Chastity Bono announces sex change

LOS ANGELES – Chastity Bono is having a sex change to become a man.
A spokesman for Bono, born a girl to Sonny and Cher, says he "has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity" and began the sex-change process earlier this year.
Publicist Howard Bragman said Bono is proud of his decision and hopes "that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue."
The 40-year-old writer, activist and reality-TV star came out as gay 20 years ago, Bragman said.
In the book "Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming-Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, & Their Families," Bono describes the realization of being "somehow different — specifically different from who my mom expected me to be."
A message left with Cher's representatives was not immediately returned Thursday.
Bono's second book, "The End of Innocence: A Memoir," details how relationships with Joan, a lover, and Sonny and Cher changed after coming out.
In 1995, Bono posed for the cover of the gay magazine The Advocate and began working for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

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Rapper DMX gets probation on assault charge

PHOENIX (Reuters) – An Arizona judge on Monday sentenced rapper DMX to probation for allegedly throwing a food tray at a detention officer inside a Phoenix jail.
The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, will spend 18 months on supervised probation for the jailhouse altercation under the ruling by Judge Robert Gottsfield in Maricopa County Superior Court. He also must attend counseling.
Simmons pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault on May 22. Eight days earlier, he was released from the jail after serving 90 days on drug, theft and animal abuse charges.
In May 2008, the 38-year-old rapper was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after sheriff's deputies raided his home and found dog carcasses and malnourished pit bulls.
Simmons' attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by David Schwartz in Phoenix, Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Twilight Director: Rob & Kristen Could Be Dating

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Could Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart really be dating? The director of Twilight didn't rule it out at last night's Young Hollywood Awards.
"People love to talk, so let them have fun talking," Catherine Hardwicke said. "I think they have an interesting, wonderful connection, so you know...What does dating mean? I don't know. I couldn't say."
The director was just with them both at the MTV Movie Awards, but didn't join their private postawards dinner at Cecconi's.
Award-recipient Bar Rafaeli was also playing coy about her love life...
The model mentioned she's taking a trip back to Israel soon, but wouldn't divulge if Leonardo DiCaprio would be joining her.
"My summer plans are I'm going to Israel," the beauty said. "Who I'm going with, only I know!"
While Bar was receiving her Young Hollywood Crossover award from Kellan Lutz, Leo joined the crowd catching the Lakers playoff game downtown at the Staples Center.
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Bret Michaels suffers nose fracture and busted lip

NEW YORK – Bret Michaels performed at the Tony Awards, and all he got was a nose fracture — and a busted lip.
According to Michaels' spokeswoman, the rock singer had X-rays taken after getting clocked in the head by a descending set piece at Sunday's Radio City Music Hall ceremony.
Publicist Joann Mignano says Michaels, who performed with his 1980s hair-metal band Poison, fractured his nose and had to get three stitches in his lip. She says he was getting a CAT scan on Monday as a precaution, as he's had a past neck injury.
Although he's "pretty bruised up," Mignano says, Michaels was in good spirits. He wiped off blood with a towel and laughed backstage when host Neil Patrick Harris joked that the singer "gave head banging a whole new meaning."
Michaels took to the stage with Poison during the telecast's opening production number, featuring performances from the season's Broadway musicals.
They performed "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages," and as Michaels exited the stage, he smacked into a piece of scenery and was knocked to the ground upon impact. Footage of the accident soon landed online, where Michaels' pratfall seemed to score as much attention as the prestigious ceremony itself.
Michaels had a "great time performing for the Broadway audience," says Mignano, who notes that the star of VH1's "Rock of Love" reality series took photos backstage with theater legends Liza Minnelli and Angela Lansbury.
Michaels, who has gone solo, is touring with his namesake band. Later this month, he'll take Poison on the road for a joint tour with Def Leppard and Cheap Trick.

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Ex-model daughter of Romania's president wins EU seat

BUCHAREST (AFP) – The daughter of Romania's president is a jet-set queen and an ex-model better known for her blunders and misshaps, but she vowed Monday not to disappoint now she has been elected a Euro-deputy.
"The media portrayed me as an uneducated woman but I showed during this campaign that I was worth more than that," Elena Basescu, the 29-year-old daughter of President Traian Basescu, told RFI radio.
Basescu, who ran as an independent, is bound for Strasbourg after winning 4.22 percent of votes in the European parliamentary elections, held on Sunday in Romania.
Born on April 24, 1980 in Constanta, a resort town on the Black Sea coast, Romania's first daughter took to the catwalk in her youth to show off her slender figure and brunette Barbie doll look.
Late nights clubbing in Bucharest and a turbulent love life ensured she soon became a firm favourite of the Romanian tabloids, earning her the dubious honour of being nicknamed the "Carpathian Paris Hilton".
But she took a major change of course and forced doubters to take her more seriously in 2007 when she entered politics and was elected secretary-general of the Liberal Democrats' youth party with a crushing majority.
Her elections was said to have angered her father, who had been elected Romania's president in 2004.
Her presence on the party list for the 2009 European parliamentary election drew accusations of nepotism from some Liberal Democrats and parts of the media, leading her in March to announce her candidacy as an independent.
To those who belittled her qualifications, she showed off her degrees in economics and an internship at the European parliament, adding: "I have chosen to go to Strasbourg on foot, while candidates from the other parties are taking the plane."
Basescu travelled across the country targeting the youth vote in a widely publicised campaign, but media reports talked little of her programme, which focused particularly on protecting children whose parents work abroad.
She was forced to reverse her position in favour of legalising marijuana following a public outcry, but this did not stop her path to Strasbourg.
After gathering some 200,000 votes on Sunday, Basescu announced: "I am very proud of what I have achieved, but it is now time I rejoined the party in which I grew up."
The Liberal Democrats welcomed her with open arms and Basescu has set herself a new goal: a job in the European parliament's important budget and finance committee.

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Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. honored by FBI

LOS ANGELES – Efrem Zimbalist Jr. finally got his badge.
The actor who portrayed cool and canny Inspector Lewis Erskine on the TV series "The F.B.I." was named an honorary special agent Monday — the FBI's highest civilian honor.
The 91-year-old actor was presented with the badge by FBI Director Robert Mueller. He praised Zimbalist as an icon who inspired a generation of FBI agents.
Zimbalist said he was humbled and called the agency America's "guardian."
The show ran on ABC from 1965 to 1974.

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John Travolta thanks colleagues for promoting film

LOS ANGELES – John Travolta is thanking his colleagues from "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" for promoting the film while he continues to mourn the death of his 16-year-old son, Jett, who died after a seizure in January.
Travolta posted a note on his personal Web site Monday thanking "Pelham" director Tony Scott and co-stars Denzel Washington, John Turturro, Luis Guzman and James Gandolfini for "their unselfish efforts" publicizing the picture, which allowed his family the additional time to reconcile their loss.
The 55-year-old actor also thanked Scott for "the freedom to define, and then to become, the ultimate evil mastermind."

