Natalie Portman Marries Benjamin Millepied

Natalie Portman has married her dashing dancer.

Though she's been wearing a very suspect ring for months now, the Oscar winner formally swapped vows with Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied in a Jewish ceremony Saturday evening in front of family and friends in the coastal California region of Big Sur, E! News confirms.

We imagine that their first dance as husband and wife was a doozy.

A source confirms the ceremony was super hush-hush, but that the event was "amazing." The source adds, "the beauty of the weekend was that it was kept a secret, and everyone was relaxed and had a great time because of it."

It was so much of a secret that guests couldn't bring 
their phones or take pictures at the event. The source
 said it was "totally off the grid," and guests were
 transported by shuttle with incredibly tight security.

Portman and Millepied are parents to 1-year-old son 
Aleph, who while still in utero was his mom's constant 
companion as she accepted award after award for 
Black Swan, the whole time never failing to mention 
the "beautiful love" she found working on the film.

Upon accepting her Oscar in February 2011, the quite 
pregnant Portman credited Millepied for giving her 
"the most important role of [her] life."

And then there was her more jocular Golden Globes 
speech the month before.

"Benjamin choreographed the film, and also you might
 remember him in the movie as the guy when they ask
, 'Would you sleep with that girl?' And he's like, 'Pfft, 
no,'" the Best Actress winner recalled of his character's 
reaction to her guarded, superserious (and delusional!)
 Nina. "He's the best actor. It's not true—he totally 
wants to sleep with me!"

Sure enough, Portman, 31, pulled a double-whammy 
when she revealed in December 2010 that she was 
both engaged to and expecting a child with the 
now 35-year-old French dancer. That June, Millepied 
had referred to her as his "girlfriend" in an interview 
with Details, adding, "We just want to keep things 
to ourselves."

But try doing that with a baby bump!

The couple and their little boy have been splitting
 their time between New York and Los Angeles, 
with the occasional jaunt around the world, ever since.

Portman, who since Black Swan has appeared in more 
light-hearted fare like No Strings Attached and Your 
Highness, shared an intimate family dinner with her 
parents and Aleph at the Long Island restaurant Prime
 on July 27—and witnesses told E! News they appeared
 to be in celebration mode.

The happy foursome enjoyed a vegetarian—what else?
—feast created specially for the bride to be.

Rihanna and Oprah Winfrey Hang Out in Barbados

This is an interesting pair, don't you think?

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey took a trip down to 
Barbados to hang out with island native
Rihanna, but it wasn't just to catch up and soak 
in some sun (although we're not knocking those things off the list).

"Look who popped up in my Hometown 
BARBADOS #topnotch," Ri-Ri posted on 
her Instagram with a photo of herself driving Winfrey.

It turns out that Oprah made the visit for an 
upcoming interview special that will air on 
OWN, and also posted Instagram photos of 
her time there, including one of the duo looking 
as vibrant as ever while heading out of One 
Sandy Lane Villa, "@rihanna and I finishing 
up interview . What a refreshing surprise she is!"

The one-on-one interview for Oprah's Next Chapter,
 which will reminisce on the singer's journey to 
becoming a superstar will air on August 19.

Are you excited to see the segment on OWN?
 Sound off in the comments!

Nick Jonas: "I'm Being Considered to Be a Judge on American Idol"

Could Nick Jonas be the next American Idoljudge at the ripe old age of 19?

Possibly.

The Jonas Brothers singer told fans he's in the running for a seat at the famed judges' table, tweeting Saturday, "The rumors are true...I am being considered to be a judge on American Idol, and it would be a dream come true if it happens. ‪#nickonidol."

Jonas is the latest celeb to be considered for the coveted reality show position, joining the likes of Mariah Carey, who officially signed on to the show last month, and country starBrad Paisley.

So, tell us, how do you think Jonas would fare as an American Idol judge?

Sound off in the comments!

