THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Rosie O'Donnell was refused entrance to Sean "Diddy" Combs' New Year's Eve party, according to the New York Post. Although Combs had invited O'Donnell, she arrived casually dressed with a large entourage, and his security would not allow her into the event, held on Miami's Star Island. Combs' rep confirmed the incident, but added that the rap mogul was "completely unaware" of what happened at the door. Other celebrities who were inside included Rihanna, Nelly and Vivica Fox.

Drag queen RuPaul hit the presidential campaign trail, stopping in New Hampshire before the state's Jan. 10 primary, according to the Huffington Post. The Drag Race host clarified any potential confusion by saying, "I am not Ron Paul, and I am not running for president of the United States!" RuPaul made a surprise appearance at Manchester's Red Arrow Diner—which has a reputation as a must-stop on the presidential campaign trail—for th show, which debuts Jan. 30.

Is Lady Gaga involved in Satanic rituals? According to the Daily Mail, the "Marry the Night" singer, 25, allegedly left a London hotel room bathtub drenched in blood, fueling rumors that she had engaged in Satanic rites to keep her safe from spirits. However, the red substance—found in the city's Intercontinental Hotel—has not been identified as blood. Some have speculated that the crimson liquid was part of a "weird" stage costume or prop.

America's Got Talent host Nick Cannon, 31, was reportedly rushed to an Aspen, Colo., hospital with kidney failure, E! Online reported. Wife Mariah Carey revealed the news on Twitter, posting an accompanying photo of Cannon in a hospital bed with her beside him. She added, ""We're trying to be as festive as possible under the circumstances but please keep Nick in your thoughts because this is very painful." (The syndicated entertainment show The Insider said that Cannon actually suffered from dehydration.)

Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway during the 2013-14 season in Houdini, based on the life of the legendary escape artist, according to Deadline.com . It will mark the librettist debut of scribe Aaron Sorkin, with music by Stephen Schwartz. Jackman—whose Broadway turns include the musical The Boy From Oz and a run of the Keith Huff play A Steady Rain with Daniel Craig—most recently finished a sold-out run of the show Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. Incidentally, in its final holiday week, Back on Broadway grossed $2,063,259—a Shubert Organization house record, according to Playbill.com .

Singer George Michael lashed back at the U.S. group Christians for a Moral America, whose members called for the singer's death recently as he battled pneumonia, according to E! Online. Michael tweeted, "[I]n my opinion, and I think those made evident by those who prayed for my death, there are others who use their twisted interpretations of ancient scriptures as a pathetic excuse to be…wait for it, wait for it…. Totally f--ked up c--ksucking bastards. And not in a good way….! Oh my GOD that felt good…I must be getting BETTER!"

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released a web ad featuring Kim Wayans and Dee Rees—star and director, respectively, of the highly-anticipated feature film Pariah—for its Americans for Marriage Equality campaign, according to a press release. In the ad, both women speak out in favor of gay and lesbian couples getting married nationwide, with Rees explaining, "Lesbian and gay couples' stories are just as real, and just as romantic, and deserve to be told." The video can be viewed at http://www.hrc.org/marriageequality.

Kimberly Peirce—who directed the transgender movie Boys Don't Cry, which starred Oscar winner Hilary Swank—is in talks to helm a remake of the 1976 prom-horror movie Carrie, according to SheWired.com . Peirce's last feature was 2008's Stop Loss, about soldiers in the aftermath of fighting in Iraq; the film starred Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish.

Iconic country singer Dolly Parton is writing her life story as a new Broadway musical, WENN.com reported. She said, "I'm writing my life story as a musical for Broadway. I probably won't be in it, but I'll find a way to introduce it somehow, maybe the older me," adding that she'd also like to adapt her new movie, Joyful Noise, to the stage as well. Parton previously worked on the score for the stage adaptation of her 1980 film 9 to 5.

On the ABC show Celebrity Wife Swap, the Rev. Ted Haggard and his wife said they're "hesitant" about legalizing same-sex marriage, according to Advocate.com . When Steffanie Sampson, fiancée of Gary Busey, challenged his views on same-sex marriage, Haggard responded that he is hesitant about marriage equality but that he and his wife are in favor of civil unions. In 2006, masseur Mike Jones alleged that Haggard, who preached against gay rights, had been paying him for sex for years.

The Hallmark Channel is pulling the plug on The Martha Stewart Show, where it has aired since fall 2010, according to Deadline.com . The current season wraps in May, with the show expected to stay on in repeats throughout the summer. The series' ratings were low—an average of 225,000 total viewers and 41,000 women 25-54 for 2011.

Glee star Darren Criss, who plays gay student Blaine, made his debut in the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Jan. 3, OnTheRedCarpet.com reported. Criss took over Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe's role of J. Pierrepont Finch, a window washer who plans to scale the ranks at the World Wide Wickets Company. Actor Beau Bridges joined Criss, making his own debut in the musical. Nick Jonas will take over the role Jan. 24.

The TV show Celebrity Apprentice will sport its largest cast ever—18 people—when it premieres Feb. 12, according to Digital Spy. Among the celebrities are out singer Clay Aiken, singer/actress Deborah Gibson, comedian Lisa Lampanelli, Twister Sister rocker Dee Snider, openly gay actor George Takei and supermodel Cheryl Tiegs.

International soccer star David Beckham has taken the first promotional shots for his nine-piece H&M underwear collection, Digital Spy reported. "I always want to challenge myself and this was such a rewarding experience for me," the athlete, 36, said. "I'm very happy with the end result and I hope H&M's male customers will be as excited as I am."