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Kyra Sedgwick receives 'Walk of Fame' star

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Actress Kyra Sedgwick, star of hit television series "The Closer", became the 2,384th celebrity to be honored on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame" here Monday.
The Golden Globe-winning 43-year-old attended a morning ceremony which saw her award unveiled next to the star of her husband, Kevin Bacon, on the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard which honors Tinseltown celebrities.
Sedgwick is best known for her portrayal of Los Angeles Police Department deputy police chief Brenda Johnson on "The Closer."
The role has earned her numerous Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.
Her films include "Born on the Fourth of July," "Singles," and "The Game Plan."

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Singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin dead of lung cancer

LOS ANGELES – Kenny Rankin, a brilliant pop vocalist and highly regarded musician-songwriter whose stylings ranged from jazz to pop to the world music influences he picked up as a child in New York, has died of complications related to lung cancer, his record company announced Monday. He was 69.
Rankin died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mack Avenue Records spokesman Don Lucoff said.
The musician, who first gained acclaim as one of the guitarists on Bob Dylan's landmark 1965 album, "Bringing it all Back Home," had been preparing to record an album of new material when he became ill a few weeks ago. Recording sessions scheduled with producer Phil Ramone were canceled as his health began to deteriorate.
"That he was still at the top of his game is one of the saddest parts of his passing for me," Denny Stilwell, president of Mack Avenue Records, said in a statement. "He performed the new material in our office over the last few months and his voice was still in its finest form — he sounded absolutely amazing. Our hearts and prayers are with his family."
Rankin wrote and recorded the pop standard "Peaceful" and also wrote "In The Name of Love," which was recorded by Peggy Lee, and "Haven't We Met," performed by Carmen McRae and Mel Torme.
His own "The Kenny Rankin Album" was recorded live in 1976 with a 60-piece orchestra.
Rankin, who signed with Decca Records while still in his teens, once said his music career really began in the fourth grade when he sang "O Holy Night" in a school Christmas play and his teacher walked up to him afterward, patted him on the head and said, "Kenneth, that was lovely."
"She set me on the path in music that I find myself on today," he said.
After signing with Decca in the late 1950s he released a handful of singles before moving on to Columbia Records, also the home of Dylan. There, he took part in the recording of "Bringing it All Back Home," the album in which Dylan moved firmly from an all-acoustic folk music sound to an electric mixture of pop and rock 'n' roll.
Soon after, he made his first appearance on "The Tonight Show," where he impressed host Johnny Carson so much that Carson contributed liner notes to Rankin's first album, 1967's "Mind Dusters." Other albums included "Family," "Like a Seed," "Inside and "Silver Morning:"
He would go on to appear as Carson's "Tonight Show" guest more than 20 times.
His supple tenor voice on such recordings as "Spanish Harlem," "'Round Midnight" and the Beatles' "Blackbird" and "I've Just a Face" also won him the respect of fellow musicians as a singer's singer.
Mack Records said he so impressed the Beatles' Paul McCartney that McCartney asked him to perform "Blackbird" when he and songwriting partner John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Rankin spent much of the past 20 years touring, although he returned to the studio in the mid-1990s to release a pair of albums, "Professional Dreamer" and "Here In My Heart." He also released a Christmas album in 1999.
Born in New York City on Feb. 10, 1940, Rankin was raised in the city's Washington Heights neighborhood, where he said he grew up listening to a broad spectrum of music, including Afro-Cuban, jazz, Top 40 and Brazilian.
He is survived by his son, Chris Rankin, daughters Chanda Rankin and Jena Rankin-Ray and a granddaughter.
His record label said funeral arrangements are pending.

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Tony Bennett donates instruments during jazz fest

NEW ORLEANS – Jazz crooner Tony Bennett handed out dozens of new instruments Thursday to students at a charter school founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hoping the tubas, trumpets and trombones would be used to carry on New Orleans' vibrant musical tradition.

Meanwhile, the second half of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival got under way.

As Bennett shook hands with students and posed for photographs, some of the $100,000 worth of instruments were laid out on a table at KIPP Believe College Prep, a public charter school established after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city in 2005. The school is one of five KIPP charter schools serving roughly 1,000 of the city's students since Katrina.

"This means instruments will be available to these students for years to come, to continue making music history in New Orleans," said Bennett, who was treated Thursday to performances of "Free Spirit Overture" and "My Funny Valentine" by the school's symphonic and jazz bands.

"These kids are amazing. What I heard today was real music. They played with feeling, with such heart," the 82-year-old Bennett said.

The donation effort was set in motion by a jazz fan from New York who won a "Big Give" contest hosted by Oprah Winfrey's magazine. The winner, Barry Jaffin, wanted to use his $5,000 in winnings to put instruments in New Orleans schools.

Bennett and a host of charitable groups such as Music Rising and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation got on board with the cause.

"We were all very excited," said 13-year-old Deon Butler, a 7th-grade trumpet player who performed in both the symphonic and jazz bands for Bennett. "Out of all the schools in the U.S., he came to hear us."

Bennett, a 15-time Grammy winner, released his signature "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962 and remains a popular performer.

Bennett was accompanied Thursday by his wife, Susan Benedetto, who runs the couple's New York-based Exploring the Arts program, which contributed to the instrument donation. On Friday, Bennett is slated to perform at Jazz Fest, which kicked off its second weekend Thursday.

School groups from all over the city were scattered across the festival grounds. Besides listening to music, the kids got some hands-on craft experience. Jared Wilkerson, a 4th-grader at Hynes Charter School in New Orleans, helped 67-year-old carpenter Ray Weimer cut a piece of cypress wood to make an old-fashioned roof shingle.

"That was fun," Wilkerson said, chuckling with schoolmates.

Jazz Fest veterans were also having a good time.

"Jazz Fest is my religion," said Nancy Gates, a Boston native who said she has not missed a Jazz Fest since 1988. "This is the mother of all festivals, the best festival in the world. It has the best food, the best music and the best crowd. I love it all."

For the Ulf family from Kensington, Md., the festival is the site of a family reunion each year. Parents David and Ellen Ulf fly to New Orleans with their 19-year-old son, Ryan, to visit their daughter, 24-year-old Ellen, who lives there.

"We always time the trip to catch Jazz Fest," Ellen Ulf said, as she handed out cochon de lait po-boys and alligator pies to the rest of the family in a shady spot under a tree near the Cajun and zydeco stage.

"We like this stage because we don't have music like this where we live," David Ulf said. "I can see Neil Young anywhere. I can only see Corey Ledet here."

Young is slated to perform on Sunday, the festival's closing day. Thursday's closing acts were guitarist Ben Harper, country singer Emmylou Harris and soul singer Marva Wright.

