Paula Abdul wants to be on ?Dancing with the Stars?

After botching her recent musical “comeback” Paula Abdul should probably just settle in for as many years as she can on American Idol. Unfortunately no one’s given Paula that message – and the sorta singer/dancer/choreographer has decided what she’d really like to do is join the cast of Dancing with the Stars. Though her recent “Dance Like There’s no Tomorrow” was panned musically, once thing is still true about Paula – the woman can dance.

“I’m just hypothetically thinking about it,” Paula revealed to OK! after sitting in on Monday's taping of the hit ABC reality competition. And, despite being on a competing network (Idol airs on Fox), she claims there would be no conflict with her show. “There’s a thing called the ‘off-season,’ I think.”

“It’s all Tom’s fault!” she joked, adding, “I’m a huge fan [of DWTS]. It would be a phenomenal experience for me to be a student and to learn a form of dance that I’ve never been introduced to." But before all the Paula fans go setting their Tivos for next season, she advises, “I’d be honored, but that does not confirm or deny anything that’s out there right now.

And though Paula first gained notoriety for choreographing dance routines for some of the biggest artists in pop, incredibly, she insists that she's never been a professional dancer. "I was always a choreographer But I’ve never been able to be a student and I’ve never done partnering. If I even dabbled with it, I had to be the guy and that’s not fun. I want to wear the pretty dresses like the girls.”

[From OK Magazine]

Paula’s never been a dance student, but she was a professional choreographer? That’s like saying you’ve never taken piano lessons, but you’re a piano teacher. What I hope Paula meant to say was that she’s never been a professional dancer… because she’s obviously been a dancer of some sort. But Paula’s always been a little batty, so just because you’d think logically she must have meant something else, doesn’t mean that’s the case.

I think it’d be a little unfair for someone who’s good enough to have been a famous choreographer to be on Dancing with the Stars. A big part of the fun is watching people with no dance training improve over time. I never find it as interesting to watch the celebrities who have some dance background. It’s just not as impressive to me when they learn to master something. If Paula Abdul learned to master the tango, I wouldn’t be as floored as if Oprah learned to tango. Now if she learned to tango with MC Skat Kat, that’d be totally different. Sorry, it’s hard to write a Paula Abdul story and not mention the Kat.

Here’s Paula Abdul at the Kritik Clothing Party on April 10th at Lisa Kline in Beverly Hills. Images thanks to PR Photos.

London premiere of ?Iron Man? with Gwyneth Paltrow in another too-short dress

Dear Gwyneth Paltrow: you fail. You had a very good formula going with painfully fashion-forward shoes and non-hideous outfits that managed to reach at least to mid thigh. You ruined it by falling back on an old misguided habit of showing off your gorgeous legs with dresses meant for a shorter woman. Plus, those shoes are a cop out. You were supposed to wear towering studded monstrosities to your premiere to cap off a month of shoe risks. This is a disappointment, but I'm glad you no longer challenge my long held assumptions about you. Now go back to talking about how great England is and how stupid and slow-minded Americans are, and we'll keep snickering at your foolish fashion. Those shoes were just a whim, much like our brief admiration of you.

You could have made us completely ignore this outfit if you would have showed up to the premiere with Chris, though. Now that would have been a change.

Thanks to WENN for these photos. Also pictured are Jon Favreau and his wife Joya Tillem, who gets a pass for that outfit due to non-celebrity status, and Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey.

Actor Snipes gets 3 years, apologizes for `costly mistakes' (AP)

OCALA, Fla. (AP) -- After haggling with revenue agents, criminal investigators and eventually U.S. prosecutors for almost a decade, Wesley Snipes finally caught them by surprise.

Hours before he was to be sentenced Thursday for failing to file income taxes he insisted he never had to pay, the action star cut the federal government three checks for $5 million, delivered in court.

So taken aback were prosecutors that they first declined the cash. But by the end of the day, the government took the money and more -- a maximum three-year sentence for its highest-profile criminal tax target in decades.

"The sentencing court sends the right message to the American taxpayer -- you've got to pay your taxes," U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill told reporters outside the usually quiet central Florida courthouse. "Rich, poor, it doesn't matter. We all pay our taxes."

Though Snipes was convicted of three counts of willfully failing to file returns, his trial was held by some as proof of victory for the tax protest movement. Snipes was acquitted of five other charges, including felony tax fraud and conspiracy, that would've exposed him to 13 more years in prison.

Criminal tax prosecutions are relatively rare -- usually the cases are handled in civil court, where the government has a lower burden of proof.

Snipes' attorneys argued the sentence was too stiff for a first-time offender convicted of three misdemeanors, and recommended he be given home detention and ordered to make public service announcements.

But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a "history of contempt over a period of time" for U.S. tax laws.

"In my mind these are serious crimes, albeit misdemeanors," Hodges said.

The action star of the "Blade" trilogy, "White Men Can't Jump," "Jungle Fever" and other films hasn't filed a tax return since 1998, the government alleged. Snipes and the IRS still must determine how much he owes, plus interest and penalties. The government alleged Snipes made at least $13.8 million for the three years in question, owing at least $2.7 million in back taxes on them alone.

Snipes read aloud from a prepared apology, calling his actions "costly mistakes" but never mentioning the word "taxes." He said he was the victim of crooked advisers, a liability of wealth and celebrity that attract "wolves and jackals like flies are attracted to meat."

"I am an idealistic, naive, passionate, truth-seeking, spiritually motivated artist, unschooled in the science of law and finance," Snipes said.

His lawyers said he was no threat to society, and offered three dozen letters from family members, friends and even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington attesting to his compassion, intelligence and value as a mentor. They called four character witnesses Thursday, including television's Judge Joe Brown, who incited applause from the gallery by suggesting Snipes was no different than "mega-corporate entities" that legally avoid taxes.

