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WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The 22 Most Influential Former Beauty Queens

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Maria Gabriela Isler

Last month, Maria Gabriela Isler of Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe— the 62nd woman to be crowned with the prestigious title since the competition was founded in 1952.

And while the Miss Universe crown represents one of the most honorable of all beauty titles, hundreds of pageants take place all over the world each year.

Throughout the past 60 years of Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions, former beauty queens have gone on to have successful careers — journalists such as Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer, Oscar winners like Halle Berry, many leaders in philanthropy, and more.

Check out the former beauty queens who are doing their parts to change the world.

Miss Kansas Theresa Vail looked like the average contestant when she competed in Miss America this year.



But during the swimsuit segment, this army sergeant became the first contestant to ever expose her tattoos.

Miss Kansas Theresa Vail was only the second contestant in the military to ever compete in Miss America, and altough she didn't win, she placed in the top 10.

She's also an expert M16 marksman, a bow hunter, a skydiver, a boxer and a mechanic, according to People

Vail also became the first contestant to showcase her tattoos during this year's competition.

"Why am I choosing to bear my tattoos?" Vail says. "My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers. What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. How can I tell other women to be fearless and true to themselves if I can't do the same? I am who I am, tattoos and all." 



Lauren Nelson won the Miss America crown in 2007 and used her title for a good cause ...



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Khloe Kardashian Files For Divorce From Lamar Odom

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khloe kardashian lamar odom

Khloe Kardashian Odom has just filed court documents to divorce Lamar Odom, her husband of four years, reports TMZ.

In the legal docs, filed by celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, the E! reality star cites "irreconcilable differences."

According to TMZ, "the couple has a prenup so division of property will be a cinch -- they kept all their property separate. Khloe is NOT asking for spousal support and wants the judge to reject any bid by Lamar for the same."

The site also adds that Khloe is asking the judge to take Odom out of her name, so she is once again simply Khloe Kardashian.

Lamar has reportedly been battling drug addiction for the past two years. A leaked video of the NBA player rapping about cheating on his wife was apparently the "last straw" for Kardashian.

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Geena Davis Found Crazy Low Stats On Women In Kid-Friendly Films And Here's How She Wants To Fix It

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Geena DavisAbout a decade ago, actress Geena Davis was alarmed by the lack of female characters in film while watching G-rated movies with her daughter.

The realization led Davis to create her namesake Institute on Gender in Media, which has sponsored the largest amount of research ever done on gender depictions in media, covering a 20-year-plus span.

Davis wrote a guest column in this week's Hollywood Reporter explaining her findings on research done at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism:

"...for every one female-speaking character in family-rated films (G, PG and PG-13), there are roughly three male characters; that crowd and group scenes in these films — live-action and animated — contain only 17 percent female characters; and that the ratio of male-female characters has been exactly the same since 1946.

... we are in effect enculturating kids from the very beginning to see women and girls as not taking up half of the space. Couldn't it be that the percentage of women in leadership positions in many areas of society — Congress, law partners, Fortune 500 board members, military officers, tenured professors and many more — stall out at around 17 percent because that's the ratio we've come to see as the norm?"

As a result, Davis has a two-step plan to alleviate the gender inequality problem in media:

Step 1: Go through the projects you're already working on and change a bunch of the characters' first names to women's names ... What if the taxi driver or the scheming politician is a woman? What if both police officers that arrive on the scene are women — and it's not a big deal?

Step 2: When describing a crowd scene, write in the script, "A crowd gathers, which is half female." That may seem weird, but I promise you, somehow or other on the set that day the crowd will turn out to be 17 percent female otherwise. 

Read the full guest column on THR here >

SEE ALSO: WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The 22 Most Influential Former Beauty Queens

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Ray Price's Son Prematurely Reports Legendary Country Singer's Death

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ray price

Legendary country singer Ray Price is alive despite reports of his death.

Earlier today, The Nashville Tennessean reported the Country Music Hall of Famer passed away at his home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

The Tennessean now reports Price's wife says he's still alive but remains in hospice, and that the singer's son erroneously reported his passing. 

Rolling Stone has since confirmed with Price's wife of 45 years the singer is still alive.