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Jonas Brothers Ready to Get "Paranoid," Channel Johnny Depp

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Given the bomb that was the Jonas Brothers' 3-D movie, it's understandable that the Disney dudes get a little nervous before they drop their new album.

"Paranoid," the first single from Lines, Vines and Trying Times, lands on airwaves on May 8 and kicks off what is sure to be an exhaustive campaign and concert tour leading up to the album's June 16 drop date.

The promo tour has already launched with the boys gracing the cover of the latest issue of Seventeen magazine. And no matter how they're feeling about their latest venture—anxious, excited, whatevs—they aren't afraid to share their lofty goals.

For example, in addition to making music, 19-year-old Joe Jonas wants to be one of the most sought-after actors as well as pen one of the best-selling books in history.

"I think Johnny Depp's work is really great—he always incorporates music into what he does," he says when asked to list his acting role model. "[I also want to] write a book one day, because I love to read. The Alchemist [by Paulo Coelho] is my favorite book of all time."

Even if Kevin, Nick and Joe are uncertain of what's ahead, their label thinks the album just might change the world or something, calling it "an incredible music journey" and "a veritable smorgasbord of pop and rock gems."

With promises like that, the next single will probably be called "Insomnia."

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Court grants Redmond O'Neal rehab chance

LOS ANGELES – The son of Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett is getting a chance at a clean slate.

Redmond O'Neal was admitted into a drug court program on Thursday that could remove him from probation and wipe his record clear of previous drug convictions if he succeeds.

The 24-year-old will join an intense rehabilitation program that will include frequent drug tests and court appearances.

If he relapses or otherwise flunks the program, O'Neal faces several years in prison for a pair of drug convictions.

O'Neal became eligible for the drug court after he failed to pass a less stringent court-supervised rehab program.

O'Neal was stoic as Assistant District Attorney Anthony Estradas laid out the rules of the program, including that he would have to have his own job. The payoff, Estradas told O'Neal, would be a drug-free life and possibly a better relationship with his family.

"Jail will no longer be in your future," Estradas told O'Neal, who was wearing a brown jail jumpsuit.

He has been in custody since April 5, when deputies say they found him with heroin in a parking lot at Los Angeles area jail. He has pleaded not guilty to charges filed in that case.

O'Neal expressed regret recently, telling a judge his recent arrest was keeping him from being with his ailing mother. Fawcett is suffering from anal cancer that has spread to her liver and has suffered complications from an unrelated procedure performed in Germany.

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Hayden Panettiere: Wants to Footloose With Chace Crawford

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Chace Crawford could be playing footsies with Hayden Panettiere.

The Heroes starlet has auditioned for director Kenny Ortega's updated remake of the classic '80s flick Footloose.

Panettiere, my source says, recently sang for filmmakers (the new Footloose is being turned into a full-blown musical à la the Broadway version). "They were really impressed," the insider gushes. "No one realized what a good singer she is."

Panettiere actually has a slew of musical credits to her name. Not only did she release a pop single, "Wake Up Call," last year, but she's recorded several tunes for various soundtracks.

If she makes it the next round, Panettiere will likely have a dance audition followed by a read with Crawford. Her rep did not immediately comment for this story.

While Crawford isn't officially on board to star as Ren McCormack (originally played by Kevin Bacon), sources tell me the gig is pretty much a done deal.

Ren is a city boy who moves to small town where rock music and dance are prohibited. Ren heads up a revolt of sorts to overturn the oppressive laws. Panettiere would play Ariel Moore, who falls for Ren much to the chagrin of her boyfriend and her Bible-thumping father.

The original flick included hits like the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy."

The remake was supposed to star Zac Efron, but he dropped out to pursue non-song-and-dance projects.

As I first told you, Dancing With the Stars beauty/country singer Julianne Hough is also being considered for Ariel.

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Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber Breathe Easy After Son's Health Scare

Los Angeles (E! Online) – What with all the fuss over Mel Gibson and his red-carpet arm candy, Liev Schreiber's absence at last night's X-Men Origins: Wolverine premiere almost went unnoticed.

Though not by his ailing son.

Schreiber, who plays nemesis Sabretooth in the comic book flick, was in Los Angeles to attend the screening but ended up a no-show after learning his 21-month-old son with Naomi Watts, Alexander, was hospitalized in New York for respiratory problems, according to People.

The 41-year-old actor immediately flew home and pulled bedside duty with Watts and their 4-month-old son, Samuel, though luckily not for long.

Alexander—who goes by the Russian version of his name, Sasha—was monitored by doctors for the night before being released.

"Sasha got home today and is feeling much better," said Schreiber's rep, Ina Treciokas.

Talk about a Hollywood ending.

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Sean Penn files for legal separation

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn has filed for a legal separation from his wife Robin Wright Penn after an attempt to reconcile apparently failed.

According to court papers filed last week in Marin County, near San Francisco, Penn asked for the legal separation from his wife of 13 years on April 23 on grounds of irreconcilable differences.

The couple started divorce proceedings in December 2007 but got back together again a few months later. The couple have two children aged 18 and 15.

Penn, 48, won his second best actor Oscar in February for his role as slain gay activist Harvey Milk in the movie "Milk". Robin Wright Penn starred in the 1999 romantic drama "Message in a Bottle" and is currently appearing in the investigative reporting thriller "State of Play."

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)

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Rapper Rick Ross leads album chart for third time

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Rapper Rick Ross scored his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart Wednesday, while veteran synth-rockers Depeche Mode came in at No. 3 with modest sales for their first album in almost four years.

Ross' "Deeper Than Rap" sold 158,000 copies during the week ended April 26, according to Nielsen SoundScan data. His last set, 2008's "Trilla," bowed at No. 1 with 198,000 while 2006's "Port of Miami" also did the same, with 187,000.

Last week's champ, the "Hannah Montana: the Movie" soundtrack, slipped to No. 2 with 104,000 copies.

Depeche Mode sold 80,000 copies of "Sounds of the Universe." The new set gives the British band its second-best rank ever on the chart. Its highest came when "Songs of Faith and Devotion" debuted at No. 1 in 1993.

However, "Sounds of the Universe's" opening frame is actually the group's smallest debut sales week for a studio set since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. Depeche Mode's last four studio offerings have all had opening weeks north of 92,000, including 2005's "Playing the Angel."

Country combo Rascal Flatts' former chart-topper "Unstoppable" fell one to No. 4 with 68,000.

White rapper Asher Roth debuted at No. 5 with "Asleep in the Bread Aisle," which sold 65,000 copies. The set's lead single, "I Love College," peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 a little over a month ago.

Elsewhere, the "Twilight" soundtrack fell two places to No. 6; Lady GaGa's "The Fame" rose one to No. 7; Day26's "Forever in a Day" slid six to No. 8; the "Now 30" compilation dropped four to No. 9; and Jadakiss' "The Last Kiss" also fell four, to No. 10.