Hodges twice halted the proceedings to quiet the crowd, threatening to clear everyone out if they made another outburst.

Snipes' co-defendants, Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn, were convicted on both felony counts on which the actor was acquittal. Kahn, who refused to defend himself in court, was sentenced to the maximum 10 years, while Rosile received 4 1/2 years. Both will serve three years of supervised release.

Snipes and Rosile remain free and will be notified when they are to surrender to authorities. Defense attorney Carmen Hernandez signaled in court that Snipes would pursue an appeal.

Kahn was the founder of American Rights Litigators, and a successor group, Guiding Light of God Ministries, that purported to help members legally avoid paying taxes. Snipes was a dues-paying member of the organization, and Rosile, a de-licensed accountant, prepared Snipes' paperwork.

The actor maintained in a yearslong battle with the IRS he did not have to pay taxes, using fringe arguments common to "tax protesters" who say the government has no legal right to collect. After joining Kahn's group, the government said, Snipes instructed his employees to stop paying their own taxes and sought $11 million in 1996 and 1997 taxes he legally paid.

Defense attorneys Hernandez and Daniel Meachum said Snipes was unfairly targeted because he's famous. Meachum called prosecutors "big game hunters," selectively prosecuting the actor while Kahn's some 4,000 other clients remained free.

Hodges was not swayed.

"One of the main purposes which drives selective prosecution in tax cases is deterrence," the judge said, while denying it had anything to do with his sentence. "In some instances, that means those of celebrity stand greater risk of prosecution. But there's nothing unusual about it, nor is there anything unlawful about it. It's the way the system works."

Justin Timberlake supports Cameron Diaz?s at dad?s funeral

Say what you want about Cameron Diaz, the woman must be good at relationships. Cameron’s father recently passed away at only 58-years-old, and his funeral was held this past Sunday. Three of Cameron’s famous ex-boyfriends showed up to support her: Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, and Kelly Slater all attended Emilio Diaz’s memorial at sushi restaurant Mahe in Seal Beach, California.

"The Sweetest Thing" actress, devastated by the sudden death of her father, was comforted by a pair of former flames at his memorial service on Sunday.

Justin Timberlake, who split with Diaz in January, showed his support at the informal Seal Beach, Calif. service, which started around 1:30 p.m. Singer-songwriter John Mayer, another former beau, arrived separately to pay his respects. They both lingered past 4 p.m., after most of the other guests had left.

The stricken actress asked friends and family to wear colorful clothing in celebration of her father's life. "Hardly anyone wore black," one guest told the Daily Mail. "Lots of people were wearing Hawaiian shirts. It looked more like a party."

[From the New York Daily News]

It sounds like the memorial was really nice, and it’s also a testament to Cameron’s ability to stay good friends with her exes. We all know Justin Timberlake doesn’t necessarily feel obligated to help out a former flame just because she’s going through a hard time. There have been several reports of JT being very protective of Cameron since their breakup.

E! reports that in addition to the Hawaiian shirts, there was also a tent in the back of the restaurant where a taco truck and pizza stand provided food. Instead of flowers, the Diaz family requested donations be made to Emilio’s favorite charities, the Surfrider Foundation and Reef Check. Both work on beach rehabilitation. Hopefully with the support of family and friends, Cameron and the rest of the Diazes will be able to heal.

Here is an older file photo of Cameron and Emilio Diaz. Image thanks to Splash.

?Denise Richards tries to resuscitate her drowning career? links

- Denise Richards is in Hawaii trying to resurrect her dead career by filming a reality show [Dlisted]
- Gary Coleman and the redheaded broad he lost his virginity to are headed to “Divorce Court" [Bossip]
- Live Every Week Like it’s Shark Week: Deep Blue Sea review [Pajiba]
- Hey-What's Sean Penn Doing On The Coachella Bill? [Defamer]
- Lindsay Lohan leaving La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills (4/23) [Celebslam]
- Jada Pinkett Smith Has A Serious Mullet [Yeeeah!]
- Carrie Underwood Has Been Cheated On A Time Or Two [I'm Not Obsessed]
- Kim vs. Khloe Kardashian @ The Svedka Evil T-Shirt Launch [The Bastardly]
- Rebecca Romjin is quitting Ugly Betty after the current second season, claiming new writers on the show have wrecked her character. [In Case You Didn't Know]
- More pics of Denise Richards paddle surfing (site NSFW) [Drunken Stepfather]
- A little cleavage sure goes along way. Lauren Conrad's look is super cute at the Redkens Real Control cocktail party at Warren-Tricom hair salon [Hollywood Rag]
- Who didn't see this coming? Good Charlotte want Benji to say good riddance to Paris [Seriously? OMG! WTF?]
- Pics of Quentin Tarantino Vince Troyer appearing onstage together as presenters for the 2008 JCPenney Asian Excellence Awards [Agent Bedhead]
- Orlando Brown has gone un-missing. Big surprise [The Blemish]
- Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg have been performing and recording in Amsterdam this week. [CityRag]
- Elliott Spitzer Enjoyed Using Toys--On Himself [Crazy Days and Nights]
- Jennifer Garner is the portrait of summertime, posing in her warm weather clothes poolside for Self magazine [PopSugar]
- Leah Remini Tries To Wean Her 3 1/2 Year Old From The Bottle [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
- Kelly Brook has ended her 4 year relationship and engagement to Billy Zane [WWTDD]
- Tina Fey gets drunkenly mauled by Will Arnett at the Baby Mama premiere [Websters is my Bitch]
- Celine Dion is currently touring the world and Hello Canada was invited to join her in Australia to celebrate her birthday. Lots and lots of cheese to be had! [Lainey Gossip]
- New pictures of a pregnant Alessandra Ambrosio, who looks to be one of those lucky women that mainly gain weight in the stomach area during their pregnancy… her arms and the rest of her are still very thin [The Skinny]
- WHAT? Dwyane Wade is reportedly dating Star Jones, a former co-host of The View, who recently filed for divorce [Derek Hail]
- A Real World Ho-Off For The Ages [Best Week Ever]
- Girlicious "Like Me" video [Popbytes]
- Mariah No. 1 On The Charts And In Her Mind [Mollygood]
- Aw, Alicia Keys. She went to Africa! To help the babies with AIDS. Also, she made a film about the experience, which you can check out here. [Jezebel]

Toshiba Q4 down on HD-DVDs and chips; outlook muted (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp posted a 95 percent drop in quarterly profit on tumbling chip prices and an exit from next-generation DVDs, and its outlook was half that of market expectations.

