Contrary to publicized reports, Jennifer Hudson will not be singing the Star Spangled Banner at Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20th.

Jennifer Hudson’s rep has just confirmed:

“There is no truth to this.”

She’s no doubt still mourning the loss of her family members and it’s understandable that the grieving process may take months… years even. She should take as much time as she needs.

Her next scheduled public performance will be on February 6th at the MusiCares Person of the Year event in Los Angeles honoring Neil Diamond. It will be her first appearance in public since the tragedy.

Lil Wayne had the year’s top-selling album, “Tha Carter III,” with 2.87 million units sold, with Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” (2.14 million) and Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” (2.11 million).

2008 was the year where digital downloads grew, and interestingly enough so did vinyl album sales. In 2008, more vinyl albums were purchased (1.88 million) than any other year since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

The company has said that more than two of every three vinyl albums were purchased at an independent music store during the year. The top selling vinyl albums were Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” (26,000 units), the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” (16,500) and Guns ‘N Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” (13,600).

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson rang in the new year with another public hissy cat fight. I’m beginning to wonder if all this drama going on with her dad as well as this ongoing melodrama with SaMan is possibly just a pathetic attempt at staying in the public eye?

The girl needs to get some meaning back into her life, like work, volunteer or do some public service.

The New York Post has the following article:

Trouble started Tuesday night as the two partied at Set in Miami. “Both their families were there, and Lindsay and Sam just started going at it,” our spy said.

Then, on New Year’s Eve, the couple went nuclear and started screaming at each other while hosting a party at Mansion. The fight spilled out into an alley behind the club, where Lohan screeched at Ronson, “When I storm off, you are supposed to follow me!”

Our spy said, “It was a really gross alley. There was a bum eating a sandwich watching the whole thing. Lindsay was really unstable and flipping out.”

After Lohan and Ronson went back to the hotel, several sources heard crashing sounds and screaming coming from their room until the fight spilled out into the hallways at about 11 a.m.

“They were punching each other - it was bad,” a spy said. “And they were doing this in front of all of us. It was scary.”

At one point, Lohan dropped to her knees and cried, “Why are you doing this to me?” And Sam just said, “I don’t know you.”

Eventually hotel security was called and photos were taken of the girls’ “trashed” room. “Mirrors were broken and it was a complete mess,” another spy said.

Several hours later, still fighting, Lohan and Ronson tried to board an American Airlines flight back to Los Angeles. Lohan was said to be such a mess before takeoff that flight attendants asked her if she’d like to disembark. She refused.

A rep for Lohan said, “There was an argument - I don’t know the details - but they left for LA together and it’s fine.”

This past August, Dr. Dre’s 20-year old son, Andre Young Jr., died from unknown causes. Today it was announced that the exact cause of death was revealed by an LA County Coroner representative:

“This case has been closed, it’s been ruled an accident due to morphine and heroin intoxication.”

Dr. Dre hustled drugs as a teen, and his music encouraged people to blaze and now his son has lost his life due to drugs. Parents warned him about his lyrics and songs, and he must now understand the pain caused by those who have lost their children due to drugs. Perhaps now he and other rappers will not be so quick to encourage that lifestyle.

An update on an incident that hapened earlier this year involving Hairspray actress Nikki Blonsky and America’s Next Top Model alum Bianca Golden. Their families got into an altercation at the Turks and Caicos airport this past July 29th.

Blonsky’s father reportedly assaulted Golden’s mom wherein she had to be taken to the hospital.

The assault charges against Nikki Blonsky have officially been dropped and both she as well as Golden have been cleared of all charges with regards to their family fight last July.

Turks and Caicos Police Sgt. Calvin Chase was quoted saying:

“The cases against Nikki Blonsky and Bianca Golden have been dropped. The only case that is still proceeding is against [Blonsky's] father.”

Her father Carl still faces charges of assault and inflicting grievous bodily harm, and if he’s convicted, he can receive up to five years in jail.

No reason was given as to why the charges against the two women were dropped.

Paris Hilton is reportedly being paid one million bucks to host a giant rave party on the beach in Australia. Several bands and ten thousand people expected at the event which will be streamed live around the world. Australian tourism is sponsoring the big budget shindig.

What a way to party!

Attention New York Partiers!

Diddy is offering free cab rides to New Yorkers this New Year’s Eve .

Diddy and Ciroc premium vodka have teamed up with City Taxi & Limousine Commission and E! Entertainment to distribute thousands of debit cards, valued up to $15.

Diddy had this to say:
“New York is the world’s most iconic New Year’s Eve City, so let’s lead by example and show everyone that a sophisticated holiday celebration doesn’t just end when the ball drops, but when everyone gets home safely.”

Teams will distribute the debit cards on the streets, in the Times Square and Chelsea’s nightclub areas between 11PM on New Year’s Eve and 3AM on New Year’s Day.

TMZ is reporting that a Florida florist claims Timbaland owes them more than $10,000 in holiday decorations.

The White Tulip Florist in Miami Beach filed the legal papers so they could put a lien on Timbaland’s Miami mansion. Their affidavit alleges he bought $25,850 worth of trees, flowers and lights but has not paid the bill in ful, he still owes them $11,450.

Apparently, Timbaland became enraged when he got their bill and demanded to see the wholesale cost of the items. The florist showed him, but he still was upset and has so far refused to pay the balance.

For your information:

Starpulse has informed Diddy fans what his personal hygiene routine is while he gets in the mood and gets gets ready to go out. He told them the following:

“It takes me an hour and a half to get ready to go out. I meditate for a bit. Then I pick out an outfit that takes 20 minutes. Then I shower, and when I get out of the shower, I don’t towel dry, I air dry. I have air dry fans in my room. Then I do some push ups and crunches. Then I dance around the room a bit.”

I totally dig the dancing around part… I mean doesn’t everyone who is anyone do that?! The air drying? This is something new to me. It seems that Diddy doesn’t like the feeling of towels! This was reported in the UK Sun three years ago… I must have missed that.

He said he never uses towels and that he does use “certain bath salts and bath oils or bath and shower gels then I just walk around, watch the news.”

He is odd.

Taylor Swift shared some of her thoughts and experiences about her previous relationships to Prom Magazine for their spring issue. She’s also the issue’s cover girl.

“I was 15 and the oldest out of all my friends to have not kissed a guy,” she tells the magazine. She went on to say that because her first kiss came later to her than the rest of her friends, she doesn’t hold back and writes what she thinks and feels:

“I like to write about boys and relationships, I write songs about the things that happen to me, because it helps me figure them out. Writing songs is like breathing for me.”

Swift used to date Joe Jonas, of the Jonas Brothers, but these days, one of her celebrity crushes is Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford.

Wonder if he ever hears about this would his people get in contact with her people so that he could ask her out to make her dream come true?!