Overall album sales slipped three percent from the previous week, and were down 10 percent from the year-ago period. Year-to-date album sales are off 12 percent from the same time in 2008.

(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)

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Sarah Jessica Parker expecting twins via surrogate

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls via a surrogate mother, their representatives said on Tuesday.

Parker, 44, and Broderick, 47, "are happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate. The entire family is overjoyed," a statement from the couple said.

The couple have a six year old son, James, and have long wanted to add to their family but had no luck, an unidentified friend was quoted as telling Entertainment Weekly magazine.

They turned to a surrogate last year, the magazine said. The surrogate's name and details have not been disclosed.

"They had a lot of unsuccessful tries," the friend was quoted as saying. "They came to the conclusion that this was going to be the best alternative for expanding their family."

Parker is expected to begin shooting a sequel later this year to the hit movie version of "Sex and the City" along with fellow stars Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis.

Broderick, star of the Broadway musical and movie "The Producers", and Parker married in 1997.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Police to return jewelry worn by Rihanna

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Los Angeles police have agreed to return the $1.4 million worth of jewelry that pop star Rihanna was wearing the night her R&B singer boyfriend Chris Brown is accused of assaulting her, Rihanna's lawyer said on Wednesday.

The earring and three rings that Rihanna was wearing were on loan to the "Umbrella" singer, who had attended a pre-Grammy party with Brown hours before the Feb 8 incident. They were taken by police as evidence in the case.

The designers asked for the bling to be returned and lawyer Donald Etra told a Los Angeles judge at a hearing on the assault case that police will first photograph them before handing them back.

Brown is charged with attacking Rihanna in their rented car on their way home from the party. He was not in court on Wednesday. He is free on bail pending a possible trial next month when he could be given probation or up to five years prison if convicted.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Applegate on People's `Most Beautiful' cover

NEW YORK – A smiling Christina Applegate graces the cover of People magazine's "Most Beautiful" issue.

The 37-year-old actress, who recently battled breast cancer, certainly has much to celebrate: She says she's finally found her "perfect type" in her new beau, Dutch musician Martyn Lenoble (Mar-TAN Luh-NOBLE).

Applegate had a double mastectomy last July and reconstructive surgery months later. The star of ABC's "Samantha Who?" calls Lenoble an "angel" who loves her "from head to toe."

According to Applegate, Lenoble has been her "rock" and gave her reason to live — and smile.

The annual "Most Beautiful" issue features 100 famous faces, including Michelle Obama, Zac Efron and Cindy Crawford posing without makeup. It hits stands Friday.

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Shanna Moakler Mouths Off for Gay Marriage

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler has been pretty vocal about what she thinks of Miss California Carrie Prejean's views on gay marriage.

But now, Moakler, who is executive director of the Miss California USA pageant, is showing how she feels by keeping her mouth shut.

Moakler, along with Miss USA 2006 first runner-up Tamiko Nash and last year's titleholder Raquel Beezley were in a photo studio last night being shot by Adam Bouska for NOH8, a campaign to support efforts to overturn Proposition 8...

The three women were shot together with duct tape over their mouths, a symbol of their voices not being heard, and "NOH8" painted on their cheeks.

The project was started by Bouska, 25, and his partner, Jeff Parshley, 28, in November after the passage of Prop 8 outlawed same-sex unions in the state.

"We never expected to have so many beauty queens participate. The whole campaign, obviously, is not a direct message to Miss California, but now she happened to have put herself in the line of fire," Bouska says about his newest pic of the Moakler et al.

"If Carrie is going to go out there with her message, then we have to go out there and make sure the voices of these girls are heard," he adds. "And that they are what Miss USA should stand for, too."

Another portrait shows 1997's Miss Universe Brook Lee, originally from Hawaii, wearing a white wedding dress and a sash that reads "Miss Equality." With or without duct tape, these beauties are sending the message.

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O.J. Simpson witness and Dr. Phil settle case

LOS ANGELES – There's a settlement in the defamation lawsuit filed against Dr. Phil by a witness in O.J. Simpson's robbery case.

Attorneys for Phil McGraw and memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio filed a statement Monday, saying an agreement had been reached.

Riccio sued McGraw and Stage 29 Media Productions in October. He claimed an interview with McGraw was edited to remove his denials to certain accusations, including that he set Simpson up and told Simpson to bring guns to a Las Vegas robbery.

A judge gutted the case last month, removing defamation, false light and infliction of emotional distress claims.

The interview aired days after Simpson was convicted of robbing and kidnapping two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint.

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Jackman: Size matters for `Wolverine' and Oscars

LOS ANGELES – Hugh Jackman relied on his Wolverine alter ego to pack on muscle for the "X-Men" role, and he turned to the Oscars to slim back down.

The 40-year-old actor trained for a year to achieve his character's look.

"My goal was to make him look like an animal," a much leaner Jackman said recently. "I wanted people to be unnerved when they saw him."

Among the first to be unnerved? "Australia" director Baz Luhrmann.

Jackman was co-starring with Nicole Kidman in the epic love story when he started bulking up for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

"Baz said, `Mate, whatever you're eating, can you slow down a bit because I'm going to struggle to edit this together,'" Jackman recalled, adding that there are a few scenes in "Australia" where he's "beefier" than he ought to be.

The director had issues with Jackman's size again when the two collaborated on the opening song-and-dance number for the Academy Awards.

"Baz was like, `You've got to lose weight ... You're too bulky,'" Jackman said.

Luckily, Jackman discovered the ideal weight-loss plan: "Singing and dancing is the greatest diet in the history of the planet," he said. "Well, that and performing in front of a billion people."

Despite the pressures of the Oscar performance, the gregarious actor said he'd take on the hosting task again without hesitation.

"I'd do it again if I was asked," Jackman said. "I loved every second of it."

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Olympic hero Bolt escapes serious injury in crash

KINGSTON (AFP) – Olympic athletics sensation Usain Bolt suffered only minor injuries when his BMW skidded off the road and overturned in a ditch.

"I am good," Bolt told fans as he limped away from hospital with small bandages on his feet.

Bolt's manager Norman Peart said the athlete's feet were pricked by thorns when he exited the vehicle.

"He was taken to the Spanish Town Public Hospital, where he was treated. He has been sent home for recovery," Peart said.

Bolt, 22, won gold medals in the 100m, the 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Games last August, setting world records in all three events.

His exploits made him a superstar in his homeland, and his accident sent a brief shockwave through the country.

The leader of Jamaica's parliament, Andrew Holness, said Wednesday that the country could breathe a sigh of relief following Bolt's close brush with serious injury.

"The reports that we have received is that he is not seriously injured and therefore Jamaica can collectively breathe a sigh of relief," Holness, who is also the country's education minister, said in Parliament on a motion of adjournment.

The government member's statement was accompanied by thunderous applause. He was supported by the leader of the Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller, who expressed "joy that nothing happened to Usain".

