Michael Jackson's children enjoy a beach break in Hawaii on the anniversary of his death

By Daily Mail Reporter

Making waves: Blanket, 8, smiles as he plays in the surf on the Hawaii coast the day before the anniversary of his father's death


With smiles on their faces as they splash in the surf, they could be any children away on a family holiday in the sun.

But for these three the break on a Hawaii beach came as a welcome relief as they come to terms with the first anniversary of the death of their superstar father.

Nearly a year to the day since the death of Michael Jackson, Prince Michael, 13, Paris, 12 and eight-year-old Blanket were treated to a day out at the seaside.

Despite their grief and the presence of a huge entourage, Prince and Blanket appeared to enjoy themselves in the Pacific Ocean.

But the King of Pop's daughter Paris appeared to be struggling to cope with the anniversary date as she stayed at the side of a hotel pool.


Wrapped up: Prince Michael, 13, puts a towel around himself after getting out of the sea


Jackson's children spent the day before the anniversary of his death with their grandmother Katherine on the tropical island.

They are believed to be travelling to the Jacksons' hometown of Gary, Indiana, today for the actual anniversary.

His mother is expected to unveil a monument to the 'Smooth Criminal' singer outside the home where the legendary Jackson 5 began their singing career 50 years ago


Drying off: Paris Jackson took a dip in the hotel pool


A memorial and candlelight vigil will follow, ending with the song We Are The World.

But fans of Michael Jackson have been left angry after they were banned from marking the first anniversary of his death at his graveside.

Authorities at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills have vetoed fans from singing the King of Pop's songs, carrying balloons, moonwalking near the graveyard or approaching the mausoleum - Michael's final resting place.


Relief: Blanket and Michael Jackson's two other children are expected to travel to his hometown of Gary, Indiana, for the anniversary today


Water world: Blanket has fun with his friends


Candles, web broadcasting, video cameras, statues, posters, incense radios and doves are also off limits.

Flowers will be allowed to be left near his burial site and no limits have been placed on the number of people who wish to pay their respects.

According to ABC News, Jackson's family will hold a private service at his childhood home.


Parents in mouring: Katherine and Joe Jackson leave an LA courthouse following a hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray, charged with involuntary manslaughter


His father Joe is also believed to have arranged an unscheduled memorial at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Saturday night.

According to TMZ, the event is being arranged by a website called VoicePlate.com, but Joe is believed to be behind it because the 70s band the Chi-Lites will be performing.

The singer's mother revealed this week the pop star feared people were trying to kill him.


Fallen star: Tourists stop to take pictures of Michael Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the day before the one year anniversary of his death


In an interview with America's Dateline NBC, due to air tonight, she said: '[Michael] told me several times that he felt that people wanted him gone, wanted him dead.'

His sudden death at the age of 50 on June 25 last year sparked a global outpouring of grief for the megastar, who was rehearsing for a series of London concerts aimed at reviving his career.

Dr Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles county coroner.

Dr Murray injected the singer with the drug Propofol, which prosecutors say led to a cardiac arrest and eventual death.

Murray has denied responsibility for Jackson's death and a preliminary hearing in the case will be held on August 23 in Los Angeles.


World remembers: A man lays down flowers at a shrine to Michael Jackson at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, South Korea

source: dailymail

'Saint' Angelina Jolie makes a moving appeal in a clip to mark World Refugee Day

By Sophie Forbes

Important message: Angelina Jolie asks people to remember those without a place to call home


Last updated at 1:46 AM on 16th June 2010
Angelina Jolie proved yet again why she deserves the nickname Saint Angelina.

Hollywood's leading lady took time out from her busy filming schedule and hectic family life to shoot a 30-second awareness campaign video to support World Refugee Day 2010 which takes place on June 20th.

Jolie, a UN goodwill ambassador, has been a supporter of the cause for the past decade and has spent her spare time travelling to war zones in Chad, Syria and Darfur, amongst others, in order to draw attention to the issues faced by the people there.

In 2009, she spoke to the US congress in Washington on the issue.

