Russian femme fatale 'wild in bed'

Anna Chapman

The flame-haired Russian spy was not only good at networking.

She was also great in bed.

A law student claims that he had a fling with Anna Chapman and gave her a "14 out of 10" for her prowess in bed.

Charlie Hutchinson, 31, told The Sun that he was stunned when he saw the picture of Anna Chapman, 28, in the newspapers after her arrest by the FBI for spying.

She was among the 10 arrested in the United States early this week.

Hutchinson, who is still a student, said he met her on a night out at Southampton. He claims that she jumped into his cab and they went back to the university's residences.

He claimed that she didn't wear panties and was just incredible in bed.

"She was red hot. While we had sex she was talking in Russian. It lasted for two hours and was so sexy. She was incredible," The Sun quoted him as saying.

"Both of us were drunk. When we got into my room she began doing a striptease while I sat on the bed.

"She has a stunning figure - and had no underwear on. She really knew what she was doing."

A week later they met again for a romantic meal at an Italian restaurant - followed by more romps.

"She was wild in bed - a 14 out of 10," he was quoted as saying.

He said he was smitten. But she dumped him soon after, he claimed.

She repeatedly hung up on him when he tried to call her before she changed her number, Hutchinson told The Sun.

He also said he was amazed to see she carried five mobile phones.

He said: "On our first night, she got a text message and went to check it. She pulled out five mobiles and didn't know what phone it was sent to."

He added: "Also, when I wanted to take a picture of her, she always said no."

Who would ever think they would bed a Russian spy? he asked.

Cut Tari

Cut Tari's most wanted black bra

The "Peterporn" sex tapes, starring pop-rocker Ariel (of Peterpan) and Cut Tari, have been given a new twist as the Indonesian police are busy looking for her black bra that she allegedly wore in the video.

Interestingly, Cut has admitted to wearing nothing but a black bra and matching undies whenever she wants to get down and dirty.

But the disgraced TV host and actress, who is Ariel's ex-lover, has told the police that she could not remember where she kept her sexy black lingerie after the last time she put them on.

"We're 99.9% sure that she's one of the girls in the sex video," confirmed a police spokesperson.

"The other girl is Luna Maya (Ariel's current girlfriend). We've gathered enough evidence to convict them."

Source: Agencies

Maya Karin

Maya keeps mum over marriage status

KUALA LUMPUR: Are they still married or not? Model and celebrity Maya Karin Roelcke and her husband Steven David Shorthose kept everyone guessing yesterday when they turned up at the Lower Syariah Court and stayed for two hours.

Dressed demurely in white tudung and baju kurung, Maya, 31, entered syarie judge Shaiful Azli Jamaludin's chambers about 2pm. She was accompanied by her lawyer Nurhusniah Husin.

An hour later, Shorthose entered the same chambers with a woman believed to be his counsel. A witness during their wedding was also believed to be present. He left the chambers at 3.45pm followed by Maya.

Asked on the status of their marriage, Shorthose, whose Muslim name is Muhammad Ali Abdullah, only said "no divorce". He was tight-lipped on the reason for their presence, pushing reporters to ask Maya instead. Maya and her lawyer Nurhusniah refused to comment.

Rumours about the Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam actress's rocky marriage started circulating in February when they were said to be living separately.

The couple married in August 2008 after seven years of courtship.

J.Lo

After two years away from the big screens, Jennifer Lopez returns with another romantic comedy said to give audiences a new twist to modern day courtship.

The Back-up Plan, unlike other baby-driven romantic comedies such as Nine Months (starring Hugh Grant) and Knocked Up (starring Katherine Hiegl) takes viewers to the opposite direction - from pregnancy to commitment.

Lopez who is now a mother of two-year- old twins, plays the headstrong, ambitious Zoe who, after years of dating and not finding the "perfect" match, decides to kick her back-up plan into gear. Zoe decides to have a baby all by herself. However, as she visits the doctor to put her plan into action, she bumps into Stan, played by Alex O'Loughlin, who may just be Mr Right after all.

"Zoe is a planner," said Lopez.

"She decides it's time to have a baby and she sets out to make that happen. Stan, on the other hand, is much more of a free spirit. He's not living out his dreams (he owns a cheese stand at a New York farmer's market) but he's relaxed into his situation. He's not really thinking about the future, and certainly not looking to be tied down."

As fate would have it, when Zoe meets Stan the farmer/cheesemaker, her life begins to change drastically.

"She had this back-up plan for her life until she meets Stan. And I love that they both have to overcome what their lives were supposed to be to reach their true destiny," said Lopez who admits that playing Zoe was exciting as being pregnant was still fresh in her mind.

