Gossip/Celebrity News

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Paris Hilton & Longtime Rep Part Ways

Paris Hilton and her longtime press representative, Elliot Mintz, have ended their relationship, Mintz announced in an e-mail to PEOPLE received Sunday night.

The dissolution of their partnership comes two days after Hilton, 26, was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violation of her probation by driving with a suspended driver's license. (She is to report for jail by June 5.)

According to Mintz's message, "The day after the hearing, I sent Paris an e-mail expressing my sadness over the ruling of the judge and the irrational sentence he imposed."

At her hearing Friday, Hilton told Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer that Mintz had repeatedly informed her that her license had been suspended for only 30 days and that she could still drive for work-related matters.

"In that e-mail [to Paris]," Mintz said in his message to PEOPLE, "I also offered my sincerest apology for any misunderstanding she received from me regarding the terms of her probation. To the extent that I have mIscommunicated information I received from her attorneys ? I am deeply and profoundly sorry."

He added, "I told her that I assume personal responsibility for my part in this matter."

The message continues: "I believe when Paris stated in court that she believed it was o.k. for her to drive under certain circumstances she was being absolutely truthful.

"Due to this misunderstanding, I am no longer representing Paris."

He concludes, "For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Paris and her family. Paris is a wonderful person and does not deserve the punishment that was handed down by the court. I only wish her my best."

Something of a legendary figure in the annals of press representation, Mintz, 62, whose current client roster includes Christie Brinkley, got his foothold in the business in the 1970s as a confidante of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In a 2006 New York Times profile of Mintz, which said that he and Hilton were in contact either by chatting or e-mailing as many as 12 times a day, the hotel heiress said of him, "'I speak to him more than anyone else in my life."

"He really gets me, the whole Paris thing," Hilton told the paper. "He knows it's all a game."

When told that Mintz contemplated thoughts of retirement in 2007, Hilton shrieked a response of "Noooo," and said, "I trust him with my life."

For his part, when asked by The Times how he could go from John Lennon to Paris Hilton, Mintz said it was a matter of staying current. "Young people don't believe in politicians," he said. "They don't believe in their leaders. They look to celebrities to represent them."

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Drugs Connected to Lindsay Lohan Crash

Lindsay Lohan was arrested and cited for driving under the influence in Los Angeles in the wee hours of Saturday morning, say police, who also found a substance tentatively identified as "a usable amount of cocaine" in connection with the accident.

The 20-year-old actress was slightly injured when her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 convertible struck a curb and shrub on Sunset Boulevard. The car suffered "major damage," according to police.

Lohan and two other people were in the vehicle when it crashed around 5:30 a.m., Lt. Mitch McCann, media relations officer for Beverly Hills police department, said during a press conference Saturday. The star was hospitalized for minor upper chest injuries. The passengers were not hurt.

Police learned of the accident when they received a 911 call at 5:30 a.m. There was also a witness on the scene, but police do not know if the same person called 911. By the time authorities responded, three minutes after the call, Lohan, her companions and the car were gone from the scene.

Lohan was later located by police at the Century City Hospital. Her car was found at a nearby condo complex and towed at 6:30 a.m. Police won't say how they know that the actress was driving, but say they're "confident" that she was.

At the press conference McCann said: "A usable amount of an illegal narcotic tentatively identified as cocaine was recovered and booked." Police would not specify where the drugs were found. McCann also declined to comment on Lohan's blood-alcohol level.

"She was charged with a misdemeanor," said McCann. "There is a potential for additional charges." Her tentative arraignment date is Aug. 24.

The actress, who stars in the upcoming movie I Know Who Killed Me, was spotted out at the Hollywood hotspot Les Deux before the crash. She arrived around 11:15 p.m. with a group of friends, and was seen dancing and smoking.

Also at the club were singer James Blunt and Paris Hilton, who was recently ordered to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. Hilton was charged with a DUI in September 2006.

Lonnie Moore, co-owner of Les Deux told PEOPLE in a comment Saturday: "A lot of celebrities come [to the restaurant] for dinner or drinks. Because it is a restaurant, open five nights a week, there is no age limit for our patrons. We welcome Lindsay and her friends whenever they would like to come to Les Deux."

Lohan's publicist Leslie Sloane did not immediately return calls for comment.

The incident was first reported by X17 Inc., a celebrity photo agency.

Lohan checked into rehab in January, saying: "I have made a proactive decision to take care of my personal health." The month before that, her rep told PEOPLE the actress had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

After ending her month-long stint in rehab, Lohan told Allure magazine that she first went to the Wonderland center with a friend and found "a quiet room, all white, with parquet, and it was different! I just felt safe," she said. "I thought, 'I'm going to stay here tonight.' And I stayed there. For a month. It was great."

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Rosie O'Donnell 'Not Sorry' to Be Leaving The View

Rosie O'Donnell is "not sorry" to be leaving The View early, she said on her blog Saturday.

