Jessica Simpson leaving Barneys in Beverly Hills after some shopping with Ken Paves

Jessica Simpson doing what she does best shopping. A slightly less hairy Jessica Simpson and Best Friend Ken Paves were photographed shopping at Barneys. Maybe that's why their was no room for Nick.


Paris Hilton appears on the latest cover issue of Elle magazine



Paris on fashion:
"I love fashion. Ever since I was three years old I've been going to fashion shows. I still love to go shopping and buy my own stuff. I do all my own styling."

Paris on her former fashion sense:
"I look back at the pictures now and I'm like, 'Paris, what the hell were you thinking!' You look like a f***king idiot!"

Paris on breast augmentation:
"When I was 13 I really wanted a boob job because all my friends started to have boobs and I was the only one who looked like a boy. But you know what? I like being flat. I think it's hot. I never have to wear a bra."

Paris on food and Hollywood's thin obsession:
"I love to eat. L.A is all about being skinny. When you go to dinner, no one is eating or they're going to the bathroom to do something or they're just drinking water or shots, and I'm the one with the bacon and fries."

Paris on her former best friend Nicole Richie:
HERE

Paris on why she'll make it as a singer:
"I've always had a great voice."














Paris Hilton looking fashionably beautiful. No matter what she wears she is always looking so naturally beautiful. Hopefully her and Nicole will patch up their friendship.


Lindsay Lohan at the Sienna Los Angeles store opening












I love Lindsay Lohan's style. She usually always carries the hottest handbags. Thank goodness she got rid of all that blonde. Just didn't look good on her at all.


Sienna Miller getting extensions at a salon in the Meatpacking District of NYC


















I guess we all love to change our hair. Why not buy it if your in the process of growing it out. A great way to change your style!


Katie Holmes She is Due Anyday Now












I know what it's like to be due anyday now. I think she looks absolutely adorable. Who says you have to be pregnant and dress the part!

Jessica Sued Over Fashion Choices

Jessica Simpson

As far as some of her business associates are concerned, Jessica Simpson is not exactly the employee of the month.

The "In This Skin" singer has been sued for $100 million by an apparel company that claims she failed to promote their product as promised, the Smoking Gun Website reports.

According to the complaint, filed in New York State Supreme Court by the Tarrant Apparel Group, Simpson inked a multimillion-dollar three-year licensing deal in December 2004 to launch a line of low-priced jeans and clothing.

Under the terms of the agreement, Simpson was supposed to be "actively involved" in promoting the garb, including wearing items from the line at "public events, shows and appearances" whenever "reasonably practicable."

Princy jeans, which are named after the nickname given to Simpson by her father, retail for around $60, while True Religion jeans can set the denim connoisseur back upwards of $350.

Tarrant claims Simpson's unwillingness to back the line crippled its marketing plan and caused it to lose valuable contracts with retailers.

According to its court documents, the company has already shelled out $2.2 million in licensing fees to the singer-actress and has agreed to another $6 million in guaranteed payments.

The ex-Newlyweds star, who's already balancing a jam-packed schedule, had not yet responded to the suit as of Friday.

In addition to her ongoing divorce proceedings from Nick Lachey, Simpson is currently in production on the comedy Employee of the Month opposite Dane Cook and Dax Shepard, and recently signed on to star in Major Movie Star, about an actress who hits rock bottom and enlists in the Marines. She is also rumored to have landed a role in the big-screen adaptation of Baywatch.

Meanwhile, she has also been in the studio working on her upcoming album And The Band Played On, which is expected to be released via her new label, Epic Records, sometime this year.
As if that weren't enough to keep a soon-to-be single girl occupied, Simpson has reportedly been channeling her inner Angelina Jolie by looking into adopting a baby sometime in the future, as well as possibly funding her own orphanage, her rep confirmed last month.

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Brad & Angelina Visit Africa

LePaparazzi News Updates











Brangelina and their kids Zahara, and Maddox

Jet-setting couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have left France and are staying in a secluded beach resort in Namibia, a country in the southwest corner of Africa, the Associated Press reports.