"The script de finitely rang true to me, having just gone through my own experience of having babies for the first time," said Lopez. "All the little jokes about what it is to be pregnant - being tired, insatiably hungry and the hormonal changes. I could really relate."

For producer Todd Black, there was no doubt that Lopez was the perfect t for Zoe's character, as she truly understood the humour involved in this character becoming a new mum, and the humourous and scary nature of her having a new lover in her life at the same time.

"Jennifer can convey the perfect amount of emotion and comedy all at the same time," said Black. "She's an all around solid actress. Most times you find an actor who can just do the comedy or just the drama. It's rare to find someone who is strong with both."

However, when it came time to cast Stan, the filmmakers set out to find a fresh face - someone sexy, funny, strong, yet, also vulnerable. Producers knew that this would be a challenge, especially to find someone who had the whole package but when they met Aussie actor Alex O'Loughlin, they knew they had found their Stan.

"The minute we had him read with Jennifer, you could just feel it in the room - their chemistry was undeniable," said Black.

"Alex also came in very prepared. He understood where the comedy was and he wasn't afraid to take it as far as it could go. It's so thrilling as a producer to discover someone new. I'm proud and excited. I can't wait to watch where his career goes; I think he's going to be a major movie star, " added Black.

The movie also marks as a directorial debut in film, for producer/director Alan Poul who previously was associated more with television instead. He directed episodes for hit series such as Six Feet Under, Big Love and Swingtown.

"When I read the script, I laughed out loud all the way through, which doesn't happen often," recalled Poul.

"And then I cried at the end. I thought to myself 'if I can bring even just 75 per cent of that experience to the screen, it's going to be a very satisfying movie.'"

Poul also admits that he found the script fascinating as it turned the tables on the traditional love, dating and parenthood formula.

He was also extremely excited when he found out that Lopez would be playing the leading role (Lopez was already signed on to the movie before Poul read the script). He knew that with a great story and the perfect actress, he was de finitely signing on for the job.

"Alan was a gift from the Gods," said Black. "He's one of the best directors I've worked with. He told us the movie he wanted to create in the very first meeting and he's been consistent in his vision from day one."

That vision was to create a modern romantic comedy. To that end, Poul looked for every opportunity to elevate what he refers to as the material's "cutting edge contemporary comedic voice."

Lopez, who often does her homework on her role before filming, is constantly aware of each scene and the whole picture in order to hit every comedic mark within the film.

Poul too makes a habit of doing the same. This duo put their creative thinking skills in order to try and mine every scene to the maximum extent. Lopez enjoyed collaborating with the director.

"Alan had ideas for each scene I would not have thought of, and vice versa," said Lopez. "Working together allowed us to maximise the value of the material."

This movie is said to mark Lopez's comeback to film although the movie which was released in the US did not receive encouraging reviews. One wonders if perhaps Lopez should go back to more serious drama movies instead of romantic comedies which have not been much appreciated at all.

Her most prominent roles would definitely be her role in Selena or perhaps her character in the movie Enough. Or just maybe, Lopez should concentrate on just singing.

CLICHED: In most of her movies, Lopez plays the independent woman who becomes all mushy when she meets the man of her dreams

A plan that may backfire

Watching the movie The Back-up Plan was like watching any other fairytale Hollywood romantic comedy. It's a typical story where the girl meets her dream guy, goes through some tough times but in the end, it all miraculously falls into place and she lives happily ever after with her guy.

The movie opened in the US last April and drew many critical reviews, which makes it harder to be optimistic about yet another romantic comedy filled with cliches and a predictable ending.

Jennifer Lopez who stars as Zoe in the movie, plays the stereotypical role - the woman who learns to love all over again when she meets the "right" man.

This character reminds you of her role in Maid in Manhattan or perhaps her other character in The Wedding Planner, or even in, Monster in Law. Lopez is often the independent woman who becomes all mushy when she meets the man of her dreams.

The Back-up Plan is about a love story beginning where it should end. Zoe, an independent woman with her life mapped out, is determined to get pregnant even without having her dream partner.

On the day she falls pregnant through arti ficial insemination, as fate would have it, she meets Stan.

Stan amazes Zoe with his charm and loyalty, and stays with her even after she tells him she is pregnant with twins!

Too good to be true for the modern day society we live in, don't you think? Yet, like any other Hollywood romantic comedy, everything eventually works out for the happy couple.

Despite the hype of this movie telling the story of courtship in reverse, perhaps it would have been more interesting if Zoe decides to be independent after having a romantic fairytale. At least, it would not have been too cliched.

