Blogamole › Wilmer Valderrama

By Reynaldo Casas

It's a cold, dreary Saturday morning in Brooklyn, NY but on the inside of St. Francis College, the gym está muy caliente filled with 250 vibrant, young Latinos eager to hear from two educational experts on paying for college and giving back to their community. Oh...and did I mention that they were also eager to hear from the beautiful and talented Kat DeLuna and the handsome, successful entertainment mogul, Wilmer Valderrama?

The event was organized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and it was one of their many Ready to Lead Program events, which provide Latino high school students with college-admission and financial aid information, to prepare them as they begin their journey into college. CHCI not only motivates them to complete high school, but also empowers them to serve and lead in their communities and explains how college is achievable for everyone.

Wilmer and Kat rocked the auditorium with some inspirational words of wisdom and shared their experiences of growing up as young Latinos and how they have succeeded in the entertainment industry. Wilmer is the National Spokesperson for CHCI’s Ready to Lead Program and has been so for a few years now.

To everyone's pleasant surprise, Kat gave an impromptu performance of her Billboard smash hit, "Wind Me Up" at the request of a young person in the audience. For more information on CHCI’s Ready to Lead Program, go to this page.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, CHCI, Kat DeLuna, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

If you think about it, Latino filmmakers have always seemed to have a good amount of indie street cred. Guillermo del Toro started out creating low budget masterpieces, as did Biutiful’s Alejandro González Iñárritu. And now, several new Hispanic directors are hoping to make a mark too, with their selections at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

One of the most anticipated features screening at Sundance was directed by Edward James Olmos' son, Michael. Filly Brown has already been garnering a ton of buzz and not just for its gritty plot. This movie's got an unrecognizable Jenni Rivera in the lead role, playing a tough incarcerated mother.

Mosquita y Mari is another selection that has been wowing the critics. Directed by newcomer Aurora Guerrero, this heart-wrenching drama follows the lives of two young Latinas who may be more than "just friends." Guerrero told the Huffington Post that she's extremely proud of this movie and its message to Latinos who are struggling with their sexuality.

"I think immigrant Latinos and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people have been portrayed in [film in] ways that aren't accessible to people largely because they have been written from a place of fear and hate," she explained. "I hope to provide...an opportunity for Latino families to engage in dialogue about issues of desire and sex, not just the same sex, but desire in general."

Clearly the dialogue is already happening, as Mosquita y Mari has been dominating independent movie blogs for weeks.

Spanish director Rodrigo Cortes has assembled an all-star cast for his Sundance feature, Red Lights. Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, and Cillian Murphy all star in this supernatural drama which is certain to acquire big studio distribution before the year is out.

Other interesting Latino selections include Argentina's The Last Elvis. Set in the world of Presley impersonators, it's actually supposed to be a very touching story. Too bad they couldn't nab Bruno Mars for the lead.

Violeta In Heaven should be a very strong contender in the biopic category. Based on the life of Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra, it's supposedly filled with great music and has a breakout performance by Francisca Gavilán.

And as far as the short films go, Una Hora Por Favor should provide plenty of laughs throughout its 13-minute runtime. Wilmer Valderrama stars with SNL vet Michaela Watkins in what's described as a race-relations, paternalized immigration comedy.

You can check out all of the Sundance movies by visiting the festival's official site.

What's your favorite independent movie? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Aurora Guerrero, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Filly Brown, Francisca Gavilán, Jenni Rivera, Michael Olmos, Michaela Watkins, Mosquita y Mari, Movies & CineMás, Red Lights, Rodrigo Cortes, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival, The Last Elvis, Una Hora Por Favor, Violeta In Heaven, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

It's been quite an eventful few days. This past weekend, there were Hanukkah candles, Christmas parties, and Kwanzaa celebrations in full force around the world. And in good old La La Land, plenty of our favorite celebs made sure to kick off the festivities too.

Justin Bieber pulled out all the stops and surprised a childhood friend in Canada with his gift: a Ford Mustang convertible.

Hanukkah (which started last week) proved to be quite a popular topic among Hollywood Tweeters.

Bieber also made a point to issue Hanukkah shout outs to several of his Jewish friends.

"Happy Hanukkah @dankanter @yaelkanter @allisonkaye @carinmb @scooterbraun," he wrote.

Private Practice’s Taye Diggs posted:

"Yo! Wishing all of my funky fresh Jewish folks Happy Chanukah!!! Light it up, y'all! (the menorah)".