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest may be forced to take a pay cut, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He is entering the final stretch of a contract extension that pays him $15 million a year. Reportedly, the belief at Idol is that since the show survived the departure of Simon Cowell, it can also thrive without Seacrest, 37. However, Seacrest has options, and keeping him in the NBCUniversal family could mean a spot on NBC's Today show and an expanded presence.

Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton is slated to play the title character in a remake of the film Auntie Mame, according to a Broadway.com item. Swinton and director Luca Guadagnino—who helmed Swinton's film I Am Love—are reportedly in the planning stage of the project, which would star Swinton as Mame Dennis. Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee adapted Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel for Broadway in 1955; Rosalind Russell created the part, and reprised her role in the Oscar-nominated 1958 film.

Lesbian actress Cynthia Nixon is headlining the Broadway production of Margaret Edison's Wit, Playbill.com reported. In Wit, Nixon—a Tony winner who may be best known for playing Miranda in Sex and the City—portrays poetry professor Vivian Bearing, who faces terminal cancer. The play officially opens Jan. 26, with tickets on sale through March 11.

Acclaimed out actor Sir Ian McKellen reportedly said he has "no doubt" William Shakespeare was bisexual, Pink News reported. McKellen commented that the relationship between two characters in The Merchant of Venice made it "obvious" the writer had sexual relationships with men: "The Merchant of Venice, centering on how the world treats gays as well as Jews, has a love triangle between an older man, younger man and a woman. And the complexity in his comedies with cross-dressing and disguises is immense. Shakespeare obviously enjoyed sex with men as well as women."

Warner Bros accidentally sent the wrong version of openly gay Dustin Lance Black's J. Edgar script to Oscar voters, according to Deadline.com . Instead of Black's final shooting script, the studio sent a version that was used in post-production and for continuity. Black reportedly admitted that this slip-up could hurt his Oscar chances. Warner Bros subsequently apologized to voters and had planned to send the correct hard copies.

Actress Kristy McNichol has officially come out of the closet, according to People.com . McNichol, 49, has lived with partner Martie Allen, also 49, for the past two decades. She "is very sad about kids being bullied," publicist Jeff Ballard said. "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different." McNichol is best known for her roles on the '70s show Family and the 1988-95 series Empty Nest.

Chaz Bono told Rolling Stone Magazine that he is saving money to purchase a penis. He went into detail about how he had surgery done above the waist, adding that he gave up smoking because former fiancee Jennifer Elia told him, "I know people who were smokers whose nipples have fallen off." Bono also said that he is leaning toward a surgical procedure called a metoidioplasty, in which the enlarged clitoris is transformed into a penis.

Film director David O. Russell (The Fighter; I Heart Huckabees) was being investigated for potential criminal battery after he groped his 19-year-old transgender niece, according to the Chicago Tribune. Russell admitted to the action, but also claimed it was consensual. However, a rep for the Broward County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office told TMZ that the case was closed. No charges were filed because police did not witness the alleged assault. Russell, 53, grabbed Nicole Peloquin's (birth name Nicholas) breasts during a work out in a South Florida hotel gym Dec. 30, 2011. Peloquin is the child of Russell's adoptive sister, Barbara Jane Peloquin.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville has denied having a fling with actress Demi Moore, according to E! Online. The National Enquirer reported that Glanville—the ex-wife of actor Eddie Cibrian, who had an affair with now-wife LeAnn Rimes—hooked up with Moore in 2009. However, Glanville tweeted, "An untrue story is circulating that I had an affair with Demi Moore. While I have met her briefly & she is a beautiful woman, it's 100% untrue."

Comedian/reality-TV veteran Kathy Griffin will have a weekly prime-time talk show on Bravo, according to the Huffington Post. The one-hour series, simply entitled Kathy, will premiere this spring. Other shows coming to Bravo include Around the World in 80 Plates, which Curtis Stone and lesbian chef Cat Cora will co-host; Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis; Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kim Zolciak in Don't Be Tardy for the Wedding; The Shahs of Sunset; and Million Dollar Listing New York.

At the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said that the Glee spin-off planned for the characters Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) will not happen, the Huffington Post reported. Reilly added, however, that creator Ryan Murphy has a "really cool idea" to potentially bring those characters back. Reilly also said that Michele will return for the show's fourth season, although the futures of many other characters are unknown.

The ABC period drama Pan Am will feature a girl-on-girl kiss in the upcoming episode "Diplomatic Relations," slated to air oSunday night, Jan. 15, according to SheWired.com . In a promo, flight attendant Maggie Ryan (played by Christina Ricci) and Amanda Mason (Ashley Greene) share a kiss after Maggie admitted, "I'm starting to think that women are just better."

Legendary British actress Joan Collins is set to be the new face of Snickers, the Daily Mail reported. Collis, 78, actually loves chocolate, and the 511-calorie bar is reportedly her favorite. A source said that the ad "will be about the fact that she's a glamorous older woman with a perfect figure and yet she loves chocolate bars. It will be very funny." Collins was reportedly paid a five-figure sum, and she flew in to London recently to film the ad.

Paramount has pushed back the date of the action comedy Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) from March 2, 2012, to Jan. 11, 2013, according to Deadline.com . A studio exec said, "Jeremy Renner's international profile should be in great shape after being in Mission: Impossible 4 now, then The Avengers in May, then The Bourne Legacy in August." Witch Hunters picks up the fairy tale 15 years after Hansel and Gretel's encounter at the gingerbread house; they're now bounty hunters who kill evil witches.

Sir Elton John is writing his debut book—and it will be on sale this July, the Daily Mail reported. John is set to release Love Is The Cure: Ending The Global Aids Epidemic. In the book, the "Tiny Dancer" singer will discuss losing friends, including late rocker Freddie Mercury. Proceeds from sales will go to his Elton John AIDS Foundation.