Piers Morgan Exits CNN After Turning Down 2-Year Deal

Piers Morgan, the CNN primetime host whose efforts to provide the network with a new type of celebrity-interview show met with ratings headwinds, has officially left the cable news channel after declining a new two-year deal that would have made him the host of a sporadic interview series.

“I was offered a new 2-year deal by CNN boss Jeff Zucker to host 40 big interview ‘specials,'” Morgan said via Twitter. “But after considerable thought, I decided not to accept it – and to try pastures new.”

Morgan began anchoring the network’s 9 p.m. slot in January 2011, replacing the durable “Larry King Live” with a celebrity-interview show that did not always hit the target with CNN viewers.

The program, in which Morgan could be seen breaking away from conversations with perplexed guests like Gregg Allman to ask if they had inadvertently given him a scoop in their responses, proved to be fodder for satire on “Saturday Night Live.” Morgan also used the program to rally against the National Rifle Assn.

“I knew this kind of outburst wouldn’t endear me to gun-loving Americans, but I’d do it all over again,” he tweeted on Tuesday, linking to a debate on gun control following the Newton, Conn., elementary shooting.

In 2013 his show, “Piers Morgan Live,” basically stayed flat with 2012 performance. Morgan’s program notched a 1% gain in total viewers, to 597,000 compared with 590,000 a year earlier, and a 2% hike in the 25-to-54 demo, to 173,000 from 170,000. In February CNN announced it would yank the show off the air and replaced it in March largely with some of its documentary series or hour-long looks at breaking news.

Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper, who helped form the backbone of CNN’s primetime lineup with Morgan, remain on the air in the CNN’s 7 and 8 p.m. hours, respectively.

Did Maria Shriver Cheat On Arnold Schwarzenegger First? New Report Says ‘Yes’

A new report says Maria Shriver cheated on Arnold Schwarzenegger long before his affair with the family’s housekeeper went public; the revelation that precipitated the Governator’s separation from his wife in 2011. If the latest allegations are true, Maria cheated first — in her mind.

Information contained in PageSix said the Kennedy heiress had an affair with her husband’s campaign strategist five years before she learned he was tip-toeing with the maid, which resulted in a love-child. Yes, she was allegedly shimmying around with a secret lover long before former Governor Schwarzenegger’s affair was exposed.

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Maria Shriver’s mystery boyfriend is said to be none other than Matthew Dowd, 53, the savvy political strategist behind the Bush-Cheney ’04 presidential campaign. He was also instrumental in George W. Bush’s reelection bid.

When news broke that Shriver and Schwarzenegger’s marriage was tarnished by a romantic expose, Maria gained the hearts of a sympathetic public that viewed her as the injured duckling — and the governor as a two-timing bloke.

Shriver and Dowd were seen for the first time together recently when they both attended Maria’s cousin’s nuptials last month.

The unnamed source weighed in.

“Maria likes to make it appear that she’s the victim, but she’s not. The [idea] that they started dating recently is ridiculous.”

Three years ago, Schwarzenegger shook up the world when he announced committing adultery years earlier with Mildred Beana. As a result of that covert affair, a child was born.

That was 2011. But allegedly in 2006, Maria Shriver was already fouling her marriage with Dowd, but she didn’t reveal her broken vows when the governor confirmed his cheating rumors.

And it gets worse: the insider said Shriver was brazen with her lover because she knew that nothing would come of it while her husband was governor of California; the publicity would likely ruin his political career and become a distraction; something no politician wants to risk.

In fact, the source claimed that Maria flaunted her affair with Dowd in the presence of staffers, just to show her husband she held the cards. The two lovers routinely took long walks together and spent long periods alone when Arnold was out on business or preoccupied with state affairs.

“A campaign staffer shared what they witnessed at the Schwarzenegger compound. There was a lot of flirtation. They frequently spent time alone, and Arnold was rarely, if ever, around when they were together. She had a unique banter with [Dowd] and lit up when he was around. He was comfortable poking fun at her, and she would slap him teasingly.”

When the governor got wind that Maria was cheating, Dowd suddenly found himself outside the inner-circle. However, that did little to deflect the fact that his wife was cheating; the two men in her heart still fought on the campaign trail over the love triangle, according to another staffer.

Things came to a head — sort of — when Arnold Schwarzenegger realized he could no longer pretend things were normal about his wife having an affair right under his nose.

He ordered staffers to keep Dowd away from inaugural activities. However, in order to save face, he didn’t do much more to contain Maria’s infidelity, even when Dowd, in a drunken stupor, bragged about bedding Shriver.

“They were having blowouts in public over Matthew. Yelling and crying. Total chaos. I was like, ‘How are we going to keep this from getting out?’”

Meanwhile, Dowd tweeted the New York Post after the news surfaced he and Shriver were sneaking around and denied the new gossip.

“There was no affair. We were good friends.”

Despite the couple separating over Schwarzenegger’s affair, they have yet to finalize their divorce proceedings. With a lot at stake and children being involved, it’s important to get matters resolved on the first pass.

However, with new rumors suggesting Maria Shriver was of the belief she drew first blood with her cheating, the narrative suddenly takes on a whole new look. For now, these are just allegations.

Kim Kardashian Gets Totally Naked For British GQ

Kim Kardashian strips down to nothing but a pair of pink heels in British UK's September issue, just after being crowned the Woman of the Year at the annual GQ Men of the Year Awards.

It's clear the photos were taken some time ago, as she's blonde in the extremely revealing shoot. The reality TV star sported lighter tresses from September 2013 until February 2014, but was seen wearing a blonde wig in June ... so it could have also been done then too.

