When Simon Cowell officially announced he was leaving American Idol, he was reportedly offered $400 million (almost half of a BILLION dollars) to stay:

“I was offered a lot to stay but that wasn’t the reason behind going,” “I wanted to do something different. I wanted a new challenge.”

That new challenge is The X Factor Stateside (the U.S. version of the U.K.’s X Factor) where he will be judge and producer.  According to a friend:

“It’s a gamble – you don’t get an Oprah-style contract every day. But Simon is convinced he is doing the right thing”

The U.S. version of the X Factor is supposed to have American Idol former judge Paula Abdul as part of the show.

Do you think American Idol will survive without Simon Cowell?

Photo:  WENN

Milla Jovovich, husband Paul W.S. Anderson and their adorable baby girl Ever Anderson hit the Cold Water Park in Beverly Hills.  I love those cheeks!!

Milla’s movie, The Fourth Kind hits DVD & Blu-Ray in March where she stars as a psychologist who discovers frighting similarities amongst her patients in regards to alien abductions. It was released on November 6, 2009 theatrically and made $45.5 million domestically.

But not to worry, Milla has a few other projects that you will be seeing her in according to imdb.

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Photos:  WENN

Zoe Saldana is teaming up with Avon to bring you Eternal Magic a fragrance that will be available April, 2010. She looks positively gorgeous in that dress.  She says the scent:

“takes inspiration from the rare Princess Monaco Rose”

On working with Avon:

“It means so much to me to be associated with a company that shares my values and believes in empowering women”

The feelings are mutual according to Geralyn Breig, Senior Vice President and President of Avon North America:

“We are thrilled to have Zoe as the spokesperson for Eternal Magic,” “Every woman wants to be unforgettable and Zoe perfectly embodies that feeling. She’s a rising star in Hollywood and has built a strong reputation for playing empowering characters that leave a lasting impression.”

Here is a video of her talking about the campaign and some behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot.