LATEST: Singer Amy Winehouse is engaged to boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil, after making him wait 24 hours for her answer.The Rehab star - who was spotted flashing a ring on her engagement finger at a London gig on Thursday (19Apr07) - has confirmed she will wed her on/off boyfriend, whom she has been dating for the
LATEST: Actor Alec Baldwin has posted an apology online, explaining that his leaked answer machine rant was the result of being "driven to the edge" by his bitter custody battle with ex-wife KIM BASINGER.The Departed star was today (21Apr07) reported to be taking legal action to find out who was responsibly for the leaked three-minute
Actor Eric Bana has emerged unscathed after crashing his sports car during a rally race in his native Australia today (21Apr07).The Troy star was competing in the Targa Tasmania rally when he miscalculated a tight bend, sending him colliding into trees in his restored 1973 Ford XB Coupe, which was badly damaged by the accident.He
Comedienne Megan Mullally made sure she took home a souvenir when her US talk show was axed earlier this year (07) - but she didn’t expect to find it in the toilet.The 48-year-old was surprised when The Megan Mullally Show was taken off the air due to poor ratings, but managed to find a unique
Actor Adam Brody is moving on after hit show THE O.C. - by growing a beard.The actor, 27, admits he was forced to shave while playing pin-up Seth Cohen on the soap and now the show has ended he’s looking forward to having a little hair on his chin.He says, "I’ve had to shave every
Actress Eva Longoria once ran out on a man during a blind date because he was "a little bit odd" and "deserved it".The Desperate Housewives star banned her friends from setting her up with men after the scare.She says, "He was rude, aggressive, presumptuous, scary, and to be honest he was a little bit odd.
LATEST: MADONNA’s marriage to movie director GUY RITCHIE is reportedly on the rocks, after the filmmaker was spotted dancing intimately with a mystery brunette at a London club.The 48-year-old singer, who is currently in Malawi visiting an orphanage, was allegedly furious at her husband for not accompanying her on the trip to Africa, and the
Supermodel KATE MOSS was allegedly left raging after fiance PETE DOHERTY trashed the stage during a gig in London on Thursday night (19Apr07).The Babyshambles frontman caused damage to the sound system and stage at Studio 88 in London in front of a shocked crowd which included Moss’ four-year-old daughter Lila Grace, and designer Sadie Frost And
LATEST: U2 stars BONO and The Edge have confirmed that they will pen the soundtrack for new Broadway show SPIDER-MAN: THE MUSICAL.The rockers will work with Tony-Award winning Lion King director Julie Taymor for the theatrical extravaganza.A spokesperson for Marvel Studios says, "This project will delight Spider-Man fans." Auditions for the main roles of Spider-Man
AP - British Airways cut a cameo by Richard Branson from its in-flight version of the latest James Bond film and blurred out the tail fin of a Virgin Atlantic plane seen in the movie.
"He's the greatest. He's done everything. He is the master of his craft. For someone like me, who is young and just getting started, it's important to work with the masters - and there are only a few. It really was a big opportunity to work with him." Ryan Gosling enjoyed working with his hero Anthony Hopkins on new movie Fracture.


Alec Baldwin is taking legal action to find out who leaked an answer machine message rant he left for his 11-year-old daughter to website TMZ.com. Baldwin has filed Order To Show Cause papers in Los Angeles Superior Court, to find out why his ex-wife Kim Basinger and her lawyers should not be held in contempt.


Anna Nicole Smith’s ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead has edged ever nearer to starting a new life with his baby daughter after a custody hearing in the Bahamas yesterday. The full details of what was determined behind the courthouse's closed doors has not been revealed, but Birkhead seemed thrilled with the outcome.


Matt Damon is trying to save the planet with an organization attempting to halt the tons of junk mail delivered to American homes. The movie star has joined forces with website GreenDimes.com in an effort to promote environmental efforts to prevent the trees used for junk mail letters and envelopes from being chopped down.


Movie pals George Clooney and Brad Pitt are to team up in the new Coen Brothers film, Burn After Reading. Coen Brothers regular Frances McDormand will also star in the movie about a CIA agent who loses the back-up disc of the book he is writing.


My Chemical Romance star Mikey Way has temporarily quit the group to enjoy married life. The bassist wed fiancée Alicia Simmons in Las Vegas last month and is keen to be a good husband as he gets used to being a married man.