"He is still with us," she says, adding that Price's son released the statement of his passing prematurely. Price is surrounded by loved ones including a Pastor right now at home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. "It's been an honor to walk this road with him," she says of her husband. "It's a sad day. We are losing a great man."

Price recently ended aggressive treatment for his cancer at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, Texas.

At the time, his wife Janie said the country star was in his "final days" making the following statement upon his leave from the hospital: 

"Ray is alert and aware of his surroundings and making decisions. With God's blessing he has not had extreme pain. But it's with great sadness that I announce to you today that my beloved husband has entered the final stages of his cancer that he has battled for 25 months."

Price is known for his smooth, wide-ranging baritone voice and songs including "Heartache by the Number," and "For the Good Times."

He helped launch the shuffle era of country music with honky-tonk track "Crazy Arms."

SEE ALSO: Michael Bublé's complete dominance of Spotify right now is terrifying

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Jerry Seinfeld's Wife Spent $415 During Uber's Surge Pricing To Make Sure Her Kid Got To A Sleepover

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Jerry Seinfeld wife Jessica Seinfeld

Former NBC and ESPN host Michelle Beadle may have griped about forking over $132 to get across town in the middle of an NYC blizzard Saturday night, but that's nothing compared to what Jerry Seinfeld's wife — cookbook author Jessica Seinfeld — paid Uber to make sure that the couple's young children attended social obligations despite the night's harsh weather.

Jessica posted a screenshot to her Instagram account Sunday after the surge pricing controversy, writing: "UBER charge, during a snowstorm (to drop one at Bar Mitzvah and one child at a sleepover.) #OMG #neverforget #neveragain #real" and revealing the insane price she paid:

Jessica Seinfled uber

If anyone can afford it, it's Seinfeld, whose TV icon husband is worth a reported $800 million — but we're still glad to see that even she was freaked out by the insane up-to-8.25-times-more-than-usual pricing.

Comments on the photo confirmed many in the Seinfeld's social circuit were forced to pay similar exorbitant fees:

Uber Seinfeld commentsUber Seinfeld commentsUber Seinfeld comments

Complaints about the astronomical fares went viral on Twitter, with many users posting screenshots of Uber ride receipts throughout the weekend.

SEE ALSO: Uber Asked Customers — Including TV Host Michelle Beadle — To Pay 8 Times More Than Usual Last Night

MORE: Why Uber Sometimes Asks You To Pay A Lot More Than Usual

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Great GIF Proves Jennifer Lawrence Magazine Cover Was Totally Photoshopped

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A June 2011 Flaunt magazine cover is under attack by the blogosphere for photoshopping cover model Jennifer Lawrence.

In the below GIFs, it's clear "The Hunger Games" actress has been given more pronounced cheekbones, collarbone, and generally slimmed down.

Ironic considering Lawrence has been extremely outspoken about Photoshop, saying of her recent Christian Dior ads, "That doesn't look like me a at all," and adding that Photoshop was to blame.

During a chat with Yahoo! CEO Marissa Meyer in November, Lawrence further added: "The world has this idea that if you don't look like an airbrushed perfect model. You have to see past it. You look how you look, you have to be comfortable. What are you going to do? Be hungry every single day to make other people happy? That's just dumb."

But apparently J.Law didn't have a say in this 2011 shoot. Check out the perfectly-GIF'd before-and-after below:

Jennifer Lawrence photoshop GIF 1

 Let's see that again:

Jennifer Lawrence photoshop GIF 2

Here's the resulting magazine cover:

Jennifer Lawrence photoshop flare magazine cover

SEE ALSO: The 15 Worst Celebrity Magazine Photoshop Fails

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Christian Bale Is Unrecognizable In 'American Hustle' After 43-Pound Weight Gain

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Christian Bale is no stranger to altering his appearance for a role.

He has often shed weight for films, whittling himself down to one third of his body weight in one instance. But Bale's latest role has him going to the other weight extreme.