New Couple Alert: Danny Boyle & Rosario Dawson

Well, this is new. It looks like the athletes aren't the only ones hooking up at the games.

London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony director Danny Boyle and Rosario Dawsonappear to be going steady. 

The couple, who were spotted got cozy in Brighton, U.K., met after the director hired Dawson to star in his crime thriller Trance.

Boyle, whose opening ceremony was the most watched in history, is 20 years older than the 33-year-old actress.

The Sin City actress is apparenlty getting into the Olympic spirit by going for the gold(en age).

Go on, you two crazy kids!

Drake and Aaliyah Collaboration "Enough Said" Released

It's been a while since the world has heard Aaliyah's voice, 
but now fans can remember why their ears never got 
enough of the late songbird's sounds with her latest posthumous single.

Thanks to Young Money rapper Drake, the R&B singer's 
previously unheard of track "Enough Said" has debuted.

Take a listen.

It's hard not to feel some goosebumps rise at 
the first sound of Aaliyah's soft voice, but quickly, 
listeners can find themselves taken by the single 
and moving their head to the smooth beat, 
while hearing Drizzy, who is featured on the track, prepare to drop a verse.

While this release may come as a surprise to some 
(Hi, Timbaland), it was a project Drake had set to for quite some time.

"I have some great Aaliyah news coming soon,
" he told the UK's Tim Westwood while promoting his 
Club Paradise Tour overseas last April, "Some special things. 
Great things man. Great things for music, period."

Are you a fan of the collabo? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Katherine Jackson Regains Custody of Michael's Kids, Will Share With T.J.

The thriller that was the Jackson family feud appears to have reached its denouement.

A Los Angeles judge has reinstated Katherine Jackson as the guardian of Michael Jackson's three kids—Paris, Prince and Blanket—but said he plans to keep her grandson T.J. Jacksonon as a temporary guardian until an Aug. 22 hearing, when he considers the clan's request for a permanent co-guardianship.

But Judge Mitchell Beckloff signaled that he had every intention of granting that request.

Katherine's attorney, Perry Sanders, filed paperwork this morning regarding that joint custody motion, following through on what he told E! News last week after the judge appointed T.J. temporary guardian.

Beckloff, meanwhile, said during today's proceeding that he had conducted an investigation and his report showed that he was "very pleased the children are well cared for by Ms. Jackson and they love her very much."

"It's clear to me they have a significant relationship with T.J. Jackson and they love him very much," noted the judge. "He has a past the kids can relate to. The kids seem to be doing very, very well. Based on my report, Katherine Jackson has done a wonderful job. I think the kids are in terrific hands."

Based on that assessment, Beckloff added that he didn't see any reason why the Jackson matriarch and Michael's nephew can't have joint custody and Katherine can continue to draw from the family allowance, per her late son's will.

The judge also ruled that Paris, Prince and Blanket can travel outside the state of California with approval.

The children, by the way, were paid a visit yesterday from diva Diana Ross, whom the King of Pop named as a caretaker in the event his mother couldn't look after them.

Regarding the now-defunct custody fight, Ross  issued a brief statement on Tuesday saying, "all interests are best served if it remains private."

Amen to that.

Jennifer Lawrence's Hunger Games Archery Trainer Misses Olympic Mark

For Khatuna Lorig, the odds were not in her favor on Thursday.

The U.S. archer failed to earn a medal at the Olympics in London today, placing fourth during the women's individual competition.

Of course, if Lorig's name isn't exactly familiar, her talents definitely are: She was the one who trained Jennifer Lawrence in archery for her role in The Hunger Games.

Despite today's loss, though, Lorig is still a decorated Olympian.

She already has a bronze from the team competition 1992 games, and the fourth-place showing was her personal best in the individual competition.

It's a good thing Katniss Everdeen never had to face the likes of Lorig in the arena.

