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Helen Mirren, 63, gave a recent interview to GQ Magazine in which she made some controversial statements about date rape. She is being criticized for saying date rape is still rape, but essentially that women shouldn’t be able to prosecute for it because it’s hard to prove. When you read what she said, the first part sounds reasonable enough, then she makes the assertion that date rape is between two people and shouldn’t be prosecuted in court. It really sounds like she’s saying that these cases should never go to court and that women should have no option other than to deal with the consequences. There is somewhat of a gray area and if something goes as far as she’s stipulating - a woman is there naked on her own free will, the man rapes her, etc. - that’s definitely hard to prove. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t go to court though.
Sadly, Helen says she was date raped twice as a young woman and that she didn’t do anything about it or go to the police because it was hard to prove. It sounds like she thinks other women should keep their silence about it too. To bring her convoluted point home, Mirren says that Mike Tyson isn’t a rapist. Tyson was convicted of raping an 18 year-old beauty pageant contestant in 1991 and served three years out of a six year sentence. The woman had gone voluntarily to his hotel room.
The 63-year-old actress said when she was younger she was forced to have sex against her will and was too “naive” to say no.
Asked if she reported the incidents to the police, she told GQ magazine: “No, you couldn’t do that in those days.
“It’s such a tricky area, isn’t it? Especially if there is no violence. I mean, look at Mike Tyson. I don’t think he was a rapist.”
If a woman voluntarily ends up in a man’s bedroom, takes all her clothes off and engages in sexual activity in bed with him she has the right to say “no” at the last second, Dame Helen said.
If the man ignored her it was rape, Dame Helen said.
But she said: “I don’t think she can have that man into court under those circumstances.
“I guess it is one of the many subtle parts of the men/women relationship that has to be negotiated and worked out between them.
“Times have changed. I hate young girls going around beating each other up, but I love the fierceness of young girls nowadays, and the way they just say, ‘f*** off’, because I wish I’d been taught to say ‘f*** off’ when I was younger.
“I wish I’d had those words in my arsenal of self-defence. Instead, I was polite and didn’t have the courage to say that to men who wouldn’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.
“I was pretty naive, I went to a convent school until I was 18, and had never spent a night away from home, or gone to parties, or any of that.
“So I was very innocent when I went to college in London, and I was living on my own. And I found guys were horrible, mean, rude, insulting, and so without feeling.
“And I was looking for love and for someone who just liked me, made me laugh and was nice to me. And instead I just met all these creeps.”
She said of her own experiences: “I was (date-raped), yes. A couple of times.
“Not with excessive violence, or being hit, but rather being locked in a room and made to have sex against my will.”
[From Telegraph.co.uk]
If someone locks a woman in a room and forces her to have sex against her will, that’s rape. Of course there are cases when women “lead a man on,” but rape is never justified and that often seems to be the defense that is usually used in these type of cases. It’s also something that’s very difficult to prove.
By saying that it’s something two people have to work out between themselves, Mirren sounds like she wants to set women back 40 years to what she had to go through. Why should women negotiate with men who raped them, or somehow forgive them at the time? That assumes that it’s a reasonable situation with a reasonable person, which it isn’t if rape is involved. Do you think Mirren is still dealing with the pain of what happened to her as a young woman? If she thinks there was no recourse, maybe she feels that she can close the door on something that she had no control over.
Helen Mirren is shown on 6/30/08 at an Armani fashion show. Credit: WENN