And Ryan Seacrest confessed his love for Jewish food during the "Eight Crazy Nights."

"I'm not Jewish but the dinner menus tonight makes me wish I were! Happy Hanukkah to all u guys celebrating," he posted.

Christmas happened to fall on a Sunday, but the night before stirred up a ton of celebrity Twitpix. Alyssa Milano posted an adorable snap of her baby son Milo in a Santa Claus outfit. And, as expected, the Kardashian clan made their holiday presence known too. Kourtney’s son Mason posed alongside Uncle Rob and Kylie Jenner for a very cute instagram portrait.

"Wanna tweet a pic of @RobKardashian in his holiday pajama's!" big sister Kim Tweeted. "But he won't let me! Our fam pj's this year are so cute! We all look like Santa."

Snooki made sure her Twitter fans got some holiday love too. Posing alongside her boyfriend Jionni, the Jersey Shore star joyfully posted,

"My baby at the end of Christmas! We're still celebratin!"

Of course, if you were really eager to stargaze on Christmas, all you had to do was buy a ticket to the L.A. Laker home game opener. Over at SoCal's Staples Center, stars like Kanye West, Adam Levine, Wilmer Valderrama, and George Lopez showed their support for the yellow and gold. Not surprisingly, Vanessa "soon-to-be-ex-Mrs." Bryant made sure to skip that event.

Yesterday, the festivities just kept on coming with the annual celebration of Kwanzaa. The African holiday has gained quite a bit of traction among celebrities, with stars like Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Angelina Jolie honoring its importance in years' past.

This weekend, Tyra Banks made sure to give the holiday a shout out, lumping it in with all of the other big events of the season.

"Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa! However u celebrate, hope u’re having a #FIERCE holiday fam!" she Tweeted.

We’re definitely in support of that notion. And we’re certain this weekend's new year's parties will provide plenty more creative celebrity tweets.

Which holidays were you celebrating this past week? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Adam Levine, alyssa milano, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Christmas, George Lopez, Hanukkah, Holidays, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Kwanzaa, Kylie Jenner, Lakers, Rob Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, Snooki, Taye Diggs, twitter, Tyra Banks, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

Sure we like to poke fun at all of the chisme stories celebrities get entangled in, but when it comes down to it, most of Hollywood has a very big heart. And this weekend brought out a ton of stars helping needy families at Thanksgiving soup kitchens.

Kim Kardashian made a very public appearance at the Los Angeles Mission on Thursday, dishing out turkey and biscuits to hungry So Cal residents. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Zoe Saldana also lent a helping hand, much to delight of their hungry fans.

Elsewhere in the country, famous names like Chris Bosh, Mike Epps, and Lil Wayne made charitable appearances and even handed out whole turkeys. Judging from the pictures that were posted online, it's clear their good tidings were a huge success and helped set a good example to everyone watching giant floats on their TVs.

Positive vibes made their way to the Twitterverse too, with tons of celebrity well-wishers sending out grateful posts for their holiday dinners. Harold & Kumar’s Neil Patrick Harris told his followers what he was most thankful for.

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone. There are so many things to be thankful for this year, I’m very blessed. Hope you had a stress free day," he posted.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi threw in a heart symbol for her holiday tweet.

"Happy Thanksgiving tweedos!!! Enjoy your time with your fam ♥," she wrote.

And several Tr3s faves made sure their fans shared in the turkey day love too.

"Happy Thanksgiving!.. Let's be thankful for what we DO have.. For just breathing fresh air is a blessing. My love to you all!" came from Wilmer Valderrama's account.

Eva Longoria wrote,

"Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Have a beautiful day with your families and give Thanks to God and anyone who contributes to your life!"

And what holiday is complete without a Sofia Vergara tweet? She even added a little Spanglish into her festive post.

"Feliz thanksgiving everybody!" she tweeted.

Of course, not all celebs made their messages about turkeys. This year, several famous bloggers encouraged their fans to skip Thanksgiving's traditional birds and stick with a vegetarian-based dinner.

"Did you know that every year between 250 and 300 million turkeys are bred for slaughter in The United States?" Ellen DeGeneres wrote. "More than 46 million for Thanksgiving alone. So, this Thanksgiving, instead of eating a turkey, please join me in adopting one from Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt A Turkey Project and you can give a turkey something to be thankful for."

Actress Alicia Silverstone backed up her famous friend, writing,

"It's so simple to create a delicious holiday meal without animal cruelty. I promise no one will miss the turkey! Enjoy!"