Move Over, Snoop and Lily Allen: Five Other Stars Who Changed Their Stage Names

Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Just days after Snoop Dogg revealed he'll now go by the reggae moniker, Snoop Lion, Lily Allen is getting in on the act.

The English songbird has announced plans to change her professional alias back to her given name of Lily Rose Cooper as she returns to the studio to begin work on a new album.

But Allen Cooper and Snoop (real name Calvin Broadus) aren't the only entertainers who have changed their stage names. E! Online runs down five other big-name artists who've altered or otherwise dropped their more famous appellations.

1. Not So Cougariffic: We guess someone apparently couldn't make up their mind. The journeyman Indiana rocker started off in the mid-'70s using the nom de plume Johnny Cougar after his manager felt his German surname sounded too much like a fruit market for little kids. After finding success with such hits as "Jack & Diane" and "Hurts So Good" as John Cougar, he declared in1983 he would now go by John Cougar Mellencamp before settling on his real name John Mellencamp eight years later and jettisoning the Cougar forever.

2. Prince Becomes a Symbol: He was born Prince Rogers Nelson before going mononymous upon entering the music biz. However, in 1991, fed up with his contentious relationship with Warner Bros. Records, His Purpleness decided to change his name from Prince to an unpronounceable symbol, later dubbed the Love Symbol. He would eventually be referred to as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" by Warner, the media and fans alike, or just "The Artist," before assuming his real name again in 2000 upon the expiration of his publishing contract with the label.

3. You Don't Know Diddy: Rap mogul Sean Combs has used a host of aliases throughout his career. In 1997 upon making his rap debut, he went by Puff Daddy, then changed it to P. Diddy in 2001 following a his acquittal on weapons charges stemming from a melee at a Manhattan club. Four years later, he was at it again, this time shortening things to Diddy. While the last moniker has appeared to stick, the hip-hopster couldn't resist last year switching—for one week only—to a new epithet, Swag, to celebrate his surviving a nasty bout of the flu. Separately, Combs has also deployed his first and middle names, Sean John, for his highly successful clothing empire.

4. Forget Mos Def, It's Yasiin Bey: Diddy and Snoop are not the only MCs to ditch their better-known handles. Rapper-actor Mos Def, who converted to Islam in his teens, retired his pseudonym this year in favor of Yasiin Bey, a reference to the 36th verse of the Quran.

5. Bye-Bye Cat Stevens, Hello Yusuf Islam: Perhaps the most famous name change in all of pop history, the British-born singer-songwriter Steven Georgiou adopted the stage monikerCat Stevens in the mid-'60s as a teenager before hitting it big as one of the world's most renowned musicians with such hits like "Moonshadow" and "Peace Train." A near-death experience and a spiritual awakening led Stevens to convert to Islam in 1977, and a year later he took the name Yusuf Islam, which he's kept to this day.

Catching Fire Casting: Hunger Games Sequel Gets Lynn Cohen to Play Mags

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is getting the Sex and the City treatment.

No, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) won't be rocking Jimmy Choos or tutus when it comes time for her to return to the arena, but an alumna from Carrie Bradshaw's world is officially joining the cast as a tribute.

Lynn Cohen will play Mags, Lionsgate announced today. Cohen may be best known as Miranda's overly conservative and sometimes invasive Ukrainian housekeeper and nanny on HBO's Sex as well as both of the movie adaptations. She also appeared in Munich andSynecdoche, New York.

Mags is an 80-year-old victor from District 4 who [SPOILER ALERT!] returns to the arena's annual death battle for the 75th Annual Hunger Games Quarter Quell. Mags also acted as a mentor for fellow District 4 victor Finnick Odair.

Cohen will join Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Plutarch Heavensbee), Amanda Plummer (as Wiress) and Jena Malone (as Johanna Mason) in the highly anticipated sequel. Rumors recently surfaced saying Oscar winner Melissa Leo was the frontrunner for the role of Mags, though sources told E! News that Leo had not been approached.

