Spader in the dark about 'Blacklist's' key relationship

James Spader (c.) as Raymond Reddington in "The Blacklist," with Megan Boone (r.) as Elizabeth Keen and Harry Joseph Lennix as Harold Cooper

James Spader says he doesn’t know if his character in NBC’s “The Blacklist,” Raymond (Red) Reddington, is the father of a young FBI analyst in whom he has taken an intense and mysterious interest.

“I don’t think so,” says Spader of Reddington’s relationship with Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) in the well-received new drama. “It would be too easy.”

That would seem to shoot down much of the early speculation among fans about their relationship. Or not.

“I can’t say for sure,” adds Spader. “Maybe we’re seeing an elaborate way of circling back to what was obvious.”

He does say the two-layered nature of “The Blacklist” is one factor that drew him to this show after a long, successful run on “Boston Legal” and a year in relief on “The Office.”

“You have new cases and you also have this larger thread of the relationship between Reddington and Elizabeth Keen,” he says. “They weave together and that makes it more interesting, I think, than just a police procedural.”

TV viewers, so far, seem to agree. The premiere last week drew more than 12 million viewers.

Spader’s Reddington is a supercriminal, a former FBI agent who disappeared to the dark side for 20 years and has now resurfaced, promising to help his old colleagues apprehend some of his more recent colleagues.

His main condition: He speaks only to Keen, with whom he seems very familiar and who seems to have a dodgy past herself.

While the relationship has already been compared by some to Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, Spader says that’s not where it’s going.

“I can see where people would raise the comparison,” he says. “Partly because of the visual imagery of the first episode, where he’s shackled in a chair talking with her.

“But starting with this week’s episode, that goes away. He moves freely about. And we’ll see he has a genuine relationship with her, though at first it’s one-sided.”

He was drawn to “The Blacklist,” Spader says, because it had the same balance as “Boston Legal.”

“It can be light and fun and just entertaining, and then it can get dark and serious,” he says. “As an actor, you enjoy that. It’s a nice luxury to play roles so different from your own life.”

Spader will soon portray another kind of life on the big screen, as the title villain in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

“I had talked with [Marvel Studios head] Kevin Feige a while ago and said I’d love to come into that world at some point,” he says. “Then this opportunity came along.

“I talked with Joss Whedon, and he said he really hadn’t considered anyone else. It’s a chance to step into another place that’s completely foreign to me.”

'Pure Heroine,' music review

The singer known as Lorde has had it.

In song after song on the Kiwi star’s debut CD, she surveys the people around her with a sneer or a yawn. “Everyone is competing for a love they won’t receive,” she drawls.

“I don’t think about death/but it’s okay if you do,” she shrugs at a later point. At another point she deadpans, “I’m not in the swim of things.”

And she’s only 16 years old.

If all this means Nickelodeon won’t be calling with a contract any time soon, it hasn’t stopped this Auckland-based singer from becoming a bizarre new kind of teen idol.

To make matters more enticing, the final “e” in Lorde’s name isn’t pronounced, the better to render her God-like. Since the summer, the singer has taken over the world’s airwaves with her contrary smash “Royals.” It’s a protest song against pop culture itself, targeting the out-of-control opulence of hip-hop videos, as well as the more materialistic members of her own generation.

All this might sound self-righteous if Lorde weren’t redeemed by a certain cool. She has clearly fashioned her style after the queen of bone-dry detachment, Lana Del Ray. But while that strategy backfires for Del Ray, who ends up sounding like a zombie wanna-be, Lorde inhabits the part with both more conviction and better music.

Like Del Ray, Lorde makes uniformly slow, doomy and synth-drenched songs. But hers (co-written with producer Joel Little) benefits from some of the finer textures and subtle variations of ’90s trip-hop. Lorde (ne Ella Yelich-O’Connor) also has some of Adele’s rich timbre, even if she can’t be bothered to mimic her power.

She’s been fashioning verse since age 14, which likely contributed to her chutzpah, evidenced in both her blasphemous stage name and in the druggy play on words of her CD’s title. Together, they have carved out a rare role for Lorde as the training wheels answer to Debbie Downer.

jfarber@nydailynews.com

Lorde plays Webster Hall Tuesday and Warsaw on Thursday.

'Ironside': TV review

Blair Underwood (r.) and Pablo Schreiber in NBC's "Ironside"

Blair Underwood’s Detective Robert Ironside shares more than a name with the “Ironside” made famous by Raymond Burr more than 40 years ago.

He’s still smart, he’s still determined. Still uses a wheelchair.

But for those who remember Burr’s Ironside, mostly meaning viewers over 50, this revival is more like a brand-new ballgame.

For starters, he’s moved from San Francisco to New York.

More important, Underwood works at a faster pace and a markedly different attitude. He’s more tightly wound and seems to build a higher wall around himself.

This matters in his job and in his relationship with his girlfriend, who we meet both in the present and in flashbacks to his life before he was shot.

The girlfriend subplot has a prominent spot here, as does the lingering trauma to Ironside’s ex-partner Gary (Brent Sexton) over what happened.

We aren’t immediately sure how Ironside himself feels about things like that, which is a nice touch on the writers’ and Underwood’s part.

The new “Ironside” does not, however, lets psychodrama undermine its primary mission as a solid police procedural.

Ironside has a cop “family” of no-nonsense detective Virgil (Pablo Schreiber), undercover danger junkie Holly (Spencer Grammer) and rich boy Teddy (Neal Bledsoe).

His boss, Ed Rollins (Kenneth Choi), is just enough of an enabler to let Ironside and the team bend some rules where it could help.

This “Ironside” starts out as a good cop show that Underwood could turn into a very good one.

dhinckley@nydailynews.com

'Super Fun Night,' TV review

"Super Fun Night” isn’t the worst night ever. It’s just a long way from “super” and too many times it’s not all that much fun.

Rebel Wilson wrote and stars in “Super Fun Night,” a ploy that fails more often than it works.

She plays Kimmie, a career woman who’s sheltered, insecure and socially underdeveloped.

There’s someone for everyone, though, and Kimmie has two girlfriends in the same situation: Helen-Alice (Liza Lapira) and Marika (Lauren Ash).

They’re besties and roomies and every Friday for the past 13 years they have held “Super Fun Night,” which has conveniently relieved them of the obligation to mingle with anyone else on what is traditionally the most social night of the week.

On the surface it sounds a little sad. That’s exactly what a sitcom doesn’t want to be, so Wilson starts with the three defiantly deciding to take some chances even knowing they could fail.

Think “Ugly Betty,” where the character put us at ease by not letting us feel sorry for her.

To help in this endeavor, and broaden the comic possibilities, Wilson also introduces a potential boyfriend, Richard (Kevin Bishop). He gives us something to hope for, just as the mean girl at work, Kendall (Kate Jenkinson), gives us someone to root against.

With those subplots in motion, and a steady flow of easy body-parts jokes to further distract us, Wilson hopes we will feel comfortable enjoying the comic missteps of the “Super Fun Night” gals.

Unfortunately, on opening night at least, those adventures still feel a little embarrassing.

This show doesn’t have to be super. It does have to be fun.

dhinckley@nydailynews.com

Hammer blow slams Ri-ality TV

Rihanna has become the latest casualty in NBC cable boss Bonnie Hammer’s decision to scrap the Style network. The end of the network has already resulted in eliminations of some staffers who can’t find other positions within the company.

Style was taken over by Esquire during a reorganization plan by Hammer, because the channel was “redundant” with its programming that was similar to Bravo, E! and Oxygen, all of which fall under the NBC umbrella. Style’s bigwigs had been planning for RiRi’s show to boost Sunday night’s ratings, a prime night for the former network.

Instead, Style — known for reality shows like “Jerseylicious” and “Giuliana and Bill” — was yanked at the 11th hour as RiRi’s “Styled to Rock” was scheduled to air.

When execs screened the singer’s reality competition series, it did not live up to expectations, according to one insider. It now has been dumped to Friday at 8 p.m. on Bravo, a historically low-rated slot. The show will debut Oct. 25 and features 12 up-and-coming designers picked by the singer and a slew of celebrity guest — including Miley Cyrus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Minogue — whose appearances obviously did not help the struggling series get a better time slot.

“Rihanna’s camp is pissed,” a Style network source tells us. “From promises to be a huge star on Style to a terrible time slot on Bravo. Ouch. The last original program to get that slot was “Platinum Hit” in 2011, which ran for five weeks.”

“Platinum Hit” was also a reality competition, featuring songwriters composing and performing songs.

As for the other hits on the now-defunct network, “Giuliana and Bill,” which averages 700,000 viewers per episode, will be moved to E!, where Giuliana Rancic is a popular host. Style’s hit “Tia & Tamera” will also move to E! in mid-October. “Jerseylicious,” which was scheduled to air this Sunday, has yet to find a home, even though Bravo airs reruns of the series.

