Mythbusters' Erik Gates Passes Away

Erik Gates, who made numerous appearances on the show Mythbusters, died recently after a freak accident in which he fell 30 feet from a building to his death.

Mythbusters is a Discovery Channel favorite and Erik Gates made regular visits to the show, where he also founded a website dedicated to his rocketry work.

Not many details are available at this time, but it is believed that Gates was walking across the roof of a building which he and a colleague were working on.

Reports are suggesting that Erik Gates fell through a skylight and suffered blunt force injuries, which he was then taken to hospital and later passed away.

This tragic loss of life is just the latest in a long string of sad celebrity deaths of 2009. We wish Erik's family and friends the best as they cope with his loss.

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Are The Jonas Brothers Breaking Up?

Please say this isn't so.

Our post-Christmas doldrums were already made worse by the news that Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner were no longer a couple. We can't handle another major break-up.

But that's exactly what an anonymous source is reporting about the most popular boy band on the planet, as rumors of a Jonas Brothers split are heating up.

"Joe sees the writing on the wall for the group," a family insider told Pop Eater. "Kevin's heart is just not in the group anymore. His wife Danielle is his number one priority, especially after their wedding night!"

Whoa. TMI, random source!

Might The Jonas Brothers be waving goodbye to their fans... forever?!?

While Kevin is reportedly too busy banging his brains out to make new music, Nick Jonas has the entirely opposite problem. Says the source:

"Nick sees himself as the next Justin Timberlake and brother Joe knows it."

There actually is some validity to that statement, as Nick's new band is going on tour in early 2010. But the next JT? Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

What do you think, readers? Could Kevin really follow in the sexy(back) foosteps of Justin Timberlake? Is Kevin really trading music for sex? Could Franke "Bonus Jonas" Jonas join the group? Sound off right now!

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Taylor Momsen: Don't Call Me Lindsay Lohan!

All Taylor Momsen wants to be taken seriously. And a music career. And to be treated like she's not 16. And not to be compared to Lindsay Lohan.

Although the 16-year-old Gossip Girl cast member has an edgy, beyond-her-years look, she resents any comparisons to another former child star.

"I get such a bad rap for being like Lindsay Lohan," Momsen says in the February issue of Seventeen, denying that she has train wreck qualities.

"I hate naming names because she's really sweet, but I don't go out. I have no desire to be some party girl. I'm a loner. I always have been."

But the actress, who made her big Hollywood debut in 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, does embrace her reputation as an "angsty" teen.

"I'll be angsty until I'm 80 years old," she says. "I think it keeps things fresh. But I think that angst is such a derogatory word toward teenagers."

"It just means you're figuring sh!t out."

In addition to acting, Taylor fronts the punk-rock band The Pretty Reckless. She complains that "people don't take me seriously" because of her age.

She's different than people her age, she insists.

"[People] think most 16-year-olds don't know what they want to do. But I actually really do, because I've been thinking about [music] since I was 2."

Don't worry, Taylor. Soon you'll be 17 ... and you can then be compared to another 17-year-old who knows just what she wants: Miley Cyrus.

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Brooke Mueller Wants to Save Marriage, Move on From "Bad Night," Lawyer Says

On the other hand, perhaps Brooke Mueller does not want to divorce Charlie Sheen.

A few hours after an anonymous source said the end of this couple's marriage was definitely a possibility, a more reliable insider tells a different story.

Mueller has hired criminal defense lawyer Yale Galanter, who represented OJ Simpson for years, to represent her. Earlier today, he said to People:

"Brooke and Charlie are very passionate about each other, they love each other and want to try and save their marriage. They had a bad night and want to get beyond it. They want to try and resolve their issues."

Responding to allegations that his client recanted her side to police, Galanter said she instead "[minimized] her story, like many wives in a similar situation do, when they realize their husband could go to jail."

The attorney has filed documents to alter the protection order put in place by Colorado police.

He says Mueller is anxious to reconnect with Sheen because "they have absolutely gorgeous little babies and will do all they can to work out their problems."

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Snooki to Jersey Shore Haters: Eff You!

Advertisers, natives of Seaside Heights, N.J., and most people with morals hate it, but Jersey Shore's Nicole Polizzi isn't worried about negative stereotypes.

When Steppin' Out magazine asked "Snooki" what she would say to all the companies who have pulled ads from the controversial MTV show, she stated:

"I just have one thing to say to Domino's, Dell, UNICO and all the other haters out there: F**k you! If you don't want to watch, then don't watch."

Snooki added: "Just shut the hell up! I'm serious... F**k you!"

You can see how she ended up getting punched in the face. We're not saying she deserved it, just that you can see where Brad Ferro was coming from.

Snooki calls herself "the f*%king Princess of Poughkeepsie." Enough said.

UNICO, the Italian-American organization that claims the show perpetuates negative stereotypes, plans to keep pressuring sponsors to boycott the show.