Gorgeous 62 year-old Oscar winner Helen Mirren has a new interview in Hello! Magazine in which she’s asked if she thinks she’s a sex symbol. Photos came out last week of Mirren rocking a bikini and her curves were in all the right places and she looked hot for a woman even thirty to forty years younger. Mirren said she’s a “symbol of sexuality” but claims she’s not a sex symbol and has never been one despite her sexy image.
Early in your career, directors and casting agents looked upon you as the blonde bombshell, a sex symbol. Did you mind that?
“They weren’t treating me as sex symbol because I never was that. But visually, I fitted into that scenario. Also, I didn’t see any conflict in being a feminist and wearing sexy clothes, because I liked that. I love nice clothes, but my Bohemian version. And I didn’t see why I couldn’t be that and intelligent and articulate. But when you are younger, people don’t like you to be pert. It gets disturbing.”But you are still a sex symbol…
“In another way, yes. In a more benign way. But perhaps not really a sex symbol. A symbol of sexuality.”But you were seen as a wild child in your younger years…
“I wasn’t wild! I was always a good girl. I always showed up on time, I was never ever late. I never got drunk. I did drugs, but only on my own time, not when I was working. I only missed two of God knows how many performances in theatre and only because I had a very bad throat infection when I was on Broadway. And I was told I would lose my voice for good if I went on. To my detriment I was too much of a good girl. You only have to look what I was doing at that age. I was performing every night, rehearsing every day.”
[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, July 28, 2008]
I love how she says “I did drugs, but only on my time,” because when people admit to little indiscretions you can tell they’re not the type to tell bigger lies. When someone is talking about their strengths and they sheepishly own up to some small way they deviated from that I take it as a sign that they’re truthful.
Mirren also talked about her husband of 11 years, American director Taylor Hackford. They’ve been together for 22 years as they had a long courtship, and she said it works because they both trust each other and Taylor is “completely unjealous.” She also revealed that they don’t spend every night together and she’s not sure if she could do that. She made the strange comment that it’s better for their relationship the less they see of each other:

Why do you think your marriage with Taylor has worked out so well?
“It’s a challenge. Trust is very important and loyalty, those are incredibly important. They are a two-way street. It really helps if we don’t see each other too much. I love seeing Tayler, I love being with him. But if I had to be with him every night - and some people do, they need someone to be with them every night of their lives - I don’t know if I could handle that.“It’s a great help that he is in a similar profession to mine. Taylor is a remarkable man, because he is completely unjealous. And that’s rare for men. He is very successful, and I have always respected and admired him, and I have not been jealous of his success either. But when it came to my turn to be successful, he was just so proud and not challenged by it, not even remotely jealous. He was proud and hapy for me.”
The reporter asked Mirren why she’s “so frank and open about [her] sexual relationships” and she said “I am open and I’m not really open… There are things that give you a commonality with other beings, if you know what I mean…
“In our sexuality we all deal with the same fears and insecurities, dramas, problems, passions, heartbreaks.”
Mirren calls herself lucky, though, to have found love four times in life, and she says she’s grateful for each relationship and that she’s still good friends with some of her exes.
This was one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking interviews I’ve read in a while, and I can’t help but think that Mirren deserves all the success she’s had. I look forward to seeing her in many more films.
Taylor Hackford and Helen Mirren are shown at the Enchanted premiere on 11/17/07. Credit: Starbux/WENN. Mirren is shown in the header at the event where Armani received the ‘Legion D’Honneur Award’ in Paris on 7/3/08, and at Fashion Week on 7/1/08 below. Credit: WENN


Helen Mirren is shown at Roma Fest on 7/8/08. The photos in question are on the Daily Mail’s website. Credit: Italfoto srl/ Splash News.
The Daily Mail published candid photos of actress Dame Helen Mirren, 62, at the beach in a bikini, and she looks fabulous - no airbrushing or special lighting necessary. I showed the pictures to my daughter and asked her to guess how old the woman was, and she guessed 48. Helen always looks fantastic on the red carpet, wearing body-conscious dresses that are still age-appropriate and flattering, so it’s no surprise that she can pull of a bikini too.
Most women only a few days away from their 63rd birthday would be steering well clear of the beach. And if they did venture there, it would be in the most modest of concealing attire.
Dame Helen Mirren, however, is happy to flaunt her enviable curves and flat stomach in a bikini.
It seems hard to believe that this is the same actress whose portrayal of the Queen won her an Oscar.
Yet this was no retouched studio shot, with the only work to transform her toned body having been carried out during gruelling hours in the gym.
Dame Helen is holidaying in Puglia, on the southern tip of Italy, with her film director husband Taylor Hackford, 63.
The best part is that Helen’s body is all natural and her face doesn’t show signs of having work done. I know some people are going to be grossed out at the sight of a 62-year-old in a bathing suit, but they can all shut it. I think she looks great and we should be celebrating her and other women like her, who take care of themselves without getting chemicals injected into their faces or other procedures. Go, Helen!
Note by Celebitchy: Helen Mirren looks amazing in those photos, but The Daily Mail made a decision to be nice to her when they normally knock every small flaw in celebrities, particularly women. They could just have easily zoned in on her and said something completely outrageous about one of her body parts. Good for them for printing a truthful article about a celebrity’s body for once.