Local media reported that the expectant parents arrived, along with five other people, including their kids Maddox, 4, and Zahara, 1, in Walvis Bay on Monday. The couple rented all of the rooms at a luxury hotel north of Walvis Bay.

A private firm and local police had secured the area and barred cameras from the premises before the high-profile guests arrived, Namibian media reported. The couple, whose baby is due in the late spring, have been looking for a place to settle their growing family – including the possibilities of "the Riviera, from Nice to St. Tropez," a source tells PEOPLE.

After spending most of February nesting in a Paris apartment, the power pair moved, for a time, south to a borrowed four-bedroom villa in Provence, known for its privacy.

Jolie, 30, and Pitt, 42, have also spent a good deal of time in Africa, particularly for Jolie's role as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. She adopted her daughter, Zahara, from Ethiopia last year.

In February, Jolie told PEOPLE she'd be scaling back on charity fieldwork during her pregnancy – but didn't intend to take it easy for long. "I plan to try to travel as soon as I can," she said. In the meantime, "We're just being a family," said Jolie. "We're gonna do that for a while."

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Prince Harry Celebrates at Strip Club


Prince Harry

Prince Harry, the third in line to the British throne, celebrated the end of his military training with a visit to a lap dancing club, British newspapers reported Saturday.

Harry, 21, watched dancers at the Spearmint Rhino nightclub in Slough, southern England, during celebrations marking the end of a year of study at a military academy, the Daily Mirror said.

The newspaper and British tabloid The Sun claimed Harry spent several hours at the venue in the early hours of Friday morning.

"We have no comment to make on the matter," said a spokesman for Clarence House, the office of the Prince of Wales, speaking on customary condition of anonymity in line with policy.
A Spearmint Rhino spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Melanie Griffith Sued by Costume Designer


Melanie Griffith, right, arrives with her daughters Dakota Johnson, left and Stella Banderas, center


A designer sued Melanie Griffith for allegedly refusing to pay nearly $26,000 for dressing the actress and her daughters for the Golden Globes Awards and reneging on a promise to mention his name on the red carpet.

In the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Niklas J. Palm claimed he designed dresses for Griffith and her daughters Dakota Johnson and Stella Banderas to wear to the January event.

Palm said he submitted a $25,960 bill Jan. 16 and Griffith was overdue in making any payments. He also claimed Griffith and her daughters backed out of their promise to mention his name to reporters.

Griffith promised "that he will receive publicity that money could not buy, then conveniently forgot his name when reporters on the red carpet specifically asked who designed her beautiful gown taking credit for the gown herself," the lawsuit said.

Calls made after business hours Friday to Griffith's attorney and publicist were not immediately returned.

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Hatcher Talks About Sexual Abuse as Child

LePaparazzin News Updates











Teri Hatcher

Teri Hatcher delivered a tearful speech in which she addressed being sexually molested by her uncle 35 years ago.

"Recently I had the honor, really, of being able to come forward and help raise awareness of some violence against women," the 41-year-old actress told reporters Thursday during a news conference to announce plans for the third annual Women's World Awards.

She was referring to a recent Vanity Fair interview in which she said she was molested by her uncle when she was 5 years old and living in Sunnyvale. When she learned in 2002 that a 14-year-old victim of her uncle had committed suicide, Hatcher approached Santa Clara County prosecutors.

After Hatcher came forward, the uncle, Richard Hayes Stone, pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation in the case of the 14-year-old victim and received 14 years in prison.

"There are many women who suffer with these traumatic experiences their whole lives, and they keep those things a secret," Hatcher said, her eyes welling with tears.

"They spend some of their lives feeling that the fault of things that have happened to them was something that they caused.

"These experiences ... leave us with a choice, a choice to use our experiences to enlighten and empower and change people's lives, and that is a choice I am getting behind."

The "Desperate Housewives" star was seated next former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who will present the 2006 Women's World Awards on October 14 in New York.

The event recognizes extraordinary women and their achievements in a variety of fields.
Hatcher won the World Actress award last year.

