Gossip/Celebrity News

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Britney Spears's VMAs Comeback: A Letdown?

After weeks of buzz, Britney Spears kicked off Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards at the Palms in Las Vegas in a sparkly bra and briefs with a club-ready performance of her latest song "Gimme More."

The singer, who reportedly worked with illusionist Criss Angel on the act, lip-synched to the song as women cavorted on stripper poles amid a flashy red background. (Click here to see the performance.) The song comes in advance of Spears' as-yet-untitled record due in stores Nov. 13.

The pop star has a history of dramatic performances at the VMAs – including kissing Madonna and dancing with a live snake – but this year's performance seemed more low-key and certainly less eye-popping.

And at least one review was in almost immediately. Following Spears's performance, comedian Sarah Silverman offered her sarcastic take. "Was that incredible? Britney Spears, everyone," Silverman said. "Wow. She is amazing. She is 25-years-old and she's already accomplished everything she's going to accomplish in her life. It's mind blowing."

Later, backstage hip-hop star Akon offered his reaction to Spears's performance, telling PEOPLE: "That could have been better. She needed to focus more. She looked nervous and I think the pressure got to her."

Similarly, Common told PEOPLE about Spears: "I think it didn't seem like she wanted to be there. There wasn't any spark, it didn't feel like life was there."

Before the show, many artists weighed in on Spears's comeback. During MTV's official pre-show, Mary J. Blige wished the beleaguered pop star all the best. "I absolutely think Britney could make the comeback," Blige said on the telecast. "Someone who's been through as much as she's been through – you just want her to win. I know I want her to win."

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Rihanna, Justin Timberlake Win Big at VMAs

Riding high from her smash single "Umbrella," Rihanna cleaned up at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, taking home two of the evening's most prestigious trophies: Video of the year and monster single of the year.

The singer was nominated for five awards at the ceremony, which broadcast live on Sunday from Las Vegas.

The evening's other big winner was seven-time nominee Justin Timberlake who collected Moonmen for being quadruple threat of the year and male artist of the year.

Meanwhile, Beyonce Knowles won best collaboration for her song "Beautiful Liar" with Sha***a. And an absent Fergie won female artist of the year.

Apart from the major winners (and Britney Spears's opening performance) the other big news at this year's VMAs: A novel approach to staging. Instead of using one stage, artists offered mini-performances throughout the telecast from various spots in the Palms. Singer Alicia Keys introduced the concept, explaining how VMA performers would be holding court in private suites to perform and party.

Early in the show, a tuxedoed Kanye West ran through part of his nominated song "Stronger" from a packed suite, surrounded by dancing fans all sporting his trademark white sunglasses. (The rapper later offered an encore, venturing to an outdoor patio as he performed a new song, "Good Life.") And rockers Fall Out Boy charged through a minute of their single "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs."

Other big performances: Timberlake adding vocals to 50 Cent's "Ayo Technology." And Rihanna's version of "Umbrella," which segued into a dance performance by R&B singer Chris Brown.

Later in the show, 18-year-old Brown got props from Timberlake, 26, who said: "Nobody likes to be reminded that they're getting older. And whatever Chris Brown just did reminded me of how I'm getting older – 'cause damn. It's just exciting to see."

But, as always, some of the award show's most shining moments were the unscripted ones.

Here are some of the night's most quotable moments:

• Sarah Silverman delivered many pointed salvos in her comedic monologue. After ribbing Britney Spears's performance, she went after the singer's children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, calling them "the most adorable mistakes you will ever see."

• Multiple-winner Justin Timberlake imploring MTV to play more music videos. "Play more damn videos," he said. "We don't want to see the Simpsons on reality television. Play more videos!"

• Presenter Shia LaBeouf slipping and revealing the (possible) new name of the latest Indiana Jones franchise, which he's currently filming. The purported name? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Then, the actor accepted an award for no-show Fergie, saying, "I am going to take this award then. This is my award. Word."

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Charlie Sheen's Fiancée Enters Custody Battle Fray

Brooke Mueller is denouncing Denise Richards's claims against her ex-husband Charlie Sheen in their heated custody battle – claims that now include accusations about the way he handled his engagement.

Richards, 36, says that her and Sheen's two children, Sam, 3, and Lola, 2, didn't learn of their father's engagement to Mueller, 30, until it was announced on a TV show. "That is one hundred percent untrue," Mueller tells PEOPLE. "Denise begged us on a few difference occasions not to tell the girls we were engaged."