Courtney Love has taken up weight training and Pilates in a bid to keep herself in shape. The 43-year-old rocker lost 52 pounds in just four months thanks to a healthy diet - and now she's determined to keep the weight off and rid herself of sagging skin.


AFP - Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan began life as "Mr and Mrs Bachchan" on Saturday after three days of wedding celebrations for Indian cinema's hottest couple.
AP - Australian actor Eric Bana and his co-driver were uninjured Saturday after they crashed their car during an around-the-state rally in Tasmania.
AP - Australian actor Eric Bana crashed his painstakingly restored 1974 Ford XB Coupe into some trees during an around-the-state rally Saturday but emerged uninjured along with his co-driver.
Melissa Etheridge
Try as we might, we couldn't find any online trace of those "I'm as big as Elvis and Marilyn" John Travolta is alleged to have made to an Irish newspaper. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any other noteworthy turmoil involving Ireland.Alec...
Filed under: Celebs Caught on Tape insertBCSinglePlayer(769420932); Jessica Simpson hit the streets with the twins the other night. Her low-cut top left little to the imagination while stretching the laws of physics. insertBCSinglePlayer(769366363); Britney's car isn't above...
Filed under: American Idol Sanjaya believes that his fans, not Howard Stern kept him alive on "Idol." Malakar, the Ponyhawked Wonder who was given the ax this week, was a constant joke for the shock jock, who urged his listeners to vote for Sanjaya to screw with the "Idol"...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice The bodaciously-bosomed Barbi Twins claim their beloved kitty was killed in the contaminated pet food mess -- and now they're busting out in front of a class action lawsuit against some of the world's biggest pet food manufacturers. Meow!The Playboy...
Filed under: Music, Life Style TMZ has obtained Gwen Stefani tour rider -- the list of "artist demands" for their backstage dressing room -- and it reveals what a health-conscious diva she really is! Wind it up!Besides having her room bathed in bright white light (to match her...
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE star MIKEY WAY has temporarily quit the group to enjoy married life.The bassist wed fiancee Alicia Simmons in Las Vegas last month (08Mar07) and is keen to be a good husband as he gets used to being a married man.In a posting on the group’s website, Way’s brother, bandmate and best man,
Courtney Love has taken up weight training and Pilates in a bid to keep herself in shape.The 43-year-old rocker lost 52 pounds (23.5 kilograms) in just four months thanks to a healthy diet - and now she’s determined to keep the weight off and rid herself of sagging skin.In a post on her website, MoonWashedRose.com,
LATEST: Actor Alec Baldwin is taking legal action to find out who leaked an answer machine message rant he left for his 11-year-old daughter to website TMZ.com.Baldwin has filed Order To Show Cause papers in Los Angeles Superior Court, to find out why his ex-wife Kim Basinger and her lawyers should not be held in
LATEST: Alec Baldwin has publicly apologised to his 11-year-old daughter Ireland for leaving a ranting message on her answer machine.TMZ.com leaked the three-minute recording on the internet on Thursday (19Apr07) after Baldwin’s visitation rights for his daughter Ireland were temporarily suspended by a California judge, the latest episode in his bitter custody battle with ex-wife
PRISON BREAK actor WILLIAM FICHTNER is the latest star to join the cast of upcoming BATMAN movie THE DARK KNIGHT.Fichtner will join Christian Bale Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman and Sir Michael Caine in the follow-up to Batman Begins.The 50-year-old will play a bank manager in director Christopher Nolan’s sequel, according to website Batman-On-Film.com.Movie
Movie pals GEORGE CLOONEY and Brad Pitt are to team up in the new Coen Brothers film, Burn After Reading.Coen Brothers regular Frances McDormand will also star in the movie about a CIA agent who loses the back-up disc of the book he is writing.Clooney, who starred in the Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?
DANIEL RADCLIFFE’s hit London production of EQUUS is closing in June (07), despite reports linking Orlando Bloom JESSE METCALFE and JAMIE BELL to the play.Actors Metcalfe and Bell had been tipped to succeed Radcliffe in the critically acclaimed West End show, for which the 17-year-old Harry Potter star had to strip naked onstage.However, Equus director
Matt Damon is trying to save the planet with an organisation attempting to halt the tons of junk mail delivered to American homes.The movie star has joined forces with website GreenDimes.com in an effort to promote environmental efforts to prevent the trees used for junk mail letters and envelopes from being chopped down.He says, "For
Singer Kelly Osbourne found herself standing in a restaurant car park for over an hour on Wednesday night (18Apr07) - after a valet lost her car.The 22-year-old was leaving Los Angeles eatery Koi with a friend and became concerned when her Mercedes didn’t show.According to TMZ.com, Osbourne told the valet, "I don’t mean to be
Oscar winner Forest Whitaker started his first trip to South Africa in style yesterday (20Apr07) - by meeting his hero Nelson Mandela.The Last King Of Scotland star met with the former South African leader as part of a family trip to the country.Whitaker, his wife and their three daughters are touring Africa as guests of
KID ROCK and Anna Nicole SMITH once fell out at the Kentucky Derby after the tragic model refused to stop filming her reality show in a VIP area.Rock, real name Robert Ritchie, reveals he and Smith exchanged expletives when Anna Nicole turned nasty when he politely asked for TV cameras to be switched off.The rocker
LATEST: Anna Nicole SMITH’s ex-boyfriend LARRY BIRKHEAD has edged ever nearer to starting a new life with his baby daughter after a custody hearing in the Bahamas yesterday (20Apr07).The full details of what was determined behind the courthouse’s closed doors has not been revealed, but Birkhead seemed thrilled with the outcome.He beamed, "I’m going to
Photographer LARRY BIRKHEAD feels sorry for the other men in the battle to confirm paternity of late Anna Nicole SMITH’s baby daughter.Birkhead was confirmed as Dannielynn’s biological father on 10 April (07) two months after Smith died from an accidental drug overdose.But he was part of a three-strong race to become the daddy with the
AFP - Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were married Friday in traditional Hindu ceremony, capping three days of celebrations for Indian cinema's hottest couple.
E! Online - Isaiah Washington is in a no-win situation. At least when it comes to an Emmy. 

