Ryan Seacrest is the latest Hollywood star to be "swatted" by pranksters. The "American Idol" host became the latest victim of a fake emergency call on Wednesday, just hours after interviewing Russell Brand about his own swatting incident.

A caller claimed four "mobster-looking guys in suits with rifles" were inside Seacrest's property firing shots, according to TMZ.com. A team of officers quickly determined the call was a hoax.

Crank callers have targeted several celebrities in recent months, including Rihanna, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Justin Timberlake.

In order to st...

You can't go one week without hearing a ridiculous story involving some of your favorite celebrities. Thankfully, the Starpulse Rumor Patrol is here to sort out what's real and what's fake.

Jennifer Aniston's Wedding: Jen is getting married in Hawaii... or in Pennsylvania at her Grandmother's House. Jen is purposely waiting for Angelina Jolie to announce her wedding date so she can have hers on the same day.

Verdict: All False. As with any celebrity wedding, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux' nuptials are a big focus in the tabloids. Jennifer's rep told RumorFix she isn't getting marrie...

Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest have reportedly split, according to multiple reports.

After two years of dating, Hough, who has appeared in films such as "Safe Haven," "Rock of Ages" and "Footloose," and the "American Idol" host have ended their romance and are no longer living together.

Their grueling work schedules contributed to the break up, according to UsMagazine.com.

In addition to his "Idol" gig, Seacrest hosts two different radio shows and is involved in numerous other projects. Hough was a pro on "Dancing With The Stars" before she broke into acting.

An insider explained, "Ho...

This year will be ‘Idol’s’ hardest to handicap in half-a-decade. Without a cute guy playing an acoustic guitar poorly on which to rely, this year’s power rankings promises to be as topsy as it is turvy. In other words, this should be the most exciting completion in years, if it weren’t for the fact that there isn’t really a standout performer that’s worth feeling excitement about.

Oh well, at least it will be changeable.

But before we get to the power rankings, there’s the matter of last night’s 90-minute results show travesty to discuss. Even worse, one recappers ill-fated decision to wa...

The guys of this season’s ‘American Idol’ need no introduction, mostly because they don’t deserve an introduction. They’re just a bunch of mediocre talents with one standout. None of whom the producers particularly want to win.

So who was the best of the worst? Read on to find out.

Elijah Liu Sang “Stay” by Rihanna

Keith Said: I thought that was a really great start to the show.

Nicki Said: I think I would be willing to stay.

Randy Said: It never left first gear. It just lay there flat.

Mariah Said: I liked this a lot. I felt it was one of your better performances.

The Verdict:

He...

It’s clear this year that the producers want a girl to win. They’re craving it. They’re desperate for it. They’re so in need of a girl to snap the cute guy with guitar streak that there isn’t even a cute guy with a guitar to be seen this year! Or even one with much talent.

That leaves last night’s performers with the staunch task of justifying the producers’ stacking this season’s lineup in the females’ favor. So who answered the producers calls and who left them hanging?

Let’s find out, shall we?

Zoanette Sang “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” by Tina Turner

Keith Said: I love the way y...

Welcome one, welcome all to this week's Twitter roundup, where we put all the best Twitterings and Instagrammings in one place for you to see, in one bite-sized package! This week, President Obama's inauguration, Seacrest crowns Justin Bieber the Grand Pooh-Bah of Twitter, some old men join the internet, Shakira gives birth, Seth Macfarlane brings civil rights to Tweets and more.

President Obama reflecting on his successes at the 2013 inauguration

"I want to take a look one more time. I'm not going to see this again."—The President pausing at the Capitol yesterday twitter.com/BarackOb...

Julianne Hough and her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest are enjoying a vacation and the winter sun in St. Barts. The couple spent the day swimming and hanging out at the beach.

The "'Dancing with the Stars" pro and "American Idol" host took a walk before stripping down to their swimsuits and jumping in the ocean. Earlier in the day Ryan rode up on his boat and showed off his toned body as he emerged from the waves.

The dancer-turned-actress recently revealed she was mentally and physically abused when she was a 10-year-old dance student in London. She talked about her past to Cosmopolitan magazine...

Happy Birthday to:

TV & Radio host Ryan Seacrest (1974)

Twilight author Stephenie Meyer (1973)

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin (1971)

Actor Amaury Nolasco (1970)

Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II (1968)

Actor Diedrich Bader (1966)

Actor Mark Valley (1964)

Actor Grand L. Bush (1955)

Motörhead singer/bassist Lemmy (1945)

Screen siren Ava Gardner (1922; d. 1990)

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Ryan Seacrest has revealed the upcoming lineup of judges for the next season of American Idol. Randy Jackson has retained his spot at the table, and confirmed judge Mariah Carey has been joined by Nicki Minaj (finally) and Keith Urban.

Seacrest tweeted the above photo with the message, "It's official, your new IdolJudges are @MariahCarey, @NickiMinaj,@KeithUrban & @Yo_RandyJackson!"

He also posted, "Everyone gave a heartfelt toast about being on the show after we ate last night. Cant wait to see the first contestants today. #IdolJudges."