'Having a home, a place we belong, a place we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted,' she said in the moving clip.

'Yet those who flee from conflict and persecution no longer have that place. And it will be years before they can even return. In fact many may never go home again.'

'On this day, World Refugee Day, please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes. Because the only hope of return is to not be forgotten.'


Fresh faced: The actress looks as gorgeous as ever in the brief clip


Jolie, who turned 35 on June 4th, has been busy recently shooting her new movie The Tourist alongside Johnny Depp as well as completing post production on the film Salt in which she plays a secret agent.

She has five films in pre production including the much talked about Cleopatra in which she will play the lead role.

The Oscar winner also finds time to take care of her 6 children, Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, Knox and Vivienne, with long term love Brad Pitt.


Picture perfect: Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp shoot a scene from their upcoming movie The Tourist in Venice, Italy



source: dailymail

'Top secret' messages reveal Michael Jackson's troubled mind 'due to medication addiction' SIX years before he died

By Carol Driver

Troubled: If genuine, the tapes indicate Michael Jackson was suffering the side-effects of medication addiction six years before he died


Singer pleads for money and says he fears for his life

He begs for help and says he wants to leave Neverland

Star sounds paranoid and slurs on tapes


Bizarre telephone messages left by Michael Jackson in which he pleads for financial help and expresses fears for his life have been revealed today.

In the series of recordings, left on an annoymous friend’s answering machine, the singer tells how he thought he was involved with the Italian Mafia and wanted to leave his Neverland ranch.

The messages were apparently made by the star, whose money problems were well documented, six years before his death in June 2009.

Respected journalist Daphne Barak handed the tapes to The Sun after writing a book on celebrity addiction.

If they are genuine, the recordings reveal Jackson, who died aged 50, sounding paranoid and anxious and his voice slurred and slow.

Ms Barak believes this is due to him suffering side-effects of medication.

‘Some of Michael’s closest confidants talked to me exclusively about his addictions – and provided audio tapes of Michael never heard before,’ Ms Barak told The Sun.

‘These demonstrate different states of mind he was experiencing under the influence of pharmaceuticals.’

The recordings were made throughout 2003 - the year in which Jackson was exposed in a TV documentary by Martin Bashir for sharing his bed with children.

In the first message he says: ‘It is Michael calling. It is very important, I want that 150 in that account for me, because... I am very concerned about my life.


Exposed: The messages were made in 2003, the same year Martin Bashir's TV documentary revealed Michael Jackson shared his bed with young boys


'I am hearing a lot of stories that [name withheld] is still trying to sabotage [inaudible] me and I want to be in a different environment and, um, I've found a place that I like and now [inaudible] I want to be away for a while where they can't find me.

'So please help me, help [inaudible] help me, and, um, more important than [inaudible]. We are brothers.’

In another message, Jackson continues to plead for money, slurring his speech, which is slow: 'It is Michael. Ahh, it is 4:30 in the morning here that's why I sound very sleepy [laughs] and I'm really worn out... but please check the message I left a day or so ago.


Paranoid: Michael Jackson expressed money worries and revealed he wanted to leave Neverland in the tapes


'I am very concerned. I don't trust that man. We think he's bad, we think he is Italian mafia. Please... we must be smarter than him. So please, help me with this.
I need to get that, those funds so I can do that, I wanna be away... I don't want to be in Neverland right now.'

The father-of-three leaves a separate message, saying: 'If you get this message call me immediately at 805 *** ****. What I want to talk to you about is very top, top secret... I need a German or Swiss bank...'

Shortly after he leaves another message using the words 'Sun Screen' which appears to be a code word, possibly relating to protection money


New environment: On the tapes, the singer says he wants to leave the Neverland ranch and begs for financial help


'I am very embarrassed. But, um, there should be that I have some finance that's coming up January, February 2nd, and um... that's why I, we need to have on Sun Screen to the account 150. Please don't be mad at me for ... [inaudible].

'It's something that's very important to me and my family, because I'm [inaudible] that I'm being stalked and I think it is [name withheld].'

