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BATMAN & ROBIN star ALICIA SILVERSTONE is laughing off reports she pulled out of a role in U.S. sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER after learning she’d be appearing opposite BRITNEY SPEARS.
Spears plays a receptionist/secretary in an upcoming episode of the show, and insiders claim her boss was supposed to be the big screen’s one-time Batgirl.
But Silverstone’s publicist Elizabeth Much insists the actress’ links to the TV show ended long before Spears’ name was even mentioned.
She explains, "Alicia was in discussions to do the show but the deal never went through. This happens all of the time in Hollywood. It had nothing to do with Britney." Spears will play a secretary to actor Josh Radner’s character Ted when the episode airs in America later this year (08).

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LATEST: GIRLS GONE WILD creator JOE FRANCIS has avoided another lengthy jail sentence in Florida after reaching a plea deal over allegations he videotaped two minors engaging in sexual activity.
The adult filmmaker was given the lucky break on Wednesday (12Mar08) after appearing at a Panama City court to face the charges, which date back to the 2003 Girls Gone Wild filming of two underage girls on spring break vacation in the state.
Francis’ defence team claims the minors lied about their age to an independent cameraman, and that their sex performance footage was never used.
According to TMZ.com, Francis pleaded no contest to the charges in exchange for being sentenced to time already served.
He will now be placed on six months’ "non-reporting" probation and has been banned from filming in the Bay County area for three years.
The prosecution deal will also see the return of Francis’ new Ferrari and $60,000 (£30,000) that was confiscated by local authorities in 2007.
Speaking after the hearing, he said: "I am happy to be done with Bay County." Francis flew into Florida on Tuesday (11Mar08) from Reno, Nevada, where he has spent the last 12 months behind bars on federal tax evasion charges.
But his legal troubles are far from over - Francis must return to Reno to stand trial in August (08), when he faces a maximum fine of $500,000 (£250,000) and a 10-year prison sentence if convicted.

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Teen star MILEY CYRUS is wearing a diabetes alert dog tag to support singer pal and sufferer NICK JONAS.
Despite insisting rumours the pair once dated are false, the 15-year-old Hannah Montana star was recently snapped with a tag around her neck - used to carry information about sufferers to help inform emergency services about their condition.
A source says, "She wants to use her fame to bring attention to the fight against the condition." Cyrus recently denied she ever dated Jonas, also 15, saying, "No one knows we were ever together, so how could we break up if we were never together… No one has proof… We aren’t broken up and we’re not together."

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Mexican pop singer CRISTIAN CASTRO is divorcing his wife VALERIA LIBERMAN - for the second time in less than a year.
The Grammy nominated star, who has two children with Liberman, has admitted the couple is now filing for divorce, just months after reconciling following an earlier split in August (07).
The 33-year-old reportedly told People En Espanol at the time that he was moving out of their marital home, citing irreconcilable differences.
However, the magazine claims that on the day of the issue’s release, Castro withdrew the divorce suit, claiming he had lied to the publication and would continue to do so if asked about his personal life.
But now Castro insists they have split for good.
He says, "It’s taken me a long time to make this decision, but my wife and I have had various disagreements from the onset of our relationship.
"We’ve decided to get divorced. I’m very worried, sad and devastated, because we’re going through a very frustrating time." And he claims their impending divorce has been a long time coming: "There has never been much communication or understanding between us; that’s what I’ve felt. Maybe we’ve neglected the most important things from the beginning.
"It’s something that was going to happen sooner or later. The two of us have been distant for years. We fought for it and wanted to make it work a bunch of times, but it just didn’t happen."

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LATEST: Country star DOLLY PARTON has been forced to pull out of an upcoming appearance at the SXSW festival in Texas after suffering continuing back problems caused by her large breasts.
The legendary singer, who is famous for her impressive bust, was ordered to rest for six to eight weeks after cancelling her U.S. tour at the beginning of February (08) as a result of her painful back injury.
That tour was due to have started in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 28 February (08).
Now SXSW festival organisers, who had hoped Parton would have a speedy recovery in time for Friday’s (14Mar08) scheduled gig, have confirmed she will not be appearing at the event because of her ongoing health problems.
SXSW kicked off in Austin, Texas on Wednesday (12Mar08) with performances from artists including R.E.M. and Van Morrison.

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Actress KATE BECKINSALE struggled with motherhood after her daughter LILY was born in 1999, and is amazed they both survived the experience.
The Underworld star admits she suffers stress and anxiety trying to juggle a young child and a Hollywood career.
She says, "I don’t understand how more people don’t drop children out of windows.
"I remember turning up on the set of Pearl Harbor and all the boys had been to boot camp and I had a 14-month-old baby, and had been told that I had to be in the gym four hours a day.
"On top of the not sleeping and all this physical activity, the boys kept saying, ‘Wow, it was so tough, you have no idea.’ I remember thinking to myself, ‘You went for five days, I haven’t slept in 14 months. You want to go toe to toe?’"