The worlds No. 2 NAND flash memory maker is counting on its PCs and home appliances for annual net profit growth of 2 percent this year while it and its rivals wait for chip price falls to ease and cost cuts to come through.

Earlier on Friday, Samsung Electronics Co, the worlds top memory chip maker, roused markets with a 37 percent rise in quarterly profit as brisk sales of its flat screens and mobile phones outweighed its sluggish chip business.

And No. 2 memory chip maker Hynix Semiconductor Inc posted a net loss of 675 billion won (677.7 million), almost 50 percent bigger than consensus.

Chip makers worldwide hope that weaker makers will cut spending and back-to-school demand would resolve oversupply, but executives say a meaningful recovery could take time.

Toshiba, which also makes nuclear reactors and refrigerators, said it expects a net profit of 130 billion yen this year, half the mean market expectation of 264 billion yen by 17 analysts polled by Reuters.

The outlook compares with a 7.3 percent profit decline to 127.4 billion yen in the year ended March.

Earnings in its chip business this year would stay flat, Toshiba said, even while price falls in NAND -- used in digital music players, digital cameras and mobile phones -- slow to an annual 40 percent to 50 percent this business year, from a fall of a little over 50 percent in the year ended March.

"Growth will be slow in our usual earnings drivers. What will count next year is cost cuts in our home electronics business and our exit from HD DVDs," Corporate Executive Vice President Fumio Muraoka told reporters.

Toshibas semiconductor business would earn a profit of 90 billion yen this year, from 89 billion yen last year, he said, as NAND sales growth is muted by price falls and declines in its system chip sales.

The conglomerate posted a net profit of 1.25 billion yen in January-March, against a 26.17 billion yen profit a year ago, as earnings on its semiconductor unit fell 82 percent.

Despite strong laptop sales, Toshibas earnings were further depleted by a 108.5 billion yen loss in its next-generation DVD business, after its HD DVD format lost out to Sony Corps Blu-ray technology. It was also hurt by slow sales of its panels for use in mobile phones.

The average forecast from 14 analysts was for a loss of 770 million yen, derived from subtracting Toshibas nine-month results from their annual forecasts.

Toshiba, which bought U.S. nuclear power firm Westinghouse in 2006, is hoping nuclear power plant construction in the United States will fuel long-term growth, given the rising cost of ramping up chip capacity to keep ahead of price falls.

Toshibas capital expenditures would rise 6 percent to 656 billion yen this year, it said. Of that amount, 367 billion yen would be used on semiconductors.

SECTOR-WIDE PAIN

Chip makers say the sector-wide slump has already hit bottom, but that bottom could last a while, analysts say.

Japans Elpida Memory Inc, the worlds No. 3 maker of DRAM computer memory chips, fell to a 29.2 billion yen quarterly loss in line with analyst estimates, down from a 8.5 billion yen profit the year before.

Hit by chip prices below manufacturing costs, Elpida and other computer chip makers are trying to match tempered expectations for Microsoft Corps Windows Vista demand.

Elpida, the worlds No. 3 maker of DRAM computer chips, said it expects shipments to grow by 70 percent in terms of memory capacity in the year to next March, down from 102 percent growth in the previous year.

It would also cut capital spending by 60 percent to 100 billion yen, it said.

That is a concern for suppliers of tools used to make microchips, including top chip tester maker Advantest Corp. Orders for Advantest testers in January-March totaled 35.8 billion yen, half what it was a year ago. It tumbled to a quarterly loss of 3.4 billion yen from a profit of 7.77 billion yen the previous year.

Following a string of downward revisions, Advantest this year said it would not give guidance for the year ahead, as chip makers repeatedly postpone or change investment plans.

Shares in Toshiba closed down 2 percent ahead of the announcement, while Elpida fell 3.2 percent and Advantest rose 2.4 percent. The benchmark Nikkei average rose 2.4 percent.

(Writing by Louise Heavens; Editing by Louise Ireland/Lincoln Feast)

Shirley Temple Black breaks arm just before 80th birthday (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO - Shirley Temple Black quietly celebrated her 80th birthday this week after breaking her arm in a fall at her suburban San Francisco home.

Rick Ross, her Los Angeles-based attorney, says the former child star is doing fine. She turned 80 on Wednesday.

Black was the top box-office draw in the U.S. from 1935 to 1938. Her best-known films include "Curly Top" and "Little Miss Marker."

After retiring from the big screen, she held a number of diplomatic posts, including U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

Black lives in the San Francisco suburb of Woodside.

Prosecutors seek hard sentence for Snipes in tax trial (AP)

ORLANDO, Fla. - There is a perception, federal prosecutors fear, that Wesley Snipes emerged victorious from years of IRS investigation and a highly publicized tax trial.

And there is some truth to that. Snipes was acquitted in February of five of eight counts -- including felony fraud and conspiracy charges that each carried up to five years in prison. But the action star was convicted of three lesser charges of willful failure to file a return.