Jackson's doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the singer's death.


source: dailymail

Forty years on, Vatican tells Beatles: We love you, yeah, yeah, yeah

By Daily Mail Reporter

Forgiven: The Beatles (from left, George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney) during their first U.S. tour in 1964. The Vatican has called them a 'precious jewel'


The Vatican has forgiven The Beatles on the 40th anniversary of their break-up - as sex scandals continue to rock the Catholic Church.

Absolving the British group of their excesses involving 'drugs and blasphemy', the Vatican's newspaper L'Osservatore Romano hailed them as a 'precious jewel'.

In a front-page article, it said: 'It's true they took drugs, lived life to excess because of their success, even said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages, that were possibly even Satanic.

'They may not have been the best example for the youth of the day but they were by no means the worse. Their beautiful melodies changed music and continue to give pleasure.

'Thirteen albums changed the history of popular music and there is little else to add. The Beatles were the most famous and acclaimed band in the world.'

The newspaper said 'dozens of bands had been inspired by them and groups still produce cover versions of their songs' and that their 'long-lasting phenomenon would remain music history'.

The decision to heap praise on the group in the middle of a series of sex-abuse scandals raised eyebrows among commentators.

One said: 'With all that is going on within the Church, to write about The Beatles instead of focusing on the scandal of abusive clergy does seem rather odd.'

Two years ago the Vatican forgave John Lennon for saying The Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ, saying it was the 'boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success'.


source: dailymail

Body of missing Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig found in park

Tragedy: Former Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig was found dead in Vancouver yesterday


Former Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig was found dead yesterday in a wooded area of a Vancouver park apparently after committing suicide.


His body was found by friends around midday yesterday near a footpath in Stanley Park, a large expanse of grass, trees and tourist attractions near the centre of the Olympic city.

The 41-year-old son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek TV series, was visiting friends when he went missing.

It was after his father received a despondent letter from his son that the family reported his disappearance to the authorities.

The actor's father said after his son's body was found that Andrew was depressed and 'my son took his own life'.

'He was obviously in a lot of pain'.

A police spokeswoman said, 'I'll let Mr Koenig's words speak for themselves.'

She added foul play was not involved before adding she could not be more specific because the coroner was taking over the investigation.

William Shatner, who played the original Captain Kirk alongside Mr Koenig, said his thoughts were with his friend.


This is one of the missing person posters put up in Vancouver after Andrew disappeared while visiting friends in the city


'My deepest sympathies to Andrew Koenig's family,' he said. 'I will grieve with them.'

Andrew Koenig starred in the 1980s sitcom as Richard 'Boner' Stabone, a friend of Kirk Cameron's character, Mike.

On hearing of his co-star's death, Mr Cameron said: 'It is with great sorrow to hear about the final outcome of the search for my old friend Andrew. I hope everyone will be sensitive to the Koenigs and give the family some private time to reflect and to grieve the loss of their beloved son.


Grief: Star Trek actor Walter Koenig and wife Judith in Vancouver yesterday after the discovery of his son's body. He said his depressed son had committed suicide


: The 73-year-old actor pauses during the press conference


'At a time like this, we all are reminded of the briefness of life and the importance of being ready for our eternal destination. My prayers will continue to be with Andrew's family.'

Koenig's disappearance caused friends including actress Alyssa Milano, actor Kirk Cameron and comedian Sarah Silverman to post comments online or put out statements seeking information on his whereabouts.

On his father's website, Koenig's parents posted a long description of their son, including the fact that he had been suffering from clinical depression when he disappeared.


Young star: Koenig (right) had a recurring role on the 1980s sitcom as Richard 'Boner' Stabone, a friend of star Kirk Cameron's character, Mike


Stanley Park in Vancouver. Police sent out three search-and-rescue teams to find Koenig. Friends and family decided to try again on their own yesterday which was when his body was found


He hadn't been seen since Valentine's Day when he was visiting friends in the Canadian city.

He was supposed to return home two days later but failed to catch his flight to the US. His parents reported him missing then asked the public for help finding him a few days later.