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LATEST: Troubled pop star BRITNEY SPEARS landed an appearance on her favourite U.S. sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER after the singer’s agent asked the makers to create a character for her.
Spears - who will appear as doctor’s receptionist Abby - is a huge fan of the show, and deemed a guest role in the series a perfect assignment at this juncture of her turbulent career.
Creator Craig Thomas admits he was ecstatic when Spears’ representatives contacted him, and was left in no doubt he’d made the right decision to recruit her when she turned up for a script reading - and impressed everyone present with her acting talent and enthusiastic approach.
He says, "Britney’s people ended up coming to CBS and expressing interest in our show, and we were thrilled. ‘Britney Spears watches our show!’ "They said she was looking for a small part on a funny show, and she checked out our show and liked it. They were really receptive to the idea of bringing Britney in and just doing a funny role for her. It all came together really quickly - it was kind of shocking.
"She seemed to have a great time, and we had a great time working with her.
It was just like really a normal table read." Spears will shoot her scenes this week (begs10Mar08), with the episode scheduled for broadcast on U.S. cable channel CBS on 24 March (08).

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SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has spoken out in disgust at Australia’s plans to cull a large number of kangaroos.
The former Beatle has added his support to a campaign by Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA!), who are desperate to halt the proposed killing of 500 of the marsupials near the country’s capital, Canberra.
The animals have been targeted to be culled after the Australian government issued reports stating their large numbers impacted heavily on other species in the area.
The 65-year-old rocker, who has been an avid campaigner for animal rights, says, "There is an urgent need for action to protect kangaroos from a barbaric industry which slaughters them for meat and leather." VIVA! have long fought a battle against the killing of kangaroos for meat exportation.
McCartney’s latest comments come just after the release of a new People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) poster campaign in which he describes the moment he decided to become a vegetarian.

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LATEST: The New York trial of a man accused of stalking UMA THURMAN has been delayed until next week (begs17Mar08).
Jackson Jordan, 36, stands accused of attempting to gain entry to Thurman’s trailer on a New York movie shoot, and sending her letters and drawings, including a sketch of the actress digging his grave.
One letter allegedly read, "I feel afraid that if I see you out again with another man, I will want to kill myself." Jordan has turned down the offer of enrolment in a mental health programme which would have shortened any custodial sentence he is given - because he wanted to see her in court.
The defendant’s lawyer George Vomvolakis has revealed he intends to argue in court that "he was just a romantic pursuing the woman that he loved".
If convicted, Jordan faces a minimum sentence of one year in a mental health institution.
Jury selection will now begin on 17 March (08).

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GEORGE CLOONEY is stepping into the row over 2008 Olympic host country China’s trade links with Sudan - because of his sponsorship deal with Games sponsors Omega.
Clooney endorses the luxury watch brand, which has been an Olympic partner since 1932.
According to the New York Daily News, the star - a United Nations Messenger of Peace - is asking the firm to use its position to pressure China over its trade links with the African nation, where more than 200,000 people have been killed and more than two million turned into refugees by famine and war, since civil war broke out in 2003.
The move comes a month after director Steven Spielberg withdrew from the role of Olympic Artistic Director for the same reason.

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Political thriller VANTAGE POINT has shot to the top of the U.K. box office, stealing the number one spot from heist movie THE BANK JOB.
Vantage Point, which features an all-star cast including Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver, has opening weekend (07-09Mar08) takings of $3.08 million (£1.54 million) - making it the only movie to ever debut in the U.K. box office with profits of more than $2 million (£1 million).
Tudor drama The Other Boleyn Girl is at two with a total of $1.9 million (£952,405) to date, while comedy The Game Plan is at number three with $1.54 million (£770,851).
Last week’s (ends02Mar08) most popular film The Bank Job slips to four, and Uma Thurman’s romantic comedy The Accidental Husband rounds out the top five in fifth position.

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FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS comedy star BRET McKENZIE is refusing to let fame and success go to his head - he still lives with this mother.
The Australian comedy act, McKenzie and Jermaine Clement, are the stars of a top rating U.S. show and recently won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
But McKenzie insists, "I feel like I’m 18. You think you’ve finally made it, and suddenly you’re like, ‘Mom, can I borrow the car?’"

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Hit U.S. sitcom UGLY BETTY is set to be adapted for Chinese TV.
Chinese network Hunan Satellite TV has unveiled plans for Invincible Ugly Woman, a localised version of the Salma Hayek-produced series about a nerdy assistant working at fashion magazine Mode.
The lead role in Invincible Ugly Woman has already been cast to a female with no prior acting experience, Hunan Satellite TV has confirmed.
Ugly Betty, which has been a major ratings success for ABC since its U.S.
premiere in September 2006, is an adaptation of the popular Colombian soap Yo Soy Betty, La Fea (I Am Betty, The Ugly One).