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Patricia Heaton On The View


Patricia Heaton

Everybody Loves Raymond alum Patricia Heaton could replace Meredith Vieira on The View. As reported last month by Star, Heaton was in negotiations to develop a View copycat. Now she may join the original, according to the New York Post. And Marianela Pereyra, a veejay on Fuse TV could be added to the show, leaving Elizabeth Hassleback in the cold.

"Patty Heaton is a Republican, so they won't need [Republican] Elizabeth any more," said the Post's insider. "And Elizabeth doesn't really add much. Marianela will bring in the young Latina viewers — which is important," said one source. "Patty and Marianela were going to have their own shows, but there is not enough room in the TV schedule now, so it kills two birds with one stone," the source added.

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Mariah Carey' s New Fragrance


Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is developing a new fragrance for Elizabeth Arden to be sold in department stores. Carey will be involved in all aspects of product development, packaging and marketing. Elizabeth Arden is also behind Britney Spears' perfume line.

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Ready To Burst!


Brooke Shileds and Chris Henchy

BROOKE SHIELDS-After daughter Rowan, 2, arrived, Brooke, 40, suffered severe postpartum depression and turned to the antidepressant Paxil. Sadly, experts say, the odds of that depression recurring are high. "She's probably going to need medication again," says L.A.-based OB-GYN Dr. Richard Paulson, who doesn't treat Brooke.

A source says the actress is nervous, but for now, she and hubby Chris Henchy, 42, are focusing on getting Rowan ready for the May arrival of a sister, whom they've already named Grier.



Gwen Stefani

GWEN STEFANI- Are hormones making the singer forgetful? Experts say pregnancy can affect memory, which may be the case for Gwen, 36, due in June. She recently locked herself out of the London home she shares with hubby Gavin Rossdale, 38. Is that why the workaholic is taking time off? "She's stepped away from writing music for a while," says a source. In the meantime, "She's planning to work on a line of children's clothing."

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Tom and Katie's Devilery Nightmare!


Katie Holmes

When Tom Cruise visited his local orthodontist's office recently, it wasn't to talk about his children's teeth. It was to craft a personalized pacifier — for fiancée Katie Holmes! "In keeping with a Scientology silent birth, Tom is prepared to do whatever it takes to muffle Katie's moans and groans during the delivery," says a source close to Holmes.

"He commissioned an adult-sized 'binky' for her to clench between her teeth, hoping that it'll squelch her screams." The one-of-a-kind pacifier is made of rubber, and is molded to the shape of Katie's teeth. The mom-to-be herself, though, may prove harder to mold: As Tom goes further and further to ensure that the birth fits squarely within the rules of his church, Katie is showing serious signs of wear.HER

TRAINING
For weeks, Star reporter Brannon Castleberry has watched Katie, 27, spend day after day — up to eight hours at a stretch! — at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, often with Tom, 43, by her side.

Now, Star has learned what's going on behind those closed doors: "If they're going to the center together regularly, it means that she is definitely resistant to something," a Scientology expert who prefers to remain unnamed tells Star. "It wouldn't surprise me if Katie secretly wanted out of Scientology, out of her relationship with Tom, or both." The source says that at the center, "they are probably putting tremendous pressure on Katie to find out if she has any second thoughts about Scientology."

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Eminem's Wife Fires Back!


Kim Mathers and Eminem

One day after retired rap superstar Eminem (real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III) filed legal papers to end his second marriage to Kim Mathers after just 82 days, his heartbroken wife called into a local Detroit radio station on the morning of April 6 to tell her side of the shocking story — and revealed that they had been living apart since mid-February!

"He left home about a month and a half ago," Kim, 31, told the Mojo in the Morning Show on Channel 955. "He comes around once a week to see the kids [daughter Hailie, 10; adopted daughter Whitney, 3; and Kim's niece Alaina, 12]. He's not himself." Both Kim and Eminem, 33, have had past stints in rehab: Kim for cocaine in 2003, Eminem last August for dependency on the sleep medication Ambien.

On the radio show, Kim also revealed that she wanted to delay the couple's January 14 wedding — but that Eminem was set on going ahead with the ceremony.