As for Mags' protégé, Finnick? Deadline reports that Snow White and the Huntsman starSam Claflin has cleared his schedule and will "likely" be cast as the sun-kissed heartthrob, continuing reports that he is the clear favorite for the part.

And seeing as Josh Hutcherson has dyed his brown locks back to Peeta blond, we're guessing an announcement concerning Mr. Odair's casting is just around the corner.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence and will hit theaters Nov. 22, 2013.

Dancing With the Stars All-Star Cast: My Biggest Competition Is...

The battle for the mirror ball trophy is on, and with 13 standouts slated to return to Dancing With the Stars, we have a feeling the competition could really heat up. We sat down with the all-star contestants to talk about their new competitors and possible partners as they prepared to get back into the swing of things. (Oh, dance puns, how we love thee.)

With a busy soap schedule on top of rehearsals, season-one winner Kelly Monaco hasn't had time to consider the competition just yet. "I really haven't sized them up. I'm going to have to do some homework when I get home," she tells us.

On the flip side is veteran winner Drew Lachey, who's worried about previous contestants eager to right past wrongs. "I think the runner-ups are definitely going to come in with a chip on their shoulder," he says. "They didn't win the first time so they feel, 'I came this close and I wanted that mirror ball trophy!' So I think Gilles and Joey are probably going to come with a little bit of an edge in that department."

Melissa Bycroft seemed most concerned about a possible repeat from past winners. "The ones I'm most anxious to see [are] Kelly Monaco and Drew Lachey. I'll bet you anything that they're in the best shape of their lives and they're going to come out and wipe the floor with us!"

Besides worrying about each other, all the contests were eager to find out who their partners would be this time around. With the producers holding out, Helio Castroneves reached out to his previous professional counterparts. "I did send [Julianne Hough] a message, but obviously Apolo also won with her and I'm like, 'if you choose, you better choose me!'"

Bristol Palin also expressed a desire to work with her old partner, Mark Ballas. "It's going to be weird if I'm not partnered with him because he has been like my older brother," she tells us. "He totally just put me under his wing and now it's like, who's going to be my partner?"

Unfortunately, we won't find out the answer to that question for another couple of weeks. And for those already keeping score at home, oddmakers have put Apolo Ohno, Helio Castroneves and Shawn Johnson at the top of their list of most likely to win this season.

Prince William, Kate Middleton Make Waves at the Olympics

Do they give out gold medals for most enthusiastic spectators? Because if they did, the spectacular cheer squad of Prince William and Kate Middleton would be a shoo-in.

The royal couple was once again out in full force in London today, turning up to cheer on Team GB (specifically, Andy Murray) in his quarterfinal Olympic tennis match.

The duke and duchess wasted no time in gamely getting into the audience mindset, taking part in the wave as it made its way around the stands.

It's also not the first time the pair has lent their considerable support to Murray, who played today against Spain's Nicolas Almagro, as they both turned up to Wimbledon back in June to root on the apparent royal fave.

While Wills was in his now standard Olympic sport-watching uniform of navy blazer, shades and white shirt, Kate once again recycled a familiar frock, opting to don the blue Stella McCartney dress she wore to the National Portrait Gallery opening last month.

In any case, their support (and that of Murray's adoring nation) seemed to do the trick, as Andy won the match and will be moving on to the semifinals.

David Beckham Takes Break From Olympics, Returns to His Day Job

David Beckham is getting back to business. At least temporarily.

The soccer star was spotted in Los Angeles on Wednesday practicing with his Galaxy teammates after spending the last several days at the Olympic Games in London.

Despite having just gotten off of a transatlantic flight, Victoria Beckham's other half looked relaxed and refreshed as he took the field.

Last week, in addition to carrying the Olympic torch down the Thames in a speedboat toward Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony, Becks also had the pleasure of joining Prince William at Wembley Stadium to cheer on Team GB's soccer team as they defeated the United Arab Emirates 3-1.