Here's what the 39-year-old looks like normally, at "The Dark Knight Rises" premiere with his wife, Sibi, in July 2012:

Christian bale wife

For his role as an industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year in 2004's "The Machinist," Bale lost 63 pounds by living on a diet of apples, coffee and cigarettes:

Christian Bale scary skinny The Machinist

For 2010's "The Fighter," Bale again lost weight to play a boxer-turned-drug addict. He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role portraying Dicky Eklund:

Christian Bale The Fighter

For his latest role as a '70s con man-turned-FBI agent in "American Hustle," Bale went to the other weight extreme and packed on 43 pounds.

"I ate lots of doughnuts, a whole lot of cheeseburgers and whatever I could get my hands on. I literally ate anything that came my way," Bale revealed to People magazine. "I was about 185 and went up to 228." 

Here's Bale with his clothes on in "American Hustle":

amy adams christian bale american hustle

But underneath that checkered suit was Bale's newfound belly:

Christian Bale American Hustle fat

Let's zoom in on that, shall we?

Christian Bale American Hustle fat

But Bale's 8-year-old daughter approved of his new look: "She found it funny. Having a big old gut and a bald head, she would slap it and tease me. She had lots of fun and found it amusing." 

Bale, meanwhile, has struggled to take off the weight since filming ended, telling People "I'm still working it off."

Bale displayed his latest look at a screening in NYC earlier this month:

Christian Bale wife

But remember when the "American Psycho" star looked like this?

Christian Bale American Psycho

Screen Christian Bale American PsychoShot 2013 12 16 at 3.31.28 PM

SEE ALSO: 27 Actors Who Dramatically Changed Their Looks For Movies

MORE: Great GIF Proves Jennifer Lawrence Magazine Cover Was Totally Photoshopped

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How Miley Cyrus Killed 'Hannah Montana' And Created An Uncharted New Career Path

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Miley Cyrus VMAs

It all started with a haircut.

With the shearing of Miley Cyrus' perfectly coiffed long hair, so went her squeaky clean "Hannah Montana" image.

Since the chopping of her hair, Cyrus released racy music videos, hosted "SNL" with her tongue out, and smoked a joint while accepting an award on-stage. And who can forget when the nearly naked singer twerked alongside Robin Thicke during the most talked about MTV Video Music Awards performance of all time, inspiring the most popular Halloween costume of the year?

Needless to say, 2013 is the year Miley Cyrus effectively killed her "Hannah Montana" character.

But is it all part of a larger plan?

Ira Kalb of USC's Marshall School of Business wrote of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber's marketing genius, despite any negative press:

"Their behavior, while criticized by more than a few, is part of a deliberate market plan to shatter their goody two shoes images and create new ones that fit the desires of their changing audiences. They need new keys for evolving locks, and that is what they are creating. 

If you judge them by the numbers — followers on social mediabrisk record sales, and sold out tours, their rebranding plans are working really well.

Howard Bragman, vice chairman of Reputation.com, author of the book "Where’s My Fifteen Minutes?" a seasoned Hollywood publicist of 30 years, and good friend of Miley Cyrus' rock star dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, seems to think Cyrus is on the right path for a longstanding career.

Bragman, who has consulted on dozens of celebrity careers, says don't count Miley out despite the negative attention she received this year following her VMA performance.

"It's a rite of passage, particularly with these Disney girls. They seem to want to say 'hey, I'm not that little kid anymore, I'm a grown up lady,'" Bragman explained to Business Insider.

Miley Cyrus Hannah Montana

"Effectively she killed Hannah Montana [at the VMAS]," says Bragman. "Long live Miley Cyrus, I think that was the message."

The veteran Hollywood publicist further explains, "I understand it from a psychological point of view and a marketing point of view."

"From a psychological point of view, everyone tells Miley that they loved her as Hannah Montana and I'm sure she wants to throw up," he explains bluntly. "From a marketing point of view, these artists want to carry their audience with them — which is hard to do. It's easy to be hot for a while but in music in particular, it's hard to keep that going."

So how does Miley "keep that going" and where does she go from here?

"I think she has a different kind of path ahead of her, different kind of music," says Bragman. "Whether you liked it or not, she made her point. She had to be the caterpillar that shed her skin and now we're going to see what butterfly she's going to become."