Coming off a season racked with enough off-screen drama to rival the busiest day at Seattle Grace, the Grey's Anatomy star did not submit his name for Best Supporting Actor consideration this year, according to Washington's publicist. 

"It's all about the acting, not the awards," rep Howard Bragman said Friday, the deadline for actors, producers and so on to throw their hats into the pool in time for the Sept. 16 ceremony. 

Despite having scored his second acting honor in a row at the NAACP Image Awards last month and sharing in the Grey's Anatomy cast's win for Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards earlier this year, perhaps Washington figured it would be best to lie low in the interim.  

The 43-year-old actor nearly took a scalpel to his career in January when he told reporters backstage at the Golden Globes, where Grey's Anatomy had just been named Best Drama Series, that he never called costar T.R. Knight a "faggot" during an on-set dustup last October. "Never happened," Washington said. 

After much condemnation from ABC, civil rights groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and costar Katherine Heigl (who called Knight her best friend and declared that she was "not okay" with what Washington said), Washington slowly climbed his way out of the doghouse by apologizing profusely, seeking treatment for his behavioral issues and throwing himself back into work with a vengeance. 

Ironically, "Where the Boys Are," the male-bonding episode that supposedly left Washington in a huff regarding Knight's punctuality (the huff that purpotedly prompted the nasty slur), won for Outstanding Individual Episode at the 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards last weekend. 

If Washington had scored an Emmy nod, it would have been his first for the hit show, which lost out to 24 for Outstanding Drama Series last year.

But instead of passing the time this summer waiting for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to announce the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy nominations, Washington will be busy filming the indie thriller The Least of These, playing a Catholic priest who returns to teach at the high school where he was sexually abused as a teenager.

Presumably Washington will be prepping for the fourth season of Grey's Anatomy, as well, although his name was not listed among the list of players whose paychecks got bumped up last month, per trade reports. E! Online's Kristin Veitch reported Friday, however, that rumors suggesting he and Knight are leaving the show (to star in a redo of The Odd Couple, perhaps?) are "completely bunk."
E! Online - This is one game of telephone Alec Baldwin would rather not be playing.

The actor took to his Website Friday to apologize and try to explain himself after an angry voicemail message he left for his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, made its way onto the Internet.

"Although I have been told by numerous people not to worry too much, as all parents lose their patience with their kids, I am most saddened that this was released to the media because of what it does to a child," Baldwin wrote. "I'm sorry, as everyone who knows me is aware, for losing my temper with my child."

