Music eN ArtiS News Update

Radiohead's Phil Selway Makes Vocal Debut

2009-01-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

Radiohead bagman Phil Selway fabricated his debuted a abandoned song, 'The Family Madness' in Auckland on Monday black (January 5).

Selway was assuming as allotment of a aggregate including bandmate Ed O'Brian, Johnny Marr and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy for the 7 Worlds Collide activity at the Powerstation.

During the appearance he played guitar and sang as he debuted the song. Watch video footage of the achievement below.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Man Speaks New Album

2009-01-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante has spoken about his next solo album - which he's been working on with bandmate Flea and Johnny Marr.

And the star has also revealed his band are not planning on recording new material together soon.

Frusciante spoke to Music Radar about his tenth solo LP - 'The Empyrean' - which is due out on January 26 in the UK.

Dolly Parton Picked for Gospel Music Hall of Fame

2009-01-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

Dolly Parton, Michael W. Smith, Dr. Bobby Jones and the Dixie Hummingbirds will be inducted into the Actuality Music Association Hall of Fame.

The commemoration will be captivated February 2 in Nashville.

GMA President John Styll says this year's inductees accept accomplished success in altered areas of music and entertainment, but all allotment a accepted ancestry of actuality music.

Producer Lari Goss will aswell be inducted. The selections were appear Wednesday.

The Jesus Lizard to Reform after 12 Years

2009-01-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

Seminal Chicago indie bedrock accouterments The Jesus Lizard accept appear that the bandage accept adapted and will accomplish its aboriginal shows at All Tomorrow's Parties in 2009.

The aboriginal agency of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims and Mac McNeilly will ameliorate for a bound alternation of reside dates, starting with ATP's The Fans Strike Back at anniversary one of the accident in Minehead, England on May 9 and 10.

The accumulation will play "very limited" as-yet-unannounced dates in the months to follow, absolute with a November appearance in Chicago.

The Jesus Lizard eventually disbanded in 1999. This is their aboriginal appearance in 12 years to affection the aboriginal quartet.

Meanwhile, indie characterization Touch & Go will remaster and copy the band's aboriginal four flat albums. Noise-rock bandage Shellac's Bob Weston and Steve Albini are authoritative the remastering of the albums 'Head', 'Goat', 'Liar' and 'Down', which will be accessible on vinyl and CD. Release dates accept not yet been confirmed.

A abreast of agreeing acts such as Fugazi, Helmet, The Melvins and Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard is admired for its belly noise-rock attack, apprenticed by Yow's unhinged persona.

After agreeable with Touch & Go in 1995, the bandage jumped to a above label, Capitol, and appear two added albums that awash appreciably beneath than its beforehand efforts. Its endure appearance was in backward March 1999.

The accident will aswell affection Devo, Spiritualized, Sleep and Young Marble Giants.

Contributed By: Josh DaNewYork

Noel Gallagher Hit Back 'Rat's A******e' Status Quo

2009-01-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has hit aback Status Quo's Francis Rossi afterwards the band's guitarist accused the Manchester accumulation of searching "bored shitless" onstage.

Francis said Oasis was afflicted and looked "bored shitless" if on date and act like 20 year-old.

And Gallagher airtight it, told The Sun: "Normally I wouldn't accord a rat's arsehole what Status Quo accept got to say about anything.

"But acquaint those shitless from me that if I go on date at Wembley next summer, I won't be apprehensive about what the affiche boys for Help The Aged think."

This is not the aboriginal time the Gallagher brothers bang added musician, endure month, Oasis were criticised by Mick Hucknall, who appropriate the accumulation were an embarrassment to their hometown of Manchester.

Nick Cave Sets to Announce 2008 Turner Prize

2009-01-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Nick Cave will advertise the champ of this year's Turner Prize at a commemoration in London later.
The accompanist will present the accolade for abreast art at Tate Britain. Madonna and amateur Dennis Hopper accept both appear the champ in the past.
Four artists - Goshka Macuga, Runa Islam, Mark Leckey and Cathy Wilkes - are nominated for this year's Turner Prize.
The exhibition includes a mannequin perched on the toilet, Homer Simpson and images of a woman smashing tea cups on a floor.
The champ of the Turner Cost receives a £25,000 ($37,000) banknote prize.

Contributed By: McKay

Gwen Stefani: 'I've Always Been on a Diet'

2007-04-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

You can excuse a girl a bit of vanity – even Gwen Stefani. "If you had paparazzi outside your house, you'd make sure you looked good, too," the singer and fashion designer tells Harper's Bazaar in its May issue.

Stefani, 37, says she was "dying to get out of the house" when she was pregnant last year, but says: "I had to sneak into the back of my brother Todd's car – eight months pregnant – and lie down on the floor. Just so we could go to Target."

Baby Kingston was born in May 2006 and Stefani immediately set about losing her pregnancy pounds. "It's so much work afterward to get the weight off," she says. "If you just do it, it comes off. And when you're nursing, like I am, your metabolism is like whoosh!"

Still, Stefani admits that she struggled to keep her size 4 figure even before her pregnancy. "I hate talking about it, but it's true," she says. "I've always been on a diet, ever since I was in the sixth grade. It's an ongoing battle and it's a nightmare. But I like clothes too much, and I always wanted to wear the outfits I would make." She adds with a laugh: "And I'm very vain."

She says she contents herself with "all the healthy stuff" most of the time, "but I let myself cheat once or twice a day with a cookie or pizza."

Stefani can expect quite a workout when she embarks on her two-month U.S. tour to promote her new album, The Sweet Escape, on April 21 in Las Vegas. After that? Well, she did tell Ellen DeGeneres in February she was "ready to go" for another child. "Now I'm in a repeater zone," she confirms to Bazaar. "I just want to make babies and make records."

Luckily, she's got help from her husband of more than four years, Gavin Rossdale. "I even wrote in a song, 'You seem like you'd be a good dad,' " she says. "So, yeah he's lived up to my expectations, more than. He has always been very loving and romantic."

Why Reese Witherspoon Fell for Jake Gyllenhaal

2007-04-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

After her painful split from Ryan Phillippe last year, Reese Witherspoon didn't see a relationship coming – but her nascent romance with Jake Gyllenhaal is the real thing, friends say.

At first they seemed like an unlikely match: Gyllenhaal, her costar in the upcoming CIA thriller Rendition, was already an acquaintance – he was an old workout buddy of Phillippe – and they didn't have much screen time together while filming for eight weeks in Morocco.

But during a reshoot in L.A., "Jake went and reintroduced himself to Reese," a source close to both stars tells PEOPLE in its new issue.

And from there, what a friend of Witherspoon's calls "their little flirtation" just took its course. "Things slowly progressed, but it was never something she thought would happen from the start. She just kind of developed this little crush over time."

One that is looking a lot like a real romance – even when the duo are apart. While Witherspoon, 31, spent Easter Sunday with daughter Ava, 7, and son Deacon, 3, at her Episcopal church in Beverly Hills, Gyllenhaal, 26, strolled around Venice, Calif., with his parents. According to a source close to both him and Witherspoon, familial devotion is a big part of their connection: "Jake finds it attractive that she's such a great mom. He really loves kids and wants a family."

Indeed, the pair would seem to be a perfect match: Both enjoy good books, killer workouts – and Indian takeout. At dinner at L.A's Il Sole restaurant on March 23, says a witness, "there was definitely some canoodling going on!" They also recently shared a quiet dinner at La Ripaille, near Gyllenhaal's apartment in New York City.

Still, their mutual determination to protect their privacy may be their strongest bond. Gyllenhaal's romance with Kirsten Dunst ended a year ago in large part because, says a longtime friend of the actor's, "Kirsten wanted to go out and have fun and he wanted to stay in, watch a movie and cook dinner. ... He's very into his work, health and family. Reese is perfect for him."

For a woman whose idea of a party is "to stay home with friends," the feeling is mutual, says Witherspoon's friend. "She was happy to meet someone in this town who shared those priorities." Gyllenhaal's pal agrees: "They're super together – this thing is for real."

Justin Timberlake: I Called Britney Spears

2007-04-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Justin Timberlake was so concerned about Britney Spears, who entered rehab in February, that he reached out to her, he has revealed.

"I called her because I worried about her," Timberlake, 26, said recently at a press day for his new movie Shrek The Third.

But Spears, who checked out of Malibu's Promises treatment center in March after nearly a month, is on the right track, Timberlake said.

"She's a great woman. I'm rooting for her," he said. "[It] seems like she's getting everything under control now."

Timberlake, who in January split with Cameron Diaz (his costar in Shrek, who also attended the press day), said being single has its ups and downs.

"The advantages are that you don't get in as many arguments, and the disadvantage is that you're talking to yourself," he said.

But he isn't exactly lonely. Timberlake spent time with Jessica Biel, 25, at a barbecue party at his L.A. house last week, PEOPLE reports in its new issue.

Things between the pair got "hot and heavy," says a source in the singer's circle.

This isn't the first time Timberlake and Biel have been spotted together: In January they went snowboarding with a group of friends in Park City, Utah, and hung out backstage at one of Timberlake's concerts in San Diego.

And at Prince's Golden Globes party that month, Timberlake and Diaz had a spat after Diaz saw Timberlake chatting with Biel.

As for Biel, when it comes to Timberlake, a source tells PEOPLE the actress is "crazy about him."

Taye Diggs: 'Great Chemistry' on Grey's Anatomy Spinoff

2007-04-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

The cast of the Grey's Anatomy spinoff starring Kate Walsh and Taye Diggs is really clicking, Diggs tells PEOPLE.

"They're great. We have really great chemistry," Diggs, 36, said of his castmates Thursday at the opening of the new club Runway in New York City.

The initial episode has "just finished" filming, he said, "and we're hoping people dig it."

ABC plans to test out the show with a "back-door pilot," an expanded two-hour episode of Grey's, Reuters reported in February. No air date for the episode has been set.

Diggs, who said he plays a "general practitioner" on the show, was coy when asked if he could reveal any key plot details.

"Plot what? Secrets?" he said. "I can't tell you! It's a secret."

Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes is writing the first episode, which, according to USA Today, will feature Kate Walsh's character, Dr. Addison Shepherd, mulling an out-of-town job offer.

Tom DeLay & Rosie O'Donnell Trade Insults

2007-04-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Rosie O'Donnell has another feud on her hands.

In a posting on his Web site Friday, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay called for her to be suspended from her duties as co-host of The View.

In the posting, entitled "If the Left takes Imus, We'll take Rosie," the Republican politician writes: "Where are the repercussions for Rosie O'Donnell's hateful, idiotic accusations that President Bush was behind the 9/11 attacks? And her ignorant parody of the Chinese language? Or her comparison of conservative Christians to Islamo-fascist terrorists?

"Why has ABC not suspended her from The View? Why has she not been frog-marched up to some radio show to apologize?"

(Don Imus, of course, was fired by CBS Radio on Thursday after insulting the Rutgers University women's basketball team; he later apologized on the Rev. Al Sharpton's radio program.)

O'Donnell responded on her blog in her usual haiku style:
tom delay
sad slug
of rosie odonnell me – he said

"she accused the president
of orchestrating 9 11"
wrong sir – again

O'Donnell has recently been vocal about her desire to investigate and seek "a rigorous truth" about the September 11 terrorist attacks.

On her blog, she also reprints an article about DeLay's 2006 resignation in the wake of an alleged violation of campaign finance laws, and writes:

Alicia Silverstone: My Diet Was Steak and Doughnuts

2007-04-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Clueless star Alicia Silverstone is into healthy eating and living close to nature – but that wasn't always the case.

"Steak and doughnuts" were among her staples before she cleaned up her eating habits and went vegan, she tells the new InStyle Home.

"Now I'm a total health nut," says Silverstone, 30. "I don't get sick very often and when I do it's for a short period."

She attributes her health to her diet and active lifestyle. "It's empowering to know that you're responsible for how you feel each day because of the way you treat your body."

One of her favorite workouts? Jumping on the trampoline in the backyard of the Los Angeles home she shares with her husband, musician Christopher Jarecki, 36. "It's great exercise and really makes you giggle,"she says.

She's also passionate about being environmentally responsible. She drives a hybrid car, uses energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs and has solar panels on the roof of her house.

"I love living this way," she says. "It's so satisfying and inspiring."

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Larry Birkhead vs. Virgie Arthur: No Decision in Custody Case

2007-04-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

A Bahamas court adjourned Friday without coming to a decision on custody of Anna Nicole Smith's 7-month-old daughter Dannielynn.

In a brief statement outside the courthouse, the baby's current guardian, Howard K. Stern, said that nothing had been decided, but revealed that he's working with Larry Birkhead, who is the child's biological father, to make a transition, TMZ.com reports.

"He's doing a great job," said Stern, who also said that Birkhead has taken on diaper duty.

Before the hearing, Birkhead and Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, had reportedly been working behind the scenes to hammer out a custody arrangement. Lawyers for both parties met privately on Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

After DNA test results on Tuesday confirmed that Birkhead is the baby's father, the Los Angeles-based photographer, 34, told the Today show that he didn't plan to share custody.

"It would imply that I'm unfit as a parent, which I'm not," he said. But he also said he hoped to avoid a court dispute: "We might go from one fight to another, but I'm hoping that's not the case because, you know, there's only one dad, and I have no problem with anyone that has good intentions being allowed to visit the baby and see the baby and be a part of the baby's life."

Arthur's lawyer said she would fight for joint custody if talks fail, the AP reports. "We intend to proceed on that application unless something else comes along that causes us not to have to take that course of action," said attorney Debra Rose.

After the DNA test results were announced on Tuesday, Arthur told reporters, "I'm happy that Dannielynn will know who her real father is. I look forward to working with Larry raising my granddaughter."

Dannielynn has been living in the Bahamas with Stern, who was her late mother's companion and is listed on her birth certificate as her father. Stern told reporters after the DNA hearing: "We're gonna do what we can to make sure that the best interests of Dannielynn are carried out. And I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that [Birkhead] gets sole custody."

Prince William, Kate Middleton Split Up

2007-04-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

Prince William has split from his girlfriend Kate Middleton, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The breakup was "amicable," according to a friend of the couple.

The prince, 24, and Middleton, 25, have been dating for nearly five years, after meeting at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

A spokesman at the prince's office at Clarence House says they will not be commenting. "We don't comment on Prince William's private life," the rep says. Britain's The Sun newspaper first reported Saturday that the pair had reached an "amicable agreement" to separate.

The pair are said to have grown increasingly independent of each other since their university days. William is currently taking an armored corps commander course in Dorset, around 125 miles west of London, and it has kept him from Middleton and her new life in London.

Middleton, who is an accessories buyer for the British fashion chain Jigsaw, also was having difficulties with the media pressure that came with being his long-term girlfriend. (Speculation continued over whether the couple would get engaged.)