Seeking to make an example of a "notorious" and "inveterate" offender, prosecutors are asking for the maximum three years in prison and a fine of at least $5 million when Snipes is sentenced Thursday in federal court in Ocala.

"This case cries out for the statutory maximum term of imprisonment, as well as a substantial fine, because of the seriousness of defendant Snipes' crimes and because of the singular opportunity this case presents to deter tax crimes nationwide," prosecutors wrote in an aggressive, 37-page memorandum to U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges.

Along with Snipes, the star of the "Blade" films and "White Men Can't Jump," co-defendants Douglas P. Rosile and Eddie Ray Kahn will be sentenced. Both were convicted of the felony fraud and conspiracy counts prosecutors couldn't hang on the action star.

Prosecutors are asking Hodges to consider not only Snipes' conviction, but also "relevant conduct" alleged in the government's broader indictment and investigation.

In this case, that Snipes sought $11 million in bogus tax returns, instructed all his employees to stop paying taxes, transferred millions to hidden foreign accounts and threatened government agents investigating him. It was unclear if the jury believed those parts of the government's case at trial. Either way, the law allows their consideration at sentencing, and under a lesser burden of proof than before the jury.

Snipes' defense filed its own lengthy sentencing memorandum Wednesday asking for probation, and not imprisonment. The filing included about three dozen letters attesting to Snipes' good character from family, friends, employees and even celebrities Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington.

"He is contrite, promises that he will never again break the law, and respectfully asks the Court to consider not just the jury verdict but also all the good that he has done in his life," Snipes' attorneys wrote.

Snipes was convicted of failing to file returns for 1999, 2000 and 2001, a period in which the government alleged he made at least $13.8 million and would be liable for $2.7 million in taxes. That amount alone exceeds the monetary guidelines calling for a 36-month sentence.

But Snipes' attorneys say that tax table is "structurally flawed" when applied to misdemeanor cases, and he owed far less anyway. They says Snipes' back taxes are fewer than $400,000 for the years in question, a cutoff point for enhanced sentencing.

Snipes' attorneys also said the government's attempt make an example of him "approaches the type of vindictiveness prohibited by the due process clause."

"Wesley Snipes is not a dangerous man who needs to be imprisoned to protect the public," his attorneys wrote.

But prosecutors say Snipes is already being held by those in the fringe tax protest movement as proof that ordinary Americans don't have to pay income tax. The point of criminal tax prosecutions, which are relatively rare, is to promote deterrence, the filing notes.

Further, Snipes has been a ceaseless nuisance to several tax-collecting entities -- not just the IRS, but the states of California and Florida and country of Canada, according to the sentencing motion. And investigators are still convinced he's hiding money -- Snipes reported having only $8,824 in a checking account and $500 cash, the memo alleges, despite disclosed assets in excess of $25 million.

The government also alleges Snipes hasn't filed a tax return since 1998, though he was acquitted of failure to file in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

"The court is presented with a wealthy, famous and inveterate tax scofflaw," prosecutors wrote. "If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant."

Ali Lohan to star in first film, world waits for the fallout

Countdown to drunken, paparazzi-courting, promiscuous shopaholic behavior justified by a massive sense of entitlement: Ali Lohan is about to appear in a film. The 14 year-old younger sister of Lindsay will play a role that's similar to the teen characters her sister was known for before she got so much publicity for making out with various men and posing naked to support the arts.

The little Lohan also has a quote that makes you rub your eyes and hope she has enough sense to give herself the guidance she surely won't get from her mother: she says she wants to "do what [Lindsay] does":

Ali Lohan, Lindsay's 14-year-old sister, has begun filming her first film project, Mostly Ghostly, in Los Angeles, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.

Ali's role shares similarities with her older sister's character in the 2004 film Mean Girls: She'll play "a popular high school senior" in the film, says a source.

Ali told Teen Vogue in the April issue, "I grew up watching Lindsay. It made me want to do what she does. Just the whole vibe. Being there, being on camera, or onstage."

The film, slated for release later this year, is based on the pre-teen book series Mostly Ghostly written by R.L. Stine, which centers on an 11-year-old boy who befriends two ghosts.

[From People.com]

I guess I shouldn't really care about these people, but you can see the future for this girl and water bottles filled with vodka will be the least of her problems. She's just 14, and you want to take her aside and give her some advice and a scholarship to a remote boarding school, but there's only so much you can do. She wants to be like her older sister, but she can't see that everyone is pointing and laughing at her sister, saying she looks and sounds like an old lady. Get emancipated from Dina, Ali, and stay away from your sister. You can carve out a meaningful life on your own terms, if only you realized how trapped you really are.

Ali Lohan is shown at a "youth center in Harlem where she was shooting scenes for the Livin' Lohan reality show" on 3/27/08, thanks to Splash.

Hold on to your couch: Cruise returning to "Oprah" (AP)

CHICAGO - Oprah might want to nail down her furniture. Tom Cruise is scheduled to return to "The Oprah Winfrey Show," nearly three years after a couch-jumping appearance that spawned countless YouTube parodies and late-night jokes.

The two-part show will coincide with the 25th anniversary of Cruise's booty-shaking turn in the film "Risky Business." Friends and colleagues will surprise Cruise with taped messages honoring his work in movies, according to a statement Thursday from Harpo Productions.

Winfrey will interview Cruise from his home in Telluride, Colo., for the first show on May 2, which will cover his "family, his life and the future," Harpo said. Then on May 5, Cruise will appear in Winfrey's Chicago studio.

Cruise became the butt of jokes after a May 2005 appearance on Winfrey's show, where he repeatedly jumped on the talk-show host's couch, saying his love for then-new girlfriend Katie Holmes was "beyond cool."