The recording, in which Baldwin called his daughter a "rude, thoughtless pig," and accused her of deliberately missing his scheduled phone call, was one of the subjects of discussion Wednesday at a closed-door hearing regarding the actor's visitation rights with the child.

Upon hearing the message, a family court judge ordered Baldwin to temporarily cease all contact with the child pending a May 4 hearing.

Though it was meant to remain confidential, the recording subsequently fell into the hands of TMZ editor Harvey Levin, who published it on his Website Thursday, while refusing to reveal how he obtained it.

Baldwin immediately issued a statement accusing Basinger and her attorneys of leaking the recording in violation of a court order meant to keep the details of the warring duo's custody dispute under wraps.

Baldwin's attorney, Vicki Greene, filed court documents Friday seeking to determine whether the actress and her legal team were indeed behind leaking the recording, and if so, what legal action could be taken against them, as well as against TMZ for posting the material. (See the legal documents here.)

Greene's contempt-of-court filing included a letter she sent Levin on Thursday, cautioning him against publishing the material and vowing to take legal action if he did so.

"If Mr. Levin had a tape-recorded message between [Baldwin] and the minor child, it had to have originated from [Basinger] or her employees, agents or attorneys," Greene wrote in her court documents.

Basinger is already facing possible jail time for contempt of court stemming from an unspecified violation of the custody order last year.

A hearing on the matter was set for June 5.

During an appearance on the Today show Friday, Levin maintained that TMZ  obtained the recording legally, but declined to elaborate.

"We are not going to say how we got it. We got this legally,” Levin told Matt Lauer. “I'm not going to reveal the sources, but I will also say that we thought about this a lot just because it involves a kid. We have reason to believe that Ireland was just fine with this ending up on tmz.com. We ended up doing what we thought was right."

While Basinger has yet to weigh on the brouhaha, her attorney Neal Hersh issued a statement to TMZ Friday in which he accused Baldwin of playing the blame game instead of taking responsibility for his own actions.

"I am concerned that Mr. Baldwin's recent statement, wherein he attempts to shift responsibility to Kim and her lawyers for his issues with Ireland, shows just how out of touch he is with the reality and gravity of the situation," Hersh said.

Recent statements aside, Baldwin's theories on why his ex-wife is at fault in the situation could fill a book—and apparently, they're going to.

"Once my book is published, I'm sure more people will understand the incredible strains created by parental alienation," he wrote on his Website.
AP - Brandy is being replaced by Sharon Osbourne as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
E! Online - Don Imus' right-hand man is following his former boss into the radio ether.

Longtime Imus in the Morning executive producer Bernard McGuirk was fired Thursday for what theoretically could be characterized as conspiracy to emit racist and misogynistic remarks. 

McGuirk, the "bald-headed stooge" to Imus' "wrinkled-up old buzzard," was actually the first participant in the now-infamous Apr. 4 conversation about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship to utter the word "ho's," therefore prompting Imus' "nappy-headed ho's" remark about Rutgers University's team. 

But while Imus was fired by CBS Radio on Apr. 12, McGuirk was merely "absent" from the a.m. airwaves this week, during which fellow WFAN-AM personalities Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo filled in, accompanied by regular Imus contributors Charles McCord and sportscaster Chris Carlin.   

Known for his rightwing political leanings and exaggerated impressions of prominent figures such as poet Maya Angelou New York Cardinal Archbishop Edward Egan and New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, McGuirk joined WFAN in 1984 when it was still WNBC. Along with serving as Imus' on-air foil, McGuirk was also in charge of booking the wide variety of politicians, journalists and other notables that constituted the program's prominent guest list. 

But it was probably only a matter of time before McGuirk, who played a larger role in the offending chat than any civil rights group and media outlets calling for Imus' head gave him credit for, was sent packing. 

In addition to calling the Rutgers players "hardcore ho's," the producer also characterized the Scarlet Knights' losing match-up against the University of Tennessee's Lady Vols as "the jigaboos versus the wannabes."

Except for confirming that he had been let go, CBS Radio, which owns WFAN, had no further on the decision or on the status of McGuirk's contract. (Let's just say that, while McGuirk's headshot can still be found on the WFAN Website's list of personalities, clicking on his picture leads you nowhere; his bio is still listed at MSNBC, which simulcast Imus until the last week.)

