“Brian and I have decided to turn our romance into an amazing friendship,” the Windy City native said in a statement. “I will continue to be the biggest cheerleader for him. Go, Bears!” She tated.

The 39-year-old former model had tried to keep the lid on their romance a secret except to coyly admit in April of this year. “I’m giddy about someone.” Three months later, during an appearance on her pal Chelsea Handler’s E! show, McCarthy leaked a little more info about her 34-year-old boyfriend. “It’s going really good,” she gushed. “That’s very exciting. I’m happy for you,” Handler responded. “You were dating some real f–king losers.”

It’s true that McCarthy, who hosts NBC’s “Love in the Wild,” hasn’t had much luck in the romance department. Before Urlacher, she spent five years with Jim Carrey before she left him in 2010, reportedly because she couldn’t handle his wild mood swings. It was a heartbreaking decision for McCarthy since her son Evan, who has autism, was especially close with the comedian. Sadly, after the relationship between McCarthy and Carrey ended, so did the one he shared with Evan (whose father is McCathy’s ex-husband, director John Asher). During an interview with Howard Stern in June, she revealed that Carrey had cut off all contact with her 10-year-old son, which was so painful for the young boy, he had to go into therapy. “I’ve tried to ask [Carrey] numerous times [to see Evan], because my son still asks” about him on a “weekly” basis, said McCarthy. “As a mother, you just hope when you have a relationship with someone, it has nothing to do with the child when you break up.”

If you are looking to attract a man with your fluffy false lashes and your flowing fake mane, it is time to take a different approach. We scouted the truth and discovered the things women do that make men turn the other way. All in all, men love to see the woman underneath the makeup, so ditch the dramatic routine and go natural for once.

"It gets on my nerves when women take too much time on makeup. You would think after a lifetime they would have the process down to less than 45 minutes!" -Christopher

"If she has to be at work at 6am and uses the hair dryer, it wakes me up. Then, just when I get back to sleep. She is wearing her heels in the bathroom and the kitchen. Click. Click. Can't you wear slippers?" -Pablo

Read More: 101 Sex Tips from Real Women

"I'm picky about oral hygiene - brushing, flossing, mouthwash. She has to brush her teeth before bed and in the morning before we kiss. That extra care once we reach a certain level of intimacy is important." -Rod

"I can't stand when she has wet hair after the shower and lays on my pillow, I usually roll over on the wet spot." -Jeff


"My wife doesn't dye her hair often enough. I don't like to see those dark roots." -Anonymous

"Certain scents turn me off. I don't like anything cucumber or vanilla. I've told my girlfriend that I like her natural smell better." -Josh

"I wish my girlfriend would get a manicure more often instead of doing it herself. She is pretty low-maintenance." -Shaun

"I don't like extensions because when you put your hands in her hair you can feel all the lumps. It might be good to look at but not to touch." -Robert

Read More: 101 Celebrity Engagement Rings

"My wife spends 20 minutes after the shower putting on body lotion. Apparently it has to be applied evenly. For me, it is just a time suck." -R.D.S.

"Those thick eyelashes that women put on are annoying. It makes a woman stick out and people know that they aren't real. I like a woman who looks nice and natural. Regular people don't need all those eyelashes." -Lindsay

 A Republican Senate nominee found himself in hot water on Sunday for suggesting that instances of "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy.

Rep. Todd Akin, a Republican who's locked in a hard-fought campaign in Missouri to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, was answering a question regarding his position on abortion rights in instances when a woman is a victim of rape.

"People always want to make it into one of those things — well, how do you slice this particularly tough ethical question," Akin said in an interview on KTVI-TV, video of which was circulated by the Democratic super PAC American Bridge.

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said.

Regarding his opinion on whether to allow for an abortion in such instances, Akin added: “But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

Akin's comments had an almost immediate impact on Missouri's Senate race. McCaskill wrote on Twitter:

"In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year," he said.

Akin emerged earlier this month from a tough three-way primary in Missouri, where he rallied social conservatives behind his candidacy. Democrats actually spent during that primary to help Akin win, viewing the six-term congressman as a less formidable challenger in the general election.