Although she has been "brave," as one friend tells PEOPLE, the attention was an ongoing source of trouble. Earlier this month she won a public apology from a British newspaper after it printed a photograph of her heading to work.

The engagement talk peaked in December, when she appeared at his graduation from military college, sitting in a prominent seat along with her parents and two of his closest friends.

Jon Cryer of Two and a Half Men to Wed in Summer

2007-04-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

on Cryer of Two and a Half Men plans to marry television journalist Lisa Joyner in June in Mexico, his rep tells PEOPLE.

Cryer, 41, announced his engagement to Joyner, an entertainment reporter and host of the TV Guide Channel's inFANity, in January on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Cryer also had brought Joyner as his date to last summer's Emmy Awards, telling PEOPLE, "I have to say the highlight was doing the red carpet with my girl."

Cryer plays the plays neurotic divorcee Alan Harper on the hit CBS comedy. In real life, he has a 6-year-old son Charlie from his first marriage to actress Sarah Trigger, which ended in 2004.

Rumors true: LaBeouf will be in 'Indiana Jones 4'

2007-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

After months of building Internet buzz, this can finally be reported as fact: Shia LaBeouf has been cast in the upcoming "Indiana Jones" movie.

Producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg announced Friday that LaBeouf will appear alongside Harrison Ford in the fourth installment of the adventure franchise, scheduled for release May 22, 2008. Production is set to begin in June.

"We are excited about bringing Shia into our Indy family," Spielberg said in a statement on the "Indiana Jones" Web site. "His talent has impressed not only his audiences throughout his young career but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him in his television career and now his film career."

Paramount, a division of Viacom Inc., declined Friday to say what role LaBeouf would be playing.

The 20-year-old actor told The Associated Press in March that the persistent Internet rumors about his casting in the film were just that -- rumors.

"The way that thing started, it's just wild how it snowballed," LaBeouf told the AP then. "I don't have a deal on the table, it's just a rumor. Would I do it? In a second. It'd be working for a legend and working with legends. Who wouldn't? But is it something I'm doing right now? No. I'm an out-of-work actor."

It's a busy weekend for the up-and-coming actor. He stars in "Disturbia," a high-tech, teen version of "Rear Window," which opened Friday; then he's hosting NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday.

LaBeouf also co-stars in this summer's "Transformers" movie for Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures, and provides the voice of one of the penguins in the animated "Surf's Up." His previous films include "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and "Holes." He also won a Daytime Emmy in 2003 for the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens."

Stern sues Anna Nicole Smith's mother's lawyer

2007-04-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's attorney and partner, filed a defamation lawsuit Friday against the lawyer for Smith's mother.

The suit, filed in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, alleges John O'Quinn, attorney for Virgie Arthur, defamed Stern in statements made on television after the actress' death in February.

"The lawsuit focuses on Mr. O'Quinn's recent appearances on a number of national television shows in which he has made public accusations of murder and other misconduct against Mr. Stern in connection with the Anna Nicole Smith case," according to a statement released by Stern attorney L. Lin Wood of Atlanta, Georgia.

Wood specifically cited a February 21, 2007, interview from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the Fox News show "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."

"As stated in the complaint filed today, Mr. O'Quinn's accusations against Mr. Stern are false and Mr. Stern seeks to hold him accountable through the civil justice system."

O'Quinn could not be reached for comment Friday.

In the Bahamas on Friday, attorneys in the custody case surrounding Smith's 7-month-old daughter said the judge wants Larry Birkhead -- declared Tuesday to be the child's father -- and Arthur to come up with a plan regarding access to the child.

The two were supposed to meet Thursday but did not. The judge told the parties to get together and appear in court next Friday.

O'Quinn told CNN's "Larry King Live" earlier this week that Arthur would not seek any sort of guardianship for baby Dannielynn after Birkhead's paternity was revealed.

After the custody hearing, Stern said Birkhead has been visiting Dannielynn at Stern's home, where she has been staying since Smith's death.

"At least informally, the transition period has already begun," Stern said. "Larry spent the majority of the last days over at the house getting to know Dannielynn. He's been changing diapers, he's been feeding her, he's been playing with her, and if you ask me, he's been doing a great job."

Stern, who is listed as the girl's father on her birth certificate, initially was battling Birkhead in court over paternity until DNA results proved the child was fathered by Birkhead.

A hearing regarding the formal transfer of custody is scheduled for next Friday.

"If it were up to me, the formal order in terms of giving Larry full custody would have occurred today, but unfortunately it didn't," Stern said.

Madonna denies adoption reports

2007-04-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

Singer Madonna has denied reports that she is returning to Malawi to adopt a second African child.

The US star sparked a furore when she adopted one-year-old David Banda from a Malawi orphanage last year.

"She is overseeing the building of a children's healthcare centre," her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said. "She is absolutely not adopting another baby."

David is living with Madonna and her family in London after the pop star was granted an interim custody order. In November, the 48-year-old told the BBC's Newsnight programme she would consider adopting another child from abroad.

"I wouldn't rule it out... but I would like to experience David for a while and see how it works out," she said.

Donation Ms Rosenberg said she did not know whether David would join Madonna on the trip to Malawi.

"She's going back to continue her work with Raising Malawi Organisation," she told the Reuters news agency. The singer helped set up the Raising Malawi charity, which aims to provide accommodation, food, education and other support to orphans in the country. In August, she said she would donate $3m (£1.5m) to the country via the organisation.

Some critics have accused Madonna of using her wealth and celebrity to fast-track the adoption process in Malawi, something which she strongly denies.

Under the current court order, David can live with the singer for 18 months, during which time his progress will be reviewed by Malawi officials.

In December, the couple accepted a High Court ruling allowing a coalition of human rights groups to monitor the adoption.

In January, she told US talk show host David Letterman she was "saving a life" by taking the child to the UK.

As well as her adopted son, Madonna has a 10-year-old daughter, Lourdes, and a six-year-old son, Rocco. She is married to British film director Guy Ritchie.

Lennon's son sells Beatles stake

2007-04-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

ulian Lennon has sold a "significant" stake of his share in the songs his father John wrote for The Beatles.

John Lennon's songwriting royalties passed to his family when he died, and Julian has sold a slice of these to US music publishing company Primary Wave. The firm will now receive payments when Lennon's compositions are sold on CD, performed live or played on the radio. But it does not mean Primary Wave owns the songs or recordings themselves and it cannot decide how they are used.

The catalogue includes classic tracks such as All You Need Is Love, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, which was inspired by a picture Julian drew as a child.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Julian Lennon and to own a piece of music history," Primary Wave's chief executive Larry Mestel said.

The company, which will also market Julian Lennon's new music project, declined to reveal how much the deal was worth.

Julian Lennon said: "I felt it was the appropriate time to take on a partner for both my interest in my father's legendary music and for my future music endeavours."

Julian Lennon has had mixed fortunes with his own music career - he is his best-known chart hits were Too Late For Goodbyes in 1984 and 1991's Saltwater. His new album is due out later this year.

Primary Wave owns several other music catalogues including those of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, which it bought last year.

The rights to The Beatles' recordings are owned by EMI, while the publishing rights are jointly held by Michael Jackson and Sony.

Tom Cruise’s 9/11 Detox Fundraiser

2007-04-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Always in the thick of things, Tom Cruise will host a gala fundraiser for a controversial detox process aimed at helping 9/11 workers recover from symptoms resulting from the tragic day.

The ‘Mission Impossible’ star is a “co-founder of the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, which provides those exposed to toxic agents in the rescue and clean-up at the World Trade Center site to a detoxification procedure developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology,” CBS statements reveal. The scoop on the treatment… it is said to take place over a period of three to four weeks, incorporating “vitamin and mineral supplements and cold-pressed oils, as well as aerobic exercise and saunas, rather than traditional medicines. The process, administered by the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (a Scientology research group), releases toxins trapped in the fat tissues of subjects.”

According to Cruise’s detox program Web site, more than 750 men and women have “recovered quality of life and job fitness through detoxification,” since the program began in September 2002.

The controversy comes in the fact that the detox regimen is tied to the Church of Scientology. Up until the Foundation’s links to the Church of Scientology were revealed, the program was heavily endorsed and set to receive funding. According to CBS, “Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was one of several who released letters in support, who later backed off.”

Meanwhile, representatives of the policemen’s and paramedics’ unions are participating in the fundraiser, serving on the host committee.

The Post talked to Ed Mullins, the Sergeants Benevolent Association president. Mullins said “he was impressed after speaking to several firefighters who had taken the detoxification program who claimed it had reduced their dependence on some medications.”

As a result, Mullins told the Post, “I’ll do anything to help my members. I’ve got to try to do something because no one else is doing it.”

Got What It Takes? Bartiromo Sure Does!

2007-04-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

Maria Bartiromo is one of the main anchors for financial channel CNBC. We don’t expect you to know her by name (we didn’t), but the story reported by the NY Post is so amusing… we just had to include it!

It appears that Bartiromo offered up some “eye-popping quotes” about getting ahead in life in a new book on personal growth by veteran TV personality Bill Boggs. While it is uncertain what context Bartiromo’s quotes came in, Page 6 definitely has given the answers a sexual spin. “‘Stamina, for me, is just coming back and coming back and doing it again and again,’ Bartiromo pants in ’Got What It Takes?‘. The CNBC anchor, who weathered a backlash over reports of her ‘rides’ with a male Citibank exec on the bank’s corporate jet by refusing to talk about it - also shares the mental tricks she uses to stay strong. ‘You have to be mentally tough,’ she says. ‘You must keep the finish line in focus . . . You call it emotional endurance.’”

‘Got What It Takes’ seems to be quite an interesting book, and is due out next week. Some other excerpts offered up by the Post include:

* Donald Trump says sobriety is one key to success: “I don’t drink alcohol, so I don’t have impaired speech or make mistakes due to inebriation, and I don’t have hangovers. I’m always ready for the next morning, seven days a week.”

* Matt Lauer tells Boggs that talent makes up just 40 percent of the equation for success, the other 60 percent being a combination of “luck, serendipity, timing, flukes.”

* Diane von Furstenberg likens success to good cooking, with luck and timing being important ingredients. “But at the end . . . it’s like making a chocolate cake. You forget the sugar, it doesn’t taste the same. You bake it too long, it doesn’t taste the same.”

* Former Gov. Mario Cuomo says a good mantra for success is: “Just sit there and say to yourself, ‘I’ve got a limited number of years. What do I want to do with them? Do I want to change the world? Do I want to have a family? Do I want to have fun? . . . Try thinking yourself into a commitment to some purpose. Just try it.”

* Novelist Anna Quindlen, who started her writing career as a reporter at The Post, said looks play no part in success: “I think I look like a generic woman . . . You know, no one looks at me and thinks, ‘God, if I were thin and blond, I could write a best-selling novel, too.’ “

Kirsten Dunst Jetting New Man To Tokyo

2007-04-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

The Kirsten Dunst - Johnny Borrell relationship keeps on plowing ahead, with Spider-gal Dunst adamantly determined not to let geography keep her from her new man.

In the latest on the two, Kirsten is reportedly flying the Razorlight frontman to Japan so he can be by her side for the April 16th premiere of Spider-Man 3 in Tokyo.

It has been a whirlwind romance for the recently unpredictable actress and 26-year-old Johnny, who met at a Razorlight concert in LA on March 9th. Since then, the couple have been spotted enjoying each other’s company in both the U.S. and London.

“Everyone raised their eyebrows when they first got together as they seemed an odd couple,” a source close to the pair revealed to Britain’s Daily Mirror, adding: “But it’s the real thing.”

According to Hello! magazine,"After they hit the road together on a Harley Davidson for a trip down California’s west coast, Kirsten then tagged along to see her new flame play Austin’s South by Southwest music festival, before jetting over to see him perform at the Voices of Slavery charity gig at the Forum in London last Sunday. They were also seen enjoying a pint or two and traditional British fare, including bangers and mash, in pubs around the British capital.”

Now it’s on to Tokyo!

Hefner reminisces about Anna Nicole Smith

2007-04-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Take Hugh Hefner out of the running.

"I can make clear at this time," he says, "that I am not the father of the child."

The Playboy magnate enjoys his laugh about the paternity uncertainties still swirling around Anna Nicole Smith, but his feelings about the former Playmate turned pop icon are no joke. In serious fashion, his bunny empire will offer three upcoming Smith tributes: a 10-page pictorial in the magazine's May issue, an hourlong retrospective on Playboy TV and an online memorial on Playboy.com.

Smith, who first appeared on the magazine's cover in March 1992 and was named Playmate of the Year in 1993, was 39 when she died of an accidental drug overdose in February.

So what was it about the buxom blonde Texan that Hefner found so alluring?

"It was her presence in front of the camera," he told The Associated Press Thursday, chatting in the library of his famed Playboy Mansion. "She was one of those who loved being in front of the camera and came alive in front of the camera. There was very clearly a Marilyn Monroe quality about her and that aspiration was clear from the very beginning. She talked about Marilyn Monroe all the time."

Smith often posed like Monroe, he said. At a Halloween party in 2004, she came dressed in a "Marilyn Monroe-type outfit" accompanied by three men in tuxedos: her attorney Howard K. Stern, boyfriend Larry Birkhead and son Daniel.

"The irony in terms of Anna Nicole's fascination with Marilyn Monroe is how successful she was in building a similar kind of career, not through acting but simply through celebrity itself," said Hefner, in his usual silk pajamas and smoking jacket. "The tragedy is she lived large as Marilyn did and died in a very similar way."

She was still Vickie Smith when she first caught the eye of Playboy editors, who argued over whether to include her in the magazine.

"She came here and she weighed about 160 pounds," Hefner recalled. "We like the voluptuous ladies but not that voluptuous. It was a wonderful statement for the simple fact that beauty has no limitation in terms of size. You can be a big lady and a beautiful lady, and she was."

With three tributes, might Playboy be opening itself to criticism for profiting from Smith's death? Not the case, Hefner quickly replied. "It's quite frankly celebrating her in a way that she would appreciate."

A brilliant 'Hoax'

2007-04-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

The two-bit distortions in "A Million Little Pieces" that landed squirming memoirist James Frey on Oprah Winfrey's couch of shame last year were chump change compared with the million-dollar lies served up by Clifford Irving some 35 years ago.

Back in 1971, Irving, an unexceptional novelist known best, if at all, for his biography of an art forger, dazzled the fancy New York publishing world with the memoirs he wrung from top secret interviews with legendarily reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

Only the author never met Hughes. Not once. He made the whole book up, served a prison sentence of 14 months, then went on to write his own memoir about making up the memoir.

Silver-foxy Richard Gere is not the first suave Buddhist I'd think of to play dark, curly, Jewish New Yorker Irving, but the quick-witted Gere who schemes and fast-talks his way around the snappy, plugged-in scam saga "The Hoax" is like no Gere I've seen before. (For that matter, creator of "Chocolat"-coated Hollywood dessert movies Lasse Hallstrom isn't the first filmmaker I'd think of to exhibit such adult zing, but this is the best thing the director has done since "What's Eating Gilbert Grape.") Permed and dyed to verisimilitude, a bit pouchy of build and packed into jackets that mean to look sharp but only look eager to look sharp, Gere takes to the outlandish liar he plays with what might well be called impassioned honesty.