Minaj had been in talks with the show for months, ...

Apparently Ryan Seacrest wants to do something with the two hours he has left each day after his other numerous jobs.

The American Idol host has talked CBS into a game show based on the popular online game "Draw Something."

Actually, it wasn’t so much convincing. The Hollywood Reporter reports that CBS won the bidding war between multiple networks to be able to carry the show.

Seacrest, however, will not be hosting the show.

"Draw Something" debuted just a few months ago to massive popularity but according to the Atlantic Wire, “Since [March], the game's popularity has plummeted.”

The ...

The joke ever since Simon left is, “What do the judges even do anymore?” Well, tonight that concern was apt. Very apt. Because the judges never spoke. They didn’t break down individual performances. Instead, they simply offered a few half-finished thoughts at the end of the first two performances before finally swooping in at the end.

I’m not sure why we even needed them until the last minute. They should have been trotted out like wrestlers interrupting a match. That’s how useless they were for the first 45 minutes. It’s like they weren’t there.

So without them, it looks like it’s up to ...

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about ‘Idol’ it’s that the best doesn’t usually win. Last night, the clear standout of this year’s season, Joshua Ledet, was unceremoniously shown the door while waiting on the doorstep of the finale. This after delivering a stellar rendition of ‘No More Drama’ and winning the night last night by leaps and bounds.

Blame going first. Blame the voters’ apparent detest for soul music. Blame Joshua’s being too old school for the show’s demographic. Whatever the reason, Joshua won’t compete in the finale and join the long line of ‘Idol’ losers who were actuall...

Finally, the producers find a way to fill time that’s actually worth mentioning. Traditionally, we’ve saved the big homecoming clip packages for the final three results show, but with two hours to fill (instead of the typical 90 minutes) the producers shrewdly moved those fun packages to the performance show.

I think this worked a lot better because there’s always some sadness, some trepidation, some fear on the results show since somebody is about to get voted off. It’s hard to get in the full celebratory mode of these packages. They just work better on the fun performance show where ever...

Ryan Seacrest has snagged Ellen DeGeneres' amazing Beverly Hills estate, which was listed for a cool $49 million, and we've learned he paid close to the asking price.

Seacrest, who is reportedly worth $125 mililon and rakes in $45 million a year (these reports are sometimes off -- he probably makes more) ... will be the proud owner of the 9,200 square foot main house, 3 guest houses, and a couple of cement ponds. The estate sits on 2.87 acres -- for Bev Hills, that's huge. It basically covers an entire block.

Our sources say Ryan is paying within a couple of million dollars of the asking ...

Every year there’s a lurker. That one contestant that you think is going home each week but somehow, improbably, outlasts several other potential favorites and ends up around way longer than you ever expected.

This year, it was that little singling pixie, Hollie. Week-after-week she was in the bottom three. We heard her called stiff, wooden, emotionless and overly technical. All cold qualities that usually do a singer in with a voting public. They want somebody they can love through their performances, and Hollie didn’t really put off that vibe.

Still, despite that, she hung around. And s...

Hollie Cavanagh couldn't make America love her.

The 18-year-old McKinney, Texas, native received the fewest number of votes on this week's American Idol and was sent home Thursday night.

Hollie's lacking performance of Bonnie Raitt's breakup ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me", which judge Randy Jackson called "the wrong choice at the wrong time", proved to be the budding singer's downfall.

Mentor Jimmy Iovine said Holly "crashed and burned and lost out to those other three singers," chalking up her woes to her lack of having "the personal experience or the professional experience" to take...

Britney Spears is reportedly set to rake in $16 million as a judge on The X Factor, but the incredible amount isn't nearly enough to put her on top of TV's best paid list.

Assuming The X Factor has the same amount of episodes this season (26), Spears would pocket a bit over $615,000 an episode. That makes her the second highest paid per episode in primetime currently - Ashton Kutcher makes $700,000 an episode for Two and a Half Men. She is also far behind predecessor Charlie Sheen's whopping $1.2 million an episode. It would put her ahead of William Petersen's previous salary on CSI ($600,...

Another night. Another ridiculous two duets to save time. Another week of my intro hunger strike against the ‘Idol’ producers for failing to find a more competitive way to round out the show. I think this will be the last week of this nonsense; however, so you should be getting much more of my musings next week. Be afraid.

And…on with the show!

Phillip Phillips’ First Song: “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Steven Said: You’re living proof that the road to perfection is always under construction.

J-Lo Said: You did a great job and it was a great way to start ...

Apparently, there's more to Sacha Baron Cohen than the doofus characters he plays on the big screen. In February, the actor attended the E! Oscars pre-show and spilled a an urn containing what he claimed were the remains of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il all over Ryan Seacrest's tuxedo. He was in character for his upcoming film "The Dictator."

Bogus security guards pretended to escort Cohen away as a bemused Seacrest told TV viewers, "Part of me thought he would be up to something... I had an idea something was coming."

During filming of "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, Cohe...