McCaskill, who was first elected in 2006, has become a top target for Republicans this fall, given President Barack Obama's unpopularity in the state and successive statewide victories for the GOP.

Nicki Minaj has canceled her appearance at this weekend's V Festival in the United Kingdom because of damage to her vocal cords.

Her representative says in an email that Minaj will have to back out of her shows on Saturday and Sunday because of "strained vocal cords."

Minaj performed a free concert in New York City on Wednesday, though she had been advised by her doctor to rest.

Her rep now says her voice is "worse," and that recent X-rays show that the singer-rapper must "rest her voice for a few days."

The two-day V Festival also features The Killers, David Guetta, LMFAO and The Stone Roses.

Minaj performed for more than two hours at her New York show. It featured Drake, Lil Wayne and Foxy Brown.

Grammy winner Rihanna is opening up about her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown in an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey.

"Everything I knew switched in a night," Rihanna says about the Feb. 8, 2009, incident in which she and Brown got in a fight that led to his attack. (He later pleaded guilty to assault.)

Did Drake and Chris Brown get in a bar brawl over Rihanna?

In the clip below from Oprah's Next Chapter, the 24-year-old explains why she actually felt protective over Brown at the time.

"It was a weird, confusing space to be in because as angry as I was — angry, hurt and betrayed — I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help and who's going to help him?" she says. "[I thought] everybody's going to say he's a monster ... and I was more concerned about him."

The emotionally charged interview sees the Umbrella singer Rihanna saying : ‘ I lost my best friend. Everything I knew switched, switched in a night, and I couldn’t control that. It was a weird, confusing space to be in. Because as angry as I was – as angry and hurt and betrayed – I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help. And who’s going to help him? ‘

The Barbados native singer Rihanna has told to Oprah Winfrey it was not easy for her to understand or interpret that situation around. And that its not easy to interpret on camera when the whole world is watching.

Also in the Oprah Winfrey’s interview 2012, the singer Rihanna talks freely about her career, her family, the recent death of her grandmother and the price of fame. Winfrey also went to the singer’s old neighborhood in Barbados to gain a better understanding of Rihanna’s past.

American producer Oprah Winfrey has commented : ‘ I went there with my own ideas about who she was, watching the videos and listening to her music. I thought she was going to be kind of a badass, kind of a hard edged rocker, pop woman. Nothing could have been further from the truth. ‘

Food Network star/producer Marc Summers is grateful to be alive after sustaining serious facial injuries during a car accident last week.

The 60-year-old star, who currently hosts The Food Network's "Unwrapped," was a passenger in a taxi cab in Philadelphia when the vehicle hydroplaned during a "torrential downpour," Summers told People.

PLAY IT NOW: Billy Bush Reveals Details Of His Bicycling Accident & Complicated Recovery

"I knew when [the driver] lost control that I was in trouble. I was on the phone with my supervising producer and I said, 'Oh my God, we're going to crash!'" he told the mag, recalling the harrowing moments right before the wreck. "Next thing I knew, I woke up and had blood all over me."

Summers' head slammed against the plastic partition between the cab's front and backseats upon impact, badly damaging his face.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: We Like What They’re Cooking: Stars Of The Food Network!

"Everything on the left side from my eye socket down was just wiped out," he told the mag. "My eye socket got all swollen. I'm having trouble seeing completely out of the left eye... There's lots of titanium and screws in my face."

Adding, "I was pretty lucky that I didn't have brain damage."

Summers, a longtime TV producer and former host of Nickelodeon's "Double Dare," underwent a four-hour operation at the hand of a plastic surgeon following the accident.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Chefs & Foodies

While the star is still in tremendous pain, he said his doctor is confident the lengthy operation was successful.

"Everything went back into place," he told the mag. "In a few weeks, the swelling will go down and no one will ever know ... I'll be a new guy."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Slime Time! 2012 Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards

Though he faces an arduous recuperation and is still having difficulty chewing solid foods, Summers is already on a mission to prevent this type of accident from happening to anyone else.

"Appreciate all the good wishes from everyone. Pain a little less each day. Will you help me in a campaign to rid cabs of plastic partitions?" he Tweeted on Saturday, later adding that the blockades "serve no purpose other than hurting people" and are "way [too] close to backseat despite seat belts."

