Nikki Blonsky's biggest dream came true when she was plucked out of obscurity to star in the movie version of "Hairspray," but the young actress saw a much darker side of the business when she made tabloids for an airport brawl between the star, her dad and former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Bianca Golden and her mother. Ever since the incident, Blonsky tells us she's had a much harder time trusting people. "I've always been a very trusting person. I've trusted everybody who's come into my life. I don't trust as much now. I don't bring down my guard as much," she admits. "I was just sitting in an airport and got the life beaten out of me. That's one of the hardest parts of being a celebrity. People try to take you down for no reason."

  While both parties claim the other is at fault, Blonsky remains adamant that she and her father are innocent. "It's amazing to me how evil and destructive people can be to try and turn a good, tight family around just to get publicity for themselves because they're not that successful in their own realm of work. I actually feel bad for her," says Blonsky. "I went out there and got 'Hairspray' on my own. I worked for it. I did six months of auditions, and I wanted it more than anything, and my parents supported me. It's really sad that somebody would try and take another celebrity down purely just because they're jealous of them and they don't have anything going for themselves. I think God knows the true answers, and we all know that this is just a big ole scam."

Luckily, the "Hairspray" star has much happier things going on in her life, including a Jan. 8 guest spot on "Ugly Betty" where she plays an assistant at Elle who befriends Betty but then heats up an old rivalry. " I was so shocked when I got it because I was such a big fan of the show. I was like, 'My favorite TV show wants me on it!?' It was probably one of the top two experiences of my life."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "Things have changed drastically. We went from ghetto brothers to famous brothers," says Chance, the "I Love New York" finalist, who is now starring in his own VH1 dating show "Real Chance of Love" along with his brother Real. The guys, whose real names are Kamal and Ahmad Givens, have become instant reality TV stars for VH1 thanks to their larger-than-life personalities. However, Real tells us their wild antics have nothing to do with being on television.

"This is real life. This ain't no gimmick," he says. "A lot of people say reality TV is fake. Me and my brothers, man, we are not fake. Not even by a little bit. What you see is straight up 100 percent real." Ah! Now we know why his nickname is Real.

While the guys are having a good time on their show, where 17 women have been vying for their affection, the brothers want us to know there's a lot more to them than meeting women on TV. "We do a lot of humanitarian stuff," says Chance. "We want to get into a position where we can help other people. We're all about helping people reach their goals. With the housing situations right now, it's bad for people. There's a change coming, and we want to be a part of that."

Real, on the other hand, wants to set the record straight on a different important topic. "I'm tired of everybody comparing us to the Jonas Brothers just because we're brothers who sing together. The Jonas Brothers aren't even black!" Good thing we got that cleared up!

CLASSICALLY SPEAKING: Conductor Carlo Ponti Jr. describes his mom, Oscar-winning film icon Sophia Loren, as "a typical, super-worried Italian mother. When I am going to do something, she wants to know, 'Have you ever done this before? Is it going to be difficult? Who are you doing it with?' She cares so much. She is much more nervous than I am when she comes to one of my concerts," he says. "My father, who passed away, sadly, last year, was the opposite. He was such a secure and calm man that when he would come to one of my concerts, he was a calming agent."

The maestro, whose CD of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" and "Night on the Bare Mountain" with the Russian National Orchestra get released next week, credits his director father for steering him in the direction of classical music. "He was famous for having instincts for what people's tendencies were, and it was his suggestion that I become a conductor. I played piano when I was very young, and classical music was always in my life … When I went to a conducting seminar, I just loved it. He was right."

CASTING CORNER: With "Couples Retreat" shooting in Bora-Bora, casting forces on the Vince Vaughn-Jon Favreau-Faizon Love-Jason Bateman flick have been looking for an actress in her forties who can speak with a French accent to play a therapist in the feature. Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and Malin Akerman are the femme leads.

With reports by Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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