Been wondering where Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott has been lately?

I have, considering she had her finger in nearly half the soundtrack of my high school and college years, and I don’t think I’ve heard from her since…the mid 2000s?

Well, according to People magazine (thanks to Caryn Ganz of Yahoo!’s The Amplifier music blog), Missy Elliott has been M.I.A because she’s been battling Graves Disease, an incurable autoimmune disease caused by an overactive thyroid.

The symptoms of Graves Disease include a variety of physical and mental ailments including bulging eyes, goiters, frequent bowel movements, increased sweating, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and nervousness.

Fortunately, Elliott has had success with medication (she’s even lost the 30 pounds the medicine helped her gain!) and plans to release a new album this year (Block Party, which was originally slated for 2006).

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Jennifer Aniston recently got her first tattoo, but rather than some wild drunken tale or declaration of obsession (cough, cough), the reason behind the 42-year-old actress’s decision to finally get some ink after nearly half a century is actually a bittersweet one.

According to Yahoo! Movies, Aniston debuted her ink, a small tattoo of the name “Norman” on the inside of her right foot, last Friday.

Norman was Aniston’s 15-year-old Welsh corgi/terrier mix who passed away last May.

See Aniston’s new tattoo at Yahoo! Movies

I can relate to Aniston’s pet loss pain, as well as the feeling of needing to do something to honor the memory of a lost pet.

Back in April, Christina Aguilera told UsMagazine.com that she hoped her own life’s “hiccups” would help her as she coached the contestants on her new NBC reality singing show, The Voice.

Since then, X-tina has opened up even more, this time to Lynn Hirschberg of W magazine, the same issue of which she graces the cover.

During her interview, Aguilera talks about the chaos and drama she experienced growing up and how she didn’t want the same for her son, the public’s negative reaction to her divorce (a reaction she fully expected), and how her current beau Matt Rutler has been supportive.

My favorite bit of the piece actually comes from writer Hirschbert:

Last Saturday, while she was performing in Belgrade, Serbia, Amy Winehouse had a “meltdown.” This is according to Rolling Stone writer Matthew Perpetua, but given the details about the event, “meltdown” doesn’t seem too far off a description.

Winehouse (pictured right, at Hovefestivalen) showed up an hour late to the Belgrade Tuborg Festival leg of her 12-date European summer tour and, once she got there,

[...] stumbled around the stage, clashed with her bandmates, slurred her words while attempting to sing her hits and tossed a shoe out into the audience.

Consequently, the tour has been canceled.

Remember last year when I asked you about how – if at all – seeing celebrities without makeup affects the way you feel about your own natural appearance?

Answers varied from “No” to “It’s interesting to see a celebrity without makeup” to “If I don’t wear makeup, I look awful!”

Well, now that Shine over at Yahoo! has published a slew of new pictures of celebrities without makeup, I thought it’d be interesting to revisit that question.

The collection shows celebs without makeup from a variety of age groups, including some of today’s youngest stars like Kristen Stewart and Amanda Seyfried; a few in-between stars like Katie Holmes, Kate Winslet, and Molly Sims; and a even more mature celebs such as Madonna.

So, for those of you who weren’t around last time or who’ve maybe developed a different opinion since then (or, since seeing these new pictures!), I ask again:

Last week, actress Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie) gave an interview for New York Magazine’s Vulture blog.

During the interview, Falco talks about:

• Society’s hunger for and obsession with fame.
• How many celebrities really haven’t done anything to earn to be where they are.
• How frightening it is that reality stars specifically, such as Kim Kardashian, are being asked their opinions on matters.
• Her Nurse Jackie character’s nearness to either beating her addiction or dying from it.
• Her own battle with addiction, and how her role as an addict on Nurse Jackie fortunately did not open any old wounds for her.

Overall, a pretty good lazy day read. I especially enjoyed her thoughts on the importance society has placed on the opinions of people who’ve really done nothing for us to think their opinions could in any way be beneficial or authoritative.

Have you pledged to Spread the Word to End the Word?

Created by The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and the Special Olympics, the R-Word Spread the Word to End the Word campaign is a relatively new one (although its roots date back to 2004).

Toward the end of May, the campaign released a 30-second PSA called “Not Acceptable” which includes a variety of individuals from minority groups (including Glee stars Jane Lynch and Lauren Potter) stating that it is not acceptable to refer to them using certain slang terms. Such words include offensive terms like chink, fag, spick, the N-word, and – per the campaign’s namesake – the R-word.

For more information about the R-Word Spread the Word to End the Word campaign and to sign the pledge, visit www.r-word.org. You can also follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out the PSA after the jump. Note that some words included in the video might make it NSFW (Not Safe for Work).

Jack White is experiencing some pretty significant endings, lately.

Back in February 2011, the guitarist and singer-songwriter announced he was once again parting ways with ex-wife Meg White when the two announced the bittersweet end of The White Stripes, and just last week, White announced that he and current-but-soon-to-be ex-wife Karen Elson will part ways, too.

Such impactful endings (and beginnings) aren’t uncommon – celebrity or not – but what might might seem a little uncommon is how the two have decided to celebrate…themselves? the time during the marriage that wasn’t divorce-worthy? their upcoming life paths?

Sounds like all of the above.

Tim Robbins and Mark Ruffalo have signed on to star in Thanks For Sharing, a “film about sex addicts participating in a 12-step recovery program” (slick title). Thanks For Sharing is currently in pre-production mode, is slated to hit theaters in 2012 and, according to IMDB, will be a comedy.

I’m sure the film’s writer, Stuart Blumberg, who is also making his directorial debut with Thanks For Sharing, will be able to pull off some humor. I mean, he co-wrote The Kids Are All Right, and even though that story had the makings for some serious drama, it produced its fair share of warmhearted laughter, too.

Likewise, I’m sure (or at least, I hope) any humor the film delivers will be backed up by reality. Here in the real world, sex addiction is one mighty touchy subject. Some claim they have it, others claim they don’t. Some say it’s just an excuse for bad behavior, others claim it’s a real problem. Hearts are broken, families are torn apart, lives are put on hold – you get the idea.

But, all a lot of us have to go on is what we read in the media. We think about the turmoil Tiger Woods caused Elin, or the humiliation Arnold Schwarzenegger’s exploits have brought Maria.

For this week’s “Weekend Reading,” I thought I’d gather up some sex addiction information from the experts.

There might be an influx of celebrities in rehab lately (think Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Whitney Houston, and Oscar De La Hoya), but actor Matthew Perry’s personal statement and farewell take the cake.

Matthew Perry, who’s no stranger to rehab (he checked in once in 1997 and again in 2001), has battled an addiction to prescription pain pills in the past, and now he’s not only announced he’s going to take a month off to focus on his sobriety – he’s inviting others to have a laugh at his expense.

In a Perry-written statement issued directly to TMZ, the Friends and Mr. Sunshine actor says:

I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the world wide web. (TMZ)

How’s that for lightening up?

According to TMZ, Perry hasn’t suffered a relapse; the rehab simply is a proactive measure.

Image Credit: Mr. Sunshine Publicity Still