Philip Seymour Hoffman didn't want trust fund kids

by

Charlie Brooks

posted in Celebrities

If I had a million dollars, I’d probably leave some to my kids.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died earlier this year, didn’t feel the same way. Despite the advice of his accountant, he left no money to his three kids.

It is worth noting that he did leave his fortune to the kids’ mother, Mimi O’Donnell. That’s about $35 million in assets that, barring corruption, stupidity, or the predations of unscrupulous accountants, should be plenty for the kids. So it’s not like he completely left his kids out in the cold. But why not write them into his will in some way?

According to court documents, Hoffman didn’t want his children to grow up to be “trust fund kids.” As far as reasons go, that’s actually not too bad – this world certainly doesn’t need more people who never learned the true value of a dollar.

This is a path that has gained traction among a variety of celebrities, but I’m still not sure I would walk that road if I were in their shoes. Yes, I want my kids to work hard for what they get in life, but going the route of, say, action star Jacki Chan and making plans to leave absolutely nothing for the kids seems to be a step too far. It buys into the American myth that hard work is always rewarded and those that put the effort in don’t need any help. In truth, hard work will get you far, but not as far as people like to think. Getting a leg up certainly helps.

The type of money a celebrity has represents an opportunity to ensure that a kid doesn’t need to run the metaphorical rat race just to make ends meet. Having some funds already on hand would enable more people to try to start a business, go into a career in the arts, or engage in some other venture that 99% of America deems to be too risky.

In a hypothetical parallel universe where I have millions to leave behind, I lean toward the idea of giving my kids a small portion of that fortune. $1 million doesn’t guarantee success in the modern world, but it can be a valuable aid that allows somebody to pursue a dream. And if the kid crashes and burns through laziness or bad management? Well, that’s a lesson, too.

Of course, it’s easy for me to second-guess celebrities on this type of decision because I don’t have exposure to the life of a multi-millionaire. There are probably more risks out there than just kids getting complacent. Philip Seymour Hoffman probably knew a good number of those risks first-hand. After all, if he hadn’t had enough of a fortune to buy a ridiculous amount of drugs, his family probably wouldn’t have to discuss his will right now.

Comment

If you were a millionaire, what would your kids’ inheritances look like?

Photo Credit: Anna Langova

Prince George: His weirdest, wildest birthday gifts

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Well, it's official. After all the anticipation and build-up, the big day has come and gone. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge is one year old.

While the event was marked by thousands of headlines and millions of Tweets, George's parents Kate Middleton and Prince William celebrated in a slightly less frenzied manner, releasing to the public two new photos of their royal toddler. Snapped during a recent family visit to the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, they are, of course, completely adorable. See for yourself...

Photographer John Stillwell, who snapped the two new pics as well as George's christening portraits, describes the little prince as "very lively and very sure of himself and confident - a very determined young boy."

And what's a birthday without a few gifts? While sources say that George's immediate family didn't go overboard, the same can't be said of other well-wishers. Here is a sample of his very odd birthday haul:

• A bottle of Pinot Noir from a New Zealand winery, which will be stored at Kensington Palace until his 18th birthday.


• A faux fur cloak fit for a king, courtesy of PETA


• A limited-edition £5 silver coin in honor of the big day was created by the Royal Mint


• Personalized Ugg Boots from retailer MyFirstYears.com


• A baby crocodile named in his honor from Australia's Northern Territory, which will thankfully remain in its natural habitat for now


• Clothes - couture, no doubt - from David and Victoria Beckham and Jamie and Jools Oliver


• A goat and a fatted bull from tribal elders in Kenya


• A plastic replica of Kensington Palace and a toy figurine of himself from Mothercare


• Three meerkats fittingly named "George," "Alexander" and "Louis" from the Dudley and West Midlands Zoological Society


• A pint-sized surfboard from the mayor of Manly Beach in Australia


• A $1 million diamond-encrusted nail clipper - though it wasn't gifted to the Prince, it was created in his honor. And is available for purchase, just in case you're interested.

And to think I got my daughter board books and a bouncy ball for her first birthday. I think I owe someone a baby crocodile.

The royal family has nothing on Hollywood when it comes to over-the-top kids' parties. Take a look...

Photos: REX USA/Rex

Jessica Alba reveals her family's "food philosophy"

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Slim, trim and beautiful Jessica Alba swears she is not a workout fanatic. Opening up to Self magazine for their latest issue, the mother of Honor and Haven Warren talked about hitting the gym and the one rule she uses to keep her family eating well.