Imus, meanwhile, had recently inked a new five-year, multimillion-dollar deal that now needs settling. 

The station hasn't yet chosen a permanent replacement for Imus, whose show was nationally syndicated on 60 stations and drew approximately 2.5 million listeners a week. Russo and Francesa are scheduled to spend at least one more week in that time slot.
E! Online - Madonna celebrated her own Arbor Day as her goodwill tour of Malawi wound down Friday.

One of the entertainer's last stops in her weeklong sojourn was in centrally located village of Kazimbe, about 60 miles from the capital of Lilongwe, where she planted a tree to mark the opening of the new Katawa clinic, which is partly funded by her fellow Kabbalah enthusiasts.

The visit came a day after Madonna and her entourage, which included daughter Lourdes and adoptive son David Banda, turned up to inspect a new daycare center her charity, Raising Malawi Organization, is constructing to benefit impoverished children in the area.

Appearing before cheering locals in Mphandula, a village with a population of 2,500 approximately 30 miles west of Lilongwe, Madonna made her first public remarks since touching down in the African nation on Monday.

"Keep working hard. I hope you realize how much power you have to make a good future for yourselves," Madonna said.

"It was a bush before and there was nothing. Now there are these beautiful buildings," she continued.

The entertainer was given a half-hour tour by Alfred Chapomba, the director and founder of the Consol Homes orphans charity, the group that will run the facility, while a group of local women danced and sang songs welcoming her presence. She then addressed a throng in the center's main hall.

"It is not the buildings that matter, but your kind heart for giving this land freely," Madonna said. "I have heard people say please come back. Remember, this is a partnership, it's not [for] me to do everything but we need to work together and you have to help yourselves."

In honor of the pop star's visit, local musicians played homemade instruments as she mingled—and even danced—with villagers and orphans.

Clapping her hands, she urged David to get into the groove with some moves of his own, which the youngster did after receiving some friendly encouragement from smiling bystanders.

The village's chief, Kalolo, offered his people's gratitude for the good works she and her charity had done for their rural community, which has neither electricity nor running water.

"We are now proud villagers who are seeing this type of development for the first time in our lives," he said. "Thank you for everything."

While her latest trip has been happy times for Madonna and family—having been greeted warmly everywhere they've gone so far—it hasn't been without incident, largely thanks to an ever-present pack of paparazzi and reporters that have been trailing her every move.

Her holiday has included stops at several United Nations-backed crop initiatives in the village of Mtanga and a return visit to the Home of Hope—the orphanage in the village of Mchinji where David once lived. (According to some reports, David also had a chance to meet with his biological father, Yohane Banda.)

While at the orphanage, a group of teens hurled stones at the shutterbugs. The press corps was also kept at bay by a coterie of Madonna's bodyguards backed by local police, until the singer relented and allowed reporters and cameramen in for an impromptu photo-op.

The heavy-handed security has, unsurprisingly, prompted some criticism from local papers.

The influential Daily Times published an editorial supporting Madonna's efforts to adopt David and raise HIV/AIDS awareness in the country. But the newspaper also urged her to be more open about her activities, especially in light of the backlash surrounding her previous trip, when she came under fire for allegedly using her star power to circumvent adoption laws.

"It is surprising that just like her first trip, Madonna's second trip to Malawi is shrouded in secrecy," the newspaper said. "This kind of behavior is what gives room to speculation and in the end, people are fed with wrong information which may lead to wrong conclusions and actions."

Meanwhile, British tabloids continue to insist that Madonna has taken a shine to an orphan named Grace and may soon add the girl to her brood, despite an announcement last week from publicist Liz Rosenberg stating that the pop star was not planning to adopt a second child during her trip.
E! Online - To hear Larry Birkhead tell it, Friday was "a good day for me in court." Exactly how good remains to be seen.

In accordance with stringent Bahamian privacy laws, the Kentucky-born photographer could not divulge what transpired in the closed-door hearing in his custody bid for the seven-month-old child he had with Anna Nicole Smith, but he was unable to hide his pleasure at what transpired in the Nassau courthouse.

"I can't talk about what they say in court," he said upon emerging from the proceedings, a massive grin plastered on his face. "On my behalf, everything went well, and I'm moving towards starting a life with my daughter out of the Bahamas.

"I know I'm going to be making some travel arrangements pretty soon, so everything's good for me."