Cruise and Holmes became parents in April 2006 with the birth of their daughter, Suri, and married in Italy in November 2006.

___

On the Net:

http://www.oprah.com

Baby Mama premiere featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

The Saturday Night Live alums were at The Baby Mama premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last night to support Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Among the familiar funny faces were Molly Shannon, Chris Kattan, and Rachel Dratch - who has found a job after mentioning her unemployment plight earlier this month. The film is about a career woman played by Fey who hires a goofy irresponsible woman, Amy Poehler's character, to be her surrogate. There is some speculation that Poehler might be coincidentally pregnant since she's wearing this flouncy dress, but I think it's just the style of the dress. Poehler, 36, has been married to Arrested Development's Will Arnett, 37, since August, 2003, and they have two dogs but no children yet. Her co-star Tina Fey, 37, has a daughter, Alice, who is two and a half.

Fey told People Magazine a funny story about how she gained weight quickly during her pregnancy by eating too many donuts:

"Somewhere during my pregnancy I gained something like nine pounds in two weeks and my doctor was like, 'You know what it might be? Are you drinking a lot of juice?' I was like, 'Yeah. That must be it.' " said the 30 Rock Emmy winner, 37. "I was eating like a box a day of Entenmann's donuts."

[From People.com]

Here's the trailer. It looks amusing but not incredible, and is getting mixed reviews.






BABY MAMA TRAILER TINA FEY 2008
Uploaded by sorties-cinema

Also shown at the premiere are Will Arnett, Steve Martin, Romany Malco, Sigourney Weaver, Chevy Chase, Annabella Sciorra, Dax Shepard, Chris Kattan, Kristin Bell, Maggie Grace, Molly Shannon, Rachel Dratch, Robert DeNiro, Fred Durst looking old, and Padma Lakshmi. Thanks to PRPhotos and WENN for these pictures.

Winehouse joins UK millionaire music rich list (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer Amy Winehouse joined the elite ranks of music millionaires on Friday but she may struggle to reach the dizzy heights of "wrinkly rockers" like Paul McCartney, the editor of an annual rich list said.

The bee-hived soul singer, whose troubled private life and battle against drug addiction have overshadowed her recording success, is now valued at 10 million pounds (19.72 million).

"Winning Grammys have given her a really good profile in the United States. She has such a smooth voice but lets hope she doesnt blow it all," Sunday Times Rich List editor Philip Beresford said as the latest millionaire tables were published.

Reality TV winner Leona Lewis is another new entry in the Under-30 category. She was valued at six million pounds after topping the singles and album charts in the United States.

Leading the young millionaires thanks to inherited Beatle wealth is the late George Harrisons guitarist son Dhani. His 160 million pound fortune prompted newspaper headlines like "While their bank accounts gently leap..."

But Beresford told Reuters: "None of these young singers will ever make it to the main rich list as they dont have the legs of the wrinkly rockers."

The young guns are dwarfed by the fortunes of veteran stars like Mick Jagger and Sting, he said.

"They have developed this new industry of massive stadium tours around the world full of relatively wealthy middle-aged fans trying to recapture their youth paying extortionate prices for the privilege," Beresford said.

"Their tours are their pension funds," he said.

Beresford did admit to one Beatle miscalculation over Paul McCartneys fortune which was set at 725 million in last years list.

"He is now down at 500 million because we over-egged it in the past. But we are not as severe as the judge in his divorce case (against Heather Mills) who put it at 400 million pounds," he said.

Beresford hailed the 300 million pound fortune of Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie as "almost unique."

"She has joined the wrinkly rockers with the big touring income but she also has the record sales which they are not getting anymore," he added.

But Madonnas fortune is dwarfed in Britains top 50 music millionaires list which is topped, like last year, by Clive Calder, founder of Zomba Records, who is valued at 1.3 billion pounds.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Amy Winehouse?s husband selling naked honeymoon photos for heroin in jail

Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Inc., must be pissed that she didn't care enough to visit him in prison on his birthday. He is said to be selling private wedding and honeymoon photos including pictures of the singer topless to his fellow inmates in exchange for heroin:

Superstar Amy, 24, knew the 25-year-old loser had been selling signed publicity shots of her while he's on remand in London's Pentonville jail

A prison source said: "Blake is in a bad way and is always desperate for any drugs he can get his hands on. Some of the photos of Amy are a bit racy but he obviously puts his habit before his wife."

The seven snaps include three of the loved-up couple canoodling on a hotel balcony on their wedding day in Miami almost a year ago.

Others show Amy posing in a bra - and sticking out her tongue as she frolics in a pool in a bikini.

But the most upsetting image for the Back To Black star is the boobbaring shot of her in lacy undies.

Amy has ignored the pleas of family and friends to ditch Blake, who is being held on charges of trying to pervert the course of justice over an assault case. She regularly speaks to the junkie on the phone.

But she hasn't visited him for weeks after quitting her central London home to stay in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, where she is recording a new album at a studio with her musician pal Mark Ronson.

[From The People]

Amy clutches photo of husband Blake while out with other Blake
It was thought that Winehouse was moving on from Blake by refusing to visit him and even conveniently forgetting his birthday. She was seen out with her friend Blake Wood over the weekend, but she was carrying a photo of herself with her husband Blake, suggesting that she's making a show of solidarity with her jailed man despite the fact that she hasn't gone to visit him in some time.

Winehouse may or may not be recording Bond theme
The Sun reports that Winehouse stood up the "cast and crew" of the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace when she failed to show up to the set to "get inspiration for the 007 theme she is recording." However her rep has sort of half-denied that she's recording the theme song, saying "Amy has been in the studio working on songs for her new album with Mark Ronson. Recording for anything else is pure speculation."

Amy videotaped and photographed smoking pot on the street
Amy was seen smoking a joint in London while walking down the street. While it's not crack, it's not like Amy should be doing it in public.