There's no understanding what made Irving do what he did or, indeed, how he managed to get as far as he did -- how he sold his brazen blarney to a publisher as upstanding as McGraw-Hill, how he forged Hughes' handwriting, or how he bedazzled and bullied his devoted, needy best friend Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina, reaching greatness in the portrayal of pathos) into participating as researcher and henchman.

But Gere is terrific at suggesting the kind of addictive cocktail of excitement, panic, chutzpah, creativity, and naked hunger for fame and megabucks that might inspire such big, fat lies. Marcia Gay Harden, for her part, uses spare strokes to paint a vivid picture of Irving's Swiss-German wife, Edith, who was in on the money shenanigans. Julie Delpy plays Irving's sometime mistress Nina Van Pallandt, who would (in a neat bit of Buddhist karma) later go on to appear opposite the young Richard Gere in "American Gigolo."

Exciting 'Grindhouse' a wild ride

2007-04-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

When filmmakers talk about how great the movies were back in the 1970s, they're usually thinking about "The Godfather," "Chinatown," or "Dog Day Afternoon."

But when Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez wax lyrical about that period, they have something else in mind: Filipino shoot-'em-ups, Italian slasher films, Mexican vigilante movies and Roger Corman girls-behind-bars flicks. This kind of exploitation cheapie would play on the drive-in circuit or in seedy inner-city theaters, promising sleazy thrills and no refunds.

Those days are gone, and "Grindhouse" -- the directors' supercharged attempt to resurrect the illicit B-movie double feature -- will have to play sterile, sanitary multiplexes alongside such respectable mainstream fare as "Wild Hogs," "TMNT" and "300," all of which wear the imprint of exploitation cinema with pride (the biker movie, kung fu picture and gorefest, respectively).

The truth is, the trash movies Tarantino champions have long since gone mainstream, albeit with bigger budgets and watered down for MPAA approval. That goes for "Grindhouse" too, which cost a reported $50 million to produce, and which anyone under the age of 17 can enjoy with an enabling adult in tow.

Still, the dynamic duo do their utmost to transport us back to the good old bad old days: the package includes irresistible faux trailers for Rob Zombie's "Werewolf Women of the SS" and Eli Roth's seasonal slasher movie "Thanksgiving," among others.

In the first feature, Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" -- a campy contribution to the zombie genre -- the director (who shot on digital) has gone to the trouble of defacing his print, adding the scratches, warp and weave you would expect from beaten-up second-run celluloid. (Tarantino very pointedly shot on film, but has a harder time replicating the effect.) At one key point he even cuts to a "Reel Missing" slide, making for one of the best jokes of the film.

Adolescents of all ages will get a kick out of Rose McGowan's voluptuous one-legged go-go dancer, Cherry, stomping around with a submachine gun stuck into her stump. Apparently she can fire at will, without the bother of manually pulling the trigger. (It's that kind of picture.) She's the linchpin in an unlikely band of survivors battling it out with rampaging flesh-eating mutants in a Tex-Mex border town.

Spelling 'reconciles' with mother

2007-04-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

Actress Tori Spelling has revealed that she reconciled with her mother, Candy, weeks before she gave birth to her first child last month.

Speaking to the magazine, US Weekly she said: "It was mutual. We both reached out at the same time by phone in the weeks before I had Liam." The 33-year-old had reportedly not spoken to her mother in nine months.

Spelling claims the pair fell out after they both started reading stories in the press about each other.

'No feud' "I think we both thought, 'Does she hate me? Did I do something?' We were both scared to reach out to each other," the actress said.

"Now that we're together, we realize that there is no feud," she added. Mrs Spelling ended up going to the delivery room with her daughter, who gave birth by Caesarean section at a Los Angeles hospital. "When she walked through that hospital door when I was in labour, it was like I had just seen her yesterday."

"We both started to cry and hug, and I said, 'I love you, Mommy,' and she said, 'I love you.' That was it. I wish my dad got to see it, but I think he is looking down on us," she said.

Her father, Aaron Spelling, best known for producing Beverly Hills 90210, died last June after suffering a stroke.

Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, currently star in the reality series Tori & Dean: Inn Love.

Jackson memorabilia to go on sale

2007-04-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson memorabilia, which includes handwritten lyrics and a fedora he once wore, is being auctioned off in Las Vegas next month.

The collection, made up of about 2,000 items, spans the career of Jackson and his family from the mid-1960s through to the early 1990s.

However, a spokesman for the star, told Associated Press he was considering legal action to stop the auction. Raymone K Bain claims her client is "extremely upset" about the sale.

The collection is currently on display at New York's Guernsey's auction house.

A price tag has not been put on any of the items, although Guernsey's president, Arlan Ettinger expects some of the pieces will generate a lot of interest. "Buyers will be of every description, from the most dedicated fans to the corporate buyer who sees this as interesting material to display," he said.

The collection made news in 2004 when some of the items, including Jackson's underwear, were turned over to investigators as evidence in a child molestation case.

Jackson was acquitted in California in 2005, after being accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old.

The trial was sparked after British journalist Martin Bashir made a documentary in which Jackson admitted sharing his bed with children. Fans can also bid for the items on eBay at the time of the live auction. The sale will take place at in Las Vegas on 30-31 May.

Chan scouts out new action stars

2007-04-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Actor Jackie Chan has launched a TV show in China aimed at scouting out fresh action film talent.

The 53-year-old stuntman claims 100,000 people have already signed up to take part in the programme.

"A lot of actors are good at fighting but (their style) is not beautiful," he told an audience in Beijing.

The TV show - whose English title is The Disciple - will run from March to October, with 10 winners appearing in a movie which will be produced by Chan.

In January Chan set up a new production company in China with plans to make 10 films.

He has appeared in more than 100 films, including the popular Rush Hour series.

Chan is also famous for doing his own stunts in elaborate fight sequences.

In December he was hurt during filming a scene for the upcoming Rush Hour 3.

Superman suit soars at US auction

2007-04-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

A Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve in the 1978 blockbuster film has sold for $115,000 (£58,000) in a Hollywood film auction.

The sale, put together by the firm Profiles in History, sold more than $2m (£1m) worth of film and TV memorabilia, including scripts and posters.

The Superman outfit was expected to fetch just half the amount it reached.

Other items sold included a Batsuit and an alien costume that was worn in the iconic 1979 movie, Alien.

The Batsuit, which was used in the 1995 film Batman Forever, went for $63,250 (£32,000), with the Alien costume selling for $126,500 (£64,000).

A rare Winkie costume, which was worn in the 1938 movie The Wizard of Oz, was sold for $115,000 (£58,000).

Connery is 'considering' Indiana

2007-04-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

Actor Sir Sean Connery is still deciding whether to appear in the next Indiana Jones film, according to trade magazine Variety.

Directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are hoping the 76-year-old will feature in the fourth instalment.

Sir Sean, who has not appeared in any films since 2003, has apparently said he would consider returning if he liked the script.

Harrison Ford has already signed up to return as the daring archaeologist.

'Character piece' Sir Sean played Ford's father, Professor Henry Jones, in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett has recently been in talks to star opposite Ford, and British actor Ray Winstone has also been approached to appear.

Shooting is due to begin in June with the film expected to open in May 2008. The original Indiana Jones trilogy was a tribute to Saturday morning B-movies, and made more than $1.1bn at the box office in the 1980s.

The first two films were Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).

The fourth instalment has been in development for more than 10 years. Earlier in the year, Lucas said it would be "a character piece" including some "very interesting mysteries". The screenplay was written by Jurassic Park and War of The Worlds scribe David Koepp

Eminem’s Ex Up To Old Tricks

2007-04-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Kim Mathers won’t shut up. Even when a judge ordered her to, she refused to quit talking trash about her ex-husband and father of her child, rapper Eminem.

As reported previously by The Gossip Girls, the multi-platinum wordsmith from Detroit clashed with his ex-wife on Monday in court. The warring couple came to an agreement to quit slandering each other in front of their 11-year-old daughter, Hailie Jade.

Eminem filed a motion to ban Kimberly from slandering him in public after she discussed their sex life and his penis size on local radio station Wkqi-FM last month. Despite the court rejecting Eminem’s request for a total ban on Kimberly’s negative comments about him, the pair did agree to stay silent in front of their daughter.

Following the agreement, Kimberly resumed bashing her ex on New York’s Hot 97 radio station this week, saying, “How many songs has he done about me? How many interviews has he done where he’s talking about freedom of speech? I do a couple of interviews and he’s crying like a little girl...”

So much for handling this like adults.

George Clooney’s Million Dollar Challenge

2007-04-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

George Clooney is rarely upset. He keeps his cool in a demeanor that would make Ghandi proud. But something has the actor stirring these days. So much so that he has offered a ransom to anyone who can prove him wrong.

Clooney personally responded Thursday to rumors circulated by two gossip Web sites. The Oscar winner sent a note to Radaronline.com and Defamer.com. Both sites alleged this week that Clooney was responsible for releasing outtakes from the movie “I (Heart) Huckabees” that show director David O. Russell yelling at actress Lily Tomlin.

Both reports made note that Clooney, who fought with Russell during the filming of “Three Kings”, is currently in cahoots with Ed Tise, who also worked on “Huckabees.”

“Contrary to popular opinion, neither the sound man, Ed Tise, nor yours truly sent in the David O. Russell tape,” Clooney wrote in the note released by his publicist, Stan Rosenfield. “I saw it when we were working on `Ocean’s 12,’ and there have been quite a few copies traveling around town for the last couple of years. Any rumor that either of us put it on the Internet is simply false. And I’d offer a million bucks to anyone who would prove otherwise.”

The gauntlet has been thrown down. Here’s your chance to grab a million bucks of Clooney’s money.

Wesley Snipes Welcomes New Son

2007-04-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Wesley Snipes and his wife Nakyung ‘Nikki’ Park welcomed their new son Alimayu Moa-T this past Monday. It is the second child for the couple.

Snipes’ rep said that both the mother and baby are doing fine. The specifics of the newborn have not yet been released.

Wesley and Nikki have a daughter Iset, who was born in 2001. Wesley also has a son Jelani Asar, who was born in 1988, from his previous marriage to April Snipes. The ‘Money Train’ actor married April in 1985, before they divorced in 1990.

Wesley and Nikki - who married in March 2003 - spend a lot of their time in Nikki’s home country, with Wesley calling Korea his “second home”.

The actor has recently completed filming ‘The Shooter’, where he stars as an ex-CIA agent who is asked to assassinate a terrorist, only to discover his former employer has set him up.

Congrats Nikki and Wesley. That’s gotta be one cute boy!

Usher Announces Engagement

2007-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Usher has decided that the time has come to settle down. The R&B star is engaged to marry his longtime girlfriend, wardrobe stylist Tameka Foster, Usher spokeswoman Simone Smalls said on Friday.

The announcement ends speculation that Usher had popped the question, as Foster has been photographed recently with a diamond ring on her finger.

Usher has decided that the time has come to settle down. The R&B star is engaged to marry his longtime girlfriend, wardrobe stylist Tameka Foster, Usher spokeswoman Simone Smalls said on Friday.

The announcement ends speculation that Usher had popped the question, as Foster has been photographed recently with a diamond ring on her finger.

The 28-year-old musician turned actor, whose full name is Usher Raymond, said he could be walking down the aisle before the end of the year.

His 2004 Grammy win for “Confessions” for best contemporary R&B album also netted him another Grammy for “Yeah,” for best rapped/sung record.

Crossing over to acting, in 2005 he starred in “In the Mix,” playing a young man who becomes romantically involved with the daughter of a mob boss, and in 2006 he starred in the musical “Chicago” on Broadway.

Beyonce Dodges Lawsuit

2007-04-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Beyonce Knowles plays a secret agent in “Austin Power’s Goldmember.” Looks like her “Foxy Cleopatra” skills came in handy in the real world as well. Knowles has been saved from a $1.5 million lawsuit, and she couldn’t be happier.

Greg Walker of Icon Entertainment was suing the bootylicious singer and her mom Tina for $1.5 million. He claimed that they did not pay his commission for arranging the $15 million deal for their House of Dereon fashion line.

Unfortunately for Walker, the judge did not see things the same way. Despite his measly $110,000 earnings for the deal, Walker will not receive any more money from the Knowles. Justice Herman Cahn tossed out the case in the absence of any evidence of a written contract.

Beyonce is now freed up to worry about a Hepatitis A scare. Apparently, at a Sports Illustrated party in Hollywood, there was a cook that was infected with the virus. Her spokesperson Alan Nierob said: “Thank goodness neither one of us ate. According to the health department, she wasn’t at risk.”

They keep lobbing them up, and Beyonce keeps knocking them out of the park.

Paris Hilton Headed to the Slammer?

2007-04-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Wherever she goes, trouble always seems to follow Paris Hilton. Sex tapes, drunken partying, even a debut album that flopped. Geez, if this chick wasn’t rich, she’d have nothing going for her. You can add another problem to the aforementioned list: possible jail time.

City prosecutors said yesterday (March 29) that they will petition a judge to revoke Miss Hilton’s probation in her reckless driving case. This decision could lead to jail time, being that the probation was a replacement for time in the joint.

The decision followed an investigation into whether the hotel heiress and reality star violated terms of her probation by driving last month with a suspended license.

“We’re confident we have sufficient evidence to prove that her license was suspended and that she had knowledge of that suspension,” said Nick Velasquez, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office. He declined to elaborate on the evidence, citing an ongoing investigation.

Hilton could face up to 90 days in jail if a judge finds she violated her probation, Velasquez said. A hearing was set for April 17, but Hilton is not required to attend.

In January, Hilton pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving stemming from a Sept. 7 arrest in Hollywood and was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines.

Hilton was pulled over on Sunset Boulevard on Feb. 28. Police said they saw her blue Bentley Continental GTC speeding with its headlights off. She was ticketed for misdemeanor driving with a suspended license.

One thing is for sure about this case… Paris will keep it interesting and fashionable. Maybe they can make a reality show out of how Paris decorates her jail cell.

Sarah Michelle Gellar: Buffy To Batman

2007-04-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah Michelle Gellar is rumored to be set to join the Batman Begins franchise, according to recent reports.

The Buffy actress is said to be in the midst of negotiations to join Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Batman: The Dark Knight. Gellar and Gyllehaal will help fill the void left by the absence of Katie Holmes.

The Buffy turned Batwoman rumor started with a posting from an independent filmmaker who wrote, “I had been talking back and forth with one of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s reps about a role in a new film I start shooting in May.”

“They expressed a morsel of interest… Unfortunately, on Wednesday we were informed that she wouldn’t be able to do it; because there might be a clash with Batman.”

