Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Norwood Young Tells Story of Self-Disfigurement Due To Child Sex Abuse/Pixar Animators Give Larry the Cable Guy Birthday Mater

Norwood Young, the singer who became notorious for his multiple plastic surgeries and outlandish home on E! Entertainment Television's "High Maintenance 90210" a few years back is finally telling the story behind his story — and it's a moving one. He stresses that his former drive to change his face had nothing to do with not wanting to look black; he's proud to be African-American. It had to do with years of childhood sexual abuse.

"Keeping this a secret, it manifested into drug abuse. It manifested into psychosis. It manifested into self-mutilation in the form of more than 15 plastic surgery procedures," says Young. "I had the voice of my cousin in my head saying, 'Shut up! It's supposed to hurt. You're a pretty boy,' so I didn't want to look like that, didn't want to look like myself. I don't like my eyes, I don't like my cheeks. I would just change this stuff. And I was able to mask the reality with these idiosyncrasies in a show business community where they're not only accepted, but admired."

"The King of Hancock Park," so named for his high-profile legal battle to remain in the area, became more well known for his excessive lifestyle than for the vocal talent that had gotten him onto Broadway and into recording studios. He surrounded his house with an overabundance of statuary. His partying often included known names.

Two turning points, years apart, led him toward healing. One was seeing an "Oprah Winfrey Show" segment on childhood sexual abuse that made him realize just what had happened to him. The second was reading negative online comments about his appearance on E! — particularly a viewer who wrote that he'd keep his children away from Young because he looked "dark and demonic."

"I am anything but dark and demonic," Young says now. "I'm all about love. I have a nonprofit organization to feed the homeless. My music is all about love."

The awakening led him to break his drug and alcohol habits, and started him on the road to restoring his original handsome appearance through reconstructive surgeries. He recently underwent a final operation that involved the recreation of his nose utilizing his own rib cartilage.

He admits that when he announced that he would no longer be drinking or doing drugs, "I lost about 65 percent of my friends. It hurt, but it was a good part of the process. The friends who were my real friends were very supportive."

Young, who has told his story in his new "Getting Back to My Me ...

The Chronicles of Norwood Young" memoir, has now become a spokesman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Earlier this week, he says he received word from California State Assemblyman Isadore Hall that he is going to sponsor a bill at Young's suggestion "to make April into Domestic Abuse Prevention Month. It's a start. I'm hoping my story will help others," says the artist, who's also singing again these days. "Not everyone is insane enough to cut their face up and blessed enough to be able to put it back together."

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: If "Mr. Sunshine" co-star James Lesure's character, former pro basketball player Alonzo, has a certain ring of authenticity about him, it could be thanks to some tips and hints the actor got from a real-life NBA player pal.

"I hang with him and pick his brain a bit," says the former "Las Vegas" actor, who regularly shoots hoops for fun. No names. "Since he's been gracious enough to help me out, I'm not going to say who it is."

He will say that the "uber positive" Alonzo will reveal some chinks in his cheery armor in weeks to come.

"As we get to know him a little better, we'll see some less-than-positive moments, see a darker side to him, see where this kid come(s) from in a sense. We'll get a sense of his evolution. He went through some wild days."

As his first flat-out comedy, "Mr. Sunshine" has given Lesure the opportunity to stretch, he notes.

"It's new territory for me. There's some trusting of the process going on. It's good, something I want to do more of. I do feel challenged by it, and it's a good challenge. I want to continue to be a part of the comedy medium."

PLAYING HIS TOON: Pawnee City, Neb., native Larry the Cable Guy, who serves as the voice of rusty pickup truck Mater in "Cars" and its July 22 sequel, tells us the gang up at Pixar "gave me the coolest gift I ever got. For my birthday, they drew me a Nebraska Cornhusker Mater, with the hat and cornstalk. It's the only one in the world." Mater is the focal point of the new film, "just a great character to be able to bring to life, and the kids love it." In fact, he's one of the top-selling toys among the Pixar characters.

SEXY BACK: What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas ... but tongues wagged when Dr. Judy Kuriansky of syndicated sex talk-show fame (not to mention "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tantric Sex") was in town to host the ever-so-serious Africa-USA Business Executives Conference. Later that night, she was called on stage at the "Zumanity" show — a sensual version of Cirque de Soleil at the New York New York hotel — interviewed by the show's host and seduced into gyrating on stage with one of the actors. Audience members told the sexpert afterward that she was the highlight of the show. Something worth talking about, anyway.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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