VMA Miley Cyrus

As for how to do that, Bragman advises, "All it takes is a couple good songs and you're relevant and you're hot. It's less about branding and more about what resonates. I think this is part of her finding herself and finding her new brand."

While some reports said Miley's team was "freaking out" over her nearly naked twerk-tastic VMA performance, Bragman argues "I think they're thrilled."

"The VMAs were up 66% in viewers, she got over 300,000 tweets per minute, I do not think that any damage was done."

But Bragman also doesn't think that it's the people behind Miley who are pushing her new look and act.

"I think Miley's been in the business a very long time; I know her, she has opinions," adds Bragman. "She wouldn't do it if she didn't feel comfortable doing this."

Bragman adds, "You look at all the people who performed that night and we're all talking about Miley —who didn't win an award. But she won the night."

Not only that, she pretty much won the year:

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Impressive People of 2013

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Shia LaBeouf Apologizes For Plagiarizing New Short Film From Obscure Comic After The Internet Called Him Out

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Shia LeBeoufShia LaBeouf is in hot water today after the Internet called out the actor for plagiarizing his new short film "HowardCantour.com” from Daniel Clowes’ obscure 2007 comic “Justin M. Damiano.”

Both story lines revolve around the inner dialogue of a disgruntled film critic  and it ended up being film critics who called LaBeouf's bluff.

While no one picked up on the similarities between the two projects when the actor's short film debuted last May at the Cannes Film Festival, the Internet went nuts Monday when it debuted online.

Those familiar with Clowes' work immediately noticed that LaBeouf lifted the characters and dialogue directly from Clowes' comic panels.

As word quickly spread of LaBeouf's alleged intellectual property theft, thanks in part to a story on BuzzFeed, the short film was blocked on its hosting site, Vimeo. 

And Cowles had no idea.

“The first I ever heard of the film was this morning when someone sent me a link. I’ve never spoken to or met Mr. LaBeouf,” Clowes told BuzzFeed. “I’ve never even seen one of his films that I can recall — and I was shocked, to say the least, when I saw that he took the script and even many of the visuals from a very personal story I did six or seven years ago and passed it off as his own work. I actually can’t imagine what was going through his mind.”

After realizing Clowes wasn't credited whatsoever in the credits for LaBeouf's film, Eric Reynolds, longtime editor of Clowes’ comics and associate publisher at Fantagraphics, called the short“shameless theft!”

LeBeouf took to Twitter to admit and apologize for his mistake, saying he was simply "inspired" but knows he "f----d up":

Shia LaBeouf tweets

To watch the short film in question and original comic, click here >

SEE ALSO: Peter Jackson Explains Where 'The Hobbit' Would Have Been Split Into Two Movies

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The Most Popular GIFs Of 2013

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2013 resulted in a lot of great GIF making (thanks Jennifer Lawrence).

Google has rolled out its annual report of the most-searched terms of the year filled with everything from TV shows to movies.

They've also included a list of the GIFs people wanted to see the most. 

Let's count them down!

10. Grumpy Cat

The Internet became obsessed with the cat who always...

grumpy cat
...looks ...
grumpy cat stahp
... angry.
grumpy cat

9. "Pitch Perfect" GIFs

People became obsessed with the cups song from this movie starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson.

rebel wilson gif pitch perfect gif

8. "Hump Day" GIFs

Something to celebrate the fact that you made it to Wednesday.
hump day gif 

7. Sassy

Pretty self-explanatory, but basically comprised of reality TV women full of sass.
sassy gif 

6. Loki GIFs

Actor Tom Hiddleston became very popular on the Internet after his appearance as anti-hero Loki in last year's "The Avengers." 

loki giftom hiddleston loki loki gif tom hiddleston loki

5. Thanks, Obama!

The sarcastic GIF was made as a response to people who use the president as a scapegoat for events that are often out of his control. With that in mind, the GIF shows people “blaming” the most simple inconveniences on the president. 

thanks obama gifthanks obama

4. Feels 

Whenever something is entirely too overwhelming to handle — like the end of most "Breaking Bad" episodes this season — someone online may say they're either having "all the feels" or simply the "feels."