And as for the nude pics, we've already sort-of seen Amy's boobs in that breast cancer awareness photo spread in which her breasts were covered in duct tape. That had to have been painful to remove. Unlike getting rid of a certain vindictive drug-addicted jailed husband, whose absence would lead one to breathe easier. This is a girl who cuts herself though, so there's a lot more going on for her in that relationship than just young love.

Amy is said to have visted Blake in jail finally. The description for these photos said that she was going to Pentonville prison to see her husband. Thanks to WENN.

?Foxy Brown goes to church? links

- Foxy Brown was spotted attending St Paul's The Apostle Church in NYC this past Sunday. I did too, but I was lacking the Zac Posen day dress, stilettos and huge sunglasses. Oh, and the camera crew. [Hollywood Rag]
- Ashlee Simpson's T-Shirt Line: It's time to give it up and call it a day when your clothing line makes Heidi Montag's line look like some couture shit [Dlisted]
- Jada Pinkett Smith hit up that party hosted by the Beckhams looking like this. Judging from the pics from yesterday, this seemed like it was an event where Jada could’ve put a little effort into the hair or the get-up or something [Bossip]
- Milo Ventimiglia's Pathology is an unholy mess of a movie [Pajiba]
- Tom Cruise dropped $100k on a birthday party for daughter Suri last Friday (pics here). $17k was dropped on flowers and another $5k was spent on a four-tiered cake for Suri and personalized cakes for each of the 24 guests [Celebslam]
- Chris Rock Explains How 'Chippendales' Killed Chris Farley [Defamer]
- The New York Post says Natalie Portman, "was the unfortunate victim of a surprise soaking as she dropped by a downtown dog run." [WWTDD]
- David Beckham gets a back, crack and sack wax. [popbytes]
- Mariah Carey showed up at Hot 97 studios in New York yesterday in the biggest, most unflattering pair of denim shorts the world has ever known, including Levi’s brief foray into bib-front overall shorts and the Navy’s unfortunate experiment with military-issue denim culottes [Yeeeah]
- Heidi Klum And Seal’s First Date Was Too Naughty To Talk About [I'm Not Obsessed]
- Geri Halliwell says motherhood sealed the bond with her Victoria Beckham. Awww [In Case You Didn't Know]
- Jodie Marsh has the world's most frightening cleavage (Site NSFW) [Drunken Stepfather]
- Martin Hyde is suing Gordon Ramsey and Kitchen Nightmares for $1 million in London for re-airing the show there and Martin says the show ruined his life according to Daily Mail [Seriously? OMG! WTF?]
- For those who hoped the buzz of a Penelope-Javier-Scarlett threesome were true for Woody Allen’s upcoming film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, this picture might lend some credence to those rumors. However, the true answer will have to wait until late August [Agent Bedhead]
- We're not sure who told Leighton Meester that looking like a young Susan Sarandon for the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera was a good idea, but she needs to stop [The Blemish]
- Has Pete Wentz forgotten his underwear or found a new way to show-off his junk [CityRag]
- Richie Sambora was charged with two counts of DUI, but prosecutors declined to file any child endangerment charges. What exactly does it take to endanger a child these days? [Crazy Days and Nights]
- Neil Patrick Harris and Kal Penn stopped by TRL yesterday to help get us all even more excited for this weekend's release of Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. Which I wasn't at all into, until I found out that Neil Patrick Harris is in it [PopSugar]
- Lourdes Leon, 11, and her dad Carlos, strut their stuff on the streets of NYC [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
- In Miley Cyrus' First French-Kissing Endeavor, She Fails to Properly Align Face with Partner [Websters is my Bitch]
- Gwyneth Paltrow had dinner last night at the Ritz in Berlin with Jon Favreau and attended a photo call today for Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr. [Lainey Gossip]
- Rose McGowan leaving the Neil George hair salon in in Los Angeles this past Saturday [The Skinny]
- Carmen Electra’s 15 min are up. That sure took a long time [Derek Hail]
- The Top 12 Sandra Bullock Movie Titles That Could Also Describe Her Recent Head-On Collision [Best Week Ever]
- Eddie Izzard Considering Run for Office [Mollygood]
- CNN's Richard Quest Has A Long History Of Rope Tricks [Jezebel]

Amy Winehouse headbutts a man, may be arrested

In case anyone was holding out any hope for Amy Winehouse, the Sun has a pretty sad story of how she spent her time last night that will rid you of any remaining optimism. Amy’s not just back to drugs – she’s back to batshit crazy. Last night – when she was on God only knows what – she trashed a bar, headbutted a man, punched a Moroccan musician in the mouth, smoked drugs on the sidewalk outside the bar, and smashed her head into a lamppost. And of course, it was all caught by paparazzi. That’s one busy night. I don’t know about you, but it normally take me at least a year to get all those things done. And rarely do I physically attack more than one person a night, unless I’m really, really cranky.

The junkie singer, 24, is to be quizzed by police after claims she headbutted a Good Samaritan who hailed her a cab outside a bar. Rehab star Amy, said to have punched a second victim in the face, sank to a horrific new low while high on Class A drugs. Onlookers told how the married singer also snogged a mystery fella at a nightspot and shocked punters by overturning tables and drinks. She was later seen smoking drugs in the street, walked into a lamppost, and riled a cabbie by paying only half her promised fare home.

Another man tried to get her a cab, but she reportedly thought he was trying to molest her and allegedly butted him in the face. A source said: “He said she was a snarling tigress. It’s said she caused a serious amount of damage.” The alleged victim told cops yesterday. The star, whose husband Blake Fielder-Civil is in jail awaiting trial on trial-fixing allegations, promised the cabbie £40 to take her home. She persuaded him to stop en route so she could buy newspapers — but staggered into the lamppost, nearly smashing her head. On arriving home, she angered the driver by paying only £20.

