Newsmakers

0.cached.png

By Newsweek Editors

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

A Model Replacement
It's not easy to hire a replacement for Elizabeth Hurley. (Just ask Hugh Grant, who wound up in jail when he tried.) But Estee Lauder announced last week that it's dropping the bawdy British actress after seven years. Carolyn Murphy, a stunning blonde who's graced countless covers but remains a relative unknown outside the fashion world, will serve as the cosmetics empire's new "face" in nearly all print and television ads. Lauder execs publicly insist they were "just ready for a change," but one well-placed source says they were looking for a respite from Hurley's tabloid "trashiness." "Carolyn's a working mother," says Aerin Lauder, vice president of global advertising. "She's married. She talks about her grandmother. And that's important to us as a family company." Estee Lauder wasn't ready to lose Hurley's celebrity capital altogether, however. She'll keep making public appearances and will hawk Intuition perfume. Although Lauder group president Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne insists the two beauties will be "perfect partners," he admits that "the person you'll see everywhere will be Carolyn." And that's something the 28-year-old says she's not quite ready for. "When I first get off a plane and see myself at the duty-free, I'll admit it's going to be strange," she jokes. "My face will be haunting everyone for quite some time." Well, it'll sure be haunting Liz.

A Family of Champions
So what if Venus overpowered baby sis Serena in two quick sets at the U.S. Open. It was really a victory for the whole Williams family. The famously cocky clan has been bragging for years that the siblings were the best in the world--and now they've proved that claim in prime time. They may not be technically ranked No. 1 (Martina Hingis is holding on by her fingernails), but their no-holds-barred performance proves that when these two raise their racquets, everyone else on court should run for cover.

He's Got Moves
It says something about the MTV Video Music Awards that Britney Spears can set "I'm a Slave 4 You" (complete with whipping sounds) in an African jungle and it's not the bad-taste call of the night. That dubious distinction goes to Mudvayne, the death-metal band that claimed their MTV2 award while covered in "blood" from fake bullet wounds on their foreheads. "I want to die," explained one member. "I wanted to see what I'll look like in a few months." (They seemed to shake their suicidal malaise at the after-party, where they were spotted schmoozing and yelling for their limo.) But the gimmick of the night belonged to MTV itself, which transformed a rendition of 'N Sync's "Pop" into a surprise homage to the self-proclaimed king of said genre. Michael Jackson, in town for his self-tribute, dropped in just long enough to dance rings around the boy band du jour. Jacko may be frail and 43, but he's still a thriller.

Read More on News