Hollywood Mom Blog | Archive | Momagers & Popagers

MOMAGERS: Scarlett Johansson’s Mom is No Longer A Momager

Posted on 09. Jan, 2012 by Hollywood Mom.

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It’s a fickle mistress, the job of stage mother, especially when your famous daughter gives you the boot. This is apparently the case of former child actor turned full-fledged movie star Scarlett Johansson and her mother Melanie Sloan who had managed Scarlett’s career since she was 9 years old, debuting in Rob Reiner’s “North.” As Manager, Melanie took 10 percent of all Scarlett’s earnings, according to a contract reviewed by The Post. Personal note – most managers take 15.

When Johansson wed Ryan Reynolds (also a former child actor) in 2009, she decided to “cut the cord” with her momager and in November 2009 enlisted the assistance of Hollywood agent Rick Yorn, who also represents Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.

Sloan attempted to manage other clients besides her daughter Scarlett but, according to her lawyers, the dismissal left her without a major source of income.

All of this came out when Sloan signed a contract to purchase a $1.4 million two-bedroom place in Midtown Manhattan in October 2011 and then two months later demanded the return of her $130,000 deposit. Why? She is cash-poor and can’t obtain a mortgage, according to court papers.

Momager Melanie originally told the sellers she still had money coming in from Scarlett’s ad campaigns with Moët Champagne, Dolce & Gabbana and from the “Iron Man” movies.

On Nov. 14, Sloan’s accountant wrote that the loss of her daughter as a client was a damaging blow to her earning potential, according to the sellers’ lawyers.

On Nov. 25, Hudson City Savings Bank denied Sloan a mortgage, according to court papers.

Sloan is suing for her deposit, plus attorney fees.

Accrding to The Post, in a Nov. 9, 2011 e-mail to Scarlett’s agent, Sloan inquires about upcoming payments from her daughter’s work.

“Do you know if there are any further Moët or D&G payments next year? Scarlett said there was something due,” she emailed agent Troy Bailey.

“The only payment [Scarlett] has due in 2012 is $250,000 from Moët,” Bailey responded.

Sloan will earn $25,000 from that campaign.

In an update: Page Six reports that Scarlett’s replacement of her mom as manager hasn’t negatively affected the mother-daughter bond. According to a representative of the actress, ”Scarlett and Melanie are as close as they have ever been. They are incredibly proud of the solid and productive professional partnership they had through the many years they worked together. Their personal relationship is solid and loving.”

Sources: The Post, Vanity Fair, Page Six

Photo from Scarlett's Moet Campaign

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From The Momager Trenches South Carolina: Unemployed Momager for Hire!

Posted on 28. Oct, 2011 by Hollywood Mom.

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“The times, they are a changin” ~ Bob Dylan

I now can truly relate to these words, and I have seen some major changes throughout my life. I don’t know what it is about this move from Texas to South Carolina that has me feeling so upside down? If anything, I have a lot more time to myself because all three of my children are in school. I mean they all are picked up and dropped off by a school bus about five houses down from ours so from the hours of 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. I am pretty much on my own, to do as I please.

Heaven – yes, but something is missing. I have wrestled with the question of “what” that is for a while now and I am sure that I’ve finally come up with the answer.

You see, while we were in Texas my eldest daughter was actively pursuing and continually working on her acting. She went to acting classes weekly, she went out on auditions and she actually shot a few things. All the while I was being her momager and relentlessly searching for more castings and auditions, more workshops, more, more and then some more. I found that I loved being a momager and the excitement of finding an audition or getting her into some awesome workshop was so invigorating for me – it kind of became my drug of choice. I know some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, “Oh, she is one of those crazy stage-mom” sorts of things but I never pushed her into auditions or classes or anything she didn’t want to do. Sometimes I would find a casting, ask her if she wanted me to submit her, she would tell me “no thank you” and I would move onto the next thing. It is more of the “thrill of the hunt” than anything else.

Now let’s move ahead six months, we are nicely settled into our new home and new routines but something is missing – my momager job!

My daughter has now entered high school and has decided to concentrate on playing basketball as well as her tough honors course load. Don’t get me wrong, I played college basketball and coached high school basketball and volleyball so I love the idea that she is working hard on the court but my role has changed significantly. I have become her cheerleader (which I always was and always will be) and am relegated to the stands during game time. She asks me the odd basketball related question but her coach is The BBall Guru, as it should be, and I the untitled mother.

So what shall I do with my new found free time? Well I do volunteer weekly at my younger children’s school, I have joined all sorts of committees and I am upping my exercise regime but there is still something missing – any suggestions?? Anyone have a way to fill this momager-at-heart’s free time? How about a suggestion for how I can find the “high” that came with landing my daughter the perfect audition? I am all ears. Maybe I’ll post an ad on Craigslist reading, “Momager for Hire” or something like that? Who knows what my future will hold.

Update: I hadn’t even submitted my post for editing when my youngest daughter came up to me last night and said, “Mom, I really want to try modeling. Do you think I could?”

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, god of “momagers with no child to manage” – wink, wink!!

Cari Surch is the momager of young actress Kennedy Surch. You can follow her adventures on twitter http://www.twitter.com/cariscalling

The lovely Surch sisters!

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CHILD STARS: Saoirse Ronan Says She’s Not a Child Actor, She’s an Actor Who’s Young.

Posted on 05. Aug, 2011 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Talented Child Actress Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, Atonement and The Lovely Bones) and her father, actor Paul Ronan, always makes sure he discusses any potential movie roles with her before she accepts an offer, according to Irish Central online. Ronan shares with Irish Central: “Most of the time, he’ll read it first – to see if there’s anything in it that’s a bit explicit. Then I’ll read it afterward and we’ll discuss it.”

To land the coveted role of Suzie in “The Lovely Bones,” the father/daughter duo took it one step further and actually acted out some dramatic scenes in an audition tape that eventually won her the role. Lovely Bones director Peter Jackson recalls, “A lot of teenage girls turn up at auditions with a pre-packaged screen persona, but for Susie, we wanted the opposite, someone who would give the sense of being a very ordinary and real 14 year-old girl. What we didn’t expect is that we would find our teenager from Norristown, Ireland.”

Obviously the choices they’ve made together are strong as Saoirse, now 17 years old, has all ready received nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her performances.

Saoirse with her thespian father, Paul Ronan

So with all the professional acclaim how does the young talent remain so level-headed? Ronan recently told IFTN,“I think the thing to remember is that you can never predict what is going to happen. I can’t, Meryl Streep can’t, nobody can and you have to take every day as it comes and never take things too seriously. You should be doing it really for yourselves because you love it and you have fun doing it which is why I do it.”

In regards to the tricky professional “transition” she will soon make to more adult roles, Saoirse says,”At the age I’m at, it’s a tricky time to try and figure out which is the best project for me to do. [However] I’ve never really felt like I was a child actor. Just an actor who happened to be quite young.”

*Sources Irish Central and The Irish Film and Television Network

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From the Momager Trenches L.A.: Baby Books Carters Holiday Shoot

Posted on 27. Jul, 2011 by Hollywood Mom.

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Cash in hair and make-up at the Carter's Shoot.

When we auditioned for a Carter’s Holiday print job on Saturday (during Carmageddon weekend no less), I knew the shoot was scheduled for the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. So by Tuesday evening, it was safe to say that I’d given up hope of Cash booking it at all and was mentally ‘on to the next.’ As I putzed around Tuesday night, cleaning toys up off the floor and dinner off the walls (yes, you read that right), I thought it was a little strange for my phone to ring at 9:45 pm. As a leasing agent though, I receive about 10-20 calls/day from unfamiliar numbers. This call, I assumed, was just another apartment inquiry, albeit an uncharacteristically, and might I add presumptuous, late night call, even in the world of apartment rentals. Twenty minutes later, I decided to check the voice mail… and there it was. The Call!

My son Cash was being called in at the last minute for the Carter’s Holiday shoot and could we be there at 1:30 p.m. the next day? Of course we could! I was thrilled! I quickly ran in to tell my husband and then shot over to the computer to email my boss, telling him.. er.. asking him about taking a half day the next day. Finally, after 18 months, Cash had booked his first paying gig.