In a court filing obtained by Access Hollywood, Richards claims Sheen, 41, and Mueller told her they purposely got engaged for "the press ... he wanted to get the cover of People and Us magazine."

Mueller, who Sheen proposed to in July with a $500,000 diamond ring during a Costa Rican vacation, says the claim is so absurd she "won't dignify it with a response."

Also, in her complaint, Richards filed e-mails from Mueller where she allegedly apologizes for Sheen's past tirades against his wife. Mueller believes Richards edited a version of her e-mails to bolster her custody battle with Sheen.

"It's a shame that Denise conveniently edited my e-mail correspondence to serve her own interests," Mueller said. "She would be both mortified and embarrassed if I released any one of her 40 e-mails to me. But she knows my character and humanity and knows that I would ever do such a thing."

Mueller further denounces Richards' claims of Sheen's "inappropriate behavior ... and conduct", including "his attraction to underage women and his sexual explicitness on the Internet, including revealing his private parts."

"Denise's claims are laughable at best," says Mueller. "How would she know? She hasn't lived with Charlie for over two years. But this is a battle we will fight in court, not in the press."

Richards filed for divorce from Sheen in March, 2005, while she was six months pregnant with Lola. Although they were legally divorced in November 2006, a final division of assets and custody rights are still being debated.



Who's turning 40? Which celebs are high school dropouts? What's hot and definitely not in fall fashion? Check out PEOPLE's new digital magazine now!

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Brad Pitt: Children Are an Antidote to Sadness

Brad Pitt says being a father has given him something that fame and money never could – a way to escape a sadness that's clung to him since his days as a boy growing up on the Missouri prairie.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever taken on," Pitt said of parenting on ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday. "It's the most difficult, the most rewarding and the most fun. I think this is the greatest thing I could possibly achieve, and hats off to all the parents out there."

Pitt says his happiness as a dad was made clear to him while playing Jesse James in the new film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

James also grew up in Missouri, and Pitt found himself reconnecting with his past – one defined by a general sense of melancholy that he said is deeply ingrained in the prairie culture.

"He's from the same area that I'm from," Pitt said. "I was surprised how much that meant to me in the end, to do something that had a connection with home."

But it also brought back what he called the "congenital sadness" of the region. "It's something that I feel in my grandparents, in the people I've met, in a Southern way of life," said Pitt. "It's something pervasive, an undercurrent that I think Christianity answers."

For Pitt, having children helped lift the cloud. "They say the funniest things I've ever heard," he said. "They're the funniest people I've ever met."

A lot of the skill of parenting, he said, comes from instinct. But it doesn't hurt to have some help.

"One of the things I'm most happy about for my kids," Pitt said, "is that they have a mother, I think, because she's amazing."

The Assassination of Jesse James opens Friday.

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Snoop Dogg Pleads Guilty to Weapon Charge

Snoop Dogg is ready to "make music, not court appearances," his lawyer said Thursday, after the rapper pleaded guilty to felony possession of a deadly weapon in an Orange County, Calif., court.

A somber-looking Snoop (real name: Calvin Broadus), wearing a gray sweater and slacks, was sentenced to three years probation and 160 hours of community service, after the rapper was arrested last September trying to board a plane with a 20-inch collapsible baton in a computer bag.

Snoop initially pleaded not guilty, and his attorney explained the weapon was a movie prop. But "this was an expedient way to end the case," Snoop's attorney, Donald Etra, tells PEOPLE. "Snoop wants to make music, not make court appearances. Community service beats state prison any day."

However, Judge Erick L. Larsh ruled that the rapper cannot serve those hours in any capacity "involving children, gangs or football (due to his existing involvement in his sons' sports league)," the Orange County District Attorney said in a statement.

Snoop, 35, also agreed to make a $10,000 donation to Right Trak, an Orange County anti-gang program.

The rap star narrowly avoided prison in April by pleading no contest in a Pasadena, Calif., court to gun possession by a felon and sale or transportation of marijuana, and was sentenced to five years probation.

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Charlie Sheen Fires Back at Denise Richards

Charlie Sheen says the FBI was "aware of" ex-wife Denise Richards's allegations that he viewed child pornography, and has taken no action.