Vancouver police posted up missing posters around Vancouver and launched three search-and-rescue teams to look for any signs of Koenig throughout Stanley Park, believed to be one of his favourite places in the city.

Vancouver Police Constable Tim Fanning revealed that Koenig's bank card and mobile phone had been used since the day he went missing, but did not disclose when or where they were used.

Friends and family decided to try again on their own yesterday and one of them found Koenig's body near a marsh in a heavily wooded area set off a bridle path.

Police said the body could not be seen from the walking path.


Walter Koenig (third from left) stands alongside the Star Trek cast. William Shatner (centre), who played the original Captain Kirk alongside Koenig, said today his thoughts were with his friend


Koenig played the role of Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series


Mr Koenig was nearby when his son's body was found.
Hours later, he and his wife, Judith, issued a statement at a police station in the park.

They said Andrew had been depressed and urged others who are having trouble coping to seek help. Earlier they had said that he had seemed detached to his friends and had given away his belongings.

'If you are one of those people who can't handle it any more, know people are out there who really care before you make that final decision,' Mr Koenig said.

'Talk to somebody.'

Koenig was born in August 1968 in Los Angeles and has one sister, Danielle.
From 1985 to 1989, he had a recurring role as Richard 'Boner' Stabone, best friend to Kirk Cameron's character Mike Seaver in the first four seasons of the ABC sitcom Growing Pains.

During those four years, he also guest starred on episodes of the sitcom My Sister Sam and My Two Dads as well as the drama 21 Jump Street, which also starred Johnny Depp.

In the early 1990s he provided a voice for the animated series G.I. Joe and in 1993 had a minor role as Tumak in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode called 'Sanctuary'.

He also took part in some humanitarian work in Burma in July 2007, visiting Burmese refugee camps with his father as part of the US Campaign for Burma.

In January 2008, he was arrested and briefly held for civil disobedience after taking part in a protest against the Communist Party of China's political and financial support of the military dictatorship in Burma.

Entering the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade, he stood in front of a Chinese float promoting the 2008 Beijing Olympics carrying a sign that read 'China: Free Burma' in both English and Chinese.

His father had praised his son for his acting, film editing and directing work, and said he was also a busy environmental activist.


Father and son: Walter and Andrew in 2000. Koenig praised his son for his acting, film editing and directing work


source: dailymail

Two boy wizards and the £500m plagiarism claim against JK Rowling

By Chris Brooke and Richard Shears

Plagiarism claims: JK Rowling is accused of copying part of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from Adrian Jacobs 'Willy the Wizard' book


JK Rowling has been personally dragged into a long-running £500million legal battle over claims she copied Harry Potter from an earlier children's book.

The multi-millionaire author has been named in the lawsuit originally filed last year against publisher Bloomsbury for alleged copyright infringement.

The estate of Adrian Jacobs maintains Miss Rowling stole ideas from one of his books about Willy The Wizard for her work, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.


But the author immediately issued a statement dismissing the claim as 'absurd' and is applying to have the case thrown out.

Mr Jacobs's 36-page book, also about a child discovering he has magical powers, was published in 1987, ten years before the first Harry Potter book and three years before Miss Rowling says she came up with her idea.

His estate says many 'concepts and themes' were copied from Willy The Wizard in The Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the series, published in 2000.

In both books the main character competes in a magic contest and each features wizard trains and prisons.

Miss Rowling said yesterday: 'I am saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write Harry. The fact is I had never heard of the author or the book before the first accusation by those connected to the author's estate in 2004.


Denial: JK Rowling has dismissed allegations she copied some of the book from The Adventures of Willy the Wizard, below, as 'absurd' and 'unfounded'


'The claims that are made are not only unfounded but absurd and I am disappointed that I, and my UK publisher Bloomsbury, are put in a position to have to defend ourselves.'


Mr Jacobs died penniless in a London hospice in 1997, before the Harry Potter phenomenon took the world by storm. Australian-based agent Max Markson, who represents Paul Allen, the trustee of Jacobs's estate, said: 'I estimate it's a billion-dollar case.'

