26th July 2007

* AKON: 'HIP-HOP DOESN'T NEED OFFENSIVE WORDS'
R&B singer AKON has echoed music mogul RUSSELL SIMMONS' call for hip-hop to be
censored for broadcast, declaring the urban scene is "talented enough to write
lyrics" without curse words.
  Simmons believes recording and broadcasting authorities shoulder censor the
words n**ger, bitches and 'hos from hip-hop, which has caused controversy
within the urban music industry.
  Akon agrees the words are negative and there's no need for their placing in
hit songs.
  He says, "I think words like that are not necessarily needed in the song to
make it a hit.
  "Me personally, I would have no problem getting rid of it, words on any
record for anybody, I think we are talented enough to write lyrics for songs
without using that type of language. I think it's a good thing for the
positivity of hip-hop in general.
  "And at the same time, I look at it like, words in general, stuff like that,
words are only what you make it. At the end of the day, it's just a word - it
wouldn't mean anything if we didn't react on it, so it's more of a mindstate,
people just have to be willing to change." 


* KNOWLES BRANDS HIGH HEELS 'EASY' DESPITE FALL
Pop star BEYONCE KNOWLES insists dancing in high heels is "the easiest thing" -
even though the footwear caused her to take a tumble at a concert on Tuesday
night .
  The singer was about to descend a staircase at Florida's Amway Arena during a
performance of Ring The Alarm, when she lost her balance and fell head-first
down 15 steps.
  But Knowles is adamant mastering the art of moving in high heels on stage is
"second nature", despite getting a heel caught in her trenchcoat which caused
the fall.
  She says, "The easiest part is dancing in the heels. I don't even think about
it anymore; it's just second nature. But it is difficult to dance, to sing at
the same time. I have to make sure I'm in shape and I'm hydrated... I don't
want to wear myself out and get exhausted.
  After Tuesday's accident, Knowles pleaded with the audience not to post any
videos of the accident online; however one fan surrendered footage captured on
a camera phone to local TV station WKMG-TV. 


* GELDOF'S RELIEF AFTER BIKE CRASH
BOB GELDOF was left shocked and shaken after a motorcyclist crashed into his
car - but is relived the biker escaped without serious injuries.
  The former Boomtown Rats frontman was doing a U-turn in a busy London street
when the motorcyclist suddenly collided with his vehicle.
  Speaking shortly after the incident, Geldof told reporters, "I'm very shaken
but fine. There was no serious harm done to anyone in our car. It's just a
shock."
  The 39-year-old biker was taken to hospital with minor knee and groin
injuries, and Geldof was relieved to learn the victim was not seriously
wounded.
  He adds, "Thank God he's fine. Thank God again. The main thing is he's OK. He
had all his bike gear on which probably stopped a lot of damage. I was speaking
to him and told him to lie still. The paramedics came and checked him. There's
nothing broken which surprised me. I'm so glad.
  "I was pulling out and a woman stopped to let me go and the bike came up on
the other side and went into the wheel. He was knocked flying. It was an
accident." 


* ABDUL DEVASTATED BY BRATZ SNUB
AMERICAN IDOL judge PAULA ABDUL was devastated to be fired from the Bratz movie
- and was shocked by movie bosses decision to drop her from the project.
  The Straight Up singer had claimed she was the film's choreographer, costume
designer and executive producer before her exit from the popular dolls'
live-action big-screen outing.
  In an episode of Abdul's reality TV series Hey Paula screened this week
 in the U.S., the star is shown screaming, "How can they treat me
this way?" after bosses at Lionsgate, the company behind the Bratz film, inform
her she is no longer required.
  A representative for Lionsgate tells the New York Post, "We love Paula, but
we were sorry the partnership wasn't able to come together." 


* AKON WANTS TO PRODUCE HILTON
R&B star AKON has offered his producing and songwriting skills to struggling
solo singer PARIS HILTON.
  The socialite is planning her second album, despite poor sales of her debut
eponymous disc and recently losing her record deal with Warner Bros.
  Despite Hilton's much-questioned singing talent, Akon is keen to work with
the hotel heiress following her recent jail spell, because she would fit so
well with his Konvict Muzik record label.
  He says, "In my mind I was thinking now Paris Hilton is an official convict,
I think I'm gonna get with her and put a record out.
  "I would definitely sign her to my label 'cos she's a character. You give her
the cutest record, something that's just for women, an anthem; I think it will
be outta here!" 


* HAR MAR FORMS SUPERGROUP
HAR MAR SUPERSTAR is joining forces with former MOLDY PEACHES singer ADAM GREEN
and KLAXONS bassist JAMIE REYNOLDS to create new supergroup MUMPS.
  The singer - real name Sean Tillman - is teaming up with the musicians to
create music inspired by late American singer Harry Nilsson. 
  He says, "Harry's one of my favourite songwriters - he did some amazing tunes
like One Is The Loneliest Number and Everybody's Talkin'.
  "Jamie said he'd be up for it, so we might go out into the desert and write
some songs. At this point it could be anything, but some interesting stuff
happens in the desert." 