Abby Elliott will not return to "Saturday Night Live" next season, the actress tells comedy news blog Splitsider.

She will depart after four seasons on the show. While Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig were expected to exit the show, the news that Elliott may not come back was not widely reported.

Calls to NBC, which generally does not comment on "SNL" casting decisions until the start of the season, were not returned.

On the show, Elliott was known mostly for her impressions, which included Angelina Jolie, Khloe Kardashian, Rachel Maddow, Anna Faris and Rosie Pope.

Earlier this year, Elliott was cast in the Fox sitcom "Ned Fox Is My Manny" while concurrently on "SNL," which is rare. Some speculated that executive producer Lorne Michaels released Elliott from her "SNL" contractual requirements in order for her to appear on the sitcom. However, she exited "Ned Fox" after a table read, and finished out the season on "SNL."

For Elliott, "SNL" is in her blood. Her father, comedian Chris Elliott, spent some time on the show in the '90s, and her grandfather, Bob Elliott, guested on the show in 1978 as half of the comedy duo Bob & Ray.

With the departure of Elliott and Wiig, Nasim Pedrad is the only female cast member. Featured players Vanessa Bayer and Kate McKinnon could be promoted to full members of the cast, but this will not be revealed until the beginning of the season.

Now that three cast members have left, it's likely that "SNL" will add a few more comics to its ranks for the next season. Currently, it's unconfirmed whether Jason Sudeikis will return to the cast.

 Barack Obama's re-election campaign kept up pressure against Republican rival Mitt Romney on two fronts Friday, launching a new ad defending the president's record on Medicare while challenging Romney to release at least five years of tax returns.

The TV advertisement - accusing Romney and running mate Paul Ryan of undermining the health care program critical to millions of seniors, came as Romney made plans to spend his time raising money in non-battleground states. That remains a top priority even with the election less than 12 weeks away and Obama making extended visits to toss-up states such as Iowa and Ohio.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina made the tax-disclosure offer to Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades in a letter Friday morning. Messina said he was taking the step because Romney "apparently fears the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide."Romney's wife, Ann, has repeatedly stated that concern in interviews, arguing that the more the couple releases, the more questions are asked.

Romney released his 2010 taxes and has pledged to release his 2011 returns. Messina said in letter that he wants Romney to provide three more years of returns.

Obama's campaign has questioned whether there are years when Romney paid no taxes. Romney defended his record Thursday, saying he has paid at least 13 percent of his income in federal taxes every year for the past decade.

"I did go back and look at my taxes and over the past 10 years I never paid less than 13 percent," Romney told reporters after he landed in South Carolina for a fundraising event Thursday. "I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that. So I paid taxes every single year."

Aides later said Romney meant to say 13.9 percent, the amount he already disclosed for his 2010 federal return.

On average, middle income families, those making from $50,000 to $75,000 a year, pay 12.8 percent of their income in federal taxes, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. In 2010 and 2011, Romney made about $21 million a year.

Romney is able to keep his tax rate low because most of his income is from investments, which are generally taxed at a lower rate than wages. That type of legal tax figuring is something Obama has proposed changing, although his campaign notably said nothing about Romney's self-described tax rate itself.

In the new Medicare ad, Obama's campaign pointed to the AARP, an organization that represents senior citizens and which said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this year that Ryan's plan to transform Medicare into a voucher-like system would lead to higher costs for seniors.

The AARP said that Obama's approach would strengthen the program. Romney has criticized Obama for taking more than $700 billion in Medicare funds to help pay for the president's health care law.

Obama's campaign is running the ad in eight states: New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada.

This comes while Romney is campaigning in Alabama, South Carolina, Massachusetts and New York. He plans visits next week to Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

To be sure, Obama attends numerous fundraisers of his own. And Romney has spent significant time at public campaign events in swing states, and he will do so many times again before Nov. 6.

But the amount of time Romney is devoting to private fundraisers in noncompetitive states is notable. Even when he is in swing states, he sometimes attends only a fundraiser, without mingling with non-donors or appearing before local TV cameras, as he did Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C.