"I hate working out. It’s boring!" the 33-year-old actress confessed. "I really only did it when I had a job that was physically demanding. But from age 17 until I was 27, all I did were movies that were physically demanding—so all I did was work out all the time!"

On the topic of aging she went on to say, "I had this ‘Aaagh!’ I'm not in my 20s anymore! What does it all mean?’ kind of freak-out. [But] I feel much better at 33 than I did at 23, even than I did at 30."

"I have the same food philosophy for myself as I do for my kids," Jessica Alba, who is seen here in the produce section of a grocery store with daughter Haven this past weekend, went on to say. "We eat mostly lean protein and fresh fruit and vegetables, nothing processed or from a box, if we can.

"For me, when I don't eat a ton of carbs, I have more energy. But I'll for sure have a piece of chocolate. I will mow through a bowl of guacamole. If I'm not going to have dessert, I'll have a martini."

I'm 33 too, but am not quite as sure I feel better now that I did a decade ago. I'm closer to on the right track today than I was when I entered my thirties, but I've still got quite a bit of work to do.

On that note, I'm proud to say that my husband and I have essentially adopted the no-boxed-food philosophy Jessica Alba spoke of. The problem is our two boys aren't on board. They only get one item of that type of snack food (crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks, granola bars) in their lunches and then one other pick after school, but I don't see them giving those choices up without a fight.

If I had a do-over I'd try harder to treat those items as treats than something that is to be expected every day.

Join the conversation

What does your family's eating habits look like? Anything you want to change?

Photos: REX USA/Beverly News LLC./Rex

More stars who've opened up about their eating habits:

Steal Gwen Stefani's cool, chic baby-wearing style

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

If anybody could make a baby carrier look like this season's hottest must-have accessory, it's The Voice star Gwen Stefani.

The always fashionable No Doubt rocker was spotted wearing her littlest son, 4-month-old Apollo, in an Ergo while out and about in London yesterday with her husband Gavin Rossdale and older kids Kingston, 8, and Zuma, 5.

Wearing loose-fitting denim overalls, layered tanks and a pair of flip flops - and her signature red lips and platinum locks, of course - Gwen was the picture of effortless summer style on the family's park play date.

The multi-talented mama is taking a break abroad after filming the upcoming season of the reality show The Voice alongside stars Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams.

Between her busy career and three kids, no doubt Gwen has her hands full. Her husband of almost 12 years, who also joins her on The Voice, recently admitted as much, saying of their boys, "They're terrible! So naughty! But spirited is what I like to think of it as." As for little Apollo, he jokes, "We're very proud of him. He's a great kid [but] he'll be naughty soon enough."

I use the word "spirited" often in reference to my preschooler, too. It helps put a positive spin on things on those days when she's really driving me up the wall!

Babywearing isn't just for moms! Check out these celebrity babywearing dads...

Beretta/Sims/Rex/REX USA

Happy birthday, Prince George: 25 photos from his first year

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Kate Middleton and Prince William are getting set to mark an unforgettable milestone in every parent's life as their son Prince George will be celebrating his first birthday tomorrow.

In honor of the little Prince's big day, his parents have released a new official portrait which reveals yet another exciting milestone moment: He's walking! Prince William recently joked that George would soon be "running faster than me very soon", and it looks as though he may be right. Looking toddler chic in denim overalls and a navy polo, his hair neatly slicked to one side, the soon-to-be 1-year-old looks pretty proud of himself as steps confidently toward the camera in the new photo.

Look at those chubby little cheeks! Don't you just want to squeeze them?

It's hard to believe it's been a year since all eyes were glued to the steps of St. Mary's Hospital in London, anxiously waiting first for the news that Kate and William's baby boy had finally arrived, and then for a glimpse of the royal family's new addition. In the 12 months since, it's safe to say that the beautiful, spirited little Prince has won the hearts of millions.

It's not hard to see why. From royal play dates to whirlwind tours to quiet cuddles with mama, here is a look back at some super cute moments from the Prince's first year...

Could he be any more adorable?

If the rumors prove true, George may be a big brother before too long. Several sources claim that Kate and William are trying for baby #2 - some even claim the Duchess is already expecting. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

For now, though, our best birthday wishes to the birthday boy. No doubt it will be a celebration worthy of a little prince.