Beckhams Having Trouble Finding L.A. Home

2007-04-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Victoria and David Beckham are still looking for a home in California – because the couple refuse to overpay for a house whose price has been raised simply because the famous pair is interested.

"It's pretty hard to keep identities secret when you are interested in multimillion-dollar mansions," a source close to the pair tells PEOPLE. "Once sellers find out who's interested in buying, the prices skyrocket. It's ridiculous."

As a result, says the source. "Victoria and David have still not decided on a house for when they move to L.A. ... They refuse to pay above the odds just because they are famous."

In January it was announced that the Beckhams would move to California after the former English soccer captain, 31, signed a lucrative five-year deal with the L.A. Galaxy.

Since then Victoria, the former Posh Spice, 32, has made several trips to the west coast to check on possible homes for themselves and private schools for sons Brooklyn, 8, Romeo, 4 and Cruz, 2.

Although schools have been narrowed down, the family is struggling to find a suitable mansion. "They will definitely buy in or around Beverly Hills. It makes sense for them," says the source. "But they will not pay an excess purely because of who they are. They are careful with their money."

Reps for the couple were not immediately available for comment.

"They don't want to get stuck in bidding wars. One mansion recently went up by millions once the owner found out the Beckhams were interested," says the source. "The problem, is they need a big house."

Wherever they land will be recorded for TV cameras, since Victoria has signed to star in a six-part, NBC reality show that will coincide with the family's move to L.A.

"They have a lot of work to do before David finishes playing soccer in Spain," says the source. "Their house in Madrid needs to be sold before they move in July."

Balthazar Getty, Wife Rosetta Expecting Baby No. 4

2007-04-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Brothers & Sisters actor Balthazar Getty and his wife, Rosetta, are expecting their fourth child together, PEOPLE has confirmed.

"They're thrilled to be adding to their brood," says a rep for Getty. The couple are already parents to son Cassius Paul, 6, and daughters Grace, 5, and Violet, 3.

"I love kids. I love having a big family," Getty told PEOPLE at the recent William S. Paley Television Festival in LA. "I think the more the merrier – big happy home of, you know, little punks running around."

Getty, 32, plays loyal son Tommy on the ABC drama. He also has a band, Ringside, whose concerts attract a large celebrity following in Los Angeles.

Rosetta, 37, owns a children's fashion line, Rosetta Millington (her maiden name), and launched a high-end women's line, Riser Goodwyn, this year.

Ashlee Simpson Gives John & Jessica a Thumbs Up

2007-04-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Eight months into his relationship with Jessica Simpson, John Mayer has passed an important hurdle: Simpson's younger sister Ashlee approves of him.

"Ashlee loves John," a Simpson pal tells PEOPLE in its new issue. "She thinks he is great for her. More importantly, Jess is happy."

Ashlee isn't the only one in a positive mood. "John seems very smitten," says another Simpson pal.

Just back from a romantic trip to Rome, Mayer and Simpson have been making the amore last back in L.A., with kisses over lunch, nuzzles at a James Morrison concert and hand-in-hand strolls.

On March 20, Simpson, 26, and Mayer, 29, happily snapped pictures with fans at a gig of Mayer's bandmate David Ryan Harris at the Hotel Cafe. And catching Morrison's show at the Roxy, "They were smooching throughout," says a fellow concertgoer.

Afterwards, over cocktails at Parc restaurant with Ashlee, 22, "They were holding hands and laughing constantly," says an onlooker. "Jessica looks really comfortable with him."

Friends say Simpson is relishing this romance, which is low-key compared to her time with ex-husband Nick Lachey. "When she was with Nick, she was really under her family's thumb," says a friend. "This is a relationship that is all hers."

Observes another pal, Christina Milian, who was in Simpson's "Public Affair" video: "Clearly this is a relationship that's not for the cameras. It's not about celebrity. It seems like they truly have an attraction to each other, and they're both clearly very talented as well."

Marie Osmond Getting Divorced

2007-04-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Marie Osmond and her husband of more than 20 years are getting divorced, they announced Friday.

"Though our marriage is ending, we continue to have a very amicable relationship," Osmond and husband Brian Blosil, a record producer, said in a joint statement. "Our marriage has always been a faithful one, and neither of us is assigning fault for the divorce."

Osmond, 47, and Blosil, 54, were married in 1986, and have raised eight children, including five adopted children and a son from Osmond's first marriage. The couple separated for several months in 1998 but reconciled.

"Our children, as always, are our top priority and in our deep love for them we will continue to jointly fulfill our roles as active parents in their daily lives," they said in the statement.

Last summer, Osmond was hospitalized for a bad reaction to medication but denied tabloid reports she had attempted suicide.

She has been candid about her emotional struggles in the past. In 2001, she published a book, Behind the Smile: My Journey out of Postpartum Depression, about her struggle with the disease after the birth of her child, Matthew.

And in 2005, after Tom Cruise lashed out at Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants after the birth of her daughter, Osmond told PEOPLE, "When Tom becomes a woman and has a baby and has postpartum, then he can become an expert."

Elisabeth Hasslebeck: No Feud with Rosie

2007-04-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Hasslebeck has her own view about Rosie O'Donnell – she's a pal.

"Everyone's always thinking Ro and I don't get along, we're 'enemies,' " The View's youngest – and most conservative – star, 29, tells PEOPLE for its new issue. "Politically, we're rivals. That is clear. However, we are personally friends. We are on e-mail all day long with each other."

As for the gossip reports that O'Donnell's on-air remarks to Hasselbeck have caused the younger star to cry backstage, Hasselbeck shrugs off the stories, saying, "Under these blonde highlights I consider myself a pretty tough person. So don't cry for me, Argentina."

Hasselbeck is equally magnanimous when it comes to the prospect of having more children. "If I could have five kids right now, I'd love that!" she says. "But you realize quickly in life that you're not totally in charge."

Still, speaking for herself as well as for her husband, New York Giants Quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, also 29 – the pair are parents to a 2-year-old daughter, Grace – Hasselbeck says, "We're just trying to be patient, and hopefully in the next year or so I'll be sharing some good news."

Not that she has an issue with getting pregnant again. "I just need to get to a place where my body is ready to have another child. I think I'm the only TV person who's trying to put on 10 lbs.!"

Justin Timberlake Named Favorite Male Singer at Kids Choice

2007-04-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Justin Timberlake vowed to "break the slime barrier" at Saturday's 20th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards – and the show's host sure did deliver the green goo.

Timberlake, who won the award for favorite male singer, was slimed both at the beginning and end of the show.

During the opening number, Timberlake, dressed in a tuxedo and an orange scarf, sang: "You'll never get a drop of slime on old J.T." – but was soon covered with it.

Other stars who got drenched with the green stuff included Mandy Moore, Tobey Maguire, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, Chris Tucker, and Jackie Chan. Even Nicole Kidman got slightly slimed when she accepted the award for the animated movie Happy Feet. (The actress, who voiced a character in the film, was there on behalf of the film's director, George Miller.)

The show, which featured performances by Gwen Stefani and Maroon 5, also featured a 23-story bungee jump into a giant vat of green slime.

Early in raucous show, Charlotte's Web star Dakota Fanning won for favorite female movie star and the Black Eyed Peas won for favorite musical group.

"I consider all of you my friends!" said Fanning, who was presented with the award by Blades of Glory stars Will Ferrell and John Heder.

Other awards went to Ben Stiller, who took home the night's top honor, the Wannabe Award, Adam Sandler for favorite male film actor and American Idol for favorite the TV show. Idol judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul were on hand to accept the award.

Sandler, who won for favorite male movie star in 2003 and 2005 as well, accepted the award while speaking in his Happy Gilmore and thanked the crowd "for not making fun of me for talking like this every speech I do."

As for the biggest burp – Timberlake gave up the title after he was challenged by the entire 12,000 person crowd to a burp-off. With the help of some special effects, everyone in the at Pauley Pavilion burped at once, and defeated the singer.

At the end of the show, Timberlake, with the help of Vince Vaughn, used a "detonator" to release a giant surge of slime that came up through the floor, spraying much of the audience and the actors.

World music awards are announced

2007-04-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

The winners of the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music have been announced at a ceremony in London.

Malian singer and guitarist Ali Farka Toure took album of the year with Savane while Somali hip-hop artist K'naan won best newcomer.

French vocalist Camille came out top in the Europe category while Lebanese singer Ghade Shbeir winning the Middle East and North Africa section.

The poll-winners concert will be at the Barbican on 27 May.

Other winners were Debashish Bhattacharya (Asia/Pacific), Gogol Bordello (Americas), Gotan Project (Club Global) and Maurice El Medioni & Roberto Rodriguez (Culture Crossing).

The winners were revealed on BBC Radio 3's World Routes which was broadcast from the Pigalle Club.

The event which saw performances from Mahmoud Ahmed - winner in the Africa category - and Arto Tuncboyaçiyan who won of the 2006 Audience Award with the Armenian Navy Band.

REM to unveil new album in summer

2007-04-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

US rock band REM will unveil material from their new album at a series of concerts in Dublin.

The shows, in July at the Olympia Theatre, will be the first time in a decade the band has played new songs live before they appeared on an album.

Recording is expected to begin in the coming months with bassist Mike Mills hinting it may have a more "uptempo" feel than 2004's Around the Sun.

The as-yet-untitled album is expected out before the end of the year.

'Great start'

Mills told Billboard magazine earlier in March at the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction that most of the music was written but the lyrics were still being worked on.

Singer Michael Stipe told the band's website: "Returning to Dublin for our live rehearsal this summer provides the great start we need for our next album's work.

"I intend to hit the ground running."

REM, best known for their songs Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts, have released 13 studio albums.

Spears, K-Fed divorce reach settlement

2007-04-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

A week after emerging from a rehab center, pop star Britney Spears has reached a divorce settlement with her husband, former backup dancer Kevin Federline, a spokesman for his attorney said Friday.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

But a statement issued by Michael Sands, spokesman for Federline's lawyer, said, "The parties signed an agreement which was a global settlement on all issues of their marriage and child custody."

The couple have two sons together, 18-month-old Sean Preston, and 6-month-old Jayden James.

Celebrity Web site TMZ.com quoted unnamed sources as saying that Federline, who has tried to launch a new career as a singer, will receive $1 million as part of the settlement, and that the couple agreed to joint custody of their boys.

A source close to the couple told Reuters the $1 million figure was inaccurate but declined to say how much it really was.

The agreement, which is subject to final approval of a judge, was signed after a five-hour meeting between the couple and their lawyers Thursday in Los Angeles, Sands said.

Sands said a breakthrough in the talks came after Federline, 29, stepped away to smoke a cigarette, and Spears followed him outside. They had a 15-minute private conversation, then returned to the negotiating table, he said.

Spears, 25, who left a rehabilitation center last week after a month of treatment for undisclosed issues, filed for divorce from Federline in November.

The two married in September 2004, just eight months after she had wed a former high school sweetheart in Las Vegas in a spur-of-the-moment union that was quickly annulled.

Since her split last year from Federline, who has two children by a former girlfriend, Spears has made headlines for increasingly erratic behavior.

She checked into the Malibu treatment center on February 21 after shaving off her hair at a Los Angeles beauty salon.

The exact reasons for entering rehab were not made clear, but she was photographed making her way to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings outside the center during her stay there.

According to TMZ.com, Spears returned to the Hollywood club scene Thursday night after her settlement with Federline, paying a 30-minute visit to the Bridge Restaurant and Lounge.

Spears' singing career has remained virtually dormant since her marriage to Federline. She shot to fame as a teenager in 1999 and sold an estimated 70 million records. Her last album of new material, "In the Zone," was released in 2003.

Singer's 'debauched' image not whole story

2007-04-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

First off, there's the diminutive singer's look: a black beehive of hair, mascara-drenched eyes, old-style sailor tattoos. It's part Dusty Springfield, part Morticia Addams.

Then, there's the 23-year-old's extraordinary voice, like Billie Holiday channeling the Shangri-Las.

The combination helped push Winehouse's second album, the soaring, Phil Spector-ish "Back to Black," to the top of the British charts and many critics' year-end best lists in 2006. It was released in the U.S. in mid-March. But her music is not the only thing about her that garners attention. Her high-voltage personality and reputation for heavy drinking and smoking, and blunt speaking, have landed her, time and again, in the pages of the tabloid press.

It's an image Winehouse's songs do nothing to dispel. "Back to Black" spawned the hit song "Rehab," with its autobiographical refrain: "They tried to make me go to rehab/I said no, no, no."

"I listen to a lot of '60s music, but society is different now," said Winehouse, fresh from winning a Brit Award as the year's best female British act. "I'm a young woman, and I'm going to write about what I know."

It's a winning formula -- "Back to Black" is a compelling combination of the retro and the risque.

Whereas Winehouse's first album, 2003's "Frank," drew on hip-hop and jazz, "Back to Black" turns for inspiration to the dense harmonies, soaring, orchestral arrangements and heart-on-sleeve emotion of early Motown and 1960s girl groups.

If the sound is shimmering, the lyrics are lacerating. "I told you I was trouble/You know that I'm no good," she sings on "You Know I'm No Good."

Winehouse says it's the unashamed emotionalism of the decades-old music that appeals to her.

"A lot of music now is trying to be cool and like, 'Yeah, I don't really care about you' -- a really blase attitude," she said. "I think it's much nicer to be in love, and throw yourself into it, and want to lie in the road for that person.

"It's like the difference between having a dance in the middle of the party and standing around the outside with a beer bottle trying to look cool."

She says the Shangri-Las -- the girl-group behind "Leader of the Pack" and other drama-drenched '60s singles -- "pretty much had a song for every stage of a relationship: being lonely, then finding someone, being in love with them, then breaking up with the boy, then crying about it. They've got a song for every occasion. Saw me through a fair few good and bad times, definitely."

Avril Lavigne Opens Up About Her Marriage

2007-03-25T05:01:00.000-07:00

Whether or not marriage has changed Avril Lavigne, it has changed her husband, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, she says.

"I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him," Lavigne, 22, tells the April issue of Jane.

And she doesn't worry about Whibley, 27, straying when he's on the road. "We have a really good, strong relationship," she says. "There's a lot of trust."

The couple wed in July before 110 guests, including family and friends from their native Ontario, Canada. To the surprise of many, the ceremony was traditional.

"I wanted to be like, 'Oh, let's totally have a rock 'n' roll, goth wedding,' " Lavigne tells Jane. "But at the same time I was like, 'I've been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a little girl. I have to wear the white dress.' I wanted to be a princess, okay?"

