Lindsay denies drinking before 2005 crash

Lindsay Lohan says she was sober before a 2005 car crash near Beverly Hills. The 21-year-old actress is being sued for negligence over the accident in which her Mercedes-Benz hit a van and injured the driver, Raymundo Ortega. Ortega, a busboy, alleges Lohan had been drinking at The Ivy restaurant before the crash even though she was underage at the time. Ortega is seeking at least $200,000 in damages from Lohan and the restaurant. But in a Dec. 15 declaration, Lohan stated: "I did not consume an alcoholic beverage or any type of medication or drug" either before or during her restaurant visit. A call to Lohan lawyer David Ozeran wasn't immediately returned Wednesday. Lohan's declaration was filed Friday in Superior Court by lawyers for The Ivy along with other documents, including a declaration by the waiter who served Lohan. The server, Adam Novicki, said Lohan didn't order alcohol. Alonzo Howell, a Los Angeles police officer who was providing security for The Ivy that day, also said he didn't see Lohan drinking. Lohan has countersued Ortega, citing a California Highway Patrol report that said he was at fault for the crash because he made an illegal U-turn. Lohan served 84 minutes in jail last month after pleading guilty to misdemeanour drunken driving and cocaine charges unrelated to the 2005 crash.

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Brendan Fraser splits from wife

Brendan Fraser announced Wednesday that he and his wife of nine-years, Afton, are ending their marriage. "They continue to maintain a close and caring friendship," a publicist for the 39-year-old Canadian-born actor said in a statement. The couple wed in 1998 and have three children.

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Paris's inheritance goes to charity

Paris Hilton's future bank account has just taken an enormous hit – on account of her grandfather. Barron Hilton, the 80-year-old son of the founder of the worldwide hotel chain that carries the family name, has earmarked 97 percent of his vast fortune – nearly $2.3 billion – to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, to help the homeless with housing, find safe water in developing countries and assist other good causes around the world, it has been announced. To Barron's heirs – who include Paris – will go the remaining three percent: some $69 million, which is said to be taxable. According to calculations by New York's Daily News, Paris, who once foresaw a $100 million inheritance, is now likely looking at $5 million. In a statement, Barron Hilton said that his father, Conrad, had set the example and bequeathed 97 percent of his money to the charitable foundation, which the elder Hilton founded in 1944, "and I am proud to follow my father's example." Hilton has eight children and numerous grandchildren in addition to the 26-year-old celebrated Beverly Hills socialite.

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Mischa Barton arrested for DUI

Mischa Barton has been arrested for DUI, possession of illegal narcotics and driving without a valid license. The former "O.C." star was pulled over early this morning around 3:00 AM as she was driving in West Hollywood, Calif., and is still in custody, being held on $10,000 bail. More to come as story develops...

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Fergie and Josh Duhamel engaged

After 3 years of dating, Fergie and Josh Duhamel are engaged, his rep confirms. "Fergie called a lot of her girlfriends today to tell them the news," a source close to the singer said. "She said they don't know what kind of wedding they want yet, but that she is the happiest girl on earth." The Las Vegas star's rep would say only that they got engaged "recently," but not on Christmas. TMZ.com first reported the engagement news Wednesday. Fergie was seen sporting a diamond ring on her all-important digit back in November, during the American Music Awards, but her rep denied the engagement rumors then.

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Britney's date with a paparazzo

Britney Spears is taking her love for paparazzi attention to a new level! Spears reportedly spent early Sunday morning in a Beverly Hills hotel room with a paparazzi photographer who regularly covers the troubled pop star. According to reports, the pair was holed up in Spears' room at the Peninsula Hotel until the wee hours of Sunday. The photographer, whose first name is Adnan, departed the hotel at 6 a.m. Sources say Spears left at around 9 a.m. and returned to her nearby home off Mulholland Drive. But when contacted, the photographer denied any romance, saying, "We are just friends. She was just a little upset, pretty much about everything." According to Splash News Online, Spears' "wild date" began Saturday night with the photographer, who works for the Finalpixx photo agency, handing Spears his business card at a gas station after he heard she "liked" him. Soon after getting his card, Spears contacted him and, after meeting up, the pair was later spotted holding hands at a supermarket. "After discussing the possibility of him coming into her house she said that her house was too dirty and that she would rather go to a hotel," Splash reports. "So they changed cars and she went back to her house to freshen up while Adnan parked down the road and waited for her. She then came out in her car and they both drove to an L.A. hotel." As of Sunday afternoon, a source says Spears was at her Beverly Hills home with her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James.

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Katherine Heigl ties the knot