He's expected to be back in London for the closing ceremony on Aug. 12.

Yep. The guy is definitely having a ball!

Bikini Shot of the Day: Christina Milian Gets Hearts Jumping in Jamaica

OK, yes, technically this is not a bikini that we're gazing upon.

But why sweat the details when a sexy pic of Christina Milian is already making us sweat?

After all, the singer/actress left little to the imagination when she posted this fabulous photo of herself enjoying some downtime while in Jamaica for a magazine shoot.

"Take me away," she tweeted.

Just tell us where, Christina. Just tell us where.

Gossip Girl Star Ed Westwick Walks Around NYC...in a Onesie?!

Ever wonder what the cast ofGossip Girl does during their downtime, other than take turns making kissy faces in the full-length mirrors in their trailers?

Thanks to Ed Westwick, we now know: They leap, like carefree forest gnomes, into one-piece sweatsuits and reach for a calorie-free snack. Like, say, a set of ear buds.

Behold, Chuck Bass between takes for the hit CW show.

Gossip Girl gets renewed for a sixth season, but will this one be the last?!

For the record, this could be a costume—after all, this wouldn't be the first time that the Bass character has opted for a one-piece sweat jumpsuit...thing. Case in point: an episode that aired back in April when the guy was seen onscreen wearing a very similar gnome suit in red. Which, we guess, makes it a Christmas elf suit.

Either way, just one note for the wardrobe team: don't forget the underwear next time.

The Dark Knight Rises Breaks $300 Million

Ron Phillips/Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dark Knight Rises crossed $300 million at the domestic box office Tuesday.

The Batman sequel needed just 12 days in theaters to reach the milestone.

Only two other films in Hollywood history got there faster: And, yes, one of those films was The Avengers, and, yes, the other was The Dark Knight.

Dark Knight Rises tops box office for second weekend

The Avengers, the year's biggest hit, and the third-biggest-grossing movie of all-time, blew past $300 million in a stunningly brief nine days, and stood at about $390 million after 12 days, per BoxOfficeMojo.com stats. 

The Dark Knight, released in 2008, crossed $300 million in 10 days. Its 12-day total was about $334 million.

The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final film from Christopher Nolan's Caped Crusader cycle, was at $304 million as of Tuesday, per studio estimates.

The new film opened July 20, grossing a whopping $30.6 million from midnight screenings, the second-largest such launch on record, behind only last summer's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

But tragedy struck fast, and struck hard. A mass shooting at an opening day, midnight show in Aurora, Colo., left 12 dead, and apparently had a chilling effect on all of that weekend's box office.

In the aftermath, The Dark Knight Rises has, outside of opening day, run behind the pace of its predecessor. The day-to-day gap, however, was tightening. In its 12th day in release, The Dark Knight grossed $9.6 million; The Dark Knight Rises took in $8.8 million.

The Dark Knight Rises is currently the year's No. 3-grossing movie domestically, behind The Avengers ($616 million) and The Hunger Games ($406 million). Worldwide, it's at $556 million, per BoxOffice.com.

Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry Meet Team GB, Cheer on England's First Olympic Gold

John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images

As if Olympians didn't already feel like winners. They got a double triple dose of the royal treatment yesterday, when Team GB'sforemost cheerleaders, Prince William,Kate Middleton and Prince Harry, descended into Olympic Village and met with members of the England squad.

How's that for some queen and country motivation? We can practically hear the squeals from here—about the royal whee!

The trio casually strolled into the atheles' village, with Wills going for sporty-chic in a kicky red Olympics hat and his official Team GB white polo, and Kate still in the striped-shirt-and-blazer attire she wore while cheering on royal cousin Zara Phillips to her silver medal win.

The duke and duchess met with Team GB cyclist Victoria Pendleton and greeted a whole slew of other athletes who were on the grounds. And those who weren't so lucky? They had gathered on their balconies overlooking where the trio were, waving to and cheering on the royals as they passed through the compound in London's East End.