I guess country isn’t for the whole country. I’ve been working under the assumption all year that Skylar was a real contender mostly due to her musical genre: Country/Western. We’ve seen for the last few years that even the most middling of country singers can make deep runs in this show. (See: Alain, Lauren).

I thought this year, Skylar was set to be that Nashville Nobody, but it seems America grew tired of her amateurish twang after awhile and she bit the dust because of it.

All I can say is, America got it right. Of the remaining contestants (In the non-Phillip Phillips Division, but h...

Until they stop with these ridiculous duets and trios and whatevers that I will not mention any further, I am protesting by not writing an intro. I’m sure you’re heartbroken.

And…on with the show!

Hollie Cavanagh’s First Song: “River Deep, Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner

Steven Said: The first time I heard you step out and use your blues.

J-Lo Said: It was a different type of Hollie tonight.

Randy Said: You guys loved it? I loved it too!

The Verdict:

Here’s just a miserable song choice. Hollie decided to go with something upbeat and soulful. Something that requires energy and v...

There's always some kind of drama going on with the Kardashian clan - and that's what makes and keeps people watching them on television.

Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Bruce Jenner attended the E! 2012 Upfront event in New York City yesterday.

The latest news centered on whether Khloe her husband Lamar Odom were cancelling "Khloe & Lamar" after just two seasons. Their rep clarified that the program is simply "on hold."

Kim's dating life has also been in the spotlight recently, but her boyfriend Kanye West was nowhere to be seen. And there's always the baby bump...

Jennifer Lopez will be spending her summer with Enrique Iglesias after announcing a joint tour.

The two superstars will kick off the 13-date trek in Montreal, Canada on July 14 and perform shows across North America, including stops in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Georgia and Miami, Florida.

Lopez's American Idol colleague, host Ryan Seacrest, unveiled the concert news during his Los Angeles radio show on Monday.

And the On the Floor hit-maker is planning to virtually invite fans backstage during the upcoming tour via her newly-relaunched interactive webs...

Those little Jonas Brothers are all grown up. They've quickly gone from boys to men, and one of them even got hitched! Kevin Jonas, the oldest of the trio, is a married man and set to document his wedded bliss in a new reality series.

Love is in the air. Super-producer Ryan Seacrest has found the latest couple to sink his reality teeth into. Eldest Jonas brother Kevin, and his wife Danielle, will star in a new docu-soap called Married to Jonas.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the series will chronicle the couple's suburban life, as well as the recording of The Jonas Brothers' new album...

The stars of hit movie Bridesmaids were the toast of The Comedy Awards in New York City over the weekend as the film landed four of the night's top trophies.

Melissa McCarthy, who won an Oscar nomination for her part in the movie, scooped Best Performance by an Actress during the Comedy Central prize giving at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan on Saturday night.

The actress' co-star Kristen Wiig shared the Best Comedy Screenplay prize with her co-writer Annie Mumolo, and the pair drew laughs from the audience by pretending to wrestle for the trophy on stage.

Paul Feig won Best Com...

After months of speculation, Ryan Seacrest has officially joined the "Today" team on NBC. The "American Idol" host will join Matt Lauer and the rest of the morning team as a special correspondent, NBC said Friday.

Last year it was rumored Seacrest would replace Lauer if the morning host didn't renew his contract - but he did.

Seacrest's new gig is part of new, two-year with NBCUniversal. He will continue his on-air hosting duties for E! as well as his broadcasting and producing duties. He currently hosts a morning radio show on Los Angeles' KIIS FM, produces and hosts E! News as well as n...

It’s rare that a contestant commits the three mortal sins of ‘Idol’. In the world of shilling for America’s votes, there are three ways to fall into the doghouse. Three separate kisses of death that have seen many an ‘Idol’ contestant along their melancholy way to the strains of whatever former contestant the producers have chosen for that season.

They are:

Talk back to the judges – Time and time again we’ve seen those that complain go home. It’s always best to just smile and nod.

Pick the wrong song – A surefire way to get voted off. Picking an obscure song, one that doesn’t match your ...

Ryan Seacrest is a professional, so viewers probably didn't realize he was sick as a dog last night while hosting American Idol. There was talk that Ryan could miss his first American Idol show in eleven years!

Seacrest reportedly came down with a stomach bug two days ago and had been throwing up ever since. In fact, sources tell TMZ that the host was sporting an IV in his arm. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe was prepared to step in as host, and even led the dress rehearsal earlier in the day. There was also word that they told Cat Deeley to be on call if they needed her.

That said, Seac...

Wither Jimmy? If there’s one thing about this ‘Idol’ season that’s been universally great, it’s been anything involving Jimmy Iovine. He may have been getting his sealegs ready last year, but this year he can almost walk on water with his insightful criticisms, the boffo mentoring segments and his ability to make everybody better.

So why take him out? Why leave him off the show in favor of the ‘Idols’ cracking on each other? I don’t understand it at all. Maybe we’ll find out tomorrow that he was previously committed. And if not, I think the producers need to be committed for taking him off...