"Right after he came home from his rehab we started to have a few problems and I thought it was going to be in our best interest to delay the wedding. But he really pushed for it... Maybe it was security for him with all the other problems he had going on, and the stress of whether he's gonna retire or not.

Some type of security for him, I honestly think that's what it was." When asked if there was something she'd like to say to her husband, Kim — who told the crew, "I don't really want to get divorced" — replied: "Just that you know I love you and I'm here for you if you need anybody — and that I'm really sorry that things happened this way."

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Paula Abdul Tells Police She Was Assaulted


Paula Abdhul

Police are investigating a report by "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul that a man assaulted her at a private party over the weekend.

On Tuesday, Abdul filed a report at the Hollywood station claiming she had been a victim of battery about 1 a.m. Sunday, police Lt. Paul Vernon said Thursday.

"According to Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall," Vernon said. "She said she had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries."

Abdul provided police with the name of the man, but Vernon withheld it pending further investigation. The man had not been charged, Vernon said.

Abdul's publicist Michelle Bega declined to comment. The incident was first reported by Us Weekly.

Abdul, who shares judging duties on Fox's hit talent show with Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, appeared as scheduled on this week's "American Idol."

Last week, she signed a deal to remain on the show for another three years.

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Star Beauty: Dramatic or Natural?

Tell us what you prefer?


TERI HATCHER

The actress channels old-school glamor with her defined eyes and rosy cheeks (left), and opts for more muted tones at a press event (right).




SCARLETT JOHANSSON

The actress channels old-school glamor with her defined eyes and rosy cheeks (left), and opts for more muted tones at a press event (right).




BEYONCE KNOWLES

The singer-actress emphasizes her features with jewel tones for a Late Show appearance (left), but tones things down for a visit to MTV's TRL (right).




JULIANNE MOORE

Moore offsets her porcelain skin with vibrant shadow and blush at a movie premiere (left); at another premiere, she takes a less-is-more approach (right).




SALMA HAYEK

Hayek sizzles with a scarlet pout at the Mexico City premiere of her film Bandidas (left), but chooses sheer gloss and subtle hues for another screening (right).




ASHLEY OLSEN

Olsen goes for a smoky-eyed look at an awards show (left), and lightens up at a fashion show (right).




KEIRA KNIGHTLEY

At the Academy Awards, the Oscar nominee highlights her doe eyes with rich shadow (left), but goes natural at a press event (right).




JENNIFER LOPEZ

With her bronzed skin and ultra-long lashes, Lopez is every bit the diva at the Oscars (left); at her Sweetface fashion show, she's more understated (right).




MISCHA BARTON

For a recent runway appearance, the O.C. star ramps up her eye makeup (left), but is more fresh-faced while attending a Paris fashion show (right).




LINDSAY LOHAN

Lohan lets her dramatic eyes do the talking at a celebrity fashion show (left); at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, she opts for a dewy look (right).

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Jolie Plans To Pen Memoirs

LePaparazzi News Updates


Angelina Jolie

Mom, actress, charity champion and pilot Angelina Jolie, 30, will finally tell her wild life story in an autobiography. "She's writing about her experiences adopting children and becoming a new mom — and she also wants to include memoirs from all the mothers she has met around the world and gotten to know," a source close to Jolie's boyfriend, Brad Pitt, tells Star People. "She's going to include stories about the orphans that she's met, and she's hoping it will encourage people to adopt and help others understand why she travels and is so active as a goodwill ambassador."

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Paris Blasts Nicole


Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is lashing out at her ex-best friend Nicole Richie. "She cannot stand being around me because I get all the attention and people really don't care about her," Hilton said, reports IMDB.com.

"It breaks my heart. She was my sister. She was the funniest, best person to be around and then she let fame go to her head. She's not the same person any more.

I never want to speak to her again — ever." Hilton and Richie have been filming The Simple Life 4: Till Death Do Us Part separately due to their fued. Says Paris, "I've been best friends with her since I was two, but when I brought her onto my show, she got very jealous and turned on me for no reason."

Paris also criticized Nicole's skinny new look. "That's not normal," she said. "I can't believe it. She looks horrible. It's really sad."