With a light snow falling outside, Katherine Heigl exchanged vows with musician Josh Kelley in scenic Park City, Utah. The private reception was witnessed by Grey's Anatomy costars T.R. Knight – who said it was "incredible and beautiful" – and Sandra Oh, as well as Private Practice star Kate Walsh and new husband Alex Young. Taking place in a small, private tent at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, the nuptuals lasted about 30 minutes in an area decked out in white flowers and white candles. A walkway from the tent to the nearby reception was lined with white candles, illuminating the fresh snow. The ceremony was officiated by Unitarian minister Tom Goldsmith. Heigl walked down the aisle to an acoustic song written by Kelley and performed by a cello and guitar players. According to a source, the bride and groom wrote their own vows. The bridesmaids wore red. The two met in 2005 when Heigl, 29, appeared in a video for Kelley's song "Only You." Kelley, 27, an Augusta, Ga., native, said in November that he was excited about marrying the actress. "It's about showing someone you love that you're actually capable of the ultimate commitment," he said. "We're madly in love and she makes me excited to become married and to have a family and spend my life with someone. We're fairly opposite but we also share a lot of the same values." The couple spent the week before their wedding making last minute preparations. On Wednesday, they spent the day running errands in Los Feliz, Calif. and Heigl got her nails done at Fancy Nails. While there, she happily posed for photos before deciding on fire engine red polish for the big day. Afterwards, the two lunched at French bistro Figaro with Heigl's mom Nancy and Grey's costar T.R. Knight. On Friday, they met with Rev. Goldsmith at his church in Salt Lake. "Two friends were with them," says a source. "Katherine and Josh seemed happy and relaxed." Guests for the wedding began arriving in Salt Lake on Thursday and prior to the ceremony, Heigl enjoyed a "really feminine and small" bridal shower with 15 friends. A rehearsal took place on Saturday. The actress recently told Vanity Fair that she had no misgivings about marriage. "It's a crapshoot. The odds are really bad, especially in this town," the actress says. "But I have a lot of faith in Josh, and I wanted to have that one day when I stand in front of my friends and my family and honor him and how important he is in my life."

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Michelle reports to jail

Actress Michelle Rodriguez began a 180-day jail term in Los Angeles on Sunday for probation violation, the second Hollywood celebrity after Kiefer Sutherland to face a Christmas incarceration. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. records, the former "Lost" star checked in to Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, south of downtown Los Angeles, under her given name, Mayte. Michelle is her middle name. Rodriguez must serve the full stretch in the overcrowded jail, where sentences for minor crimes are often cut short. In November, actress Lindsay Lohan served 84 minutes of a 1-day sentence, while reality TV starlet Nicole Richie was released 80 minutes into her 4-day term in August. A judge sentenced Rodriguez in October for violating her probation on previous drunken-driving and hit-and-run offenses, and specified that she not be granted work furlough, early release or home confinement. Rodriguez admitted failing to complete community service obligations. She was also found to have consumed alcohol on at least three occasions while wearing a monitoring bracelet around her ankle, in violation of a probation requirement that she refrain from drinking for 90 days. The probation violation stems from a 2004 plea of no contest -- the equivalent of guilty -- to three traffic offenses in Los Angeles, including hit-and-run and drunken driving violations. She was previously sentenced to 60 days in jail for a probation violation in May 2006, but was released after just four hours and 20 minutes due to overcrowding. Rodriguez rose to fame in 2000, playing a feisty pugilist in the indie film "Girlfight." She went on to star in such movies as "The Fast and the Furious" and "Blue Crush." Her "Lost" character, police officer Ana-Lucia Cortez, was killed off after about two dozen episodes. Sutherland, the star of the action series "24," began a 48-day term in another Los Angeles-area jail on December 5 for drunken driving.

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Nicole and Joel find the meaning of Christmas

In their first major charitable outreach since announcing the launch earlier this month of the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden on Saturday hosted a holiday party for children and families from L.A. homeless programs. More than 200 children and their family members enjoyed a "winter wonderland" on the Paramount Studios lot featuring teddy bears, cookies, cupcakes, face-painting, clowns, holiday music, Santa Claus and his elves. Children, selected from the L.A. homeless program Beyond Shelter, were able to choose from a teddy bear mountain of 500 "Cuddle Cub" stuffed bears. "It was a no-brainer for us to pull this party together for them for the holidays," Richie, who is pregnant with her first child, said. "We want to do much more to address the homeless issue, especially where it puts children at risk. But for now, we can at least try to help them have a merry Christmas by giving them teddy bears and getting them fitted for shoes. That's something we can do right now, today."

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Jessica avoids jinx

Jessica Simpson knows when she's not wanted. The starlet was an apparent no-show at Saturday's Dallas Cowboys game against the Carolina Panthers in Simpson's native Texas – a week after fans criticized her presence as a distraction to her boyfriend and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Romo, 27, had a great game this time, rebounding from his Dec. 16 performance, when Simpson, in a pink Cowboys jersey, watched from a luxury box. After the 20-13 win over the Panthers, Romo told reporters that Simpson, 27, was indeed watching the game – and even hinted that she may have been in attendance. "I know she saw all of that tonight," Romo said after the game, when asked if Simpson had seen fans wearing masks of her face. "She was at the game tonight, so I don't know." He added, "I don't talk about my personal life." After Romo endured the worst game of his professional career last week, fans of opposing teams started the website RuinRomo.com, which offers a Simpson mask that visitors can download, print and wear to games in an effort to jinx the star quarterback. This week, Romo told the NFL Network that Simpson was bothered by the negative attention. "I don't care how the perception is of me," Romo said. "But it hurts me when it hurts people that are close to me... That's part of being in the public eye."

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Brit's mom's book still in the works

Lynne Spears' second book, Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame in a Tabloid World, is still in the works despite earlier reports that it had been shelved, the same week that Jamie Lynn announced she was pregnant at age 16. "It is her memoir, not a parenting book," Lindsey Nobles, a rep for publisher Thomas Nelson, said Friday. As for when the book is due, Nobles says, “We don’t know. We don’t have a new publication date. It is still in the process of being written.” Meanwhile, the company – which publishes Christian books – has released a statement supporting Lynne in light of Jamie Lynn's pregnancy scandal. "Lynne's remarkable story will provide a window into the real-life world of fame and worldly success, including the terrible toll it extracts from those who aspire to it," Michael Hyatt, the president of Thomas Nelson said. "Though the book has been delayed, we believe God is at work." "The story is still being written, and we are confident in His ability to turn ashes into beauty."

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Teri Polo welcomes daughter

Teri Polo and her musician boyfriend Jamie Wollam welcomed a baby girl Thursday. Daughter Bayley was born at 3:02 p.m. in Los Angeles and weighed 7 lbs., a rep for the actress says. This was the first child for Polo, 38, and Wollam together. They also each have a son from previous marriages: Polo has Griffin, 5, and Wollam has Carter, 9. Polo, best known for playing Ben Stiller's fiancée in Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, announced her pregnancy last fall, saying: "It's my favorite role – being a mom." Polo and Wollam have been together since 2004 after they met on the set of a music video for his former band, Avion.

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Britney is "still shocked"

Things are even more hectic than usual for Britney Spears. On Thursday, after spending a cozy afternoon at her Beverly Hills home with sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, the singer scheduled – then canceled – a session at Millennium Dance Complex. "She wanted to try out a new dance routine," says a source. But, in the wake of her 16-year-old sister's surprise pregnancy announcement, the studio was swarmed by hoards of photographers. When Spears, 26 – who had been kept in the dark about the baby news until the story broke on Tuesday – saw the crowd, "she freaked out and just kept driving," says the source, who was on the scene. "Britney said that she doesn't want to deal with the media because she is still shocked [about Jamie Lynn's pregnancy news]," adds the source. "She feels that she needs peace and quiet." Spears, however, was friendly with the photogs during a shopping trip with her assistant. The duo stopped by Carl's Junior, and, although Hollywood offers plenty of great shops, Spears hit a souvenir store where she picked up (and posed with) a Tinkerbell t-shirt and a pink bedazzled onesie.

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No shotgun wedding for Jessica

Jessica Alba is expecting a baby, but don't expect the actress to look like it if she gets married! Us Weekly reports in its new issue that Alba, 26, and boyfriend Cash Warren, 28, who split July 22 only to reunite in late August, currently don't have plans for a wedding. In fact, a source said, "She doesn't want to be pregnant in a dress!" But a wedding was on Alba's to-do list just before she broke up with Warren. "She wanted to get married, but Cash wasn't ready," says a source. Nuptials or not, Alba's family is looking forward to her having a baby. "We're all thrilled for them," Alba's brother Josh said.

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Angelina disturbed by weight scrutiny

Angelina Jolie admits she got too skinny this year but says she was bothered by all the negative scrutiny. Jolie, 32 — who says she lost weight while grieving over her mother's passing in January — opened up in the new issue of Grazia magazine. “The thing that’s disturbing is that instead of people saying, ‘This looks like a person that’s actually dealing with something, probably from emotions,’ they say, ‘Does she fit into skinny jeans and look thin?’” Jolie said. “I want people to understand who I am as a person is not somebody that’s trying to look thin, but just trying to work through a very difficult year,” she said. Jolie said she got through her death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, thanks to the support of her beau Brad Pitt. “He is just a great friend and when my mother passed, he was so great,” she said. “He sat with me and held [my mother’s] hand. After she passed away he spent the night asking me and my brother about our mother and got us to tell funny stories about her. “He focused on all the love and joy we were fortunate enough to have had,” Jolie said. “He was extraordinary.”

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Tom's kids call Katie "Mom"

Katie Holmes gushes that husband Tom Cruise is a "great father and husband" and says his two children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman are "incredible, really smart and kind." "They call me 'Mom'," Holmes says in this week's Parade Magazine of Cruise's first two children, Isabella, who turns 15 this month, and Connor, 12. (Ouch - their mom Nicole Kidman recently revealed that they don't even call her mom.) The 29-year-old actress says she's looking forward to spending the holidays cooking and skiing in Telluride, Colo., with Cruise, their baby daughter Suri, and both sides of the big family. "Last year was Suri's first Christmas. It was so spectacular to share the holidays with her," she says. "It really meant the world to me. To be able to create a tradition for your children is one of the best gifts you can have." Her one-year marriage to Cruise, she says, is another gift. "Oh, we have so much fun," she says. "Tom has introduced me to so many new experiences. I have done things I never thought I would do, like climbing mountains and flying in the P-51. That's what is so inspiring about being with him – constant thrills and joy." After taking a two-year hiatus from her acting career, Holmes stars in the upcoming film Mad Money with Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah. She says the three of them had a blast: "We got our morning female talk in the trailer every day." She tells Parade that Tom was very excited for her to do the movie, and that he loved hearing all the stories. He has a great understanding of "the female bond" because he has three sisters, she says. "He was raised by a single mother and has two daughters," she explains.

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SAG Award noms announced

The Screen Actors Guild, which represents film and television actors, on Thursday nominated the performers in grim crime thriller No Country for Old Men and western 3:10 to Yuma for best ensemble cast in a movie. Joining them on the list for SAG's top award were the casts of musical Hairspray, crime drama American Gangster and wilderness tale Into the Wild. In the category for best film actor in a drama, SAG nominated George Clooney for his role as a troubled attorney in Michael Clayton, Daniel Day-Lewis in oil prospecting drama There Will Be Blood, Ryan Gosling for heartwarming comedy Lars and the Real Girl, Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild and Viggo Mortensen for crime thriller Eastern Promises. Film actress nominations went to Cate Blanchett for drama Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Julie Christie in Alzheimer's tale Away from Her, French actress Marion Cotillard for her role as singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, Angelina Jolie as the wife of slain journalist Daniel Pearl for A Mighty Heart, and Ellen Page in teen pregnancy comedy, Juno. The Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be given out on January 27 in Los Angeles, often indicate who will be nominated for the film industry's top honors, the Oscars, because actors make up the largest group of Academy Award voters. But unlike the Oscars, which are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, SAG also hands out awards in TV categories. The top TV award is best cast in a drama and that grouping featured familiar names like The Sopranos, Boston Legal, Grey's Anatomy, The Closer and cable TV newcomer, Mad Men. The nominees for best ensemble cast in a TV comedy also featured a list of programs that have been nominated for past Hollywood awards, including 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, Entourage, The Office and Ugly Betty.