There also has been a shakeup in the senior management team for both Bravo and Oxygen. In an internal email, changes were announced to appoint Oxygen’s Rod Aissa, senior vice president of development and production; Bravo’s Andy Cohen, executive vice president of development and talent, and Bravo’s Ellen Stone, executive vice president of marketing for both Bravo and Oxygen.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH LIAM

Liam Hemsworth decided to take a break from the Miley drama and enjoyed a boys’ day out at Ainsworth Park Sunday. The star was joined by fellow actor James Marsden and a few other friends, who helped rack up a $3,800 bar tab. Notably missing from the celebrations was Liam’s rumored new girlfriend, Mexican actress and singer Eiza Gonzalez. Our spywitness says Liam, a casually dressed Aussie, barely paid attention to the games on TV, but did seem focused on two pretty girls.

PHOTOS: LIAM HEMSWORTH AND MILEY CYRUS: THEIR RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS

REPORTER HIT BY INTENSE FLACK

Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard’s publicist needs a publicist.

A video of the actress’ flack Bryna Rifkin snapping at a reporter at the Toronto Film Festival is making the rounds in media circles and it’s making Rifkin look pretty bad. In it, when a reporter asks Rifkin for a quick moment with Cotillard, the powerhouse publicist with ID public relations snaps, “She can’t be late for the premiere of her movie.”

When the journo claims she was assured she’d be allowed to ask one question, Rifkin retorts, “Nobody told you that,” then a moment later makes an ugly face and says, “And either way, I’m saying no.”

After bizarrely calling the seemingly polite reporter “aggressive,” Rifkin walks Cotillard away from waiting journalists and into the screening of “Blood Ties.”

More than 11,000 YouTube viewers have watched the clip, with one commenting, “On behalf of all publicists everywhere, that publicist is a bitch!”

Rifkin didn’t return our request for comment. Maybe we were being too aggressive.

DISCO GOES GLOBAL

The Global Citizen Festival held an after-party at the Paramount Hotel in New York City over the weekend, with the two-story lobby transformed into a disco. Guests danced to a DJ set by Questlove, another set by Ben Lovett with Jake Clemons, and a light show by Blackship Moment featuring world-renowned violinist Tim Fain. LDV Hospitality and No. 8 hosted the VIP lounge on the mezzanine level for Benjamin Bronfman, Amy Sacco, Andrej Pejic, Zani Gugelmann and Gerard Butler.

ZETA-JONES STILL A RINGER

Catherine Zeta-Jones was wearing her wedding ring again Sunday as reports in the U.K. surfaced that she had reconciled with Michael Douglas. The actress was honored by the New York Dance Alliance Foundation at NYU Skirball Center. The star looked stunning in a plunging silver gown and was ­accompanied by her mother, Pat. “Even when I was 9 years old, I said to my mother, ‘Why didn’t you marry someone with red hair so I could play Annie,’ ” Zeta-Jones joked when she accepted the group’s Ambassador for the Arts Award.

PHOTOS: CATHERINE ZETA-JONES DAZZLES ON RED CARPET: FIT & FAB CELEBRITIES OVER 40

MARIA’S GOING STRONG

Maria Shriver looks incredible from the front — and the back — as she shows off her toned physique in yoga pants while walking in Los Angeles. The 57-year-old was busy enjoying a solo lunch and hitting the stores for some light shopping.

SPECIAL OF THE DAY

A visit from entertainment power pair Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey had the Cecil chef Alexander Smalls dancing in the aisles over the weekend. The new Harlem hotspot, billed as an “Afro-Asian-American brasserie” when it opened a week ago, hosted the A-list couple Saturday, when they popped in with Pepsi executive Frank Cooper and his wife, Nina, for a bite. According to our insider, Smalls literally danced for joy next to the VIPs’ table on W. 118th St.

MUCH ‘CARRIE’-ING ON

“The Carrie Diaries” season-two premiere kicked off at the Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel over the weekend, where AnnaSophia Robb, Vanessa Hudgens and her boyfriend Austin Butler partied. Guests at the Bongo-hosted event were treated to a nail bar and arcade games.

PITT HAS A NICE TANK TOP

It seems like only yesterday that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had long matching manes. But filming his new World War II flick, “Fury,” means the father of six chopped off his hair, slicked it back and threw a helmet on. Pitt was spotted filming scenes atop the giant titular tank in the British countryside, where he and co-star Shia LaBeouf reportedly spent a week camping together in an effort to bond before the cameras started rolling.

PHOTOS: BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE: THROUGH THE YEARS

NOT PRO BONO WORK

Unfortunately for rocker Bono, the good old-fashioned porta potty does not come with VIP upgrades. So it was good that this was just one of his impersonators who needed to go, while on the go. Visiting the Kinney Street Festival with a gorgeous younger female friend, the phony U2 front man succumbed to the great equalizer of public toilets in Venice, Calif., on Sunday. How so not rock star of him.

TWO GOOD DUDES

“American Pie” wise guy Seann William Scott was downtown at Astor Place in New York, taking a stroll with his yellow Lab (r.), who as man’s best friend, is appropriately named Dude. Kanye West could take a few tips from the actor — Scott was recently spotted chatting up the photographers following him and pointing out pictures he liked of himself.

SEEN AND HEARD...

Amy Poehler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Busy Philipps enjoying specially crafted Ciroc vodka cotton candy cocktails at the after-party for “A.C.O.D.” at W Westwood's Whiskey Blue. ... Recent Emmy award winner Derek Hough enjoying a wild night out with friends at Beacher’s Madhouse in L.A., where he jumped on the main stage to dance with three burlesque performers. … Kelly Ripa and Mario Batali chowing down at a friend’s birthday dinner at Greenwich Village eatery Carbone

KIIS-FM regains lone control of the top spot in radio ratings

Top 40 station KIIS-FM (102.7), which has been the dominant radio station in Los Angeles and Orange County for most of the previous three years, reclaimed sole possession of first place last month for the first time since April, according to figures released Monday.

Featuring the latest pop hits from such artists as Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake, KIIS claimed 5.9% of all listeners age 6 and older in September, according to the Arbitron ratings service.

Pop and rock outlet KBIG-FM (104.3) dropped to second, taking a 5.7% audience share, while rival Top 40 station KAMP-FM (97.1) took third, at 4.5%, based on the survey of listeners from Aug. 15 to Sept. 11.

CRITICS' PICKS: What to watch, where to go, what to eat

Arbitron divides the year into 13 four-week ratings periods, one named for each month plus a year-end "Holiday" chart. So the September survey actually includes more days in August, a trend that will continue for the rest of the year.

Talk station KFI-AM (640), long a contender for the top spot among all stations in the Southland, and one of the most listened-to and influential talk-radio outlets in the country, dropped to 13th place in September.

KFI was in first place from January through March 2012, and remained near the top for most of last year. The station had been tied for fourth as recently as April 2013, but dropped to 12th in July.

"If you look at the monthly ratings, they're not so good," said Robin Bertolucci, program director at KFI and its sister talk station KTLK-AM (1150).

But she isn't overly concerned about the decline — she even expected it.

"Summers are never traditionally a good time for news/talk," she said, explaining that people's patterns are disrupted as they go on vacation, kids get out of school and — in a blow to in-car listening — drive less. "Even the traffic is lighter," she said.

PHOTOS: A guide to the current top pop ensembles

"In the fall you get more into a regular rhythm for news/talk," Bertolucci said, noting that she's already starting to see improved weekly numbers for the station.

KFI dipped last summer as well, though not as steeply.

During September's "morning drive time," the crucial 6-10 a.m. weekday slot when stations hope to grab and hold listeners for the rest of the day, Ricardo "El Mandril" Sanchez at regional-Mexican music station KLAX-FM (97.9) took 6.9% of the audience, up from 6.5% in August.

Sanchez not only held onto the top spot he first claimed in June, but also widened his lead for the fourth straight month.

Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter, at alternative music station KROQ-FM (106.7), maintained their 4.8% share and second-place position from the month before, but still fell further behind Sanchez. Ryan Seacrest and co-host Ellen K at KIIS placed third, with 4.7%, up from seventh in August.

Meanwhile, the morning lineup at KFI — local host Bill Handel, followed by the first hour of Rush Limbaugh's national program — slipped from a second-place tie to fifth, dropping from 4.8% to 4%.

calendar@latimes.com

Miley's new CD aims to provoke, not delight

One of several different album covers for the new Miley Cyrus album "Bangerz", releasing officially on Tuesday.

There's sobering news for Miley Cyrus on her just-leaked new CD, and it’s that there’s no audio equivalent to twerking.

Which leaves her with limited chances to expand on the spectacular media splash she made with her recent go-for-broke MTV performance.

This time, it’s all down to an element we seldom think of when it comes to Miley: Music.