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Idol's Mandisa Sounds Off


Mandisa

Mandisa, 29, who famously earned an apology from Simon Cowell after he joked about her weight, is the latest singer to be voted off American Idol.

The Antioch, Tenn., native (whose last name is Hundley) talks about her controversial song choice – and her crush on Ruben Studdard. What was it like being in the bottom three with Elliot Yamin and Paris Bennett?When there were six of us up there, I thought about the three divas from season three (Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson) being up there.

When we went to commercial I said, "Remember what happened in season three?" I was right. I didn't realize it was the three soul/R&B singers in the bottom three. You've been compared to season two winner Ruben Studdard. How do you feel about that?I love Ruben, so I'll take it.

I think there's a little double standard when it comes to plus-size males compared to females. So often in media we see so many different images for how we should look, and you don't get that with males. Tell Ruben to call me. He needs to give his sister a call! Does that mean you have a little crush on Ruben?

Yeah, I do. He's got to call me. I'm not going to call him. Would you go on a date with him?

That would be nice. How did you pick your song for the country music theme night? They do provide us with a list of songs each week, but I didn't even look at it. When I heard Shania Twain sing "Any Man of Mine," I absolutely fell in love with it. I felt like it was a great song for me because it showed my personality and I had a fun time singing it. But Simon called the choice "horrible."

I know Simon doesn't like country music, but I absolutely love it. I don't have any regrets. I realize he knows what he's talking about and so I have to pay careful attention to what he says. But I think it's a great song, and I think whoever wrote it is brilliant. You wore gorgeous dresses and jewelry onstage.

Did you feel sexy?More than anything, I felt beautiful. When Simon said I was sexy that one night, I was a little bit embarrassed by it. I don't get called that very often. I absolutely felt beautiful in those clothes.

As a confident plus-size woman, you've become a role model to your fans. What's that like?It's so humbling. I didn't set out to be a role model – I was just being me. What I stand for is the fact that you can be beautiful at any size.

At the same time, I'm very vocal about the fact that my weight is something that I have to deal with. If that makes me a role model, that's great. I think that anybody who's my size would love for people to realize that you can be confident with who you are and at the same time you can be working to make yourself better. How have you been doing that?

Since I first auditioned, I've lost a considerable amount of weight – about 30 lbs. I'm eating healthier. I have a sweets-related addiction. I'm getting over a lifetime of giving in to every indulgence with food. How did your weight factor into the competition?It's more about singing.

It's about the whole package. (But) my platform immediately had to do with my weight and got me in the spotlight because of Simon's comments. What did Simon say to you after you were eliminated?

He told me he really liked me. He told me I had a great voice and he told me it's all about the song. It's all about the songs. You've said Jesus saved your life. How? It's not anything in particular. Just the fact that I was lost and did not know where I was going or what I was doing. He absolutely saved me from that, and I'll be living in eternity with him now.

I heard you sucked your thumb for 24 years.I think it has affected my teeth, but I don't think it's affected my voice too much. Did you consider sucking your thumb after last night's results show? No. I've been delivered from sucking my thumb and I will never go back to it. I read a book called The Financially Confident Woman, and it said if you want to start a new habit or get rid of a bad habit, you should do it for 21 days. So after 21 days it was gone. It's turned into five years now.

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Melania Trump: Giving Birth Was 'Easy'


Melania Trump

Just two weeks after giving birth to her first child with husband Donald Trump, Melania Trump appeared on The View Thursday to share some of the more pleasant details of childbirth.

Fielding a question from Star Jones Reynolds, Trump, whose labor came nine days early, said the experience was "great." She went into the hospital Sunday evening and the baby was born at 5 a.m. the next morning.

Barron William Trump was born on Monday, March 20 and weighed 8 1/2 pounds. He is the fifth child for Donald Trump, 59, whom Melania, 35, married in January 2005.

The birth, Trump said, was "very, very easy." Asked by co-host Joy Behar whether she had an epidural, Melania quickly replied, "Of course."