Questioned by reporters as to whether that meant Birkhead would be granted full custody or, at the very least, given the okay to take Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead (née Stern) out of the country, he whipped around to get a nod of approval from his lawyer before turning once again toward the press.

"I can't really discuss everything. I'll call my travel agent—one seat or two, I don't know."

The 34-year-old did, however, acknowledge that a resolution had not yet been finalized. "Everything's confusing to me. I don't even know why we're still here."

A follow-up hearing is set for Wednesday. 

Friday's session, originally scheduled to take place Apr. 13, was postponed one week after Smith's estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, challenged Birkhead's claim to custody.

The Bahamian judge put the hearing on hold to allow Arthur and Birkhead to attempt to work out visitation guarantees on their own before issuing a formal, binding ruling.

Arthur, as well as Dannielynn's acting guardian Howard K. Stern, also showed up for Friday's hearing, though Arthur left the courtroom uncharacteristically mum, further indicating that Birkhead's "good day" in court may also be one of his last.

Stern, meanwhile, did pay lip service to the throng of reporters, telling them that Arthur "proved herself to be what Anna Nicole always told me," adding that the custody hearing "should have been over today."

On Apr. 10, Birkhead appeared on the fast track to full custody after DNA testing revealed in Bahamian court that he was the biological father of Dannielynn, putting an end to the paternity dispute that had taken up the better part of a year, ranging across two countries and racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in billable hours.

Since then, Birkhead and Stern have done nothing but alternately sing each other's praises and question Arthur's motives.

In an interview with OK! magazine this week, Birkhead credited Stern with being "a great help" in helping him make the transition to parenthood.

"Howard's been helpful," he said. "He gives me credit when I'm doing good things and gives me tips on things I should do a little different."

As for moving past their lawsuit-trading history, Birkhead said that "arguing is only going to hurt [Dannielynn] and not help us any."

He had less warming words for Arthur.

"It's puzzling for her to display affection to me, and then for the attorneys to say she's going for custody and Larry was just a sperm donor and one-night stand. If she wants to be a grandmother, that's fine...I'm willing to listen to see what people want, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to agree. I hope I don't have to fight for the baby."

Based on Friday's reactions, it doesn't look like the battle's going to last much longer. 
E! Online - Britney Spears has been to rehab. Now it looks like she may be headed for family therapy.

The pop princess received a public tongue lashing from her father, Jamie Spears, on Friday in the form of an email sent to the New York Post calling her out for bad behavior.

The Spears patriarch spoke up in defense of Larry Rudolph, his daughter's manager, whom, according to the Post, she fired last week after relations between the two grew increasingly strained. (However, sources tell E! News and E! Online columnist Bruce Bibby that Spears and Rudolph still have a valid contract.)

Rudolph was allegedly the force behind ushering the "Oops" singer into Malibu's Promises treatment center, thereby incurring much of Spears' wrath over what she considered to be an unnecessary step.

In a recent on-camera interview with x17online.com, Spears, 25, alluded to her irritation at Rudolph and her stint in rehab.

"My management totally knew what they were doing when they sent me to rehab," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, while giving a double thumbs up. "They were so right."

The sarcastic attitude was not appreciated by her father, who countered with his belief that Rudolph's intervention may have saved her life at a time when she was in a hard-partying, non-panties-wearing downward spiral.

"When Larry Rudolph talked Britney into going into rehab, he was doing what her mother, father and team of professionals with over 100 years of experience knew needed to be done," Jamie Spears wrote in his email to the Post. "She was out of control. Larry was the one chosen by the team to roll up his sleeves and deliver the message, to help save her life.

"The Spears family would like to publicly apologize to Larry for our daughter's statements about him over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, she blames him and her family for where she is at today with her kids and career. Larry has always been there for Britney. For this, we will forever be grateful to him."

The younger Spears was quick to talk back, dismissing her father's words as the product of a shaky paternal bond.

"I am praying for my father. We have never had a good relationship," she told the Post through her rep. "It's sad that all the men that have been in my life do not know how to accept a real woman's love. I am concentrating on my work and my life right now."

Since exiting Promises last month, the singer has reportedly been working hard to get her body back in shape by taking frequent dance classes and watching what she eats.

Published reports have suggested that Spears' slimdown efforts may have been aided by LipoDissolve injections—fat-melting shots administered over a 24-week period at $1,500 a pop. The singer was said to have visited Las Vegas' Advanced Lipo Dissolve Center recently seeking the nonsurgical procedure.