Tell us

How did you celebrate your baby's first birthday?

A look back at Kate's impossibly stylish pregnancy...

Photo: REX USA/Rex

Jenny McCarthy admits to sex-talk fail with son Evan

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

A viral video you've likely already seen recently led to Jenny McCarthy having to fully open up to her 11-year-old son about sex.

"He watched that recent video of that dad driving his wife to the hospital who was going to have a baby … She’s screaming bloody murder and he was like, 'What’s going on? What’s going on?' And I’m like, 'This woman is having a baby.' And he was so tortured by it that I had to sit down and give him the birds and the bees talk,” the controversial television personality explained to Us Weekly.

"I kind of knew it was time because I accidentally told him … that sex was like feet rubs," the woman engaged to marry Donnie Wahlberg went on to say about her and Evan's previous brief discussions of sex. "And I looked on his iPad and there were 2,000 pics of foot rubs and I’m like, 'Oh my god, he’s going to have a foot fetish for the rest of his life!' So I just sat down and had the real heart-to-heart talk with him."

Things didn't go particularly easy even the second time around. The 41 year old said with a laugh "it was difficult … but being the kind of single mom I've been, I've had to wear two hats and I'm proud to say that Evan will never be having sex for the rest of his life after my conversation.

"I talked about kind of the physical part. I'm like, 'You know how you're talking about things happening?' I'm like, 'This is what your body is going to want to do and it's normal but your body can't yet because you're too young,' and he was horrified -- which is exactly what I wanted him to be but I can’t even imagine."

Over on Us Weekly's post, I was surprised to see a number of people commenting 11 was so young to be having the sex talk. I picked up a book about boy bodies from the library for my eldest, who is now 9, about a year ago. Some of the material I thought was a little intense for him, but a lot of it I felt he was ready for. To me, 11 doesn't seem too young at all.

I suppose my reasoning was that I'd rather have him get his information from a me, or at least a source I picked out, then to be one of the last kids who found out about how bodies work and possibly be picking up bad info. Also, my boy showed some interest -- his little brother, however, doesn't want anything to do with the topic in the least. He might end up being over 11 by the time he's willing to her about "inappropriate" matters.

Join the conversation

What age do think is too young to accurately start explaining sex to kids?

Photo: REX USA/MediaPunch Inc

Jenny McCarthy is just one of many celebrity moms who've embraced their sexy side and posed nude for Playboy. Take a look:

Kim Kardashian caught up in maternity style drama

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Kim Kardashian is somehow still learning her words can be easily twisted. The reality television star, who has a 1-year-old daughter named North with new husband Kanye West, is caught up in a kerfuffle because of some off-the-cuff maternity style advice.

It all started during a recent interview Kim and her sisters Khloe and Kourtney did at an Operation Shower charity event. An excerpt from Elle :

Can I ask you about pregnancy style: what you recommend and how you define your style?

Kim: I recommend hiding for a good year and having no pregnancy style. That’s what I recommend. If you can do it, hide. Never leave the house.

Khloe: Okay, well that’s not practical. Give a different answer.

Kim: That’s really my recommendation. Wear a huge blanket.

A look back at Kim Kardashian's maternity style selections during her pregnancy with daughter North West:

Some were put off by Kim Kardashian's remarks, and took to social media to let her know. Addressing the drama in a serious of tweets, the woman who's no stranger to controversy wrote, "I guess you can't be sarcastic when doing interviews! I was asked about tips on pregnancy style.

"I jokingly said pregnant woman should hide/stay in if they looked like I did lol. I said ask Kourt her tips bc she has the best preg style...I really should start video taping the interviews I do & post on my website so u can see the laughs & how it's really said."

Perhaps that really isn't the worst idea, because I see two possible things going on here -- neither of which really necessitate a backlash against Kim.

Number one: Sarcasm. It's easier heard than read, I know, but I thought it was fairly obvious here. Also, how about a little benefit of the doubt?

Number two: Let's not forget Kim was put through the ringer as she grew during her pregnancy. Her every style choice was commented on and critiqued. I can't imagine being able to take in online verbal abuse on a daily basis, not to mention while with heightened hormones.

Weigh in

Is this a case of people being too hard on a celebrity mom or no?

Photo: REXUSA

A look at more celebrity moms who've been caught up in controversies: