leszaoh's Blog

msnbc/updated 9:08 a.m. ET June 1, 2009

LONDON - Singer Susan Boyle was being treated for exhaustion at a mental health clinic Monday after taking second place in a TV talent competition that turned the humble church volunteer into a global star, the show’s producers and a newspaper said.

Boyle was admitted to London’s Priory Clinic on Sunday, a day after she finished behind a male dance group on the show “Britain’s Got Talent,” the Sun newspaper reported.

“Nobody has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had. Nobody could have predicted it,” one of the show’s judges, Piers Morgan, told breakfast TV show GMTV. “It has been crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most downloaded woman in history.”

Boyle was favored to win the show’s finals — watched by more than 19 million people — after a clip from her first appearance became the fifth most-watched in YouTube history, viewed more than 220 million times.

The discovery that a woman from a small Scottish town was capable of singing very well on a national stage turned Boyle into a modern-day Cinderella. On Oprah Winfrey’s U.S. television show, the singer had said she was “loving every second” of her unexpected stardom.

But much of the media storm surrounding her debut was laced with snide commentary about her looks, her social awkwardness and her remark that she had never been kissed.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond was scathing about the media pressure, saying there were “elements of a press who like nothing better than to build people up and then drag them down.”

By Friday, the pressure appeared to be building on the shy singer, who reportedly went into seclusion after exploding at journalists from Britain’s notoriously aggressive tabloids.

Television company TalkbackThames on Monday said Boyle was “exhausted and emotionally drained” and was taking a few days off.

“She has been seen by her private GP (doctor), who supports her decision to take a few days out for rest and recovery,” the company said.

London police would not confirm the report that Boyle was admitted to a clinic, but said doctors were called to assist a woman under the Mental Health Act, and the woman went voluntarily to a clinic.

The Priory — one of a chain of clinics known for treating celebrities including fashion model Kate Moss and musician Pete Doherty — offers treatment for a range of psychiatric problems as well as drug and alcohol addiction.

Boyle had looked tense and uncomfortable after giving a strong final performance Saturday night with “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables — the same song she chose for her April debut.

When Diversity was announced as the winner, she looked relieved and relaxed. Smiling broadly, she said the best act had won and wished the dance group all the best.

Boyle drew 20.2 percent of the 4 million votes cast in the final, behind Diversity’s 24.9 percent.

Lauren Streib, 05.27.09, 06:00 PM EDT

While fashion magazines and retail brands are marketing their wares with stars from music and movies, models have moved off the runway in equal measure, expanding their brands into fashion, entertainment and philanthropy. The age of the multi-hyphenate model has replaced the age of the supermodel, giving the top girls more earning power than ever before.

1. Gisele Bündchen

$25 Million

The Brazilian beauty has retained her ranking as the world's top-earning model. Though she's no longer the body behind Victoria's Secret, the 28-year-old added Rampage to her list of campaigns this year. She continues to promote Versace, True Religion jeans, Dior and Ebel watches. Bündchen landed her second Vanity Fair cover amid extraordinary press attention following her private marriage to football beau Tom Brady in February.

2. Heidi Klum

$16 Million

While still a successful model at 35 with three kids, the majority of Klum's earnings are driven by her TV and endorsement career. Though she's currently expecting baby No. 4 with husband Seal, Klum remains a member of the Victoria's Secret Angel entourage as well as host of Project Runway and Germany's Next Top Model. The German beauty also designs a line of Birkenstock sandals and has endorsement deals with Diet Coke, Volkswagen, McDonald's and LG. This past year, she came out with her own skincare line, In An Instant.

3. Kate Moss

$8.5 Million

The 35-year-old icon has been attacked for getting old and heavy, but regardless, she's enjoyed remarkable success in the last year. She's the face of Versace, Longchamp and David Yurman, among others. Her line for British retailer Topshop, which moved stateside earlier this year, continues to do well.

4. Adriana Lima

$8 Million

Though her Maybelline contract will lapse later this year, Lima continues to climb to the top of her career thanks to the support of Victoria's Secret. The Brazilian bombshell got her start as the winner of the Ford model competition "Supermodel of the Year." She also appeared on the small screen last September with a guest appearance on Ugly Betty. This month, she announced she's expecting a baby with her husband, basketball player Marko Jaric.

5. Doutzen Kroes

$6 Million

The Dutch model known for her lips was named the latest Victoria's Secret angel last fall. Doutzen is also the face of cosmetic company L'Oreal and the fragrance Calvin Klein Eternity

5. Alessandra Ambrosio

$6 Million

Another Brazilian model on the list, Ambrosio first made her name as the spokesmodel for Victoria's Secret PINK line and is now one of the brand's angels. Last fall, the 28-year-old gave birth to her first child. Only three months later, she appeared on the catwalk for the VS runway show. She is also on contract with European retail outlet C&A and Mexican department store Liverpool.

