Gossip/Celebrity News

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Ryan Seacrest & Paula Abdul's Feud Heats Up

Although American Idol host Ryan Seacrest often trades barbs with judge Simon Cowell, now the tension between him and another judge, Paula Abdul, has reached a boiling point.

"It's awkward. I don't know what the deal is. It's very awkward," Seacrest, 31, told PEOPLE on Friday, referring to his relationship with Abdul.

Asked if he was speaking to Abdul, Seacrest answered: "No."

Seacrest, who was in Las Vegas at a groundbreaking event for the new luxury Panorama Towers, said he hasn't yet confronted his fellow Idol cast mate. "You know, I walked past her dressing room the other day and there was a group of people gathered in front of the door, so I can't even talk to her. Simon and I go back and forth with each other, but it's in a different way."

A source close to Seacrest says the Idol host was joking about the feud. But another inside source tells PEOPLE that Seacrest and Abdul’s relationship has been “icy” since they each appeared separately on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno recently.

In Seacrest's March 30 appearance, Leno said that Abdul had seemed "a little loopy" on a recent episode of Idol to which Seacrest replied, "Well, have you listened to her album?" When Leno playfully asked whether Abdul had been drinking, Seacrest answered, "Hey look, I don't look in their cups to see what's sitting before them on that table. But at times I feel like we have reeled her in."

Abdul, 43, had a chance to shoot back when she appeared on the show on April 10. Leno brought out an issue of Rolling Stone magazine that featured the three Idol judges prominently on the cover (and Seacrest in a small photo) and asked whether Seacrest was mad about being excluded. "I heard plenty mad," replied Abdul.

Next, Leno asked whether Seacrest was dating Teri Hatcher since the pair had been photographed kissing. "He only kisses the mirror," said Abdul. "And honestly, do you think Teri Hatcher is that desperate of a housewife?"

In the weeks after Abdul's Leno appearance, Seacrest frequently approached the judges' table during Idol commercial breaks, but usually spoke only to Cowell and Randy Jackson.

Abdul could not be reached for comment.

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Denise Richards & Richie Sambora Hook Up

On Saturday, Richards, 35, and Sambora, 46, the soon-to-be ex-husband of Heather Locklear, arrived at Le Café in the Westlake Village neighborhood outside Los Angeles at about 5 p.m. in separate cars. In the parking lot, the two kissed then walked hand-in-hand, smiling and chatting the entire way as they headed for the restaurant.

Inside, they shared a table in the covered patio where they gazed into each other's eyes and held hands across the table. Eventually, Richards planted a kiss on Sambora's hand – and he returned the gesture, kissing hers. They then kissed again on the lips.

They left the restaurant at 5:45 p.m. in the same car together. Sambora has a home in Westlake Village.

On Friday, Richards filed a 17-page court document claiming that her estranged husband, Charlie Sheen, had threatened to kill her. The actress also claims that during their marriage, Sheen abused prescription medication, had violent mood swings, was a compulsive gambler and visited pornography Web sites featuring "very young girls." Sheen has called Richards' claims "vile" and "baseless."

Richards originally filed for divorce in March of last year, when she was six months pregnant with the couple's daughter Lola. The pair appeared to briefly reconcile after Lola's birth in June, but on Jan. 4, they requested that their divorce proceed with a private arbitrator.

In February, Sambora – who's the guitarist for Bon Jovi – split from Locklear, his wife of 11 years. The couple have an 8-year-old daughter, Ava.

Richards and Locklear are pals who grew even closer during Richards's split from Sheen. Locklear, who starred with Sheen in Spin City, attended Richards's baby shower before she gave birth to her daughter Lola – and helped take care of the baby after she was born.

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Entourage's Kevin Dillon Weds

Entourage actor Kevin Dillon married his girlfriend, model-actress Jane Stuart in Las Vegas on Saturday, his rep has confirmed to PEOPLE.

"The couple, who had been engaged for over a year, had been planning a formal wedding date, but Mr. Dillon’s schedule with Poseidon and Entourage had made it difficult," Dillon's spokesperson, Tiffany Kuzon, said in a statement.

"Entourage castmates Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Connolly were present at the ceremony."

Kuzon also said that the couple are expecting their first child this summer.
Dillon, 40, and Stuart, 28, met through a mutual friend, began dating in 2004 and got engaged the following year. "I had to fight a little bit because she wasn't all that interested in me when I asked her out," Dillon told PEOPLE last year. "But she saw things my way eventually."

In HBO's hit comedy Entourage, which begins its new season in June, Dillon plays an obscure actor whose brother is an A-list celebrity – a role that spoofs his real-life relationship with older brother Matt.