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Brad's next project

Brad Pitt may be climbing into Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, replacing Heath Ledger in the gestating drama. According to Variety, Pitt is in talks to join the River Road-financed project, which will also feature Sean Penn. Ledger had been attached to the lead role as recently as late October and the trade paper gives no indications as to what happened to the Brokeback Mountain star's participation. Nobody knows much of anything about the Malick-scripted drama except that production would begin this spring. Ledger was circling a leading role originally earmarked for Colin Farrell. Penn's role in the project would only be a supporting turn (no contracts have been signed), especially since he'll be playing the title character in Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk. The trade paper says that although Pitt was expected to collect a $20 million against gross paycheck for State of Play, which he exited last month, he'd only receive a fraction of that for "Tree of Life." Pitt has finished work on The Curious Incident of Benjamin Button and Burn After Reading, both set for release next year.

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Lily Allen announces pregnancy

British singer Lily Allen is pregnant with her first child, her rep confirms. The 22-year-old "Smile" singer has been dating the Chemical Brothers' Ed Simons, 37, since September. "As the pregnancy is at a very, very early stage, the couple ask that you respect their privacy," her rep said in a statement. "The couple will be making no further comment but they are obviously both thrilled by the news." Allen, whose 2006 debut album, Alright, Still, sold nearly 2 million copies, recently talked about her desire to step out of the limelight and start a family. "Maybe I could retire at 25. I'm only going to do one more album, she told Britain's Sunday Times in November. "It's a great job, but it doesn't leave time for what's important. Like having a family," she added. "I'd like to live in the country and have a walled garden, and chickens and pigs." Despite the pregnancy news – first reported by Britain's The Sun – Allen's rep said, "Lily's new album will be released as planned next year."

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Britney found out the same way you did

Britney Spears found out about her 16-year-old sister's pregnancy the same time everybody else did, a family friend says. "This is going to kill her," the friend says. "In the end, she'll be supportive, but this is a big shock." Another source says there's no rift between them, but that Jamie Lynn's advisors have tried to keep her apart from her 26-year-old sister. "Britney doesn't have to listen to anyone now but her sister still does so who knows what people are telling her," says the source. "She has her career now too. Things have been put on hold for Lynne Spears's book about raising her famous daughters Britney and Jamie Lynn, the publisher confirms. "The book is delayed indefinitely. It's delayed, not cancelled," says a spokeswoman for Thomas Nelson, which publishes inspirational books and Bibles. It had been scheduled for a spring 2008 release and was put on hold last week, says the rep. On Tuesday, news hit that 16-year-old Jamie Lynn is pregnant with her boyfriend's child. Publishers' Weekly described the book as "Lynne Spears's personal story of raising high-profile children while coming from a low-profile Louisiana community." The publisher declined to comment on whether the focus of the book would change in light of the pregnancy announcement. "We are standing behind Lynn at this time and understand that she needs time with her family – we support that," says the spokeswoman.

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Britney's teenage sister is pregnant

Britney Spears's 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant, Nickelodeon confirmed Tuesday. "We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being," says the network, which carries her series Zoey 101. A rep for Spears was not immediately available for comment. The network statement follows internet reports that Spears's mother had confirmed the pregnancy to OK! magazine. Spears, a high school junior who is 10 years younger than Britney, had until now escaped much of the attention about her personal life that has surrounded her sister. Jamie Lynn stars as a schoolgirl at the fictitious Pacific Coast Academy in Zoey 101, finishing its third season next month as one of Nickelodeon's highest-rated shows. She recently told the Associated Press that didn't have a serious boyfriend. "I kind of just keep my options open," she said. "I have a bunch of friends that I always hang out with, a bunch of guy friends." She added that her priority was to focus on her real-life schoolwork before considering any additional TV series or film roles. "I'm going to try to graduate before I do anything else," she told AP.

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Amy Winehouse arrested

Amy Winehouse was arrested Tuesday in London on suspicion of attempting to interfere with a court case involving her husband, her rep says. "I can confirm that she did go in voluntarily to be interviewed and was placed under arrest, as is common practice in the U.K., before being questioned," her rep said. "She hasn't been charged with anything." Blake Fielder-Civil, 25, is charged with conspiracy involving alleged witness tampering in his upcoming assault trial. He will spend the holidays in jail as he awaits a January 18 hearing. A source denied a recent News of the World report that Winehouse, 24, and Fielder-Civil, 25, have a suicide pact if they both are sentenced behind bars for a long time. "That is an old story that keeps being regurgitated and changed around for each story and is absolutely not true," the source said.