Yes, this is a thing.

aaron paul breaking bad gif

Breaking_Bad_Walt_Finale_Gif

3. Jennifer Lawrence

Google doesn't specify any one, but the "Hunger Games" actress had a wide-range of memorable GIFs this year.

jennifer lawrence funny face

Jennifer Lawrence Oscar gif 

2. Nope GIF

This can consist of any image expressing your utter disdain and/or disapproval with something unpleasant.
We'll let David Tennant of "Doctor Who" illustrate this one.

"It's snowing outside and I have an 8 a.m. meeting." 
Does that sound appealing?

doctor who nope gif

Nope.

1. Twerk

Miley Cyrus posted a video of herself twerking in a unicorn onesie back in March on Twitter.miley cyrus twerking
After a raunchy performance with Robin Thicke at MTV's Video Music Awards, everyone wanted to know what twerking was. 

That's all folks.

burn after reading

NOW: Check out the movies people searched for most this year

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The 19 Worst Celebrity Photoshop Fails

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attached image

This week, a GIF of Jennifer Lawrence's Photoshopped 2011 Flare magazine cover made the rounds on the Internet.

The cover was altered to make Lawrence appear slimmer with higher check bones and a more pronounced collar bone. While Lawrence herself has previously been outspoken on her dislike of altered images, many stars haven't been as averse.

Model Miranda Kerr recently posted a Photoshopped image of herself on Instagram, creating outrage across the Internet.

But Kerr and Lawrence's Photoshop revelations are nothing compared to the missing body parts, unrecognizable faces, and seriously enhanced features of many other celebrity cover models.

We've gathered some of the craziest celebrity Photoshop flubs of all time — can you spot what went wrong? 

"The Hunger Games" star Jennifer Lawrence appeared on a June 2011 cover of Flare magazine.

(Source: Business Insider)



A new GIF shows that J.Law's cover image saw some serious editing. Her waist is thinned, while her cheekbones and collarbone are noticeably more pronounced.

Jennifer Lawrence photoshop GIF 1

 Jennifer Lawrence photoshop GIF 2



Miranda Kerr posted this photo on Instagram after the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

(Source: Business Insider)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Pippa Middleton Is Engaged To Banker Boyfriend Nico Jackson [Report]

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Pippa Middleton Nico Jackson

Well, we already know she can rock a white dress! Pippa Middleton -- who very nearly stole the spotlight from sister Kate Middleton at her wedding to Prince William in 2011 -- is set to walk down the aisle herself in 2014, sources reveal in the new issue of Us Weekly.

PHOTOS: Pippa's hottest style moments

The British event planner's boyfriend, banker Nico Jackson, popped the question during their early December trip to India's Oberoi Amarvilas, insiders share. (Oberoi Amarvilas is a five-star resort, with views of the famed Taj Mahal.)

PHOTOS: Kate and Pippa's childhood album

"It was exactly how he planned it," one source tells Us of the proposal. "Very romantic and grand!"

Together for 15 months, the couple were first rumored to be engaged back in September. Those rumors were false, but the two were clearly smitten.

They even engaged in some PDA at the 50th anniversary party for Annabel's nightclub on Sept. 27.

PHOTOS: Pippa -- Britain's most eligible bachelorette?

Since the engagement, Middleton, 30, and Jackson, 36, have been celebrating their happy news in private. A source says they plan to spend Boxing Day (Dec. 26) at her family's Bucklebury estate before heading to the Alps for vacation in the new year.

SEE ALSO: Pippa Middleton Gets New Gig As Brother James' Bakery Business Goes Into Debt

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'Duck Dynasty' Star Says 'Homosexuality Is A Sin' In Explosive New Interview And Now Everyone Is Furious

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Phil Robertson Duck Dynasty

Phil Robertson — the 67-year-old star of A&E's "Duck Dynasty" — is under fire after anti-gay comments he made in a new interview with GQ magazine.

Robertson began by explaining, "We're Bible-thumpers who just happened to end up on television."

"You put in your article that the Robertson family really believes strongly that if the human race loved each other and they loved God, we would just be better off," he continued.

But Robertson says nowadays, "Everything is blurred on what's right and what's wrong. Sin becomes fine."