Next month, Dillon will be seen in Poseidon, next month's big-screen remake of the ocean-disaster classic The Poseidon Adventure. He has also acted in the movie Platoon and on the TV shows 24 and NYPD Blue.

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Angelina: Life With Brad Just Happened

Finally breaking her silence about her relationship with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie says the public's interest in the two of them causes her to "giggle."

Describing the curiosity of others as "just kind of funny," Jolie, speaking to NBC's Ann Curry for segments due to air on Thursday's Today show and Sunday's Dateline says, "If (Brad) saw this, he would probably understand why I was laughing. Because I just don't know how to address that kind of thing."

On Wednesday's Today, Curry described her trip to Namibia where she interviewed Jolie as "wonderful."

The actress, along with Pitt and their two children – Maddox, 4, and Zahara, 1 – are in the African nation to await the birth of their new family member while residing at a luxury report.

As Jolie tells Curry, according to excerpts from the interview released to USA Today: "I don't talk about our – my relationship in public. But we also don't talk about it at home. … It's one of those funny things that just happens, and you live your life, and you're a family. But you never actually discuss (it)."

Correcting some reports that her baby is due as early as next week, Jolie, 30, also reportedly announces that she is not quite eight months pregnant. Jolie also says she knows the sex of the impending arrival, but won’t divulge it.

Jolie does tell Curry that the reason she consented to such an interview is to bring awareness to the cause she promotes: educational opportunities for children worldwide. "I just think, especially my daughter, there's no possible way she would have gone to school. She is so smart and so strong. And her potential as a woman one day is great," she says.

"Hopefully, she will be active in her country and in her continent when she's older. And because she'll have a good education, she'll be able to do that much more."

She goes on to say: "My life is very full. I'm very proud when I see my children – already Mad, just how he adjusts to different places in the world and different people and his views and the kind of man he's going to be. I'm very lucky."

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Teri Hatcher Injured on Housewives Set

Teri Hatcher’s right eye was injured when a light bulb exploded on the Desperate Housewives set on Tuesday, PEOPLE reports.

“Glass lodged in my right eye and proceeded to scratch my cornea," the actress tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I was taken to a wonderful eye doctor, and now am wearing a most glamorous eye patch over the right half of my face. I like to look at the positive and the good news is, the cornea is the fastest healing tissue in the body."

Hatcher says she should be back to production in two days and explains, "I'm in some pain, but trying to see the humor in the oddity of it all. No one was at fault.”

The Housewives star was scheduled to appear at the AmberWatch Foundation launch party in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, due to her injury, she was unable to attend the event. Hatcher is the new spokesperson for the organization which is dedicated to the prevention of child abduction and molestation. PEOPLE was one of the sponsors of the launch event.

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Paula Laughs Off Feud with Ryan

Paula Abdul is laughing off talk about an ongoing feud between her and Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

"Reports of a feud are ridiculous," Abdul, 43, said in a statement to the Associated Press. "We are one funny dysfunctional family. There's nothing but love."

On Friday however, Seacrest, 31, told PEOPLE his relationship with Abdul has been "awkward" lately. "I don't know what the deal is. It's very awkward."

Asked if he was speaking to Abdul, Seacrest answered: "No."
On Tuesday, Randy Jackson weighed in, jokingly telling PEOPLE: "I don't talk to Ryan. " The Idol judge then added: "We love (Paula). I talk to her."

As for Tuesday’s show, during which Abdul broke down in tears after Elliott Yamin’s performance, Jackson said, "It was a very emotional night for Paula... I don't know why (she cried) You got to ask her."

He jokingly added: "I think I saw Simon choke up a little bit too."

As for the tension between Seacrest and Abdul, it all started when each of them separately appeared on The Tonight Show.

In Seacrest's March 30 appearance, Jay Leno said that Abdul had seemed "a little loopy" to which Seacrest replied, "Well, have you listened to her album?" When Leno playfully asked whether Abdul had been drinking, Seacrest answered, "Hey look, I don't look in their cups to see what's sitting before them on that table. But at times I feel like we have reeled her in."

Abdul shot back when she appeared on the show on April 10. When Leno asked whether Seacrest was dating Teri Hatcher since the pair had been photographed kissing. "He only kisses the mirror," said Abdul. "And honestly, do you think Teri Hatcher is that desperate of a housewife?"

In the weeks after Abdul's Leno appearance, Seacrest frequently approached the judges' table during Idol commercial breaks, but usually spoke only to Cowell and Randy Jackson.

In a statement to the New York Post on Tuesday, Seacrest's spokesman said the Idol host was kidding about the feud, saying: "At the core they all love each other and are thrilled to be on the show together. … Just like all families, sometimes they do have their days."