Oscar, Emmy and Golden-Globe winning actress Helen Hunt showed off another talent as she hit the waves in Hawaii with partner Matthew Carnahan over the weekend.
Not sure she needs that full suit in the warm Hawaiian waters, but even all covered up the woman still looks darn good for 45!
So when is this multi-talented actress/director hanging up the wetsuit and returning to the screen?
We all know that one of the greatest sensations in the world is the thrill of taking a paparazzi photograph of a famous celebrity. The endorphins kick in and you get that wonerful adrenaline rush all over and it takes weeks to come back down to the planet earth again.
Surfers will argue that surfing is the greatest sensation in the world and that may be possible. We would not know this feeling as we still have not been able to master getting and staying up on the friggin board, but we are still trying.
Johnny, our brilliant Maui paparazzo took these beautiful fotos of Helen Hunt today and it is hard to believe that she is now 45 and in such great shape.
Looks like she had a great sensation this afternoon and so did Johnnie! Can you imagine the sensations if he could surf and take paparazzi fotos at the same time!

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Showing off her six pack abs, Helen Hunt was all smiles during a Thursday afternoon trip to the beach in Venice, California.
Accompanied by daughter Makena Lei and boyfriend Matthew Carnahan, the “As Good As It Gets” actress kept busy building sand castles with her daughter in between brief sunning sessions.

In honor of Mother’s day on Sunday, USA Today has new quotes from some celebrity moms on how being a mother has changed their lives. I have a three and a half year old son, and some of these quotes really made me nod and others got me a little choked up. There is nothing that I’ve experienced in life that has changed me more than being a mother. I especially related to what Kate Hudson said about how you have to be careful how you influence your children because they’re so observant. Maybe it’s because we both have sons around the same age, but her thoughts really rang true to me. Most everyone said that being a mother has influenced them to try and be a better person.
Kate Hudson says Ryder, 4, has made her slow down and appreciate more
“I’m very impatient. I like to get things done. I move fast. Patience has been something he’s teaching me. Your children teach you so much. It’s a real mirror of yourself. You recognize the things you do directly affect your children. It hopefully allows you to be more conscious of them and yourself and your actions. When you have kids, it goes so fast. I felt like I was pregnant last weekend, but he’s 4 and he’s talking and he’s gathering his ideas and learning who he is. It’s so easy to step in and fix things and make everything right, but you have to let him figure things out on his own. That’s one of my favorite things to do, to watch how they treat other kids and how they observe other people. Your life becomes about your children. I wake up every morning and I hear his voice, and that’s my favorite thing in the world. There’s nothing like it.”
[From USA Today]
Helen Hunt says her daughter Melenka, 3, inspires her to be calm and relaxed
“It gives me real motivation to try and be the person I want to be. You tell them to be patient. But they’ll do what you do and not what to say. If I want her to be relaxed, I have to be relaxed. Or at least try as hard as I can to seem relaxed. If I want her to be patient, I have to be patient. If I want her to be kind, I have to be kind. I have a deep wish for her to be happy and serene, and it makes me want to do everything I can to be happy and serene.”
Thandie Newton says her daughters Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3, inspire her to be a better person
“I’ve learned the value of stripping it down to the basics: love, respect, compassion, stillness, to be interested, to be able to absorb the moment. I remember the first time Ripley saw her shadow. My god. It was like shadows had just been invented. It was the most exquisite moment. And it was just dish to me. To actively attempt to be a good mother is basically attempting to be a good person. I never look at my kids and feel that they’re mine. I am their caretaker. They own the joint. It’s a privilege to be able to take care of them. With my first daughter, I remember waking up and thinking, ‘My god, I get to be her mum again today. Wow. It’s amazing.’ They just take my breath away. All I do is serve themselves back to themselves. My job is just to provide a secure environment where they can just be themselves. It’s the cycle that keeps going forward. You give to them, so they can give to their kids. You have to be delighted by that.”
Salma Hayek on how Valentina, 7 months, brought out a pure kind of love in her
“You learn so much. Listen to her. She’s in the background. Do you hear that strange noise she makes (like a purr, or a rolled r)? It’s the French in her. It’s hilarious. What I learned as a mother is that I have a strong love for things. But the quality of your love gets jaded over the years as you get beat up. What motherhood did to me, when she was born, the amount of love that started pouring out of me was completely pure. Anything anyone ever did to me was erased by this energy. I relearned how to love everything around me, too. My baby is the best thing that has happened to me in my life. It’s the most amazing thing.”
Kate Hudson and Ryder are shown out on 3/22/08 in Miami, thanks to Splash News.