Mr Markson claimed the Harry Potter book was identical to the theme of Willy The Wizard.

The estate also claims that Mr Jacobs had sent the book to literary agent Christopher Little, attributed as the man who years later discovered JK Rowling.

Mr Allen said: 'Adrian Jacobs did not live long enough to see the massive success of the Harry Potter books and films. If he had, he would have sought the proper recognition of his contribution to this success story.'

Bloomsbury has called the allegations 'unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue'. One copyright lawyer said the claim would 'struggle' if it simply concerned 'ideas' and ' concepts' rather than specific text being copied.

But for the case to be thrown out, Miss Rowling would have to show it was a 'preposterous' claim, he said.


source: dailymail

Divorce UK: As countless women walk out of marriage in middle age, do they find freedom...or loneliness?

By Linda Kelsey

Divorce in the over-45s is on the rise - but does it bring happiness or loneliness?

By her own admission, Judy Hollis's behaviour was thoughtlessly promiscuous. 'For a year,' she says, 'I fooled around, sleeping with more than ten men.
'I didn't always use protection - caught without any, in the heat of the moment, I threw caution to the wind. Then I discovered I had chlamydia.'

You'd be forgiven for assuming that Judy is an irresponsible 20- something, heedless of the consequences of her actions. In fact, she's 51 and the educated, successful director of a blue-chip company - with a 21-year-old daughter.

Her story is an illustration in microcosm of why sexually transmitted diseases among the over-45s are on the increase.

Health Protection Agency figures show a 60per cent increase in cases of chlamydia in 2008 in this age group, compared to 2004. The popularity of online dating and surprising lack of sexual knowledge in older adults are contributory factors.

But it's primarily down to the significant increase in people getting divorced after the age of 45 - forcing flocks of inexperienced divorcees out into the dating world after decades of monogamy.

Between 1997 and 2007, divorce in England and Wales in the 45-plus age group rose by more than 30 per cent. And these soaring figures are set to surge still further in the decade ahead, as women, in particular, feel less inclined to put up with flagging relationships.

Sadly, marriages are keeling over like ninepins. In my own social circle, I've witnessed at least a dozen marriage breakdowns in the past two years - including the demise of my own relationship after 25 years.
In two instances among my acquaintances, the men, both in their early 60s, have departed to a much younger woman beckoning from a warm bed.

Mostly, though, it's been the women who have instigated the separation and there has been no other person involved.

And it's a pattern that's being repeated all over the country: 68 per cent of divorces are now initiated by wives.

Greater economic independence and the fact that 50 no longer spells the end of the road for women are just two of the reasons for the ever- spirallingdivorce rate among older couples.

For better or for worse, we are the first generation of women to turn traditional ideas of middle age on their head.


Madonna, 50, had an affair with toyboy model Jesus Luz, 22, after her split from Guy Ritchie

We're back in the work force, if indeed we ever left it when our children were young, with more money and a knowledge that we can take care of ourselves financially.

If a woman's financial position is no longer a barrier to her moving on from an unhappy marriage, neither does age seem to hold us back from trying our luck romantically second or perhaps third time around.

We look better - and feel younger - than ever before. Whether it's with the help of a nip and tuck or Botox, or less drastically a sensible diet and exercise regime, we can still turn heads after 50.

And if the menopause proves tricky to navigate, there's always HRT to help us through


Party girl: Jo Wood has enjoyed two flings since the humilation of Rolling Stone ex-husband Ronnie's affair with Ekaterina Ivanova


'I certainly hadn't ever expected to be single again at the age of 47,' says Judy. 'Paul and I had been together since we were 18. He was my first love and I never imagined a time when we wouldn't be together.'

Judy felt her world had collapsed and spent most of her time in tears. And then, three months on, she did something completely unexpected and out of character: she started sleeping with other men.

Like many newly divorced women I've spoken to, it wasn't that she'd developed a voracious appetite for dating, but that in doing so she found an effective distraction from the pain of divorce.

She explains: 'I'd never even slept with anyone other than my husband, and suddenly I found myself using sex with men to make me feel better about myself.'

