Despite reports to the contrary, David Beckham says no way, no how did BFF Tom Cruise attempt to recruit him or his wife to Scientology.
“There's been nothing shoved down our throats, because friends don't do things like that,” David told British style magazine Arena, which recently named Becks Britain's most powerful man under 40.
The soccer superstar and his equally famous spouse Victoria, aka Posh Spice, came to American when David joined the L.A. Galaxy team in July. But even before the move, the Beckhams considered Tom and Katie Holmes fast friends.
“They are amazing people who are just so positive about life and they have been great to us,” David told Arena. In fact, TomKat really rolled out the red carpet when Becks and Posh arrived in Los Angeles, throwing a huge, star-studded welcoming party. Soon enough, rumors started flying that Victoria “eagerly accepted church literature,” and Tom even wanted to cast the Spice Girl as an alien in “The Thetan,” a movie based on his Scientology beliefs.
Don’t believe any of it, David said, contending that Hollywood’s ultimate power couple “never turned around to us and said, 'You have to be a part of this,' because that's not what they're about. It's never been about that.” He also added that he and his wife respect the religion of their closest couple friends, “We respect everything they do and believe in.”
Real life imitates ‘Gossip Girl’
Recently overheard at New York City’s Angel Ball: “Gossip Girl” hunk Chace Crawford totally denied that he and “American Idol” cutie Carrie Underwood are, like, hot and heavy. Update: False!
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Celebrity Sightings
In an amusing case of life imitating made-for-teens television, OK! reports that a pal of “30 Rock” actress Katrina Bowden spread the vicious lie. Why? An insider told the magazine that Katrina is crushing on Chace — but her friend’s well-circulated lie failed to extract him from his current relationship with Carrie.
“Chace is still happily with his new girlfriend,” the source told OK! “He's really happy in this new relationship and is nice to everyone, so it's sad when people spread false rumors like this.”
LC won’t fall for lame lines
Guys planning to woo “Hills” hottie Lauren Conrad better prepare a smooth approach. In an interview with Us Weekly, the reality “It” girl revealed a sure way NOT to get her attention.
“Pickup lines have become so cheesy, people hear them as a joke now,” Lauren told Us. “A guy the other day said, ‘You're a smoking babe and I think you should call me,’ and handed me his number. I just wonder if that's ever actually worked. ‘Smoking babe’?”
Then she shared the cringe-worthy efforts of a fella who managed to top that one. “I had a guy come up to me and ask for a Band-Aid and I said, ‘No, I don't have a Band-Aid.’ Then he said, ‘You're supposed to ask me why.’”
The lame lothario’s follow-up? “Because I scraped my knee when I fell for you.” His clumsy delivery sailed right over LC’s head. “I didn't understand it. I was like, ‘Did you really fall?’”
Dish on the fly “Heroes’” Hayden Panettiere is all grown up and ready to join the Hollywood hairless brigade. National Enquirer’s Mike Walker reports the 18-year-old actress recently endured her very first Brazilian wax. Alas, the extreme groom didn’t please Hayden, as a source witnessed the teary teen exit the salon yowling, “Never … EVER … will I do that again!” … Lucy O’Brien’s new tome, “Madonna: Like an Icon,” reveals the Material Mom was once frantic to have a child with Tupac Shakur. “In her mid-30s Madonna desperately wanted children and had various relationships with unlikely men, in the hope she would conceive,” an excerpt in Gigwise revealed. But Lucy claims that the late great rap artist ended his 1995 romance and baby opportunity with the Queen of Pop, concluding Madonna didn’t mesh with his image. … There’s one film in Michelle Pfeiffer’s past that she’d rather leave there. According to ContactMusic, the actress found her role in 1982’s “Grease 2” embarrassing. “I hated that film with a vengeance and could not believe how bad it was,” Michelle insisted. “At the time I was young and didn't know any better. I hear it's a cult film now.”
Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Ree Hines and Helen A.S. Popkin.