And why are birthdays such polarizing affairs? Did Jessica Simpson buy her own engagement ring? Did Britney's insanity make her parents fall back in love? Tuesday gossip is a toddler who keeps asking, "Why?"

  • What happened to pretty Anne Hathaway at her fancy birthday dinner? She was with her boyfriend and parents at Tocqueville when "Everyone got pretty quiet. She left crying, and then her boyfriend followed her, but her parents remained." Anne's publicist denies it (she stepped out for "a phone call") but an onlooker heard her dad say, "Let not talk about it tonight, it's her birthday." Like Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, adult birthdays are polarizing: Either everyone claps merrily, or someone runs out of the room crying. That said, between stories like this one and her last trainwreck relationship, are you starting to get the feeling that pretty Annie is a bit of a drama magnet? [P6]

Taylor Swift tells Allure she has "a phobia about being in the wrong relationship." Does this girl ever talk about anything besides her love life? [Allure, Us]

  • After eight years of separation, Britney Spears' parents appear to be back together. Did Brit's insanity bring them back together? Jamie Lynn's baby? Or is getting over all that why they can now reunite? [Us]
  • John Travolta and Kelly Preston are preparing for a silent Scientology birth: "The couple will follow the church's guidelines during delivery. No music, no talking and no screaming will be allowed during the pains of labor. Also their new son cannot be prodded for medical tests or spoken to for the first seven days of his life. You don't want to do anything that will haunt them for the rest of their lives." Last time Kelly gave birth, she begged for an epidural after thirteen hours of labor, but didn't get it. (Apparently there was a traffic jam.) Scientology beard-wives: Long-suffering. [Popeater]
  • Yesterday we ogled Jessica Simpson's ruby engagement ring. Now, speculation that Jess bought it for herself. Fiance Eric Johnson is unemployed, and though he "made a little money in the NFL and is from a wealthy family," a "friend" suspects he didn't have the cash. Then again, if he's marrying Jessica, it's not like he needs to save his pennies for anything else. [Popeater]
  • Speaking of weddings, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have finally set a date. Early December. [Radar]
  • Sometimes being Tom Cruise sounds fun: He rented a Dubai go-kart dome and raced around with 75 friends. Other times, being Tom Cruise sounds like an extended montage of painful, closeted longing: Possible object of flirtation Jeremy Renner was at the go-kart party, too. [P6]
  • Mike Tyson wants to be a restaurateur. Ear tartare for all! [P6]
  • The director of Lindsay Lohan's Linda Lovelace biopic is working on a "plan B." What a bummer for him, if the only thing that comes of this mess is one junkie photoshoot. [Radar]

Rihanna got a new hairdo. It's long, but still red. Now she looks less like Raggedy Ann and more like the Little Mermaid. [DailyMail, image via Getty]

  • Leeza Gibbons got engaged. Man, it's been a long time since I've heard that name. [People]
  • Janet Jackson and Oprah are feuding over Oprah's interview with Michael's kids. Miss Janet thinks Oprah took advantage of the kids. Also, the interviewed air back-to-back with a show Oprah did about 200 men who were sexually molested. Awkward! [NationalEnquirer]
  • Shut up, Speidi. [ET]