The Golden Girls Loses Estelle Getty

I am saddened today by the passing of the wonderful Estelle Getty. If you ever watched an episode of The Golden Girls, you know Estelle played Sophia( or "Ma") the 80 something Italian mother of Dorothy (Bea Arthur).

I loved The Golden Girls and used to watch it with my mom every week. Now I find myself watching the reruns on Lifetime several times throughout the day.

Estelle Getty suffered from Dementia for about the last eight years.

Although Getty played an eighty three-ish woman on the Golden Girls, the actress was only about the same age as Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy, Sophia's daughter on the show. But Estelle played the part of the older Italian mom with the wise crack after wise crack perfectly. It took Estelle Getty three auditions to win the role of Sophis she didn't look old enough to play 80.

"I could understand that," she told an interviewer a year after the show debuted. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."

But Getty came prepared for the third audition, however, wearing dowdy clothes and telling an NBC makeup artist, "To you this is just a job. To me it's my entire career down the toilet unless you make me look 80." The artist did, Getty got the job and won two Emmys.

Getty's co-star from The Golden Girls, Betty White, said in a statement, "The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us."

The Golden Girls," aired from 1985 to 1992, and was enjoyed by many. Sophia, who began as a minor character, soon evolved into a major one.

From Bea Arthur, Estelle's co-star and "daughter" on the Golden Girls, :

"Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her."

From noon to 5 p.m. on July 25, Lifetime will air 10 episodes showcasing “Sophia” in all her blustering, sarcastic splendor, starting with the show’s pilot. The last installment at 4:30 p.m. will be the favorite “Sophia episode” as decided through a fan vote at www.Lifetime.com.

Bye Sophia. Thank-you for the all the laughter and smiles.

Picture of Ms. Getty courtesy of Los Angeles Times.

Britney Gives Kevin Full Custody Of Her Sons

Wow-this threw me for a loop this morning. Britney Spears has reportedly agreed to granting ex-hubby, Kevin Federline, full legal and physical custody of their two sons, Jayden and Preston.

According to the agreement signed by all parties, Federline gets sole legal and physical custody of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James and Spears will have visitation rights.

photo: Britney spotted in West Hollywood on June 27. Credit: WireImage

As a mom, this somehow just doesn't feel right. I know Britney has had her share of mental troubles, but she has made so much progress of late, I just am flabbergasted that she gave away all her parenting rights to those two adorable little boys of hers.

"The case has been settled," K-Fed's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan told E!News. "The court still has to approve it. " Both parties are due in court Friday morning.

Angelina Jolie Has Given Birth

The Jolie-Pitt twins are here! A little boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline, were born by Cesarian section Saturday night.

Little Knox weighed 5.03 pounds and Vivienne weighed in at 5 pounds.

Daddy Brad Pitt was by Angelina's side during the birth, at the seaside Lenval hospital in Nice in southern France.

The C-Section was moved up from the originally planned date "for medical reasons" so that the babies could be born "in the best conditions." according to Angelina's doctor, Dr. Michel Sussmann.

But by all reports tonight, Angelina, the babies, and Brad are all doing well.

The Holmes-Cruise 4th Of July Celebration

Tom, Suri and Katie celebrate the 4th of July at a parade in Telluride, Colorado.

Baby Time For Angelina Jolie?

Access Hollywood is reporting that Angelina Jolie is in Lenval Hospital in Nice, France , awaiting the birth of her and Brad Pitt's Twins.

Nadine Bauer, a rep for the hospital, told Access Hollywood she believes the actress arrived at the hospital about two days ago . Her admittance to the maternity wing of the hospital was a planned bed rest and not an emergency.

The 33-year-old actress is expected to stay in the hospital until she gives birth, according to the hospital rep.

As for the rest of the Pitt-Jolie clan, the rep believes Brad and family are at the hospital with Angelina.

When Angelina does have her twins, the Jolie-Pitt Clan will number 8 with mom, dad, and Maddox, 6; Pax, 4; Zahara, 3; and Shiloh, 2.

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