ABC announced Friday that O'Donnell would not return to the show after having a major blowout with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck earlier in the week. She had been scheduled to leave the show when her contract expires in June.

As is her style, O'Donnell answered reader questions on her Web site. When a fan, identified as MACaroni, wrote: "Sorry UR leaving early! I miss U when UR not on so now I wont watch! Best of luck to you!" O'Donnell answered, "dont b sorry/ i am not."

When another fan, Tony, asked: "Don't you want to do an interview something to clear the air?," O'Donnell replied: "no interviews/ u watched it happen/ b 4 ur eyes."

O'Donnell also produced a 13-minute video in which she discusses the incident and shoots down rumors that she trashed the dressing room, saying: "I've never trashed anything, frankly."

She does acknowledge that a friend, who was a producer for The View, drew a moustache on a picture of Hasselbeck at The View studios. "It was only one photo, people, and it was a magazine cut-out. It was a cute little joke on the way out."

Asked by a reader if O'Donnell "ever enjoyed Elisabeth," O'Donnell said, "I can say this: I never tried harder to be friends with someone than I did with her, but I don't think we ever got there."

As for her place on the show, she said: "I was really just like a foster kid for a year. We considered adoption, but I didn't really fit in with the family, and now it's time for the foster kid to go back home."

She also says the final blow was when her image was shown side-by-side with Hasselbeck's during their fight. "When I saw the split screen I knew it was over."

Though most questions and comments on the site were from supporters, some were critical. Wrote one reader labeled as Erica: "Elisabeth really gave it to you! You are retreating like a coward. How does it feel to be such a loser???" to which O'Donnell responds, "peace full."

Asked if she has spoken to Hasselbeck since the on-air fight, O'Donnell says, "She called and Kelli [Carpenter, O'Donnell's partner] and her she spoke for a long time. I haven't spoken to her and I probably won't, and I think it's just as well."

After the fight on Wednesday, Hasselbeck, 29, told TV's Extra that she and O'Donnell, 45, harbor no resentment toward one another.

"The best thing about today is that there's no slow boil, none. It's there, it's an issue, it's dealt with and it's over," she said.

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Paris Hilton Reports for Jail

Paris Hilton reported to jail late Sunday night to serve at least 23 days for violating probation.

"I am ready to face the consequences of violating probation," she said in a statement released by her lawyer. "During the past few weeks I have had a lot of time to think and have come to realize I made some mistakes.

"This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions. In the future, I plan on taking more of an active role in the decisions I make. I want to thank my family, friends and fans for their continued support. Although I am scared, I am ready to begin my jail sentence."

Hilton's attorney, Richard A. Hutton, said in a press release that the 26-year-old heiress had "turned herself in" to begin serving the sentence at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, south of Los Angeles.

She was booked into the jail at 11:38 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Web site, after days of partying and just hours after attending the MTV Movie Awards.

Hilton actually surrendered at the downtown L.A. Men's Central Jail at 11:15 p.m. and was transported to Lynwood, according to TMZ.com, which first reported her surrender.

The procedure at the Lynwood jail required her to surrender all her possessions and then be strip searched before being issued a uniform. She "was cooperative during the [booking] process, which included being fingerprinted, photographed [and] medically screened," a Sheriff's Department statement said.


The statement added that Hilton was issued a booking number and wristband and surrendered her personal property to custody personnel for safekeeping. She was also issued jail clothing, an orange top and pants and personal hygiene items, according to the statement. When the booking process was completed around 1 a.m., Hilton was escorted to her cell.

"Ms. Hilton will be housed in a cell by herself and will be segregated, in a special housing unit, from the general population during her stay at CRDF," the statement said.

Hilton was sentenced to jail on May 4 for violating the terms of her probation by repeatedly driving with a suspended license. She had been placed on probation after pleading no contest to reckless driving in a drunken driving case.

The judge ordered her to serve 45 days, but with good behavior she could be out in 23 days. In the jail, Hilton will have little to no contact with the general inmate population "to ensure her safety as well as the safety of the jail staff," Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore has said.

Hilton will spend approximately 23 hours a day in a 12-by-8-foot cell containing two bunks, a table, a sink, a toilet and a small window, with one hour for recreation. She will eat her meals in the cell. She could also leave her cell to meet with her attorney or to attend classes.

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson & Wife Split Up

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and wife Dany Garcia Johnson have separated, they have announced in a statement to PEOPLE.

"While certain aspects of our relationship have changed, we are both vitally important to each other's lives," their statement reads.

"We will continue to advance and manage our business interests, our philanthropic efforts and most importantly the raising of our child together, as a loving team. We've been fortunate enough to spend the last 17 years together as a couple and look forward to spending the rest our lives together as best friends and business partners."

Johnson, 35, has appeared in The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King and Walking Tall and just completed Get Smart with Steve Carell.

In 1997, he married Garcia, now the CEO of a wealth management firm. They have a 5-year-old daughter, Simone Alexander.