Part of the appeal of a traditional wedding was its timelessness. "People thought I would have done, like, some black wedding dress, and yeah, I would have. But at the same time I was thinking about our pictures. ... I didn't want to be, like, 20 years later, 'Oh, why did I wear my hair like that? It's not cool now.' "

Also not cool: drugs. "I've never done coke in my life, and I'm proud of that. Oh my God! I could never. I am 100 percent against drugs," she says The same is true for Whibley, even if it hasn't always been: "He doesn't do drugs. Clearly, he used to, because he talked about it, but I wouldn't be with someone who did, and I made that very clear to him when we first started dating."

But Lavigne is okay with one bad habit: spitting – specifically, at paparazzi, for which she recently made headlines.

"I don't know what the big deal was, because I've been spitting at paparazzi the past two years I've lived in L.A.," she says. "It was funny. But I think if Britney had had no underwear on that week, my spitting thing wouldn't have been talked about."

Britney's First Post-Rehab Outing

2007-03-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

In her first public appearance since rehab, Britney Spears stepped out to take a dance class and have sushi dinner with her girlfriends.

Spears left home Friday night to take a one-hour hip-hop class at the Millennium Dance Complex in North Hollywood – this after laying low since checking out of Malibu's Promises treatment facility on Tuesday.

Wearing nude fishnet stockings with dance boots, black hot pants, a black long-sleeved shirt and baseball cap over her dark brown wig, Spears arrived with her assistant as well as two bodyguards to take a 7 p.m. advanced-level hip-hop class with instructor Darrien Henning.

"The minute she walked in, she basically lit up the room," Henning told PEOPLE. "I had no idea she was coming, so I was shocked."

Spears, whom Henning described as looking "fantastic," quietly took a spot in the back of the about 30-person class held at the studio's 12,000-sq.-ft. "Dome." "She did the choreography really well, Henning said, adding, "In fact, she came in and nailed it."

And the pop star's presence in class seemed to serve as an inspiration: "All my students tried harder to get on their game," Henning observed.

Returning to the dance studio is a homecoming of sorts for the pop star, says Millennium Dance Complex owner Robert Baker, who counts Spears as one of his star clients. "She also comes in to scope talent," Baker told PEOPLE. "More than once she's hired our teachers to choreograph for her."

And true to form, the pop star stuck around after class to watch a master class from the VIP lounge.

Richards and Anderson: Paparazzi Lawsuit

2007-03-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards have tossed their names onto the ever-growing list of celebrities being sued for paparazzi-related incidences.

According to the latest reports, two of the camera-happy snappers are suing Richards and Anderson for an incident that occurred last November in Canada.

First reported by TMZ, the lawsuit was filed March 23, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The photogs, Scott Cosman and Rik Fedyck, “claim that Denise Richards went into violent rage when she spotted them taking photographs (of her) on the set of ‘Blonde and Blonder’.”

Richards then allegedly “launched into a verbal tirade and a physical assault upon Cosman and Fedyck, which lasted over 20 minutes,” allegedly calling the men “f**king c***sucker at least 12-15 times as well as scumbags, douche bags and paparazzi scum.”

The lawsuit also claims that Denise then “snatched their laptop computers from their hands, and threw them over the hotel balcony.” Even worse, one of the computers allegedly struck “an elderly woman in a wheelchair.”

Despite the lawsuit’s contentions, Canadian police investigated and determined that criminal charges were not in order.

Meanwhile, Pamela Anderson got involved in this whole mess by joining in on Richards’ tirade and allegedly providing false info to the police.

In the lawsuit, “the photogs claim both Richards and Anderson falsely told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that Fedyck and Cosman made violent threats against Richards and engaged in other criminal activity. As a result, the men were arrested and held by authorities for approximately three days.”

The two paparazzi are suing Denise and Pamela for “battery, defamation, assault, false arrest and a slew of other charges,” hoping that at least one holds up in court.

No specific amount was named in the lawsuit, but it is sure to be an absurd number.

Naomi Campbell Completes Community Service

2007-03-25T04:50:00.000-07:00

Naomi Campbell has turned in her mop and is back to her diva-like lifestyle. The British supermodel was released from a NYC garbage truck garage after completing five days of community service for assaulting her cleaning lady.

Campbell was spotted high-tailing it out of the Department of Sanitation Facility in Manhattan, just seconds after a garbage truck made its way through the area. According to Zee news reports, “The pavement might as well have been a catwalk: she strutted through in a bare-shouldered, ankle-length shimmering gown and stiletto sandals, then stepped into her silver rolls royce and sped away as neighborhood residents and paparazzi watched.”

The sanitation duties were bestowed upon Campbell after she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. The charge stemmed from an incident in which the model chucked a crystal-encrusted phone at her maid over a missing pair of jeans.

Her maid, Ana Scolavino, received four stitches to her head.

Campbell said it was an accident because she did not intend to hit her. Meanwhile, the judge didn’t buy this version of the story and found her guilty.

“In an agreement negotiated with prosecutors, the Manhattan criminal court judge sentenced Campbell to serve five days of community service, take anger management classes and pay $363.32 in restitution to Scolavino, as well as covering her hospital bills,” AP reports revealed.

Watson, Grint Agree To Harry Potter Deal

2007-03-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

Contrary to speculation that she was done with the films, ”Harry Potter“ actress Emma Watson has decided to reprise her role as Hermione Granger in the final two installments of the hit series, Warner Bros. said on Friday.

Watson was not the only recent signing. Reuters has reported that Rupert Grint will also be returning as Harry’s friend, Ron Weasley, and as previously announced, Daniel Radcliffe signed up to return as Harry in the sixth and seventh installments of the seven-part series.

Meanwhile, Watson (possibly at the urging of Warner Bros.) attempted to reassure fans of her commitment to the role and the movie, in general.

“I could never let Hermione go… she is my hero!,” Watson said in a statement from the Warner Bros. film studio. “I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me.”

The signing comes amidst news reports which speculated that the Watson, 16, may not return to the role she originated. The main reason being given was that Emma was tired of being typecast and recognized solely as “that girl from Harry Potter”.

With Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint all locked-in, Warner Bros. has assured themselves of more big paydays to come.

As Reuters reports, “The trio round out the main characters in the movie series that began in 2001 with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which proved to be a box-office sensation, raking in $976 million in global ticket sales. Three other “Potter” movies have since been released, adding nearly $2.6 billion to the worldwide box office. In all, the four “Harry Potter” movies have grossed over $3.5 billion.”

Now there are three more on the way, with the fifth film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” scheduled for release on July 13, 2007

Rock acts play for Burberry staff

2007-03-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Some of Wales' top rock acts performed for 300 Rhondda Burberry workers who lose their jobs next week.

The Automatic, Gruff Rhys and The Alarm headlined a concert at the Ystrad Rhondda Leisure Centre on Saturday.

Mike Peters from The Alarm said their taking part in the fundraising gig was a political statement.

Peters said it sent "a message out to other businesses" who are thinking of doing the same as Burberry is doing and "maybe they'll think again".

The concert was organised by The Pop Factory media complex in nearby Porth as part of the campaign to save the Treorchy factory. Proceeds will go to a trust to support affected workers and their families.

Dave Driscoll, one of the organisers, said: "Doing a concert like this is fun ( but) it doesn't take away the serious issue that they are closing the factory.

"We just hope the concert will bring a smile back on the workers' faces."

Last September Burberry announced a review had found that the Rhondda plant, which makes polo shirts, was not "commercially viable".

Production is being transferred overseas and shared between sites in Spain, Poland, Portugal and China.

A high-profile campaign to keep the jobs in south Wales has included international protests and drawn support from a number of celebrities.

Timberlake adds new stop to tour

2007-03-25T04:40:00.000-07:00

Pop star Justin Timberlake has added a stop in Nottingham to his UK tour, which starts in April.

He will play Nottingham Arena on 19 May, after dates in Belfast, Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester.

Timberlake is also due to be the first act to play the former Millennium Dome - now the O2 - in London in July.

The pop singer will be joined by producer Timbaland - who has worked with Missy Elliot, Nelly Furtado and the Pussycat Dolls - on the tour.

Actress Fox on drink-drive charge

2007-03-25T04:39:00.000-07:00

Kill Bill actress Vivica A Fox has been charged with drink driving after being arrested in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Ms Fox, 42, was stopped in Hollywood after her car passed a patrol car at 80mph, police said.

If convicted, she faces a maximum of six months in prison and a $1,000 (£509) fine, city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

There was no comment from Ms Fox's office. She is due to appear in court on 17 May.

Ms Fox faces misdemeanour counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.

Police said her blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit of 0.08%.

Ms Fox is currently starring in the TV drama Missing on the US cable network Lifetime and recently competed in talent show Dancing With The Stars.

The actress played assassin Vernita Green in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films.

She has also appeared in Independence Day, Ella Enchanted and Soul Food.

Gibson in Apocalypto college row

2007-03-25T04:38:00.001-07:00

Mel Gibson was at the centre of uproar after a heated exchange at a screening of his controversial film Apocalypto.

The director was taking questions at a Los Angeles university when he swore at an academic who accused him of misrepresenting Mayan culture.

Assistant professor of central American studies Alicia Estrada was ejected from the event at California State University, Northridge.

But she has denied accusations that she was being disruptive.

"In no way was my question aggressive in the way that he responded to it," Ms Estrada told the Associated Press.

"These are questions that my peers, my colleagues, ask me every time I make a presentation. These are questions I pose to my students in the classroom."

Brutal scenes

Apocalypto depicts the decline of a Mayan kingdom and features brutal scenes of human sacrifice.

It was Gibson's first outing behind the camera since his 2004 religious epic, The Passion of the Christ, and earned three Oscar nominations.

Critics say the film depicts Mayans as savages.

His spokesman, Alan Nierob, said the professor was a "heckler" and was "rude and disruptive".

"It was a brief disruption to an otherwise interesting, stimulating event from our students' perspective," university spokesman John Chandler said, adding that Gibson had expressed regret that "things had gotten out of hand".

He said the interruption occurred 20 minutes into the event, when two audience members refused to give up the microphone after asking questions.

But Ms Estrada is demanding an apology, "not only to me, but to the Central American programme at CSUN, to the university and most importantly to the Mayan people and the Mayan community".

Sir Elton set for New York party

2007-03-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

The veteran pop star, born Reg Dwight in Pinner, north London on 25 March 1947, will also extend his record for the most performances at the US venue.

It will be his 60th appearance there - eight more than the Grateful Dead's tally, a record passed in October 2001.

The show follows a private birthday party held in Manhattan. He has already held a similar bash in London.

One of Sir Elton's most memorable Madison Square Garden shows was in November 1974, when he was joined on stage by John Lennon in what turned out to be the former Beatle's last concert appearance before his death.

Sir Elton's career began in the early 1960s when he played piano in a pub near his home, and went on to form a band, Bluesology. Later, he failed auditions for bands including King Crimson and Gentle Giant, but was introduced to lyricist Bernie Taupin and changed his name to Elton John, after Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and musician Long John Baldry.

His first hit, Your Song, made the UK and US top 10 in 1971, and since then he has sold around 200 million albums.

Since the 1990s, he has been deeply involved in raising funds for his Aids charity, and his re-recorded version of Candle In The Wind, which he performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, became the fastest-selling UK single of all time in 1997.

He recently announced he would make his back catalogue of more than 30 albums available for digital download.

Sir Elton's concert, due to begin at 2030 New York time (0130 BST on Monday) will be shown live on the internet by MSN, while it will be recorded for worldwide TV specials, including one airing on ITV1 on Thursday.

Will Jessica Simpson Beat Nick Lachey to the Altar?

2007-03-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

If you’re like me, you were shocked and appalled when you heard that super cute married couple Jessica and Nick were getting divorced. You thought, “What will I do with my four seasons of Newlyweds?” Well now that the pain has subsided, reawaken your hearts with this news…

Jessica Simpson’s on-again romance with singer John Mayer, 29, is so hot that the couple was reportedly seen checking out diamond rings at Cartier on March 8 during their six-day trip to Rome!

With all the fruitless speculation over Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo’s possible nuptials, it is refreshing to see the other half of the super couple is moving forward with a rockstar that actually sells albums and wins Grammys.

Apparently John Mayer has been telling friends “she’s the one he wants to settle down with,” says a source. “He says, ‘she has all the right ingredients, and she makes me laugh.’” It’s an unlikely pairing, but apparently he’s found his soul mate: He wanted to have “a wife, a home, a degree of stability” before he turned 30. Well that is closing in, as he turns the big 3-0 just six months from now on October 16.

We’ll let you know as soon as we know more. Until then, keep your eyes pealed. Oh, and one more thing- John and Jessica, please don’t do an MTV reality series… they don’t end well!

Jennifer Hudson’s Starbucks Ousting

2007-03-24T04:06:00.000-07:00

The ever-growing celebrity Jennifer Hudson doesn’t seem to hold Starbucks’ management’s respect.

Apparently, Hudson got a little too greedy with ludicrous demands and lost her shot at performing for the coffee moguls.

Hudson has been well received since her debut on American Idol, and as a further example to the show’s star manufacturing power, Hudson was able to cross-over into movies with Dreamgirls. It seems the budding actress believes in her stardom a little too much.

A witness told TMZ, “Jennifer’s agency William Morris demanded five cars, hair and make-up artists, security for her and her assistant, and humidifiers. The final straw came when they told Starbucks she would need baked chicken wings at 10 a.m. Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz decided he had enough and pulled the plug because he didn’t like the way the agent was dealing with his people.”

Who does she think she is? Britney Spears? Whitney Houston? I mean come on… She has only been around for three years. You need to have a little bit more star power before you can start burning up business relationships.

Former Oprah intern wins Miss USA

2007-03-24T04:04:00.000-07:00

Rachel Smith, a journalism graduate from Tennessee, was crowned Miss USA, edging out 50 other aspiring beauty queens in a contest to replace a titleholder whose reign was nearly marred by a scandal.

Smith, 21, graduated from Belmont University and interned last year for the production company behind "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia were competing to succeed Miss USA Tara Conner, who entered rehab after accounts surfaced suggesting she was drinking at New York clubs.

The episode could have cost the Kentucky native her crown, but Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageant with NBC, gave her a second chance.

The telecast did not shy away from the controversy, opening with a string of news and interview clips about Conner's woes. Then the 21-year-old blonde emerged wearing a strapless, ruffled gown, and appeared on stage.

"It has been the most unforgettable year of my life and I'm back, and better than ever," Conner said to wild applause from the audience.

Smith edged out top finalists Meagan Yvonne Tandy of California; Cara Renee Gorges of Kansas; Helen Salas of Nevada; and Danielle Lacourse of Rhode Island.

Nicole Smith diaries sell for more than $500,000

2007-03-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Anna Nicole Smith's private thoughts written in two diaries have been sold for more than $500,000 to a German businessman who planned to sell the information to the media, an auction house official said.

Also Friday, Frederic von Anhalt, the husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor, who says he fathered Smith's 6-month-old daughter, provided a DNA sample in the ongoing dispute about the paternity of the child. He said he wanted to raise the child if he was the father.