Responding to Richards's most recent court filing in their custody battle, Sheen, 41, says in a statement released Monday that for 18 months Richards herself filed "not a single complaint" about the welfare of their daughters – and that her attacks only began after he asked to pick his own nannies.

"I have asked that the court eliminate Ms. Richards's ability to abuse and harass us any longer," said Sheen, who has accused Richards of using the nannies as spies on his personal life. "One can only imagine what we've withstood thus far."

In her filing, Richards accuses Sheen of "an attraction to underage women," an allegation she made earlier, providing numerous printouts of porn Web sites he allegedly visited during their marriage. The filing has not been released publicly, but a copy has been reviewed by PEOPLE.

"The FBI was aware of these issues," Sheen states. "I provided them with every computer I owned. The computers were returned two weeks later. Haven't heard from them since. Period. The end."

As of now, a childcare provider must accompany Sheen and fiancée Brooke Mueller whenever they're with daughters Sam, 3, and Lola, 2.

Richards, 36, also alleged in her filing that Sheen's engagement to Mueller is fake and a media stunt, based on what Mueller told her.

Mueller, denying Richards's claims, responded alongside Sheen's statement Monday, saying: "There are huge concerns about how Denise's emotions are impacting her judgment."

Richards had no comment to Sheen's latest statement.

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David Hasselhoff's Ex-Wife Booked for Hit-and-Run

David Hasselhoff's ex-wife Pamela Bach surrendered Monday to a Van Nuys, Calif., jail to be booked for a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge. She was released on her own recognizance shortly thereafter.

In January, Bach, 44, allegedly crashed into 26-year-old Nicole Valdez's car in the San Fernando Valley and fled the scene. Valdez says damages total $1,377.

In June, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Bach to turn herself in because she was not properly booked when the criminal charges were filed.

Bach, who has pleaded not guilty, is ordered to appear for a hearing Tuesday and faces up to six months in jail if convicted.

Hasselhoff, 55, was awarded primary custody of the former couple's two children last June. The decision marked a turnaround for the actor, who had been blocked temporarily from seeing Taylor-Ann, 17, and Hayley, 14, after a drunken video of him surfaced.

Earlier this month, Bach agreed to move out of their previously shared family home. The ex-couple will face off in a trial beginning Jan. 28 to settle their finances.

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Salma Hayek Has a Baby Girl

Salma Hayek and her businessman fiancé, François Henri Pinault, are the parents of a baby girl, Valentina Paloma Pinault.

"Mother and daughter are doing well," Hayek's publicist Cari Ross, said in a statement. No further details were released.

A source told PEOPLE that the 41-year-old Mexican-born actress entered the hospital on Thursday and that Pinault was present.

The daughter is the first child for Hayek. Pinault, 45, has two children from a previous marriage which ended in divorce in 2004.

The actress's pregnancy was first revealed in March, at the same time that the couple announced they were engaged to be married.

The pair had kept a relatively low profile since their relationship began – though Hayek joined Pinault, the CEO of luxury goods firm PPR (which owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent), for occasional public events, including one in the spring at the festivities surrounding the inauguration of the Pinault Foundation's Modern Art collection in Venice's Gritti Palace.

Besides carrying her child, Hayek has had her hands full on Ugly Betty, both as a guest star and as the executive producer of the Emmy-winning ABC show.

Speaking of Hayek, actor Michal Urie, who plays a conniving assistant on the series, told PEOPLE: "She knows how to take care – like we have a ton of producers, and she's really caring. She's like the matriarch of the producers. She's already motherly."

Another Ugly Betty star had equally glowing praise for Hayek. "She's a fighter, she's just lovely. She's like the salt of the earth and not pretentious one bit," Vanessa Williams said Emmy night. "And you get a little snippet of that when you see her character that she did a couple of episodes with, when she smacks America or Betty on the behind and she's that strong, forceful woman – she's a dynamo."

And though she is first-time mom after 40, Hayek spoke confidently of motherhood to Marie Claire magazine earlier this year, saying: "Motherhood is not for everyone. It is for me, but there's no reason women should feel rushed to have a child."

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Baby No. 2 on the Way for Melissa Joan Hart

Actress Melissa Joan Hart is pregnant with her second child, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The Sabrina the Teenage Witch star is four months along, her rep says.

