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HEATH LEDGER’s last girlfriend GEMMA WARD has paid tribute to the late actor in her first interview since his death in January (08).
The Australian model credits Ledger with helping her discover acting, and describes how he always "operated from the heart".
Ward tells the Sydney Morning Herald, "He really, really knew that if he was going to make a decision to be in a film, then he needed to be really committed to it. He operated from heart.
"He wasn’t afraid to fight with people, he wasn’t afraid to p**s people off.
He told me to always be a punk and stand up for yourself." Ledger was found dead in his New York apartment on 22 January (08) after suffering an accidental drug overdose.

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A charter jet company owner who taped MICHAEL JACKSON and his lawyers onboard one of his planes has been ordered by a Los Angeles judge to hand over $2.25 million (£1.13 million) in damages.
Attorneys Mark Geragos and an associate sued XtraJet, claiming the pair were videotaped with Jackson as they flew from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara, California so the singer could hand himself over to police investigating child molestation accusations against him in November 2003.
Geragos claimed the tape violated Jackson’s privacy, and described it as"one of the most outrageous acts I’ve seen in my 20 years of practicing criminal law".

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SNOOP DOGG ended the first season of his new reality TV show by renewing his wedding vows.
The rapper insisted the ceremony he hastily arranged for the finale of Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood be kept a closely-guarded secret until the episode aired on Sunday night (02Mar08).
Snoop - real name Calvin Broadus - gave his management team just two days to set up a surprise vow renewal for him and his wife Shante, who thought the whole ceremony was being arranged for her husband’s best friend, the Gap Band star Charlie Wilson.
Soul star Teddy Riley and rapper David Banner were among the celebrity guests at the ceremony and after-party.
Snoop recently revealed he "fell back in love with my wife and kids" after filing for divorce in 2004.
He said, "A lot of times you get cloudy. The music industry is a mother, man, and it’ll take your vision and blur it.
"But I need my wife and kids in my life. So if you hear about a divorce, it’ll be my wife divorcing me. It won’t be me divorcing her."

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KATE HUDSON’s brother OLIVER has shot down rumours the actress is pregnant with her second child.
Reports about a baby for the Almost Famous star began circulating last month (Feb08), with U.S. tabloids even speculating about who the father could be.
But actor Oliver Hudson insists his sister is not with child.
He says, "I will squash that right now. She is absolutely 100 per cent not pregnant."

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Actress DREW BARRYMORE is donating $1 million (£500,000) to the United Nations World Food Programme to help feed children in Africa.
The kind-hearted Charlie’s Angels star announced her monetary gift on Monday’s (03Mar08) edition of Oprah Winfey’s U.S. TV show, Oprah.
Barrymore has travelled to Kenya twice with the organisation, who she has worked with since 2005, and last year (07) became a U.N. Ambassador Against Hunger.
The 33-year-old told Winfrey, "I have seen with my own eyes what a difference a simple cup of nutritious porridge can make in a child’s life. It helps them learn, stay healthy and sets them on track for a bright future."

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MADONNA has reportedly asked fellow Michigan maverick IGGY POP and his reformed THE STOOGES to perform for her at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony next week (10Mar08).
Justin Timberlake will introduce the Material Girl at the New York City ceremony and Pop has agreed to perform punked up versions of her hits as a tribute.
The punk icon and Madonna, who both hail from Detroit, became firm friends when Pop opened for the pop superstar at the Dublin, Ireland date of her Reinvention Tour in 2004.
Meanwhile, Damien Rice and Patti LaBelle will perform musical tributes to Leonard Cohen and songwriters Gamble & Huff at the induction ceremony.

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Singer/actress JESSICA SIMPSON’s sports star boyfriend TONY ROMO has slammed reports the couple are engaged.
Simpson and Romo have been inseparable for months, prompting speculation they are ready to take their relationship to the next level.
Romo’s ex Sophia Bush even fuelled wedding rumours by insisting the couple will marry soon.
But Dallas Cowboys quarterback Romo insists they are happy as they are, telling People, "I mean, it’s just rumours. That’s what people say.
"I’m sure I’ll get married one day. I don’t know when."

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Acting great MARTIN SHEEN is set for another major honour as a social activist and movie star - he’ll collect the Marlon Brando Award for his career and humanitarian efforts at fourth annual Stella By Starlight gala benefit on 17 March (08).
Sheen recently learned he is to be honoured by the University Of Notre Dame in recognition of his philanthropy in May (08).
Also honoured at the upcoming Stella Adler Studio Of Acting gala will be late Jaws star Roy Scheider, for prolific achievement in the theatre.
The posthumous award will be presented to the actor’s wife, Brenda Siemer.
The event will also mark the inauguration of a new scholarship fund in honour of Scheider, who died on 10 February (08).

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Science-fiction movie JUMPER has landed a third week at the top of the international box office chart with takings of $12.8 million (£6.4 million).
Jumper, which stars Hayden Christensen and his reported girlfriend Rachel Bilson, kept political thriller Vantage Point at bay to retain its status as the most popular film outside America over the weekend (19Feb-02Mar08).
Vantage Point is at two with $11.5 million (£5.75 million), while The Golden Compass is at three with $10 million (£5 million).