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No politics in Brad's future

There will be no “Senator” title in Brad Pitt’s future. Despite the Hollywood heartthrob's dedication to Make It Right, a program Pitt launched to build 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, worth $150,000 each, he told Newsweek he is quite happy to stay on the other side of politics. “Not a chance,” Pitt said. “[That’s] the same reason I won’t direct. I don’t think it’s my place. Besides, you can create acts of social disobedience from the outside.” When asked if he thought it was the government’s job to rebuild the houses his organization is focusing on, Pitt said he was glad Make It Right help to put the focus on the continuing troubles of New Orleans for the election season. “It certainly illuminated that a certain portion of society is not being looked after. I think it should be one of the major issues of the upcoming campaign,” he said. “This is a proving ground for so many issues: education, health reform, poverty level, unemployment [and] violence that comes from these conditions.” Despite Pitt’s well-documented love of architecture, the actor is sticking to helping out on aspects other than the design board for the project. “We didn’t want to stifle these minds in any way,” he said. “We put forth the criteria that the housing would have to be sustainable, affordable, safe and beautiful. This has been one of the age-old challenges in architecture: how do you find aesthetics with affordability?” In other Pitt news, the actor said his plans for the holidays are minimal – he’ll be spending it with his family. Just don’t expect any Jolie-Pitt caroling. “I wouldn’t say we have real singing talent in our family,” he said.

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Ali Larter engaged

Heroes star Ali Larter and her longtime boyfriend, actor Hayes MacArthur, got engaged over the weekend. "It's true," says a rep for the actress. "They're thrilled." This will be the first marriage for both. No wedding date has been set. Larter, 31, has made it clear she has been more than ready for a proposal from MacArthur, who recently appeared in The Game Plan. "I told my boyfriend after three weeks that I wanted to marry him and that we could do it tomorrow," Larter recently said. "I look forward to that time when I'm home with babies." And in August, Larter she was madly in love, adding that MacArthur has "brought light to my life. I feel lucky every morning when I wake up and see him."

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Oscars in jeopardy?

The Oscars may be a lot shorter this year. The Writers Guild of America will not allow its members to write for the February 24 awards show nor the Golden Globes on January 13. On Monday, the Associated Press cited a guild source, who declined to say when the decision had been made. Still no word from Academy Award host Jon Stewart, a writers guild member, who has so far honored the strike. Stewart may not be the only awards show no-show. Nominee Katherine Heigl said Friday at a screening for her movie 27 Dresses: "I've been asked by my Guild not to cross the picket line, and I really have to respect that. "But I think I would feel uncomfortable doing that because I think it makes a really big statement I'm not sure I really want to make," she added. "The reality is, I really want to go – so I really wish that they'd get their waiver."
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Happy bday Katie! (and Brad and Xtina)

Happy birthday to Brad Pitt, Katie Holmes and Christina Aguilera!

Pitt (born in Shawnee, Oklamoma, in 1963), Holmes (born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978) and Aguilera (born in Staten Island, NY in 1980) all mark the passing of another year today.

Pam files for divorce

Pamela Anderson filed for divorce from Rick Salomon after two months of marriage last week, but a reconciliation may already be in the works. Anderson, 40, filed for divorce Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The actress says she and Salomon separated the day before, on Thursday. She is seeking to have Salomon pay spousal support and attorney's fees. But two days later, she was spotted shopping with Salomon, and on Monday she posted this brief note on her website: "P.S. We're working things out." The former Baywatch star married Salomon, 39, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas on Oct. 6 – during an hour-and-a-half break between two magic shows Anderson was performing. Her rep had no comment on the filing, and Anderson doesn't mention it in detail on her site. Her postscript message followed a posting Monday saying she had turned down a lucrative offer to appear in another Las Vegas show so she could spend more time with her children in Malibu. "I've never made decisions based on money – and I'd hate to start now," she writes. "I'm going to work on my dream now – and stay Home--!!!" The marriage was the third for both. Anderson was previously married to Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. Salomon's ex-wives are Elizabeth Daily and Shannen Doherty. What about Anderson's poor kids? She might want to start factoring their well-being into her decisions.

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Jessica cheers new beau

Jessica Simpson was certainly as glamorous as any Dallas Cheerleader Sunday night, with her perfectly coiffed hair and miniature Tony Romo jersey emblazoned with a pink number 9. But she wasn't exactly a good luck charm. Her new boyfriend struggled all game, throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball twice as his heavily favored Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 10-6. At one point, the network even showed a montage of Simpson, 27, spliced with shots of Romo's bad throws. As commentator Joe Buck noted, "It's never easy to play in front of your girlfriend." That seems especially true for Romo. The 27-year-old Pro-Bowler ended the game with a quarterback rating of just 22.2 – that's the worst ever in his entire career. (In comparison, his average rating this year is over 100.) His previous low? Last December, when then-girlfriend Carrie Underwood was in the stands. His latest performance is sure to anger some of the always-outspoken Dallas diehards. In fact, the backlash may have already begun. According to the Dallas Morning News, Romo was heckled outside the arena last night by a female fan who shouted, "Worry about the game, not your girlfriend!"

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911 call released

A frantic call to 911 seeking help for Donda West, the mother of Kanye West, on the day she died was posted online Monday. The recording, posted at TMZ.com, captures a conversation between a distressed, unidentified caller and the 911 dispatcher. The caller says she and friends are attempting to administer CPR to West, who had stopped breathing after suffering what the caller assumes is a heart attack. Informed of the recording, Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who worked on Donda West before her death, said, "I have not heard the tape yet so I cannot comment at this time." West died Nov. 10 from possible complications from cosmetic surgery.