Hart and her husband Mark Wilkerson, who married in 2003, are already the proud parents of a son, Mason, who is nearly 2.

"I love the faces Mason makes. I could watch him forever," Hart, 31, told PEOPLE shortly after his birth.

Baby No. 2 will be arriving a bit sooner than the actress planned. In an interview with Celebrity Baby Blog, Hart said, "I hope to have a little sibling for Mason sometime around his third birthday, but first I want him to learn how to snowboard – because I feel like that will be a marker of his self control!"

Added Hart: "I adore my baby boy and can't imagine not having him around. He makes everything okay, if I've had a bad day or a good one."

Hart, who's currently shooting a Lifetime movie in Vancouver, will next be seen in a guest appearance on the Oct. 9 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

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Lindsay Lohan Leaves Rehab

Lindsay Lohan has checked out of the exclusive Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah, where she has been since August, multiple sources, including both of her parents, confirm to PEOPLE.

"She's finished the program," one source says. "Lindsay is done, but she may come back for outpatient treatment. She over-extended her stay because she wanted to. She could have been out awhile ago, but she chose to stay."

Lohan's mother, Dina, told PEOPLE Friday: "I'm proud of her. She's moving ahead with her life. Things were getting out of control. She took action. She took responsibility. She really needed to heal."

Lohan was photographed Friday afternoon with her father Michael, who carried her suitcases, leaving Cirque Lodge. "I will be there in her life as best I can but from here on she's going to have a lot of decisions to make on her own," Michael told PEOPLE Friday. "Now that she is going out into the world, I can only hope for the best."

The father and daughter reunited last month for the first time in three years when he paid a visit to her in rehab. "I'm enjoying my time with Lindsay and I'm happy to see and believe she's the Lindsay I last saw three years ago, before all this turmoil came into her life," says Michael. "I am trying my best to lead by example and institute important tools."

Of the actress's reunion with her father, Lohan's mom, Dina, told PEOPLE recently: "It can only help her recovery. It's time to mend."

And Lohan is already gearing up for her return to work: A source says she has plans to start filming her tango-themed move, Dare to Love Me, in Los Angeles on Oct. 15. Plus, says the source, despite reports suggesting Lindsay is an insurance liability for film studios, Lohan has been insured for this film.

"Lindsay will start her life over," says the source. "She's gotten rid of the people around her who were bad influences."

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Isaac Hanson Says He's 'Feeling Lucky'

Isaac Hanson realized something was wrong while he was onstage in Dallas on Tuesday night: His shoulder started swelling and his right arm became numb.

"Having had this happen before, I started to be really suspicious of what it was," the guitarist for the brother group Hanson told PEOPLE on Friday. "In the middle of the show, I said to someone: 'We may need to go to the hospital.' "

After the show, he went to the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center, where the diagnosis was as he had expected – and feared. He had blot clots in his right arm, jugular vein and lungs. He had similar clotting in 2003.

After undergoing surgery, Hanson, 26, is expected to make a full recovery and be well enough to resume performing as early as Monday, when the band's "Walk Tour" continues in Knoxville, Tenn.

"I'm feeling pretty good," says Hanson, his arm wrapped in an Ace bandage to control swelling. "I'm feeling lucky."

In six to nine months, he'll likely need additional surgery, he says. He'll also be taking blood-thinning medication.

Although he had the "advantage of having experienced it before," this time the episode had higher stakes because he's now a father.

"There were definitely some emotional moments, especially because of having a 6-month-old little boy," he says. "You can't help but think to yourself: Wow, what if they hadn't caught it when they did? Or what if the clot had been larger?"

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Janet Jackson to Write About Her Weight Struggle

Size matters to Janet Jackson, and she has decided to chronicle her yo-yoing weight in a new book.

"I’m writing a book on my journey of weight loss and weight gain," Jackson, 41, told PEOPLE at the Hollywood premier of Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?

"[I'm] really coming from the soul with it, and what I was going through at different times in my life and what possibly brought it about for myself," she says of the yet untitled book. She'll also include in the book what she did "nutrition-wise" to slim down "when she needed to," but warns, "It's different for everyone."

Jackson put on 60 lbs. last year and told Extra it had a debilitating effect on her. "I could not believe how big I was, how heavy I really was," she said. "I would see myself in the mirror, but I wouldn't look too often. I didn't want to get used to that image."