During the surprise visit, Harry also met with members of the Australian team and walked away with a stuffed kangaroo. Make that a stuffed kangaroo sporting boxing gloves. They also ventured inside, with Will and Harry touring the quarters of the women's handball players and engaging in the adorably obligatory brotherly ribbing over who knew less about the sport. (Advantage: Harry.)

Meanwhile, the royal rounds continued today, as Will and Harry served as spectators for the rowing event, turning up to their old school grounds, Eton's Dorney Lake, to watch the British women claim England's first gold of the games.

Clearly they put the cheer in pip, pip, cheerio.

President Obama Tweets Congratulations to Most Medaled Olympian Michael Phelps

Leader of the free world, meet the leader of the freestyle.

No American seemed immune from the burst of pride that came from Michael Phelpsbecoming the most decorated Olympian ever (ever!) yesterday, and, rather fittingly, one star-spangled supporter made a bit of a bigger splash than the rest.

And that fan was none other than President Barack Obama.

Not long after the 27-year-old swimmer scored his record and redemptive 19th medal at the 2012 London Olympics—a gold, for anchoring the U.S. Men's 4x200m relay—he took, as always, to Twitter and began both accepting congratulations and issuing thanks. Only to come across a very special message from the commander-in-chief.

"Congrats to Michael Phelps for breaking the all-time medal record," Obama tweeted. "You've made your country proud. -bo"

Hail yeah.

"Thank you Mr. President!!" came Phelps' slightly delayed reply (dang that time difference). "It's an honor representing the #USA!! The best country in the world!!"

The patriotic lovefest may only be beginning. The games, of course, aren't over yet, and as Phelps still has several races left, he could end up thoroughly trouncing the Olympic medal record.

Once again facing off against friendly rival Ryan Lochte, the swimmer is due back in the pool today for both qualifications and, should he make it, the finals of the 200IM tonight, the first of his remaining three events at these, his final Olympic games.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 Spoiler Roundup: A Time Jump, Character Changes & More Death?

The Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 spoiler floodgates are open! In the wake of the big Grey’s news, showrunner Shonda Rhimes went on an interview spree late last week. She said a lot about Season 9 to a number of different outlets. To make your life easier, we’ve rounded up the juiciest details right here.


Will there be a time jump? Shonda tells The Hollywood Reporter that the premiere will take place “two to three months after we left the finale,” but the second episode of the season will take us back to where we left off with the Season 8 finale to fill us in on what happened.


More deaths and departures? In her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shonda continues to hint that even more docs could die or leave the show — though Meredith(Ellen Pompeo), Derek (Patrick Dempsey), and Cristina (Sandra Oh) will survive the crash, so that’s good. Shonda also suggests that some of the docs who were planning to leave Seattle Grace-Mercy West actually will do so, but the cameras may follow them to their new locations.


Arizona and Callie. Shonda remains cagey about Arizona’s (Jessica Capshaw) fate, but she does note to The Hollywood Reporter that whatever that fate is, it will have a big impact on Callie (Sara Ramirez), and we can expect to “spend a lot of time with Callie this season.”


The emotional aftermath of the crash. It sounds like the crash will have interesting implications for many of our favorite characters. Shonda tells TV Guide that there will be “real physical after-effects for all of our people that they’re dealing with.” Shonda tells The Hollywood Reporter that Derek, with his injured hand, has to learn “who are you if you’re not the guy who operates.” Meanwhile, they going to “really follow” the PTSD implications of the crash for Cristina, and we’ll see a lot of “growth” for Mer.


Shonda also tells The Hollywood Reporter that Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) won’t feel guilty about not taking his calls earlier on the day of the crash, but she hints to TV Guide that Alex (Justin Chambers) will struggle with guilt over the fact that Arizona took his place on that plane.


When does April come back? Shonda tells TV Guide that while April (Sarah Drew) starts the season back at home, we’ll learn how she comes back in the premiere, which airs on September 27.