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Leno and Conan back on air in January

After two months of repeats due to the writers' strike, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Late Night With Conan O'Brien will return with all-new episodes Wednesday, January 2. "We are are not using writers," a NBC rep says. In a statement, O'Brien said, "An unwritten version of Late Night, though not desirable, is possible — and no one has to be fired. I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers and I'll do the best version of Late Night I can under the circumstances." Added Leno, "We fully support our writers and I think they understand my decision." Guest lineups for the shows will be announced at a later date, NBC officials said. Meanwhile, eager to air new episodes as well, David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, may negotiate an independent, interim agreement deal with the Writers Guild of America, Worldwide Pants Chief Executive Rob Burnett said in a statement. "It is our strong desire to be back on the air with our writers, and we hope that will happen as soon as possible."

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More Dallas movie saga

John Travolta has been dropped from the Dallas movie after being promoted as the project's anchor for more than two years. Insiders say Travolta was "let go about two weeks ago. He had the role of J.R. Ewing taken from him and given to Ben Stiller." However, a rep for Stiller denies the comic actor accepted or was offered the part. "John was given a nice seven-figure 'gift' to go away quietly," our source added. "He also got five family members roles in the movie, and they aren't going to be in it now, either." A friend of Travolta confirmed, "He is not doing the movie. They've gone in a different direction than was originally intended. I don't know about any 'gift,' and I don't think the family member thing is correct." A rep for Travolta declined to comment. This is just the latest chapter in the troubled Dallas saga. The first big upheaval occurred last year when Shirley MacLaine (who was to play Miss Ellie), Luke Wilson (Bobby Ewing) and Jennifer Lopez (Sue Ellen) were dropped from the cast. Meg Ryan and Matthew McConaughey's names were then brought up, but neither was signed. A spokesperson for 20th Century Fox declined to comment.

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"I'm growing up" says Lindsay

Lindsay Lohan called into a Las Vegas radio station on Friday in an effort to score Hannah Montana tickets for a friend's nieces – and ended up chatting with the hosts about how her life is going. "I think my life is different now, and it's changed, and I'm growing up," Lohan, 21, told the morning hosts at Mix 94.1 FM– which just happens to be giving away tickets to people who get celebs to call in. "It was time to grow up. I've gone through a lot, and I'm just a different person now," said Lohan, later saying, "It's amazing, everything's going so well." Asked about her life since rehab, the actress said she has turned a page, which she said is why she's been in the news less often lately. She also discussed her current projects – mostly musical in nature. "I've been in the studio, and it's going really well, and I'm really excited, 'cause it's going to be more urban pop," she said. "It's good to be back in the studio." She declined to discuss her love life ("I don't kiss and tell"), but added that she hopes she can plan a trip to Africa on a humanitarian mission sometime soon. "I really love children," she said, "and it would be nice to give back."

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KFed's lawyer speaks

Kevin Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan spoke to Us mag on Friday outside L.A. Superior Court about Britney Spears skipping her scheduled deposition this past Wednesday. Though he said he was "not upset" by her absence, he said the matter will be addressed in court "probably within the next 30 days." He said, "This can be done with her participation or without it. But it doesn't help anyone not to obey court orders. We will go forward, and she can respond in anyway that addresses her failure to appear." As for Spears pal Sam Lutfi's claim that the singer didn't show due to anxiety from paparazzi, Kaplan said: "If the paparazzi are something that are causing anxiety, that is something I would assume that she deals with most of her life. So I am not sure why the paparazzi anxiety level happened to coincide with the fact that the court ordered her to appear to be cross examined." When asked how he felt about websites reporting that Spears was out until 2 a.m. that same night, he said, "she probably got over her anxiety, apparently." He declined to comment how Federline felt about her cancellation. The next court date is January 23.

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Jessica to hit the big screen after all

Jessica Simpson's film Blonde Ambition, costarring Luke Wilson, will be hitting theaters after all – with a limited run in Simpson's home state of Texas, the movie's studio confirms. "The film is being released theatrically on Dec. 21," says Elizabeth Wolfe, a spokeswoman for both Nu Image/Millennium Films, the film's production company, and First Look Distribution, which will distribute the romantic comedy. Aside from Simpson and Wilson, the cast also includes Andy Dick, Rachael Leigh Cook and Penelope Ann Miller. News of the film's theatrical release comes following reports that the film was getting the direct-to-DVD treatment in late January, skipping theaters altogether. Says Wolfe: "It is being released in this crowded marketplace in eight theaters in Texas. The reason we chose Texas is the two stars are from Texas: Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson. As an independent studio, we, as a rule, don't have major wide releases. It's a very common release practice for independent studios." Wolfe adds that the studio isn't ruling out a wider rollout. "Once it opens, we'll assess how well it did." As for Simpson's performance, Wolfe says, "It is a very cute film that Jessica fans will love and be thrilled with. We've done a second film with Jessica, Major Movie Star [slated for 2008 release], and we have all the confidence in her."

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Ryan and Michelle?

Ryan Gosling was photographed last week with "Heroes" cutie Hayden Panettiere, but Tuesday night he only had eyes for Heath Ledger's ex, Michelle Williams. The two had dinner at Piadina and were caught by onlookers having a cozy cigarette outside the West 10th Street eatery. The star of "Lars and the Real Girl" was "smiling and gazing at her," said our witness. Reps for both said they weren't on a date, but just discussing an upcoming film project they're working on together.