Romney is pouring time into fundraisers even though he has outdistanced Obama on that front for months. The former Massachusetts governor reported raising more than $101 million along with the Republican National Committee in July. Obama's campaign and Democratic National Committee raised $75 million for the month.

Romney's money advantage is expanded by technically independent groups flooding airwaves with ads criticizing Obama. Two pro-GOP super PACS - Restore Our Future and American Crossroads - have raised more than $122 million since the beginning of last year. Democratic-leaning groups Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century have raised about $30 million in that time.

We've long known that Britney Spears loves to play dress-up, whether donning an elaborate costume for a concert or sporting a series of retro outfits for a Pepsi commercial. And this week, the 30-year-old "Gimme More" singer gave us a double dose of glam getups, when she posted images from an Elizabeth Arden Fantasy Twist fragrance shoot on her Facebook page. The first photo saw the pop songstress unleashing her "inner Cleopatra." Britney later added a follow-up shot, in which she channels Old Hollywood in a spangly sequined dress and matching gold headpiece. "Jason says I look like Jean Harlow!" she commented. Last month, Spears shared a skin-baring bikini shot to show just how toned she's been looking lately.

Forgetting to lock the toilet stall and having someone walk in on you? The worst. Now picture that person barging in is Diane von Furstenberg and you are Chelsea Clinton... because that actually happened.

In her new, in-depth Vogue feature, Chelsea Clinton is described as astute, articulate, personable and sophisticated. She's also a bit absent-minded, Jonathan Van Meter writes, often abandoning her Blackberry and leaving doors unlocked at the Kennedy Center so designers can accidentally intrude.

But save for the one embarrassing DVF anecdote, Chelsea Clinton comes off as enviably refined and even more stylish than we knew in her new Vogue feature, which appears in the mag's Lady Gaga-emblazoned September issue. Styled in a Burberry trench, Clinton receives praise from her fashionable pals, including Burberry head designer Christopher Bailey: "Oh, she is sooo stylish, Chelsea."

    One night [...] she turns up in the hotel lobby wearing something you might expect to see on Beyoncé: black, skintight J Brand jeans, black Rag & Bone jacket, and platform stilettos. Wow, I say. [Chelsea's chief-of-staff Bari] Lurie -- who has known Clinton since they were teenagers, when Lurie was a White House intern working for Hillary Clinton -- shoots me a look: "Don’t encourage her.”

We hate to break it to Lurie, but a Vogue shoot is pretty much the biggest fashion encouragement Chelsea could get. Plus she and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, are already members of an elite social circle (royals, celebs, etc). The pair scored tickets to the 2012 Met Gala, which Marc described as "glamorous and ridiculous and over-the-top and amazing."

Not the sort of thing we'd typically associate with Chelsea Clinton, but after reading her latest feature and seeing how she rocks her Vogue-chosen duds (Burberry, Marc Jacobs), we're beginning to reconsider.

Kim Kardashian's divorce has engulfed her family and network, literally.

Attorneys for her estranged husband sought detailed records Wednesday about her reality shows and details of depositions with her mother and current boyfriend Kanye West to prove her 72-day marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries was a fraud.

The legal bickering means it's unlikely the couple will be granted a divorce, or annulment, as Humphries desires, before next year, attorneys and a judge said during a testy hearing.

Kardashian's attorney Laura Wasser accused Humphries' team of overreaching in the effort that has already resulted in $250,000 in legal fees for the model-actress. The acrimony over the breakup led lawyers for Humphries to recently try to serve West with a deposition subpoena —disguised in a Nordstrom's box —at Kardashian's home.

Humphries' attorney Marshall Waller said the lack of cooperation from West's attorneys and companies that work on Kardashian's reality show were delaying the case. He said it could take a two-week trial if Humphries keeps pursuing an annulment based on fraud.

Waller said at the hearing that he wanted to prove Kardashian had "no intention of proceeding with this marriage. That it was basically a contrivance for the benefit of her show and to make money," he said.

Wasser said the tactic was slowing the legal process and she intended to bill Humphries for her legal fees.

"To say that I'm frustrated would be an understatement," Wasser said in the packed courtroom where 18 other cases were to be called. "I am at a loss to figure out what the holdup is. ... It's dragging on, it's clogging resources."