6. Natalia Vodianova

$5.5 Million

Vodianova is one of the clearest examples of rags to riches: She was raised in an impoverished family in Russia before becoming an international model. In addition to her work for Calvin Klein fragrance Guerlain and jeweler Jacob & Co., the 27-year-old signed a three-year contract with Etam. She is the brand's ambassador and will also design a collection each season. She runs the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity that raises money to provide playgrounds in Russia.

7. Daria Werbowy

$4.5 Million

The model who started her career with a modeling contest victory is now the face of major brands from Lancome to Louis Vuitton. The Polish-born Canadian is known for her doe eyes, which are the charm for campaigns for Balmain, H&M, Vogue Eyewear and Roberto Cavalli. Last June, Werbowy was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame along with musician K.D. Lang and filmmaker James Cameron.

8. Miranda Kerr

$3 Million

This Aussie model is best known for being a Victoria's Secret angel, though her profile is on the rise. The first Australian addition to the cast of angels for Victoria's Secret got her break as the face of Maybelline. Last year, she signed a contract with XOXO. Earlier this year, she lent her legendary dimples to help those affected by the Australian bush fires as a participant in the Australia Unites fundraiser.

9. Carolyn Murphy

$3 Million

The sole American on the list, the 35-year-old maintains her place on the list thanks to a lucrative Estée Lauder contract. Murphy has become an iconic American face. At 35, her Playboy and Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue days may be behind her, at least for now, but she is still incredibly successful as the longtime face of Estée Lauder. As well, she has valuable contracts with Banana Republic and Lord & Taylor.

10. Emanuela De Paula

$2.5 Million

Nicknamed the "next Gisele," De Paula is the newest addition to our list. The biracial Brazilian model has a lucrative contract with British retailer Next, a contract that once belonged to Alessandra Ambrosio. She's also a prominent new face of Victoria's Secret.

Less than two years ago, Claudia Schiffer declared that the age of the supermodel was over. Magazine covers and beauty contracts had become the province of celebrities. The industry's newest generation had not quite attained the international, first-name basis fame that Naomi, Cindy and Christy had pioneered.

A lot has changed in two years. While fashion magazines and retail brands still market their wares with stars from music and movies, models have moved off the runway in equal measure, expanding their brands into fashion, entertainment and philanthropy. The age of the multi-hyphenate model has replaced the age of the supermodel, giving the top girls more earning power than ever before.

In Pictures: The World's Top-Earning Models

A perfect example is the No. 2 earner on our list, Heidi Klum. While still a successful model at the age of 35 after having three kids, the majority of Klum's earnings are driven by her TV and endorsement career. Klum remains a member of the Victoria's Secret angel entourage as well as host of Project Runway and Germany's Next Top Model. The German beauty also designs a line Birkenstock sandals and has endorsement deals with Diet Coke, Volkswagen ( VLKAF.PK - news - people ), McDonald's and LG. Last year, she came out with her own skincare line, In An Instant.

Returning at No. 1 this year is Gisele Bündchen, who earned an estimated $25 million in the last year from numerous campaigns including Versace, True Religion jeans, Dior ( CHDRF.PK - news - people ) and Ebel watches. The Brazilian model has rare range--from high fashion to mass market--and measured impact on the success of the brands she represents. She also has her own Brazilian shoe line and tabloid fame on par with movie stars.

The models on our list were ranked according to estimated earnings from June 2008 to June 2009.

The modeling industry was hard-hit by the economic crisis. Prominent fashion labels canceled or downgraded their runway shows, leaving models hoping for a break with fewer opportunities. Declining revenues at major beauty and retail companies left agents with less leverage to bargain for their clients.

But, the economy has increased the value of the versatile yet trademark beauty of those at the top of the industry. "After a few years of mixed results where the sole obsession was attaching the biggest name or celebrity to your brand, companies are searching for that face that won't muddle their message," says Chris Gay, president of Marilyn Agency, which represents Adriana Lima. "The models that possess that beauty are the faces everyone wants right now, but that's a rare beauty."

The most successful models, including those who have cycled on and off this list, are able to evoke an emotional consumer response. While celebrities hawk everything from cotton underwear to Smart Water, only professional models can walk the Victoria's Secret runway with inimitable perfection and enough accessibility to get plain Janes across the world into the stores. While the uber-successful make millions, the majority make very little compared to the impact they have on the retail economy.