Judy joined a couple of internet dating sites and found it surprisingly easy to meet men in their 40s and 50s who wanted no-strings flings. But it's not necessarily what most women are after.

For me, in my 50s, the idea of taking my clothes off in front of a man who wasn't my husband was absolutely terrifying. Having sex with a relative stranger, so easy when I was in my 20s, felt barely possible.

Although the idea of a passionate affair filled my fantasies, my sexual confidence was at rock bottom. But unlike Judy, I refused to rush it.

After a few disastrous dates with men who were introduced by friends, I met a man I liked. It was three months before we became intimate.

After the massive build-up of nerves and anticipation, I was surprised at how simple and natural it all was - I had forgotten that sex is about how we connect, not whether we have perfect bodies.

Judy Hollis agrees that taking those first few steps is very daunting. She says: 'Thankfully, I'd kept myself in good shape and I'm still a size 12, but the idea of whipping off my smalls in front of a near-stranger was pretty terrifying.

'The first man I slept with was a 50-year-old lecturer. We met online and within a week we'd met under the guise of going for drinks - alcohol gave us both confidence and we ended up back at my house.

'He didn't stay the night, but he did send an email the following day thanking me for a "fun evening". There was no suggestion of seeing one another again.

'I thought I was fine with what had happened, but a few days later all I could think about was that I'd slept with someone other than my husband. It felt dirty somehow.'

During the coming weeks and months, Judy flirted with other men by email and one man from work. Entirely out of character, she went on to have several one-night stands and a series of relationships in which she was not necessarily monogamous.

It all caught up with her when her daughter admitted she found her mother's behaviour embarrassing. Humiliated, Judy finally decided to take responsibility for her behaviour and went for a medical check-up, which is when she discovered she had chlamydia.

'I felt disgusted with myself,' she says. 'Thankfully, antibiotics cured the disease, but I vowed to abandon casual sex completely, and stop seeing any men while I sorted myself out.'

A year down the line, Judy is tiptoeing back into the dating scene, but much more selectively. And she has promised herself never to have sex without protection unless her putative partner agrees to an STI test first.

Like Judy, a lot of us turn to the internet to find dates and there are certainly a burgeoning number aimed at our generation. UKmature dating.com, datingbegins@forty. co.uk, seniordatinggroup.co.uk, 40plusdatinggroup.co.uk are just a few that have sprung up as a result of the mid-life divorce surge.

One woman who has embraced them is Linda Johnson, 50, a mother of five who enthusiastically threw herself into the dating market after her 25-year marriage came to an end.

'Over the past four years I've had a great time,' she says bluntly. 'I must have met or dated around 50 men and, to be honest, I've enjoyed some of the most fun times of my life.

'That's not to say I have slept with lots of men. I can honestly say I've always felt confident about my body - but even then, I was surprised to receive so many compliments from men.

'I thought meeting men might be difficult at my age, but in fact I find I am approached by all types of men of varying ages.

'I see internet dating as rather like being in a supermarket. You might pick up one product and think it looks good, but put it back to see if another product might be better.

'The trouble is there are so many married men on there looking for an affair - you have to watch out for the tell-tale signs: when they say they can travel to you, it often means you can't go to them because they're living with someone.'

Marriage therapist Andrew G. Marshall thinks internet dating should be avoided altogether. 'Never go to a dating site,' he warns.

'It's a deeply cruel environment in which to meet people. Not only is it addictive, it makes people feel miserable about themselves.

'It's like a singles bar that never closes. You make very poor emotional connections online and it's easy for women to feel over the hill and rejected because the men who use these sites will always be tempted by the possibility of someone more gorgeous round the corner.'

My own friends have used internet dating with varying success. One of them, Shelley, a PA and mother of two, has just turned 60. She separated from her husband 12 years ago, and it's been eight years since she last slept with a man.

'The truth is I'm not that bothered about sex any more - probably through lack of practice - and my experience of dating hasn't given me a lot of faith,' she says.