Several depositions have been taken, including one of Humphries in his home state of Minnesota, and his girlfriend is scheduled to undergo questioning next week.

Wasser said many of Humphries' requests for information were overly broad, including information on the finances of Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner.

The couple was married last summer in a lavish, star-studded, televised ceremony, but Kardashian soon filed for divorce on Oct. 31. Humphries responded a month later asking for an annulment, claiming the couple's nuptials were based on fraud. He did not lay out specific evidence.

Kardashian is the star of the E! Entertainment Television series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," the network's top-rated show, averaging more than 3 million viewers in its sixth season.

Humphries, an NBA forward, recently signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets.

Superior Court Judge Stephen Moloney said he thinks the case can still be resolved by next May and ordered the attorneys to return for an update on Nov. 28.

Zebra diaper bags, motorcycle rockers and giant stuffed bears, oh my!

Snooki's baby shower, as you can imagine, was anything but understated as the mother-to-be celebrated her future son -- who will be named Lorenzo, she previously revealed -- with "Jersey Shore" pals Deena Nicole Cortese, Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola.

The new issue of In Touch, on newsstands now, boasts photos from the pint-size reality star's August 12 Central Valley, New York, shower, for which she received hundreds of gifts from her friends and family -- it took her nearly four hours to open them all!

“This is everything I wanted,” Snooki told In Touch. “There were [a] lot of people and gifts — overall, it was amazing!”

Snooki's mother planned the extravagant shower, but made it clear to her 24-year-old daughter, who's known for her wild ways, that the event would be more country club than nightclub.

And Snooki's mom was right to lay down the law when it came to keeping the shower PG. Just a few months ago, nude cellphone photos of the guidette were leaked. Snooki's rep confirmed that the photos were, in fact, of the reality star but that they were old, personal shots and "not meant for the public."

A single ticket sold in Michigan matched all five numbers and the red  Powerball to win the $320 million Powerball lottery jackpot, the 10th largest prize in U.S. history, lottery officials said on Thursday.


Sales surged  beyond expectations for the fourth-largest Powerball prize, which comes with a cash option of $213.3 million, said lottery operator Multi-State Lottery Association, comprised of lotteries in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

The winning numbers drawn on Wednesday were 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and the red Powerball, 21. The odds of having a winning ticket were one in 175 million, according to the lottery.

The jackpot has rolled 14 times since June 27. The last win was on June 23, when a Connecticut couple took home a $60 million prize.


"I can't even really think of what I wouldn't do," 7-Eleven customer Shelley Taylor told NBC station WBAL of Baltimore, about dreams of winning the jackpot.

"Absolutely nothing but travel; I would travel; quit my job and travel," customer Maresa Gold said.

The largest Powerball jackpot of $365 million was won in 2006 by eight workers from a meat-packing plant in Nebraska.

Tickets, which start at $2, are on sale until about one hour (times vary by state) before the 10:59 p.m. ET drawing. Five white numbered balls are drawn from a drum with 59 balls and one red Powerball from a drum with 35 numbered red balls.

Gangster Jesse John Margison, whose girlfriend was gunned down by an unknown assailant in Coquitlam three years ago, was severely beaten last weekend by another prisoner at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre.

“There was a random act of violence; we’re viewing this as attempted murder,” said Dean Purdy, chairman of the corrections and sheriffs services component of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union. “Had it not been for the quick response by our staff it could have been a lot more serious.”

Margison, 26, was awaiting trial on charges of kidnapping for an organized crime group, assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm, when he was assaulted at the Port Coquitlam prison at about 2 p.m. Sunday.

He is in hospital in serious condition.

Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said it’s not believed at this time that a weapon was used in the attack, but acknowledged Margison’s injuries are “pretty extensive.”

He also said it’s too early to say whether charges will be laid against the other prisoner; both the RCMP and the prison are investigating and will have to go through several cameras and recordings to determine what happened.

Purdy said such violent acts are common at the prison, which has 550 inmates stuffed into a jail built for 300. There is one officer, he said, for every 60 inmates.

The assailant was a prisoner in another unit at the jail.

“This is a gang-associated member,” Purdy said.

“These guys will not hesitate, not for a second, to do something they need to do inside a jail. Just because they’re incarcerated in a maximum security jail, the gang violence doesn’t end.”