"We hope that they would be able to get over this kind of shock," Simpson Miller said.

Sergeant David Shepherd of Old Harbour police in St. Catherine said the accident occurred on Highway 2000, one of Jamaica's newest highways, at about 1:30 in the afternoon.

Police said the vehicle was extensively damaged, after apparently skidding on the rain-slick road, but neither Bolt nor the unidentified woman traveling with him was seriously hurt.

Bolt had just returned to Jamaica from a promotional event for Puma in Boston last weekend.

The Jamaican star was scheduled to compete in an IAAF Area permit meet in Kingston this weekend, and Peart said Bolt's team would continue to monitor his health.

"He will do further tests in the next 48 hours before we can determine that," Peart said of Bolt's status for Saturday's meeting.

"We are keeping a close watch on Usain and will update the public as necessary," Peart said. "We also want to use the opportunity to thank the public for all the calls of concern and the show of affection for Usain."

Bolt was slated to compete in a street race over 150m at the Great CityGames in Manchester, England, on May 17 and in a meeting in New York on May 20.

Earlier Wednesday, organizers of a June 17 meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, said Bolt would race the 100m there as he builds up for the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August.

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New Crash Details: Casey Aldridge "Fortunate That It Wasn't Worse"

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Casey Aldridge did not appear to have been drinking before he rolled his pickup truck on a rural Louisiana road early Sunday morning. But authorities can't say whether his buddies were.

Dustin Havard, 23, and Cody Jenkins, 21, neither of whom were wearing seatbelts, have been identified as the guys who were thrown out of the truck along with Aldridge when his Ford F-250 flipped over.

According to the crash report released today, Aldridge drove about 250 feet in a ditch alongside the road before he "overcorrected and lost control of the truck," which rolled over at least once and went another 160 feet before coming to a stop.

The reason why Jamie Lynn Spears' fiancé was going off-road in the first place remains unknown, Louisana State Police spokesman Mark Dennis told E! News Wednesday. There were no witnesses to the crash.

"These guys were very fortunate that it wasn't worse than it was," he said.

The other two passengers in the truck have been identified as Charles Knapp, 22, and Eric Estes, 19.

Dennis said it is still unknown where the group was coming from at 1:20 a.m.

Some reports have pegged the guys as returning home from a fishing trip, while others have said that they were coming back from a bachelor party.

Cody Jenkins' sister, Carly, told E! News that neither she nor her brother had any comment on the matter.

When asked what sort of punishment Aldridge was facing for a charge of careless operation of a motor vehicle, Dennis said it would most likely be nothing more than a monetary fine.

Aldridge was transferred out of the intensive care unit at University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he was being treated for a head injury, on Tuesday. He was the only one who required hospitalization after the accident.

··· THEY SAID WHAT? Get today's most commented stories now at www.eonline.com

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Britney Spears extends "Circus" tour to Europe

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Singer Britney Spears has extended her "Circus" concert tour to include a dozen European shows taking her from London to Russia, the pop star's representatives said on her Web site on Wednesday.

Spears kicks off the European leg of her tour with a June 19 show in Dublin, Ireland, with later stops in France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland and a final European stop July 26 in Berlin.

She began her "Circus" tour March 3 in her home state of Louisiana, and the tour features 39 North American dates.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Closing arguments in Tyra Banks' NYC stalker trial

NEW YORK – Closing arguments will begin Thursday in the trial of a Georgia man accused of stalking supermodel-turned-TV host Tyra Banks.

Brady Green, 39, has been accused of repeatedly calling Banks' studio, showing up there and sending her flowers and letters. He faces as many as 90 days in jail if convicted by Judge James Burke, who is hearing the case without a jury in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Green was arrested March 18, 2008, at a McDonald's near Banks' studio in Chelsea. He told officers he and Banks "had a thing together," police said.

Banks said she was about to leave the studio that day when her staff warned her about Green. She said they had previously shown her Green's photograph, told her he had threatened one of her employees and was "somebody I should watch out for."

The former Sports Illustrated cover girl said she told officers that arrived on the scene that she was scared.

"I didn't know what to do. How do I live my life when I leave this building? I had never experienced anything like this before," she said.

The Dublin, Ga., man has been charged with stalking, harassment and criminal trespass, all misdemeanors.

Calm and smiling frequently as she testified, Banks said security "has changed significantly" around her and her workplaces because of Green.

She said that her company has hired more security staff and that her studio audiences are vetted more thoroughly.

Banks said she is now followed everywhere by security guards, even when she runs and exercises outdoors. Even though she is a public person, "I don't live that kind of sheltered, protected life," she said. "I like to walk around."

Assistant District Attorney Sean McMahon asked Banks whether Green's behavior made her fearful.

"I don't fear for my life," Banks said. "I fear for my safety. I fear for the safety of my staff and for my family. And I fear for the safety of people in my vicinity, who I'm with."

Green testified that Banks' shows on racism and homelessness had moved him and he wanted to contact her. He said his attempts to get tickets for her show had been misunderstood.

Questioned by his lawyer, Jeffrey Berman, Green testified that he never threatened Banks, never intended to scare her and never tried to date her.

On cross-examination, McMahon got Green to admit he rode a bus for four days from Los Angeles and to New York where he had no friends, relatives and no job, and the first he thing he did was go to the building that houses Banks' studio.

Banks is executive producer and host of two popular TV shows, "America's Next Top Model" and "The Tyra Banks Show."

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Matt Giraud thrown off of 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES – There was no saving Matt Giraud this time on "American Idol."

The 23-year-old dueling piano player from Kalamazoo, Mich., was rescued by the show's judges two weeks ago. But on Wednesday it was revealed that he received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox singing competition — just beneath this season's most formidable front-runner.

"I'll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives up here," Giraud said after his dismissal.

At the start of the show, host Ryan Seacrest split the finalists: Giraud and Kris Allen on one side, Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta on the other. Seacrest then allowed seemingly unstoppable Adam Lambert to choose which group he belonged in. Lambert picked Gokey and Iraheta, but Seacrest dropped a bomb: Lambert was in the bottom three with Giraud and Allen.

"My mouth went open again," said judge Kara DioGuardi. "That's what happens with Adam."

The drama was extended after Seacrest sent Allen to safety, leaving Lambert and Giraud as the bottom two vote-getters. While the judges were split on Tuesday's "Rat Pack"-themed show over Giraud's "My Funny Valentine" rendition, they all agreed that 27-year-old theater actor Lambert's "Feeling Good" performance left them feeling, well, really good.

The Lambert alarm was all for naught, though. Giraud was sent packing.

Gokey and Iraheta, who both recently celebrated birthdays, were safe from elimination, but the 29-year-old church music director from Milwaukee and the 17-year-old high school student from Los Angeles weren't totally out of harm's way. Video was shown of them tangling in a cake-making brawl that left their kitchen a mess.