* KNOWLES SHUNS GOSSIP WEBSITES
BEYONCE KNOWLES avoids logging on to celebrity gossip websites - because she's
scared of discovering cruel comments written about her.
  The R&B superstar is so scared of reading hurtful web postings she places
self-imposed limits on time she spends online.
  She says, "Sometimes I'll run across certain things, usually in the paper,
because I read the paper more so than the web .There's one or two sites that I
can go to.
  "But if I go on the internet and try to see what people are saying, I'll
probably want to crawl under a rock. Because I'm still human, and certain
things, it just hurts, so I try not to read the internet too much."


* LANGHAM CLEARED ON FOUR COUNTS OF INDECENCY
LATEST: British comedy star CHRIS LANGHAM heard on Thursday  four
charges of indecent assault will be dropped in his ongoing trial.
  Judge Philip Statman, presiding at Maidstone Crown Court in England, advised
the jury the charges had time-expired under the terms of a parliament ruling
passed by the House of Lords.
  However he warned, "May I please stress to you that this in no way affects
your consideration of the other counts because you will be looking at the
evidence separately in due course."
  Langham is still charged with a further six counts of indecent assault on a
girl under 18, as well as 15 counts of making indecent images of a child.
  Taking the stand for the first time on Thursday, he wept as he denied being a
paedophile.
  Referring to his arrest for looking at child pornography on the internet, he
said, "They had me on a plate because I said I did it, but they weren't happy.
  "They wanted to convict me on the basis I had an abnormal interest in
children, that I'm a paedophile, and I'm not.
  "That part of the crime is a life sentence and that is the part of the crime
I did not do. I have to stand up and tell you the truth but I will not stand
here and admit a crime I didn't commit.
  "I'd like to make it clear I am not taking the crime I committed lightly. I
did it in an arrogant way, I know who I am. I know who I am. And I did a very
arrogant thing to not think that the law applied to me."
  Langham denies all charges against him and claims any material found on his
computer was for research purposes. The trial continues.


* RITCHIE TAKES COMIC BOOK TO BIG SCREEN
MADONNA's director husband GUY RITCHIE is adapting his comic book series The
Gamekeeper for the big screen.
  The Snatch filmmaker launched his The Gamekeeper graphic novels with Virgin
Comics earlier this year .
  Trade paper Variety reports Ritchie has now signed a deal with Warner Bros.
studios and The Matrix producer Joel Silver to bring the tale to movies.
  The Gamekeeper centres on a reclusive caretaker on a Scottish country estate
searching for the killer of his son. 


* MOORE'S LAUNDRY OFFER
Controversial filmmaker MICHAEL MOORE has offered to do the dirty laundry of a
Republican voter if they watch his new movie SICKO.
  Sicko has infuriated some Republicans because it criticises the government
over the U.S. healthcare system.
  Moore, a well-known critic of President George W. Bush, has agreed to wash
the clothes of a Republican voter if they agree to see a screening of Sicko,
according to website Examiner.com. 


* BEDI RELEASED AFTER FATHER PAYS BAIL
LATEST: Former Bollywood actress MONICA BEDI has been released from jail in
relation to a fake passport case after her father paid her bail.
  Bedi had been residing in Chanchalguda central jail in Hyderabad, India,
since last week , where she was transferred after she was
acquitted in a fake passport case in Bhopal on 16 July .
  The 32-year-old was extradited from Portugal to Hyderabad in 2005 after she
and gangster boyfriend Abu Salem were arrested in 2002 for entering the
European country on forged documents.
  Bedi's lawyers have always denied she was romantically involved with Salem,
and claimed he was holding her hostage.
  In September 2006, Bedi was sentenced to five years in prison in Hyderabad
after being convicted of passport forgery.
  Despite the Hyderabad's court refusal to grant bail to Bedi last week, her
father Prem Kumar Bedi paid 25,000 rupees  to secure her release on
Wednesday .
  Bedi agreed to remain in her hometown of Chabbewal, unless being granted
permission by local police to leave. 


* KNOXVILLE GUILTY OF WILSON PHONE PRANK
Jackass star JOHNNY KNOXVILLE was behind the big-budget stunt which forced pal
LUKE WILSON to change his phone number.
  The Wedding Crashers actor was shocked when details of his direct cellphone
were displayed on a banner flying on a plane above the Polaroid Beach House in
Malibu, California at the Boost Mobile party on Saturday .
  Jackass star Knoxville played the prank on Wilson, organising the banner
which read, "Luke Wilson's phone number 3105000082" - the actor's real number.
  Wilson's much-publicised phone number is no longer in service.


