Breaking News: Patrick Swayze Loses His Battle With Pancreatic Cancer

Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers’ hearts with “Dirty Dancing” and then broke them with “Ghost,” died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully on Monday with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months,” his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.

Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting “The Beast,” an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot.

Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making “The Beast” because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.

When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was “considerably more optimistic” than that. Swayze acknowledged that time might be running out given the grim nature of the disease.

“I’d say five years is pretty wishful thinking,” Swayze told ABC‘s Barbara Walters in early 2009. “Two years seems likely if you’re going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I’d better get a fire under it.”

C. Thomas Howell, who costarred with Swayze in “The Outsiders,” “Grandview U.S.A.” and “Red Dawn,” said: “I have always had a special place in my heart for Patrick. While I was fortunate enough to work with him in three films, it was our passion for horses that forged a friendship between us that I treasure to this day. Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older ‘Outsiders’ brother.”

Other celebrities used Twitter to express condolences, and “Dirty Dancing” was the top trending topic for a while Monday night, trailed by several other Swayze films.

Ashton Kutcher — whose wife, Demi Moore, costarred with Swayze in “Ghost” — wrote: “RIP P Swayze.” Kutcher also linked to a YouTube clip of the actor poking fun at himself in a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, in which he played a wannabe Chippendales dancer alongside the corpulent — and frighteningly shirtless — Chris Farley.

Larry King wrote: “Patrick Swayze was a wonderful actor & a terrific guy. He put his heart in everything. He was an extraordinary fighter in his battle w Cancer.” King added that he’d do a tribute to Swayze on his CNN program on Tuesday night.

Check out some photos below of Patrick in “Dirty Dancing”

Source: AP

“I was such a huge fan of the movie, “Dirty Dancing”. I had the movie that I used to play in my VCR over and over again. My cousin and I would dance and try to do the lift he used do, but we just seemed to never get it right. He was such a great actor and he will surely be missed.”

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze 1952 – 2009.

Just In: Rihanna Says “I CAN CHANGE CHRIS!”

Rihanna is said to be ‘taking a break’ from Chris Brown but she’s determined to help him become a ‘better person’. Chris, 19, has been charged with punching her in the face and biting her ear and finger. Her mum Monica and friends are begging her to dump him for good, but Rihanna, 21, won’t listen. ‘Rihanna’s priority is to rehabilitate Chris’s terrible public image and she’ll stop at nothing,’ an insider tells Now. ‘She’s convinced that he’s now learned his lesson and with her support and commitment will become a changed man. ‘She went with him to see a trusted pastor recommended by his mom Joyce. At some point over the next two weeks she’ll also be going with Chris to see a therapist who specializes in anger management and couples therapy.

‘Rihanna’s also told Chris that if he agrees to do a TV interview with someone like the respected US journalist Barbara Walters then she’ll definitely play the supportive girlfriend, sitting by his side and showing the world that she forgives him. This will kill her mom,’ adds a source. In the meantime, Chris, who has a tattoo of Jesus on his arm, is happy just speaking to the pastor. Sources say that he’s made Chris feel he isn’t a bad person, but just someone who’s lost his way. ‘Chris is surrounding himself with people who are reinforcing what a good person he is and telling him what he wants to hear,’ reveals our source. ‘There’s no one in his camp telling him any home truths. Everyone in his circle knows that it’s in his best interests career-wise to stay with Rihanna. ‘The pastor told them about the power of forgiveness and Rihanna has really latched on to that. Monica is also God-fearing, but she just can’t bring herself to forgive Chris.’ Rihanna has reportedly gone a step further by recording a duet with Chris. A studio source said that the late-night recording sessions were ‘very, very emotional’. See the full story about Rihanna and Chris Brown in Now magazine dated 23 March 2009 – out now!

Source: chris-brown.us/ultimate-rihanna.com

“I hope they do decide to do the interview with Barbara Walters and just set the record straight, so we can all move on from this.”

Fashion News: Michelle Obama Shines in Jason Wu

Tuesday morning was a promising day for a young fashion designer, Jason Wu. He was well-respected in certain fashion circles. But by Tuesday night, he became a household name.

Jason Wu’s place in history is all sewn up thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, who donned his white chiffon gown for the inaugural balls.

Fashion Designer, Jason Wu

The 26-year-old Taipei-born New Yorker’s rapid rise to fame makes him the second designer from the Big Apple to hit the national spotlight on Inauguration Day.

So … who is this guy?

The onetime doll designer was reportedly introduced to Obama by Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley. She later wore a dress by the designer for a Barbara Walters special just before the presidential election.

Despite his low profile, Wu has earned quite a following among the fashionista set for his hourglass silhouettes and flowing fabrics.

Vogue editrix Anna Wintour even attended his last show, lending a serious nod of approval from the fashion community.

Wu, whose dolls sell at F.A.O. Schwartz, debuted his first runway collection in February 2006 and has shown off his wares in subsequent seasons – albeit in some of Fashion Week’s smaller venues.

Odds are, that’s about to change.

The budding star has been recognized for his talent, nabbing the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for women’s ready-to-wear last year.

Wu told Us Weekly that he didn’t know that Obama had chosen his dress for her husband’s big night.

“I found out when the whole world found out,” he said. “I said, ‘It looks white. It looks like mine…’ I had a box of pizza and I nearly fell over. I was sitting there with my friends, and they were screaming.”

Wu’s big moment comes on the heels of fellow New Yorker Isabel Toledo’s rise to national consciousness.

The first lady kicked off Inauguration Day in a pale yellow wool brocade dress and coat by the then-little-known designer.

The outfit “was made for Michelle with extra warm linings sewn into the [inner linings] so that she wouldn’t freeze,” Toledo’s husband told the Daily News.

A spring version of the dress – which will retail for around $1,500 – will hit Barney’s in March.

Wu’s goods are also currently available at upscale stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus – and have popped up on rising stars like Leighton Meester, Joy Bryant and Kerry Washington.

Oh, and the first lady – just in case you didn’t hear.

Source: [NY Daily News]