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Britney Misses Kevin's Gig

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline are no strangers to Las Vegas, so it was business as usual when they were in town on April 21.

That night, Federline, 28, attended a listening party for his new single, "America's Most Hated," at the nightclub Pure. But Spears was a no-show at the gig, PEOPLE reports in its new issue.

The absence of Spears, 25, was made all the more evident when Kathy Hilton – Paris's mom – grabbed a microphone in the club's VIP area and yelled, "Mrs. Federline, come up here! Britney!"

A solo Federline told PEOPLE his brothers and sisters were in the crowd to support him. Asked whether his son with Spears, 7-month-old Sean Preston, liked his music, Federline said, "He loves daddy more than anything."

Later, when "America's Most Hated" came on, Federline held up a mic and sang along with the track. After the song ended, he shouted, "Where my ladies at? I love the ladies!"

As for Spears, by the next morning, her travel agent had called to book her a room (without Kevin) at the Red Rock resort across town, where she showed up poolside.

Was there a spat? Reps for the couple wouldn't comment.

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Clooney, Dad Speak Out for Darfur

On Monday, George Clooney and his father, Nick, returned from a weeklong trip to Darfur, a war-torn area of Sudan. Their mission: to bring attention to the tragedy occurring there.

The idea started with a conversation, PEOPLE reports in its new issue. "We can make it a higher-profile story," Clooney told his father. "Why don't we just go over there and find out what's happening?"

With that, father and son, plus a cameraman and a Darfur expert, traveled to the African nation, where an estimated 180,000 people have been killed and 2 million displaced in three years of political unrest.

"We were freelance," says the elder Clooney, 72, of the journey, which the group documented on film.

Clooney Sr., a columnist for a Cincinnati newspaper, also plans to write about the trip. "It was difficult," he says. "It's been a long time since I've slept in a mud hut and had a tarantula over my head."

Father and son split expenses: "George paid for the transport and lodging. I paid for the cigarettes and coffee."

The actor, 44, plans to detail the trip at an April 27 press conference with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who support aiding humanitarian missions, and attend a Darfur rally in D.C. on April 30.

As for the trip, Obama appreciated the Clooneys' efforts. "George combines celebrity with real knowledge and commitment," he tells PEOPLE. "He does his homework and he takes this stuff seriously."

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Ryan to Paula: "We Can Move Forward"

Ryan Seacrest and Paula Abdul seem to have finally patched things up.

The saga began when Seacrest told PEOPLE on April 21 that things had been "awkward" between them after Abdul joked about him on The Tonight Show. Days later, Abdul said in a statement, "Reports of a feud are ridiculous," and Seacrest's rep said the American Idol host had been joking.

But on Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning show on Wednesday, he admitted he hadn't been kidding around. "I spoke the truth," he said. "There were some awkward moments in the last week or two between Paula and I. … And before the show last week I went down to try to talk with her and I couldn't get in."

Seacrest and Abdul discussed the situation in an on-air phone interview.

"You made a couple of jokes about me, which I love," Seacrest said. "But then on the show that week, we weren't in sync. You and I. I just felt like, for us, it was a bit awkward and uncomfortable. Would you agree?"

"Actually, I thought you would be laughing hysterically," Abdul replied, "and then when I came out to see you, I don't know if you were preoccupied but Simon goes, 'You're in the dog pound tonight, baby.' "

After Paula complained that she'd felt left out when Seacrest and Simon Cowell teased each other, Seacrest held out the olive branch. "So it's safe to say that we can move forward," he said. "We can poke fun at each other and when we do it, we're not feuding."

"I'm trying to catch up with you and Simon!" Abdul replied.

"Ryan, I have nothing but love for you," Abdul said later in the show. "Remember, I'm the one who told you when we first started that I had a crush on you. … (You) ignored me so I had to move on."

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Jessica 'Heartbroken' by Nick's Tell-All

Jessica Simpson is said to be "devastated" by a recent tell-all interview that her ex, Nick Lachey, gave to a magazine about their relationship.

In the published interview Lachey said he still loved Jessica, felt "blindsided" and "sucker punched" by her decision to divorce and that she refused to try counseling.

Jessica's reaction? "She was devastated, heartbroken," says an insider. "She didn't think he would do that."

Friends gathered at Simpson's house on the day the article came out to console her. And Lachey himself even called to check in. "He wanted her to hear it from him," says a Lachey friend. "He felt bad that she was upset. (But) Nick didn't apologize, because the things he said (in the article) only demonstrate that he loves her."