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The widow of the original GONE IN 60 SECONDS director/star H.B. HALICKI has gone to war with a legendary car collector over knock-off versions of the film’s main motor.
Denice Shakarian Halicki claims she owns various copyrights connected to the famous 1967 Ford Mustang, dubbed Eleanor, and car collector Carroll Shelby is violating those rights by producing lookalikes for sale and show.
Shelby insists he obtained the trademark rights to use the Eleanor name in 2002, and he has since teamed up with a Texas company to produce copies of the car from the famous 1974 film.
The original Mustang became one of the stars of the cult car crash classic, and Halicki’s widow is now in the process of customising Eleanor Mustangs with an Oklahoma company.
Her lawyer, Allan Browne, tells the Los Angeles Times newspaper, "We believe there are many millions of dollars at stake here." Halicki is seeking damages from Shelby and has called on a Los Angeles court to revoke any Eleanor trademarks the car collector has.

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Actress KATHLEEN TURNER has put on a pair of shoes for the first time in six years, after overcoming a bad bout of arthritis.
The 52-year-old star suffers from chronic rheumatoid arthritis and has to undergo operations every October to keep her out of a wheelchair. The illness has also meant she has had to wear slippers every day since 2002.
Turner is due to have a final operation later this year (08) for the condition, but is delighted she can once again sport regular footwear.
She says, "I have been wearing actual shoes for two weeks! Before that, nothing in six years - and I used to love shoes.
"In the store, I tried on this pair and I started to cry. ‘I can wear these!’ I said. ‘Of course you can, dear,’ said the assistant. I scared the hell out of him."

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Actress JERI RYAN is celebrating after giving birth to a baby girl.
The Star Trek: Voyager star and her chef husband Christophe Eme welcomed baby Gisele into the world in Los Angeles on Sunday (02Mar08).
She weighed in at 3.54 kilograms (seven pounds and 13 ounces).
Ryan’s spokesman David Lust tells website People.com, "Both parents are thrilled. Jeri is resting comfortably and Christophe is playing the part of proud new papa quite well." Ryan, who has a 13-year-old son from a previous relationship, wed Eme last June (07).

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THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY stars COLE and DYLAN SPROUSE’s manager has been convicted of child molestation and selling alcohol to a minor.
Josh Werkman pleaded no contest to the misdemeanour charges at Ventura County Superior Court in California on Friday (29Feb08).
He is due to be sentenced on 2 April (08).
The conviction stems from an arrest for sexual battery by restraint on a 16-year-old male, according to TMZ.com.
Werkman’s lawyer Steve Cron tells the website, "Josh admitted he annoyed an individual who is a minor and provided that person with alcohol on the day in question. He acknowledged that he used bad judgment on that occasion and that is why he pleaded no contest to the two charges." The Sprouse brothers - best known for Disney TV show The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody - are the 33-year-old’s most famous clients. He is also the CEO of Merimark Entertainment and produced the brothers’ last two movies.

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WINONA RYDER’s publicists have hit back at reports the actress is set to wed boyfriend BLAKE SENNETT, insisting a picture caption went too far.
Ryder and Sennett reportedly revealed their news to guests at the Valentino show, which marked the end of Paris Fashion Week in France, on Thursday (28Feb08) - before most of the world even knew they were dating.
But Ryder’s spokeswoman Mara Buxbaum has denied the engagement story.
She tells WENN, "It’s not accurate. They’re dating and they have been dating for some time, but they’re not engaged." Ryder and Rilo Kelly guitarist Sennett met on the set of new movie Water Pill.

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LEONA LEWIS has ended TIMBALAND’s 15-week reign atop the European singles chart - the British singer’s BLEEDING LOVE is the continent’s new number one.
Lewis, who shot to fame after winning U.K. reality show The X Factor, scored the hit for herself when music mogul Clive Davis asked songwriters Jesse McCartney and OneRepublic star Ryan Tedder to let the Brit have the song they penned for McCartney’s next album.
Ironically, Timbaland’s Apologise, which falls to number two on the new chart, features Tedder’s vocals - so he is involved in the top two singles in Europe.
Meanwhile, Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black has bounced back to the top of the European album charts, replacing Michael Jackson’s Thriller 25th anniversary re-release.

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AMERICAN IDOL judge SIMON COWELL has turned down a $1.5 million (£750,000) offer to be the face of impotency drug Viagra.
Pharmaceutical firm Phizer wanted the mean-mannered Brit to promote the libido-boosting pill in adverts - but Cowell, 48, said no.
He reveals, "My agent rang me and said, ‘You’ve been offered an incredibly big deal - it’s to be the face of Viagra’. And I just said, ‘Sorry, but that has to be a f**king insult.’"

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Top British music magazine NME is to stage its first Los Angeles-based awards ceremony next month (Apr08).
The London awards, which were held at the end of last month (Feb08), were handed out to Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Muse and Kate Nash, among others.
The Los Angeles ceremony will be held at the El Rey Theatre on 23 April (08).
The winners of the U.S. NME Awards will be determined by votes received via NME.com. The magazine’s editorial team will select the recipient of the revered Godlike Genius Award, which was presented to the Manic Street Preachers in London this year.

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Reggae producer JOE GIBBS has died after suffering a heart attack. He was 65.
Gibbs, who was born Joel Gibson, passed away in Jamaica on 20 February (08).
Best known for his work with legendary reggae recording engineer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Gibbs opened a record shop and recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1960s.
He went on to team up with producer Errol Thompson, forming a partnership known as The Mighty Two. This was responsible for hits including Culture’s Two Sevens Clash and Dennis Brown’s How Can I Leave.

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