Lending a Helping Hand

Former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has generously been playing mortgage lender to family members to get them on the property ladder.

The 66-year-old serial real estate flipper, with her former actress wife Portia de Rossi, has been dishing out home loans to relatives wanting to get a property, according to the London Daily Mail, my former employer.

Mortgage documents and deeds accessed by the newspaper reveal DeGeneres and de Rossi, 51, have lent millions to their respective brothers – comedian-actor Vance DeGeneres, 69, and Michael Rogers – to buy listed homes in California. 

Vance and wife Joanne purchased a three bedroom, four bath house in Sherman Oaks for $1,439,000 in 2015, taking out a loan for the full amount.

And records reveal the dynamic duo have been even more generous to Portia’s brother Michael Rogers, who purchased a stunning four bedroom, four bath home in our Eden by the Beach, complete with a pool, for $4.9 million in May 2014.

Rogers and his wife Casey took out a loan with Ellen and Portia for the same amount – $4,905,420 at the same time.

A Tall Farewell

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry certainly knows how to make a statement!

The former Dos Pueblos High student, who has left the hit ABC TV show American Idol after seven seasons as a judge, took to the stage in a towering 20-foot-tall dress featuring the faces of every top 24 contestant that appeared on the show during her tenure.

The fun frock ultimately featured a total of 168 faces on it and was so elaborate it took a team of seven people to transport it around the set.

“It was a fun surprise because I was rising up and you just saw more and more contestants,” Katy told Entertainment Tonight.

‘The Voice’ Revisited

Montecito rocker Adam Levine is returning to the TV show The Voice for the first time since departing NBC’s long running competition show in 2010.

The Maroon 5 frontman will return as a coach for season 27 next year alongside John Legend, Michael Bublé, and newcomer Kelsea Ballerini.

Adam, who left The Voice after 16 seasons in 2019, is the second longest serving coach other than Blake Shelton, who exited the show last year.

The Payphone hitmaker won the show’s inaugural season in 2011 with Javier Coulson, then again with Tessanne Chin in season five, lastly with Jordan Smith in season nine.

At the time, he reportedly walked away from an annual $30 million to stay with the show.

House on the Market

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is selling her home in Brentwood.

The Oscar winner, 51, has put her 8,000 square foot Los Angeles mansion up for sale as her son Moses, 18, heads off to college.

The estate, which features a guest house complete with a movie theater and extensive wine cellar, is up for grabs for $29.99 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Goop founder purchased the home with her ex-husband Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 47, in 2012 for $9.95 million. The former pair have son Moses, as well as daughter Apple, 20, together.

The house, built in 1950 and renovated in 2009, is situated on one third of an acre in Mandeville Canyon. It has eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, including a one-bedroom apartment above the house’s garage.

Backyard Nuptials

CBS anchor Gayle King’s son, William Bumpus Jr., 37, and his fiancé Elise Smith tied the knot at Oprah Winfrey’s Montecito estate at the weekend.

Oprah, 70, was also involved in planning the activities and arranged for fireworks to go off as the bride and groom made their exit after the lavish East Valley Road event.

King said on the am network show “the color of the day was blue,” but Smith wore a white strapless Amsale wedding gown to walk down the aisle.

Local Couple has Birthday Party for their Children

Prince Harry and his actress wife Meghan Markle kicked off the third birthday celebrations for their daughter, Princess Lilibet, early with a pre-birthday bash at their $14 million Riven Rock estate.

Among the guests at the fun fête were close friends and family, and some of Lilibet’s friends.

Harry, 39 and Meghan, 42, have adopted the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as the last name of their children.

Using their titles as the children’s last names follows the tradition historically used by members of the Royal Family.

Sightings

Katy Perry and British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom at neighbor Ellen DeGeneres’ new comedy show at Largo in L.A… Gwyneth Paltrow, her actress mother Blythe Danner, Katy Perry, and her daughter Daisy Dove at Lotusland… Actor Rob Lowe picking up smoothies at Pierre LaFond.

Pip! Pip!