Meanwhile, according to Star magazine, Spears still plans to do some serious nip-and-tucking in the coming months. The tabloid reported that the mother-of-two will spend $8,000 on a breast lift, $12,000 on a lower-body lift, $16,000 on liposuction for her back, stomach, and love handles and $6,000 on brachioplasty to tighten up her upper arms.

In all, Spears was said to be shelling out somewhere in the neighborhood of $130,000 in the quest to get her body back to pre-baby form.

No confirmation from the singer's publicist, but if true, it's still less than it reportedly cost her to get rid of Kevin Federline.
AP - Film-crazy India held its breath Friday as two of its biggest stars, the emerald-eyed former Miss World Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, a romantic hero and son of an Indian cinema legend, celebrated their wedding.
AFP - A Russian theatre company is reportedly planning to stage a new ballet on the life and death of Britain's Princess Diana
AP - Forest Whitaker met Nelson Mandela on Friday and received a rapturous welcome from university students at the start of his visit to the country.
Reuters - Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai one of Bollywood's best-known screen couples, married on Friday in a traditional Hindu wedding in which the groom rode a white horse before the pair took their vows around a sacred fire.
AFP - Alec Baldwin issued an apology on Friday for unleashing a volcanic tirade at his 11-year-old daughter and blamed "certain people" for leaking the rant to US media.
Reuters - He enjoys a reputation as an all-around good guy in Hollywood, but "Spider-Man" Tobey Maguire says it's more fun being bad in the latest sequel of the smash hit film series.
AP - Lil' Romeo says he's bound for the University of Southern California, where, if all goes according to plan, the teenage hip-hop star would become Romeo Miller, basketball player.
AP - As Alec Baldwin angry words to his daughter were being broadcast around the world, the 49-year-old actor explained himself Friday on his Web site.
AP - Kristine Lefebvre, who failed to win a job with Donald Trump on "The Apprentice," is shedding her business suit for Playboy. Lefebvre will appear on the cover of the June issue of the magazine and is featured in nude photographs inside, her publicist, Howard Bragman, said Friday.
Neil Young has given his wife Pegi a boost on her debut album - by playing the sitar on the record. Young performs on a host of tracks and plays an electric sitar solo on Love Like Water.


Hollywood star Luke Wilson was left flabbergasted when his brother Owen invited him to dinner with former President Bill Clinton - and then left halfway through the meal. Luke was even more surprised when Clinton seemed sincerely upset that he hadn't got the chance to party with ladies man Owen.


Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose has been chosen to make Disney history as the voice of the movie studio's first black princess. The actress/singer beat the likes of Oscar-winning Dreamgirls co-star Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks who all reportedly auditioned for the role.


Hong Kong star Tony Leung has again agreed to star in director John Woo historical epic Red Cliff, just days after Chow Yun-Fat withdrew from the project. Yun-Fat was expected to start filming on the $80 million movie last week, but walked from the set claiming he didn't have time to learn his dialogue.


Singer, actress and superstar Mandy Moore will release her new, highly anticipated album, Wild Hope, on June 19 via the innovative partnership between The Firm Music and EMI Distribution.


Paris Hilton recently hooked up with singer James Blunt Wednesday night in L.A., where they were making out at the Roosevelt Hotel club Teddy's. "They were all over each other," a source tells the New York Daily News. "They both ended up back at Paris' house," joined by her sister, Nicky, and Nicky's boyfriend, David Katzenberg.
Victoria's Secret has announced their rundown of "What Is Sexy?" and has crowned Jessica Alba as the sexiest actress, while the sexiest actor award goes to Eric Dane of "Grey's Anatomy."

"SexyBack" singer Justin Timberlake was voted the sexiest male musician, while the female award went to "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood. Romancing musicians Beyonce and Jay-Z snapped up the sexiest couple award.
Pop singer Justin Timberlake has the biggest ego in Hollywood according to a new poll in US Weekly, The list pokes fun at the American stars for their incessant bragging and high self regard.