Many parts of the main plot exude true cliches of a fairytale romance. Everything seems to just magically take its course, heading towards the very much-forecasted ending.

One is left wondering why Lopez chose this movie to debut her comeback to the big screen since we have already seen her in this role way too many times and they weren't exactly box-o ffice hits.

Despite the bad points, some parts of this movie did show its comedic elements. One particular scene is when Zoe and Stan attend a water birth of Zoe's single mums group-mate.

Although this leads to trouble for Zoe and Stan, the director and scriptwriter's view of the childbirth experience brought pure humour to the screen.

As for newcomer Alex O'Loughlin, there isn't much to say about him. His role - although deemed important - seems to be presented as a mere love interest, devoted to Zoe. Scenes that could have induced more comedy would have been scenes of Stan getting advice from a new friend he meets at a children's playground. There is much truth in the scene where both men talk heart to heart about having kids.

All in all, if you are a true romantic, constantly looking for more romance to enrich your fairytale expectations of love, this movie would be the butter to your bread. But if you aren't a fan of romantic comedies, then this movie isn't made for your viewing pleasure.

Yet, beauty - or shall we say romance - is in the eye of the beholder.

Miranda Kerr

Here's proof that Miranda Kerr's upcoming wedding won't be signalling the end of her lingerie career.

The Aussie beauty demonstrates just why British actor Orlando Bloom is eager to become legally bound to her with this new shoot for Victoria's Secret.

On this occasion, Miranda has squeezed her lovely figure into the firm's new range of tasty nightwear.

Nailing her repertoire of seductive poses, the model gives Orlando plenty of food for thought for a lifetime of bedtimes with his soon-to-be spouse...

Samantha Harris

Role model: Samantha Harris, Aboriginal superstar

Alana Rosenbaum

• Last Updated: June 19. 2010 8:35PM UAE / June 19. 2010 4:35PM GMT

Samantha Harris is the first Aboriginal model to grace the cover of Australian Vogue in 17 years, though the magazine’s editor said it was her looks, not her heritage, that led to the shoot. Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images

In the June edition of Australian Vogue, the cover girl Samantha Harris wears a yellow Pucci gown with a gold trim slit all the way down to the navel. Her fingernails are short and painted red, her dark hair is tousled, and she purses her bee-stung lips as she stares down the lens.

It’s an extraordinary picture, not least because Harris is the first Aboriginal model to grace the magazine’s cover in 17 years.

In an industry where indigenous women are largely invisible, Harris is a rising star. “She has got a quiet elegance that sets her apart; she’s top drawer,” says Vogue Australia's editor, Kirstie Clements.

Locally, fashionistas are rhapsodising after Harris strode the catwalk for no fewer than 18 designers at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney this month. Internationally, she has reportedly piqued the interest of Balenciaga and Prada after her spread in Glamour, by top fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, hit news stands last year.

A shy and softly spoken 19-year- old, Harris is still pinching herself. “I was at Sydney Harbour the other day and some teenage girls looked at me from about 200 metres away and they started running towards me; they recognised me and wanted my autograph. It was hard to believe,” she says.

By now, Harris’s long and difficult trajectory is well known to many Australians. Her mother, Myrna Harris, belongs to the “stolen generation” and as a child was taken away from her parents to live in a state-run institution for no other reason than she was black. She raised her own four children in a housing estate on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

She entered Samantha, a painfully shy child, in her first beauty pageant when she was only six, despite fears that she would freeze on stage. Instead she shone. “I told Samantha, ‘You will be big one day; you will be living in a three-storey brick house while the other girls are pushing prams.’”

Money was tight, but they made do. “We would hear the other girls talking, they would say, ‘My mother bought me a $300 dress and should have bought me the $400 dress’, and Samantha would be sitting there in her op shop [second-hand] clothes.

“For a while she kept coming second. Put it this way, it was all blonde hair and blue eyes,” Myrna Harris says.

Samantha Harris had her first break as a 13-year-old finalist in the Girlfriend magazine model search. Shortly thereafter, she signed up with Chic, the modelling agency that represents Abbey Lee and Miranda Kerr.

Chic spokesperson Kathy Ward recalls seeing Harris for the first time six years ago. “She was mesmerisingly beautiful; it was very exciting for us to have a model like Samantha.”

As a high school student, Harris would stay with Ward and her family in Sydney when she came down from the Gold Coast for modelling assignments. “She was a homebody, not interested in partying; we like that in a model,” Ward recalls.