Margison has been in the pretrial centre since earlier this year in connection with allegations that he, along with Troy Dax McKinnon, Van Van Vu and Derek James Stephens, participated in a violent kidnapping in Vancouver on Nov. 23 last year.

A police search, involving dogs and helicopters, drew spectators around Langara College between Main and Cambie Streets that day.

Anna Kendrick decided to be picky about movie choices after her 2010 Oscar nomination for Up in the Air. But she soon discovered the subsequent unemployment wasn't working.

So, the 27-year-old went from one extreme to the other. Now, Kendrick has roles in seven upcoming films

"I think I made too many movies last year," said the perky Kendrick, smirking at her understatement in a Four Seasons hotel suite. "I came off Up in the Air a little gun shy about doing other things, but then I started realizing the point of this is to have fun, so I stopped worrying about my films fitting into some perfect plan."

As luck and timing would have it, one of her assignment's was a dream come true. That's doing a voice in an animated movie, which turned out to be ParaNorman, which opens in Canada and the U. S. on Aug. 17.

In the 3-D comedy, which blends stop motion, puppetry and CGI, Kendrick brings to life Courtney, the teen sister of Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a misunderstood boy who talks to dead people in his New England town.

When the kid discovers the village might be in jeopardy because of a centuries-old witch's curse, he mobilizes a group of teens to save the day as they battle zombies, ghouls and supernatural demons.

Norman's posse includes his chubby buddy Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), Neil's muscular brother Mitch (Casey Affleck), the school's bully Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Courtney.

Grownups appear now and again but mostly for comic relief. Norman's mother (Leslie Mann) is cute but unaware. His dad (Jeff Garlin) is a meat-and-potatoes non-believer. Norman's ghostly grandmother (Elaine Stritch) seems bemused by it all. Only the loony Mr. Prenderghast (John Goodman) knows what Norman knows.

The Laiki Studios' production is the same in theme and tone as its inaugural 2009 movie, Coraline, which blended the macabre with merriment in an entertainment designed for kids of all ages.

"They called me out of the blue," recalled Kendrick. "I almost said, 'Yes,' without reading the script."

Indeed, ParaNorman co-directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell couldn't imagine an actress better suited to play the needy, mood-swinging but likable Courtney.

"Anna has this playfulness we really enjoyed," Fell said. Added Butler: "She also has this great voice that allows her to turn her emotions on a dime."

We've gotten used to seeing Alicia Keys in low-key "mom" clothes, often consisting of jeans, leather jackets, chunky glasses and sneakers (trendy Isabel Marant wedge sneakers, but still). But the singer proved she's still got that sexy edge with her latest album cover, which she posted on Wednesday on her website.

Katrina Darling, who's a distant cousin of Kate Middleton, has used her royal connections well to her advantage.

No, the 22-year-old ex-banker isn't trying to finagle a palace to reside in or an all-expense paid education to a plum college. She's wearing crown-shaped pasties while working as a burlesque dancer in New York City -- and she just dropped... wait for it... a Playboy photo shoot.

Darling's Playboy pictorial, as we first told you back in June, comes with the magazine's September 2012 issue. Not only does she get a huge racy spread, but homegirl has landed the entire COVER. (Nice hustle, Katrina's publicist.)

There are seemingly no nudes, but there are eight pages of pics inside the issue, including a topless photo. On the cover, the brunette poses, doe-eyed, in some strappy black lingerie -- looking a wee bit Photoshopped.

And lest you have mental images of Katrina growing up alongside her famous cousin, it wasn't quite like that: Darling, who was already working as a burlesque dancer with a routine ironically titled "God Save The Queen," first learned of her royal connection just before the April 2011 royal wedding via a UK journalist. “It was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard,” she tells Playboy. “It’s not every day something like that happens.”

Darling's issue will hit newsstands August 17, where the pics will be found on Playboy's (uh, NSFW) website.

Legend has it that the Loch Ness Monster was first sighted in the sixth century years ago by an Irish monk while preaching by the lake. Now, a Scottish sailor who has spent the last 26 years of his life searching for the elusive creature, says he has the best picture yet of "Nessie."

