UPDATED: In recent days, the “Tower Heist” director said that “rehearsal is for fags” and discussed his sex life on Howard Stern's radio show.  —  Director Brett Ratner is out as Oscar producer, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.  The Academy and Ratner have just released statements confirming his exit.

Heavy D — Dead at 44  —  5:12 PM: An associate of Heavy D's just told us the rapper had pneumonia.  —  4:28 PM: Law enforcement tell TMZ ... Heavy D had just returned from shopping and walked up some stairs when he began having trouble breathing.  Adam Mills, a designer who was in the building …

Cover Story: Mariah Carey: I Lost 30 Pounds of Baby Weight in 3 Months!  —  “Shake It Off,” indeed!  —  Six months after welcoming twins Moroccan and Monroe, Mariah Carey has lost 30 pounds — and shows off her toned legs and flat stomach in size-6 short-shorts on the stunning new cover of Us Weekly, out now.

Breaking Dawn Soundtrack: PEOPLE's Review  —  From left: Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson  —  You might think that the Twilight soundtrack series could be losing some of its indie-alternative cred by featuring a pop crooner like Bruno Mars.

Kelly Ripa Signs New 5-Year Deal For ‘Live!’  —  EXCLUSIVE: With Regis Philbin leaving Live!  With Regis And Kelly next week, the company that distributes the popular daily syndicated talk show has moved to lock in co-host Kelly Ripa through at least 2017.  I've learned that Ripa has signed …

Gloria Steinem Thinks Kim Kardashian Is Wasting Her Life  —  We chatted with Gloria Steinem last night at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards and found out what the feminist icon thinks about everything from equal pay to reality TV.  When we asked Gloria - who famously said …

Bachelor Pad's Kasey Kahl: Vienna Girardi and I Have Not Split!  —  Not so fast.  —  After rumors of a breakup surfaced online Tuesday, Bachelor Pad 2's Kasey Kahl tells Us Weekly that he's still together with girlfriend Vienna Girardi.  —  “We're just doing [the relationship] …

Candy Spelling hits $90K Las Vegas jackpot  —  LAS VEGAS — Multi-millionaire socialite Candy Spelling has won $90,000 on the slot machines in Las Vegas.  —  The widow of TV giant Aaron netted the win after taking a chance on high limit slots that cost between $100 and $1,000 a spin …

Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar Defend Decision to Have Baby No. 20  —  Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have something to say to their critics.  —  “Every child deserves to be excited they are a part of life,” Michelle tells PEOPLE after just revealing that she is pregnant with her 20th child.

Burly rugby player has a stroke after freak gym accident... wakes up gay and becomes a hairdresser  —  A 19st rugby player suffered a stroke while training - and discovered when he woke up that he was gay.  —  Chris Birch, 26, had proposed to his girlfriend and worked in a bank when he suffered a freak accident in the gym.

Rosie O'Donnell: Confused Over The Kardashians  —  LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Rosie O'Donnell may head up her own talk show, but one thing she won't be discussing on her Oprah Winfrey Network program is Kim Kardashian's divorce.  —  “I've never seen any of the Karadshian shows …

Exclusive: Once Upon a Time Casts Lost's Emilie de Ravin As Belle  —  Once Upon a Time has landed another Lost alum.  —  Emilie de Ravin, who played Australian castaway Claire on the ABC island mystery series, has been cast as Belle, as in Beauty and the Beast's Belle, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.

Gabrielle Giffords's Incredible Comeback  —  Ten months ago, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords survived the unthinkable: a bullet to the brain.  —  Now, for the first time since the Jan. 8 Tucson, Ariz., shooting that claimed six lives and left 12 others wounded, Giffords, 41, is opening up about her incredible recovery.

Rebecca Romijn In A Bikini  —  Here's Rebecca Romijn on a bikini photo shoot in LA over the weekend where she makes me feel bad about saying she frightened the s**t out of me in X-Men: First Class.  Then again, she lets Jerry O'Connell have sex with her, so technically I have the right …

Conrad Murray placed on suicide watch at jail  —  Dr. Conrad Murray was placed on suicide watch at the L.A. County Jail on Monday, hours after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death and being taken into custody.  —  Immediately after the verdict …