* BARTON: 'I'M IMPOSSIBLE TO TYPECAST'
Actress MISCHA BARTON is confident her TV past won't hinder her chances of
making it big in Hollywood - because her character on THE O.C. was so crazy.
  The 21-year old starlet played Marissa Cooper for three years on the Fox hit
- a drama about rich Californian teens - but doesn't expect her dysfunctional
part to scupper her silver screen career.
  She says, "Marissa was impossible to typecast. She was a lesbian, an
alcoholic, an addict and then she went into rage.
  "You couldn't find another Marissa!" 


* RUKH KHAN: 'I GIVE PEOPLE HOPE'
Actor SHAH RUKH KHAN credits his movie performances with lifting the spirits of
cinema goers and 'fulfilling their dreams'.
  The Bollywood star believes Indian film stars are treated with enormous
respect because they allow ordinary people to forget the stresses of everyday
life.
  He says, "In this country entertainment is the last achievement for the
common man. People regard me as taking away their everyday sadness for three
hours, when they can sit in a dark, air-conditioned hall and see me fulfil
their dreams. Shah Rukh Khan gives hope to people." 


* GYLLENHAAL SLAMS BRITISH AIRWAYS
Actress MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL has poured scorn on British Airways bosses for
cutting out the sex scenes when showing her new film SherryBaby on flights.
  The Secretary star plays a former heroin addict struggling to rehabilitate in
society after a three-year prison sentence, and with a history of sexual
abuse.
  However, she insists the uncomfortable scenes in the movie are an important
part of her character's story and can't understand why they were censored.
  She says, "Someone told me they watched it on British Airways and they'd cut
all the sex out, which I think would drastically change it." 


* BARTON BEFRIENDS PAPARAZZI
Actress MISCHA BARTON has forged a friendship with the paparazzi after finding
it impossible to lead a normal life in the public eye.
  The former O.C. star was forced to learn how to deal with stardom after her
television show became an overnight success when it was first aired in 2003.
  But Barton admits she's now on good terms with photographers, who often lend
a hand with chores unloading shopping from her car.
  She says, "I don't think people realise how crazy it is. The day after the
show first aired, someone recognised me in the street. I thought, 'Oh no! What
if it takes off?' And it did. So I went with it. I had to do so much press.
I've only just learned to drive, because I couldn't do it under the eyes of the
paparazzi; I hate driving when they're following me.
  "It's irritating, but I've learned to smile it off and forge a
quasi-friendship with them. They'll do things like help you put groceries in
your car to get on your good side, or untangle your dog leash." 


* THE THINGS THEY SAY:
"The boys give me a hard time, but I prefer a pint to Pimm's." THE O.C. star
MISCHA BARTON enjoys spending time a local pubs in London. 

* FORENSIC EXPERT IN SPECTOR CASE: 'CLARKSON'S DEATH IS MOST LIKELY SUICIDE'
LATEST: A forensic scientist testifying for the defence in the PHIL SPECTOR
murder trial has claimed the death of actress LANA CLARKSON was "most likely" a
suicide.
  Spector is currently standing trial accused of the fatal shooting of Clarkson
at his Alhambra, California mansion in February 2003.
  He has pleaded not guilty and claims Clarkson took her own life - allegations
which have been supported by forensic expert Dr. Werner Spitz.
  In a lengthy testimony on Wednesday , Spitz voiced his discontent
with the homicide conclusion brought by Los Angeles County deputy medical
examiner Dr. Louis Pena back in June .
  Spitz told the court, "I disagree with his  opinion. I think it
was a hasty opinion. I think it was an opinion without due consideration."
  He agreed with the prosecution's claim that Clarkson had been killed by a
single gunshot wound to her mouth, but added, "In my opinion,  is most likely a suicide."
  Spitz cited the areas of bruising inside the actress' mouth as further
evidence that she was the one to pull the trigger, with the force of the shot
sending her blood splattering across the room, which could have been as far as
six feet .
  Spitz came to his conclusion of suicide after studying photos and personal
accounts of the actress from her friends and close associates, taking into
account her history of depression and her mental state at the time of her
death.
  He said: "I'd never met Lana Clarkson, so I don't really know her at all. So
I have to base my opinion on what other people say about her - people who knew
her, people who knew her well, people who knew her less well, and people like
physicians who had seen her."
  Prosecutors rested their case on Monday , three months after it
began .
  The trial continues. 


* McCREADY ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING 2004 PROBATION
LATEST: Country singer MINDY McCREADY was taken into police custody at an
airport in Tennessee on Wednesday , after she was found to be in
violation of her 2004 probation.
  Authorities issued a warrant for her arrest early on Wednesday, following the
troubled star's run in with police in Florida, where she was charged for
domestic battery and resisting arrest in an incident involving her mother in
North Fort Myers.
  The charges came just hours after she was bailed for a driving conviction on
Saturday .
  McCready's latest offence - for which she was arrested at Nashville
International Airport - is in relation to her previous conviction for
prescription drug fraud in 2004, where she was ordered to stay out of trouble
and serve three years probation, reports TMZ.com.
  Her legal woes in Florida meant she violated the terms of her probation - of
which she had just four months to go. 


* ETTA JAMES HOSPITALISED
American blues singer ETTA JAMES has been hospitalised in Los Angeles after
suffering complications from abdominal surgery.
  The Pushover star, 69, underwent surgery on her abdomen last month ,
but was forced to admit herself into the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on
Wednesday  after experiencing pain in her stomach area.
  James is now in a stable condition but her bad health has meant she has had
to pull out of her current tour with soul veteran Al Green, which started in
Florida on Tuesday .
  He manager Lupe De Leon says, "If it had been left solely up to her, she
would have checked herself out of the hospital and started the tour regardless
of her delicate health.
  "However, her doctor advised that were she to do so, it would put her at very
great risk."
  James has been replaced by soul legend Chaka Khan on the Al Green tour.



* BROWN HIRES ALLRED IN CHILD WELFARE FIGHT AGAINST MURPHY
SPICE GIRL MELANIE BROWN is planning to take her ex EDDIE MURPHY to court for
child welfare payments - and has hired celebrity attorney GLORIA ALLRED to
fight her case.
  The pop star recently voiced her disgust at her former flame's behaviour
since he announced their break up on a Dutch TV show last year  and denied
fathering her then-unborn child.
  Brown received paternity test results last month  proving the
Dreamgirls actor is the father of baby Angel Iris, and on Wednesday ,
the singer admitted she may have to resort to legal action to get him more
involved in his daughter's upbringing.
  The singer has already hired the services of Los Angeles-based Allred - a
powerful lawyer known for her tough witness examinations - who is also
presenting the sexual assault case against NYPD Blue actor Esai Morales.
  A source tells British newspaper the Daily Mail, "She  is expected to
lobby Murphy for child support commensurate with his big income. If I were
Murphy I would be nervous." 


* AKON'S HOTEL PARTY SHUT DOWN BY POLICE
R&B singer AKON ran into trouble with British police recently - when he decided
to bring his whole concert afterparty back to his London hotel suite.
  The Lonely star partied into the night following his sold-out gig at London's
Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday , but other guests at the K-West Hotel
were not best pleased with the large number of groupies piling into Akon's £400
-a-night suite and causing disturbance.
  A source says, "The party was going strong until the police shut it down."
  A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident, adding,
"Police attended and a 25-year-old woman was taken to Fulham police station,
where she was issued with a penalty notice for disorder."
  But Akon was not put off by the police intervention, smirking, "All my
parties are wild." 


* LEVINE THOUGHT MAROON 5 BANDMATES WERE INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC PILE-UP
American singer ADAM LEVINE feared the worst for his MAROON 5 bandmates when he
heard about a major accident on the motorway they were supposed to be
travelling on.
  The This Love hitmaker was making his own way back to London after the band
performed at music event T4 On The Beach in Weston-super-Mare, south west
England, when he was told of the big crash on the highway.
  A source tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "Adam was desperately trying
to contact the boys to check they were safe but their mobiles were going
straight to voicemail. He had no idea where they were."
  But luckily for bandmembers James Valentine, Jesse Carmichael, Matt Flynn and
Mickey Madden, the rockers had not even made it onto the motorway - their tour
bus had broken down in traffic and the four members had to hitch a ride on a
passing pink limousine.
  The source continues, "The boys saw a pink party limo and offered the driver
a wad of cash to take them back to London. They were ecstatic to find a karaoke
machine on board and were having such fun they forgot to check their phones.
  "When Adam heard the noise he was relieved, but he was also gutted he'd taken
a different bus back." 


* GIRLS ALOUD 'MURDERED' BY SICK FANTASIST
British pop group GIRLS ALOUD have vowed to continue with their U.K. tour
despite the discovery of an internet fantasist who has written about torturing
and brutally murdering the stars.
  The Love Machine hitmakers - comprising of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle,
Kimberley Walsh, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding - found themselves to be the
focus of a sick online writer, who has penned the horror Girls  Aloud.
  The unnamed author - who stresses his fantasies are "strictly fictitious" -
describes the tale as "the very sexy deaths of all five members of the world's
sexiest all-girl group" and even goes as far as to warn readers about the
"explicit imaginary descriptions of... rape, torture and mutilation" included
in the work.
  The news of the horrific tale, posted on the restricted website Kristen
Archives, has reached the attention of the International Criminal Police
Organization , and U.K. organisation the Internet Watch Foundation
 have already tracked the site back to a host in the U.S.
  But the Girls Aloud beauties are refusing to let the stalker's actions get to
them.
  A spokesman for the band tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "We won't
give this person the satisfaction that the girls care.
  "They have security with them all the time, they are safe enough."


