3rd August 2007
* MURPHY'S EXES DEBATE DADDY DAY CARE SPICE GIRL MELANIE BROWN is stepping up her campaign for parental justice by exchanging notes with EDDIE MURPHY's ex-wife NICOLE MITCHELL MURPHY. The singer - who recently announced plans to take ex-boyfriend Murphy to court to claim child support payments - joined the actor/comedian's ex-wife for lunch on Thursday at Beverly Hills eaterie The Ivy. Murphy dated Brown after splitting from his wife last year , and a DNA test in June established the actor is the biological father of baby Angel Iris. The four-month-old tot accompanied the singer when she met with Nicole Murphy and her five-year-old daughter Bella Zahra - the youngest of five kids she had with the Dreamgirls star. A source says, "They seemed really friendly toward one another. They had a pretty private meal in the back corner, away from all of us. "Right before they left, Nicole gave Melanie two kisses on the cheek." And the ladies must have had plenty to talk about - not least the fact their former flame is hooking up again. He confirmed reports on Monday he's to marry his new Dreamgirl, girlfriend Tracey Edmonds, after proposing last week . Nicole Murphy's divorce from the actor was finalised in April 2006, ending their 12-year marriage. * ALLEN DENIES AIRPORT SCUFFLE British pop star LILY ALLEN has hit out at reports she was involved in a fight with a photographer at Melbourne airport on Wednesday night , insisting the claims are "completely untrue". The unnamed snapper has accused Allen of hitting and kicking him when he asked the Smile singer to pose for just one photograph. However, other photographs taken at the scene show no signs of the alleged violence, with Allen pictured hiding her face as she emerged from the arrival gate. Her tour representative says, "It is completely untrue. He was jumping all over everyone. He was really in her face. He was asked by two tour managers to back off, and then he was yelling stuff out. No one kicked anyone." Allen is currently on tour in Australia and played a sold-out concert at Melbourne's Prince of Wales venue on Thursday night . * McGRAW GETS HIS RING BACK LATEST: Country superstar TIM McGRAW's pinkie ring has been returned to him after a mix up at a show in Louisiana on Saturday night . McGraw asked a fan in the front row to give his ring back, believing she had grabbed it as he shook her hand, but in fact, the keepsake simply fell off the singer's finger and into the audience. In a video clip of the incident, posted on website TMZ.com, McGraw can be seen saying over and over, "Give me my ring back" as he talks to a fan in the front row - but she never had it in the first place. The woman, named Monique, has since called her local radio station to protest her innocence, stating the ring fell off before Tim reached out to her. And she claims she couldn't even hear what McGraw was saying when her hero was asking for the ring back. It now appears that a woman behind Monique found the ring by her feet and turned it over to security, who have since returned it to McGraw. * MAY HANDS IN PhD THESIS LATEST: QUEEN guitarist BRIAN MAY has finally handed in his PhD thesis in astronomy - 36 years after starting it. The brainy musician embarked on his last piece of observational work on Spain's Canary Islands in July , but was pleased to finally lay the project to rest this week . May originally quit the Imperial College, London, project to join his band, and is adamant he will never regret putting his music before his studies. He says, "It's been the longest gap year ever. It was a tough decision back then to leave my studies for music passion for music was stronger. "I'm so proud to be here today. Astronomy has always interested me. I used to love sitting at home and watching Sir Patrick Moore on the Sky at Night." May handed in the 48,000-word paper, called Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud, to the University's head of astrophysics Professor Paul Nandra, but will have to return to college to discuss his thesis with the examining board on 23 August . And May admits the wait will be nerve-wracking, saying, "If I fail I will fail big time. It will be a very public failure with all this press." * FOLK SINGER MAKEM DIES Folk singer TOMMY MAKEM has died. He was 74. The Irish star lost his long battle with lung cancer on Wednesday night , passing away at his home in Dover, New Hampshire, having emigrated to the U.S. in 1955. Hailed as 'The Godfather of Irish Music', Makem enjoyed a career spanning more than 40 years after rising to fame with the Clancy Brothers in the 1960s, and is best known for his songs Gentle Annie, Red is the Rose and Four Green Fields. His nephew Peter Makem broke the news of the singer's death on Thursday during a radio interview in Ireland and Irish President Mary McAleese was one of the first to pay tribute to the