The wife of the Apprentice star said Donald is an active father, waking up with Barron in the morning and watching TV and reading the newspaper with him in the couple's bedroom. But when Barron needs to have his diaper changed, she admitted, Donald says, "It's time to see Mommy." But she also said Donald had provided a good model for his older children by being strict but fair: "He lets you know what he thinks is wrong and what is right."

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Gabrielle Union's Rape Nightmare


Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Union was on Capitol Hill this week to help brief Congress on the challenges of providing services to sexual assault victims.

The victim of a sexual assault herself at age 19, the star's testimony was part of the 7th Annual National Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Legislative Action Days, sponsored by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Lifetime Television.

Now, the 'Bring It On' and 'Bad Boys II' star reveals to ET how OPRAH helped save her life that terrifying day!

"Thank God for Oprah, because literally, her words helped me live," Gabrielle tells ET. "Oprah had a show about what to do in case you're a victim of a violent crime, and immediately I went on auto pilot; it was like Oprah in was in my ear telling me what to do to stay alive."

Gabrielle says she was working at a shoe store on summer break from college when a former employee entered the establishment during clean-up and held up Gabrielle and her co-worker with a gun.

"We gave him the money, and he said, 'I want to take you guys to the store room,'" explains Gabrielle, "and Oprah always said, 'Don't let them take you to a second location,' and I'm like, 'Great, this is the second location. I'm gonna die. He's gonna kill us.'"

Gabrielle says during the next moments she felt like she was "having an out-of-body experience."

"He took me out of the room and proceeded to rape me at gunpoint," she reveals. "At some point he put the gun down and calmly asked me to hand him the gun, and at that point I was like, 'It's me or you, and it ain't gonna be me today. I'm about to kill you.' And I grabbed the gun, I spun around and did the best I could trying to kill him ... I missed, and we ended up having a fight for the gun, and I was beaten, literally, beyond recognition."

Gabrielle says her attacker finally yanked the gun away from her and ultimately ended up leaving. He then robbed another store and raped another girl before he finally turned himself in. He made a plea bargain that put him in prison for 33 years.

"I will be testifying to make sure he stays where he needs to be -- in prison," she says.
So why is Gabrielle speaking out about her nightmare experience now?

"I can talk about who's a better kisser -- WILL SMITH or LL COOL J -- until I'm blue in the face, but I would much rather use my voice and my position to help people," she says. "When TERI HATCHER came out [about her own molestation experience], you have no idea how many people are like, 'If she's strong enough to do it and still be a successful person, if she can live through this, so can I; same with FRAN DRESCHER.' When I speak, hopefully I'm doing the same thing. I will continue to speak until my voice is no longer needed."


Meredith Takes Katie's Place!



Meredith Vieira

"The View" co-host MEREDITH VIEIRA announced Thursday morning that she will be leaving the popular morning program to replace KATIE COURIC on "Today."

The big news comes just one day after Couric herself announced that she would become the anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News" this fall.

Vieira, who has been with "The View" since its debut on ABC in 1997, made the announcement on the chatfest, telling viewers, "I'm very honored that NBC has asked me to co-host the 'Today' show. I'm really thrilled," adding that, "I could not possibly have been in this position without the wonderful people here."

"I am who I am, personally and professionally, in part because of these nine years," Vieira said to her fellow co-hosts BARBARA WALTERS, JOY BEHAR, STAR JONES REYNOLDS and ELISABETH HASSELBECK.

"This is a very sad day for us, but a very happy day because I know this is a wonderful new chapter for you," said Walters.

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Heather Locklear's New Romance!




Heather Locklear

ET first broke the news in February that HEATHER LOCKLEAR and her rocker husband RICHIE SAMBORA were calling it quits after more than 11 years of marriage.

Now the former "Melrose Place" and "Spin City" star is dating comedian DAVID SPADE, according to Us Weekly.

The two were reportedly seen kissing while hanging out with some friends at a West Hollywood hot spot.

Heather and David share the same manager and have been friends for some time. Has their relationship turned romantic?

For now, the couple is keeping things quiet -- David recently declined to comment on any intimate details at the April 2 premiere of his new movie 'The Benchwarmers.'

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Jessica Simpson: Baywatch Babe?