* ELLIS-BEXTOR'S DANCE SECRET
Pop star SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR has been hiding a guilty secret - she has two left
feet.
  The British singer scored her biggest hit with Murder On The Dancefloor in
2001, but Dancing With The Stars judge Bruno Tonioli let slip the 28-year-old
is a failure when she hits the tiles.
  He says, "She's the last pop act I work with and even she'd admit she's not a
great dancer.
  "I had to resort to making her dance like a teapot, hand on hip, other hand
held out and dipping. It's a classic fallback when you come across somebody who
can't do the moves. She won't mind me saying so." 


* WATTS SIGNS UP TO NEXT HARRY POTTER MOVIE
Actress NAOMI WATTS has signed on to star in the next HARRY POTTER movie,
according to reports.
  The pregnant Mulholland Dr. star, 38 - who will give birth in August  -
will play Draco Malfoy's wicked mother Narcissa in Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie in the fantasy franchise.
  The film is currently in pre-production but is expected to hit cinemas in
November 2008.
  The latest of the boy wizard movies to be released, Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix, has already given Warner Brothers bosses their biggest
opening ever, taking $561 million  worldwide in its opening 12
days earlier this month . 


* GROENING BEGS GERVAIS FOR HELP
Cartoonist MATT GROENING is pleading with British funnyman RICKY GERVAIS to
return as a guest star in THE SIMPSONS.
  The Office actor Gervais became the first guest star to receive a writing
credit following his successful role in the hit animation in 2006.
  And now Groening is hoping Gervais will make a cameo comeback.
  He says, "We loved having him on the show. Whatever he wants to do - we'd
love to have his character return. Or he could do something completely new.
  "It was such a thrill for us to have him - the main reason we have guests on
is because we're fans." 


* MENDES PULLS LONDON SHAKESPEARE PLAYS
Director SAM MENDES has been forced to cancel two of his London theatre
projects after leading actor Stephen Dillane pulled out of the shows because of
an illness in the family.
  Mendes was due to team up with his American Beauty star, Kevin Spacey, to
present the William Shakespeare plays Hamlet and The Tempest at London's Old
Vic Theatre next year  - where Spacey serves as Artistic Director.
  But Dillane's withdrawal from the two West End productions means the shows
will now be shelved indefinitely.
  Instead, theatre fans can look forward to a 2009 reunion of Mendes and
Spacey, when the filmmaker will direct Simon Russell Beale in The Winter's Tale
and The Cherry Orchard. 


* BAY WAS INSPIRED BY LUCAS
Transformers director MICHAEL BAY credits GEORGE LUCAS with inspiring his
career as a Hollywood film maker - after working for the Star Wars mogul as a
young intern.
  Bay was a teenager when he was given the chance to spend time at Lucas'
company LucasFilm, which was creating Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost
Ark at the time.
  He says, "I told all my buddies, the movie Steven Spielberg is doing is going
to suck. Then I went to  Grauman's Chinese Theatre five
months later and, seriously, that's what drew me into, 'I want to do this.'"


* PANETTIERE HATES LOHAN COMPARISON
Actress HAYDEN PANETTIERE hates being called "the next Lindsay Lohan" - because
she wants to be famous for acting and not partying.
  Like Lohan, the Heroes actress was a child star and acted in commercials
before graduating to adult roles - but she insists that's where the comparison
ends.
  Panettiere says, "I don't have anything mean to say about Lindsay. The thing
about this business is, when you're a young person - generally a young woman -
you get pigeonholed. When you don't fall off your horse right away, people will
try to knock you off.
  "For example, the other day I was walking out of a bar in Hollywood, El
Scorpio, with some of my Heroes cast mates. Someone drove by and shouted, 'Give
them hell, Lindsay!' I said, 'Please don't call me Lindsay.' It's sickening
that people want to knock me down. They don't know me!" 


* DAMON: 'JASON BOURNE SAVED MY CAREER'
Actor MATT DAMON credits his role as screen spy JASON BOURNE for saving his
career.
  The star feared his roles in movie flops All The Pretty Horses and The Legend
of Bagger Vance would prevent him for starring in a blockbuster movie. 
  But Damon was delighted to be cast in the Bourne blockbuster franchise and
believes it saved his acting career.
  He says, "Jason Bourne saved my life. The weekend The Bourne Identity opened
in 2001 I was doing a play in London's West End and I hadn't had a film offer
in six months because I'd had a couple of movies tank. 
  "The word was that the first Bourne movie was also going badly, because it
had been delayed so long and had so many rounds of reshooting. It had all the
hallmarks of a turkey.
  "So I went from my final night of doing This Is Our Youth on the Friday, to
the Sunday when I had 20 to 30 movie offers, just based on the opening weekend
of The Bourne Identity." 