The shoot was conveniently about 15 minutes from our house. So I ran home after working in the morning, scooped my lil’ dude up, changed his clothes, grabbed his work permit and we were out the door. Although, he did have just enough time to play with my keys for exactly one minute before falling directly on top of them, leaving a giant red mark on his cheek. Oh well, hair and makeup worked wonders. We had to wait to be shuttled up to the private location which actually worked out well because he was able to sneak in a good 45 minute nap between the ride and the waiting. Sleepy babies = cranky babies = no pictures, please!

Upon arriving, we found out that Cash was the backup model for his clothing size. Bummer. But, I remembered our agent saying that backups are almost always used as primaries. All was not lost! An adorable little boy named Gabriel and Cash were dressed in the same Christmas outfit. Gabriel went into shoot while we waited patiently and settled in to watch Dino Dan. Approximately 30 seconds later, I heard the sound of a boy protesting quite loudly. I have no shame in admitting that the first thought in my head was, “Ooh, I hope that’s Gabriel!” Because if Gabriel had no interest in having his picture taken, then that meant we were in. Sure enough, Gabriel came right off the set and in went Mr. Cash. Score! (Sorry, Gabriel’s mom, I know you understand!)

My initial instinct was to just step back and let him go with the staff, so I did. And honestly, I think it was the best thing I could have done. Because HE. DID. AWESOME! I am fairly certain that if I had been in view, he would have thrown his little tantrums, cried for mama and tried to run towards me – all very typical actions of any 18 month old boy. But because he was surrounded by a new group of people who were completely interested in him and seemingly thrilled by his every smile, he just shined.

It was so rewarding to have him handed back to me and hear, “Wow, he really did great.” They even put him in a second outfit and used him for a pajama group shot. I couldn’t have been happier with the day’s outcome and now I will wait patiently to see if and where his images will be used for the Holiday season. All in all – not bad for a “backup!”

HMB Writer/Reviewer Michele Dahl is mom of pint-sized models Shelby and Cash Dahl. You can follow her on Twitter too at @Elle_Renee

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Happy Hollywood Mom Day! Rolling Stone Mag Names the Best Hollywood Moms in the Biz!

Posted on 08. May, 2011 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Rolling Stone Magazine recently chose Justin Bieber’s Momager Pattie Millette as one of the “Greatest Hollywood Moms in show business. Hollywood Mom Blog agrees with that choice but some of Rolling Stone’s other choices are questionable. To us the list reads more like “Most Infamous Parents in Show Biz.” We’ll let you be the judge.

In a separate interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun gives insight as to how Mom and Dad Beiber are handling Justin’s phenomenal success:

“They both handle it differently. I think they both love their son. His dad is in Canada and his mom is with us [most of the time]. I think his dad misses him a lot because he doesn’t get to see Justin as much.

“I think his mother — she and I ave talked about this — at times, she struggles with how protective we have to be of him. With people saying anything they want about her son and making up rumors about all of us and our relationship with each other, it’s frustrating at times because we know what it is. We ignore all that stuff. But I also think, and she’s said this in interviews, that she feels safer with him living this life because it’s structured and we know where he is all the time. She feels that if they were still in Stratford, Ontario, he’d be getting himself into a lot of trouble.”

When asked whether Justin was aware of the temporary nature of being a pop star, Braun replied:

“Justin doesn’t study the people who made it. He studies the people who haven’t. He hears all the naysayers about how he’s going to disappear so he likes to look up people who used to be the so-called Justin Biebers before him and didn’t go anywhere. He wants to see why they didn’t go anywhere. The general feeling we get is that it had nothing to do with their talent and everything to do with their personal life. Like the kids fall into drugs and destroy their own trajectory. I think by watching that, he’s very conscious of it. He’s a smart kid. He knows the talent he has. He realizes that if he grows up to be a good man, he’s going to be able to handle the pressures that come with a position like this.”

To read the entire article with Scooter Braun, in The Hollywood Reporter click here.

For Rolling Stone Magazine’s entire list of Best Hollywood Moms in the Biz – click here!

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American Idol’s Controversial Stage Mamas Direct “The Minors” to Group Night Victory!