George Edwards takes his boat, "Nessie Hunter," out onto Loch Ness nearly every day, often with tourists who hope to see the creature for themselves. Early one morning in November of last year, Edwards was turning his ship back to shore after spending the morning searching for an old steam engine on the lake floor, when he saw something else.

"I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and immediately grabbed my camera," Edwards told ABC News. "I happened to get a good picture of one of them."

The typical "media Nessie," as Edwards calls it in his thick Scottish accent, depicts the creature with three humps sticking out of the water and a long neck with a head like a horse, but Edwards says that's probably not what Nessie looks like.

The picture Edwards took shows what he says is the back of one of the Loch Ness monsters.

"In my opinion, it probably looks kind of like a manatee, but not a mammal," Edwards told ABC. "When people see three humps, they're probably just seeing three separate monsters."

While many people think of the Loch Ness monster as a single creature, Edwards maintains that can't be true.

"It was first seen in 565 AD," Edwards said. "Nothing can live that long. It's more likely that there are a number of monsters, offspring of the original."

James Franco has taken on plenty of odd projects in his day, but now it appears as though the actor/director/writer/eternal student is making a movie about Lindsay Lohan -- or a "Lindsay Lohan type."

According to a casting notice on Actor's Access, Franco is listed as the director for a new feature film, or "video/art project," which will tell the story of "two Hollywood celebrities."

The casting breakdown is seeking "James Franco types" and "Lindsay Lohan types" at the ages of 13, 21, 30, 45 and 60, and unfortunately, it doesn't state whether or not Franco or Lohan will appear in the film as themselves.

Miles Levy and Vince Jolivette are listed as producers on the project. In 2003 they teamed up with Franco to form Rabbit Bandini Productions, and have a number of anticipated films waiting to be released, including the upcoming Linda Lovelace biopic staring Amanda Seyfried "Lovelace," Harmonie Korine's "Spring Breakers" and "Francophrenia (Or Don't Kill Me, I Know Where the Baby Is)," a mini-thriller comprised of TV footage of Franco's guest-starring appearances on the soap opera, "General Hospital."

Again, the casting notice doesn't say if Lohan will be involved with the film, but the 26-year-old has been trying to make a comeback and has been involved in a number of art projects, including a short film shot by Richard Phillips, and a number of controversial photo shoots with photographer Tyler Shields.

It's possible that Lohan will take part in the film given that she and Franco are, by her own admission, apparently very close. In April 2011, she told the New York Post that and Franco are "like best friends. We're hanging out later." In March of that year it had been reported that the two were teaming up with photographer Terry Richardson to create an "explicit photographic book," which includes "full frontal nudity" and "graphic shots" -- though that project has yet to happen.

Franco and Lohan's friendship reportedly goes way back and the two might have once been more than just friends. The pair worked together in cameo parts in 2006's "The Holiday," and in January 2007 it was reported that Franco may have prompted Lohan to check into Wonderland Rehab Center, after he reportedly ignored her at a post-Golden Globe party and refused an expensive watch she tried to give him as a gift. According to NBC News, Franco was one of several people who received an email from Lohan when she entered rehab.

For the first time since he began running for president, Republican Mitt Romney has the support of over 40 percent of America's youth vote, a troubling sign for President Obama who built his 2008 victory with the overwhelming support of younger, idealistic voters.

Pollster John Zogby of JZ Analytics told Secrets Tuesday that Romney received 41 percent in his weekend poll of 1,117 likely voters, for the first time crossing the 40 percent mark. What's more, he said that Romney is the only Republican of those who competed in the primaries to score so high among 18-29 year olds.

"This is the first time I am seeing Romney's numbers this high among 18-29 year olds," said Zogby. "This could be trouble for Obama who needs every young voter he can get."

Zogby helped Secrets dig deeper into his weekend poll, which we reported on earlier. The poll had Romney and Obama tied at 46 percent.

Zogby has been especially interested in the youth vote this election. In 2008, 66 percent chose Obama over Sen. John McCain,the highest percentage for a Democrat in three decades. But their desire for hope and change has turned to disillusionment and unemployment. Zogby calls them "CENGAs" for "college-educated, not going anywhere."