* JOHANSSON BUYS £4 MILLION HOLLYWOOD MANSION
Actress SCARLETT JOHANSSON has splashed out £4 million  on a
mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
  The Lost In Translation beauty, 22, bought the spacious property from
moviemaker Harold Becker, and the house boasts seven bedrooms and seven
bathrooms.
  A source says, "It's a gigantic property. The place spans over 4.352 square
feet." 


* FASCINATING FACT:
Transformers director MICHAEL BAY grew up in a Los Angeles house ROBERT REDFORD
once lived in. 


* FASCINATING FACT:
The Disney Studio has become the first major Hollywood moviehouse to ban
smoking in all future film productions. Disney's chief executive, ROBERT A.
IGER said depictions of smoking in new movies will be "non-existent".


* OSBOURNE TOO UPSET TO ATTEND ARDEN BURIAL
Rock matriarch SHARON OSBOURNE failed to attend her father DON ARDEN's funeral
- because she was too upset to go.
  The music mogul - who launched the careers of music acts the Small Faces,
Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath - passed away at a nursing home in
Los Angeles on Saturday . He was 81.
  Osbourne was estranged from her father for 20 years, and revealed his violent
ways in her autobiography Extreme. However, the pair were reconciled in 2002
after he developed Alzheimer's Disease.
  She flew back to the U.K. earlier this week  with Arden's body
in time for Wednesday's  burial in his native Salford in Manchester,
England.
  A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Sharon was too traumatised to go."

* IS SPEARS' COUSIN HELPING FEDERLINE WIN CUSTODY BATTLE? 
BRITNEY SPEARS' cousin and former assistant has reportedly joined forces with
the pop star's estranged husband and mum in a bid to help him gain custody of
their young sons.
  Alli Sims has teamed up with Kevin Federline and Lynne Spears after falling
out with the Toxic singer, according to celebrity magazine OK!.
  The publication claims rapper/dancer Federline is seeking sole custody of his
sons Sean Preston and Jayden James and Sims is helping him put together a case
against her cousin.
  A source tells OK!, "Alli gave specific instances where Brit couldn't handle
having the kids.
  "Kevin is worried about Sean and Jayden's safety. He had heard bits and
pieces of what was going on from Brit's mother, Lynne, and from the bodyguards
but has been trying to focus on getting along with her and didn't want to
believe she had completely lost it." 


* KNOWLES' FALL PROVES SHE'S 'THE BEST' 
LATEST: BEYONCE KNOWLES' aides are playing down the pop star's onstage tumble
in Florida, insisting the fact she continued with her show after falling down
stairs prove she's "the best".
  Knowles begged fans to keep the embarrassing trip at the start of her Amway
Arena show in Orlando to themselves - but one devotee posted the footage online
and another spoke to local media immediately after the show.
  But the singer's publicists have dismissed the fall as "no big deal" - even
though some fans claim Knowles looked bloodied as she stood up to get on with
the show.
  A representative for the singer says, "Beyonce's fall... was a mere spot on
an otherwise sensational, flawless show.
  "It was a case of her coat's hem getting caught in her shoes, but Miss
Knowles picked herself right up, without missing a beat, showing to all that
she is the best."
  Knowles' publicists insist the former Destiny's Child star was uninjured
after her tumble. 


* SWIZZ BEATZ UNDER FIRE BY POLICE FOR 'NO SNITCHING' RULE
Rapper/producer SWIZZ BEATZ' plans to appear at a New Jersey peace rally are in
doubt after local authorities voiced their objections to the 'anti-snitching'
message they believe he advocates in his songs.
  The beatmaker is due to perform at Camden city's Peace on the Streets march
on Thursday , but police are demanding the star take back his
promotion of the rap community's 'no snitching' rule - which they claim is
addressed in his single It's Me Snitches - before he takes to the stage.
  The rule of the streets urges people not to turn their fellow man in to cops,
even if they have knowledge of a serious crime.
  However, city officials have ignored police calls to cancel Swizz Beatz'
performance, because they claim they have been assured the hip-hop star - real
name Kasseem Dean - will only perform tracks with a positive message.


* BRITISH SCULPTORS RECREATE RICHIE'S HELLO FOR ONLINE FILM
A group of fun-loving young British sculptors have re-enacted the video to
LIONEL RICHIE's 1984 hit HELLO by attempting to create the singer's head out of
clay - while blindfolded.
  The hilarious skit, dubbed The Hello Experiment, can be viewed on website
LeanMeanFightingMachine.co.uk.
  In the original promo, a blind sculptress creates Richie's face as that of
the man she loves. 


