Nonprofits, no matter how serious their mission, understand that famous names attract money, connections and high attendance at organization events.

Although they’ve never been co-stars, Ricky Gervais can be connected to Billy Bob Thornton through a series of personal and business relationships.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are now business competitors.

If Hillary Clinton is a ninth cousin (twice removed) to Angelina Jolie, and Barack Obama is a ninth cousin to Brad Pitt, maybe the race for the Democratic nomination is just an ancient lovers’ quarrel, looping endlessly, one generation to the next.

Brad Pitt is unlikely to quit his day job, especially with a houseful of Jolie-Pitt munchkins. And judging from the picture of partner Angelina’s much talked about “bump” during this past weekend’s Independent Spirit Awards, child number five may be on the way.

What do you do when your longtime girlfriend tells you she’s “f***ing Matt Damon?” If you’re Jimmy Kimmel, you f*** Ben Affleck!

Ellen DeGeneres is like the Big Easy. She’s all about fun. After Hurricane Katrina, add big heart.

Ellen, a native of New Orleans, has raised over $10 million dollars for Katrina relief. In Fat Tuesday’s episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, she focused again on Katrina relief efforts. Former President George H. W. Bush sent a videotaped message thanking her for her fundraising.

In the same show, Ellen gave a new GM Acadia to a single mother who lost her home in the hurricane and works 20 hours a day so she could rebuild. She continues to ask her viewers to support Brad Pitt’s Make It Right, a group that hopes to build 150 environmentally friendly homes in the Lower 9th Ward. She has raised over $800,000 for Pitt.

Matt Damon, People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2007, is in good company.

The magazine started the award in 1985, with Mel Gibson. Past winners include: Mark Harmon, Harry Hamlin, John F. Kennedy Jr., Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Nick Nolte, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Matthew McConaughey.