"She is not an embarrassment to Italian Americans. She is actually an embarrassment to the entire human race!!!!" UNICO said of Snooki in a statement.

No comment.

Italian-American groups and advertisers aren't the only ones pissed. Even the New Jersey town that's home to the series wants nothing to do with it.

Tomorrow night, they'll have even more Jersey Shore quotes to get offended by. The show returns in its usual, Thursday time slot at 10 p.m. on MTV.

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Whitney Houston: Back on Drugs?!?

Has Whitney Houston fallen off the wagon?

The singer, who came clean about all her drug issues in an interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, has been showing signs of her formerly destructive behavior, friends say.

“Everyone is worried about her,” an insider tells The National Enquirer. “Whitney seems to go from being a nervous wreck to being completely out of it in a short period of time – just like she did when she was freebasing and using crack cocaine.

“She is still drinking and alcohol and drugs have always gone hand-in-hand. She’s worked so hard to get back on top. It would be tragic for it to go up in smoke because she can’t stay clean.”

We hope this isn't true, but it would be hard to blame Whitney if it is. After all, she has to watch ex-flame Ray J flaunt his single lifestyle every week on VH1's For the Love of Ray J.

That show is enough to drive anyone to the bottle.

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Police Chief Jailed For Sarah Jessica Parker Break-in

An Ohio lawman just got Carried away ... to jail!

Martins Ferry, Ohio, Police Chief Barry Carpenter was found guilty last month of snooping around the residence of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's surrogate mother, searching for souvenirs that he tried to sell to the tabloids.

He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after being convicted for receiving stolen property, theft in office and tampering with evidence.

Michelle Ross, who gave birth last June to the celebrity couple's twin girls, was not at home at the time of the incident, but she discovered items misplaced.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick with their two little girls.

Among the items Carpenter ganked were a plaster cast of her belly, ultrasound pictures and various surrogate documents with tax information. Obviously.

The police chief was later caught red-handed on audiotapes recorded by internal affairs investigators approaching paparazzi to hock the mementos for cash.

The policeman did catch a break, however: He could've gotten the maximum of six years in the slammer, but he was also acquitted on charges of burglary.

His attorney said he plans to appeal the sentence.

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Barack & Michelle Obama: Top Celebrity Neighbors

You may never actually reside on Pennsylvania Avenue, but most Americans say they wouldn't mind living next door to Barack, Michelle, Sasha, Malia and Bo.

President Obama, his wife and two daughters came out on top of a recent poll that asked people who would be their most desirable celebrity neighbor.

On the other end of the neighbor spectrum?

A reality star like Octomom and her 14 kids, or Jon and Kate Gosselin and their brood of eight would be a big turn off, according to the informal survey.

In related news, Amy Winehouse is unstable.

THEY'RE #1: Politics aside, the Obamas sure seem like nice people!

Barack and Michelle Obama were followed by Ellen DeGeneres and partner Portia de Rossi, who tied with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and family at #2.

The poll by real estate site Zillow.com also found that celebrity families with large broods, like regular people, were deemed the worst likely neighbors.

Nadya Suleman, the single mom who this year added octuplets to her existing brood of six, topped the worst celebrity neighbor poll with 17 percent.

Octomom was followed by Jon and Kate Gosselin, who fortunately are no longer together. Or unfortunately, as their awfulness has now branched out.

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THG Presents: The Top Celebrity Scandals of the Decade

One of the most famous singers of all-time passed away.

One of the most successful actors in history referred to a police officer as "sugar tits" and hated on Jewish people.

A multi-platinum recording artist allegedly urinated on a minor during sex.

Indeed, the years 2000-2009 were filled with celebrities behaving badly and/or dying. Which scandals top our list of the decade's most memorable? We count them down below...

R. KELLY BELIEVES HE CAN (OPEN HIS) FLY
In February 2002, a grainy sex tape purported to show R. Kelly performing sex acts with an underage female companion, lowlighted by the male star urinating on his partner. The 35-year-old singer denied his involvement, but Chicago prosecutors indicted him on 21 counts of child pornography.

The case didn't go to trial until May 2008, followed by the singer's acquittal after three weeks of testimony. In the years since the video surfaced, all five of R. Kelly's albums have gone platinum.

FROM BRANISTON TO BRANGELINA
After almost five years of marriage, Jennifer Aniston filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in early 2005. Tabloids ran amok with stories that the latter's affair with Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie was to blame. These days, Pitt and Jolie are a (doomed?) couple, while Aniston is the go-to source for quotes about single life.

Incredibly, magazines still profit from this love triangle and perpetuate the myth that there are still feelings between Aniston and Pitt (see below).

A MOCKERY OF MEL
Mel Gibson's life changed forever on July 28, 2006. He was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving and actually uttered the words: ''F---ing Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.'' He also allegedly referred to a female cop as ''sugar tits."

