Katy Perry and Russell Brand (pictured Dec. 3) settled their divorce Tuesday. | Jason Merritt~Getty Images storyidforme: 25515367 tmspicid: 9296434
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Updated: February 9, 2012 7:48PM
While the divorce agreement between Katy Perry and Russell Brand appeared to be quick and amicable, I hear there was a bit of tension until Brand gave in and agreed to everything Perry wanted. The big deal: The singer gets to keep all of the estimated $44 million she made during the couple’s marriage — half of which Brand could have claimed under California’s community property laws. Apparently, there was some bad Brand behavior — which I hear included both financial and personal issues — that he didn’t want to surface if there had been a protracted divorce battle.In the end, that all went away as Perry signed the document with a big “happy face” after her name.† Separate from all this, but a factor in the couple’s problems, were Brand’s frequent less-than-kind cracks about Perry’s parents and their deep evangelical Christian faith. ROYAL RUN: Though Naomi Watts grew up in Australia, she is a British native, and that may have played a part in the actress snaring the chance to portray Princess Diana in the last two years of her life. Originally, the buzz had California native Jessica Chastain as the leading contender for the Diana role in “Caught in Flight.” SPORTS SHORT: Former broadcast teammates Mike North and Dan Jiggetts will reunite for a one-night only gig at Arlington Racetrack. The March 8 event will be available on pay-for-view (go to northtonorth.com for all the outlets) or may be seen in person at the racetrack. GRAMMY GAB: There’s buzz that Lady Gaga may be opening the Grammys — could a payback to those recent Madonna disses be in the works?Sunday’s ceremony has the potential to be far better than recent shows, with performances scheduled by Paul McCartney, Adele and Maroon 5; the return of Chris Brown; a Carrie Underwood-Tony Bennett duet, and the long-awaited Beach Boys reunion of Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Brian Wilson. There are rumors of Van Halen hitting the stage, and Bruce Springsteen is slated to perform with his E Street Band. † Speaking of the Boss, he’s found a nice way to replace the late saxman Clarence Clemons, by including the Miami Horns — which included Clarence’s nephew, Jake Clemons — on his upcoming tour. MODEL MOMENT: Apparently, the reason supermodel Kate Moss has been seldom seen in the U.S. lately stems from that 2005 incident where she was photographed snorting what appeared to be cocaine. That combined with her long associations with well-known drug addicts led the U.S. immigration authorities to make it difficult for Moss to get a work permit. She was here in 2009 as part of a big Vogue-sponsored New York event, but that reportedly required editorAnna Wintour to use her clout with the Obama adminstration to cut the red tape for Moss. COUPLING: Though there are reports Justin Theroux wants to marry lady love Jennifer Aniston, I’m hearing the actress is happy to keep things just as they are — seeing she’s totally blissful in the relationship she’s carved out with her “Wanderlust” co-star.Aniston also has once again attempted to bury that rumor — that neither she nor Brad Pitt seemingly can kill — about her still carrying a grudge against Angelina Jolie for stealing her man. In InStyle, Aniston addresses the “most annoying misconception” the public has about her life. That is the alleged “triangle with my ex-husband — and that there’s a feud there. . . . It’s a story headline that won’t go away . . . a story that has nothing to do with reality.”BOOK IT : Ex-Chicagoan Charlotte Beers, the brilliant advertising world honcho, formerly CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and chairman of J. Walter Thompson — who also served as Under Secretary of State — has penned I’d Rather Be in Charge. It’s Beers’ memoir and guide to how she successfully smashed that proverbial “glass ceiling” for women in the workplace, leading the way for many others. SEEN ON THE SCENE: While in town for Black History Month events, director Spike Lee was spied dining at Wave at the W Lake Shore. . . . CSO maestro Riccardo Muti enjoyed a night off from conducting, hanging out at the rustic Italian eatery Tocco in Wicker Park — joined by the symphony’s Mead composers-in-residence Mason Bates and Anna Clyne. © 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.
Image Credit: FoxThe Simpsons would like to wish you a very Perry Christmas: The animated Fox comedy’s holiday episode on Dec. 5 includes a special live-action segment that features pop star Katy Perry hamming it up with Simpsons characters that have been transformed into puppets. Can’t wait until Sunday to get a peek at Perry and the puppets? You may open this present early: Two exclusive clips from the episode! But first, let’s hear about the plot that brings Perry into the world of Homer & Co. “Maggie has a Muppet-type DVD that no one will let her watch, so she has this puppet dream with the Simpsons, and Katy Perry shows up the way Elton John would on The Muppet Show,” Simpsons executive producer Al Jean tells EW. Clad in a flashy red dress that would have stressed out the folks at Sesame Street, Perry sings “The 39 Days of Christmas” with the Simpsons, Mr. Burns, and Moe, who, believe it or not, is her boyfriend. “Moe can’t actually reach her — he’s too short — so there’s a slightly risqué joke at the end of the show,” hints Jean. “Don’t tune out during the credits.” The episode, which is titled “The Fight Before Christmas,” also boasts an appearance by (an animated) Martha Stewart.