"These are young business professionals at the height of their game, rarer than superstar athletes, who are in an incredibly competitive environment and who have to deliver their skill set at any time day or night," says Ed Razek, president and chief marketing officer of Limited Brands ( LTD - news - people ), the parent company of Victoria's Secret. "These are people who can connect to consumers and move product."

As with years previous, the changes on the list illustrate the cyclical nature of the modeling business. The loss of a major contract can have a huge impact on overall earnings, as in the case of Karolina Kurkova, who dropped off our list after her Victoria's Secret contract expired.

Bündchen, though still No. 1, earned $10 million less with the loss of Victoria's Secret and other contracts. Kate Moss' earnings climbed $1 million based on the continued success of her clothing line for the British chain Topshop and several deal renewals.

This year's new girl is Emanuela De Paula at No. 11, who broke through as the face of U.K. retailer Next and is featured prominently in Victoria's Secret campaigns.

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read any further if you don’t want to know plot details of “Terminator Salvation.” Seriously! You’ve been warned!

                The end could have been much bleaker for John Connor (Christian Bale) in

                                                      "Terminator Salvation."

Two weeks before “Terminator Salvation” hit theaters, the film’s director, McG, sat in his L.A. production office for an interview with EW. He was talking about the swirl of rumors and gossip surrounding the film — about how bloggers had posted all kinds of far-fetched speculation during production and how it drove him nuts.

And then, out of nowhere, McG smiles and says, “Here’s something I’ve never talked about before...”.

Now, before we go any further, there’s some backstory about the movie’s plot you’ll need to know if you haven’t already seen it. “Terminator Salvation” is set in the year 2018 — after the apocalyptic Judgment Day, which was prophesied in the earlier films. There are three main characters in the story: John Connor (Christian Bale), the son of Sarah Connor who will lead the resistance against the evil Skynet; Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), the young resistance fighter who will grow up and eventually travel back in time (as seen in the 1984 original when Reese was played by Michael Biehn) to impregnate Sarah Connor with the young savior, John Connor; and Marcus Wright, a mysterious dude who’s half human, half machine programmed by Skynet (the fact that he’s unaware of this makes for some of the most poignant scenes in the film).

Okay, now back to McG’s big, juicy secret. A secret, by the way, that Bale will back up as you read on.

“There was talk on the Internet about an alternate ending where Connor dies and they take Connor’s likeness and put it on top of Marcus Wright’s machine body. So that it’s actually a machine that’s leading the resistance! And the Internet caught wind of that and people went, ‘That’s bulls---! We don’t want that!’”

McG grins. “Well, that’s not really what the ending was.”

Actually, the bloggers were on the right track. Except, McG adds, the original ending actually went even further.

“Connor dies, okay? He’s dead,” McG continues. “And Marcus offers his physical body, so Connor’s exterior is put on top of his machine body. It looks like Connor, but it’s really Marcus underneath. And all of the characters we care about (Kyle Reese, Connor’s wife Kate, etc.) are brought into the room to see him and they think it’s Connor. And Connor gets up and then there’s a small flicker of red in his eyes and he shoots Kate, he shoots Kyle, he shoots everybody in the room. Fade to black. End of movie. Skynet wins. F--- you!”

F--- you, indeed.

We tell the director that this would be the darkest, bleakest summer blockbuster ending of all time. He agrees.

“It’s the most nihilistic thing of all time. And Christian went f---ing crazy, of course. He was insistent that it be done that way! He wanted the bad guys to win! Can you imagine the oxygen going out of the theater?! What just happened! It would piss you off! But maybe two years from now, you’d think it was ballsy. But in the end, it just felt like too much of a bummer.”

He pauses, thinking about the alternate ending that wasn’t. “Maybe we blew it.”

McG says the studio had signed off on this original dark-as-night ending. But something about it didn’t smell right to him in the end. How could a movie with a reported budget of $200 million and a possible future of sequels possibly end that way?

EW sits down with Bale the next day and tells the star how McG let the cat out of the bag. Bale laughs. “There’s not much McG can keep in, is there?”

Was he really, as McG says, gung-ho to shoot that everyone-dies ending?

“I’m not the director,” says Bale. “There came to be a different option that almost everyone, except myself, felt was the better way to go. I took a bit of convincing, but you know, at the end of the day, you need a director to make that call.”

But doesn’t he think that his “Salvation” would have been a depressing bummer, not to mention suicide at the box office?

“Done the way I saw it? No. But am I disappointed with this one? No.”

 Credit : msnbc

updated 3:41 p.m. ET May 27, 2009