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Nicole wins perfume suit

Nicole Kidman has come out of a court case smelling like a rose – or, at least, Chanel No. 5. The Oscar winner and Chanel model, 40, has accepted damages from the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph for wrongly reporting that she had breached provisions in her promotional contract for Chanel No. 5 perfume, the Associated Press reports. Kidman's lawyer, John Kelly, said his client suffered significant embarrassment and distress over the fabricated Telegraph story, which was published last month. The newspaper's "Spy" column said that when Kidman hit the U.K. to promote her new movie with Daniel Craig, The Golden Compass, she carried a bottle of a rival fragrance. Kidman was not in the London court on Friday to hear the decision, and details of the settlement – which Kelly termed "substantial" – are not being disclosed. The attorney did say, however, that Kidman would donate whatever damages she'll be awarded to the United Nations Development Fund for Women. He also said that the newspaper had determined that its source for the story had made it up.

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Katie opens up

Katie Holmes opens up about her one-year marriage to Tom Cruise in January's InStyle mag, revealing his biggest turn-on. "Tom likes me in a suit and a mini every now and then. I like it when he likes it. It makes me blush," she told the mag. "He'll say, 'You look good. I hope security's going with you.' Now that gives me attitude." Holmes, 28, said they would "love to" have more kids, but " I'm in no particular rush." When Suri was born in 2006, Cruise, 43, was "by my side the whole time," Holmes said. "I couldn't have asked for a more supportive human being. He had the room ready, candles everywhere, pictures in frames. It was very homey and beautiful." How is their daughter doing at 20 months? "Suri is talking up a storm, running around, so aware," Holmes says. "She loves coloring and creating. She's a great mimic and dancer. She came to the photo shoot and was all into the shoes." Holmes also revealed that she fell in love with Cruise "in an instant." "I still get like that, 'Whew.' When you fall in love, it's as though time stops," she said. "It's all-encompassing. "I try every day to let him know how much I love him," she added. "It gets better and better. It has made my life... I want to go to sleep knowing I made my family happy, I made myself happy, and I worked hard in all aspects of life," she says. "It's really pretty simple."

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Golden Globe nominations announced

The British historical romance "Atonement" led the competition for the Golden Globes with seven nominations Thursday, including best drama and acting honours for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The foreign-policy romp "Charlie Wilson's War" ran second to "Atonement" with five nominations. And among double nominees were Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clint Eastwood and Eddie Vedder - the latter two receiving bids for song and score. Movie noms below:

DRAMATIC PICTURE
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

MUSICAL OR COMEDY PICTURE
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd

BEST DIRECTOR
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel, Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Ridley Scott, American Gangster
Joe Wright, Atonement

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington, The Great Debaters

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Jodie Foster, The Brave One
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley, Atonement

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War
Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Savages
John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page, Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta, Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War
Amy Ryan, Gone, Baby, Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

But will the stars cross the picket line? The Globes, to be telecast Jan. 13 on NBC, have asked for a waiver from the Writers Guild of America in order to allow guild scribes to pen the script, but few expect it will be granted. For the full list of nominees, including television categories, go here.

Clooney, Cheadle awarded for Darfur work

Hollywood actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle received an award from Nobel peace prize laureates on Thursday for their campaign to help the people of Sudan's Darfur region after 4-1/2 years of war. Together with Brad Pitt, Clooney and Cheadle - co-stars in "Ocean's Thirteen" - have used their celebrity status to raise money for refugees through their "Not On Our Watch" charity, and make sure Darfur's "continuing carnage" is not forgotten. Experts estimate 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million uprooted in the conflict pitting mostly non-Arab rebel groups against the Khartoum government and Arab militia since 2003. Ceasefires have been agreed only to fall apart, and plans to send 26,000 United Nations peacekeepers have been thrown into doubt because of restrictions imposed by Khartoum and the failure by Western states to provide helicopters. "Don and I... stand here before you as failures," Clooney said, comparing his efforts to the achievements of the Nobel laureates attending the Peace Summit Award ceremony in Rome, including former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama. "The simple truth is that when it comes to the atrocities in Darfur those people are not better off now than they were years ago. The murders continue, the rapes continue and some two and a half million refugees are yet to go home," he said. "Some day this will all end, and whether all of us succeed or not it will end some day. And when they write about this, the question will be asked: where was the rest of the world? And the answer will be: it just wasn't a priority." Earlier this year Clooney, Cheadle and Pitt raised $10 million for Darfur at the Cannes film festival. Clooney and Cheadle also feature in a recently released documentary on the conflict, "Darfur Now."

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Britney skips deposition

Britney Spears was unable to attend her court-ordered deposition Wednesday morning due to an illness, a lawyer for Kevin Federline announced. "I was told of a general [medical] condition, and [Spears] felt she couldn't attend," Mark Vincent Kaplan said outside his Los Angeles office. Spears's friend Sam Lufti said an e-mail: "She's sick, both physically and high anxiety. Millions of press outside. It's too much." A new date was selected, but not revealed. Federline's attorney indicated he "will pursue" a court sanction against the pop star for failing to show. Spears's testimony was expected to last no more than a day. The pop star, 26, is battling ex-husband Federline, 29, over custody of sons Preston, 2 and Jayden, 1. Federline currently has primary physical custody, with supervised visitation for Spears. Kaplan already has completed a number of depositions of former Spears associates, including pal Alli Sims, former manager Larry Rudolph, and former bodyguard Daimon Shippen. He'll use evidence gathered in the depositions to argue that Federline should be granted primary custody in the court's final ruling. On Oct. 26, a court forbid Spears's deposition from being videotaped. At that hearing, Kaplan complained that Spears had evaded a deposition four times over the course of a year.