The late Playboy model's handwritten 1992 diary was sold for $282,500 and her 1994 diary went for $230,000 in an eBay auction Thursday, plus a 20 percent buyer's premium.

The buyer wished to remain anonymous but planned to sell the information to various media outlets, then resell the diaries by the end of the year, said Thomas Riccio, a partner in Universal Rarities, the Corona, California-based auction house that handled the sale.

The "soap opera value" of the dairies could be worth more than $1 million alone, including the rights to publish photos of the pages, Riccio said.

Smith, 39, was found dead February 8 in Hollywood, Florida. The cause of her death is under investigation, and authorities plan to release autopsy results Monday.

On Friday, von Anhalt, 59, said he was "almost sure the baby's mine," after having a cotton swab brushed along the inside of his mouth for the DNA test. He added he hopes to gain custody as soon as possible.

He says he carried on a decades-long affair with Smith. A judge in the Bahamas on Tuesday ordered a DNA test on the girl at the request of Smith's ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead, who has also claimed paternity. Howard K. Stern, Smith's companion, is listed as the father on the baby's birth certificate.

Immediately after von Anhalt gave his sample at an Identigene Lab, his lawyer, Edward Lee, called on Stern to do the same. Stern's lawyer, James Neavitt, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Police to play US Virgin Festival

2007-03-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

The Police are to headline the second Virgin music festival in the US.

The Beastie Boys and Smashing Pumpkins will also headline the festival on 4 and 5 August in Baltimore, Maryland.

Last year's event was held in September but festival organiser Seth Hurwitz told Billboard.com it had been moved this year to accommodate The Police.

It will take place at the same time as Lollapalooza, which is "not ideal", he said. "But given the choice of booking The Police or not we had to go for it."

The pop band launch their reunion tour in Canada on 28 May, reaching the UK in September. The group, who have sold more than 50 million albums, split in 1983.

Jolie and Pitt fund Sudan clinic

2007-03-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated $100,000 (£51,000) to a medical clinic in Sudan.

The Duk Lost Boys Clinic is the first of its kind in south Sudan's Duk County and will serve more than 150,000 people when it opens later this spring.

The clinic is the brainchild of John Dau, one of the "lost boys" in the film God Grew Tired of Us, produced by Pitt.

The film tells of 25,000 boys who fled war-torn Sudan, travelling for five years to get to a Kenyan refugee camp.

Almost 4,000 of them, including Mr Dau, then emigrated to the US.

The clinic is situated in the village Mr Dau initially fled during an attack by pro-government forces. "Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt demonstrate the American spirit of generosity," he said.

"Hopefully their donation will inspire others to join with us to rebuild southern Sudan."

South Sudan has hardly any infrastructure following a 21-year conflict between southern rebels and the northern government.

A peace deal was signed to end the war in 2005.

The documentary, on which Pitt was executive producer, won the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival last year.

Jolie and Pitt, who have four children, learned of Mr Dau's clinic when they attended the film's Hollywood premiere in January.

The donation will come from the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which they set up to help humanitarian causes around the world.

In addition, volunteers from charity Direct Change have raised $340,000 (£173,000) towards the clinic, while volunteers for the American Care for Sudan Foundation in Syracuse, New York, have helped to construct the building.

Abba duo win musical court battle

2007-03-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Former Abba stars Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have won a court battle over who is entitled to royalties from one of their hit musicals.

Carl-Johan Seth wrote a first draft of a show called Kristina from Duvemala, but the Abba duo successfully argued in court that his script was unusable.

Mr Seth's lawyer Staffan Michelson said he was very disappointed and his client would appeal against the decision.

Ulvaeus and Andersson now hope to take the musical to Broadway.

Immigrant story

Their plans for a US transfer had been on hold while the court case was under way.

Mr Seth had argued in court that he should be considered to be the main writer.

But Ulvaeus and Andersson said they had to use a script by director Lars Rudolfsson and dramatist Jan Mark instead.

Kristina from Duvemala tells the story of Swedish immigrants to the US in the 19th Century.

Stars say goodbye to John Inman

2007-03-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

Family and friends of John Inman have attended the actor's funeral in London.

Wendy Richard, his co-star in Are You Being Served?, was joined by actress Barbara Windsor, entertainer Danny La Rue and Inman's partner Ron Lynch.

"It's a sad day but we'll give him a good send-off," Windsor said before the service at Golders Green crematorium.

Inman, best known for his role as camp salesman Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served?, died earlier this month at the age of 71.

"John Inman was without a doubt - and you'll see from the turnout - one of the loveliest, sweetest men in our business," Windsor said.

"I was very fortunate to have worked with him, and I knew him for over 30 years." Inman, who coined the phrase "I'm free!" in the long-running TV sitcom, died in hospital on 8 March.

The Preston-born actor had been suffering from a Hepatitis A infection for some time.

"He's going to be greatly missed," said Wendy Richard, who played Miss Brahms in the show.

Danny La Rue said he was "very sad but fine".

"There are many happy memories for us, 44 years we've known each other. This is for John," he added.

Frank Thornton, who starred in Are You Being Served? as Captain Peacock, was also among the mourners.

Actress Emma Watson is likely to return as Hermione

2007-03-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Actress Emma Watson is likely to return as Hermione in the last two Harry Potter movies despite reports she may quit, producers Warner Bros have said.

"We're extremely confident that Emma will be back for films six and seven," a spokesperson for the Hollywood studio told CBBC's Newsround.

The statement comes amid speculation that the 16-year-old told the company she did not want to continue.

Daniel Radcliffe has already agreed to take the lead role in both productions.

There have been four films based on JK Rowling's books so far, with the fifth - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - due for release in July.

Filming for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled to begin this year, with a release date at some point in 2008.

A release date in 2010 has been mooted for the seventh and final movie, The Deathly Hallows - the year Watson will turn 20.

Razorlight lead Reading line-up

2007-03-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Razorlight, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Smashing Pumpkins are to headline this summer's Reading and Leeds festivals.

Rock bands Ash, The View, The Gossip and the Nine Inch Nails are among the other acts appearing at the twin events from 24-26 August.

Veteran bands the Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins are not due to appear at any other UK summer music festivals.

In 2006, Razorlight claimed their first number one single and album. Sell-out Also among the 150 acts at the festivals will be The Arcade Fire and Mercury Prize nominees Bloc Party and Maximo Park.

All tickets for last year's three-day event sold out, with an estimated 80,000 music fans at each site. Brit Award winners the Arctic Monkeys played the main stage in 2006 after playing a smaller stage in 2005.

The headline acts at last year's event were Pearl Jam and Muse, who went on to collect the Brit Award for best live act last month.

Blanchett negotiating to star in 'Indiana Jones'

2007-03-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Cate Blanchett is in negotiations to star opposite Harrison Ford in the long-awaited fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" series, her publicist confirmed Saturday.

"She is in negotiations, yes," publicist Lisa Kasteler told The Associated Press. She did not elaborate.

Filming is scheduled to begin later this year, with Steven Spielberg on board to direct. The movie is being produced by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd.

Ford played Indiana Jones in 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1984's "Temple of Doom" and 1989's "The Last Crusade."

Blanchett, who won a best supporting actress Oscar in 2004 for "The Aviator," starred in last year's "Notes on a Scandal" and "Babel."

'Last Picture Show' director accused of shakedown

2007-03-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Actor/filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and his business manager have been sued for allegedly shaking down a man trying to get his son into the film industry.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York, Iaroslav Jikov alleges the Oscar-nominated director of "The Last Picture Show" and William Peiffer demanded $100,000 to hire Jikov's son as a director's assistant on Bogdanovich's next film.

According to the complaint, the parties met twice in 2005 to discuss employment opportunities for Matt Jikov. After the second meeting at a Manhattan restaurant, it was agreed that Iaroslav would wire the money to an account identified by Peiffer. Iaroslav says he made the payment on February 7, 2005.

Bogdanovich is alleged to have told the Jikovs that he was making progress on a film to be produced by Paramount Pictures. In June 2005, he told the Jokovs that he planned to make two films, according to the complaint.

Jikov says he demanded his money back in January 2006. Bogdanovich and Peiffer allegedly refused. Peiffer said he had not seen the lawsuit and would not comment on the allegations.

Bogdanovich, 67, last directed a feature film in 2001, "The Cat's Meow." He could not be reached for comment.

He has also endured controversy in his private life, including a long relationship with actress Cybill Shepherd, an affair with murdered Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten, and at least two instances where he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Phil Spector murder trial set to begin

2007-03-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

The murder trial of pioneering rock producer Phil Spector finally begins Monday, more than four years after a B-movie actress was found shot to death at his castle-like mansion outside Los Angeles.

The trial, delayed repeatedly since Spector was indicted in 2003, will be shown on live television amid fascination with the 1960s musical genius turned recluse who once described himself as having "devils that fight inside me."

Fifty news organizations applied for seats in the Los Angeles courtroom for the biggest celebrity trial since pop star Michael Jackson's 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges. Proceedings start Monday with jury selection involving 300 potential jurors and questionnaires to assess how much media coverage of the case they have absorbed.

Spector, 67, is best known for his innovative "Wall of Sound" recording technique and work with The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, The Beatles, Tina Turner and Cher. Spector, who is free on $1 million bail, denies the charges that he killed actress Lana Clarkson in February 2003.

He told Esquire magazine in an interview shortly after his arrest that Clarkson "kissed the gun" in a bizarre suicide for reasons he did not understand. Los Angeles judges have been reluctant to allow cameras in court since the 1995 acquittal of actor and former football star O.J. Simpson on murder charges after a trial telecast live that brought sharp criticism of the city's justice system.

Opening statements in the Spector case are likely to begin in late April or early May, with the trial lasting up to three months.
Who pulled the trigger?

Prosecutors and defense lawyers both say Clarkson, star of such films as "Amazon Women on the Moon" and "Barbarian Queen," met Spector the night before her death while working as a waitress at a Sunset Strip rock club.

There is no dispute that the actress was killed early the next morning by a single shot from a .38-caliber revolver in the foyer of Spector's mansion, which was designed to resemble a castle. But the two sides disagree on the fundamental question of who pulled the trigger.

Wogan plays down Eurovision gaffe

2007-03-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan has played down the gaffe which marred Scooch's Eurovision win.

Speaking on his Radio 2 breakfast show, Sir Terry said: "Nobody died, it's a TV programme. It wasn't the general election. People got a bit confused."Scooch won the BBC's Making Your Mind Up contest to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

But Sir Terry initially announced Cyndi as the winner. He apologised for any embarrassment he caused her.

'I'm sorry' Sir Terry told listeners: "I suppose I should make a little apology to Cyndi - although I'm not taking the blame for this - because I was the one who did say Cyndi had won.

"And if she's listening, my apologies for raising your hopes at the last minute, which was inadvertent and I'm sorry. "It probably wouldn't do her career any harm, either. She's a fine singer."

Sir Terry added: "There's no doubt Scooch won. They clearly won. We wish them well and I shall be there to cheer them on by word and gesture in Helsinki. Just ignore what you hear old fools say."

The confusion happened after a final "sing-off" between Scooch and Cyndi during Saturday evening's show. Sir Terry announced Cyndi as the winner, but seconds later co-host Fearne Cotton said Scooch had won the public vote.

A BBC statement later apologised for the gaffe, but confirmed that Scooch - Russ Spencer, David Ducasse, Natalie Powers and Caroline Barnes - had won.

Sienna Miller’s Transvestite Stalker

2007-03-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

In another example of the pitfall’s of stardom, Sienna Miller is allegedly being stalked by a transvestite. Miller is so frightened of what the wacko fan might do, she hasn’t been able to sleep and has hired two bodyguards for protection, reports Female First.

“Sienna has been bombarded with bizarre letters from a transvestite and has hired two security men. In his letters, he talks about being obsessed with her look. He tries to follow her everywhere.... The poor girl hasn’t been sleeping properly because she has been so scared. Things just got to the point that she just had to take extra care of herself,” insiders from the magazine revealed.

Sienna’s stalker is reportedly a transvestite who goes by the name of Peter. Peter wears women’s wigs, high-heeled stilettos, fake fur coats and dresses, as (s)he follows Sienna around.

I’ll leave you with a comical musing from the always hilarious J. Harvey:

“A stalker who has a thing for slutty blond chicks, the smell of Zima, and bad acting is following Sienna Miller’s drunken butt around and sending her letters. The stalker is a trannie . I love this story. This girl with something extra needs to take in a showing of “Factory Girl” and move on to a worthier target.”

While this is an interesting take on the whole situation, we hope that Sienna is safe and that this ‘interesting’ problem goes away.

Cate Blanchett Lands “Indiana Jones 4” Role

2007-03-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

The blockbuster movie franchise ”Indiana Jones“ has just added Cate Blanchett to the list of big names set to star in the story’s fourth installment.

Cate joins Harrison Ford, who has already boarded the project, which will be produced by Lucasfilm and directed by Steven Spielberg.

"With David Koepp’s screenplay shrouded in secrecy, it is unclear what character Blanchett will play. However, sources said the Oscar-winning actress has landed a starring role,” the Hollywood Reporter stated.

The movie is set to begin shooting in June in LA, with footage then to be shot at undisclosed locations around the world. Paramount Pictures will release their final product around the world on May 22, 2008, with a handful of territories opening the following day.

Blanchett, who is filming David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” next will lend her voice to Wes Anderson’s “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” In addition to her Academy Award win for “The Aviator,” she received a supporting nomination this year for her role in Richard Eyre’s “Notes on a Scandal.”

Now her future is looking even brighter… it doesn’t get much bigger than Spielberg and Indiana Jones!

Kirsten Dunst Has Singing Aspirations

2007-03-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

After harsh reviews of a movie of hers, Kirsten Dunst suddenly realized how self-conscience she has been. The popular actress finds herself wanting to be a free spirit and is eager to try new things.

Kirsten claims her awakening came after she made the movie Marie Antoinette, in which she received mixed reviews, but focused too heavily on the negative ones.

"After Marie Antoinette, I was feeling that I had to prove myself. Like, I didn’t do it. I didn’t prove myself enough,” said the young actress. “Then I thought, whatever. I’m in a really happy place, and I want to do a fun movie. Why do I want to be a super-serious chick all the time?”

This mentality goes hand in hand with reports that Dunst is interested in recording an album. According to Life & Style magazine, “Kirsten has expressed curiosity in music after her character had a singing role in Spider-Man 3.” A friend of the celebrity went on to say that “Kirsten had been taking voice lessons and wanted to make an album within the next year.”

If her newly found passion for music isn’t enough, Dunst has also shown a strong interest in art. She has said that she will continue to work in Hollywood even though she will have a busy schedule.

The hard working, newly self-motivated twenty-four-year-old has been in movies for eighteen years, and has been a celebrity ever since Interview with the Vampire was released in 1994… maybe a change isn’t a bad idea.