star. In a statement published on her website, she says, "In life, Tommy brought happiness and joy to hundreds of thousands of fans the world over." * MAY PLANS PhD GIG LATEST: Rocker BRIAN MAY will celebrate the completion of his PhD in astronomy with a special thesis-inspired concert. The gig will mark the inauguration of a telescope at the Observatory of the Roque de Los Muchachos in La Palma, Tenerife, where the Queen star completed his studies last month . May made his first astronomical observations for his 48,000-word paper at the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife in 1971, before his music career took off. A date for the concert has yet to be confirmed. * FASCINATING FACT: Pop star LILY ALLEN's younger brother, ALFIE, has won a role in BBC medical drama CASUALTY 1907. The 20-year-old actor will play an East London gang member in the British series spin-off. * MUM-TO-BE RICHIE GETS SERIOUS ABOUT HER PREGNANCY DIET Pregnancy has prompted NICOLE RICHIE to get healthy after fighting eating disorder charges for years. The famously skinny star has always insisted she isn't anorexic, despite claims to the contrary and photographs of her looking dangerously underweight. But the socialite insists she's taking her diet very seriously now she's with child - and she's distressed when she looks at old pictures of herself. She says, "I see a girl that is obviously going through something - much too skinny. "I've never had an eating disorder - ever. It's anxiety, it's stress, it's just not being careful." Speaking on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America, the Simple Life star admits her past drug intake could explain some of her weight issues: "I think that it could've played a part." But now Richie, who is four months pregnant with rocker Joel Madden's child, insists she's on a much healthier course. She adds, "Do I eat is kinda like an understatement; I eat all the time, especially now. I'm constantly hungry; I'm eating at least every hour. "Just like any mother, you want to take the best care of yourself while you're pregnant and I'm definitely eating healthier now." The socialite daughter of soul star Lionel Richie also declares she's "playing by the rules", and has given up caffeine, sushi, alcohol and drugs - and she has asked her family and friends not to smoke around her. Boyfriend Madden has quit smoking altogether. He reveals, "I had to quit smoking. I was a smoker - a pack and a half a day. That was hard. That was a rough week." * LOHAN GETS THE PORN TREATMENT Hollywood actress LINDSAY LOHAN's troubled life will be turned into a porn movie, according to reports. The Mean Girls star, who has twice been busted on suspicion of driving under the influence so far this year , has inspired the X-rated movie Lindsay HoHand: Get Out of My F**king Way. The movie - due for release in October - sees Lohan, played by actress Paulina James, pleasuring a police officer, reports TMZ.com. * HILTON DUMPED FOR BUNDCHEN? Socialite PARIS HILTON has been dumped by boyfriend TYLER ATKINS for supermodel GISELE BUNDCHEN, it has been claimed. The Australian surfer confessed he had recently ended his affair with The Simple Life star Hilton and admitting he already had a new girlfriend But Atkins has merely hinted to his mystery woman's identity, saying only that her first name is similar to that of an animal which leaps through the air - a statement the media believes is in reference to Brazilian beauty Bunchen. He says, "I only met her about two weeks ago and we've hung out a lot. "We were hanging out but I recently just went to New York and I sort of met this girl over there, who is a pretty big supermodel." * EVERETT UNDER FIRE FROM BBC Outspoken British actor RUPERT EVERETT has landed the BBC in trouble with a raunchy account of sexual encounters at the cinema during a live early morning show. The Shrek star was speaking on BBC One's Breakfast programme when he made the lewd comment about his youth, prompting a string of viewer complaints. A BBC spokeswoman has conceded the comment was "inappropriate", but insists it "sometimes happens on live broadcasts". She added, "The rest of the interview was fine." It's not the first time Everett has caused a headache for the broadcasting giant - last year he was reprimanded for swearing on a daytime BBC radio show. * BERGMAN TO BE HONOURED WITH SWEDISH STAMP Swedish filmmaker INGMAR BERGMAN is to be honoured with the release of a new postage stamp. The writer/director died on Monday at the age of 89 and the Swedish Post will release a new stamp to commemorate his life and contributions to his native country's film industry. Spokesman Thorsten Sandberg says, "Our aim is to show Ingmar Bergman in his role as a film director. "We were looking forward to honouring Ingmar Bergman's 90th birthday next year and we were planning to release a new stamp