Janet Jackson

After spending time away from the spotlight, Janet Jackson is back and looking gorgeous on Health's December cover. In the interview, Janet talks about working out, the pressures of Hollywood, and growing up in a healthy, disciplined family. Here are the highlights:

• On working out with her trainer: "You know how some people like boot camp, where someone's yelling at you? That's the biggest way to turn me off. That will make me say, 'You know what? I'm not doing this.' But Tony [her trainer] is so sweet. He knows I love sports and games, so that's how he gets me. We'll do obstacle courses."
• On what gets her motivated on the treadmill: "For a good run, I'll listen to old, funky stuff like Roger Troutman or Sly and the Family Stone — something that makes me want to move. Or I'll watch the History Channel or old, classic films."
• On eating fish again after being vegan: "My trainer is constantly in my ear about not getting enough protein, so I started eating fish. When we were growing up, all of us kids were vegetarians. No one had asked me to stop eating meat — I just noticed everyone else around me had stopped, so I followed the crew. And we were doing things like getting colonics, which was really progressive back then, being 11 years old."
• On the scrutiny celebrities get about their weight: "I think it's mean-spirited. People tend to put entertainers on pedestals. We're human beings, just like you. You may see us smiling, and whether we have money or not, we still have bills to pay, we still have our stresses. I think a lot of people want to focus on others' shortcomings to make themselves feel better. And it's a very sad thing."

Glamour magazine played hosted last night at its annual Women of the Year gala in NYC. Fergie, who looked hot in red alongside husband Josh Duhamel, was among the year's honorees, which also included the always classy Queen Rania of Jordan, Donatella Versace, Julia Roberts, Cher, and more. Hilary Swank and Janet Jackson were on hand to present a statue to Donatella. Janet shared kind words about how Donatella was close with both her and her late brother Michael, even dressing them for his memorial service. Kate, meanwhile, introduced Fergie's achievement. Fergie was in tears as she thanked her mom, sister, and husband for letting her get glamorous in their bathrooms all the time.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg handed awards to athletes Lisa Leslie, Mia Hamm, and Lindsey Vonn, but the crowd really went wild when Oprah Winfrey stepped out to present an honor to Julia Roberts. Oprah spoke about Julia's skills as a mom, which is fitting since the actress just created a documentary on motherhood for the daytime queen's upcoming OWN network. Stanley Tucci was last to step out to speak about the humanitarian work done by Cher, who received a plaque and flag from two wounded soldiers from The Heroes Project. It was the magazine's latest star-studded evening celebrating the accomplishments of women, after recently hosting a bash for budding directors Jessica Biel and Eva Mendes.

To see more from the event, just read more

There have been rumblings that For Colored Girls is director Tyler Perry's best work. If that's true, then I fear for what that says about his career as a filmmaker. The movie is based on the Broadway play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, which first hit the stage in 1975. Perry's adaptation is a sloppy effort, as he has foregone any sort of updating or modernization of the 35-year-old production, choosing instead to exploit timeworn clichés to portray the dramatic lives of several African American women living in New York City.

It's a shame, because Perry has many fine actresses in his cast, like Thandie Newton, Phylicia Rashad, Loretta Devine, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg. The movie follows them over the course of a few days, as each character endures a horrific ordeal (think rape, abortion, and physical abuse). Perry is going for a powerful, extravagantly theatrical feeling, but each story plays out like an after-school special.

To read about the problems I had with For Colored Girls, just read more

Tyler Perry has a reputation for formulaic films, but will he fare better working off someone else's material? In his ambitious For Colored Girls (an adaptation of the play), the director rounds up his go-to actresses (Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson) along with a few newbies (Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton) for a harrowing look at love and abuse. It's promising, though somewhat overwrought. Watch when you read more

Janet Jackson slipped into a metallic two-piece swimsuit to lounge outside of an Italian villa today. She kept the bottom half of her bikini body wrapped in a towel, letting her toned abs take in the Sardinia sun. Janet's still sporting the shorter hairstyle that you all seem to prefer over her longer locks, but the focus is all on her rocking body. She looked fantastic performing on the American Idol finale in May, and whatever she's doing to stay healthy these days is clearly working!

To see more Janet, just read more