[From the Sun]

Lest you think this was all embellished by the Sun (a valid concern, certainly), People has confirmed with the Metropolitan Police that they’re looking into the events of the night – and Winehouse may be arrested.

British police have confirmed to PEOPLE that they are investigating claims that Amy Winehouse attacked a man in a London street early Wednesday morning.

"Police are investigating an alleged assault on Chalk Farm Road at approximately 3:20 am on April 23," says a Metropolitan Police spokesman. "A 38-year-old man [contacted] Kentish Town police station and alleged a 24-year-old woman had assaulted him. No arrests have been made as yet but inquiries continue."

[From People]

Well that’s quite the eventful evening, even for Miss Winehouse. Perhaps it’s time she check herself into rehab, no? Or maybe jail? Can a person check herself into jail in the UK? I’m pretty sure the answer is no, but I’m equally sure if there were ever t time to make an exception, it’s right now. Amy is seriously close to spending the rest of her life in a locked mental ward. It is possible to do permanent damage with several different drugs – and something tells me Amy’s on them.

It might be time to re-evaluate the whole rehab idea. Obviously a person won’t be successful in rehab until they want to get better – but at this point, it might be worth it just to keep Winehouse from doing any more serious damage.

Here’s a few snaps from Amy’s night. She’s photographed holding another man’s hand, along with hugging lots of various strangers. Apparently she likes to attack and hug strangers off and on. Amy also got locked out of her house and had to break in through the garage at the end of the evening. Images thanks to WENN.

Tom Cruise returning to Oprah

Tom Cruise has finally come crawling back to Oprah. Or Oprah has finally come crawling back to Tom Cruise. It’s really hard to say. Tom famously embarrassed the crap out of himself when he appeared- couch jumping like a moron – on Oprah’s show in 2005. It really marked the beginning of a significant decline for him. Unfortunately, Tom – being Tom Cruise – didn’t realize he embarrassed the crap out of himself. In all likelihood, he still has no clue.

Tom and Oprah haven’t had much to say to each other since then. It’s not really known if that’s a coincidence or if there was an actual rift between the two. Oprah wasn’t invited to TomKat’s wedding – and given that Tom used her show to announce to the world “I love this woman!” a million freaking times, you’d think Oprah would get an invite. Winfrey also did a show where she talked about what she was really thinking during bizarre moments in the Oprah Winfrey Show's past. She admitted she found Tom’s behavior a little bizarre… and that Katie Holmes was clearly incredibly uncomfortable.

Either way, whatever might have been going on between Oprah and the Cruises is long over – Tom’s scheduled to appear on the show during May sweeps.

Tom Cruise is returning to “Oprah”! The actor hasn’t appeared on Winfrey’s daytime talk show since his June 23, 2005, appearance where in addition to promoting “War of the Worlds,” he very enthusiastically expressed his love for future wife Katie Holmes (we’re putting the whole couch incident in the past).

It’s not clear what the focus of this show will be, but it is well-timed to May sweeps, and a quick look at the calendar shows that this summer is the 25th anniversary of Cruise’s breakthrough role in “Risky Business.”

A rep for Warner Home Video does confirm that there are “special plans” for the anniversary, and details are being finalized. Other celebrities have been contacted about being involved in the show according to sources close to them, so expect it to be an A-list hour of television. Cruise’s publicist wasn’t available for comment and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” didn’t respond by deadline.

[From the Scoop]

Never let it be said that the pint-sized actor won’t rise to the occasion for the sake of publicity. I sincerely hope Oprah nails down all her furniture before Tom comes on stage. In fact, if I were Oprah’s staff, I’d make sure to find some weighted shoes to have Tom wear, to further discourage jumping of any sort. It’ll be interesting to see if he manages to conduct himself with a modicum of decorum, or if he goes all manic on us again. Something tells me Tom Cruise may re-enact the infamous underwear dancing scene from Risky Business. And at this point, I think I’d rather he keep his pants on.

Room to Write (Playbill)

When he was writing his new play, Richard Greenberg felt the need to let the sun shine in. "I changed rooms," Greenberg says. "My office is very nice to look at. But its the only room in my apartment that doesnt get natural light. I tend to write in the daytime, so retreating to it is counterintuitive. Im not one of those cork-lined-room writers."

For a while, being in that dark room "had an influence on some of my writing. Theres a sunny sitting room in front of it, and it has a writing space near the window. And I know this play is different from the play I would have written if Id stayed in the darker room. I started in the darker room, and in the beginning the plays parameters were narrower. But once I got in the sunlight, I had this wonderful feeling of why not! It gave me a kind of energy."

The play Greenberg is talking about is The Injured Party, which is having its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA. Set in New York in 2005, its about, as Greenberg puts it, "a 94-year-old woman who is very wealthy and apparently immortal. She has a grandson who is not very wealthy and is filled with cravings." Or, in South Coasts words, "Her grandson, Seth, no spring chicken himself, is not-so-rich, hopelessly stalled and determined that redistribution must commence"; its a "comedy about family, love, art, money, ambition, Christmas and - could it be? - homicide."

One theme - "though I dont write about themes," he says - has to do with time.

"All I ever do is track time," says Greenberg, who is 49. "I think of landmarks in my life that I remember vividly, and I think of how much time has passed since then. Its a way of knowing how Im aging. Im talking about the subjective experience of time, not the theoretical. The subjective one is always invading my plays." Also, "this play is about the sense of belatedness. I dont want to get more specific than that."

