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Witherspoon, who wore an ethereal Monique Lhuillier cocktail dress to the screening, is definitely not a pushover when it comes to her kids with husband Ryan Phillippe (son Deacon turns 2 on Oct. 23). "I know how much she cares about her family," says Heaven costar Mark Ruffalo. "One thing she said to me is, 'If you're not yelling at your kids, you're not spending enough time with them.' " And she was only too happy to share parenting advice with actor Donal Logue, who also appears in the film. "We were talking about the boundary stuff with the kids – food, TV and influences. It's interesting – she's tougher than I am."
Dance Fever
Get ready to rumba: Her Dancing with the Stars victory divided viewers, and now Kelly Monaco will defend her championship against John O'Hurley in ABC's live Dancing with the Stars: Dance-Off on Sept. 20. So, how does O'Hurley feel about his chances this time around the dance floor? "I think we have a lot more arrows in the quiver than we had last time. I'm certainly in much better shape," he told us at the Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles. "We're going to do some hot and sweaty movement combined with our traditional storied elegance. That's going to be the theme of the night."
The actor has been rehearsing six to seven hours a day, seven days a week with partner Charlotte Jorgensen – and the training hasn't been without its injuries. "I've bruised this poor woman in places you'd think would be unbruisable," admits O'Hurley.
Pause for a Cause
Katie Couric is using her celebrity connections to raise money for a cause near and dear to her heart. The Today show anchor – who co-founded the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (EIF's NCCRA) after the 1998 death of husband Jay Monahan from colon cancer – has banded together stars including Heidi Klum, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Venus and Serena Williams and others to donate signed portraits of them taken by famed photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders during New York's Olympus Fashion Week in February. The portraits are being auctioned off on eBay and all proceeds will go to the EIF's NCCRA.
Bidding for the online sale, which launched on Sept. 9, will close on Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. "Women account for half of all colorectal cancer cases in America," says Couric. "We really want to keep this on the radar screen." To bid, go to www.ebay.com/Olympus.
Caught in the Act
• Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, hanging out at the Rolling Stones concert in New York City. Contrary to reports that Mary-Kate wouldn't be returning to New York University this semester, she has returned to school. "Mary-Kate is back at NYU taking classes," confirms her rep Michael Pagnotta. "She changed her mind. She is not pursuing her independent study outside of New York."
• Charlize Theron, dining at trendy restaurant Japonais in Chicago. The Oscar winner drank dry sake and ate sushi, sashimi and other chef's specials in the eatery's exclusive Red Room with six of her friends. Also on hand, but dining separately: Goldie Hawn.
• By NICHOLAS WHITE, MARISA LAUDADIO, REBECCA PALEY, SHARON COTLIAR, PRIYA MOHAN and LAUREN COMANDER
