Alison Sweeney is leaving Days of Our Lives… Shia LaBeouf explains his “performance art”… Miley Cyrus gets unplugged… Selena Gomez is seen with a new mystery guy… and Bruce Jenner’s sex change rumors

listen to ‘Showbiz – Jan 22, 2014’ on Audioboo

Daytime soap operas are dying a slow and painful death. But a handful of them are still hanging in there, like “Days of Our Lives.” And devoted fans are going to be heartbroken to find out that after 21 years of giving you that sassy Sami, Alison Sweeney is walking away. Alison was only 16 when she took on the roll, and she says she’s never had more than a 2-week vacation since. For the past seven years, she’s done both the daytime soap and her nighttime gig, hosting “THe Biggest Loser.” But soon, she’ll be down to just one gig, which will give her more time with her husband and two kids.

Has Shia LaBeouf been pulling a Joaquin Phoenix on us this whole time?? Over the weekend, he posted two long — and since deleted — statements on Twitter where he basically said the plagiarism and his apology with a skywriter and that fight in the London pub were all part of his art. In one post, Shia explained, “In the midst of being embroiled in acts of intended plagiarism, the world caught me & I reacted. The show began. I became completely absorbed, oblivious to things around me.” Then in a second lengthy post, Shia explained to us what performance art is — for example, it’s live, it’s real and it’s designed to provoke. He also explained what a performance artist is. For example, a performance artist “should not kill or commit suicide” but “should give instructions before the funerals so that everything is done the way he or she wants it” because “funerals are the artists last art piece before leaving.” Then finally, he added, “Berlin is a funeral — Shia.” That boy is crazy.

Miley Cyrus is the latest artist to perform on “MTV Unplugged,” which will air on January 29. This is where artists perform stripped down sets. They’re SUPPOSED to be acoustic, but some acts tend to stray from that from time to time. One MTV exec says, “Miley’s vision for the performance is like nothing we’ve ever seen. I can say that this will easily be one of the most memorable ‘Unplugged’ performances to date.” According to MTV, there will also be some surprise special guests.

The best way to get over an ex-boyfriend is to get a new one. And HOPEFULLY that’s the case for Selena Gomez, who mistakenly gave Justin Bieber one more chance over the holidays only to realize her mistake. She’s at the Sundance Film Festival where she’s promoting her new movie, “Rudderless,” and at the Grey Goose party to celebrate its release, she spent most of the night with “an attractive young man with shaggy blond hair who wore a green sweater.” A source says Selena went right up to him early in the evening and the two of them remained tucked in a corner for most of the night. We’ve got to find out who this guy is!!

The “National Enquirer” is reporting that very early Sunday morning — when paparazzi would least likely suspect any activity — Bruce Jenner quietly slipped into The Beverly Hills Surgical Center for a laryngeal shave procedure, when is meant to soften the appearance of his Adam’s apple. The Enquirer spoke to experts on the subject and they said that this procedure is what usually happens right before gender reassignment surgery. Cameras did capture Bruce checking out, with his top zipped up to his chin, but the neck bandages are poking out. The Enquirer says an insider told them that Bruce also discussed having his penis removed next.