And here's where Robertson really starts to become a publicist's worst nightmare:

“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

Phil continues, "It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man's anus. That's just me. I'm just thinking: There's more there! She's got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I'm saying? But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical."

Then, while claiming not to be judge mental, Robertson even put gay people in the same category as terrorists.

"We never, ever judge someone on who's going to heaven, hell. That's the Almighty's job," he says. "We just love 'em, give 'em the good news about Jesus — whether they're homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort 'em out later, you see what I'm saying?"

Jep Robertson, Phil's son, doesn't explicitly tell GQ that he agrees with his father's sentiments, but he doesn't disagree, explaining: "We're not quite as outspoken as my dad, but I'm definitely in line. If somebody asks, I tell 'em what the Bible says."

Needless to say, GLAAD is not pleased with the Robertsons' remarks.

"Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe," a GLAAD spokesperson told E! News. "He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans — and Americans — who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples."

The spokesperson adds, "Phil's decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families."

With more than 14 million viewers each week and $200,000 an episode paychecks, A&E and "Duck Dynasty" probably don't want to part ways, but the network may be forced to reevaluate after such backlash from the GQ interview.

A&E has since released this statement from Phil Robertson addressing the controversy:

“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

SEE ALSO: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Cast Get Huge Salary Bump

MORE: 25 Secrets That Show 'Duck Dynasty' Could Be Totally Fake

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These 10 People Shook Up The Science World This Year

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Nature, one of the most important scientific journals out there, just announced the winners of its 2013 Most Important People of the Year. You've probably never heard of many of them.

The winners were chosen based on their work and connections to some of the biggest stories of the year, including the Russian Meteor and the infant who was "functionally cured" of HIV.

You can read the full descriptions of the winners' work in this week's Nature. Here's our synopsis.

Feng Zhang, MIT — For editing DNA.

Zhang is a biologist, but his big development this year is more biochemical in nature. He adapted the RNA sequences that bacteria use to edit DNA to make it easier for scientists to manipulate it cheaply, easily, and precisely in the lab. His finding that this system works in mammalian cells was published Jan.3 in Science.

Tania Simoncelli, The American Civil Liberties Union — Defending the freedom of human genes.

After years of battle, the ACLU finally reached the highest court in the land — the U.S. Supreme Court — to defend the right of human genes to be free. They went up against Myriad Genetics, which had patented the human BRCA gene to use in their breast cancer risk test kit. The ACLU won the case on June 13 of this year.

Deboarah Persaud, Johns Hopkins University — "Functionally" curing a toddler of HIV.Deborah Persaud A first in the anti-HIV field, a baby that was infected with HIV when born was "functionally cured" of the virus when doctors started anti-retroviral therapy very early on during its life. It was found to be free of the virus even after five months off of drugs. The find was published in the New England Journal Of Medicine in March.

Michel Mayor, University of Geneva — Finding a sister Earth.

kepler 78b exoplanet illustrationAfter thousands of exoplanets have been found circling stars out there in the night sky, what's one more? It's the most important when that one more is Kepler 78b — the first Earth-like planet found. Mayor and his team found the planet, which is so close to its star that its surface is molten. Mayor found the first exoplanet in 1995, and discovered this latest in October, just before he'd planned to retire.

Naderev Saño, Philippines delegate to the U.N. — Fasting for climate change.

When Typhoon Haiyan ravaged his home country of the Philippines, Saño was at the United Nations climate talks in Warsaw. After a tearful and moving speech, he fasted for 14 days until the delegates reached a deal to keep climate negotiations on track.

Viktor Grokhovsky, Ural Federal University — Hunting down the Russian Meteorite.

After the Chelyabinsk meteor exploded over Russia in February, Grokhovsky spent weeks tracking down individual pieces of the space rock. He worked to analyze the meteor's trajectory as it entered the atmosphere, and analyzed how big it might have been when it exploded.

Hualan Chen, of China's National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory — For tracking the new H7N9 bird flu virus.

Less than two days after confirming a new and deadly bird flu virus was infecting people in China, Chen's team set to work to find out where it was coming from — the live poultry markets in Shanghai. The quick (and transparent) reaction to the emerging virus has been widely appreciated by the world's infectious disease community. She also published a paper describing what mutations it would take to make the virus jump between mammals better.

Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Oregon Health & Science University — For cloning cells from an embryo.

Embryonic stem cells made with a person's own DNA would hold the potential to cure any number of diseases. After years of fighting red tape to do this cloning experiment in humans, Mitalipov created a stem cell line with all the properties of an embryonic stem cell but also all the DNA of the donor "adult" skin cell. His work was published in the journal Cell in May.

Kathryn Clancy, University of Illinois, Champaign — Unearthing sexual harassment in the field.

After hearing stories of women being sexually assaulted while doing fieldwork, Clancy took action and started polling colleagues about their experiences. She found that 59% of people responding to their survey had experienced inappropriate sexual comments, and 18% reported physical harassment.

Henry Snaith, Oxford Photovalics — For making better solar panels.Henry Snaith Oxford PhotovoltaicsSnaith used a special type of semiconductor to make cheaper and more efficient solar cells. His work pushed this new type of solar cell to the forefront of the field. It was published in the journal Science in October.

SEE ALSO: Business Insider's 20 Most Impressive People Of 2013

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Sarah Palin Defends 'Duck Dynasty' Star's Anti-Gay Remarks In Heated Facebook Post

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Sarah Palin Duck Dynasty

While many were offended by "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson's anti-gay comments in a bombshell new GQ interview leading A&E to suspend him from the show, the conservative reality TV star still has at least one big fan in Sarah Palin.

The politician has come out in defense of Robertson, expressing her support via Twitter and Facebook following Wednesday's backlash:

Free speech is an endangered species. Those “intolerants” hatin’ and taking on the Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us.

Palin's point of view has clearly struck a chord with "Duck Dynasty" fans, who have "liked" the comment 212,000 times, shared it 31,000 times, and left nearly 13,000 comments on her Facebook page.

Most comments are in support of Palin and Robertson:

Sarah Palin Facebook Comments On Duck Dynasty

Palin and Robertson first bonded during an NRA convention over the summer. Most recently, the two spent time together when Palin's "Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas" book tour stopped at the Robertson's hometown in Louisiana earlier this month.

Palin has even commended Phil Robertson's open view against abortion.

"Phil Robertson offered some of their refreshing trademark plainspoken talk that so many crave from our leaders in Washington," Palin wrote in a Facebook photo caption on Aug. 21. "Speaking on the issue of the sanctity of life, Phil reminds us that all life is God-given, no matter how small or how special."

Palin also argued that Washington, D.C., should be more like the "Duck Dynasty" family.

"To our GOP leaders in Washington, especially—this is what Americans desire and deserve; we're not rooting for your social truces. As Phil so rightly asks, 'What in the world has happened to us? Kudos to these Duck dudes for speaking their minds, and for their boldness in living the American dream of LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—reminding us all that it's only with freedom that anything is possible."

SEE ALSO: A&E Suspends 'Duck Dynasty' Star After Comments Comparing Being Gay To Bestiality

MORE: 'Duck Dynasty' Star Says 'Homosexuality Is A Sin' In Explosive New Interview And Now Everyone Is Furious

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Now 'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson Says Black People Were 'Happy' In Pre-Civil Rights South

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Duck Dynasty

That now famous GQ interview in which "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson compared being gay to bestiality is a real doozy.

Not only did the reality star say anti-gay remarks that led to his suspension from A&E, but turns out he also said a little too much on the topic of racism.

When asked about whether he witnessed bigotry or racism against black people growing up in the pre-Civil-Rights South, the 67-year-old Louisiana native told the magazine: 

“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

Robertson was suspended from A&E yesterday after already making remarks comparing gay people to terrorists and bestiality.

Robertson issued a statement trying to explain his remarks, but it was too late:

"I myself am a product of the '60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other."

SEE ALSO: Sarah Palin Defends 'Duck Dynasty' Star's Anti-Gay Remarks In Heated Facebook Post

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A Marine Who Won A Free Vacation On 'Ellen' Died While Skydiving On The Trip

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Brandon McGrawCherilyn McGraw was ecstatic when she won a free trip to Australia after competing in a game on "Ellen" last January.

