Without realizing it until days later, TMZ managed to obtain an extremely rare commodity over the weekend — video of the notoriously publicity-averse director Terrence Malick. TMZ cameras cornered Benicio Del Toro to ask the actor what he thought about, for example, whether Cuba should be a state. what they didn’t know was that the man walking with Del Toro was Malick, who in the video was clearly avoiding the camera.

TMZ Didn’t Realize It Had A Showbiz Scoop

Has anyone seen Nick Stahl?

The Terminator 3 actor, 32, has been reported missing since last Wednesday, may 9.

The LAPD confirmed to TMZ that Stahl’s wife, Rose, filed the report on Monday. Rose had filed court papers in February expressing concern about her husband’s suspected drug use.

PHOTOS: Celebrity meltdowns

According to TMZ sources, Stahl was recently seen in the gritty Skid Row area of Downtown L.a. and “may have gotten himself involved in some bad stuff.”

PHOTOS: Celeb mugshots

Stahl played John Connor in 2003′s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines opposite Claire Danes and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but has kept a full plate of TV and film appearances since that flick.

His rep declined to comment.

Actor Nick Stahl Is Missing

Levi Johnston has impregnated another girlfriend, TMZ reports.

The father of Bristol Palin's child is having a baby with another woman out of wedlock. Levi Johnston says he is looking forward to starting a new family with his 20-year old girlfriend Sunny Oglesby. Oglesby is a preschool

Levi Johnston tells TMZ his unborn baby was an unexpected surprise but he's very excited to raise the child the way HE wants to unlike the…

Levi Johnston: Girlfriend's pregnancy was unplanned

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

TMZ is reporting that “The Situation” from MTV’s hit show Jersey Shore has checked himself into a rehab facility for substance abuse  problems. Sources are reporting that Mike Sorrentino has checked himself into an inpatient treatment facility. Still, his rep would not confirm or deny that he, Mike, was in a treatment facility, but did say he has been at an undisclosed location to recover and recoup from a very busy schedule. As you may imagine, like many of his other Jersey Shore counterparts, ‘The Situation” has been partying nonstop since he debuted on the show and has been making nightclub appearances all around the world. most of the crew brings in anywhere from 15k – 50k per appearance…And we will assume here that most of their bar tabs are covered by club and venue owners.

MTV just announced that production for season 6 of Jersey Shore will begin in this summer. And yes, it has been confirmed that a pregnant “Snooki” plans to be part of the upcoming season on MTV.

‘The Situation’ From Jersey Shore Checks Into Rehab

Gossip writing is a rarely discussed category for freelance writers. Sure, we all aspire to be published in The new Yorker and gossip writing is not taught in journalism schools. Almost everyone gossips. In fact, more people gossip now than ever before. Their medium is the blog, particularly Facebook and other social networking sites that have replaced the old-fashioned diary with personal gossip. Most of us gossip about people we know.

In the media, gossip is about celebrities. Hundreds of commercial blogs are devoted to celebrity gossip, notably Deadline Hollywood Daily, The Dirty, Gawker, Hollywood Life, just Jared, Perez Hilton, PopSugar, TMZ and many more Some of these blogs pay for tips and use freelance writers and photographers, but it’s the magazine category that provides the greatest opportunity for freelancers.

The top-circulation celebrity news magazines are People, Us Weekly, Star and Entertainment Weekly. People, with a circulation of over 3.5 million, doesn’t call itself a gossip magazine, but it competes with the others for exclusives about celebrities. Celebrity fashions are covered by In Touch Weekly, Life & Style Weekly (both published by Bauer, a German company), People StyleWatch and InStyle (both published by Time, Inc.) and all of the big-circulation monthly women’s, men’s and teen magazines. Advertising declines in recent years have resulted in staff reductions at most magazines. Editors increasingly turn to freelancers, including those at magazines that formerly were almost totally staff written.

Celebrities are not just in the entertainment industries. Famous people include VIPs in government, sports, food, real estate, business, media and other fields. All of these fields are superbly covered in Vanity Fair, a prestigious monthly published by Cond Nast that works with many of America’s renowned freelance writers. You may not be ready for Vanity Fair but you should read it for insights about celebrity coverage. Cosmopolitan, the top-selling newsstand magazine, is a gossiper’s paradise, as are new York and other regional magazines, as well as Interview and other small-circulation magazines.

Perhaps your first thought about a gossip magazine is one of the supermarket tabloids. The National Enquirer pioneered in the placement of magazines in racks at checkout counters. Today, American Media, Inc. owns Star (its top circulation magazine), the National Enquirer and Globe. You definitely should not be embarrassed about writing for these weekly magazines. The National Enquirer had accurate scoops about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards and Tiger Woods long before other media, and mainstream journalists give it appropriate credit.