LePaparazzi News Updates


Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson has been cast in a big-screen version of the popular TV series Baywatch, according to Britain's The Sun. She'll play CJ Parker, a role originated by Pamela Anderson. "She was the unanimous choice for the role," a source tells the paper. "Jessica has all the assets to make Pammi's part her own."

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Couric Leaving Today Show


Katie Couric

Saying that "sometimes change is good," Katie Couric – after 15 years cohosting NBC's Today show – will jump ship to anchor the CBS Evening News, she announced on Today Wednesday morning.

She will become the first woman to serve as sole anchor of a network flagship newscast. On Today, cohost Matt Lauer had turned to Couric and asked, "Anything new?" There was.

After listening to my heart and my gut – which have served me very well in the past few years – I've decided that I will be leaving Today at the end of May," Couric replied.

She called this "a difficult decision," telling viewers, "It may sound corny, but I really feel that we have become friends over the years." She called her going to CBS Evening News (and 60 Minutes) "the worst kept secret in America."

Today news anchor Ann Curry said she felt like she had a "sister who was going off to college," while weatherman Al Roker said CBS was "the lucky one."

"Once in a while we get on each other's nerves," Couric said during her announcement, but, turning to Lauer, added, "As Dorothy said to the Scarecrow, I think I'm going to miss him most of all." CBS is likely to release its own statement later on Wednesday.

Couric is expected to begin her new job this fall. The news – which comes 15 years to the day after Couric debuted on the top-rated morning show – ends months of speculation about whether Couric, 49, whose four-year, $65 million contract at NBC expires in May, would decide to fill the evening anchor chair left open after Dan Rather retired last March.

News veteran Bob Schieffer has served as the temporary anchor of CBS Evening News, currently ranked third among the three major network newscasts. On Tuesday, Schieffer said, according to The Washington Post, "I've known Katie for many years. … She's a first-rate reporter and a terrific interviewer." He added, "I love Katie, and I think she'll love CBS News."

In January when rumors began surfacing that Couric was being considered for the slot, she addressed the speculation by telling reporters: "My contract (with NBC) ends in May, and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do … I'm fortunate to have a couple of opportunities to think long and hard about."

The likeliest replacement for Couric on Today is said to be Meredith Vieira, currently one of the hosts on The View and the host of the syndicated Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, both part of ABC. Others mentioned have been NBC's Campbell Brown, Natalie Morales and Ann Curry.

Reacting to all the buzz about Couric that was circulating Tuesday, ABC's Diane Sawyer told TV's Access Hollywood she was "truly, truly excited," adding, "I'm just so happy when women are in strong positions everywhere."

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David Hasselhoff Seeks Rehab for Wife


David Hasselhoff and Pamela Bach

The David Hasselhoff-Pamela Bach divorce is getting even uglier. The former Baywatch actor has filed papers implying that Bach, who has accused him of domestic violence, has a drug problem and needs psychiatric help.

In papers filed Tuesday at Los Angeles Superior Court, Hasselhoff, 53, requests that Bach, 43, complete a drug rehabilitation program and submit to random drug testing. He also asks that she retain a doctor who specializes in psychiatric medications.

Bach's lawyer, Gary Mitchell, tells PEOPLE, "Pamela has no history of drug use and the allegations are completely false. The request is in reference to a recent surgery she had and a prescription for Vicodin, but she has not abused Vicodin and has actually taken less than the prescribed amount."

In March, Bach filed a request for a restraining order against Hasselhoff, accusing him of domestic violence. According to court papers, Bach claimed that Hasselhoff broke her nose prior to December 2005 and verbally abused and physically threatened her on several other occasions.

"David categorically denies that he has engaged in the conduct alleged by his wife," Hasselhoff's lawyer told PEOPLE. "He says, 'The only person who broke my wife's nose is her plastic surgeon.'" Hasselhoff, who has two teen daughters with Bach, is seeking to end their 16-year marriage.

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Dana Reeve to Be Remembered on Broadway


Dana Reeve

Family and friends of late actress and activist Dana Reeve, who died of lung cancer at age 44 on March 6, will pay tribute to her April 10 at a private, invitation-only memorial service to be held at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.