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GILLIGAN’S ISLAND star DAWN WELLS’ lawyers have hit out at the media coverage of her recent arrest, branding the reports "extremely inaccurate and erroneous".
The 69-year-old was alleged to have been sentenced to five days in jail, placed on six months’ probation and fined $410.50 (£255.25) at a hearing in Driggs, Idaho on 29 February (08) after pleading guilty to reckless driving following a recent arrest on suspicion of possessing marijuana.
She was stopped by cops on 18 October (07) as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party held for her, after officers spotted her vehicle swerving across a road.
Wells allegedly agreed to plead guilty under the terms of an agreement that saw three other charges - driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia - dropped.
However, her attorney Ron Swafford insists Wells did not serve a jail term and was only issued with a fine and "informal" probation. He also claims there was no "plea deal", reports ETonline.com.
The star had marijuana in her car as it had been borrowed by a "third party" earlier in the day, and swerved only because she was "reaching for her heater controls in an unfamiliar new car". The "third party" appeared in court and admitted responsibility for the drug possession.
Swafford adds any DUI charges were dropped due to "insufficient proof of excessive alcohol consumption", as none of the tests administered to Wells were carried out correctly. The officer who stopped the actress has since been suspended from his duties.
Swafford goes on to claim the offence will not appear on Wells’ driving record due to her "cooperation, integrity and complete lack of criminal record".
In a statement by Swafford, he adds, "This is a very humiliating and embarrassing event for Ms. Wells. She wishes to apologize to her friends and supporters for any embarrassment or disappointment this occurrence may have caused."

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Rocker JOHN MAYER suffers anxiety attacks and keeps a supply of powerful drug Xanax with him at all times.
Mayer blames the attacks on "crossed wires" in his brain, but they are quickly cured by the drug - one of the combination of pills that Heath Ledger overdosed on, reports PageSix.com.
He says, "There are these incidental kinds of loopholes in my brain, where the wires can cross for a second and the hard drive crashes.
"You can create dark neighbourhoods in your mind as easily as you can create rural wonderlands."

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Pop star GERI HALLIWELL has stunned the family of a young British girl after helping her to recover from a coma by singing.
The Spice Girl paid a surprise visit to the hospital bedside of 14-year-old Jessica Knight, who had slipped into a coma after being horrifically attacked while walking home in Manchester, England in January (08).
The girl’s mother, Jill Walmsley, claims her daughter had not moved at all before Halliwell’s visit - and miraculously awoke just 24 hours after the star’s visit.
But Spice Girls fan Knight had no recollection of the celebrity incident, and was only convinced when she was shown a concert wristband the Wannabe singer had left behind.
Halliwell decided to visit the teenager, who had been stabbed 30 times and suffered a stroke from her injuries, after she was contacted by Knight’s family when the Spice Girls were in the city in January as part of their comeback tour.
Walmsley tells British tabloid The Mirror, "I only found out Geri was coming 30 minutes beforehand. You just don’t expect to be sitting in the hospital and for Geri Halliwell to walk in. She gave me a big hug and said that Jessica’s story had really touched her.
"Geri sang a couple of lines from one of the Spice Girls’ songs and Jessica started moving her arms and legs. It was amazing.
"We were all in fits of giggles because we were so relieved and it was just so funny seeing her legs move to Geri’s singing. The next day, she opened her eyes for the first time."

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Rapper JUELZ SANTANA has been arrested on suspicion of weapons and drug possession outside his New Jersey home.
The hip-hop star - real name LaRon James - was taken into police custody last week (ends07Mar08) after cops detected the smell of marijuana coming from his Bentley as he approached his home in the gated community of Glenpointe in Teaneck.
Santana’s name was then put through police databases, which revealed he had been driving on a suspended license.
A subsequent search of the Dipset rapper’s vehicle turned up 29 hollow point bullets bundled in a sock, as well as $19,500 (£9,750) in cash hidden in a plastic bag filled with "hundreds of Jolly Rancher candies", reports the New York Daily News.
A search of Santana’s person found a rolled marijuana blunt in his sock, and a bag of the drug was also discovered in the police car where the MC had been sitting during questioning.
Representatives for Santana have yet to comment on his arrest.

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American Idol judge PAULA ABDUL knows she oozes sex appeal - because she forever attracts attention from young boys who wish their "mum looked that hot".
The 44-year-old is confident about her body image, thanks to friends and fans who tell her she’s at her physical peak.
And the Grammy-winning singer/choreographer isn’t bothered about her wobbly bits, insisting she constantly has young admirers staring at her fantastic form.
She says, "Most people say I look better than I ever have. It feels good when I see young boys staring at me, saying, ‘I wish my mum looked that hot!’ "I can look really good in clothes, but when I take then off I can see where I could firm up. I just don’t want to obsess about it."

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