It says, "(Timberlake) has claimed that MCDonald's shares climbed 25 per cent when he walked into their offices and changed their image."
Music mogul Russell Simmons called a meeting of his Hip-Hop Summit Action Network on Wednesday (18Apr07) to discuss the sexist and misogynistic lyrics found in some rap music.The Def Jam boss was one of a handful of music industry executives who met at the New York home of Warner Music Group’s Lyor Cohen for several
Rocker Courtney Love is no longer held back by trying to conform to her idea of bodily perfection, and is now set on celebrating her flaws to inspire others.The former HOLE star, who has endured a well-publicised battle with drugs, is relieved she no longer feels like a "caged lion".Writing on her MoonWashedRose.com website, Love
Lily Allen proved her girl power credentials on a night out in Los Angeles last night (19Apr07) by attacking a photographer.The Smile singer was partying with rocker Courtney Love at trendy club Hyde when she took offence as a crowd of paparazzi lit up the night upon her exit.One photographer says, "She really wasn’t very
Actor Jack Black was forced to evacuate his California home twice last week (ends13Apr07) following a fire and an infestation of ants.The unlucky School Of Rock star spent a few days in a nearby hotel with his wife and 10-month-old baby son.He says, "Last week there was a fire on my block and there were
Neil Young has given his wife PEGI a boost on her debut album - by playing the sitar on the record.The rocker performs on a host of tracks and plays an electric sitar solo on Love Like Water.Pegi tells Billboard.com, "Leading up to it, I put the band together and we just sort of avoided
Hollywood star Luke Wilson was left flabbergasted when his brother OWEN invited him to dinner with former US President BILL CLINTON - and then left halfway through the meal.Luke was even more surprised when Clinton seemed sincerely upset that he hadn’t got the chance to party with ladies man Owen.Luke says, "He’s (Owen) friends with
DREAMGIRLS star ANIKA NONI RAE has been chosen to make Disney history as the voice of the movie studio’s first black princess.The actress/singer beat the likes of Oscar-winning Dreamgirls co-star Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks who all reportedly auditioned for the role.According to celebrity blogger Marc Malkin, Rose will voice Maddy, the teenage
Actor Gabriel Byrne called on his Catholic upbringing in Ireland to research his new TV role as a therapist - because it taught him how to listen.The Usual Suspects star boasts he is one actor who has never been in therapy, and he wasn’t about to start to research his new role in US drama
Oscar-winning director Milos Forman is staging an opera in his native Czech Republic.The Amadeus filmmaker, 75, is bringing jazz opera A Walk Worthwhile to the Czech National Theater in Prague. The show opens on Sunday (22Apr07).The production was written in the 1960s by Czech writers Jiri Suchy and Jiri Slitr. Forman made a TV movie
The 100th anniversary of the birth of John Wayne is to be celebrated with a series of events in the US.On Saturday (21Apr07), the Newport Beach Film Festival in California is paying tribute to Wayne’s work with a series of movie screenings, called John Wayne & The American Western.Next month (May07), officials in his birth
SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS and Ryan Gosling fell out on the set of new thriller Fracture because the veteran disapproved of his young co-star’s over-analysis.The Notebook star Gosling insisted on having lengthy method acting discussions about tense scenes and Hopkins quickly tired of the idea.Hopkins explains, "He wanted to become involved in the analysis of the
The former reality TV star died while embroiled in legal battles in two countries in which hundreds of millions of dollars might ultimately be the prize for the winner.
Filed under: Alec Baldwin Just a few hours before he blasted his daughter on her voice mail, Alec Baldwin had a few laughs at Ireland's expense on "Late Night with David Letterman."After telling Dave that his 11-year-old was "doing great," Baldwin regaled the live audience...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Alec Baldwin Kim Basinger lawyer says Alec Baldwin's response to the shocking message he left on Ireland's voice mail proves the actor is "out of touch" with reality.After TMZ posted the voice mail, Baldwin's reps released a statement alleging Basinger and her...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin has just filed legal papers in Los Angeles County Superior Court to determine who gave TMZ the vile voice mail message Alec left for his daughter Ireland.The document is an Order to Show Cause on why Basinger and her lawyers should not...
Filed under: Music Rapper Snoop Dogg made an appearance at last night's NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs with his son, and the Dogg's pup looked like he was wearing dad's old school collar! The Doggfather is in the OC for the Western Conference Quarterfinals, where the...
Filed under: Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin swung back at wife Kim Basinger, slamming "certain people" who he says, "will go to any lengths to embarass [sic] me and to disrupt my relationship with my daughter."In a statement on his website alecbaldwin.com, Baldwin apologizes for...