Gokey was served with the cleaning bill.

"You mean `American Idol' doesn't pay for this?" Gokey asked.

"Maybe we'll take care of it if you win," Seacrest responded.

The four remaining finalists — Allen, Gokey, Iraheta and Lambert — will perform rock 'n' roll songs next week, two weeks before the two-part finale.

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Obama, Madoff, Twitter founders in Time's 'most influential'

NEW YORK (AFP) – What do Barack Obama, Bernard Madoff, Zac Efron and the founders of Twitter have in common? A lot of influence, Time magazine says.

The annual list of the top 100 influential figures has the expected names like the US president, his wife Michelle Obama, and his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Plaudits also extend to the communications and entertainment leaders who might not run the economy, but change billions of people's lives in other ways.

That includes High School Musical star Efron; the creators of the increasingly ubiquitous Twitter social network, Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone; and Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post -- a leading example of the increasingly vibrant Internet-based news media.

"The Time 100 is not a list of the most powerful people in the world, it?s not a list of the smartest people in the world," said Time managing editor Rick Stengel.

It's "people who are using their ideas, their visions, their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people."

Others on the list have been influential for the wrong reasons.

That includes Wall Street mega-swindler Madoff and Mexican drug baron Joaquin Guzman.

As the eclectic list demonstrates, influence might be a tricky thing to define.

An online poll for Time readers threw up a surprise winner -- the 21-year-old college student who founded the online community 4chan.org and who goes by the name of moot.

The shadowy web guru, identified by Time to be called Christopher Poole, received 16,794,368 votes, easily beating the likes of Obama and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Moot started 4chan.org, a bulletin board, in 2003. The site gets 13 million page views a day.

And in the best tradition of Internet communities, his victory over the world's mightiest personalities might not be all that it seems.

"I would remind anyone who doubts the results that this is an Internet poll," time.com managing editor Josh Tyrangiel said. "Doubting the results is kind of the point."

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Funny stuff! Amy Sedaris writing new book

NEW YORK – Amy Sedaris is preparing more literary laughter.

The actress and comedian is working on a follow-up to her best seller, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence." The new book, currently untitled, will come out in 2010 and will again feature "her unique approach to home life through the use of fun, long-forgotten crafts," according to Grand Central Publishing, which announced the book Thursday.

Sedaris, 48, is the sister of humorist David Sedaris and plays Jerri Blank on Comedy Central's "Strangers With Candy."

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Ga. man convicted in NYC of stalking Tyra Banks

NEW YORK – A Georgia man who told police he and Tyra Banks "had a thing together" was convicted Thursday of stalking the supermodel-turned-TV host.

Brady Green, 39, of Dublin, Ga., was convicted by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge James Burke, who heard the case without a jury, of stalking, harassment, criminal trespass and attempted aggravated harassment.

Green faces as many as 90 days in jail when he is sentenced on June 18. His lawyer said an appeal is planned.

Banks testified that she feared for her safety, and for that of her staff and family.

Authorities said Green, 39, repeatedly called Banks' studio, showed up there, and sent her flowers and letters.

Green was arrested March 18, 2008, at a McDonald's restaurant near Banks' studio in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. He told officers he and Banks "had a thing together," police said.

Banks said she was about to leave the studio that day when her staff warned her about Green. She said they had previously shown her Green's photograph, told her he had threatened one of her employees and was "somebody I should watch out for."

The former Sports Illustrated cover girl said she told officers at the scene that she was scared.

"I didn't know what to do. How do I live my life when I leave this building? I had never experienced anything like this before," she said.

Calm and smiling frequently as she testified, Banks said security "has changed significantly" around her and her workplaces because of Green.

She said that her company has hired more security staff and that her studio audiences are vetted more thoroughly.

Banks said she is now followed everywhere by security guards, even when she runs and exercises outdoors. Even though she is a public person, "I don't live that kind of sheltered, protected life," she said. "I like to walk around."

Green testified that Banks' shows on racism and homelessness had moved him and he wanted to contact her. He said his attempts to get tickets for her show had been misunderstood.

He also said he never threatened Banks, never intended to scare her and never tried to date her.

Assistant District Attorney Sean McMahon got Green to admit that he rode a bus for four days from Los Angeles to New York, where he had no friends, relatives and no job, and that the first he thing he did was go to the building that houses Banks' studio.

Banks is executive producer and host of two popular TV shows, "America's Next Top Model" and "The Tyra Banks Show."

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Sean Penn files for legal separation from his wife

NEW YORK – Sean Penn and Robin Wright are separating, citing irreconcilable differences.

The double Oscar winner filed the petition on April 23 in Marin County Superior Court in San Rafael, Calif., according to court papers.

Penn and his actress wife have been married 13 years. Penn has requested joint legal and physical custody of their 18-year-old daughter, Dylan Francis, and 15-year-old son, Hopper Jack.

This isn't the first indication of marital strife. The Penns filed for divorce in December 2007 but dismissed their petition several months later.

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Two men ordered to stay away from Britney Spears

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge on Tuesday ordered Britney Spears' former self-styled manager Sam Lutfi to stay away from the pop star for three years, after the singer's father accused Lutfi of trying to undermine the conservatorship Spears lives under.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva Bobb also issued the same order to attorney Jon Eardley, who has presented himself as Spears' lawyer.

Lutfi and Eardley, whose attorneys argued that the order was unwarranted, were told to stay at least 100 yards (meters) away from Spears, her family and her homes.

The three-year order extends an existing mandate against Lutfi and Eardley that Bobb issued earlier this year.

A court placed Spears under a conservatorship last year, after she was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation. Her father, Jamie Spears, says his control over her affairs enabled Spears to launch her ongoing "Circus" tour.

An attorney for Jamie Spears had argued that Lutfi and Eardley continually bothered the 27-year-old singer, and that Eardley filed legal motions on her behalf even though he did not officially represent her.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Twin joy for Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls born to a surrogate, according to People magazine.

"Sex and the City" star Parker, 44, and actor husband Broderick, 47, already have a six-year-old son together, James Wilkie.

People quoted a representative as saying the couple were "happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate. The entire family is overjoyed."

Broderick and Parker married in 1997.

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Mr. T called for jury duty

CHICAGO – Pity the prospective juror named Mr. T.

He showed up for jury duty, then was dismissed after hours of down time — which he used to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

Mr. T was called for jury duty at Cook County Circuit Court on Monday. The Chicago native said he enjoyed fulfilling his civic responsibilities, even though he found — like countless others — that hours can pass before a judge decides to dismiss you.

He showed up for jury duty in camouflage pants, a T-shirt and a longer version of his usual Mohawk haircut.

Mr. T is best remembered for the 1980s TV series "The A-Team" and as Clubber Lang in "Rocky III," which his catch phrase come from: "I pity the fool."