Clements says that Vogue kept an eye on Harris while she was still at high school, waiting for her to mature as a model. The wait ended after Harris graduated and her agent sent out a new portfolio of pictures. “We looked at them and said ‘She has that thing, that intangible thing when girls have that Vogue look,’” Clements says.

A decade ago, when the British supermodel Naomi Campbell visited Australia, she lamented the dearth of Aboriginal models and noted an irony: that not even designers inspired by traditional Aboriginal art engage Aboriginal models to show their wares.

It was an astute observation. Since Elaine George became the first Aboriginal woman to appear on the cover of Vogue in 1993, only a handful of indigenous models have cracked the industry. Kirstie Parker, editor of the indigenous newspaper Koori Mail, says that this is due to a combination of factors, including a lack of opportunity for young Aboriginal women to take up modelling and an unwillingness on the part of the fashion industry to embrace them.

Aborigines are also grossly underrepresented in other media; indigenous television journalists, presenters and actors working in Australia today are few in number. “If you looked at Australian TV, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a monoculture,” Parker says.

Clements says that the decision to put Harris on the cover of Vogue was not politically motivated. “Samantha is just extraordinary, and it’s a happy and wonderful coincidence that she’s indigenous.

“At fashion week, people behind me were saying ‘That’s Sam Harris, the indigenous model’; everybody is so proud of her.”

Harris, whose father is German, says she does not think of herself as a role model for young indigenous women, but she acknowledges that her Aboriginal blood contributes to her celebrity. “It gives me an advantage; there is no one around who looks like me,” she says.

Harris says she decided to become a model when she was three years old, and her mother helped her realise her goals. “She had a hard time; sometimes I get upset hearing her stories. She always wanted us to have the opportunities that she never had.”

The National spoke to her just after she had wrapped up her second Vogue shoot in Sydney – this time for the August edition. On a chilly late autumn morning in Sydney, her brief was to look as though she was languishing in an outdoor sauna.

Just over a year ago, Harris moved to Sydney with her boyfriend from sub-tropical Queensland and they are still acclimatising to cooler climates. In London this winter, she saw snow for the first time. “I didn’t hear the rain, and then I saw water on the ground; I didn’t figure it out immediately that it had snowed,” she says, allowing herself a laugh.

There’s more travel on the horizon; later this year, Harris plans to work at New York Fashion Week. Eventually, she says, she’ll base herself in the US to raise her international profile. “I want to be Australia’s first Aboriginal supermodel.”

Gong Li

Splitsville for Gong Li and hubby?

Is Gong Li’s marriage to her Singaporean husband on the rocks?

The rumour is no longer new, but what the actress said at a recent press conference of her new flick Shanghai seemed to offer some insights into her marital status.

For your information, Gong, who was the star of critically acclaimed Chinese films like Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern and more recently, the Chow Yun Fat-starring flick Shanhai, tied the knot with Singaporean tobacco tycoon Ooi Hoe Soeng in Hong Kong in 1996.

However, rumours that linked her romantically to her male co-stars – among them Sun Honglei and Colin Farrell – never ceased.

It’s now John Cusack’s turn. The Hollywood actor, who co-starred with Gong in Shanghai, was a huge fan of Gong and made no secret of his admiration for the beautiful Chinese actress.

Gong Li is romantically linked to John Cusack, her co-star in Shanghai.

In a recent interview with the Singaporean press at Shanghai, Gong, 44, revealed that she sees Singapore as a vacation spot and stays in a hotel – instead of the residence of her husband’s family – whenever she visits the republic.

When probed about the reason behind this, she merely said “This is private matter” and refused to answer.

This has sparked off a new round of speculations and rumours regarding her marriage.

Despite the fact that Singapore’s Registry of Marriages website clearly showed that Gong and Ooi are still husband and wife, some speculated that the pair is in the midst of filing for divorce, reported Chinanews.com.

This was not the first time that the press speculated about the status of their marriage.

Word had it that the pair went their separate ways in 2005, but had yet to sign the paper.

Gong has never confirmed nor denied these rumours.

When reached by the press, her manager Christophe Tseng said he would not comment on his client’s personal life.

On another note, Gong took the flak from angry Chinese netizens for her decision to get Singapore citizenship in early 2008, to which she responded: “This is something natural.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal. We are all Chinese,” she said, heaping praises on the nation for its complete legal system and good public safety infrastructure.

Despite the fact that her love life is constantly being scrutinized under the lens of the paparazzi, Gong is forgiving towards them.

“We are all human. It’s all for (their) job. They have been respectful towards me and have never breached the law,” she said.