First things first, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my admiration for the fact that Helen Hunt clearly has opted to age naturally and I have to applaud that. But I would by lying if I didn't admit that these candid images taken of through a car window were quite jarring. Sorry, but they did. I'm only human, dammit!
I have always thought Helen's mouth looked perpetually pinched. Maybe if she just relaxed a little, it wouldn't look so bad. Poor thing, she's not even on the red carpet.
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Photos: WENN
It was a fairytale night for the cast members of “Enchanted,” as the romantic-comedy made it’s world premiere at the El Capitan Theatre on Saturday (November 17).
With stars such as Teri Hatcher, Helen Mirren and Carrie Underwood on hand, the contemporary twist on Disney’s fairy-tale classics is hoping to make a splash at the box office.

Apparently I’m not the only one deathly afraid of childbirth: Helen Mirren is too. I feel so much less guilty now. But Helen’s fear is so extreme that she’s completely disgusted by it – after seeing a video about childbirth as a teen, she was so traumatized that she swore she’d never have kids – and she followed through on that promise. I’m quite sure I’ll need to be given massive amounts of drugs and tied down, but I’m pretty sure that as long as I have my future husband’s arm to bite down on, I’ll be just fine. Helen Mirren, on the other hand, cannot be swayed with drugs and biting.
Although it was a school for girls only, Dame Helen said that in the biology classes they were taught nothing about sexual reproduction. Then came the occasion the class was driven by bus to a boys’ school. She was about 13 or 14, “just at that age when you’re just beginning to be self-conscious about your physicality and about boys and all that. “And they sat us all down, boys and girls, all about 13, 14 years old in this horrible school hall. “And then this tweed-skirted dykey sort of woman, short cropped hair, comes on and says, ‘I’m Dr Joyce’ or whatever, ‘and what you’re about to see is one of the greatest miracles.
“I’ve seen it many times you know because I’m a doctor and giving birth is one of the most beautiful things’.” Dame Helen recalls how the group were wondering what she was talking about and then the film began. To this day she can remember it - the whirring of the projector and a close-up of a woman having a baby. “And that’s all you see and these are 13-year-old boys and girls who can’t look at each other anyway, and it’s bloody and it’s disgusting. “And then occasionally a little subtitle comes up because there’s no soundtrack. It says, ‘Now prepare the rubber sheet’.”
She said she had put her hands up to her face, realizing she could not watch it. Within 30 seconds two boys had fainted and were carried out while the ’stupid woman’ said: “Wasn’t that wonderful? It’s a miracle.” Dame Helen said: “I swear it traumatized me to this day. I haven’t had children and now I can’t look at anything to do with childbirth. It absolutely disgusts me.”
[From the Daily Mail]
Mirren also says he mother was a royal bitch, and that didn’t exactly make her want to become a mother herself. Though with the description she just gave, it’s hard to argue that childbirth is… let’s just say I think the gods or evolution or nature or whatever could have come up with a kinder way to go about it. I think it’s a really good idea never to watch a childbirth video. That way, you’re not scared until about the last ten minutes when the doctor tells you what’s about to happen. And you assume he’s full of it, because an entire baby can’t possibly come out of there, what a moron. Then all of a sudden it does. You’re a little pissed that you had no clue, but it’s all over with so who’s to quibble. I’m pretty sure that’s the absolute smartest, healthiest way to go about the whole thing.