Posted on 17. Feb, 2011 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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The Minors

If you’re watching American Idol this season then you no doubt tuned in for the emotional train wreck event known as “Groups,” when the individual contestants are forced to partner up with the competition and make beautiful, harmonious music together. One of those singing groups,“The Minors,” is a quintet made up of 15- and 16-year-olds whose mothers, as required by law, are on set with them day and night. The group includes: Keonna Evans, 16; Jalen Harris, 15; Sarina-Joi Crowe 15; Felix Ramsey, 15; and Deandre Brackensick, 16. I found it refreshing to watch the moms of the minors work together harmoniously as they “directed” their cooperative and talented children through a Glee-like rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”

The Stage Mamas

However not everyone got the warm fuzzys watching the stage moms in action and jealously reared it’s ugly head amongst some of the “over 18″ contestants, most notably a competing group who was set to perform the same Queen song as The Minors. The lead singer of the second group seemed particularly peeved and charged that the stage moms coaching was an unfair advantage. But seriously, although it may have been unfair, the whining over it was much more obnoxious than the offense itself.

The best part of the night was watching the mamas jump up and down enthusiastically as their teen songbirds blew the judges away with a near-perfect performance. Judge Jennifer Lopez even went so far as to say, “They just gave the performance of their life right there!”

How the stage moms relate to each other as the competition gets more fierce may be the true “show” to watch this season.

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Justin Bieber’s Momager Pattie Mallette on Raising a Super Star

Posted on 02. Feb, 2011 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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According to the website Fans of being a Mom, Justin Bieber’s mother/ momager Pattie Mallette is doing a wonderful job not only raising her son, but raising a Super Star. Here’s an excerpt of the post:

As Justin’s fame rises, do your responsibilities as a mom change at all?
Mallette: The responsibilities change somewhat, and I have to adapt as a mom. For instance, I can’t ground him if he misbehaves. I have to be creative – taking away privileges like computers and phones. My bottom line responsibilities are to keep him safe and grounded. That means I need to discipline him when he needs it – in whatever way works.

How does it feel as a mom to see your son achieve so much success and accomplish his dreams?
Mallette: I am so proud, and so happy for him. As a mom, it’s amazing and emotional to watch your child achieve his dreams and such a high level of success. Anyone would be thrilled to be in his position. I burst with joy for him. Of course, there are concerns; but for him, I am thrilled.

As we begin a new year, what is something you wish for Justin?
Mallette: For 2011, I want Justin to continue to follow his dreams, to continue to shoot for the moon. I don’t want him to think that anything is unachievable.

Each mom is kind of programmed to worry about her kids. What are your biggest concerns for Justin?
Mallette: Because he has so many people catering to him, my biggest concern is keeping him grounded. I remind him constantly that he is no better than anyone else. My worry is that he might mistake all the manufactured things around him for reality.

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Twitter Feathers are Ruffled When Author Criticizes Parenting Choices of Will & Jada Pinkett Smith

Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Author Terry McMillan (How Stella Got Her Grove Back) has ruffled some Twitter feathers with a tweet rant criticizing the parenting skills of Hollywood parents, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, even declaring they were “pimping” their children Willow and Jaden.

Terry McMillan’s tweets:

“The Smith children already act like child stars. There’s an arrogance in their demeanor and behavior. I find it incredibly sad. It feels like the Smith children are being pimped and exploited. Or, they’re already hungry for fame. What about 4th grade?

A lot of A-list movie stars shield their children from the Hollywood-world until they were old enough to decide. Look at those who didn’t.
Look at Lindsay. Phoenix. To name but a few. They miss out on childhood. It’s more important than fame.

Willow Smith Spread in February's Vanity Fair

Okay. I’ve said enough about the Smith children. I’m not debating about them. It’s just my opinion. People can justify anything, though.
In 4th grade my son came home complaining that the kids in his school said I was famous and rich. I told him that was not true.

That some of my books were popular but not everybody liked them. That we could afford a vacation. “Oh” he said, and went back & repeated it.
I wanted him to think of me as his mother. He didn’t read any of my novels until he was 15. He only read 26 pages. Was bored.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everybody. I raised my son. I’m not wasting another minute worrying about how Will & Jada are raising their kids.
P.S. I loved the Karate Kid. I am not getting started on the lack of diversity in film this afternoon. The Smith children was enough discourse for one day.”

There was a huge backlash in response to this so an apology was soon tweeted.

“I apologize for using the word pimp and exploit in referring to the Smith children. It was insensitive of me and wrong.
Twitter is not the best forum to express some things. I didn’t know folks would take my opinion so personally.”