edition, but now we will release a memorial edition instead." The Swedish Post has previously released stamps related to Bergman's movies, including Cries and Whispers, and Wild Strawberries. The new stamp will be unveiled in January . * RICHIE GETS SERIOUS ABOUT ROLE MODEL STATUS Jailbound socialite NICOLE RICHIE is determined to become the perfect young mum after accepting she's a role model to thousands of Americans. The pregnant Simple Life star insists she has turned her back on her wild ways, drug taking and partying and plans to return to the limelight after her upcoming prison stint as a model mum. Richie, who pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs last month , says she's ready to become a proper role model: "I'm really sorry for not accepting that earlier; it took me a while. "I'm about to enter a world that's so different and so much more exciting than anything else that I've gone through. "I plan to live a very healthy and respectable life and be a good example for little girls that are looking up to me." * BRINKLEY TO BUY $11 MILLION HOME NEXT TO SPOUSE'S 'LOVE SHACK' Former supermodel CHRISTIE BRINKLEY is putting a brave face on her estranged husband's marital infidelities - by buying a new home next to his 'love shack'. The 53-year-old catwalk beauty is in negotiations to buy an 18th century property in Long Island, New York, for $11 million , despite its close proximity to the residence Peter Cook reportedly seduced his teenage lover Diana Bianchi in, according to the New York Daily News. Brinkley's publicist, Kathleen Lynn, insists the 'love shack' belongs to her, and was not bought with Cook in 2003: "It is hers and has always been hers." Brinkley filed for divorce from Cook in September 2006, two months after reports surfaced about his alleged affair with the 18-year-old assistant. * SOPRANO'S SUV UP FOR SALE ON EBAY TONY SOPRANO's Chevrolet Suburban SUV has gone up for auction on eBay - with a starting price of $30,000 . The famous maroon vehicle has been put up for grabs as part of the Profiles In History two-day sale of movie memorabilia and comes complete with actor James Gandolfini's autograph on the visor. The item description also notes the SUV 's interior "still smells faintly of cigar smoke", reports TMZ.com. Other memorabilia items going under the hammer this weekend include Tom Cruise's Days Of Thunder stock car, an original screen-used General Lee car from The Dukes of Hazzard TV show, the original Johnny-Five robot from the films Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2 and Star Wars wookie Chewbacca's head. * THE THINGS THEY SAY: "I saw George promoting espresso all over Europe. To me, he looks hungover with a cup of coffee." MATT DAMON is amused that his weary friend GEORGE CLOONEY's advertises coffee on TV in Europe. * FASCINATING FACT: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE star ABIGAIL BRESLIN has yet to cash in on her movie fortune - she gets just $11 -a-week as an allowance from her parents. * AGUILERA CANCELS NEW ZEALAND LEG OF TOUR LATEST: Pop superstar CHRISTINA AGUILERA has cancelled the New Zealand leg of her world tour after falling ill in Australia. The Fighter hitmaker cancelled two shows on the Australian leg of her Back To Basics tour last week after being diagnosed with a viral upper respiratory tract infection. And now Aguilera - who is rumoured to be pregnant with husband Jordan Bratman's baby - has cancelled the remaining concerts in New Zealand. A statement from the star reads, "I would like to apologize once again to all of my fans here in New Zealand for having to cancel my last two shows of my tour. "This is my first time in your beautiful country and I have really been looking forward to performing for you all. Unfortunately, I caught a bad flu virus and I have not been able to recover in time. "Thank you all for your continued love and support and I can't wait for the next time." * JUDGE REJECTS SPECTOR'S DELAY PLEA LATEST: The judge in the PHIL SPECTOR murder trial has rejected a personal plea by the music producer to postpone proceedings for 24 hours because one of his key attorneys had been taken ill. Spector is accused of the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California mansion in February 2003. He has pleaded not guilty and claims Clarkson committed suicide. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler ruled on Thursday the one-day delay was unnecessary, despite Spector's lawyer Linda Kenney-Baden failing to attend proceedings due to illness. In his appeal to Judge Fidler, Spector said, "Your honour, Mrs. Baden is my point lady. She explains to me everything going on in the trial. She strategically handles all of the defence. She's the only one I can talk to. At night I talk to her for hours. "I feel completely naked and lost without her." But the emotional plea was thrown out by the judge, who claimed forensic expert Kenney-Baden's presence was not needed for Thursday's hearing, which included a testimony from Clarkson's agent Nick Terzian. Later in court, the jury were shown Clarkson's audition tape to prove the actress was depressed over her flagging career when she died. The defence used the 25-minute video in their cross-examination of Terzian, who had testified on Wednesday that Clarkson was upbeat and enthusiastic about her career, despite only appearing in two print advertisements in the last year of her life. * TIMBERLAKE GOES RING SHOPPING FOR BIEL JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE has fuelled rumours he's getting serious with new girlfriend JESSICA BIEL by shopping for rings. Biel recently quashed reports she'd be walking down the aisle with the pop star anytime soon explaining, "What's weird is: You're single for 20 or 30 years, and you're married for like 70. It doesn't seem like a good ratio, does it?" But her firm words haven't deterred Timberlake, who reportedly snapped up a promise ring in Santa Monica, California, recently to make their relationship more official. A source tells Life & Style magazine, "Justin isn't ready to propose, but he wants to make a commitment to her. "Justin says Jess is his dream girl. He wants to give her a symbol of his affection and love." The couple has been dating since May . * WEST TO RAP WITH SWEDISH TRIO Rapper KANYE WEST will team up with Swedish trio PETER, BJORN & JOHN for a special concert in Gothenburg. The Gold Digger hitmaker is believed to have asked the band to appear onstage with him at the Way Out Festival on 11 August . Singer Peter Morén says, "He's going to rap on a song and we're going to play along and I'm going to dance. But I don't know specifics, like, what we're gonna do. Just jam around a bit." * DITTO TO PAY BACK DEBT WITH SONG DEDICATION GOSSIP singer BETH DITTO is to re-pay a long-standing debt to a friend who kick-started the band's career with her credit card. Lesbian rocker Ditto is to pen a song dedicated to generous pal Kathy Mendonca who paid for her and guitarist Brace Paine - real name Nathan Howdeshell - to leave the Arkansas trailer park where they grew up and move to the Washington college where the band was formed in 2001. Mendonca was the band's original drummer but left before they recorded the album that propelled them to fame, Standing In The Way Of Control. Ditto explains, "When you are college age, credit card companies bombard you with applications - so Kathy applied and got one. She paid for Nathan to move to Olympia with her and, when I graduated from high school a couple of years later, she paid for me to come out there too." To show her gratitude Ditto says, "On the next record I am going to write a song called Kathy's Credit Card." * WOLF SHAMES SCHOOL BULLIES British singer PATRICK WOLF credits playground bullying with giving him the mental toughness to succeed in the music industry. The 24-year-old had some unhappy times growing up, but maintains bullies have made him a stronger person. Wolf recalls, "Some b**stard tried to stab me in the leg during assembly to see if I would scream and make a fool of myself. Things like that make you harder. "You realise there are b**stards and beautiful people in the world, and you have to try and move towards the latter." * LOHAN BOOKED FOR FIRST DUI HOURS AFTER ELLE DENIAL LATEST: LINDSAY LOHAN promised a magazine journalist her wild ways were behind her just hours before her May DUI arrest, it has emerged. In an interview with Elle Magazine 36 hours before her police encounter on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, the Mean Girls star insisted prying paparazzi had given her an incentive to quit partying. She said, "They're looking for me, to like trip, so they can be like, 'Oh Lindsay's wasted and driving drunk.' And that's not it. "I wouldn't violate... I'm much more responsible than that." Lohan's May arrest followed a minor car crash. She faces charges of misdemeanour hit and run and having a blood alcohol level greater than .08. In July she was arrested for DUI a second time following a high-speed chase in Santa Monica, California. * DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER'S MEXICAN CHARGES DROPPED LATEST: American TV star DUANE 'DOG' CHAPMAN has escaped charges relating to a 2003 bounty hunting mission in Mexico. The star of Dog The Bounty Hunter had travelled with two members of his crew, including his son, to Mexico to capture serial rapist Andrew Luster - the heir to the Max Factor cosmetics empire - in Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast in June . But Chapman fell foul of the Mexican legal system by embarking on the mission, because bounty hunting is deemed illegal in the Latin American country. Chapman, his son Leland and their colleague Tim Chapman - who is