* ANTHONY FORGETS JENNIFER IS PUCHI IN FIGHT SCENE
MARC ANTHONY is urging film fans to keep their eyes and ears open during his
new film with his wife JENNIFER LOPEZ - because he accidentally uses her real
name in one fight scene.
  The Latino singer/actor and Lopez play husband and wife Hector and Puchi
Lavoe in the fiery biopic and Anthony admits he was so overcome with emotion
during one movie temper tantrum, he screamed at 'Jennifer'.
  He explains, "She was choking me and I was like, 'Jennifer, cut it out.' It
got cut out but I'm sure it will appear on the DVD." 


* FASCINATING FACT:
Police in Charlottetown, Canada made 54 arrests at a festival headlined by
AEROSMITH on Saturday night . Most of those cited at the Blast at the
Beach event were booked for public drunkenness and possession of alcohol.


* LOHAN FIGHTING CLAIMS SHE WAS INTOXICATED IN 2005 CRASH
LINDSAY LOHAN is fighting claims she was intoxicated when she crashed her car
in West Hollywood in 2005, insisting the allegations are "nothing more than
extortion".
  Raymundo Ortega filed papers in Los Angeles last month , claiming
Lohan had been drinking at celebrity hotspot The Ivy just before the accident,
when the actress smashed into his red van.
  He is suing both Lohan and The Ivy for damages.
  But lawyers acting on behalf of the Mean Girls star have been quick to
respond.
  In legal documents filed last week , Lohan's legal team insists
the accusations are, "nothing more than an attempt to extort money from a
celebrity by setting forth false and scurrilous allegations in a complaint."
  And, indeed the lawyers' denial seems to follow what was reported at the
scene of the crash.
  In a police document, obtained by TMZ.com, an officer wrote, "I did not
observe any objective signs of either alcohol or drug intoxication and
determined that no further investigation regarding intoxication was warranted."


* MOSS TAKES LOVE ADVICE FROM ROLLING STONE WOOD
Supermodel KATE MOSS has been seeking love advice from a most unlikely source -
ROLLING STONES rocker RONNIE WOOD.
  The British catwalk star split from boyfriend Pete Doherty earlier this month
, amid reports the troubled Babyshambles singer had cheated on Moss with
a mystery brunette.
  Moss has since turned to old pal Wood to help her get over her failed
romance, and is currently staying with the reformed alcoholic and his wife Jo
at their mansion in Surrey, England, while she contemplates her next move.
  A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Kate is washing her hair of Pete,
and Ronnie and his wife Jo have been taking her mind off things.
  " has been friends with Ronnie for years. He is on the wagon 
and is great for her." 


* SCHIFFER MOURNS THE LOSS OF HER FATHER
Supermodel CLAUDIA SCHIFFER is in mourning after her father, HEINRICH, died of
a heart attack in France. He was 70.
  The retired lawyer collapsed on a golf course on Tuesday  in the
city of Bitche, near the German-French border, where he had been enjoying a
round of golf with friends when he suffered the heart attack.
  His family are arranging to have the body flown back to their native Germany,
where they will hold a private funeral to pay their respects.
  Schiffer Snr is survived by his wife Gudrun and their four children: Stefan,
Andreas, Claudia and Ann Carolin.
  Claudia Schiffer, who lives in London with her film producer husband Matthew
Vaughn and their two children - son Casper, four, and two-year-old Clementine -
is expected to arrive in France on Thursday . 


* DAMON FEARS FANS WILL PEE ON HIS STAR
MATT DAMON fears his thrill of getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
will be marred when he sees someone urinating on it.
  The actor was thrilled when he was invited to unveil the honour and couldn't
believe the day had actually arrived when he attended the ceremony on Hollywood
Boulevard on Wednesday .
  He said, "I can't believe I'm standing on a star with my name on it. I'm
going to show my kids that.
  " Ben  and I lived in a really crappy apartment about five
blocks away from here and we used to walk up and down here.
  "This'll probably sink in when I walk down the street in about six months and
see someone peeing on my star." 


* PARIS BUYS A PUP FROM BRITNEY'S PET STORE
PARIS HILTON has enraged leading animal rights activists by purchasing another
pet Chihuahua from the same Beverly Hills store where BRITNEY SPEARS picked up
her new terrier London last week .
  People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals and America's Humane Society
joined forces to condemn Spears' pet shop purchase - and now Hilton has
followed suit.
  The socialite claimed the male Chihuahua from Pets of Bel Air on Wednesday
, according to reports.
  And it seems the animal activists are fighting a losing battle when it comes
to persuading stars not to buy puppies from pet stores - Limp Bizkit star Fred
Durst has also recently bought a Chihuahua from the same store as Britney and
Paris, who have previously given homes to a Yorkshire terrier and a Chihuahua
called Tinkerbell. 


