Duggard expecting baby no. 20

Michelle Duggar is pregnant with her 20th child, an announcement she and the whole family made Tuesday morning on “Today” in an appearance during which she noted that her offspring would eventually number “however many the Lord sees fit to give us.”

TLC, in promoting Tuesday night’s finale of its “19 Kids and Counting,” starring the Duggar clan, released this from the proud mother:

“Jim Bob and I are excited to announce that we’re pregnant with baby number 20. We’re due in April and I’m feeling great. All of the children are thrilled and we’re looking forward to welcoming this precious new addition to our family.”

The birth of a 20th baby from one set of parents is bound to raise some eyebrows — or drop some jaws and spur some expressions of horror. Add to the total number of children these tidbits: Mom is 45; the last Duggar addition — born in December 2009, three months early and at 1 pound, 6 ounces — began life in a neonatal intensive care unit; and the size of the family and its continued growth are the basis for a reality show.

On Tuesday, tweets included the unkind variety — “sick,” ‘‘stupid” and “out of control” — as well as the what-did-they-ever-do-to-you variety — “You are not impacted by them procreating.” And then there was the innocuous: “Have they not run out of names starting with J?” (The kids are: Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace and Josie.)

There were wonders about what’s best for Mom — “Is she putting her health at risk?’ — and the new baby — “Your last baby hardly made it, why take the risk again?”

There was this from Men’s Health fashion and grooming director Brian Boye: “Interesting side note: my cousin who’s my age went to school w/the mom. That’s lots of kids for 45.”

Brian, that’s a lot of kids for any age.

Henry Cavill, Kellan Lutz dress up, live forever

As the “Immortals” cast and filmmakers arrived for the movie’s premiere Monday at L.A.’s Nokia Theatre, fans filled the sidewalk. Stars including the new Superman, Henry Cavill, and “The Twilight Saga” actor Kellan Lutz took plenty of time for autographs and photos with the crowd of Twi-hards and Clark Kent enthusiasts.

“Immortals,” directed by Tarsem Singh (who goes by the mononym Tarsem), is a new take on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.

The movie features a lesser-seen version of Greek gods — it’s not a bearded, aged bunch of men sitting on a mountain here. Tarsem decided that anyone who could live forever would want to look young forever. So somewhat similarly to “In Time,” another recent film about immortality, the Greek myth adaptation gives young actors the task of playing old characters.

Lutz, who plays Poseidon, told the Ministry of Gossip that playing an immortal character comes naturally to him, both in “Immortals” and as Emmett Cullen in the “Twilight” series.

“I think it’s just always been my mind-set. I love life, and I live it to the fullest, and I think that’s how any immortal would,” he said. “That’s how Emmett does — he’s a happy-go-lucky kid and just loves being invincible.”

Lutz also talked about Eiko Ishioka’s costumes, which include gold headpieces that illustrate each god’s domain. His features seashells on each side of his head.

He said the headpiece wasn’t “so much comfortable to wear, but amazing to wear. Eiko did an amazing job ... and she’s just wow — I mean, we looked amazing.”

Also opening up about costumes was Cavill, whose upcoming “Man of Steel” has him wearing the iconic Superman suit.

“When you’re an actor, every costume helps because it helps put you in the environment and the world,” Cavill said. “It helps immerse you there.”

“Immortals,” which also stars Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, Stephen Dorff and Isabel Lucas, opens in theaters this Friday.

Adele: Surgery successful, doc says

British singer Adele is past surgery and on the road to recovery, according to folks at the Massachusetts hospital where the procedure to repair her vocal cords was done.

Adele’s laser microsurgery was done by the same doctor who treated Steven Tyler in 2006 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“Adele underwent vocal cord microsurgery by Dr. Steven Zeitels to stop recurrent vocal cord hemorrhage (bleeding) from a benign polyp. This condition is typically the result of unstable blood vessels in the vocal cord that can rupture,” the hospital said, adding that the doc expects a full recovery.

In October, after struggling with voice problems and schedule changes for months, the 23-year-old “Someone Like You” singer canceled the remainder of her 2011 concerts and promotional appearances so she could have the surgery, then rest and recuperate.

One story line to watch: Adele hinted in September on British TV that she’d soon be recording the theme song for “Skyfall,” the next James Bond film.

Whether producers will keep her on the job until she recovers has yet to be seen — though with a November 2012 opening planned, we’d imagine there’s a little leeway before a new crooner simply must be found to serenade her majesty’s sexiest spy.

From the Los Angeles Times’ Ministry of Gossip blog