Celeb Nation: Remembering Lauren Bacall, Robin Williams, and More

"Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t." -Lauren Bacall

Mary E. O'Connor

One of the last Hollywood greats, Lauren Bacall passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 89 at her residence in Manhattan. She suffered a massive stroke. Born September 16, 1924, in New York City, she began her movie career in 1944 when she was cast her in “To Have and Have Not” (my personal favorite) opposite her future husband Humphrey Bogart. Her career lasted six decades; she went on to star in “Designing Woman” with Gregory Peck, “How to Marry a Millionaire” with Marilyn Monroe, and many others – she worked on more than 70 films.  Ms. Bacall was known for her sultry looks and her strong personality. She truly was a star of the Golden Era of Hollywood and will be missed.

It’s been a long time but Bogie and Betty are together again at last. What a wonderful reunion that must be.

Twits on Twitter

Zelda Williams, actress and daughter of the late (the Great) Robin Williams, was forced to leave social media due to relentless taunts from internet trolls. She wrote on her twitter "I'm sorry. I should've risen above," "Deleting this from my devices for a good long time, maybe forever. Time will tell. Goodbye." It is absolutely unfair that in the terrible time of grief that she has to endure this abuse. In spite of internet trolls, many Hollywood celebrities (and Non-Celebs Too!) have expressed their sympathies and feelings of loss. I am hoping Zelda and all of Robin’s family know that he was loved and admired. We will never forget his priceless gift of giving us laughter. Robin Williams was found dead in his home on Monday at age 63 of an apparent suicide. Investigators stated that he hung himself with a belt and attempted to cut his wrist with a knife prior. He did not leave a note. However, he struggled with manic depression and had a history of substance abuse, his most recent trip to rehab occurred in July 2014. His wife also revealed Thursday that Robin was in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. His death truly is a tragedy. 

This classic scene from “The Birdcage” is prime example of Robin William’s artistic genius. 

Babies for Clooney? 

George Clooney and his fiancé, British-Lebanese Human Rights attorney, Amal Alamuddin, were spotted vacationing at his Lake Como home this past Saturday.  It could be a bad angle or the style of the dress could be misleading, but is there a baby bump? It might explain why George suddenly proposed to her in April only after dating for 6 months and are expected to tie the knot in Italy, later this month. It’s a rather short engagement, no? Does she appear to be about 4 months along? Or, it could just be the dress...we’ll see! 

Celine Dion will go on... later on. 

Celine Dion has to take a break from her career to care for her ailing husband, Rene Angelil. In December 2013, Angelil had a cancerous tumor removed from his throat which has led to a 'very difficult and stressful time,' said Dion in a statement released on Wednesday. Dion is cancelling all shows scheduled through March 22, 2015, which includes an Asian tour this fall and regular shows at her residency, Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas. In addition to Angelil’s ill health, Dion has reportedly not recovered from an illness that caused her throat to become so inflamed that she had to cancel all performances at Caesar’s since July 29th. Per Dion’s statement: 'I want to devote every ounce of my strength and energy to my husband's healing, and to do so, it's important for me to dedicate this time to him and to our children.'

Simpson/Kardashian Dream Team? No... not THAT one!

There are reports out saying that convicted felon, former football star and accused murderer, OJ Simpson, is obsessed with Kim Kardashian. This is very disturbing to think about. Robert Kardashian, Kim’s deceased father, was part of the dream team group of attorneys that saved OJ from a double murder conviction back in the 90’s and he was also a close family friend of Robert’s. OJ basically saw Kim grow up and she referred to him as “Uncle OJ.” According to a prison course, OJ has pictures of Kim from her Playboy stint hanging in his cell and is completely infatuated: “He reads every magazine he can about her and when she is on TV he demands silence from his fellow inmates so he can watch without interruption. He’s even tried to get in contact with her, but so far she hasn’t responded to him.” He is completely un-phased about her marriage to Hip Hop mogul, Kanye West: “As long as I am in prison, I can’t be with her so Kanye can have her for now.” “But when I get out she’s mine.” Ew, Ew, Ew! 

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