Don't worry, we're not judging any turkey eaters. But we definitely respect everyone's opinion and all of the stars who were willing to add a little charity into their four-day weekend.

How did you spend Thanksgiving weekend? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Agentes De Cambio, Alicia Silverstone, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Chris Bosh, Ellen DeGeneres, Eva Longoria, Holidays, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Mike Epps, Neil Patrick Harris, Snooki, sofia vergara, Thanksgiving, Wilmer Valderrama, Zoe Saldana

By Sugey Palomares

Wedding season may be over, but Demi Lovato is still catching bouquets and making out with Wilmer Valderrama!

Although the "Skyscraper" singer has been trying to keep the heated romance low key, the new-again couple attended actress Tiffany Thornton's wedding this past week. Lovato served as a bridesmaid and wore a purple mini-dress designed by Max Azira. Photographers captured Demi and Wilmer kissing and hugging after she caught the bouquet during the reception.

She later tweeted:

"PS...Guess who caught the bouquet...ME!

We are happy to see Demi so happy after having a rough year. We give this couple our approval. Do you?

Tags Celebrities, Chisme, Demi Lovato, Música, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

Time to break out the microscopes! Demi Lovato tweeted a very interesting picture this past weekend that may or may not have a celebrity guest in it. Shot at a L.A. Halloween party, the photo shows Lovato, two friends, and someone who looks a lot like Wilmer Valderrama!

Demi, who still claims to be single, has been linked with Valderrama for months now. They first supposedly started dating in January (right after she broke up with Joe Jonas), then cooled it down by early summer.

But now, it looks like the romance is back on! Or at least it possibly is. Several gossip bloggers are still unsure whether or not the mysterious Latino in the background is Wilmer.

So far, both camps are staying mum on the picture. But upon closer inspection, it sure looks like Valderrama to us. Unless it's that mischievous web star, Eduardo Fresco!

Do you think it's Wilmer in the twitpic? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrity Couples, Chisme, Demi Lovato, Halloween, popnews, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

It's hard to believe that the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks happened yesterday. The notorious plane hijackings killed nearly 3,000 people and changed the nation forever. This past weekend brought a ton of tears, commemorations, and prayers for the heroes and victims of that tragic day. And several Latino celebs made sure to share their thoughts about it with a series of heartfelt messages.

"My heart goes out to all the families of the 9/11 victims. God Bless America!" Eva Longoria posted.

Wilmer Valderrama urged his 147,000 Twitter followers to remember the historic day as well, tweeting,

"On this September 11.. Let's remember it as the day we all stood united as one nation under god…Tall and defiant against the face of evil."

Mark Sanchez, who recently launched a t-shirt line to benefit 9/11 widows, showed his support on the field at yesterday's Jets vs. Cowboys game. Played at New York's MetLife Stadium, players from both teams joined members of the FDNY and NYPD for an emotional flag unfurling ceremony.

"I remember hearing it on the radio," Sanchez said when recalling September 11. "We were listening to sports radio in the morning. They talked about a plane hitting one of the (World) Trade Center towers. We watched it all day at school, and that's kind of when I learned, but never in a million years knew that 10 years later I'd be here playing for New York. So, it's a great opportunity for me to respect those people in this area, who have done so well with such a tough tragedy."

Elsewhere in the sports world, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada gave an emotional interview about what it was like to be in New York when the World Trade Center went down.

"I remember watching the Twin Towers, the airplanes and everything," Posada said. "Those were beautiful buildings. It's sad that there's people that have to cause harm. They enjoy another person's pain."

Jorge went on to say how baseball wound up being a good distraction for traumatized New Yorkers and how proud he was to step on the field and play ball for the city.

"It was difficult [going back to Yankee Stadium]. What were we going to say?" he said. "We just had to be there for them and simply support them. They appreciated us a lot."

And of course, what would a day of memorable thoughts be without some love from Chilean guidette Snooki? The Jersey Shore star made sure to thank all of the original first responders and encouraged her followers to support the 9/11 Tribute Movement.

"#Iwill shake a firefighter's hand,” she tweeted. "What will you do this Sept 11? Join the 9/11 Tribute Movement @911day."

How did you commemorate the anniversary of September 11th? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags 9/11, 9/11 Anniversary, 9/11 Tribute Movement, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Celebrities, Eva Longoria, Jorge Posada, Mark Sanchez, September 11th, Snooki, Wilmer Valderrama

By Michael Lopez

Anyone who’s watched That 70’s Show knows that Wilmer Valderrama can definitely deliver laughs. And after a few heavy roles, it looks like he’s getting back to his comedy roots with a hilarious new music video spoof called "The Way I Fiesta."