What do you think? Is McMillan right? And whether she is or not, did she use her “outside” voice in the wrong forum?

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Miley Cyrus, Turns 18 Today! Technically, No Longer a Child Star.

Posted on 23. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Well, it was fun while it lasted! Miley Cyrus, the star of the huge television commercial success “Hannah Montana,” is now officially an adult, turning 18 years old today, November 23, 2010. For better or worse, I can’t recall another television child actor in the last decade who has penetrated pop culture and the public consciousness more so than Miley Cyrus.

On Sunday at the American Music Awards, seemingly unhindered by her parents recent separation, Miley told Access Hollywood when asked about her birthday plans,“I’m going out dancing later — we rented out a space so all my friends can come. Me and my mom actually have choreography for the night later — everyone loves when we dance in unison.”

She went on to say that she and Momager Tish Cyrus are known for playing Xbox 360’s dance video game, Kinect. “My mom, she beats me at that game!” Miley said. “She had 600,000 points yesterday, I had 300,000. She is such a good dancer — she really gets it.”

Miley: “There’s one [move] where you do like, the fist pump. You ‘Jersey Shore’ it for a second! We got a bunch of moves going on. Everyone goes wild when me and my mom have choreography, so it’s going to be good.

In addition to Miley’s Momager Dance Routine, the now 18 year old says that the entire month of November is a birthday celebration for her. “I have a birthday month,” Miley tells Access Hollywood. “I do the whole month of November. Thanksgiving, cake – [it’s] all about me on Thanksgiving!”

Guests at her birthday celebration after the AMA’s on Sunday were Demi Moore, Rumer Willis, John Mayer, Kelly Osbourne, Kyle Massey and Ke$ha.

Here’s a look back at Miley’s transformation through the years:

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Child Star Max Records’ is Battling Retro Robots in “BLINKY”

Posted on 16. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Young Actor Max Records has graduated from taming Wild Things to battling Robots!

Max Records, 13, made his feature film debut in Spike Jonze’s film, “Where the Wild Things Are,” with no prior acting experience. Most recently he played a young Mark Ruffalo in Rian Johnson’s “The Brothers Bloom.”

In his next film “Blinky,” directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker/animator Ruairi Robinson, Records’ character receives a retro robot after much pleading (“All my friends have one!”), declaring that the ever-smiling machine will be his “new best friend.” From the sinister tone of the trailer below, it doesn’t seem likely they’ll be best friends forever. The independent project is scheduled to make rounds in film festivals but I’d rather see it sooner than later and in the local theater…please!

In related news, Max’ father/ popager, photographer Shawn Records, has created a series of photos, entitled “Owner of This World,” a compilation of photos of his son on the “Wild Things” set. This is what Shawn himself has to say about the photos:

“Photography, for me, is an act of paying attention, responding, and manipulating context. Ultimately, I photograph small things that hint at larger ideas – moments, objects, relationships, gestures – the details of everyday living that, when put into another context, take on weight. This approach has resulted in several different projects.

“Owner of This World is a series of photographs made during the four months that my son, Max Records, worked as an actor in Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic. Max was nine years old at the time, and neither he nor anyone in our family had been involved in the film industry before. Though the majority of these photographs were made behind the scenes, my goals were far more personal than objective. Beyond documenting Hollywood’s incongruities, I think of this series more as a manifestation of my own anxieties; a collection of both fears and reassurances, upon letting my son out into a world that’s beyond my control. In this particular image, (far left) for example… that may as well be me clutching the sides of the boat. The water may be only waist-deep, but if it’s murky, you can’t always see the bottom.”

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Update: Joe Jonas Not The Reason For Demi’s Rehab Check In, But Estranged Father Patrick Lovato Voices Concern

Posted on 04. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Demi Lovato and Mom Dianna in happier times

Update to our initial post on Demi Lovato leaving tour and checking into rehab.

According to People.com, on most of her nights off, Demi invites her band, dancers and her parents to dinner. On the night in question, she broke off with a very small group after the meal. The following day, tour managers and Lovato’s stepfather, Eddie De La Garza, questioned the group’s “conduct,” as there were reports that the group had been partying.