'I'm signed up on a couple of websites, and in the past year I've met three guys, all of whose behaviour I've found totally bemusing. The first date professed to love red wine, boats and music.

'When we met and I ordered white, not red, wine, he just got up and left, saying that we didn't have anything in common.

'Then there was the man who held my hand all evening and wouldn't let go - he didn't last - and the one who professed to having had a lovely evening yet didn't contact me again.'

They are the kind of stories I've heard countless times about internet dating, both from friends and divorced women I've interviewed.

But it's not just the internet which is fraught with problems. It seems many women hope that life after divorce will be a celebration of liberation and sexual and emotional renewal.

But the reality is that looking for a new relationship in your middle years can be fraught with difficulty.

Fifty-nine-year-old divorcee Sue Hughes doesn't mince her words. 'Dating in your 50s is hell,' she says simply.

Although she is now happy with her new partner, whom she met after putting an advert on a newspaper dating page, her postdivorce dating experiences were almost enough to put her off men altogether.

She divorced ten years ago, after she and her husband drifted apart and he moved out. 'There are some seriously weird men out there,' she says.

'I met most of them through friends - in fact, the only man I have met through a dating website is now my partner.

'Some are far too eager, far too soon. I dated one man who bombarded me with gifts, even though I hardly knew him.

Another flew me to expensive hotels around the world, but was the ultimate cold fish and could not cope if I was anything less than perfect, as if I was some kind of trophy. One night I was ill, and he seemed utterly repulsed.

'There is a danger you can go a bit wild at first after divorce, because you have all this freedom. But I also had my children, and my first responsibility is to them.

'Thank goodness, I now have a wonderful partner who is a true companion. Long-term companionship is the most important thing at my age.'

It seems this initial propensity to 'go wild' after divorce is primarily motivated by fear of being alone and the misguided belief that new men will repair your battered self-esteem.

As one recently divorced friend said to me about her on- off relationship with a man who is unreliable and emotionally unavailable:

'I only allow it to go on because when we're in bed together I can forget about the fact that I'm single and in my 50s and might never have a proper, loving relationship again.'

But this doesn't have to remain the case. Often, it is only after the novelty of post- divorce dating has worn off that women start seriously to reappraise and rebuild their lives.

But how do divorcees fare in the longer term? Are they more likely to end up alone and lonely than in a new love match that will endure for the rest of their lives?
On Monday I will examine this thorny question.

Linda Kelsey's new novel The Twenty Year Itch (Hodder, £6.99) can be ordered from Amazon.


source: dailymail

Elton John gets dirty with Lady Gaga as they duet at the Grammys

By Lizzie Smith

Dirty duo: Elton John embraces Lady Gaga's filthy style at the Grammys in LA

Her outrageous performance style and out-there dress sense has transformed the music industry, influencing everyone from Lily Allen to Christina Aguilera.

So it should be no surprise that Elton John has jumped on the Lady Gaga bandwagon.

The veteran performer joined pop's hottest newcomer onstage at the Grammys last night


Double the fun: Elton John and Lady Gaga dueted at a double piano


In a no-expense-spared performance she was then flung into the garbage chute of the Fame Factory set, before emerging seated at a piano, facing Elton John.

And, although at 62 he could be forgiven for looking for taking the low-key route, Elton embraced Lady Gaga's performance style in an action packed duet.

Lady Gaga began the segment alone, performing her hit Poker Face astride a pedestal.


...before being thrown down a chute marked 'rejected'


Glitterati: Lady Gaga wearing a spangly green outfit and matching heels


She's GaGa: The pop star pulls out all the stops for the performance

Both were covered in artfully applied dirt, with Elton's trademark glasses getting the Gaga treatment in all-over diamante.

The pair battled it out at the piano, Elton singing Your Song, and Gaga Speechless.
The two mixed their songs together, paying tribute to one another by changing the lyrics.


Force of nature: With her hair extensions flying, Gaga gave the performance everything in front of the star-studded audience


Old school: Grammy veteran Elton more than held his own

And it appeared that a smiling Elton, who has shared the stage with everyone from Eminem to George Michael over the years, was happy with his new partner.