Justin Bieber - 'As Long As Love You Me' (Video)

Check out now the Anthony Mandler-directed 'mini-film' starring Justin Bieber, a hot girl, Michael Madsen and Big Sean, all in support of the Rodney Jerkins-produced R&B/dubstep-ish "As Long As You Love Me", the latest single lifted from the 18-year-old Canadian singer's third studio album "Believe".

Let's talk the positive first, shall we?. The "As Long As You Love Me" video is by far Justin Bieber's best music video of his career. Truly an amazing MV. The story line fits the song perfectly. And Anthony Mandler did a good job as well directing it. Now the things I didn't like so much...which is basically Justin pretending to be a grown-up (so fake!), his bad acting, and how unbelieveable some parts of the video are, like when the man starts beating Justin up and he is still clearly a teenager. LOL. I know it was supposed to be tragic and sad, but I couldn't help laughing at the ending. Oh, and I think too the video is overall way too overdramatic, but whatever, the point is that the "As Long As You Love Me" MV is GOOD. Sucks it just missed the cut for a VMA nomination, huh?. "As Long As You Love Me" by JB has so far peaked at #21 on the Hot 100.

Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin: Who'll Make an Olympic Splash Today?

If the summer games in London have got you hooked to your small screen, you're not alone.

The 2012 Olympics continue, and today, you can catch Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps face off in the pool once again. And new gold medal winner Missy Franklin will also be suiting up for competition.

The three head honchos of America's swim teams will head into qualifiers this morning with eight different events, but of course, we won't get to see what happens until later tonight.

Regardless, it should be interesting to see who comes out on top between Lochte and Phelps, seeing how Ryan grabbed the gold early on and Phelps has been improving each day. And could Franklin get another win for the women? Hopefully.

Afterward, you can indulge in a little women's water polo, as the U.S. team takes on Spain, or watch to see if the American male gymnasts can follow the lead of the ladies and also bring home the gold in the all-around final.

Cheerleaders at the Olympics? Here's Why You're Seeing So Many

Why are there so many cheerleaders performing at the Olympics? Where are all these cheerleaders coming from?
—A.2.G., via the inbox

There are several packs of cheerleaders roving about in London as I write this, blinding us with their Day-Glo pink bras and perky...attitudes. A few whipped their hair back and forth—literally—for a preliminary game between the Argentinian and Lithuanian basketball teams, while other, more dancer-y types mesmerized unsuspecting Brits during a beach volleyball face-off.

So where are these people coming from, and is that hair dangerous? I found out.

First of all, Olympic cheerleaders are nothing new. There was a squadron of them cheering on some of the athletes in Beijing, and cheerleading was a part of the entertainment for the Atlanta opening ceremonies in 1996. That said, we haven't quite seen so many cheerleaders, at so many events, as we have this year in London.

For these 2012 games, most of the cheerleaders came from one fabulous source: Ascension Eagles, a British charity-slash-cheer-program that currently has four squads of 16 cheerleaders performing during the games.

Specifically, a spokeswoman tells me, if you're looking at an indoor volleyball match or men's basketball match, you're looking at the Ascension Eagles.

However, to be clear: Those cheeky dancer girls? Who gyrated to the Benny Hill theme? In 1950s-style swimsuits? For the beach volleyball competition? No. Not the Ascension Eagles.

Also not the Eagles? The eight men and eight women from the United States who will arrive in London Aug. 5 to cheer on the American men's basketball team. So there.

As for those pink and black leotards, I have the scoop on those, too. Check out my latest podcast for the info!

Olympics Roundup: Redemption for Michael Phelps, Tony Parker and U.S. Gymnastics

A few claw marks remain, but Michael Phelps finally shook the monkey off his back.

The 27-year-old swimmer, perhaps fueled by his silver showing in the 200-meter butterfly just an hour beforehand, became the most decorated Olympic athlete ever today in London when he won his 19th medal—a gold one, finally!—anchoring the 2x400-meter freestyle relay.

