Tom Hanks Helps Bring Radios and Education to Africa

Two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, dad of Colin, 30, and the U.S. Ambassador of the Freeplay Foundation, has lent his voice and his autograph to benefit learning programs in Africa.

The Freeplay Foundation produces Lifeline radios, the first radios ever produced specifically for use in humanitarian projects. They are not sold commercially, but are used in Africa for distance-learning programs in English, math, science and life skills. Powered by hand crank and a solar panel, the radios do not require batteries or electricity – crucial in a region that is home for some of the poorest people in the world.

"The Lifeline radio can change the world – one person, one house, one village at a time,” said Tom. “The beauty of the Freeplay Foundation is the radio itself and the immediacy of its mission: To put radios in the hands of people who need them. Lifeline radios can make a positive impact from the moment they are turned on in one of the villages.”

The name Lifeline comes from the radio’s primary audience of orphaned children in Rwanda. Experts estimate that more than 800,000 orphaned children live in Rwanda, many in child-led households run by an older sibling, due to the 1994 genocide and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region.

"The first time I held a Lifeline, I felt like I was carrying all of the promise of the modern world in my hand,” remembers Tom. “Music can come out of the sky without batteries being tossed into landfills. Information can be sent and received, and voices of freedom can be heard. All by winding up this little box.”

The actor autographed 10 Freeplay Lifeline Radios for auction, and they will be on sale until Feb. 1. Winning bidders will also receive a personal letter and signed photo from Tom.

The charity auction is hosted by eBay Giving Works, eBay’s dedicated program for charity listings, and is accessible on eBay.com. More information on the Freeplay Foundation can be found at http://www.freeplayfoundation.org

Father and Aussie Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead

Heath Ledger, dad to Matilda Rose, 2, was found dead at his New York residence on Tuesday, a police spokesman confirmed to the Associated Press. The NYPD spokesman tells AP that Heath, 28, had a massage appointment at his Manhattan apartment yesterday afternoon. When the housekeeper went to alert Ledger the masseuse was there, she found him dead at around 3:26 p.m.

The Australian actor, 28, was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 2005 for "Brokeback Mountain." It was on this set that he met and, according to friends, fell "in love at first sight," with actress Michelle Williams.

Together, they welcomed baby Matilda on Oct. 28, 2005. Heath and Michelle split in 2007.

American women, myself included, fell head over heels for Heath when he starred in the teen romance "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1998. On a personal note, he was my first celebrity interview, when I worked at Daily Variety, my first writing job, and was very kind to me even though I was very obviously nervous.

More details to come on the cause of Heath's death. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

Hollywood Moms and Dads Indulge Themselves at Sundance

Mommywood hears that Sundance-going celebs scored some great freebies this past weekend at Sundance in between watching some of the best films of the year. Here’s the lowdown on which Hollywood moms and dads picked up what at the most star-studded swag suite in Park City: the Kari Feinstein Style Lounge.

Felicity Huffman, mom of Sofia, 6, and Georgia, 4, seems to be putting her writers’ strike downtime to good use by focusing on fitness. The weekend, the onetime Oscar nominee designed a pair of one-of-a-kind running shoes at the Reebok booth and ordered an Elliptical machine and a treadmill for her and her husband, William F. Macy. Felicity, 45, was all smiles at the Style Lounge-- “so polite and grateful,” as our source reports.

Newly engaged parents-to-be Jessica Alba and Cash Warren scooped up outdoorsy swag like V-Moda headsets and TundraGear hats at the Style Lounge on Saturday. They came back again on Sunday just to hang out and grab some coffee!

Dad of newborn twins Dennis Quaid, in Sundance promoting his film, “Smart People,” also stopped by to grab some swag, although he left the bling at the suite, and hauled away something much more practical. Dennis pickled up dimmers from Lutron home lighting -- perfect for the babies’ rooms. Now he and wife Kimberly can check on their little ones without having to blast all the lights in the midnight hour.

Celebumoms and Dads Rule Oscar Nominations!

Our favorite Hollywood moms and dads have a chance to take home Oscar this year at the 80th annual Academy Awards. 

Up for Best Actor this year are Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd”) and Tommy Lee Jones (“In the Valley of Elah”), both dads of two; Daniel Day-Lewis (“There Will Be Blood”), dad of three; and Viggo Mortensen (“Eastern Promises”), father of one. Bachelor George Clooney (“Michael Clayton”) is also nominated.

Supporting Actor nods went to Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Charlie Wilson’s War”), Tom Wilkinson (“Michael Clayton”), and Casey Affleck “The Assisnation of Jesse James”), all dads of two (Casey just welcomed his second child this month), and Hal Holbrook (“Into the Wild”), dad of three. Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) is also up for the award.

Cate Blanchett (“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), mom of two (with another one on the way!), is up for Best Actress, sharing the category with Laura Linney (The Savages”), Marion Cotlillard (“La Vie En Rose”), Julie Christie (“Away From Her”) and Ellen Page (“Juno”).

Celebumoms in the Supporting Actress category are Cate Blanchett (yes, for another role, in “I’m Not There”— she’s amazing in it!), Ruby Dee (“American Gangster), mom of three, and Tilda Swinton (“Michael Clayton”), mom of two. Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”) and Amy Ryan (“Gone Baby Gone”) finish out the nominees for the category.

So, who will win? My votes are for Viggo for Best Actor, Philip S-H for Supporting, Cate for Best Actress, and -- why not! -- Cate for Supporting, as well.

But we’ll have to wait until February 24th (ABC, 5 pm PT/8 pm ET) to find out who takes home those little gold men, and, perhaps more importantly, who wears what! I can’t wait to see all the gowns, especially with so many great actresses pregnant and glowing. I love the dresses Halle Berry and Cate have worn in past years. It will be interesting to see what amazing sheaths they’ll don to showcase their growing baby bumps!

The Daily Baby

News of Heath Ledger's sudden death have reached ex-girlfriend and mother of their daughter, Michelle Williams, in Sweden filming her next movie. "She's devastated," says a source close to the actress told People Magazine. The couple had broken up, but friends remember Heath a doting and loving father. "He was absolutely in love with his daughter," says another one of People's sources. "And he really liked what he did [acting]. He spoiled [Matilda] rotten. He was playful and very funny with her."

An initial autopsy to find the cause of Heath's death has not determined much yet. "The autopsy was inconclusive," New York City Medical Examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said. "We have to do further testing  including toxicology and tissue testing. Neither cause of death or manner of death has been concluded." The coroner's office expects to have additional results in about 10 days.

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On the eve of the first part of his tell-all interview with Entertainment Tonight, Adnan Ghalib is back together with Britney Spears, Perez Hilton reports.

The two went to a Greek restaurant and hit up Pinkberry yogurt last night.

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Yankees ball player Alex Rodriguez and wife Cynthia announced they are expecting a daughter. She will join big sister, Natasha, now 2 1/2.

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