* PRODUCER OFFERS LOHAN HIS HELP
The Hollywood producer who publicly reprimanded LINDSAY LOHAN for arriving late
to the set of his film GEORGIA RULE has reached out to the actress as she faces
another major controversy.
  Studio executive JAMES ROBINSON wrote a fiery letter to Lohan urging her to
straighten out her life after she put partying before filmmaking, upsetting
schedules on his film.
  But now the producer is offering the troubled actress his support following a
second drink-driving arrest in three months.
  In a message to Lohan via U.S. news show Extra, Robinson says, "If you need
anything, just call me and as soon as I can be allowed to visit, I'll be
there."
  The supportive outburst suggests Lohan is already back in rehab - just days
after checking out of the Promises facility in Malibu, California.



* MOORE PLEADS NO CONTEST TO SPEEDING CHARGES
LATEST: Actor SHEMAR MOORE has pleaded no contest to speeding charges in Los
Angeles and has agreed to carry out 80 hours of community service.
  The Criminal Minds star was also placed on probation for 36 months after be
was clocked racing at 65 miles-per-hour along a city street on 1 June .
  Drink-driving charges against Moore were dropped as part of the actor's plea
deal. 


* SOPRANO STICH-RANDALL DIES AGED 79
American soprano TERESA STICH-RANDALL has died. She was 79.
  The opera star passed away in Vienna, Austria on 17 July , although the
cause of death has yet to be revealed.
  Stich-Randall garnered worldwide critical acclaim for her performances in
Mozart's Don Giovanni, Handel's Hercules and Rodelinda and her famous recording
of Der Rosenkavalier in 1956.
  The Connecticut-born singer - once hailed by Italian conductor Arturo
Toscanini as "the find of the century" - split her time between her native U.S.
and Europe, gracing the stage in the world's greatest opera houses.
  In 1963, she became the first American to be awarded the Austrian title of
Kammersängerin  - an honour presented to Austria's most
respected artists.
  She retired from the industry in 1971, after enjoying a 25-year career.



* DISNEY BECOMES FIRST STUDIO TO BAN MOVIE SMOKING
Disney studio heads have set a precedent in Hollywood, moving to ban smoking
from all their films.
  The movie executives insist no one will light a cigarette, cigar, joint or
pipe in Disney-branded family films and they're encouraging the bosses at
distribution partners Touchstone and Miramax to follow suit.
  Furthermore, studio bigwigs will also place anti-smoking public service
announcements on DVDs of any future films that feature cigarette smoking.
  Recent research shows that 90 per cent of all films depict smoking and
children with the highest exposure to smoking in movies were nearly three times
more likely to start smoking. 


* NEW DAD PRIESTLEY BECOMES SLOW & SAFE
Fatherhood has slowed former BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 star JASON PRIESTLEY down -
literally.
  The actor admits the birth of new baby Ava has made him rethink his plans to
make a car racing comeback after a 2002 crash left him with shattered legs.
  Priestley admits he didn't consider quitting racing after his
headline-grabbing speedway accident - because he had been a professional in the
sport for 11 years and always knew he was risking serious injury and even death
every time he got behind the wheel.
  But the recent birth of his first child forced the star to rethink his racing
ambitions.
  He tells America's Us Weekly magazine, "I'm done with all the crazy and
stupid things."
  Nowadays, Priestley even gives up the family car and cycles to work.
  His wife Naomi Lowde-Priestley says, "He has now agreed to start wearing a
helmet when he rides his bicycle."
  He admits he had no choice after his mother "laid into" him one day: "

'There is no way I would ever wear a bike helmet,' but my mom was here
and when I said that, she laid into me.
  "She said, 'What are you going to do when your daughter says, 'Why should I
wear a helmet when you don't?' So I gave in." 


* FONDA COLOURS UP HER DIET
Movie veteran JANE FONDA no longer obsesses about hitting the gym, but she
still colour-co-ordinates her meals.
  The original work-out video queen admits she still likes to exercise for an
hour four or five times a week, but she isn't as fixed on fitness as she once
was.
  Besides, she's too busy matching her dietary colours to worry about hours on
a treadmill.
  She explains, "I pay attention to colour - dark green vegetables, red and
yellow things, because they all represent a different vitamin.
  "I drink a lot of water and don't eat a lot of fat.
  "Food is important, especially when you get older, because your metabolism
drops." 


* THE THINGS THEY SAY:
"They're very strict about how you dip the dogs...  Apparently, my technique
wasn't good enough. I got fired after one month... and I had a little attitude
problem." Actress EVA MENDES on getting fired as a waitress at fast food chain
Hot Dog On A Stick. 


* FASCINATING FACT:
The naked photographs of JOSS STONE, SERENA WILLIAMS, LILI TAYLOR and a
pregnant MILLA JOVOVICH in the final issue of Jane magazine were taken by
AMANDA DE CADENET.