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Britney's ex-manager forced to stay away from star

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The ex-manager of pop star Britney Spears must stay away from the singer and her family for three years a Los Angeles judge ruled Tuesday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva Bobb's order bars former Spears guru Sam Lutfi and the attorney Jon Eardley from coming within 100 yards of the singer and her sons until April 2012.

The court had already issued a temporary order against Lutfi and Eardly in January. Lawyers for Spears father Jamie, who controls his daughter's estate, alleged the two men had caused the singer emotional distress.

Jamie Spears and lawyer Andrew Wallet were appointed conservators of the star's estate last year in the wake of the singer's much publicized mental health scare when she was admitted to hospital in Los Angeles.

Jamie Spears alleged Lutfi and Eardley had tried to undermine the court ordered conservatorship established last year.

Britney Spears endured a torrid period following her 2006 divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline, attracting a string of lurid headlines in the tabloid media which culminated in her admission to hospital.

Since then however the singer has gradually got her career back on track, releasing a chart-topping album and beginning her first concert tour in five years last month.

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Eric Bana documents his first love: his muscle car

NEW YORK – Eric Bana has shared the screen with various leading ladies. The only one who really got his motor running? A Ford GT Falcon coupe.

"She's definitely the most tempting," laughed Bana in an interview Tuesday at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Bana has brought his directorial debut "Love the Beast" to Tribeca. A documentary about his abiding connection to his first car, it's a 25-year-old love story for the 40-year-old Australian actor dating back to his teenager years in Melbourne.

Bana is a serious racer and often competes professionally in Australia — including in the grueling five-day Targa Tasmania Rally. The film follows Bana racing his beloved car — nicknamed "the Beast" — in the 2007 Targa Tasmania, in which he crashed on the fourth day. (Bana emerged uninjured along with his co-driver.)

The film may sound like a vanity project, but it unfolds as an examination of how people develop deep emotional bonds with inanimate objects. In the film, Bana refers to his muscle car as a constant in his life and a "campfire" around which he and his friends gather.

"I hate the term `passion project,'" Bana says. "To me, it's like, what, directors don't normally make projects that they're passionate about? A passion project for me is going motor racing. Going motor racing with cameras is not a passion project."

Bana ("Munich," "Hulk") decided to make "Love the Beast" — which took three years to finish — in part because he was frustrated by car films that never spoke to him emotionally.

"I feel like it's a film I made on behalf of car people, not for car people," says Bana. "As personal as it is and as much of me as it is, the audience seem to make it about themselves."

The film doesn't yet have distribution in North America; he's hoping to find a deal at Tribeca. "Love the Beast" includes appearances from fellow automobile enthusiast Jay Leno and TV guru Dr. Phil, who analyzes Bana's emotional attachment to his car.

Bana, who lives in Australia with his wife and two children, says he's enjoying the dichotomy of looking for an audience for the modest "Love the Beast" while starring in some of the year's biggest films.

After Tribeca, he flies to Los Angeles for the premiere of "Star Trek," in which he plays villain Nero. He later will star in Judd Apatow's "Funny People" and the romance "The Time Traveler's Wife."

He hopes that once the films are out, he'll turn to repairing his cherished car, which is still badly damaged from the accident. It lies in his garage, Bana says, "just a big, piled wreck waiting for my time and attention."

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Another celebrity leaves `Dancing' country

LOS ANGELES – Chuck Wicks is leaving the "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom.

The country singer and his professional dance partner (and real-life girlfriend) Julianne Hough were eliminated from the ABC dance-off Tuesday.

Wicks had improved steadily throughout the season, earning praise from the judges for his "hip action" and fun-loving attitude. Judges loved their cha-cha Monday, with Carrie Ann Inaba insisting, "You are definitely in the game." Wicks also appeared in a group dance, which ended with him and his fellow male dancers in black leotards and white tights.

The 29-year-old musician came into Tuesday's results show with a solid 51 points out of 60, but fans failed to keep him afloat.

Viewer votes are combined with judges' scores to determine which couple is eliminated each week.

"To all the critics that thought we weren't going to last: We did it," Wicks said after learning his fate. "Now I'm going to go out on tour and enjoy doing what I love, and that's country music."

The week's low scorer, Melissa Rycroft, escaped elimination. She missed Monday's show because of a rib injury and earned just 21 out of 30 points from judges for a taped rehearsal performance.

"It shows you how many fans Melissa has," Wicks said, adding, "I think the team dance did us in."

Tuesday's results show also included a performance by Robin Thicke and the continuation of the new professional dance competition: Four pro dancers are vying for viewer votes and a spot on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars."

Besides Rycroft, four celebrity contestants remain: Rapper Lil Kim, rodeo champ Ty Murray, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and actor Gilles Marini.

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Beyonce skives off Vienna art museum tour

VIENNA (AFP) – US pop star Beyonce has angered a high-brow art museum in Vienna by sending a look-a-like to her own special personal tour of the museum, while she went shopping, according to newspaper reports here Wednesday.

Tabloid dailies Oesterreich and Heute said the R&B diva had been due to visit the Albertina, one of the Austrian capital's most famous museums which attracts around one million visitors each year.

Recent visitors include Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage.

But Beyonce, who gave a concert in Vienna on Tuesday, decided to skive off and do some shopping instead, sending a look-a-like to the museum and be photographed with Albertina director, Klaus Albrecht Schroeder, according to the reports.

The museum was understandably put out and said it would protest to the star's management.

"What a cheek," Albertina spokeswoman Verena Dahlitz told the Austrian news agency APA.

"We were a little doubtful yesterday, but weren't really sure. It could have been her," Dahlitz said, adding that fans were apparently duped, too.

Beyonce's concert in Vienna met with very mixed reviews and was only half-full, according to Oesterreich.

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Berlusconi's wife goes public over his eye for ladies

ROME (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's penchant for pretty women is a source of "suffering" for his wife, she wrote in an open letter published Wednesday.

"I want it to be clear that I and my children are the victims and not accomplices in this situation. We must put up with it and that makes us suffer," Veronica Lario wrote.

The letter, the second such public outburst from Lario, dealt mainly with Berlusconi's choices of candidates from his People of Freedom party to stand in European Union elections set for June.

Some are reportedly pretty young women with no political experience.

"The presence of pretty women in politics is neither a plus or a minus," said Lario, a 52-year-old former stage actress who is 20 years Berlusconi's junior.

"But behind the facade of curvy feminine beauty, what is even more serious is (Berlusconi's) impudence and lack of reserve ... that offend the credibility of all women," said Lario, adding: "especially those who have always been in the front lines defending their rights."

"Someone wrote that all this is no more than some extra fun for the emperor," Lario wrote. "I agree, what is in the papers is shameless rubbish, all in the name of power."

Lario is rarely seen in public with Berlusconi, a flamboyant self-made billionaire with whom she has had three children.