Sort of funny? We guess. Astonishing and disturbing? For sure. The actor/director eventually pleaded no contest to the DUI and apologized for his ''despicable'' behavior.

BRITNEY GOES BALD
Britney Spears hadn't exactly been stable in the days leading up to February 16, 2007. She flashed her vagina to photographers and often rambled incoherently. On that date, though, it became clear Brit needed serious help.

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The Situation: A Former Stripper

Mike Sorrentino is known as The Situation on Jersey Shore.

He is also known as the guy who refers to himself in the third person (by his nickname no less) and walks around with no shirt pretty much constantly.

Well, before The Situation became a Jersey Shore cast member, the dude was used to situations in which he wore no shirt ... or pants for that matter.

We're saying he was a stripper.

Mike Sorrentino (left) entertains at a bachelorette party.

According to TMZ, which unearthed classic pics of The Sitch, he was a member of the "All American Male" exotic dancer crew back before MTV stardom.

Mike Sorrentino worked for the group, which gyrates from New York to New Jersey, back in 2004. He now manages a gym on Staten Island (of course).

Rumor has it The Situation gives a "great lap dance." Maybe he could use that as a selling point to woo Sammi away from the juicehead guido Ronnie.

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Kate Walsh: Dating Neil Andrea

Guess her rumored boyfriend is no longer rumored.

Kate Walsh walked hand-in-hand with her new man Neil Andrea during a shopping excursion in Los Angeles over the weekend. And that wasn't all.

The couple looked very much in love as they kissed over lunch, while Walsh's parents, in town for a visit, casually read the paper at the table!

So much for Private Practice. Try public display of ... forget it.

Neil Andrea has a happy girlfriend in Kate Walsh.

Kate Walsh married film executive Alex Young in September 2007, but contentiously filed for divorce in December 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.

We're glad she's happier with Neil!

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NeNe Leakes: Still a Real Housewife

Following rumors that she and frenemy Kim Zolciak might be fired from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe Leakes is finally addressing the chatter.

She told Sister2Sister Magazine that she hasn't heard anything negative about her status on the Bravo series and:

"This is all I can tell you. Every housewife has been invited back."

Reports have indicated that Leakes and Zolciak were demanding larger paychecks, along with many other "diva-esque requests." This is truly shocking for any regular viewer of the show... NOT!

Added NeNe:

"They try to lock you in for a number of years. We all signed up for a third season when we signed on from day one. If anybody has been fired, nobody knows anything about it. We know nothing about it. I don't know where the rumor came from."

Leakes also denied that Tameka Raymond, Usher's ex-wife, would be cast on the show.

Are you glad NeNe will be sticking around?

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Tiger Woods' Father: Marriage is Unnecessary

Sunday's New York Times featured several articles on Tiger Woods. The most interesting one centered on Tiger's relationship with his kids - and his dad Earl.

Karen Crouse recalls how at the Masters tournament in April, Tiger was warmer than usual, talking about how he loved being at home with his two children.

The writer then cites a quote from Earl Woods, who died in 2006, in which he said, "I've told Tiger marriage is unnecessary in a mobile society like ours."

Tiger's father left his first wife (and three children) for Tiger's mom. It seemed the younger Woods was proving his father wrong ... but apparently not.

Such a statement from Earl Woods obviously carries more significance now, in light of the ever-expanding string of alleged Tiger Woods mistresses.

Tiger and Earl Woods in 2004. Earl passed away in 2006.

Will Tiger Woods' marriage end as a result of his cheating? Multiple reports suggest that Elin Nordegren will leave him soon, while others suggest Tiger is pulling out all the stops and she is somehow still on the fence.

Woods' father has popped up in the scandal several times before.

Tiger's high school sweetheart, Dina Parr, said Tiger "would be so upset" by the affair his father allegedly had with at least one woman while married to his mom.

One of Woods' alleged mistresses, Jamie Jungers claims she and Tiger had sex the night his father died. She claimed the two had "wild" and "crazy" sex.

Woods' mother, meanwhile, is said to be "hurt, angry and disappointed" by the scandal which has tarnished the reputation of the world's #1 golfer.

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Janice Dickinson is Such a Loser

Janice Dickinson needs to get a room.

And a life.

The attention-starved former model, who has made headlines in the past for claiming she murdered her father, has resorted to Speidi-like tactics in order to be photographed by the paparazzi.

Over the weekend, Dickinson and her boyfriend were standing outside Barney's in Los Angeles. Upon spotting a photographer, Janice simulated oral sex on her man and then stuck her tongue in his mouth for all to see. It was a gruesome scene.

[Photos: PacificCoastNewsOnline.com]

At least the washed-up D-lister didn't ramble drunkenly against the cameraman this time. She's been known to do so in the past, while screaming: “I’m totally f*%ked up!”

We know, Janice. Trust us. We know.

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