Posts Tagged ‘Rehabilitation’

How Whoopi Overcame Her Fear of Flying

June 23rd, 2009 / Author: OK! Staff

Whoopi Goldberg flew for the first time in thirteen years thanks to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Without Fear program.

In April, the View co-host, 53, ditched the bus she had been riding since 1996 and hopped on a transatlantic flight.

“They have a program over in the U.K., which helps people get over the fear of flying,” she tells me during Virgin Atlantic’s Red Hot 25th Birthday Party held at NYC’s Tribeca Rooftop on Monday. “I thought it was B.S., and then they came, and I did it for four or five hours with them, and went to London to see the first rehearsals for Sister Act.”

How did she get over her flying fears?

“They have a pilot, a psychologist and somebody who’s been through the program, and they spend the time with you, and it’s really extraordinary, so for the first time in thirteen years, I flew.”

Whew! The Oscar-and-Emmy winner once admitted to Jay Leno that it takes 42 hours of nonstop bus travel to get from NYC-L.A.

Eminem Got Rehab Help From Elton John

May 14th, 2009

When it came time for wisecracking tough-guy rapper Eminem to kick his addictions to the curb, he looked to an unlikely source for help — music legend Elton John.

"I came home from the hospital the second time and I realized that I was giving up drugs forever," Eminem reveals in the June/July issue of Vibe. "I reached out to Elton ’cause I knew he had a problem before."

Em says that he and Elton had kept in touch since performing together at the Grammys years earlier. "I knew he was in recovery and I just wanted to reach out to somebody who was on the same level as far as fame," he explains. "He was really supportive, and still is to this day."

According to Eminem, the Philadelphia Freedom singer advised him to not leap back into stressful performing situations that might cause the rapper to relapse. "There was a Nelson Mandela thing that I was rumored to go to and I had just got out of the hospital. He was like, ‘Don’t do it. Do not do it,’" he recalls. "But I didn’t want to disappoint anybody. He talked me out of doing it. He was like, ‘I’m telling you you’re gonna get over there and you’re gonna wanna use. Don’t do it, it’s too early. You don’t even have enough clean time under your belt.’"

And Elton wasn’t just there to advise on the big things; he took an active interest in Em’s sobriety. "He called a lot. A few times a week," says Eminem. "Checked in to see how I was doing and shit. He knew how hard it was in the beginning for him to quit."

For the entire interview, pick up the June/July issue of Vibe with Eminem on the cover.

OK!’s Ultimate Lindsay Lohan Gallery

April 3rd, 2009

View Gallery
46 Images in the Gallery

OK!’s Ultimate Britney Gallery

April 3rd, 2009

View Gallery
82 Images in the Gallery

Gisele: Bridget’s Baby is Percent Mine

March 30th, 2009

Now that Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady have tied the knot, it seems the supermodel is more than ready to stake her claim on his love child with ex Bridget Moynahan.

 

The newlywed says she feels that John Edward Moynahan is hers, telling Vanity Fair, "I understand that he has a mom, and I respect that. But to me, it’s not like because somebody else delivered him, that’s not my child – I feel it is, 100 percent."

 

Bridget gave birth to John in 2007 (and appeared on the cover of OK!) and by then her former boyfriend—Patriots quarterback Tom Brady—had moved on to Gisele’s loving arms. She’s never met the Brazilian beauty.

 

"I want him to have a great relationship with his mom, because that’s important, but I love him the same way as if he were mine. I already feel like he’s my son, from the first day," Gisele reveals in the interview.

 

"He’s a little angel – the sweetest, most cuddly, loving baby. I feel blessed to have him in my life," she adds.

 

That little angel was a shock at first for Gisele, who had been dating Tom before they found out his ex was expecting.

 

"It was definitely a surprise for both of us," she says. "In the beginning, you’re living this romantic fantasy; you’re thinking this can’t be true, it’s so good! And then, whoops – wake-up call!"

 

Your move, Bridget!

 

OK!’s EXCLUSIVE GALLERY OF BABY COVERS:

 

No Rehab for Lindsay Lohan

March 16th, 2009

Contrary to internet rumors claiming Lindsay Lohan checked into a rehab facility in Glendale, Calif., on Monday, OK! has learned that the actress is not headed for rehab, but instead was just enrolling in her mandatory DUI class.

lohan1

Lindsay’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, confirmed the news to OK!. Later in the afternoon, the troubled actress was spotted getting her hair done at the Andy LeCompt hair salon in West Hollywood. Nothing like a day of beauty to de-stress!

 

Amy Winehouse Inches Closer to U.S.

March 16th, 2009

American Amy Winehouse fans won’t have a chance to see her at next month’s Coachella festival, as she’s been banned from performing in the U.S., but she’s getting closer – the troubled singer will be a part of the 18th Annual St. Lucia Jazz festival in May.

 

Amy was denied the work visa in early March, in an experience that unfortunately isn’t new to her. She was also denied entry into the U.S. last year before the Grammys and ended up appearing live via telecast.

 

St. Lucia seems to be a new favorite for the "Rehab" singer, as she spent a few months there on an extended vacation, ostensibly recovering from her various health issues.

 

Patrick Swayze Still Fighting

February 27th, 2009

To look at recent pictures of Patrick Swayze, it’s clear the actor is facing an uphill battle. Swayze, 56, recently took a turn for the worse in his battle with pancreatic cancer, checking himself into the hospital last month for pneumonia.

But despite reports to the contrary, Patrick is still bravely fighting his cancer — more than a year after he was first diagnosed, and ended up beating his bout of pneumonia in January.

"While he was on antibiotics, his doctors stopped his chemotherapy treatments," a friend of the Dirty Dancing star tells OK!. "That’s standard protocol. But as soon as the antibotics ran their course, he was back on his cancer treatments."

Now Patrick and his wife, Lisa Niemi, 52, are splitting their time between L.A. and New Mexico before his A&E drama, The Beast, finishes its run in April.

The Future Looks Blake For Amy

February 26th, 2009

Oh Amy — say it ain’t so!

Those of us hoping to see Amy Winehouse get her life back together had a lot to be optimistic about recently.

The singer had been taking a long vacation in the Caribbean, was looking healthy (and clean!) and was said to be beating her longstanding addictions to crack and heroin.

And best of all she seemed to have left her jailbird husband Blake Fielder Civil behind and found herself a handsome, clean cut guy.

But a terrible report from the UK today says that the Rehab star is heading back home to try and save her dead loss of a marriage now that Blake is out of prison.

Blake Formerly Incarcerated had filed divorce papers in January, claiming Amy was cheating on him while he was doing time.

But yesterday Blake was insisting that they are giving it another shot, according to Britain’s TheSun.co.uk.

“Hearing Blake was out brought lots of emotions back for Amy," the site quotes a friend of the singer as saying.

“She feels like she was the last to know he was getting released and that hurt. She is desperate to see him again and wants to work things out. She still loves him.”

AD FPO