not related to Duane's family - were all briefly detained and charged with deprivation of liberty after their success. After spending two weeks in jail, Chapman jumped bail and fled to the United States. However, his lawyers announced on Thursday a judge has canceled an order for his arrest. Attorney Eduardo Amerena says, "Chapman can now be in Mexico without any problem." Luster is currently serving a 124-year jail term after he was convicted in the U.S. in 2003. * DE NIRO'S NEW YORK RESTAURANT SUED A Manhattan restaurant partly owned by Hollywood actor ROBERT DE NIRO has been named in a lawsuit filed in New York for failing to pay employees' wages. Two former waiters employed by Manhattan restaurant chain Nobu have also accused bosses of failing to pay overtime and unfairly splitting tips. The suit, filed on Thursday in Manhattan federal court, states that more than 100 waiters were not given tips at the three Nobu establishments and that the tip pool unfairly included managers. A spokeswoman for Nobu was unable to comment on the allegations. * WILLIS WOWS FLORIDA CROWD WITH HIS BLUES BAND Hollywood action man BRUCE WILLIS proved he was much more than a movie star when he wowed Florida fans fronting a blues band. The versatile 52-year-old sang and played the harmonica on stage in front of 7,000 delighted fans at the Kennedy Space Centre's rocket garden on Thursday night . Willis' performance preceded a screening of his hit space movie Armageddon, which was shown on a giant inflatable screen across the lawn from the stage. The gig formed part of a series called Netflix LIVE! On Location, featuring classic films and celebrity musical performances. * CHAN TO CONTINUE STUNT WORK INTO OLD AGE Martial arts star JACKIE CHAN has refused the help of stunt doubles on set, insisting, "I'll do it myself until my body will tell me stop". The fearless 53-year-old stunned the crew on the set of his latest film, Rush Hour 3, by clambering up Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower without a safety net. And, despite his advancing years, he's confident he'll be able to keep up the daredevil stunts for many more years. He says, "The experience was something none of us would forget, least of all me. I can tell my grandchildren, 'This is your grandfather. This is me. That's not a double flying around the Eiffel Tower in 100 mile-per-hour winds'. "Sometimes I forget my age. You just keep moving. "I'll do it until my body will tell me stop. I don't think about retirement." * EVERETT DEFENDS CRUISE'S SCIENTOLOGY British actor RUPERT EVERETT has leapt to the defence of TOM CRUISE after his Scientology beliefs recently sparked controversy in Germany. The Shrek star spoke out about Cruise's appreciation of the Church of Scientology a week after filming on U.S. actor's new movie Valkyrie was put in jeopardy by German authorities. Germany's Defence Ministry raised concern over the Mission: Impossible star's beliefs, branding it a "money-making cult". But Everett has defended Cruise, insisting Scientology is no more outrageous than other religions. He says, "People say Scientology is ridiculous, but it's no more ridiculous than the virgin birth, really. It's all the same madness." * GERE IS A 'BAD BUDDHIST' Actor RICHARD GERE fears he is a bad Buddhist because he killed hoards of cockroaches when he was living in New York. Hollywood veteran Gere is a practising Buddhist, a religion that prohibits the killing of any living thing. But the Pretty Woman star, who is known for his humanitarian work, admits flattening the insects after his flat became infested. He recalls, "I killed cockroaches when I lived on the Lower East Side. There were thousands of them and I didn't know what else to do about them". * THE THINGS THEY SAY: "He's a retired dentist and always wanted me to be a hygienist. He still throws floss in my purse all the time." HAIRSPRAY star AMANDA BYNES' dad always dreamed his daughter would choose a different career. * FASCINATING FACT: Hit movie musical HAIRSPRAY is to be re-released as a sing-along film on Friday . Select U.S. cinemas will air the special edition print of the movie with the lyrics to songs like Good Morning Baltimore and You Can't Stop The Beat printed on the bottom of the screen. * THE THINGS THEY SAY: "I was concussed and broke some ribs... Anything for the film." NICOLE KIDMAN suffered for her art on the set of new film THE INVASION when a car stunt went awry. * McCARTNEY TO JOIN WILSON IN CONCERT Music legends SIR PAUL McCARTNEY and BRIAN WILSON will team up for a one-off gig in London. McCartney and the Beach Boys star were chart rivals 40 years ago, but are now close friends and the Beatles singer has agreed to perform at Wilson's concert at the Royal Festival Hall next month . A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "Paul and Brian are good mates and as Brian is going to be performing from Pepper, the word is Paul will join him on stage one night for a couple of songs. "Paul has been long supportive and loyal towards Brian and it'll obviously be fantastic for fans to see them singing together." * MADONNA & RITCHIE TOP FASHION POLL Pop superstar MADONNA and husband GUY RITCHIE have been voted the best dressed celebrity couple. The trendy couple beat off competition from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale to top the In Style magazine poll. Los Angeles newcomers David and Victoria Beckham also featured. The top five is as follows: 1. Madonna and Guy Ritchie 2. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie 3. David and Victoria Beckham 4. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale 5. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. * STARS VOTE LED ZEPPELIN HIT BEST GUITAR TRACK LED ZEPPELIN's hit song BLACK DOG has been chosen by rock legends RONNIE WOOD, JIMMY PAGE and ANDY SUMMERS as the best guitar track in music history. The stars also handed the band's track Dazed and Confused second place in the Q Magazine list. Songs from the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Skids also featured. The top ten is as follows: 1. Black Dog - Led Zeppelin 2. Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin 3. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix 4. A Woman In Winter - The Skids 5. Guitar Shuffle - Big Bill Broonzy 6. And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles 7. The End - The Beatles 8. Only In Dreams - Weezer 9. Limehouse Blues - Django Reinhardt 10. Bye Bye Blues - Les Paul and Mary Ford. * McGRAW ROBBED ONSTAGE Country star TIM McGRAW was allegedly robbed by a female fan while performing onstage in Louisiana - and it was all caught on camera. A video posted online shows the singer performing close to the crowd during a gig on Saturday night when a woman pulled a ring from his left hand. Footage shows McGraw questioning a woman in the front row before calling security. But a source tells People.com the ring was eventually returned to the star. The incident occurred on the same night a fan grabbed McGraw's manhood - only to be reprimanded by his singer wife Faith Hill. * ANTHONY FUMES OVER MAGAZINE COVER MARC ANTHONY is reportedly furious with magazine bosses who have used technology to make his current wife JENNIFER LOPEZ and his ex-wife DAYANARA TORRES joint covergirls. The actor/singer is not happy a composite photo of Lopez - who he married in 2004 - and Torres has been used on the September issue of People en Español. The women appeared in a feature on the best-dressed women in Hispanic culture - but never posed together. A source tells New York gossip column PageSix, "The current and the ex side by side? Marc's camp is not happy." Anthony married former Miss Universe Torres in 2000, but they divorced two years later. The pair have two sons: Cristian and Ryan. * WINEHOUSE EYES BEAUTY CAREER AMY WINEHOUSE is determined to set up her own beauty salon when her busy singing schedule subsides. The British singer was recently revealed to be the cover girl of next month's edition of American Vogue after her unique sense of style wowed editor Anna Wintour - and Winehouse confesses fashion has always been close to her heart. She says, "I'd love to have a beauty salon. My grandmother, God rest her soul, pretty much trained me and my brother. He'd give her a pedicure and I'd do her nails and her hair." And new husband Blake Fielder-Civil agrees she'd be terrific at the job adding, " my mum had just bought a hair salon. Amy came to see it and loved the idea because she likes doing girls' hair and making people feel good." * ALLEN GOES BLOG HAPPY Grumpy singer LILY ALLEN has vowed to cheer up - because she's sick of newspapers printing the rants and raves she writes on her blog. The British pop star has made headlines in Britain after confessing online to weight worries and other insecurities. But Allen claims she has discovered her inner happiness - after fulfilling her ambition of performing at Glastonbury. She writes, "It's been a long time and all that. I have had a wonderful few weeks. "Playing Glastonbury was the singularly most bestest moment of my entire life , and made me realise what this is all about. "I'm happy at the moment, really happy." * BARKIN SUES EX FOR $3.4 MILLION Actress ELLEN BARKIN is suing her ex-husband RONALD PERELMAN for $3.4 million , insisting he promised the amount to her production company before their break-up. The couple split in 2006 after seven years together, and Barkin has already been awarded $40 million in her divorce from the billionaire businessman. However, in a suit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday , the actress alleges she's still owed more. She claims Perelman promised to pay more than $3 million to her new production company