Tour management got wind of this and talked with all the people involved, including Demi. Subsequently Demi was under the impression that someone on tour had told on her and believed that person to be a young, female dancer, now identified as Alex Welch aka BGirl Shorty (pictured below). Lovato then confronted the young dancer while the group was onboard a plane later that same day. Allegedly an altercation ensued which was one-sided, became physical and was brief. It is rumored that Lovato punched Welch in the eye.

As a result of her behavior Demi Lovato chose to take steps to get necessary help by entering rehab.

Contrary to several reports in the media, Actress Ashley Greene (Twilight), who is dating Lovato’s ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas, played no role in this incident nor did the Joe or any of the Jonas Brothers.

In other news, Bang Showbiz is reporting that Demi Lovato’s family members are upset by Demi’s estranged father Patrick’s comments about her checking into rehab. He allegedly stated that the pressures of being a child star “was one of the things I worried about when she signed with Disney.” In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Patrick Lovato was quoted as saying: “I kept those emotions to myself because Dianna was so excited, I didn’t want to burst anyone’s bubble. But always in the back of my mind, I was concerned. Because at that young age, it’s really hard. She worked 300 out of 365 days touring, and then of course when you get back into town, you’ve got all the promotional stuff. I’m sure she sees the things she missed out on, schoolmates and things.”

Welch is a member of the dance troupe Beat Freaks, which were the runners-up on season 3 of America's Best Dance Crew. She's currently on the Jonas Brothers tour.

Demi, 18, revealed in a prior interview that she hadn’t spoken to her birth father Patrick for two years, stating “When somebody lets you down after you’ve been the only one there for them. I had to cut off all connection. It was hurting me too much.” Patrick has since claimed he was misquoted about his daughter and would neither blame Disney or Dianna for Demi’s situation. Patrick and Demi’s mother Dianna divorced in 1994 and Demi’s immediate family insists Patrick Lovato knows nothing about Demi and he has allegedly been warned by her representatives to stop talking.

Demi’s uncle Francisco Lovato, presumably the brother of Patrick, spoke to TooFab.com reporting that he saw signs of exhaustion in his niece when he met up with her at a concert last summer.

“I personally think it has a lot to do with pushing these kids. I saw Demi in August, I went to one of her concerts with The Jonas Brothers outside of Sacramento, and she totally rocked it out, and did a great show, there was great energy. She was in good spirits it seemed, but [sic] the one thing I said to her was ‘Demi, you’re working hard, and I know people love your talent, and you’re busting it out,’ but then she turned around and looked at me with a major look of seriousness, and she said to me, ‘Look, I work really hard.’”

Lovato’s Attorney Jamie Young has told the New York Post newspaper: “No one speaks for Demi except for her designated representatives.

Disney wishes Demi Lovato well via a public statement which reads: “We support Demi’s decision to put her health first and we send her our best wishes.”

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Momagers Gone Wild: Is Bret Michaels to Blame for Cyrus Split?

Posted on 03. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Miley Cyrus admitted to media outlet X17 Online that she is saddened over her parents impending divorce and it’s rumored that her parents are “already bickering over how to handle their most valuable asset” which happens to be 17-year-old Miley who they co-manage. An insider also stated, “This whole situation has hurt Miley’s relationship with her mother – she’s definitely going to side with her father.”

The Cyrus split is rumored to have been initiated by Tish’s extramarital affair with 47-year-old reality rocker Bret Michaels. Michaels and Miley released a duet “Nothing to Lose,” which is when according to Us Magazine, Tish and the rocker “soon began carrying on an on-the-sly romance”.

Michaels’ representatives state “There has never been an affair or a fling.”

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From the Momager Trenches Seattle/ Vancouver: Working 3 Markets Means Triple the Travel Time!

Posted on 03. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

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Occasionally, I respond to emails faster than I actually think about them. Okay, perhaps I do this more often than occasionally. I could easily blame my smart phone but to be honest it’s me, in all my positivity, saying “yes” to everything. And “yes” can often cause a bit of a conundrum or in the case of last Thursday, an official time-warp-dilemma.