Jackson, who later held court at the afterparty at Boulevard 3, was looking fit but giving the outfit credit. "It's really the dress, I would say," Jackson said of the L'Wren Scott creation. "She just knows how to fit the right dress on a woman’s body, really. And she’s very good at what she does."

Third Time's the Charm
Currently dating music producer Jermaine Dupri, 34, twice-divorced Jackson hinted at the possibility of nuptials in their future.

"I've done it twice and divorced twice, and the next time I do it – if I do it – I really don't plan on divorcing," she said. "Oh, I pray this doesn't bite me in the butt ... saying this. But they say the third time is a charm."

If Jackson decides she's going to the chapel, again, it will be more for love than obligation. "Exchanging vows and finding your soul mate and coming from a more spiritual place is more of the way for me, for myself," she said. "I don’t necessarily need the paper to validate the love that I have for someone."

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Ellen Shocked Over New Home for Her Former Dog

Ellen DeGeneres told Ryan Seacrest Wednesday morning that she was concerned over reports that Iggy, the dog at the center of her adoption controversy, had been given away to a new family – not her hairdresser's.

Seacrest got DeGeneres on the phone during his KIIS-FM radio program in L.A., and said to her, "I heard this morning that this dog, Iggy, is now with another family."

DeGeneres replied: "Yeah, that's what I just heard, too. The statement was, 'Finally, it's in a safe home.' Which is an unbelievable statement. I mean, the whole situation is surreal. I can't even begin to tell you the disbelief."

Citing the attorney for rescue agency Mutts & Moms, The Insider reported Wednesday that the dog has indeed been placed in a new home. (And see TMZ video of the scene at the hairdresser's house after the dog was taken).

Seacrest asked DeGeneres, "Why did they place the dog somewhere else without figuring this out?" She replied: "I guess so that people would just leave them alone. I don't know."

DeGeneres reiterated to Seacrest that she had made a mistake in not following the rules in giving Iggy to her hairdresser's family. But she claimed once again that the rescue agency was punishing the dog and her friend's family for that mistake.

She also agreed with Seacrest when he suggested the agency had a personal vendetta against DeGeneres herself.

"I don't even understand the latest statement in the press, which is, 'I won't let the Ellen DeGenereses of the world get away with this,' " she said.

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Emma Watson Is Named Nickelodeon's Best Actress

Nickelodeon made a splash on the other side of the Atlantic on Saturday, debuting the U.K. edition of its Kids' Choice Awards in London.

Notably absent were any big-name celebrities being doused in Nick's traditional green slime. That, of course, was good news for Emma Watson, who also was named Nickelodeon's Best Movie Actress.

"This is so cool. I'm so thrilled," the 17-year-old Harry Potter star said.

Watson – who was wearing a gold-sequined top and Diesel jeans – beat out Cameron Diaz, Dakota Fanning and Keira Knightley for the award.

For the past few months, kids have been voting online for their top choices in 16 different categories, including Best Movie Actor (Johnny Depp), Best Sports Person (David Beckham), Best Female Singer (Avril Lavigne) and Best Movie (The Simpsons Movie).

Although they were unable to attend, High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale won Best TV Actor and Actress. The Greenie Award – created to encourage kids to recycle – was accepted by Nancy Drew's Emma Roberts, who pledged to become more environmentally conscious.

Jamie Lynn Spears was a no-show, but she did send a video message saying, "I'm so sad I'm missing out on all the fun you guys are having there."

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Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Reunite in Court

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline appeared together Friday for a three-hour custody hearing behind closed doors – the first courtroom face-off for the former couple.

Spears took three bathroom breaks during the hearing, with her mood souring as the day wore on. At an early break, she told reporters, "Everything's great," but at a later break she cursed at a reporter asking how she was, saying, "Snort it, f--- it."

Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, was asked after the hearing if it was contentious. "When I'm there, it's always contentious," he quipped.

The session ended with Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon making no ruling.

"There was testimony given by both parties," says court rep Meredith Pierce, "but Commissioner Gordon did not make a ruling today. He took the case under submission, meaning he'll consider both sides and will craft a new court order."

Spears's attorney, Sorrell Trope, said he was "absolutely satisfied" with the court session, and noted that Spears would continue to have overnight visitations with her sons.

"I left with a favorable feeling," he said.

The next hearing is Nov. 26.