Celebrity Dish: Serving up the gossip you should know!
With Halloween and the Day of the Dead just past us, it seems appropriate to pause for a moment and remember those celebrities who have passed away this year. And there perhaps have been more significant celebrity deaths in the last 12 months than in any year in recent memory. Michael Jackson passed away unexpectedly. Farrah Fawcett and Patrick Swayze both lost their battle with cancer. Ed McMahon passed away. DJ AM’s (Adam Goldstein) body was found in his apartment. And those are just a few.
It was perhaps Michael Jackson’s death that was most shocking. But with the film This is It, fans have one more opportunity to see the King of Pop in action, doing what he did best on stage. This movie isn’t a concert film; it’s a documentary about the tour he was planning. But it includes plenty of rehearsal footage. And I think that is what makes it a fantastic tribute. Despite all of the rumors and legal turmoil he saw in his later years, the man was an entertainer at his best. It’s nice to see him in his element one last time.
And that is something other fans apparently agree with. The film earned $20 million at the box office on its first day alone. And several stars (who are also fans) turned out for its premiere. Celebrities on the red carpet ranged from Michael’s friend and family to Berry Gordy to more recent musical prodigies like Adam Lambert and David Cook. All were on hand to pay tribute and their respects, and you can do the same while
This is It is in theaters.
Michael Jackson was such an icon that one might assume he would top the list of richest dead celebrities. But you would be wrong. Well, surely, then it’s Elvis Presley (also the father of one of Jackson’s ex-wives). Maybe Marilyn Monroe? How about John Lennon? Nope. The richest dead celebrity wasn’t one of those famous faces. Instead, it was someone who draped some of those famous faces in glamorous gowns. French designer Yves Saint Laurent topped Forbes’ list of richest dead celebrities, earning $350 million this year. And interestingly, the second highest earners were Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, with a combined earning of $235 million. Jackson ranked third with his $90 million in earnings.
Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze’s widow, is still dealing with the grief of losing her husband of 34 years after his death seven weeks ago. But she took time out to speak during a roundtable discussion on Grief, Healing and Resilience at the Women’s Conference 2009 in Long Beach, Calif., last week. She shared that she feels his loss “on a cellular level,” according to the Associated press, but is getting through it with the help of close girlfriends. Interestingly, actress Kelly Preston, was supposed to join the discussion to speak about the loss of her son, Jett Travolta, but opted out, saying that “the grief was still too debilitating.”
But despite the loss and grief, the circle of life does continue, even for celebrities. Actor Colin Farrell welcomed his second son, Henry Tadeusz Farrell, (his first with girlfriend) into the world last month. And Mark Wahlberg announced last week that he and his wife, model Rhea Durham, will be having another daughter. This is their fourth child, and the numbers will be even with two boys and two girls.
It truly is the circle of life that moves us all.
Krista Richmond is a journalist and pop culture enthusiast. Have a question, suggestion or hot gossip tip? Send them to her at krista@killerfilm.com.