As a working actress in 3 separate markets (My 9 year old daughter is a dual citizen who works in both the Vancouver, BC, Seattle, WA and Los Angeles, CA), Jane requires a lot of transportation to auditions and a lot of management. As other momagers know, it’s a “fly by the seat of your pants” business in which it’s not unusual to have 24 hours notice (or less) for an audition call. As a family, we have to be ready to “Go!” at all times; so much so that I permanently keep a packed bag in the car. Working in three markets makes for an enormous amount of scheduling, but that coupled with my inability to “think before I type” created last week’s super-challenge.

The first email I said yes to was for an audition at 5:20 p.m. in Seattle, WA which is only 45 minutes from my home. The second email was for a potential audition in L.A. that same day for a fantastic, “oh my gosh I’ve won the lottery!” type job. I thought “Absolutely we’re available for that!” In reality it’s a 17 hour drive to L.A. from my home and at that point, while it would be tight, I could still make an afternoon audition in Seattle.

Then about 15 minutes later, I confirmed a third email for a 2:50 p.m. audition in Vancouver, BC.

A nanosecond after that, I had a mild panic attack.

It is a 2 1/2 hour drive between Vancouver and Seattle, not including the border wait. What had I done? Both of these city’s markets had been quiet for awhile and I became so excited for Jane to have an audition that I lost some sanity temporarily. How was I going to turn Vancouver down if we confirmed an audition in L.A. and how was I going to make this all work for Jane?

I went back to the emails. I simultaneously emailed the Seattle agent and the Vancouver agent, explaining the situation. I was completely honest on all accounts and never made an excuse. Then I had to wait…and wait…and wait for their replies.

The Seattle agent responded first. There was a 12:20 p.m. available. Hmmm….that doesn’t really help, but thanks anyway. Then the Vancouver agent responded. She’d emailed the casting director, but felt he most likely wouldn’t respond until the morning. As I calmly told her thanks, my inner self wanted to scream, “How am I supposed to wait until morning? It’s a 4 hour drive to Vancouver! I need a more time!”

“Waiting” wasn’t going to ease my mind. I needed a plan, so plan I did. I decided that we were going to head to Vancouver early anyway.

There were 3 possible outcomes:

1. I would get an email on the way to Vancouver confirming an early audition time

2. I could just show up early and ask for her to be seen

3. Our time would remain unchanged

We arrived in Vancouver at 11 a.m. and drove straight to the studio. That’s when the first positive thing happened; the auditions were in session and there were no check-in sheets. I filled out Jane’s paperwork as we silently waited for the casting director to make an appearance. Eventually, he popped out the door and I asked if he wouldn’t mind seeing Jane early. He was very sweet and said, “Of course, no problem.” Phew! We were finished in Vancouver by 11:20 a.m. and after a quick side trip to see my best friend’s newborn baby, we sped off to Seattle with 4 hours to spare.

As we departed Vancouver, panic began to creep in again. What if the USA border was backed up? I could end up waiting there for 3 hours and still not make the next audition. Perhaps I shouldn’t have seen my friend’s baby? Think good thoughts, think good thoughts. We approached the USA border anticipating the worst. Verdict: A 5 minute wait. What!? Only five minutes? Fantastic! I realized we could make it on time and even grab lunch on the way!

The final obstacle was going to be Seattle’s rush hour traffic. I just had to keep the positive energy going and keep the car in cruise, minding my MPH as a speeding ticket would definitely cramp our positive outlook on the day.

We arrived in Seattle, parked on quite possibly the steepest hill in King County and signed in to the 5:20 p.m. audition at very prompt 4:18 p.m. As luck would have it, the second casting director saw Jane early too. We were in and out of the Seattle audition and back on the road by 4:45 p.m.

We would make it home at a decent enough hour to have a small celebration with my middle child who was turning 6 that same day. Oh, did I mention I was coordinating that too? Not only was it his birthday, but I had toted my 23 month old with us to all these auditions and he never once made a fuss.

Jane never was called to audition for the L.A. dream job, but I think we had pressed our “travel” luck enough for one day, don’t you?

Susan Lowery is momager of up and coming star Jane Lowery, who works in the Seattle and Vancouver and L.A. Markets. When she’s not driving up and down the coast on I-5, Susan (along with husband Travis) operates chiropractic clinic, C.H.I.R.O. Health Center, runs Janver Natlas (home of the Motr B stroller blanket), and raises their 3 children. Follow her on twitter twitter.com/chirosusan.

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