Berlusconi, a cruise ship crooner in his younger days, is renowned for verbal gaffes of all kinds, including sexist remarks.

Two Italian lawmakers last month filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights "because of his repeated statements that offend female dignity," according to Anna Paola Concia of the left-wing Democratic Party.

In January 2007, Berlusconi issued a public apology to Lario after she learned through the press of his verbal dalliance with a pretty young lawmaker.

"Please forgive me, and take this public testimony ... as an act of love, one among many," he said after Lario wrote a letter to the daily La Repubblica demanding his contrition, which she said he had failed to show in private.

Lario also had a comment Wednesday about Berlusconi's presence at a birthday party in Naples for a pretty 18-year-old.

"I was very surprised to learn that, because he didn't come to any of his children's 18th birthday parties, even though he was invited."

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Hong Kong man guilty over celebrity sex pics

HONG KONG (AFP) – A Hong Kong computer technician was found guilty Wednesday of illegally distributing more than 1,000 photos of singer Edison Chen performing sex acts with a string of starlets, a report said.

The images were plastered across the Internet last year, causing a huge scandal, forcing Chen to flee to his childhood home of Canada and damaging the careers of several of the stars involved.

Sze Ho-chun, an employee of computer shop Elite Multimedia, was found guilty after a five-day trail on three counts of obtaining access to a computer with a view to dishonest gain for himself or another, broadcaster RTHK said.

Sze had copied 1,300 sex photos from Chen's laptop when the Canadian-born singer-actor brought it in for repairs in 2006.

The prosecution said that the 24-year-old saved 1,300 sex photos of Chen and other local celebrities on a compact disc which he then passed to another of his customers.

The images began spreading online in February last year and sparked one of the city's biggest sex scandals.

The photos, which Chen has admitted taking himself, showed him in compromising positions with celebrities including Canto-pop star Gillian Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung and former actress Bobo Chan.

The incident caused a storm in the celebrity-obsessed city and prompted Chen to leave for Canada and announce he was withdrawing from the entertainment business in Hong Kong.

The 28-year-old Chen had been one of Asia's biggest entertainment stars. He recorded 16 albums under the EEG (Emperor Entertainment Group) label, of which the latest is 2007's "Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself."

Before his retirement Chen had a cameo role in the 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight," and a voice-over in the Cantonese version of the animated children's movie "Shrek."

Both Cheung and Chung have gone public in recent months criticising him.

Chung, whose career as half of Canto-pop duo Twins has collapsed since the scandal, said she had contemplated suicide when the photos appeared.

Hong Kong triads, apparently angered by the scandal's damage to the city's entertainment industry, have allegedly offered a 110,000 US dollar reward for the star's right hand, according to local media reports.

Chen refused to return to Hong Kong to testify. Instead, in an unusual move, the court in Sze's trial convened in Canada to take Chen's evidence.

Magistrate Tong Man called Sze's crime "serious" and said a jail sentence was inevitable, according to RTHK.

Sze was remanded in custody and is expected to be sentenced on May 13.

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Ashanti set to make her stage debut in 'The Wiz'

NEW YORK – Ashanti (AH'-shaun-tee) is going down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter will make her stage debut this summer as Dorothy in a revival of "The Wiz," the soul-tinged version of the classic L. Frank Baum story. The musical will play June 12 through July 5 at New York City Center as part of its "Encores! Summer Stars" series. Opening night is June 18.

"The Wiz" has a book by William F. Brown and a score by Charlie Smalls.

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Donald Trump, Barbara Walters together again on TV

NEW YORK – Celebrity feuds can't last forever when there is publicity to be had. Just ask Donald Trump and Barbara Walters.

Trump is booked to appear next Tuesday on Walters' daytime show "The View." He will promote a book and the season finale of "The Apprentice."

Trump gets publicity, while Walters lands an attention-getting guest during a ratings sweeps month.

He hasn't been on the show since he got in the middle of Rosie O'Donnell's ugly exit from "The View" two years ago. He told reporters that Walters had said that she was happy O'Donnell had been fired, which Walters denied publicly.

The two broke the ice when Trump appeared on Walters' satellite radio show a few weeks ago.

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Michelle Obama on People's annual beauty list

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US First Lady Michelle Obama scored a rare accolade for a political spouse by being named on celebrity magazine People's annual list of the world's 100 most beautiful people on Wednesday.

Obama, who has been hailed as a style icon by fashionistas around the world since her husband was elected President, was named in the list alongside A-listers such as Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Christina Aguilera.

"I had a father and a brother who thought I was beautiful, and they made me feel that way every single day," Michelle Obama told People.

"I grew up with very strong male role models who thought I was smart and fast and funny, so I heard that a lot. I know that there are many young girls who don?t hear it. But I was fortunate."

People Magazine does not rank its annual list, but actress Christina Applegate graces the cover of this week's issue.

Previous cover girls of the most beautiful issue have included Drew Barrymore, Kate Hudson and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Among other new faces on the list this year was Indian actress, Freida Pinto, star of Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire."

"The beauty of life is that it takes turns that are sometimes bigger than your wildest dreams," Pinto was quoted as saying by the magazine.

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Michelle Obama joins People "most beautiful" list

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate made the cover of People magazine's 100 most beautiful people issue on Wednesday in a list that welcomed newcomers U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and "Twilight" heart-throb Robert Pattinson.

Pattinson's vampire-loving co-star Kristen Stewart, teen music idols Nick and Joe Jonas and "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel also made the coveted list for the first time, in the celebrity magazine's annual issue that hits newsstands on Friday.

Applegate, 37, the star of the U.S. TV show "Samantha Who?," won admiration for going public last year about her breast diagnosis and later underwent a double mastectomy.

The actress, who has since undergone reconstructive breast surgery, told People in an interview it was hard to look at herself naked.

"You don't look the same anymore and you never will. A part of you is gone. ... It's a decision that you made to save your life," she said. It was Applegate's third appearance on the People list.

Michelle Obama, who has achieved celebrity status and has wowed the world as a fashion icon, made the list for the first time.

"I had a father and a brother who thought I was beautiful, and they made me feel that way every single day," Obama told the magazine.

"I grew up with very strong male role models who thought I was smart and fast and funny, so I heard that a lot. I know that there are many young girls who don't hear it. But I was fortunate," she added.

Also included in a "Barack's Beauties" section were White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others.

Pattinson, 22, who has a huge teen girl following after appearing in the "Twilight" movie blockbuster, said he didn't quite understand his heartthrob status.

"I don't get it. It's funny, you look the same for years and no one ever mentions it. Then suddenly it's a big deal," he told People.

The 100 list also included old favorites George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Halle Berry. Some of the celebrities, including actress Eva Mendes and supermodel Cindy Crawford appeared in a "Stars Without Makeup" section in which they were photographed wearing no make-up for their close-ups.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Cynthia Osterman)

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