Gawker: defamer, hospitalizations

Mariska Hargitay Update: Richard Belzer Solicits Prayers, Says She's 'OK'

Kyle Buchanan — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:26:14 EST

There's been no new news out of cagey superflack Leslie Sloane Zelnick about Mariska Hargitay's hospitalization for a collapsed lung, but her Law & Order: SVU costar Richard Belzer is finally speaking out.

Today on The View, Belzer briefly confirmed that Hargitay did indeed suffer her injuries in a sledding accident. He pronounced the actress on the mend: "Mariska is doing great. She's absolutely OK. If you believe in it, say a prayer for her. If you don't, send her appealing thoughts...we love you, Mariska."

Previously: Defamer Exclusive: What's Behind Mariska Hargitay's Hospitalization?

Defamer Exclusive: What's Behind Mariska Hargitay's Hospitalization?

Kyle Buchanan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:33:27 EST

According to Access Hollywood, Mariska Hargitay has been hospitalized with a collapsed lung. A Defamer tipster who works on the set of Hargitay's Law & Order: SVU says there's more to the story.

We noticed yesterday night that the Golden Globe-nominated Hargitay didn't show up to the ceremony, and then this morning, our tipster told us that she'd been hospitalized with a collapsed lung while on vacation. Set scuttlebutt had it that the injury was incurred in a skiing accident where the actress collided with something, and that "her lung collapsed and they inflated it and then it collapsed again."

We checked hours ago with Hargitay's rep, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, who cagily denied there had been a skiing accident but refused to comment on allegations from our tipster that Hargitay was indeed hospitalized. Nice dodge, as TMZ is now reporting it was a sledding accident. According to our source, though, the actress is recuperating at the NYU Medical Center and may need surgery; meanwhile, shooting on SVU is being rearranged this week and cancelled for the next. Still, Zelnick insists to Access Hollywood that "she will appear in all episodes for the rest of the season of Law & Order: SVU."

Our best wishes to Hargitay. Developing...

Ailing Patrick Swayze Hospitalized

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:15:37 EST

Patrick Swayze misses TCA's Beast panel, hospitalized for pneumonia. [THR]

Zac Efron down! We repeat, teenybopper heartthrob...

Seth — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:54:26 EST

Zac Efron down! We repeat, teenybopper heartthrob Zac Efron is down! The High School Musical star was rushed to hospital today to have his appendix removed. Efron is recovering nicely, and has agreed to sign the mostly useless, prone-to-rupturing tissue for an eBay celebrity-organ auction, where it's expected to fetch a large sum earmarked for The Children's Appendicitis Fund. [TMZ]

Dave Chappelle Exhausted

Mark — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:46:50 EDT

The shocking news that Dave Chappelle briefly checked into a local emergency room this weekend for "exhaustion," the go-to publicist excuse for suspiciously hospitalized celebrities far, far below the comedian's talent-grade, will in all likelihood invite knee-jerk speculation that another head-clearing trip to Africa is in the offing. But take heart, fans: long unburdened of the dehydration-inducing demands of huge amounts of basic-cable money, Chappelle merely succumbed to the punishing physical effects of his legendary, marathon stand-up sessions, a problem that shouldn't recur once he tightens up his set to to a more manageable three-and-a-half hours.

Dave Chappelle hospitalized for exhaustion [CNN.com]