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Jolie on Birth: 'I'm Ready for Anything'

Blaming her hormones on the fact she can't stop giggling, Angelina Jolie addressed the serious topic of Global Education Week on Thursday's Today, in a segment that was taped in the African nation of Namibia – which interviewer Ann Curry described as "the edge of nowhere."

While the topic of helping the world's children go to school was the focus of the sit-down, Curry did bring up how Jolie and Pitt are awaiting the birth of their child, intimating that Namibia might be a strange place to have it.

"We just don't know where it's going to happen or where it's going to be," Jolie conceded.

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'Robotic' Kellie Pickler Voted Off Idol

The ax fell Wednesday night on American Idol hopeful Kellie Pickler – despite judge Simon Cowell's one-time earlier prediction that she'd make it all the way to the final three.

"I've definitely learned a lot since I've been here," the 19-year-old North Carolina native said after show host Ryan Seacrest delivered the news. He also said that 47.5 million votes were cast this week, an all-time high outside of the show's finale tallies.

Pickler's exit brings the number of Idol contestants down to five: Paris Bennett, Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin. The winner will be named May 25.

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Idol Bids Adieu to Paris

Paris Bennett is out, while Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Elliot Yamin are still standing on American Idol.

On Wednesday night's show, Ryan Seacrest told Bennett, 17, of Fayetteville, Ga., that she'd drawn the least number of votes among the nearly 46 million cast.

"I love you," Bennett told her family in the audience, including her grandmother, Grammy-winning gospel singer Ann Nesby.

The other member of the bottom two was Yamin.

On Tuesday night, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul had praised Bennett's funky rendition of Prince's 1988 hit "Kiss," though Simon Cowell considered it "screechy" and "annoying." Bennet fared better with her second performance, a cover of Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You." "I think she did rather well with that," Cowell admitted.

Of Yamin's delivery of "On Broadway" on Tuesday's show, Cowell found it "disjointed." Cowell also said he was "just a little bit concerned" following Yamin's cover of Michael Buble's "Home." "I'm not sure I would have chosen the lyrics, 'I want to go home,' " Cowell pointedly advised the 27-year-old.

In other Idol news, American Idol Season 5 Encores, a compilation CD of songs by this season's top 12, will be released May 23.

Songs on the disc will include Chris Daughtry's take on Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," Kellie Pickler's version of Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight," Taylor Hicks's cover of the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' It to the Streets," Paris Bennett's update of Gladys Knight & the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia" and Kevin Covais's cover of Nat King Cole's "When I Fall in Love."

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Brad & Angelina Rebuff Rumors

What is it about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt that inspires such tall and twisted tales? While the power couple lie low in Namibia, PEOPLE – with the help of a connected source – sets the record straight on the most widely circulated myths.

• Jolie has not signed on for Tomb Raider 3 and has no plans to play video-game heroine Lara Croft any time soon.

• Pitt is not trying to convince Jolie to join the cast of Ocean's 13. (Sorry, George.)

• Jolie is not looking to adopt a Namibian infant – at least not right now.
• The actress is not planning a "water birth" for the couple's baby-to-be, or to name the baby Africa.

• Jolie's ill mom, Marcheline Bertrand, is not near death and did not ask Jolie to give birth in France as a "dying wish."

• Pitt did not purchase for Jolie a "fidelity necklace" as a pre-baby wedding gift. In fact they currently have no plans to marry.

• Finally, Jolie is not planning to buy a small African nation of her own.

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Tiger Woods Grieves Over Dad's Death

Tiger Woods's father, Earl Woods, died at his Southern California home early Wednesday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer, the world's top golfer stated in a message on his Web site, saying he was "saddened to share the news." Earl Woods was 74.

"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply. I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life," his son, 30, says in his posting. "He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend."

First diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998, Earl Woods was said to have been in frail health in recent months as the cancer spread. He was too weak to attend the grand opening of the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 10.

Woods said he spoke to his father the night before the opening, and "he kept telling me how proud he was of what I was able to do, and proud of me for thinking of this. It's hard on all of us," ESPN reported.

Just last month, Woods took a self-imposed break from the PGA tour to be with his dad, saying: "It's kind of up in the air with the situation back home, so I don't know what's going to happen."

Earl, a former Green Beret, and his son had always been close, with Tiger first learning to swing from his dad when the toddler was only 9 months old. When Tiger was 2, Earl had the youngster on TV putting with Bob Hope on The Michael Douglas Show, where Tiger scored a hole in one.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to continue his legacy of sharing and caring," Tiger says on his Web site.

Besides his son Tiger, Earl is survived by his wife, Kutilda, whom he married in 1969.