In lieu of flowers, Playbill.com reports, the family has asked that donations be made in Reeve's honor to the Christopher Reeve Foundation (www.ChristopherReeve.org), which supports efforts to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.

Roger Rees, artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, where Dana and Christopher met, said last month, "We mourn her loss, of course, but let us celebrate, too, this vibrant, optimistic, beautiful and thrillingly talented actress."

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Tom Cruise Reveals His Abusive Childhood


Tom Cruise

With fiancée Katie Holmes close to giving birth, Tom Cruise has admitted his own father was no role model.

Speaking to Parade magazine, Cruise – who has two children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman – said of his father, Thomas Cruise Mapother III, "He was a bully and a coward – the person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. … It was a great lesson in my life, how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang!"

Cruise, 43, says, "For me it was like, 'There's something wrong with this guy. Don't trust him. Be careful around him.' There's that anxiety." When Cruise was 12, his mother left his father, taking Cruise and his sister Lee Anne with her.

The actor tried for a reconciliation 10 years later, when his father "was in the hospital dying of cancer, and he would only meet me on the basis that I didn't ask him anything about the past." Cruise sums up the experience as a life lesson. "When I saw him in pain, I thought, 'What a lonely life.' He was in his late 40s. It was sad."

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Garth Brooks's Ex Kidnapped at Gunpoint


Garth Brooks and Ex- Wife Sandy

Sandy Brooks, ex-wife of country music star Garth Brooks, was kidnapped at gunpoint by a man who worked on her Oklahoma farm, authorities said Tuesday.

The incident occurred after Brooks cooperated with a bail bondsman who wanted to arrest the worker on her property Monday. (The man was wanted on an outstanding warrant.) The worker – identified as Quintine Cornelius Harper, 24 – responded by drawing a weapon, forcing her into a car and ordering her to drive away, Rogers County undersheriff Barry Lamb tells the Associated Press.

After driving for several miles, Brooks stopped the car and fled into a convenience store, Lamb said. Harper was arrested and charged Tuesday with kidnapping and weapons offenses. Sandy Brooks and Garth Brooks (who wed Trisha Yearwood in December) were married for 15 years. They have three children, but none were present at the time of the kidnapping, Lamb said.

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Jessica Alba, Playboy end spat with Hefner apology


Actress Jessica Alba is shown on the cover of the March 2006 issue of 'Playboy'.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film star Jessica Alba forgave Playboy magazine on Tuesday for making her an unwitting cover girl after founder Hugh Hefner sent the actress a personal apology and pledged to donate money to her favorite charities.

Alba had threatened to sue Playboy after the men's magazine printed a photo of the bikini-clad actress from her 2005 movie "Into the Blue" on the cover of its March issue -- which she said duped readers into thinking she was nude inside.

"In light of Mr. Hefner's personal apology for Playboy's unauthorized use of my photo on their cover, I have decided to discontinue my claims against them," Alba, 24, said in a written statement.

"This was never about money, it was about setting the record straight about something that was done without my knowledge or consent," she added.

Alba's lawyers, who claimed that Playboy tricked Sony Pictures Entertainment into supplying the photo after the "Fantastic Four" star refused to pose for the cover, had also asked that the magazine pull the March issue from newsstands.

A spokeswoman for Playboy was not immediately available for comment. The magazine initially had claimed to have "done nothing wrong" in giving cover treatment to Alba, who was chosen "sexiest star of the year" by Playboy readers in an online poll.

In his letter to Alba, Hefner apologized for "any distress unintentionally caused by the publication of your photo" on the March cover.

"What was intended as a tribute to your tremendous popularity has been misinterpreted by some as something else for which we are truly sorry since we are among your biggest fans," Hefner said.

A representative for Alba, who also starred in films "Sin City" and "Honey" and the TV series "Dark Angel," said the actress did not file a lawsuit against Playboy but that her lawyers had been speaking to attorneys for the magazine.

He said that Playboy, a unit of Playboy Enterprises Inc , had agreed to make donations, in a sum he would not disclose, to two charities supported by the actress.

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