be sure of anything when you're so young. It's also hard to be sure of anything when you're a spectator to a celebrity romance. What's important now for One Direction fans is trust. Trust that Zayn knows what he's doing. Believe in his choices and support him no matter what. If he's getting married, be happy for him. If it doesn't work out, don't cheer and rejoice or degrade him for his age and quick decision-making. Everything happens for a reason, and acceptance and support is important. It's what being a fan is all about, especially at times like these.

Many girls on Twitter are comparing One Direction to the Beatles, but in a really depressing way. John Lennon and Yoko Ono's engagement is what broke up The Beatles -- what's so different about Zayn and Perrie? History rarely repeats itself. The Beatles had so many creative and emotional differences that the engagement that tore them apart was the straw that broke the camel's back. I don't know if One Direction is different, but what I do know is this: the bond between the boys in One Direction is strong, and it has been for three years. I don't foresee this being the end of anything for a band that really is going in only one direction: up. Anyways, Perrie is in a band too, and her star is rising. It would be a difficult time to put two high-profile careers on hold.

When I told my 13-year-old brother about the impending nuptials, he noted the tinge of sadness in my voice. "Are you sad your little One Direction is growing up?" he asked. I realized that I kind of am. It's emotional, but in kind of great ways. Besides, at least we still have single Niall and Harry to pine over.

Today's drunk history lesson: the story of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner. It was Dolly's decision to leave Wagoner and go solo that inspired her to write the beautiful classic "I Will Always Love You," but despite her lyrical promise to her old manager, he went ahead and sued her the moment she got famous. Here is the story - as told by a very drunk person.

Watch the clip above and for more, check out Drunk History on Comedy Central.com.

Not everyone is made for TV -- just ask Rachel Zoe.

The celebrity stylist launched her career on dressing boho babes like Nicole Richie and later became a household name with a best-selling book called "Style A to Zoe," an eponymous reality show and an eponymous clothing line.

But with "The Rachel Zoe Project" already five seasons in, it seems the '70s-inspired style guru has decided she isn't equipped for small-screen stardom, after all. She recently expressed reservations about continuing her TV series, telling Capitol File Magazine in a new interview:

"'The Rachel Zoe Project' was meant to be a show solely based on fashion and designers and all of that, and clearly it wasn't... I was like, 'Oh, I don't want my personal life on television.'"

Seems a fair claim for a working mother with another baby on the way. Yet why would she ever sign up to allow cameras to track the business she runs out of her house, then?

"We've done five years. I think it's time to probably move on," Rachel tells Capitol File. No more Zoe on TV? We're waiting for official confirmation from Bravo, but we're praying "The Rachel Zoe Project" isn't actually cancelled for good... In the words of the stylist herself, we'd die.

PHOTO:

This style is bananas:

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Lady Gaga took to Twitter to comment on the sentencing of Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison, saying the news was "devastating."

Manning was found guilty of 19 counts, including six Espionage Act violations, in connection with the leaking of some 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks. He was also dishonorably discharged and demoted from his previous rank of private first class.

"If our own can't speak up about injustice who will?" Gaga asked in a tweet sent to over 39 million followers. "How will we ever move forward?"

This isn't the first time celebrities have taken up Manning's case. In June, the likes of Russell Brand, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Wallace Shawn, Moby, Alice Walker and Oliver Stone took part in an "I Am Bradley Manning" PSA in support of the leaker. The stars asked viewers to put themselves in Manning's shoes.