But McGraw's dream vacation turned into a nightmare after her husband, Gunnery Sgt. Brandon McGraw, 33, died in a parachute accident last weekend after the couple went skydiving out of the same plane.

Cherilyn did a tandem jump, but Brandon, being a marine, was experienced and followed by jumping solo.

"Approximately 300 feet from the ground, Brandon's parachute suddenly caused him to turn radically right and left and he crashed to the ground.  He was pronounced dead at the scene," an employee from the skydiving school told TMZ.

Capt. Barry Morris with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command told WCTI that McGraw was a "well-trained free-faller."

Cherilyn posted a message on Facebook with photos inside the plane before the jump, saying, "My hero. My angel.  These are truly such symbolic photos.  He was happy and doing what he loved."

DeGeneres released the following statement to Us Weekly on Thursday:  "I've been speaking with Cherilyn. And my staff has been in touch with her as well. She's asked us to help keep this private as she tries to deal with this unimaginable tragedy. I hope everyone respects that."

SEE ALSO: Here's What Happened To Kel From 'Kenan & Kel' — As Explained By Kel

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The Best Entertainment Photos Of 2013

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jennifer lawrence hunger games

Jennifer Lawrence tripped at the Oscars, the royal baby was born, and Batkid took San Francisco by storm for a day.

We've compiled the most memorable entertainment moments of the year in photos.

From Miley Cyrus' twerk seen 'round the world to Gisele's "multitasking" photo, here are the best photos of 2013. 

Jan. 21: Beyoncé's flawless performance of the National Anthem at President Obama's inauguration ceremony.

The singer was accused of lip-synching at the event.



Feb. 10: Ellen's reaction to Katy Perry's revealing dress at the Grammys.

Her cleavage caused quite the stir at the ceremony.



Jay Z celebrated his triple Grammy win by drinking cognac out of one of his awards.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dwyane Wade Proposes To Actress Gabrielle Union With Huge Rock

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After dating for nearly five years, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade put a ring on his girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union. A big one.

Wade, 31, and Union, 41, both posted pictures of the massive engagement ring Saturday.

"Sooooo this happened... #Yessss," wrote the "Bring It On" actress:

Wade posted the same image with the caption “She said YES!!!” followed by a repost from his jeweler explaining the bling:

Big thanks to you my man...by @jasonofbh "Better look of the ring we had the pleasure of making for@dwyanewade and @gabunion CONGRATS!!! And please send my wedding invitation to my office. Lol#jasonofbh #engagement #diamond #diamondring#diamonds #beverlywilshire #cosmopolitanvegas" via@PhotoRepost_app

The couple have never been shy with sharing their relationship publicly via Instagram:

SEE ALSO: The best entertainment photos of 2013

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Before She Was Famous, Eva Mendes 'Waited In Line For Hours' To Get Teenage Alyssa Milano's Autograph

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Before Eva Mendes was an award-winning actress, she was just a young Alyssa Milano fan like the majority of her peers.

Former "Who's The Boss" star Milano retweeted an amazing throwback photo of herself at age 17 signing an autograph for Mendes, who was 15 at the time and not yet famous. Mendes had "waited in line for hours to get my picture taken with her" at the Glendale mall.

Mendes, now 39, spoke of her admiration for Milano, 41, in a new feature on VioletGrey.com:

CASSANDRA HUYSENTRUYT GREY : DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST ACTOR YOU ADMIRED?

E.M.: Alyssa Milano from Who’s The Boss. I just thought she was living my ideal life on that show. It was a rags-to-riches story and I felt like that maybe it could happen to me. I just loved her little attitude and her name, I loved her actual name and her character’s name, Samantha Micelli. She also had this workout video called Teen Steam. I know it word for word. When I was 15 I even went to the Glendale Gallery mall and waited in line for hours to get my picture taken with her. I still have that picture. More recently I admire Julianne Moore as an actor and a woman. She’s fearless in her role choices and really embraces being out of her comfort zone. Though at the same time she’s grounded and elegant in her private life.

SEE ALSO: One Scene In 'Home Alone' You've Probably Never Noticed That Explains The Entire Movie

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