It was nice to see Phelps smiling for a change after a series of what had to be disappointments for the guy who won nothing but gold in Beijing.

"Thanks to @ryanlochte @conorjdwyer and @RickyBerens for giving me the lead they did going in to the last 200!!!!" the exultant Phelps tweeted afterward. "Can't ask for better team mates then what we have on team USA!!!" 

He's got three more races to set the bar that much higher for future generations.

Ryan Lochte's got to be feeling much better about himself, too, a day after failing to make the podium in the 200-meter freestyle.

"Congrats to @MichaelPhelps for making Olympic history again tonight," the equally victorious Lochte tweeted. "Glad I had the honor of competing on the same stage as you. #TeamUSA."

Gotta love bromantic moments like that, right?

Also finally beaming from ear to ear was 17-year-old Jordyn Wieber after the U.S. women's gymnastics squad won its first team gold medal since 1996, the year of Kerri Strug's one-footed vault. Wieber, the reigning world champion, had failed to qualify for the women's all-around final on Thursday, but we imagine this will take the edge off.

Elsewhere from around the Olympic grounds and beyond today:

Eye on the Prize: Goggle-rocking Tony Parker and the French men's basketball team upset Argentina, which boasts NBA star Manu Ginóbili, 71-64. While the French still aren't expected to upset the U.S. Dream Team by any respects, Parker reportedly almost lost an eye in the bar brawl last month between Chris Brown and Drake's entourage—and then he had surgery and almost missed the Olympics! So playing in general must feel really good. (In other baller news, Team USA routed Tunisia, 110-63.)

Best Victory Dance: At her teammates' urging, goalie Hope Solo broke into the worm afterAbby Wambaugh became the first non-British woman to score a goal at Old Trafford stadium, home green of famed football club Manchester United. And that one goal was all the U.S. women needed in their 1-0 victory over North Korea.

Worst Skid: A second chance at victory at the All England Club eluded Andy Roddick, who followed up his third-round loss at Wimbledon with a second-round ouster from the Olympics, 6-2, 6-1. Losing to Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 player in the world, isn't anything to be ashamed of, but...Roddick didn't just lose. He was trounced.

Keeping Her Head Above Water: Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen, who found that sudden success can equal instant suspicion in the eyes of one's competitors, set an Olympic record in winning the 200-meter individual medley. Which probably means the doping talk plaguing the 16-year-old won't subside anytime soon. "I feel that it is a little unfair," Ye said at her post-race news conference when asked about the negative chatter. "I think that in other countries, other swimmers have won multiple golds and no one has said anything. How come people scrutinize me just because I have multiple medals?" We don't know, especially considering you have always tested negative for banned substances.

Team Phelps Twosome: Snowboarding stud (and golden winter Olympian) Shaun White and rumored girlfriend Bar Refaeli watched Phelps and Lochte's victorious relay together.

First-Time Gold: American swimmer Allison Schmitt set an Olympic record in winning the 200-meter freestyle.

Magic Number: 23, the number of medals both China and the United States have won so far to lead all comers, though China is ahead in the gold count with a whoppin 13 to the U.S.' nine. Japan trails in third place with 13 and France is the only other nation in double digits with 11.

Jewel in the Crown: A British equestrian team boasting royal granddaughter Zara Phillipsfinished second in equestrian eventing, making Zara the first royal to win an Olympic medal (presented to her by mum Princess Anne, a former Olympian herself). Kate Middleton and princely cousins William and Harry were of course cheering from the sidelines.

Great British Hopes: Who wants to bet there will be a few royals in the stands if Scottish tennsi star Andy Murray makes it to the gold-medal round? He advanced his chances today with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Finland's Jarkko Niemen...Britain's lady footballers also bested favorite Brazil, 1-0, to set up a quarterfinal match with Canada on Friday.