John Oliver to Host Comedy Series on HBO

John Oliver to Host Comedy Series on HBO

John Oliver has turned his guest anchoring stint into a permanent anchoring gig.

The Comedy Central stalwart - who filled in for Jon Stewart on The Daily Show this summer and received raved revies in the process - is leaving his post as a correspondent and headinf to HBO.

He'll host a weekly comedy series on that network that will debut in 2014 and poke fun at various political and pop cultural events.

“We weren’t otherwise searching for another weekly talk show, but when we saw John Oliver handling host duties on The Daily Show, we knew that his singular perspective and distinct voice belonged on HBO,” said HBO president Michael Lombardo in a statement. “We are extremely excited that John has agreed to make HBO his home.”

Added Oliver, in a heartfelt/hilarious statement of his own:

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining HBO, especially as I presume this means I get free HBO now. I want to thank Comedy Central, and everyone at The Daily Show for the best seven and a half years of my life. But most of all, I’d like to thank Jon Stewart. He taught me everything I know. In fact, if I fail in the future, it’s entirely his fault.”
 

The Hollywood Gossip

Jean-Claude Van Damme Performs INSANE Split in New Volvo Commercial

Jean-Claude Van Damme Performs INSANE Split in New Volvo Commercial

NOTE TO READERS: Do not try this at home. Seriously.

In a new ad for Volvo Trucks, one that focuses on the precision of their dynamic steering, veteran action star Jean-Claude Van Damme talks passionately into the camera.

We begin with a close-up of the actor's face, only to eventually pan back and see that he's straddling two vehicles... two vehicles that begin to pull apart as the commercial plays, each taking one of Van Damme's legs with them in the process.

Watch how the 53-year old star calmly reacts below, spreading his limbs wider than the star of the Kim Kardashian sex tape and causing us to squirm just viewing this flexible act:

Jean-Claude Van Damme Volvo Commercial

The Hollywood Gossip

Alexandra Tatarsky: Andy Kaufman "Daughter" Really a New York Actress?

Alexandra Tatarsky: Andy Kaufman "Daughter" Really a New York Actress?

Alexandra Tatarsky, a New York actress, bears a striking resemblance to the young woman claiming to be the late (or not) Andy Kaufman's this week.

She appeared at the Andy Kaufman Awards - an annual comedy event - to not only claim she's his offspring, but that Andy Kaufman is alive.

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  Andy Kaufman's Daughter: He Lives!

The woman claiming to be his daughter says she's 24, which puts her birth years after Kaufman's death. She's also reportedly a theater student.

A photo of Tatarsky on a theater website looks very much like the woman, and The Smoking Gun says she has met Michael Kaufman, Andy's brother.

Allegedly, TSG claims they met at a New York gallery featuring a collection of "artifacts" from Andy Kaufman's life and planned this week's stunt.

Gawker found her biography, which notes that the actress is "inspired by Russian absurdism." Andy Kaufman himself has been said to be an absurdist.

Tatarsky's actual father is a psychologist, apparently.

Conspiracy theorists have long posited that the comedian, who died in 1984 at 35 of cancer, faked his death. The story gained fresh legs this week.

The woman told the audience, gathered to celebrate performers who embody the spirit of the comedian, that her "dad" was still very much alive.

He faked his death to escape the limelight and to be a stay-at-home dad, she claimed, noting that he was going to reveal this himself, but backed out.

"I don't know how much longer he can keep everything away," she said.

She appeared on stage with Andy's brother, Michael, who asked her questions as she happily responded, pushing her brown hair behind her ears.

Michael also told a story about his brother reaching out to him in 1999, only to stand him up ... save for a note revealing that Andy had faked his death.

It's unconfirmed whether Michael definitively believes this, but he was certainly pushing the theory that his famous brother is alive at the event.

Kaufman has one known child, daughter Maria Colonna. She lives in upstate New York, and by all accounts was not involved in this announcement.

What do you think: Is Andy Kaufman really alive?

 

Yes, everything makes sense now!No, his brother is just playing off the hoax rumors!

View Poll »

The Hollywood Gossip

Taylor Swift: Set to Respond to Justin Bieber "All Bad" Diss

Taylor Swift: Set to Respond to Justin Bieber "All Bad" Diss

Justin Bieber has apologized for disrespecting the flag of Argentina during a concert in that nation over the weekend.

But Taylor Swift is still awaiting her mea culpa from the artist.

Bieber released a track on Monday titled "All Bad" and made no secret that at least a portion of the lyrics were meant as a diss to Swift, re-Tweeting the message of a follower who said Justin was "shading" his rival singer with the song.