Speaking about time, Greenberg has been a playwright now for more than 20 years. In 2003, his Take Me Out won the Tony Award for Best Play. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice, for Take Me Out and, in 1998, for Three Days of Rain. He is a winner of the Oppy Award for best new playwright and the PEN/Laura Pels Award for a playwright in midcareer. His other plays include A Naked Girl on the Appian Way, The Violet Hour and Eastern Standard.

"Mostly, Im happy to have been through it all. I dont really teach, but every now and then I talk to classes, and that makes me aware of everything Ive learned."

One thing, he says, has changed since 1985, when he had his first success in New York, a one-act play called Life Under Water, about a group that spends a summer in the Hamptons.

"When I started, I had a true careerist impulse; I had a hunger to define myself and to succeed. Every play was supposed to be instrumental in terms of my life, was supposed to do something for me. Ive noticed recently that thats dwindled. I no longer expect anything to do anything for me. I dont expect it to change my reputation or make me rich or win awards.

"I like writing plays. And as far as I can tell, I still want to write plays."

Gulf War `Scud Stud' sues over footage in Tom Hanks film (AP)

LOS ANGELES - The Canadian reporter known as the "Scud Stud" during the 1991 Gulf War has sued the makers of "Charlie Wilson's War" over footage used in the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts movie.

Arthur Kent, whose live NBC reports on Iraq's Scud missile attacks on Saudia Arabia made him a celebrity, claims in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that filmmakers violated his intellectual property rights.

The lawsuit claims Universal Studios and other companies used segments of a 1986 news program Kent made about the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan without his consent.

It seeks an injunction against distributing the movie, among other provisions, in addition to unspecified damages.

Universal spokesman Michael Moses didn't immediately return a phone call early Friday seeking comment.

The 2007 film, directed by Mike Nichols, also starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams.

Reports: Fallon to succeed Conan on 'Late Night' (AP)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jimmy Fallon appears to be inching closer to Conan O'Brien's "Late Night" chair. For months, Fallon has been widely considered the top choice to succeed O'Brien when he steps down next year. On Thursday, published reports said Fallon has signed, or soon will sign, a deal with NBC.

NBC had no comment Thursday on the stories by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The network had been expected to announce its choice of host within the next few weeks, possibly at its May 12 presentation for advertisers.

A former regular on "Saturday Night Live," Fallon, 33, would take over sometime next year as host of the 12:30 a.m. talk show. O'Brien is to replace Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight" show, aired at 11:30 p.m. each weeknight.

Fallon taking over "Late Night" is the only part of this talk-show turnover that remained in any doubt. The succession plan at the "Tonight" show, including Leno's departure, was announced by NBC in 2004.

But as long ago as last summer, NBC late-night boss Rick Ludwin was quoted as saying that Fallon "is at the top of our short list."

___

NBC is owned by General Electric Co.

Lindsay Lohan takes ?girlfriend?s? last name; yells at Ashley Olsen

Despite her public claims that she and BFF Samantha Ronson are just really great friends, Lindsay Lohan sure is acting like her girlfriend. Or maybe even her wife. Yesterday we told you how Lindsay gave up pretending to be sober while partying at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone on Saturday night. According to the New York Post, Lindsay – being Lindsay – made sure to add a hell of a lot more drama to the night.

Lindsay Lohan gets feisty when it comes to gal pal Sam Ronson. The two spent the weekend partying at the Beatrice Inn on Friday and Hawaiian Tropic Zone on Saturday, where Ronson was spinning, but Lohan didn't like all the attention Ronson was getting. "Ashley Olsen said hello to Sam at the Beatrice, and Lindsay screamed at her, 'Get your 15-year-old 'Full House' a - - away from my girlfriend,' " said our spy. Saturday, Lohan said Ronson "was ignoring her" and became upset. "Samantha was really focused on her work and didn't leave the booth for anything," said our spy. Lindsay is so into her pal, she's even created a Facebook profile under "Lindsay Ronson."

[From the New York Post]

Ashley Olsen doesn’t exactly seem like she’d pose a threat to whatever relationship Lohan and Ronson have going on. And by most accounts she’s a well-behaved woman who seems to have her act together and runs a successful business. I doubt she’s used to being spoken to that way. It just shows how classless Lindsay Lohan is… in case that wasn’t already clear.

Both the New York Post, Gawker, and Radar all have stories on Lindsay’s Facebook page under “Lindsay Ronson.” That’s quite the commitment to a friendship right there – e-changing your last name. All three seem to think the profile is real, due to the legit famous friends she has.

Our favorite cocaine-dappled redhead, actress Lindsay Lohan, has a Facebook profile! But it's undercover She goes by the name "Lindsay Ronson," using the last name of her friend (girlfriend perhaps??), DJ Samantha Ronson. She's friends with Marc Jacobs, his ex-fiancé (and former hooker) Jason Preston, The Hills' Lauren Conrad, model Jessica Stam, random internet socialite Cory Kennedy, and a whole host of other notable idiots. It's funny to see that all these loathsome people are connected, though I guess it makes some perfect cosmic sense in a way. Though maybe they don't all get along. She's friends with a "Hillary Duff" (a notorious enemy) and, judging by her "Wall," she and model Lauren Hastings seem to be in some sort of fight. Also, as you can see from her "Status," she's totes serious about her new sober living ("It was 430 am!!!" she offers as cryptic explanation for something), even though she's been seen hard partying all over the place.

[From Gawker]

The Lindsay “Ronson” profile is back to private on Facebook… I’m guessing she got a lot of attention for it. There’s some screen captures below. I think it looks pretty legit. All I can say is, that Lindsay Lohan is one crazy girlfriend. Can you imagine what would happen if you were dating a guy, and made his last name yours on your Facebook page? There would be major hell to pay.

Here are the screen caps of Lindsay’s Facebook page. Header of Lindsay and Samantha are shown hanging out outside the DCMA store on April 11th. Images thanks to WENN.