Applehead Pictures in 2005 when he became partners with her and her brother George Barkin. Her suit says the money was due "in eight payments, four each during 2006 and 2007". She adds, "Despite numerous requests to abide by the terms of his agreement, Perelman has not made a single one of these payments." A spokeswoman for Perelman tells PageSix.com he's waiting until given evidence the production company has actually produced anything, insisting, "She has not complied with any of her obligations under the agreement." * MICHELLE WILLIAMS' FATHER LOSES EXTRADITION APPEAL BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN actress MICHELLE WILLIAMS' father has lost his appeal against a second attempt to extradite him from Australia to the U.S. on tax evasion charges. Stock market trader Larry Williams, 64, was first arrested in Sydney in May 2006, on the request of U.S. authorities, after leaving his home in the Virgin Islands to begin a speaking tour in the city. He has been free on $857,000 since, as U.S. authorities attempt to have him returned to America to face charges of willfully attempting to evade $1.5 million in taxes from 1990 to 2001. After losing an appeal in court in Sydney on Friday , magistrates are now free to consider the extradition request - although a hearing date has yet to be set. * HEIGL SETS UP PRODUCTION COMPANY WITH HER MOTHER KATHERINE HEIGL is moving behind the camera - she has set up a production company with her mother, and the pair are planning a new action comedy movie. The Grey's Anatomy and Knocked Up actress will also star in the untitled project, which has been given the green light by movie studios Fox. Heigl and her mother Nancy will be joint producers on the film, the plot of which is being kept top secret. * LANGHAM ON SUICIDE WATCH LATEST: British comedy star CHRIS LANGHAM is on suicide watch in jail after telling a jury he wanted "to die". Langham was convicted on Thursday of 15 child pornography charges, after the jury at Maidstone Crown Court in England rejected his claims images he downloaded from the internet were simply for research. He was taken from court to Elmley Prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, but authorities there fear for his life after he expressed suicidal thoughts during his trial. Langham will remain there until sentencing under close surveillance after defence counsel David Whitehouse's pleas for his client to be freed on bail were rejected. Thursday's verdict also saw the 58-year-old acquitted on six counts of indecent assault on a girl under 18, who had accused the actor of taking her virginity when she was just 14-years-old. In a statement read by his solicitor Angus McBride, Langham said, "I'm delighted my name has been cleared on the charges I have consistently denied. I've been found guilty of the charges I made admissions on from the moment of my first arrest." Langham will be sentenced on 14 September . * CHRISTENSEN CLAIMS MARRIAGE WAS A SHAM Supermodel HELENA CHRISTENSEN has hinted her marriage to actor NORMAN REEDUS wasn't legitimate - after claiming she has never been married. The Danish catwalk queen was wed to former model Reedus from 1988 to 2002 and the pair had a son together, seven-year-old Mingus. But during an attack on the press for printing mistruths about her, Christensen claimed she has never been married or divorced. She said, "A common misperception of me is that I was married and divorced. I never was. "I find it utterly bizarre that total strangers write about your life in a completely fictional manner." * JOHANSSON INSPIRES FASHION CAMPAIGN SCARLETT JOHANSSON's role in GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING has inspired a new campaign for a French fashion house. The 22-year-old actress appears alongside screen icon Catherine Deneuve, tennis player Steffi Graf and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev in a new advert for Louis Vuitton. But the company's creative director Marc Jacobs says the advert was inspired by Johannson's natural beauty. He says, "I based a lot of the new winter collection around Scarlett's character in the Girl With a Pearl Earring. I adore her. "It's probably one of the most beautiful campaigns we have ever shot. * CROSS STRUGGLING TO BE PARTED FROM TWINS Actress MARCIA CROSS is struggling filming the fourth series of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, because it's keeping her apart from her twin babies. The Emmy award-nominated actress gave birth to Savannah and Eden in February - and can't bear to be separated from them. She says, "I had them come with me last week. I think if I have one full day, then the next day they have to come with me because I can't not see them for that long. "When they're with me , that's challenging, but when they're not with me... I'm a new mother, that's what it is, it's all challenging."
