Dancing With The Stars’ Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy make an appearance (as a couple?) at the Country Music Awards in Nashville last night where Carrie Underwood snagged Video of the Year for ‘Cowboy Casanova‘ and Performance of the Year for ‘Temporary Home‘.

Keith Urban won Male Video of the Year for ‘Til Summer Comes Around‘ and thanked his wife and acknowledged the devasation by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

“Baby girl, I love you so much,” “I want to send my deepest love and prayers out to all the families around the gulf, who are going through an insane time right now,” he said. “We’ve never seen anything like this – emotions I can’t even find words for as I watch this thing happening on TV.”

Other celebrities pictured on the red carpet:

• Taylor Swift
• Hayden Panettiere
• Faith Hill
• Trisha Yearwood
• Sheryl Crow
• Tim McGraw
• Julianne Hough
• Kenan Thompson
• David Spade,
• Kid Rock
• Joe Nichols
• Danny Gokey

and lots more.

Pictures and winners’ list after the break

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Last night’s winners of the Dancing With The Stars‘ disco ball trophy, Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough, along with the other two finalists Evan Lysacek, Anna Trebunskaya, Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are in New York today to make the talk show circuit and are pictured here on Good Morning America this morning.

The first video is of all 6 of them in the studio and the second video is of them outside taking questions from the audience and via email.

One question of course was whether Maksim and Erin are dating to which they sidestepped the question quite well, although Erin ‘slipped up’ and referred to him as my man. One thing is for sure, they aren’t answering the question point blank.

Derek gave some lucky girl in the audience a hug and dipped her

It’s hard to believe the season is over.

Pictures after the break

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Derek Hough and Mark Ballas both celebrated their birthdays (May 17 and May 24 respectively) last night at the H Lounge in Los Angeles after Derek and Nicole’s perfect Argentine Tango.

Lots of their Dancing With The Stars’ friends (both past and present) came to wish them a happy birthday:

• Anna Trebunskaya
• Ashley Roberts
• Chelsie Hightower
• Cheryl Burke
• Edyta Sliwinska
• Erin Andrews
• Evan Lysacek
• Jake Pavelka
• Lacey Schwimmer
• Louie Vito
• Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• Tony Dovolani
• Vienna Girardi

Pictures after the break

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The View’s Elizabeth Hasselbeck is coming under a lot of fire from the Dancing With The Stars pros and celebrities and rightly so.  In regards to Erin Andrews‘ costumes, Elizabeth had this to say:

“In light of what happened … and as inexcusable as it was for that horrific guy to go in and try to peep on her in her hotel room … I mean, in some way if I [was] him, I [would be] like, ‘Man! I just could’ve waited 12 weeks and seen this — a little bit less — without the prison time!’”

I understand Elizabeth is very conservative but that is akin to saying ‘she was asking for it’ or girls that dress provocatively are asking for it which is beyond STUPID but also exonerates rapists, and predators from their actions, not to mention shows her complete ignorance.  As a woman and a mother (of a daughter!) Elizabeth needs to get her head out of her ass.

Erin cried when she heard what she had to say and responds:

“I think people can have opinions about the show, but my biggest complaint is she’s a woman and a mother and it was a mockery of something I’ve lived through this last year. … I felt like it was a slap in the face for victims of stalkers and victims of sexual predators.”

Erin’s dance partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy came to her defense:

“”I’m the one designing [Andrews'] dresses for the show, so I’ll just assume that [Hasselbeck] is jealous… and stupid….

Dance pro Louis Van Amstel Twittered to Elizabeth:

“Why did u have to throw @erinandrewsespn under the bus this morning? Shame on [you] … Leave her alone. Aren’t u all working for the same network ABC/ESPN???? U should have each other’s back, not trashtalk Erin.”

Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek even weighed in on it:

“So disappointed that anyone would attack [her] after all she’s been through.”

The fact that it was men who came to Erin’s defense of Elizbabeth’s view should tell her a lot.  What is considered sexy is a very subjective thing.  Are women supposed to dress according to what doesn’t set a freak off? What if turtlenecks gets some psycho all worked up?  Should we cease to wear those as well?  Should everyone stop living and going out because of Terrorists? Where is the logic in what she was suggesting?

Let’s stop making excuses for inexcusable behaviour (sexual assaults, stalking, and predator-like behaviour) and teach people what is allowable and what isn’t.

Women changing the way they dress does not address the real issue.  Elizabeth really owes Erin an apology not to mention shut her pie-hole.

Update:  On todays The View, Elizabeth was very apologetic (she cried and she did appear sincere) and mentioned she personally called Erin to apologize.  While that is good (and appropriate) I think she still doesn’t realize the ‘message’ her comment conveyed.

Photo:  KOKOPIX/WENN

My heart goes out to Dancing With The Stars (and ESPN reporter) Erin Andrews because she can’t seem to catch a break.  First there was the  freak Michael David Barrett who videotaped her in her hotel room without her knowledge (or consent of course) and posted it on the internet and now she’s receiving emails that started out in a sexual manner and have now escalated to threats.

Law enforcement officials tell TMZ that the FBI is hesitant to make an arrest because they believe the dude is engaging in ‘free speech’ which is protected.  Heaven forbid we not let him have his free speech.  That is so much more paramount than her safety and well-being isn’t it?  Why do victims have fewer rights than do the ‘alleged’ (f*ck I hate that word) perpetrators?  TMZ has an example of this guy’s ‘free speech’:

“I would like to see if Erin Andrews can dance her way through a hail of gunfire. Better yet I would love to shoot her with a Barrett rifle.

TMZ then writes:

Get the pun — her stalker was mr. Barrett and the barrett rifle is an ultra expensive 50 cl. rifle with a range over a mile.”

But that’s just some dude exercising his right to free speech, don’t you know? Apparently the emails started in September of 2009 and turned violent and threatening in March of 2010.

TMZ also adds that the writer of the emails is 6’9″ and very bulky.

Photo:  WENN

ESPN reporter Erin Andrews leaves dance rehearsals with her Dancing With The Stars’ partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy after her stalker was sentenced to 30 months in jail for secretly taping her nude  in her hotel room and posting it to the internet.  He not only taped her but 16 other women and posted it on the internet.  My heart goes out to her.  She appeared on Good Morning America a couple of days ago (the morning after his sentence) with her lawyers and it’s a good interview although, clearly disturbing and sad.  I’ve included that video if you are interested.

Four more sleeps until the premiere on Monday March 22.  The heat is on!  Also leaving dance rehearsals were Pussycat Doll’s Nicole Scherzinger and her dance pro the yummy Derek Hough, Shannon Doherty, Buzz Aldrin, Soap Star Aiden Turner and his dancing pro Edyta Sliwinska.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Photos:  Fame Pictures