RELATED: MILEY CYRUS ADMITS SHE WANTED ‘TO LEAVE’ LIAM HEMSWORTH MONTHS BEFORE SPLIT

So, just what sound has the star chosen for this, her first fully adult CD? (The disc won’t be officially released until Tuesday, but it leaked Monday evening on iTunes).

As you might guess, it’s a mixed bag, meant to hedge as many bets as possible. As the former teen idol promised, roughly a quarter of the disc draws from the low-down sound of hip hop’s dirty south.

That may seem like an odd choice, given the style’s age. But the wily, 20-year-old star knows it’s still new to her audience, many of whom, like her, do not yet have the paperwork required to drink legally.

RELATED: RUMER WILLIS COVERS MILEY CYRUS’ ‘WRECKING BALL’

Unfortunately, this doesn’t redeem Miley entirely. In the best hip-hop track, “4 X 4,” she offers a guest shot from Nelly, who rides the beat with a musicality she can’t match.

Whenever Miley goes for such raw sexual moments, it sounds nearly as forced as that MTV performance looked.

She goes for fully earnest emotion in several ballads, including the promising “Adore You.” But at times it’s hard to determine her actual effect. There’s enough machinery tricking up her vocals to launch a mission to Mars.

RELATED: MILEY CYRUS TRANSFORMATION: IS HER INNER ‘BAD B---H’ JUST A PLOY?

Miley meets her match on that score in the by-the-numbers duet track with Britney Spears, “SMS/Bangerz.” They both sound bionic.

Perhaps the CD’s most left-field song — “FU” — luxuriates in solid retro-pop, referencing the tragic grandeur of Dusty Springfield. In songs like this, you can hear the richer qualities in Miley’s voice that might be nurtured in a less cynical project.

In places the star shows some genuine country honk. She sounds even better in “Get It Right,” a flowing piece of funk.

Passages like this suggest Miley could have come up with a CD that has more of the musicality favored by peers like Ariana Grande or Demi Lovato.

But, it seems, she has already chosen her road — and it’s one geared more to provoke than to move.

jfarber@nydailynews.com

Radar L.A. produces notable blips on the city's theater scene

Nearly all of the shows in Radar L.A. have packed up their costumes and carted away their props, but theatergoers with a taste for adventure are still vibrating from the upsurge in voltage.

After a relatively sleepy summer, the theater scene was jolted back to life in September by a barrage of exciting productions, 18 of them under the Radar L.A. banner.

Few cities in the world could rival the breadth, depth and, yes, audacity of performance offerings marching through town last month.

CHEAT SHEET: Fall arts preview

My theatergoing began the day after Labor Day at the Getty Villa, with Travis Preston's graceful revival of Aeschylus' rarely performed "Prometheus Bound," and climaxed last week at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, where "Shun-kin," the mesmerizing collaboration between the London-based Complicite and Japan's Setagaya Public Theatre, concluded its run Sunday.

In between there was Roger Guenveur Smith's sensational solo show "Rodney King" which, at the Kirk Douglas, provided glimpses of the man whose life became a flash point for racial tensions.

The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA would have produced "Shun-kin" without Radar L.A. affiliation, just as Center Theatre Group was all set to present "Rodney King" in its DouglasPlus lineup of solo works. (The Getty, collaborating with the CalArts Center for New Performance, in association with Trans Arts, offered "Prometheus Bound" as an enhanced version of its annual outdoor offering.)

Yet the large umbrella of this international festival of contemporary performance, presented by REDCAT and California Institute of the Arts, in association with Center Theatre Group, not only created a significant cultural event but allowed us to better appreciate the breathtaking scope of this unorthodox theater town.

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times

Were the experimental works showcased in downtown venues last weekend obscured somewhat by the bigger-tent offerings happening on the other side of the city? Quite possibly. But this is only the second installment of the festival (a spinoff of New York's Under the Radar festival) and the curators are still refining their West Coast formula.

Radar L.A.'s 2011 inaugural was held in June, which may be a better month than September, when the fall season is in full swing and the crush of openings creates undue competition. With the superb "R II" at the Theatre @ Boston Court, "Humor Abuse" at the Mark Taper Forum and a flotilla of other critically acclaimed productions crying out for our attention, it was as if a counter-festival was going on, which is great for those who like to pick and choose but difficult for theater lovers who want to experience as much of the best work as possible.

My Radar sample included a mix of international and local companies that encouraged the consideration of L.A. artists in a global context. Theatre Movement Bazaar's "Track 3," the L.A. troupe's vaudevillian take on Chekhov's "Three Sisters," thrived in this atmosphere, demonstrating to all lucky enough to catch this sprightly and sensitive riff at Los Angeles Theatre Center that its ensemble members are as disciplined and fearlessly original as any of the casts visiting from abroad.

In this category, I would single out for commendation the superb actors in Timbre 4's "Tercer Cuerpo," a fascinatingly desultory piece from Argentina in which office workers engaged in their daily routine are scrutinized under an existential lens. Part soap opera, part surreal meditation on loneliness and alienation, this production at Los Angeles Theatre Center worked in large measure because of the performers' earthiness, which grounded the bizarre fluidity of Claudio Tolcachir's drama in stubborn flesh and blood.

RELATED: Radar L.A. announces line-up for 2013 edition

It was helpful for me to see on consecutive nights "Hospital," a collaboration between Los Angeles Poverty Department and the Netherlands' Wunderbaum at Tower Theater, and "El Año en Que Nací" ("The Year I Was Born"), a piece at Los Angeles Theatre Center by a Chilean group under the direction of Argentine Lola Arias, who had previously staged a version of the work with actors in her home country.

Both "Hospital" and "El Año" are communally constructed yet infused with foreign perspective. And both are as concerned with the therapeutic value of the work for their performers as they are with raising the consciousness of their audiences.

Indeed, it's hard to separate these facets, because the politics of these productions are intrinsic to the creative process that brought them into existence. "Hospital," which examines the harsh economic realities of healthcare in the U.S., and "El Año," which investigates the harrowing family memories of 11 Chilean performers born during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, don't just mine the personal experiences of their collectives. They make us privy to the challenges of transforming this private material into public art.

"Hospital," which uses the medical history of Los Angeles Poverty Department founding artistic director John Malpede to tell a larger story, doesn't bring much new to a debate that has brought paralysis to Congress. But the union of this skid row collective with this Dutch troupe — as unlikely a pairing as you'll see — internationalizes the terrors of a free-market healthcare system.

"El año" is no doubt a more charged experience in Chile, where this history is still partly buried and traumatizing to discuss. Theatrically, the piece rambles, and like "Hospital" it occasionally gropes for theatrical effects that are cumbersome to set up. Yet the playful commitment of the ensemble carries the day.

The value of these works lies beyond their artistic refinement. One of the great joys of participating in Radar L.A. is the holiday it offers from the consumer mentality of theatergoing. ("You Should Have Stayed Home, Morons," the title of a piece by Rodrigo García staged in various downtown locales by Colombian director Manuel Orjuela, loudly brought this lesson home.) Let's hope the festival finds a way to become an annual sport.

charles.mcnulty@latimes.com

Kate Upton, Maksim Chmerkovskiy dating, reports say

Originally published: September 30, 2013 7:20 PM

Updated: September 30, 2013 8:23 PM

By FRANK LOVECE. Special to Newsday

Photo credit: Getty Images | Model Kate Upton attends the Style Awards during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 at Lincoln Center. (Sept. 4, 2013)

Sports Illustrated cover girl Kate Upton and "Dancing With the Stars" dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy reportedly have become a couple.

E! News said it confirmed the two were dating, with People magazine saying Monday the two met six months ago through mutual friends. Their friendship turned romantic, the magazine said, when Chmerkovskiy, 33, took Upton to dinner at the intimate Upper East Side Italian restaurant Scalinatella on June 10, her 21st birthday.

Us Weekly noted the two appeared to be keeping their relationship discreet at the time, exiting the restaurant separately but leaving in the same car. But on Thursday, the pair were photographed walking through the West Village behaving romantically, said E! and Us.

Chmerkovskiy was previously engaged to "DWTS" dancer Karina Smirnoff. He most recently was linked to fellow "DWTS" pro Peta Murgatroyd.

Upton's rumored romances have included Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.

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'DWTS' Results: Bill Nye Eliminated In Week 3 Following Injury

ABC

The "Dancing with the Stars" results are in and Bill Nye has been eliminated, along with his partner, first-time pro Tyne Stecklein.

Joining them in the bottom three after Hollywood Week were Christina Milian and Mark Ballas, and Brant Daugherty and Peta Murgatroyd.

After sustaining an injury and tearing his quad in last week's competition, Nye was determined to compete this week despite his doctor's orders. He and Stecklein danced a jazz routine to Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" that didn't incorporate much jazz, but won the admiration of the crowd and judges nonetheless.

"There's people here who are working so hard and are so good … I'm not going to be able to keep up with that," Nye admitted. "What breaks my heart is that Tyne's not going to stay in."

Stecklein had nothing but praise for her partner and her first year on "DWTS." "It's been amazing, I'm so honored to be here and have been partnered with this guy," she said.

To his fans, Nye said, "thank you all very much, thank you for keeping me in this long. These other people are extraordinary, it's really been cool."

"Dancing with the Stars" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Do you think Nye was the right contestant to go home? Weigh in below!

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  NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 12: Elizabeth Berkley attends the 2011 A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's event at The Waldorf=Astoria on November 12, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research)

  
  


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  Bill Engvall

  
  


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  Keyshawn Johnson

  
  

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Mermaid Fitness Class Lets You Live Out Your Childhood Fantasy

"The Little Mermaid" is finally being released from Disney's "vault" on Oct. 1st, and every time we turn on the T.V., we're inundated with commercials reminding us how much we miss and adore the old gang: Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle. “The Little Mermaid” came out in theaters in 1989, which means little girls who watched it obsessively as children are now in their late twenties or early thirties, jaded by life, and looking to recapture a sliver of that redhead’s optimism, if not her waistline.

Cue the latest fitness trend coming to a pool near you. The JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, offers “a unique aquatics workout program inspired by the mermaid.” “Fin to Fitness” is taught by a petite, smiley blonde who goes by Kariel (real name: Kari Roberts) and the program is turning out to be a hit for bachelorette parties, bridal parties and nostalgic, wistful young women in general. Participants don a monofin and learn to master the dolphin kick, a swimming technique that strengthens the core and helps to explain Ariel's improbable proportions.

Kariel then treats her students to the chance to wear one of her very own, hand-made tails. Kariel moved to Hawaii from Oregon in order to fulfill "her life-long dream of being a living mermaid" and now makes custom, handcrafted tails from recycled wetsuits. "All I was missing was Flounder," said Taryn Felly (who even has red hair) after trying on the tail.

So for the girl who has everything -- gadgets and gizmos aplenty and whoozits and whatzis galore -- try swimming like a mermaid for an hour; you might even meet your prince charming.

Also on HuffPost:

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  Reach New Heights

  
  

  If you’ve always dreamt of being in Cirque de Soleil, trapeze classes are your chance to unleash your inner circus star. Indoor and outdoor trapeze schools are popping up throughout the country for those who want to learn how to flip and fly. Most beginner classes start out with basic moves taught on the ground before moving to the skies. And, aside from being super fun, it’s a fantastic way to target your upper and lower bodies, particularly your lats and shoulders, and carve out your core muscles.

  
  


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  Tone With A Playground Favorite

  
  

  If you haven’t picked up a hula hoop since your playground days, now’s the time to add it to your fitness routine. Incorporating a weighted hula hoop will tone your thighs, abs, glutes and arms -- and burn about 200 calories in 30 minutes. Pick up a hula DVD or just crank up your favorite music and get your hips moving.

  
  


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  Pole Positions

  
  

  No, this isn't about heels and lingerie -- it’s about working out. Whatever you may feel about the explosion of the pole dance industry in recent years, classes in the highly athletic dance form have, in fact, become all the rage for women who want an acrobatic, fun workout that strengthens and tones. The women-only classes combine dance moves with pole tricks involving suspension and stretching -- the dance portion gets the heart pumping as a cardio workout, while doing tricks on the pole strengthens your upper and lower body, especially your core.

  
  


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  Hang Ten Without Hitting The Water

  
  

  If you don’t want to paddle into the ocean but still want that lean surfer body, indoor surfing classes are the answer. A surfboard is balanced on three exercise boards while you use your core to mimic real surfing movements and then mix them with cardio bursts to burn fat. You’ll improve balance, define muscles and you won’t even need sunblock.

  
  


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  Find Namaste In The Air

  
  

  If you’re ready for a new yoga challenge, it might be time to get up in the air. Aerial yoga adapts traditional yoga moves while in a large silk hammock raised off the ground. You’ll twist and maneuver your way into stretches while working your core and relieving stress.

  
  


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  Look Silly, Feel Great

  
  

  If you’re not self-conscious about exercising, Kangoo Jump shoes will spice up your typical workout. The funny-looking shoes actually add gravitational force to your body -- they double the resistance of your aerobics while wearing them. Originally designed as a way to relieve the stress on runners’ joints, they reduce joint stress while still making you work up a sweat.

  
  


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  Barre Your Way To A Better Booty

  
  

  If you ever wanted a ballerina’s body, you’re in luck. Barre-based workouts will get you looking like your favorite dancers in no time. The ballet-inspired moves use yoga, Pilates and weight training to lengthen muscles and reshape your body. While the workouts use your entire body, your legs will especially feel the burn -- but your perky booty will make up for that in no time.

  
  


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  Get In Shape Reliving Medieval Times

  
  

  If you want an activity that’ll work your mind as much as your body, it’s time to take up fencing. Essentially sword fighting without the risk of losing limbs, fencing forces you to make fast, accurate decisions while dueling. The fast-paced workout will raise your heart rate while improving speed, agility and toning your muscles -- especially your butt and arms.

  
  


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  Bounce To A New You

  
  

  If you thought you outgrew trampolines, think again. Mini-trampolines -- known as rebounders-- are taking fitness by a storm. Trampolines provide an intensive workout that you can do at home or in the gym. They’re a fun way to get your cardio in without it feeling like a chore. Keeping steady while busting a move will tighten your abs and improve leg power and strength -- without increasing pressure on your joints.

  
  


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  Burn Calories While Getting Competitive

  
  

  “Ultimate” isn’t just tossing around a Frisbee with the dog. It’s an intense game and, with no referees, rooted in sportsmanship and team play. While you’re having fun, you’ll be burning calories as you run and pass the Frisbee to your teammates across the length of a soccer field.

  
  


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  Dance Yourself Thin

  
  

  Whether you’re the first one on the dance floor or an uncoordinated wallflower, salsa dancing has something to offer. The seductive dance is cardio-heavy, and an hour of dancing will torch around 600 calories. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll get. And if you’ve been looking for something to do with your partner, it’s a great workout for couples -- or, if you’re single, to find a new partner.

  
  

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Arcade Fire Releases Documentary 'Here Comes The Night Time' (VIDEO)

Lady Gaga - ARTPOP - Nov. 11

Pop's reigning queen of the delightfully odd recently revealed seven new songs off her forthcoming album-cum-iPhone-app, and everything we've heard so far suggests "ARTPOP" will be her most diverse outing yet. (She raps with T.I. and Twista and Too $hort makes an appearance!) A lot has changed since Gaga released "Born This Way" two years ago, and Katy Perry's "Roar" handily defeated Gaga's "Applause" in first-week singles sales, but anyone counting Gaga out is probably sorely mistaken.

Drake - Nothing Was the Same - Sept. 24

We'd be remiss if we didn't <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=drake%20album%20from%3Aernestbaker_&src=typd" target="_blank">point you in the direction of Ernest Baker's "Drake album about to be that _____ music" series of tweets</a> (example: "had a conversation with the guy you cheated with to get the full details"), but honestly, we'd be lying if we weren't just plain excited for Aubrey Graham's third studio album. Every song that he's released this summer has been a hit in one capacity or another ("5AM in Toronto," "All Me," "Hold On, We're Going Home," "Started From the Bottom," "The Motion," etc.) and his remix to the Migos' "Versace" became the defining club hit of the summer. Count him out as many times as you want, but if this album impresses, there's no doubt that Drake will be remembered as one of this generation's most dynamic talents in rap.

Katy Perry - Prism - Oct. 22

You've already heard her "Roar," and whether or not Perry's lead single sounds too similar to Sara Bareilles' "Brave," one thing is for certain: Perry will return with some new version of Dr. Luke, Bonnie McKee and friend's golden cocktail of pop hits. Perry's messaging (the burning of her "Teenage Dream"-era wig, etc) seems a bit overbearing for music that has yet to surprise, but perhaps Katy Kat has some tricks up her sleeve.

Eminem - "MMLP2" - Nov. 5

In a year that's already seen LPs from some of rap's biggest names (Jay, Kanye) and most talked about newcomers (J. Cole, Meek Mill, Wale, etc.), Eminem's project remains something of a holy grail (a different one than JT was singing about). The wildly anticipated project will feature "Berzerk," Eminem's first solid single in a long time that doesn't sound like he's playing preacher. Expect some fire, but whether or not Rick Rubin can fully stoke the embers of Marshall's creative energy to full force remains to be seen.

Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt - Oct. 15

"Lightning Bolt," Pearl Jam's 10th studio album and first since 2009, is obviously highly anticipated among the band's die hard fans, but it's the newbies who might want to take note. "I think it's a great representation of their work right now," <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5679998/pearl-jam-shares-lightning-bolt-track-list" target="_hplink">producer Brendan O'Brien told Billboard</a>. "If you like Pearl Jam, you'll love this. And if you haven't listened to Pearl Jam in awhile, I think it's going to bring you in. That's the whole idea." The album's lead single, "Mind Your Manners," is a good representation of that edict: the song is a straight-up rocker that also recalls the band's often experimental work on 1994's "Vitalogy."

Beyonce - TBD - TBD

There's neither a date nor a title for Beyonce's supposedly forthcoming fifth studio album, but we've seen glimpses of what it could sound like: Anthemic ("Grown Woman"), sugary ("Standing in the Sun") and perhaps even angry ("Bow Down," which likely wont' appear on the album). We've heard rumors of B having collected some of music's biggest heavy hitters around her for the effort, but no matter how many hits The-Dream puts to paper, it's Beyonce who's going to have to pull it all together and give the Beyhive something to rock with.

Miley Cyrus - BANGERZ - Oct. 8

Oh, Miley. The young star has spent the summer mingling with rappers and slurring her way through songs about doing drugs and not stopping, so expect a handful of Mike Will Made It-produced strip club jams mixed with emotional sing-song anthems like "Wrecking Ball." Cyrus has done a good job of making sure all eyes are on her, and she hasn't done it in the most respectable way, but perhaps on Oct. 8 she'll make good on all the attention-seeking and put out something listenable.

Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience Part II - Sept. 30

JT couldn't just make one comeback album, he had to make too. Expect plenty of Timbaland's instantly recognizable drum work here, and though it's too early to really tell how the LP will sound, lead single "Take Back the Night" is a strong first offering.

2 Chainz - B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time -- Sept. 10

Of all of the work Pharrell Williams has put in this year, "Feds Watching" might just be the most enduring product. The party anthem freakishly told you that you weren't the only one reading your emails and listening to your lover's voice on the phone before Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald got around to it, but that's not all surprising given that we're talking about the rapper who brought back leather pants and Versace tees a full year before every other rapper followed suit. Tauheed Epps isn't one to sleep on.

Avicii - True - Sept. 13

Tim Bergling's first studio album debuted as a bit of a downer. The Swedish phenom behind EDM's largest song of the past half-decade, "Levels," was headlining Miami's Ultra Music Festival when he stopped DJ'ing mid-set to allow for instruments and live performers to come on stage and work through "True," his major label LP that's an interesting blend of soul, folk and dance. The Aloe Blacc-assisted lead single "Wake Me Up" has been an interminable summer anthem, and a number of people who worked on the project have told us that Bergling seems to have pulled off the nearly impossible.

Arctic Monkeys - AM - Sept. 10

Alex Turner never really became John Lennon (or Paul McCartney), but he's turned into quite a charming Alex Turner. He's said he wants his album to get to a place where he can do things that would be seen as cheesy if they were done by others (his reference for this was Aaliyah, do with that what you will), while also making Real '70s Rock.

Britney Spears - TBD - Sept. 17 (Maybe)

Like Lady Gaga, Britney hasn't released a true album since 2011. Unlike Lady Gaga, she's already delivered a full body of work and tried her hand at a number of other careers. There's no official confirmation that Britney's releasing an album on Sept. 17, but a countdown clock on her website suggests that <em>something</em> will happen on that date. And honestly, in a year that sees likes of Cher and Celine Dion chugging some honey tea and jumping back in the ring, why shouldn't Spears step out again?

Cher - Closer to the Truth - Sept. 24

Cher has been doing more than tweeting up a storm of wildly confusing and enthralling missives. She's also been prepping "Closer to the Truth," her 26th studio album. Cher told the world the LP the best she's ever done, and also hinted that it will most closely resemble 1998's "Believe." The lead single, "A Woman's World," saw the 67-year-old toss together a smattering of wigs and girl-power themes for a competent song that didn't turn <em>too</em> many heads. Stay tuned.

Celine Dion - Loved Me Back to Life - Nov. 5

Celine Dion released the title track off her forthcoming LP earlier this week, and the track comes off as a refreshing lightning bolt of a single. The skittering dubstep combined with soaring vocals for something entirely new from Dion, but what's new isn't always popular on the internet, where the song was derided for sounding a bit too much like Beyonce or even Skylar Grey. It's still a refreshing tease, and one would be remiss to forget that Dion knows her way around a microphone.

Paul McCartney - NEW - Oct. 15

If a TLC (sans the "L") album doesn't seem like something you're down with, feel free to scoop up Paul McCartney's "NEW," which is out the same week. Macca tapped the likes of Mark Ronson, Paul Epworth and Ethan Johns for the project. It remains to be seen if the Beatle will follow down the dance-inflected path he stepped on with "Out of Sight," his collaboration with the Bloody Beetroots.

DJ Khaled - Suffering From Success - Oct. 22

A DJ Khaled album is a weird thing, because the producer doesn't seem to do much except get a crowd of usual suspects (Nicki, Wayne, Drake, Ross, Future, rinse, repeat) together for capable club anthems bookended by his incessantly shouted catchphrases ("We the best!" "I'm the best that ever did it!"). In a barrage of Instagram posts, Khaled promises the album will reveal what he has been "threw" and asks that we trust him ("jus kno"). "No New Friends" and "I Wanna Be With You" sound good enough, but unfortunately Khaled's iPhone snaps might be the best thing the producer has ever or will ever do.

Chris Brown - X - TBD

Breezy's summer has been anything but, a cavalcade of accusations (some true, others, not) have derailed his do-good mission. The singer has gone so far as to suggest he'll withdraw from the music industry after "X," saying that he's tired of being famous for his "mistakes." "Fine China" impressed his fans and didn't exactly offend those who shy away from Brown's brand of R&B. He's used Aaliyah's voice ("Don't Think They Know") and tapped perennial feature Nicki MInaj ("Love More"), so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the LP includes the Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke influence Brown claims inform the project.

MIA - Matangi - Nov. 5

It's hard not to love MIA, who took to Twitter with threats to leak her album and called out Interscope by name over release delays. (Shortly thereafter, the label set a date.) The "Bad Girls" singer seems to be staying mostly in her lane here, as "Bring the Noize" positioned her as the queen of an aggressively partying underground world. But there's always room for something new as well: On "Come Walk With Me," MIA spends half the track sing-songing her way through anti-party messages before flipping the record on its head with a thumping beat. Always fun, right?

Elvis Costello & The Roots - Wise Up Ghost - Sept. 17

The Roots don't really do collaboration albums that aren't worth at least one listen. Last year's "Wake Up!" saw Questlove's band teaming up with John Legend for a memorable outing, and Costello's voice seems like a wonderful foil for the Roots' funky jam-band sensibilities.

Kaskade - Atmosphere - Sept. 10

Dance music's enduring nice guy sings (for the first time) on his upcoming album's lead single, a bad idea that paid off shockingly well. In theory, DJing for millions of people over tens of years should endow Kaskade (born Ryan Raddon) with some insight into what it takes to make effective dance music, and his recent albums haven't disappointed. It's worth noting, as well, that Raddon took to Twitter to implore fans to consider <em>not</em> doing drugs in the wake of a string of deaths at dance music events. His reasoning was a refreshing burst of sincerity in a party-driven scene. (Raddon himself is sober.)

Arcade Fire - TBD - Oct. 29

It's hard to know what's really coming out of the Arcade Fire camp, especially since James Murphy -- the producer who first said he wasn't involved -- hasn't had much to say except that everyone in the group got along well during the creative process. Time will tell.

Jack Johnson - From Here to Now to You - Sept. 17

Johnson dragged himself off a surf board for long enough to record his sixth studio album. His past four LPs have debuted in the Top 3 on Billboard's chart, with the last two debuting at No. 1, so there's a heavy level of anticipation here. But if there's anyone who can stay calm and deliver something sunny enough, though, it's Johnson.

Lorde - Pure Heroine - Sept. 30

It's been a a long time since anyone has had as exciting of a pop debut as that of Lorde, a teenager who burst onto the scene with "Royals." The track, a snarky tune that sets the best of Lorde's brooding voice against a simple, almost spare arrangement, went off like a gunshot in the blogosphere -- for good reason. Since then, the 16-year-old has released a string of competent tracks and an EP that went platinum three times in Australia -- all while meticulously controlling her image and messaging. Expect greatness.

Elton John - The Diving Board - Sept. 24

This album marks John's first solo LP in seven years and will be split across 12 new songs and three interludes. "The Diving Board" is produced by T-Bone Burnett and comes with lyrics from John's longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. “In many ways, I feel like I’m starting again, making records," John said when announcing the album. "Several years ago when beginning to work with T-Bone and being in the studio with Leon Russell for 'The Union,' I had to ask myself, ‘What kind of music do I really want to make?’, and I realized that I had to go back to go forward again. I needed to strip away the excesses and get back to the core of what I do as an artist."

Enrique Iglesias - TBD - November

The as-of-yet untitled project has already birthed Spanish ("Loco") and English ("Turn the Night Up") singles, a sign that Iglesias may be retracing his own footsteps (2010's "Euphoria was also bilingual). The album will feature Marc Taylor and the Cataracs and is produced by Iglesias' longtime collaborator Carlos Paucar.

HAIM - Days Are Gone - Sept. 30

It's nice to see sister act HAIM finally have their moment, especially on a project that seems as charming and powerful as "Days Are Gone." "Forever" and "The Wire" tease throwbacks to '70s rock, while the album's title track dips into classic R&B for influences. HAIM's will be a popular album, but don't expect it to be a one-note pop record.

Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped in Red - Oct. 29

Pop's darling returns with her first-ever holiday album, a mix of classics ("Silent Night") and original tunes for the season ("Underneath the Tree," "Wrapped in Red"). Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood stop by for features, giving the project a shot at being a classic Christmas effort.

The Weeknd - Kiss Land - Sept. 10

Abel Tesfaye, the no longer mysterious R&B crooner behind prescription drug-laden bedroom tales of lust and … lust, ups the stakes on "Kiss Land." A heavier project with hints of industrialism, the album sees Tesfaye strive for something new. Blame it on the fact that his earlier work (split across three EPs which were re-released as "The Trilogy" last year), but the singer's voice is too consistently trying to be cool and seductive to approach intrigue. Still, Tesfaye's die-hard fans (however many of them are left), will be impressed with the LP.

Panic! At The Disco - Too Weird to Love, Too Rare to Die! - Oct. 8

It's a good time to be a pop rock band from the mid-oughts. Fall Out Boy blazed their way back into the fore earlier this year, and Panic! is wise to quickly line up behind them. The band doesn't have many of its original members left (the original guitarist and bassist left to form the Young Veins and the group's drummer has taken a break to fight drug addiction), so frontman Brandon Urie basically stands alone. The lead single, "This Is Gospel," serves up exactly what listeners want from Panic! They can get plenty more when they buy tickets to see Fall Out Boy. Urie and whoever he collects for the tour are opening.

Sting - The Last Ship - Sept. 24

In <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sting/the-last-ship_b_3384993.html" target="_blank">a blog he wrote for The Huffington Post</a>, Sting describes his upcoming LP as a "musical play" and reveals its his first writing effort in eight years. "I'd lost the urge to create -- the urge that had driven me most of my life," he said. "But once I decided to turn these memories of my childhood into a narrative, and began to think of writing for other people -- for other characters, from other viewpoints apart from my own -- the songs came very quickly. I wasn't in the way anymore." As such, he hopes that the album whets the appetite of his listeners for the 2014 play.

Icona Pop - This Is… Icona Pop - Sept. 20

It's hard to follow up a smash hit single when you don't have much else to stand on, but Icona Pop has done a commendable job of releasing songs that function nearly as well as "I Love It." Of their latest efforts, "All Night" and the Tupac-quoting "Girlfriend," it's the former that makes the most sense for their brand, and accordingly so, that's one that you'll be hearing the most of this fall.

Future - Honest - Nov. 26

While Nicki Minaj is probably rap's most featured when it comes to guest verses, Future's hooks are have become the glue that keeps the industry's biggest club hits together. His warbled, robotic voice goes further than T-Pain and drips emotion in way that approaches beauty. "Pluto," Future's 2012 album, was a bit bloated at 15 songs, but if he can match the intensity of "Same Damn Time" with the emotions of the work he put in on tracks like Rihanna's "Loveeee Song," Future could have something special on his hands.

Keith Urban - Fuse - Sept. 10

Urban's eighth studio album features duets with Miranda Lambert and Eric Church and was written by over 30 scribe. Stargate, the duo behind Selena Gomez' "Come and Get It," Rihanna's "Diamonds" and a slew of other pop and urban hits, make an appearance ("Shame"), so don't expect typical Urban. The singer said he was inspired when he heard that Bono saw "Achtung Baby" as the opposite of "Joshua Tree." In a word, <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/1564963/keith-urbans-fuse-is-lit-talks-up-diversity-of-new-album" target="_blank">he told Billboard</a>, the album will be full of "diversity."

Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull - Sept. 24

The group made up of three brothers (Nathan, Caleb and Jared Followill) and their cousin Matthew ended their last tour abruptly amid rumors of turmoil, making "Mechanical Bull" a highly anticipated return to normalcy. Early reads say it's going to be great.

Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady - Sept. 10

She's teamed up with the likes of Prince, so Janelle Monae is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. Miguel and Erykah Badu also stop by for appearances, pretty much guaranteeing that this is a can't-miss album.

MGMT - MGMT - Sept. 17

"I don't even know if it's music we would want to listen to," Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone of MGMT's forthcoming third album. "It's just what's coming out of us. We didn't make a single compromise." That's probably an endorsement, but whether fans are ready for more of MGMT's brand of psychedelic rock (which, it's worth noting, varied wildly between their first and second albums), remains to be seen.

TLC - TBD - Oct. 15

The famed trio remains down a member following the tragic death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in 2002, but T-Boz and Chilli are forging ahead with a compilation album that will also feature some new material. Songs written by Ne-Yo ("Meant to Be") and Lady Gaga ("Posh Life") have already been contributed, but not that much else is known at this time.

Lisa Moore, Lynn Coady up for Writers' Trust fiction prize

Lynn Coady's Hellgoing, Lisa Moore's Caught and Cary Fagan's A Bird's Eye are among the finalists for the Rogers' Writers Trust Fiction Prize.

Organizers announced the annual literary honour's five finalists at Ben McNally Books in Toronto today. The $25,000 fiction prize is awarded to the year's best novel or short story collection,

Miranda Hill, past winner and a 2013 juror of the Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize, announced the finalists for that award. The $10,000 Journey Prize, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, goes to the best short story by a new or developing writer first published in a Canadian literary journal.

"These awards recognize our world-class Canadian talent, giving the finalists affirmation from a jury of their peers, and bringing their work to the attention of readers from across the country," Mary Osborne, executive director of the Writers' Trust of Canada, said in a statement.

Finalists for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize are:

• Krista Bridge, The Eliot Girls (Douglas & McIntyre)




• Lynn Coady, Hellgoing (House of Anansi Press)




• Cary Fagan, A Bird's Eye (House of Anansi Press)




• Colin McAdam, A Beautiful Truth (Hamish Hamilton Canada)




• Lisa Moore, Caught (House of Anansi Press)

St. John's-based Moore and Edmonton author Coady are also nominated for this year's $50,000 Giller Prize.

Finalists for the Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize are:

• Doretta Lau, How Does a Single Blade of Grass Thank the Sun? (Event)




• Eliza Robertson, My Sister Sang (Grain)




• Naben Ruthnum, Cinema Rex (The Malahat Review)

The winners of both prizes will be announced at an gala in Toronto on Nov. 20. Both prizes, along with four other Writers' Trust awards to be presented that night, will amount to $114,000 in prize money for authors.

Harvey Weinstein: This Year's Oscar Season Is 'Most Competitive' Ever

Getty

Harvey Weinstein is never one to mince words, so it's no surprise that the Hollywood mogul went on record to say what everyone is probably already thinking: This year's awards season is crazy.

"This is the most competitive [Oscar] season I've ever seen," Weinstein said at the Zurich International Film Festival on Sunday. "And if you aren't ready, don't get in it."

Weinstein was speaking about "Grace of Monaco," the Nicole Kidman film that Weinstein pushed from its planned Nov. 27 bow to an undisclosed date in the spring of 2014. "It just wasn't ready," Weinstein said of the film, which stars Kidman as Princess Grace Kelly. "The score wasn't ready, a lot of things weren't ready. [...] Also we've played no festivals on that movie, so it's hard to get into an Oscar race without at least some festival exposure."

This year's crowded awards season has already lost "Grace of Monaco" and "Foxcatcher" -- Sony Pictures Classics announced that the Bennett Miller film would move to 2014, this just one month after the studio proclaimed "Foxcatcher" would be ready for 2013 -- and could see another major contender, Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf Of Wall Street," dip off the calendar as well. As of now, "Wolf Of Wall Street" is still set for release by Paramount on Nov. 15, the same day the studio is unveiling its other big awards contender, Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," but speculation has run rampant that the "Wolf" date could change.

As for the 2013 movies definitely in contention for Oscars, Weinstein has opinions on those as well. At the Zurich International Film Festival, he professed love for Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave," the current favorite for Best Picture among awards prognosticators, as well as the Warner Bros. release "Prisoners."

"[That's] the best film I've seen all year," Weinstein said, before acknowledging the recent riff between WB and TWC over the title of "Lee Daniels' The Butler." "I don't know why I'm praising a Warner Bros. movie after what they did to us on 'The Butler' [...] but they are good people and they made a good movie."