Justin Bieber - "All Bad"

Of particular, Swift-based note would be Bieber's reference to how "females like to run their mouths."

It's no secret that Taylor isn't the biggest fan of Bieber, having allegedly told Selena Gomez on many occasions to NOT get back together with her on-and-off beau.

And we all remember when Swift stuck out her tongue over Justin and Selena giving each other a peck, don't we?

So if Justin is slamming Taylor in this single, does that mean we can expect some musical retaliation from Swift? You bet, an anonymous source tells Hollywood Life.

“She has heard the song, and she is definitely going to respond at some point,” the source says. “She has the mentality now that payback is a bitch. A song about him has no timetable but it’s inevitable.”

It's not as if Taylor is one to hold back her emotions when song writing, as John Mayer and every ex-boyfriend know well.

Juicy stuff, huh, THGers? Do you think Justin is wrong to call out Taylor in this track? Should Swift respond? And what should be the title of her revenge release? Don't Belieb the Hype?

Sound off now!

The Hollywood Gossip

Miley Cyus: I Am a Total Feminist!

Miley Cyus: I Am a Total Feminist!

Miley Cyus doesn't understand the criticism.

Yes, she Twerks. And, sure, she's often nearly naked. But that doesn't mean the singer isn't a big-time feminist.

Quite the opposite, Miley argues in a new interview with BBC's "Newsbeat."

Miley Cyrus Touts Her Feminism

“I feel like I’m one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women to not be scared of anything," Cyrus says in the Q&A.

The artist came under a bit of fire this week from Jennifer Lawrence, who call out Miley directly... but did say it's "disgusting" that sex sells as well as it does for young celebrities.

But Miley disagrees.

“Guys get to show their titties on the beach, why can’t we?” she asks. “I don’t understand the double standard."

Yeah! Seriously! Women should be free to be as topless as they want to be at all times.

Are you listening, Kate Upton?

What do YOU think? Is Miley Cyrus a feminist?

 

Yes, absolutely!Not even a little bit!Sometimes, I guess

View Poll »

The Hollywood Gossip

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian: In Kouples Kounseling?

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian: In Kouples Kounseling?

Lamar Odom cannot rebound for a professional basketball team at the moment, as his off-court issues have made the star a pariah in the NBA.

But all this free time is giving Lamar time to rebound on a personal level, as sources confirm to Us Weekly that he and Khloe Kardashian have entered couples counseling.

Lamar Odom in Anger Management?

“It was very emotional; they spoke about all of their issues,” an insider says of what Khloe and Lamar recently told a therapist, adding of the former:

She "still loves and cares about him, but healing will take a long time.”

A recent report had claimed that Khloe was selling the mansion she shared with Lamar and that she is seeking a "fresh start" away from her estranged husband... but Kardashian scoffed at that allegation on Twitter.

She is yet to comment on divorce rumors, though an insider claims her split from Odom will be featured on Season 9 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Still, Odom remains hopeful.

Friends say he is "doing much better" and has "gained 20 pounds" since the summer.

He supposedly attended Kris Jenner's 58th birthday party this month and was "arm in arm" with Khloe the entire time.

But witnesses also say Lamar got totally bombed during a Halloween party in West Hollywood a couple weeks ago and that the incident was a sad wake-up call for his wife.

“They had mutual friends at the party, and several people told Khloe he was wasted," the tabloid writes. "Lamar isn’t on a path to sobriety, and Khloe was living in a fantasy world thinking he could.”

The Hollywood Gossip

Girl Pours Gasoline On Slide, 2 Year Old Sister Catches On Fire

Girl Pours Gasoline On Slide, 2 Year Old Sister Catches On Fire

It's every parent's worst nightmare. You turn your back for one second and catastrophe happens.

That's the case for 26 year old father Christopher Calhoun. 

While he wasn't looking, Calhoun's 4 year old daughter poured gasoline down their slide to make it more slippery for herself and her sister. A charge of static electricity caused the gasoline to ignite and now his 2 year old is in a medically induced coma with burns over 30% of her body. 

Toddler Burned On Swing Set In Gasoline Fire

Calhoun told police he had been playing outside with his girls when stepped inside the house for just a moment. He heard screams and saw his daughters, one of whom was on fire. 

Calhoun grabbed the 2 year old and put her in the shower to douse the flames while calling 911. 

It's unclear how or where the 4 year old found the gasoline can from which she poured the highly flammable liquid. Police are treating the incident as an accident and have decided not to file charges against Calhoun. 

The Hollywood Gossip