There was a time when the gorgeous Hall was always sweating me to write about fitness beauty competitions she'd won or placed in and fitness magazine covers and articles featuring her. But her marriage to the jowly, cacophonous, pony-tailed fitness guy with a gut and gazillions -- nuptials featured in a Star magazine article that I missed -- was off my radar until a recent report on NBC's "Today Show."

Why so quiet, Melissa?

Hall now has all the fame, money, lavish lifestyle and attention she can handle -- along with a fair amount of heartache.

The couple I expect to start promoting themselves as the King and Queen of Personal Trainers opened up to NBC's Amy Robach about the health concerns regarding their twin boys, born three months premature, and Hall's severe post-partum depression.

Hall became "a totally different person," Little told NBC.

She apparently was different from the person who proposed to Little, whom she had met on a Home Shopping Network set during her marriage to Eden Prairie's YoungQuest Fitness owner Jason Young.

Did she propose to you? I asked Young on Monday. "Certainly not," he said.

Hall has not responded to an e-mail I sent Friday to her current husband's company.

The way Young understands it, Hall and Little met and "became friends," Young said. "Who knows what happened? I was here working, taking care of the gym."

Young and Hall had a 10-year relationship and an eight-year marriage. "Nine of those years were spectacular. I was happy as could be," said Young, although Hall "kind of put me on hold" about kids because "she was into her career."

Hall told NBC: "I've known I wanted a family, but I knew it had to be with the right man." To Star mag, Hall gave slightly different quotes. "I never really thought about it [having kids] until I met Tony," said Hall, who noticed Little was great with kids -- he has two adult children from his previous marriage -- and animals.

Asked when their divorce was final, all Young could muster, repeatedly, was "Two years ago." Minnesota court records indicate the dissolution was granted Feb. 24, 2009, by which time Hall already was living in Florida, according to court records. She and Little were married on May 4, 2009, in the Bahamas.

"I believe in energy givers," Little told Star magazine. "I was taken back by Melissa's energy, so I hired her as a model. Things took off from there." On Little's birthday, which is in September if Wikipedia is to be trusted, Hall popped the question, according to Star.

What was Young's first clue there was a major problem in his marriage?

"She moved out," he said. "I have a big heart and I did what I could. I wish her the best. I accepted it, I went on. I had a hard time the first year after it happened. I'm single but I'm doing well. Been working a lot and hanging with my dogs. [Fitness] is what I turn to when I'm down. I've expanded my business and landed on my feet. I'm probably better off without her, because it's not about fame and money for me."

Young said he told Hall that he was praying for their twins, and to let him know if there was anything she needed. They remain "cordial," according to Young, who said he and Hall still communicate because they have rental property in the Twin Cities.

Prince's 'guest'While I was unaware of the Hall-Little hookup, People magazine apparently has missed numerous reports of Prince's new protégé, ballerina Misty Copeland.

Or, as Copeland was identified by People in an Oscar night pix, "(with guest)."

Pierce talks show bizNo untoward questions about Kelsey Grammer's rush to end and begin marriages were tossed David Hyde Pierce's way at the Guthrie on Sunday.

The guy who played Niles Crane to Grammer's "Frasier" on TV was in town for an onstage conversation with the Guthrie's Joe Dowling.

Pierce was asked how a cast handles a lead actor -- say Grammer or Charlie Sheen -- having substance abuse issues. Without referring to Grammer or Sheen by name, Pierce said a cast is like a family and as such sticks together in those times.

Speaking of family, Pierce, who performed at the Guthrie in 1983, hung out with longtime acting colleagues Sally Wingert, Peter Michael Goetz and Helen Carey, who are currently performing in "Arsenic & Old Lace," "Arms and the Man" and "The Winter's Tale," respectively, at the Guthrie.

Blasted Art Inc.'s Kerry Dikken did not think he would be remembered by Pierce from his time at the Guthrie.

"I stopped to see him after the show," said Dikken, "and he looked at me with a really fun surprised look and gave me a strong hug. He's just as quick-witted and funny as I remember him."

Maybe Dowling was talking the Emmy and Tony winner into a return engagement at the Guthrie?

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of this attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.

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