Elton has won five Grammy awards in his career, while Lady Gaga won her first two last night - Dance Recording for Poker Face and Dance Album for her debut The Fame.
She was also nominated for best record, song and album.


Quick change: Lady Gaga arrived on the red carpet in a jaw-dropping, celestial Armani Prive lilac gown with bejewelled platform heels


New heights: Lady Gaga's shoes

As usual Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, displayed her love of fashion in a series of jaw-dropping outfits.

She walked down the red-carpet in a jaw-dropping, celestial Armani Prive lilac gown with bejewelled platform heels.

The long sleeved corseted dress - which appears to have been designed based on Look 38 from the Prive Spring 2010 presentation - is covered in Swarovski crystals and had a solar system theme, complete with a spiky accessory.

Giorgio Armani created a variety of pieces for Lady Gaga to wear for both the evening’s ceremony and for her special live stage performance.

Armani said: 'We hear Lady Gaga’s music everywhere we go. It is like a soundtrack of our times. In addition to her formidable songwriting skills, she is a modern fashion phenomenon.

The 23-year-old then changed into a green leotard with huge padded shoulders for her stage show.


Down she goes: Lady Gaga jumps from her pedestal, but is caught by her dancers


Outfit number two: Gaga dazzled in emerald green, with poker straight hair


It wasn't just the dress that changed - she also swapped her two-tone blonde wavy hair for poker straight bleached blonde extensions.

After picking up her awards it was time for dress number three - a white mini covered in diamante.

The New Yorker teamed it with an intergalatic silver hat, which had a sculptural look with her towering shoes.







source: dailymal

Cheryl Cole joins Susan Boyle and Mariah Carey to record single for victims of Haiti

By Sara Nathan

Doing her bit: Cheryl Cole recording the help Haiti record 'Everybody Hurts'

Back in the studio: Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle is now a practised performer

If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.

And yesterday that person was Cheryl Cole.

The X Factor judge squeezed in a recording session for a charity single to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.


Catsuited and booted: Cheryl Cole raises eyebrows this week at a music awards ceremony in Germany


A day earlier she was appearing at a music awards ceremony in Germany, where her rather outrageous catsuit raised eyebrows.

Yesterday she was back in London to join a host of stars, including Britain's Got Talent superstar Susan Boyle, to record a version of the REM song Everybody Hurts.

Simon Cowell, who is organising the single, has enlisted everyone from Mariah Carey to Kylie Minogue to sing on the track.

As Mrs Cole recorded her part, Robbie Williams and his former Take That bandmates reunited to record theirs in Los Angeles.
The track is now nearly finished and the single is due to be released within a week.

Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, James Morrison and Westlife have already taken part.

Money raised from the sale of the single will be split between the charities trying to help Haiti cope in the aftermath of the quake earlier this month.

'All the stars have been recording one by one all over the world from New York to London and Los Angeles,' a source said.

'They have rescheduled their diaries to make time to record their vocals.'

Mrs Cole said: 'It's heartbreaking to see what is happening in Haiti.
'Hopefully the money from Everybody Hurts will help the people of Haiti rebuild their lives.'


Working hard: James Morrison and Mika take instructions


Doing his bit: Rod Stewart leaves SARM Studios in Nottin


source: dailymail

"Hope For Haiti Now"

Actor Tobey Maguire waits to answer the phone during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.


Singer Taylor Swift waits to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010


Actress Olivia Wilde waits to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.


Actor Ewan McGregor waits to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.


Actor Colin Farrell waits to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.



Actress Alyssa Milano waits to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010



In this handout photo provided by MTV, actor Jack Nicholson is shown during the 'Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief' telethon on January 22, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.


Model Cindy Crawford, actresses Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts (L-R) wait to answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010



Actress Rose McGowan waits to answer the phone in the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.


Actors Sacha Baron Cohen (L), Jennifer Aniston (C) and John Cusack answer phones during the "Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief" telethon in Los Angeles, California January 22, 2010.

photo: Reuters