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ORLANDO, Fla. — Wednesday night was the grand opening celebration for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. And for any Potter fan who feared that the fictional world wouldn't live up to the real life one in Orlando, those fears were put to rest.
After a star-studded red carpet that included Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Michael Gambon, James and Oliver Phelps and Tom Felton, guests sipped Butterbeer, ate chocolate frogs and explored the street. That is, until shortly after 9 p.m. when the chimneys in town exploded with letters from Hogwarts' headmistress Minerva McGonagall, inviting guests to Hogwarts for a grand opening ceremony.
Naturally, what ensued included spells and fireworks, but more importantly, a chance to linger to appreciate every detail (like moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms!) that came to life on film for over a decade. There are wands here ready to choose wizards, and wizards and muggles alike will find the main attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, to be one of the most impressive rides ever created.
Check back here for more details from the grand opening. Did you know there's a cast member who doesn't know how the series ends? The answer to come, here in Scoop on Friday.
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Perez starting to lose ads over Miley flap
Perez Hilton, aka Mario Lavandeira, might not yet be facing legal action after tweeting a provocative picture of teen star Miley Cyrus, but he is facing repercussions from advertisers. A rep for ABC Daytime confirms that a rotating banner ad promoting “The View” was pulled from the celebrity blogger’s website, PerezHilton.com.
At press time, earlier reports that MTV pulled ads for TV Land were confirmed to be untrue, but one well-placed source within ABC said that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that more advertisers could follow ABC’s lead.
“It’s not a matter of whether you like (Lavandeira) or not, it has to do with the morality of the issue. Miley is a minor, period. There are ethics involved in running an ad on a site that potentially violated the rights of a minor, and that is what the conversation is about at the network level,” said the source.
Lavandeira did not respond to requests for comment.
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Cameron Diaz wants to clear up a rumor: She’s not dating Yankee Alex Rodriguez. “No, no, no. I’ve been in relationships since I was 16 years old. In the past three years I’ve made a conscious decision not to be in a relationship for as long as I want,” Diaz said to Playboy about the rumors she’d taken Kate Hudson’s place on the slugger’s arm. “I’ve stayed away from all the traps out there for me to just fall into something that will potentially lead me down the same road … I want to have a relationship with myself right now.”
That’s not to say that Diaz isn’t willing to go out on a date. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: She’ll date almost anyone.
“I never shut down any man who’s willing to ask me out unless he’s a total d----- bag. It takes a lot for a guy to ask out a girl like me — not because I think I’m super special or anything. It’s just that I think men are intimidated, and it’s a lot to get involved with. It’s not uncomplicated,” Diaz told Playboy.
‘Housewife’ Danielle Staub is cause for concern
Tuesday’s episode of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” was the last episode for cast member Dina, who said that fellow housewife Danielle Staub is “99.9 percent” the reason for leaving the show.
Staub’s behavior on the show has been increasingly passive aggressive this season. At times, she claimed she requires physical protection from the other housewives, then later launches into vicious verbal attacks.
According to one member of the production, Staub’s behavior has been cause for worry: “Characters that are a little wackadoo, like Kelly (Bensimon, of the New York version) are fun to watch, harmless. But Danielle ... let’s just say the show got a little more than it bargained for with her.”
Lady Gaga gets OK Go’s approval
OK Go might have just won the Webby for film and video artist of the year, but they’re not ones to find that a reason to put down their competitors.
When asked what they thought about the scandals surrounding Lady Gaga’s music videos, OK Go’s Tim Nordwind said there’s nothing wrong with getting a little attention, good or bad. “The thing to keep in mind is you should be making videos because you have a good idea whatever it is,” Nordwind said. “Whatever happens marketing wise, that’s fine — if that’s what you’re looking for.”
The bassist believes that musicians like OK Go and Lady Gaga have the unique opportunity to experience the rebirth of the music video. “Videos don’t necessarily have to be advertisements for the records,” he said. “Now you can make a video for the sake of making a video, for art’s sake.”
Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on today.msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc.
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