Despite that stamp of approval, "Prisoners" director Denis Villeneuve and stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal shouldn't make plans for Oscar night just yet. During awards season in 2011, Weinstein told Vulture that George Clooney's "The Ides of March," another Warner Bros. release, his favorite movie of the year.

"So Oscar prediction? That that gets nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor," Weinstein said. Unfortunately for all parties involved, "The Ides of March" failed to earn nominations in any of those categories. (It did received a nomination, however, for best screenplay; there's hope for you yet, ‎Aaron Guzikowski.)

[via ScreenDaily, THR]

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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrived on a flight at LAX airport in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 29.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Liam Hemsworth was seen out and about in New York City on Sept. 28.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Reportedly pregnant Gwen Stefani stepped out in Studio City, California September 27 after dropping off her son Zuma at school .

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham arrive in London September 27, debunking all speculation that they have broken up.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Rihanna wore all black as she touched down in Adelaide, Australia on Sept. 26.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Rooney Mara carried her little black dog as she made her way out of LAX in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 26.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Gerard Butler grabbed his bag and made a hurried entrance into LAX Airport in Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Paula Patton and Robin Thicke attend the "Baggage Claim" premiere held at the Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  New parents Fergie and Josh Duhamel stepped out for dinner in Beverly Hills, Calif.,, on Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Sandra Bullock's hand and footprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre celebrating the release of her new film "Gravity" in Hollywood, Calif., on Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick filmed "Into The Woods" at an English Castle on Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Sofia Vergara headed to a taping of "Live with Kelly & Michael" in New York City on Sept. 25.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Hailee Steinfed and Taylor Swift attended the premiere of "Romeo And Juliet" at ArcLight Hollywood on Sept. 24 in Hollywood, Calif.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Eva Longoria attended the Padres Contra El Cancer 13th annual 'El Sueno De Esperanza' Gala in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 24.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Aaron Paul was all smiles as he headed out and about with his wife Lauren in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 24.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Heidi Klum rocked a see-through shirt at Heathrow airport in London on Sept. 24.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  "Don Jon" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt stepped out in New York City on Sept. 24.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Ellen Pompeo left her hotel and headed to the airport on Sept. 24 in New York City.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Halle Berry looks ready to pop any day now while stopping to buy a smoothie at Jamba Juice in Studio City, Calif., on Sept. 23.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Katie Holmes picked up her daughter Suri from school in New York City on Sept. 23.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  "Prisoners" star Jake Gyllenhaal visited the BBC Radio 2 studios in London, England on Sept. 23.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Claire Danes, celebrated in the Emmy Awards Press Room held at The Nokia Theatre L.A, Live in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 22.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Derek Hough, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography, jumped for joy in the Emmys press room at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 22.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  New mom Anna Chlumsky wowed on the red carpet at the 2013 Emmy Awards on Sept. 22 in Los Angeles, Calif.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Matt Damon and his wife Luciana were the picture of love on the red carpet at the 2013 Emmy Awards on Sept. 22 in Los Angeles, Calif.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Kevin Jonas celebrated his wife Danielle’s birthday at the Sugar Factory American Brasserie in New York City on Sept. 21.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson were seen locking arms during an early evening stroll through the East Village of New York on Sept. 21.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Lauren Conrad posed while kicking off the #ClosetLoveAffair Pinterest sweepstakes with Downy in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 20.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Lea Michele left the Meche Salon after getting her hair done in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 19.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Eva Mendes returned to her hotel after a morning out in New York City on Sept. 19.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake posed together at the world premiere of Twentieth Century Fox and New Regency's film "Runner Runner" at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Sept. 18 in Las Vegas, Nev.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Blake Lively attended Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy on Sept. 18.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  George Clooney was spotted on set of "Tomorrowland" on Sept. 18 in Vancouver, Canada.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Jay Z, casually dressed in a dark sweater and jeans, headed into an office building in New York City on Sept. 18.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Paula Patton was seen arriving at the "Today Show" in New York City on Sept. 18.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Sofia Vergara rocked spandex while out in West Hollywood, Calif., on Sept. 18.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Benjamin McKenzie stops for lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in Hollywood, California on September 17

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Pregnant Kate Winslet and Ned Rocknroll left Claridges hotel on Sept., 17 in London.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Cate Blanchett attended the London premiere of "Blue Jasmine" at Odeon West End on Sept. 17 in London.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Katharine McPhee struck a smile in support of the Apothic Wines partnership with The Moth, Saints and Sinners in Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. 17.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Ana Ortiz teamed up with Campbell Soup Company and "The Wisest Kid in the Whole World" to share secrets to kid contentment with local parents in NYC on Sept. 17.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Miranda Kerr headed to meet a friend for dinner in New York City on Sept. 16.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Hilary Duff was all smiles while leaving a studio in Studio City, Calif., on Sept. 16.

  
  


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  Celebrity News: September 2013

  
  

  Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have ended their engagement, their reps confirm. Here, they attended the premiere of Relativity Media's "Paranoia" at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 8.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Sienna Miller attended the Burberry Prorsum Spring / Summer 2014 show at London Fashion Week in London on Sept. 16.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Reese Witherspoon kept a low profile as she left the gym after a workout on Sept. 16, 2013 in Brentwood, Calif.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Malin Akerman attended the 2013 Creative Arts Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 15, 2013 in Los Angeles, Calif

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Daniel Bruhl, Ron Howard and Chris Hemsworth posed during the photocall of the movie "Rush" presented in Rome on Sept. 14.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Pregnant Jennifer Love Hewitt rocked a leather shirt while running errands in Studio City, Calif., on Sept. 13.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Julianne Hough wore short shorts in NYC on Sept. 13.

  
  


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  Celebrity Photos: September 2013

  
  

  Drew Barrymore shopped at Barneys store on Madison Avenue in New York City on Sept. 12.

  
  

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Sharyn Dorfman, Extreme Hoarder From 'Oprah Show': 'I Could Never Go Back' (VIDEO)

Compulsive hoarder and self-described shopaholic Sharyn Dorfman will forever live in "The Oprah Show" hall of fame after shocking viewers with the jaw-dropping images of her chaotic and cluttered house back in 2007.

Millions of viewers watched in disbelief as organizational expert Peter Walsh went in to help Sharyn, who had been hoarding for years. It took Peter and a team of more than 100 people two months to clean out the Dorfmans' house. Under the mountains of mess the team found mold and mice nests, showing Sharyn that her living situation was not only cluttered, but dangerous.

The house was scrubbed from top to bottom, and seven weeks later Sharon and her husband, Marvin, were thrilled with their clean and pristine new home.

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" producers decided to check up on Sharyn, who sent an update from her home.

"The way I feel when I watch the show today is I watch it in disbelief," Sharyn says in the above video. "I've watched it many times since 2007. And I really find it hard as I look around my home to believe that I caused all that chaos in my life and in my family's life."

"I believe the underlying reasons for my hoarding probably started when I was very young because I didn't have that much growing up, so when I was able to have things, I enjoyed shopping a lot," she says. "And later on in life when I started losing people in my life, I was filling a void with things."

But the real question on everyone's mind is: Did Sharyn fall back into old hoarding habits after the show?

No -- for the most part, she says. "The aha moment for not returning to my old habits was when I first walked into my home and seeing how beautiful it was, and knowing that I had made the promise -- excuse me," Sharon says, with emotion in her voice. "I had made the promise to myself and to God that if I could ever get back to where I should be and my house was in order, that I could never go back to my old ways again. And I believe I've done that. I'm not 100 perfect, but I'm pretty well there.

"I still have my faults in a couple of areas," Sharyn says, as the cameras reveal boxes piled up in her garage. "But that's the way that I am," she says.

Sharyn says she's changed her ways since the show. "Shopping is no longer thrilling at all, because I realize I don't need anything. I have everything I need and more," she says.

Five years ago, Sharyn said her 5-year-old grandson had never been to her home because of her hoarding. Today, she shares footage of her loved ones coming over for family dinners and her grandchildren running around her house. "The best part of my life today is having my family be able to come into my home," she says.

"I’ve learned from this whole experience that I certainly don’t need anything more than what I have now," Sharyn says. "All I need is the love of my family and friends, and that’s irreplaceable."

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" returns with all-new episodes on Sunday, November 3 at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.

Also on HuffPost:

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  "I Left The Front Door Unlocked"

  
  

  This would cause a major heart attack, especially if neither one of you will be home for a while, and you've heard of recent robberies. Yikes!

  
  


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  "I Have Lice"

  
  

  Gather up all the bedding (and let her keep that brush she borrowed- yuck!). It's time to clean house.

  
  


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  "I Dropped Your Toothbrush In The Toilet"

  
  

  It's nice that they told you, but it would have been nicer if they said something <em>before</em> you started brushing.