In his latest poll, Obama receives just 49 percent of the youth vote when pitted against Romney, who received 41 percent. In another question, the independent candidacy of Gary Johnson is included, and here Obama wins 50 percent, Romney 38 percent and Johnson 5 percent.

But while taking Johnson out of the equation in the past has seen a surge in support for Obama, now the numbers for Romney--and undecideds--increase.

Zogby speculates that Romney's selection of 42-year-old Rep. Paul Ryan helped turn more younger voters to him. "It could be his youthfulness," said Zogby of Ryan. Plus, he said, more younger voters are becoming libertarian, distrustful of current elected officials and worried that they are going to get stuck with the nation's looming fiscal bill.

A wide variety of jobs can put you on track to becoming a millionaire, including familiar jobs like actuary and pharma sales rep, and less-familiar ones, like landman.

Many of these jobs require only a bachelor's degree, and none demand more than a master's. They do require a certain amount of technical skill, however, and having that skill is what makes people who do these jobs so well-compensated.

"Anything with any kind of a technical background is a good place to go in terms of salary growth," says Katie Bardaro, lead analyst at online salary database PayScale.com. "The healthcare industry and the IT industry have been growing tremendously. Those jobs are in high demand now, and that has a strong relationship to pay. The key is that not everyone can do these jobs, so there's not an overabundance of [job candidates]."

Here’s a look at nine jobs in which you can amass $1 million in gross earnings in about a decade, give or take:

Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse anesthetists assess patients prior to surgery, administer and adjust anesthesia, and then monitor patients during recovery.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $149,000
    Typical Degree: Master's
    Years to $1 Million: 8

Find nurse anesthetist jobs.

Petroleum Engineer

Petroleum engineers oversee oil and gas drilling operations to maximize efficiency and profits.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $137,000
    Typical Degree: Bachelor's
    Years to $1 Million: 11

Find petroleum engineer jobs.

Database Architect

Even moderate-sized companies have large amounts of data. Database architects help organize this data by implementing and managing data architectures.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $110,000
    Typical Degree: Bachelor's
    Years to $1 Million: 11

Find database architect jobs.

Actuary

Typically working for insurance companies, actuaries analyze statistical data to forecast risk and liability.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $125,000
    Typical Degree: Bachelor's
    Years to $1 Million: 12

Find actuary jobs.

Strategy Consultant

These business experts review a company's business strategy, including plans for growth and product changes, and then make recommendations for improvements.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $115,000
    Typical Degree: MBA
    Years to $1 Million: 12

Find strategy consultant jobs.

Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

These sales reps work on behalf of pharmaceutical companies to market products to doctors.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $114,000
    Typical Degree: Bachelor's
    Years to $1 Million: 12

Find pharmaceutical sales jobs.

Semiconductor Engineer

Without these engineers, we'd have no semiconductors. Without semiconductors, we wouldn't have computers, smartphones or MP3 players.

    Median Pay with 15 Years’ Experience: $113,000
    Typical Degree: Bachelor's
    Years to $1 Million: 12

Find semiconductor engineer jobs.

Cee-Lo Green is looking a little different in the latest "Sparkle" preview. The singer -- who dons a full head of hair in the movie musical -- showcases his Lady Killer skills in his performance of "I’m a Man." The funky scene serves at the backdrop for the above "Sparkle" clip, which also features a sneak peek at Whitney Houston's final performance.

A remake of the 1976 film of the same name, "Sparkle" stars late singer Houston as the mother of three girls who form a singing group and then face struggle with fame and drug addiction. The late singer will also perform the gospel song "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" in the film. Listen to the track below:

Houston was found dead on Feb. 11 by her bodyguard at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Her death came one day before the 54th annual Grammy Awards, during which Jennifer Hudson sang a tearful tribute to her idol, covering Houston's seminal ballad "I Will Always Love You."


Houston's "Sparkle" co-star paid tribute to the music legend in May, at the Billboard Music Awards. Sparks also sang "I Will Always Love You" to her late idol. The video for the first official single from the film -- "Celebrate" -- was released in June. The inspirational track was written by R&B crooner R. Kelly, who performed a tearful rendition of "I Look To You" at Houston's New Jersey funeral in February.