Other photos from the spread show off even more of her body -- including her famous butt and, in one shot, some nipple. Of course, Kim's no stranger to nudity. In addition to her infamous sex tape and numerous selfies, she also posed for Playboy back in December of 2007.

Earlier in the evening on Tuesday, Kim attended the GQ event with Kanye West, where she thanked her hubby while accepting her prize.

"I want to thank GQ for making me Woman of the Year, and my husband for making me feel like woman of the year every day," she reportedly said.

So, why did Kim get the honor? Here's GQ's explanation:

"It's been quite the year for Mrs. Kardashian West. She gave birth to her first child, North West, married her rapper boyfriend, Kanye, in one of the most lavish ceremonies on record, and made the transition from 'just another' reality TV star to bona fide media sensation. It wouldn't be wrong to claim that, right now, she's the most famous woman in the world."

You can see more from Kim's racy shoot in the September issue of British GQ, available for mobile devices now and hitting newsstands Thursday.

Britney Spears Focuses On Family After Split With Cheating Boyfriend David Lucado

Britney Spears is leaning on family in the wake of her split with boyfriend David Lucado, and the singer posted this cute pic to prove that she just needed some sister and kid time to put a smile on her face!

"At my sisters show! @jamielynnspears is playing the LA County Fair in Pomona tonight," she captioned the photo, which shows the siblings and their respective children. My how they've grown!

We wonder who Brit Brit will date next? Apparently she's already thinking about new romance, because during her Las Vegas show on Sunday, she publicly acknowledged her beau's infidelity in the most upbeat way possible. "Well, by now everyone knows my boyfriend cheated on me. But the best part of breaking up is going on first dates," she told the crowd.

Justin Bieber Arrested For ATV Accident With Photogs

 

Justin Bieber got arrested in Canada after crashing his ATV into a minivan driven by paparazzi, and he now faces charges of dangerous driving and assault.

Bieber was taken into custody Friday afternoon in Perth County, Ontario. Police say there was a physical altercation between Justin and a paparazzo in the minivan ... after they had the collision.

Justin was photographed riding the ATV with Selena Gomez Friday in Ontario near his father's home.

Police say Justin was released and will have to appear in court later this month.

He could have a bigger problem on his hands though -- Justin is on probation for 2 years after the egging case in L.A. So, it's possible this arrest could trigger a violation.

Justin's attorney says Justin and Selena are fully cooperating with the police investigation.

David Arquette Buys Legendary Strip Club

David Arquette is stone cold pimping for real now ... adding Hollywood's famous Crazy Girls strip club to his portfolio with a $1.5 million purchase. 

David's been in negotiations to buy the classic club for the last 3 weeks - with the former owners originally asking for $1.7 million.
However, David held firm to his number and eventually won out, taking over control of the building ... and everything in it -- couches, chairs, bars, and of course ... plenty of poles.
We're told David plans to completely remodel the club in order to create an upscale burlesque show with an old school Hollywood feel ... the kind of act that would attract big money spenders.

David's no stranger to the night life ... already owning a piece of two of Hollywood's hottest clubs, Hooray Henry's and Bootsy Bellows.

First Look: Angelina Jolie's Unique Wedding Dress

You no longer have to wonder what Angelina Jolie wore when she married Brad Pitt.

A week after the couple exchanged vows at their French chateau on Aug. 23, we get our first glimpse of their wedding photos, which will appear in Wednesday's issue of People magazine as Hello magazine internationally. Jolie, 39, appears in full bridal regalia and there are also pictures of the bride and groom kissing and a family photo of the happy couple and their six kids.

Let's talk about that dress, which is unlike any celebrity wedding gown we've seen. The satiny scoop neck ivory-colored gown was rather classic looking with a fitted bodice and sweeping skirt. However, Atelier Versace's master tailor Luigi Massi then sewed dozens of her children's colorful drawings into the back of the dress. There are flowers, animals, and people covering the gown as well as Jolie's veil.

"Luigi is like family to me and I couldn't imagine anyone else making this dress," Jolie told People. "He knows and cares for the children and it was great fun putting it together."

Jolie had her hair styled up for her third trip down the aisle. She wore minimal jewelry — earrings and what appears to be one ring on the index finger of her right hand.

As for Brad's wardrobe for his second wedding, he recycled a suit that he already had in his closet. His tie, however, was borrowed from one of his sons because the Fury star forgot to pack his. Oops!

The family photo showed the happy couple and their children — Maddox, 13, Pax, 10, Zahara, 9, Shiloh, 8, Vivienne and Knox, 6 — seated on a staircase, presumably in the chapel on the grounds of Château Miraval. People reports that those six little Jolie-Pitts were busy because they acted as "wedding planners" for their famous parents. We already knew that Maddox and Pax walked their mom down the aisle, Zahara and Vivienne were flower girls, and Shiloh and Knox were ring bearers. However, the kids also wrote their parents vows. And Pax is apparently a baker — he made the wedding cake!

The boys and Shiloh all wore black suits, but hers was a shorts suit that she accessorized with a top hat. Zahara's dress was designed by family friend Adama Kebe, and Vivienne wore a white dress from her closet.

"It was important to us that the day was relaxed and full of laughter," Pitt and Jolie told People. "It was such a special day to share with our children and a very happy time for our family."

A total of 20 guests were there for the intimate affair, including all of Pitt's immediate family. We previously reported that Jolie's father Jon Voight, with whom she has had a rocky relationship, did not attend and learned about it after the fact.

The couple, who were together for nine years before marrying, are spending their honeymoon… working. Pitt was in England promoting Fury on Thursday and he was snapped with his wedding band on. From there, he headed to New York. Meanwhile, Jolie has been in Malta, where she is gearing up to a direct By the Sea from her own screenplay. The film co-stars her new husband, putting them back together on the big screen for the first time since 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith.