More on Christian Bale’s ‘family feud’

By Geoff Boucher 

THE British press is spinning like a top: Not only is The Dark Knight (with an English director and a Welsh star) making history at the box office, now it has two tawdry off-the-screen subplots. Heath Ledger’s overdose death in January would seem to have very little to do with Christian Bale’s recent family feuding, but not according to the Daily Mail Online.

Batman star Christian Bale confronted his mother after she allegedly insulted his wife, MailOnline has learned. Sources close to the actor said he “flew off the handle” at London’s Dorchester hotel after Jenny Bale said “some outrageous things.”

Yesterday, the Welsh-born actor was arrested and bailed over an assault claim, which he has denied. However, a source close to the 34-year-old actor says Bale is confident he’s done nothing wrong, and blames his mother. He is also said to have become depressed over the death of close friend and costar Heath Ledger.

The source said: “Christian was stressed, but he didn’t lay a finger on anyone. Instead, he flew off the handle and cussed his mother. He just got very loud because his mother was saying some very outrageous things about him and his wife.”

“Christian’s attitude is that this was his mother’s fault because she became very provocative in an argument they were having,” the source said, adding: “Things got out of control and he now says he wishes he just left the room.

“Normally Christian would just call a friend and go out to a pub to cool off. But he was literally trapped into this confrontation with his mother and sister because there was an army of fans and paparazzi outside.”

The incident apparently comes at a time when his marriage to Sandra “Sibi” Blazic, a former model and makeup artist, is enduring difficulties.

“He has stresses in his marriage,” the source said. “He can have a terrible temper. Instead of lashing out at his wife, he sometimes lashes out at people around him.” The source added: “His marriage is not perfect, but his relationship with his mother is in much more trouble.”

LEA SALONGA

Fairy Tale Continues

‘It’s a very humbling experience.” And so goes Lea Salonga, winner of the 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical, along with, a year later, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Tony Award, all for the same category, all for the Claude-Michel Schönberg-Alain Boublil blockbuster musical Miss Saigon, produced by theater impresario Cameron Mackintosh.

Gab Fab: VJ Drei in the MYX

Every day, Andrei Felix, aka VJ Drei, takes us on a journey. On radio, he brings his avid listeners inside his mind as he rattles off his views on different issues that affect his listeners in between playing the latest music on Maxx FM. On TV, he takes us inside the court as he reports statistics and other basketball-related stuff in the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Studio 23. Meanwhile, on MYX, he dishes out the latest music happenings in MYX News and takes us back in time in MYX Backtrax.

Show & Tell:

She was focused on the show

THE recent verbal skirmishes among sexy stars in one of the usual disrobing events produced and organized by a men’s magazine got our attention. Well, they do this all the time anyway, the usual catfights that lead to instant publicity.

More on Christian Bale’s ‘family feud’

THE British press is spinning like a top: Not only is The Dark Knight (with an English director and a Welsh star) making history at the box office, now it has two tawdry off-the-screen subplots. Heath Ledger’s overdose death in January would seem to have very little to do with Christian Bale’s recent family feuding, but not according to the Daily Mail Online.

Fermentations:

Wrestling with Riesling

FIRST, there is the bottle, long and tapered unlike the usual wine bottle with “shoulders.” Then there is the low alcohol level with some examples just batting at 7 percent, giving the impression that the wine is wimpy and bland.  And then, because the wines are virtually oak-free, they are deemed “unfashionable,” swimming against the current tide of rich, buttery whites that have had time in new barrels. Though still misunderstood and bypassed in favor of the wines made with the more familiar Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling is considered the noblest of all white-wine grapes. Here is why.

Finally, we were all seated together, red wine poured out in the ready, and Chef Roxs, coming from his kitchen dish in hand, was headed our table. The rib eye steak from New Zealand, which he had spiced up and grilled, was going to go “under the knife.”

Learning Curve: An evening with Mega Mom

I’VE always been, unabashedly, a Sharon Cuneta fan and meeting her was such a thrill. I mean, I grew up with her—through her songs (from the time she first appeared as a 12-year-old singing “Mr. DJ”) and her movies (from her lovable cheesy Viva Films stuff with Gabby Concepcion to her more mature roles), and through her life’s many phases. And now, through her real-life role as midlifing mom to three beautiful daughters, her all-too-real struggles with her weight, her work-life balance, and her continuing efforts to improve herself as a person and as an actress. Did I mention that, being almost the same age, I also went through the same hairstyles and dress sense as she did?

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Having it all...or not

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Tea, the British Way

ALEXANDER PUSHKIN found “ecstasy” in a glass full of tea. Chinese sage T’ien Yiheng drunk the brew to “forget the din of the world.” And Queen Victoria demanded hers be served, along with a copy of Times, the moment she ascended to her throne. In the days of yore, tea was the drink of nobility, philosophers and luminaries of the literary world. Since its discovery in China 5,000 years ago, it has built empires, smoothed diplomatic relations, and fueled the obsession of more than a few nations. Perhaps no other beverage is as steeped in historical, spiritual and ceremonial significance as tea. And now more than ever, it is embraced by young and old alike for its many health benefits.

Zara Jane Juan could have been anything she wanted. A former Miss Hawaiian Tropic International finalist and Bb. Pilipinas, she is beautiful and statuesque—the kind of person you would expect to be gracing the covers of fashion magazines, and hosting glamorous events.