R&B Singer Tamia Expecting Second Child

2007-03-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

R&B singer Tamia and her NBA star husband Grant Hill are expecting their second child, the couple confirm to PEOPLE.

"I'm happy that the secret is out because it was getting very difficult to hide it," says Tamia, 31, who is four months along. "I performed yesterday and I caught a glimpse of myself in a reflection and I thought, 'Oh no, I'm going to have to talk about this."

Grant, 34, is "thrilled" about the new family addition and daughter Myla, 5, looks forward being "the coolest big sister ever," Tamia says.

The singer announced her pregnancy on her MySpace page.

The couple wed in 1999 after being introduced by singer Anita Baker while Grant led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA playoffs. He now plays for the Orlando Magic.

Tamia released her fourth studio album Between Friends in November 2006 featuring her hit single "Can't Get Enough, " a love song about her husband. Despite her 2003 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Tamia says she feels "fine."

"The baby is healthy, everything is great," says she.

John Travolta & Kelly Preston May Expand Family

2007-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

ohn Travolta would like to expand his family – if his wife, actress Kelly Preston, will allow it, the actor tells PEOPLE.

"There's a thought of this summer maybe trying for a third but that depends on Kelly's schedule," Travolta told PEOPLE at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas. " I leave it up to her."

Travolta, 53, and Preston, 44, have two children – Jett, 14, and Ella Bleu, 7 – but another child has been on the couple's mind.

"I really like having kids. I enjoy their energy and it keeps everything wonderful and hopeful," says Travolta, who was in town to promote his upcoming summer move, Hairspray. "I grew up with six kids in my family. I thought I would have five or six."

On watching his children grow up, he said, "It's fascinating always, because they're yours and they're beautiful and they're constantly changing and offering you new thoughts and ideas, so I love watching them grow up...They're your future, really."

Numb3rs Star Diane Farr Welcomes a Boy

2007-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Actress Diane Farr, who stars on CBS's Numb3rs, and her husband, marketing executive Seung Yong Chung, welcomed their first child, a baby boy, Friday morning, a spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

The new arrival, Beckett Mancuso Chung, weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz, was 22-inches long, and was born at 8:56 a.m. in Los Angeles. He is named after the Irish poet and playwright Samuel Beckett. Mancuso is a family name from Farr's side.

"Mother and baby are happy and healthy," the actress's rep added.

The couple first announced that they were expecting in August.

Farr, 37, plans to return to Numb3rs for the season finale to air May 18. In addition to Numb3rs, she played a female firefighter on Rescue Me and has appeared on TV shows that include The Drew Carey Show and Roswell.

Chung owns and operates his own company, Chung and Associates, a Los Angeles-based entertainment marketing firm.

The two were wed on June 24, 2006, at Rainbow Tarns, a lodge in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

'I am a lonely soul,' singer says in suicide note

2007-03-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston who killed himself last week, left behind a note in which he called himself "a lonely soul," according to police reports released Thursday.

The note was paper-clipped to the neck of Delp's shirt when police found his body at his Atkinson home, on the bathroom floor, his head on a pillow. He had sealed himself inside with two charcoal grills; toxicology tests showed he had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Mr. Brad Delp. J'ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul," the note read.

Delp joined Boston in the mid-1970s and sang two of its biggest hits, "More than a Feeling" and "Long Time." He was cremated Wednesday, after a private funeral earlier in the week.

His fiancee, Pamela Sullivan, called police March 9 after noticing a dryer vent tube connected to the exhaust pipe of Delp's car. In the garage, police found a note taped to the door leading into the house.

"To whoever finds this I have hopefully committed suicide. Plan B was to asphyxiate myself in my car."

In another note on a door at the top of the stairs, Delp cautioned that there was carbon monoxide inside.

"I take complete and sole responsibility for my present situation. I have lost my desire to live," he wrote. The note also included instructions on how to contact his fiancee: "Unfortunately she is totally unaware of what I have done."

Police later found four sealed letters in an office addressed to Sullivan, his children, their mother, Micki Delp, and another couple whose identity was not disclosed. Police Lt. William Baldwin said police gave the letters to family members without reading them.

Sullivan told police that Delp "had been depressed for some time, feeling emotional (and) bad about himself," according to the reports.

He had planned to marry Sullivan this summer during a break in a tour with Boston. A lifelong Beatles fan, Delp also played with the tribute band Beatle Juice.

Oprah opens second South African school

2007-03-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Oprah Winfrey opened her second school for poor South African youth Friday, an innovative, environmentally friendly institution she hopes will be a model for public education.

The Seven Fountains Primary School was funded by Oprah's Angel Network, a public charity that supports organizations and projects focused on education and literacy.

"The Seven Fountains School is an example of what schools in South Africa can become," Winfrey said at the formal dedication of the school outside the remote town of Kokstad in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.

Dressed casually in a cream top and white pants, the talk show host danced and sang with teachers and children who lauded her with cries of "Long live Oprah, long live!"

Winfrey first visited the school in 2002 when it was located on a farm, bringing gifts, clothing, books and teacher-training materials for its 1,000 students and staff.

The school was later forced to move from the farm and relocated to a building with no windows, little electricity and running water, and only four toilets.

During a follow-up visit in 2004, the Angel Network committed itself to building a new school.

"We thought the school you had before was not good enough, so we wanted to build the best school for you," she told the children Friday.

The $1.6 million school, which will be run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, has 25 classrooms, three multipurpose rooms, a library, computer center, landscaped playground and two sports fields.

The supply of water to the area is irregular, so the school has an innovative system that recycles rain water and uses seesaws and merry-go-rounds to pump water. It also uses solar power and has landscaped gardens that supply vegetables for school meals.

"It can be done within the expectations of budgets. We used our imagination and creativity to build not only a good school but a great school," Winfrey said.

Winfrey emphasized the importance of education in combatting poverty and said every child had a right to succeed. "We are here today to celebrate the transformative power of education," she said.

Principal Veliswa Mnukwa praised Winfrey for responding to their plight and called her an "angel." "This is the second time you are visiting us, but now it is a very different school ... Nothing compares with what you have done for us," she said.

Nduli Amahle, 11, marveled at the school's transformation.

"I want to thank Oprah for giving us this school. It is going to change my life and help me become a doctor," she said.

Parent Lindiwe Mbambo said the school is also going to have a lasting affect on the community.

"Even as a parent I am going to participate here. There is a night school, a computer center and a library that we can use. I can't express my gratitude for Oprah. The old school was so miserable," she said.

Winfrey opened her Leadership Academy for Girls outside Johannesburg to great fanfare on January 2, with celebrities like Tina Turner and Spike Lee in attendance, as well as former President Nelson Mandela.

The lavish $40 million school was the fulfillment of a promise she made to Mandela six years ago and aims to give 152 girls from deprived backgrounds a quality education in a country where schools are struggling to overcome the legacy of apartheid.

But some parents have complained to local media about academy rules limiting the girls to one family visit a month and restricting their cell phone calls and consumption of junk food.

"It was a nightmare," Frances Mans told the News24 Web site. "We had only two hours to see my child. Surely this isn't a prison?"

Anna Nicole Smith movie in the works

2007-03-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Filming will begin in Los Angeles early next month on a motion picture about the life of Anna Nicole Smith, CNN has learned.

Producer Jack Nasser of All-Media Productions told CNN on Friday that his company is in the process of casting the lead role in the film, which could be released as early as June.

"We're moving as quickly as possible" on the production, Nasser told CNN. "We're on what we call 'the fast track.' " Nasser said the film will cover Smith's life from from age 17 until her death last month at 39, including her marriage to billionaire J. Howard Marshall and the death of her son Daniel.

Nasser said his film will focus on "the positive" about Smith, whose February 8 death caused a media sensation. "It's not focused on the trash," he said.

Nasser's company has produced a long list of little-known TV movies, including "Amber's Story," "Hostage Negotiator" and "The Suspect." He told CNN the untitled Smith biopic is intended for a theatrical release but could wind up on TV.

Nasser said it was not necessary for him to obtain the rights to Smith's story to make the film because it is based on biographical details that have been widely reported.

"She's very famous," he told CNN. "There's so much in the public domain. In this case rights aren't necessary."

Casting for the role of Smith will begin next week, he said. Nasser said he may cast two women, one to play the younger Smith, the other the older. A casting notice online specifies the role involves "some minor nudity for two brief striptease" scenes. Smith was a stripper in Texas when she met her late husband, Marshall.

Actors also will be cast to play Marshall, Smith's son Daniel at ages 5, 9 and 16, and the private nurse who discovered Smith's lifeless body in a Florida hotel room, among other roles.

Nasser told CNN his company had been at work on a film about Smith for the last two years and stepped up production after she died unexpectedly.

"We just kicked it into gear" after her death, he said.

Babyshambles announce arena tour

2007-03-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles are set to play their biggest shows to date with an arena tour later this year.

The UK dates, which include a gig at Wembley Arena, kick off at Manchester MEN Arena on 22 November.

The tour will also take in Newcastle, Brighton, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow.

Doherty will play two solo shows at London's Hackney Empire next month, which will include poetry, readings and an acoustic set.

Babyshambles recently secured a long-term deal with record label Parlophone.

The move followed the success of the group's The Blinding EP, which was released by the company in December.

Babyshambles previously scored top 10 hits with Killamangiro and Albion on the cult label Rough Trade.

Gabriel to perform at 25th Womad

2007-03-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Musician Peter Gabriel is to perform at this summer's Womad festival to mark its 25th anniversary. Gabriel, the co-founder of the world music event, will appear on 27 July with a line-up which includes 70 artists from 40 countries.

The event will be held at Charlton Park in Wiltshire for the first time, after 17 years at Rivermead in Berkshire. Organisers chose to move the festival from its former site in Reading because it was becoming too crowded.

'Negative noise' Gabriel said: "It has been wonderful to see what has happened with Womad over the last 25 years. It is different from any other festival I've even been to.

"Although I usually get to enjoy it from the audience rather than the stage, I'm delighted to come back for this 25th anniversary," added the performer.

Gabriel originally inspired the idea for a world music festival in 1980, leading to the first edition in 1982. Since 1988, other Womad festivals have taken place at different locations around the world.

Former Genesis star Gabriel endorsed the decision to move the principal site to Wiltshire, saying "it just felt that there was beginning to be a negative noise about Reading".

Despite switching venues, there are no plans to increase the 20,000 capacity of the event, which will take place between 27-29 July.

Jolie 'sorry' for media exposure

2007-03-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Actress Angelina Jolie has apologised for bringing the glare of publicity onto her newly adopted Vietnamese son. Speaking in an interview with Ho Chi Minh City newspaper Phap Luat, Jolie said: "I want to say sorry for bringing this into Pax's life."

The three-year-old boy has been renamed Pax Thien, the Latin for peace and Vietnamese word for heaven. The film star added she would stay at home to help the boy, who speaks no English, settle into his new life.

'Most important thing'

"We have to learn to adapt to each other and study each other's languages," Jolie told the newspaper.

"I have four children, and caring for them is the most important thing for me now," added the 31-year-old Oscar winner.

Jolie has already adopted two children, from Cambodia and Ethiopia, and last year she gave birth to a daughter, Shiloh, with actor partner Brad Pitt.

The actress, a United Nations goodwill ambassador, vowed to pay regular visits to Vietnam.

"To the best of my ability, I want to understand more about your country and see what I can do to help," she said.

Hawkins tipped for Eurovision win

2007-03-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins is the favourite to become the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entrant. The musician, who will perform a duet with Beverlei Brown, is tipped ahead of Big Brovaz, ex-East 17 star Brian Harvey and newcomer Cyndi.

Atomic Kitten's Liz McClarnon and reformed pop quartet Scooch are trailing in the bookmakers' odds. Saturday's Making Your Mind Up show is on BBC One at 1930 GMT, and the result will be revealed from 2130 GMT.

Guaranteed Hawkins has admitted that it is "everybody's dream to represent their country at the highest level".

"I think it's the biggest, most glamorous and possibly the most important music event there is," added the performer. Sir Terry Wogan, who will host the show along with Fearne Cotton, said: "Who knows, this could be the year that the UK makes it into the Top 10."

The UK is the last of 42 countries taking part in this year's contest in Helsinki to select their song.

The event's qualifying round will take place on 10 May, in which 28 countries will compete for 10 places in the final. The UK has a guaranteed berth in the final two days later as one of the biggest financial contributors to the contest, along with France, Germany and Spain.

In 2006 Daz Sampson's song Teenage Life finished 19th in Athens, while the UK last finished in the top ten five years ago.

Major Developments In Anna Nicole Case

2007-03-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Miami Herald is reporting what could be a major development in the investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

The paper stated that Seminole police have met with homicide prosecutors in the state attorney’s office to discuss the death of Anna Nicole Smith. The key words being homicide detectives… inferring that Anna Nicole may have been murdered.

The Herald also says “officials confirmed the meeting, held Tuesday, but would say nothing more about the nature of their discussions. In addition, the commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force is now in South Florida, meeting with the Seminoles on Smith’s death.”

It was just last week that Florida police told Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper that they had two new pieces of important evidence to share with him. And that info apparently is what held up release of the official announcement on the cause of her death.

Now, TMZ has reported that one of the important new pieces of evidence that triggered a police investigation centers around a computer.

Apparently, police from Florida and the Bahamas have been evaluating evidence on the computer, which was inside the hotel room where Anna Nicole died.

TMZ also noted, “the wife of Anna’s bodyguard, Big Moe, was on a computer near Anna’s bedside shortly before she died. Sources say Big Moe’s wife is not the focus of the police, but that there is information on the computer that has piqued the interest of cops.”

Rachel Hunter Disses Beyonce

2007-03-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Rod Stewart’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter, 39, has a beef with Beyonce Knowles. The New Zealand native fears for the career’s of young girls who aspire to be the next covergirl. According to Hunter, the era of high profile supermodels getting to do the runway and magazine scene could be coming to a close.

Movie and music stars will overshadow the world of modeling, says Hunter. “For years now we have seen people on the covers of magazines that aren’t models. They are actresses and it’s disappointing. Sports illustrated this year had Knowles on the cover. What’s left for young girls to aspire to if they want to be models? Not much!”

It is surprising that with all the other things to worry about in the world today, that Hunter is so concerned with girls who want to be models. Hey Rachel, maybe next time you could inspire girls to something a little less self-centered and a little more globally minded. And I thought that all models weren’t like Derek Zoolander. I guess even I’m wrong sometimes.

Electra and Sweeney’s Runway Spills

2007-03-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

At the Max Factor and Clothes Off Our Back fashion show, models just couldn’t seem to stay on their feet. The runway was so slippery that Carmen Electra fell on her tush at the start of the show.

“Opening the show, Electra, the evening’s host, walked to the front of the runway and back again to thunderous applause. But just as she took her last step, she slipped. Her feet went into the air and she tumbled to the floor on her bottom,” reports E! News.