Directed by Saturday Night Live alum Akiva Schaffer, the clip has Wilmer channeling a suave alter ego named Eduardo Fresco. It’s clear after watching the video that the character of Eduardo is an over-the-top parody of icons like Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull.

From the dancing girls in the club, to the sidekick rapper, to the sleeveless shirt we’ve seen way too many times, Schaffer and Valderrama do a great job of imitating the Latin music world’s cheesiest moments. But the real question is, where does Eduardo go from here?

Wilmer's already promoting the Fresco Twitter page and it's clear that the video had quite a budget behind it. So we’ve got to wonder, could this be leading up a faux Eduardo album? Or maybe even a full-blown movie? It all remains to be seen. But keep up with the Fresco tweets and we're sure you'll find an answer.

What do you think of Wilmer's new video? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Akiva Schaffer, Comedy, Eduardo Fresco, Hot Stuff, music videos, The Way I Fiesta, Wilmer Valderrama

By Simone Hilliard

Just four weeks after her three-month rehab stint for "emotional and physical issues," Demi Lovato appears to be following in the foot steps of that other Disney starlet-turned-rehabber. The Camp Rock star is reportedly dating 31-year-old Wilmer Valderrama, whose celebrity exes include Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mandy Moore, Avril Lavigne and, yes, Lindsay Lohan.

The pair reportedly started dating last May, after Lovato's very public split with Joe Jonas, and have resumed their "friendship" in the last few weeks. Attempting to keep a low profile, the two have been spotted at a Whole Foods in Tarzana and, more recently, at the Sherman Oaks Galleria this weekend, according to Perez Hilton.

While the two do make an undeniably cute couple, we're not sure we get the attraction. Wilmer, who is 13 years Demi's senior, can likely provide her with some much-needed guidance and stability. But what can Demi possibly offer Wilmer?

Perhaps a career revival. The That '70s Show actor hasn't been seen much since his MTV show, Yo Momma, ended its run in 2007. Valderrama also famously dated an 18-year-old Lindsay during the height of her celebrity, after the 2004 box office hit Mean Girls, and just as his 70s Show gig was slowing down. Of course, Lindsay didn't go to rehab until three years later, in 2007, but her career began to spiral on the set of Herbie: Fully Loaded, when some attributed her negative attitude and tardiness to her break-up with Wilmer.

Could the same fate hold true for Demi? As she strives to return to a regular routine, a new relationship could hinder her progress or provoke rehab part deux for the singer. Unless, of course, their burgeoning love led to the back-up dancer beatdown that sent her to rehab in the first place. We may never know, but judging by the length of most Hollywood romances, we just hope Demi keeps herself together when it's all over.

What do you think: Is this true love or a business deal for Wilmer? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Avril Lavigne, Camp Rock, Celebrity Couples, Demi Lovato, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Joe Jonas, Mandy Moore, Mean Girls, That 70's show, Wilmer Valderrama, Yo Momma

By Michael Lopez

If you recall, way back in July we got the word that Spy Kids’ star Alexa Vega was on her way to getting hitched. Well now just a few short months later, 22-year-old Vega and her producer fiancée, Sean Covel, have made it official with a lavish ceremony at a South Dakota opera house!

Just as promised, Robert Rodriguez was right there to walk her down the aisle. Little sister Makenzie Vega (who stars in the show, The Good Wife) was on hand too as a bridesmaid and even Wilmer Valderrama showed up for the ceremony.

Alexa’s new hubby Sean also has some major ties to the entertainment biz, having produced hits like Napoleon Dynamite. There’s no official word on whether any of his movie star buddies were on the guest list, but we’re seriously hoping Pedro made an appearance.

Of course all eyes were most certainly on Alexa, who was said to have looked ravishing in her Ian Stuart gown. Though the pictures haven’t been posted yet, she did send her Twitter followers a funny pic showcasing the massive gifts that have been piling up.

Perhaps Alexa put it best herself, when she Tweeted:

“Ahhhh. I'm married!!!!”

Congrats to the happy couple!

Source: [TV Guide]

Can you believe 'Spy Kid' Alexa Vega is all grown up and married? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Alexa Vega, Hot Stuff, Robert Rodriguez, Spy Kids, Weddings, Wilmer Valderrama