Now that you’re convinced of the importance of gossip magazines, here’s how you can get started. It’s not likely that Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney or Brad Pitt will grant an interview to you, even if you’re able to get the e-mail, phone or Twitter address. Here are five other interview possibilities.

1. A celebrity may be in your city promoting a book, touring a show, working in the production of a movie or TV show, vacationing or visiting friends and family. You don’t have to live in new York, Washington, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Miami to be a celebrity reporter. Not all celebrities live in major cities. Many A-listers have primary or secondary homes in small towns, as well as such big cities as Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco. Chances are you know that Sundance, Utah, is the home of a global celebrity.

2. It’s relatively easy to interview a relative, friend, former classmate, former boyfriend (or girlfriend), teacher or someone associated with a celebrity. Google and Wikipedia can provide biographical details. A remembrance story is always in demand.

2. find a retailer, restaurant, fashion designer, architect or anyone who has a celebrity as a customer. You may find this source to be appreciative of the publicity and you can get great anecdotes about the buying, dining and entertainment habits of a celebrity.

3. Become a gossip columnist. Maybe not in the new York Post (home of Page Six and Cindy Adams) but a good place to start is a weekly newspaper in your area. Contact local theaters, restaurants, hotels, charities and their public relations representatives, and you soon will be receiving more than enough press releases to fill a weekly column. You will be invited to social events so that your column can include your personal comments and descriptions of apparel worn by local socialites. As you develop friendships with local celebrities, keep in mind that they can lead you to national celebrities. Also, when a national celebrity comes to your town, your columnist credential puts you in the press corps.

4. Here’s an assignment for you. find a person or group in your community who you can transform from an unknown to a celebrity. Examples: a translator of a foreign best-seller, winner of an offbeat contest (best pies, most hot dogs, spelling bee winner), American Idol loser, an octogenarian, triplets (also quadruplets and quintuplets, but stay away from the Octomom), tallest, fastest (but not thinnest). well, you get the idea

As with any magazine article, you must be familiar with the writing style of the publication. The weekly celebrity newsmagazines and supermarket tabloids are read mostly by women. College-educated upscale women read People and the supermarket tabloids have lower demographics. Like the tabloid newspapers, the gossip magazines enjoy alliteration, colorful metaphors, puns and other humor, abbreviations, slang and coined words (usually combining parts of two words). Most important, make sure that all your information and quotes are accurate You may want to attach to your article the names of verified sources. The magazine probably will add sensational headlines and subheads, but that’s not your job.

During the last three years, I have been writing a book about gossip. Interviews of over 200 psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians and media people in the U.S. and around the world have increased my appreciation of the gossip media. I have learned that gossip, as defined by social scientists, is oral or written information about another person that usually is true or has a strong basis in fact, and often is judgmental. A rumor, on the other hand, usually is false and unverified.

Gossip Writer – Your New Career – No Kidding

Are you a big R. Kelly fan that has a lot of cash laying around?

The king of R&B wants to reincarnate his “Trapped in the Closet” series….but he only has one problem: NO CASH!

According to TMZ, Kelly has 32 new chapters to film and is looking for financial backing:

Now, Kelly — who was leaving an L.A. gym yesterday — tells us he wants to continue the saga — “but it costs a lot of money to do … so we’re actually looking for investors.”

Would you be excited or spooked to see more chapters of “Trapped in the Closet?” let us know…

R. Kelly Wants to Do More “Trapped in the Closet” Videos?

Justin Bieber Pulled over — Batmobile Takes a Turn for the Worse Celebrity popular Filed under: Justin Bieber , Celebrity Justice Justin Bieber was pulled over by the LAPD today — after cops say he performed an illegal maneuver in his tricked out “ Batmobile ” ride … TMZ has learned.

Justin Bieber Pulled Over — Batmobile Takes a Turn for the Worse

LSU’s JaMarcus Russell has finally paid his taxes – from 2008.

Citing papers filed in Alameda County, CA, TMZ reported that the former no. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft paid $223,180.05 in California taxes. the state’s tax board released its lien that was placed on him for failure to pay up.

But Russell isn’t completely out of the woods financially. He is behind on payments for his $2.4 million mansion, which is expected to be sold in a foreclosure auction next month.

It’s unfathomable that Russell, who can’t seem to find another football job, has such money troubles after signing a six-year, $61 million contract with the Raiders in 2007.

Russell was rumored to be heading back to LSU to finish his degree, but that doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon. JaMarcus Russell profile

[TMZ]

LSU’s Russell Pays $223K Tax Debt