  
  


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  "I'm Taking Up Drums"

  
  

  While we support new learning experiences, we would never want to learn about this hobby because let's face it: a few drinks, a little anger and a set of drums equals no sleep for you.

  
  


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  "My Friend Is Visiting...For Two Weeks"

  
  

  So what you really mean to say is: "plan on being uncomfortable and inconvenienced in your own house for 14 days."

  
  


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  "I Think I Saw A Bedbug"

  
  

  At that point, we'd probably just pack up our bags and move back home with mom and dad.

  
  


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  "I'm Moving Out -- Tomorrow"

  
  

  Once the dumbfounded look melts off your face, you'll probably never want to speak to this person ever again.

  
  


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  "I Ate The Last Piece Of Your Cake"

  
  

  There's a special place in hell for people who eat the last piece of anything you were looking forward to. This will probably make you madder than all of the rest.

  
  

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The paternal Tony Danza in 'Don Jon'

Tony Danza and Joseph Gordon-Levitt got to know each other 20 years ago on the set of the Disney baseball fantasy "Angels in the Outfield," in which Danza played an aging pitcher and Gordon-Levitt, then 12, a foster kid.

"I always had a paternal thing about him," said Danza, 62, who came to fame 35 years ago as the hapless boxer/cabbie Tony Banta on the Emmy Award-winning comedy series "Taxi."

"When he was in 'Angels in the Outfield,' you could tell he was a very talented kid," noted the former professional boxer, on the phone from New York. "Every once in a while, I would say to him, 'Let's go do something. And he'd say, 'No, I'm following the director today.'"

PHOTOS: Behind-the-scenes Classic Hollywood

"We were having such a blast," Gordon-Levitt recalled. "We were shooting the movie in a baseball stadium. We would roller blade around the stadium. He was such a good guy, a generous dude."

Now the two are playing father and son in "Don Jon," the adult romantic comedy that opened Friday and heralds Gordon-Levitt's feature writing and directing debut. Gordon-Levitt's Jon Martello Jr. loves the ladies, but he loves watching porn even more — until he meets the person he thinks is the girl of his dreams (Scarlett Johansson).

Danza steals every scene he's in as Jon Sr., who doesn't have the greatest paternal instincts when it comes to his son. Jon Sr. spends his days sitting in the dining room of his family home in his sleeveless white T-shirt watching sports on the big-screen TV while scarfing down the meals his long-suffering wife (Glenne Headly) has made. He's opinionated, overbearing and toughly funny — and he's getting great reviews as well.

Danza was the first actor Gordon-Levitt thought of for Jon Sr. because "Tony is just naturally likable. The character he plays in 'Don Jon' is likable and charming, but on the other hand his shortcomings are quite apparent. He's sort of a selfish person. He has a short temper."

Jon Sr. was a character Danza knew quite well. "I had dinner with that guy," Danza said, laughing. "If you are Italian and you grew up in New York, you know people like that."

PHOTOS: Fall movie sneaks 2013

Danza was 19 and attending University of Dubuque on a wrestling scholarship when his son, Marc Anthony, was born. Danza also has three grown daughters.

"You think if you were a father since you were 19, you would get it right by now — but no," he said. "In a way, it's tough when you are a young father like that. But you grow up together."

And act together.

When Marc Anthony was little, he appeared in two episodes of "Taxi" as a kid in a wheelchair who wants a retired boxing champion to make a comeback. Unfortunately, Tony Banta actually wins the fight against the former champ.

"A couple of months ago, I went out to Los Angeles to see my son and his two sons," Danza said. "His oldest son, Nick, was about to turn 8. I brought out the discs and said, 'Nick, do you want to see what your father was doing when he was exactly your age?' I sat him down and we watched two episodes. He was hooked. He watched every episode of the series."

Danza had success after "Taxi" ended in 1983 with the sitcom "Who's the Boss," which aired on ABC from 1984 to '92. But after "Boss," Danza started spreading his acting wings, appearing off-Broadway opposite George C. Scott in "Wrong Turn at Lungfish" and in Broadway revivals of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" and Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge."

PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments

"I think you have to diversify to stick around," he said.

After he survived a near-fatal skiing accident in December 1993, Danza decided to take the plunge and fulfill a longtime dream to become a song-and-dance man. He appeared in concert — including performing at Carnegie Hall — and stepped into the role of Max on Broadway in the blockbuster musical "The Producers."

This past week, Danza began previews at the venerable Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey in "Honeymoon in Vegas," a new musical penned by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown ("Parade"), based on the 1992 hit comedy. Danza is playing James Caan's role as a wealthy professional gambler.

"We hope we will get a date for Broadway before we finish this run in November," he said. "I have songs and some tapping. Unlike most shows, where you have to try to find one song that stays with you, in this you'll have to decide which is your favorite song."

susan.king@latimes.com

Diana Nyad To Oprah: 'The Body Is Pathetic Compared To What We Have Inside Us' (VIDEO)

Diana Nyad inspired the world earlier this month when she became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. The 64-year-old swimmer completed the voyage in just under 53 hours. On Sunday, Oct. 6, Nyad will appear on "Super Soul Sunday" to discuss how she achieved this feat of athleticism, will and spirit.

In this first look at the interview, Nyad sits down with Oprah for a revealing conversation about chasing dreams, pushing limits and daring with intention and purpose. "What you showed us all is what a real warrior looks like," Oprah says to Nyad in the video. "I can't even imagine what that pain felt like."

"The body is pathetic compared to what we have inside us," Nyad says in the clip.

Nyad had tried to complete the approximately 110-mile swim on four prior occasions but barriers ranging from jellyfish stings to lightning forced her to abandon each effort. She tried three times in 2011 and 2012, and her first attempt was in 1978.

"It wasn't so much what did I want to do, it was who I want to be," she tells Oprah.

Watch part one of the full interview when it airs Sunday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. ET on OWN.

Also on HuffPost:

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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 file photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida has generated some skepticism in the small community of marathon swimmers. Critics have suggested that during a speedy stretch of the 53-hour swim, Nyad might have gotten into or held onto the boat that accompanied her. They also question whether she violated the traditions of her sport by relying on a specialized mask and wetsuit to protect herself from jellyfish. Nyad's navigator and one of the swim's official observers tell The Associated Press that Nyad didn't cheat. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman, File)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is be first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, right, gestures a V for victory after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, center, is taken to Lower Keys Medical Center, Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after coming ashore at Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla. She completed a 103-mile swim in 53 hours. She became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Key West Citizen, Rob O'Neal) MIAMI HERALD OUT.

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad, right, is supported by a longtime team member after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad tells supporters and fans that you are "never too old to chase your dreams" after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad receives medical treatment after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walks on to the Key West, Fl., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, as team members form a wall to protect her, as she becomes the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad swims towards shore in Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Fans push towards long distance swimmer Diana Nyad, center, as she comes ashore, and is greeted by her trainer Bonnie Stoll, Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla., becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. Her trainer Bonnie Stoll (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by former Key West Mayor Sonny McCoy as she is taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center after completing her historic swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013. McCoy, now 86, successfully water-skied, on one ski, between the islands in 1978, the same year Nyad made her first of five attempts. McCoy's son, Sean, at right, chose a parasail to make his trip between Cuba and Key West in 1997. (AP Photo/The Key West Citizen, Rob O'Neal)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad swims towards shore in Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  United States endurance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by a crowd as she walks on to the Key West, Fla., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll

  
  

  Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana nyad

  
  

  Fans of long distance swimmer Diana Nyad wait for her to make it ashore in Key West, Fla. Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 after swimming from Cuba. U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked to shore, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The white underwater streamer, trailing from the support boat's boom, serves as a navigation aide for Nyad. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  A teammates waits for U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad to come ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, in Key West, Fla., after swimming from Cuba. Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked to shore, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  United States endurance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by a crowd as she walks on to the Key West, Fla., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her approximately 110-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  CORRECTS DISTANCE OF TREK TO ABOUT 110 MILES INSTEAD OF 111 MILES - In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her approximately 110-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, is escorted by kayakers as she swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, swimmer Diana Nyad talks with her crew less than two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits from Cuba to the Florida Keys without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, points towards Florida before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, adjusts her goggles before jumps into the water and start her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, adjusts her swimming cap before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, right, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, jumps into the water to begin her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, salutes before her swim from Havana, Cuba, to Florida in Havana on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, greets her support team before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  


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  Diana Nyad

  
  

  U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, gestures as she explains the jellyfish bites she experienced in her previous attempt to swim from the Florida Straits to the U.S. mainland, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. The U.S. marathon swimmer arrived in Cuba Friday for her fifth attempt to swim across the Florida Straits to the U.S. mainland without a protective cage toward off shark attacks. The grueling swim is scheduled to start early Saturday, weather permitting. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

  
  

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