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Jessica Alba is pregnant

Jessica Alba is pregnant with boyfriend Cash Warren's child, her rep confirms. "I can confirm that Jessica and Cash are expecting a baby in late spring, early summer," says rep Brad Cafarelli. Alba, 26, has dated Warren, 28, since the fall of 2004 after they met on the set of The Fantastic Four, on which Warren was a director's assistant. The couple have been seen being affectionate together in Los Angeles in recent days, shopping for mattresses last Saturday and attending a Lakers game, where they were spotted kissing Sunday. Her upcoming films are The Eye and The Love Guru. Before the pregnancy announcement, she said she was in talks to make her Broadway premiere this summer in a revival of playwright David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow.

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Britney reviewing Virgin Mary script

TALK about blasphemy - French producer Phillippe Rebboah wants Britney Spears to play the Virgin Mary in a new satire titled "Sweet Baby Jesus." The producer says he plans to shoot the film in March, and that Spears is "reviewing the script." Spears would play a pregnant 19-year-old unsure of her baby's paternity who goes into labor on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, Maryland, as rumors swirl that the birth is Jesus Christ's second coming. Rebboah said, "I had to convince my partners, because they were like, 'Oh, no. Britney?' But I thought it was brilliant."

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Charges against Shia dropped

A misdemeanor trespassing charge against Shia LaBeouf was dropped this morning. The actor, 21, appeared in a Chicago court at 9 a.m. to answer a charge that he refused to leave a downtown Chicago Walgreens drug store last month, the Chicago Tribune reports. The hearing lasted a minute; Walgreens Co. said it didn't wish to continue the case. LaBeouf was arrested for trespassing following a night of partying at Chicago hot spot The Underground.

Pam planning reality show

Just two months after their Las Vegas wedding, Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon are taking the next step in celebrity marriage: a reality show! Sources say the couple is developing a reality series for the E! network that will bring viewers inside their whirlwind lifestyle. Says a source: "Think Nick and Jessica's show [MTV's Newlyweds], but with a lot more sex and a crazier family life." (Anderson recently said of her marriage, "We're in every night. Having sex.") Anderson, 40, has two sons (Brandon, 11, and Dylan, 9) from her marriage with rocker Tommy Lee; Salomon, best known for producing and starring in a 2003 sex tape with ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton, has two daughters from a previous marriage. The couple married on Oct. 6 after dating for just over a month. Sources say the show is slated to debut in 2008. “These two don’t have any boundaries, which is perfect for reality stars,” says a source of Anderson (whose honeymoon footage with ex Tommy Lee was turned into a porn video). An E! rep had no comment.

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Britney to be deposed Wednesday morning

Britney Spears is expected to give sworn testimony in a deposition in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning at the LA office of Federline's attorney. Spears, 26, lost joint custody of sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, in October, when LA court commissioner Scott M. Gordon granted her just two daytime visits a week, plus an overnight visit. A court-appointed monitor must be present during all visits. Sources say Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has already deposed several Spears friends and associates over the last couple months. Federline and Spears split just over a year ago.

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Gwen helps wildfire victims

Gwen Stefani is taking a detour from entertainment into charity, starting a college-scholarship fund for students affected by this fall's California wildfires. "When I heard about the devastation of the fires, at first I felt I should cancel my [San Diego] show out of respect," Stefani, 38, said in a statement, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "But then it occurred to me there might be a more useful solution." That led to the Gwen Stefani After-the-Fires Scholarship, which will benefit students who lost their homes or sources of income in the fires. Details of the fund are still being worked out. Stefani also donated about $160,000 in proceeds from her Oct. 30 concert in San Diego to the San Diego Foundation fire-relief fund. The wildfires raced through Southern California in late October and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
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Kiefer bombarded with fan mail in jail

Kiefer Sutherland was only allowed to bring two books for his 48-day stay in jail – but he's getting plenty of other reading material. "The guy's been getting a ton of fan mail," says officer John Balian, spokesman for the Glendale City Jail. "Easily more than 100 letters a day." So far, the 24 star has only had one visitor: his lawyer. Sutherland, 40, is serving time for his second DUI conviction and for violating probation. The actor will be spending his birthday, Christmas and New Year's behind bars.

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Olsens blasted by PETA

PETA has a new target. Well, two targets: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. In a new ad campaign to be unveiled today at the Olsens' Walk of Fame star on Hollywood Boulevard, PETA blasts the 21-year-old star sibs — whom they dub the "Trollsen Twins — for wearing fur and including it in their collections Elizabeth and James and The Row. "Thin-twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are about to get some publicity that will have them running away faster than if they'd spotted a calorie," the group said in a snarky statement today. The new ad features the twins under the headline "Fur Is Worn by Beautiful Animals and Ugly People." To coincide with the ad, PETA has also launched a new web site devoted to "Hairy-Kate" and "Trashley." It features, among other things, a mash-up video called "Full House of Horrors," in which footage from the twins' former hit TV show is interspersed with – you guessed it – scenes of animals being killed for fur. "No one would argue that Mary-Kate and Ashley could use some meat on their bones, but the last thing they need is hair on their backs," PETA's Assistant Director of Youth Campaigns Dan Shannon said in a statement.

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Charlize's home robbed

Police say the Hollywood-area home of Charlize Theron was burglarized last week. Police spokeswoman Sara Faden says officers were investigating the break-in, which occurred some time between Thursday and Saturday. Authorities did not know what, if anything, was taken. Faden couldn't immediately say who reported the incident or when police were first notified. Theron's publicist, Amanda Silverman, did not respond to an e-mail message Monday seeking more information. The 32-year-old actress won an Oscar for her role in "Monster." Her screen credits also include "North Country" and "The Cider House Rules."

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