Immediately after Carmen took her spill, Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney ran out to lend a helping hand. While doing so, she too lost her footing, joining Electra on the ground rather than helping her up.

One of the evening’s models, Giuliana DePandi, said, “We were all backstage and all of a sudden we heard a thump and people going, ‘Oh, my god! Carmen fell. And then we heard another thump and Sweeney was down. What’s ironic is that right before Carmen walked onto the runway, she turned to all of us and said, ‘Be careful, girls! It’s slippery out here.’ “

Fortunately, neither Carmen nor Alison were seriously injured, however, after the two runway falls, the rest of models took off their Stuart Weitzman shoes and did the runway barefoot.

Jessica Simpson Photo Book, Paparazzi Run-In

2007-03-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Jessica Simpson and John Mayer have returned from their Italian escapade, with Jessica now inspired to release a book of photography.

The blonde singer-actress told MTV Europe that she wants to release a book of pictures she has taken. Her idea… the book would consist “mostly of landscapes, of the sky, clouds, accompanied by journal entries related to the shots.”

Jessica explained, “I know exactly what I was going through when I was taking the picture, and I write it down as I take the picture, so it will be that kind of book.”

While most people would call “that kind of book” a scrapbook and probably just keep it to themselves, Jessica seems adamant to make it work.

More recently, Simpson and Mayer returned home from their Roman getaway, and were greeted by throngs of paparazzi.

Soon after their return, Jessica made a trip to the Hahm Rejuvenation Center in West Hollywood. According to TMZ, “Jessica was in no mood to deal with her usual BFFs, the paparazzi.”

As the photogs crowded around her, an irritated Simpson exclaimed, “You guys, please, please back off! It’s really not cool.”

Jessica finally did make it to her black Mercedes and said, “I’m trying to respect you guys, but this is very rude,” before slamming her door shut and driving off… possibly on her way to take some pictures of the clouds!

Jennifer Lopez 'Excited' About Idol Appearance

2007-03-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lopez is counting down the days until she takes the American Idol stage. "I'm very excited," Lopez told TV's Extra in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I watched it last night. I have a couple favorites."

Lopez was one of the many A-list names Access Hollywood first hinted would appear on season 6 of Idol, which was later confirmed the FOX show. Gwen Stefani and Jon Bon Jovi are also on the lineup as guest mentors this season.

Lopez, who is expected to perform on April 11, reveals she'll sing "one of my Spanish songs. I think they're doing a Latin album theme night."

Until then, Lopez, who was in Sin City with husband Marc Anthony, is busy promoting their joint film project El Cantante at the annual ShoWest convention. So, could another family affair – kids – be next on the couple's agenda? "You're going to hear from me first and it's going to be me in handcuffs, because (I'll run) down Sunset screaming like a madman," Anthony tells Extra. "It's something that's important to us and God will make it possible whenever He says."

Simon Cowell: I'm Worth More Than Springsteen

2007-03-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Has the uber success of American Idol gone to Simon Cowell's head? Perhaps. It certainly has padded his bank account – so much so that he proclaims he's worth more than legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, who has a record contract reported to be worth $100 million.

"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen," Cowell says in a new interview with 60 Minutes airing Sunday. Cowell tells interviewer Anderson Cooper that he has sold "over 100 million records."

How is it that a former music executive-turned-television personality can achieve this feat?

Cowell says it's simple. "By doing Idol I signed the biggest artist on the planet and it's called Idol because every single Idol winner in now signed through Sony BMG," Cowell explains. "And this applies to ...all countries... we sell Idol to, which is over 30 countries."

Albums by the show's winners and runners-up are distributed by labels within the Sony BMG system through a deal between Clive Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller.

Many former contestants – not just the winners – have gone on to become platinum-selling recording artists including Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, who Cowell predicted would sell "more records than any other artist" in the show's history. And he was right – so far. To date Underwood's debut CD has sold over five million records.

Of Springsteen's $100 million deal with Sony BMG, Cowell quips, "For him it's a good deal."

Meanwhile, Cowell crows to Cooper, "In the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If [Springsteen] got 100 [million dollars], I should have got 500."

Mills is 'not a publicity seeker'

2007-03-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Heather Mills McCartney, estranged wife of former Beatle Sir Paul, has said she will always love her husband and does not look for press attention.

"I'm not a publicity seeker... I haven't gone round promoting things to finance my own pockets," the animal rights activist told BBC News 24.

She added that she would "never get over" her relationship breakdown and "would always love Paul". Mills was being interviewed about her protest against pig farming practices.
Amicable The former model and Sir Paul recently returned to the High Court in London for their ongoing divorce proceedings.

When asked how the court case was going, Mills told the BBC: "We're not anywhere... it will go on. Ask Paul, it's up to him. It's absolutely nothing to do with me."

But she insisted the divorce was amicable.

"I've never ever spoken badly about my husband... I never will, he's the father of my child.

Sinbad Is Alive – Despite Reports That He'd Died

2007-03-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

f Sinbad was looking for new comic material, he may have found it after being killed off by the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

Fueled by a posting on the site last Saturday that he was no longer among the living, the robust 50-year-old actor-comedian got a call from his daughter, bringing the report to his attention, Sinbad tells the Associated Press. This was followed by grieving phone calls, text messages and e-mails – hundreds of them, he says.

Once the news quieted down it only started up again, this time after someone updated the Wikipedia Sinbad entry to say he had passed away from a heart attack.

Still not true. "Saturday I rose from the dead and then died again," the Los Angeles-based entertainer tells the AP. Laughing off the early report of his demise, he adds, "It's gonna be more commonplace as the Internet opens up more and more. It's not that strange."

Sinbad is currently on the road with his standup act. Wikipedia, whose entries are made by any member of the public, has yet to apologize – or to comment. However, a quick check of Wikipedia's Sinbad site on Friday morning revealed the following message, which reads, in part: "This page has been temporarily protected from editing to deal with vandalism."

US TV host recovers from surgery

2007-03-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

US television host Regis Philbin is recovering well from recent heart surgery, according to his co-presenter Kelly Ripa.

Ripa said Philbin, 75, had bypass surgery on Wednesday and is already "up and joking around with nurses".

The former Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host presents daytime show Live With Regis and Kelly. Philbin announced on Monday's show that he had to have surgery after he had shortness of breath and chest pains.

Ripa sent an emotional get well soon message to her colleague on Thursday's programme, saying: "I'm thrilled you're ok".

The pair have presented the show together since 2001. Ripa was previously best known for her 12-year stint playing Hayley Vaughan in ABC soap All My Children.

Philbin's television career spans over 40 years. His most recent primetime show was America's Got Talent in 2006.

Emmerdale actor at rape hearing

2007-03-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Five people have testified at a preliminary hearing in the case against Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman, who is charged with rape in Barbados.

The prosecution witnesses include police officers and staff at the hotel where the alleged rape occurred on 29 November, a police spokesman said.

Mr Freeman, 26, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, attended the hearing in Bridgetown but did not enter a plea.

The preliminary hearing determines if there is enough evidence for a trial. Police said a British woman, aged 16, accused Mr Freeman of sexually assaulting her while the actor was on holiday at the Almond Beach Village resort.

Chief magistrate Clyde Nicholls did not impose any restrictions on Mr Freeman's travel.Mr Freeman, who plays Scott Windsor in the ITV1 soap, is currently taking a break from the series to fight the allegations.

Epic war movie 300 makes UK debut

2007-03-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

Stars of the epic movie 300 have turned out for its UK premiere in London's Leicester Square. The films depicts a small group of Spartan soldiers holding off a huge Persian army which has invaded Greece.

Gerard Butler, who plays king Leonidas, was accompanied by Lena Headey who plays Queen Gorgo. The cast were met by a group dressed as Spartan warriors. The film has been called "psychological warfare" by Iranian authorities, but it has broken US box office records.

'Big and risky' Glasgow-born Butler, 37, said: "I used a lot of the Scotsman in my role because there is a great similarity in what goes on inside the warriors of old that has been very much lost.

"I read the story, I learnt about the Spartans. I was doing it for Greece but I was doing it for Scotland as well."

Fellow British star Headey, 33, said: "It feels great being involved with something that has been so well received.

"To play a woman who isn't relied on to be the weeping, sorrowful woman and to be strong and stand with the men in something so big and risky is great."

Countdown to Comic Relief begins

2007-03-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Comic Relief reaches a climax on Friday with celebrities including Ricky Gervais and model Kate Moss taking part in the BBC's fundraising show.

Celebrity Fame Academy will see socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and actress Tricia Penrose go head-to-head in the live final.

Sketches from Sacha Baron Cohen and Catherine Tate are also included in the eight-hour BBC One show. Proceeds from Comic Relief: The Big One go to charities in the UK and Africa.

Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Paul O'Grady, Graham Norton and Chris Evans are among the presenters.

'Walk This Way'

The final of Comic Relief Does The Apprentice will also be shown. The fundraiser will also feature a special episode of The Vicar of Dibley with Sting - the last ever - and music from Girls Aloud and the Sugababes, who will sing Comic Relief Single Walk This Way. The Killers and Take That will also perform.

The Comic Relief appeal was launched on 31 January but the majority of money collected is done on Friday - known as Red Nose Day.

'Idol' cuts Rogers after less than Supreme effort

2007-03-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

Brandon Rogers, who forgot the words to his song on Tuesday's "American Idol," had a feeling he wouldn't last. He got confirmation Wednesday.

Rogers, a former backup singer from Los Angeles, became the first of the final dozen to be voted off the top-rated Fox network sing-off.

"I have no hard feelings," Rogers, 28, said before leaving the stage. "I kind of expected it." (EW kind of expected it tooexternal link)

Rogers said he committed a "cardinal sin" by stumbling with some of the lyrics of the Motown classic "You Can't Hurry Love." Judge Simon Cowell, who has routinely criticized Rogers for a lack of charisma, said his performance was dull and uninspired.

Sanjaya Malakar and Phil Stacey had the next-lowest vote tallies in the phone ballotting, which drew about 28 million calls and text messages.

Observers find it remarkable that 17-year-old Malakar, of Federal Way, Washington, has survived thus far. Though his rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was roundly panned by the judges, Cowell gave the "Idol" oddball credit for being what he called "brave."

Stacey, 29, from Jacksonville, Florida, sang "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" to lukewarm reviews.

Wednesday's show also featured a performance by Diana Ross, who coached the hopefuls this week. She sang "More Today Than Yesterday," a classic love song from her latest CD, "I Love You."

"American Idol" continues to rule the ratings, attracting between 27 million and 37 million viewers per telecast this season.

Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband sues Bill O'Reilly

2007-03-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

Prince Frederic von Anhalt has sued Fox and Bill O'Reilly after the talk show host called him a fraud for claiming he could be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. Von Anhalt, who is married to Zsa Zsa Gabor, filed the defamation suit seeking at least $10 million in damages Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The claim stems from comments the talk show host made during a February 22 segment of "The O'Reilly Factor."

"Look, this guy's a fraud," O'Reilly said, according to a transcript of the show posted on the network's Web site. "We know he's a fraud. But let's -- what I want to talk about is -- he's done. His credibility is -- is finished."

Since the show aired, von Anhalt said people give him dirty looks when he goes to the grocery store.

"They say, 'Look, here comes the fraud,"' he said. "I get lots of e-mails from people bad-mouthing me. It's very embarrassing."

An after-hours message for a spokesman at News Corp., which owns Fox, was not immediately returned.Last month, von Anhalt filed legal documents seeking a DNA test to determine whether he is the father of Smith's baby girl, Dannielynn. He has said he carried on a decade-long affair with the Playboy centerfold.

Two other men also claim to be the father: Smith's former boyfriend Larry Birkhead and her most recent companion, Howard K. Stern, whose name appears on the baby's birth certificate.

Brandon Davis: Biggest Loser?

2007-03-15T02:01:00.000-07:00

Inheriting a fortune from a relative who made billions of dollars breaking their back appears to be harder than one would think (that is if you are Brandon Davis).

Brandon is the grandson to the former billionaire Marvin Davis. Marvin made his fortune by drilling for oil and natural gas in the Rocky Mountains. After accumulating his riches from the energy industry, Marvin diversified his money into real estate with the acquisition of prominent properties such as the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Pebble Beach resort. This accumulation of wealth eventually led to Marvin purchasing 20th Century Fox in the early 1980s, and selling it shortly after to Rupert Murdoch for a nice profit. Marvin died in 2004, leaving his legacy and fortune to his wife, children, and grandchildren.

This is where Brandon enters the spotlight. Having never achieved anything worthwhile in his life, Brandon has felt entitled to greatness and stardom simply from the fact that his family had money. This is the only logical explanation for the obnoxious behavior, child-like outbursts, and complete lack of respect for everyone around him. For example, last year Brandon was riding in a car with Paris Hilton when the paparazzi caught up with them, and asked Brandon about Lindsay Lohan. Brandon responded with, “Lindsay, who is she? What, she is only worth like 5 million dollars. She is nothing.”

Another example of Brandon’s behavior would have to be his gambling problems. Reporter Janet Charlton claims that the Bahamian Atlantis Paradise Resort is suing Brandon Davis for bouncing checks in the casino there back in January (over $75,000 in debt). The Hard Rock Hotel also sued Brandon for $250,000 in unpaid gambling debts, but he was able to weasel his way out of paying by claiming that he was underage at the time.

None of this even touches the racial slurs that Brandon recently made at Paula Abdul over her Arab roots at Paris Hilton’s birthday party. All of this ridiculous behavior begs the question, is Brandon Davis the biggest loser in Hollywood?

Britney Spears: Bulimic and Bi-Polar

2007-03-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears has been suffering since age 16 with the disease known as Bulimia.

According to tabloid reports, Britney has been battling bulimia all her adult life and she finally confessed the fact when she was caught making herself vomit at Promises rehab center in Malibu. She continues to live at Promises against her will, at the urging of concerned family members.

Britney’s bulimia was halted (on her own will) during her pregnancy. As soon as Sean Preston was born, Spears reverted to the bulimic routine.

“Britney has bulimia. She said she’s been throwing up her food since she was 16,” according to the reports.

Britney is now said to be battling Bipolar Disorder, as well. Her uncontrolled outbursts and mood swings are evidence of her illness. In fact, she has been having paranoid delusions while at Promises to the point that she is constantly checking her room for recording devices and cameras.

“Britney is on medication for bipolar disorder, but she’s been making herself throw up and the medication is not staying in her system like it needs to,” added an insider.
The disorder may have been the cause of her bed sheet suicide attempt.

A source told the Daily Express: “Doctors are alarmed at the physical state she is in. They confronted her about her desperately unhealthy lifestyle and the truth came pouring out.”

Doctors are treating Spears for the bipolar disorder but the treatment is being hampered due to Britney’s bulimia. Nothing the starlet consumes stays down for long, so the effectiveness of the drugs is threatened. Poor Britney. I do hope she gets it together and becomes the mother her sons need.