"Dirty Dancing" star Jennifer Grey smiled triumphantly and shared a long embrace with partner Derek Hough as she collected the Mirror Ball trophy Tuesday night, winning the 11th season competition. Bristol Palin finished third, failing to overcome low judges' scores throughout the season 11 competition. "I didn't think I was going to compete tonight—and I'm really glad I did!" said Gray, referring to a slipped disc that made her perfromance doubtful earlier in the day. Second were Disney Channel favorite Kyle Massey and his partner Lacey Schwimmer. Backstage afterward, with Hough at her side, Grey said, "I am stunned. It is such a sweet thing at the end of such a tricky, tumultuous journey, and it was so worth every second of it. Getting to dance these amazing dances with this incredibly talented man was the chance of a lifetime and I am so grateful that I didn't miss it." The two-hour finale featured the return of eliminated contestants David Hasselhoff and Margaret Cho. Two contestants who couldn't make it were Michael Bolton, who is performing in London and Audrina Patridge, who was recovering from a virus.
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"Dancing with the Stars" officials admitted that "record" numbers of votes flooding in Monday night caused some "glitches" in tabulating all the votes, which "affected each finalist equally." Some speculated that the influx of votes was a reaction to fan favorite Bristol Palin again being slammed by the judges, who placed her behind Jennifer Grey and Kyle Massey. The statement about the voting glitch said, "Due to a record amount of activity, some viewers reported experiencing difficulties registering their votes for the 'Dancing with the Stars' finale, which affected each finalist equally. The issue was promptly addressed and voting lines remained open online until 11 a.m. ET on abc.com." All three sets of finalists had to again perform their lowest-rated dance, which required Palin and partner Mark Ballas, seen at left, redo the monkey jive that had left them embarrassed in the first round when they chose to wear gorilla suits. For their second dance, the couples each did a freestyle -- Palin and Ballas chose one inspired by the play "Chicago." But judge Bruno Tonioli told the couple that the dance "was not quite at the level" expected of a final night performance.
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Before the finale, Bristol's 16-year-old sister, Willow, said in a suspiciously well-worded statement to EOnline that she and her family were "focusing on a special event—Bristol and Mark's appearance in the 'Dancing With the Stars' finals. Nothing said today will take away how proud we are of Bristol and her grit and determination that got her this far." Willow then dismissed a Life & Style story in which former classmates said they had seen her buy marijuana and "chug" vodka last year. "It is disappointing to see people who claim they know me to sell stories," Willow Palin's statement said. "As for people accusing me of being at a party over a year ago, the accusations are ridiculous. The same people saying this were also the ones attacking my family on Facebook. Unfortunately some people have learned that there are publications that will pay money for stories, no matter how misleading. Nevertheless, I recognize that my family has been given a great honor and privilege to make a difference in this country, and even though I am just 16, more is expected of me."
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Former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman cannot use his dead wife's financial assets to defend himself against charges that he murdered her. Monica Burgos Beresford-Redman's sisters, Jeane Van Bastelaar and Jeane Burgos, won a ruling that their sister's assets "may not be sold, encumbered or transferred without Court order ... Specifically, Bruce Beresford-Redman does not have the authority to encumber Monica's interest." The sisters filed the petition days after Bruce was arrested in California, where he is still in custody, awaiting extradition to Mexico to face charges of second-degree murder.
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Just seven months after their son was born, "Single White Female" star Jennifer Jason Leigh and director Noah Baumbach are getting divorced. Leigh, whose real name is Jennifer Morrow, filed for divorce on Nov. 15 in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences, People reports. The actress is seeking spousal support as well as primary custody of their son, Rohmer, with visitation for Baumbach. They met in 2001 and married four years later. Days after the wedding, at the premiere of his film "The Squid and the Whale," Baumbach told People, "I expect to be with [Leigh] for the rest of my life."
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"L.A. Ink" star Kat Von D lost all her possessions and her pet cat Valentine when her Los Angeles home burned down over the weekend. Von D posted a photo of the hairless Sphinx cat and wrote on Twitter, "R.I.P. My little Valentine." She later posted a photo of herself standing near the charred remains of the house, left, writing, "In order to gain everything, you must lose everything." Von D is in Canada to promote her second book, "The Tattoo Chronicles," and says she will continue with the book tour.
-- Anne Neville
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